What movies have you seen lately? Now with reviews!Movies
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Hell Or High Water (2016)
...This is, without a doubt, one of the best film I've seen this year. Easily in the top ten. Too bad it was never released in the cinemas where I stay.
Starring Ben Foster, Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges, Hell Or High Water is a story of two bank robbing brothers and a lawman (and his partner) pursuing them. Very simple - the way I like 'em. Also simple, is the way this film lays it on thick and rather heavy at pointing those scathing fingers at the financial institutions aka banks who rips off the poor, low income Texans with wild abandon.
In nearly every shot, you'll see sign boards for "foreclosures", "Closed", "Looking for a Loan" and the like, right next to scenes of silent desperations. It's to a point where it becomes pretty depressing. Weirdly, though, what balances out all that dark and moody bits are the moments of absurdist comedy, many of those delivered by the oh-so-ably, almost-reliable Bridges. Almost, because I still can't get over the fact that he made RIPD...
However, I can see that some people might take offence at several lines of dialogue uttered by Bridge's character, as it is borderline racist in some places. There's this one line involving Mexicans that's funny, but if it were on a big budget Hollywood blockbuster, it would've never gotten past a studio exec's desk. So, if you're thinking of watch this, keep that in mind.
The performances are uniformly excellent, both Pine and Foster delivering solid turns as the brothers Tobey and Tanner, respectively. Especially Foster, who does such a great work here, it completely annihilates any memories of him slumping it in the abomination that is Warcraft. Just occasionally, his accent slips but it's not as glaring as Pine's, so he's forgiven.
The biggest minus, if I were to nitpick, is the score. Something minimalistic suits the desolate backdrop of the declining Midwest well, but then, there are instances of bombastic songs blaring out that breaks the mood a bit. Of course, it's also played for laughs too, adding to the bits of comedy I mentioned earlier.
I can't fully understand how this film slipped under so many people's radars. It is a great film, featuring wonderful performances and a stunning cinematography, and is beautifully paced on top of all its good points, yet, it was a box office bomb. I tell ya, there ain't no justice in this world. None at all.
8.5/10. Hunt this film down. You won't regret it.
...This is, without a doubt, one of the best film I've seen this year. Easily in the top ten. Too bad it was never released in the cinemas where I stay.
Starring Ben Foster, Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges, Hell Or High Water is a story of two bank robbing brothers and a lawman (and his partner) pursuing them. Very simple - the way I like 'em. Also simple, is the way this film lays it on thick and rather heavy at pointing those scathing fingers at the financial institutions aka banks who rips off the poor, low income Texans with wild abandon.
In nearly every shot, you'll see sign boards for "foreclosures", "Closed", "Looking for a Loan" and the like, right next to scenes of silent desperations. It's to a point where it becomes pretty depressing. Weirdly, though, what balances out all that dark and moody bits are the moments of absurdist comedy, many of those delivered by the oh-so-ably, almost-reliable Bridges. Almost, because I still can't get over the fact that he made RIPD...
However, I can see that some people might take offence at several lines of dialogue uttered by Bridge's character, as it is borderline racist in some places. There's this one line involving Mexicans that's funny, but if it were on a big budget Hollywood blockbuster, it would've never gotten past a studio exec's desk. So, if you're thinking of watch this, keep that in mind.
The performances are uniformly excellent, both Pine and Foster delivering solid turns as the brothers Tobey and Tanner, respectively. Especially Foster, who does such a great work here, it completely annihilates any memories of him slumping it in the abomination that is Warcraft. Just occasionally, his accent slips but it's not as glaring as Pine's, so he's forgiven.
The biggest minus, if I were to nitpick, is the score. Something minimalistic suits the desolate backdrop of the declining Midwest well, but then, there are instances of bombastic songs blaring out that breaks the mood a bit. Of course, it's also played for laughs too, adding to the bits of comedy I mentioned earlier.
I can't fully understand how this film slipped under so many people's radars. It is a great film, featuring wonderful performances and a stunning cinematography, and is beautifully paced on top of all its good points, yet, it was a box office bomb. I tell ya, there ain't no justice in this world. None at all.
8.5/10. Hunt this film down. You won't regret it.
Brend
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: 9/10
A fantastic movie (no pun intended) that stands so far apart from the HP franchise, the link has no bearing on the overall quality. Great acting, action scenes and humor fill the (slightly) lengthy run-time and for someone who expected nothing from it - I couldn't be happier.
Highly recommended from me. Preferred it to the HP series.
A fantastic movie (no pun intended) that stands so far apart from the HP franchise, the link has no bearing on the overall quality. Great acting, action scenes and humor fill the (slightly) lengthy run-time and for someone who expected nothing from it - I couldn't be happier.
Highly recommended from me. Preferred it to the HP series.
- 8,598
- Oklahoma
This one was disappointing after Jack Reacher being so enjoyable.
Re-watched this one the other day for about the 3rd or 4th time. This film is a masterpiece. If you missed it, you missed something special.
I need to watch Oblivion again. I really enjoyed it in theatres, but have only watched it that one time.
This was a good one. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to just about anyone.
Danoff
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The second time through, the fun thing to do is watch Julia's reaction to everything from the moment she's awake. Everything she hears and sees has a completely different connotation on the second viewing. For example, she has an interesting expression on her face on the back of the motorcycle when they head to the wreckage. Her character is pretty quiet early on, so you might have missed her eyes popping out of her head when she hears what seems, on first viewing, like non-important line being spoken.
- 6,968
- South Africa
X-Men Apocalypse (2016)
...So yeah, here comes Apocalypse, arguably one of my fav villain from the vast pool of Marvel characters. Usually, I go to the local cinema if I want to catch a big budget blockbuster like this since it's better on a big screen, but after being warned by many lukewarm reviews, I stayed away, opting to see it at home instead.
And well, I'm glad I did that.
Plainly, this movie sucks. Of the four X-Men movies Bryan Singer directed, this is easily the most frustrating, idiotic and rushed of the lot. Quite frankly, there are so many things wrong with this film, I have no idea where to begin my rant.
Right, let's start off with the obvious: Isaac Oscar. He's a wonderful actor, without a doubt, and carries a good deal of screen presence, a must for any leading man material. However, as Apocalypse, he's just.... bah. In my mind, Apocalypse is a hulking, intimidating and terrifying villain that simply oozes an aura of invincibility. But this version? Oscar is just too small a stature to carry the physicality of the man. Plus, his sniveling voice is exactly what you'd expect to hear from a lackey #17, not the Big Boss himself.
Then the next big problem is the sheer number of characters this movie has. Not even an ensemble piece has this many. It's just too much. Excluding all the important side characters, I counted 16 men and women that we need to spend time to get to know better. Hell, that's more than from Guns Of Navarone, you know... And that's supposed to be a "war" movie.
In a two hour movie, obviously some of those characters would be marginalized, and as it so happens, almost all of them in this film doesn't get to shine, either due to miscasting (Jean Grey looks too old to be a teen, Singer gets Cyclops WRONG again) stilted script (James McAvoy's Xavier sounds confused 98% of the time in this one) lazy, phoning-it-in performances (Jennifer Lawrence and her portrayal of Mystique is guilty of this sin) or just the generally pervading sense of amateurish direction throughout (the scene where Archangel is inducted as a Horseman is particularly nasty.)
The only one who can sort of walk away with his head held high would be Michael Fassbender, albeit just barely. It'd been wiser for the filmmakers to stick with Magneto's story instead of this... mess. Now that would have been infinitely more interesting. Baaaaaahhhh.
The final nail in its coffin is the scale. Of the "First Class" Triology, this one has the smallest scale of the lot, which is rather surprising if you prescribe to the Hollywood logic of "sequels = bigger everything" mantra. In the trailers, we are promised destruction on the global scale, but other than the obligatory mangling of the Golden Gate bridge, the only city to get wrecked is Cairo, and that's it. So, it's not even a proper apocalypse, then.
As a director, Bryan Singer gets more right than wrong, but boy, this is one spectacular mess. No wonder it killed the X-Men franchise again. I wouldn't be too surprised if next year's Logan wipes the slate clean and let Fox start off fresh and dandy. Oh wait, there's that Deadpool movie, wasn't it. Now that complicates things, huh.
3.5/10. Yes, I scored this worse than Gods of Egypt. It's that bad.
...So yeah, here comes Apocalypse, arguably one of my fav villain from the vast pool of Marvel characters. Usually, I go to the local cinema if I want to catch a big budget blockbuster like this since it's better on a big screen, but after being warned by many lukewarm reviews, I stayed away, opting to see it at home instead.
And well, I'm glad I did that.
Plainly, this movie sucks. Of the four X-Men movies Bryan Singer directed, this is easily the most frustrating, idiotic and rushed of the lot. Quite frankly, there are so many things wrong with this film, I have no idea where to begin my rant.
Right, let's start off with the obvious: Isaac Oscar. He's a wonderful actor, without a doubt, and carries a good deal of screen presence, a must for any leading man material. However, as Apocalypse, he's just.... bah. In my mind, Apocalypse is a hulking, intimidating and terrifying villain that simply oozes an aura of invincibility. But this version? Oscar is just too small a stature to carry the physicality of the man. Plus, his sniveling voice is exactly what you'd expect to hear from a lackey #17, not the Big Boss himself.
Then the next big problem is the sheer number of characters this movie has. Not even an ensemble piece has this many. It's just too much. Excluding all the important side characters, I counted 16 men and women that we need to spend time to get to know better. Hell, that's more than from Guns Of Navarone, you know... And that's supposed to be a "war" movie.
In a two hour movie, obviously some of those characters would be marginalized, and as it so happens, almost all of them in this film doesn't get to shine, either due to miscasting (Jean Grey looks too old to be a teen, Singer gets Cyclops WRONG again) stilted script (James McAvoy's Xavier sounds confused 98% of the time in this one) lazy, phoning-it-in performances (Jennifer Lawrence and her portrayal of Mystique is guilty of this sin) or just the generally pervading sense of amateurish direction throughout (the scene where Archangel is inducted as a Horseman is particularly nasty.)
The only one who can sort of walk away with his head held high would be Michael Fassbender, albeit just barely. It'd been wiser for the filmmakers to stick with Magneto's story instead of this... mess. Now that would have been infinitely more interesting. Baaaaaahhhh.
The final nail in its coffin is the scale. Of the "First Class" Triology, this one has the smallest scale of the lot, which is rather surprising if you prescribe to the Hollywood logic of "sequels = bigger everything" mantra. In the trailers, we are promised destruction on the global scale, but other than the obligatory mangling of the Golden Gate bridge, the only city to get wrecked is Cairo, and that's it. So, it's not even a proper apocalypse, then.
As a director, Bryan Singer gets more right than wrong, but boy, this is one spectacular mess. No wonder it killed the X-Men franchise again. I wouldn't be too surprised if next year's Logan wipes the slate clean and let Fox start off fresh and dandy. Oh wait, there's that Deadpool movie, wasn't it. Now that complicates things, huh.
3.5/10. Yes, I scored this worse than Gods of Egypt. It's that bad.
Brend
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Edge of Seventeen - 7/10
A simple coming-of-age film which shines due to great performances from the lead actors, telling a story you've heard before but with a good amount of heart. Some self-referential humor and banter between characters make it worth watching.
Moana - 8.5/10
Another disney hit that outdoes Pixar's Finding Dory and then some. You know what you're in for, catchy tunes, funny jokes and some beautiful visuals. The final scenes are incredible and probably my favorite from a Disney film in a long time. Go see it and you won't regret it. That being said, it's no Kubo...but what is.
Arrival - 7.5/10
Amy Adams puts in a great shift in this taxing watch. Undercutting any expectations of an action-packed popcorn flick, the surprising depth makes for a good alien story.
A simple coming-of-age film which shines due to great performances from the lead actors, telling a story you've heard before but with a good amount of heart. Some self-referential humor and banter between characters make it worth watching.
Moana - 8.5/10
Another disney hit that outdoes Pixar's Finding Dory and then some. You know what you're in for, catchy tunes, funny jokes and some beautiful visuals. The final scenes are incredible and probably my favorite from a Disney film in a long time. Go see it and you won't regret it. That being said, it's no Kubo...but what is.
Arrival - 7.5/10
Amy Adams puts in a great shift in this taxing watch. Undercutting any expectations of an action-packed popcorn flick, the surprising depth makes for a good alien story.
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Loved Moana. Songs weren't as instantly catchy as Frozen or even Trolls (which we watched earlier in the year), but the story was a good 'un.
Except for the fact that:
Ah, well, all in good fun, right?
Kids loved it, thought the ending was great. Nice to have a movie with some positive vibes to end this crazy year.
I wouldn't quite say it's that bad.
But I think, if I was forced to watch it again, it might end up in that area.
Frustrating how many side characters get introduced with some flair only to be used for a few scenes.
-
And yes, Lawrence's performance was shockingly bad in this film.
Except for the fact that:
Maui was a psychotic killer who tried to maroon a mortal to her death... at least twice.
Ah, well, all in good fun, right?
Kids loved it, thought the ending was great. Nice to have a movie with some positive vibes to end this crazy year.
I wouldn't quite say it's that bad.
But I think, if I was forced to watch it again, it might end up in that area.
Frustrating how many side characters get introduced with some flair only to be used for a few scenes.
-
And yes, Lawrence's performance was shockingly bad in this film.
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...It's a matter of perspective, man!!
I saw GoE not too long ago, and it's still fresh in my mind. Comparing the two, Alex Proyas-directed Sci-Fi Fantasy has smidgeon more redeeming qualities. Not saying it's a good movie though - just that, Apocalypse is a worse one.
You're making me want to dig up a copy of GoE to compare!
- 13,875
- Ireland
- driftking18594
- CiaranGTR94
Arrival
I came in knowing this would be a slow-burner, not a Michael Bay-arousing explosion-fest. I feel like it didn't really succeed in ratcheting up the tension...
Having said that, I really appreciate the effort put into world-building in this movie, and this feels like a realistic reaction to a "first contact" event. Granted, I find it unrealistic that Venezuela (whose economy looks like Wile E. Coyote when he's just walked off a cliff and hasn't realised how screwed he is yet), Sierra Leone (I'd imagine it's still reeling from the Ebola virus) and Sudan (a pariah state) could put so much effort and resources into trying to understand or even prepare to defend themselves against the pods.
Score: 8/10
I came in knowing this would be a slow-burner, not a Michael Bay-arousing explosion-fest. I feel like it didn't really succeed in ratcheting up the tension...
...because of how neatly things fell into place for Dr Banks to get General Shang to stand down.
Having said that, I really appreciate the effort put into world-building in this movie, and this feels like a realistic reaction to a "first contact" event. Granted, I find it unrealistic that Venezuela (whose economy looks like Wile E. Coyote when he's just walked off a cliff and hasn't realised how screwed he is yet), Sierra Leone (I'd imagine it's still reeling from the Ebola virus) and Sudan (a pariah state) could put so much effort and resources into trying to understand or even prepare to defend themselves against the pods.
Score: 8/10
- 48,698
- Australia
Secret Life of Pets
Graphics were pretty much what it was worth. Not much in the characters. Something to watch on a rainy day.... I guess.
Magnificent 7
Wasn't as impacting as Training Day. Nothing like the old westerns. The Three Amigos was better. Can't blame the actors. They can only do with what they are given. Save your money. Not missing a thing if it's not in your collection.
Ride Along 2
I hoped it would have at least been like All About the Benjamins. Skip it if you can.
Star Trek Beyond
I'm not Trekkie so, I didn't get if this was a new story or characters from past Star Treks.
Just felt more like a TV movie than the last two big movies. Maybe it's a filler until the next one.
Graphics were pretty much what it was worth. Not much in the characters. Something to watch on a rainy day.... I guess.
Magnificent 7
Wasn't as impacting as Training Day. Nothing like the old westerns. The Three Amigos was better. Can't blame the actors. They can only do with what they are given. Save your money. Not missing a thing if it's not in your collection.
Ride Along 2
I hoped it would have at least been like All About the Benjamins. Skip it if you can.
Star Trek Beyond
I'm not Trekkie so, I didn't get if this was a new story or characters from past Star Treks.
Just felt more like a TV movie than the last two big movies. Maybe it's a filler until the next one.
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- 9,232
- Solid Gone
- MeanElf
Hardcore Henry
Completely under-rated, possibly because it's Russian and therefore not Hollywood, though it's mostly in English. A must watch if you like or are a follower of Sharlto Copley or Timur Bekmambetov (he is a producer for this, not the director...but I can see why.)
It's a mad film seen from a first-person perspective and isn't for the faint of heart.
Completely under-rated, possibly because it's Russian and therefore not Hollywood, though it's mostly in English. A must watch if you like or are a follower of Sharlto Copley or Timur Bekmambetov (he is a producer for this, not the director...but I can see why.)
It's a mad film seen from a first-person perspective and isn't for the faint of heart.
- 1,723
- PletdeKoe
Fantastic Beasts and where to find them.
Great movie set in New York in the same universe as Harry Potter. I never liked Harry Potter because of the children. I didn't care about them. This movie however is about adults in hybrid magical world.
Acting was spot on, where all characters seem to be just a little off, like the magicians they are. Special effect are great and I was really impressed with the variety of creatures. What an imagination JK Rowling must have!
8/10
Great movie set in New York in the same universe as Harry Potter. I never liked Harry Potter because of the children. I didn't care about them. This movie however is about adults in hybrid magical world.
Acting was spot on, where all characters seem to be just a little off, like the magicians they are. Special effect are great and I was really impressed with the variety of creatures. What an imagination JK Rowling must have!
8/10
- 6,968
- South Africa
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
...If I'm honest, I've always had a soft spot for the Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich productions. The films made by the duo are the very definition of big, brash, switch-off-your-brains Summer Blockbusters. And I love them for it. And yes, that's even including the likes of Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow.
But Independence Day 2?
Going in, I was very skeptical. After all, it ticked a lot of wrong boxes: a sequel where it wasn't really needed, one of the main protagonists refused to sign up regardless of the number of zeroes on the paycheck (allegedly) and most importantly, 20 freakin' years after the fact.
But the truth is, I loved this movie. A lot. It has issues, obviously, but to be fair, most of them are not really what the Summer Blockbuster crowd is looking for. Yes, the script can be unintentionally hilarious at times, and yes, the acting can be spotty at times too, but at the end of the day, is this film trying to win Oscars in acting or script category? Nope. A film like this aims to deliver a simple and effective two hours of stress relief.
And deliver it does.
A quick pacing, snappy editing, good CGI as well as okay set pieces garnished with overtly patriotic background music all ensures that the running time flies by in a flash. On top of that, the filmmakers wisely do something rather unexpected and not stick to the template established in the first movie, turning the final half hour into a [REDACTED - SPOILERS] which was one more plus point to its overall score.
I'm sort of bitter about the fact that I couldn't see this in the local cinema. It'd have been pretty spectacular seeing it on the big screen sans 3D. Oh well. Hindsight and all that.
Now, will Fox produce the follow-up? After all, the ending did leave a room for another one. Honestly, I'm curious as to what Devlin/Emmerich will do with the franchise after seeing the direction they took with this one. Since the film did a pretty respectable business in the box office, I'm hoping they do - although, it will be better if it's not after two decades later.
7.5/10. Yes, it's bad at places you expect it to be. And great in places where it matters.
...If I'm honest, I've always had a soft spot for the Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich productions. The films made by the duo are the very definition of big, brash, switch-off-your-brains Summer Blockbusters. And I love them for it. And yes, that's even including the likes of Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow.
But Independence Day 2?
Going in, I was very skeptical. After all, it ticked a lot of wrong boxes: a sequel where it wasn't really needed, one of the main protagonists refused to sign up regardless of the number of zeroes on the paycheck (allegedly) and most importantly, 20 freakin' years after the fact.
But the truth is, I loved this movie. A lot. It has issues, obviously, but to be fair, most of them are not really what the Summer Blockbuster crowd is looking for. Yes, the script can be unintentionally hilarious at times, and yes, the acting can be spotty at times too, but at the end of the day, is this film trying to win Oscars in acting or script category? Nope. A film like this aims to deliver a simple and effective two hours of stress relief.
And deliver it does.
A quick pacing, snappy editing, good CGI as well as okay set pieces garnished with overtly patriotic background music all ensures that the running time flies by in a flash. On top of that, the filmmakers wisely do something rather unexpected and not stick to the template established in the first movie, turning the final half hour into a [REDACTED - SPOILERS] which was one more plus point to its overall score.
I'm sort of bitter about the fact that I couldn't see this in the local cinema. It'd have been pretty spectacular seeing it on the big screen sans 3D. Oh well. Hindsight and all that.
Now, will Fox produce the follow-up? After all, the ending did leave a room for another one. Honestly, I'm curious as to what Devlin/Emmerich will do with the franchise after seeing the direction they took with this one. Since the film did a pretty respectable business in the box office, I'm hoping they do - although, it will be better if it's not after two decades later.
7.5/10. Yes, it's bad at places you expect it to be. And great in places where it matters.
- 9,232
- Solid Gone
- MeanElf
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Having seen What We Do in the Shadows last year by the same director (Taika Waititi) and loving that, I wanted to give this a go to block out the inauguration nonsense.
This is my favourite Sam Neill film I have seen so far. Simple, engaging and surprising at several points. It is a far darker comedy than the Vampire Documentary style film What We Do in the Shadows but it is still at heart a comedy.
Having watched it on Netflix we're going to buy this film.
Having seen What We Do in the Shadows last year by the same director (Taika Waititi) and loving that, I wanted to give this a go to block out the inauguration nonsense.
This is my favourite Sam Neill film I have seen so far. Simple, engaging and surprising at several points. It is a far darker comedy than the Vampire Documentary style film What We Do in the Shadows but it is still at heart a comedy.
Having watched it on Netflix we're going to buy this film.
- 6,344
- Nantes
- P308R
This evening I saw Polisse. Tells thé story of a police force which is occupied with childabuse and sexual assaults. Very gritty and emotional film.
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1661420/?ref=m_nv_sr_1
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1661420/?ref=m_nv_sr_1
- 14,661
- The UK
- JASON_ROCKS1998
- JR98 GAMING
Just seen XXX: Return of Xander Cage and it was better than I expected. Very enjoyable film that had a decent enough plot (although some areas of the plot could've used a little more explanation). Cast was also excellent, and the action scenes were very well done, especially the fight scenes. Some predictable moments but that was more to do with who cast that character more than anything else.
8/10 - Easily the Best XXX movie out of the 3
8/10 - Easily the Best XXX movie out of the 3
Robin
Premium
- 16,799
- United Kingdom
Saw A Million Ways To Die In The West on TV last night.
Very Seth MacFarlane, I couldn't watch it an any point without thinking it was a Family Guy episode. The story was very paint by numbers but watchable and reasonably funny but by no means laugh a minute. The dream sequence and celebrity cameos were really naff but Charlize Theron was hot as so all is forgiven.
Main take away from this film was... People die at the fair.
Very Seth MacFarlane, I couldn't watch it an any point without thinking it was a Family Guy episode. The story was very paint by numbers but watchable and reasonably funny but by no means laugh a minute. The dream sequence and celebrity cameos were really naff but Charlize Theron was hot as so all is forgiven.
Main take away from this film was... People die at the fair.
- 15,529
- Cairo, Egypt
- GTP_SEMS
Split is pretty good, McAvoy was fantastic and the movie like most M.N.S films oozes atmosphere, the twist at the end didn't really resonate with me
as I don't remember much of unbreakable, but anyway if you're reading this, one question I have is why was there a Kevin video file when the girl opened the computer? is Kevin a personality?
- 6,968
- South Africa
The Accountant (2016)
...When I saw the trailer for this particular film, I thought this could be an ingenious mash-up of The Numbers And John Wick. Starring Ben Affleck as the titular accountant with some serious heavy weaponry fetish, ready to kick ass with ledgers and knives alike.
Well..... Hmm.
What I got instead was an ungainly blend of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and a middling straight-to-video action thriller with a lame central mystery featuring the so-so "twists" which I saw coming a hundred miles away.
The first problem I have with this film is that, overall, it just feels undercooked. In the trailer, we're promised the level of the border-hopping, international-incident-waiting-to-happen espionage game played by the men whose initials are either JB or EH but no, none of that happens. It's just some crooked men trying to "cook" the accounting books and after our MC figures it out, the said bad guys send people to ruin his day. Pretty much a standard fare, really.
Then, there's this subplot involving the tough-as-nails Treasury agents tracking down our MC. But that.... turns out to be a complete waste of time. Another subplot, involving Anna Kendrick's fellow accountant also suffers the same fate - although you could argue her involvement was the trigger necessary for the plot to move forward.
There's something else that counts as a negative point, especially for a movie trying to pass itself of an actioner.
It simply takes too damn long to get going properly. The film takes 30 minutes before something untoward is even hinted at - and there's just too much fluff earlier on that could have been excised cleanly without spoiling the flow of the narrative by a smart director. Instead, you have to sit through the "riveting" scenes of our MC battling the dangerous.... spreadsheets and invoices. Hmm.
And when the action indeed arrives, it's oddly anti-climatic. It lacks a certain excitement, a palpable sense of danger or a mind-blowing cool factor. It sort of just happens.
As for Affleck's performance, I will say this - this role could very well be the simplest one for him yet. He doesn't move his facial muscles all that much in the film. Wooden doesn't even come close to describing his performance. Although you do get a glimpse of brilliance this tremendously talented actor is capable of, it's fairly hard to see here.
Anna Kendrick plays Anna Kendrick, a role she had played in other, better films like Up In The Air or Pitch Perfect. John Bernthal is cast in a role that's only memorable thanks to a rather weak "twist" near the end of the film. Ditto for J.K. Simmons.
All in all, the film feels like an attempt at launching a franchise not too dissimilar to the likes of John Wick, The Transporter and maybe even Jason Bourne series. It sets up the character, his skill sets, his "sharp" analytical mind, all of that.
But the trouble is, unlike those films, The Accountant definitely lacks an X factor. It's too forgettable. And as an action film hoping to go multiple sequels, that's a grave sin to commit.
5/10. Already, I'm struggling to remember what happened in this film.
...When I saw the trailer for this particular film, I thought this could be an ingenious mash-up of The Numbers And John Wick. Starring Ben Affleck as the titular accountant with some serious heavy weaponry fetish, ready to kick ass with ledgers and knives alike.
Well..... Hmm.
What I got instead was an ungainly blend of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and a middling straight-to-video action thriller with a lame central mystery featuring the so-so "twists" which I saw coming a hundred miles away.
The first problem I have with this film is that, overall, it just feels undercooked. In the trailer, we're promised the level of the border-hopping, international-incident-waiting-to-happen espionage game played by the men whose initials are either JB or EH but no, none of that happens. It's just some crooked men trying to "cook" the accounting books and after our MC figures it out, the said bad guys send people to ruin his day. Pretty much a standard fare, really.
Then, there's this subplot involving the tough-as-nails Treasury agents tracking down our MC. But that.... turns out to be a complete waste of time. Another subplot, involving Anna Kendrick's fellow accountant also suffers the same fate - although you could argue her involvement was the trigger necessary for the plot to move forward.
There's something else that counts as a negative point, especially for a movie trying to pass itself of an actioner.
It simply takes too damn long to get going properly. The film takes 30 minutes before something untoward is even hinted at - and there's just too much fluff earlier on that could have been excised cleanly without spoiling the flow of the narrative by a smart director. Instead, you have to sit through the "riveting" scenes of our MC battling the dangerous.... spreadsheets and invoices. Hmm.
And when the action indeed arrives, it's oddly anti-climatic. It lacks a certain excitement, a palpable sense of danger or a mind-blowing cool factor. It sort of just happens.
As for Affleck's performance, I will say this - this role could very well be the simplest one for him yet. He doesn't move his facial muscles all that much in the film. Wooden doesn't even come close to describing his performance. Although you do get a glimpse of brilliance this tremendously talented actor is capable of, it's fairly hard to see here.
Anna Kendrick plays Anna Kendrick, a role she had played in other, better films like Up In The Air or Pitch Perfect. John Bernthal is cast in a role that's only memorable thanks to a rather weak "twist" near the end of the film. Ditto for J.K. Simmons.
All in all, the film feels like an attempt at launching a franchise not too dissimilar to the likes of John Wick, The Transporter and maybe even Jason Bourne series. It sets up the character, his skill sets, his "sharp" analytical mind, all of that.
But the trouble is, unlike those films, The Accountant definitely lacks an X factor. It's too forgettable. And as an action film hoping to go multiple sequels, that's a grave sin to commit.
5/10. Already, I'm struggling to remember what happened in this film.
- 15,308
- TRAPPIST-1g
- ProjectWHaT
I saw John Wick 2 today. Overall, it was as good as the first one. I thought the ending of the first one was good and didn't expect a sequel but then again, this is Hollywood and you gotta get as much as you can from this action hero movies.
The good points of the movie was that they continued to have those clear action shots with no quick cuts and no dark shaky cam. You can see all the movers they were doing clearly. Keenu Reeves put a lot of work into it as I have read. I also like how they expanded the story in this one. The first one, it was pretty simple, but this one definitely gave it a lot more depth to it.
The negatives would be that it seemed way too unrealistic. Like could three assassin network be that large and complex and connected. I know it's a movie and such but I felt like the first movie was a lot more believable. But I guess that's a trade off for a more in depth plot. Although, the shooting scenes were very nice. He even had to reload and get more bullets. Another negative was that the action scenes didn't have a nice rhythm. It was all sort of sporadic. I remember clearly in the first movie in the nightclub scene, the music and the action had the rhythm in sync and it really added to the experience. But in this one, in the Rome scene and the mirror scene, I didn't feel a nice rhythm. The scene just happened and ended. It didn't have the same affect as the original nightclub scene.
I hope the next one would fix those negatives. And I also hope they don't mess up this series. It has started really good. Hopefully it won't go down hill like the Fast and the Furious.
The good points of the movie was that they continued to have those clear action shots with no quick cuts and no dark shaky cam. You can see all the movers they were doing clearly. Keenu Reeves put a lot of work into it as I have read. I also like how they expanded the story in this one. The first one, it was pretty simple, but this one definitely gave it a lot more depth to it.
The negatives would be that it seemed way too unrealistic. Like could three assassin network be that large and complex and connected. I know it's a movie and such but I felt like the first movie was a lot more believable. But I guess that's a trade off for a more in depth plot. Although, the shooting scenes were very nice. He even had to reload and get more bullets. Another negative was that the action scenes didn't have a nice rhythm. It was all sort of sporadic. I remember clearly in the first movie in the nightclub scene, the music and the action had the rhythm in sync and it really added to the experience. But in this one, in the Rome scene and the mirror scene, I didn't feel a nice rhythm. The scene just happened and ended. It didn't have the same affect as the original nightclub scene.
I hope the next one would fix those negatives. And I also hope they don't mess up this series. It has started really good. Hopefully it won't go down hill like the Fast and the Furious.
Brend
Premium
- 11,771
- Scotland
- GTSophy-Lapos
- ClassicBrend
It's been a busy 7 days...
LEGO Batman: 8/10 - An awesome follow-up to the LEGO Movie with just as many good jokes and perfect humor. Ironically the best DC film since TDK.
Trainspotting 2: 9/10 - As someone who's never seen the original, I wasn't sure what to expect. The movie turned out to be a great comedic drama with strong performances from Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle.
John Wick Chapter 2: 9/10 - A sublime action-packed white-knuckle ride of a movie. Unbelievable fun to watch. Keanu is a treasure.
Split: 7/10 - James McAvoy puts on an insane show with each personality, gripping watch with a bit of a silly ending. Despite that, recommended.
Fifty Shades Darker: 2/10 - Absolute borefest. Not worth anyone's time, hilariously bad at times but not enough to justify watching it ironically. The worst movie I've seen in the past 5 years.
LEGO Batman: 8/10 - An awesome follow-up to the LEGO Movie with just as many good jokes and perfect humor. Ironically the best DC film since TDK.
Trainspotting 2: 9/10 - As someone who's never seen the original, I wasn't sure what to expect. The movie turned out to be a great comedic drama with strong performances from Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle.
John Wick Chapter 2: 9/10 - A sublime action-packed white-knuckle ride of a movie. Unbelievable fun to watch. Keanu is a treasure.
Split: 7/10 - James McAvoy puts on an insane show with each personality, gripping watch with a bit of a silly ending. Despite that, recommended.
Fifty Shades Darker: 2/10 - Absolute borefest. Not worth anyone's time, hilariously bad at times but not enough to justify watching it ironically. The worst movie I've seen in the past 5 years.
- 15,529
- Cairo, Egypt
- GTP_SEMS
- 1,723
- PletdeKoe
Jagten (The Hunt).
Very impressive danish movie starring Mads Mickelsen. About a teacher who is acused of sexual misconduct on one of his kindergarden students. A small town turning their heads as their assumptions grow bigger and bigger.
The acting is excellent, the ending provound. 9/10
Very impressive danish movie starring Mads Mickelsen. About a teacher who is acused of sexual misconduct on one of his kindergarden students. A small town turning their heads as their assumptions grow bigger and bigger.
The acting is excellent, the ending provound. 9/10
