HITTIN' THE SPOT

Being the most expensive Chinese movie ever, „The Great wall” aims really high when it comes to the overall sense of perception of the box office consumers and that is his major and single biggest flaw. Everything else is falling just in the right place, creating one of the more likeable trash fantasy action movies of the decade.

With Yimou Zhang („Hero”, „The Flowers of war”) at the directing helm, visual identity and action sequences are just impeccable, creating the tension and interesting subplots. The main plot is really hyper-trash in its core, with giant tiger-like lizards invading the ancient Chinese empire led by their ferocious queen. Every single plot that comes from that premise is just impeccable in its creativity and amusement.

When it comes to acting, Matt Damon is just irrelevant, while the A-list of Chinese actors is doing their part with no significant problems. CGI is up-to-date and heavily utilized, but there will be some old fashioned man-to-man action as well.

„The Great wall” is a great „popcorn” movie if you consider it a trash action blockbuster it is.

THE GREAT WALL – 7/10


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CRAFTY, BUT RETARDED

Filming the computer games is always a futile effort. However good, the script would inevitably succumb to the emptiness of the basic plot. I mean, a templar corporation seeks the descendants of the medieval hitman's guild so they can find the Apple of Eden for them by using the machine for regression to the momories of their ancestors... C'mon, people!

However, Justin Kurzel manages to make the „Assassin's creed” visually viable, despite the CGI overload that comes with it. Atmosphere in the present day will also be interesting, as is the overall „A” class casting (Fassbender, Cotillard, Irons, Rampling). On the other hand, the story is just blatantly stupid, while the ending is comparable in its abruptness only to second part of „Hobbit” franchise.

„Assassin's creed” is the movie for the gamers and box-office suckers and nobody else.

ASSASSIN'S CREED – 4/10

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DIFFERENT

Comic superhero movies are a worn out genre and exceptions from the mindless process of recycling old ideas are rare and important. Besides the dark humored „Deadpool”, very few titles earned the attention of the mainstream viewers.

„Doctor Strange” was one of the lesser known „Marvel’s” superheroes and his activation on the big screen came after an entire plethora of comic characters. Concept behind the once successful surgeon that was forced to look for the solution of his hand injury behind the mirror of the possible is in its core pretty naïve, but also some spectacular and innovative graphic presentations, finally enabled by the advance of CGI technology.

As for the cast, Cumberbatch and Mads Mikkelsen were the right choice, while the script slowly evolves to the crescendo at the end. The window for the entire franchise is left open, so expect some more adventures from the astral projections front.

„Doctor Strange” is not your average comic superhero, with some refreshing and innovative production designs and sets.

DOCTOR STRANGE – 6/10

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A FRESH RESTART

„Star Wars” was a drenched out franchise, downgraded to a lavish video material for children with ADD, destined to a neverending self-recycling in the decades to come. Or it looked like that, when the new owners of the copyrights decided to make a spinoff serial that nobody wanted. And not only that. The new owners decided to try to make something a little bit different, with more creative, visual and storyline freedom, wooing the new, young generation ofdirectors and acotrs along that way.

It can easily be said that Gareth Edwards and „Rogue one” saved the „Star wars” franchize from extinction. They did it by writing a real-life scenario with brutal development and outcome(s) discreetly linked to the original movies. They did it by creating a gloomy, dark atmosphere and „Bladerunner-like” production sets, followed by some serious supporting cast (Mads Mikkelsen, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed). They did it without the trademark excessive pathetic and they did it with some serious cynical humor. They also managed to dose up the action sequences and to create a powerful closure without the tacky happy end.

On the other hand, they failed to generate credible two major roles (Felicity Jones, Diego Luna) and a they failed to create a villain capable of withstanding the tremendous impact of Darth Vader.

Overall, „Rogue One: A Star wars story” is a very good beginning of something that can be a great spinoff sub-franchize.

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY – 8/10

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FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Rebooting will burry Hollywood. No director shall be spared, no movie shall retain the minimal dignity earned 20 or so years before. Nor will Emmerich's amusing 90s blockbuster „Independence day”, now driven into the hardcore high-tech future conflict with the resurging aliens. The old crew is all here (minus Will Smith), some fresh faces and CGI are stepping in, but all of that just won't make any difference.

The result will be utter devastation of brain cells, a collection of random events, thin and non-existent plots, as well as a horrifying intro into a whole franchise of this... nonsence.

„Independence day: Resurgence” will suck out any ounce of quality from its predecessor and bore you to death.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE – 1/10

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TOTALLY UNECESSARY

Ben Affleck as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? This cast can not be fixed even by Zack Snyder or the three hour script that consists of random events without any significance or connection between them.

At the very heart of the plot is a conflict between the Dark Knight and beloved Man of Steel, both drowning in their egos. Powers the Superman posesses are the very powers the Batman wishes to destroy. Elongated and overbored script filled with cathastrophically annoying Eisenberg and traditionally flat-lined Affleck finally leads to the great conflict at the end which solves nothing, serving only to introduce a plethora of new characters in the endless number of DC comics sequels to come.

The world just doesn't need „Batman vs Superman” franchise, nor does it need „The dawn of justice”.

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: THE DAWN OF JUSTICE - 2/10

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YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ’ROUND

„X-men: First class”  was one of the best reboots in the past decade, alongside „Batman begins” and „Star trek”. Already „The days of the future past” was a subject of quality slump and that intention continued with „Apocalypse”.

Everything we saw in the previous five parts of this mutant saga, repeats itself in the sixth one as well. Shifty characters, huge explosions, massive showdown at the end. Nothing new, nothing special. Even the brilliant cast (Fassbender, McAvoy) fails to express themselves in such a modest script.

You can choose to watch „X-men: Apocalypse” or you can choose not to watch it. It won't make any difference in your life.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE - 4/10

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ACTUALLY NOT THAT BAD

Computer game-based movie is always a bad idea, primarily due to the fact that 99.9% of computer games have banal and empty plots.

„Warcraft” is one of those games, based on the orc invading a imaginery human world called Azareth. However, the movie isn't that bad after all. At least, if you adapt your expectations.

I'm not a fan of the „Warcraft” world, but the Duncan Jones's movie decently amused me. CGI was great, there was even some characterization and indication of real life plots and casting was ok (Travis Fimmel, Ben Foster).

„Warcraft” was a pleasant surprise, overcoming (to be honest) really low expectations.

WARCRAFT - 6/10

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TOO MUCH

„Avengers” represented one of the rare franchises with a potential to attract the wider public in a highly saturated market for rebooted comics. To be more precise, it represented such a potential until its latest part.

„Age of Ultron” will pretty much sound and look like „Transformers” sequels when it comes to ridiculous script, overacted roles and CGI congested action sequences. You won't care what happens next, nor what will come of your favourite character. It just won't matter to you if you have any taste in cinema left.

„Age of Ultron” is one truly unnecessary and excessive part of a pretty decent franchise.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON - 2/10


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HYPERTRASH

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Reboots don’t usually work. Rarely, some of the revamps are worth your time, and „Jurassic park” is one of those flicks.

The storyline is pretty much recycling the first part of the franchise, with a newer/larger/better amusement park with dinosaurs being opened on the place of the old one, situated somewhere around Galapagos islands. Casting is totally refreshed, but the motives for main characters remain the same: greed, vanity and the never ending desire for the spectacle. Those basic elements ultimately lead to genetic experiments on dinosaurs and a cross breeding crescendo showdown at the very end which everyone expects.

Action sequences are pretty gory and massive, while the CGI continues with high standards set by the first three parts of the franchise. Plots aren’t pretty intelligent and convincing, but a summer action/sci-fi/horror blockbuster doesn’t need that after all.

„Jurassic world” is a genuine box-office smasher and a fairly amusing refreshment of the basic concept.

JURASSIC PARK - 6/10

SOLID

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Momentum from the fifth part somewhat slows down in „Fast & Furious 6”, bringing the crew to London to hunt for the international terrorist. Some of the characters are gone, some new ones are there as well as the ghosts of the past. Action sequences are solid, as well as some of the new concepts, such as the CGI filled ending scenes.

„Fast & Furious 6” is one the better parts of the saga, but certainly not the best one.

FAST & FURIOUS 6 - 5/10

ROCK BOTTOM

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Without Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, the whole franchise stands to a complete halt in third part of the saga about street races and drifters. Tokyo doesn’t represent the inspiration and neither do the new characters (Lucas Black, Sung Kang) and the too artificial CGI.

„Tokyo drift” is by all relevant factors the worst part of the entire series.

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS - 1/10

MAD, BUT NOT MAX

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One of the most anticipated movies of 2015 didn’t disappoint ”Mad Max” fans, offering some fresh blood(bag) to the faltering franchise, revamping everything and boosting the script for the new century.

Much more like the second two parts of the post apocalyptic story about stranded Australian wasteland, George Miller's story now offers different fragments of the society, highly dependable on motor oil and crazy dictators guarding the sparse life resources.

Mel Gibson is replaced by promising Tom Hardy who doesn’t succeed in filling his shoes being way to inconsistent and undefined as Max Rockatansky. On the other hand, Charlize Teron is just mesmerizing as a true lead role (Furiosa), giving the movie much needed dramatic depth.

As for the story, there isn’t any, just a series of spectacular car chases and battles, done mostly the old fashioned ”analogue” way, which is quite a refreshment in a almost 100% CGI era. Tensions are ultra high, lines are mainly senseless and there isn’t any determined goal for the actors.

All said and done, ”Mad Max” is one hugely entertaining spectacular blockbuster and a completely different concept from the original movies.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 8/10