DARK (AND) REALISTIC

Some actors just get tangled up in a particular role and especially if that role is on the television, they tend to repeat it endlessly, without some serious stepping out on the big screen.

Nikolaj Koster-Waldau hadn’t repeated those mistakes by making some important appereances in the Danish long feature production („Second chance”) and also tries real hard to get away from the shadow of Jaime Lannister across the Atlantic.

„Shot caller” isn’t his „Scarface”, but still represents a decent modern day grim and slow pace bloody thriller about a family man that ends up in jail and must fight his way if he wants to survive behind the bars. On that road he becomes a ruthless prison lord, transforming both physically and mentally.

Script doesn’t tend to offer some memorable climax or conclusion, dwindling heavily in the last third of the movie, but Nikolaj manages to show us some decent acting and keep us on our toes during the larger part of the movie.

„Shot caller” is a typical modern Hollywood thriller about modern prisoners filmed for the modern, blood and violence thirsty men.

SHOT CALLER – 6/10

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DECENT CLONE

Ridley Scott's „Alien” inspired entire generations of movie creators and it continues to do so 'till this very day. „Life” is one of the exact replicas of the 1979 masterpiece of SF horror and it does its ripping off relentlessly. There is no proper introduction, just plain old action and horror. The concept of the dormant alien creature (aka Calvin) that does its growing by devouring the crew of the Interantional Space Station is something we already saw more than once. All that follows represent one great mashup of deja vus that stretches out to the ending credits.

The A-list cast will do their parts without mistakes (especially Gyllenhaal), while the CGI and camera will be heavily influenced by the makers of „Gravity”.

Script will wander off pretty early in the movie, so expect no serious and scientifically justifiable plots.

„Life” will not surprise you, but will succeed in amusing you, especially if you were raised on the trash SF horror of the '80s.

LIFE – 5/10

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TAKING DOWN THE MASKS

There are movies that were made into what they are thanks to the limited resources of their creators, forcing them to compensate the lack of money, production and special effects. „Army of darkness” is on those sequels that brought all those things, but lost the connection to the first two parts, turning the entire concept into a teenage comedy. Sporadically, Bruce Campbell will make you laugh, but the overall sense will be quite empty.

„Army of darkness” signals the end to the entire genre in every major aspect.

ARMY OF DARKNESS – 2/10

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DIRECTING FOUNDATIONS

Sam Raimi's franchise about the dead coming back to life went almost side by side with Romero's „Living dead” story and the parallels are unavoidable. „The Evil dead” will tackle the same situation horror layout, with young people being trapped inside the lonesome cabin in the woods, but with some weaker plots and action sequences.

However, Raimi will compensate the hollow script with his directing talent and trademark fast moving camera to create the tension and horror. As for the Romero, effects are really outdated, but also more gorish. Also, a whole new B-production star will be born with Bruce Campbell taking the male lead.

„The Evil dead” is one the flicks that made zombie trash horror genre.

THE EVIL DEAD – 5/10

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FIRST ONE WAS BETTER

Tarantino tends to make long movie stories, so „Kill Bill” wasn't much of an exception. With the overall time of over four hours, the quality and tempo of the story winds down in the second part of the saga, lacking the great standoffs from the first one.

As for the directing, all the major elements are there also, with with a lesser level of hommage, the creativity of sequences will be slightly lower, not diminishing Quentin's raw talent behind the camera. The epic ending will be somewhat of a anticlimactic when compared to the overall rhythm of the script as well.

„Kill Bill vol.2” is a good movie, but slightly weaker than the first part.

KILL BILL VOL.2 – 6/10

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STILL GRUESOME, BUT A BIT BANAL

Hitchcock invented thriller, but also managed to lift the horror movies to a psychologically convincing genre after decades of rubber dolls and poor makeup.

The concept of wildlife (in this case birds) turning against humans wasn't new in Hollywood, but presented visual effects and serious gore on the silver screen indeed were.

However, due to a technology evolution, „The birds” main advantages became its major flaws, not coming near to convincing the modern day viewer in its action sequences. Also, the very end will leave the story tangling in the air, finishing the dramatic movie too soon and too fast.

„The birds” were a remarkable achievement in its era, but also failed the test of time.

THE BIRDS – 5/10

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CONFUSING TOWARDS THE END

Korean thriller screenwriters just love to twist their stories and characters, and so did the makers of „The Yellow sea”.

A lowlife half-Chinese Gu-nam (portrayed by the reliable Jung-woo Ha) that comes from North to South Korea seeking his wife while embarked on a voyage to kill a businessman will start his journey in an interesting way, but will wander off from that well lit path somewhere along the way. Subplots, outcomes and the very ending will be left completely dangling in the wind of forced and non-creative solutions.

„The Yellow sea” starts as a great thriller, but ends as a mediocre one.

THE YELLOW SEA – 4/10

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KOREAN „TWILIGHT”

Comedy about the pair of vampires is a dangerous path for every movie industry, except the Korean. Especially when its being driven by Chan-wook Park („Vengeance” trilogy) and when center of the story is built around a young minister.

„Thirst” will dance between drama, comedy and some serious horror from the beginning to the very end. Along that way, the rhythm will be pretty unstable, as well as the sharpness of its satirical blade, making this entire production somewhat non consistent.

„Thirst” is the very first attempt in the world to make vampire genre serious, although only partially successful.

THIRST – 5/10

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NAIVE, BUT PRETTY INTERESTING

Spanish cinema brings us some truly original ideas, although at the very edge of probability in real life.

Script about the young cop that is forced to pretend to be a prisoner after a mutiny in a jail breaks out on his first day at work is one of those flicks that starts really slowly and unconvicingly, but manages to pick up the pace, develop some really interesting subplots along the way, only to end in a brutal and unexpected way, bearing the trademark of modern Spanish screenwriters.

Alberto Amann and Luis Tesar are really good as leads, absorbing the fact that supporting cast somewhat fails to impress (Marta Etura, Antonio Resines).

„Cell 211” deserves its chance despite its clumsy beginning.

CELDA 211 - 6/10

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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

DARK MULTINATIONAL GORE

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Cary Fukunaga is one superb moviemaker. Mix of cultures in his genome obviously led to some very interesting intertwining of the preferable styles and genres, mixing thriller with the noir.

However, in ”Sin nombre” everything is not noir, but pitch black. Subject of a renegade gang member trying to run from Salvador to the States is sometimes just too gruesome to watch, without any ray of hope until the very end.

Cinematography and action are really good and the concept that revolves around the freight train carrying immigrants is just great.

”Sin nombre” is a hefty and heart-chilling thriller for those with the stomach to take it.

SIN NOMBRE - 6/10

GOD BLESS INDIE!

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Small indie-movies are the thing to watch over when it comes to competing with three world’s major cinemas, American, British and French. ”’71” comes from Ireland and tells the story about an desolated British soldier that becomes separated from its fellow comrades during the street riots in Belfast. Action is well packed, tensions are high and the overall atmosphere is pretty grim.

Script is based on the true events, but manages to deviate a little from the mainstream British-fueled political view of the entire Northern Ireland history, especially at the very end.

”’71” is a quality indie-flick with all of its advantages and misdemeanors.

'71 - 7/10

MOVIE=SERIES

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Danish noir was born on TV and seamlessly overflowed on the big screen. When it comes to the second part of the franchise started with ”Keeper of lost cases”, difference between series and movies is really, really blurred.

Action continues with another bizarre crime from the dark past, slowly developing as the script unfolds the horrifying truth. Detectives form the backbone of the cast (Nikolaj Lie Kass and Fares Fares), but the main role here is the case itself.

This one is particularly gruesome, but nothing more than that. At some point it also tends to get a bit confusing, but succeeds in creating a brutal ending.

To summarize, „The absent one” offers decent amount of adrenalin, but nothing more that.

FASANDRAEBERNE – 4/10