Movies

Hi all

I’ve seen Hellboy 2 three times now, and I guess it’s time to write down how I feel about it. I like the whole Hellboy package, movies, comics, and if I were young enough action figures probably too.

So what is it? Guillermo del Toro, a longtime fan of the comic and its creator Mike Mignola, directed the first episode in 2004. In this sequel he proves again he’s able to deliver a brilliant mix of real and unreal. Hellboy is definitely his labor of love. A lot of effort is put into design work, great use of costumes and cgi working together. Ron Perlman stars again as the horned, cigar-chomping demonic anti-hero. He works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, and this time he and his colleagues/friends have to cope with rebellious creatures from the mythical world. I know I’ve just discarded all credibility and realism, but I go to the movies for a good time, to escape daily life for a moment.

Del Toro has already hinted about a third episode. Please please, pretty please? And a fourth one too, if that’s okay with you.

 

Hi all

It’s likely that my next couple of movie reviews will cover superheroes, they were abundant this summer. I’ll start with Iron Man. Iron Man is a film adaptation of the Marvel comic, like Spiderman or Fantastic Four. But where Spiderman disappointed me and FF is entertaining at best, memories from Iron Man still bring a faint smile to my face even after a couple of weeks. 

Bad boy Robert Downey, Jr is simply wonderful as the wealthy playboy Tony Stark, imbuing the character with humor, charisma and moral strength. Though that moral part had to be activated by a hostage situation, where he had to design weapons for Afghani terrorists (where have I heard that before?). He builds an advanced exoskeleton suit and becomes a merchant of death to evildoers around the world.

The movie is absolutely a blatant display of advanced technology, engineering and flawless special effects. And if you look a bit deeper there is a hint of criticism about America’s weapons industry. Director John Favreau is able to serve the whole as a solid and consistently entertaining film.

And the hidden scene after the credits definitely leaves me hungry.

Hi all

Christian Bale returns as The Dark Knight.

Wait!

It is absolutely more than an action movie, it’s a film that explores literary themes of the hero & villain, as well as order & anarchy. For as much (brutal and bone crushing) action as there is in this movie, it’s the acting that makes it a great piece of work. All the actors have their moments. The Dark Knight possesses the essence that should always exist in the handover from comics to the big screen. This film is the darkest Batman, as well as one of the blackest, violent and gripping films, ever made.

I have fond & scary memories of the character and actor below. Thank you, Heath Ledger.

Hi all

It has been a while ago I visited the theatres. The Piratebay together with a nice Kiss-divx player makes my home a perfect place to watch movies if I may say so myself.

I wanted to see Jumper. And my expectations were high enough to go watch it on the really big screen. The director (Doug Liman) has been involved in the Bourne-trilogy and I have enjoyed that series a lot. And a story about teleporting people gets my spirits high.

I’m not really fond of Hayden Christensen, I still think he was miscast as a jedi. And in Jumper again he’s cast as a smug, arrogant … well… fellow. He’s unable to summon any sympathy for him or his role. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad actor, he just doesn’t get cast very well.

The movie. The special effects and pictures of the most beautiful scenery around the world (e.g. the colosseum in Rome) are stunning. Teleportation is visualised like Nightcrawler from the X-Men, a bang with a puff of smoke. But this power is too much for a human to behold, so jumpers have to be exterminated like vermin by religious fanatic Samuel L. Jackson. Wait, there’s also a girl involved. Milli (Rachel Bilson) is skinny eyecandy, but just hangs in there, to compensate for all the guys and muscle and flowing testosterone.

Sure, it’s enjoyable, but I would recommend to wait for the DVD (or visit some Swedish pirates).

Hi all

I saw Planet Terror recently, the second part in the Grindhouse marriage. This one is directed by Robert Rodriguez, also known for El Mariachi and Desperado.

Let’s start with zombies and blood, both are richly abundant in this movie. I didn’t know, had I known I probably wouldn’t have gone there with a girl. But even after strong warnings she still wanted to go. Maybe that says something for me…

Back to the movie. Planet Terror is preceded by a fake trailer: Machete. Three minutes of swearing, nudity and explicit/excessive violence. Boy! If they ever make an entire movie of it count me in. From there on it’s zombies all over. Some military experiment transforms people into flesh eating zombies, spreading panic all over the country. A small group, including Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) doesn’t get infected by the virus and organizes some resistance. Imagine very gory details (testicle-collecting scientists anyone?) now and multiply it by some large factor. That should get the main part of the movie across.

What can I say? Rose McGowan stars as one of the toughest babes ever to hit the screen. The image of her with a machine gun instead of her missing leg is iconic. Furthermore, the movie contains sequences so insanely violent they make Desperado or Kill Bill look like children’s flicks. It’s very good fun, but only if you’re into the genre.

Hi all

I saw the Transformers movie a couple of days ago and it was true robotpornography, very explicit, ultraslick and completely over the top. Michael Bay directed it and Spielberg has had a hand in it too, but you can check IMDB for specific details.

I guess if you put together your thumb and indexfinger, the plot of the movie can probably fit in between. But I didn’t go there for the story. No, I went to get blown away by seeing large robots fight eachother. And that’s what happened. The visual aspect of the movie was overwhelming. Forget about dialogues or realism, it’s eyecandy, the whole eyecandy and nothing but eyecandy.

I was a bit disappointed Bumblebee wasn’t cast as a Beetle but as a Camaro. The joke when the Camaro hit the beat Beetle really pushed my nerves. And what is it with militant robot soldiers that don’t have any patience whatsoever? It led to a ridiculous hide ‘n seek game at the Witwicky house. And where was Soundwave? I sure hope he makes his appearance in a sequel.

Finally, though how appealing it may be, nerdy guys don’t get world class babes. But one can pray.

 

Hi all

Warning: this article contains spoilers.

Last week I saw the new Tarantino movie: Deathproof. His homage to ’60s and ’70s B-movies. It took some time, but now I have a clear idea about the movie. I like it, I like it a lot. It just had to ripe and settle a bit in my head.

At first the movie looked a bit schizoid, colours, clothing and dialogues straight from the seventies, but with modern gadgets, like mobile phones, Japanese cars and mp3-players. But in a strange way it all makes sense. The story is about Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a psycho who stalks women and gets innate pleasure in hurting and killing them. The movie crudely consists of two parts, the former part showcases the build-up of the first bunch of girls on the road, who are targeted by Mike and killed in a deadly car crash. The latter part brings Mike face to face with his fears, when he unknowingly encounters another bunch of girls (who are themselves stuntwomen). What happens in the end is a beautifully filmed long carchase, the balance eventually turning against Mike.

There’s one absolute memorable scene: the lapdance by Vanessa Ferlito. It’s so incredibly hot, the movie is worth watching for that scene only.

I’m really looking forward to part 2 from this Grindhouse-deal: Planet Terror (by Robert Rodriguez).

Hi all

I saw Spiderman 3 last week.

Lets just say it wasn’t what I had hoped for. Sure, the special effects were fantastic. The spectacular action did make my blood rush. Ticklish feelings whenever Kirsten Dunst was in sight. But it kinda disappointed overall. Venom used to be one of my favorite villains in the comic books, but a team up with Sandman is just so unreal. I cannot agree that two baddies become friends instantly.

The movie felt so terribly convoluted, coherence and plot were taking a stroll, I guess. I wasn’t sure whether I was watching a comedy, a drama, or a purposefully ridiculous B movie. Almost 90% of the film consists of Peter Parker walking around, crying, and making a fool of himself in various over-the-top ways. I hope the next Spiderman movie will be grim again. Dark, with an under-the-skin tension. And a little bit less patriotism, please!

Hi all

Yesterday I saw Daniel Craig performing as the new James Bond in Casino Royale. What can I say, he’s blond, but if that has ever been a bad thing, then I can live with that, and the next couple of movies as well. Solid “Bond” attitude and definite physical presence and capabilities, I’m satisfied with Daniel as the new Bond. He’s less sophisticated than Pierce, but it certainly didn’t bother me.

I guess no money was spared on explosive action, there were some real over the top adrenalin pumping scenes. Now before I reveal too much, I would like to end this small article with a photo. Because a picture says more.. yeah… Eva “Vesper Lynd” Green. Sighhh….