danishdonjuan Reviews

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Realistic Overrated boring sales movie, with nothing to sell

[2/10 · 21 June 2023]

This movie is never a 7.7 in rating and I am upset I watched it thinking so for I want the time back. Yes it was true to life sales life in the corporate USA, with a great cast but it is a extremely boring watch as there is nothing of value to get from this than the obvious "death of a salesman" or "never trust a salesman" cliché.

It was about as entertaining to watch as a movie about someone's favorite sandwich. There was no character, nothing desirable, no real lesson, nothing beautiful or fun to watch and with a boring subject. Its about work and it felt like work watching it. The only intriguing part of the movie was the acting and the very brief "who's done it moment", but it is really one of the most boring movies I have seen in a long time, which is extremely disappointing when you look at the IMDB rating and the cast.

The Experiment (2010)

A poor adaptation which made very little sense.

[3/10 · 1 January 2023]

A movie with a good idea, cast and book, which totally failed to live up to expectations because of the lack of realism and understanding of moral behaviour and motives. The sexual premises and sadistic situations freely used by Director Paul Scheuring made no sense whatsoever in the supposed controlled, rule given and observed environment within the time frame given. Neither did the characters given their supposed motivations or plot in general. Despite the great cast I was not convinced by the performance of any of the leading characters, which needed a lot more dept to explain why their actions and body language deviated so much from their actions. The movie was entertaining and at least left you plenty of reason to be emotionally engaged, but in the end the movie left me feeling that there was nothing to be learned from it or this experiment. Not worth watching, this could have been so much more.

Beauty and the Beast (I) (2017)

Great film on par with the original

[8/10 · 22 July 2017]

Wow! I am amazed at the poor reviews, which only has one very slim but not actual justification, in that the original was so good that it measure this movie against a very high bar.

But I very much think it delivered, the cgi and visual effects were gorgeous, the acting and singing very good. The plot has and message over all has always been a good one even though I get the point that despite the story claiming to be against the outer visual beauty, it is still the material life Belle seems to fall for. The difference between the beast and Gaston isn't all the great.

But that said it is a beautiful story, and message which never grows old in a world which needs its message so much. I was pleasantly surprised by bot Watson, Gad, McGregor, evens and most involved. I am not sure it was better than the original, but I think it was as good and gave a visually different cgi movie with live actors which I think could justify the remake. The music of cause is very good too, though it was close to the same as the original, and so not very original.

As good as I think Emma Watson did with the singing and acting, I do still think she may be a bit too polished to be believable in this role. When she was locked away be a beast, seeing her father leave, if she did this out of love for him and a yearning for true love, then you would expect more emotion and pain, but I Think she did a very good job. I loved this movie and if I were to judge it alone, may have given it a 9. If judging it against the excellent original, i would probably give it a 7. So i decided on 8.

This movie never deserved 1 or 2 stars, reviews rating it so low should not be taken serious. I can get some of the critiques yes, but I have seen what a truly bad movie looks like, and this was not one. I well made movie which I enjoyed from start to finish. Never a dull moment, though i have seen and read this story so many times.If you have a heart and can appreciate good art, music, performance and story which dares to take your heart where few dare to believe it can go. I strongly recommend this movie.

Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

Dark Cinderella Story

[6/10 · 12 June 2017]

A tough movie to rate for me, for there is so much to both love and hate about it I feel.

On the positive the movie has great visual appeal, and is never boring because the danger of the mysterious Christian and his secret life with Anastasia trying to be careful, clever and likable at the same time. So the movie looked very appearing and kept my interest.

But that said it has a lot of obvious flaws to me aside from appearing to be a darker "pretty woman" and "Cinderella story". The plot seems too very far fetched to be believable to me. First there is the fact that this guy is so rich that he can get anything he wants and is used to getting what he wants, the fact he is controlling and secretive and involved in everything. Anastasia is mistrusting of this, but not near mistrusting enough, she tries to set boundaries which she doesn't keep and though that is not perhaps unusual though not very smart, it starts to look very unrealistic when criminal acts are done by people from Christian's past. And with the extreme sex, it seems obvious that they are both addicted to a fairy-tale which can not last or work this way in any real world, for the morality, trust, self-restraint and balance needed for this to work long term is virtually non-existent.

I have to agree with a few other comments here, that Anastasia really does not seem very smart or experienced and seems to have gotten most things in her life relying on stronger men to give it to her. So while the movie may play well on many female fantasies, it also in many ways insults women with the naivety of the main character, who for me also becomes less likable because she is so gullible and goes along with almost anything her partner wants without much question. She even hands him excuses and offers him that he doesn't have to talk about things, though her condition for getting back with him was no secrets.

Sure you can argue that flawless brainy people might make it tough to keep such a high suspense, since you have to invent smarter opposition, but it is just not very appealing to me to watch 2 hours of a little naive girl in a grown up body, being played around by this powerful rich manipulator who seems to own everything in her world.

I think it is harsh to give this movie a rating lower than 3, for it was well made and never boring, but to be a great movie I would have hoped for either a bit more intelligent characters and plot, or at least some indication that the viewer was going along for the ride, at least to be introduced to some greater point to learn from. But there was too little of this. It seemed to me an attempt to explore the powerful attraction and fears which can be in relationships, without really having a deep enough insight to take it beyond the common theme of gullible girl seduced by rich control freak.

Not a bad movie, but not a movie I would have desire to see again.

Innocence of Memories (2015)

A interesting slow emotional drama about obsession

[5/10 · 7 June 2016]

An interesting movie which is very different from the movies you normally see today. Very slow in pace with minimal dialogue and only two characters, this is not a movie for that action-packed thrill seeker. Its a more emotional drama about obsession, Desire and loss. I hesitate to call it love as it does not strike me to be a free in nature and two sided as the obsession with objects and Things in the movie, which to me suggest a closer connection to lust, need and obsession than the kind of love which sets you and everyone free and is based on truth and the ability to let go.

Its a difficult movie to rate, for I get the impression that everything in the movie was done as deliberately and meticulously as the museum of Innocence. Even the slow silent score and position of the camera, the tone of the voice all lures you into the emotional realm and thought, and had me captivated almost as if I got to live the obsession of Kemal myself. It was well narrated.

But that said, the lack of dialogue and limited evidence given to help the viewer along in this drama got tedious at times, especially since I did not find the evidence of love the narrator claimed was there and that made the build up and ending a bit anti-climatic for me.

I liked the movie for its originality and a great change of pace to mainstream movies. I was intrigued, but in the end felt led Down by having used so much time in waiting silence hoping for a greater deeper truth or hope to be revealed in the end which never came.

Not a bad movie, and if you keep expectations low and have a lot of patience you may enjoy this movie. But a bit too much art for the sake of art without a real purpose for me to score it higher.

Deadpool (2016)

Decent action flick! Again amazed at the bi-polar reviews.

[5/10 · 30 May 2016]

The scale here is 1-10, that should mean that a 10 should have almost everything you would want in a movie and a 1 virtually nothing to offer. So how can people score this 1 or 10?

Yes this movie is "bad" both in the good "cool" way and in the bad "immoral" kind of way. They action sequences are great, its a non-stop action-thrill with a lot of blood, gore, violence, bad-language, nudity, toilet humour and virtually everything a hate-loving psychopath could want. Great! It was fun and entertaining at times and if you never get tired of constant violence, gore and cheesy humour and have nothing better to live for. Then I am sure you would love this movie, which takes movies like Sin-City, Kill Bill and Spawn and upgrades it, and makes super-hero movies like Spider-man and Bat-man look like a vegan dinner. So whats not to love?

A lot actually. To anyone who likes to eat anything other than extra spicy Bean Burritoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner the constant repeat of same lame childish jokes combined with endless of pointless violence gets pretty boring after awhile. There is virtually nothing new or original for this movie to offer which has not been done many times before. Its definitely not a movie to with kids or anyone with a sensitivity level above that of a street thug, and I would not recommend if for that reason.

Its the kind of movie which not only has the "hero" act and kill before thinking or asking questions, but it seems the movie makers and everyone involved with the movie did too. On a positive its kind of what you would expect looking at the trailer and don't disappoint in that, but on the negative it doesn't offer anything more.

A well-done non-stop action movies for those who don't wish to think, feel, create, change anything for the better or be surprised. For anyone else, this will likely seem like a Waste of time, where there are many more movies out there to chill to with far more to offer.

Pan (2015)

Amazing spectacle, below par plot and script!

[6/10 · 12 May 2016]

I have to say I came into this movie sceptical from the start as this is the 4th Peter Pan movie I have seen and the remakes has managed to disappoint me every time, and its not a prequel I really saw the need for, with movies like the animated Peter Pan, Hook, and Peter Pan of 2003.

Peter Pan starts with Peter Pan, the archetypal boy who would never grow up, with a story of him being the chosen one (ala Harry Potter), some offspring of a fairy prince and a native warrior with a magical pan-flute totem which helps him fly. It introduces a new villain Blackbeard (ala Pirates of Caribbean), and spends most of the movie focused on his tragic past, and his motivations to find his mother.

Visually the movie goes from one stunning CGI scene to another and was as appealing as Hook and Peter Pan, perhaps even more. I was pleased that there was enough differences in the story to make it feel new, interesting and exciting as it embarks on the journey of Peter Pan & Captain Hook before the story we know so well, and answers many questions the other movies have not, but which most probably didn't need answered.

Its a great adventure for kids and visually beautiful to Watch and never boring. That said the script, plot and acting did not really convince me, and having the characters sing Nirvana did not really help the feel of a believable captivating fantasy either.

I never understood the reason to remake movies if you are not sure you can add something new to the story which improves it. And Pan doesn't do that to me. I do not think it was better than Peter Pan, and I prefer Hook over both especially in acting, script, and plot, but also music score and editing.

All in all its a good movie I think most especially children will enjoy, but it could have been so much more and in the end does not justify the remake in my opinion.

To End All Wars (2001)

An excellent war drama!

[9/10 · 25 March 2016]

This is a truly great movie, which I am surprised has not gotten more attention.

The story is great, and there is a lot to learn from it. The acting is superb! The cinematography, music score, editing and dialogue is wonderful.

I found myself deeply involved emotionally with the movie, didn't want it to stop, and after spend time to reflect on it.

Its a movie which gives a very realistic Picture of war and the consequence of choices. The characters are intriguing and some heroically moral.

It was often an intense viewing, with never a dull moment, and does not try to be biased or nationalistic. I loved this movie and would highly recommend it to others, especially if you like movies like "the flowers of war, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers list, The Thin Red line, K-19, Fury" and other of the greatest war dramas in Cinema.

It's not a easy movie to Watch, and not for the faint of Heart but well worth a Watch!

Sunshine (2007)

A very good Sci-Fi Thriller, well worth a watch

[7/10 · 25 February 2016]

Very good sci-fi thriller. Intense and action packed with an intriguing story line. The acting and special effects is excellent.

Never a dull moment, and explored a lot of new territory. That said, the humanistic part of the movie was fairly predictable to me and seemed like something I had seen before. The character story line seemed very "Hollywood" like to me, which made it slightly unbelievable for me. But very interesting movie, which had me entertained from start to finish.

I would strongly recommend no one take a rating of below 4 or at 10 serious, for considering movies out there this was definitely above average, but I can not see how it could be argued a 10.

If you love sci-fi movies like Armaggeddon, independence day & 2001:A space odyssey. I would highly recommend this movie.

Lake Eerie (2016)

Well worth watching! A nice surprise.

[6/10 · 22 January 2016]

A good entertaining horror movie which will keep you at the edge of your seat.

The Acting, cinematography and sound was all good. The plot was unexpected and intriguing, and the nightmare scenes well done.

In few parts I thought the editing and sound, could have been done better to increase realistic feel or dramatic intensity. But over all, a pleasant surprise.

How anyone can rate this move a 1 or a 10 is amazing to me. If you have seen above 10 movies and this isn't the best or the worst you have seen then such ratings make no sense.

This movie did what a horror movie should. It kept the suspense and surprise, caused the familiar to feel unfamiliar, had you caring about the story and people in it, and gave a good mix of peaceful & unsettling scenes to make the horror more intense, and feel realistic.

Horrors are not so tough to make, but tough to make well. And this one was definitely worth watching.

Noah (2014)

Beautiful but boring. Never a 1 or a 10

[5/10 · 24 May 2014]

If you expect this movie to follow the biblical story, you might be disappointed. Aside from the names and the flood the story does not have much to do with the biblical story about Noah and any attempts the movie makes to connect to this story makes little sense. So I would score this movie low on plot.

The movie also lacks a bit of emotion and morality which you might expect from a biblical movie. I found the movie to be a bit boring.

The big name actors and actresses deliver a decent performance, but nothing really memorable. The movie score is too and a more emotional movie score would be welcome in a movie which drags to much and makes you wonder what is going on and why.

The best part of the movie was the visual effect which were very nicely done and beautiful. Don't expect too much of this movie. Not a movie I would ever watch again, but it has too much quality to give a one considering how many truly bad movies there is out there.

A very mediocre movie for me.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Great potential, great disappointment

[6/10 · 10 April 2013]

Great cinematography, wonderful score and nice special effects. Aside from that a disappointing movie.

The cast was not convincing, the plot and dialogue was weak, and the better parts of the movie seemed out of place with the rest of the story, which seemed as if it had all been done better before.

There was an overall lack of coherence in this film, which left me with more questions than answers at its conclusion.

It is also tough for me to see why a director would choose to make a fairytale into a darker movie full of battle-scenes. A movie full of potential, but for me not a movie to remember.

The Preacher's Daughter (2012 TV Movie)

Good American Christian movie. Tame movie for everyone else

[3/10 · 31 October 2012]

A sweet movie about a religious family trying to protect their daughter from unwanted influences. However this movie is almost too sweet and too mild for anyone not raised by a fairly well-of, religious and protective family. The movie was by no means unreal, but its a movie I think very few could relate to.

The acting and cinematography was pretty average, and the music reflected the American Bible-belt setting the movie takes place in, which helps set the scene and location, but is a disadvantage to the movies emotional dept, which I think this movie will seem surreal or too tame to provoke enough emotion to make this movie interesting to anyone who is not from a very religious American bible-belt family.

I am from Europe, and have lived in both Bible belt America and America outside of the bible belt. The love shown by the father is touching and the issues raised here are good family value issues, presented in a good clean way for the Bible-belt Christian and for them I might rate this movie a 6 or a 7. For everyone else this movie does not hit enough debts to make it all that interesting and for them I will rate this movie a 3.

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012 Video)

Better than the rating suggest

[7/10 · 13 October 2012]

This movie was far better than I expected. A easy thriller to get into, with a lot of action and intriguing twists and turns. The lighting and cinematography was very good, and the characters were intriguing.

The acting and special effects could have been better, and some may wish it to be more scary, but I don't think anything about this movie was poor or cheesy. Especially considering a cast of so few "big name actors".

I was never bored or disappointed. As action-thriller it did all I would want from the genre, it surprised, thrilled, was nice to view, and engaged me enough emotionally to care what happened. I was well entertained and think a rating of 5 or lower is very harsh when you compare it to other films with a similar rating.

Lassie Come Home (1943)

Heartwarming and beautiful but not a great quality film by todays standards

[4/10 · 22 August 2012]

A tough move to judge by todays standards. It's a beautiful touching yet simple and predictable movie about a dogs love for its family, showing that the power of love is stronger than the will to survive. In message this movie should get a clear 10 as there is a lot of heart in this movie.

The fact it is in colour and has beautiful scenery also add to the charm of this movie which likely would be one of my favourite movies had I lived at this time. The acting or animal training of Lassie seem flawless, however I find the acting of most older movies poor by todays standards. The human acting seems staged to me and not very believable though there was some heart warming performances especially by the kids.

I found the plot, dialogue and music a bit to be desired though. The music and dialogue annoyed me in parts and distracted me from the emotion I felt and the heartwarming story. The story-line also is too simple, predicable and does not strike me as realistic matching human motives with human behaviour, so even though I shared a tear at this movie and was touched by scenes there was parts where I looked at the clock waiting for the movie to be over.

A great movie for its time, a wonderful movie for kids and any who care more about the message and heart of a movie than its quality, but by todays standards I do not think this was a great movie as the bar of movies has been raised causing it to lack in too many areas.

Like Stars on Earth (2007)

Beautiful Movie

[10/10 · 6 August 2012]

This movie was a great surprise. It was creative, beautiful, and intelligent. It is difficult to find flaws with a movie which promotes good and shows the way forward.

Being from a western culture, there was things in the movie I struggled to accept such as the dialogue, music and length of the movie but as I watched it, the message or spirit of the movie caused me to see it in a different light and to see the struggle as my own limitation.

A very touching movie about two of the most important things in life, learning and love. It may not be a movie for everyone, but I hope it will be for I believe whats taught in this movie would do wonders in improving the quality of life.

Judged by western eyes "flaws" can be found in the movie as it is very different, but it promotes me to wonder if the true "flaws" are not in only accepting what is "normal" or what we are familiar with, a judging it in a similar way as the boy in movie was judged.

This may be the best movie I have seen all year.

Black Death (2010)

Clever & excellent movie for those who will learn through pain

[10/10 · 15 June 2012]

I am surprised that this movie does not have a higher rating. For it is definitely one of my favorite movies and would be in my top 50 movies and I have seen many.

The dept of the characters and their different journey and the consequences of their choices makes for an interesting view especially because the movie does not conclude one choice to be better than another but leaves it open to the viewer to choose. The cinematography and acting is excellent, and the imagery works well and leaves a lot of food for thought about what we believe, why and the consequences of this belief.

I think the movie did a great job in showing the most common beliefs and values and show many good and bad sides of human nature, leaving you to ponder what is "good" and what is "evil". Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne and Van Houten are excellent in their roles.

I would recommend this movie to everyone old enough to take its brutalities and truths. Not for the young, naive, oversensitive or fainthearted. This movie is for the thinker who has experienced pain and is able to learn from it. A smart movie.

Eragon (2006)

A good fantasy movie, but never great.

[7/10 · 19 August 2008]

I think many who rated this movie exaggerate how bad it is based on it not living up to their expectations of what the book was.

I didn't read the book, but I think those who compare this movie to the book miss the point completely. Lord of the Rings was no worse of a movie because the books were better, so why should this movie be?

I think the special effects were good, it was entertaining and had enough emotion to keep you interested. The acting, story & score I thought were pretty good, though they could have done with a more convincing lead character.

The movie did seem to rush a bit in places and perhaps should have been longer or made into 2 or 3 movies. I enjoyed the movie throughout & thought it well worth watching, but it was nowhere near the quality of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, more like a Willow or Dragonheart.

The directing could have been better with the story and characters, but overall I think it was a good movie.

The Godfather (1972)

The hype of the movie is as interesting as the movie itself.

[4/10 · 12 March 2008]

Many men has called this the greatest movie ever made. I disagree, though I liked it very much. The hype of this movie is as interesting as the movie itself as it says a lot about the world we live in and the men who seek power.

I have seen and read intimidation used by people, trying to personally attack any who called this movie terrible or boring calling them stupid, while many other just jumped on the wagon calling it the greatest movie ever made to avoid such attack. A similar pattern to how physically strong, but emotionally weak men like Capone and Hitler came to power.

The movie is significant to both world and film history. I however only give the movie a 5 as by todays standard its less artistic, entertaining and original. I also did not feel there was much new or original to learn from this movie and I did not get that "wow" feeling. I would not have much interest to see it again.

This is one of my favorite gangster movies though and its certainly not terrible or boring. However it lacks in much of what I think a great movie should be such as: Moral points, emotion, surprise, humor, editing, cinematography, original thought, special effects, music score or even acting.(the tough guy role is not as challenging as it is to play mentally ill person)

It does also not appeal to a very broad audience (not a movie many women and children like). It was great for its time, but compared to some of todays movies is very limited in the areas of greatness.

If you like movies like old gangster movies or even tough guy movies like "the departed" and "scarface" or want to know what the hype is about. I recommend this movie it is a great movie for this genre. But it does not reach the emotional or theatrical heights of movies like "Forrest Gump", "the Lord of the Rings", "Dances with Wolves" or even my favorite gangster movie "Goodfellas".

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Among the best movies ever made

[10/10 · 6 March 2008]

Great Epic movie. Among my favorite movies and I have seen thousands. Brilliantly directed by Kevin Costner. This movie has it all a good story, great acting, a wonderful score by John Barry, beautiful cinematography, a moral point and purpose, and enough emotions to keep interested through a long movie.

The movie is about the American frontier and how the courage to learn breaks down the barriers of fear as you in your enemy discovers someone much like yourself. Its about love, courage and friendship.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone, especially people who enjoy movies like "3:10 to Yuma", "Lord of the Rings", "The Last Samurai", "7 Years in Tibet" and "Troy".

Alive (1993)

Great movie that shows the best of humanity

[10/10 · 29 February 2008]

Having read critiques about the movie before I watched it I did not expect much. But I loved this movie, and found the critiques of this movie ridiculous after viewing it.

To me this is a beautiful story that shows some of the best sides of the human spirit/humanity. I was very moved throughout it and it inspired me to appreciate life more.

The movie had a plot that kept you interested throughout, it was emotional with motives that made sense. The scenery and music score was spectacular. The acting I though was good as well.

This is among my favorite movies and in my opinion grossly underrated.

Ghost Rider (2007)

Could have been a lot better

[1/10 · 29 February 2008]

I really hated this movie. I thought the plot was bad too cliché and the hero's motives made little sense. I thought the acting was really bad and the movie lacked the emotion get draws you to the screen and keep you entertained.

Some who like the comic-book action-hero type movies might find it entertaining as it does have some pretty good special effects. But thats about the only thing I like in the movie.

That said it is not that I don't like comic-book action movies I have seen a few I enjoyed, this just isn't one of them.

I love Nicholas Cage as an actor, but this is the worst role I have seen him in. I have seen a lot of movies and if there is a point in having a 1 rate on a scale of 1-10, I think this movie fits the rating as its the worst movie I have seen this year.