bsvends1 Reviews

Mandy (I) (2018)

Waste of time, really!

[2/10 · 3 December 2018]

I have always liked Nicolas Cage, but lately his choice of (or lack of) movies hasn't been much to brag about. This one gets a high metascore, so I was optimistic. However, after a short while into the movie it all goes into a weird and bizarr direction. You loose interest and just want it to be over.

I have never left a movie before the end, but this time myself and the friends I was watching it with was very close to do so. The only slightly positive things I can say about this movie is that the casting and acting was ok. The rest is just a bad acid trip on a low budget. It's just too bizarre and weird, maybe that's why it got the high metascore.

The Meg (2018)

Not Jaws, but still ok

[7/10 · 12 November 2018]

After seeing so many one star reviews, I can honestly say they were "helpful"; they made me watch the movie. If you give this movie one star you can't be taken seriously. The movie is fun, cheesy, well made and the acting is good enough. It's not Jaws, but an ok choice if you can take the premise of the story here. Great underwater shots and the CGI is fine. Sound is also part of a movie experience, and in my HT the sound was very good. They obviously had a nice budget for this movie. Give it a try and disregard all the hate.

Hereditary (2018)

Underwhelming horror movie

[6/10 · 4 November 2018]

Watched Hereditary with a friend. Both of us are fans of good horror, and had high hopes after reading good reviews. With a metascore of 87 we felt we could be in for a treat. However, the movie failed to grip us in any way. It was a long slow journey towards a disappointing end. Tension starts to build at certain points, but lets up too quick and we loose a bit interest in the characters as the movie progresses.

The actors do a good job, but sometimes direction have them overact and that looses some of the impact. Some scenes are horrific, others almost comical. Can't recommend Hereditary to horror fans, but if you want a "different" sort of family drama with a satanic theme, give it a try and see what you think.

Geostorm (2017)

Disaster movie that is not that disastrous

[7/10 · 19 October 2018]

Geostorm got a metascore of 21, and plenty of bad reviews from the Imdb community. Is the movie really that bad? That was something I wanted to find out. I am already expecting a bad movie, but after watching for a while, I'm realizing I'm actually enjoying the movie.

Now, if you look for an intelligent plot, deep character development and a deeper meaning/message, then you will be disappointed. This is pure rubbish, but it's entertaining rubbish. I've seen much worse movies that has gotten better reviews than Geostorm. The movie has some good moments as well, so if you're into disaster movies, I'd give it a try.

London Has Fallen (2016)

Not bad, don't believe all the negativity

[7/10 · 23 September 2016]

OK, so not a fantastic movie, but come on, what do you expect? I watched it with a few friends. Neither of us had high expectations after all the bad reviews, but we all thought the movie was very entertaining. We're not a very critical bunch, nor are we film critics, so don't expect this to be an in-dept review. Basically, when we watch movies, we like to relax, kick back, eat some popcorn and just have a good time. I personally don't need my brain picked every time I watch a movie. Sometimes I welcome clichés and "brainless" plots, other times I welcome intricate plots and deep characterization. This movie delivers the first and directing and acting is more than sufficient for me to have a good time.

People complain about poor characterization and bad CGI among other things. I can understand why people say this, but it doesn't really take much away from a movie like this. It is what it is, nothing more, nothing less, so see it if you liked the first one. This one isn't far behind. Don't expect anything remotely realistic; same as first one. Expect silly dialogue at times, over the top action at the times; just as the first one.

There are so many overly critical people out there these days, just spreading unnecessary negativity. Giving this movie a rating of one, as some have done, is just stupid. If you do, you went to the wrong movie and got angry because you didn't realized it until the end-credits.

John Wick (2014)

Disappointing!

[4/10 · 12 July 2016]

John Wick disappointed on several levels. I probably had too high expectations, but the "one-man-army/revenge" concept has been done so many times before and done much better than this. The movie is rather boring - no real story here, and the characters aren't very interesting. The action scenes are mediocre and too much "over the top". The whole thing just gets really tedious after a while.

The revenge concept needs to generate sympathy from the viewer, and we need to be interested in seeing the revenge getting carried out. This movie didn't manage to do any of that for me. I was surprised to read quite a bit of positive reviews of John Wick, and a metascore of 68 was also surprising. I'm normally in line with at least the IMDb score, but this time I can't find much in this movie that warrants more than a 4.0 rating.

Jurassic World (2015)

Great entertainment

[7/10 · 15 June 2015]

If you like the Jurassic movies, you won't be disappointed, as long as you don't expect too much character depth or clever story line. Yes, the characters are a bit one dimensional and the story.., well, it is what it is.

The animation and special effects are very good. You believe the animals are alive, and one scene in particular may even bring out a tear or two.

For the very young audiences, the movie might be a bit intense, but I don't think it would serve the movie right to tone down the creature violence. If you have a flesh-eating dinosaur running after you, you'll probably going to get eaten!

Despite the clichés and the fact that it can't touch the original, my friends and I had a very good time watching Jurassic World. I felt the movie delivered a great 4th installment of the Jurassic family. So, go see it; the action will keep you thrilled throughout the movie.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Great fun!

[7/10 · 20 June 2013]

This movie does exactly what it sets out to do - give you a hilarious, fun (and silly) and entertaining 98 minutes (including credits). It has no ambition to be taken seriously and the haters here are so off base it's funny. If you take this movie for what it is, you'll like it. Quality production, decent acting and plenty of well-directed action that never gets boring. Cool effects, both sound and visual, in fact this movie's soundtrack is excellent. The story is very simple and dialog is sometimes a bit silly, but do you really care in a movie like this?

If you don't like over-the-top adventure/fairy-tale/fantasy, you're at the wrong movie, if you do, you'll like this one. 7/10.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Somewhat disappointing

[5/10 · 6 August 2010]

I simply had too high expectations for this movie. Had heard good things and read positive reviews, but all in all I was disappointed. The acting was not convincing and there are moments in this movie that are plain stupid and the whole thing just becomes silly and far from scary. The first 20 minutes are good, but then things get out of hand. It seems the director went home.

OK, so this movie is not meant to be taken seriously, and maybe the parts I found stupid was made that way on purpose; maybe to make us laugh? Who knows? I just wanted a good scare and ended up laughing! If I wanted to watch a comedy I would have chosen a comedy, not a movie that pretends to be horror!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Great comedy

[8/10 · 11 October 2009]

Nicholas Stoller has put together a great comedy, and Jason Segel, who also wrote the script, does a solid job as the main character. He's funny, he's believable and you sympathize with his situation. There are several hysterical moments in this movie, and unless you think nudity is something ugly we need to be protected from, you'll going to have a good time. The movie does what it sets out to do - give you some light entertainment - nothing more, nothing less.

Comedies can something get a bit too silly or "over the top", but this on track. There are some scenes I would have liked to see gone, but all in all I had a good time, and I was never bored.

Let the Right One In (2008)

Something different

[7/10 · 10 October 2009]

This Swedish movie is far away from Hollywood. That doesn't mean it's better, just different. It's different and original, not quite like anything I've seen before. The movie is almost a tender story about love between a 12 year old boy and a girl, but at the same time is also tragic and disturbing. The actors in the two leading roles are very good, especially the girl, she's phenomenal!

Although there are some disturbing scenes in this movie, the music, the interaction between the girl and the boy and the general ambiance makes this more of a drama than a horror movie. If horror is what you're looking for, you should look elsewhere. If you want a different movie experience, definitely check it out. The movie also has a few more layers than you might notice at first.

Definitely one of the better viewings I've had lately. Recommended!

I Love You, Man (2009)

Delightful!

[8/10 · 8 October 2009]

This was such a delightful movie! Funny and touching with a small doze of reality mixed in. All in all a great movie and good acting. Paul Rudd is perfect for the role, and I was actually a little surprised how well I enjoyed his character and the way he portrayed it. The awkward moments in the movie really makes you feel awkward and there are plenty of laughs throughout the movie. Jason Segel also plays very well, and Rashida Jones is the perfect girlfriend:-)! John Hamburg has put together one of the better comedies I've seen lately. It never goes overboard or becomes too silly. Directing is tight, but loose enough to make it fun to watch.

I highly recommend this movie!

Rescue Dawn (2006)

Very disappointing!

[3/10 · 14 August 2008]

This movie was a big disappointment. The flight scenes in the beginning are really unrealistic and crashing a plane and surviving without a scratch.... I mean come on! The little action there is are poorly executed. Basically there's not much going on in this movie except talking.

On a positive note, the actors are doing a decent job. The interaction between them did occasionally make me interested. However, the main character (Bale), doesn't seem too concerned about his predicament, and one never feels the horror the POW's must have felt. The story is very simple and since we know Bale will escape there isn't much that keeps you interested in the movie.

Sorry Mr. Herzog, this was far from good, and why IMDb gives it 7,4 is beyond me!

The Game Plan (2007)

Cute and entertaining

[7/10 · 26 April 2008]

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays a professional football player who's a selfish, self-centered macho man that changes his ways when he finds out he's a father.

Dwayne Johnson isn't the greatest actor, but let that pass and instead enjoy Madison Pettis who acts very well. The story works, and the way it plays out works. This is a family movie and does what it's supposed to do; entertain the whole family.

I'd say you basically get what you expect, nothing more nothing less. It's a cute movie, predictable and sentimental, but sometimes that's perfectly OK!

Old School (2003)

Has its moments

[5/10 · 24 April 2008]

I thought the movie was OK, but not much more. I generally enjoy American comedies and Old School does have it's comical moments, but didn't really make me laugh much. Maybe because I'm not an American, I don't know. There are some interesting characters here, but the story is a bit too wacky for me and gets boring at times. Will Ferrel is great though and the funniest scene is actually during the end credits, so be sure to stick around for that.

Some people here say this is the funniest movie ever made, and I'm sure they think so. It basically boils down to what kind of humor you like, so if the story here appeals to you the humor might too.

August Rush (2007)

A feel-good movie with minor flaws

[7/10 · 23 April 2008]

A lot of people have already pointed out that you shouldn't watch this movie if you don't like fairy tales. However, if you leave logic and other boring things from real life at the door, you may have a nice time.

I admit there're a few moments when things went a little overboard, but all in all the movie gave me a good feeling and that's all that matters to me. If the story intrigues you, see it, I'm pretty sure you'll feel good too:-).

August Rush is worth watching for us who still have some dreams inside of us and don't need to be reminded of the world we live in all the time!

We Were Soldiers (2002)

Very good!

[8/10 · 21 October 2002]

I never been in combat, but I felt this movie showed how it really is. The script, the action, the horrible realizm really gets you, including a soundtrack that makes you physically feel the war around you. Except for one scene with fake helicopters, I would have to give this movie a next best after Saving Private Ryan.

Feardotcom (2002)

Waste of time!

[30 August 2002]

It's hard to find anything positive to say about this movie. The plot is really thin, but not the worst I've seen. However, with obviously a low budget the rest doesn't keep up. The actors do their best, but sometimes their efforts are comical. It's a dark and gray movie that is in my opinion a waste of time; it's not scary, no cool special effects, no surprises and a silly ending. Stay home or choose a different movie.