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Greta (2018)
Crazy, over-the-top, but highly enjoyable suspense/thriller
This is way more enjoyable than it has any right to be. There is a fun, almost darkly comedic tone to it which borders on self-awareness, and combined with the excellent directing, performances, music, and cinematography it is very hard not to enjoy it even if the script is not so original. Moretz was fine. I thought she carried the story well enough, but Isabelle Huppert and Maika Monroe were absolutely phenomenal. The movie gets pretty bonkers, but it does so in the best possible way, being self-aware about it and using it to its advantage to make it darkly enjoyable.
There is a nice gut-punch about two-thirds of the way through, using a cliche and turning it on its head, which thankfully it's when the movie takes a dark turn and basically turns it into a horror film. It's definitely not for everyone but for those people who can enjoy those sorts of stylish and over-the-top suspense/thrillers, I'd highly recommend it.
Oculus (2013)
Effective trip into psychological horror
21 year old Tim Russell is released from a mental institution.That same week his older sister is able to get a few days alone with the Lesser mirror. Kaylie, the sister, decides to take the mirror back to their old house, where unspeakable horrors unfolded during their childhood shortly after they moved to the back-then-new-house, and their father bought the infamous mirror. Kaylie is convinced the mirror is haunted: the mirror being some sort of evil supernatural being. Tim, on the other hand, has grown completely skeptic about the supernatural aspect of the mirror, believing his sister only holds on to that notion simply to have a way to cope with the horrific events of their childhood. Needless to say, the mirror does seem haunted, and as the night progresses for the adult siblings, the door to those memories open up, revealing more and more those events which both are trying to move on from; albeit in very different ways. These two timelines (their childhood and their present-day adult selves) unfold in a parallel manner, with the ending of the film culminating the two timelines' climaxes together.
One of the things the film gets right is the acting. Both Karen Gillian and Brenton Thwaites do a very decent job in portraying the adult version of the siblings. Their children counterparts also do an impressive work in portraying two small, terrified brother and sister with no one to turn to for help, slowly accepting the fact that they are both alone against the mirror.
The second good thing about it is the staging of the story. Although the concept is nothing new or original, the execution of such concept is both new and original. This injects a healthy dose of re-freshens and also a decent amount of unexpectedness to the film. Both helping in making this horror film one in which the audiences are actually engaged and interested in what will happen next, and at the same time they can have fun in the direction the story advances to.
A neutral element in it is the way they decided to unfold both story-lines (past and present). Like mentioned above, both of them move forward hand-in-hand, with various parallels presenting themselves in the way of flashbacks from both siblings. While this works wonderfully in the first half of the film, the second half of it loses a good chunk of the excitement which this sort of narrative added to the first half. That is not to say however, that it hurts it, but by the ending it just feels it needed to continue this way to explain what had happened, rather than using it to strengthen the present events.
More personally speaking, the ending felt rather frustrating and just almost unimaginative. While the final events fit into the pattern of what the mirror does, it feels like it should have had a more surprising ending due to the excellent build-up the film provides in the first two-thirds. The moment when the final twist happens, it is shocking, with everything falling into place seconds later, only to add more shock to what happens. However, moments later the feeling of shock is quickly replaced by one of been-there-done-that, leaving the audience feeling that there should have been more to it, rather than it being so simple and straight-forward.
If you are expecting an explanation for what the mirror really is, what entity it holds, or how it came to be, you will be disappointed. If you are rather more interested in the how (instead of the why's or what's of the mirror) you will feel more satisfied. The focus of the film is in tricking its characters, and along with them the audience as well. The story is very effective in messing with one's psyche, making one actually wonder what is actually happening to the characters, and what is fake and just a product of the mirror.
Overall, adjust your expectations into knowing that this film is good, but it does not redefine the genre in the slightest. It does feel refreshing, but other than in its execution, there is nothing new to see here. The movie is fun and unexpected (something very few recent horror movies can say), so with everything else, it is definitely an enjoyable ride as a whole.
Gravity (2013)
Gravity: A Nerve-Wrecking Masterpiece by Director Alfonso Cuarón.
Space has always been an interesting setting for films. It takes the characters into the unknown, promising to put them in immediate danger. Anything could go wrong, and most of their resources and equipment must stay untouched and in perfect working condition if they want to survive and touch Earth again. However, most of these films add to that danger by providing creatures, a mission which is extra dangerous, or making other humans within the setting a threat. Gravity is special. It does not use any of the previously three described cases, and instead puts the characters in mortal danger by a simple, yet very plausible scenario.
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer who has been contracted by NASA to create and install a prototype machine and computer which will provide further data to their investigations. She is accompanied by astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and two other astronauts. Within the first few minutes we see them working on the satellite which will hold Dr. Ryan's machine and computer. 2 minutes later the team is informed that Russia has destroyed one of their satellites with a missile, possibly to avoid any of their information in the satellite from being leaked if the pieces of it land on Earth. Seconds later the debris of the destroyed satellite is flying by them, some of it hits their ship and satellite, and Dr. Ryan Stone is sent into the void when her tether breaks, with nothing but her space suit and working tools.
All this happens within the first 10 minutes. It sounds dangerous, but it is nothing like watching it on the big screen and hearing it (greatly aided by 3D). All hell breaks lose around them. Everything turns to chaos in a few seconds, and soon Dr. Ryan has lost contact with everyone and finds herself spinning and floating in endless space. A few minutes later of panicking and hyperventilating (from both the audience and Ryan) Matt makes contact with her. For the next hour or so we watch them in torturous suspense attempt to return to Earth safely.
After the first 7 minutes the whole movie is one edge-of-your-seat ride. In the whole movie there are only a couple of scenes which slow down, provided to let the audience breath for a few seconds before the characters are thrown in mortal and unforgiven danger once more. All this is aided by phenomenal special effects. We never doubt that Matt and Ryan are floating in zero gravity, or that a slight change in their momentum will either save them or kill them. The score does the same. It makes us feel more tense or sad, depending on the scene, and the sound is aggressive and precise. The 3D is greatly immersive. It only pulls you into space and makes everything look more real and dangerous.
Sandra Bullock's performance is great. We never see anyone other than isolated Dr. Ryan Stone in Sandra Bullock's body. It is amazing to understand that for close to 80% of the film she is in front of nothing but a green screen for the special effects, but it is never noticeable. She carries the bulk of the movie and she does so smoothly and naturally, as if she was actually there in space, trying to survive and get back to Earth alive.
All in all, a great space suspense/thriller.
Fringe (2008)
Best sci-fi show out there. (super SPOILER-FREE)
No show has ever exposed viewers to such complexity and grandeur of ideas. Fringe not only pushed the limits and boundaries of the realm of possibilities, science, and imagination, it completely broke and shattered them. The very first ten minutes of the show had gained my full attention. The opening scene of the first episode was shocking and unexpected. The theme song and opening sequence sent chills down my spine. The episode continued in a somewhat standard manner as any other show under the thriller/mystery genre. After the first third though, the episode caught me by surprise with an unexpected moment. What followed was a scene which is arguably pitch-perfect, maybe even the most perfect scene a sci-fi show has ever had. The cinematography of it, the pace, the acting, the intrepidness of it... I was hooked. The investigation continued. The characters looking for answers against the clock. And then the twist. So unexpected after what the main characters went through. And it did not let up.
It is sad to see it end. After watching it all I can not for the life of me assimilate the fact that the ratings for this show went down. It might be because it got too complex for the casual viewer to keep up. I suspect this has to do with the nature of the events throughout the whole series. Averting your attention 10 seconds from the show, to say, answer a question and you might be completely lost for the rest of the show. Even though it is a great show and the audience did not respond properly to it I have to say that it is also a good thing. It ended when it could end the best. All throughout as it advances it only gets better. If the ratings had been high the studio would have most-likely extended it and it would have dragged (this is one of my major reasons that makes it just a little better than X-Files -do not shoot me, I am entitled to my opinion, regardless to say I have solid ground to defend it). This was the perfect time for it to end.
Compared to seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5, season 1 is very simple. When watching it, it may be hard to believe because the first season alone is very captivating, but from then on it only increases exponentially in all the positive aspects, especially in its intrepidness. There were some parts where it had me. An immense, but foreshadowed, shocker would happen during the last ten seconds of a season finale. And I would then be almost halfway through the following season and there would be hardly any mention of what had happened.. And it was not just the shocker that would be ignored for such a long time, it were many other vital events as well. Was this just gonna be ignored for the rest of the series? I would begin to loose my faith in the show. But I kept watching it, and after those episodes everything would fall into place perfectly. I was obsessed. Every single aspect from the very end was connected in some way to the very beginning.
Now the main characters. Bless them. The characters all grew. Sometimes this would happen by some previously, but briefly, mentioned backstory which would have its own episode later on. And at other times it would happen when the characters were pushed to their limits; physically, psychologically, but most of all, emotionally. The actors all gave perfect performances and all had excellent chemistry with each other. They gave a lot of life to the characters. The cast was perfect. I would like to take special time to say something about one of the main characters: Olivia Dunham. For the audience it is easy to see the rest of the characters grow. A major reason for this is the emotional charge that they give at one point or another. For the character of Olivia Dunham this is different. She is very, very complex. If it were a book maybe she would be very easy to understand since we could know her thoughts, but in a show of this nature it is impossible to do. So to understand her, outmost attention to her is vital. Do not get me wrong, she is very, very likable, it is just that sometimes I have read that she seems apathetic, but that is not the case. She is the complete opposite (in fact this plays a major role is some episodes), but she is not someone who expresses it with emotion. She is extremely introverted. There are very few times in which you can tell without thinking much about it that she is upset.
I also enjoyed it because of its perfect balance of what makes up its substance. Thriller, adventure, drama, horror, action. It even has romance a few times. Towards the end of it the series grows dark, very dark; more than any other seasons is the case for the fifth and final season. The atmosphere in the setting, the situation of oppression, the obstacles and losses which the characters have to go through to do the right thing... sometimes it can be a little too much to cope and keep up with. Especially when you swallow almost the complete final season in one day. But do not shy away, it is all worth it at the end.
I will end this review/personal-commentary with this: if you have an attraction and/or interest in sci-fi of any kind, open your mind and give Fringe a chance. Before you notice it you will be hooked as I was, and you will not want to let go until the very end. DO NOT READ/WATCH ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT!
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Refreshing, entertaining, and engaging all throughout!
First, the thing that most impressed me about The Amazing Spider-man was its storytelling. If you think about it, it is actually pretty simple, but I thought that it was very effective nonetheless. The characters and sequence of events including the action sequences as well as emotional ones were what made up most of it.
Second, the characters had more than enough depth and most of them were not your typical stereotypes. Andrew Garfield made for one interesting Peter Parker/Spider-man. He was great at bringing him out. He made for one weird Spider-man which was something refreshing. Awkward all around, yet decisive, agile, and funny. Unknowingly helping the villain, then obtaining his powers, and a little time later trying to stop him; all the while experiencing and dealing with human emotions. From the comments I have read, this is the Spider-man from the comic books. Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy was refreshing to see as well. I liked that this time around the love interest got more involved in helping the hero stop the villain. It made the story more layered and interesting. She was appealing and charming. The chemistry between them, by the way, was great. Probably the best chemistry I have seen between a hero and his love interest. Dr. Connors made for a great villain. Evil, but at the same time being able to show and keep his human side. The rest of the actors, Denis Leary as Captain Stacy, Sally Field as aunt May, and Martin Sheen as uncle Ben did awesome jobs as well. Even though they did not get as much screen time, they were great supporting actors who made the film more interesting and entertaining.
Third, if you were expecting for the film to surpass the previous one, you will most-likely, at least, be satisfied. Like 99.9% most-likely. The Spider-man character was different, but without a doubt better. The love interest, Gwen Stacy this time, was definitely better also. In one phrase, she totally kicks MJ's butt, at least in the movies. I would not know about it in the comic books. The villain, Dr. Connors a.k.a. The Lizard, did not surpass the Green Goblin in his evilness, but it made for a more complicated and exciting plot and challenge for Spider-man. Other things like the visuals, directing, and special effects, especially thanks to the 3D, were better as well this time around. Story-wise, this time it was more complicated and layered, but executed with simplicity, which only helped the film in making it more engaging and entertaining. So years ago when Peter Parker was only a child, his parents went away and left him in the care of his aunt May and uncle Ben. A briefcase which Peter's dad left behind is discovered. It includes sensitive information about a biological project involving splicing reptile DNA and its properties with human one, which works to regenerate the human body; Dr. Connors is mentioned within it. Later Peter discovers that Gwen is working with Dr. Connors in his lab, and he also finds out that Dr. Connors is still trying to solve part of the project to finalize it. Then Peter sees that the solution is among the papers in the briefcase, and he shares the solution with Dr. Connors. Unfortunately Dr. Connors uses it on himself without enough research and trails, bringing side effects to himself such as super-strength, physical deformation, and a distorted state of mind. It is a temporal thing, working only as long as the regenerative effects last, but, after experiencing the strength and its power, he can not let it go, and convinces himself that this this is the perfect state for humans. So he starts this by trying to make all of the city like him. After Peter sees him and what he is capable of, he takes responsibility of it, thinking that he should because he helped to solve the project, and thus helped turn Dr. Connors into The Lizard. During the same time Gwen and Peter become closer, more than just friends. And she also becomes closely involved in trying to stop The Lizard from transforming all of the city. While this is happening Peter has also to deal trying to hide his secret from his aunt and uncle, and escaping from the police who have branded him a criminal, especially Gwen's dad, Captain Stacy.
The film seemed a little slow at times, and when it was done it felt like a short movie, which is totally inaccurate as the film runs a little over two hours. For me this just means that the film was so good it kept me engaged all throughout it, so I did not think about the time.
If you analyze it, It might not be the most packed and intense action superhero movie out there, however, not having the most intense in those things does not necessarily make it boring or bad. When there is no action to make it intense, the film is still very entertaining and interesting. Plus, for me characters and story lines are more important. The reason is that when there is no intense action on screen is when the story and characters develop. So when the action does happen it is made more intense not because it is actually intense, but because you are more engrossed in the story and because you care more about the characters due to those times in the film when there is no action. And this is exactly what The Amazing Spider- man does.
Prometheus (2012)
What were people expecting?
I just came back from seeing this movie, twice! Yes, it is that good. I saw it in both formats: 3D and 2D. Definitely go see it in 3D, and in IMAX 3D if you have the chance. I really felt the movie benefited a lot from the 3D and the detail due to the amazing visuals. Anyways, as it seems that every review agrees that the visuals are amazing, I will get on with the rest.
First, the performances. The highlight in this film was definitely Noomi Rapace (Elizabeth Shaw) and Michael Fassbender (David the android). Noomi Rapace gave such a convincing and emotional performance in a character who is so sensitive but which brings out such a fighter that I was rooting for her character from the moment in which her life begins to peril. She was really good at bringing to life such a character. I was really amazed at how good she was playing Elizabeth Shaw. There are at least two scenes (will not detail either because that would spoil some of the story) in which her character is in a sort of suffering (will not detail what kind, again, because that would imply spoilers) that I felt like jumping into the movie/story to help her in some way. I really think and hope that she will receive recognition(s) for her performance. Fassbender was excellent at playing an android. It seems like a big challenge for a human (full of emotions, with free will) to play and embody a robot (no emotions at all, no free will), but Fassbender does it flawlessly. The body language, facial expressions, etc., he does it perfectly. Idris Elba was very good at playing the captain; bringing charisma, a little humor, and a good amount of authority and responsibility. Logan Marshall-Green was also very above average, but I will not go into his character as that would hint spoilers as well. Charlize Theron was also excellent playing her character, including the "suit" aspect as well as other (spoilery) aspects. At first it seems some of the characters are not fleshed out, but the more you think about them, the more you get a nice, very dimensional image of these characters who could be real people. The rest of the cast is good as well but they do not get enough screen time (the movie is only two hours long, at the cast includes over 17 people).
Second, expectations. This is a very touchy subject in regards to this movie, and it is the reason which most people that were disappointed were so. Many were expecting some sort of Alien (1979) film. Others were expecting a stand-alone, original story. And others were expecting to witness the greatest thing in their lives. First of all, it is a movie; a horror/thriller/sci-fi movie. Thus, it will not change your life dramatically or have a big impact on it. It is a movie; therefore you should simply expect to get a good amount of entertainment from a horror/thriller/sci-fi movie, which is exactly what Prometheus is. Second, it is a movie which it is not totally original, by this I mean that yes, it does have connections to Alien. On the other hand, and thirdly, it is also a new story, although within the same universe. So, do not expect to see Ripley's mom pregnant with her, or a queen laying the eggs which are shown in Alien at the end of Prometheus. There are clear references and elements which are directly connected to elements of Alien, but, it is a new set of characters, places (not universe), and a new set of conflicts, problems and plots. For those who have seen Alien and/or are fans of it, do not expect to feel and experience the same feelings. For those who have not, or barely have, seen Alien, you will still enjoy it but keep in mind the first half of this paragraph: just try to go watch the movie with realistic expectations in regards to a movie which has horror, thriller, and some big sci-fi (mainly visual) elements in it.
Third, yes I very much enjoyed this movie and what it was about (I did give it a ten after all). So two scientists find similar paintings across the world who were made across big spaces in time. A company funds their expedition to the planet which is depicted in all those paintings. Those paintings also depict bigger beings as compared to humans, and this is where some split in their thinking, expecting to find different answers to different questions. The main character, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, believes the expedition will lead her to God, or at least, believes that it will lead her closer to finding Him. Her partner and boyfriend, Charlie Holloway, thinks he will find answers to the origins of human kind but, not to God necessarily; he is more of a skeptic. Meredith Vickers is positive that the trip is a waste of money and time; she is only doing it because her father (previous company owner) had agreed to it already. They get there, events begin to unravel, and some do unexpectedly. A little later all hell breaks lose and they find out that they are the only ones which can prevent the end of our kind.
Fourth, the film does start slow. As it advances it gets to a point which it almost becomes dull. By this time (unexpectedly) the thrills begin, and a little while later the horror, and in less time all hell breaks lose and hope decreases to an ever-so-faint flicker, including any kind of survival and Dr. Elizabeth Shaw's faith and beliefs in God.
I have almost used my 1000 word limit so I will end with this: Go into the theater with realistic expectations and you will surely enjoy this film to the fullest. You certainly will not be disappointed.
21 Jump Street (2012)
A very fun movie.
This movie was hilarious! I do not want to come out sounding too carried away, but, it was a really good movie. I do not remember laughing this much in a theater for a long time. I would not recommend it to everyone as everyone has different tastes, but, if you like a movie with good comedy and action you will definitely enjoy it. It should be noted though, that this movie has some mature subject matter, so I would not recommend it to kids and younger audiences.
If you already know the plot, just skip to the next paragraph. This movie is basically about two cops who, in high school, did not get along at all. Schmidt (played by Jonah Hill) was a nerd, and Jenko (played by Channing Tatum) was a jock. Due to this Jenko would think that it was funny to make fun of Schmidt a lot. 7 years later they find themselves applying to the same place to be cops. Jenko finds it difficult to pass the written tests during their training, and Schmidt finds it difficult to do the physical tests for the training. So they decide to be friends an help each other out. Then they both pass training and become official cops. After they try and fail to bust someone for drugs (to get assigned to something more exciting than park-duty watch), they are assigned to go undercover in a high school, since they are both young-looking, to find the supplier of a new drug, and it is after this that most of the events in the movie unravel.
Both Tatum and Hill did an excellent job playing partners and the undercover cops at the high school. The jokes and other funny moments came out very naturally and not forced at all thanks to them. The same can be said about the action sequences, though people should not expect it to be straight-forward action, this movie is more about the comedy. Also the plot was very nicely carried out throughout the movie within the comedy context.
In short, if you want to have a really good time with your friends, keep a fairly open mind and go watch this movie. You will not regret it.