Chrimle Reviews

Toys of Terror (2020)

Horrible

[1/10 · 25 June 2022]

No thought has gone into this, it's a complete mess. Nothing is good, and even though it is laughably bad occasionally, it does not warrant a watch.

Don't waste your time with this.

Leave No Traces (2021)

Bad actors progressing at snail's pace in beautiful 1980's Warsaw

[4/10 · 24 February 2022]

Interesting story, based on real events, but were very badly paced and really drawn out the first half of the movie.

Acting was bad, even the background actors like pedestrians were bad.

There was some depth and more compelling elements towards the second half of the movie. But many things were "spoiled" ahead of time, and very little was left unknown. It does give more context and background to real life events, but from the perspective of entertainment, it was not...

This movie really is mediocre. But the unnecessarily long runtime, the acting and the pacing seriously brought this movie down - despite the somewhat believable city of 1980's Warsaw.

Dune (2021)

"This is only the beginning" - Oh, so there's worse coming?

[4/10 · 23 January 2022]

Awful. This movie was awful.

The acting and dialogue was cringe-worthy. The cinematography and screenplay was cliche beyond belief.

Story-wise, it really wasn't good either. No interesting characters, none were believable nor likable. Exposition was so incredibly predictable it was laughable. Couple this with a god-awful pacing and you've got yourself a really boring watch. There is nothing compelling about the story at all. And the things that are empathized in the movie... is all of a sudden forgotten about, until the very end of the movie... What?

Another major issue is that this movie does not carry itself on it's own without the sequel. This movie is 2½ hours long, and fails to give an entertaining experience and satisfactory conclusion. This movie is riddled with stupidly long shots, or completely unnecessary ones that are there just to pad the runtime.

So, knowing that this is "Just the beginning", I will say, seeing the first part, I will not be watching the second part. However, later on when both parts are available, as in the whole story can actually be experienced, that might change that opinion. But then again, that would be what, 5 hours in total? 2½ of which were awful, that's not gonna be something to look forward to...

The Banker (2020)

Very little focus on the character(s) for a biography...

[7/10 · 9 December 2020]

A well acted and well paced story thanks to multiple enjoyable montages. Although there is not much detail to the characters, they are sufficiently likeable. The first issue appears somewhere in the middle of the movie, where there is a significant time shift, which neglects expressing the characters' progress and motivations - as they at the time seem irrational without the context. This is even more apparent in the suddenly changed character in the conclusion...

Paths of Glory (1957)

Decent story, but unfamiliar characters made the conclusion over-dramatic...

[5/10 · 2 December 2020]

A well paced movie, despite many shots being unnecessarily long and not directly progressing the story. The story is simple and well established, the only issue is the various characters having similar names - and are often confused when their role were not mentioned. It certainly had the potential to be a lot more emotional, but unfortunately, the characters were completely flat and not at all familiar before it was over. Even though it shows moral dilemmas from difference perspectives, the conclusion was very underwhelming...

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Slapped Martin Luther King speeches on to at least get one point across...

[4/10 · 2 December 2020]

A very underwhelming movie in terms of story progression, as the story is really bland. The characters are somewhat believable and well acted, but their dialogue makes a very small difference in the overall story. They are the only characters in focus throughout and by the end, they appear unknown - even to each other. The story is so simple, but the difficult-to-comprehend dialogue makes it appear there is something going on. By the time half of the movie has passed, the issue of their backgrounds comes to play, but it just feels slapped on as an after-thought - it was not actively relevant to the story to begin with, nor will it be for the remainder of the movie. It is still unclear what the story or characters were meant to convey...

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Despite being so close to the characters, they won't tell you much...

[4/10 · 2 December 2020]

The movie was a bit all over the place, featuring jump scares with awful sound effects for a horror-like vibes, only to immediately switch it up completely with a comedic tone. The movie overall was quite boring, as there was only one suspenseful scene in the entire movie - and it lasted only a minute!

The characters were extremely flat and not even slightly interesting nor likeable. The acting was poor and the way the characters would position themselves made for uncomfortably close conversations.

Overall, it did not feel too drawn out as it had decent pacing, but the story itself is really bland and so is the conclusion...

Goodfellas (1990)

The only intrigue is the hope for something worthwhile to happen...

[6/10 · 1 December 2020]

Quite solid for a biography, but it certainly lacks the connection to the main character. So much so, there are some parts that is not told from the protagonist's perspective, but instead exposed by other characters. The same thing applies to narrating from someone else's perspective. Albeit typical for this type of movie, the narration is monotone, plain and explains trivial things that did not need narration - almost as an after-thought. As if what was shown on screen was not enough, and they wanted to make sure they had convinced the audience that the gangsters were rich and powerful...

The protagonist is difficult to connect with, as some actions are not shown until after the fact, and the lack of expressed emotions, thoughts and motives, makes him difficult to find likeable. The acting overall is quite bad, especially at the times where acting were vital.

Although some story was told here, it was not really compelling. A lot of names were thrown around, money-bundles were exchanged and bullets went flying, but overall it felt unnecessary. Sure, the fact that the characters were untouchable was already obvious without the reoccurring narrator, but that also ruins any potential suspense and thus, the entire movie is a breeze - regardless of what happens, the character is unmoved and it perfectly fits with the flat acting.

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

So realistic, even the conclusion feels inconclusive...

[7/10 · 30 November 2020]

With great acting, many relevant characters and the majority of the movie taking place in the courtroom made for a suspenseful and immersive experience throughout. There were plenty of clever details added to make the case morally ambiguous and question whether or not the protagonist is doing the right thing.

The obvious downside is the conclusion, which not only did not wrap up all those details left unexplained, it also was rather inconclusive - this can be disappointing if the mindset is getting the typical over-explained conclusion. Instead, it takes a much more realistic approach, and just like real cases, what actually happened and why it happened is never told. It certainly leaves the activity to imagine the motives and what actually happened, but it therefore also can be rather unfulfilling.

Jigsaw (1962)

Being bombarded with red herrings gives off the misleading impression it can be solved...

[3/10 · 27 November 2020]

So, the introduction was well executed. But as soon as the investigation begins, the protagonists immediately draws unexplained conclusions - which progressed the story. It does not take long before the movie is bombarding the viewer with information via nonstop, hasty and mumbling dialogue. Now, combine this with an overwhelming amount of red herrings, and it comes a time where it is easy to zone-out for a moment, as the pacing certainly did not offer that opportunity. Also, this resulted in a less interesting story, as it is entirely possible to not pay attention to most of the dialogue and still have the movie explain it all later on. Evidently, the movie completely surrounds the murder mystery and absolutely nothing else, which means none of characters are interesting and the sole source of intrigue is the conclusion of the murder mystery - but that is already obvious and fundamental. Thus, the movie is quite boring...

Another issue is the misleading movie poster, giving the impression the mystery can be solved by intuition and by being observant. This is really not that case, since the very last shot of the movie actually concludes the mystery - albeit a clever way of ending the movie.

Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

Some jokes were Oveur Dunn and thus Unger performed its predecessor

[5/10 · 26 November 2020]

Albeit unavoidable to reuse jokes for a sequel - particularly where the setting is really similar - it did heavily rely on just recycling the jokes. Perhaps they were letting the time-frame between watching the prequel and sequel expand to such an extent to which many of the jokes would be forgotten, and not be obviously recycled. That aside, the movie on its own is mediocre. This time around, there was significantly more focus on the story and despite getting fewer jokes as a result, it gave some breathing room between them. Unfortunately, only two jokes were funny, which took place in the later part of the movie, where some scenes were on the moon. So by introducing a slightly different environment, there are plenty of jokes to be made and it is disappointing to not see it being recognised and taken full advantage of...

A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)

Flat self-aware characters are still flat characters...

[5/10 · 25 November 2020]

Despite being solely a drama, with great acting, there were only a couple of slightly emotional scenes. The conclusion was touching, but reflecting on why that is, and it becomes apparent the build up was very weak. It boils down to the characters, which were well acted, were very flat and their dialogue felt very unrealistic. Now, the dialogue were referencing literature throughout the movie, one of which sheds some light on the issue of the weak characters. Namely, that they view themselves as the characters the protagonist walks by in the street. However, as good as this explains the flat characters, that they themselves recognises this, does not make up for the characters. Considering the characters and their motivations are the driving force of the movie, the movie felt lost for the majority of the movie as to where it was going. There are only two elements that potentially invoke some intrigue and interest for the movie, but these were predictable and really weak in hindsight.

Public Enemies (2009)

Well-known actors are irrelevant if the characters themselves are unknown

[4/10 · 23 November 2020]

Although still unknown as to why, the movie gave off an impression of a very generic movie was to come. The acting skills aside, the characters themselves were unacceptably flat. Their dialogue suited very well for them - generic and boring. At moments, the dialogue was even embarrassingly bad. So, regardless whatever was thrown at the protagonist - nothing was even slightly compelling. None of the dilemmas were intriguing and it really was just boring, unimaginative.

Another aspect that gave off a really bad impression was the awkward cinematography. The unwanted claustrophobic frames, the detail to see each and every pore of the characters' faces and the overly shaky camera movements.

Now, being based on real events, the movie deserves some slack in how the story could have been told. But not feeling engaging or suspenseful - as a gangster movie that is not short of shootouts - it certainly fell short of being a good movie overall.

Insomnia (2002)

Great overall - Lacks convincing the impact and relevance of the insomnia

[7/10 · 22 November 2020]

Really compelling story, with multiple plots closing in on each other as the movie progresses. It has a overarching theme and message perfectly fitting the characters, making them believable and likeable despite their flaws. The acting is convincing, the dialogue however is less so.

The main issue is certainly the pacing, as it feels very drawn out, especially expressing the issue central to the movie - insomnia. However, the doubt that was attempted to be caused as a result of it did not come across well and was not at all convincing. This could have made a significant impact on how the movie and what the protagonist sees would have been interpreted. Unfortunately, this aspect fell completely flat and thus the issue of insomnia felt very much unneeded.

Identity (2003)

Managed to keep attention, but not suspense, throughout for the unexpected ending

[6/10 · 21 November 2020]

It does a decent job at establishing the setting and the characters. Despite it not being tagged as a horror movie, it certainly takes on a lot of the horror-like cinematography once the action kicks in. Despite the acting being really bland, the characters feels believable as they talk and act realistically - except to obviously progress the plot. The pacing was rather good, with not much downtime from impactful events or dialogue. But it lacked the suspense completely... Potentially because it is too mysterious to even speculate what is behind the corner.

The primary aspect that might be taken issue with is definitely the conclusion. It certainly undermined the joy of trying to figure out who the antagonist is, as it is rather unpredictable. But this served the movie much better than giving too many hints and ruin the conclusion. Furthermore, it becomes the most fulfilling moment of the movie - as a conclusion should be - but does so in a unique manner. It definitely could have been executed in a more thoughtful manner, with extended knowledge prior to the conclusion as a potential solution to make it a much more touching ending.

The Killing (1956)

Intrigue badly maintained with non-chronological story void of depth

[3/10 · 17 November 2020]

A story that could have been told in chronological order, with thought-through dialogue, less narration and with the threat more involved, it could be quite a good movie...

The characters are really uninteresting and the attempted depth of them boils down to "make breakfast for his wife"-levels of likeability. The dialogue is atrocious, as most of the things they say does not correlate well with the characters and thus makes them unrealistic.

With so many characters and perspectives, non-chronological story telling could split up the one mutually intense segment into one for each character, creating more suspenseful scenes overall. However, there were too many characters to pull it off successfully, most noticeable when two perspectives meet and the scene fades out as it was beginning to overlap. Despite so many characters being involved and given a perspective, the antagonist was completely overlooked. Although some scenes were shot at longer length building up tension, there really was not much suspense overall.

The conclusion worked, but the build-up was extremely lacking - or better put; the entire story lacked built up suspense. Instead of giving details of the plan, potential bad outcomes and what the antagonist is planning, it was busy narrating jumps in the timeline, explaining time and time again that one character is unfaithful and how snoopy outside parties are.

Police Academy (1984)

Underutilised setting for comedic purposes

[3/10 · 16 November 2020]

This was a failure as a comedy considering none of the jokes were actually funny, jokes often did not have surprise factor and the setting the movie took place in was not utilised to its fullest. The story is ridiculously flat as it has nothing compelling whatsoever and the shift from comedy to be more dramatic in the later act of the movie made it obvious.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

Nothing extraordinarily bad or good

[5/10 · 15 November 2020]

Clever cuts to a very relevant scene at the movie theatre makes for both an insight of the characters as well as a bit of comedic relief. There is not much else that is actually funny, except the acting was something laughably bad. The acting was not great, but the dialogue was for the most part good. Having religious and philosophical themes throughout really gave depth and context to the otherwise flat characters.

The story is extremely simple, but is stretched out simply by having multiple protagonists, to the point of it becoming predictable and eventually boring. There is not much progress of the story in the later half of the movie. And so, it becomes frustrating as there is not the slightest hint at what is to come. Moreover, this in turn not only implies a very underwhelming conclusion is to come - it turned out to be one too, albeit an open-ended one.

All in all; a story with lack in depth, a plot without substance, clever scene transitions, religious and philosophical topics comes to the rescue and the overall impression is just mediocre...

Cape Fear (1991)

Realistic characters and story telling ruins both the thrill and the mystery...

[6/10 · 15 November 2020]

The movie starts right off and progresses rather well, up until the last act which was over-dramatic, predictable and boring. The characters felt really realistic and their emotions and thoughts were conveyed well - apart from the threatening character. While mostly unknown, his motives were hinted at time and time again throughout the entire movie. This in turn back-fired as the entire final act and reveal relied on this motive being mysterious and instead became a drawn-out, underwhelming and boring.

The cinematography was interesting at times - with suspense-building scenes that were horror-like, to constant barrel-rolling and inverted black-and-white shots. The acting was nothing extraordinary and were perhaps limited due to the sometimes odd dialogue - which most of the time was realistic while still having a purpose. The fighting scenes was really badly acted however.

The story's premise is intriguing, and with it starting right away makes for a really compelling experience with good characters. However, despite numerous attempts at building up suspense with new events - it fails. So instead, the background of the threat is then given and immediate speculations regarding its intent. Albeit realistic behaviour benefiting the realness of the characters, it certainly does not offer anything in terms of mystery, thrill or suspense - the complete opposite - it makes the final act extremely predictable and dull.

Oldboy (2003)

Get past the first 45 minutes and the reward will be a great last act

[6/10 · 13 November 2020]

After looking back at it, it had; amazing acting, good symbolism and great plot-twists. Unfortunately, the first 30 minutes are almost unbearable, as only the movie description here on IMDb actually gives any hint as to how the story is going to progress and everything up until that point in the movie have been obnoxious and pretentious. However, once the story actually kicks into gear, some 15 minutes later, the movie becomes decent. There are plenty of cases of good cinematography, while the dialogue is a mix of philosophical quotes or important exposition. There is also a noticeable shift from the pretentious first part, to an action sequence, montage sequence, flashback sequence and finally a dramatic sequence. This shift was disorienting as to what the tone of the movie was intended to be. The later act is definitely the high point and is executed well, but is impossible to predict as it is mostly based on newly given information and does not make up for the previous runtime.

Unfortunately, the story heavily relies on the exclusive compelling objective of the main protagonist, and while that had a great conclusion, it was not that compelling on its own - as pointed out by the side-kick. Sure, there is a time limit, but there are no other hurdles in the "mastered martial arts via the TV"-protagonist's way to make it suspenseful up until the very end...

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Confused drama riddled with swearing, prejudices and stereotypes

[3/10 · 13 November 2020]

An intriguing story that progressed rather well. However, the main character was extremely unlikable and due to not getting even a glimpse of the daughter until much later, her actions and reasoning was heavily disconnected. For the rest of the characters, they were solely clichéd stereotype caricatures. This might be the attempt at black comedy, but is nothing of the sort, they are not funny, just childish. The acting was laughable and nearly every attempt at emotional scenes felt either cringe or weak.

The cinematography was very uninteresting - besides from a memorable longer single-take scene. The sound design was especially bad when it came to the added sound effects - which were extremely loud. The CGI was noticeably bad.

Once the movie reaches halfway through though, it no longer progresses as well and feels very drawn out. The expectation that not much actually impactful things will happen slowly sets in and perfectly prepares the audience for an underwhelming conclusion. It is not the conclusion itself, it is the build up. Had it been obvious that the movie will conclude, with some mayor event, it would have been somewhat fulfilling. Unfortunately, in this case, instead it is obvious that the movie will conclude because of the short remaining runtime...

Bad Santa (2003)

Extremely childish with a mature character

[5/10 · 11 November 2020]

Nothing spectacular in terms of jokes - there were plenty of childish ones. What stands out is the performance of the main character as well as the character himself. The story's premise is acceptable for a comedy, but it quickly becomes repetitive and it is not until the later part of the movie that it finally gets some substance - albeit at a comedy-standard.

Overall a mediocre movie considering what is compelling is the character, not the very childish jokes...

Memories of Murder (2003)

Anti-cliché & Anti-Climatic

[5/10 · 10 November 2020]

A surprisingly thought-provoking experience with constantly new leads and doubts. The pacing was bad, it may be difficult to have time to grasp the situation before the introduction is over and the later half of the movie felt drawn out. The direction was a bit of a mess with the presence of comedic, emotional and horror-elements. The characters and their developments were really well made.

The story however, was intriguing at first, but after being fed new leads and new doubts over and over again, it becomes frustrating. A common exercise is to try and figure out the story ahead of time, but this will only lead to a headache if attempted. Another downside was obviously the conclusion, which was on one hand anti-climatic while also being anti-cliché, but regardless, a better conclusion would have done this movie such a much needed favour...

Airplane! (1980)

A pretty decent movie, but that's not important right now

[6/10 · 28 October 2020]

Relied on a lot more word play than expected, which definitively was its strong point, as a lot of the visual jokes were quite bland. However, with a movie with constant jokes it is inevitable that some of them are not received well - the sexual jokes in particular. And despite that some jokes are reoccurring, there is a enough wide range of different jokes that there will eventually be one joke that is funny. Yes, depending on ones humour, this movie might only offer a handful of chuckles. This might be due to the constant flow of jokes, one joke numbs the following joke and so on... Nevertheless, it has plenty of jokes to go around, but do reserve for the possibility to only get a chuckle or two out of it.

Enemy (2013)

Either hit or miss - Generally, a mediocre movie

[5/10 · 27 October 2020]

A movie that unfortunately has the artsy veil over it, giving the impression it will be a pretentious, void of substance and simply put: a waste of time. However, there were plenty of things making it less so, but it still heavily relies on symbolism and abstractions, rather than getting the point across in an accessible way. This is its greatest failure, as it expects a lot of the viewers and it is fair to say - the conclusion can be far from fulfilling.

The acting is good, the characters are somewhat interesting, but the number of characters were lacking a bit, as they felt very isolated from the world.

This very much a "hit-or-miss", there's nothing really intriguing about this movie, and the aspects that are, can actually give the completely opposite feeling.