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Reviews
Scream 4 (2011)
Rule #1 of sequels: Two is enough
This review is spoiler free, for the smart folk out there (keep reading and you'll understand).
7.6? Really? I mean REALLY? I'm a fan of Seagal movies, and brainless action flicks in general. I also don't see movies as art per se. Which means a movie like Scream should be perfect for me, yes? No.
The only way to describe Scream 4, or Scre4m (really? Substituting letters with numbers? I thought we were past that) was WAY too predictable. And in the wrong way.
When you watch Seagal movies you KNOW Seagal is going to win in the end, but it doesn't spoil the fun because it's not about that. This movie was supposed to be clever (I think), but instead it was just painful to watch. The "I'm in the closet" -bit being the most painful of all examples.
Every plot 'twist', every jump scare, every victim.. Everything could be seen from miles away. Except the perpetrator, but that surprise too was for the wrong reasons. They gave us a ton of potential suspects, made them all look guilty, and then, out of nowhere, just gave the real suspect to us when the movie was about to end. They built the suspension up, but then it all came crashing down in the end when it was just a 'clever' fake to direct our attention to elsewhere, when the real stuff was happening away from the cameras.
Which was clever I guess, but not exactly fair for the viewer. And not exactly entertaining either. I think the only real emotion the movie got out of me was horror when a guy was shot in the man jewels. You just don't show that kind of stuff in movies, Jesus.
If you're a fan of brainless action flicks you can do much better. If you're a fan of 'proper' movies you can do MUCH better. If you're a fan of Scream movies you can do much better. If you're just looking to kill an evening you can do much better. Much worse too of course, but that shouldn't be the only reason to watch a movie.
Mediocre at best.
Miesten vuoro (2010)
The silent gender of a silent people
I'm a simple guy as far as movies go. Seagal movies are my favorites, followed closely by Ferrell-movies and such. I'm not generally into movies that are supposedly deep or emotional. Directing, acting, characters and pretty much everything can be sacrificed for the sake of entertainment.
Watching 'Steam of Life', however, brought tears to my eyes. I was not entertained, I was moved.
It's not entirely because of the stories the men shared. I know a lot of sad stories, and sad things happen all around the world, all the time. It's the way you can relate to the men. We are all different, but we have one thing in common: Sauna, and what sauna represents.
"Boys don't cry" In sauna, however, we can. And we have. There is a place in the world where we can stop trying to live up to other people's expectations. Where we can drop the mask, wash away the makeup (figuratively speaking) get the s*** off our chests.
I could speak objectively, about directing and camera angles and whatnot, but I honestly don't think it's necessary. What this movie represents is more important.
I would however like to mention the story about a grandad who chopped wood for grandma. That was one of the most beautiful things I have heard in a very long time.
I, a Seagal fan, will give this movie as many stars as I will ever give any movie, 9. Highly recommended. Finally it's men's turn.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)
Now this is a story...
Many things can be said about the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. For one, it's my all time favorite TV-show, the only challengers being 70's Show and Frasier, but that fact alone won't fly as a review, so let's look at it 'objectively' (as objectively as one can look at something they love).
The reasons for this are countless as well. First and foremost, it was entertaining, end remained as such for the entire run of the show. Some may argue that the last few seasons were a decline in the quality but it never bothered me much. Secondly, it was just plain funny. Not many shows can make me laugh like Fresh Prince did. Thirdly, it wasn't brainless. Much of the humor revolved around the interaction between the main characters and was pretty lightheaded so to speak, but many of the things said in the show were actually pretty deep and even educative at times. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air made you think, at least when it didn't make you cry with laughter.
You can dig deep into the charm of this show. The characters were well written and extraordinarily well balanced, which brought great contrast to the show, the actors were perfect for their respective roles, the soundtrack was fresh and even the story was interesting.
I could go on all day analyzing this gem, but I don't think it's necessary. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has charm like not many shows before or after it, and it will keep you entertained, so you'll never have to force yourself to watch it.
In fact, you'll have to force yourself NOT to watch it so you can get to work/school in time. Yes, it IS that good.