Filmiarvustus Reviews

Dune (2021)

Don't be fooled - this is ONLY PART 1 and SUPER SLOW PACE art movie

[9/10 · 17 September 2021]

I am doing a full Dune wave here - going through all the board games, video games and even rewatched the 1984 movie, 3h version. Watched the 2 SyFy series as well and this was my most expected movie of the year.

Movie premiered here tonight and damn I was excited. About hour into the movie I realized - this is not going to be full movie. The pace is slow - like slow below acceptable. The first half of this movie builds the world, sets the stage - I understand that, but the moment Paul and his mother escape the Harkkonnen, it comes to almost a stand still - it takes them the other half of the movie, up to like an hour, to reach Fremen. To compare, in the 1984 version this was about 4-5 minutes top. In the books it is like 2-3 pages, focus being on the tent scene between Paul and his mother. Why is this here so long? Do they want an award for adding runtime?

The score of 1 is here until I can actually see the full movie. So we might have to wait 5 years, it might never come. Visuals and general production is superb. Music, acting, etc. Just pacing is very wrong - it feels wrong.

Why was Jason Momoa in this movie? Bautista had under 1 minute of screen time? What is happening here?

Be very careful on expectations here - the movie has almost no purpose and is like a pilot episode, that never got the series to explain and explore it.

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)

What happened with Samuel L. Jackson's and Sama Hayek's careers?

[3/10 · 21 June 2021]

"The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" is a sequel to the 2017 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard" and this time the triple-A bodyguard Michael Bryce continues his friendship with assassin Darius Kincaid as they try to save Darius' wife Sonia. This movie confirmed two things - Patrick Hughes is a terrible director and Adam Sandler is way funnier than people give him credit, especially when compared to this desert of humor. All that star power and yet I felt physically drained by the constantly failed comedy. Salma Hayek and Samuel L. Jackson are just parodies of themselves and it is hard to watch them. Ryan Reynolds tries his best, but there is no material here whatsoever. Patrick Hughes made Reynolds not funny, which I thought was impossible. If I was a 12-year old annoying teenager, I might chuckle here a little, so please, save your time and avoid this one.

Cruella (2021)

A souless unoriginal mess that feels more Harley Quinn wannabe than something from Disney

[7/10 · 31 May 2021]

Disney's fresh "Cruella" is a live-action prequel live-action film following a young Cruella de Vil, portrayed by Emma Stone, the famous villain from the "101 Dalmatians" story. Directed by Craig Gillespie, this movie is visually stunning, with amazing shots, stylish effects and incredible costumes. Duo of Emmas (Emma Stone and Emma Thompson) are doing amazing work with the material they have, but something is amiss here. It feels as dark in its humor as DC usually does, not Disney, and it lacks something really important - originality. It actually is "The Devil Wears Prada" with Harley Quinn in it. No other way to say it. Disney wants to change the villain Cruella, but sometimes villains just should be bad. Story adds nothing, it is more frantic than anything and feels like a product placement, than an actual piece of cinema. Feel free to skip this one.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Video games into movies almost always turn out bad - BUT not this time.

[7/10 · 26 April 2021]

"Mortal Kombat" returns to big screens after 26 years. Screenwriter Greg Russo created a new original character, an MMA fighter Cole Young, who seeks out Earth's greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes tournament for the universe. The movie shines with love for the Mortal Kombat games and it stays loyal to the lore for the most part. The fights are fun, filled with gore and magical powers, just like we imagined the games would look like in a movie as kids. Adding Cole was sadly a mistake - he adds nothing. Also, having a non-martial artist cast shows - fight choreography is well made but too slow and obviously fake. There is no power behind those moves. All and all this is an easy recommendation even for more than one go.

Thunder Force (2021)

Melissa McCarthy as a superhero is ridiculous - sadly not funny at all

[5/10 · 12 April 2021]

Netflix's original movie "Thunder Force" is set in a world where supervillains are commonplace, but no heroes. Then two estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them both powers to protect the city. Ben Falcone should stop making movies for his wife Melissa McCarthy. This whole experience is so humorless that it was seemingly written by a 13-year old, who hates everything funny. Even McCarthy herself is hardly trying here and that is saying a lot about the whole production. Yes, it looks very good, but it has almost no substance whatsoever. It made me sad how little Octavia Spencer wanted to be in this movie and you can tell it right away - she just wanted that check. We know McCarthy has talent and she can do better. So please start doing better - a lot better.

Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021– )

The famous and loved Law & Order character Stabler is reintroduced with a family tragedy.

[7/10 · 6 April 2021]

The fresh Law & Order spin-off "Organized Crime" brings back Elliot Stabler, who after 273 episodes in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he's been away, so he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. The series follows Stabler's journey to find absolution while rebuilding his life. It has a strong Daniel Craig's Bond movie vibe with the look, the sound, and even the clothes. Sadly the series is a collection of nostalgia for the long-time viewers of Law & Order, so if you are not familiar with previous shows, then the plot line and character are almost impossible to follow. It feels rushed, but everything screams quality TV, so even tho it is hard to actually understand anything, you are compelled to keep watching.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

A Truly Entertaining and Epic battle between a cinematic God and a King

[8/10 · 5 April 2021]

"Godzilla vs. Kong" is the superb next chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse, that pits two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another - the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong - with humanity caught in the balance. Director Adam Wingard knows exactly what the fans want and he just keeps on giving. No more pointless sub-plots with empty human relationships - now it is all about the monsters and the mayhem. Amazing picture and sound deliver a truly breathtaking action between legends, but it won't end there. We learn more lore about the Titans, the history, the rivalry, and there are quite many surprises along the way. Please watch this is in cinemas or on a huge 4K HDR screen - this masterpiece deserves this.

The Irregulars (2021)

It wants to be so much at once, sadly ends being very little in the end

[5/10 · 30 March 2021]

"The Irregulars" is set in Victorian London, where it follows a gang of troubled street teens who are manipulated into solving mystical crimes for the sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner, the elusive Sherlock Holmes. This show is doing "the Netflix" and goes all woke for all the wrong reasons. I love detective stories mixed with supernatural, and I am easily bought with a little action and good characters, but this show has neither. It is just badly written. Plot holes and the unnecessary addition of the Sherlock Holmes universe are two very big turn-offs. So many things wrong with this mess of a show, but at the same time the baseline is quite interesting, so if You a young adult and you can overlook the obvious silliness, then it can be quite a good weekend entertainment.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Something for all the little girls and very forgiving comic book fans

[5/10 · 29 March 2021]

"Wonder Woman 1984" was the last hope for superhero movie fans in 2020. Gal Gadot as Diana is by far the best thing about the Wonder Woman franchise. She gets a new chance at love by a magical wish and now together they need to go against Max Lord and Cheetah.

Director Patty Jenkins forgets that the movie is set in 84, not made in 84. The style of the first movie is abandoned, CGI misses way too much, the narrative has more holes than interesting dialogue, and Cheetah as a villain is totally unnecassary. The movie is very inconsistent to the point of annoying and not worth the time.

Willy's Wonderland (2021)

The purest form of a superb and mindless entertainment

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

"Willy's Wonderland" is about a quiet drifter, who is tricked into a janitorial night job at the condemned children's birthday venue. The mundane tasks become an all-out fight for survival against a wave of demonic animatronics. The movie has no intentions of being anything but what it is - brainless entertainment. So we get Nic Cage fighting robots for an hour and a half to trance music. And it's awesome. It is right on the edge of camp and parody, without necessarily being played for laughs like a comedy. Similar to Evil Dead or Kung Fury, where love and enjoyment of the genres merge without mockery. Cage is the star here, stealing every moment and all without a single line of dialogue. Just cheesy, gory, and funny instant cult classic that will entertain, so just sit down and enjoy.

We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (2021)

A real-life inspiring sports docu-series about planting seeds into young players.

[7/10 · 29 March 2021]

"We Are the Brooklyn Saints" is a documentary series following a youth football program in the heart of inner-city Brooklyn. Youth programs work, and "We Are The Brooklyn Saints" demonstrates a close-knit and an up-close documentary approach about kindness and having positive goals. It shows how sport goes beyond competition and by nature, it can become a safe haven of community. "A loss is not a loss" - it's a chance to learn, mature, and develop, and the series does well to get those themes across. The documentary series takes its time to get to know influential adults, but it focuses too much on two players D-lo and Kenan, while this should be about the whole team. While Brooklyn Saints is a competent enough docu-series, it loses some intensity that could have made it a home run.

WandaVision (2021)

Taking Marvel fans outside their comfort zone

[9/10 · 29 March 2021]

Disney+ finally started the 4th round of MCU with a new TV series "WandaVision". It blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision -two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives- begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. The show is very different and demands a viewer to pay attention because the weirdness hides the mystery, which will blow people away at the end of the season. Marvel is showing a bold creative side and their faith in their fans. It will work best as a whole season, but no worries - the patience will be rewarded, so just enjoy.

Uncle Frank (2020)

Let's be Frank about this!

[9/10 · 29 March 2021]

Amazon Prime's new original drama "Uncle Frank" creates a mixture of a classical road trip and a coming-out movie, that is set in the stylish 70's. It stars Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis, but the brightest burning performance goes to Bettany for the role of Frank. This is a real movie-making, where the narrative has very strong points, but not all comes together in a perfect way.

Director Alan Ball delivers a classically structured and beautifully written story that is both timely and timeless, as well as deeply moving. It suffers from a slow middle act but makes up for it with heavy subjects and life messages. It's not an easy watch, and it shouldn't be. You will laugh and cry and most importantly - you will remember this movie. "Uncle Frank" is one of the most artfully constructed and thoughtfully realized movies of this year.

Twin Mirror (2020 Video Game)

Highly recommended for a busy and intelligent mature gamer

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

Dontnod's first self-published game "Twin Mirror" is also their first attempt at a psychological thriller, with a bold narrative and no real heroes. You play as grizzled investigative reporter Sam Higgs, who is returning to his rural home town Basswood and becoming entangled in a mystery that has a familiar theme from dark noir novels.

The game has a fantastic premise, a powerful mature story with relatable characters, and looking inside Sam's mind is a unique graphical feast. Sadly gameplay is wonky and short, some of the more elaborate storytelling devices don't land, and Sam is deliberately unlikable. But by being so short it is perfect for adults with a busy schedule and big 4K TVs.

Tribes of Europa (2021)

Cliché heavy start, but ends with a bang leaving YOU wanting more.

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

"Tribes of Europe" is set in 2074 in the wake of a mysterious global disaster. War rages between the Tribes that have emerged from the wreckage of Europe. Three siblings from the peaceful Origine tribe are separated and forced to forge their own paths. This well-produced dystopian world is kind of like the euro mix of The Hunger Games and Mad Max, but a more adult version of those. With narrative we get 3 very different stories going towards the same end goal, with one major complaint - the season is way too short. There are no big surprises, but the show keeps demanding attention. It is very atmospheric, sexy, and captivating. The violence is brutal, and there's some very disturbing sexual content in later episodes, helping to draw the bleak image of that savage world. Definitely not for children.

Tom and Jerry (II) (2021)

Tom and Jerry are back, but what the hell happened?

[6/10 · 29 March 2021]

Old cartoon rivals Tom and Jerry are back on the screen with HBO Max's new movie, which mixes live-action with animations. Our heroes meet each other in New York, where they end up in a hotel, where Kayla, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, works. And then the chaos begins. The animators know the source material and it looks good at first, but then feels unpolished and not in 3D. After the first 5 minutes, the movie loses the nostalgia and forgets about Tom and Jerry, pushing them to the background. It ends up being a Kayla story and with Chloë phoning that performance in, it is a painful experience for all parties involved. Already a bad situation gets way worse with ridiculous music choices, adding it all to an experience, that I wish I could forget. Avoid if possible.

Tiny Pretty Things (2020)

This is for you If you are a teenager and the world is against you

[5/10 · 29 March 2021]

This hugely popular Netflix show "Tiny Pretty Things" follows the world of an elite ballet academy, that is shocked by a sudden murder. It has talented filmmakers behind it, but it slowly descends into a bitter copy of "Flesh and Bone".

The show is a chaotic mess with too much drama, but it is weirdly entertaining. It will hit a very narrow target audience but misses the majority. Sadly actors are dancers first and it shows. It suffers from edgy overdramatic dialogue and storyline is way too immature. It seems to be more about ticking boxes for diversity, than art. Considering everything, we should just push this one down the roof.

The One (I) (2021)

Engaging futuristic thriller, that focuses on the wrong thing

[7/10 · 29 March 2021]

Netflix's "The One" is about love and lies that spiral when a DNA researcher helps discover a way to find the perfect partner. This sci-fi show quickly turns into a murder mystery/police procedural thriller, that has a lot of corporate crime mixed in, while it should have been more about the matching program and how it affects the world. The premise is superb and the plot is filled with twists, but the acting is off-target. The show is dark and thought-provoking, but the characters are too flat, especially the main character, who has no personality whatsoever. A horrible villain. They forgot about sci-fi almost immediately and there are too many storylines for the short running time. This is more like a Black Mirror episode than an individual series.

The Liberator (2020)

"The Liberator" puts an artistic spin on a honor-the-heroes war story

[7/10 · 29 March 2021]

Netflix's fresh and limited series "The Liberator", puts a heavily artistic filter over a true story about Felix Sparks, a young man in a middle of a bloodiest battle of WWII. Leading performance by Bradley James creates triumph from tragedy and loss, reminds the horror of the liberation of Dachau and with the added graphic novel-ish filter we get a harmony of close ups, silence, brotherhood and sadness. Behind the basic narrative and worn out jingoism, this is a show to remember.

The Father (I) (2020)

This is one film that has to be watched to be appreciated

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

"The Father" is adapted from director Florian Zeller's stage play by the same name. It is lead by Sir Anthony Hopkins, who delivers a mindblowing Oscar-worthy performance. He acts as an aging man, who slowly loses the sense of reality due to dementia.

The audience doesn't know what is reality and is as confused as Anthony. Director disorients us by having different actors play the same characters and even the set keeps changing. We hear different versions of Anthony's life, and we even seem to experience events out of order.

This movie is a tear-jerker and a unique piece of art because it focuses on the feeling and not the truth of the experience.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Marvel cannot be stopped. MCU is going strong yet again.

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

Disney + new series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is following the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' where Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience. This show is more of the same old MCU, but that is good. Action is equal to the movies, cinematography, and the atmosphere is just like in the Avengers movies. It is a little slower with a bit more drama, but sidelined characters are now in the spotlight and it looks amazing. This very short first season leads straight into another series "Loki", so let's strap up and enjoy the ride.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

This will leave YOU restore faith in DC universe movies. Not kidding.

[9/10 · 29 March 2021]

Zack Snyder's definitive director's cut of 3 years old "Justice League" is finally here. Determined to make sure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Wonder Woman to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions, but this time Cyborg is the heart of the movie. Now over 4 hours long and with a 4:3 screen ratio, we get a truly different experience. It looks different, it feels so much better, and with all the eye-candy and actual characters, you will feel the emotions of losing the DC universe the way we did. This is art, a MUST WATCH for every superhero fan out there.

Sweet Home (2020– )

Must see for every horror, zombie, and monster genre fan

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

"Sweet Home" is a South Korean fantasy horror directed by masterful Lee Eung Bok. This show is about a group of random people in an apartment complex trying to survive a sudden monster apocalypse. It is gritty, dark, and somewhat confusing, so this is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it category. Monsters are unique and extremely hard to kill with some pretty terrifying cosmetics and fairly basic CGI. The series overall is visually stunning with many disturbing scenes akin to the Evil Dead franchise. The narrative is very disjointed, difficult to follow, and not very engaging, but the show is addictive and a bloody feast to watch.

Sound of Metal (2019)

A must see Oscar buzz movie with unique sound direction about a musician going deaf

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

"Sound of Metal" focuses on a drummer Ruben, whose entire existence revolves around music, and by going deaf his losing that which defines his life. The movie focuses on the destructive nature and high cost of self-deception in the face of hard truths. Riz Ahmed in the leading role is wonderful, with his struggle to find meaning and peace in chaos. The most unique about this is the sound direction. It goes from pounding in-your-face metal music through the muffled reality as Ruben loses his hearing to the sense of peace in the moments of silence. It sounds best when it is quiet, but shines bright from start to finish.

Soul (2020)

Everyone in all ages deserves to watch this movie

[8/10 · 29 March 2021]

"Soul" is about a musician who is transported out of his body and he must find his way back into actually living. This film is transcending the depths of Pixar's most introspective animations. Every facet comes together beautifully to create an emotional symphony, resulting in a heartbreakingly optimistic narrative. It feels like too much for kids, but the script allows it all to come together beautifully with the emotionally powerful third act, including a heartwarming tear-inducing score and a relatable, well-explored story about the meaning of life. "Soul" may not have the laugh-out-loud sense of humor as other Pixar greats do, but it will touch hearts nonetheless.