Reviews

People these days seem to take violence in films with a truly moronic moral perspective. During the 70s there were a lot of hiperviolent films. We had Taxi Driver, for example. We had Halloween and the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre. We had Death Wish. There were no Twitters or Facebooks back then, and there wasn't this big 'violence in movies is bad' trend going everywhere. There were films about school bullies getting what they deserved, and there was a lot of blood and irresponsibility going on (Cannibal Holocaust is one example), and nobody went berserk at public schools the way it's been happening lately.

So… It's 2013 and we get a violent film with superheroes on it.

I am 38 and my wife is 20, and we were both requested to show an ID to enter the screening for Kick–Ass 2. When I came out of the theater I was asking myself if all that was really necessary. This is just a fun movie to sum it up. Come on… We had lots of gory stuff back in the 80s. Things that Fangoria was too proud to show in all it's bloody covers and there was (almost) no backlash from that. Are we far more stupid these days? Why do we need to be so politically correct in every bowl of cereal we eat and every word we spit? It is really moronic to blame entertainment for our own mistakes. I am a big fan of ultraviolent films, things like Martyrs, Irreversible or Taxi Driver, and I had never intended to exact on another human being what I saw in those films. So cut the moral speeches… It's something that has to do with education. Entertainment is not there to educate. You're the ones who have to educate your kids. Take responsibility.

So… The film is amazingly funny and satisfying. I entered the theater with a little bit of fear that they could've ruined one of my favorite superhero movies ever, and it wasn't like that at all. The original Kick-Ass is by far more intelligent than it's sequel, and I think it has to do with the script. At the start of Kick–Ass 2 there's a lot of mediocre screen writing going on. With no action whatsoever, you can clearly see the actors struggling hard to deliver those cheesy lines. In that sense I figure my fears were met, but once the plot moves forward, with Hit–Girl struggling with her mentor and the things she considers to be justice, the film settles itself into overdrive and becomes pure guiltless fun. There's a lot of blood on this one, and in some ways it works the same path as it's predecessor, which I won't go into on this review since it could spoil the plot.

Jim Carrey is magnificent here, as Moretz, Taylor–Johnson and Brown (amazing to have him here again)… But Mintz–Plasse was a little bit of a letdown. Even though he's got some really funny moments, his character turns into some kind of an annoying evil guy which is not really interesting. That wasn't the case with Red Mist.

In the end Kick-Ass 2 is like a bigger version of the first one, with more characters (most of them we don't really get to know) and the same kind of action and, even though it doesn't feel like it's the same movie all over again, it's not that original either.

So, if you want to ride this ride just expect to be thrilled, nothing more. You won't get the same sense of wonder as you did with Kick–Ass, but you will be having loads of fun. Oh… yes!

We have to face the fact that most of the praise for this movie comes from the brilliantly filmed stoning sequence itself. It is truly gripping and sad, even though it doesn't come close to what a real martyrdom like this looks like. For me that part of the film did the trick. But it is not the only important issue we have to confront. Seems to me as though director Cyrus Nowrasteh was far too keen on getting to the execution of Soraya, while leaving the plotting against her almost untouched and played like a soap-opera (even his camera angles are quite uninspired when you compare them to what he does during the actual stoning). And the conspiracy against Soraya is as important as her sacrifice, that is the core of this tragic story: why and how. In the end we feel really moved by her horrible death, but there is no deep study into her surroundings and the people she shared the village with. Her husband comes off as a James Bond villain instead of a real person totally void of compassion and filled with self-interest. In Nowrasteh's mind, her husband is evil the way Darth Vader is evil, but we never really see him as a human being deprived of emotions. He's just there for us to hate. It is a real pleasure to watch Mozhan Marnò's performance as Soraya, as her eyes and dignity reveal so much about the nature of a woman we will never know for real: a mother, a daughter and a humble and pure citizen. Shorheh Aghdashloo is quite a powerful force and drives our fears and wrath as an audience, all pointed towards these self-centered people who end up killing a woman just because she is a woman and an inconvenience. Make no mistake: you will feel moved. It is impossible not to be affected by the subject matter. But the film lacks vitality and a better study of the factors that led to Soraya's demise.

Unsettling, beautiful, sad, violent and insanely imaginative. Santa Sangre is an experience and not a movie. It's so heavy in it's atmosphere and the whole intensity of it's images strikes you with no mercy, you will feel numb after watching it. Few are the films that can claim to confront the audience with their inner beasts, and this one's a nice pill to swallow if you're into that kind of thing. I don't think you should understand it, but more likely to live it. To bring it close to your mind and find whatever you have hiding in there. You know the story from all the reviews out there. And maybe you want to know if it's really worth watching if you're looking for some strange cult film after trying so many times and finding a lot of frustrating wannabe stuff. Well, this one's worth the hype. I put it right there with Buñuel's Un Perro Andaluz and David Lynch's Ereaserhead. It is demonic and seductive and will show you a side of Mexico you never get to see in recent crap like Amores Perros or Y Tu Mamá También. I'm sorry, but it is Santa Sangre the one that delivers the actual Mexican landscape of flavors and odors. It's decadence and sheer beauty. If you thought Lost Highway was too weird, then stay away from this one. But if you couldn't get enough of Lynch's mind and style, then you should kill to get a DVD copy of Santa Sangre. You will get stoned by all the amazing things and sounds it throws away at you.

I recall watching this film on TV. I didn't know anything about García M's novel, but the story is fiercely gripping. I remember it hitting me hard, and I was totally in awe at how simple the style of the film was. This thing is barely known, but I really recommend you watch it if given the chance. The ending is quite surprising, and it's got so much raw emotion you will almost feel moved to tears. I'd love to get the chance to see it again, but in the same fashion of Photographing Fairies, it seems there's no DVD version of it. So I guess you should catch in on the TV. The sequences with the father walking down Vatican City are beautiful and sad. I feel can't praise this movie enough, you should experience it.

People before me have said it all and way better than I could ever do. This film is not mere entertainment. It's a powerful piece about individuals trying to find a meaning for their lives. It's about people with enough guts to start over again or fade out with breathtaking dignity. Leone and Morricone, Bertolucci and Argento. It's not a dream team with nothing to deliver. This film is what you would expect from such big names undertaking a massive and epic masterpiece. This thing will pierce your heart and your senses. It's cinematography is intoxicating, and the soundtrack delivers a full punch of emotions to your stomach. For me sometimes it's really hard to take without feeling a teardrop trying to escape my eye. It's sad when film viewers fail to feel the brutal embrace of one of these classic films. Few directors from this age can take such an endeavor and turn it into something this fantastic (Paul Thomas Anderson is one of them).

Cloverfield goes for the found-civilian-documentary approach, and then violates it's own rules by adding lame acting and stupid out-of-a-video game situations. The Blair Witch Project stuck with it's documentary style all the way up to the end. That's not the case with Cloverfield, and all those stupid decisions (keep the camera taping while on desperate situations, for example) just destroy the concept of 'reality' it's trying to imply. We end up with a boring story and some glimpses of what could really be a devastating attack on New York City. Lets face it: this thing wants you to feel it did happen. The problem is that it sticks so many regular narrative vehicles it doesn't feel real. Then the pace and ideas start to repeat over and over, until everything feels exahusted. There's one point where you stop getting amazed and just begin to wonder when the hell it's going to end. It's no better than Emmerich's Godzilla.

I don't really know my motive to hold up my review for Lady Vengeance for so long. This has been one of my favorite movies for almost 2 years. I know people could get truly disappointed by the final film on Park Chan Wook's trilogy being deprived (almost) from any action whatsoever. But what it lacks on that department it earns in drama and humor, and Lady Vengeance contains one of cinema's most disturbing sequences (video tapes scene) ever. I don't think a lot of people can face that part of the movie without wanting to turn their heads away. Most reviews on the IMDb praise the almost celestial use of music and images, and that's one of the best features on it. You can't help but wonder with your mouth wide open about every color, object and camera movement on this film. Brilliant decisions. This guy pushes movie-making in every single shot, from the remarkable and heart-wrenching opening credits to the last shot in the alley. I want that talent, for god's sake! Deeply moving film that will not appeal to people used to fast-paced features or hollywoodesque action.

Brad Bird really moved me when I saw The Iron Giant, a film I didn't want to see at the time. That little animated feature is simply beautiful and touching. Ratatouille takes that level of emotion to another point. Way higher. Don't think kids won't get it. They're not stupid. I remember going to the movies with my parents (they took me to Abel Gance's Napoleon) and being fascinated by the whole thing, even if I didn't understand the whole idea. This is not a comedy. There are some laughs and everything, but it's something more intelligent and dramatic. It's an astounding and complex film about longing for a different life and trying your own talents. About not to be content with the way things are and to go and challenge everything. Even if you end up empty-handed. Gorgeous animation, great script, wonderful characters. This is how things must be done.

Kirsten Dunst is a lovable Marie Antoinette. Her face expression when they take away her dog will set the tone for her ways throughout this film by Sofia Coppola. This is a girls' candy world, and as those sort of worlds are, it is not without sadness and despair. I totally agree with Roger Ebert on this one (I do most of the times): the fact that we know her true fate is only the fatal frame to this bloodless visual feast. Marie is surrounded by strict manners and rituals, is forced to give birth in front of a superficial crowd, is taken away from her family at 14, is given the power of monarchy. ¡She was a teenager, for God's sake! Though there's no tragedy in Coppola's film, you can feel the eerie atmosphere of the pompuous against a doomed political time. Modern music sounds so fresh in this kind of movie. It reminded me of Jesus Christ Superstar, where the anachronic was just a way of tying our world with the past. It serves as a link between what we think we know of that time, and the way we feel emotions today. Marie Antoinette is so beautifully crafted, you almost taste every cherry and dessert. You are living inside this impressive palace, and witness her fragility through Dunst's persona. It is a film about emotions, not facts. And it works so much. It's one of those films you experience, not watch.

It's easy to get into a forum and read comments on everything and from every perspective, from the most vulgar to the most thought-provocative. It wasn't that way for Sophie Scholl, her brother and their mate. Julia Jentsch is an unbelievable and amazing actress. I just love the hard-hitting fragility and strenght she delivers on her role. This movie can't be spoiled as you know the fate of those people. But the labour of passion and love that everybody in the crew had to make this film possible is just remarkable. It's a great homage to this great girl whose life was wasted because of her ideals. It's a very moving and beautiful film.

Yeah, this film's first 45 minutes are a bore. I think Aja tried to introduce the audience to the characters and the mood of the film the same way some flicks from the seventies (TCM, Dawn of the Dead, the original Hills Have Eyes, I Spit on your Grave) did, but in this case it really drags and feels like an empty attempt. If you loved Aja's Haute Tension, I think you will be expecting the same realistic impact from the violence, but don't be fooled, THHE doesn't feature anything like that. It's gorier, but the tone of the violence is your typical American tone, instead of the European wild-and-insane- as-hell violence present in Haute Tension. So this movie seems more like that… a movie. One of the things that really made an impact on the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was the way it was filmed. Like a documentary. Haute Tension had a small dose of that, and it worked, but this one is filmed in such a neat way it feels artificial. Don't get me wrong. There's plenty of violence, but I wasn't really moved by it. The miners look good, but not particularly disturbing. If you have seen Chris Cunningham's 'Rubber Johnny', you'll find nothing disturbing about THHE's mutants –there's one that resembles Rubber Johnny too much. The death's aren't that violent either. They are pretty repetitive. After everything I read here, I was expecting something with more impact.

You will have fun. But that's as far as it goes.

I had already seen Dog Soldiers, and though it has its mistakes and lowdowns, it still manages to be a pretty decent horror/action flick. Way better than a lot of stuff out of the American and Japanese market. With The Descent, Neil Marshall is on my Top 5 Horror Movie Directors list. This one is claustrophobic, has strong female characters, the scary parts are truly scary, and you actually feel so into the film you can't escape its grip. People are always looking for a frightening horror film, and this one delivers on that department. It's almost like you're inside the caverns with all those girls. You've got the resulting tension from being trapped inside the cave. You've got the drama from Sarah's tragedy. You've got that awesome use of light where you can clearly see what's going on but still feel you're surrounded by complete darkness. And you've got the intense mutant sequences, with lots of blood and clever camera movement. The way Marshall portrays the mutants is incredible. The first time you get a glimpse of one them reminded me of the moment when you first see the aliens in Signs –at the children party. Truly frightening. Another added value is that the copies showing in Mexico City are the UK copies, with the complete ending, and not the happy thing they're showing in the States. That was a clever move from the distribution company.

This movie is not as gory as everyone has made it out to be. It's gory, but not unbearable or anything. At least is way gorier than Hostel.

See this one at the theater. The use of light is impressive, and it adds so much to the whole experience.

The Pang Brothers know their stuff when it comes to visual style. This movie is a proof. It's visually flawless. Beautiful photography, nice camera tricks, gorgeous looking leads and eerie atmospheres, but that's as far as it goes. Oh… And the sound is nicely done too. In some ways this film is like The Crow: City of Angels, an absolute feast for the eye, but it delivers no content to back it up. And it gets boring in some parts, since you don't really give too much about the characters. The so-called violent scenes at the end are a letdown –that's if you're looking for something truly disturbing. It's well done, and creepy in some parts. The killer's method was a great idea, with all the cameras and the sound of him approaching. I loved that. But at the end it's like if someone mixed Beverly Hills 90210 with Thesis (the Spanish flick). If that's your cup of tea, then this movie is for you.

Watch it on a nice home system. You will get it's full blow.

After I read all the comments in this site about how graphic and brutal Hostel was, I was expecting at least something in the vein of Audition –a movie with far better make up and way more perverse than this one–, but instead all I've got is something like a Scooby Doo film with some gore and… to be honest, lame gore. Cabin Fever was neat because at first you thought it was a slasher flick and it turned out to be something different. It was a fun trip. But Hostel seems like a video game. An absurd montage of gory scenes with no purpose at all, and it's not even disturbing or exciting. It's just stupid. There was some nice humor, like the Pulp Fiction part. I was laughing at that. Oh, and by the way I really don't understand why you people complain about all the nudity. That's a human body with no clothes on and that's it. Why do you find it so offensive? Maybe because there was almost no male nudity, but it's not something to be offended about. But it gets dull. Yeah, that I will give you. The eye part was the worst. I couldn't stop thinking about how fake it looked. Roth did a great job in Cabin Fever with special make up. But this is terrible. You can't get fooled by it.

The ending was far convenient for Paxton. I mean, I was waiting for a scene where the T -1000 would show up to help him through. It's not realistic, nor even suspenseful. You just know it's almost the end and can't wait for the titles to show up.

If you think this is real 'horror' and 'gore', you haven't seen a lot of flicks.

Gee… This movie is a total letdown. I got bored in some parts, and the 'horror' bits of Saw II are totally forgettable. The twist at the end of the first flick was awesome, despite the awful acting, it was worth the ride. But this… What is this? Some things I really didn't like about it:

–¿No MTV editing? Are you blind? This looks like a Francis Lawrence video from start to finish.

–Gory/disgusting/unbearable? Damn!!! You guys are really numb from watching Scream and thinking that was hardcore horror. I was waiting for the 'gory' and 'disgusting' parts to start and… then the movie ended. What a letdown.

–Smart killing devices my arse. The only good trap was the needle trap, and it wasn't that great either. Just amusing and that's it.

–And that 'twist' at the end. OMG, it was the worst thing ever. What is this? Star Wars? Everything said by Jigsaw was pure trash. Compare that to John Doe's words from Seven when he confronts Mills. Now that was intense and I suffered through it.

Saw was a good excuse to eat some popcorn and hug my girlfriend, and that was it. If you're into your typical American-horror-film, this is it. I found Haute Tension more gory and satisfying, despite the stupid twist at the end.

Cheers!!!

I don't know. Maybe I love the film because I'm so in love with Bellucci since I first saw her in Dobermann. Anyway, I think there's a couple of parts where the film succeeds:

-The public humiliation scene is really moving. It's even scary and hard to watch. One of the most disturbing scenes ever.

-Sicily looks beautiful, and the scenes at the boy's home are great.

Anyway, the comedy tone of the film makes the dark tone of the ending really powerful and effective. I think that was made on purpose, and it delivers. Still it's not a lovable movie, it's somehow perverse, but I think humanity is perverse and all Malena does as a character is to drive those perversions from the people around her. If you're in love with Bellucci, I can tell you this is the film where she looks at the top of her game. If you like beautiful European films about adolescence, maybe this is not the film for you.

Beautiful movie. Peter Jackson knows his business when it comes to drama in fantastic realities. King Kong is a brilliant cinematic achievement. The opening scenes with the montage of the lifestyle of New York in that era is astonishing, and shines with a brutal glare that will make your eyes beg for more. I was so moved by all the excitement of the characters at the very start of the film. You really get to know them and sympathize with their dreams and their will to achieve them. Jackson's eye is implacable, and he knows how to shoot action –somebody please tell Michael Bay about it– and still make it really dramatic. That final scene at the Empire State will have you almost in tears. Yeah, the effects are far from perfect, but I think it has something to do with the fact that every effects shot is really complicated, they're not your average FX shot. The tyrannosaurus sequence is tense and amazing, but still I'd rather take Spielberg's version of the T-Rex. I don't think it's too long, considering all the drama involved and the impact it has on you. I think the duration is kinda adequate for the kind of film Jackson wanted to make. Please see this at the movies.

I love horror films, but I think they work way better when they hide a dramatic impact behind (The Devil's Backbone, The Exorcist, for example). This is that kind of film, and it's not only eerie and terrifying when it has to be, it is also really beautiful. A Tale of Two Sisters starts really slow, so if you're in a hurry to see ghosts in the first 20 minutes you will be disappointed. Actually this is not a ghost story –though there are some. It's something more complex, and it's done in such a way that it beats Ringu and The Grudge out of the ring no sweat. A Tale… is a way more clever film than those huge cultural hits, because it really cares for its characters, and the direction is flawless. Every detail in this film will leave you breathless if you're the kind of person who loves to pay attention to details while watching a movie. The acting is superb, specially from the stepmother and the main girl. Those two are worth the price of the ticket alone. Do yourself a favor and watch this awesome film.

I live in Mexico City, so I have to suffer throug the trailers for every piece of trash that comes out from all these stupid Mexican filmmakers. You want to admire a Mexican guy for making great films? Take a look at something by Guillermo del Toro (specially The Devil's Backbone), or maybe Alfonso Cuarón (though I really don't like his films, but I respect them).

Mexican filmmakers often produce some of the most terrible utter trash ever (Por la Libre, El Segundo Aire, American Visa), but this is one of the lowest points in Mexican films ever. If you respect your brain, please avoid this piece of **** at all costs. It would be more intelligent to watch some video of a wedding or to watch Britney's reality show. That's got more IQ than everyone in this 'film'.

What is it that makes a story worth telling? Yeah, what happened in Rwanda was one of the most horrible (and unnoticed) things in recent history, but how would you tell that story without focusing just on the horror? Hotel Rwanda delivers the task so mercilessly it will leave you breathless. This is a story about priorities, about survival in the most horrific circumstances, about pride and intelligence. Paul (Don Cheadle) is an amazing character. He makes you feel ashamed of yourself. Could you face this sort of thing in the same fashion as he did? I kept asking myself that question the whole time. To be reminded of this atrocities is one thing, but to confront them and still keep a straight and gentle face is another thing. Paul is such an amazing character he's beyond human, and Don Cheadle portrayed this man with such dignity and charisma it left me biting my nails every moment. I also loved Joaquin Phoenix's character. You always wonder what the feelings of journalists would be given the chance to cover a story like this, and I think he hits the mark very close. This is not an entertainment movie, it's a wake-up call for mankind.

My god, what a beautiful film. In every way, this movie by Gabriele Salvatores (I have only seen Nirvana and Mediterraneo before) is gripping and comforting at the same time. Firt of all I'd like to point out the fact that everything that unfolds before our eyes is seen through a child's point of view, and I don't mean we see things through the eyes of Miguel, but with those naive and intelligent eyes of a child. I could really relate to all the childlike feeling that set so magnificent details throughout the entire film. Everything's set so you can feel something's wrong, but you can't quite figure out what that is, because you're there as a child. The Italian country is the backdrop for the story, and it's pictured in such a beautiful way, with those amazing sunsets and yellow fields, it gives you a full emotional punch when the plot starts to take form and you're set to discover the secret that lies beneath the ground. The only real disappointment to this film was the kid that plays Filippo, other than that everything's perfect.

What can I say? Beautiful film. Those who can't see art in the form of comic book language are truly blind idiots. I wasn't a fan of Frank Miller's Sin City novels, I was just a casual reader back in my comic- book buying days, but I clearly remember a lot of panels and moments that I read, and still have them fresh in my mind. Having witnessed Robert Rodriguez's Sin City I am just speechless. It's a beautiful film encapsulated in a very violent –for a mainstream film– package. This is the way this material was to be done. All of the characters are like a trash can where you can reach into and find something beautiful inside. I have these clear images of Marv's story from the comics in my head, and the way it's done here… Gee, it's astonishing. Everything's been said about this movie, and I'm thankful Rodriguez could capture all of it's violence and humanity in just two hours. Great indeed.

I really wanted to like this movie. How often do Russian flicks get such a hype as this one and do make it big across the globe? Unfortunately, there's not much to like in this film (which is being advertised as Guardianes de la Noche in Mexico, if anybody wants to know). First of all, there's a lot of elements from other movies and comics we've seen before. There's something that looks taken out from the first Highlander movie, something that looks taken out from the Hellblazer comics and Constantine movie, the music sounds like the Graeme Revell score from The Crow –which was done to greater impact on that movie–, something from Hellboy (the truck scene), and there's even something from The Sixth Sense lying around. That's enough to keep you distracted from the main plot because all those elements really resemble the ones you've already seen. Anyway, there's a lot of eye candy, but nothing on the development of the plot suits the spectacular visuals which, by the way, aren't that spectacular either. Some things that happen and are really vital to the story fall flat. You know the overcome of the story from the moment they show the kid, and when you get to see it, it's not really powerful or moving. So we end up with a lot of brilliant visual ideas at the service of a really poor story –come on, light versus darkness stories have been around since the dawn of civilization, so we needed something else to give us the sense of a really apocalyptic setting. But that 'something' never hits the screen. And I also think the rock music the used in certain scenes was somewhat annoying. The movie holds so much potential, but it's totally wasted because of it's driven towards the visual aspect and never stops to make these characters seem real and sad, which I think it tries to do desperately. While I was watching it I was wondering "Jesus, are they really going to try to do a trilogy out of this? Because it's pretty boring and unoriginal".

I hated the Dawn of the Dead remake when I saw it in the theater. Specially the baby scene. And then I bought the director's cut DVD (my girlfriend liked the movie) and I thought it got better. At least there was more gore and some other scenes that I liked. Now, I love Romero's films as much as you do, and I went to see Land of the Dead at a press screening here in Mexico City. When the lights went out the and the opening credits began to roll I was like: "This looks awesome". The black and white Universal logo, the gritty looking credits. Nice touch. Then the fireworks scene. I thought that was a pretty good idea. Some nice looking zombies here and there, and there he was… This Big Daddy or whatever they call the 'thinking' zombie –because not every single one thinks, just him. He's like the father to all this zombies, and every time the humans do something to his kind he moans like a mother watching his son being killed. Believe me, it's annoying and stupid. You don't feel for him, you just want someone to impale him right that second. Now, the lines for the actors are lame. You never care about them, and it's like they know they're inside an important movie and have this 'damn serious' look in their faces, not because they are in this apocalyptic world, but because they are in Land of the Dead. Dull. Gore? Yeah, there is some, but the best bits are the ones you've already seen in the uncensored trailer (the zombie with it's fist inside someone's mouth is nice), but the rest is nothing you haven't seen before, and the CGI sucks. They also have this huge fortress truck, that looks taken directly from the Dawn of the Dead remake. Why did Romero do that? It's a nice idea, but it's already been done. I like Dennis Hopper in some films, but in this one he seemed like some evil guy from a cartoon. Like Skeletor or Mun Ra. His character doesn't seem like an actual person. I couldn't believe my eyes –and my ears btw. So much anticipation and it was boring, stupid and didn't even had that much gore. I don't know if this was the not-so-much-blood-and-guts version, but it sucked anyway. Yesterday I saw the Australian Undead, and it was far better than Land of the Dead. Even the Dawn of the Dead remake is waaaaaay better. Stick to those.

I gave it 3 stars because it had some neat ideas and some good looking zombies.