Revolves too much around it's "clever" twist (which any experienced horror viewer intuits fairly early on; it actually isn´t THAT original), and forgets to construct either a great story, or a truly visceral experience around it. Contains too much lifting of elements from other, better films, without doing anything clever with it. Acting is uneven, makeup and effects mediocre, camerawork boring.
Reviews
5 Reviews
The Raid 2
(2014)
The perfect sequel
13 March 2014
This sequel is better in every conceivable way.
The action might take up a little less screen time percentage wise, but is more brutal (way more), even better choreographed, varied and memorable. I think this movie has the greatest overall collection of fight scenes in the history of action cinema, and a fantastic car chase too. Obviously I haven't seen every movie in existence, but I have never seen anything with such a collection of incredibly well done and brutal fights.
Characters have depth to them, even if on a comic book level, and are well cast and well played. Story is fairly intelligent, and more than services the action.
Everything else; filming, editing, sound design, stunts, special effects are stellar. There are quite a few "how the hell did they do that?!?" moments.
The action might take up a little less screen time percentage wise, but is more brutal (way more), even better choreographed, varied and memorable. I think this movie has the greatest overall collection of fight scenes in the history of action cinema, and a fantastic car chase too. Obviously I haven't seen every movie in existence, but I have never seen anything with such a collection of incredibly well done and brutal fights.
Characters have depth to them, even if on a comic book level, and are well cast and well played. Story is fairly intelligent, and more than services the action.
Everything else; filming, editing, sound design, stunts, special effects are stellar. There are quite a few "how the hell did they do that?!?" moments.
30 Miles
(I) (2004)
Pretty good
17 May 2007
Was there uneven acting? Absolutely! Was it believable in every twist and turn of the dialog? Not really. Yet, this movie is a prime example of the sum being bigger than it's parts. Even if the acting is at times waaay overwrought, and the changes in the mood of the conversation occasionally seemed artificial, it still worked for three reasons: 1) The characters, even if not totally believable, were interesting 2) you couldn't predict where the movie was going, and 3) it never got pretentious. If you can handle the movie's shortcomings, ie disregard some of overacting, this movie is, with what very little it actually has beyond a GREAT concept and story, and mediocre execution, immensely entertaining, and ultimately works because at least some of the gripes that you might have underway, makes sense at the end. Had the acting been better, and some of the more outrageous turns in the conversation been cut or altered, this movie could have been a masterpiece, but as it is, still ends up being more than worth seeing.
Mysterious Skin
(2004)
Huh...?
6 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
****contains spoilers**** - although the movie spoils it by it's own about ten minutes in...
I guess I was one of the few, that didn't think it was all that great, and didn't feel that way, because I was offended by the content or themes.
The premise is a good one, but sadly, if you payed attention, the twist was given away about ten minutes into the film, rendering the whole "Was that kid really kidnapped by aliens" storyline tiresome and mostly superfluous.
For the most part well acted and shot, but with very little humanity, and some oddball characters, that really seemed out of place. I thought that just about the only scene that carried any real emotion, was the one with Billy Drago, and maybe the ending.
Also, as someone mentioned, it's hard to believe, as is implied, that Neil never encountered abuse before the very end of his "career", in his quite a few years of turning tricks.
OK, but certainly not a great film, as most will have you believe.
I guess I was one of the few, that didn't think it was all that great, and didn't feel that way, because I was offended by the content or themes.
The premise is a good one, but sadly, if you payed attention, the twist was given away about ten minutes into the film, rendering the whole "Was that kid really kidnapped by aliens" storyline tiresome and mostly superfluous.
For the most part well acted and shot, but with very little humanity, and some oddball characters, that really seemed out of place. I thought that just about the only scene that carried any real emotion, was the one with Billy Drago, and maybe the ending.
Also, as someone mentioned, it's hard to believe, as is implied, that Neil never encountered abuse before the very end of his "career", in his quite a few years of turning tricks.
OK, but certainly not a great film, as most will have you believe.
Last Exit to Brooklyn
(1989)
Melodramatic to the point of satire.
13 July 2004
So, after reading all the glowing reviews, I'll offer a different view: I felt the movie to be not very involving, oddly devoid of emotion and melodramatic to the point of satire. Filled to the brim with clichés too....
Really convincing art direction etc., but at times very badly acted/directed/written.
Considering the content, it *should* have been grim and disturbing, but really wasn't at all.
Haven't read the book, but have read The Willow Tree and liked it, and seen Requiem for a dream and loved it.
8/10 for the Art Direction etc., 5/10 for the rest.
Really convincing art direction etc., but at times very badly acted/directed/written.
Considering the content, it *should* have been grim and disturbing, but really wasn't at all.
Haven't read the book, but have read The Willow Tree and liked it, and seen Requiem for a dream and loved it.
8/10 for the Art Direction etc., 5/10 for the rest.
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