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Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
Welcoming addition to the Justice League universe
I didn't read many of the comics but I am huge fan of all DC animated movies and series especially when it is served in the Justice League package. I am sure many fans were waiting for a Flash centered story so I was quite interested how they gonna handle it.
Lets face it. Flash is undoubtedly one of the strongest members of the League but his role was always belittled by being the bit childish comic-relief spiced with a little naiveté.
Not this time. DC went with the greedy and mature route and it totally works. The movie is definitely not for the weak-hearted. It might even creep out some people when they see their favorite characters slaughter the innocent and each other left and right in a completely non-heroic fashion.
The story is epic and fully loaded with action and many of our beloved heroes and villains (even supporting characters!) make a brief or longer cameo dependent on their role in the movie.
This was a refreshing addition but I don't know whether they did this movie so violent on purpose or just because this is the new pop culture norm (i.e. Dark Knight, Man of Steel etc...).
I just hope this wont go out of control because I also like the fun and uplifting stories where the heroes are heroes and the villains are villains.
Overall a very solid 7/10 for me definitely worth to watch.
P.S. Adapt Blackest Night already!!!
Pacific Rim (2013)
If you know what to expect it delivers
If you want to see an entertaining story and top notch acting you will be terribly disappointed. The story is as basic as it gets with tons of clichés and the acting is just plain horrible.
BUT if you want to see huge amazing robots fighting huge amazing monsters this movie is just perfect. Colourful and clean imagery and entertaining badass fights. There are plenty of jaw dropping visual effects and I really liked how easy was to identify the robots and monsters (nulike in transformers).
The whole thing just sucked me in and I never had the feeling I was watching a two hours long movie. The movie knows what it wants to be and is a refreshing addition to the robot/mecha genre.
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Good action movie, might disappoint Star Trek fans
If you are a die hard Star Trek fan who loves all the technology and logic introduced in the movies and series you probably gonna hate this movie. If you want to see a good action movie using the well known Star Trek elements strictly for nostalgia exploitation then you probably gonna love this movie.
For an action movie its extremely well made. Its fast, packed with plenty of action and the right amount of humor and drama. The movie knows what it wants to be and it doesn't disappoint.
Naturally on the other hand most of the Star Trek elements are dumbed down and the movie is filled with plot holes in order to keep the story and action flawless. Its not a Star Trek movie but an action movie put into a sorta Star Trek universe if you know what I mean.
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Below average
I have heard that this movie is sorta underrated therefore I gave it a try. Have to admit the premise is kinda interesting and there are a few things the movie gets right (mainly the sets and visuals).
Sadly on the other hand the story is boring and painfully predictable, the actors all look tired and bored. There are plenty of characters to pick your favorite - except none of them is interesting enough to care about.
The final battle (which could have somehow redeemed this movie) is also quite unexciting, sterile, dull, lame...you get the point.
So overall if your expectations are high because of the household names and the premise you have been tricked just like me. The execution is nowhere near to what this movie could have been.
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012)
Even if you are a Mass Effect fan you might find this disappointing
Paragon Lost was clearly made for the fans so if you are not familiar with the Mass Effect universe don't bother watching it (there are way too many references with zero explanation).
Even so I find it really hard to write a review cause I am pretty sure it was meant for a younger audience. A 14 years old kid might find it entertaining, but sadly for me this movie was quite mediocre.
So-so graphics, interesting, but really badly executed plot, stereotyped characters, laughable dialogue, plot holes here and there and so on.
**spoiler warning**
The only good thing in the movie is the Mass Effect-ish paragon/renegade decision at the end. The drama is well executed and Vega traveling back to the planet facing the consequences of his decision (combined with the pseudo-flashback of the colonists) is really harrowing.
...
Until you take a few minutes and think about it. Wait what? So he is forced to choose between the lives of more than a HUNDRED of colonists he was living with for like TWO YEARS, and "that" intel.
Keep in mind when Vega is making his decision, to the best of his knowledge the so called "intel" is nothing more than an antidote to the paralyzing venom that works at 70% success rate at best. Everything else on the disc (that might make worth it) is known only by the other characters and the audience if they played the game, but NOT by Vega(!).
PLUS During the entire movie Vega never shuts the f*ck up about saving the colonists. He makes speeches about saving the colonists, whines about how Commander Shepherd would have already saved the colonists, reminds the audience every five minute that their objective is SAVING THE COLONISTS.
I guess all the choices are clear. So long idiots, I hope all the colonists die in a horrible way....oh wait they did.
Total Recall (2012)
Hey that actually wasn't bad
Since its a remake Ill cut my review into two parts, one for those who actually did see the original one and one for the others who didn't.
If you did see the original:
Well they were basically using the same plot, but the execution was different. The tone was different too. The original was a kinda interesting mix of thriller, action, gore and comedy elements. This one was an all-in action movie. Problem is that I just couldn't shut my mind and was constantly comparing the two. If you know how the story plays out there is just no real tension. Which is sad since the remake has just the right amount of mystery (like its predecessor) to be more than just an action-schluck.
If you didn't see the original:
Since I like my action movies action packed then Total Recall certainly delivers. The whole movie was a huge action scene so some people might find it tiring. One other thing - since I am much more of a fan of practical effects the overuse of video game stunts were just too much for my taste.
So in the end I would say I liked the remake. Different movie for sure but likable. Sadly Kate Beckinsale had to play a really badly-written character without any depth while on the other hand I was surprised how good Jessica Biel was. Collin Farrel wasn't bad either. Nothing memorable but a decent performance.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)
So much potential wasted in season 2
The original Terminator movies (T1 and T2) were iconic masterpieces in their genre so lets see what the TV series got right and wrong.
Season 1 (spoiler-free):
I think the pilot episode was OK. We got the idea what the tone is gonna be, it introduced us the major roleplayers and had some action.
Overall the acting was decent. To be honest I really don't understand the hate towards Lena Headey (Sarah), I think she portrayed the strong willed, but troubled mother who wants the best for his son really well. An other strong performance was shown by Summer Glau (Cameron) no wonder she got a nice fanbase because of that.
I think all the actors were chosen well, except for Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie). Lets face it, the most menacing Terminator of all time title goes to Robert Patrick (T-1000 from T2) and compared to him every "bad robot" is just a weak complement.
Season 2 (watch out spoilers here):
So the oldschool formula in a TV series is this - End the finale with a cliffhanger. For some reason they put the good stuff into the beginning of the first episode of season 2.
Cameron goes rogue because of an explosion and tries to kill John. The whole episode is about Sarah and him running from the berserk Terminator. Now I have to say that this episode had one of the most powerful and well written scenes I have ever seen.
They manage to trap Cameron and John is about to remove her chip. First she says John not to do it because she repaired herself then she literally starts begging him not to do it. First time we see actual facial expressions from Cameron and she does the job so well that at this point I am sure a big part of the audience was confused whether she tells the truth or not. And then she unexpectedly cries out "I love you and you love me!". I am like WHAT? If don't get it why this line is so genius let me explain. She didn't just say "I love you" - this also could have been dismissed as a lie to let his guard down - she also said "you love me". At this point we know the future John sent back Cameron to protect himself, but there is nothing going on between them in the present. So your brain automatically starts to think - what did happen between him and her in the future? Maybe she really is telling the truth? Eventually this leads John reactivating instead of killing her. The scene can be seen on youtube under this title "John/Cameron Love Scene". I think the scene is so good that its worth watching even if you don't intend to watch the series.
And here is my problem. THEY NEVER EVER GO ANYWHERE WITH THIS. This could have been used as a great base material to humanize the terminators and make the whole Terminator franchise more than just a "good humans vs bad robots" thingy. They make attempts with introducing us an AI which learns about human morality but there was so much potential gone to waste.
Season 3:
Well as we know it never happened since it never got a green light. I think the reason leading to this was the story-wise mostly pointless Season 2. Season 2 should have been 9 episodes long (13 tops) focusing on things like what makes us humans, are we better than the robots, can robots and humans live and coexist in peace etc...
Then Season 3 could have been focusing on a showdown where John is facing the decision to wage a war or find a way to make peace.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Decent show
Recently I was having a hard time finding a decent one-night show. While Hunger Games is definitely not great, it delivers.
I haven't read the books, but I read the reviews of those who actually did so after watching the movie I have a pretty good idea why they hate it. Not to mention for those who saw battle Royale this movie will feel like a complete ripoff.
The atmosphere is good, the acting is so-so, the only two characters I really did like were Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci. Jennifer Lawrence had her moments too, but definitely has a long way to go as an actress.
I consider myself lucky, because for me this movie was like an appetizer and very likely will read the books. A solid 6/10.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The movie is shifting between bad and mediocre
I had no real expectations for this movie but never thought it would be that bad. The tone is sort of alright, but the pacing is terrible, not to mention it just didn't had to be that long. Acting is mediocre at best and the action scenes are unimaginative. Compared to the other two movies its just crap.
I believe when it comes to superhero movies in Hollywood they are just generally getting the whole picture wrong. And its especially tricky in the case of Batman since he is also a unique animal" among all the DC and Marvel superheroes since he doesn't have any kind of superpower.
You know there is a difference being Batman and a guy wearing a bat costume. There must be a reason why a character dresses like idiot". In the comics and cartoons Batman is intimidating and turns out to be an extremely clever guy, always planning ahead and bringing interesting moral questions into the equasion while Bruce Wayne is like any other generic person. Here Christian Bale is a guy wearing a bat costume and this time there is no Heath Ledger to save the movie. Don't get me wrong its not just the actor's fault, creating a perfect Batman requires the cooperation of the director, the writers etc...
Apart from that there are many problems with the movie bu I don't feel the need to list them on a wall of text.
Enterprise (2001)
Good atmosphere, bad acting
I think it was a good decision filling the gap and making a series about the "early days" of this universe when the Federation didn't exist and mankind made their first footsteps into the galaxy.
We see how humanity is slowly establishing its presence among the other species through the lens of the voyage of the first Enterprise.
What I really did like is the overall atmosphere of being "just an other species" among the others, and everything felt extremely fragile.
The sad thing is that the characters could have been better. The acting is quite mediocre which is a big minus.
**minor spoiler**
I have to say that the Xindi conflict (season 3) is among my all time favorite in the Star Trek franchise. The enemy was well established, and Archer was really pushing the boundaries of morality in order to achieve his goal.
Yes yes the outcome was clear, but you really could feel the tremendous pressure what it means if the survival of the human race is hanging on one single ship.
**spoiler end**
Star Trek: Enterprise had so much potential and the series actually exploited some of it but definitely could have been better. A solid 6/10.
Stargate Universe (2009)
A very solid SG series if you know what to expect
I had high hopes for SGU since I am a big fan of the franchise. The epic discoveries, well paced action with just the right amount of humor and drama.
Actually the reason why many complain about SGU is that they were expecting the same tone from this series too. No wonder it was a great disappointment for them. I know what I am talking about since I was among them too. It was like a boring soap opera, so I just stopped watching it after like 6 episodes.
After the second season was finished I gave it an other chance (since I was starving for some SG), I cleared my mindset and I have to admit I was wrong.
If you actually know what to expect its a very solid series, and whats important: it exponentially gets better. The second season of SGU was just great, and I am really sad they canceled the show.
I would even read Season 3 if released in a book.