nathan_kugan Reviews

2031 (2017)

Too short and uneven.

[2/10 · 25 April 2017]

If the short was longer and elaborate in the way the story is set up and conveyed, maybe there would have been something for us to decide whether this is good or not. This is way too short. It explains nothing about the story,the world they are living,the characters and their motivation. It doesn't even feel like a teaser or a pitch to get crowdfunding. It's like it just started and ended without a proper beginning,climax or set up of the story they are trying to tell. A very poor effort and a complete waste of Michelle Rodriguez and Lukas Hass.

Arsenal (2017)

By the numbers DTV effort with a terrible lead and good supporting actors.

[5/10 · 7 January 2017]

Not sure who thought Adrian Grenier was a good lead in an actioner but he kinda seemed out of place in his role. Not to say he is a bad actor but he didn't fit the role here. The best role and acting in the movie belongs to Johnathon Schaech. He might have played a supporting role but his character had the character development and emotional layers to it. They could have just focused the story on his and Nicolas Cage's character. And coming to Nicolas Cage, say what u want about the man but he still really do a great job in whatever role he takes up. This movie may not be up to his standards as an actor but he played the role the second time in the best way possible. Of course,when he did this role the 1st time,he had more screen time and more craziness to his character. Here,it's toned down a little. I would say that's a mistake on the director and screen writer's part because Nicolas Cage is easily the selling factor of the movie and why would you limit his screen time and the amount of crazy acting he could deliver? Still,Nicolas Cage did a great job and the movie is easily worth watching for him but i do wish he takes less roles like this and returns to serious,award worthy roles and movies. He has the talent and would be such a waste to be a regular in movies like this. The movie itself wasn't a terrible one and at the same time,isn't anything to rush out and watch. Too average and doesn't have any factor that puts it different from other DTV movies except for the presence of Nicolas Cage. It's nice to watch once but that's it.

Operator (I) (2015)

Aspires to be a blockbuster action movie.

[6/10 · 5 October 2015]

Definitely an enjoyable action movie. It was fast paced and action packed and also had a tense and twist filled story which kept me watching. However,the way the twist are set in the movie could have been better. Most of the twist can be seen from a mile away. Also the acting from Mischa Barton could have been a lot better. Her character should have shown more emotion and shock since she was pushed into the situation all of a sudden.

For a low budget action movie,there was plenty of action scenes but some of it was ruined by the terrible cgi. It felt like the director wanted to make it look like a big budget action movie by making the explosions and set design bigger with cgi but it kinda backfired since the cgi makes it look cheaper. But even with all those flaws,the movie is perfectly enjoyable. A low expectation will guarantee a satisfied viewing for this movie.

Shelter (III) (2015)

Sometimes good,sometimes terrible.

[5/10 · 5 October 2015]

This movie was a little hard to rate or sum up because some scenes and character development was well done in terms of the emotions conveyed and how they showed the paranoia and tension builds up but some scenes seemed rushed and happens all of a sudden. Those scenes felt like it was purposely inserted to create a shock value and maybe because movies of similar theme had scenes like that in them. Some may not like the movie at all since it's not action oriented. The movie tries to focus on the emotions of a small group of people trapped in a very bad situation. I enjoyed certain scenes and definitely felt that the film makers should be praised for those. However,the acting and the pacing should have been a lot better. So many things ended up as a cliché that are usually present in movie like this. The director did manage to offer certain fresh things in the movie by not making the character too cliché or boring. Each had there characteristics and scenes that make us understand and feel for them. That was one of the plus point of the movie. If only the director made it a more tense and gripping thriller or a more emotional drama,this movie would have been a lot more memorable. A good effort though and worth watching once.

Badge of Honor (2015)

Another 'corrupt cop' movie but not a terrible one.

[6/10 · 18 April 2015]

All the scenes in the movie and the story,u would have seen it all before, most of the time done better than how it's done in this movie. But still this movie is very watchable and had some interesting parts. The acting in this movie is solid too. Not award material but for what they are given,i think the actors have done a very good job. Lochyln Munro ,especially,was really good in his role. He seemed so involved and committed to his role and it shows in his performance. The director could have directed his scenes better though and maybe build a little more character arc for him. And they could have also used Martin Sheen more. I didn't like the climax much as it seemed rushed but other than that i think it's a good enough movie that u can rent and watch or if u happen to catch this movie on TV,it's worth spending some free time on.

Fractured (II) (2015)

Had so much potential but lousy execution.

[3/10 · 18 April 2015]

This movie had so much potential in it's story but the way the movie is directed and acted will make u want to punch the director and ask what was he doing. The movie started off pretty good and i was quite convinced that i might actually be watching a good psychological thriller movie but after a bout 20 minutes into it,a lot of terrible acting by a bunch of actresses started making me doubt it. And then Eric Roberts started his usual overacting that he does nowadays in the dozens of low budget movies he signs up to. I have nothing against Eric Roberts or independent/low budget film making. In fact, it makes me happy each time i stumble upon a good low budget production or a good Eric Roberts performance. This movie had none of the both. At one point it started getting ridiculous and it only got more and more ridiculous by the minute. And the lead actress,what can i say. A pretty face but no talent in acting. Her character cries a lot for most of the movie but other than that,the character does little of anything else and the actress was not doing a good job of convincing us of her emotions. If only the director understood the potential his story had and how he could have made this into a very good movie with some solid performance, my review here would have been totally different. I didn't expect Oscar quality when i started watching the movie but this wasn't what i expected too.

Operation Rogue (2014)

Perfectly enjoyable if the expectation is low.

[8/10 · 12 January 2015]

First of all,this is clearly a low budget B movie. U should know it the moment u saw Roger Corman's name in the title. Even the film makers knew it and they didn't set out to make a high budget and critically acclaimed action movie. They wanted to make an enjoyable action movie on a very modest budget and i think they succeeded at that. The movie was fast and nice to follow from the start and it works mainly because of the lead actor Mark Dacascos. Mark Dacascos have been around for years now and although he have never achieved a star status or made many acclaimed movie,he still gives his full effort to a movie. In this movie,he seemed so committed to his role and did a great job in the action scenes and his acting was solid enough for the material he is given. At his age,he is still very fast and agile and looked way younger than he really is. The movie does have a lot of flaws and certain scenes felt so rushed but if u get past those and only expect a simple action flick to past your time,this would be a very good viewing.

Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014)

A well made Viking movie.

[8/10 · 12 January 2015]

Pretty good Viking adventure/action movie,although not a great one and needs a lot of improvement. Maybe a little more budget would have helped the movie in terms of cinematography and action but what it is,the movie is very fast paced,exciting and the acting was solid by most of the actors. I really liked Ryan Kwanten's role in it. It added some emotional layer and also credibility to the movie. The lead actor,although wasn't outstanding,made for a very dependable lead for the movie and did his job well. The movie has a lot of clichés of adventure movies like this but it kinda helped the movie to be interesting from the beginning to the end. Some of the scenes and twists in the movie felt rushed though and seemed like it was thrown in there just to keep the plot going or the characters to survive. In total,it's not groundbreaking but it's worth watching once or twice for the fast paced actions and direction. And this movie is definitely better than Vikingdom that came out two or three years go and Outcast that came out a few months ago. Outcast isn't a Viking movie but it's an adventure movie like this but was pretty lame.

Breaking at the Edge (2013)

Lousy direction breaks this movie to pieces.

[2/10 · 7 August 2014]

If they release this movie straight to Lifetime channel,viewers might think that this is a pretty good movie since the way it's directed and acted is so mediocre without any suspense or scares a horror/ thriller needs,just like the Lifetime movies usually are. It had some good actors in it but the lead actress Rebecca De Costa really needs to improve her acting. When u are a lead in a movie and we,the viewers,are going to follow the story through her perspective,the lead should try to make the character more believable. Rebecca De Costa just sort of read her lines as she memorized it and acted without showing much emotions. She just looks scared or confused most of the time. The others were alright in their role but i think Gabriel Macht was wasted in his role. He is such a talented actor and deserves a better role or more screen time in the movie. Just watch Suits and you'll know what a talented actor he is. The movie,although have a cliché story,could have been made into a very suspenseful movie but it lacks totally in scares and suspense that it turns into a complete bore fest. There was a scene at about the 45th minute of the movie which i thought was a good twist and would have made the movie really good if the story followed the twist but it turned out to be a very disappointing scene that contained the most used horror movie cliché. So,in conclusion,this movie is watchable but it most probably will never excite you in any way while you're watching it and definitely doesn't have a replay value.

Hunting the Legend (2014)

More of the same old thing.

[5/10 · 16 July 2014]

Another found footage movie. Found footage is not a bad genre but there has been so much crappy movies made using the technique that most people now just assume that every FF movie released is trash. This movie wasn't absolutely terrible or a torture to sit-through but all the stuff that they show in the movie,all the techniques they use and the style of film making and acting,even the characters, have been done to death in the FF genre before this. There is nothing new or refreshing in this movie to draw audiences to watch it. Only towards the end,it got a little interesting but it's not worth sitting through the whole movie only for a few minutes near the end. If u are a hardcore fan of FF,this might be a good watch. Other than that,this is either going to be a waste of time or a completely forgettable movie.

Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft (2013)

Use this to torture people.

[1/10 · 27 April 2014]

THat is the only way this movie can be useful. If someone lost a bet with you, make them watch this because after that viewing,they'll be very afraid of you. The movie felt so amateurish in terms of direction and also acting. I think most or all the movies the director have done are crap. If u check his filmography on IMDb, it all shows crappy storyline and the same budget. All his movies seem to have a 1 million budget but i think this movie had about a $50000 budget. The cinematography was crappy and the screen looked burly most of the time. Plus,the director uses the same footage over and over again at different parts of the movie.

The worst things about this movie aren't even the cinematography and the really slow pace. It's the acting and again,the direction. Both the lead actors didn't do much of anything. They just tried to look good and maintained just a single expression throughout the movie. Whatever happens,it's the same expression from the beginning to the end. But what can you expect from an actor who played a supporting actor in Twilight movies? You can forgive them for their crappy acting though,because they are relatively new and the only reason they are still getting roles is because the male lead was in Twilight. What we shouldn't forgive is what Eric Roberts did in the name of acting. That's atrocious. Unforgivable!! Of course,not many is going to know or watch this movie. Maybe that's why he did this movie. But the way he acted kind of shocked me. He looked like he was high on something all the time. Just watch the scene where he trains the girl. Either he was purposely acting like that to show the effects of getting high or he was freaking high at that time. Maybe that was his payment for the movie. I really thought that Eric Roberts was back to his prime after his role in The Dark Knight and The Expendables but i guess i was wrong. He seems to be more comfortable in low budget amateur movies. Anyways,even if Eric Roberts did a great job in this or he was replaced by a better actor, the movie still would have remained as a crappy movie filled with nonsense acting and direction. That's the bottom line and i warn you,better avoid this movie. Don't even watch it as a dare. It's that bad.

Full English Breakfast (2014)

Record breaking

[1/10 · 12 April 2014]

Not record breaking in the box office or award functions but in the amount of people who gave this movie a good review. I am not against anyone who likes this movie. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and point of view. What i dislike is why do they have to lie so much about the movie. Seven of the users that gave this movie a positive review just joined IMDb 2 days ago. And all of them give this movie at least an 8.

If u guys love it that much,just explain to us what was so groundbreaking and new about this. Was the actor Oscar worthy? Did the movie surpass Scarface? All those users are either the crew of this movie or the director or actor's family members. This movie has a nice poster. I'll give it that. Other than that,it's very cliché and has very poor film making. There's a lot of good low budget efforts out there but this is not one of it. And i would have given this movie a 3.0 rating but the fake review made me minus two.

The Year After Infection (2012)

Four seasons for the same old story

[4/10 · 4 April 2014]

The reason i started watching this movie was the concept. The story is divided into four season: Spring,summer,winter and fall. And each season is the story of either an individual or a group of people surviving zombie apocalypse and the difficulties and trials the experience to survive. The concept sounds great and could have been great if only the director had more idea and creativity to make the movie interesting. The story sort of showed the same kind of emotions and reactions from the actors in all the four seasons. NOt much variations.

Most or all the stuff u see here have already been done in a better way in other movies. Of course,the director didn't rip off any other movies but there's not much originality. At least if the acting was good,i would have liked it. BUt the acting sucked big time. I didn't care for any of the characters and didn't get the feeling that there were trapped in a zombie apocalypse. Should have had more tension and more importantly, good acting. It's worth watching once and i appreciate the director's effort. Maybe he can do a better job on his next movie.