DanteRiggs Reviews

American History X (1998)

Dissapointed after a second watch

[6/10 · 6 April 2024]

I remember liking this movie. I first saw it many years ago (15-20?). Granted, I was very young and I think I watched just the second half but still, I had high expectation for this rewatch. And oh boy, I did not expect this.

Firstly, the acting. Honestly, it's not great. It's not all bad. But there are some scenes when the actors just aren't doing a good job. They feel "fake". They sound "fake". They act unconvincingly. And there was a particular scene when I wondered "why is this feeling like a parody? Why is he smiling in this context? It makes no sense"

Secondly, the story. What I did like was his friendship with the black inmate. Highlight of the movie.

However, I don't like how the movie showed how and why he got tempted by nazism in the first place. I'm not American and I don't live in USA. But I think it's wrong and frankly patronizing and preachy to imply that immigration without legal documents should be allowed and that anyone who disagrees with it is spewing nazi talk. This retoric is downright mindbogling. I get that the movie maybe tries to suggest that real problems atract evil "solutions", that the road to hell is paved by good intentions but still, it didn't came that way. It turned out more in the sense of "everyone I don't like is literally Hitler".

And perhaps the worst thing of them all is the suggestion that Derek stopped being a nazi because the inmates didn't truly believe in their ideology. Really, movie? This is what you are going for? This is what made Derek to be disillusioned with nazism? Not the fact that he befriended a black guy? That he finally saw how evil and wrong nazism truly is? Did he ever understand how nazism is hurting innocent people? His trigger point was the fact no one in prison was as devoted to the cause as him. Unbelievable bad. He got upset with nazism because he was r.aped? This is the solution suggested by the movie?

Also, the ending is bad. Danny didn't get killed because he was turning into a nazi. He got killed because he previously got into an altercation with a gang member. So what's the "lesson" here? To never stand up against a thug? If anything, this movie suggest that Danny was right in the first place. Which is crazy, in trying to convert an anti-nazi message, the movie managed to do the opposite.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm actually considering if I should lower the rating, to a 5 at least.

In conclusion, there are better anti-nazi movies. This isn't one of them. Watch "The Pianist" instead. Or even better, go watch a documentary.

Warning (II) (2021)

It definitely deserves more than its current rating (4.6)

[7/10 · 26 March 2024]

Its biggest strength: "Warning" is a captivating movie. It's not boring in the slightest. You want to know what this world is like, what happens to its characters and so forth.

The music is also nice, it has a fitting futuristic vibe to it and there is some nice cinematography.

Its biggest flaw: it feels very disjointed and it lacks a suitable conclusion.

Basically, Warning is an anthology film. Maybe I'm wrong, but it didn't give me the idea that the scenes are that interconnected.

You can compare it to a Black Mirror season, cramped into 1 movie. There are some interesting ideas in here, but I wish they focused more on some of them and gave them a satisfying ending.

Interesting ideas, but the execution could be better.

Jolt (2021)

How to RUIN a good movie

[2/10 · 5 January 2024]

It was surprisingly fun at the beginning. Nice action, some funny moments, a gorgeous actress, It just worked. Nothing groundbreaking but still a fun movie to watch.

Then the movie introduces two new characters. One of them is fine, but the other... At first, I couldn't figure out what what wrong with him (her?) For some reason, he looked and sounded a bit off. The more I heard her (him?) talk, the more he (she?) freaked me off. My curiosity got the better of me and I went to Google. And there you go, I found the reason. I can't write it cleary, for bs -political correctness- motives, but it's not hard to guess what I'm talking about.

I had to stop the movie. I couldn't watch it any longer.

Modern movies are extremely irritating, I WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME, not get DISGUSTED by your political agenda! Stop WASTING my time!

Only God Forgives (2013)

It's like everyone said

[5/10 · 10 December 2023]

The music and visuals range from ok to very good. It really is a beautiful looking movie. The atmosphere reminded me of Sin City (which is a good think, I like that franchise), combined with Drive (also made by this director).

But the rest is bad. Very bad.

The pace is too slow and you feel every minute (at some point, especially in the beginning, it almost became unwatchable), the story is confusing (again, especially in the first half), the characters are bad and unlikable. In fact, regarding the characters, it might be a "so bad, it's almost good" kind of movie. Characters act in a very weird way, almost like in a fever dream.

I liked Drive and I had high hopes for this movie. Unfortunately, it was not worth watching.

Annihilation (I) (2018)

A very frustrating but interesting watch

[6/10 · 27 December 2022]

Basically, it's wasted potential by dumb execution, plot holes and logical inconsistencies.

The premise is very interesting, although not that unique.

The visuals are very cool and the soundrack is nice and eery.

Unfortunately, the movie is very flawed.

It's woke and PC, the characters are unlikable and act like idiots, there are plot choices that make no sense.

• Why are there only women in a military operation? One of them literally complained twice that things are heavy and she can't lift.

• Why did they give weapons to people who are not soldiers?

• Why don't the characters have gear or protection equipment? In case of radiation, no oxygen and so forth. Yeah, they are actors, we have to see their faces more clearly but at least TRY to come up with an explanation that makes sense story wise.

• How fast can a women or a big animal disappear in plain sight? They act like ninjas in this movie, it's incredibile!

• Why do characters insist on splitting up when it's obvious a bad idea?

• When things go bad or not according to the plan, why don't the characters regroup and return to base? I'm not talking about the second part of the movie, but things go south from the beginning. With the exception of one guy, no one returned! Ever! They would have been the first ones. Literally progress!

Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)

Watched the Special Edition (2004) and...

[5/10 · 13 June 2022]

... it's still not great. Better than the original cut (aliens, really?!) but that's pretty much it. The story is still bad and confusing, the editing is not great, the romance appears out of nowhere... On the good side of things, Sean Connery is entertaining, Michael Ironside is ok and there are some nice explosions and lightning effects.

Overall, this movie dragged on for too much.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

The trailer shows too much

[8/10 · 24 April 2021]

I've been a MK fan for over 20 years. To put it short: I liked the movie. I feared it would be much worse and I hoped it would be much better. It's somewhere in the middle, between (very) entertaining and underwhelming.

• Cole - I'm not a big fan of the main protagonist. I wish we got Johnny Cage and more of Liu Kang (the real hero of the franchise) instead. Or make him be Kuai Liang.

• Liu Kang - He was fine, but I still prefer Robin Shou.

• Sub-Zero - He is my favorite MK character, so the only complain I have is that I wish his costume was a bit brighter. A brighter blue. He gets a lot of screen time, which I highly appreciate

• Scorpion - He was good but his costume (like Sub-Zero's) could have been a little better. He looks too much like a regular samurai. Also, I had the impression that he would play a larger role in the movie.

• Raiden - A bit bland. Not bad, but a different actor would have been better. In this movie, he is more like Raiden from the games, but I prefer the sarcastic Raiden from the live adaptations (Jeffrey Meek or Christopher Lambert)

• Sonya, Jax, Kung Lao = very good

• Kano was good, but a little too likable. Kano shouldn't be a lovable goofball. And where is the metal plate?

• Shang Tsung - kinda flat. Nothing memorable.

• Mileena - Nah, wrong actress, wrong skin colour and wrong teeth. There's no reason to give her normal teeth even for 1 second

• Reptile - Ok but underused. And I prefer ninja Reptile, not Lizard-Man.

• Goro - good special effects, but not menacing enough. Too much like a jobber.

• other characters (so not to spoil anything) - I'm happy with what I got.

Overall, it was entertaining but a little bit underwhelming. It's fun to watch but it doesn't really hype you up. The acting is sometimes cheesy, the action is good and the special effects are, for the most part, also good. The trailer shows way too much, there aren't many surprises left. And I wish they played the classic theme song during the final fight.

I'm not sure how to rate this movie. At the moment, I feel it deserves a 8,4/10. And just to put things into perspective, I give Mortal Kombat (1995) a 9,7/10 and MK Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020) a 10/10.

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

This movie (and the whole trilogy) deserve a watch

[7/10 · 12 April 2021]

Basically, it tries to say many things about... many things. How much it succeeds on this mission, I guess it's up for debate. While it can get a bit convoluted, it does manage to captivate you with its philosophical themes.

Definitely one of the most (if not THE most) profound Godzilla stories to ever be told. The execution could have been a bit better but overall, it deserves a watch.

It's not your average "monster vs monster" movie, so you have to watch it with an open mind.

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)

The last 10 min are very cool

[7/10 · 7 April 2021]

It's not a great movie, but it's worth a watch just for the last 10 min.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Extremely good Godzilla moments, not so great human moments

[7/10 · 4 April 2021]

While I don't mind movies that focus on dialogue, this one however has too much bureaucracy-talk. I get it, they went for a realistic aproach, the movie criticises Japanese politics... But they could have done it a bit better. Also, I wasn't very satisfied with how they handled Maki's story.

The acting was pretty good.

The dialogue was a bit confusing and I thought the characters were speaking a bit too fast (especially if you don't understand Japanese and have to read the subtitles). Also, maybe they should have skip the English lines.

Godzilla, as I said, is fantastic. At first, his (googly) eyes are a little strange but overall he is absolutely terrifying!

The special effects and soundtrack are great. The ending, however, is a bit anticlimactic.

And I really liked the final shot, even though I'm not sure I fully understood its meaning (I guess it's another reference to nuclear danger, but it could be something more related to the story)

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

If you want to see a "so bad it's good" movie, this is it

[6/10 · 30 March 2021]

The acting is unbelievably bad. It's almost funny how bad it is.

The plot is okish (but nothing new), the dialogue is bad, the action is decent (but over the top, which is not necessarily a bad thing) and some of the CGI is outdated (Godzilla 1998, the american movie, looks much better than this). The practical effects are ok and the soundtrack is actually kinda good. And for some reason, many shots tend to look very bright and... blue.

And just to put things into perspective... one of the main characters looks like a mix between Stalin, Mario and Freddie Mercury.

It's not a good movie. It's actually pretty bad. However, it's far from being boring. It is somewhat entertaining. I might actually rewatch this one day.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Everything is bad besides the Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla fight and the ending

[5/10 · 28 March 2021]

The acting is bad, the plot is simplistic and most of the music is very generic (I saw the movie 5 min ago and I already forgot how the music was). The monster-fight (while not bad), is nothing special, either.

Overall, this movie is pretty boring.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Ok but inconsistent

[7/10 · 20 March 2021]

Some good moments, some cringe moments, decent action and anime-like cliches, one plot hole (or rather they adress it a very shallow way), an extremely forced romantic subplot... All in all, it's a decent (and formulaic) Godzilla movie.

Final rating: 6.8/10

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Goosebumps moments

[8/10 · 19 March 2021]

While the plot might be a little convoluted at first (regarding Godzilla's origins) and the overall execution could have been a bit better... all in all this movie is very interesting (especially the general premise, which is great)

Also, this is one of Godzilla's best portrayals. He is extremely intimidating. Making his eyes all white was a very good decision, he looks pure evil.

Final rating: 7.5/10

Godzilla (I) (1998)

I understand the criticism but I still like this movie

[8/10 · 15 March 2021]

This movie (besides the Godzilla cartoon from the '70s) was the only Godzilla material I had access to (when I was a kid, back in the late 90s and early 2000s). I loved it back then and I still like it now.

Yes, Godzilla looks different. Yes, there are some goofy moments. Yes, there might be even some small plot holes. I don't deny any of this.

But in my opinion, Godzilla (1998) is very fun to watch (and kinda funny). The action is great, the pacing is good, Reno and Azaria are very likable and even the CGI is decent, if you compare it to today standards (back in the '90s, it was amazing)

Final rating: 8,3/10 (highly underrated action movie)

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

An entertaining mess

[7/10 · 10 March 2021]

Strange movie. While it is entertaining, this movie has many flaws: some of the editing is really bad (mostly in the first half), the characters could have been much better, some moments are very goofy, some lines are unintentionally funny, there are plot holes, things happen for apparently no reason and so forth. Also, I would have preferred Mechagodzilla instead of Mogera.

But it's not all bad. The action is very cool, Space Godzilla is menacing and the story has its good moments. Also, Godzilla is portrayed in a more positive way (which I like). I even liked Godzilla Jr. He reminded me of Baby Yoda.

After the first half, this movie seemed more like a 6/10. The second half is much better. I might actually rewatch this movie someday.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Decent (but a bit repetitive) action

[5/10 · 8 March 2021]

The plot is bad and makes no sense

Some of the acting is laughably bad. The old english/american dude might be one of the worst actors I have ever seen. And the japanese actors have a very strong accent when speaking in English. It's very distracting, even for me, a non-native English speaker. It's not the first Godzilla movie to have this problem but in this movie they really insist on talking in English (and no, I didn't watch the dub, I'm talking about the original Japanese version)

The scenes featuring Godzilla (and the rest of the monsters) are decent, perhaps even good but at this point, after a long marathon of seeing Godzilla movies, I might get a little bored of these movies. Exploding buildings can get repetitive when you aren't rooting for anyone (Godzilla is mostly a villain and the human characters are not compelling)

And speaking of Godzilla being the villain... I don't think this movie knew what it wanted to be. Godzilla is the antagonist but the movie wants you to cheer for him in the end. Also, the movie tried to be both goofy and gory. There is no balance, the tone of the movie gives mixed signals.

WandaVision (2021)

A slow (but charming) start, an interesting (but flawed) middle and an underwhelming end

[8/10 · 6 March 2021]

The start is a little slow, but I don't think it's as bad as most people say. The old sitcom vibe has its own charm. The general story is interesting but the execution could have been better. The last episode is surprinsingly underwhelming and corny.

Some characters are annoying, especially Rambeau and Hayward. I didn't really care for anybody except Wanda and Vision. The special effects are great and one episode in particular is kinda touching.

It's not a bad show but I expected more. I think I prefer the Marvel shows from Netflix.

Final rating: 7,7/10.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Mixed feelings because of the last 20 minutes

[6/10 · 5 March 2021]

The plot is a bit convoluted and messy, the acting isn't always very good (among other things, they switch from speaking japanese to speaking english for no reason) and the last 20 min are a bit disappointing (just storywise).

BUT... it's a fun movie to watch (for the most part). The pacing is pretty good (feels like a modern movie), the general story is interesting, the soundtrack is good and it even has a Terminator-like character (who by the way, looks like Michael Fassbender)

As for the special effects... keep in mind, this movie is from the early 90s. For those years, the effects are pretty good.

Final rating: 6,4/10. If the last 20 min were handled a little different, this movie would have been a 7,5/10

King Kong Lives (1986)

The imdb rating is too harsh

[6/10 · 2 March 2021]

"King Kong Lives" is an ok movie. The acting is decent (Linda Hamilton is much better then Jessica Lange from the previous movie), but the plot is very inconsistent and there are some goofy moments. And I wasn't very keen on seeing a giant gorilla crying for what felt like a third of the movie.

The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Fairly entertaining

[7/10 · 1 March 2021]

The highlight of the movie has to be the Godzilla costume. Compared to the first 15 Godzilla movies, this movie is an improvement in the special effects department.

The story, however, is nothing special. It's not bad, but it's not something you will remember after watching this movie.

The characters are ok, but I think I prefer the characters from the original movie. Also, it lacks the classic Godzilla theme song.

Overall, with the exception of some moments, it's a pretty entertaining movie. I just wish it had something more to it, to make it more memorable.

The Mandalorian (2019– )

My third review, because the last ones got erased

[3/10 · 28 February 2021]

Disney, if you want our money, STOP WITH THE POLITICS! Until then, you deserve a low rating for a bad show!

King Kong (1976)

An ok movie with big flaws

[6/10 · 28 February 2021]

Jessica Lange's character is incredibly annoying, acting like a bimbo. Her first role wasn't very good, she improved greatly since then (she's amazing in AHS).

As for Kong... good costume but his facial expression is all over the place. One minute he is looking like a convincing gorilla, the next minute he is giving rapist vibes. One minute he is menacing, the next one he has a goofy smile.

Also, the villain runs TOWARDS Kong, the protagonists stop for a drink while Kong is on a rampage... there is all sort of stupid things happening for no reason.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Great moments in a not so great movie

[6/10 · 26 February 2021]

The human-element (or general story) is slow, boring and not very interesting. It's the whole alien plot all over again (with some small changes). One of the protagonists is a little annoying and the worst part, the actors tend to overact in some scenes. Also, there is a forced romantic subplot out of nowhere.

However, when the movie is good... it's really good. It's classic Godzilla action at its peak. He's badass, he's portrayed as a hero, his entrance is cool (but cut short), the fighting is entertaining and they finally brought back his theme song from the first movie.

Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Only the action scenes deserve a watch

[5/10 · 22 February 2021]

The Godzilla-action scenes are ok. Some parts are actually pretty good, even though they do tend to drag on a bit and even though some are just recycled footage from previous Godzilla movies. Up to this point (12th film in the Godzilla franchise), these might be some of the best Godzilla/action scenes. And it has a surprisingly amount of bloodshed.

The human-element, on the other hand, is pretty bad. The story is nothing new and the execution isn't that great either. And I didn't like the fact that Godzilla could talk in speech bubbles.