Empifilmes Reviews

American Hustle (2013)

Good Enough but misses the target

[7/10 · 12 January 2023]

Don't get me wrong, this movie has it all, the laughs, the twists, the drama...but I think it misses the target. American Hustle tells us about the historical Abscam, but instead of focus mainly on the scam, the film ends up prioritizing the characters' novels a lot of times, and that isn't what I signed up for.

I'm not saying the characters aren't good and interesting (actually they are), especially counting with that superb cast, but I think they chose "Hollywood" over the essencial.

Although the film's great pacing and storytelling, the final twist and the overall scam don't hit as hard as they should due to that prioritization, which is a shame because there was so much potential.

With that being said, this movie is a very competent production, good story, nice characters, excelent pacing, phenomenal acting, fun and emotional but in the end it fails to deliver the product that it promises.

The Godfather (1972)

Arguably The best Movie of all Time

[10/10 · 20 August 2022]

I have to admit, I was nervous going to this movie, what would it be if I didn't realize the quality and aspects that make this film one of the best productions ever? Turns out , I was immediately fascinated by how the slow and deadly pace and the calm and smooth interpretations contributed to the tension present throughout the story (an interesting contrast indeed).

Coppola, through a simple, emotional and interesting story, represents with great skill the reality of the mafia: the schemes, the betrayals, the tragedies, the family ties... All this joined by a modest but absolutely brilliant cinematography.

The characters do not owe anything to the story, the movie focuses mainly on three: Don Vito Corleone, an apparently cruel man, experienced head of the famaly, famous for his granting of favors; Micheal Carleone, son of Don Vito who doesn't intend to be involved in the family business but, ironically, is the only one with the profile and sense to take the reins of the Family; Tom Heagan, Don Vito's loyal Consigliere who values reason over emotion, which clashes with Mafia pride. The refinement with which these characters are developed and characterized demonstrates the quality of the film's writing.

Also featuring remarkable performances (Al Pacino and Marlon Brando act with fascinating naturalness), an otherworldly soundtrack and iconic scenes and passages, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is, without a doubt, one of the best films ever and A must for any cinephile.

The Matrix (1999)

So overrated

[5/10 · 2 August 2022]

This film is a product of its time. A more than obvious metaphor together with empty characters, bad acting and a dialogue that is not even worth mentioning... Like any other of its genre, the film tries to create stakes through our affection for the characters and their relationships. Turns out all emotional scenes are clichés and feel like artificial.

The action although it has great moments always seems goofy , and the effects are very irregular. The one thing i can give to this movie is the remarkable pace and perhaps some great action scenes.

To sum up, the famous Matrix is, after all, just another 90's empty sience fiction film, but this time around, a good budget and an elite cast made it stand out... And that's the only reason I can understand the mystic created around it.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Brings togheter all the MCU's problems

[6/10 · 18 July 2022]

Usually when someone wants to criticize the MCU they turn to this movie. Thor the Dark World brings together all the usual problems of the universe's repetitive formula: the forced and dreadful story, the annoying humor, the bland villain, etc.

While in the previous movie we saw a lot of character development this time arround Thor barely has an arc, although it was kind of cool to watch him as a badass. The best aspect of the movie is Loki, literally every scene he's in he absolutly crushes it. Thor's relationship with Jane was satisfying to watch but not explored enough. Much of this is due to the misuse of Jane's character.

Despite all the narrative problems this film has great action as well as a good soundtrack and effects. It's safe to say that you're on to a decent adventure.

All in all, this film shows us the problem of producing movies just for contractual duties, it can be fun and exciting at times but the substance will always be lacking...

Ted (2012)

Unbelievably funny

[7/10 · 11 July 2022]

You might say this movie is predictable, childish and stupefying (maybe you're right) but what more can we ask for than a teddy bear being a savage to everything and everyone in its path 😂? This film reaches the total nonsense, each scene is more unbelievable than the other, leaving the audience to die laughing. Most of the jokes land and are well positioned, Seth MacFarlane is a genius not only at doubling Ted but also directing the film. Not to mention the antagonist ... I mean what could I say? It's just hilarious.

The performances of Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis are also good. I couldn't leave out the excellent and "original" soundtrack as well as the quality of Ted's effects.

Mixing nonsense with a drop of emotion, the film achieves its goal, a great viewing with friends! Therefore, I cannot fail to recommend this elite comedy.

Thor (2011)

Underated Movie

[8/10 · 9 July 2022]

What a character introduction! Through a generic but emotional story this film follows the journey of Thor. The classic, arrogant, egocentric and selfish hero who, removed from his powers, discovers the path of wisdom and compassion through love. A strong attribute of this film is the way in which from the start clarifies the mythological world that introduces, leaving no loose ends.

The characters are well-crafted, Thor has a mature and emotional arc as well as a solid and beautiful relationship with Jane Foster. Jane, on the other hand, manages to be more than just the love interest, which is not usual in this genre of films. The villain is simple, ingenious and fits perfectly with the tone of the Movie

All in all, this Movie effectively introduces a character who will be an essential key to the future of the universe. All that it took was a carefully explained story and great character development.

The Break-Up (2006)

Surprising!

[6/10 · 10 June 2022]

This movie exceeded my expectations. Judging by the Cast I thought it would be just another comedian romance. Turned out I was wrong. I'm not saying the movie is great, but it hits differently than the rest. Unlike most of its genre, it is unpredictable and moving, as the massage the film is trying to transmit is important. Through comedy, emotion and expectation, the film manages to take you on a ride of emotions and laughs that really is a war of genres.

Of course the story has problems and some things don't make sense but I think it's ok because I don't look for such things in these kind of movies.

If you want to spend a good hour and a half I recommend you watch it because it will keep you entertained the entire time.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Nails the tone!!!

[8/10 · 8 June 2022]

Harry Potter the Sorcerer's Stone nails the tone of the Franchise. A fun and Sinister Mystery story full of suspense and twists is the key to a truly magical adventure. The pace is slow at the beginning however after introducing the main plot elements the film shoots at a remarkable speed. One of the greatest aspects of the movie is that we learn everything about the wizarding world at the same time as Harry, thus creating great empathy with the character.

The chemistry between the protagonists is near to perfection, it's always a pleasure to see them interact and develop their relationship while they investigate and face daunting dangers.

On a whole, the performances of the older actors are brilliant. As for the younger ones, although not yet fully embodying the character, they can be quite adorable, especially Emma Watson.

As expected, the film also has solid special effects (2001) and an action that is fun and creative. The soundtrack is an absolute classic.

All in all, this movie introduces you to a spectacular universe with a unique style that will leave you stuck in it. At the same time it manages to convey important messages through fantasy.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

What a let down...

[5/10 · 20 April 2022]

This movie is a mess. It's a rare case of good acting, exciting action, astonishing effects, decent characters, believable dialogue but... The story is missing. With a confusing and divergent narrative this film fails to keep the audience interested. In fact it's hard to keep track when there are subplots within subplots and key moments happening offscreen. Beside a lot of subplots are dragged for to long.

Unfortunately, the protagonist ends up losing relavance as the Franchise's Theme (Fantastic Beasts) is only a detail in the story. Unacceptable!

The villain is terrifying, has valid motivations and it's very well interpreted by Johnny Depp, nevertheless over the course of the movie he becomes more and more incoherent with himself.

As a whole, this movie can be enjoyable at times however it's extremly shaken by an uninspired story and terrible pacing. A huge let down...

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Original ideas but killed by the pacing

[7/10 · 17 April 2022]

Star Wars the Phatom Manace is a whole different approach to the Franchise. Unlike its predecessors, it focuses more on the political and bureaucratic spectrum, perhaps in excess, as the pacing is significantly affected making the story difficult and sometimes boring to follow. Even so, the movie manages to introduce some interesting material to the Universe and revolutionary action scenes such as the Pod Race and Duel of the Fates.

Subsequently, the film ends up losing points due to disappointing effects, poorly directed acting and very unorthodox dialogue.

The characters notably suffer from a lack of characterization and development which doesn't help to invest the audience in the story.

With that being said, this film does a good job bringing new and original content but fails to reach the atmosphere fans wanted as it delivers a slow pace and some uninteresting topics.

Morbius (2022)

Sony doesn't learn from its Mistakes

[4/10 · 13 April 2022]

Morbius displays the worst of modern cinema, money over quality. With a simple, common but interesting plot, the film wastes all its potential because it rushes everything. The characters are really a hit or a miss, some of them make unbelievably bad decisions. The pace is good in the first two acts, however in the final act the movie is shaken by re-recordings which becomes evident as there are scenes out of place. Not to mention the dialogue... The action is weak: strange effects, sloppy editing, terrible choreography and unnecessary slow motions, joined by an unoriginal soundtrack.

Generally performances were good Jared Leto is far from being the movie's problem and Matt Smith is wronged by lack of character development (villain).

Althoug enterteining this film suffers from poor writing, sloppy editing, post production issues and the need to rush everything to promote future projects (same old mistakes). Sony continues to produce failure after failure...

Cruella (2021)

Disney at his best!

[8/10 · 4 March 2022]

Cruella is everything a disney movie should be about. Fun, exciting, emotional and extravagant are the words that best characterize this film. Starring Emma Stone, this film brings us to the origins of the iconic antagonist Cruella. It's a simple and straightforward story with a tone that varies between light and dark which perfectly matches the style of the protagonist.

One of the aspects that elevates this film is the way it presents and characterizes the main character, thus creating great empathy with the audience.

Apart from that the movie also counts with an amazing soundtrack, great visual and practical effects and most importantly extrodinary acting. I would go as far as saying that Emma Stone's performance is not far behind Heath Ledger's Joker

Therefore, I recommend this film to all audiences because it manages to bring souvenirs to the older ones and create new memories for the younger ones.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Good old Fashion Star Wars

[8/10 · 20 February 2022]

Solo it's a blast of fun. It's exactly what we wanted from this kind of movie. This movie explores the origins of our beloved character Han Solo. A simple story with an easy understandable plot, good action, comedy and fan service, it's the key to a good prequel and this movie mixes all of them together in a excelent way. Character development it's good even though the film has a lot of side characters wich is impressive.

The performances really surprised me, Alden Ehrenreich was amazing as Han solo despite not being physically similar to Harrison Ford his expressions, smiles and mannerisms were right on point.

Overall this movie is a good old fashion Star Wars adventure mixing amazing action, emotion and comedy.

Spider-Man (2002)

A Classic but it has problemas

[7/10 · 27 January 2022]

This film is a classic I mean, Tobey Maguire performance, William Dafoe as Green Goblin, the first Spider-Man in cinema history, JJJ, the festival scene I could go on and on. But the film it's so much more than that.

By being a great origin story and funny it made the world know that super Heroes Movies were here to Stay!!! The pace is simple and effective, the scenes vary between the hero and the villain until they finnaly meet up. This movie still has comic book foolishness which makes it very funny but it takes away the seriousness. Apart the side characters are very inconsistent , some are Fantastic and some are Terrible.

The CGI was extremely bad and the action was ok. I can forguive the action because of the time but the CGI it's just awfull even for 2002. The Villain is a Masterpiece, no Debate. You will understand right when you see it.

All in all the movie it's classic and besides that it's the most important super hero movie of all time. It's fun, has a good script but it could be less childish and have a better CGI.

The Social Network (2010)

Perfect Drama, Great acting

[9/10 · 25 January 2022]

Before we get into the movie itself, let's take a moment to appreciate the incredible performances of Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield. The laptop smash scene will go down as one of the best actings of all time. Now, about the movie. The Social Network is a drama based on a true story ( creation of Facebook)and they blended it together so well. The cuts between the present and the past are perfectly balanced because they make the audience wonder when the braking point will be. The character development is great, as we get attached for some characters, especially Eduardo Saverin. Some historical changes were made to make the film more focused on the essential and also to be more interesting and captivating, which I think was done smartly.

Therefore, I would suggest the film to everyone, as it portrays the consequences of success and also of our actions.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Charmy but repetitive...

[6/10 · 24 January 2022]

Kingsman The Golden Circle: it's a classy movie , however fails as a sequel. After the success of the first one, the film tries to keep the same bombastic and fun style, but this time around with an unclear narrative. It's hard to explain the film's underlying problem as the story is forced, cliché and unlike the first one is quite predictable and unoriginal. The film succeeds in terms of action and pacing, which makes it fun and exciting.

The villain is a cheap copy of the previous one, and the secondary villain is forced, its only function is to offer us an exciting action scene.

In general, the film fails in content as it wants to be both diffrent and similar to the first one.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Original & Charmy .

[8/10 · 23 January 2022]

Kingsman: Secret Services It's a Mind Blowing Experience. With an elite cast, the film is a roller coaster between plot twists and unbelievable action scenes. This film is capable of surprising the audience in every possible situation. The story is interesting and moving which along with the incredible action makes the movie very "watchable". The villain varies between hilarious and sadistic which perfectly fits the tone of the movie.

Despite all the twists, violent and controversial scenes, the movie it's still very classy, Manners Maketh Man.

All in all the film does a great job entertaining the audience through good storytelling in a non stoping fashion.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Fun but lackluster

[7/10 · 22 January 2022]

Despite the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, the incredible action, the great visual effects and the emotion, the movie falls short narrative wise, especially after the quality of the first one. This film tells us about Peter Parker's daily life as Spider-Man and the problems in his personal life. The problem is there are many other topics that are addressed and none of them has the time and quality required. If the first movie had very few "Plotholes", well this movie is the exact opposite, narrative inconsistency, continuity issues and too many conveniences.

The villains are both poorly developed for lack of screen time which leads us to not understand either their side or their motivations.

Overall I think it was a waste of potential, but it's still a fun and enjoyable movie.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

It's an 8 but I put it on 10 tu push it up

[8/10 · 1 January 2022]

What a movie!

The best Spiderman of all time From the incredible performance of Andrew Garfield to the film's deep and mature story, the film manages to address the same themes as the original (2002) but in a more adult and realistic way. In this movie, unlike the original, we can understand the pain of Peter Parker, and why he is Spider-Man, because he gives hope to others, and who gives hope to him is Gwen. Perfect writing.

Apart from this the Movie has very few "Plotholes" and pays attention to various details.

The villain isn't amazing, but his motivation is valid and what he says makes sense This really is a Spider-Man movie! I suggest that you watch it.

Rating: 8/10.