armand-12 Reviews

Wolfhound (2006)

The Russians still know how to do movies!

[9/10 · 2 December 2007]

I spent my childhood in a country behind the "iron curtain", in the Soviet sphere of influence. As such, as a kid I've seen more Russian movies than most people in the west. And then, after the fall of USSR, I haven't seen any Russian movie at all. I was very intrigued upon hearing of this movie - I wanted to see how modern Russian cinematography looks like.

I can say that the movie is a treat. It may not be the best fantasy movie ever, but it's definitely in the top of my list.

The story is not really all that original, but it's different enough from the typical Hollywood to feel fresh. As others have noted, the movie deals with some philosophic aspects regarding fate and free will as well as Slavic mythology.

The production value is just fabulous. I found the town of Galirad incredibly realistic and then I've read that it was actually built on 5 sq.Km (2 sq. miles). It looks real, it feels real. The costumes are also nicely done.

The special effects are just incredible, especially considering that we're not talking about Hollywood budgets. The main character has a bat sidekick, which happens to be the most realistic CGI animal I've seen. I'm still not convinced it's 100%, I think they "cheated" by using a real bat in some of the shots.

Acting is good, even though it's not stellar; the characters are somewhat underdeveloped.

Overall, I think it's a must-see movie - if only to see something different than you're used to. (as an aside, just after I've seen the movie, I checked the TV; "Troy" was on. It looked so fake, so cliché, so much obsessed with the big stars it had on-screen that the story had to take the backseat, that I couldn't watch it.) With this film, the Russians have shown that they still can do great movies. I can't wait to see more of them!

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

Not so good

[3/10 · 26 December 2004]

The Cound of Monte Cristo is one of those books that have everything: Complex characters, action, revenge and love. Edmond Dantes is a one of the most interesting characters ever imagined. You can't read the book without being touched by it.

That's why it saddens me so deeply to see this movie butchered into tiny bits easy to digest. The book is not about happy endings - it's about revenge, about tortured souls, about destroyed lives. At the same time, I never found it depressing, so I can't really understand why in Hollywood movies the characters have to be Good or Bad - White or Black.

Whether or not you liked the movie - read the book. You'll get great literature and a classic story you'll never forget.

Van Helsing (2004)

One of the worst movies I saw recently

[2/10 · 11 June 2004]

Incredibly bad, that's all I can say about it. I actually walked away - the second time I did this in my entire life. I didn't care about Princess Anna or Van Helsing or the werewolf. I just wanted the pain to stop.

The visuals are breathtaking. The CGI is OK, although the water is too obviously computer generated, (the werewolf too).

Kate is sexy and it's nice to see a strong woman in a movie like this.

Everything else is a wreck. The story is plain stupid, with absolutely no regard to history or geography (they travel from Transylvania to Hungary by crossing the mountains in the south?? Budapest is to the west!) The violence bothered me a little - it kinda pushed the PG13 label.

Inferno (I) (1997)

Pure crap

[3 October 2003]

I caught this flick on tv, and thought "lets give it a chance!"

I don't know too much about Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, suffice to say that he doesn't really seem too much of a dragon to me :-)

The martial arts are non-existent; there are some high kicks, a few punches and that's all. The cinematography is pretty bad too, as all scenes are uninspiring. The fight scenes are short and badly shot.

The plot is laughable. I won't spoil anything, but it's so bad it's embarrassing. The acting is bad too - most actors overact their lines.

There are about three sex scenes thrown in like an afterthought. They are bad too (any surprises?) because there is no chemistry, no connection or mutual attraction between the characters. The sex just happens. There's a busty (but slightly aging) blonde and a rather attractive brunette that show us their bodies, but that's not enough to save this crap.

In conclusion, avoid it. At least, don't pay for it.

Basic (2003)

Good

[7 August 2003]

Some people didn't like it... some even say it puts the US army in a bad light... well guess what - films imitate life:

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/08/06/marine/index.html "Three Marines were injured Sept. 21, 2002, when their parachutes failed to open. Their reserve chutes deployed safely. [...] Investigators later found that 13 of the 22 parachutes had been sabotaged [... ] a military prosecutor said Boykins and Ramirez cut parachute suspension lines because they had been disciplined and were angry with their platoon commander. A third Marine, Cpl. Clayton A. Chaffin, 28,[...], is charged with 31 counts, including conspiracy and drug charges"

So, there you have it.

I liked Basic's turns and twists, I just didn't like the ending... it was too happy and clean for my tastes.

Travolta and Jackson seem to have fun in this movie that would be mediocre without them.

Overall, a nice movie, not great but entertaining, I'd give it 8/10.

The Sum of All Fears (2002)

Unbelievable

[4/10 · 9 February 2003]

I can suspend my disbelief in a sci-fi movie, or in a good comedy. As long as the world portrayed is consistent with itself, I have no problem.

But when a movie that pretends be a cautionary tale of what may happen, presents an implausible plot, the only thing I can do is laugh.

MINOR SPOILER: The movie starts with a fighter/bomber plane carrying an atomic bomb that crashes and somehow no one searches for it. Anywhere in this world a plane crash would lead to a search & rescue being sent, especially when the stakes are so high. Not in this movie. END SPOILER.

The characters are underdeveloped and cliched. Everything is pure Hollywood. The movie doesn't even point out that in the event of a nuclear war, it doesn't matter who strikes first, since immediately after the launch the other side would launch their missiles too, so in the end there are no winners, only losers.

Waterworld (1995)

Bad

[4/10 · 10 February 2002]

I first saw Waterworld in the theatre a few years ago - and I didn't like it. I gave it a second chance last night on TV and I still didn't like it. ... and I'm not even sure why. The premise is interesting - Mad Max on water, with many ideas seemingly lifted from "Pandora" by Frank Herbert, ecological themes...

I don't know what went wrong, probably the script, or direction, or both. See, Kevin and his passengers are dead serious while the smokers are cartoony (and downright funny). It's like trying to mix two genres in the same movie.

Then, it's impossible to like Kevin's character, and this is probably the deepest flaw. In an action movie you want to relate to the hero and want him/her to succeed. Mind you, this isn't an intellectual movie, with complex personalities, where characters are more than just good/evil. Kevin the seaman is not complex, he's just dull.

You can't even laugh at this movie. 4 out of 10.

Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

Horrible

[1/10 · 6 January 2002]

I rented this flick along with Blue Streak to watch with my girlfriend.

I like Jim Carrey and his performances in The Mask, Liar Liar and others. I'm also not the kind that gets easily offended.

Still, I just couldn't watch this. 20 minutes and we were asking ourselves "this is supposed to be funny?", and decided to skip it and watch the other movie instead.

Conclusion: don't bother, watch something else.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

Loved it!

[8/10 · 29 July 2001]

After reading some not-too-good reviews, I was under the impression that this will be a bad, forgettable movie, so I went to see it without high expectations.

I was in for a surprise.

So, where do I begin? The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, best I ever seen. The alien world is incredible, the "spirits" magnificent and there's so much detail that sometime you forget you're watching CG. Sure, it's easy to nitpick, it's not perfect, and nor it should be. The characters are realistic, but not 100%, they're still a bit stilized with just a hint of Anime. Yes, the clothes do not move/sway perfectly accurate, the faces don't have every tiny detail, but it's still great.

Despite others' opinions, I liked the plot. It is a bit like Aliens, but I actually found it quite interesting and - I daresay - "deep". However the dialogs were a bit cliched and some of the characters were not fully developed.

In conclusion, I loved it and I'll get the DVD as soon as it comes out.

If you want to see Final Fantasy, go with an open mind. Forget about Aliens, don't look at the minute details and enjoy it for whast it is: A Fantasy - hopefully not the Final one...

Dark Angel (2000–2002)

Not sure...

[25 March 2001]

Having seen the pilot and the first episode, I have mixed feeling about Dark Angel. Oh sure, Jessica Alba looks very good, but is this enough to make Dark Angel worth watching? I'm not sure.

The plot is pretty standard, not bad, but I've seen it before MANY times. Max is a messenger with no parents, no past and lives in a poor house, yet she has stylish clothes and has an expensive bike. How is this possible in a world where USA experienced a Apcalyptic-scale depression?

One thing that annoys me a bit is that most men the show seem... well... stupid to say the least, except that reporter - Logan. Also, I'm not anti-gay, but I don't see why that lesbian friend of Max should make remarks all the time. I'm rather tired with the whole Girl Power and Politically Correct things.

What I fear most is that Dark Angel will degenerate in a mindless series with no actual advancement in plot. Max will never really find what she's looking for, she and Logan will secretly fall in love with each other and so on... and so on, season after season.

Mission to Mars (2000)

Not that bad...Contains Spoilers

[20 August 2000]

I walked in the theatre without any expectations on a boring afternoon.

OK, the first part was awful. The dialogs were just plain stupid, corny, cliched, too sentimental, and gave absolutely no depth to the characters.

The second half was a bit better and wasn't that predictable. I actually enjoyed it.

Some said that physics is ignored. I disagree. Except for the whole alien technology stuff, everything seems to be realistic (at least compared to the vast majority of the movies). The atmosphere and gravity on Mars seemed higher than normal (too Earth-like) but it's not a problem.

The idea with liquid used for compensating high accelerations was nice (and it's quite old, since Jules Verne I believe). The fragile look of the aliens was interesting too, it suggested that it was possible exactly because of the lower gravity.

SPOILERS: Many have complained about the tear on alien's face. It was a metaphor! Just like everything in the silent story presented. They knew everything about us, and a tear is the best way to express sadness. And if we accept angry aliens, blood-thirsty aliens, why can't we accept sad aliens?

In the end, not something to remember, but not a complete waste.

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

I liked it

[12 August 2000]

I won't say much about this movie - others have already done that. I saw DBS with a friend and co-worker after a long, exhausting day. I must say it was fun. Mindless fun.

There are quite a few twists (come on, don't say you've guessed who's gonna be eaten next). Actually, that's what the movie is about: Sharks hunting humans in an underwater lab. Period. Nothing less, nothing more.

It has the right ingredients to let you forget about the daily routine and enjoy.

And people, please stop comparing it to Jaws. The only thing they have in common is the word "shark".

Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994)

There can be only ONE (not two or three...)

[11 August 2000]

What can I say, Highlander was the kind of movie that simply does not allow for a sequel.

Highlander III may be enjoyable, but certainly doesn't come anywhere near the original one, which is a Classic. There are so many things that impressed me in Highlander; sadly, I can't say much about Sorcerer.

Watch it, but don't expect too much.