hitman_1980 Reviews

The Vast of Night (2019)

Definitely worth watching, especially in the vast of night.

[8/10 · 24 August 2023]

A wonderful tale (or is it something more?) of mystery, narrated with old-school elegance and style. The cinematography may seem simple, but the shots are being masterfully used in order to create a gripping atmosphere. The movie feels grounded, but also ready to reach for the sky anytime. It's only small flaw is that it drags a bit in the first 20 minutes or so and there's a risk that younger viewers that are used to the faster pacing of modern cinema may feel tempted to quit waiting for the plot to move forward, which it definitely does, not fast, but gracefully.

Oh, and last but not least, it features the most beautiful spaceship I've ever seen in a movie. Amazing work!

Watch it in the vast of night. It works best that way.

Smile (V) (2022)

Solid, memorable movie with an incredibly bad ending.

[7/10 · 16 August 2023]

I was ready to give this movie a 10/10 of ten because it was very engaging, but then, to my sheer, genuine horror, the last 15 minutes almost destroyed it completely.

It was painfully frustrating to see a solid, atmospheric thriller suddenly imploding. The premise is VERY interesting and the tension almost becomes unbearable right up until the finale, when suddenly the worst cliches were all over the place and had me shaking my head in disbelief instead of holding my breath, like I did for the previous 100 minutes.

It's definitely worth watching, but I wish there would be an alternate ending released at some point. It's very hard to believe that they came up with such a silly, unoriginal and worst of all unsatisfying ending to this smart, engaging horror story, carried by a great performance from the leading actress.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

Does A LOT of things right.

[8/10 · 30 July 2023]

The atmosphere and locations are great, this is the first live action movie that's actually worthy of the Resident Evil title, compared to the previous sci-fi nonsense that had nothing to do with survival horror. Its main flaw is the pacing and lack of character development. Too many things are crammed into this installment, therefore only long time fans will actually (almost) care about the characters. L felt very enthusiastic about finally seeing actual locations from the first video game installments. I am sure all the fans have been waiting for this for more than two decades. If the producers and directors will learn from the mistakes, a potential sequel could be a real treat. They obviously tried hard and partially succeeded by offering some memorable sceneries and nods to the classic video games. I'm giving this an 8 because there's obvious good intention here and this project deserves support. There's a lot of potential here, just give the story and its iconic characters more time to develop!

The Flash (I) (2023)

Bashed and underrated for no reason!

[9/10 · 20 July 2023]

I will never forgive myself for not actually paying a ticket to see this one on the big screen. I was unconsciously influenced by the bad reviews and mockery that seemed to flood the entire internet. I am sure that there are many others like, who were unaware of the fact that they are part of the reason this movie flopped at the box office. I finally watched it today, now that it's available for streaming and it was so much better than I expected! The movie is very entertaining, the storyline playing at perfect pace and I'm only complaining about the tonal inconsistencies here and there. There's a bit too much humor involved at times which in my opinion keeps the storyline from having the right emotional impact. The jokes are good though and Ezra Miller gives a solid impressive double performance. I loved everything Michael Keaton related and he was the main reason I decided to watch the movie after all the heat it got, but ended up liking it in its entirety.

In my opinion, the second best DCEU movie after Wonder Woman storywise, but #1 when it comes to entertainment factor!

Barbie (I) (2023)

A wonderful surprise!

[10/10 · 20 July 2023]

I went to see this one with my 11 year old daughter, thinking that it would be a movie directed to kids. It's not! Actually, it's one of the best social satires I have seen and many jokes and references will be difficult or even impossible to understand for kids. They'll still be having a good time, but it's the adults that are actually in for the big treat. I absolutely loved it and recommend this to everyone who loves a clever satire with a lot of heart and mesmerizing cinematography.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are perfect in their roles, the script/story is engaging, funny but also very touching at times and the overall result is delightful.

You'll find yourself wanting to own this one in your collection, it really is that good.

Ash vs Evil Dead: Ashy Slashy (2016) Season 2, Episode 8

You can finally say it again: GROOVY!

[10/10 · 20 November 2016]

This episode is one of the best of the series. After a bizarre start, season 2 became more and more entertaining with each episode, with the producers paying more attention to delivering a clever story rather than only splashing blood around. Sure, there still are some scenes that will definitely pi$$ you off (pun intended, you'll get it after watching this one), but the rest more than makes up for these. Ash benefits of some iconic shots in this particular episode but the most fun part was the fact that the script manages to keep you guessing and the showdown is really satisfying. So far, this was the season's climax on every aspect, and if they somehow find a way to do even better than that with the remaining episodes there's only one word to describe this second season: groovy!

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Morgue (2016) Season 2, Episode 2

A major thumbs down instead of one up the...

[6/10 · 18 October 2016]

This could have been a great episode but they took the gore to an extreme, disgusting level and I didn't find entertaining at all. There's a particular scene (trust me, it really stands out, in a bad way) that tried to be bad-ass (ha!) but managed to be just bad-taste instead. I am a big fan of the Evil Dead trilogy and enjoyed the first season of Ash vs The Evil Dead, although it didn't have much substance. Ash's one-liners and attitude overall managed to make up for that, kudos to Bruce Campbell for pulling that off. But this particular episode of season 2 was simply disgusting and I can only hope that future episodes won't offer that kind of "treatment" again. I was surprised to read that many viewers actually enjoyed that particular scene, or at least came up with excuses for it. Sorry, but(t)...

Green Lantern (2011)

Would receive higher ratings if labeled MARVEL.

[7/10 · 16 October 2011]

I entered this movie with very low expectations, since most reviews bashed it, calling it noisy, predictable and pointless. Wouldn't have happened if it were labeled MARVEL comics. It offers a lighter story, some warm humor and visible CGI effects. The action scenes aren't dragged at all and I found a nice balance between character development, story and special effects. But it's labeled DC, and after Christopher Nolan set higher standards with his outstanding Batman films, critics and possibly even hardcore fans tend to be overly critical of any other projects. This is a movie about a guy who basically receives a magic ring that gives him the power of flight and the ability to create any object of his desire through will-power, so enjoy it for what it is, a decent entertaining flick, that would have fitted the Marvel studios universe very well, with the Green Lantern eventually joining the Avengers. 7/10.

Motherhood (I) (2009)

Idiotic and annoying. So THIS is motherhood? Come on!

[3/10 · 24 March 2010]

I really disliked this movie, as it portrays an extreme situation, with people who are clearly irresponsible and aren't up to the task of properly raising a child. The husband was obviously retarded and gained a little fortune only by pure chance, which was really pathetic and didn't redeem his character at all in the end, although that was clearly what the directors intended. The entire movie is a confusing and annoying piece of trash. I'm sure such situations do exist, probably even worse, but trying to globalize this as being the usual motherhood is disgusting and discouraging to any future mother to be. I refuse to believe that the characteristics of a modern day mother is being hysterical, bitching, screaming, always dead-tired and frustrated, not to mention the father being a retarded being, showing absolutely no interest in raising a child or helping around the house. Instead, he is collecting old books, based on the idiotic hope of accidentally gaining a fortune someday which, bummer, actually happens in the end. Money clearly wasn't the main problem in this family, it was the lack of communication and team work, which remains unsolved even after the credits roll.

Avoid, if you're willing to waste your time, waste it on a bad movie that can be perceived as entertaining, which is clearly not the case here.

This Is It (2009)

Definitely MURDER.

[10/10 · 8 November 2009]

First of all, I'm not exactly a fan of MJ. I love his greatest hits and that's about it. But I always treasured his talent and dedication when it came to performing. This movie shows you just two hours of what must have been months of rehearsals and after watching them I'm even more convinced that he was actually murdered. Just like they did with Elvis, John Lennon and other major artists when there was too much money involved. If this incredibly gifted man would have made a comeback this big (and you don't even get to see the enormity of it, like he says "just to make an idea...") he would have casted a long lasting shadow over most of the so-called artists and performers that regularly appeared on MTV. And guess what, the music industry couldn't accept that and they had to do something about it.

Many people question his ability to go through 50 shows without collapsing. Let me say that after watching this movie I can guarantee that he surely would have! His energy and enthusiasm were truly a divine gift and watching much younger dancers looking up to him while practicing is really saying it all. Others say he was in it for the money. Well, despite the fact that all the concert tickets were already sold out, he was still concerned about giving the people a fabulous show. He invested a lot in pyrotechnics, giant screens, actors, dancers and God knows what else, he wanted to deliver something you've never seen before. You can see it and most of all FEEL it during the movie.

After watching this material, I respect the artist more than I ever had and I hope that some of the haters will go out and watch this with an open mind as well, they'll surely come out of the theater with a different perspective of what this man and his work were all about.

Halloween II (2009)

Rob did it! Yes, he pulled it off! He buried the franchise!

[3/10 · 22 October 2009]

I've been a BIG Halloween fan, for years. I will always love John Carpenter's classics and enjoyed Halloween 4 and H20. The rest were really lame sequels that had some creepy moments and a STORY. Halloween 2 doesn't have one. It's just a Michael Myers wannabe (sorry, Rob, but your psychotic white trash kid will NEVER be the real Myers for us, REAL fans) that takes a random path of blood and gore. Yes, random, if you can believe that. The movie looks good at times, and that's it. There's no suspense, no story, no character development, and what's worse, just like in Rob's first re-imagining bull###, most of them are unlikeable and you end up yawning and not giving a damn about who survives and who ends up butchered. I was against any remake, sorry "re-imagining" since I first heard the first rumor, years ago. Unfortunately my gut feeling was right, and more damage has been done to the series. I just hope the next generations will still be able to pick up the classic Carpenter movies, because that's what Halloween was all about. Mystery, pure evil, a boy that suddenly snapped. Not a cheap, abused psycho. I hope this is Rob's last Halloween project and that the franchise will stay buried from now on, for its own good. At least until a clever, inspired director that actually understand what made the first two movies work will know what it takes to respawn them. Until then, I'll just keep watching the classics every now and then and try to pretend Rob's movies don't even exist. Happy Halloween!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Can it get any dumber than this?

[3/10 · 26 July 2009]

While the first movie was overall fun to watch, this sequel feels rushed and dumb, even cheap at times. The CGI effects are way too obvious and distracting, the humor is simply dumb and even bad-taste with the exception of a few smarter moments. The plot is totally predictable and the new introduced characters were obviously created for kids under the age of not 12 but 10 at best. This is one of the finest example of Hollywood-style cash-cow milking. Michael Bay didn't care about the final product, he just counted on the money to flow in, otherwise I can't explain how someone can come up with such a lame sequel after the initial spectacular and fun movie. There's nothing memorable here. Nothing! The final battle was overlong and pointless, and the Robot-Heaven scene really had at least half of the audience laughing hysterically, which obviously wasn't the director's original intention. Oh, and let's not forget the female robot-seductress, with a human tongue on her tail! Yes, literally! Bottom line: it can't get any more commercial than this. Give it a rent, at best. While I own the first movie on Blu-Ray, I'd never spend my money on this worthless sequel.

13B: Fear Has a New Address (2009)

Much better than many Hollywood productions!

[8/10 · 13 May 2009]

The only reason I don't give this movie a 10 is the slower pacing of its first half. Overall, the main cast does a really convincing job, the story is really smart, the camera work and especially the soundtrack are really creepy.

This movie is a better psycho-thriller than most of the Hollywood productions heavily promoted and released this decade, many of them relying on bad taste violence, blood and gore. It's the story that makes this movie and the natural performances of the likable characters which make many moments more credible than you'd expect. You actually care about what's going to happen to them in the end. To put it short, it's been a while since I've felt so tense during a movie.

While the first half could have been cut shorter by 20 minutes or so, it still keeps you guessing and biting your nails in anticipation of terror. The second half really delivers many creepy moments and scares, especially some really smart twists which will glue you to the couch. Some people complained about the two songs featured in the movie being pointless. I can tell you they were not. The first song stands for a love scene, replacing nudity with some playful moments between the main characters, it's a different, subtle and sweet portrayal of a sex scene, while the second song really serves its purpose of depicting the happy times the family goes through at a certain point.

Another small letdown is the final scene which I understand was meant to be more of a joke, but it could have been easily cut, since the actual conclusion was really satisfying.

Final verdict: watch this one, you'll be surprised, in a good way!

Hulk Vs. (2009 Video)

It looks like Marvel should stick to animated movies only!

[10/10 · 2 February 2009]

I was very surprised by these two animated installments. There's no point in giving anything away here, but I have to say this: both Thor and Wolverine stories are really well done, the animation looks great and first of all, they really nailed it when it comes to atmosphere in these two, especially during Hulks arrival in Asgard. The way he makes his entrance is just awesome and I keep wondering why Marvel seems to fail again and again when it comes to bringing such moments on the big screen. In my opinion, both Iron Man and Hulk flicks of 2008 were just average, filled with clichés and the oh-not-again Doppelganger showdowns. But when it comes to animated flicks, they somehow manage to get it right, like they did with Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2. I'll rate this 10 out of 10, hoping to see as many more similar installments as possible. For several reasons I liked the Thor story better, it was more mystical and emotional so to speak, and they really should put out a stand-alone Thor animated flick in the near future. Until then, hail to Dr. Banner, hero of Midgard! Rent it, buy it, own it. Encourage it, so we can get more stuff like this in the future!

Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008)

Sequel AND prequel worthy !

[9/10 · 17 December 2008]

First of all, yes, I am one of the Resident Evil fans. However, I wasn't satisfied by the Hollywood trilogy at all, the last two movies were sort of enjoyable, but they never really delivered. Degeneration however managed to exceed my expectations big-time, and I really think that any future Resident Evil movies should stick to CGI. This movie is the first one to stay true to the games, the first one to prove itself worthy of the title "Resident Evil". Actually, it has "Resident Evil" written all over it! Two of the main characters are back, and they're even "played" by the original actors, which I found to be a great thing. The atmosphere, tension and sound effects feel like they've been pulled right out of the games which says pretty much, since these aspects were the ones to make the series unforgettable. The script is clever and enjoyable even for a non-fan, it makes for a decent movie. The only reasons I give this movie a 9 out of ten are the following: - they should have worked a little more on the audio synchronization when it comes to lip-syncing; - the final monster got a little too much screen time and almost becomes annoying at times.

And finally, not really a "complaint" but more of a request... the flashback scenes showing Claire and Leon fighting their way out of Raccoon City were much too short! The games offer a very cool background story, therefore I pray to God that someday Capcom will consider working on a prequel movie as well, it would surely be a blast. Maybe I'm a little subjective here, but the games won't be able to stand the test of time much longer, although there is hope that maybe they will be up-scaled for modern consoles someday. However, compacting the story lines from the classic games intro a CGI prequel movie would surely be the dream of any nostalgic fan. The games were so good that they really deserve such a tribute. So, Capcom, how about releasing a prequel before a sequel?

Superman/Doomsday (2007 Video)

You will believe a man can... die.

[10/10 · 19 September 2007]

It looks like Superman gets much better scripts for animated movies than he does for the big screen, lately. After I found myself highly disappointed by the latest big screen installment, I regained comfort and joy by watching this amazing, entertaining gem.

If you know the Death Of... Funeral For... The Return of storyline, you know what to expect. Right? Wrong! The guys at Warner Bros were smart enough to change several details, which highly adds an edge-of-the-seat element to this movie.

First, it looks great. The soundtrack is great, the locations look great. Having the action taking place mostly at night really makes this movie really atmospheric.

Some scenes are very brutal and hard to swallow, even for an animated movie. Once again, they were smart enough not to unnecessarily prolong these. They still leave a mark though. After only a few minutes, you find yourself really caring for some characters while starting to really hate others. So does this movie succeed, overall? Hell, yes. In fact, it's the best Superman movie since Superman II and a great comic book adaptation.

Some people are complaining about not having all the fake Supermen running around through Metropolis in this one, "just like in the comics". I for one loved the fact that they did NOT include them, I always thought that the "Reign Of The Supermen" story was just a commercial attempt to increase sales by prolonging Superman's disappearance and keep the readers interested in the book for as many months as possible. That particular story didn't add anything of essence to the DC Universe, which includes too many weird, filler superhero characters anyway.

Besides, applying the exact storyline would have resulted in a boring movie. You would have known what happens and would see Superman on the screen only for the first and last 10 minutes. Are you sure you would have preffered that?

Don't rent it, buy it ! It's really worth it.

Superman Returns (2006)

Frustrating.

[1/10 · 31 July 2006]

I noticed a lot of people defending this movie and talking about "understanding" Superman Returns. First of all, what's that supposed to mean? Superman Returns isn't such a complex movie, so "understanding" it is just an excuse, an attempt to find interpretations and dig out things that aren't really there. Some people say "you shouldn't compare it to the classic Superman movies, because it's new, it's different". The hell you shouldn't. The first two Superman movies were iconic and always will be. And I'm not being subjective about this. If Returns would have raised up to our expectations, I would accept it as it is and say "yes, another damn good Superman movie". But that's not the case. The fact is, the magic is just gone, it seems that the more technology advances, the lamer the movie story lines become, while CGI effects continue to take over. The only well casted actors are Kevin Spacey and Brandon Routh. Brandon could deliver a good Superman in a few years. Right now, he's just an OK compromise. However, I appreciate his performance and I can't think of a better choice for a new Superman. However, the rest of the cast, especially Lois Lane, was just terrible. There's no chemistry between Lois and Clark whatsoever. Just a terrible pure commercial decision, that almost turns Superman Returns in a teenage movie. The story is also pretty lame. And the most intriguing sequence is having Superman thrown and kicked around by Lex Luthor and his goons. Was that cheap violence really necessary? I mean, I remember watching the first Superman movie on the big screen, my father took me to the theater when I was five years old. It had such a great, positive impact on me, and as far as I've heard, on every kid, teenager or adult that watched it. The story was superb, the acting was solid, the dialogs warm and humorous at times, it was magic overall. However, Superman Returns manages to shock us with a violent sequence that would leave any kid or teenager frustrated for a very long time. Superhero movies should leave you with a feeling of satisfaction when they're over. Not frustration. The goons get squashed by a falling rock, and Lex Luthor gets away, while Superman doesn't really get his revenge, instead he suddenly manages to lift the entire fortress in the air, when 10 minutes ago he was lying around, waiting for more kicks in the ribs, because his powers were drown out by the same Kryptonite he now managed to carry in enormous quantity. So the big showdown was lifting the fortress in the air and throwing it into space. Wow. Can it get more lame than this? Don't think so. And while some of you may think that good doesn't always defeat evil that easily, I stick to the opinion that a Superman movie shouldn't follow this path. Let's have good win over evil, at least on the big screen, shall we? The first Superman movies accomplished that. They were perfect in that matter. All fighting or battle scenes were decent, and the story and character development managed to impress the viewer without the use of violence. These were perfect fantasy movies. Superman Returns just leaves you with the feeling of another 100% commercial sequel. Not sure if people will still talk about it in 30 years. But if they will, this will be only because they will always connect it to its predecessors, which are far more impressive and solid. As far as the viewing pleasure goes, the dark tone was another disappointment. It would do well for an upcoming Batman movie, but it just doesn't fit in the Superman universe. I don't want to keep bashing this movie though. It's a pretty decent one, compared to most superhero movies made in the last years. I just wish the script would have been better. Because it could have. We all expected it to be. There are tons of Superman stories printed out there, and the producers could have thought about something much more spectacular and innovative.

The Nature of the Beast (1995)

Brilliant

[10/10 · 23 June 2006]

This one sharp and solid thriller which ended up underrated for some reason. Movies which manage to create tension through solid dialogs and great performances are real gems these days. The story looks simple: Jack tries to avoid Adrian, a hitcher, after being warned by the police about a serial killer running loose. However, the two men meet again in a Cafe, and they become inseparable, since they know each other's secrets. One of them is the serial killer, while the other managed to stole a big amount of money from a Vegas Casion. This movie manages to keep you from yawning or fast-forwarding by using smart dialogs and brilliant twists. And just when you start thinking you can anticipate the ending, it hits you on the head really hard. The entire movie is based on the performances of Lance Henriksen and Eric Roberts, which prove once again that they are underrated for no reason. The chemistry between them is always there, but in a creepy way. The soundtrack fits the story perfectly, and the depiction is brilliant. If you haven't seen it, don't rent it, BUY it. You'll end up watching it at least three times and then again, at irregular intervals. Hopefully they will do justice to this movie one day, and really promote it, like they should have done from the day it came out. Conclusion: one of the smartest, memorable thrillers you'll ever see.