unimatrix972 Reviews

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Go watch the first movie before seeing this

[4/10 · 5 October 2017]

Sadly, I did not follow that guideline, and since it was like 20 years since I've seen the first one, this movie ended up being a narrative with many holes and unclear concepts. So it can't really stand on its own.

In spite being more drama than action-packed, and having a pretty good story, some scenes just didn't add up. The characters' actions seemed to be random and significantly more complicated, instead of doing something more plausible.

But, the major impact on my score was the sound and music. While I do remember the pleasant melodies of Vangelis in the first one, here the music was mostly irritating. I don't know if it was the IMAX effect or originally it was written there, but some music pieces were probably performed by a quartet of Tripods from Tom Cruise's War of the Worlds.

Same goes to the sound of engines and vehicles, too loud, and used too often instead of making it outstanding and peak of a special scene.

I'll now watch the first and then see the 2nd when it is out on DVD or something. If I feel that the score was unjust, I'll change it. Except for the music and sound, that's credit where credit is due.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

A pretty bad movie

[6/10 · 26 March 2016]

Maybe I had too many expectations, I dunno. Maybe I thought that after giving us the Dark Knight trilogy which in overall was good, and after Man of Steel which I really liked, that the combination of both could result in something satisfactory.

On the plus side, Ben Affleck did a very good Bruce Wayne, I kept seeing in him my favorite Bruce Wayne from the 90s Cartoon Series. I would also award this movie with an extra 1 point on the scenes shown in the first 10 min - you don't often see this in a superhero movie, and that was well-crafted.

The rest of it was disappointing. Whoever cut the scenes created gaps which made little sense even with suspension of disbelief. I remember gazing at the armrest to put my cola down, and when I looked back I couldn't figure how what I saw now is connected to what I see now. For a moment, I thought "did I just fall asleep and missed like 10 min?"

The characters were bad without the capacity of even simple logic. Interactions that could have been epic had the most lame dialogs. Information was "free for all" and you were often left with the notion of "how did he/she/it know?"

Seriously DC, go over to Marvel and learn how to create an epic movie to build up the excitement of multiple superheroes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

A movie potential that got wasted

[6/10 · 8 August 2014]

I was never a big fan of TMNT, but the concept was always a unique one. Instead of the far east style of mutual cold looks and "Yaaa!" yells, while the tough good guy fights a cruel enemy, you get these "karate kids" who are in fact mutants and they fight the almost super-human villain.

You get the tension of they having to hide in the sewers as they are still being feared by us - regular people - and the realization that as much as we admire them we also want them on the research table. Add to that the character of April - a journalist who finds herself in triangle of conflict (up yours Louise Lane!): a journalist who uncovers secrets, the confident of the turtles and (in a way) the role of the mother, who would rush to danger to help them and protect them.

This could be a great platform for a good deep movie heavily spiced with great ninja action. But instead what did we get...

1) An absurdly idiotic storyline which kinda gives you the feeling that the story writing was revolving around the already shot action scenes.

2) Action sequences which appear to be copy paste from transformers and only replaced by turtles (I don't count shredder as he always looked like a robot).

3) The role of April is basically something I would put in "Little Pony", which is reduced to nothing more then a brain dead, incoherent (she's a goddamn reporter for crying out loud!) and basically doesn't contribute anything to the good cause.

On the plus side:

1) It was nice that they emphasized the uniqueness of each turtle beyond the color of the head band. Their entire gear is crafted to their different personalities.

2) In the past movies or TV series they were always turtles fighting in human style, in here for the first time they make use of their physical turtle attributes.

Bottomline, this movie could have been so much better, and it feels like it was a wasted opportunity. a reboot I might watch, but if there is a number 2 on the way, then yeah...I'm not giving it another 2 hours of my life.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

"Just what the General ordered"

[8/10 · 29 March 2013]

This is the sentence Beachhead used in the original series when the Joes are left with no planes, no vehicles and very little ammunition, at the same time an whole army of well armed and geared Cobra units is banging at the door. From that moment on you get a few minutes of thrilling counterattack till almost the end of the episode, this movie gives it to you almost from the beginning.

The story is down to the basics of the GIJOE-Cobra conflict, Cobra wants the world and conjures up a sophisticated evil scheme to achieve it. Agents from both sides use their unique talents and skills to get the upper hand and ensure victory. this movie had everything I loved about the original GIJOE and was way better than "The Rise of Cobra".

Again, thumbs up on including Ninja action, can never get enough of that! The special effects and props were amazing, and the costumes were wonderfully crafted. If you looking for an hour an half of action, GIJOE Retaliation is the movie I'd recommend whether you're a fan or not.

A Royal Affair (2012)

Another royal love story or social statement?

[8/10 · 30 September 2012]

On the surface, this movie is exactly what the title says, you have an unhappily married queen who has an affair under the king's nose with someone in the King's court. However, the interesting aspect of this story is the context. It is the second half of the 18th century, liberal ideals of people like Rousseau and Voltaire spread across Europe, and threatens to break down the old Feudalistic regime.

The movie is not a documentary on the ruling of Christian the VII, and should not be regarded as such. After seeing it, I went to read about Christian the VII, and found that many details of the era and his regime were omitted in favor of not making a long tiresome movie. Instead the movie focuses on the relationships between the king, the queen and the physician and to their attempt to change the face of Denmark.

These three characters are played beautifully.

Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as King Christian is just superb and fun to watch, as a mad king he is always there even when not the focus of the camera.

Mads Mikkelsen as the physician acts for the most part as a calm yet stern person, however, when he does display emotions it has greater impact, and in my view portraits inner-struggle more effectively.

Alicia Vikander as the queen plays her two role quite well, whether it is the passion and stress that go with having a secret affair, or the audacity and charm that goes with fulfilling her royal duties.

Finally, in my view, the movie is another bell ring to remind us that even Denmark, 300 years ago was a country consumed by religion and fear, and that there are always those who believe in such a way of life.

Iron Sky (2012)

It sounds so silly that it has to be good

[7/10 · 3 June 2012]

Yup, that's basically what passed through my mind when I first saw the trailer, and that is still my feeling about iron sky after seeing it.

First of all, the villains - Nazis, I love movies when the Nazis are the villains and especially when there is a chance for Nazi butt kicking.

Its a comedy film, and dare I say - almost a parody, for it is full of nonsense and pretty relentless in the effort of ridiculing almost everyone and everything it touches. However, unlike American comedies, the humor in this film is far more balanced and restrained, which gives a nice flavor to each scene. And in the end this contributes greatly to the overall experience.

The story is pretty silly, but nicely woven and the trailer was obscure enough to not spoil the surprises, and definitely worth watching till the end. The most outstanding actor in my opinion is Julia Dietze, who gives a pretty good performance, and portraits the character in a rather convincing way.

Of course, the movie contains action scenes packed with special effects and thrilling music, to satisfy that need for violence when the red cloth reveals a swastika.

So in the end, Iron sky is a good movie, and a worth experience. I highly recommend it, but don't watch it, if you are incapable of laughing at yourself.

John Carter (2012)

An old Sci-fi tale with a good 21st century touch

[9/10 · 14 March 2012]

When you read the title "John Carter" it does not say much. Who is John Carter? What's so special about him? The trailer also does not give you much hint on what the story is all about. The original story is from the beginning of the 20th century, however, the movie is neither dull nor retro. It is a very good movie with a thrilling storyline and good rhythm. I really enjoyed seeing the origin of familiar Sci-Fi concepts, as it was drafted over a 100 years ago.

Considering the original story spans over several books, the movie script compacted it pretty nicely, and a friend of mine who read the books would vouch that it has been packed with relatively few mistakes or shortcuts. The characters have depth despite the time limitations of a single movie, and a bits of acting here and there.

Of course, the special effects take a significant role in the movie, but not at the expense of the story. The CGI characters were skillfully modeled and the interaction with the flesh and blood actor was pretty "realistic". Yet, one annoying thing is the 3D (at least the version I saw was 3D), and in my opinion, too many movies were already produced in 3D or with a 3D version, that it's getting tiresome, and it doesn't enhance the experience anymore.

I must admit I also enjoyed the landscape scenery, though I have no idea if it was filmed at a real location or it was computer created.

Overall, very pleasant experience.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–1993)

Indiana Jones only by name and hat

[4/10 · 27 November 2011]

I have always considered myself as an Indiana Jones fan. I first came across "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" after buying the Video pack of all 3 movies. I was "gifted" with the "Treasure of the Peacock's Eye", which till the last 10 min bares significant resemblance to the classics of Indiana Jones. Then suddenly the story shifts into some 4 years old children story with extremely unsatisfying epilogue. So I decided not to look up the rest of the series.

The controversial "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" had a lot of references to Indy's past (before the movies), which peaked my curiosity and motivated me to try again and watch the entire Young Indiana Jones series, in hope that it would give some additional insights on the character.

I watched the whole thing, all hour and half double episodes, though on more than one occasion I was close to toss the whole pack into the trash for wasting my time. For example, some episodes were barely matching a comedy about any regular growing up teenager who gets his head twisted over a girl, how original...

We have Indy showing up in different parts of the world meeting known politicians, artists, musicians, soldiers, philosophers and more, participating in important historical events and encounters various cultures.

However, the connection between the main character and Indiana Jones is only by name and hat (barely seeing a whip once), the guy knows 27 languages and extremely knowledgeable, however utter lack of self-control and rational thinking, the main theme of is more like Dennis the menace then adventures of a famous archaeologist.

He is usually anti-hero, clumsy and repeats the same mistakes over and over again, and if the situation is resolved, it feels more like luck, rather than Indy's ingenuity, creativity and instincts.

Some of the humor from the movies is kept, like in the episode with the stolen phone, so one tiny thumb up on that one. The variety of the important historical figures is impressive, but sometimes overdone and only rarely gives you a sense of awe they deserve. The show also brings a lot of talented actors who are also skillful at singing and dancing, which is interesting and artistic, but all too often takes too much time of the episode.

What Quantum Leap did so skillfully with just 45 min per episode, Chronicles smears to an hour and a half with very little contribution to the story and to the rhythm of Indiana Jones.

Bottom-line, don't expect it to be an overwhelming experience and thrilling adventure as you got from the movies.