Pretty much bang on average.
It's a solid 5 maybe 6 at a push ratings wise, but, and excluding the annoying over done Kevin Hart; the amount of product placements was absurd
They were so in the face the only thing to do was count them, a total of 20 within the first hour and then I just gave up.
It wasn't all bad but damn, -2 for the above stated issues.

"_There are some mistakes you cannot risk when you have children._"
It is more normal for Sandler to do down-to-earth dramas now but at the time I remember this being out of nowhere. As an adult I appreciate it much more now and the final message of the movie too. Wish it would've ended slightly different, but still a good movie.

The overview says "A woman and her daughter emigrate from Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family where the patriarch is a newly celebrated chef with an insecure wife." OMG this so does not catch what this movie is all about! What a boring description for such a passionate movie!

***Entertaining teen comedy with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, but disturbingly dishonest***
“Risky Business” (1983) stars Tom Cruise as a preppy teen from the Chicago suburbs. When his parents leave for a trip, he has the house to himself and enlists the services of a call girl (Rebecca De Mornay), which leads to serious and amusing problems.
This is the film with the iconic sequence of Cruise lip-syncing in private to Bob Seger’s "Old Time Rock and Roll." We’ve all done it. In any case, “Risky Business” is similar to “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986), but with the artiness of “Less than Zero” (1987) minus the melancholy.
As far as all-around entertainment goes, this is an easy 7/10, but I have to lower my grade due to the glorification of prostitution. Yes, I realize it’s a teen comedy and you have to roll with it to enjoy it, which I did and did.
But the portrayal of prostitution & prostitutes is strictly fantasyland and I find it disingenuous and irresponsible. Would all these guys seriously be so hot for these women who have sex with several strangers every work day? Am I the only one who finds this gross? Wouldn’t at least some of them be concerned about STDs? Wouldn’t the loose lifestyle of prostitution negatively affect the women, psychologically and spiritually? Wouldn’t there be signs of “wear and tear”? Of course none of these types of realities are addressed.
The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes and was shot in Highland Park, Illinois, & the Chicago area.
GRADE: C

Not for the lack of effort, but 'Annie' isn't good.
I've admittedly never seen the original musical, not that I think that's necessary anyway. I like the cast, while the songs are alright - if cringey. Everything else is either slow, predictable or straight up boring. It might've, perhaps, worked better as a flat out drama - though then they'd get hate for changing things, I guess.
As noted, the onscreen talent stopped this from falling far down my ratings. Jamie Foxx and Rose Byrne are two actors I enjoy, I found them satisfactory in this - could've been better, could've been worse. Quvenzhané Wallis is more than decent in the lead, while David Zayas is solid.
Cameron Diaz is, however, truly awful - and that's coming from someone who likes Diaz; she's very good in films like 'Shrek', 'Knight and Day' and 'Bad Teacher' but this is certainly the worst I've seen from her - it's a shame that she went out with this as well as the dreadful and overall inferior 'Sex Tape'.
Despite me rating (most of) the cast themselves, I don't think the casting itself is anything praisable. Foxx, Byrne and Diaz are not three actors I'd immediately think of if I was making a musical - a few of their songs are a tad ropey.
Poor, all in all.

**A tale of two motorcycle cops!**
I haven't seen the 70s series from where this film got inspired by. But before that, I had in my mind that it could be a remake of 'Electra Glide in Blue'. Anyway, it was directed and starred in one of the main roles by Dax Shepard. His direction job is not going anywhere. Though all his so far attempts are appreciable. In this film, it was Michael Pena, who led the rest of the characters. He'd done similar roles in other films like 'End of Watch'. But literally, he ruled it by sidelining everybody else in the film, including Dax.
Two motorcycle highway patrol cops team up. They are not an ideal match for the job, but they are assigned in that way by their superior. One of them was an ex-motorcycle stuntman and the other one who had lost his partner recently. They begin to investigate a highway robbery that leads them in the right direction. But can they handle those gangmen who have overpowered them in many ways is what brings twist, before ending with a big action sequence.
A stylish cop flick and a quality presentation, but messed up by its screenplay. The story had a purpose, but the film scenes looked not arranged properly in order. There are many unnecessary scenes, just to bring some comedies. Yeah, some of them were really fun, but the film overwhelmed by bad jokes and random action sequences. The actors were good, though it was only the lead two who were the bright spot in the narration. If you forget all the logics, you could enjoy it. It serves a decent entertainment. Yet when it comes to rating, it won't deserve any big number.
_6/10_

“It’s good for a one time laugh”
So the movie is basically about a pro FED from Mexico acted by Michael Pena very famous for his acting in the movies the Martian and shooter so he joins forces with a newbie cop acted by Dax Shepard both in California highway patrol for the investigation of a heist that involves some corrupt cops
To say about the story it’s not that great as we have come across lots of movies with this kind of stories and the comedy element really works out for this movie so if we want to keep all the seriousness aside and have a good laugh this movie is the choice
When talking about the action in this it does have those elements here and there with a pinch of laugh always as it involves bikes cars helicopters etc.
So the plot involves quite a bit of action, lots of funny scenes especially Dax shepard when he says jokes without knowing its funny makes us roll with laughter and I even like the combo between Micheal and Dax.
This movie is an 18+ as there are some nude scenes,
Notable Good acting
Dax Shepard (rookie cop) for his spontaneous joke elements
Vincent d’onofrio known for his acting in daredevil tv series and men in black
Michael Pena (pro FED agent) for his combo with Dax Shepard
Rosa Salazar (cop) known for her acting in the movies maze runner scorch trails and insurgent even if she had a small role in this movie she was noticed out for her tomboy skills
Kristen Bell (Dax’s ex wife) known for frozen and the tv series veronica mars she brings out her own funny elements in this movie to make us laugh out loud
Genre: Action, Comedy and Crime
My Rating: 7/10

> When the truth and the consciousness of the world failed to work together.
Based on the book of the same name, a story about a dreadful massacre in the rural America where a young girl lived to testify against her own brother and then she never recovered from it. So many years later, the case takes a new twist when some young crime solving enthusiastic shows interest in it and that's where the rest of the narration takes its direction.
The suspense was the highlight, though, feels like not a complicated puzzle. Brilliant writing for sure. You know, from a novel to screen is not an easy task. Sometimes book fans and sometimes film fanatics will be disappointed, but this was a good film. In my opinion, it was an underrated film. Some people are disappointed, because mainly their anticipation was too high.
It was the tall South African beauty, Charlize Theron's show. However the others came into the play when the narration was in the flashback. Since the film 'The Hunt', it is really scaring to see the little kids as the prime witness in a major trial. Because of their lack of the consciousness of the world, the truth struggles. This film was kind of similar, but only the final act resolves everything. Until then, as a viewer it is about trying to link all the possibilities. Surely a fine film for the one watch.
7/10

Weird movie. Not really sure of the point of the movie. But there just a weird comedy. 2 stand up comedians out for some fun I guess.

Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.
I don't know if it's that Adam Sandler is playing a dying character, or that Seth Rogan is miserable, that the idea of being a professional comedian is especially appealing, or that they just did a fine job mixing a serious situation with a lot of comedy while mixing in some showcase of humanity, particularly human values.
There are a couple of really good "finding self" tropes in this. It's good to see "behind the curtain" of comedy. The cast is excellent, and not because he strayed from his typical Happy Madison group, but just that they clearly know what it is to be those people and were able to give excellent deliveries.
Anytime you're dealing with a "character is dying" trope, it has to be handled a very particular way, and usually that is overly serious ("The Fault in Our Stars"), but adding humor allows the story to be more palatable ("Stranger Than Fiction"), but it requires extreme balance to not trivialize the death of the character ("Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"), and without being fantastic, this does an very good job of finding that balance, just with more "dick and fart" jokes.
I think this is a good watch for anyone who likes stand up or follows comedic actors (such as SNL actors).

JUDD'S BEST MOVIE DON'T @ ME
BETTER THAN LA DOLCE VITA DON'T @ ME

Weirdly long ad.
Started out... Not good, but, promising, maybe? Got worse the further it went, and was basically garbage by the closing moments.
_Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._

Fun buddy flick that did make me chuckle a few times but on the other hand nothing special. However it's light-hearted and makes for a breezy film to sit through thanks to both Nanjiani and Baudista. **3.25/5**

If you’re looking for fun little date night movie, a night out with friends or a fun way to kill 90 minutes, ‘Stuber’ is the perfect film. It doesn’t reach comedy heights, but thanks to its leads it’s a very fun sit.
- Chris dos Santos
Read Chris' full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-stuber-an-uber-fun-90-minutes-but-little-more

One of many lame slashers that sprouted in the late 90s thanks to the mega success of 'Scream'. Good cast utterly wasted with stilted dialogue and a nonsensical story, a half-assed motive and tame kills that weren't all that memorable.

Urban Legend is a movie I watched during a long weekend marathon of older slasher movies that seem to have been forgotten, or at least aren't as heralded as the more well-known movies of the genre (Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, etc.). Among these lesser known movies, I would have to say that Urban Legend deserves to stand above, as it is more entertaining, more enjoyable, and more slick than you would expect.
The concept here is more important than the story. Whereas Scream created a slasher movie where the characters and the killers were horror movie obsessives, Urban Legend does the same for...well, urban legends. The concept is inherently clever, as urban legends are stories and bedtime tales that are meant to induce a sense of fear and paranoia about whether they're true. As our final girl learns the hard way, convincing people to believe in these stories is a difficult task.
The main attraction here apart from the premise is the cast. Ignoring their late-90s star power, the cast is still packed with beautiful people knowingly playing up the qualities that the audiences will enjoy the most. Fans of Jared Leto will enjoy guessing whether his mysterious character is the killer or just a red-herring. Alicia Witt and Rebecca Gayheart prove to be believable and relatable best buddies who each keep a dark secret from each other. Meanwhile, Joshua Jackson shows up long enough to deliver the movie's best laughs and a fresh-faced Tara Reid gives the teenage boys bouncing cleavage while she runs. Lastly, Loretta Devine gives us an authority figure who is absolutely worth rooting for.
The movie is not shy about its self-awareness. It knows it's silly, it knows it's preposterous. It knows that you know this as well, and it takes that knowledge and runs, well aware that you can keep up. And the kills are fun, exciting, and clever, which is what everyone wants most of all from a slasher movie, right?

Following a series of strange murders, a group of students at a college campus set out to investigate the crimes and their seeming connection to the killer when they find out the killer is basing their crimes on urban legends and set out to stop the rampage.
This is far better than its reputation would have it. Among the better features here is the fact that back when this movie came out the gimmick of using the deaths based on urban legends allowed for some pretty inventive and original kills. The opening backseat driver decapitation is a great one to open a film on, the dead boyfriend suspended over a fleeing car in the woods offers some rather nice suspense with the killer appearing and continually trying to break into the car and the sex/strangulation misidentification is really cool mainly because the circumstances needed to make it true, from the back-story needed to make sure she shouldn't see anything, the killer gaining access to the room without violent means, and the actual sounds of the incident, are all mixed together and makes a marvelous scene. These here really work nicely due to the way they incorporate the whole mythology of the premise into their stalking and work incredibly well at bringing these together. Other great scenes, where she watches someone in the killers known attire stalk one of her friends in a swimming pool while she is helplessly trying to get her attention or the tense stalking of the DJ in the radio station during the thunderstorm make for some additional tense, thrilling scenes, and the way it works out due to knowing what the killer is dressed like is effective enough. That also leads into the twist about the identity of the killer and how their secret is kept, as the way there are so many different red herrings involved and all of them given good alibis to clear them, so by gaining more clues to their identity, it broadens the suspense by making an extra clue for the people to solve. These here really work nicely for the film as there isn’t a whole lot really to dislike here. The main problem with this film is that it was aimed for the masses to consume, so it has a lot of toned-down gore. Many of these killings should've been gorier, and it will probably disappoint many out there looking for a good gory slasher film. It also falls into the realm of those films where they're trying to poke fun of the genre at the same time as trying to scare, and here is one example that having a ton of cheap scares aren't that frightening. What makes it worse is that many of the jokes aren't funny, so it is a bit flat in some places. The pacing is a little off in the first half with all the build-ups to the class and what they all mean, but there’s not a whole lot else wrong here.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, some alcohol use, a scene with a dog drinking and a brief mild sex scene.

One might nostalgically recall the days back when the cheesy yet infectious Japanese monster movies were such a magnificent draw during those hazy Saturday afternoons showcasing the double creature feature matinees that aired weekly on television. We were considered very lucky if we had Mothera battle Gamera in one showing followed up by experiencing the sheer thrill of watching Rodan take on his latest ferocious foe as well. However, as well-known as these mentioned Far East big screen beasts were in all their glorious rage and colorful destruction nobody was as legendary or instrumental in seriously wreaking havoc on vulnerable Japanese soil both heroically or horrendously than our heralded King of Carnage in the celebrated _Godzilla_.
The famed and humongous rumble-and-tumble reptile makes a grand return courtesy of Toho Studios reviving the catastrophic critter in writer/co-director Hideaki Anno’s and Shinji Higuchi’s monster mash offering **Godzilla Resurgence** (a.k.a.”Shin Godzilla”). Interestingly, the last _Godzilla_ flick that was released by Toho Studios was more than a decade ago in 2004. Naturally, Japanese audiences were privileged to the exploitative antics of the favorable large lizard when **Godzilla Resurgence** premiered earlier this year.
Thankfully, Anno’s and Higuchi’s spry creature concoction is now showing up in limited release in other countries as _Godzilla_ dusts off his combative cobwebs from yesteryear and makes a contemporary return to the cinematic psyches for baby-boomers looking to revive their childhood memories of the spike-toothed rampaging rogue doing what he does best: stomping through the endangered streets of Japan in the name of high-wire popcorn entertainment. In any event, there is a willing welcome wagon to embrace this familiar and feisty monstrous menace with robust enjoyment. There have been previous _Godzilla_ editions that were not necessarily received with the pat-on-the-back reception (yes Roland Emmerich–we are referencing your disastrous take on 1998’s _Godzilla_). Still, **Godzilla Resurgence** accomplishes the impossible as it stays close to its humble 1954 roots while managing to sprinkle some fresh impishness within its clever manufactured mayhem.
The screening experience of viewing the majestic monster _Godzilla_ is stunning and surreal because the film’s handlers create the terrorizing tension and torture of a full-scale predator crashing his way into the miniature-sized obstacles (people, buildings, bridges, power lines, etc.) with demolished durability. The physical details on the _Godzilla_ monster are hideously wondrous and every bloody drool from the creature’s jagged mouth and ominous scaly skin is profoundly sinister. The thought of Godzilla’s two-ton tail pouncing and waving with destructive defiance generates the additional mystique of this Asia-based destroyer.
For those not quite informed about the backstory of the _Godzilla_ mythology it is quite simple: a classical creature was born/created back in 1954 at Toho Studios where filmmaker Ishiro Honda presented a monster flick that would go on to endure as a cult favorite in Japanese cinema and elsewhere around the world for the next six decades. Sure, the various _Godzilla_ installments (not including the derivative American versions) were saddled in inspired cheesiness (you got to love the laughable “man-in-the-monster-suit” cheapened special effects) with toy model sets serving as a deteriorating Japanese background to _Godzilla’s_ cinematic wrath. Nevertheless, the clear message was received thoughtfully and philosophically–_Godzilla_ and his creepy contemporaries was conceived and symbolic of that country’s disillusionment with its atomic bombing past. As a result, the Japanese-based beasts were reflective of the man-made devastation that haunted a targeted region of the world that knew annihilation and humiliation. _Godzilla_ made for some escapist thrills and chills for Japanese movie audiences in the heyday of the 50’s and 60’s but Honda’s alarming predatory pest would also resonate as a freakish catalyst for the country’s past and present turmoil for political, societal and technological survival. Hence, _Godzilla_ is a representative (and product) of a historical nuclear blast that remains as an immense ugly chapter in humanity.
**Godzilla Resurgence** (_Shin Godzilla_) introduces good ole Godzilla as a mystery wrecking machine unbeknownst to the Tokyo city officials that have no clue in how to contain the unknown boisterous, beastly intruder as he storms through Japan like a loose sledgehammer through a light bulb factory. Once the return of the ravenous Godzilla had been identified the big brass now has to figure out how to eradicate the enormous fiendish phenomenon. Do they nuke the corrosive creature without the dire consequences of sacrificing its jeopardized citizens in the territory?
As the Japanese government agonizes over what should be done with Godzilla’s dubious presence as he methodically smashes everything in his wicked path the cynicism grows moment by moment. Specifically, why is Godzilla’s tumultuous existence impacting their way of life? Is the creature’s overstayed welcome some sort of plot from the rest of the world to dump unrest and debauchery on their sacred grounds? Better yet can the foreign superpowers such as the United States, China or Russia collaborate to help terminate the mighty monster? Will Godzilla disturb global concerns and if so how will the militaristic mindset play out in Japan’s beleaguered backyard?
**Godzilla Resurgence** aims to be more than just a typical giant monster movie mired in splashy CGI special effects and engulfed explosions. Anno (“Evangelion”) and Higuchi (“Attack on Titan”) actually serve up a sophisticated and thought-provoking creature caper that digs underneath the throwaway exploitation surface. The tongue-in-cheek nostalgia is firmly maintained and the moviegoers are treated to their share of Godzilla’s manic mischievousness. Importantly, Anno and Higuchi amp up their brand of a disguised political potboiler in the form of a sci-fi monster B movie that sufficiently labors at mirroring the current-day chaos and conflicts that bombard a modern-day Japan (or any inserted nation for that matter). Whether spotlighting international trust/distrust or pinpointing kaiju (meaning “big, brutal monsters”) terrorism as an allegory for Japan’s temporary unseen but inevitable national fallout caused by an impenetrable nature disaster it is quite revealing that **Godzilla Resurgence** delves beyond its cartoonish ruination.
Whatever interpretation that one derives from **Godzilla Resurgence** the verdict is undeniably sound that Toho Studios delivers a lively and message-driven platform about uncontrollable forces and critical decisions that befall an ambivalent country undergoing in-house scrutiny. To put it in layman’s terms: **Godzilla Resurgence** is a surprisingly well-done despite its sometimes campy makeup. Surely **Resurgence** is solid enough to uphold the G-man’s beloved legacy in the kaiju genre.
**Godzilla Resurgence (Shin Godzilla)** 2016
Toho Studios
2 hrs.
Starring: Hiroki Hasegawa, Satomi Ishihara, Yutaka Takenouchi, Ren Ohsugi, Akira Emoto
Directed by: Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi
Written by: Hideaki Anno
MPAA Rating: NR
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy/Action & Adventure/Drama
Critic’s rating: *** stars (out of 4 stars)
(c) **Frank Ochieng** 2016

**An event that changed Ruth's life forever!**
Netflix's another future cult film. It deserved all the praises it had received. Those discarded actors joined hands here and it was Macon Blair's directional debut too. He also wrote for it, but sadly he stood only at behind the camera, except a tiny cameo. He has done his part magnificently. And so do the actors. Elijah Wood's one of the best films outside the LOTR. And Melanie Lynskey, I don't know when I saw her last time in a film, though good to see her in such a wonderful film.
Ruth's life is nothing but a mechanical life. She has no friends or a boyfriend. But one day when her house got robbed, that triggers her to take up the challenging task which is to hunt down the culprit. On her mission, an unusual friendship blossom with a neighbour. At first, it all goes smoothly, but once they make a direct contact with the burglar, their life's changes. It now gets very serious and there's no stepping back. So how they manage it all are the puzzle of the remaining tale.
So much fun to watch. I liked all the developments, how the events turned out one after another. But that final scene at the woods was a bit clichéd. That should have been different, to end the story on high. I only say don't miss it. The film posters are not impressive, but the film was excellent. Guaranteed entertainment, for most of the people. One of the year's best films.
_8/10_

**The amusement park where you can go back in time!**
I wanted to see it before I get into the new television series of the same name based on this. This is totally amazing film, especially coming from the early 70s. Obviously everyone understands the cowboy culture, because it was from the past. But mixing it with the future was the real beauty here. The robots and all, I don't think all the people from that era understood it clearly, but surely they have got entertained. So now, people do have knowledge about the things what in this film was talked, but still this film is effective despite the technology differs.
No doubt this film was the source of inspiration for many films that came after it. That's what I was remembering while watching that so many titles popped in my mind. So hats off to the creator of this. But looking at its rating and reviews, seems an under-rated and under-recognised film. The story was kept simple, not making any complication, either technical terms or characters and the story developments.
The two friends head for an amusement part where they can have the real wild wild west holiday by drawing the arms against the robots. But one day when something goes wrong, one of them who got stranded there, looks for a way out and how he makes it told in the remaining narration. It does not give any reason why malfunction happened. Because that's how things happen right, like when a plane crash, we investigate what caused it later. So in this, it was just focused on a disaster, but the first half of was different which was more an introduction to what kind of world the story sets in.
If 'Star Wars' is the father of all the space films and 'The Lord of the Rings' for all the fantasy films, then this must be the father of all the dystopian films that we see in the present cinema. Certainly it is not a masterpiece, but the idea of the film plot stands alone. It opened the door for the similarly themed films like 'Night of the Living Dead' did for the zombie films. A must, must see film, particularly by the film fanatics.
_8/10_

Based on what might be a real scenario, we find ourselves in a pretty Norwegian fjord town that might be in danger from a tsunami. How? Well, apparently there are millions of tons of rock precariously situated on the mountainside that are likely to eventually slide down into the water and create a monumental tidal wave. There are loads of early warning systems in place and that's lucky for geologist "Kristian" (Kristoffer Joner) and his family. His wife works in the local hotel and his children are all ready packed for their imminent move to Stavanger. The inevitable happens, and now it's a battle for survival as everyone in the town must get to higher ground else drown. Luckily there are no predatory sharks, this time, but it does rather shine a light on the effectiveness of nuclear shelters. Rather than just bomb them, just aim at a nearby lake and watch the water flood the ventilation shafts! Can they stay alive? The premiss is quite interesting, but the execution is pretty standard fayre with a lot of dialogue and some scenes of jeopardy that aren't really especially innovative - though the visual effects are quite well presented towards the conclusion. It's hardly a film you'll never remember but it passes the time OK.

Some pretty darn good CGI for a smaller budget movie. And when the two guys were stuck in the crevice while it was closing?!?! I was legitimately afraid for them. I do wish we could have experienced the wave for longer but alas … that’s the nature of a tsunami. A few seconds of action and then lots and lots of devastation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ One of the better disaster movies overall. Straightforward, good acting, and not overwhelmed with bad CGI.

The Wave is an excellent Norwegian language disaster film. It centers on a geologist who is leaving town with his family for a better paying job. However, before he leaves, he suspects the mountain there may be in danger of imminent collapse. He has to convince his colleagues while there is still time for escape. When his worst fears come true, the town's inhabitants have 10 minutes to escape. Chaos then occurs as everyone tries to escape and the geologist tries to save his family.
The movie cost over $6 million to make which is impressive considering the size of Norway. I would have expected a movie like this to cost much more. Everything seems very realistic. The actors and actresses did a tremendous job. There is a very well done scene inside a small shaft that had me trying to catch my own breath.
As of the date I'm publishing this, the movie is available on Netflix in the US. It's definitely worth watching even if you have to pay for a rental or purchase (available for download from all major US providers). Don't let the fact that it is a foreign language film stop you.

> They expected it, but never prepared for it.
This is the latest natural disaster flick from the Norway. About an inland tsunami that caused due to the landslide near the lake that based around the mountains. Kind of fresh in that perspective, because as far I remember I haven't seen a movie evolve in this theme which is only a slightly differs from water reservoir burst and flood accidental concepts.
It's definitely a good watch, something I learnt from the Norwegian side of strategy to tackle the natural disasters. But the film was about what happens when you know the dangers and for some reason fail to the take action at the time, like maybe the human error or the negligence.
It was sent to represent the nation in the 'the best foreign film' category at the 2016 Oscars, but failed to make the progress. I kind of enjoyed it, but not that impressive other than the quality performances and the visuals. I feel the story was too short, I meant not the runtime. Technically, there was no story other than the opening few minutes.
It would have been better if it had the hard hitting emotions with the catchy lines and depth in all the main characters. Because when the film ends, you probably begin to forget it already, which usually won't happen for a Hollywood flick. That's the major difference if you compare it with the American films.
> "That rock has stood for thousands of years
> and will stand securely for thousands more."
Okay, I agree Hollywood makes the best disaster movies. But other film industries as well catching up the trend, utilising the modern CGI and trying to match with them. Korea did the same with their first disaster film 'Tidal Wave' back in 2009. Remember this is Norways first step as well and somewhat excelled, especially in the technical area.
For unknown actors and the language, these films are restricted or depended on the domestic market only and this film did great by setting up a record for that year in the revenue. But films like these are rarely recognised in the international arena, other than by the critics through film festivals. What I think is they need to improve by commercialising the overall product a bit if they want the international market like once again saying what the Korean film industry did.
It opens with a simple drama that centres around a family from a small town who're facing the usual family issue. At the end of the first half, the disaster strikes, which was just around the 5 minutes. So you are going to miss those Hollywood propaganda like ships capsized or the falling skyscrapers. The usage of graphics were limited, but the later scenes were green screen shots. So I warn you to keep your expectations low.
The next half was the aftermath of the calamity where the people go look for their beloved ones. But it focused only the one family, and their involvement, which is more or less similar to 'The Impossible'. The supporting characters are the weak point in the entire narrative. One of the few things I like about this film was this one looks more natural and realistic.
I won't officially declare it a must see, it was not bad either. You might like it more than me. The movie is worth a watch other than often you encounter the influence of other flicks. You can't complain for those, basically, they are like a blueprint for a theme like this. If you're able to comply with pouring cliches, you could have a good time with it, in my opinion.
6.5/10

I will admit that I quite enjoyed this reversioning of Rosemary Sutcliff's book "The Eagle of the Ninth". Channing Tatum takes on the role of "Marcus Aquila" - son of one of the cohort commanders of the famous 9th legion that vanished in the highlands of modern-day Scotland sometime in the 2nd Century AD. Determined to restore the honour of his father, he and his slave "Esca" (Jamie Bell) set off to locate the Eagle - the golden symbol of the Roman people that was carried before the legion. This is quite a fast moving little adventure film with an interesting score from Atli Örvarsson to accompany their travails through hostile territory in search of their trophy. There is a chemistry between the two stars and some beautiful outdoor photography. Tahar Rahim is good as the grittily determined and ruthless prince of the Seal people and Ned Dennehy also stands out, albeit for only few scenes, as his slightly deranged father. Mark Strong also appears a few times too, sporting a completely unnecessary American accent! Passes the time enjoyably.

A bunch of friends decide to rent a cabin in the woods. I would say besides a killer hunting you down in the woods, this would be the 2nd most terrifying thing that can happen to you in the woods. Catching some unknown disease that eats you alive.

This is a clever exposé of how men deal with their emotions. Marco and Benigno develop a close friendship almost despite themselves - and certainly not because they actually ought to. There is "love" that is unrequited, on-the-rebound and even violent all encompassed within this relatively concise story. Almodóvar hits the gold mine early with this and mines it wonderfully. There are some distinctive moral ambiguities in this film, and the Director makes no apology for that nor does he try to corral us into his (or any other) way of thinking - we have to make our own judgement as to how compassionate and/or forgiving we are at the end.

Now this is…really something different like the story and Benigno. I know what he did was so so wrong but I felt bad for him. Such a heartbreaking story and I love how the friendship was formed, although I really didn’t care about the writer and matador. I just couldn’t stop watching this film when I saw it on Sundance, until the ending, like the butt shakin partner dance before the end credits. It may be the music. And of course…Paz Vega’s black and white silent film, the shrinking man who went inside her…literally!

Decent action can't overcome thin characters plus Stallone and Stone didn't have much chemistry together. At the very least James Woods, once again, goes over-the-top as the villain so he was entertaining. **2.75/5**

_**Explosive comic book crime thriller with Stallone, Stone and Woods**_
An ex-CIA demolitions expert (Sylvester Stallone) is hired by a grim beauty in Miami (Sharon Stone) to take out the mobsters who murdered her parents when she was a girl. Rod Steiger and Eric Roberts play high society gangsters while James Woods is on hand as the specialist’s rival, who works for the mob.
"The Specialist" (1994) is a competent Stallone action flick set in Miami, albeit seriously comic booky with Woods really hamming it up; Roberts too, to a lesser degree.
Stallone was 47 during shooting and in exceptional shape. Not that I care, but he and Stone are shown totally nude in a shower scene (in a tasteful way). She looked great at 35, but this flick doesn’t beat “King Solomon’s Mines” (1985) where Sharon’s shorts kept getting shorter as the story progressed. Her character in that film wasn’t ultra-bitter as she is in this one; she was all-around vibrant.
It’s kind of glaring, but the movie borrowed music from the 80’s Bond films; obviously the producers wanted that vibe. While it lacks the globetrotting of 007, it’s basically a mix of 80’s Bond and “The Punisher” (1989).
The film runs 1 hour, 50 minutes and was shot in the Miami area, Florida, with the opening done at Great Falls Dam, Rock Island, Tennessee.
GRADE: B-/C+