EvilPhoEniX

The first mainstream horror film of the year and it is, as expected, a yawner. The haunted pool idea could have been original, but it's generic to the point of woe in every way. No atmosphere, the scares don't work, it's so light and soft in every way. I'm pretty sick and tired of genre flicks like this. Not fun. 4/10.

An enjoyable coming of age drama about three girls who go on holiday to enjoy the wild party life and one of them would like to lose her virginity. The actors are likeable, the film goes by quickly but I found it a bit ordinary; there are plenty of films like this and this one doesn't stand out too much, it's a little too explicit and wild for that, but it is entertaining. 6/10.

Shinsuke Sato is on a rampage again and I was looking forward to the finale of my favourite Japanese Trilogy. Unfortunately, the film is split into two parts, so we won't get a proper finale until next time, which is usually a bad thing to review because we only get half of it. The second part was a nearly two hour spectacular battle, here we don't get any fighting in the first hour, which slightly affects the pacing. Visually it's still top notch, the return of old characters is very welcome, and the start of the spectacular battle that will be the climax in the finale is only sketched in its early stages. The strategy is also very well presented and nice to watch, but I enjoyed the previous two episodes a bit more, and I believe that the real satisfaction will come with the final episode. 6/10.

Netflix’s latest german action martial arts brawler is more or less a manly variation of Run Lola Run. The MMA protagonist doesn't want to lose his daughter, so he blows off an important fight and rushes across Berlin to find her. He has 60 minutes to do so, but dangerous people have bet on his match and they are now after him. It is very suspenseful and intense and it moves forward fast. The main character is likeable, the fights are captured in one shot and although they are a bit staged and artificial, it didn't bother me much because the camera work is clear, dynamic, and brutal (although it lacks limb-breaking and blood). There is plenty of action, visually it's fine, the story is silly but fortunately that’s not a problem this time. It's an easygoing action flick without ambitions, but I liked it. 6/10.

I was looking forward to a crazy French comedy set in the education system, in the style of Suck Me Shakespeer or Serial Teachers, but unfortunately, that's not the case. The comedy elements are only marginal, but I must say that it is an original film with good actors, emotions, and an interesting message. A new math teacher starts at a school, and the teachers immediately go on strike. She decides to voluntarily teach the students who want to come to school, but the catch is that the students can do whatever they want, they have absolute freedom. There could have been a lot of crazy and comedic situations, so it's a pity that the film is more of a drama, as it focuses more on the students' talents. I enjoyed it, Sarah Suco plays the teacher nicely, and in the end, it is also quite emotional. A pleasant little film. 6/10.

A thoroughbred award-winning drama, exactly in that perfect repulsive form that I absolutely hate. Monster can shake hands with Anatomy of a Fall, both are ungratifying movies for the audience that gave me nothing in life, just stole two precious hours of my time. The real monster here is the director, because making a movie where nothing interesting happens in two hours is truly an art. The film is told from three different perspectives, but when you have a story that is civil, mundane, and uninteresting, even twenty different perspectives wouldn't be enough for a good film. I read enthusiastic reviews here about an excellent screenplay, but except for a twist, you must ideally go all the way to Taiwan. There is no tension, no plot twists, no progression, no violence, no atmosphere, the visuals are cheap, the actors are unimpressive, the film has no emotions, the dialogues are nothing particularly interesting, and when the topic of education is discussed, there is not even bullying, which is already a complete miss. A screenplay treat that is tasty like 3-day-old bread. Pure Japanese shit. 2/10.

An enjoyable spy family action comedy that follows a familiar template, but works and reliably entertains. Although it does not reach the quality of My Spy and the humour is not as effective as it should be, thanks to the likeable family led by Mark Wahlberg (surprisingly decent fights, if it was R-Rated my enthusiasm would be even greater), the hot Maggie Q and Michelle Monaghan. It is simply the right kind of easygoing and enjoyable stuff. A safe bet that won't offend. 6/10.

A dutch gangster drama set in 1990s in Rotterdam with drug dealers. I like these European gangster movies set in housing estates, where the outskirts of society usually play a role. Although rarely bringing something new to the genre, they never get boring and naturally entertain. Hardcore Never Dies is about two brothers, one wanting to be a pianist and the other a deceitful drug dealer. The latter drags the former unexpectedly into his side and together they start a drug business. Personally, I find the skinhead characters quite unlikeable, they are visually typical stereotypes and don't behave fairly. But I can't fault the film for that, as it strives to be authentic. I was hoping for a bit more explicit violence and sex, as is typical for these movies, but there isn't much action here either. The finale is quite suspenseful, but it cuts off at the best part, as if they didn't know how to end the film. It's a shame, because with a more climactic ending and a proper reckoning, the film might have earned four stars. As it is, it's a better than average film. If you enjoy similar movies, you won't be disappointed. 6/10.

Fuck you Anatomy of a Fall!! This duel of two European films that have collected awards and received similar enthusiastic ovations is won by Poor Things on all fronts. It can hardly compare to that ungrateful, extremely long and uninteresting, disgustingly cheap and literal copycat The Staircase for jaded bookworms and art nerds of the deepest grain. Poor Things is exceptional in that it satisfies both regular viewers and critics, which happens rarely. Yorgos Lanthimos creates unconventional and interesting films (I liked The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer), so I went to the cinema prepared, but this guy has matured as a director to the point where he has possibly made the best film of the year right from the start. I have never seen or remember such flawless filmmaking that would excel and dominate in every aspect. Poor Things is formally amazing. A beautiful Steampunk world in the Victorian era with beautifully painted sets (there are some scenes that you will probably want to hang as a painting at home), it has an original idea and a lot of interesting concepts (those animal hybrids are perfect). It also has a very strong cast. Willem Dafoe as the scientist is very smart and impressive, Mark Ruffalo has possibly the best role in his career, and Emma Stone, well, she is absolutely awesome, a sort of a cross between Harley Quinn, an absolutely incredible acting performance, if not the best female performance I have ever seen, she plays Bella brilliantly, I would be surprised if she didn't end up on drugs or in a mental institution after this. As a bonus, there is plenty of dark and cynical humor, where the whole cinema laughed. The humor always managed to liven up the film properly, and Bella's vulgarity and rudeness in society were simply the best. The film won me over almost from the beginning (although at first, I was afraid they were going to show us a black and white version), but once Bella starts traveling the world, it's one big party, with an excellent screenplay, great actors, fantastic cinematography, amazing visuals, humor, dialogues, and it's also appropriately perverse and twisted, as they fuck like crazy here! (The episode in the Parisian brothel with all those creeps and perverts is an absolute gem). I applaud standing up, I cry with enthusiasm, I take off my hat. A masterpiece. Flawless and magnificent! Proper Frankenstein's daughter! :) 10/10.

James Nunn and Scott Adkins return in the sequel to the tactical shooter, and by B-movie standards, it's a successful action ride. The film picks up right after the second part, where Adkins is tasked with escorting a suspected terrorist to Washington, but an organized attack occurs at the airport. Once it starts, it has a very tense and intense atmosphere, with a plethora of enemies and the entire assault being portrayed aggressively and uncompromisingly. The single-shot camera works well (clearly, a higher-budget would have benefitted the film, but not every filmmaker gets the money for such films, so let's be grateful for this). It's more about shooting, there aren't many fights, and when there are, Adkins isn't a martial arts master, he gets his ass kicked nicely, and it seemed to me that he only used his skills halfway, but at least it feels authentic, having just an agent and not a martial arts star. Michael Jai White shows up only at the very end, which is a bit of a shame, but the duel was likable. There was even one surprising twist, and the story itself, by B-movie standards, is quite interesting, so I had a decent time once again. It reminded me of my favorite PS1 game, “Syphon Filter 2”. 7/10.