Reviews of 2017
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- DirectorJames MangoldStarsHugh JackmanPatrick StewartDafne KeenIn a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.8.0
- DirectorJordan Vogt-RobertsStarsTom HiddlestonSamuel L. JacksonBrie LarsonAfter the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong and must fight to escape a primal Eden.6.2
- DirectorDaniel EspinosaStarsJake GyllenhaalRebecca FergusonRyan ReynoldsA team of scientists aboard the International Space Station discover a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars and now threatens all life on Earth.6.8
- DirectorBill CondonStarsEmma WatsonDan StevensLuke EvansA selfish Prince is cursed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he learns to fall in love with a beautiful young woman he keeps prisoner.6.9
-didn't have that incredible charm and magic and beauty the original had so much of
-drama and performances not very strong
-story very similar to original, but much backstory was invented new, a lot of which was not interesting and felt forced, as is the case with many remakes that build upon an original that is a compact, short movie. They feel the need to bloat it up, make it bigger, to be a big blockbuster that runs for at least 120mins. Sometimes it does work, like in last year's Jungle Book. Mostly it doesn't.
-additional plot elements weren't necessarily needed (like the crone/witch character) or were just stupid like Gaston and the father going into the woods together and than just turning around and returning for no reason??
-Gaston and Lefou storyline somewhat better than in original, yet still not really good, sometimes over the top and ridiculous
-the beast and the castle characters weren't as rich, interesting, funny as they were in the original
-some minor improvements storywise on original (for example belle pushing her father out of the cell sacrificing herself and forcing him to be freed from the castle)
-Emma Watson good casting, although performance not very dramatic
-Kevin Kline good casting as her father
-Dan stevens was fine as the beast (although not nearly as powerful a character as in original), I liked the design and VFX of the beast
-great music (as always in disney films, music was the best part),
however the old songs didn't improve, what they changed made the songs rather worse than better (beauty and the beast sung by Emma Thompson sounded way too clean, and Be our guest was slowed down too much, Ewan McGregor's take not as good as the original)
-great original song
-great costume/production design
-good VFX
-nice end credit design - DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsVin DieselJason StathamDwayne JohnsonWhen a mysterious woman seduces Dominic Toretto into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.6.8
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaAllison WilliamsBradley WhitfordA young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.8.2
-good story (also the far-fetched mind-transplanting-thing was sold in a way that it was made believable)
-great preformances across the board (especially allison williams, daniel kaluuya and above all bradley whitford as the father)
-great themes
-good humour, good dialogue, good character development, twist was revealed step-by-step in a very clever way ---> good script
-strong suspense and creepiness ---> good direction
-interesting score (very effective)
-cool opening scene in one shot
-comedic sidekick worked! (that's not too often the case)
-antagonist who purchases Chris' body is given an understandable motivation (he wants to see again)
-ending very unexpected: unusual to just end the movie by having the friend Rod be in the police car, where Peele could have added another plot element with a policeman who mistakes the crime scene and arrests Chris. Brave choice too include a non-clichéd, uncheesy, abrupt ending, without an additional closing scene -> very good
-but the mind-controll thing could have been spared by using some medicin or pills, couldn't it? It was kind of strange and I didn't really buy it.
---> but all in all very strong debut from Jordan Peele, with very good performances - DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattZoe SaldanaDave BautistaThe Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father, the ambitious celestial being Ego.5.8
With most movies, the most important part are the main characters: they should be interesting, charismatic, not bland and dull, maybe funny or witty, relatable and realistic. Guardians vol.2 has many of those characters, all 5 main characters (and yondu too) are quite entertaining good characters. Problem is, that's the only good thing about the movie. The plot, the subplots, the supporting characters, the villain, the action, the music, the design are all very weak and I didn't like them at all.
-Worst part was the villain storyline: the idea was ludicrous and I didn't give a *beep* I liked Kurt Russel's performance up to the point where he revealed himself to be evil. The climactic battle involving him fighting was not handled well, the scenes on earth where people flee this giant pudding thing were very bad and felt misplaced, and the design with which Ego finally perished was not cool either. His plan was so convoluted and stupid. I didn't buy it, didn't understand and really didn't want to understand it. I was neither invested nor interested.
-The subplot with the gold people was *beep*
-I have no idea what Sylvester Stallone was there for
-already in the first one I was not entertained by the music, I'm not a fan of movies who put the soundtrack over an original score, and with the first one it seemed that many people thought it to be almost the best part of the movie. It didn't convince me and here it rahther bothered me.
-It's the same with the crazy design and humour. As many critics pointed oiut, too, the unconventionality and craziness of characters, humour, design and music wasn't as refreshing and new as in the first one. While I wasn't overwhelmed by those things in the first one, I was mostly annoyed by them in this one.
-while I liked that the story was a lot about family, over the top characters like nebula take away any interest, investment or emotional impact from this theme. Even it she was supposed to be over the top, it was still acted poorly and she looked ridiculous design-wise. Also, the scene where she chases Gamora in the spaceship is so over the top and bad, and the fact that they reunite just after shooting on each other a little bit makes it even worse.
-there were al lot of clichés in dialogue, character motivation and action moments
-one extreme example of an clichéd action moment is that the bad guys wait just long enough for yondu's arrow to kill them instead of just shooting him immediately, and in the scene where that happens (yondu walking in slowmo over a bridge while escaping the prison) the bad guys are seen in the frame for seconds moving around instead of shooting yondu who is just walking past them. That's lazy and bad direction and I'm not going to look over such things although every movie does them. Just a little bit more effort by the director and crew could remove little things like that which always take me out of the movie. By the way there is a similar scene in the first movie, too.
-of course there are major scientific inaccuracies in the movie (like a body freezing and getting frost over it in outer space), but in a movie like this, these turn out to be only minor complaints in the end
-the action (especially the climactic battle) was again too cramped and felt like a generic end-battle with lots of CGI and shining and exploding things, of which I'm really tired and bored by now, given that almost any blockbuster does them so similarly
-like that, of course there had to be an act of sacrifice (from yondu)
-although that sacrifice was generic, it got somewhat emotional and I find it impressive that the film took so much time to honour the fallen Guardian afterwards; it's quiet scenes like that (also e.g. a scene where drax reflects about his family when talking to Mantis) got to be the only ones with any emotional impact
-the opening scene was very original by placing the action-scene in the background and putting Baby Groot with the opening credits in the foreground. It was a clever way to do something new, which was one of the rare occasions where for me the movie succeeded to be the unconventional special film it wants to be.
-I looked all the time for references to the MCU, but I didn't get them, and I respect James Gunn for not including any except one (when Nebual talks about Thanos), because I can understand that he doesn't want the Avengers and the MCU to distract from his relatively self-contained movie. However, that makes me question if it was even necessary to include the Guardians to the MCU, instead of keeping them in their own universe, but that remains to be seen until Infinity War next year.
After all, I really liked the main characters, enjoyed some of the humour (especially Drax's worked for me most of the time) and some of the themes, and I adored Baby Groot (because...you just have to...), but I couldn't find any quality or enjoyment in any of the other stuff. - DirectorJoachim RønningEspen SandbergStarsJohnny DeppGeoffrey RushJavier BardemCaptain Jack Sparrow searches for the Trident of Poseidon to rule the sea while being pursued by old rival Captain Salazar and a crew of deadly ghosts who have escaped from the Devil's Triangle.5.6
-slight improvement on last one
-salazar and his crew better than in the 4th one (especially the cool design and effects)
-story of course as ludicrous and convoluted as ever
-plot and structure very messy and chaotic (as usual in pirates films)
-unnecessary subplots and side characters (like barbossa visiting the witch)
-uninteresting subplots and side characters (like the Royal Navy and David Wenham's character)
-usual over-the-top slapstick action (not good, but that's what has to be in a pirates movie)
-as in the last movies Barbossa has lost all of his mysterious, menacing aspects
-as in the last movie Jack has lost all of his charme, wit, and seriousness and has decreased to a mere comical clown
-Brendon Swaits was just fine as Henry
-Kaya Scodelario was good and charismatic as Carina
-twist that Barbossa's her father was far-fetched and not really convincing, but Geoffrey Rush managed to generate some emotions out of the father-daughter-element
-good production design
-music sounded just exactly like Hans Zimmer's music from the previous installments, no theme development or major variations in the score whatsoever - DirectorPatty JenkinsStarsGal GadotChris PineRobin WrightWhen a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny.6.9
-great main characters
-great lead performances: Gal Gadot, especially Chris Pine, very charismatic, very charming, good chemistry between Steve and Diana
-good setting (WWI)
-awesome main theme (Zimmer, Junky XL from BvS)
-action scene in second act very awesome (but you also noticed too much that this was supposed to be the giant action setpiece), but very well directed action, reminded of Russo brother action from Captain America (the intense kicking etc)
-good humour ("fish out of water" first act), nice and subtle funny moments (clothes fitting, revolvable door, ice cream)
-very emancipated (i.e. for once the man is naked instead of the woman)
-good production design
-supporting characters very random, not interesting, disposable
-villain characters terrible!!: Danny Huston very bad as Ludendorff, performance but especially the idea of taking a historic figure and inventing a absolutely ridiculous character around it. Would have been better to just invent a new name, without the historical person attached to the character. Dr Poison absolutely ridiculous, idea as well as performance, voice, design. One of the worst villain characters, stories, ideas I've seen in long time.
-"power pills" and Ludendorff's physical advance to some kind of monster are also very bad idea, very poorly executed and ridiculous (also the design and VFX for this effect wasn't convincing)
-could have been done more with WWI setting, story not that surprising/interesting
-Petty Jenkins used waaaaay to much slowmo in the action scenes, especially the opening action at the beach
-climactic battle just generic, dull CGI fest as seen so many times before (i.e. in Zack Snyder films)
-twist that Sir Patrick was Ares unexpected, though nevertheless not good and convincing: had he been working for the british government all along although he's actually a god??, didn't make sense for me
-David Thewlis was fine for being the mysterious menacing figure only visible through the windows, but was so unappropriate for being a big action villain, his performance and also his costume turned out to be very weak and ridiculous
-again the movie ended by an act of self-sacrifice and some glorious "noooooo!"-screams :/
-however, the final conversation where Steve tells Diana that there's no Ares and that all men are both good and evil became interesting and emotional - DirectorAlex KurtzmanStarsTom CruiseSofia BoutellaAnnabelle WallisAn ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.4.6
-no good performances, not even by tom cruise who acts around very hastily and makes fun of every scene that could be seriously creepy or interesting
-Annabelle Wallis' character not interesting, love story very forced and generic
-Jake Johnsons side character totally annoying even before his mutation, and even worse after that
-Russel crowe fine as exposition element, but terrible in the action scene as mr. hyde, due to poor make-up/cg applied to his face and the fact that actors that old just become ridiulous when doing a fight scene (like David Thewlis in Wonder Woman)
-sofia boutella and her design/make-up not menacing or even cool as the mummy
-cheap prologue
-humour not good, dialogue not good
-action fine, but nothing special
-final battle with giant sandstorm that destroys a city, just like in X-men apocalypse, again a mind-numbing CGI spectacle with no powerful moments and no stakes
-however, make-up, CG and sound effects for other mummies/zombies partly quite creepy
-if so many writers work on a project, it's never a good sign. Screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Alex Kurtzmann have written movies before where the script had many flaws...
-while The Mummy (1999) was a enjoyable mystery adventure film with comedic and horror elements, a lot of heart and great characters, Universal bloats this up into a hollow action flick to set up yet another cinematic universe. - DirectorSeth GordonStarsDwayne JohnsonZac EfronAlexandra DaddarioDevoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon butts heads with a brash new recruit, as they uncover a criminal plot that threatens the future of the bay.5.9
I think my ratings depend maybe too much on expectations. I went into this movie with expectations so low that I was actually very surprised and entertained by Baywatch.
I somehow could stand the generic story, uncompelling villain(ess), cheesy dialogue, over-the-top direction, stupid plot elements and terrible visual effects by just the charme, chemistry and charisma the cast brought to this. Though none of the characters were layered, and the eventual outcome is very predictable, they were entertaining and likeable. The comedic sidekick, which often fail to be funny, is actually the most enjoyable part of the movie. The humour did land on surprisingly many occasions. I liked the comical hate-relationship between Mitch and Brody, it reminded me very much of the back-and-forth-insult relationship between the Rock and Jason Statham in Fate of the Furious. However, every time the movie cuts away from these characters it looses momentum. I didn't care at all about the crime plot and the villain, but it nevertheless was kind of fun to watch these characters. I think director Seth Gordon's style appealed to me on some occasions, I also really love the humour in Horrible Bosses. While much of the jokes in this movie were of course very over-the-top and vulgar, there were some that were unexpected and subtly funny, and there was even some witty dialogue. However, some of the funny scenes felt just edited into the film without any connection to the story or continuity. That's why it felt more like a stringing together of several scenes/setpieces than like a flowing movie. Also very cheesy was the montage that showed Mitch after he was fired, accompanied by sad music, being the generic letdown moment before the third act, in which he of course returns, after getting convinced by a very stupid cameo by David Hasselhoff.
By the way, I think the german dubbing took away something of the performances and jokes, especially during the credit's outtakes (which they even dubbed, too, which is really strange).
All in all, there are a lot of bad things, but I was nevertheless surprised by the entertainment the cast and the jokes could bring, but it might have to do with the fact that I don't watch many comedies, and so some of the surprising stuff may have been not as original as it appeared to me. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsMichael FassbenderKatherine WaterstonBilly CrudupThe crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.5.3
- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandMichael KeatonRobert Downey Jr.Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.7.8
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsFionn WhiteheadBarry KeoghanMark RylanceAllied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.7.9
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsAndy SerkisWoody HarrelsonSteve ZahnAfter the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.7.0
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsAnsel ElgortJon BernthalJon HammAfter being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.6.8