foffster Reviews

Persuasion (I) (2022)

If you're NOT a Austen-nerd, do watch it

[7/10 · 17 July 2022]

I found the movie both fun, romantic and engaging. Johnson is her usual charm self, and the other roles sparkle, if a little bit superficial. As a movie this is a pretty good, but if you insist that movies should be faithful to the books that inspired them, you should probably not watch it. Personally I don't get why a movie couldn't be good on its own terms, but hey, needs will be nerds, right?

I recommend the movie as a romantic period drama, and forget that it's a Jane Austen story.

Last Christmas (2019)

Emilia Clarke shines

[7/10 · 1 December 2019]

Sweet and charming holiday movie with a twist, with Emilia Clarke at her most radiating self. She has that Julia Roberts quality in her charm, but with an English bite to it. Watched the movie with my wife and we laughed and enjoyed ourselves, not expecting a terrific movie. But judged on its on merit, this is a perfect holiday movie. Would watch it again.

Jack Ryan (2018–2023)

Loved season 1, season 2 is a bit ridicolous

[8/10 · 4 November 2019]

Spoilers in the last section.

I have binge watched both seasons, but where the first season really shines a light on how terrorism can evolve, season 2 decides to go back to stupid action movies of the eighties, storywise. It executes all the moronic prejudices about South America. The action works and it's kind of exciting when you don't think too much about it. But the reason I went from a solid 9 for the first season and giving it a 5 now, is the two last episodes of season 2.

I get that it's a show, not real life, but everything else about the show pretends to mimic reality. So when US soldiers just decide, on their own, to fly a helicopter and land at a sovereign country's presidential palace, and proceeds to kill everyone in sight and even almost kills the president (which is such a bad guy it's kind of lame) - it is just plain stupid. No way, José. Truly I expected more than this from the creators.

Hellboy (2019)

Harbour is great, the rest is not

[6/10 · 21 July 2019]

Somewhat messy writing and directing that doesn't quite know what to make of the script, makes an otherwise perfectly cast David Harbour look much worse than he deserves. The story is ok, if a bit unimaginable, but there is a lot of bad and bland lines (and a few good ones from Hellboy: "Quit when you are a head"). The other characters seems unevolved, but I guess Milla Jovovich will never get a good script to work with again. Too bad - I truly love this character and Harbour does good work here. Hopefully another director and writer can correct this.

Magnus (2019– )

Marvelous mad fun

[9/10 · 29 January 2019]

This is the craziest, most absurd comedy I have watched and I doubt you have seen anything like it either! It's wonderfully made up, executed and played, where almost everything seem to be allowed and can happen and that makes it a blast to watch. Very Norwegian in many ways, very everything else in other ways. Norsemen just got a true rival to the best ever comedy series from Norway.

The Predator (2018)

Much, much better than some will have you believe

[8/10 · 9 December 2018]

Why this movie gets such bad rap and lousy score I cannot fathom. I'm old enough to have watched the original Predator in its prime and I absolutely LOVE this version. Great funny dialog, terrific action and over the top characters. I was prepared to be disappointed, but this is by far the best Predator since the original movie and one of the funnest action movies I've seen for some time. Great entertainment if you don't expect it to be something it's not. This movie hasnt got the seriousness that some people may think it should have (why is that?), but I dig that it plays with the genre and does what it does. It's pretty unique in its own right. Believe you me; this movie will only get a better reputation over time.

Not Going Out (2006– )

Why would Lee want Lucy?

[6/10 · 30 June 2012]

As a Norwegian, I can really appreciate much of the humor coming form the UK. The best of it is unmatchable, with smarts, characters you believe in and very very funny, I would say. Not Going Out is not that kind of series, with its dumb approach and rather flat two leading roles.

I started out watching this be accident earlier this year and kind of enjoyed myself watching the first season, as Lee Mack and the American had some connection there, even though it's always weird hearing one American accent among just English. Lee Mack is not a great actor, but it did his thing all right, and you kind of felt there was something going on between them.

Then the American quit and they brought in the cleaning lady (why would she be there all the time cleaning, are all English that rich? Don't think so). And Lucy. Lucy is younger, and some would say prettier, but she is one boring person, I have to say. Or rather, she may have some naughty comments, but she is always in a bad mood, always with a frown upon her face. That's OK, maybe, but why would Lee be nuts about someone like this - even with his "northern" ways of thinking of himself? I find the character just unbearable and I think I watched through the 4th season just for the hell of it. It would be nice to see a broader register there.

By the way: Lee's best friend Tim and the stupid girlfriend is the best characters and the best actors, no doubt about it.

All in all, Not Going Out is pretty flat and dumb and with stereotypes I find quite surprising (even from my nationality), but it does have its moments and I guess that's why it's watchable, and not horrible.

I give my own review 4 out of 10. I will try harder next time.

Two and a Half Men: Not in My Mouth! (2012) Season 9, Episode 17

Somebody put a bullet in this

[2/10 · 21 February 2012]

I'm not a hater in general - quite the opposite, really. But:

I'm just as disgusted from this vomit-episode (really? Vomitting? That's not funny, thats...yeah, disgusting) as I am from this whole season. I was open minded to Ashton Kutcher coming in, as I don't hate him as an actor. I think he has some good comedic qualities and I was open to what the writers would do. But this is just a total train wreck and I'm forcing myself to watch it, even though I don't want to.

The jokes are so cheap now that I have to wonder if Charlie Sheen did write the jokes before and some six year old are writing them now. I get embarrassed every time I watch this. I mean, the show was never the best sitcom on air (though the first seasons had some "sass"), but this is just awful. And again, I'm not a hater, but the Zoey character is so uncharismatic that I have to wonder if the casting director also is a six year old. Yes, she is a lovely looking woman, but she both sounds and acts like a posh English grandmother. I mean, the VOICE!?! Close your eyes and listen to Sophie Winkleman, and you can easily imagine her being 70 years old.

With all the great series that are canceled every year, it's a shame this gets to continue delivering cheap jokes and over acting.

Upperdog (2009)

Excellent subtle movie about real people

[10/10 · 3 September 2009]

I would say that this is one of the best movies ever made in Norway, if not THE best movie. I will lay that on the wonderful acting and casting, the details and subtle direction that makes a real movie with real people. You don't ever feel like you're being told what's happening, because you can feel it. The emotions and the causes of them are played out before your eyes and you know why all the time.

This is not a sad movie, although the people are pretty sad, and it's not a happy movie. It's a movie that speaks to your heart. I was sitting in a small movie theatre and the seventeen year old girls sitting in front of me couldn't be more bored. And I understand why. They couldn't relate to the people on the screen, who had experienced life, although they were pretty young themselves. But a seventeen year old girl doesn't know what it's like to experience real love and loss, or real betrayal. The rest of us couldn't have been more into the movie. This is what real love looks like. How real people act and react.

I don't want to front any of the actors, because they were all perfect. The director, Sara Johnsen, is a shining star and she really knows how to work with the actors, that really shows. But the most impressing thing is her careful eye for the story and how to tell it without over telling.

I am truly amazed and I truly loved this movie. See this with someone and you will have much to talk about afterwards.

Dollhouse (2009–2010)

Give it time!

[9/10 · 29 March 2009]

The first five episodes did not do Dollhouse the justice it deserved. It's only in the sixth episode it really starts to get interesting. This is when the story starts to develop and unfold into something more than Dushku being different persons. Really, I'm impressed that the series got to develop this slow. We really don't learn anything of the main characters past until the seventh episode (btw: Some really hilarious scenes in that episode)! That is a bold move and I don't know if it's very smart to do it like that. But the characters are good and while Dushku's character unfolds slowly, the rest of them are pretty clear early on and that is what keeps us interested.

This could turn out to be a very very good show, but you have to be patient and trust that the show delivers as time goes by.

Top Secret! (1984)

I love it!

[10/10 · 17 September 2007]

One of the funniest movies of all time. Although it's so silly ("How silly can you get") it's beyond silly, that is what makes this movie so enjoyable. It doesn't take long to get that this movie is all about the gags. Either you accept it and laugh your head off, or you turn it off.

Val Kilmer is perfect for the role that is not a role or a character at all - he's just hanging on for the ride of the Zuckers and is oblivious to it all. And that's what makes the movie (beyond the fantastic gags), because all the characters find the things that happens very real. Forget about Scary Movie or whatever stupid movie there is out there. This is THE silly movie of all time. It's better than Airplane!, the Hot Shots movies and the Naked Gund-movies. This is the movie that frees itself from every rule and setting and just play all the jokes it can master.

Yes, it's a parody of both Elvis-movies, war movies and spy movies, but at its core there's just true comedy with only one rule: There is no rules. "Souvenirs, novelties, party tricks!"

I love it, I love it, I love it.

Beerfest (2006)

Just plain dumb

[3/10 · 14 July 2007]

Just a stupid, stupid movie, that tries to be more intelligent than it really is. And doing it by playing all the (from an American perspective) stereotypes of every possible nation.

I cannot believe that this movie has an average above 6... Don't get me wrong: I like GOOD stupid movies (like Dumb & Dumber or There's Something About Mary, or even good old college movies from the eighties). But there have to be some smartness behind it.

Beerfest is just dumb. There's nothing here that even goes near being smart. And it kind of irritates me that these American stereotypes of Europeans keep being pushed on the public. I don't believe that the American public is that stupid. But hey...this movie's got a pretty good score on IMDb.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007)

A shame to cut this

[10/10 · 28 May 2007]

I cannot believe it. They are closing this show down. It's a terrible shame!!! Studio 60 is one of the best shows I have ever seen; great characters, excellent stories and this fabulous feeling of being backstage at a real show with all that happens there.

And then they close it down because not enough millions are watching. The curse of capitalism, I tell you. You'd think you'll keep a show that's getting rave reviews and giving it at least a couple of years to grow on the public.

I'm freaking out here. It just bothers me so much. It's like getting a friend and then loosing him a couple of months later.

Bring it back!

How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)

Totally awesome!

[10/10 · 5 March 2007]

This is one of the very few sitcoms I seem to laugh out loud to - every time. I can't remember any series that has done the same thing for me since the first seasons of Seinfeld. Well, and Scrubs.

Why? It's easy (well, not easy to do, but to describe): Great cast, compelling stories, good and original scripts and story lines. AND lots of warmth.

Seeing (and hearing) Neil Patrick Harris as Barney is just wonderful. He shines beautifully with his cynical and cool "awesomeness". Josh Radnor as Ted is a guy a totally can identify myself with, and I guess that is something that really brings home the money for this show. He has it all. The goofy couple of Jason Segel (Marshall) and Alyson Hannigan (Lily) is a perfect match, both as a couple and in the cast, and Cobie Smulders as Robin is just as beautiful and tough as you wish your dream girl to be.

I just saw all the episodes of the first season during the weekend, and it was so totally awesome and heartwarmingly funny that I'm still kind of stunned.

I wish it will continue for a very, very long time. The best ensemble sitcom since Friends - no doubt in my mind!! Well, OK, Scrubs - maybe...;)

Serenity (2005)

Totally in love

[10/10 · 20 January 2007]

Oh my god how I love this movie and the series "Firefly"! It's ridiculous! As any person who have seen the series will tell you, it's hard to believe it was cancelled so early on. So, Joss Whedon made this movie to sum it all up, and it's the perfect good bye. Possibly one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, it mixes all of the humour, story lines and terrific cast from the series and tops it off with great effects and depth.

It's sad, that's what it is. How something as good as this can get cancelled. This movie should have been a bonus from the series, and then it should have gone on for years and years and years. If Stargate SG-1 can make it (also a series I love), then Firefly should have made it.

Still, this movie can be seen without knowing anything about the series (I didn't when I first saw it), and it will drag you in like a puppy grabbed by a tiger.

If I ever would recommend a sci-fi movie, it would be Serenity. 10/10

Date Movie (2006)

Avoid. Avoid. Avoid!

[1/10 · 10 January 2007]

Yes, I didn't think it was gonna be a good movie. No, I didn't think it was gonna be THIS bad. It's not hilariously bad, it's just...awful.

I don't know what more to say about this movie. Random scenes, so unfunny "jokes" it hurts, toilet-noises (ok, it may be funny for a 4-year old), hair-jokes, sudden nudity and "parodies" of other date movies. That's the premise, I guess. The "Scary Movie"-series had some funny stuff in them, but overall those movies were bad too. But this is like a Scary Movie doing parodies of the Scary Movies. It's beyond anything.

Even a bad movie can be entertaining at some level. "Date Movie" isn't entertaining on any level.

Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. Please.

Uro (2006)

Much stronger than what they'll have you believe

[8/10 · 7 January 2007]

With such a strong movie with this kind of a powerful cast and story, it's hard to believe the very mixed reviews and the misleading points given so far at IMDb.

I truly believe that this is one of the strongest Norwegian movies in years, following other great movies of 2006 with ease. It's not a noisy kind of cop movie, but a movie that's about the choices we are given in life and whether they are choices or not. Can you escape your past and your family's legacy? Nicolai Cleve Broch are both strong and fragile in a very low key way, and the troubled Ane Dahl Torp finally shows why she became a shooting star last year. Bjørn Floberg are as terrifying as ever, and Ingar Håkon Gimle once again shows his versatility.

You can't miss this one.

The Secret Life of Us (2001–2006)

One of my favorites - ever!

[10/10 · 18 December 2006]

One of my favorite TV-shows - ever. It had everything from great actors and casting who just became more and more beautiful after you got to know the characters, terrific stories and a very nice pace.

To love the characters is always essential, and these were characters that made in impact in your own life - people you could relate to, even if they were from the other side of the globe (from me).

I would run home to catch the next episode of the series, and that, for a grown man to do, is kind of...eeh...special. And Claudia Karvan is the most beautiful actress from Australia I have ever seen!

I'm just sad it didn't continue longer than it did. GRRREAT!

Alone in the Dark (2005)

How did they raise the money...?!

[2/10 · 19 November 2006]

I didn't have any great expectations to this movie, and in the beginning I began thinking maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Then the voice over came, and I knew this was going to get bad. Real bad. As someone else has commented, the story just doesn't...eh, it's....no story. Things just happens. Oh, now we're having sex! Eh, wait...why? And then something else happens. And the SFX is bad too. If you turn the sound off and just look at the pictures, you might get fooled into believing that it is a professional movie. Because on the surface, it kind of do look like that. But watch it for real and you will just sit there shaking your head, wondering how they raised the money to do this huge pile of crap. AVOID!!!!

Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007)

Terrific in every way

[10/10 · 23 July 2006]

One of the best series I have ever seen. Terrific stories, characters, humor and cast. I used to think Star Trek was the ultimate Sci-Fi series, but Stargate SG-1 surpasses any series in the genre and is one of the most entertaining series in general.

For everyone who though Richard Dean Anderson could only play a somewhat boring character as MacGyver - think again! His role as Jack O'Neill is a treat for every fan of sci-fi and of characters that inhabits both irony and self awareness. But the supporting cast is no less than great, bringing the depth you need to believe the often far stretched plots.

The self awareness of the series, with the characters and the stories being fully aware of what "non-believers" would think of a show like this, it takes the edge off what could be conceived as pretentious.

Thumbs up!

Frequency (2000)

What a surprise! Just great in every way

[8/10 · 1 January 2005]

I was flipping through my lousy movie channels, and this movie caught my eye. It didn't look any special, but I was immediately drawn into the story and before you know it, I was sitting on the edge of my chair. Just an amazing story, with a warm heart (but not in a sickening Disney kind of way), excellent leads and a energy and pace that really hit the spot.

I really can't remember the last time I stumbled over a movie like this, that I hadn't heard of, and just fell in love with it.

If you can accept the frames of this movie (that's the point of seeing a movie now, isn't it?), it's gonna steal your heart. And yes, this is a "heart" film for the guys. :) (8/10)

Slackers (2002)

Wackiest movie in years!

[25 April 2003]

Once again a movie that americans don't get (even though it's an american movie!), but we europeans do. I thought it was an hilarious movie - crazy and unortodox. Jason Schwartzman is great in the role of Ethan - the wackiest character I have seen in years! If you look at the movie within the context of it's genre, it is in fact ver very good. The plot may not be very original, but the wackiness of it all makes up for all that.

I'll take this movie anytime instead of American Pie 1 & 2. Those movies is far more cynical.

American critics: get a grip!

The New Guy (2002)

Much more intelligent than meets the eye

[19 January 2003]

Rented this movie as a late sunday afternoon movie, thinking it would be lame and a no-brainer that could help me ease my hangover. I wasn't prepared to laugh, I just wanted something to watch without thinking too much. But it turned out to be the funniest movie I've seen for a long time! I reckon that those comments on this movie that were negative, didn't get the underlying humour in the movie that isn't that obvious. For me it was kind of a kick in the nuts to other teen movies, making fun of the clichés found in these films. At the same time it uses these elements to make some really good jokes and giving it a ironic touch. I mean; the "whipping look" was just hilarious!! Just the whole "looser getting cool" plot is so over the top, it has to be ironic.

I believe this is a movie that european filmlovers would like much more than the americans. It plays on a level that is not easy to understand when living in the middle of the "reality" it is portraying. For us "outsiders" it is so much funnier.

If you don't get the movie, then you're not...sorry I don't mean to offend anybody...that in touch with reality. Sorry....

****(*) out of ******

One Night at McCool's (2001)

One night at McCool's plays with and jokes about american culture and stereotypes in american movies, but the humour is lost with many viewers.

[8/10 · 5 October 2002]

I guess the main reason a lot of people in the states didn't get this movie, is the european style of humour and ironi that flows through it. I found it to be a very entertaining, funny, witty, intelligent and straight out good movie. One night at McCool's plays with and jokes about american culture and stereotypes in american movies. I guess a lot of people don't realize this, as that humour's not neccessarily very out in the open as with some of the more straightforward humour that also appears in the movie. This is an intelligent piece of film that deserves a lot more credit. And the ending is hilarious!!!! ;)

Amélie (2001)

I fell in love

[10/10 · 6 January 2002]

Just an amazing piece of movie magic. Audrey Tautou is quite frankly outstanding, the movie's story building is intelligent and the filming is beautiful. For the first time in my life I actually cried at a movie, and not because I was sad, because I was happy!