Jobbe9 Reviews

Iron Sky (2012)

A highly watchable film

[8/10 · 23 August 2012]

I didn't know about this film until a friend of mine asked me to watch it, and so I did. I saw the trailer at first and was immediately caught up in some kind of private hype. I gave it a go and I can now highly recommend you doing the same.

The movie is most certainly a B-film but that doesn't make it a bad flick. In fact it's quite good! Not the best of the B-stuff found out there, mind you, but it'll leave you wholly entertained.

The characters are well written and decently performed by the cast, and the story is a refreshing take in what seems to be a developing and welcome trend in cinemas nowadays: the ridicule of the Nazis. I can certainly get behind this trend as I'm no fan of that particular way of thinking, but it also goes to show that we, as a western audience, is ready and willing to see and engage one the most atrocious acts in human history with some amount of humour. But this talk is for another forum.

The story and its vision is well done by the relatively unknown director and only at few times does the movie indulge in cheap humour that certainly buys them cheap laughs ("the albiniser"), but the rest of the film does set a high standard. The characters are, as previously mentioned, well done but some manage to make their marks more successfully than others. Carl Adler, the antagonist, has got to be one of the most cynical and enjoyable villains in any movie, while others sadly fall in used clichés, with James Washington doing little to nothing to set himself apart as anything other than a rather stereotypical "black man". He does have his moments to shine, but the joke surrounding his skin colour did get old as as I watched the film.

The special effects in the film is well done, all things considered, and the pacing is excellent. Only a very few times does the film slow down and crawl down the path of triviality but the rest of the film is pure entertainment. The movie has more positives than negatives which is why I will recommend this to any and all to see.

The Dark Lurking (2009)

A piece of...

[1/10 · 18 August 2011]

Is this a joke or is the joke on us?

The first problem one will encounter once this film is rolling is the setting: the film is extremely dark and mostly hard to watch. This, of course, contributes to the restless and uneasy mood it tries to set, but it takes that idea to the next level - a level that didn't need to exist. The lighting is, however, the least of your worries. Ye be warned.

Technically the film is ruined by the camera angles and editing. It is very rare to actually see anything, not only because of lighting, but also due to an extremely fast paced editing and very, very close close-ups which destroys your ability to appreciate the action. When they try to pull off a montage it seems rushed and lacks the polish perfected by nearly every other director out there. Also the costumes lacks inspiration. The audio-visual elements of the film is just distasteful. Its a #¤%& mess.

Another problem is the acting. The acting goes beyond being bad, it manages to set the lowest score I have ever experienced. The characters are shallow and uninteresting. Their actions are, to some extent, credible but the performance will constantly be a pain in the behind. At first, at least, but then it actually gets kind of funny, and hopefully you'll spend more time laughing than crying. But. Believe you me: this is the worst acting you have ever seen.

The story is just as thin as you'd expect. It brings nothing new to the table and never manages to be anything other than uninspired. It lacks the depth and suspense we have come to love in this genre. Suspension of disbelief is a term widely known but in this film it would be the annihilation of disbelief. It's simply not scary, interesting or even logical. The characters do silly things to keep the plot moving along at the viewer's expense and endurance, and this becomes extremely troublesome. The film is only 1 hour and some 30 minutes but trust me: it feels like an eternity.

This film must be avoided by anyone, unless you're looking for the perfect blueprint on what not to do.

The Objective (2008)

Not bad, not good. It's watchable.

[17 August 2011]

Should we follow these brave men on their objective, or should we go on the subjective and fail their mission?

The film is set in Afghanistan (don't know where it's actually filmed, though) and thus creates a believable atmosphere and setting. The story does not deviate from what we have come to expect in Military-Sci/Fi-things as of late, but still manages to set itself apart from the paranoia and suspicion evolving the CIA. The story is told through the main-character, on his journey to uncover the truth about some abnormal readings in a remote area of Afghanistan.

The main-character is, however, also my main problem. He is dry, he is extremely dry. Not showing emotions or even just humane reactions, he becomes a shadowy figure and, sadly, falls into the stereotypical role of an agent on a secret mission. His voice is monotonous and overall he lacks charisma. The other characters are as believable as they come. They actually seem like real people you would meet on the streets. Just that these guys are soldiers and not regular people.

The story is slow to evolve but as their sightings grow in both number and essence you'll find yourself wanting to know more. Only a few times does the film seem boring but as a whole, it's worth the wait to let it unfold. The story is not original, mind you, but what is these days?

Technically the film is sound. Nothing particular about it, really. It's mediocre and it's seems happy to be just that.

Anywho, give it a go if you want to kill off an hour and a half and not making it feel like a complete waste of time, but don't expect a film that'll save your day.

Unearthed (2007)

One of the worst.

[1/10 · 17 August 2011]

What did the team behind 'Unearthed' really unearth: horror or terror?

If films could be terror this would be a candidate. The characters are uninteresting, unsympathetic and the plot (if you want to use that word) moves along at a snail's pace and never manages to be anything other than mediocre and quite frankly boring.

The characters are, as mentioned above, uninteresting. They seem to be written with great haste, taking all of the clichés one could think of. We have the sheriff with a dark past (a female sheriff, actually, which is kinda rare to see so not knocking the film for that), her socially-awkward friend, and her wimp of a deputy. We got ourselves two mystical Indians, an elder and a younger, more action-minded guy. We got the stereotypical "Big City-Man" and a young teenage-something crew. See? All present and accounted for. And of course the villain. The alien. Or monster? I don't know because it seems they ripped it's design right out of 'Alien". They just added a few more eyes, thats it. It's Alien.

The plot isn't really there. Granted there seems to be a story behind it all but it's vague and thin at best. We never get to a point of satisfactory storytelling due to one fatal flaw: what's going on?! It just started and ended, and allow me to be frank: you'll be praying for the ending before you know it. You'll be bored and annoyed at the same time, and you'll be amazed by how that's even possible. Granted, the story seems to evolve around some dig-site, or whatnot, and the monster has something to do with that, but other than that your guess is as good as mine. Keep in mind, I just watched the film. That's bad news.

Technically the movie is a mess. The camera is unsteady and juggling about uncontrollably when it doesn't need to, and the music is forgettable. The editing is frantic during action-scenes, limiting our ability to actually see what's going on, and this is the same problem that Christopher Nolan had with 'Batman Begins', but he's one of the best. If he couldn't pull it off, then just imagine how bad it's pulled off here.

Anywho, give it a go if you're an aspiring director and want to see what not to do, but do not expect to unearth a gem - only Hell lies beneath.

Altitude (2010)

Has got to be the worst film I've ever seen.

[1/10 · 12 August 2011]

Will this film take you above the clouds or would you rather see it at the bottom of the ocean?

First of, I didn't expect much since IMDb gave this film a score of 5 out of 10 but I ended up crying out of the sheer horror that this film truly is.

The characters are stereotypical beyond belief. They are unlikable to say the least, and the crown of being the most annoying character ever written has got to go to Sal the Jock. He masterfully exhibits the blind carelessness and stupidity of today's writers trying to create the typical teen, disregarding any sense of originality and personality. His worst act is right before they take off where he truly hits the bottom, crashing every sense of depth to his character. The others are obnoxious and their welcome on the plane quickly wears out in the viewer's mind. Since the film is about what happens on the plane this is bad news.

The story is extremely thin and the beast luring outside is perhaps the one thing that took the creators several minutes to conceive. It seems rushed, half-cooked and the ending will leave none surprised. The only surprise is that one were able to sit through this film and remain sane.

This film should be avoided by anyone on Earth. And anyone in the skies.

Falling Skies (2011– )

Must see the next episode!

[8/10 · 27 July 2011]

Normally not one to watch many TV-series but this one caught my eyes. The storyline was simple enough: a group of people trying to make ends meet in a post-apocalyptic world in the aftermath of alien invasion. Simple! But oh my was I ever wrong.

The show will probably not change your viewing-habits but it will leave you with an deep impression of the great care the creators worked by. The characters are well-written and well-acted, they have emotions and soul, personality. They seem real. The story is paced moderately and the show rarely focuses on one element, like pure action or spacey Sci-Fi-phenomena, for long but manages to find the balance between these genres, making a show everybody should be able to sit through. And enjoy :-) The setting, mood and world is believable (as believable a post-apocalyptic world would be to me) and the atmosphere reaches a point of realism yet maintaining the fourth wall. The aliens are charming and sounds like the velociraptors from 'Jurassic Park' (actually a good thing), but they are more than meets the eye. We want to know more of them, yet the show keeps them at bay. They blend seamless into the world of chaos thanks to the before mentioned care by the creators. This is not one of those series that rely on cheap jokes, puns, mundane stereotypes, half-cooked morale and whathaveyou, but rather depicts a world not unlike your own: clever and natural.

Check it out :-) BTW, my first review ever on IMDb so be gentle with the rookie :-)