Reviews

Truth be told, I haven't watched such a ridiculous movie in a veeery long time. Constant jabbering, meaningless philosophical mumbo jumbo throughout, characters devised to make the movie somewhat peculiar (but rather making it altogether senseless since the said characters would never be allowed to operate in such a unit), numerous plot holes, make-believe twists here and there, and all the whatnot I just will not bother to put here just make this movie almost unwatchable. One really needs to endure to get to the end, which if you make even a half-educated guess mid-stream comes as not a surprise at all.

Also, when the Chinese are involved in the production of an American spy flick, they also make a few suggestions to how the movie ends as well, I think.

All in all, this is a Mission Impossible or Bourne wannabe kind of flick, which ends in a not so American way, courtesy of the Chinese-backed production, and which otherwise is altogether uninteresting and unwatchable.

Another addition to the long-list of Netflix-sponsored poor sci-fi/disaster/fantasy movies that just don't go anywhere. Very hollow script, numerous moments of artificial suspense filled with cliches that have exploited many times before, lame dialogues and intctions, plot developments that just don't make sense, and an inconsistent lead character who chooses to act like a man one moment and then throw tantrums the very next.

Also, the movie feels like it was conceived after watching a masterpiece, which is The Road.

Last but not least, a rather abrupt and meaningless ending.

If I were you, I would spend my 2 hours watching something else.

Sooo... it seems that many of our old friends from the SW galaxy got to know each other in just a couple of parsecs -that is, in the same blink of an eye- eh? Even in the end, when the movie is about to wrap up, they throw in one major character from a very different story line, someone who just shouldn't and couldn't be there if the old Republic is no more. It is as if in the "new" SW universe everybody knows everybody else (even dead characters) or gets to meet him or her in a very short span of time. Convenient, don't you think?

This is what this movie is: Introduce the earlier times of many of our fellow SW icons, throw in a bunch of CGI extravaganza, attempt to paint the story background with senseless musical overtures (the soundtrack is not very good, yes), all the while taking us through a lazy and silly script full of meaningless twists and coincidences (not to mention one major timeline breach), and voila... There comes your Solo consolation: That the movie is at last over and you can go out the movie theater and have a breather until the next action-packed, promotion-heavy, disappointment-filled installment in the series.

Despite the bad reviews out there, I believe the movie progresses somewhat convincingly (with a few mishaps here and there), but eventually falls apart with a very foolish ending. So, if a good story is one that happens to be told decently from the very beginning till the end, this is clearly not it. In the end, I felt thoroughly cheated and my time wasted. Otherwise, good cinematography and believable sets and surroundings through the 2/3s of the movie.

The Rain is a collage of similarly themed movies and TV shows of the past and present, with a poor teen movie kind of appeal. Script, as is the case with many Netflix shows nowadays, is full of stupid artificial-suspense moments and also many bad choices and meaningless decisions carried out by the lead characters, especially the big sis. Netflix clearly believes that as long as they come out with a sci-fi plot, it will sell no matter what. That is so incorrect. This is just money thrown down the toilet. We have watched so many similar shows, with better twists and characters. Y: The Last Man meets The Walking Dead meets (insert post-apocalyptic teen movie name here) with no real twists but only stupid lead characters who just get us nowhere is what this really is. Be advised and watch it at your own risk.

Last but not least, scripts-writers all around the world should at one point or another really stop writing stupid stories about a bunch of kids who overcome great obstacles. This has been done so many times in the past that it has become totally excessive and infuriating at this point.

Let's, for the sake of simplicity, divide it into theme-based and character-based points:

1- The movie starts out strong. Very strong, in fact, for a movie with a very important mission statement: To tie up all the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (excluding F4 and X-Men) and deliver a fitting conclusion (or semi-conclusion?).

2- For a movie that has such a great number of heroes and heroines, the movie does a fairly good job of distributing screen time between each of them. Of course, some characters get a bigger share of screen time, but this is to be expected, of course, since those characters are the ones who have their own individual movies.

3- There are some great jokes in the movie which made me chuckle despite my best efforts not to do so, and also some misplaced ones which made me question if such a character would make such a joke in such a dire circumstance.

4- Despite the fact that the last half hour of the movie (if not more) is pure action, the dramatic elements in the movie are particularly strong and this somewhat means a deviation from the formula of Marvel's most recent movies.

5- The antagonist of the movie seems to have been crafted masterfully. The inner-workings of the character makes the villain almost "not-a-villain", who, in other similar movies, would only pursue a goal of domination only for the sake of it. The way Thanos's mind works is, to the best of my knowledge, in line with the comics, which makes the story even more relate-able, and the character believable.

6- The ending does deliver a huge blow to the audience (in so many aspects, if I may add so), and makes us wonder what may or will follow up after this particular block-buster. (Deadpool 2 doesn't count. Sorry.)

7- The post-credits scene is utterly meaningless, especially after such a huge ending, and does not leave us wanting.

8- Last, but not least, the music, the cgi, the multiple environments in the movie are all masterfully done, and it makes you wonder, what next?

All in all, this is a movie which would deservedly get a 9/10, not just from me, but from a whole lot of people out there. Still, in my humble opinion, Winter Soldier -as a story well told- is and will always be one level above this one. However, the themes and the stories of these two tend to occupy two different places in the space-time continuum, if I were to be completely honest.

Let's cut to the chase: This story is somewhat incomplete in its telling and does leave many plot holes behind. Discrepancies in the movie not only hurt the coherence of the script, but also the believability of the suspense elements.

For instance... What is an acceptable level of sound to stay safe in the very same environment changes constantly throughout the movie. In one scene they are not even whispering but communicating through sign language even if they do not know is something is nearby, and in another scene they are talking when the danger is patrolling so very close-by.

Somehow, an uncountable number of misfortunes follow one another in a very short span of time, just the keep the atmosphere suspenseful. One bad thing happens and is dealt with, another misfortune pops up and is again dealt with, and... well, this "out of luck" trend just does not stop and without reason, too. There is not a natural flow to the story. The whole movie feels like a very artificial and misguided effort to build suspense.

All in all, the story just does not make sense. How the first victim is lost to the threat can only be described in even the most normal of circumstances as absolutely horrible parenting in our daily lives. And to make it even worse, the parents decide to make yet another disastrous and "most untimely" mistake in such a threat-filled environment.

Also, the characters are somewhat stereotypical for a movie themed as such. A deaf girl (since the movie is about silence), a know-it-all scientific father working on an ear-piece for the girl (someone to work on the problem, check), a coming-of-age boy who has to face his fears etc. etc.

To sum it up, I only give this movie 5/10 because you can actually manage to watch it until the very end wondering what may happen, even though it all ends just like you expect it from the very beginning (Well, if you are familiar with such themes, that is). On the brighter side, the creature design and incorporation of it into the movie sticks out as the most successful feature of the whole experience. But, to be brutally honest, that is all there is to it, and nothing more.

What the fuss is all about, I will never know.

After a most-successful first season, with outstanding performances from the whole cast, the second season unfortunately falls dramatically short of delivering a coherent story. With no real substance or suspense, and irrelevant and uninteresting plot threads, the script goes nowhere, and even does so in an excruciatingly slow way.

The second season also sees the title character act in infuriatingly childish mannerisms, throwing meaningless mood swings and tantrums every now and then, somewhat making the episodes all the more difficult to watch. Also, all the major characters seem to be going there own separate ways, and even when there arises an urgent need to do so, neither one of them can actually manage to reach another thru a simple phone call.

So, in short, it feels as if there are somewhat four separate story threads for 4 major characters, with the lion's share being reserved for, well, who else, Jessica. Even so, the story does not flow, and after the first bombastic season and the addition of the first season of Defenders, you are left wondering what went wrong.

First Season: 9/10 Second season: 5/10 Overall: 7.5/10

Being an avid book reader, I have watched all but 2 or 3 comic book adaptations since the late 1970s. I have witnessed the change in tone and approach, as well as the the whole world-building process take root in the recent adaptations as the times inevitably changed. What Marvel has done so far is much more commendable than DC, and many examples of Marvel movies of the last 10 years are the living proof of that. However, not all of these adaptations are on par with what we may get to call all-time greats, and I am afraid -despite all the high grades given to the movie by critics- Black Panther is one of them.

Black Panther actually happens to be one of my favorite characters along with Thor, a few X-men and Green Lantern. Time and again, I have read it with utter joy and fulfillment, and have always looked forward to the next issue. Therefore, this movie was one which I looked forward to with extreme enthusiasm. And maybe it was this same enthusiasm that ruined the movie for me, but I sincerely doubt it.

So, as to how I see the movie:

OK, so the casting is right on target, no quarrels there. And so are the visual effects and the setting of the story. However, the story is somewhat shallow, and needlessly comedic at places where it shouldn't be.

Marvel (Disney) has lately started to follow a certain pattern of writing scripts, just like in the Bond movies. A hero, a romantic interest, a villain, a side-kick (or someone who takes on the role of Q from those Bond movies), a moral dilemma... and we are set. This one here is no different, only -as I have said before- somewhat shallow. Also, there happens to be more than one coincidental occurrence which make the story a lot less believable, if you care about those things. All of a sudden, an unexpected piece falls into place, a miraculous twist happens, someone appears out of thin air, and voila... all is well.

The movie that could have delivered so much more at us, ends up delivering a script which can be summarized in just 2 sentences, and a story full of plot holes.

So, how come such a movie garner so much praise, and such high marks? I dunno, honestly, but I have a theory.

Ultimately, I feel like it would be safe to say that this movie was sort of a hype created to promote a black super hero in these trying times and during the re-emergence of needless and disturbing racial tendencies. It was during these times the movie was shot and as such promoted to emphasize equality and fairness among all people. Which is all good and fine, but it still could have done that with a stronger script, with a more coherent and fuller story. The fact that it gets so many high notes is not because of the film that it is, but because of the film it was intended to be. At least, this is my take on the movie, and how the film was reviewed so highly.

I just hope the next installment in the Black Panther saga delivers more, just like the Winter Soldier delivered after the first Captain America adaptation.

No need to mince words: After such a dynamic start to the second part of the season, and the episodes which built the suspense even further, I was just expecting a more relate-able episode, one which wrapped things up more cleverly and with much more finesse. Alas, that unfortunately was not what was waiting for us in the end.

In short, this was a mediocre episode, with a very lazy and unsatisfactory ending. Theatrics were there, yes, but not the story, and certainly not a proper conclusion. It was as if the writing was rushed and so was the production. Shame, really.

Actually, there is no need for additional words, but let's drop a couple of lines. First of all, the movie makes no sense. It tries to borrow from the name of the original Cloverfield movie, but only to attract some viewers. A couple of scenes inserted here and there which make no additional contribution to the script or overall flow of the movie, and that's that.

There are scenes which make you feel like you are watching a blend of Aliens, Event Horizon and yes, Addams Family ( no kidding!).

Although the visual effects are well above average, the director seems to have forgotten in some certain scenes to take into account that when you drop something in open space with no g, it does not drop to the deck. It just stands there or flies away, depending on the momentum of the main body of structure. So, in short, no, even the the notion of physics isn't there.

The acting is OK, but the script is... well, where is the script?

So, a couple of lines turned into a more lengthier summary, but only out of frustration.

To sum it up, just stay away from this movie. Unless of course, if you want to realize horribly how big a mistake you've made after having invested some 40 minutes into it.

Seriously. Just watch something else.

First of all, since I had such a low expectation going into the movie, I was not as disappointed as I'd expected. I thought the previous installment (Episode VII, not the Rogue One) was bad, and that this would be even worse. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but it just didn't feel so. Not that it was awesome or anything, it was just OK to watch. At least I did not roll my eyes so very much like I did two years ago. Having said that, as The Force Awakens was a collage of all the previous movies, this was mainly a collage of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Nothing original was in there. Just some old gimmicks, familiar cliches, and all-around action. Despite all these, there were some spectacular scenes in there, mostly thanks to the CGI team and in some instances to the cinematographer(s). Otherwise, it was Episode V + Episode VI + CGI = Episode VIII - Originality + Plot Holes. And if you can get past all those magnificent CGI scenes, you could also see the shallow points in the plot. By that, I do not mean the use of excessive humor and many jokes in such an epic sci-fi drama. Contrary to many reviewers here, I was not that much offended by the humor since it was not delivered by the main characters (as was the case, for instance, in Thor: Ragnarok) but rather, by some of the side characters and accessories*.

Last but not least, if Disney thinks that to create dramatic effect, you have to sacrifice a character or two, then I can most confidently say that is certainly not the way to go about it. The original trilogy achieved what it achieved not only through loss and the triumph of fighting back, but through coherent story telling (something which the newest generation of Star Wars episodes lack).

I guess when Disney bought Lucas Arts and all the Star Wars licensing rights, we should have seen that coming. But from now on, it is only going to be a confusing mambo jumbo, sometimes more so, sometimes less.

Well, if they had done the reasonable thing and kept the extended universe instead of completely deleting it, you movie goers would have been much more delighted and pleased from the resulting source material that accumulated over the decades. That much, I am pretty sure of.

P.S. The chase scene was probably inspired by the similar chases in WW1 and WW2, specifically when the biggest assets of the German and Japanese Navy were chased and cornered and subsequently sunk. That part of the movie (in my opinion) borrows from that part of history and neglecting the fact it is space, is more or less plausible (again, in my humble opinion).

*EDIT #1: Well, having re-watched the movie in my mind's eye, I now remember: Actually, there are at least a couple (of misplaced and unnecessary jokes). Meaningless ones, as well. Pfffttt. Shame.

Viewers nowadays want excessive action, and they want it fast. Right from the beginning, until the very end. Films which do not deliver to fulfill this premise somewhat inevitably fall behind in movie-goers' perceptions, however strong they may be in dramatic aspects or character development (At least that is how I personally see it). Many action movies, thrillers, fantasy films are regarded less favorably than they should actually be, because of this simple fact. And, in my humble opinion, Justice League may well end up becoming one of those flicks which deserve a higher accolade than that which will be attributed to it.

In my opinion, the film balances action, drama, humor and character development in just the right way that befits such a huge comic dynasty, especially given the fact that half the characters were relative unknowns for those people who only go to movies adapting comic books, but do not read the respective comics themselves. In Avengers, this was quite the opposite, since all major characters were introduced in separate movies that came before it and hence provided a basis for story development.

In Justice League, this is not quite so. Therefore the first half of the movie basically serves as a platform for introducing the characters while also developing the story in the process. The second half, however, really delivers all the elements that you may require from such a movie.

All in all, this is an old school super hero movie, which pays a great deal of attention to story and coherence, and as such is the best DC Comics movie adaptation so far.

You just have to sit back, enjoy the pace of the movie as it comes to you, and savor the different characters as they are presented to you. Just be patient, and do not treat the movie as a "fast-food" adaptation of a great comic book dynasty. You will be glad that you did in the end.

Truth be told, I consider myself a harsh critic: The originality of the script, the believability of the main characters and their interactions, the quality of the set design, a masterful edit, the overall coherence of the story elements, an engaging musical score etc. etc. should all be very well in place for me to call a particular movie worth watching, worth devoting time to. Otherwise, as many of you may well attest nowadays, there happen to be many films out there who look, sound and feel very much the same... Films, trying to lighten your purse, without offering anything new. More so than ever, since the ambitious profit-mongering of Hollywood has grown many fold, in direct contrast to its creativity.

Now, as for this film, well, having played many a Assassin's Creed game, I had my reservations -and serious ones at that- going to this flick. However, at the end of the day, I was pleasantly surprised. For me, an avid fan of the game series, the movie had it all; it masterfully adhered to all the original story elements which were at the time (and still are) very unique compared to all the other video game franchises out there. And for me, a rabid cinema lover, the cinematography, the editing, the acting entertained me more than I could hope for for such a movie, a movie hard to make based on a video game. Apart from some minor details, nothing really bothered me much. It was a smooth ride altogether: An exciting and entertaining rebirth of the source material on the white screen.

However, when the movie was over, when I got home, I started thinking: I had enjoyed the movie, yes, but it was also due to the fact that I did know the story elements beforehand, had intimate knowledge of all that is Animus, Abstergo, Templars and Assassins. In the end, the movie was very truthful to those elements, the source material, but consequentially, it was a lot of stuff to digest, much less to be truthful to.

I also realized that, for a movie-goer with no prior knowledge of the source material, the movie (which has to cover a lot of ground in a very limited time, with scarce information as is permitted by the time constraints) might have and probably would have looked a bit confusing: Terminology, multiple time-lines, criss-crossing story elements would be hard to grasp, if not attended to with utmost attention and a willingness to understand.

All in all, this is not a bad movie, no sir; actually, quite the contrary. However, if you are not a person who can adjust to a mysterious script on the go with an open-mind and a lust for creativeness, if you like your movies fast-food style, lack of knowledge on this particular video game franchise and the source material can be a bit to much to absorb. It is as simple as that.

Otherwise, it is almost perfect. Well done to all those who took part in this masterful adaptation. Thank you.

To watch the city that you live in, some 90 years past... To see it before the very next page in history was turned... To see the way how your ancestors were viewed and perceived by other cultures/people/artists again some 90 years past... To observe how their lives and points of view were depicted in a piece of art, somehow stereotypically and wrongly at that. All these aspects, in and of themselves, made this one film a very valuable experience and an important premise. To see a movie of the silent movies era, a movie 90 years prior, and the first movie to be produced in the city, was also beyond joy.

The movie, though, was not without some major misconceptions and conveniences. For instance, to ride a camel from the Arabian deserts to Istanbul appeared to be a very easy task indeed, as if one was just next door to the other. Run and chase sequences were shot as if this was an Oriental Western, a contradiction in itself. Customs and traditions of a people were again somewhat exaggerated or bent a little bit here and there so as to fit the flow of the movie. Last but not least, the physical struggles between the characters were either exaggerated in one scene or downplayed in another so as to achieve a desirable result, which made the movie a bit funnier when compared to some of its contemporary counterparts.

All in all, though, it was still a great joy to see this movie, knowing full well that such discrepancies and prejudices were to be expected, and that I may never ever get another chance to see it elsewhere. In the end, this was the early 1920s -in fact, 1920 itself- and the movie was one of the earlier examples of an art form just blossoming, an example which was conceived some 3 km away from my house, but nearly a century ago, at that. Well, what else could I have asked for?

What a waste of time! And I, for one, am really fed up with the modern-times cliché "Don't expect to get much out of this movie, just go and enjoy your time, have some fun". How am I expected to enjoy my time, if the movie is a very poor blend of many films past, with nothing new? I HAVE watched those past great films, even if only action-packed they might have appeared to be, enjoyed them very much, thank you, and they, in the end, catapulted themselves into the cult classics that we love so much, best examples of their genre which are to be viewed over and over, anyway.

This film, however, has absolutely nothing new or meaningful to add to the mix. It is as if the producers said "let's take these details out of that movie, and those details out of this one, and make a film... Ooohhh, yeeess, yesssss, the sweet smell of the piles of money the unsuspecting movie-goers will pay us"... I mean, this is ridiculous! And I don't mean that because this is a raw action film and not a decent drama or comedy or historical or a musical piece with a great artistic value. I mean that because this movie just wastes my time with details that just don't fit together, looks like a poor collage, and rips of many good films of the genre.

My suggestion to you is, if you want to empty your mind, have some fun and pass some time, at least do it with a film, action or not, which deserves your dough, and doesn't cheat you this cheaply! (I am giving this movie 4 stars not because of the plot, but because of the occasional good cinematography and effects, nothing more!)

James Bond meets Star Wars meets Transformers meets Mortal Kombat. Action in, dialogues out. Adrenaline in, common sense out. SFX in, acting out. OK, this IS a summer blockbuster -and with some cool scenes in it, if I may add- but it still could have been crafted much much better anyway, and in a more original way at that. For reference, please look/watch: Star Trek (2009). Apart from the rebooting thing and the criticisms it received, it was as a blockbuster much more balanced across its elements, and was far more enjoyable than this latter example. In G.I. Joe, on the other hand, action and suspense and SFX is used to bloat out all the major plot holes and bad dialogues and lousy personal interactions. Still, all in all, this one is still better than transformers: revenge of the fallen, and the action sequences still make this flick somewhat -and at certain times- fun to watch.

This film is about two girls left on their own, to their own devices, trying to survive the mental burdens -if not the physical ones as well- of being abandoned by their mother. It is a serene, moderately-paced, well-crafted film. The director's ability to get such high quality performance from two little girls is nothing short of amazing. As to its general mood, Treeless Mountain is a beautiful film which can, at certain times, be sad and heart-breaking, and at others cheerful and hopeful, presenting us a myriad of emotions throughout its duration, and which depicts how hope endures and how children view and can adapt to changing conditions and environment. To sum it up, this fine piece of Korean cinema is an innocent and emotional piece of art which I would sincerely recommend to anyone.