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Reviews
Frozen II (2019)
Pure Magic
With a good mix of classic fantasy saga, humour and rich storytelling, Frozen II is a worthy sequel to the epic first movie. While the plot doesn't build around the characters' personalities or offer many surprises, the story takes charge and builds on previous events in such a way that they aren't really missed. It has that good old Disney charm to it to that people who likes fantasy will appreciate. It has the innocent humour we are used to from modern animated movies and enough darkness to balance it out. There are a lot of epic musical acts, and although they can become a bit much after awhile, they give that extra layer of frosting on the cake that this movie needs to feel complete. If you just forget about analyzing every movement and don't ask questions that don't need to be asked. If you are an empathic soul who can take in the emotional moments, and let yourself be spellbound by the magic, you can appreciate the full potential of the movie. It's not super-original, but it doesn't need to be, because it's beautiful and makes you smile on the inside.
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Spider-Man: Far from authenticity
FX gets ridiculous amount of attention, while the story, characters and their emotions are spider-web thin. The action scenes are so overdone that it becomes ridiculous and you stop believing in it. They don't even take advantage of the FX to create dramatic scenes. They are just showing off with it "Look, this is what we can do now...cool right?" I thought we had come further than this.
I'd recommend the movies with Tobey Mguire instead, because they feel much more authentic and are shown from a more interesting perspective than your average super-hero kick ass movie. They show the vulnerabilities and problems of a super-hero who is just an ordinary guy most of the time and that's much more interesting than watching X number of drones transform the sky into a theme-park of holograms.
I know this is an Avengers spin off, but this is far away from the usual quality and entertainment value of those movies. It should also be noted that I'm probably not the intended audience. The kids will love it.
Tomie: Anrimiteddo (2011)
Unlimited craziness
Here comes the first not so positive review of this movie because I had high expectations and by the end I was a bit disappointed.
First I want to say that I'm a fan of Asian horror, so I'm not the average viewer just coming here to bash it. It's very original in it's plot and imagery, and that's what makes it worth watching in my opinion. It starts as a pretty serious story with the emphasis on suspense but then it turns into something else entirely and here the problems begin. There is just too much of everything and I found myself laughing because it was so ridiculously overdone. The cheap but disgusting effects doesn't exactly make it better but the acting is good and keeps it together in one piece, allowing you to explore this descent into madness for what it's worth. First there is one Tomie, then one and a half, then three...wait, how many was that again? Yes, it's like that...
I think the point was to make something different that stands out and as such it's very successful. Sometimes you even stare in awe because you don't know what to expect the next second and that's very good because it's impossible to predict the ending. But overall it's too weird and disjointed to be a solid piece of horror. I can recommend this to the hardcore fan but not the average viewer, unless you want something new that crosses the line.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
A parody of Horror
I haven't seen any other Terror on Elmstreet movie but I don't understand why these movies are so famous or what's so good about them. They are just over-hyped. It should also be said that I don't enjoy any of the movies Scream 1-44 or Friday the 13th. It's just American trash for stupid Americans. Wes Craven's "New" Nightmare is supposed to be a horror movie but it's not scary and the character Freddy has no motive to anything he is doing. Even evil has motives. The things he does and the faces he makes are just plain silly. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry most of the time. The result was a feeling of plain indifference.
I guess these kind of movies are for people who like to laugh at the cheap CGI, on the level of Tales from the Crypt. On the other hand it's more than fifteen years since this movie was made and a lot has happened since then.
Gawi (2000)
Solid vengeful spirit movie
Overall, this is a very interesting "slasher" with a pinch of ghost story thrown in. It has a good plot, a good-looking lead character and what I liked the most about it was the suspense that often lingered in the scenes, even if you often knew what was going to happen.
Yes, it has some flaws. Some of the actors didn't make a good performance, the chaotic chronology makes it confusing to watch and it doesn't really add anything new to the genre. But those flaws are easily overlooked and overshadowed by the heavy plot that will hold you in a steady grip to find out what lies behind it all. Clichés and confusion aside, the movie still delivers what it promised.
It doesn't have to be completely original to be a good movie, because it often comes down to individual taste and what kind of movies you are entertained by. How many episodes of CIS are original and brings something new to the genre? I would say, not that many. They are still entertaining in their own right. If you are the kind of person who is into classic Asian horror with vengeful spirits and a deep background story, then this is for you. But if you are a judgemental movie snob who has to watch something that adds cultural innovation to the screen, then you should probably stay away from this movie.
Gosa (2008)
Slasher that doesn't quite cut it
This is supposed to be a horror movie but it's not really scary. It has some suspense however which can make it worth watching and it's more like a gory slasher similar to "Scream" than a ghost story. Having said that I'm not excluding any ghostly presence in the movie. It's simply up to you to find out. The actors are good, at least the main characters but the rest is just average.
The big disappointment comes later in the movie when the director is trying to tie everything together. The script just fails to make a trustworthy impression and you are suddenly very aware that you are only watching a movie when the characters starts behaving in weird ways and doesn't act at all how you would expect them to in their current situation.
Unexpected events are good in horror movies but not in this case, where it's only confusing but like I said in the beginning, the suspense is there so it's not really a bad movie.
Nothing But the Truth (2008)
A woman of strong principle
This is a gripping story about a woman who is prepared to sacrifice everything for what she believes in. It has a good plot, tension and a lot of drama. It's a movie that makes you emotionally engaged, that makes you care about the outcome and most important of all, you don't get fed with all the nationalistic propaganda like in so many other American movies. This and the list of good actors helps it get the high credibility it deserves for being based on a true story.
I sat paralyzed for the most part of the movie, my mind on nothing else than what I was seeing. But the ending is the most brilliant, putting the last piece in place and making us understand what this was really about.