Chrivhec Reviews

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

A fantastic film that surpasses its two originals.

[7/10 · 18 August 2008]

Where do I begin? It's not easy to write a comment after seeing a movie that (due to the special effects almost literally) blew you away. But I gladly do it anyway. First of all, it has to be said that the current IMDb average of 6.5 doesn't give this movie the credit it deserves. It deserves a lot more than that. In no aspect is Spider-Man 3 a disappointment or just a bad movie, not by a long shot. It's a film that will be remembered as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time.

Obviously, the 250 million dollar budget served the movie extremely well. The special effects are simply amazing and go beyond anything we have seen before. But the fact that the film is great isn't only due to those effects. If there's one thing that's indisputable, it's the high quality of the acting. Tobey Maguire again proves his talent and his capability of performing as well as possible in every role he accepts. Knowing that some scenes involve blue screen, it can't always be easy to act like it's the real thing. Nevertheless, he did absolutely great. Like in the previous two movies, Kirsten Dunst is just about perfect as the beautiful M.J. and gave another great performance, just like James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Bryse Dallas Howard and Topher Grace.

Unlike the critics, I disagree that the film would have too many story lines to tell. During the entire film I had absolutely no difficulties with following the story, I even thought the stories came together just fine. Personally I really like the concept of Spider-Man having a battle within himself and also realizing that he is not above the bad people he tries to stop. That's why this is such a good sequel to Spider-Man 2, because in the second movie Peter realizes that he can't walk away from his destiny and that it's the right thing to believe in yourself and in what you are doing, whereas in this film, he knows that his destiny is to be a hero, but he struggles to learn what means he should use to do so. So Sam Raimi isn't only a good director, but also a fine screenwriter.

I'd give this movie an 8.5, but since that's not an option, I gave it an 8. The reason why I haven't given it a 9, is because there are a few (very few) things that I disliked, or I rather had seen them differently. It would have been better if it was explained where the meteor and the symbiote could have come from, although it's clear it's not of this earth, but still. And although I was watching with full enthusiasm when Harry chose to team up with Peter to fight the Sandman and Venom, I thought it was such a shame that Harry had to die. On the one hand the fact that Harry, after wanting to kill Peter for a long time, sacrificed himself for his friend is a very strong concept, but on the other hand it's just a shame that that character had to die. It would have been very interesting, Spider-Man having an ally, and maybe a very small cliffhanger for a possible fourth film. But then again, if Harry hadn't died, maybe the ending wouldn't have been as good as it was now, which was still pretty strong, I think. Peter and M.J. can still find hope and are willing to have faith in each other once again, after everything that has happened. Now that's what you can call a strong ending.

I enjoyed this film very much, and whether or not there is coming a fourth movie, I wouldn't mind if there isn't, because this film was a fantastic conclusion.

A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)

After you have seen this movie, there's only one thing left to do.

[8/10 · 12 July 2008]

...to wonder where the Oscars were when this film was released. They sure are weird things, those prestigious Academy Awards. Sometimes great pictures are left unrewarded, although they deserve at least one or multiple nominations. But they just don't get them. This happened many times, for instance in 1996 with the film Heat. What a movie that was, without a doubt one of the best movies of the nineties. Still it didn't get any Oscars, not even nominations. According to myself and many others, Heat definitely should've been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing, and maybe for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Pacino or De Niro, both are equally good). Apparently this wasn't the case for the Academy.

The same thing happened in 2005, with this film. At some point I can understand why A Love Song for Bobby Long wasn't nominated for the Best Picture Award, because I too have some mixed feelings about the ending of the film. The film ended rather sad, and personally I think that another more positive ending would have been more appropriate for this film. If it was me, I wouldn't have let Bobby die. Not because I don't like bad endings, just because the storyline requires a hopeful ending, without taking out one of the lead characters. I would have given him the opportunity to build a future with his daughter, to experience what it's like to live with a goal again, especially because he lost his family before. But that's just me.

Besides the less appropriate ending, the entire movie was just phenomenal and unforgettable. And that's mostly because of the amazing performances of the cast. You can't fool me that the performances in this movie weren't good enough to be nominated for the Oscars. There were lots of great performances in this movie and every single one deserves to be mentioned. And although I thought I knew what he was capable of, John Travolta blew me away with his incredible performance as Bobby Long. Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Face/Off, Hairspray, … the characters of these films don't really have anything in common; still Travolta is able to play these characters as well as possible. No one could have performed better. Is there anything the man can't do? With this movie he sure proves that he is definitely still one of the best actors of his generation. As always he puts his heart into this film, making it as good as it can be. And I've got the feeling that he will surprise us even more in the future. This is a man with unknown talents, with maybe the best yet to come. As said, all performances in this movie deserve to be mentioned. And because I don't want to copy the list of the cast, here's my opinion of what Oscar nominations this film should've gotten:

Best Actor in a Leading Role: John Travolta. Best Actress in a Leading Role: Scarlett Johansson. Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Gabriel Macht.

Unfortunately I'm no Academy. But it doesn't take an experienced movie maker to say that this film goes beyond the average drama/comedy. It will never be forgotten.

Premonition (I) (2007)

Don't believe the bad critics and definitely not the low rating on IMDb.

[6/10 · 23 September 2007]

I went to see Premonition yesterday and I enjoyed it very much, so I can't understand why people say that this is a bad film. It's a good psychological drama with top acting and good directing. It's a movie on which you have to focus, but that goes automatically and it's not so hard to follow when you don't think "What the hell is going on" during the film.

Sandra Bullock is very convincing, as always, and we also get some good performances by Kate Nelligan, Nia Long and Julian McMahon.

So please, don't listen to the critics, they don't know what they're talking about. And as for the rating on IMDb: the only explanation I can think of is that a lot of people don't get this film because it's too complicated (although it's not), or because they didn't like the ending, or maybe because they expected too much. But this is definitely a very good drama, and it's one of those movies that make you think about how important life is.

Everyone who wants to see this movie: see it without any expectations and prejudices, you won't be disappointed.

The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

Superb and underrated movie with superb acting.

[8/10 · 15 September 2007]

The People vs. Larry Flynt tells the story of Larry Flynt and his slow but hard fight for free speech. Although some people say that the movie is a little too idealized, director Milos Forman did a great job and delivered a superb masterpiece. In this movie, Woody Harrelson gave his best performance of his entire career. Whether or not he should have won his Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, his role will always be remembered as one of his best.

Besides the earned Oscar nomination of Woody Harrelson, this movie was also nominated for Best Director. Personally, I think there should have been an Oscar nominations more than the 2 the movie was nominated for. I was stunned by Courtney Love's performance and I wondered why the Academy didn't give her a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The way she acts in this movie is just simply amazing and not so easy as it might look like. An Oscar nomination would have been great, but apparently Juliette Binoche, Joan Allen, Lauren Bacall, Barbara Hershey and Marianne Jean-Baptiste did a better job than Courtney Love in the eyes of the Academy.

And then there's Edward Norton. In his first movie (Primal Fear) he played an accused man, in his second movie (this one) he played a lawyer. In Primal Fear he made quite an impression with his stunning performance and even managed to get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in his first movie ever. A nomination he definitely earned. And in this case I think it's too bad that an actor can't be nominated for 2 different movies at a time, because to me he deserved to be nominated for The People vs. Larry Flynt too. His role of Alan Isaacman was very convincing, but his role in Primal Fear was indeed more convincing. Edward has got a very impressive career and with the successful movies he already did, he's got a nice future ahead of him.

The People vs. Larry Flynt is a movie that has to be seen by everyone. It's almost perfect. Not only does it tell a true story about free speech, it's also a tribute to the real Larry Flynt, who saw this movie and felt honored to be the inspiration of a great cast and crew.

Crash (I) (2004)

The greatest competitor of Brokeback Mountain deserved its Oscar for Best Picture.

[7/10 · 31 August 2007]

Like every year, 5 strong Oscar nominees for Best Picture of the Oscars of 2006: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night and Good Luck and Munich. Although they both are terrific movies, Capote and Good Night and Good Luck had too strong contestants to win the Oscar for best Picture. They had great stories but the stories of the other 3 nominees are still stronger. But they deserved to be nominated of course, and Philip Seymour Hoffman earned his Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The nominees for that Oscar were alright, although I'd rather seen Eric Bana nominated for Munich instead of Heath Ledger for Brokeback Mountain. But that's just my opinion.

So there were 3 movies left to be Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain, Crash and Munich. Although Munich is an incredible and terrific movie by all means, it couldn't measure up to Brokeback Mountain and Crash because of their interesting and exceptional stories. Sometimes fiction beats reality and history when it deals with an amazing subject. And this year we have that situation.

So actually the greatest 'battle' was between Brokeback Mountain and Crash. And the reason why Crash won, is because the concept of racism is still more intriguing than homosexuality. 'Love is a force of nature' was the strong tag-line of Brokeback Mountain, and although the movie is as good as it can be, the masterpiece of Paul Haggis took over. Crash deals with such a fascinating subject. The collision of a group of people who are facing racism and who are in some way connected to each other. Each story of every man or woman in that film is as intriguing as the concept of the whole movie itself. And the cast is absolutely great. They all have supporting roles, and every role is just as good as the other ones. Matt Dillon did great and deserved to be nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Maybe Sandra Bullock deserved to be nominated too, but apparently she had too little votes to be in the top 5. I'm pretty sure they considered her to be nominated though. And of course the rest of the cast is fabulous: Brendan Fraser, Michael Peña, Ryan Phillippe, Terrence Howard, … very well done.

Crash also delivers a big scale message about racism, and I actually felt different after seeing the movie. Not that I am a racist, I definitely am not, but it gets to you anyway. I hope a lot of people have already seen this movie and a lot of people will see it. It will always be remembered as the greatest film of 2005-2006.

Disturbia (2007)

Definitely one of the best thrillers in film history.

[9/10 · 28 August 2007]

What a movie! My God! This has got to be the best thriller I've seen in years, and maybe the best thriller ever? Dare I say it? Yes I do: to me, Disturbia is the best thriller there ever was. It totally blew me away! I was actually stunned when the credits appeared on the screen, and the first word I said afterward was "Wow". This movie is very impressive, definitely D.J. Caruso's best movie to date.

To make a good thriller, the first thing you need is a good script, a good story. Then you need a good crew which consists of a qualified director and qualified producers to deal with that story. Finally, you have to look for the right cast. Disturbia has a great story, a great crew and a fantastic cast, and those things resulted in a unique film.

The way D.J. Caruso can bring such tension and such excitement into this movie is absolutely amazing. He paid a lot of attention to the structure of the movie, and you can really notice that. The film evolves from an average teen movie into a suspenseful thriller which makes sure you don't blink during the whole second half of the movie. I went to see this movie because I heard it was good, but 'good' doesn't even come close to define this movie, 'incredible' would be more appropriate.

I liked everything about this movie, but when I think about it, the thing that surprised me the most was the cast, especially Shia LaBeouf. He did great! Really, he did a very good job and proves to be a talented young actor. You could really admire him for this role. David Morse's performance is another honorable element on his respectable career, and also Carrie-Anne Moss deserves to be mentioned: she did good, as always.

I recommend everyone to go and see this movie in theaters, you will NOT be disappointed. And although the so called critics say that it's a rip-off of Hitchcock's Rear Window, I can assure you: it's not. Yes, it has some elements that also occur in Rear Window and also in other movies, but Disturbia has got a whole different storyline. I guess some people just can't admit that not only Hitchcock could made great thrillers. Because that's what Disturbia is: one of the best thrillers in film history.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

Highly entertaining.

[8/10 · 25 June 2007]

If you're looking for a high budget film with famous actors and the greatest special effects, you shouldn't watch this movie. Because Anacondas wasn't filmed to a purpose of being an Oscar worthy movie. It was filmed in order to entertain the audience, and it did just that.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is far better than the first Anaconda of 1997 and is highly recommended to anyone who'd like to be entertained. This is one of those movies you can watch with a huge bucket of popcorn and some drinks.

And I must say that the acting is actually as good as it can be in this kind of movie. Johnny Messner and Matthew Marsden did great, and the others too actually. But Messner definitely was the right choice for lead in this movie. The acting here is much better than in Anaconda. Luckily for us Ice Cube wasn't asked to reprise his role… The guy just can't act, although he tries to. But he fails.

This is probably Dwight H. Little's best movie to date. Give it a shot, don't have any expectations, just sit back and enjoy the ride. You'll like it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

A superb movie, but a disappointment at the same time.

[7/10 · 24 June 2007]

I've seen this movie a couple of weeks ago. The reason why I haven't written a comment on it until now, is because I wanted to give it some time and think about it. I had mixed feelings after seeing the movie, and now I've had enough time to take some conclusions and to write a proper review.

First of all I want to say that overall, At World's End is a highly entertaining movie. There's a lot of action, humor and some big surprises. The Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy is without a doubt one of the best trilogies ever made, and in my opinion, it's more interesting and fascinating than the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, for instance. The Curse Of The Black Pearl is the best of the three. Then there's Dead Man's Chest, which comes very close to the first movie. And although they wanted to make it bigger and better, At World's End is the least of the three. It's bigger, but not better. And that's because of 3 important flaws.

In my opinion, the biggest and most important flaw of all is that the role of Jack Sparrow in At World's End has gotten smaller. We don't get to see him as often as in the previous 2 movies, and when we do, we don't always see the same Sparrow as before. Of course it's normal that we don't see him in the beginning of the movie, because they had to sail to Davy Jones' locker first, where witty Jack was captured. In fact, that part (from the beginning of the movie to the moment they arrive at the locker) is my favorite part of the movie, and it was absolutely brilliant. Barbossa's return is very impressively filmed, and the way he and the rest of the crew of the Black Pearl have to get the secret charts and sail to the locker blew me away. Very impressive film-making. And although I had my doubts when I heard he was cast, Chow Yun-Fat did a very good job playing captain Sao Feng. I was pleasantly surprised. Anyway, the point is that Jack doesn't have the lead anymore, and it's actually more about Elizabeth. It's her who is chosen as the Pirate King, and it's her who has to persuade the others into fighting Davy Jones and Lord Beckett at the end. Of course Johnny Depp plays his role as brilliantly as always, but when we get to see Jack, he isn't presented as the 'mean', charming and leading pirate anymore. Although sometimes, particularly at the end of the movie, when the final battle took place, we saw him fighting, shooting and swinging again, and then I saw the Jack from the first 2 movies. But it's not the same, not by a long shot.

Maybe the filmmakers had to choose between a series of characters and figures, or maybe it might have been more difficult to shoot, but I think the death of the Kraken was a bad idea. I was looking forward to see the Kraken again after Dead Man's Chest, because I thought it was very impressive, but I was disappointed when Beckett said Davy Jones had to kill his pet. I'm sure the writers could have found a way to bring the Kraken back into the third film, but maybe it was too difficult to film. Although I'm sure there could have been a lot of incredible and spectacular fights if the Kraken was still alive. Image it was, and Davy Jones called it at the final battle, with the whirlpool and everything… Wow!

And finally, the third biggest flaw is that too many stories had to be told, which makes the movie a little too complicated than it should be. But this is not a big deal actually. Personally I had no trouble understanding everything, but I can imagine some people had.

So all in all, At World's End is an unforgettable movie from the beginning to the end. But if you compare it to the previous 2, it's the least of the three. I enjoyed watching this film and I'm happy I did. I just hope, if there is going to be a fourth movie, although it's definitely not necessary, Jack will have the lead again.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The ultimate action masterpiece.

[9/10 · 1 June 2007]

This is one of the few movies I can watch over and over again. I think I've seen it 9 times and I never get tired of it. With The Terminator, James Cameron brought a new sci-fi element in the movie world. It was a masterpiece that had great success worldwide. A lot of people didn't think he was able to make a better movie than the masterpiece he had already made. But in 1991, he did just that. T2 is without a doubt one of the greatest action movies ever, and certainly the best of the 90s.

After The Terminator everyone knew that there was going to be a sequel. But I don't think they expected Schwarzenegger to be in it again. I'm very glad he represented his role, because that's what makes the plot even more interesting. Once again a T-800 is sent back through time, but this time with a different mission than last time: this time he has to protect John Connor, the future leader of the Human Resistance. I'm pretty sure that no one could have directed this film better than Cameron. He knew exactly what he wanted this movie to be and how to get the job done. In an interview, Schwarzenegger said that Cameron is such a good director because he has such a great vision of what he wants to see. Every scene, every character, every song, … you name it: it's all as good as it can be. Cameron added the perfect kind of music to the right scene. And every scene was filmed very carefully. It can't get better than this.

I think everyone agrees that Schwarzenegger was perfect for the role of the T-800. In T1, he didn't have to talk a lot, and that situation is different in T2. We get a lot of information about what kind of machine he really is, and about the war against the machines. Schwarzenegger has to play a machine and can't show any emotions, so a lot of people think that it's no big deal to play that role. But it's a bigger task than everyone thinks. Cameron has said this himself when he gave an explanation in 'the making of'. In fact, his exact words were: "Arnold's one of the most professional people I have ever worked with. He's got incredible concentration. He takes everything like a pro". So no matter what some people might tell you; Arnold definitely knows what he's doing.

Linda Hamilton reprises her role as Sarah Connor and proves to be a very talented actress. She has to play a different Sarah than the Sarah you saw in the first movie: much more aggressive, more driven, and actually more dangerous. But all with good intentions, as she wants to protect her son and everyone else, actually.

The choice of Robert Patrick for the role of the T-1000 was a good decision, because he's got a neutral look: he could be a protector or a terminator, no one can tell just by looking at him.

And I think Edward Furlong deserves a big bravo for his fantastic performance in his first movie ever. I can imagine it must have been hard to play the role of John Connor, especially with stars like James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the team. That might have given him some pressure, but he handled it well. He did great.

If you haven't seen this movie, please don't hesitate and just see it. It will blow you away.

Bravo James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick and William Wisher, for making the best action movie ever: Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Desperate Measures (1998)

Excellent thriller thanks to Michael Keaton (Spoilers)

[8/10 · 29 July 2006]

If you're looking for a good thriller so you'd be at the edge of your seat, Desperate Measures is what you're looking for. I liked everything about this movie. The story might be a little weird because a con like Peter McCabe is the only match for young Matt Conner, but it's possible. This is one of those movies that can make you think about how important life is, and how important the people that you love are. Officer Frank Conner would do anything for his son, he'd even break the law. He's a father that wants to make sure that his son will live. Andy Garcia is superb in this movie and is the right man to play that role. But Michael Keaton... he was absolutely amazing. Peter McCabe, a dangerous con. No one could have done a better job than Keaton for that role. The look on his face when Conner is asking him to be a donor for his son is absolutely terrifying. Keaton knows what he's doing and he truly gives an Oscar worthy performance as Peter McCabe. I bet, if someone like James Cameron would have directed this movie, the rating would be a lot higher, and maybe... Keaton would have gotten an Oscar nomination for his role. The music fits with the action scenes, which are brilliant, and the ending makes you think 'I love it'.

Bravo Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia and Barbet Schroeder.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

A real shame it is.

[6/10 · 29 July 2006]

When I heard there was going to be a third installment of the Terminator movies, I had high hopes, because T1 and T2 were both absolutely great. My first thought when I heard the title 'Rise Of The Machines' was that the movie was going to be about the war against the machines, because that would have been entertaining, not thinking about the story then. But I was wrong. It's another movie about a Terminator that was sent back through time to kill John Connor. In T1 and T2, that story fits. In T3 it doesn't, and that's because of some major plot holes and disturbing story lines.

T3 is a good and descent action movie, but it just wasn't supposed to be. After seeing T2 it was clear that the war against the machines was prevented by the T-800 and John and Sarah Connor. But apparently it wasn't, and that's actually the biggest plot hole of all. In T2, when the Terminator and John Connor are driving to Byson in order to stop Sarah Connor from killing him, the Terminator says 'Killing Dyson might actually prevent the war'. In T3, John Connor says 'You shouldn't even exist. We took out Cyberdyne over ten years ago. We stopped Judgment Day', and the Terminator says: 'You only postponed it. Judgment Day is inevitable'... So in T3 he means that, whatever happens or whoever gets killed(including Byson in T2), Judgment Day is inevitable. That's the exact opposite thing that was claimed in T2. And actually, the fact that a T-X was sent back through time, isn't possible according to the story of the previous films. Because in the beginning of T2, Sarah Connor's voice says "The computer which controlled the machines, Skynet, sent two Terminators back through time". So there can't be a third terminator. I can imagine some people might think 'But maybe they didn't know that a third terminator was sent back?'. Yes, that is a possibility. But that wasn't the intention of the story. Otherwise Sarah would have said "Skynet sent three terminators back through time". It just doesn't make sense. I wish it did, because I like Arnold and I know Jonathan Mostow is a talented director. And that's why I think it's such a shame that this movie was directed by a very smart man, who blew his reputation by directing T3. Breakdown and U-571, two amazing movies full of suspense, both directed by Jonathan Mostow. I was very impressed by both, and from then on I knew Mostow has got what it takes to make good movies. With T3, he probably saw his big chance of becoming one of the most popular directors in this century, but I think making sure that T3 would be an amazing film was too hard for him. He thought he could, but I think he overestimated himself. James Cameron is a legend and has already made 2 of the best movies ever with T1 and T2. No one could have done a better job, including for the sequel. Damn it Mostow, you're such a talented director, I wish you said no to T3.

I can understand why Schwarzenegger agreed to play in this film. Actually he did a pretty good job. It's not his fault that his character 'had to be' different than in T2, he just did what they asked him to do. In T2, the T-800 said that he can learn things from humans. But what we saw in T3 was a bit exaggerating... First of all, the T-800 couldn't have known that the car keys were above his head. In T2 John showed the T-800 that some people hide their keys there, but nobody said this to the T-800 in T3, so he couldn't have known that. They didn't teach him a lot of human things like in T2, so the scene in which the T-800 couldn't kill John and chose to shut himself down, is actually pointless.

Conclusion: this movie shouldn't have been made. I just hope Jonathan Mostow realizes his mistake, and hopefully he'll get another chance to prove he really is a good director.

Liar Liar (1997)

Jim Carrey: a true legend

[9/10 · 8 July 2006]

I've watched this movie over 10 times, and every time I come to the conclusion that this movie has got it all. It's a good story with a talented director, and most important: with an actor who can almost do anything. Jim Carrey is absolutely amazing. He's my favorite actor. I admire the way he can identify with all kinds of characters, and every time he goes for it, with success. In my opinion, he's the greatest actor ever. This is the movie that made Carrey the man he is today: a legend. Tom Shadyac obviously knows what he's doing, and he picked the right guy for the leading role.

Liar Liar: 10/10.

End of Days (1999)

Surprisingly amazing (Spoilers!)

[7/10 · 8 July 2006]

I saw this movie yesterday, and I must say: it blew me away.

Along with Terminator, Predator and True Lies, this is one of Arnold's best movies. He gives an excellent and even Oscar worthy performance as Jericho Cane. I know, you must be thinking "Schwarzenegger? Oscar worthy performance?!", but it's true. I can be very realistic when it comes to movies and performances, so it's not like I'm exaggerating. I think it's a shame this movie only gets a 5.2. This is without a doubt Arnold's best performance ever. I'm giving this movie 9/10 for everything: the acting, the directing and the writing. Yes, the scene where the priest turns the 666 upside down so it would be 999 is a bit off, but then again it's good entertainment. Director Peter Hyams did a very good job. The action is superb, as well as the special effects. In this movie Arnold proves he is one of the greatest action heroes ever, and a good actor.

Believe me, give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed.

Well done, Arnold & Peter.