genoxy Reviews

Erik the Viking (1989)

Beautifully done!

[10/10 · 28 May 2005]

Right, so judging by the 5.7 score this film has, I realise I'm in a minority here... Well I'm sorry, but this is such a wonderful film! The story is great, the cast is fantastic, effects are good, soundtrack is lovely, and excluding the first fifteen minutes, which are crucial for the storyline, it is hilarious throughout! Unlike other Python films, this one is real, with no silly cartoon bits in the middle and a much more intelligent humour. Much better than The Holy Grail, that had a rubbish end to it.

Well done Terry, it's a great shame that not more viewers have come across Eric The Viking, or didn't like it as much (I have a feeling that many of them were expecting a typical Python film).

King Arthur (2004)

Pretty bad

[5/10 · 18 May 2005]

*A few spoilers ahead, be warned* Fair enough, not a whole lot is actually known about the real King Arthur, or the period in which he lived, but wearing leather bikinis in the middle of a British winter?!?!? Come on guys... And what's with the facial make-up? A bit over the top, to say the least.

Acting was pathetic, though mostly due to the poor dialogue. The comic-relief bits were actually not-too-bad at all, but the battle scenes balance it up by being unrealistic, especially the one which should've 'made' the film, when the few Knights Of The Round Table, face up to however many hundreds of soldiers in a frozen valley... To begin with, for a river to freeze THAT badly, you need at least a -10C temperature (if not colder), and it NEVER, ANYWHERE, in Britain gets THAT cold (from experience - I've been here for long enough, and travelled that country up and down - winter time included). Furthermore, that valley, as we're told is the ONLY pathway through the mountains - what mountains?!?!? This is a flat land, and the few mountains that there are here, are nothing more than big hills (apart from the Scottish Highlands perhaps - but that's not anywhere near where the story takes place). It made more sense in Robin Hood, when they get from Dover to Hadrian's Wall in one day's travelling! All in all, doesn't come across as authentic, no attachment developed to the characters and completely over-the-top.

The only reason it got five stars from me (and not one), is due to the fact, that for a change, its not in the 'Best 250' list...

Gladiator (2000)

Best of its genre

[10/10 · 13 May 2005]

WARNING: if you liked 'The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring', perhaps you shouldn't read on - you wouldn't understand a word of what I'm talking about.

Unlike most of the other films of its genre, Gladiator has a well balanced, credible storyline. That means it allows enough time for the characters to develop, so that the viewer can get attached to them and not stay indifferent, thus, making a three hours long film, interesting rather than boring (like LOTR). At the same time, the plot moves quickly enough to stay interesting, original and surprising.

The special effects, as are the battle scenes, are SUPERB! By far, the best I have seen, and what makes Gladiator such a great film, is that it doesn't rely on them to make it so good (again, unlike many other films of the genre, or most action films for that matter).

You got it right for a change guys - well done!!! My money well spent!

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Shambles!

[1/10 · 13 May 2005]

As a huge LOTR fan from early childhood, it pains me to write this review - but they've completely missed it! The Lord Of The Rings is about, and should be about, and always has been about two things: story and atmosphere, both of which are missed completely in this film.

As any other epic story, the plot needs time to develop and breathe, as such, thus creating a connection, on a very deep emotional level with the heroes. What the production team in this case had done, is crammed a huge story into three hours that make a VERY boring viewing. Boring, since the story has no credibility whatsoever when you don't understand why the heroes are where they are at, how they got there, or how long it took them to get there. All it leaves you with, is looking forward to the battle scenes, in which you will find yourself thinking: 'yeah right, whatever', on more than one occasion.

On top of that, or rather because of all that, with the exception of Sir Ian Mckellen as Gandalf, the heroes seem ridiculous and pathetic and you are left feeling completely indifferent to them! Unheard of! Indifferent to the heroes of the LOTR! Oh dear, you got it SO wrong! Shame! Whenever I think about this film, I can't help but thinking about Gladiator, which I thought was fantastically written and executed. LOTR HAD the potential to be as good, but, and it pains me to say that, is not even in the same league.

My money back please.

Fight Club (1999)

Loses all credibility

[1/10 · 13 May 2005]

This film starts off well and keeps you interested until about half way through.

In the second half of the film, the storyline goes all over the place, and when you realise what's actually going on, then you realise how ridiculous it all is! As a result, the film loses all credibility and you're just left feeling cheated! Whereas with other promising bad films, the problem is usually that the basic idea for the plot is good and they are simply badly executed (like The Sixth Sense) - here the main idea is absurd and is also executed badly! The only good things in this film are the acting and the camera-work, which is admittedly good. But for a good film you need a good plot! Not a ridiculous one! All in all, very bad, not worth watching and certainly doesn't deserve to be anywhere in the list of best 250 films! Avoid at all cost, will leave you feeling disillusioned.

Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer (1976)

A good film, but...

[8/10 · 12 May 2005]

The story of a dysfunctional Israeli reservists' unit in the Sinai prior to the 1980 peace deal with Egypt.

Gingi, the unit's sergeant and the only guy around with his head screwed on, sort to speak, desperately tries to keep everything going smoothly, when the regional Colonel is due for a visit.

The plot thickens, when one of the reservists under his command (Victor), ends up in the hands of an equally dysfunctional Egyptian border unit.

While the film is a funny, light-hearted watch, the humour, unfortunately, doesn't translate all that well, and unless you're a native Hebrew speaker, you will miss a few of the important points, that have made it such a cult film in Israel.

All in all, definitely worth a watch!

The Big Dig (1969)

A real gem!

[10/10 · 12 May 2005]

With a tiny budget, Kishon and his superb cast, manage to pull off a mammoth task.

A lunatic on the loose, obsessed with diggers, steals one and starts digging in the middle of a main Tel-Aviv road. The authorities, in the midst of an election campaign, ever suspicious of each other, need to explain the resulting chaos.

Although everything in this this film is great, from the acting to the set (a fantastic duplicate of central Tel-Aviv in the sixties), the real treasure of it is the storyline - without a shred of doubt, one of the best ever written! Complexed, and yet so easy to follow, Kishon had written a masterpiece of a satire! If this film is ever to be made in English, it would become a huge success, 'The Full Monty' style - guaranteed! And if you happen to be a film producer looking for a break, perhaps you should take note of that and get hold of a copy!