ninjapig-44012 Reviews

American Pie 2 (2001)

A failed romance story

[6/10 · 17 November 2022]

I really liked the first American pie. It was a movie about guys dealing with the pressure of losing one's virginity, portrayed in a funny and realistic way with great characters.

The second movie, however, is attempting to tell a love story, but the major plot gets sidelined by all the other stuff crammed into this movie that the creators felt obligated to include. Of course, the characters are great, and we all love seeing them goof around and get into embarrassing situations, and I did find the humor just as effective as the first movie. But this movie needed more focus on the relationship between Jim and Michelle. We can obviously see that the two will end up together by the end of the film, but we don't get enough of their relationship. There is almost no development between the two until suddenly Michelle is jealous and Jim realizes she's the one. That is where this movie fails. It's a love story that pays no attention to the love story, and as a result the ending is utterly disappointing. Instead we get to see more humor in the style of the first film, as well as some development of the side characters. Those bits are still good, but I wanted more Michelle. We hardly learn anything more about her since the first film when this is the movie that's supposed to expand on her as a character.

Like I said, I really liked the first movie, and the characters are wonderful, so I want the movie to be great. It was still funny and entertaining in the same ways as the first, but not as satisfying.

Funny Games (1997)

I can't respect movies like these

[2 July 2022]

If you want to be heralded as a great director, just use your movie as utter meta-commentary on the mechanisms of the plots found in violent horror movies, or on fiction in general. Showing that you understand these mechanisms means that you're smart and that you have risen above the need to make an entertaining movie for the audience.

I don't care that Haneke is smart. I want the product. But making an actual good story is hard, and that's what artists should be aiming to excel at, instead of trying to deconstruct art itself.

However, other than that, the movie is actually really good. I liked it up until the ending. It had crazy good acting, great shots and an intriguing plot. It's the more unconventional stuff in this movie that I don't like. If this had stayed on the tracks instead of being pretentious, it could have been amazing.

Lightyear (2022)

Morals with light entertainment

[4/10 · 19 June 2022]

Once the plot has been set up and the characters have been introduced, it's pretty obvious what kind of story is going to be told. It's a kids movie, but even with those standards, it's very unimaginative and formulaic. The technical aspects are amazingly well done. The movie looks and sounds great, but the script is very mediocre. There are some occasional gags that had me giggling, but it's like the movie is shaking car keys at you to hide it's obvious flaws. I also didn't like what they did with "Zurg" in this movie. He's such a cool character in his design that he should have been easy to execute, but they messed him up by trying to be too clever. Considering the great potential of Lightyear, I was disappointed. A movie ONLY for kids.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

Pretentious and demanding

[4/10 · 25 May 2022]

If you want to watch an entertaining movie, this is not it. It is certainly well made. The atmosphere, the cinematography, the acting, it's all high class. But there is no substance beneath the fine looking aesthetics, or the creators wants you to think that there's more to it with it's hidden metaphors and symbolism. But it all feels like the movie is just giving you chores to understand it. It expects a lot of the viewer and does nothing to engage you to actually WANT to dig deeper into it. It is occasionally funny, but only out of pure obscenity. In the end it just comes off as a pretentious mess, and I see no reason to give it more credit than that.

As It Is in Heaven (2004)

Convincing actors, but unconvincing story

[6/10 · 27 March 2022]

A woman is beaten by her man, he even gets caught in the act by the main character and shoots at him. Somehow they just all go to work the next day like nothing has happened. The development between the main character and the girl is infuriatingly "stop and go" for no apparent reason other then to tease you with the satisfaction of them finally getting together near the end. Considering this is a main part of the story, I just couldn't vibe with it.

However, I was majorly impressed by the actors. Everyone is GREAT in this. Even Helen Sjöholm, who is a singer rather than an actor, was really good. This movie felt more like theater than a movie, maybe because some of the actors come from theater. These people knew how to act, and it makes this movie a whole lot better than it actually is. The story isn't terrible. It's about regular people in a small village, and it feels very accurate to what it can be like in these small communities in Sweden, but what drives it home are the scenes. The acting is great, and that makes the scenes so much more emotionally intense. In my opinion, Lennart Jähkel stole the show with his great portrayal of the big mouth bully-type character. He had a good character to work with of course, but I haven't seen anyone exude the same energy as him on film. The one actor I was kind of disappointed with was actually Michael Nyqvist. He didn't do a bad job, but his delivery felt kind of awkward at times. Considering that he is probably the biggest name in this movie, I just don't get the hype around him. He was absolutely outperformed by every other actor in this movie.

This is a pretty classic Swedish movie. A lot of it has to do with the hit song "Gabriellas sång", sung by Helen Sjöholm in this movie. It is a beautiful song, and I would recommend listening to it. I would recommend the movie if you're interested in Swedish cinema. It has great acting and is overall pretty enjoyable. I just didn't vibe with how the story and some of the characters were done.

Hostel: Part II (2007)

Trash

[4/10 · 6 March 2022]

Pretty much a repeat of the first movie, but the humor is gone. The characters are smarter, but the way they develop near the end is too drastic. In fact, the ending was super bad. The pacing was way off, and nothing worked.

The previous movie worked thanks to the humor, the characters and the novelty of the situation. This time, you know everything that's gonna happen, so what does this movie do to make the watching worthwhile? As far as I can tell, they just tried to outdo themselves in shock value and disgusting scenes. It worked. I was disgusted, but this time it falls flat on it's face, because it's done so tastelessly in a movie that I already dislike without it. The first movie was arguably as tasteless, but there it was fine, because it didn't take itself as seriously. This movie tries to look legitimate, and that's the wrong route to take here. It's boring, predictable, bad, and the ending was so repulsive that it spoiled the entire thing for me. One of the worst movies I've seen.

Hostel (2005)

You have to see the humor in it

[10/10 · 6 March 2022]

Reading the top review, it says that this movie's story is non-existent, which is somewhat true, but I think this movie knows it. It's a blatantly cheap setup for the torture scenes. Now, I knew what I was getting into when I watched this. The premise is simple: people go to a shady town in eastern Europe to kill and torture people for money, and there is a system set up to capture tourists as victims. Some might find it too simple, but for me, it works.

The story is also done in a way that screams "we're doing the most stupid cliche we could possibly think of", and I actually found it really funny, the sheer stupidness of everything. Also, the gore got so over the top that you couldn't possibly take it seriously (There is literally a scene where a guy trips on a couple of fingers and accidentally chainsaws his leg off). This movie is obviously a spectacle, and if you can see the humor in said spectacle, you will enjoy it even more. And even though it's deliberately stupid, I actually kinda liked the story, the characters and especially the setting. An entertaining movie to watch.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Could have been good

[5/10 · 1 January 2022]

I'm a bit conflicted when it comes to rating this movie. The mere existence of the movie is problematic, because it feels like they're spending an entire movie explaining why they made another Matrix movie.

I will say, I enjoyed the way they came into it, turning the plot into meta commentary for the Matrix franchise. It was humorous, but it also worked. Honestly, the beginning of the film is interesting and the reasons behind the plot are really clever, but it DOES feel a bit meaty. There is no room to build new characters, since the entire movie is a long explanation for why it happened. Instead, we mostly see characters that we already know. This is obviously the main selling point of the movie, and I liked Neo and Trinity, but some of the old characters felt awkward this time around, like Niobe, Merovingian and agent Smith. They couldn't bring back Hugo Weaving, so Smith has a new face in this movie. It makes sense in the universe, but it's not very satisfying in the film.

Also, after the opening, the movie feels like it's running on autopilot for a bit. Of course, there is a lot of action, but where the original movies made iconic scenes that were awesome to look at, all this movie can manage is a lot of quickly edited camera shaking. Sure, there is choreography and slow motion shots and whatnot, but it doesn't stand out from the dullness of modern action. The action scenes ended up feeling extremely pointless, and I found myself wishing them to be over so we could get back to the ACTUAL film. If you cut away all the pointless action, I think you actually have a pretty decent Matrix movie. There is a scene before the final sequence of mayhem in a cafe. I actually loved this scene, and thought it was super cool. There was a lot of tension, a lot of stakes and the line before the action kicked off was awesome.

To summarize, this movie's biggest problem is that it has to explain too much. I found my patience dwindling towards the end. The new characters were not given a proper chance to shine, which I hope will change in Matrix movies to come (if they make any more). The story itself is actually pretty good, but they ruined it with too much crappy action. I want to complement the overall theory behind the plot, as well as the opening act, and there were a couple of other scenes that felt good (great cafe scene), but it's inevitably a bit boring with the indulgence in bad action and the introduction of a lot of characters we know nothing about and as a result, don't care for. But to be fair, if you want to revive the Matrix franchise, you need to do a lot of chores before you can get to the good stuff. Now that all the boring explaining is out of the way, the next movies could expand on the new Matrix, the new characters and make some hopefully great movies again.

The Wave (2015)

Epic mediocrity

[3/10 · 4 December 2021]

This movie is really ambitious for Nordic cinema. Making a disaster movie of this epic scale is very cool, and I assume it's the reason for why so many people have been drawn to it and given it a (sort of) high score. The story in itself is not very good though.

In a story like this, what really carries it is the characters, and you have to feel for the characters, otherwise it won't have the impact that is needed in the tense situations. At the end of this movie I found myself very apathetic towards the situation. It could have turned into something if the plot actually drove the character development forward, but here you just get a quick introduction of the characters before disaster strikes. This movie focuses on the destruction and apocalyptic scenes rather than the characters in said disaster which is it's biggest flaw.

The movie looks good, it feels epic, it has a good score but it does NOT have an actual intriguing story.

Villmark (2003)

Good for being a low budget production

[6/10 · 26 November 2021]

I don't usually watch horror, and especially not slashers (if you could call this movie that). From what I know from these kinds of movies, "Villmark" sure fits the typical formula for such a horror. What made me interested was the cast (Kristoffer Joner and Eva Röse) and the fact that it's a scandinavian horror. There's not much of it out there.

The film is clearly low budget, but they make do with what they have and manage to create decent horror. The ending was a bit weak, but the build up was well done. It's not really my type of movie, but if you like this genre it probably satisfies you. It's good for a low budget movie, but just an all right movie in general.

Next Door (2005)

Great thriller with a weird plot

[7/10 · 10 November 2021]

I've never seen anything like this in Nordic film. It's an erotic, psychological thriller, horror-esque in tone, AND it's executed well. Actually, at some parts, this movie is great! It really nailed the tension-building, and I have to commend the acting of everyone involved. It's a small cast, but they all felt very believable. The part where this movie falls a bit short is in the ambiguous plot. The movie does well with keeping you on edge, but once the credits roll, you are not completely satisfied with what you've been given. I'm sure there are lots of questionable things in the plot itself, but the thing I object to the most are the motives of the main character. It didn't really come together the way the filmmakers intended. The plot could have been great, but this sort of storytelling was maybe just too hard to pull off. Anyway, don't let that ruin a great experience! This is a gem in Nordic film, so watch it!

Ófærð (2015– )

More mystery than Thrill

[5/10 · 8 November 2021]

Like many others here, this is my first time seeing any Icelandic production. You might expect Iceland to have some unique take on crime series, but if you've seen any modern Nordic crime you pretty much get the same thing here. It is definitely well done, though. It's at the high end of shooting and acting. The atmosphere is really chilly and the actors are surprisingly good considering most of them are pretty local. The score also shines through once in a while and the series as a whole is just seamless. You can't complain about the execution here.

Now, this might just be me not really appreciating the pure crime genre very much but as much as I wanted to like this series it just left me a bit unsatisfied. The tone and style of "Trapped" will remind you a lot of "Bron" which is a series I really enjoyed, but this one never gets me as anxious or as chilled. The plot of "Bron" was much more disturbing and hardcore which kept you on the edge of your seat the entire viewing. When the plot isn't as "evil" you're just left with the mystery. "Trapped" initially gives you the promise of being quite raw when the dismembered body is found in the ocean, but then almost nothing shocking happens again, and when the motives are finally revealed you can't help but go "Wait, was that it?!". It really isn't as threatening as you originally thought. It even made me question why someone would go through all that trouble for such a measly crime. Also, the tension never gets that high except for the very last episode. But even then it is resolved pretty smoothly. I think they should have pushed it a little bit further to make it a really chilling experience.

Like I said, all that's left now is the mystery which does build pretty well, but I've never been into JUST the mystery part of these crime series. I much prefer chills and tension. Honestly, the detective work even felt a bit contrived at points. Sometimes the police just happens to be in the right place at the right time, or a guy sitting with binoculars peeping through everyone's windows sees something important. That might just be me nitpicking. The mystery IS there and it does add to the atmosphere and overall feeling which is quite nice.

For all the negative stuff I've said, I still feel like this is a decently good series. The tight acting and atmosphere is what will keep you watching. If you're into Nordic crime this one will probably suit you, but if you go in expecting a new "Bron" you might be disappointed like me.

Squid Game (2021– )

Very good

[8/10 · 9 October 2021]

Squid game is a very good series. It had me binging in the beginning, not gonna lie. It creates great tension and develop some of the characters quite well. The highlight of the series is definitely the episode "Gganbu" where the characters are put in a situation where morality becomes hard to achieve, and it sets up a really hard hitting emotional episode.

My favorite character was actually the mobster Deok-su. He is ruthless, barbaric pig played very well by Heo Sung-tae (I think that's his name... he is weirdly credited). With a strong antagonist you can pull of any hero story. The main characters are also good. The only one I couldn't care for was Sae-byeok. She is the classic street smart loner girl trope that everyone is supposed to root for because she's good looking.

The series excels at character building and creating tension and with a good set-up it gets pretty far. However, of course this series has to reach for a deeper philosophical message and that's where I lose interest. I found analogies about capitalism and economics to be really boring. It's always the same message. There was maybe some other point in there as well, but I doubt it would make me respect it more. Most people say the ending is bad. I thought the final game was good, but the last episode definitely drags on for too long, and the twist felt pointless. It would honestly have been better if the series ended after the last game.

I do think the hype is deserved. Worth watching for sure.

A Score to Settle (2019)

See past the presentation

[7/10 · 11 July 2021]

The score for this film is shamefully low. I will admit it has some issues. The editing and direction sometimes makes it feel a bit amateurish, and the plot is kinda hard to understand in the beginning. Once everything clears up you start to understand the motives and then a series of twists happen that are actually pretty cool.

Ultimately this movie is a revenge story, and I was really into it since the motives are really good. It doesn't end like most revenge stories with the satisfying vindication at the end (though there is some of that in this movie), and with the twists and growth of the lead character it actually ends up telling a different story then the one you'd expect. Both parts are done really well. The hunt for revenge is really badass and the more thoughtful scenes later feels deserved. Nicholas Cage also carries this movie with a role that fits him like a glove.

It sure has some issues that makes the movie feel amateurish but if you can see past that and appreciate the story for what it is, it's actually really well done.

Greyzone (2018)

Anxiety-inducing

[10/10 · 10 May 2021]

You won't know what you've signed up for once you start watching this series. It might seem like an ordinary crime drama in the first episodes, but it evolves into a psychological thriller with oppressing suspense leaving you with chewed off fingernails. It's hard not to get emotionally invested and once you do this series becomes very anxious to watch but also very rewarding. The subject mater is something new and it's done very well here. In essence it's about the human side of captivity and abuse and the emotional dilemmas that ensue.

Of course the series ruins itself a little by not letting go of some of the cliches of the nordic crime thrillers. The cops are the worst characters except from Jesper who is pretty good. The "main cop" Eva is absolute trash. She must have been really bad in the script but she is also poorly played by Tova Magnusson. Jespers background is a bit interesting but they also try to give Eva a story outside of the case which feels extremely superfluous. She is not interesting at all and I very much dislike her. However, this doesn't matter because the main characters are Victoria and Iyad and they are played very well by their actors. This show is absolutely carried by Birgitte Hjort Sørensen in the role as Victoria. She gives a fantastic performance. There isn't much else to say. Don't write this off as just another nordic crime, because it's deeper than that. Amazing series. Watch it!

Snabba Cash (2021– )

Outclassing the movie

[9/10 · 4 May 2021]

When I originally watched the movie Snabba Cash (2010) I had hoped it would be a gruesome and unsentimental film like the trailers had promised. The movie was dissapointing but the series was everything I had hoped the movie would have been.

We get to see both sides of the gang life; the brotherhood, the betrayal, the paranoia and the stress of trying to stay alive with people gunning for you. The story is great and it builds in tension towards the end with a fantastic climax. With the increased intensity comes increased violence, and it turns pretty hardcore at times. This series is going for realism, and they aren't pulling any punches. I love it!

The Circle (2015)

I don't blame the people who made this

[2/10 · 9 April 2020]

The Engelsfors trilogy is my favorite book series, but I didn't have high hopes coming into this. It's a swedish film after all AND it's a fantasy. Something that swedish film industry has pretty much never done. With that in mind I was actually positively suprised by the casting, the special effects and the score.

The characters actually didn't differ much from how I imagined them in the book, and the acting isn't bad from these girls. The special effects actually look very good, especially in the ending scene. The score is also composed by Benny Andersson from ABBA, so this movie could have been great!

BUT

Pretty much every other event from the book has been cut, the dialogues have been shortened and some parts have been changed in ways that I feel are not clearly understandable. And even though the pace was hilariously rushed it's still longer than most movies (2h20min). This made me realize that this book probably isn't suited for film adaptation. Maybe a movie-series would be the right way to go? That way you could cover one book per season.

The process of making this film probably went something like this: Someone wanted to make a movie on this great book. Fair enough. They wrote a reworked script for the movie and realized that they had to cut a lot of stuff. They started filming and only realized once they saw the end result that it was too rushed. That's why I don't blame the people who made this. It was a great initiative, but now we know it was never meant to be.

What makes the book so good is all the small details in their conversations, the interactions between certain members of the group and their internal monologues (which are very hard to translate to film, I understand). You would need a LOT more time to properly express these strengths in video form. That's why a series would be better. It's a shame that this movie turned out so awful, because the books are fantastic. Hope most people watching this had read the book first, otherwise they would be put of from reading them.