Reviews

Wow! I have been surprised AND delighted with watching several SUPERB Korean action crime movies the last couple of weeks and I must declare (!) that the South Korean directors and writers and actors are absolute masters at making these intense, true to life, riveting and dramatic gangster flicks!

The good: all these actors were (formerly) completely unknown to me, but what terrific acting performances they delivered, what charismatic actors they are, what great chemistry they have got. There are so many things to praise about this movie that is completely overlooked however on Imdb (with only 5 reviews!) Incredible!

Please somebody, anybody out there in the world of cinema distribution, please (RE)release these magnificent Korean crime dramas to the Western movie audience. They will LOVE it. They will EAT it up. Such high quality crime dramas! With only so few people who have seen it. ( I can only put blame on the terrible Corona epidemic with it's theatres closed for years for this dreadful lack of worldwide distribution)

Any bad? No! However the basic storyline of "A man of Reason" isnt particularly original, because this (father saves daughter) story has been told many times before, BUT the way in which it is told is simply superb! With true to life dialogues, with nailbiting supsenseful plot turns, with riveting over the top action and with a magnificent direction of such high quality.

I am in AWE!

Bravo!

I have recently been watching one after the other terrific Korean movie. Why? Because unknown to many Western movie goers (me included until recently) the Korean movie industry is without a doubt one of the very best creators of intense, true to life dramas. They dont come much better than this!

This movie is all about Korean politics and war history. Not knowing anything about Korea's history didnt prevent me from being thoroughly impressed by this storyline though about ONE exceptionally brave and patriotic army commander who single handedly tried to stop a military uprising against the government. Not kiddin'.

What intense drama! What glorious characters. What evil and wicked treachery. What a sad and demoralising final. What a blast to watch!

Highly recommended for the fans of Korean cinema and also for those who are into fierce and unrelenting, war dramas.

Nothing really new (besides a few fun drone action scenes), nothing really surprising (besides a Martin Lawrence thinking he is invincible after having seen a vision), but just another well made sequel...

The good: 2 guys goofing around, we know the drill, we know their chemistry and it still works. Especially Martin Lawrence's dialogues are quite funny. Fans of the earlier versions will be getting what they wished for, although dont expect fireworks, it's more of the same, but executed rather well...

Any bad? The supporting actors are rather lame and not impressive at all. It's B-movie level acting. Kinda disappointing, but a minor gripe.

All in all a nice sequel, even better than some of the earlier sequels...

Unlike any other Paul Schrader movie you have ever seen, meaning that this is NOT a dark and depressing doom story, but an uplifting, witty and mellow one for a change...

The good: a bunch of brilliant actors of whom Bridget Fonda and Christopher Walken steal the show, with several funny cameo's by LL Cool J and director Paul Mazursky.

The story is about a supposed healer who can cure people. Christopher Walken wants to put the healer on tv while Bridget Fonda's bedroom eyes are looking for romance with this charismatic healer. Will love blossom? Will the healer actually be able to heal people on tv and make Christopher Walken rich?

What an odd, yet gentle and mellow picture. Looses steam midway through, but it is undeniably curious and fun to watch for those who who are fans of these actors. Back to the nineties!

Incredible! Only 10 reviews (mine included) for such a gripping, dramatic storyline and such masterful direction. What an absolute thrill to watch!

Unfortunately released a year before the start of the worldwide covid pandemic, but this movie deserves to be REleased worldwide to a wide Western audience! They would love it!

The good: where to begin? Let's start by saying that this movie already starts out rather bleak, dark and violent, but it slowly yet steadily evolves into an even more major dramatic, thrilling and violent final. So have some patience at the beginning, you will definitely be rewarded by a devastating end!

More good: it's a dirty cop movie, but not just anohter run of the mill one. Because the acting performances are rock solid, but the intricate gripping and dramatic storyline deserves most of the applause, because what a mayhem of violence, drama and deceit this story turned out to be. Wow!

The story starts out quite simple with a dirty cop who crosses the law, but who now gets caught up in a murder case in which he is doomed to be found guilty in aiding and abetting the assassination of a powerful drugboss.

The desperation of the leading character is visceral. The depths of betrayal between rivalling cops are boundless. The violence is hideous. The characters are lost and doomed and yet still so humanlike and relatable.

This is absolutely not yet another run of the mill dirty cop / serial killer movie, this is truly something else and then some! Marvellous direction by a young new director. Highly recommended for the arthouse movie fans of the South Korean crime genre. They wont come much better than this!

Bravo!

I recently rewatched Deadpool 2 and what a blast I had! Then I tried rewatching the first in the series and it just wasnt a match to the brilliant sequel.

The bad: it's so weird that this first edition looks and feels formulaic, like most sequels are, but this is the first, the original and it just does not have the same wit, the same creativity, the same overwhelming energy as the sequel.

It starts out allright with a funny chase/fight sequence, but that's the only action sequence we get to see for 45 minutes long! That's no way to start an action movie!

What we do get to see the first 45 minutes are a cringeworthy "romance" and a character being diagnosed with cancer. What the what! And that is suppose to thrill me?

The writing is just missing the mark. The jokes arent up and snuff. The action is kinda lame.

Skip this first edition, go straight to the brilliant sequel, because for ONCE the sequel is actually much better than the original!

A divided country (Korea) wants to reunify and lay down their weapons and achieve lasting PEACE. Evil powers viciously try to thwart any peace agreement with brutal violence. Will peace prevail or will VIOLENCE rule forever?

This is quite a heavy mother of a movie, which the Koreans are masters at making. This is yet another pearl from the South Korean genius director Kim Jee Woon!

The good: terrific acting performances AND an enticing storyline about a soldier who grows a conscience, because he starts to doubt his killings sprees will ever bring about peace.

I dont know where they find all these great Korean actors (whom I never seen before) but they excel with their subtle, yet intense acting performances. Really impressive.

What bliss to watch. Beautiful photography. Gorgeous serene soundtrack. And funky original tough action sequences the likes I havent seen in a while. And the direction is simply superb!

It's so many things, but it still feels like one story. It's a love story. It's an action story. It's a drama. It's an epic story. It's a story about peace and the offers that one has to make in order to achieve long and lasting peace...

Any bad? I agree with several other reviewers that the plot may cause some confusion here and there because of the many characters and disjointed subplots at the beginning. But please have some patience (you will be rewarded), because this movie has got a beautiful crescendo in the second hour which offers more pure drama and visceral action!

Probably NOT suited for the casual action movie fan, because of it's many quirks and philosophies and subtle character interaction, but because of these reasons it is most likely better suited for the arthouse movie fans, to whom I would like to highly recommend this South Korean pearl!

I had missed this movie back in the eighties, but fortunately I didnt miss out on much...

The bad: this movie has kinda dated, it probably would have been reasonable to watch for a teenager crowd back in the eighties, but watching it back in 2024 didnt kept me entertained for the entire movie. The jokes dont land. They just arent very funny. It's silliness to the max, but not silly enough to be hilarious.

Not any good then? About the first half an hour was fun to watch, because of these 2 stellar actors, who are THE only reason why this movie is worth checking out. So if you are a fan of one these terrific actors have a go at it, but you have been warned this movie has been forgotten for a reason...

Impressive.

The good: a crescendo of violence the likes the South Koreans are masters at.

More good: beautiful faces, vicious characters, with 2 leading acors who are simply sublime. What joy to watch these gangsters masterminds unleash a war upon each other.

Any bad? No, but this movie has some odd choices of music, because at some of the most dramatic, vicious moments we get to hear sweet sounding spanish guitar music, which is so out of place that it must have been on purpose. Weird, but the fascinating kind of weird.

Lovers of the ganster genre beware, this is a bittersweet pearl. Highly recommended!

This third edition of the series is almost an exact copy of the second edition, which wasnt remarkable either. Better watch the first original if you want to witness a really thrilling action movie.

The bad: this third edition has NOT got any great vicious bad guys. We have got solid perfomrnces from Albert Finney and Scott Glenn, but they are only starring in small supporting roles. The assassins character who are after Jason Bourne, dont look impressive or tough at all this time around, that's really disappointing.

More bad: the same shaky cam mess as in the second edition. And what about all those endless camera shots of board rooms with screens, I got SOOO tired of them talking heads trying to look serious and "intelligent"...

Not any good then? It's the worst in the series, but it'll still do if you are into action movies and you havent yet seen it. I have seen all the Bourne movies dozens of times but this edition really started to bore me and that's a first for me as a big Jason Bourne fan.

What bizar, yet wonderful mix of terrific actors, who have all earned their merits with many classic action flicks. But there is a catch, there is always a catch...

The not so good: this knights movie has got all you would wish for in a fierce knights movie, tons of action, tons of cool poses, tons of glorious victories, tons a quests, the works, BUT it is a bit silly now and then, it just is. BUT it is the GOOD kind of silly, the one that you have to chuckle about, but still can enjoy.

I had to see all Jason Statham movies he has ever made and this movie is a one out, a kind of special one, because this is not the genre Jason Statham usually stars in, but he does a really (REALLY) good job. After having seen this I think it is a pity he hasnt starred in many other knights movies.

Definitely under rated, but beware it has got some silly moments, in between the many glorious macho fight scenes...

Not any good? I started watching this movie out of curiousity for the many SPLENDID supporting actors, whom the older generation will definitely remember with fond thoughts, like Dany DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annete Bening and several others, BUT...

The bad: what Chris Pine tried to make here, is a QUIRKY comedy. There is a fine line though between quirky kinda funny and NOT funny at all. Quirky means odd, yet fascinating and a subtle (tongue in cheek) kinda funny, but this movie never reached that fine subtle level of comedy. Worse, I didnt even laugh once, not even a smirk or a smile. I did frown a lot...and sighed a lot...that's not what I longed for ofcourse...

They really tried to make this turn into a subtle quirky comedy, BUT its' OFF, it's just not working, it's too predictable and because of that quite boring to watch actually. And the many terrific supporting actors (way better than Chris Pine will ever be) those great, older actors only made this movie more painful to watch, because they have all starred in WAY better and WAY more popular and WAY more original (classic) movies than this unforunate flop.

Several times we get to hear a playbacked version of Madonna's voice. THAT"S NOT REALLY LIVE MUSIC AT ALL! That is such a disappointment / shame and a real sin for a live concert.

I mean really, when I go to a LIVE concert I wanna hear live music and not some playback sound recording covering up for the fact that Madonna's voice isnt what it used to be.

Most of the time Madonna's voice gets WAY overpowered by a prerecorded soundtrack or a blasting backing choir.

Madonna's real voice (which we get to hear ocassionally) sounds really flat and small nowadays and not nearly as powerful and beautiful as it once was.

Not any good then? How about the show? It's big. And that's about the only thing that is out of the ordinary. But more people, more and bigger videoscreens dont make for a good concert. But for those who like big and lots of dancing by others on stage, go ahead and give it a try...

I would rather put on any older concert from the nineties than this shameful PLAYBACK show. Such a shame that she often doesnt use her own voice or is overpowered by a backing choir, because Madonna's voice has gone flat and small.

The bad: I did not laugh once, but I did CRINGE a lot... Why? Let me explain...

This is the SILLY kind of comedy. Some silly over the top comedies can be quite fun actually, but this is the jaded kind of silly, the boring kind of silly, the predictable kind of silly, the IN YOUR FACE kind of silly. And I hate that kind of silly comedy.

Jerry Seinfield is starring in it! So is Melissa McCarthy! Both have proven to be the top of comedy actors in the world! BUT....

... this story and the way it is directed and told, just is WAY too predictable and simply NOT funny... but hey give it try for 5 minutes, if you havent laughed after 5 minutes forget about watching it in it's entirety....

I am a big Aaron Eckhart fan and HE was THE reason I started watching this, but what a disappointment it turned out to be...

The bad: from the get go I notice this is a cheaply produced movie, with uneventful photography, a way too overbearing soundscore and above all WAY too many below average supporting actors.

More bad: what's really annoying (and disappointing) though is the fact that this is meant to be a serious and tough crime movie, but the action is so silly that it flexed my laughing muscles.

There simply is NO suspense, NO thrill, NO originality, it's a nothing burger. Aaron Eckhart has made some solid movies lately, but this is defnitely not one of them!

The bad: I blame the script writer for several annoying credibility flaws that make this movie hard to watch, because of the level of stupidity of several plot turns that just do not make sense whatsoever...

Because of these stupid plot turns the character Keanu Reeves is playing is simply not believable, which kinda destroys the entire thrill and suspense of this story.

Keanu Reeves is playing a real nasty DIRTY cop, BUT he somehow, someway suddenly grows a conscience and starts digging his own grave and that of his collegues. Totally NOT credible whatsoever.

The good: but this movie does have cojones. It's a straight forward macho dirty cop movie with all the usual ingredients and with lots of terrific actors starring in it. The shootouts are pretty thrilling as well.

Mixed bag. Could have been a lot better, with a more credible script. Still enjoyed it watching it for a second time...

This movie sorta started the downfall of Keanu Reeves' great career. UP UNTILL this very movie he had been making hugely succesful blockbuster movies or independent smaller quirky arthouse movies. But those days have been...

The bad: this movie is meant to be taken seriously, but even the trailer looked pretty silly and when watching the movie I experienced the worst cringefest, because this movie tries SO hard to look daunting and deep, but achieves the exact opposite: RIDICULE.

Not any good? Well, we have still got the great Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connely, and those two do soften the blow of watching this flawed flick, but not enough to not warn others that this one is a full blown flop!

"The Day that Keanu Reeves' career went down the drain..." would have been a better title...

Quite disappointing watch. I had missed this movie when it was released but I didnt miss out on anything worthy to watch...

The bad: what's most disappointing is the disjointed storyline. It feels like there are 2 movies instead of one. And what's worse this story never becomes supsenseful or exciting, the opposite is unfortunately true, this is quite a dread to watch.

More bad: even the acting performance by Keanu Reeves was kinda mediocre. He has played a cop before and it isnt that the man cant act, but this time around his performance looked uninspired and flat.

To be avoided, even for the Keanu Reeves fans, of which I am one...

Directing DEBUT of actress Judy Greer. It is quite a warmhearted, nicely made quirky, slowburning comedy, but it somehow didnt ignite...

The bad:there is a fine line between quirky and silly. And quirky comedy is the kind of jokes that are created out of weird, but true to life situations. Silly comedies however, are created out of absurd NOT true to life situations. This movie tried to mix quirky with silly jokes and that was it weak point.

I liked this movie when it tried to be serious and true to life. I did not like this movie that much when it geared into silly territory.

The good: a bunch of great actors, acting really well. Lots of original, witty dialogues. Lots of funny plot turns. And an overall really warmhearted spirit of caring for one another, packaged inside a bit of a silly story of marital infidelity and office shenanigans.

Now I know why I missed out on this Keanu Reeves picture, it was quite a misfire of a movie!

The bad: it isnt a terrible movie, but it is quite slow. Now slow doesnt have to mean boring and it aint boring for sure, but it aint exactly exciting or thrilling either.

We get to see Keanu Reeves try to sell diamonds to some shady folks in Russia. And will he be able to make a diamond deal and come out alive? This story sounds exciting, BUT it is the opposite of an action movie. It is SLOW slow.

More bad: the romance with a Russsian lady isnt convincing, nor is it in any way romantic or dramatic. It's just a rather unbelievable fling, which could have easily been cut out of the movie entirely.

Not any good? The suspense is quite good. The acting by Keanu Reeves is quite good as well. And all the other actors are okay. But this movie was cheaply made (mediocre direction, mediocre photography, mediocre soundscore). This movie simply misses that extra umph that would make it thrilling...

Luca Guadagnino has made some EXQUISITE movies before which I truly adored, but this is not one of them. Dont believe the hype...

The bad: I blame the casting firstmost, because these 3 leading actors just did not ooze any charisma. There wasnt any actor's chemistry of any notice either. Quite a failure in casting these mediocre actors.

More bad: this story is BORING. Try making a tennis match dramatic. Not gonna happen. What would have been possible is to make a love trio dramatic and exciting. Did they succeed in that? NO! There simply is no true intense drama. There isnt even a hot romance.

This movie is just going through the motions. Earlier fans of director Luca Guadagnino's work be warned, this is definitely NOT his finest hour. It's his worst!

Beware, this movie starts out quite slow and uneventful, but it ends in a complete bloodbath of violence. And actor Stephen Dorff (the reason I chose to watch this movie) has only got a tiny supporting role of about 3 minutes, but nevermind that, because ALL the other actors involved delivered rock solid performances! I was really impressed!

Beware (a second time) that this is NOT a glorious, funny gangster movie, this is as bleak, true to life and depressing as it gets! But it definitely is one of the better crime dramas I have seen the last couple of months. Memories of The Coen Brothers come to mind...and that is about the highest compliment I can give!

The good: this movie has got a dark cloud of doom hanging over it, envisioned by the bleak photography and underscored with dark and twisted music. From the start till the very last breath, this movie oozes slowburning despair, hidden evil and violent chaos, but somehow this movie is about innocence as well...somehow this movie succeeds in letting evil turn into something good and wholesome...

The story: a desperate salesman, in financial dire straits, who cant support his family and his sick son, takes on a job with the mob. He "only" has to drive a bag of drugs towards a delivery point and collect the money for it. All things spiral out of control in a vicseral vicious and violent way I havent seen come along in a while.

Wow, terrific direction, solid acting performances, vicious storyline, what a great movie! I dont dare reommend this sort of hardhitting movie to my friends or family, but only to those who can stumach a slowburning ACTOR's movie, which is as bleak, violent, depressing and dark as it can get...

This story sounded interesting and it made me curious enough to wanna see this movie. How disappointed I was...

The bad: supposedly a horror movie, which it is definitely NOT. It has ZERO suspense or thrill and I mean really absolute zero. What is it then? It's a really incredibly tedious portrait of a seventies talk show that isnt doing well in the ratings. And that's it.

Endless talking heads sitting in this talkshow talking to each other, with NO point at all. And the actors ALL fail to impress me. The leading actor is completely void of any charisma.

What was the point of this movie? I got beyond bored, beyond sleepy, beyond annoyed by this total lack of spark and punch.