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Reviews
Midway (1976)
Good adaptation of an historical battle
Midway follows the style of other war movies such as "Tora Tora Tora!", "The Longest Day", or "Battle of Japan Sea". It shows the battle from different points of view of the characters that participated, their doubts, their decisions and mistakes.
Some people criticise the usage of real footage in the film. Well. When you have images of the real battle of Midway filmed by John Ford, why would you recreate it with special effects?
I would agree that the inclusion of the romantic subplot may be boring, but it also serves to describe the tension and wish of revenge against the Japanese after Pearl Harbour, which is an important factor to this battle.
Amistad (1997)
An exercise on historical ignorance
Amistad could be just another movie that tell historical events from a modern point of view, as it is usual at Hollywood. Well-made but with a totally inaccurate content. What I don't understand it is why they need to include a totally ridiculous portrait of Queen Isabella, that was not even ruling at the time? It is clearly a direct insult to Spain, but just shows the total ignorance of the filmmakers (which is also usual in Hollywood).
In fact, queen Maria Christina was regent for her daughter Isabella in1839. Also, Spain was a constitutional monarchy with a liberal constitution (even more liberal than the U. S. in many regards) at the time, not the kind of "autocracy" described in the film. In any case it is totally implausible that a monarch will act personally in such matters that clearly belongs to a foreign office secretary.
The rest of the film it is just as historically inaccurate. This can be accepted for dramatic and storytelling purposes. But inventing absurd facts just to insult historical characters of even nations can not be accepted.
So, just another exercise that American filmmakers do to show their ignorance to the world. Please, Spielberg and company, go to school and read something before doing more ridiculous rubbish.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Extraordinary
The Nigh of the Hunter is a tale. An scary tale for children. It is wonderfully made, with impressive acting and extremely powerful images. It is Robert Mitchum's favourite film of his own. That says all.
There are many negative critics that blame the film for being "childish", "unrealistic" or having "plot holes". For some reason these people failed to understand that the story is a tale for children. Maybe they expected the film to be a psychological thriller like "Cape Fear" or an horror thriller like "Psycho". Of course it is not.
Saying that this film is bad because it is "unrealistic" is equivalent to say that "The Wizard of Of" or "Sleepy Hollow" are bad because witches, magic shoes and headless ghosts do not exist. Please, disregard those critics, they just don't know what they are talking about.
La escopeta nacional (1978)
Spanish "hick" movie
This is just an Spanish "hick" movie, quite typical from the Spanish folklore at the time. It just an extreme caricature of certain "archetypical" characters, taken to excessive levels of vulgarity and stupidity (hicks). It is addressed to a certain Spanish public that project their own vulgarity to the Spanish society in general and wants to see this movie as an intelligent critic to that society. However the plot is actually quite pedestrian: a business man comes to a hunting organised by people of the high society trying to buy favours and political influence for his business. All the comedy and situations rely only on the vulgarity of the characters.
Compared to other movies of the genre, altough the plot lacks any interest, it is well directed with complex long takes and elaborately choreographed scenes and dialogs.
Secret State (2012)
if you want to change the world, first you must live on it.
The plot is childish and highly ideologically biased. The bad guys are the banks and oil companies that must confront a "decent" politician who comes to power by accident and wants to change things. It shows a very partial and obsolete vision of politics, and although it includes some realistic parts, the final result is too far from reality. Near the end, someone says "if you want to change the world, first you must live on it", and it is clear that the writer doesn't live on the real world.
Otherwise it is entertaining and keeps the pace well with a good dose of suspense. As a suspense thriller it deserves a 7, as a political thriller a 3. Therefore, my rating is 5.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
Insult to Ingelligence
Even worse than its predecessor. This movie offends anyone with a minimum of culture and knowledge/interest about history and it must be written by someone that never went to school.
Only to mention some of the many historical lies and inaccuracies:
- No mention to the bloody prosecution of Catholics and support to piracy and rebellion in Netherlands that provoked the war with Spain.
- Philipp II was a prudent man and a bureaucrat, spending most of his time working in the administration of his kingdoms. He created the first modern administration, not the dark "king of orcs" that this movie depicts.
- The Armada was not a defeat, only 2 ships were lost, and some were lost to storms, but most of the Armada returned to Spain. After that, the Drake-Norris expedition against Spain was the worse English defeat in history. Drake was accused of cowardice and relieved from the navy. That war was finally won by Spain.
If we consider this film as a fiction, it also poor and uninteresting with a very week plot and story. Technically is not bad, so it deserves 3/10 only for that.
Joker (2019)
Disappointing
Good acting and a few good scenes, but a very shallow story and poor writing.
I was very disappointed to find that this is just another dumb story about "I am good, but the world has treated me bad". Nothing interesting about it.
One guy dressed as a clown kills two idiots in the metro and suddenly the next day everybody is dressed like clowns burning the city? Sorry, that is very poor/lazy writing.
Yes some good scenes about a mad man entering in a fridge and dancing on the street.
And that is about this extremely overrated film.
The Matrix (1999)
A very good movie that ruined the action genre.
Despite some plot holes, and recurring to "the chosen one" explanation, Matrix is certainly a classic action movie from the 90's. It boasted some extraordinary effects and action scenes at the time, making it one of the best movies of the genre. It is worth watching.
However, this movie created a new fashion in action movies of exaggerated fight scenes, explosions, and indiscriminate special effects with very poor stories that ruined the action genre until today.
Nobody (2021)
Entertaining
Just another movie about a "super-special-agent" that is living a simple life after retirement, until it is "awaken" by some coincidental events. Of course, by Russian mafia, who else?. Nothing original or special about it. It is entertaining for what it is.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
It is just makes no sense
If I had to write here everything that is wrong with this movie, this review would just be too long. I will just say that the entire movie makes no sense and the plot lacks of a minimum of consistency. On the other hand it has nothing to do with the Star Wars universe, other than the names of the characters and the overall look.
Elizabeth (1998)
Just a bad written, manichaeistic fiction
This movie presents a cast of renown actors and regarding technical aspects is not a bad film (hence 3 stars rating). However, as a historic movie it is simply atrocious, and any resemblance with the historical facts are pure coincidence. As an historic fiction it is just bad, it completely lacks an story at all, it is just a succession of scenes with the same characters.
It is just an extreme manichaeistic story where Catholics are as unpleasant (or just evil) characters, always shown in the dark, while the starring is an innocent, kind-hearted girl that is always shown in bright light. Could have been another Disney movie, but it is just too boring.
I have read somewhere that this movie is shown at schools during history lessons. I can not imagine what kind of professor could do that except for some anti-Catholic fanatic trying to brainwash their students.