Movies and stuff

The biggest suprise in 2007 movie branch. To be honest – I also was suprised while watching this movie. It was not announced with huge marketing campaign and came like the thunder from the sky.

The story of sergeant Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) that is “too good” to work in London because he makes the rest of police department look bad is just fun. He is being transferred to the country and starts working in “the safest village in England”. This is just the beginning of this story that is unpredictable, the most funny and not stupid at all. All characters are people from flesh and bone that are very reliable. The actors play great from main heroes to some small episodes (great Bill Nighty, visible in just few scenes). The director Edgar Wright is known from earlier comedy Shaun Of The Dead – also created with Simon Pegg – those two gentlemen have written scripts for both movies. We can see here blinking to the audience all the time – the movie is consciousnessly referring to many movie schemes, topics and plots. This is just a kind of postmodern comedy but not kind of parody (like e.g. Scary Movie series). This is an independent movie with great script, and real sense of humour. It is just a movie that we have not seen in cinemas for a long time.

Hot Fuzz trailer

Hot Fuzz, 2007. Directed by: Edgar Wright. Starring: Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton.

Volume: 80%

Tom 2007 Bill Nighty, comedy, Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg, Timothy Dalton

I got a problem with this movie from the beginning. Some say that it is awful, some say that it is great. And I still can’t decide…

“Next” is a story of a magician Cris Johnson (played by Nicolas Cage) that is able to see the future few minutes forward. This is interesting starting point to create a story about man that can predict your every move. And in my opinion this story is not so bad – well thought, logical and coherent.

The main plot is based on Philip K. Dick’s story. I didn’t read this book, so I can’t compare the original idea to the screening.

The movie is well played (Cage is good actor, nevertheless his acting was destroyed in recent years by the movie he had chosen to play in), Julianne Moore is always a class for herself.

What else? The story is nice (can be even surprising for few people), written with self consciousness. I would not judge the ending so hard – there is something about that final. Something interesting, that even is compared to the rest of the movie. Even logical. Even makes sense. And that is a lot.

Next trailer

Next, 2007. Directed by: Lee Tamahori. Starring: Nicholas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann.

Volume: 60%

Tom 2007 Julianne Moore, Next, Nicholas Cage, Philip K. Dick

I guess that I’ll just get to the point: this is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. While watching it I couldn’t think of anything that bad… There is a lot of bad movies in the world but even the unforgettable Independence Day look better compared to this “piece of art” (not much better, just a little bit).

What we got here… The whole pack of huge robots shooting to everyone and everything, another huge pack of robots chasing some humans, humans chasing huge packs of robots… And that’s it – the story is not deeper than a puddle. But this is not the worse thing – story in the first part of this movie was also shallow but made some sense. Here logic have gone on a vacation – and is not getting back until the end of the movie. There are so many illogical events that it is hard to name them all. And the main plot is just so stupid (sorry for using that word, I think that it is still not very offensive comparing to my thoughts after watching the movie) that only people who have no requirements could enjoy it. If I was still 10 years old boy, I would probably love the movie because it is full of shining robots, amazing special effects and not-very-funny jokes.

The only thing that made me stay in the cinema until the end was the money i spend to see this movie…

The summarizing: worst movie of the year, huge blockbuster and financial success. Sometimes I wonder how this facts speak for our society. We want to see stupid things? We don’t like logical plots and interesting scripts? We like to see everything burning, exploding and flying around? Maybe. I know that I’m a little bit cruel here – but this movie fully deserved this.

Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen trailer

Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen, 2009. Directed by: Michael Bay. Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro.

Volume: 10%

Tom 2009 2009, Megan Fox, Michael Bay, movie, science fiction, Shia LaBeouf, Transformers

Duplicity is a kind of spy movie, but not like James Bond or Jason Bourne series this is not about fighting the “bad guys” but about wars between corporations. Making it more simple: about money.

Ray Koval (Clive Owen) and Claire Stanwick (Julia Roberts) are the main characters of this movie. Their relationship is not clear, but will get clearer during the movie. This picture is simply based one of those secret revealing constructions that are great for close watch. There are so many secrets and so many hidden … that you fell confused from time to time, but luckily this movie is logical from the beginning to the end. Maybe not so interesting as it could be, but well played and well constructed. Maybe the fact that Clive Owen is not one of my favorites this movie got lower ratings from my point of view, but I can’t see anything really good in his acting skills. He is always so stiff and puffed up, and in almost every movie – angry. His only role that convinced me completely was playing Theo Faron in unforgettable Children Of Men.

So, we have here a lot of secrets, interesting plot, action and thrill. And even a little bit of humor. We got every single gradient to achieve great movie. But in my opinion this is not great movie, just fine and done properly production with few interesting actors and nice script. But something is missing here, that spark of magic. Nothing sophisticated.

Duplicity trailer

Duplicity, 2009. Directed by: Tony Gilroy. Starring: Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti.

Volume: 60%

Tom 2009 2009, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, movie, movies, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson

1. The Surrogates.

Directed by: Jonathan Mostow

Starring: Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pike

A story of human beings transferred into artificial bodies for the comfort of living.

Surrogates trailer

Release date: 25 September 2009 (USA)

2. Moon

Directed by: Duncan Jones

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey

The lonely astronaut on the Moon three weeks from the end of three years shift is thinking that he is losing his mind.

Moon trailer

Release date: 17 July 2009 (UK)

3. Inglourious Basterds

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger

A story of a special American soldiers squad transferred to France occupied by Nazis during World War Two.

Inglourious Basterds trailer

Release date: 19 August 2009 (UK)

4. Avatar

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi

Supposed to be a real artistic and visual breakthrough in history of movie making. Story about humans on alien planet entering bodies of alien race.

Avatar trailer

Release date: 18 December 2009 (USA)

Tom 2009 2009, Avatar, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, James Cameron, Moon, movie, movies, premiere, Quentin Tarantino, Sam Rockwell, Surrogates, Worthington

Trying to deal with another cult movie? Why not.

Pulp Fiction was for Quentin Tarantino a huge breakthrough. After his first professional movie, The Reservoir Dogs, he was called an oblivion. Pulp Fiction was a second chapter of his career – and the most successful from many critics point of view. This movie was something new, fresh, unknown. Breaking many standards and stereotypes was not the only elements here. Tarantino gathered powerful pack of great actors so the acting side of this movie is marvelous. The big comeback of John Travolta became a fact, and Samuel L. Jackson got his ticket to real Hollywood career.

The movie is a story based on short novels (spiritually and constructionally) published in the 20s and 30s of the twenty century in United States. Those stories were just bad, and printed on very cheap paper. They were so bad that their name (Pulp Fiction) become a part of dictionary definition of something bad, cheap and mass manufactured. Pulp is a synonym of crap. Pulp Fiction is a movie that shows few pulp stories in an original way. Tarantino’s approach to old movies and stories is well known. He loves B-class movies and bad novels. Every one of his movies is a tribute to the old school of those pieces of art.

The story of Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is based on simple ideas but not so simple solutions. It is a crime story with gangsters, money, guns, a lot of bad man and beautiful women. But with this movie the definition of a gangster movie was rewritten. It is unclear who is bad and who is good here, and it isn’t even relevant. Ordinary people are not black and white, just like here.

The movie is brilliant, every scene perfect and the hand of Tarantino visible in every single moment. Pulp Fiction is all that postmodernistic movie can give.

Pulp Fiction trailer

Pulp Fiction, 1994. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken.

Volume: 100%

Tom 1994 John Travolta, movie, movies, Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs, Samuel L. Jackson, Tarantino, Uma Thurman

Blade Runner is a strange movie in many ways. It never made financial success and the critics were at first very skeptic to this vision of future presented by Ridley Scott. Was that just a misunderstanding, or maybe leak of marketing efforts? For sure cutting the film without director’s knowledge was not very good idea, and that move was repaired after the director’s cut release in2006 (the original movie is from 1982!).

Let’s focus on the director’s point of view. The movie still has this magic that I felt while watching it for the first time. The world is dark and complete, heroes are played great (Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer were just brilliant here). But great acting is just one of elements that made this movie a legend. The whole composition of showing the world, the talks, action starting slowly and brilliant Vangelis music gives this movie some spirit that wants you to watch it all over again and again.

The story is focused on blade runner’s (Harrison Ford) chase after replicant fugitives. He is in a special police unit that is supposed to hunt and kill all replicants that come to earth. A replicant is a kind of artificial human being, made to do the most dangerous and extreme jobs in space. Those replicants are not allowed to come to Earth. But sometimes some of them does. Every replicant has safety catch – they can live only four years. Leader of the small group (Rutger Hauer) wants to visit their creator and force him to make their life longer.

It is not just another action movie. It is full of philosophical reflections about humanity, slavery and justice. What makes you a human? What does it mean to be a human? What makes you think that if you are a human you should have bigger and better rights? This movie is actual and it will be for a long time. Those questions are just few that comes in mind while watching.

Blade Runner The Final Cut trailer

Blade Runner, 1982 (original version), 2006 (the director’s cut), 2007 (the final cut). Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos.

Volume: 100%

Tom 1982, 2006, 2007 1982, 2006, Blade Runner, Harrison Ford, movie, movies, Ridley Scott, Rutger Hauer, science fiction

I see Watchmen as a movie that need to be compared to The Dark Knight. I know that in most cases that kind of comparison makes one movie looks better, but this is not my point. Just follow me for a second: The Dark Knight was a movie that was based on dark and realistic environment. Making this movie look the most realistic was director’s main idea. This way of expression was a good move. But it was just one of possible ways of making movie made on a comic hero base. Nolan chosen to adjust his hero to reality. That adjusting made Batman more complex, deeper and more real. Watchmen is a story based on different point of view. The director (Zack Snyder, known from 300) didn’t choose to adjust his heroes to reality – he adjusted the reality to costume superheroes. And he scored! He made a movie that is totally different from The Dark Knight, based on something else, with totally different point of view. But those two movies are in my opinion two best movies about masked superheroes in leather suits. So in Batman we watched how a man who’s life was destroyed become a hero. In Watchmen we observe how comic heroes arrived an when (just before Second World War). At first their costumes were just like in those old comic books – colorful and funny. In time they evolved and the world evolved with them. So we got here alternative history of 1985 where the Vietnam War was won by Americans (thanks to Dr. Manhattan (played by Billy Crudup) and and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Richard Nixon is still running presidency and nuclear war can happen in any time. On this basics we see some heroes struggle to fight for peace ad all cost. What makes this film a good one are the characters of Watchmen. None of them is simple and obvious – they have their secrets, dark sides and not everyone of them is that good.

What can also be said, the visual side of the movie is just amazing. Also the music is great and fits the film perfectly.

I must say that Zack Snyder bought me totally with his review of superhero history. He just made a great movie.

Watchmen trailer

Watchmen, 2009. Directed by Zack Snyder. Starring: Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Walter Kovacs, Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson.

Volume: 90%

Tom 2009 2009, movie, movies, superheroes, watchmen, Zack Snyder

Second post, second movie and a sequel. Bad sequel of bad part one. Let’s be honest – restarting of one of the best comedy series in movie history was a risky move. But that could give huge money and respect from fans if it would be done just well (not brilliant – just well). But that task was supposingly to tough for the creators of both (new) Pink Panther movies. The first part was bad but not that bad. The second part is everything that should not be done with a movie. Director Harald Zwart (known from a movie Agent Cody Banks) made a terrible mistake. With such great actor team (Steve Martin, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Jeremy Irons) he did nothing to entertain anyone in age above 13 years and in the same time he used such means of expression that his movie should not be reated as PG.

The story is supposed to be interesting, and could be but those unfunny gags all around just spoiled all the fun. Inspector Closeau is just weak shadow of brilliand Peter Sellers creation. While watching this new version I could not put away an impression that this movie was supposed to be a family comedy. But with all those low rated jokes this could not really succeed…

The Pink Panther 2 trailer

The Pink Panther 2, 2009. Directed by: Harald Zwart. Starring: Steve Martin, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Jeremy Irons.

Volume: 20%

Tom 2009 Martin, movie, movies, Pink Panther

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of those movies that we could call “one f it’s kind”. It is a musical, horror and also gothic story. No one else but Tim Burtin himself constructed unique view of 19 th century London with all its dark alleys, common problems and social unrest. Vision of the demon barber himself is more than just a story. It is another movie where the magic vetween Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is visible in every single scene. Those two guys probably understand each other without any words at all. Johnny is in my opinion one of the most talented actor of twenty and twenty first century and with this role he shows that there is nothing he could not play. Acting is very strong part of the movie, I supposed that Helena Bonham-Carter was born to play her part here.

The visual side of the movie is trully amazing. The London is so dark and sweaty that we can’t doubt that what we see is really “that London”. The story is a classic so there is no point of spoiling the fun of watching newest adaptation.

One thing that makes all of this taste bad was a way the movie was advertised across the world. From trailers people could think that they will get another bloody horror with corpses and body parts flying around. They could feel dissapointed seeing Johny Depp singing the whole movie. I guess that someone just wanted to earn more money from this piece of art and that is why many people were just misinformed.

Sweeney Todd trailer

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2009. Directed by: Tim Burton. Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sasha Baron Cohen.

Volume: 80%

Tom 2007 2009, Burton, Depp, movies