All-Time Seen Movies - Shortly Reviewed

10* After witnessing the tragedy from 9/11, Jack Ryan decides to join the military in order to protect his country from future attacks. After an accident which almost leaves him handicapped, he joins the CIA as an "office worker", where he uncovers a conspiracy which can have terrible consequences for his country. He's determined to get to the bottom of it but the road will prove to be much difficult than expected. Furthermore, when his girlfriend gets involuntarily involved, the importance of the mission reaches a whole new level. It's a very good thriller which manages to induce a plethora of action, tension and suspense with almost every scene, making it a very enjoyable movie. It has very good actors and a great plot, and although the execution seems a bit choppy at times (especially in the stunt department), it is overall a very good movie, despite it's low rating.

10* In order to defend his beloved family and people from the Turks, Vlad the Impaler has no other choice than to turn to the dark side for help. He's granted the power of 100 people and some special abilities which allow him to defeat a whole army by himself but it has a catch. If he feeds with blood, as a normal vampire, he'll remain one for eternity. He will have to banish all the invaders before his powers fade away, leaving his country defenseless. It's an interesting retelling of a very popular piece of history in which Vlad receives some amazing powers which he uses to simply humiliate his adversaries. It involves some tense and emotional moments followed by intense action and fights which create an unique, dark atmosphere. Simply put, it's what I call a very good action movie.

10* A german bounty hunter by the name of Dr. King Schultz, frees a black slave (Django) who will help him identify his latest victims. Noticing that he's got talent, Schultz offers Django a partnership which is accepted without a blink of an eye. After several Wanted posters, Django sets out to find and rescue his slave wife from the hands of a very brutal plantation owner (Calvin Candie). With Schultz's intelligence and experience they elaborate and attend to an ingenious rescue plan but and old black friend of Candie is determined jeopardize their scheme. It's a very dramatic and emotional story presenting sensitive parts of a slave's life and how someone like him, with a bit of help, can become a feared sharpshooter like Django. It's also engulfed with great shooting action and marvelous landscapes which combined with some impressive effects (although some were quite a bit exaggerated) will delight every fan's eyeballs. The actors played some fabulous roles and their hard work can be seen in each end every scene. It's a wonderful piece of cinematic work although I did had the impression that it could have been a little shorter but that isn't a drawback at all. Make sure not to miss it but prepare yourself for a long adventure!

10* John Carter, a Civil War veteran finds himself transported to Mars, a desolate and dying planet. With his unusual powers, he must help a local princess stop an imminent war before the whole planet gets destroyed. We follow him from the moment he arrives on Mars, a selfish person, only looking to satisfy his lust for treasure, evolving gradually to a person who's willing to risk his life for the well being of others. It's a movie which excels in visual effects and story complexity. It becomes so tangled sometimes that makes you scratch your head and rethink everything you thought you understood so far. Although it presents itself as a serious and sober movie, its producers managed to insert a couple of funny moments which introduce a bit of relaxation after heavy action and suspense. It looks great, it features a great story and has some enjoyable characters. It somehow reminds me of Prince of Persia. It may have a few flaws in its conception, some scenes, some parts of the story, but in my opinion it is a great movie nevertheless.

10* Mal, the captain of Serenity carries on his ship a very special girl. River, a young psychic who has been trained by the Alliance as a human weapon, was rescued by her brother and thus she represents the number one target for a merciless assassin, sent specifically to get rid of "the evidence". Although she is perceived as a threat by the crew, she will prove to be a priceless key in unveiling a disturbing secret, kept safe at all costs by the Alliance. It's a dramatic story filled with action and shooting while its complex characters contribute decisively to a wonderful atmosphere. You become connected to the events, start to care about the captain, River with her troubled life and the others. The action is pretty spectacular, at one point I started wondering if I was actually seeing The Matrix in space. It definitely looks great for its time although the effects are not groundbreaking. It made me enjoy it from one end to the other, it surprised me with its story and course of events and it thrilled me with its characters. A must see!

10* In a world where mutants lived camouflaged among humans, Charles Xavier, a mutant who can read minds, starts recruiting in preparation for an imminent battle with a malicious group who is determined to start World War 3. This movie presents the beginnings of the X-Men, how each of them began to use their powers, their struggle to accommodate with humans and the battle that separates them into two distant factions. It manages to tell its story in an entertaining and thrilling way alongside all the awesomeness generated by the mutants and their powers. It's unexpectedly captivating and the fact that it leaves almost no question unanswered regarding the origins of the mutants makes it even more interesting. I have to admit that one or two aspects of the "young ones" are a bit exaggerated and awkward but that doesn't affect the overall quality of the film. It was a pleasant surprise from this franchise and I can only hope they will maintain this level in the upcoming titles.

10* In the fantastic world of Warcraft, the Orcs seek a new land to conquer as their previous home was destroyed. With the help of a powerful Mage, who learned how to control the dark arts of Fel, they open a portal to the peaceful human world and start attacking every living being. Meanwhile, the Alliance tries to reunite in order to prevent the imminent extermination which lies ahead. With the help of a curious character, known as the Guardian, the human race struggles to find the best solution to the attacks by focusing on the source, but it will prove to be a bigger challenge than they are ready for, especially when there are "surprises" to be uncovered by the main characters. First of all, the action is placed directly into the Warcraft universe, which simply thrills me as a fan of the franchise. Seeing places like Stormwind or Ironforge, generated and animated in such detail simply gives me the chills. Beautifully designed and presented, this familiar world is truly warming, thus a film based on it can only bring excitement, but this is not enough to make it great. This is where the plot rolls on with its well shaped characters, its breath-taking action and, of course, its story. I cannot find something bad about this film. I know I am a bit subjective because I simply adore Warcraft, but no matter how hard I try to find a weakness to it, I fail. It's packed with action, it fills you with drama, it grabs a smile from your face but it can also bring a lot of tears. It's very easy to recommend this one to anybody. You can enjoy it and see it as a very good movie which it is without ever hearing a single word about its name or its incredible universe.

10* In a world where all the characters in an arcade were actually living creatures, being able to communicate with one another (even from different games), Ralph, a bad guy who's job was to destroy a building over and over again decides that he's life can be different. Neglected and avoided by others and living in a dump, Ralph thinks that if he was a good guy, his situation could improve dramatically. Determined to prove his new intentions, he deserts to another game from where he gets a much wanted "Hero Medal", but getting it home isn't going to be an easy task. Through different complications, he ends up in another game where a cute but also rude little girl is in desperate need of his assistance. It's a great animation, inspired from the wonderful world of video games, with a really interesting plot and some great adventures. It's funny, emotional, dramatic and full of action. Great to "play", over and over again, like an arcade game!

10* Mr. Peabody, a highly intelligent dog and very different from all his kind, becomes the first to adopt a human being. Together with his son, they use the secret time machine to travel into the past and explore all the corners of history. Everything goes normal until Sherman goes to school and has a fight with one of his colleagues. This event triggers an unexpected visit from child care which are determined to take Sherman away, but Peabody is determined to change their mind. He organizes a special dinner with the child's parents and the representative from child care but his plans are soon to be altered by Sherman's ego who will ultimately put the stability of the time continuum into peril. Although it begins atypical, this movie presents an interesting story featuring a dog who can do practically anything and his attempts to maintain the course of time flowing in the right direction after his son an the latter's colleague travel back unattended and without permission. It is very impressive with the dog's abilities and the animated special effects which provide a special aura to the atmosphere. Its story is interesting and although not groundbreaking, it manages to keep your attention throughout the whole picture. Despite the fact that Sherman is quite a troublemaker, mainly due to his friend, he plays an important role in the movie's intrigue and slowly starts to mature in order to impress his father. This movie came as a pleasant surprise for me as I wasn't expecting such a quality animation from this title but it proved me wrong and I enjoyed every single part of it.

10* Arrietty is the only child of a family of borrowers living well hidden from the normal human beings. As they were carrying on their peaceful lives, building their home and working for supplies, Arrietty gets accidentally seen by Shawn, an ordinary boy who's life was permanently troubled by his sickened heart. Inevitable, the two start to make contact but this simple and apparently innocent act is going to cause a lot of trouble in both of their lives. It's an original idea superbly drawn and animated into this gorgeous movie. I absolutely love how it looks and how the whole "tiny" adventure is presented from both perspectives. It's thrilling, dramatic and full of suspense featuring some emotional songs which really managed to create a very enjoyable atmosphere. Everything about this movie is great, without any doubt. A real work of art I might say!

10* Prince Ashitaka, while fighting to save his village, gets bitten by a demon and a horrible curse unleashes through his body. Determined to find a cure, he sets off on a journey where he'll encounter an active war between a mining colony and the forest's gods. He must decide which side he'll join in order to prevent total destruction. It's a very emotional story about courage, morality, faith and honesty which shows what Ashitaka must endure for something he did not commit. We're presented the whole connections between the forest's gods, its tribes and its leaders in their attempt to stop the greedy humans from destroying everything in their blind quest for fortune. It was thrilling all the way, emotional and passionate and as every anime, superbly animated. A great movie by far!

10* Satsuki, her younger sister Mei and their father move to the country in order to be closer to their ill mother, patient at a local hospital. While unpacking, the two girls feel that something strange is happening around, to find out later that in the nearby forest lived a supernatural creature by the name of Totoro. This lovely furry cat-like creature will play an important role in their lives, proving to be as helpful as it is cute throughout the movie. It's a very enjoyable movie and although it starts a bit slowly, showing step by step the beginning of the characters' new life, it slowly progresses in thrill and excitement as Totoro shows up. It can't say much about this move, it is just a great piece of classic animation, with its unique drawing style!

10* A very greedy, self-centered and rude old man is about to be visited in the Christmas eve by three Christmas spirits which will try to change his miserable life, offering a last change for salvation. A classic and very popular story of Charles Dickens transformed into a Disney animation, with Jim Carrey interpreting the main character is definitely a recipe for success, as this movie will prove. Very well animated, dark but also joyful when it was required, this movie tells how not to be in life by flashing the life of an old man through his eyes, in an attempt to make him understand his mistakes and correct his inappropriate attitude. It uses Christmas as the perfect opportunity to tell its story and it does it flawlessly, according to the original story. It's emotional, full of Christmas spirit and has a lot to learn from its plot. A clear recommendation from me, especially during the winter holidays.

10* In a world where cartoon characters and humans lived together, Eddie Valiant, a detective who has a troubled past in his relation with toons must help a troubled bunny by the name of Roger who's accused of a murder he did not commit. It's a superb blend of reality and cartoon animation which almost seems real featuring some very popular characters caught in a deep mystery. As you wold expect from this kind of movie, it's hilarious all the time and although it seemed a bit simplistic in the beginning, it became gradually more complex letting you wander in it's riddles. A great film!

10* Hugo, an orphan child living in some hidden tunnels in a train station gets into trouble while trying to fix a robot which may elucidate the mystery of his father's death. Meanwhile, he befriends the adopted daughter of a local toy repair store owner which has a couple of mysteries of his own. His adventure will prove to be more tangled than he expected as more and more clues and connections are revealed. It's a emotional and dramatic story which follows an ingenious little boy and his everyday struggles. It has soul, it looks great and it has some very good actors. You get eager to find out what will happen to Hugo right from the beginning which creates some sort of a bond, a great feeling. A very good movie, no doubt about it.

10* A brilliant mathematician but anti-social person by the name of John Nash begins having some new acquaintances with whom he seems to achieve the most important work of his life. He marries his beautiful and caring wife and starts secretly working for a mysterious person in an attempt to break a powerful encryption. All seems to go flawlessly but suddenly, a highly unexpected disease is discovered in his body, one that seems to have affected almost everything he has ever done. From there on, a very painful struggle begins, one on which his entire life depends on. It’s a very sad movie which seems to tell in its beginning the story of an extraordinary man but suddenly decides to present a very unexpected turn which leaves you completely dazzled. As much as it is mind blowing, as much it increases the dramatism of the entire movie, keeping you eager to find out the finale of this brilliant plot. The actors do a very good job reenacting their characters, managing to create a highly dramatic atmosphere which transmits emotion with every single scene it describes. I cannot explain how much this movie marked me with its incredible story and characters which ultimately ends with great style. It truly is a masterpiece, making it a must see for every single movie lover.

10* Oz, a fake magician working for a traveling circus, selfish, self-centered with a specific charm for ladies gets once again into trouble after a failed show and escapes from the scene in a hot-air balloon. After being sucked into a giant tornado, he lands into a mystical land ruled by witches where he's about to fulfill a very old prophecy. Trying to disguise his true identity and become Emerald City's great and powerful wizard, Oz embarks on a difficult quest to eliminate the Wicked Witch which has been terrorizing the place for far too long. Throughout his adventure, he will encounter many difficulties, betrayals and personality challenges which will inevitable change his perspective over himself and others. This is the story of "The Wizard of Oz" told with the wizard as the main character. We watch him evolve from a small circus magician into a completely different person, capable of great acts in order to help his beloved. It's a great movie, with absolutely gorgeous landscapes and animations, with a good plot and a couple of great actors. It manages to be dramatic, comical and sober in key situations making it a feast to watch. A great film!

10* A newly employed negociator, working for the ecology party, is sent to transmit a powerful message to the president of the United States of America about a new law that they strongly support. Her unique character attracts the lonely president who enters an apparently easy election year and slowly, they develop an unexpected relationship. As one might guess, this relationship quickly reaches the press and is bound to affect the election polls. To make matters worse, his quiet approach regarding the upcoming elections leave his adversary a clear path to victory. He must take the correct decisions and manage his career and private life at the same time in order to keep his position and, of course, his new lover. From my point of view, this is one of those movie for which you fall at first sight. It has almost everything you could wish for, tons of laughter, drama and romance, all packed up in a good and very enjoyable plot. It also has a couple of great actors who help a lot in creating a lovely atmosphere. It's an excellent movie which I recommend to anybody!

10* Three friends, earning their living through apparently small but illicit jobs, find themselves involved in organized crime which will inevitably throw themselves behind bars. Their funny and innocent attitude play a big part in this series, as they are able to make you laugh with almost every action they undertake. A couple of Romania's best actors, divided into two sides (the good and the bad one), manage to create a crime comedy masterpiece which brings a good time with every watch. Simply brilliant!

10* After their release from prison following the events from the first part, the three try to search for some legit jobs this time, but as the local authorities aren't able to "do their talent justice", they meet a weird guy who promises them everything they wanted, in exchange for a couple of apparently innocent tasks. As you would expect, they once again get involved in organized crime, leaving them clueless to what the future might have in store. As I can say for the first part, a very good plot and some brilliant actors form a recipe for success. Great!

10* In this third and final act, the three friends decide to form a family and try to make a name for themselves at the beach. There, they start doing favors for a very wealthy and influential person who promises them paid contracts abroad, just to find out that they got into the illegal business once again. As for the others, it's funny, thrilling and tense, and although it isn't as brilliant as its predecessors, it's still a very good movie.

10* After failing to obtain the anchorman position he's been dreaming of for a very long time, Bruce gets into a fight with his girlfriend and starts blaming God for his miserable life. As a result, God gives him much more than a sign that he requested. Bruce is granted the powers of His, thus he starts playing around town. What he's about to find out is that it's much harder than he expected and that free will cannot be influenced in any way. It's a very interesting movie which presents a common person who receives superhuman abilities but soon realises that life becomes out of a sudden a lot harder as every action of his has terrible consequences. It's presented in a very comical manner thanks to the skills of Jim Carrey, being able to make you laugh with almost every action he undertakes. Apart from the entertainment, it manages to be sad and emotional when required, thus creating a very pleasant atmosphere which you follow eagerly towards the finale. A very good comedy overall, thanks to some very good actors and a very well written and implemented plot.

9* A jazz loving pianist falls for a wannabe actress and together, supporting each other, hope to one day achieve their lifetime dreams. Their attempt will prove to be much harder than expected, putting their relationship in peril multiple times. It's a joyful but dramatic musical which presents two ordinary people with big dreams and their struggle to achieve them. It makes the viewer pass through multiple feelings, from excitement and fun all the way to sadness and drama, keeping him into its majestic atmosphere until the end. This is a very good example of how a movie should be done, how to shoot scenes, how to build characters and how to put them into place. The music and dancing also play a very important role in the act, making it easier for the characters to express their feelings while also changing the mood of the scene. It's a very good movie without any doubt, but what disappointed me was the way the producers decided to end it. You may accuse me of being old-school and a fan of the fairy-tales for preferring a predictable happy-ending but I truly think that it would have been the best approach when it comes to this one. You may like the way it ends. You might even consider it to be a happy ending. who knows? But for me, this is the part which brought disappointment from an excellent movie and made me not give it full credit for its performance.

9* A team of two narcotics investigators must take in custody a key witness after an immense quantity of drugs has been stolen right from the police. Together, they must solve the case in order to keep their jobs but their difficult and different characters will play an important role in the investigation, especially with a witness which has no sense of security or respect for other people's property. It's an action packed movie which brings excitement with almost every scene it depicts but its biggest upside is by far the quality of entertainment and laughter it provides. This is how a comedy should be made. This is how you keep the viewers pointed to the screen, by providing them a good plot and a couple of complex characters which manage to make you laugh out loud with almost everything they do. It doesn't have the best story or the best implementation, but it has two brilliant actors which will definitely raise your mood.

9* The second instalment of the Bad Boys which are once again on the move in an attempt to arrest the leader of a notorious drug cartel from Cuba. With one of the boys' sister undercover in the operation, they must act quick until she gets into more trouble than she already is. This movie follows the same footsteps as the first one, only with even more flamboyance, explosions and action. It also makes you laugh out loud multiple times but not at its predecessor's level, while compensating through intense action. The same two great actors do a very good job in creating this picture and the whole entertainment part which is simply one of a kind. A very good comedy from every aspect and a very good movie overall.

9* After rescuing two strange characters from the bitter cold, a bounty hunter and his slave seek shelter from the upcoming blizzard in a remote cabin, where he meets a bunch of other weird people, each with a secret of his own. In order to collect the bounty for his slave, he'll have to take some extra security measures which might help him overcome the dangers to come, while the other characters will be full of surprises for him to uncover. It's a very atmospheric movie, set in a wild and freezing mountain environment, full of unexpected events and complex characters which keeps you eager to discover the next move, never letting you get bored, although it is not as action filled as I was expecting. It manages to maintain a sober atmosphere despite its amusing dark comedy moments, slowly uncovering its mysteries for your pleasure and amazement. I really enjoyed it despite its duration (~3 hours), and although it could have contained a bit more action and not focus so much on lengthy dialogues which tend to feel like fillers, it proved to be a very good watch. Its actors really contribute to this achievement through their wonderful and convincing performance, making this one yet another great from Quentin Tarantino.

9* An old man tells the story of his youth at the famous hotel to a young writer, together with its adventures and perils which ultimately led to his position in the present day. Then, he worked as a lobby boy for a very odd but perfectionist concierge, which involuntary gets involved in a dodgy testament, filled with crimes and murders. Their adventures are told in an unique way, funny, entertaining and unpredictable, having a hard time keeping even a single moment of sobriety. Although interesting most of the time with its dark atmosphere, it disappoints me with its simplistic and inconclusive finale. Its actors play superbly, especially the concierge, which puts a lot of soul and hard work into his character. It's a very good movie, worthy of an Oscar nominee, if not more, which brings some well rounded characters and together with a good story, managing to create a truly great movie, if you count out the ending.

9* An ordinary boy promises a girl from his village that he will retrieve a fallen star as a sign of his true love. This way, he crosses The Wall, venturing into the magical world which layed on the other side. He's in for a big surprise when he finds it, as it wasn't exactly what he expected. Besides this, he wasn't the only one after it. A couple of other people wanted it for its heart (which granted eternal youth to the one who ate it) or for its diamond (which granted a true male heir to the magical world's throne his crown). It's a movie which I was tempted to take seriously but I was very surprised when I found out that it was actually presented in a funny and entertaining way. It's unique way of telling a fantastic story made me laugh quite a lot but also kept me eager to discover its ending. It is a great movie in my oppininon, a must see but if you're after a movie which doesn't put such an accent on its comical side, this might not be for you.

9* When the father of an odd girl gets kidnapped in a distant forest, she sets out to find him, only to find an enchanted castle ruled by a hideous beast. Exchanging places with her father, she slowly discovers that there is more to the monster than it appears so an unexpected relationship begins to build up. This movie retells the classic story using live action sequences and state of the art CGI. It mostly follows the footsteps of its predecessor, the animation film, and like it, it creates an enjoyable atmosphere though its wonderful and captivating story. The animated moments are top notch while the characters play their role very well but I cannot escape the feeling that it misses something. It is mostly the same as the animation masterpiece that inspired it, but somehow doesn't manage to stay on par with it, or to create and inspire that feeling that no other movie can. It is a very well executed film, but it somehow does not have a soul, fact which alters the overall sensation. A very good movie overall but you'll still have to see the animation in order to understand what I mean.

9* Little Finn had a poor, merciless childhood but two different events which occurred then changed his life forever: he helped an escaped convict and met Estella. All things began when he was a teenager when an anonymous person offered to show all his paintings at a gallery in New York and help him out throughout the way. He started making hopes but this wasn't him, it wasn't what he actually wanted because Estella, the girl of his dreams was going to break his heart again and again. It's a terrible drama of a kid and his deeply tormented life, presented from when he met that stranger util the moment when finally all his dreams become true. It's a very complex, very unexpected, very dramatized course of events. You become rapidly attracted by the story almost felling it on your own. It's a great interpretation of Charles Dickens' classic story, a great movie, but I have a feeling that something's not right, not as it should have been...

9* In a post apocalyptic world, where most of the population was turned into zombies and some into walking skeletons, R is a pretty unusual member of the undead. He collects stuff, he spends "quality" time in an airplane, and, most importantly, he thinks. In his situation, he saves a girl who got surrounded while scouting for medicine and tries, in his own way, to communicate with her. Although scared as hell in the beginning, she starts to enjoy R's company, creating some sort of human zombie connection. From this moment, R slowly turns more and more alive, but as his evolution becomes more pronounced, he becomes a target of the "Bonies", so he must do something fast before he will be eaten (almost) alive. It's a pretty atmospheric horror movie, featuring a zombie who is determined to change and receives some unexpected help from a living being, which he saves. It sends emotion and tension, and although it starts very slowly, almost boringly slowly, it gains pace and becomes interesting. While it is mostly predictable, but not in a bad way, and some events are rather questionable, it manages to be a very good watch, with a happy ending which put a smile to my previously sad face.

9* Two lovely girls but with very different personalities are left on the streets after their former millionaire father dies on his birthday. They find refuge in their distant aunt's house where their lives become as ordinary as everyone else's. Thankfully, the two girls aren't going to let fate take its course so they take different paths which maybe one day will lead them to happiness. A lovely story which describes how someone can adapt from a life of wealth to poverty and his struggle along the way. I really enjoyed the course of events and although some may consider them cliche, I have to say that it was a very nice story. Although it was a bit predictable, it created a semi-dramatic atmosphere which ultimately led to romance and joyousness. I also liked the actors who fit really well in the picture, almost like it was created for them. A very enjoyable watch.