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paul_haakonsen
I am a big fan of Asian cinema in particular, and I am quite fond of especially South Korean and Hong Kong movies.
My favorite genre is, and always have been, horror, with a preference to anything with zombies in it.
I believe that every movie should be given the chance of being seen - a belief that has lead me to watch many a questionable movies.
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Reviews
Bottle Monster (2020)
An atrociously bad movie...
Right, well normally I am not one that sits down and watch a movie based on the fact that a movie have won so and so many awards, or been given thus and that much praise. But I have to say that I was somewhat impressed when I saw all the stuff on the cover on the 2020 horror drama "Bottle Monster". Sure, I didn't read all those, but I was impressed.
And given the fact that "Bottle Monster" was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I gave the movie a go. And I have to say that the movie's synopsis definitely also had some appeal.
But oh boy, this movie was a dud. Talk about a swing and a miss from writer and director Marjorie DeHey. The storyline in the movie was adequate. I mean, it wasn't an impressive storyline, but it had its moments. But for a horror movie then "Bottle Monster" came in low and crashed hard. I was quite far from being a horror movie actually, unless you consider insanely laughable CGI insects as horror.
The acting performances in "Bottle Monster" were amateurish, sluggish and wooden at best. I wasn't familiar with the cast here, except for Bob Clendenin and he was in the movie for a good whole minute or so. And normally I enjoy watching unfamiliar faces in a movie, but I have to say that "Bottle Monster" was not such an instance. The acting performances here were terrible. I am sad to say, but it is the truth.
Aside from "Bottle Monster" being fully devoid of anything scary, then the CGI in the movie was downright horrible. It looked like the discarded CGI rendering from a 1990s computer game. It didn't add any layer of scare or anything to the movie. Well, that isn't true, it made me laugh and shake my head in disbelief.
I can't recommend this movie to anyone, nor would I ever do so, because it was hands down a train wreck of a movie.
If I have to point out a single positive thing about "Bottle Monster", then it has to be the opening track. That song was actually not bad.
My rating of "Bottle Monster" lands on a two out of ten stars, and that is based on the production quality of the movie solely.
Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up! (2022)
Something for the children...
I sat down to watch the 2022 animated movie "Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up!" with my 11 year old son. Sure, I had grown up watching Tom and Jerry cartoons on morning TV, so I figured why not watch this one for old times sake.
And while "Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up!" was watchable, it just wasn't an outstanding animated movie. I will say that my son definitely enjoyed it a lot more than I did. But it was fun to watch the cat and mouse on the screen again, I will give them that much.
The storyline told in "Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up!" just didn't really capture my interest all that much, so it wasn't a particularly thrilling or funny movie to sit through. But hey, it is all a matter of individual taste and preference, of course. So writers Will Finn and William Waldner just didn't deliver something wholesome for my liking.
The art and animation in this 2022 was good, no doubt about that. And it was visually pleasing on the eyes to watch "Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up!". Lots of nice details.
My rating of "Tom and Jerry: Cowboy Up!" from director Darrell Van Citters lands on a five out of ten stars.
Outside the Wire (2021)
It kept on going and going...
I can't really claim that the 2021 action movie "Outside the Wire" was a movie that I was particularly looking forward to getting to watch. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, I hadn't heard about the movie, so I wasn't sure what writers Rob Yescombe and Rowan Athale had to offer. And secondly, I am not a a fan of Anthony Mackie.
But still, with "Outside the Wire" being a movie that I hadn't already seen and having the opportunity to watch it, of course I sat down to see what director Mikael Håfström could do with this movie.
And let me just say that this movie is long, so very, very long. Running just short of two hours, the movie could benefit heavily from a major trim in a second post-production. Man, this movie was dragging on. And since it was essentially just another run-of-the-mill action movie that comes a dime a dozen, then "Outside the Wire" wasn't really capable of sustaining a runtime of almost two hours. You might want to stock up on coffee or energy drinks for this one.
The movie's storyline, as written by Rob Yescombe and Rowan Athale was pretty straight forward, but nothing outstanding really. So you are not in for a revolutionizing action movie experience here.
Visually then "Outside the Wire" was actually quite good. I liked the special effects in the movie, and they definitely looked real. But special effects can only do so much for a movie.
There was a lot of action in the movie, actually throughout the majority of the movie, and that is essentially what kept "Outside the Wire" afloat and made it watchable.
My rating of "Outside the Wire" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.
Hayop ka! (2020)
Funny and enjoyable...
When I stumbled upon the 2020 Tagalog animated movie "Hayop Ka!", I had no idea what I was getting myself into here. But I read the synopsis for it, and have to say that I was somewhat intrigued, as "Hayop Ka!" sounded like something definitely aimed at a more mature audience.
And I will say that writers Manny Angeles, Avid Liongoren and Paulle Olivenza definitely managed to put together a story and plot that was every bit as entertaining as it was enjoyable. So yeah, "Hayop Ka!" was a wholesome animated feature for a mature audience. And when I say mature audience I don't mean that it is XXX-rated, but merely that there were references and hits towards lewd nature.
The art style in "Hayop Ka!" was strange, but enjoyably so. Initially I was a bit taken aback by the art style, but it quickly grew on me and I came to enjoy the art style that they used here because it was definitely complimenting the story and the message of the movie.
With "Hayop Ka!" being an animated movie, a proper voice cast ensemble is a must. And luckily they did have that here. While I am not familiar with Tagalog cinema, then I wasn't familiar with a single voice here. But I will say that the voice acting was good and definitely gave the characters life on the screen.
I found "Hayop Ka!" to be an enjoyable surprise of a movie, and definitely is an animated movie that I would recommend for a mature audience that enjoys light-hearted and funny stories. The fact that "Hayop Ka!" was told as an animation wasn't really a hindrance in any way.
My rating of director Avid Liongoren's "Hayop Ka!" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Virtual Revolution (2016)
Went from great to dubious in a split second...
Granted, I hadn't even heard about writer and director Guy-Roger Duvert's 2016 sci-fi action crime movie "Virtual Revolution" prior to sitting down in 2022 to watch it. I stumbled upon the movie by random chance, and I liked the cover, as it was rather futuristic-looking in an interesting way.
And the movie was off to a great start, and it definitely had a very "Blade Runner" feel to it, and that was definitely something that worked out well to the movie's advantage.
But then the movie slipped and slid downhill fast and never recovered. I just don't know what happened, but the movie went from being interesting and good into becoming confusing and pointless in the blink of an eye. I have never experienced anything like that in all my years of watching movies. An accomplishment in itself, sure, but not a positive accomplishment.
The storyline flipped on the coin, going from being interesting and entertaining to becoming utter rubbish, and I have to admit that the sudden and abrupt change of pace and direction just left me standing at the corner, maw-gaping at what happened. A shame really, because the movie had such potential.
It was nice to see Mike Dopud and Jane Badler in the movie, which coincidentally were also the only familiar faces on the screen, at least for me.
Visually then I will admit that "Virtual Revolution" was interesting, but it all just faded to the background given the abysmal storyline and contents.
"Virtual Revolution" didn't offer much of anything enjoyable with its sudden change of direction and tone, so the movie was a swing and a miss.
I am rating "Virtual Revolution" a generous three out of ten stars.
Superfantagenio (1986)
Fairly generic Bud Spencer movie...
I had actually never heard about this 1986 movie as I stumbled upon it in 2022 by random chance. But seeing that it was a Bud Spencer movie, of course I had to sit down and watch it, no doubt about it.
Writers Dardano Sacchetti, Elisa Briganti, Mario Amendola, Bruno Corbucci and Marcello Fondato manged to put together an enjoyable enough movie. This wasn't exactly an outstanding movie experience, but it was watchable. The storyline was pretty straight forward, although a bit too simplistic in its entirety. But I am sure that fans of Bud Spencer is bound to enjoy this 1986 comedy adventure more than I did.
The acting performances in "Superfantagenio" (aka "Aladdin") were as you'd expect from a Bud Spencer movie. So if you enjoy his movies, than you will find yourself in for a good time. I will say that the acting performances in "Superfantagenio" were definitely good enough for my liking.
Ultimately then director Bruno Corbucci's 1986 movie was watchable, but not an outstanding or memorable movie experience. So I hadn't exactly been missing out on a cinematic gem here. It was, for me at least, a very generic Bud Spencer movie.
My rating of "Superfantagenio" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Alien Conquest (2021)
War of the Worlds on a shoestring budget...
Well, I have to say that the movie's cover/poster actually looked interesting, and it was one of the reasons why I opted to sit down and watch "Alien Conquest" from writer Joe Roche and director Mario N. Bonassin. Sure, I hadn't even heard about this movie before watching it, and I am not overly keen on sci-fi movies in general, but since I hadn't already seen "Alien Conquest", I opted to give it a chance.
Then I saw that the movie was based on the H. G. Wells novel, so I figured it couldn't be all that bad. But then I also saw that the movie had Tom Sizemore on the cast list. Yeah, needless to say more.
And let me just say that "Alien Conquest" is a fully and completely unnecessary movie. This has been done more than once before already in any of the "War of the Worlds" adaptions. So if you have seen any of those, then you have already seen "Alien Conquest". And trust me, you are not in for anything groundbreaking here with this 2021 movie.
The storyline, while being based on a good story from H. G. Wells, was just suffering from having done more than once before in the past. And with this 2021 being of subpar production, there really is no reason for picking director Mario N. Bonassin's movie before any of the older adaptations. Especially since the movie wasn't starring any spectacular big Hollywood performers, nor having overly impressive special effects.
"Alien Conquest" was starring Emily Killian, Anthony Jensen, Tom Sizemore and Michael DeVorzon, along with a bunch of other unfamiliar faces and names. I was only familiar with Tom Sizemore and Michael DeVorzon here. So you are not in for a spectacle of high end performances here. Sure, I will say that for the most parts, then the actors and actresses that were in "Alien Conquest" put on adequate enough performances, taking into consideration the budget and the script. And for the most parts it was just painstakingly obvious that the actors and actresses were acting opposite of nothing, having to add dubious CGI into the movie is post-production, so it wasn't always convincing performances being delivered.
Visually then "Alien Conquest" wasn't great. And as a sci-fi movie, then special effects and CGI are of utmost importance. Well, in all fairness, I will say that some of the scenes with the aliens and their vessels, then the CGI was actually quite alright. But there was just a low budget feel permeating the entire movie, even the CGI and special effects.
I suppose if you are a hardcore sci-fi fan and fan of the H. G. Wells story then there is something to be enjoyed in "Alien Conquest". But since I am not a fan of neither, then this movie just didn't cut it for me.
My rating of "Alien Conquest" lands on a very generous three out of ten stars.
Sunset on the River Styx (2020)
Not worth sinking your fangs into...
More like boredom on the River Styx. Man, talk about a swing and a miss.
When I sat down to watch the 2020 movie "Sunset on the River Styx", I was expecting to watch an interesting vampire movie, as I had shuffled through a handful of reviews that praised writer and director Aaron Paganiano's 2020 movie to high heaven. But yeah, of course everything is relative and individual taste and preference, of course, because "Sunset on the River Styx" offered me no entertainment.
The storyline told in "Sunset on the River Styx", as written by Aaron Pagniano, was incredibly slow paced and monotonous, with nothing interesting happening, aside from random flashes of strange imagery. Nay, this was not really an enjoyable vampire tale, instead it was an insight into the mundane and routine-taxed everyday lives of Will (played by Phillip Andre Botello) and Ashe (played by Jacqueline Jandrell).
Now, the movie would have been a lot more watchable if it had a proper storyline and script, of course, but even having interesting performances would also spruce up the movie. But sadly, then the performances in "Sunset on the River Styx" were plagued and restrained by the utter lack of a proper script and storyline. So don't expect to be in for a Shakespearian performance here.
For a vampire movie then "Sunset on the River Styx" was insanely weak and watered down. Yeah, no thick blood here - pardon the pun. And calling this a vampire movie might actually be stretching the term quite a bit.
I found no enjoyment or entertainment in "Sunset on the River Styx". In fact, I was so bored with the pointless and laughably bad script and storyline that I gave up on the movie at the halfway marker. I just couldn't keep wasting away my life on something as poorly written and devoid of entertainment as "Sunset on the River Styx" was.
My rating of "Sunset on the River Styx" lands on a generous two out of ten stars, and that is based on the production value.
Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki (1969)
This one is for the younglings...
I do believe that I have actually sat through nearly all of the old classic Japanese kaiju movies by now. I had the chance to watch the 1969 "Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki" (aka "All Monsters Attack") movie here in 2022. And with such a title, then I was expecting to see an abundance of kaiju monsters in this 1969 movie.
But that was not the case. No. Far from it actually. And instead I was treated to possibly the worst and most infantile of all the kaiju movies I have sat through thus far. So not a great accomplishment for writer
Shin'ichi Sekizawa and director Ishirô Honda.
The storyline told in "Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki" was sort of pointless, and it felt like it was a movie that was made solely to appeal to a new and younger audience, to reel in a new viewing audience group to the franchise. So if you are a fan of the old classic kaiju monsters and liked them, then this 1969 addition to the franchise felt like a slap to the face.
I watched "Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki" together with my 11 year old son, and he enjoyed the movie way more than I did. A testimony to the target audience of the storyline written by Shin'ichi Sekizawa.
This movie was just a tad too goofy for my personal liking, and while I did sit through it all, as the movie runs at only 69 minutes, then I can't claim that I was particularly entertained.
My rating of "Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Mythica: The Godslayer (2016)
The magic was fizzling in this sword and sorcery attempt of a movie...
I sat down to watch the 2016 adventure movie "Mythica: The Godslayer" here in 2022. I found out that this is apparently the fifth movie in the franchise, and I do believe that I might have seen one or two of the predecessing movies, though I can't recall them, not even if my life depended on it. So I can't say that I was harboring much of any expectations to writers Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin.
And with good cause, because the storyline told in "Mythica: The Godslayer" was just utter rubbish. I didn't even manage to get halfway through the ordeal, because the pacing of the narrative was sleep-inducingly slow and nothing worthwhile was happening as the story took forever to get from A to B. So no thumbs up on the writing for this movie.
Nor can I say that I cared for the character gallery in the movie. In fact, even having just turned off the movie, I can't even recall the names of any characters in the movie. Yeah, the character gallery was that bland and pointless.
The one thing that "Mythica: The Godslayer" had working for it, though, were the props and costumes. I liked those. But set against a non-existing storyline and pointless characters, then props and wardrobe could only do so much.
Then there were the sounds that they opted to give the zombies. Are you kidding me? It just made the zombie scenes go straight to being laughable and ludicrous to witness.
Director John Lyde failed entirely to provide a movie that had anything interesting to offer. And I have been playing role-playing games for about 35 years now, and I failed to find any entertainment in "Mythica: The Godslayer". So this is by no means a movie that I would recommend you waste your time, money or effort on.
I am rating "Mythica: The Godslayer" a generous two out of ten stars, and that is based on the props and costumes alone.
Das letzte Land (2019)
A two hour slow paced movie about nothing...
Granted, when I stumbled upon the 2019 German sci-fi mystery titled "Das Letzte Land" (aka "Final Voyage") here in 2022 then I hadn't even heard about it. So I didn't have any idea of what to expect from writer and director Marcel Barion. And normally I am not overly keen on sci-fi movies, but I still opted to watch "Das Letzte Land" as I had the opportunity to do so.
And boy, this was a slow paced movie. And making it even worse was the fact that virtually nothing overly interesting happened throughout the course of the almost two hours that the movie ran for. So it was a long and strenuous ordeal to sit through "Das Letzte Land".
Having a movie with essentially just two actors trapped inside a small spacefaring vessel and not really having much of anything else going on didn't exactly make for an exciting or entertaining movie. So I have to say that "Das Letzte Land" fell short of providing me with much of any enjoyment.
Sure, the acting performances in the movie were adequate, but it was futile as the actors virtually had nothing to work with in terms of script, storyline or dialogue.
Visually then "Das Letzte Land" was actually quite adequate. It wasn't a movie that made a whole lot use of special effects and CGI, but whatever was there and used actually worked out well enough.
My rating of "Das Letzte Land" lands on a three out of ten stars, and that is based on the production value mostly.
The Secret of Sinchanee (2021)
This was insanely slow paced and downright pointless...
I virtually knew nothing about this 2021 horror movie titled "The Secret of Sinchanee" from writer and director Steven Grayhm when I sat down to watch it in 2022. It was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, so of course I opted to give the movie a chance.
And this was 1 hour and 55 minutes of pure torture and a complete waste of almost two hours. Man, talk about a pointless and boring movie. Every time director Steven Grayhm set up a scene with something semi-scary, intense or important, then once whatever the scene set up was brought into the open or to a climax, the scene cut to something else entirely. So there never was a follow-up to whatever was just brought to fruition on the screen, and it left me not caring an ounce about the storyline or the characters milling about therein.
This movie was insanely slow paced. Trust me, you have no idea the lengths of snail pace that this movie manages to accumulate. Running at 1 hour and 55 minutes, I felt like I was sitting down for twice that period of time. And to make matters even worse, then nothing interesting or scary happened on the screen, so it was just a total waste of time.
Sure, I am not familiar with the Mohican folklore of Atlantow, and after having seen "The Secret of Sinchanee", then I can't claim that I care or have any interest to know more.
The acting performances in "The Secret of Sinchanee" were actually fair enough, especially when taking into consideration the heap of rubbish that passed as a script and storyline here. But it was just a shame that the performances could do nothing to salvage the train wreck that is known as "The Secret of Sinchanee".
Seriously, as the movie ended I felt like I had virtually wasted 1 hour and 55 minutes of my life on nothing. There was no fullfilling climax moments in the storyline and everything felt incredibly superficial and pointless.
If you, like myself, am a big fan of horror movies, do yourself a massive favor and stay well clear of "The Secret of Sinchanee". It just simply isn't worth the time, money or effort. The only horror about this movie is how utterly pointless and slow paced it was.
My rating of "The Secret of Sinchanee" lands on a very, very generous two out of ten stars, and that is based on the production level and the fact that the actors and actresses managed to put on such stalwart performances despite the fact of having literally nothing to work with.
The Prince (2014)
Actually entertaining and enjoyable...
I stumbled upon the 2014 action thriller "The Prince" from writers Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore here in 2022 by sheer, random chance. And with it being a Bruce Willis movie, then of course I wanted to watch it. But truth be told, I wasn't harboring much of any expectations to the movie, as Bruce Willis haven't really been churning out top notch movies for a long, long time.
Yet, I opted to watch director Brian A. Miller's movie on the account that this was a movie that I hadn't already seen, and also because it had both Bruce Willis and John Cusack on the cast list. I wasn't familiar with lead actor Jason Patric, however.
I will say that "The Prince" was actually a watchable and enjoyable enough action thriller for what it was. It wasn't a groundbreaking action thriller, nor did writers Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore really bring anything new to the genre. But the movie was actually still enjoyable enough.
There was a good amount of action in the movie, and that definitely helped to keep "The Prince" afloat and keep it watchable and enjoyable. I liked the action, and found it to be nicely choreographed.
Aside from Jason Patric, Bruce Willis and John Cusack, then "The Prince" also had the likes of Johnathon Schaech, Jessica Lowndes and Don Harvey on the cast list. Personally I can't claim to have found any particular thrill or excitement in the fact that Rain and 50 Cent were in the movie.
If you enjoy action thrillers of the good old kind, then give "The Prince" a chance, should you have the opportunity. I definitely thoroughly enjoyed it. However, "The Prince" is a type of movie that you watch once and never pick it up again, as there just isn't sufficient contents to the storyline and script to support more than a single viewing.
My rating of "The Prince" lands on a six out of ten stars.
The Carmilla Movie (2017)
Yeah, that was a swing and a miss...
Right, well I am by no means familiar with the "Carmilla" series, so I have absolutely no clue as to what came before this 2017 movie, aside from what is referenced throughout the course of the movie. And I have to admit that I felt that I wasn't getting half as much from the movie as I would have, had I been familiar with the characters, the previous storylines, the events and what not.
So yeah, this 2017 movie from writers Alejandro Alcoba and Jordan Hall was somewhat of a swing and a miss in terms of providing me with much entertainment. Honestly, then I had no clue as to what was going on or how I should react to the events, as I didn't know the characters at all.
"The Carmilla Movie" felt like a pseudo-gothic vampire homosexual ghostbuster movie, a comedy of sorts, but not getting me to laugh a single time throughout the course of its monotonous run time.
Personally I didn't enjoy this movie one bit. There was too much focus on showing off lesbian love scenes, something that I felt sleazed down the movie unnecessarily. And oddly enough it seemed that every single character of the main character gallery was homosexual. Sure, why not...
I didn't feel any particular thrill from the movie, and I can't claim that the characters showed off much of anything that appealed to me. Everything felt bland and pointless, and it was a struggle to stray afloat and stay awake throughout the course of this slow paced movie.
I am sure that "The Carmilla Movie" will be entertaining to those familiar with the series, but for someone never having heard of the series, this was just simply a movie that failed to provide entertainment. And it felt like this movie (and series perhaps too) was aimed at a female teenage audience.
My rating of director Spencer Maybee's 2017 movie lands on a three out of ten stars, and that is mostly based on the production value, the sets, props and wardrobe.
Boardinghouse (1982)
You might want to stay clear of this boardinghouse...
As I sat down to watch the 1982 horror comedy "Boardinghouse" in 2022, I had never even heard about the movie. And I can't really claim that I was having much of any expectations for writer and director John Wintergate to deliver a gem of a movie that I had been missing out on for the past 40 years.
Yet, I opted to sit down and watch "Boardinghouse" on the account that it was a movie that I hadn't already seen. And I do believe in giving a movie a chance, regardless of it being old or something I have never heard about.
But "Boardinghouse" was by no means a great movie. Quite far from it, actually. It was insanely difficult to get into the groove of the movie or get swept up into the storyline. Why? Well, because the storyline, as written by John Wintergate, quite simply failed to capture my interest and thus didn't provide me with any sense of entertainment or enjoyment of the movie.
The movie is labeled as a horror comedy, but it didn't really offer much of either of the two genres. So it was a swing and a miss on both accounts.
As for the acting performances in "Boardinghouse", well, let's just say that you shouldn't get your hopes up. You are not in for an evening of Shakespearian performances here.
This is not a movie that I would recommend fans of the horror genre to rush out to get their hands on.
My rating of "Boardinghouse" lands on a two out of ten stars.
Bird on a Wire (1990)
Greatly enjoyable 1990s action comedy...
Unbelievably enough then I have actually only seen the 1990 action comedy "Bird on a Wire" twice. I remember watching it once as a teenager, and then having the opportunity to sit down and watch it again in 2022.
Writers Louis Venosta, Eric Lerner and David Seltzer did manage to put together a genuinely entertaining and enjoyable storyline, as the story has a good amount of action and good comedy to it. I have to admit that I was genuinely entertained by "Bird on a Wire" from start to end.
And of course with the likes of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn in the leading roles, of course you are in for a good time. And teaming up Gibson and Hawn was just brilliant, and looking back at it now in 2022, it definitely had that 1990s feel to it. And it is also what made the movie so good, because Gibson and Hawn were phenomenal together on the screen.
Aside from Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, then "Bird on a Wire" also had David Carradine, Bill Duke and Stephen Tobolowsky on the cast list, with other familiar faces such as Jeff Corey and Clyde Kusatsu. So you definitely had a good handful of familiar faces on the screen if you have been watching movies and TV during the 1980s and 1990s.
If you haven't already seen "Bird on a Wire", then you should do so, if you get the chance. It is a movie with equal parts action and good pacing, mixed with great comedy and dialogue.
My rating of director John Badham's 1990s movie "Bird on a Wire" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)
Sort of took the storyline too far off course...
Well the 2008 action sci-fi "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" wasn't really as bad as you might otherwise have expected it to be. I sat down to watch it again here in 2022, having seen it two or three times since it was initially released back in 2008.
The storyline in "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" as concocted by writer and director Edward Neumeier was adequate enough. Especially the first third of the movie, it was action-packed and very much in the spirit of the previous two "Starship Troopers" movies, so that was good. Then the movie sort of slows down and becomes all about setting up the stage and director Edward Neumeier sure was taking his time about doing that. But the middle part of the movie wasn't really that bad, it was just not as action-packed as the first part. Then the movie sort of crash and tumble as we head into the third and final part of the movie. I mean, here it becomes a deity bug, the size of a planet. It was just ludicrous. And the whole religious aspect to the movie with the cultist-like two characters was just laughably bad.
"Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" deivates quite far from the original movie and didn't really take the franchise into a desired direction. And that makes this 2008 third movie the weakest of the three movies.
Sure, it was nice to see Casper Van Dien return to the movie, and he definitely did make the movie bearable to watch by reviving the Johnny Rico character. The role of Sky Marshall Omar Anoke - played by Stephen Hogan - was actually a great performance by the actor, despite the character being somewhat far out there.
There weren't as many bugs in "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" as you had in the previous two movies, and it was a hindrance holding back the overall enjoyment of the movie.
"Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" was watchable, for sure, but it just wasn't an outstanding sci-fi action movie.
My rating of "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004)
Much better than I remembered it to be...
I remember watching "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation" back in the day when it was recently released, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the movie back then. But I opted to return to it here in 2022 and watch it again.
And I will say that the movie is actually a lot more entertaining and enjoyable that I remembered it to be. Sure, "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation" deviates from the original 1997 movie "Starship Troopers", but the evolution to the bugs in the movie are actually interesting, just odd that it took me 18 years to figure that out.
The storyline in "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation", as written by Edward Neumeier, is pretty enjoyable, and does have the spirit and essence of the 1997 predecessor at heart, while at the same time adding to the universe and lore of the franchise.
They actually had a pretty nice cast ensemble for this movie, with the likes of Sandrine Holt, Ed Lauter, Richard Burgi, Brian Tee and more. And the cast did perform quite well in the movie, bringing the characters nicely to life on the screen. Sure, I was missing the members of the first movie, but it was nice to branch out and follow a new group of Federation soldiers.
There is a good amount of action in "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation", no doubt about it, and that certianly helped to add enjoyment to the movie.
Visually then "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation" was good. I liked the creatures and creature designs in the movie.
My rating of "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Deadlock (2021)
A rather generic action thriller...
I have to say that when I sat down to watch the 2021 action thriller "Deadlock" from writers Cam Cannon and Jared Cohn, then I wasn't really expecting much of anything grand here. Why? Well, I can't claim to think that Bruce Willis really have been churning out all that great movies for quite a while by now. But still, it being a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I sat down to watch it.
"Deadlock" was actually watchable enough for what it was. And what was it? A rather generic, but straight forward action thriller. Writers Cam Cannon and Jared Cohn didn't really offer much of any thrill rides, nor did they throw any curveballs for the audience. So "Deadlock" was pretty predictable and generic. But there still was enough contents to the storyline for a single viewing.
It was nice, though, to see Bruce Willis in a role such as Ron Whitlock in this movie. That was certainly something I enjoyed and what made "Deadlock" watchable. The movie also had Patrick Muldoon and Matthew Marsden on the cast list, so there were some okay names to the movie.
There is a good amount of action in the movie, and that definitely helped make the movie watchable.
All in all, then director Jared Cohn delivered a mediocre action thriller that didn't bring anything new to the genre.
My rating of "Deadlock" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Carnival of Souls (1998)
Sort of slow paced and boring...
I remember my brother having this 1998 movie on VHS back in the day, but oddly enough I never got around to watching the movie before now in 2022. Why? Well, I never did really find the movie's cover all that interesting, so I never took it upon myself to sit down and watch it.
Then in 2022, I had the chance to do so, and I figured well since it said "Wes Craven presents" on the movie's cover, then I might actually have missed out on something, so I opted to give "Carnival of Souls" a chance.
Turns out that I hadn't been missing out on anything grand here. The storyline told in "Carnival of Souls", as written by Adam Grossman, was just so-so. I mean, sure it was archetypical late 1990s, or at least had that particular vibe to it. But the storyline just never really sunk its claws into me, and thus I never really got fully into the movie.
There just wasn't much proper contents to the storyline. In fact, the storyline turned out somewhat befuddled and semi-confusing, as if there wasn't a proper red thread throughout the entire movie.
The movie had Bobbie Phillips, Shawnee Smith, Larry Miller and Paul Johansson on the cast list, among others, so there are some familiar faces at least. A shame, however, that the script and storyline didn't really offer the performers all that much material to work with.
I found "Carnival of Souls" to be a mediocre movie, watchable for sure, but it is by no means a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time. And it certainly was not a movie that had anything grand to offer, so I hadn't really been missing out on anything here. Not is "Carnival of Souls" a movie that I would recommend fans of the horror genre to dash out and get their hands on.
My rating of "Carnival of Souls" lands on a three out of ten stars.
The Hunting (2021)
Not a particularly thrilling or exciting hunt...
When I sat down in 2022 to watch the 2021 horror movie "The Hunting" from writers Mark Andrew Hamer, Heather Ryan and Terrance Ryan, I have to admit that I was lured in by the movie's cover/poster, and the promise of this being a werewolf movie. I will say that the movie's cover was really, really nice, so I had some expectations to "The Hunting", despite never having heard about it. And there is that saying "don't judge a book by its cover".
The same saying applies to movies apparently, because I was expecting a properly entertaining movie from director Mark Andrew Hamer with his 2021 movie "The Hunting". But I was handed a very monotonous and boring movie that offered almost nothing in terms of entertaining. In fact, I was wondering if the movie's title was a reference to the fact that perhaps the director was hunting for a proper script and storyline here.
Take heed, because "The Hunting" is by no means a good movie. Not unless you consider sitting through an endless tirade of dialogue and virtually nothing happening to justify this as a werewolf movie. I managed to suffer through about an hour of the ordeal that is "The Hunting", then I gave up out of pure and utter boredom. This movie was a massive swing and a miss.
The acting performances in the movie were adequate, especially when taking into consideration that the storyline and script gave the actors and actresses nothing to work with. I wasn't familiar with the cast in "The Hunting", and that is actually something I enjoy when watching movies. But the actors and actresses that partook in the making of this movie never got off to a running start.
Visually then "The Hunting" was mundane too. There was nothing grand to be seen here. At least not in the one hour of torment I suffered through.
Don't waste your time, money or effort on this movie. If you enjoy werewolf movies there are better choices out there. Granted, the majority of movies in the werewolf genre are dubious, but there are movies worth watching out there. Sadly, then "The Hunting" just wasn't one of them.
I am rating "The Hunting" a three out of ten stars.
Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse (2021)
Fun to watch...
I have always enjoyed all things zombie, so when I stumbled upon this 2021 documentary titled "Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse", of course I had to sit down and watch it.
Do I believe that a zombie apocalypse is possible? No. It is all fiction. I mean the entire concept is just fiction, and there are some people in this documentary that just makes you curl up your toes and shake your head in disbelief. Sure, there is something alluring and appealing about the concept of zombies, heck, that is even why I have been watching zombies movies, reading zombie novels and such since my early teenage years and still enjoy today. But there is a long way from going to enjoying a fictional fantasy about flesh eating undead to believing that it could happen, and worse yet, starting to stockpile for such fictional event.
I will say that the documentary "Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse" does pan out a good and reasonable plan for preparing for said fictional apocalyptic event. But take it all with a grain of salt people, it ain't real.
"Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse" made for some good entertainment, especially with seeing the level of commitment that some of these people have to believing in the possibility of a zombie outbreak and worldwide pandemic of such a virus.
Having sat through "Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse", I will say that it was fun and enjoyable for what it was. But having experts on zombies out there? Seriously? People calling themselves experts on things that are through and through fictional and speculation, that just simply makes me laugh.
Take "Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse" for what it is.
My rating of "Zombies! Prepping for the Apocalypse" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Confissões de uma Garota Excluída (2021)
Somewhat clichéd teenage movie...
When I sat down to watch the 2021 Brazilean comedy drama "Confissões de uma Garota Excluída" (aka "Confessions of an Invisible Girl"), I wasn't really sure what I was in for here, as I had heard nothing about the movie prior to watching it.
However, I was expecting it to be a teenage movie, given the movie's cover. And that exactly what "Confissões de uma Garota Excluída" was. But hold your horses here, because the storyline actually did have some entertainment value to it, because there was a good morale to the plot. So writers Bruno Garotti, Flávia Lins e Silva, Christiana Oliveira and Thalita Rebouças managed to put together an adequate script.
It should be said that the character gallery in "Confissões de uma Garota Excluída" was very cliché, even for a teenage movie.
The acting performances in "Confissões de uma Garota Excluída" were good. Sure, I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list here, but I will say that the actors and actresses put on good performances. And the movie was nicely carried by lead actress Klara Castanho.
Sure, "Confissões de uma Garota Excluída" was watchable, but it was also at the same time a somewhat generic teenage movie.
My rating of director Bruno Garotti's 2021 movie lands on a six out of ten stars.
An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)
Ruined by horrible CGI werewolves...
Well, as it usually goes with sequels, then this 1997 follow up "An American Werewolf in Paris" to the 1981 classic "An American Werewolf in London", it just didn't live up to the predecessor. Not even remotely close.
Sure, I will say that writers Tim Burns, Tom Stern and Anthony Waller did manage to put together a good enough story, and it was certainly entertaining for what it was, but it just lacked the punch and appeal that the 1981 classic had.
And then there was the issue of the horrible CGI werewolves that just looked beyond dubious. It simply was beyond me why they opted to use CGI werewolves, especially when it was such eyesores to look at. It totally ruined what could have otherwise been a good sequel. And even more impressive is that the CGI werewolves in this 1997 were totally and fully outclassed by the practical effect werewolf in the 1981 movie. Amazing that something 16 years older managed to best something that should be been more efficient.
The movie did, however, have a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Tom Everett Scott and Julie Delpy in the lead roles.
A shame that the atrocious CGI werewolves ruined the movie, because "An American Werewolf in Paris" could have been a much more enjoyable and outstanding movie. Instead it ended up being a rather forgettable sequel that will always be in the shadows of a 16 year older movie.
My rating of the 1997 "An American Werewolf in Paris" from director Anthony Waller lands on a bland five out of ten stars.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Truly a werewolf classic...
Interestingly enough then the 1981 horror movie "An American Werewolf in London" still is one of the most iconic werewolf movies out there and has been so for 41 years. That is some impressive feat, I have to admit that.
I had the opportunity to sit down and watch writer and director John Landis' 1981 movie again here in 2022, and of course I needed no persuasion to do so, because "An American Werewolf in London" truly is a horror classic. And I find that the movie is every bit as entertaining and enjoyable as it was back in the day when watching it as a kid.
The storyline is pretty straight forward, and it is actually rather enjoyable, despite being somewhat generic. But take into consideration that this movie was made in 1981, so it was somewhat pushing boundaries back in the day.
The visual effects were great back in the day. And I will actually go as far as saying that they still hold up now 41 years later. Sure, there are signs of aging, but having just seen the movie again, I still find the special effects in the movie rather enjoyable and good. Especially the transformation scenes, they are just spectacular and very, very impressive for a movie 41 years old.
The cast in the movie is good, and I've always liked David Naughton in this movie. But the movie also have familiar faces on the cast list such as Jenny Agutter, Frank Oz and even a short appearance by Rik Mayall.
If you enjoy werewolf movies, then you should be well-familiar with "An American Werewolf in London" already, and if you are not familiar with this 1981 classic, then you should make haste and acquire a copy and sit down to watch John Landis' masterpiece.
My rating of "An American Werewolf in London" lands on a well-deserved eight out of ten stars. This is a classic werewolf movie, and it is one that can be watched over and over.