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Reviews
Watchmen (2009)
One of the great attempt into comic adaptation of all time
I will try and express myself as before watching the film, off course i was afraid of this. It was like the speeding train everyone said it was impossible to catch. The Watchmen graphic Novel was one of the greatest materials into the (anti)super hero genre. It was a massive dissertation about power and human relations, if only one could see behind the cape, behind those common people, into their past...
I was worried when i read that David Goyer was once (for briefly moments) involved in the project, at that time Watchmen had already almost a decade of failed attempts into the celluloid screen and for sure was to be a «who dun nit» about who killed the comedian.
This film is about that and much more, i am actually not saying it was the best genre film of all time, but for the massive scale of plots and sub plots, i as a fan and a film-geek give it a 9 for «effort». I should be mad because of all the squidless scenes removed, i should be mad because of all those changes made, some of my favorite one liners were actually removed from the film, ahh, that vigorous «I Did it!» was one.
But immediately stroke me that this film is very far apart from the comic. i know for sure Alan Moore would enjoy this piece if he wasn't involved in the process. But its from another dimension as the comic was to be another sub reality of the 80s, this film is another reality apart also from the comic. It is not he comic, try and forget it for a moment!
I believe non fans would enjoy it except the one expecting to see a super hero movie, these will be utterly disappointed for almost 3 hours of massive information (oh yeah, if you are an active viewer prepare to absorb and digest long after the movie).
I can only say there were some plot holes (but nothing the director's cut wouldn't fix) and a very inconsistent art direction(Nixon nose is on my eye). the acting is much better than i would presume by the trailers, which is crucial. If you want to see one of those rare events (the ones that or you hate it or love it) like misunderstood films as blade runner or Brazil i think you will give credit on watchmen, Watchmen is no Hollywood film, it is a unique experience, go see it if you can handle the pressure.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
i've been almost two decades waiting for this
Well, first of all it was watching the last crusade on theaters that made me want to direct my own movies, the others i watched on home video and the more i watched the more enthusiastic i was on the following raiders sequel.
I was born in the 80s so i never watched a Republic Serial in my life, so i didn't knew that language that Lucas and Spielberg were trying to transmit with that, anyway. Now i know that format because i became obsessed with cinematic languages that would give birth to the b movie as we know it, to the trash phenomenon and now, unfortunately to the Pop «Korny» films we watch all over again.
Indiana Jones and the temple of the Cristal skull begins as an attempt to integrate these values onto a new generation, i saw it in the form of cg sets, blue screen shots, cg creatures (prairie dogs) and I'm talking just about the first act of the film. Its a visual extravaganza, more in the terms of what Lucas got us us to than Spielberg himself. As for the direction i can still recognize the Spielberg parts, but not as crude, clean and dirty like they were before. It was like watching something that was blurred with the cg brush of the very obsessed George Lucas. (and they promissed not to overuse the C.G.) One thing i state as a thumbs up was the attempt of making this a real «Republic Serial», the shots, the pacing and even the characters contribute to that, even more than the other Indy Films.
Everything is involved in a nostalgic dome, for me was like reunite an old friend, it was like talking about the old stories, but after a while i saw that there wasn't much more to talk about.
Harrison Ford ruled and shows us that he still got it, as for the other cast members are solid, i really miss some development in both the ray Winston and Cate Blanchet part.
The Script is developed as a cliffhanger, it was written as bulletproof, inserting nostalgic moments with the artistry of the great Michael Kahn editing. I've noticed also more resemblances to the script of some Indiana Jones Videogames, «Fate of Atlantis» seemed a great influence in this film.
It was not the story that troubled me, it was not the acting either, but there was a tendency to exaggerate, to carry Indy onto the Matrix generation, with a lot of impossible «near death» sequences, the waterfall sequence is one of the most surreal moments iv'e saw in my life! as for a scene where Mutt Williams swings with small monkeys like a Disney Tarzan, or worse, like a Scary movie gag...
But i guess it all comes together in the end, you forgive Indiana Jones, he is like that absent friend you d love to reunite.
The Matrix generation will love this film, the others who grew up with the character i guess will have to forgive Indy and follow him for his latest adventure!
In the over hall i believe if they could keep the film simple it would be a more consistent movie. Cheers
Julio Ramos portfoliojulioramos.blogspot.com
Corrupção (2007)
So bad that it could be fun
Well, first of all i am Portuguese and decided just by any chance to see this film, the great magnet for me(and for thousands of Portuguese people) was the publicity stunt performed. I realize and warn you people that this film could just be a blockbuster in Portugal because of a polemic book written months before(the making of this film), the book was «Eu, Carolina». The confessions of the Ex wife( Carolina Salgado) of the Football club of Oporto head, Mr Pinto da Costa.
The book to screen adaptation is somewhat free, to avoid the actual scandal envolving the real personalities and the «Corruption» case.
I Went as i say with a free mind, i usually pray for the Portuguese cinema to get better but it seemed this wasn't the case. The film lacks as lots of «Real life inspired» movies, a guideline. I t seemed the characters were too much stuck into stereotypes, for ex:- « The Whore, the corrupt guy, the good detective.»
iT just seemed to corny and cartoony, besides, the film cost was estimated about one million Euros or somewhat, but i don't see where is that money invested in the screen, only at the marketing.
There was a scene narrating the bribe of some footbal referee, it is supposed to be watched as if has the TV camera was covering it, well, i never seen so much use of editing, close ups, campy performances just to show that the referee is corrupt.
Also there's a sex scene that can elect Troll 2 as the Titanic. I usually like trash Cinema but this is one of the worst moments i've ever saw. Put yourself to the test and see it because it turns fun!
One of the key irritating factors is the Soundtrack, i guess because they didn't had much time to spend on a clever editing, they just filled the blank spaces with music, making it an unbearable experience of a videoclip.
Well, i must confess i liked the movie, i was entertained by this strange, bad taste film in front of me. But in an overhall, inserted into an world review, its fair that i give it a 1 star.
IT was later, after the movie premiered, that i knew (as most Portuguese) that the version in the screen was the producers one and not the Director(João Botelho). The film was truncated, re edited and redubed in some scenes according to a radical order of the producer.
Botelho steped out and the film that we see is no more than a marketing product made to feed on a best seller rights, made and packaged in a hurry.
A product of Marketing and Design that can only be entertaining by its error factor, It could only be so simple as if they just assumed it was a joke.
Snake Island (2002)
A bunch of horny dudes and babes trapped in an island full of...snakes?
I will not vote this movie as an awful one, mainly because i kind of like it, i was one of those summer days that i was so lame to do anything and decided do rent a movie in the stupid section of the videostore. Besides that i didn't slept in the nigh before and the movie got me awake...Let's just start the autopsy, OK, the movie haves a strange plot, first is isolation, there is an expedition, they get isolated in an island because there is no gas on the boat, something like that, there is not a single convincing performance on the actors part(so far), the main problem starts after the isolation idea, the POV of a snake, then another, ...then another, then snakes that change, then false spooks, a lot of them, and when we believe the movie is going on a good way for a b flick keeping the suspense it fails, because after ten or eleven spooks we don't get carried away, the one scene that unmistifies all is the scene when we witness a drunk lesbian show watched by snakes that seem to dance, after this it's becoming not a horror\adventure but a comedy driven movie, the adventure part is discarded also.
For me the problem in a movie is the third act, it is the one section that just drives the movie for a already guessed conclusion, or if it succeeds we don't noticed it, like a ninja smoke in our eyes, well....Snake island haves a bad conclusion, it all comes to a «by the book» ending, with a confront, persecution and escape sequence, it was predictable in the moment i rented the dam copy. The other real problem is concept, concept is very important, it is the reason you believe in dinosaurs coming to life or a corpse full of stitches that just wants to live, the main concept about snakes that want revenge after decades on torture by the human civilization, well...hmmm, just doesen't glues on the wall. One thing you will enjoy (if you watch it with an opened mind) is the more b-z sequences, naked lesbian girls, some amateur camera angles, the braindead homage with the grass cutter, the black dude doesen't die first, and thats all... if you want to see snakes, black dudes and comedy and you prefer bigger budgets go and see «snakes on a plane».
Hasta moviegoers