Reviews

I was looking forward to this. Keanu Reeves is great, and I've a good time with the previous John Wick movies (not so much the 3rd one, but still OK), so what's there not to like, right?

Wrong. Unfortunately. I don't want to go into the potholes, because this is not a documentary or a drama, so let me cut it some slack there right away. However, even with that headstart, things are going downhill quickly.

This is the first time when I have seen John Wick tired, weak or worn. Some of the action scenes look really silly because there is no perceivable force or momentum in John's moves. I'm sure Keanu is in excellent phisical shape, so I don't get it: sometimes it really looks like a grandpa is trying to beat up a bunch of street-kids.

Then the so-much cited world-building...oh well, we needed that as much as a mole needs sunglasses, but still: where did it derail so badly? I mean this is supposed to be a secret society, operating behind the scenes, barely leaving a trace, right? Then how come that armies (literally, small armies, plural) of assassins and henchmen are just swarming in world-famous locations, time after time? How come that there is apparently a "Continental" in every major city? That there is always yet another rule, which can be used to move the "plot" (man that was difficult to label it such) forward? If you bend the rules (your rules, btw) so many times, why would anyone invest into the characters? If they get in a pickle with seemingly no way out, we just invent another rule (or exception, or amendment, or whatever), and the job's done. It really turns any dramatic potential (not that there are many to start with) into a proper snoozefest.

OK, so not much substance or plot, Mr Wick is not who he once was, and the world building sucks....but the action scenes are still great, right? Well, kind of. Clearly not my taste, but it is evident that a lot of effort went into creating them, so I can perfectly understand if some of the viewers find them enjoyable. For me, they just went waaay to far. There are so many opponents executed (hundreds, literally), that there is no weight to it. No matter what, the bad guys drop, and John Wick walks away...gets boring after the first 150 killings or so. The complete lack of realism doesn't help, and neither does the fact that they overwrite their own set of rules in an instant if and when they deem fit (example: you can't penetrate the magic armor by bullets, but apparently you can cut and stab through it....come on now, decide already).

With all that being said, the movie does have its moments...few and far in between, yes, but still, sometimes it just does. That however doesn't justify the 3 hours I feel I have wasted watching it: I would have needed a lot more meat on the bone, some better characters, at least a bit of a reasonable plot, and some consistency at least against its own set of rules. To sum it all up, this defintiely feels like the low point of the series, and I honestly don't understand how this, in its current form, got the green light.

And by "original", I mean it is not the reboot of a an earlier reboot. OK, the story not that original,but frankly, I'm not in there for the Shakespearean depths, I'm in for good, likeable (or hateable) characters and good action. We got these, in spades. Not a documentary, not by any means, but again, who cares, it is an action movie: of course some characters have 3-4 sets of skeletons and/or 9 lives. That's fine, because the movie works. It entertains, it made me care (and root for someone - nothing's worse when you couldn't care less if the main characters get eaten by aliens or not), and it made me forget about my current affairs for that 2 hours. I appreciate that, and that's what I expect of a film like this - thank you! Gosling, Evans and Armas all do a stellar job too, and I can only hope that the audience response would be something Netflix likes/expects/hopes, and we will see more like this in the future. Fingers crossed, and bring it on! :)

It is obvious that a TON of work went into this game. Graphics is great, there is some etmosphere (wouldn't call it immersive though), and my favourite is the radio in the car :)

The problem is that it is the radio in the car which I recall my favourite feature of the game after a good number of hours. Login and gameplay is seriously flawed: after 5 YEARS, I am still welcome with login issues on all occassions (which I don't need anyhow, as I don't give squat about the multiplayer (i just want the campaign), but I need to be connected to the servers regardless. Fine, whatever. Ubisoft store is up, running, I can browse my games, Wildland is wondering in the universe somehwere, lookign for something, for minutes, stuck at the login screen - WTF??)). Settings are also reset when the game seems fit, and it is so much fun to scan through again what presets may or may not have been altered accoring to its infite wisdom...

Gameplay. I seriously don't understand how this game passed the testing phase. How did anyone thought it is a good idea not allowing saving in the first place? But let's that for the moment: respawning you on the other side of the bloody map is clearly an undesirable desing element, isn't it? With 2 other safe houses closer the spot where you died. Not a figure of speach, literally on the other side of the map (though at least I disovered a new area without wondering there). Oh, and in most cases, the world is re-generated, so you can't pick up where you left, you may or may not be in the same area even, and may or may not be in the same part of the day (entirely possible it will take you back into the night, or throw into he day, seemingly as decided by a white blind mouse)

Gunfights. Apparently a submachine gun is as accurate as a sniper rifle, over long distances. Team is sometimes as stupid as ****, blocking my movement (once into a corner I couldn't move from, so I had to wait till I was killed), stepping into in my line of fire, or in front of a bad guy, watching him to slowly walking up to him, shooting him and me first, then maybe shoot back (not always, it depends). Great. Skill points can spent in a sequence. Why?! You clean up an outpost, and it respawns soon. You can't destroy it, you can't sabotage it, and you can't turn it, so every freaking time, you clean them, over and over again. (the first couple of times it is fun even, but then it is more like a chore). Maybe after some pre-defined element is achieved, and the algorythm decided you earned enough....."something" (I couldn't find out what, if it even exists), then it changes, but after spending 3 long evenings with this, after another stupid respawn, I just deleted the game, so I never found out.

Driving....oh my god, driving. I know this is not a drive simulator, but that doesn't necessarily mean all vehicles must behave like sh*t. Bike, car, chopter, doesn't matter, each is the unbelievably bad, and weirdly enough, somehow the same way. Again, how did this past testing??? I just can't imagine that lots and lots of players said to the idiotic vehicle control " yeey, perfect, this is what I want in an action shooter, superb!..." (example: a vehicle can either accelerate, or decelerate, but it can't hold a certain speed. Or when slowing down too much, it goes to reverse, and swings around the view whether you want it or not, whether you crawl back at 1 mph or 50)

LIke i've said. An absolute sh*tload of work went into this game, and my hats off to many of the devs, some aspects of the game are truly remarkable. But, at least for me, the negatives are not compensated by the positives, so I have uninstalled the game after about 10 hours or so. The internet is full of ravaging reviews, so I must be a minority, but in my opinion, this game is seriously flawed, and thus is a botched effort. Pity, because it could have been really good.

Just coming back from the theatre, i can say with confidence this was time well spent, and it is a highly enjoyable movie if watched on the big screen. Visuals are fantastic, CGI is there but not disturbing at all (and hugely contributes to the overall atmosphere), while the music/audio fits the scenes perfectly. Great stuff! Much of the mess created by the previous movies is now addressed, so some very crucial questions are answered at last. Fin's character is finally tuned down a notch, and thus improving it a lot, so much so that I almost started to like the guy by the end :) Story is better for most parts than in the previous films (well, the bar wasn't exactly high), though some of the "twists" still made my eyes turn in their sockets. Still, if only this kind and level of attention went to Force Awakens...which still stands on 7.9, btw. I think the scores do not do justice here: this movie is punished because of the impact left on disappointed fans by the previous installments, while those are still rated high because at their release the hype (and anticipation) was still high. This is just speculation of course, but I honestly believe that The Rise of Skywalker is not a bad movie, and that it definitely deserves a chance.

I didn't know what to expect...I mean the last movie closed the strory, and if they left it there, it would have been still a fitting closure to the story of John Rambo. And yet, this new instalment doesn't feel forced, the only thing I missed is a bit more background to the beginning (just a few more minutes, that wouldn't have spoiled the action-value of the overall movie), to show how Rambo has been since we last saw him. We will have bits and pieces, so we can kind-of sort-of put it together, it just felt a bit thin to me. Back to the movie though: effects and scenes were created with great care, and they definitely look the part...the ones looking for strong action and loud bangs, will be served well. However, that is somewhat expected from the title characters (I didn't think we will watch Rambo in his rose garden, at least); the surprise for me was the drama value of the movie. I didn't feel that this strong since First Blood, and there were a few one-liners (well, Rambo wouldn't chuck out a Shakesperean monologue, would he) which haunted me for days. I didn't see THAT coming. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of action (and bad guys will be eliminated in spades, oh yes, very much so), for me it is just an unexpected added value. Well done! I already have the box set of the previous 4 movies, and looking forward to put this on the self too, once it becomes available.

So I thought this would be sci-fi, with a bit of drama....instead, this was drama, with a little bit of sci-fi (and even that was deeply flawed). Later, i have checked again, and the blame is on me: I was an idiot, and should have paid more attention to the category under the title, so blame is on me. Still, this was one depressing film...the 2 leads were actually great, but because of the (for me, at least) silly settings I just couldn't get to emphasise with their characters much, beacuse I couldn't shake that "drama over nothing" feeling. The visuals are excellent (one of the few feats made that long 2 hours bearable for me), music is also fitting the bill (and bolsters the overall depressing mood of the movie, as intended i guess), so technically, it is a very well executed feature. And yet, I was glad once it was over, and it didn't leave me with much thought either. So, in my opinion, this is for drama-seekers, who wouldn't care much abouth logical background setting, but would focus instead on feelings of the characters and how different events would affect those feelings...and in that regard, this move delivers.

We thought it would be an easygoing-careless-lighthearted flick, to spread a bit of festive mood around. Well, yeah, it has that element to it too...and much more, so if you really just want to switch your brain off, choose some other time to watch this. The "story" if almost not existent, and yet, there is still meaning, leaving me stirred even after I got home from the cinema. Performance of the actors is very strong, accross the board; from that angle we are in for a treat. And yes, there is George Michael's music all along, though that wasn't the selling point for me (sorry...), and you definitely won't look at "Last Christmas" the same way ever again after seeing this movie. Overall, well worth watching, just be prepared for something a bit deeper than yeat another silly little Christmas-themed romantic comedy.

Let's start with the good: the actors are actually trying to do a good job, this is why i rated it 2 stars, instead of minus 1. However, there is not much they can work with, so the positives pretty much end there. There is no plot: something happens somewhere, to someone, and therefore our hero gets going. Then a lot of rubbish happens (e.g. enragingly stupid behaviour and lots of petty drama - yay!), then man reaches wife (after 90 painful minutes), then another piece of (very predictable) petty drama, then it kinds of "ends". It really feels like that even the crew got bored with filming this masterpiece, and they said "enough of this cr*p, let's get some lunch"...and they never got back. I can't fathom the audience who would enjoy this kind of a movie...so I wonder what was the plan here, Netflix? I love that you guys experiment, but this is just a waste of resources...and anyone's time who is watching it. If any potential viewer reads this before going to see the "movie": for the love of God, don't. Trust me: that would be a total loss of 2 hours of your life you are never going to get back.

I am not an opera fan (to put it mildly). I have always had respect for Pavarotti, but knew little about him. This movie takes the viewer on a journey, and the more I've been wathcing, the more I got sucked into the world of Pavarotti. It is long, but felt suprisingly short, and I kind of felt sad when it was over....though also felt that i have learnt a lot. It is an inspiring story, perhaps even more so because it is true...and it's not a pink-clouded nostalgic fairytale either: it shows the flaws and exposes the weeknesses of the man too, yet somehow these just made him all more likeable and more...human. I was in awe by the end of film, and was so glad that I've decided to give it a go (not being an opera fan and all): i think that is time very well spent, with lasting impressions and inspiration.

I like science fiction, reagardless if it is more like "science" or more "fiction", as long as there is a story, character development, atmosphere, or at least something to root for. Another Life is bleeding from so many wounds that it is hard to count, and the only reason I did not give a 2 star rating is the ending, as at least some of the questions got answered in the last episode. To get there however was rreally painful: i started to watch with full attention, then "WTF?", then tried to give it another shot and watched another 2 episodes, after which I said I can't take this anymore, so it was running in the background while I was doing stuff, but even then it got annoying, so the last 5 episodes I just stepped through, to see if it gets any better (no), or if there is any real development (partially yes, in the last episode). Personally, i really think that the whole approach for the characters is deeply flawed, and as a result I couldn't care less if they got eaten after the first 2 episodes...they are supposed the be on the "most important mission in the history of mankind ", and they behave like (hell, most of them even look like) as if they were in a high school mess hall. Petty bickering, mood swings, huge egos, little to no rational behavior, but lots of perfect make-up (?) and pretty (pretty-intended) clothes. Really? The best manking has to offer? Then we are really doomed....The rest is just downhill from there: the storyline, the effects, the "science", the world the whole thing is set into...this is disappointment through and through, sorry. I liked "Altered Carbon", a lot (despite the dark tone), and i hoped this will be on a similar level...it is not, not even close: in fact this was so far from that quality (in every aspect), that it is hard to put into words. I hope Netflix will accept this as a failed one-time experiment, and move on to producing quality material like the above mentoned AC series.

Never gave a one to any film before, but this one surely deserves it. Seriously, don't waste your time, do something else, it will be much more fulfilling. Anything. Pump your car tyres, or iron the curtains, or collect the rubbish in your street, anything, but to watch this. No story. I mean, nothing at all. No logic. No character development...or characters, coming to that. Physics is out the window, hand in hand with common sense. You don't know anything be the end of the moview that you didn1t know at its beginnign, there is no moral, no conclusion, nothing. And they call this a movie. I really do wonder based on what grounds?!

I was so happy when I saw a new Star Trek series is coming our way...and was somewhat disappointed with what I have seen the first (then second, then third) episode. I didn't like the title theme (and I still don't, sorry), I didn't like the (seemingly) main character Michael, and most of all didn't like the cruel, dark tone of the whole thing, along with much of the nonsense the show brought epiosde after episode.

However, it seems that it's worth to go through all that after all, as in episode 12, it all starts to come together, and much of the ridiculous (and sometime downright stupid) things start to make sense...to the point that I am now actually thinking that I will go back and watch some of the earlier episodes again (something I was never considering before). Maybe the writers planned this way all along, or maybe they just have listened to the feedback they got and changed course accordingly, but either way, it is much better now.

No, it is still not the flavour I go used from Star Trek of old, but core ST ideas and values are now starting to resurface again, so if it continues to go this way, it will be a worthy addition of the ST universe (at least in my opinion). Fingers crossed, and I am eager to se more.

I'm not that much into musicals, but this got me simply mesmerised. I didn't know what to expect to be honest, and I was a bit sceptical when the curtains rolled up, but scene after scene I was just pulled in more and more, and by "never enough", I was cooked, flambé'd and (well) done completely.

All characters are really performing at their best, even the supporting roles are superb! Obvously the songs are are the "bread and butter" here, and they are great (I mean, really great), but it doesn't stop there: the characters are not 2 dimensional, the costumes are fantastic, and the settings just bring alive the period it is all set in. The story only loosely follows the "true"events, but who cares: it is human, it is emotional, it is enchanting, elevating and sometimes heart-wrenching...somehow making the power of pursuing dreams to the full tangible (along with the related costs of such an endeavour).

Definitely, defintely worth the time to be spent at the cinema, and can't wait to get it on DVD (the songs and scenes just keep haunting me, so youtube till then - but this will get onto the self, that's for sure).

So far, they have managed to make a good(ish) balance of light and sinister moments, but in this instalment, the scales tipped waaay too much into the silly jokes side. I'm not an expert on Ragnarok, but I remembered it to be the end of Asgard, it's gods, and most of the "world" as we know it. Death, destruction and sorrow, followed by a thin ray of new hope over the ruins. How did they think that they can turn this into a joke, and that it would work?

Throughout the story,the embarrassing jokes just kept coming, to the extent that often I felt I'm actually watching a silly sitcom. Don't get me wrong: I expected some light-hearted fun and banter during the build-up to the final battle (what Ragnarok is supposed to be), but then I thought it would turn into a dark, epic, moving, bloody but heroic finale…instead, we have some of that, but broken to pieces by cheap jokes. Honestly, I'm not sure even a 10 year old would enjoy this mixture. The missus really likes Thor (big surprise there, I know…), and even she was looking at me in pain many times, rolling her eyes. I know some of the previous two episodes had some silly moments, but trust me, not like this: it is a whole new level.

The critics seem to love it though, explaining things into it I don't see in there (I'm sure it is my fault). I liked the previous two Thor movies (with all their obvious flaws), but this, I'm not sure if I will even buy later (as I used to, to complete the set on the self). For me, this was really disappointing…

PS: I actually liked the "80's science-fiction" look & feel (sets, costumes, music) present in many of the scenes, though it seems to be disjointed (again...) with the previous movies. Wonder how the younger generations (without fond memories) feel about that.