Reviews

When one has watched countless war movies, it is impossible not to subconsciously compare a new entry to the classics. I did my best to review it on its own merits but cannot exclude some bias.

I am not going to go deep with the plot, because, well, it's impossible. It's impossible because there really isn't much of a plot. The movie is simply a demonstration of the final battles in WW1, before it finally came to an end after a grotesque amount of meaningless blood loss and loss of life on all sides.

And this is my biggest gripe with the movie. If the movie was able to convey a story, it would've been much easier for me to keep my focus on the screen. But it seems that 80 % of the movie is about seeing young men screaming, crying and being blown to pieces in the mud.

I figure we're supposed to sit jaw-dropped and shocked by the horrors. And I don't blame anyone that does, but it just doesn't cut it. Gore is a cheap and easy way to keep people invested. I want more effort in telling a meaningful story in the historical context of the movie, and this effort is unfortunately lacking.

The positives are that what the movie wants to do, it does well. The actors are very talented and convincing, the historical accuracy is high and the battles are immersive, realistic and brutal, and it does succeed in making you really relieved that you weren't an 18 years old German kid when WW1 broke out. You do feel like you've been placed right in the dirt with these unfortunate souls.

Is the movie worth watching? Yes, if you're interested in war movies, it gives you bang for your buck. Less so, if you like movies for their plotlines and character development.

My score: 6/10.

SPOILER ALERT

I am so used to documentaries like this having horrible endings that I constantly waited for the next horrible twist in this man's incredible story. I say incredible story, but not only is the story incredible, this man is incredible. He has had bad luck beyond belief, fueled by a couple of bad decisions. So when this story ended the way it did, I almost shed a tear, which is a very rare thing.

Despite the static, empty and gray environment of his confinement, the horrible treatment he received, the indifference from the legal system, he endured it all, and not only that, he grew to become a better and wiser man at peace with himself. How he managed this is beyond my understanding, and it would be an honor if I could ever shake this man's hand. Hearing him tell his story, aided by highly effective visuals, sound effects and music scores, you are taken on an emotional tour through his life. I can easily say that this documentary has affected me more than any other recent title.

I recommend watching this to anyone.

I'm not a professional movie critic, but I did love the old star wars saga. What got me excited for this film was the buzz that it would recapture the magic of the original universe, and all the approving reviews. When the score began I got goosebumps and was entirely ready to be consumed by an epic adventure. But I left disappointed. From what I can see this opinion is not shared by many, but I'll argue that this movie is far far away from the magic of the originals.

The thing is, the old movies felt like an adventure, with heroes, villains and the constant battle between the good and the dark side. There was this unique atmosphere which largely was created by the perfect casting of Luke Skywalker, Han solo and Leia. The Chansler and Darth Vader also made unforgettable villains. But most importantly this atmosphere was light. And this recipe just doesn't hold up when you want to kill off Han solo with a light saber through the abdomen. It doesn't hold up when you see brutal killings of stormtroopers every second, and film it all like saving private ryan. It's made to please a modern audience, which is fine, but it just isn't the star wars that I loved and enjoyed. This movie is good for a thrill and not much more in my honest opinion.

Rey and Finn seem like they belong in a Hunger Games movie, not a Star Wars. It just isn't enough to bring in a lot of relics of the old movies. Star wars is so much more than it's props, and it's these things that are missing from the new film. I did enjoy some of the humor of it, and especially the interactions between Leia and Han, but these are lonely rays of light in a movie that I found too dark. The new characters are way too serious, and the movie as a whole takes itself too serious. They tried to counter this with the jokes and corny interactions between Ray and Finn. It just wasn't compatible with the brutalities it tried to enforce at the same time.

SPOILER in this paragraph: I felt like I was missing something the entire film, and though I won't say the newcomers are in any way bad actors, they just didn't have that spark in the eye of the actors in the originals. My biggest single critique of this film besides the general flaws I've pointed out is the fact that Rey, without ANY training whatsoever, is able to tame the force and beat down the villain which obviously has a lot of training, just like that. In the originals, Luke spent TWO films completing his Jedi training before acquiring the skills to defeat Darth Vader. This girl just knows it all with a snap of the fingers? That part was truly dreadful to watch, and was at the same time supposed to be the climax of the movie.

I give this movie 6/10 for it's entertainment value and the few hints of the original films. It lacks, however, all the essential components, to provide the charm, sense of enjoyment and lightheartedness that I truly miss. For any casual star wars fans or newcomers, the movie will probably be a better experience. It's with an objective mind that I give it 6, since my subjective feelings probably puts it below 5.

I hope other Star Wars fans will understand my thoughts in this review. May the force be with us (:

Spoiler: PS. Did you also expect Mark Hamill in this movie after all the promoting of the movie? Yeah, you'll have to wait for the next one...