Reviews

I'm a stranger to Indian cinema, other than being familiar with the usual clichés of Bollywood-style song, dance and drama.

I read some reviews here, recommending this movie, and calling it a genuine political thriller. Well, it is. Sort of.

It's hard to describe what I feel is wrong with the movie. The plot is believable, and you want to see more. Not being intimately familiar with the horrible history of the Tamils, and having read only scattered articles here and there, I did not have any way to determine whether the movie was true to facts or not, and for this I apologize.

So, what's wrong? Well, it feels like there is an entire plot here. There is. But it feels like someone sat down, wrote a list of "what makes western political thrillers good", came up with 10-12 key scenes, and made those. Without really bothering too much with tying them together. It feels not so much rushed as uncohesive. And that's a shame, because ..

The visuals are nothing short of stunning. Excellent camera-work, glorious colors, scenery, and almost worth watching for this alone.

But ultimately, for me, the story is where the substance is. And in this one - perhaps this is due to me being unfamiliar with Indian cinema - it just feels cut to pieces and abrupt. Key events just "happen" from one scene to the next, and if you want to keep up with who's who, and who's pulling what strings, don't blink for a second.

Given that I don't know the material intimately, like I would with say a WWII movie, or a typical cold-war spy movie, and the actors were all unfamiliar to me, this movie was hard to follow. Perhaps for a more local audience, it would be infinitely more enjoyable. I do hope so, because it is a gorgeous movie, and I desperately wanted to like it.

If you've seen the neo-classic "Lock, Stock.." and "Snatch", and several of his other movies, you'll know what to expect. Fast-paced action, but with a decidedly humorous twist. You'll be laughing with your mates as you watch the credits rolling.

Statham is injected with a poison that requires him to keep his heart going by keeping his adrenaline levels high, and he gets himself into all sorts of trouble - all of it on purpose - to keep himself alive.

The cast is rather stereotyped and clichéd, adding to the amusing "feel" of the movie, and the clever use of "warping" and other visual effects lets the audience feel how Statham must be feeling, with the poison running thru' his system. It's not realistic, it's not politically correct, but it's damned good fun.

Definitely recommended, one of the few action flicks that appeal to guys and girls alike, and Statham has again brought a character to life in yet another movie that far surpasses the typical "Hollywood" blockbusters. I'm buying this one for my collection!

Hmm. Usually zombie-movies are either very good (Dawn of the Dead) or so camp and silly that they're a great laugh. Slither falls somewhere in between. Not so bad that it's funny, and not even close to being on par with the genre classics, new and old. At times I thought is was trying to make fun of the genre (which might have been amusing) but it seems to take itself seriously.

It's been a long while since I've seen a movie that didn't move me at all. If you're a hardcore fan of the genre, watch this one - but if you're like me, you could spend your money far better renting something else. Dawn of the Dead, House of 1000 Corpses, and many others deserve your attention, and a place on your DVD-shelf. This deserves to be left alone.

I am stunned. I watched this movie with a younger female friend who had already seen it, and just said it was "really scary!" (but then, she's the type that has to hide her face for the scary bits ;). I'm a life long gamer, and all gamers have come to expect VG-movies to be either very very bad, or quite corny and superficial. So I was kinda expecting another "cash cow" movie. But one must keep an open mind - so I did.

There are way to few movies out there that portray an ominous eerie setting the way Silent Hill does. The first scenes in the town of Silent Hill are just as beautifully serene as they are spooky, and simply left me amazed. Instead of littering the movie with "cheap" shocks, there's that feeling of "oooh..sh*t" that gets to me in a much more effective way. Not having played the Silent Hill games, I didn't know what to expect from the plot - so I just sat back and enjoyed it.

The movie makes some strong comments on the major religions, and without giving away the wonderfully "slow, steady build-up" plot, it was a true pleasure to see a relatively mainstream popular genre and movie make such a strong argument. Your own fear of "Evil" might just lead you to create that very evil, and have it come back to bite you. An old Danish saying goes "He who digs a grave for someone else, might wind up falling into it himself".

I warmly recommend both strongly religious people - as well as atheists and others that might have an opinion on western religions - go watch this movie and enjoy what is not only a very well made horror-movie, but also a bold comment on what dangers lie hidden in the human psychology. It's not Schindlers List, but it's well worth watching - especially if you're a bit tired of all the typical teen-slash movies that dominate the genre.

If you're a fan of a well made horror movie, do not miss out on Silent Hill. I'm already looking for a Collectors Edition DVD - this one is worth watching again!

Okay, so teen-slash movies aren't brilliant movies - but in their own sub-genre, this one really stands out. I won't spoil it, but it's very unusual, and even breaks with some of the usual "rules" of the genre. I was about half way into the movie before I discovered Paris Hilton in it - and quite frankly, she does quite well (to my surprise!) It's genuinely scary, it's visually very interesting, and even pays tribute to the old "haunted house" in a wonderfully twisted and untraditional way. If you're even remotely interested in American horror movies, or teen-slash in particular, this is NOT to be missed.

There's much more to tell, but I don't want to spoil the surprises. Rent it or buy it today!

I had high hopes, but I knew all too well how many comics-turned-movie that have been truly awful. Sin City laughed in the face of every expectation I had, and simply left me awestruck. I won't hesitate to call this one of the greatest movies I've had the pleasure of seeing.

The movie truly masters the all important "suspension of disbelief" or "immersion" that is the difference between a movie, and a fantastic movie. The visuals are brilliant, the characters are just spot-on, the city is brilliant, and with a story that fits the mood of the movie with absolute perfection, this is the one movie you cannot miss this year.

I could go on for hours about how the lead characters seem to have been bred specifically to appear in this movie (or how hot Devon Aoki is ;) but just go see this movie.

It's so wonderful to see movie makers do something that's "just entertainment" and do it so damned well, staying true to the heart and soul of the whole project. No force-feeding the audience with stagnant morale issues, no "all American hero" and you don't feel as if the movie wants to do anything but entertain you, like you haven't been entertained for a very long time.