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The Martian (2015)

The Martian (2015)

Awesome movie. Matt Damon was great, and his performance all the more impressive since he played most of the movie solo, but everyone did a good job. The plot's pretty basic: a man (that's Matt) gets stranded on Mars, left for dead, doesn't know what to do, starts planning ahead, and things start happening!

It's a pretty inspiring space movie by the master of space movies: Ridley Scott, and in difference from movies like Interstellar or Moon it feels pretty authentic. It feels like this could actually happen within a foreseeable future, and I suppose the recent ideas of colonization of Mars might have kickstarted the idea as well. If the lack of fiction and fantasy is a good thing or not is left for you to decide (personally I liked the aforementioned movies more), but there's no notable flaws in the logic herein. The science checks out. Mars looks beautiful, dialog is witty and clever (occasionally bleak and hopeless), and the world plays audience to further enforce the sense of isolation and bravado of our stranded Marsian as he eventually nears home. There are plenty of plot twists, but the rest goes as you'd expect it. It's just that kind of movie, the kind you wonder if NASA might've sponsored. :) Great watch nevertheless.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

Man On Fire (2004)

Man On Fire (2004)

A killer starts working as a bodyguard. He doesn't want any attachments, but the little girl he's guarding takes a liking to him, and soon he's playing both swimming coach and tutor. And then she gets kidnapped. And then, she gets killed.

Death isn't exaggerated here. There's no hero. There's no mastervillian either. Well, not just onw. The business of kidnapping is just one of many, and a life's a life, some worth more than others - some not. It's a savage world, but the savage world isn't strange to him; he does what he does best, and what he can, to pay them back. The action's sparse but brutal, creatively gritty, and feels plenty authentic.

Denzel looks a lot like Denzel. He acts like Denzel. He may get emotional, but he always seems to play his own character. Tough guy, with a heart, with habits and recognizable expressions, but that's the kind of character this movie needs. He does a good job at it too.

It's a sad movie, with an ending that wasn't really what I expected, but even if it's a bad one it's not entirely without good. What a hearfelt movie! Gritty, grimy, but with plenty of passion and personality too. It's based on a true story no less. Great watch.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

The Grudge 3 (2009)

The Grudge 3 (2009)

I'm not sure whether I liked this one more or less than the prequel. I like the characters. I miss Japan. I like the asylum. I'm not so sure about the apartment. It's a familiar area, but a large portion of the movie is tied to the building; there's little time spent outside. Not that varied scenery.

They take it to the apartment entirely in this one. First movie: to Japan. Second movie: from Japan to the US. Third movie: the US entirely, with certain Japanese influence. It's not as atmospheric somehow, but the actors are decent; the plot OK. The sister to the original victim is involved now as well. Always some sister involved! Creepy, not necessarily scary; not all that memorable. On second thought of the second, the second was definitely better after all.

 rated 3/5: not bad

The Grudge 2 (2006)

The Grudge 2 (2006)

It starts with a flashback. Schoolgirls. And the character from the original, and her sister, and sudden death... you'd think! But that's just the introductory scare. Fear, is bound to be waltzing through the hallways soon again. The house, is back.

Though I don't remember the original much at this point, it feels very reminiscent somehow, the same thing all over again, but with a new twist; more characters involved. Two separate timelines running parallel through the movie, following two different sets of characters, though that might not be entirely clear until the very end. Overall it was nicely directed. Creepy, but not really scary. Occasionally corny acting. Some cool effects. Not bad, but not one of the greatest scary movies out there. I imagine the first, and first and foremost the originals, are on a whole other level!

 rated 3/5: not bad

Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct (2008)

Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct (2008)

This was a killer movie. A movie about a killer. A real bad ass who roamed France and America during the sixties, and together with a select group of friends robbed banks, escaped prisons, and even came back to those same prisons and attempted to bust out a few more people. Just cause.

Mesrine was reckless, fearless, arrogant and aggressive, but he wasn't stupid. He was smart, and caring to a select few, and he held his friends above all. He didn't stop for anyone, and though this movie almost portrays him as a good guy, we know early on that it's not a movie with a good ending. First minute of the film shows what his fate had in store for him at the end, how we was gunned down, sitting in his car, smiling, his girlfriend beside him. He's dead. And then, we learn his story.

It's not action all the way , but it's always intense, a crazy ride across continents, in and out of prison, from bars to behind bars to guns and explosives, and though those close to him keep dying, Mesrine just pushes on. This is part one of a two part movie, and so far it's keeping me interested. I don't know if it's based upon a true story or not, but it feels true, like a gritty, angry, angled documentary about what might have been one of the most vicious villains of the sixties and seventies. Public enemy #1: Mesrine.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

Star Trek 2 - Into Darkness (2013)

Star Trek 2 - Into Darkness (2013)

The second Star Trek was almost more inspiring than the last one! Almost, just almost.

It starts with a blast, and ends with an emotional moment, in opposite of the first one. It has a bit too trendy futuristic sound effects for my taste (the Transformer style sounds - I think there's a name for them), but apart from that, it's one inspiring space odyssey, packed with both humor and drama, in which Kirk and Spock bond even further, old characters die, new ones appear, and they once again head off: into the final frontier. Space.

The plot starts simple, with an enemy; an attack on Starfleet, though all is not as it seems! Interesting twist. Puzzle. Revenge. Sacrifice. And Spock gets a real moment this time, to show he's really a real bad ass! There would be way more to comment on here, like their introductory alien encounter in which they leave as Gods, but in the lieu of lack of time I'll just end this by saying: I'm really looking forward to the third one! Whenever it arrives.

Another great bar, trekking amongst stars.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

March, 2022

Star Trek 2 - Into Darkness (2013)

I forgot about the radiation bit, that was powerful, but Benedict Cumberbatch is great as always, I don't need to remember that. Amazing performance on all parts.

This is a great movie overall, and sequel, yet it does still feel like they kill off certain people all too easy, and like there's less adventure and exploration than there is action. Like they confine themselves a bit. Impeccable as it may be design-wise; impressive as it may be act-wise; pompous at it may be with fleet and all. Grand discipline and honor.

I'm once again reminded that Chris Pine really is an amazing actor too. As are they all. Uhura (Zoe Saldana)'s just perfect, Sulu's just perfect (that's John Cho), Chekov's just perfect (Anton Yelchin), Scotty's just Simon Pegg... I mean they're ALL just perfect, but I'm impressed with Chris and Uhura in particular so far. And I love Simon Pegg. Just playing around there.

As for Uhura she's on the side but always present, feels like I just noticed.

It's an amazing movie overall, albeit just not as flawless as the first. It's just lost something. Feels rushed. Feels incomplete. Feels like they kickstart a crisis right away and just wring it out real quick. Hope they got whatever element I'm missing back with the third one...

And don't mess with Spock y'all! And also: Awesome sound editing with the wake-up scene.

I think I'm turning into a more Trek than Wars fan...

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

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