Arachnophobia

A new deadly spider hitches a ride in a casket from South America to the US and ends up in a small town. There is breeds with a local spider and slowly the killing begins.

I remember watching Arachnophobia when I was a kid and being scared of spiders for days afterwards. It was nice to finally re-watch it and see if my old memories where still valid. If you have Arachnophobia I do not recommend watching this, especially not alone. The name of the movie explains the content perfectly and there is a massive amount of spiders involved.

Arachnophobia is mainly a sci-fi horror and a scary one at that. Even after all these years there where several scenes were I nearly jumped. Frank Marshall and his crew does some solid camera work. Showing as little as possible in the frame and leaving the imagination to do the rest. It is technically brilliant and places this movie up there among the scarier I have watched.

Jeff Daniels does a great job in the lead as Dr. Ross Jennings. John Goodman has the comedy role as Delbert McClintock the insect extinguisher and gives us the needed relaxing between thrilling scenes. Arachnophobia is a movie that will stay with you for some time after you are finished watching. Don't be surprised if you find yourself extra aware of spiders the next few days. 8/10

Honey

A dance teacher at a local studio is discovered by the music video industry and is soon working with the big names. However the man that found her soon gives her an ultimatum, sleep with him or get banned from the industry. This happens at the same time as she is helping a group of poor kids by getting them into a music video.

Honey is a sweet movie. Staring Jessica Alba as an up and coming dance choreographer, the movie focuses on two elements. Firstly it is about realizing your dreams and the hard work to get there. And secondly about helping the community and the important work that is done to keep children of the streets.

The story is straight forward and easy to follow. It is told in a subtle and calm manner that I have not seen used in many movies. This technique works well and is refreshing. The plot is decent although pretty easy to predict. This is a dance movie and contains a number of scenes with dancing. How realistic the portrayal of the music scene industry is I do not know. The dancing is however entertaining to watch and is an essential part of the movie.

Honey's major flaw is the acting. It is not very good and feels stiff and forced. The best performance is by Jessica Alba, but also she could have been better. As a whole "Honey" is a nice and sweet movie, it has it's share of flaws but is overall an entertaining movie. The music is a big factor in making this enjoyable together with the dance scenes. 7/10

"Dollhouse"

Season 1:

A secret laboratory has developed the ability to wipe people's memory and implant them with new personalities, memories and abilities. They are then hired out to be whoever the buyer wishes. This laboratory is called the "Dollhouse".

I have been a Joss Whedon fan since I first watched "Serenity" and "Firefly". I was not aware that he was working on a new show until I stumbled upon the first episode. Naturally I watched it and although it took a few episodes to get into Dollhouse, it only got better and better throughout the season.

The concept is fairly fresh and I have not seen anything similar in a TV-series before. The show has a nice blend of drama, action and humor. Being a sci-fi show as well, do not expect this to be realistic, but keep your mind open and enjoy the story and world Joss Whedon has created. After the first few episodes the plot really starts to get interesting and slowly the pieces fall in place. I felt that 12 episodes was a nice number for the first season and just enough was explained without ruining the possibility of a second season.

I felt that the cast where all doing what they could to bring the characters to life. A special nod to Olivia Williams playing Adelle for a very good performance so far. The rest of the cast are not far behind with Dichen Lachman and Eliza Dushku both doing great roles as well.

Joss Whedon has done a great job in creating a new universe with interesting characters and a thrilling plot. Season one turned out to be very good after a few minor hiccups along the way. I was told the show got renewed and that a second season is in the works. All I can say is that I can hardly wait for it! First season gets 9/10

Step Up 2: The Streets

A troubled girl is forced to join the Maryland School of the Arts. There she assembles a dance crew with the other rejects and together they practice for an underground dance battle.

I don't always understand why dance movies get low scores and bad reviews. Step Up 2: The Streets is another good example of great dance entertainment. The story has nothing to do with the first film in the series, except that it is set at the same school and that the themes are similar.

The story itself is pretty straight forward and predictable. The movie contains the standard recipe of ups and downs and we know how the movie will end from early on. Every single dance movie I have seen follows this recipe, which is why I have never given a score over 7. Although this is no exception, the movie is still highly enjoyable.

Most of the characters fit into a stereotype, giving the movie a wide range of people. This doesn't exactly improve the movie, but it doesn't ruin it ether. The acting is decent and I was satisfied with the people chosen for the roles. The whole movie is more or less average except for the dancing. The dance scenes are easily the highlights of the movie.

Everything is ramped up from the first film. The last performance at the end of the flick is very cool to watch. Robert Hoffman playing Chase Collins has some amazing movies and is easily the best dancer, but Briana Evigan and the rest of the crew are not far behind.

Dancing is why anyone would watch this in the first place and as such Step Up 2: The Streets deserves 7/10. It's a joy to watch and the flaws are for the most part overlooked by the dance scenes.

Equilibrium

15.03.2009

In the future, when most of man kind are wiped out due too world war III, the survivors are all grouped in one large city, run by a man named only father. Everyone is forced to take a drug that removes the ability to feel, thus "cleansing" the world of evil.

I remember first watching this movie and not knowing a thing about it. This time around I know a lot. Often compared to The Matrix this movie takes a look at our future and what could happen if we loose the ability to feel. The theme is very interesting, raising the question: Are we even human without feelings?

The story and setting takes the movie a good piece of the way, but what makes it really good is the acting and action sequences. Acting is excellent, with Christian Bale performing yet another great role. The action is also wonderful, especially the gunfights. There is a certain style over them, in fact the whole movie has a special style, reminds me a little of film noir. It makes the movie that much better from all the other average action flicks released. Second time around watching it, it is still high on my list of favorites. 9/10

22.05.2009

My sister wanted to watch this late at night and I agreed to view it one more time. My opinion of the movie did not change in any direction and it still gets 9/10 from me.

To Love Someone

After nearly being beaten to death by her former boyfriend, Lena starts a new life with a new man. One day Lena runs into her ex by accident and old feelings ignite once again.

"To Love Someone" is a powerful movie. It deals with difficult themes like woman abuse and loving people that abuse you. It really shows how strong love can be and the things we are willing to do in the name of it.

Swedish movies have a tendency to provoke in some way or another, they like to make movies about unorthodox problems, and are experts on difficult themes and issues. This could quickly become terribly boring to watch if the rest of the elements sucked, luckily they almost never do and this is no exception.

The story itself is not that special, it serves as an easy way to bring up the themes of the movie and gives the viewer room to think for him or herself. The pace of the movie is just perfect, with enough going on that you are not bored, but also at a pace that lets you digest and think as you are watching.

The acting raises the rating significantly. Sofia Ledarp is terrific as Lena, but also the rest of the cast are amazing. Rolf Lassgård does once again a great performance as Lena's new boyfriend and Jonas Karlsson is equally good as the ex.

To Love Someone is a drama from start to finish. It deals in delicate themes that I am sure many of you will be provoked by. Let me also add that this is not a happy story with a sweet end. Be prepared and you will enjoy it immensely. 8/10

Pyramiden

A small plane is shot down over Sweden and the police, with Kurt Wallander as an investigator, is put on the case. He soon discovers that people from his past have resurfaced and that he might finally get a chance to make things right.

Over the years I have watched a lot of Wallander movies, some really good ones and others not so good. Pyramiden is decent addition to the Wallander movies, with an interesting story and plot. The movie contains several flashbacks to Wallanders younger days when he had just joined the police. I liked that we get to learn more about him and his past. The story nicely fits into this and evolves as the movie progresses.

Another cool element of the movie is the use of remotely detonated bombs in various ways. It adds freshness to the otherwise retold plot.

Rolf Lassgård is his usual self, looking tired and thoughtful, but this is the way we have come to know Kurt Wallander so this is not a problem. The rest of the cast all perform as expected. Pyramiden is not a masterpiece, but if you are a dog for mysteries and crime solving you will find this Wallander movie quite entertaining. 7/10

The Last House on the Left

On the road to a rock concert two girls try and score some marijuana, but the dealers turn out to be psycho killers on the run from the police.

The Last House on the Left is yet another over hyped, mediocre horror from the 70's. I had big hopes for this flick, but I was disappointed to say the least. The story is thin and not very believable, but since this is often the case with horrors, I let the story slide.

Based on the tagline: "To avoid fainting, keep repeating "It's only a movie...It's only a movie..." I was prepared for some really gory and scary scenes, sadly the movie had nether. The special effects were laughably bad and did not look very real at all. The chainsaw scene comes to mind as a particular good example. The film is not scary at all, in fact it's more of a comedy at times.

Luckily not everything about this movie was bad. The acting was decent. The directing was technically solid as well if you keep in mind this was a fairly low budget movie and keep the special effects out.

I can see how this was a bit harder to watch back in the 70's when the gore and extreme movie genre was still young, today however it looks mild and not very shocking. 5/10

The Shawshank Redemption

Sentenced to a lifetime in jail after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, Andy Dufresne has to deal with life inside the walls of Shawshank prison.

The Shawshank Redemption is a movie I have watched a number of times. What I like so much about this film is that it is just as amazing every time. It is one of those movies that never gets old and I believe that when I am 50 years I will still enjoy it as much as I do today. At first glance it might not seem all that special. There are numerous movies about life in prison and even more about hope and redemption. What The Shawshank Redemption does is combining all these elements and a whole lot more into one fantastic package.

The movie has a calm and relaxing way of telling the story mainly due to the nature of Andy Dufresne, who is a calm and down to earth kind of man. We follow more than 15 years of his life behind the walls of Shawshank prison as he makes friends and enemies, help guards and even runs the wardens scams. We also see his achievements and his belief in people. The script is based on the short story by Stephen King and is magically put on the big screen by Frank Darabont. The movie also features one of the best plot twists in cinema and will undoubtedly make your mouth hang open.

Tim Robbins does one of the best roles in his career as Andy Dufresne and Morgan Freeman is not far behind playing Red. Morgan Freeman is also the narrator and his calm voice further adds to the experience. But it is the masterful directing by Frank Darabont that turned this into a classic. Every scene has a purpose. We learn a lot about what life behind walls can do to people and what being institutionalized means. And of course the most important, always have hope!

The movie is unique in the way that several viewings only add to the experience. After the first time the viewer will obviously know about the plot twist, however this is where all the clues come in. The scenes are filled with clues and I kept finding hints pointing to the ending I never saw the first time around. It is the amazing way the story is told that makes you overlook these small yet important details until you watch it again.

The Shawshank Redemption is a true masterpiece and deserves to be among the best movies ever made. 10/10

The Reader

A young law student re-encounters an old lover from his younger days, however the much older woman is now on trial for war crimes she committed during WWII.

I sat down to watch this movie with no prior knowledge about it or what it was about. The film is split into 3 chapters each dealing with a part of Michael Berg life. 1. His teenage years with a lover much older than him, 2. As a law student following the trial of said lover. 3. Adult life, divorced and alone, but reading books on cassettes and sending to his old lover, now in jail.

The movie has two very strong elements. The first is the story. It is very unique and deals with the complexity of human moral in a setting I have never seen before. Without spoiling the story, I can say this much. It will get you thinking about how decisions you make may haunt you trough the rest of your life.

Secondly the acting. Overall the acting is superb from everyone. But I would like to give extra credit to Kate Winslet for her amazing performance as Hanna Schmitz. Kate Winslet received an Oscar for the role and it was very much deserved. Also David Kross playing the young Michael Berg does an amazing performance.

The Reader is a very good movie but might be hard to digest for some viewers, this is not intended for viewers wanting to watch something easy and brainless. It is a strong story and tragic story, so don't expect a happy ending. 8/10

"Chuck"

Season 1:

Average nerd Chuck accidentally opens a secret government email that contains coded pictures which uploads them to his brain. With the help of agents Sarah and John he has to fight crime as a spy without blowing his cover and letting his friends and family know about his secret.

"Chuck" is a show that takes some time getting into. It took me about half a season before the characters started to grow on me, but when that first started there was no turning back. By the end of season one I could hardly wait to watch the next.

The shows strongest element is the perfect blend of comedy, action and drama. The comedy is very well written into the script, with focus on spy related jokes and computer nerd jokes. In all the episodes I have watched nothing has been dull or reused in regards to the comedy.

The drama part is a bit harder to notice in the first season, but it is still there, especially in the last few episodes. As the show progresses you start to care about the characters and hoping certain things will happen.

I was not blown away by the first season of "Chuck", but it had me hooked enough to immediately start watching season 2. All the characters are very likable including Yvonne Strahovski doing a fantastic job as Agent Sarah. Based on season 1 this show get's a 8/10 from me.

Season 2:

An agency named Fulcrum with rogue spies from various government agencies are trying to locate the Intersect (Chuck) and use him in their own evil plan.

The second season of "Chuck" is easily the better of the two. The story is expanded and is also easier to follow from episode to episode. This makes the season as a whole better, but also has the impact that people jumping in half way might not understand everything right away. However key episodes have a quick flashback at the beginning to get new viewers up to speed.

The comedy is ramped up as well, there are more and better jokes and funnier situations. We also get to know the team at the Buy More better with hilarious side stories and fun gags. The relationship between Chuck and Sarah is also expanded, especially in the latter episodes. This is a development that was needed to keep people interested.

We are also introduced to new people, several from our main characters lives but also some totally new ones. Overall the second season is more seamless and for me added viewing pleasure.

I would also like to comment on the 3D episode. Although it was a little cheesy and not the strongest one in the season, it added something new and fresh to the show. I hope they will add more episodes in 3D and that other TV-shows also tries this. As a whole my rating for the show is now 9/10

The Polar Express

3D:

A boy doubting the existence of Santa is invited on a trip to the north pole with a magical train called the Polar Express.

This movie was clearly made with 3D in mind and this was also the way I watched it. Therefore this review will focus on the film as viewed in 3D.

The Polar Express is one of those movies I have known about for a while but never gotten around to see. When I finally bought a pair of 3D glasses I had no excuses left, so I sat down and saw it.

My first reaction was how realistic the animation looked. The lip syncing and body movement looked very real. The movie is a great children's story about believing and not growing up to fast. It is also an excellent Christmas movie, which are harder and harder to find these days. Tom Hanks does an incredible job voicing no less than six different characters. His calm voice has a charm not many other actors have, and suits this movie perfectly.

This is without a doubt a great children's movie, however in my personal opinion the movie needs to entertain adults as well. This is where The Polar Express let me down a little bit. Although I enjoyed it, I kept feeling that if I was still a kid it would have been so much better. Another thing I would like to criticize is that at certain parts of the movie they play to much on the 3D effect. For instance there is a scene where the train tracks are formed like a rollercoaster to give us a thrill with the 3D glasses. It does give you that, but the scene did not suit the rest of the movie in my opinion. This is just minor details, but still feels off when you look at the movie as a whole. My final score ends up being 7/10

Stomp the Yard

After watching his brother die over a street dance contest, DJ moves to Georgia to attend Truth University. There he joins the frat house step dancing group.

When I first heard about this movie, step dancing was not the first thing that came to mind. And my view on step dancing changed significantly. I think the view we have on step dancing really depends on what part if the world we are from.

My first reaction to the movie was that the story has been told at least a hundred times before. I knew the ending from a mile away. This is not necessarily a bad thing if the material in between is good, in this case it was just average.

Acting was decent but not spectacular. The characters were mostly believable and with a good performance by Meagan Good playing April. It is still easy to see the different stereotypes among the cast.

Without the step dancing this would have been a dull movie. The dancing is without a doubt the best part of this flick and especially the competition in the end is really enjoyable to watch. Sadly this does not improve the movie as a whole that much. This is an average dance flick that will keep you entertained, but will be erased from you're mind soon after. 6/10

Take the Lead

A dance teacher teaches a class of problem kids to dance and at the same time to care about each other and their future. Based on the life of Pierre Dulaine.

I have been watching dance movies lately as you might have noticed and this is yet another one. This time we follow the life of Pierre Dulaine and what he did to help problem kids in schools.

Making movies about real people and real stories is always a difficult task. Most of the time you either have to add fictional stuff too make the movie entertaining, or stick to the real story and hope people are still interested. Without knowing exactly how authentic the story in the movie is compared to the real life of Pierre Dulaine, I am guessing that option two was used in this film.

I am certain that Pierre Dulaine was a very good man that did a lot of good things, sadly his life did not transform into a movie in the way I was hoping for. Throughout I had a feeling that something was missing, the flow just didn't seem right. And in the end when the students where dancing at the contest, the jump from practice to performance was way to high. It was like they became professionals over night.

The movie has some strong points as well. The dancing was a joy to watch and Antonio Banderas was as charming as ever. Acting was overall decent with Banderas leading the way. The message of the story is also important and can not be told enough. Everyone has a chance at their dreams no matter where they are from or how much money they have. Sometimes they just need a little help.

Overall a decent movie with its ups and downs. I was a bit disappointed, but it is by no means horrible. 6/10

Step Up

After breaking into an art school a trouble maker named Tyler Gage is sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the same school. His skills at street dancing soon come in handy when he meets the beautiful Nora Clark who is a student there.

Step Up is the second dance movie I have watched recently. In this movie they mix street dance with ballet which looks very cool. More than that it is a story about how people from the ghetto also have dreams and should pursue them.

The general story has been told before, so what we get here is a new mix of things. And for the most part it works. Our main character Tyler Gage experiences the standard ups and downs, but ultimately fulfils his dreams. You know how it is going to end from the beginning, so the important part is the stuff in between.

The dancing parts of the movie are all great and the last dance when they are performing is well choreographed and a joy to watch. Another thing I liked was the acting. The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan was very good. Without these elements this would have been just another average teenage flick.

This is not a masterpiece but it will keep you entertained. If you like dancing and dance movies Step Up should be on the watched list. 7/10

Center Stage

The life at the American Ballet Academy, following new students as they have to outdo themselves to become the best and not collapse at the pressure and hard work it involves.

Let me start of by saying that before I watched this movie I had not seen many dance movies. It is a genre I am very unfamiliar with and probably was a bit skeptical to as well. Ballet has never been something I was very interested in, but after finishing Center Stage that view has somewhat changed.

The movie is built similar to a high school or college flick. We follow a group of students in their daily schedule. While a lot of the focus is obviously on the ballet, the movie also includes love and relationships, ambitions and personal goals and other aspects of professional dancing like the constant focus on weight.

The story is straight forward and follows the normal curve of ups and downs. It is pretty general and you will recognize the elements from other movies. What makes this movie good is the dancing. You get a good look at ballet and at least for me I learned a great deal about it. The last dance when the group is performing is amazing and the highlight of the movie. They mix ballet with pop music and fresh ideas and turn it into something unique and very cool to watch.

Center Stage is a movie I recommend for anyone that likes dancing and especially ballet. But it will also entertain if you like movies about growing up, going to school or achieving something. I was pleasantly surprised. 7/10

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

A comedy spoofing movies like "Menace II Society" and "Boyz n the Hood".

Don't Be a Menace is a funny movie even if you have not seen any of the films it is spoofing. And if you have seen some of them it only get's better.

For a spoof movie it is decent in every way without being fantastic. The jokes and scenes are funny and will hopefully have you laughing. Personally I found the grandma scenes hilarious, especially when she is smoking a gigantic joint.

Acting is what you expect from these kind of movies, Marlon Wayans is probably the best playing Loc Dog. The soundtrack is filled with great hip hop tracks and suits the theme well. There is not much to say about the story, it is as mentioned before spoofing of a lot of other movies. It is the individual scenes that make this movie funny, not the story as a whole. My personal rating of this flick is 7/10. I had a great time while watching and found it to be overall very funny.

Four Brothers

Four adoptive brothers reunite when their foster mother is killed in a food market robbery. They soon learn the robbery was a cover so they set out to find the killers and revenge their mothers death.

This was the second time I watched this flick and it was just as entertaining as I remembered from the first time. The movie itself is a straight forward revenge plot, but it's filled with great scenes and a cool story.

The story is touching and easy to follow. There are some nice twists along the way and I did not see the last big twist coming at all. The well known recipe of ups and downs in the story is used. This method is a safe way to keep people interested throughout the flick and also helps the viewer get into the characters.

Acting is also overall decent with Mark Wahlberg yet again pulling of a great role. It's hard to exactly pinpoint why I like this movie so much, but I think it's a combination of great action and a fresh revenge plot story. Combined with a large cast of different characters there is something to like for everyone. This is no masterpiece but highly entertaining non the less 7/10

Valkyrie

A group of high ranking officers in the German army during WWII device a plan to assassinate Hitler and stop the war. The movie is based on actual events.

When first hearing about this movie I was a bit skeptical. A movie about German officers played by American actors and staring Tom Cruise sounded like something I did not want to watch. However the words "don't watch" are not in my vocabulary so setting aside all doubt I watched it. Let me just put it this way. Yet again did I have no reason to be skeptical and yet again did I discover something much better than anticipated.

The strongest part of the movie is without a doubt the story. Based on actual events the story is very interesting and also very educational. Without being able to say just how accurate Valkyrie is, I like to believe it tells more or less the truth. Personally the plots to assassinate Hitler is something I know very little about so watching this filled some of that. It feels good to know that even within his own army there where people who did not agree with his agenda and wanted to save Europe from total destruction.

Bryan Singer, the man that directed "The Usual Suspects" some 14 years ago, does a great job with Valkyrie. The plot is easy to follow and the flow of the movie feels right.

What I liked the least was the English dialog. I just never felt comfortable with the heavy American accent. Having everyone speak German would of course have been the best, but I understand why they did not choose that. However it might have felt better with a German accent. The fact that we know from the beginning that the plot will fail ruins the story a little bit as well. This is of course a problem all movies about history face.

Overall Valkyrie is a great movie that tells a very interesting story. I learned a new part of history I was not very familiar with and was entertained from start to finish. 8/10

Dancehall Queen

A female street vendor is witness to a murder of one of her friends by a hired contract. She comes up with a plan to disguise herself as a dancer and play the murderer against his own boss.

A friend and college at work told me about this movie. I was saying how I am open to any movies no matter what country they are from, so she gave me this film to watch from Jamaica.

Being half American I normally have no trouble understanding the language, but I must admit Jamaican accent is not the easiest to understand. I believe I understood most of it and the plot was straightforward enough for me to get.

What I really liked about this flick is the opportunity to learn something about a new culture I am not familiar with from before. Although it is a movie and the story itself is fiction, the way of life shown and the landscape, culture and differences are easily visible. One scene in particular when the mother is angry at her daughter for not sleeping with her "uncle" who was giving them money, really shocked me. I was later told that this is very common in Jamaica and necessary for poor families to survive.

The story is well written and has some nice plot twists. The acting is also great, especially from Paul Campbell playing the hired killer. He is terrific and really looks scary and dangerous. As the name indicates the movie has scenes of dancehall. Dancehall is a type of dance that is very popular in Jamaica and at first sight may have you wondering what exactly is going on. It is actually very fascinating to watch and the music they play along with it is unique and cool.

All in all Dancehall Queen was a nice movie. The story is good and the same goes for the acting. It gives you a picture of Jamaican culture and shows you dancehall. Without being a masterpiece and a somewhat low budget movie it still deserves a 7/10

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

The life in the early 80's as seen trough a group of California teenagers.

I stumbled across a picture from this movie randomly on the internet and it spiked my interest. I had never heard about the movie before, but with actors like Sean Penn it wasn't long before I got a hold of it.

Teenage movies are ether crappy or really awesome. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" was really good. Set in the early 80's some may think the message is too old for today's youth. Surprisingly what teenagers did and thought at that time is just as relevant today almost 30 years later. We still go shopping at the malls and hang out with our friends. Talk about sex and party.

Today if you look at the cast it is filled with great actors and actresses. Many of them where unknown when this movie was made and later on got famous. What they all have in common is great talent and the acting is great throughout. Sean Penn does a unforgettable role as the stoned Jeff Spicoli, and Jennifer Jason Leigh is lovely and sexy as Stacy Hamilton.

The movie is very easy to watch. Directing is solid with a nice flow trough the movie and accompanied by a great score of old classics. After the movie ended I caught myself wishing I had gone to Ridgemont High and been one of the characters. I have no doubt that I will watch this again several times in my future. 8/10

Red Cliff

The movie tells the story of the war between the south and the north in the Three Kingdoms period in Ancient China and focuses especially on the battle at Red Cliff.

This is the first part in the massively epic double feature directed by the legendary John Woo. Known for his talent to make great action movies, this is no exception. The number of people involved in making the battle scenes is stunning and the movie feels indeed very epic.

Learning history from a part of the world I know nothing about is very interesting. As far as I understood the story is based on real events that took place in ancient China. There are records dating only 100 years after the events of the movie known as the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms". The story itself is interesting enough and has the classic elements of old battles and heroes.

Bringing something like this to life is not an easy task, but John Woo does what he does best and it works. The directing is flawless and amazing. Large sweeping camera angles really bring the battles to life. There are some amazing shots of Chinas nature as well, the scene with the tiger comes to mind. The music is of course also spot on with oriental music in different variations depending on the part of the movie.

The only thing that brings this movie down is the length. At over 2 hours to only tell half the story it feels a bit long and some parts of the movie drag out just a little to much. Still, Red Cliff is a great historical tale and it is wonderfully brought to life with modern special effects, great acting and amazing camerawork. 8/10

Lilja 4-ever

Lilja is a 16 year old girl living in Estonia, her mother has left her to go to America and does not want to take care of her. When she meets a nice boy that lives in Sweden she is invited to move there with him. However it turns out to be something completely different from what she expected.

Lilja 4-ever is a very touching and sad movie. I would go so far as to say it is downright depressing. But it is also a very important movie. It shows us one of the many sides of human trafficking, a global problem that I fear is growing.

What makes this movie so good is the extremely realistic story. I have no doubt that what we see in the movie also happens on a large scale across Europe today. If we want people to be aware of the problem with human trafficking, we need to show them how it happens and Lilja 4-ever is a great example.

There is no happy ending which is uncommon for movies today. You are left with a feeling of horror by what happens during the film, but hopefully a little more aware of the problem.

With a mostly unknown cast director Lukas Moodysson has done a fantastic job in creating this. Oksana Akinshina playing Silja is amazing in her role and really steals the show, if you could call it that. The movie is filled with a lot of tekno/dance music which I personally felt further helped the movie. And the Rammstein song: Mein Herz brennt is a great choice for the opening and ending.

Lilja 4-ever is a must see movie for everyone. It has some very important themes. Combining these important messages with a great technically made movie is something you don't find that often. 9/10

The Da Vinci Code

Robert Langdon, a professor in ancient symbols, is called to a crime scene to help the police solve a murder. However he quickly learns that he is the main suspect and together with Sophie Neveu he must uncover the truth. What they find is rooted back in history to the death of Jesus and will shake the foundations of Christianity itself if it gets out. Based on the bestseller with the same name by Dan Brown.

Never has fiction seemed so real. This phrase was the first thing that came to mind after watching "The Da Vinci Code". The story is the strongest element in this religious mystery, it is told in such a fascinating way that it is easy to start believing in it. I was sucked into the story from the first frames until almost 3 hours later when the credits appeared. Not many 3 hour movies has that ability.

People are always fascinated by the past and especially religious history. I fully understand how many people think this could be the truth and it is why the story is so good. It blends the truth with fiction in a spectacular way.

The movie has a nice flow and you will never be bored. The characters are all interesting. The directing is flawless and the movie includes a large number of historical locations. The music is also great and suits the theme of the movie perfectly. The only negative thing about the film is the acting. It feels a little stiff at times and I got the feeling it could have been even better with different people in the main roles. However Tom Hanks does a good job as Robert Langdon and it does not affect the movie much.

Overall I was very pleased with the adoption to film. Pretty much everything works and you are sucked into a fantastic story that seems very real. To everyone out there that might be in doubt, this is fiction and should be appreciated as such. 9/10

Syriana

A political thriller about the oil industry and how far people, companies and governments are willing to go in order to control it.

Syriana is an interesting movie. There is no main storyline, instead we follow the lives of a group of very different people. However what they all have in common is that they are tied to the oil industry in one way or another. There are no good guys or bad guys ether, everyone is a little of both. This makes the movie very objective and non biased. What we get is a realistic view of how the industry works on different levels.

What I liked about this movie is how they managed to clip all these stories together into a great political thriller. I learned a great deal about the middle east and how everyone is trying to get at the oil. I do not know how authentic the movie is, but I believe that it is more realistic than many people want to admit.

The acting is also great, George Clooney and Matt Damon both slip into their roles effortlessly and the rest of the cast are also good. The movie has some great shots of the middle east landscape and cities as well. Overall is was an interesting watch. I do not run into these kind of movies that often, but I am thankful the times I do. 7/10

The Beyond

A woman from New York inherits an old hotel. What she does not know is that it is placed over one of the seven gateways to hell.

Known as "E tu vivrai nel terrore - L'aldilà" or The Beyond in English. A college at work told me about this movie and I promised to watch it. He told me it was really good and a great gore fest so my expectations where high. Sadly it did not live up to the expectations at all.

The only part of this movie that was at least half decent was the story. And that's if you look at it from an horror perspective. It includes most of what you expect to find in a horror/gore flick, including zombies, mystical symbols and creepy looking eyes. The story has a decent progression as well.

That is where the fun stops. The acting is downright horrible. The actors have no clue how to look afraid and their reactions made no sense. What really let me down was the effects. The gore looked so fake it was sad to watch. It was so easy to see that they used dolls when they were inflicting pain to the characters. One detail that was really sloppy was towards the end when the doctor is firing his gun. He runs out of bullets, yet in the next scene he keeps shooting. He also learns that to kill the zombies he has to shoot them in the head, yet in the next several scenes he keeps shooting them in the chest. These mistakes are easy to fix and could easily make this movie a lot better.

From my personal experience I do not encourage anyone to watch this. There are tons and tons of better horror/gore flicks out there that you could watch instead. 3/10

Fargo

The true story about Jerome Lundegaard plan to have his wife kidnapped to collect ransom money, that went horribly wrong.

Being a fan of the Coen Brothers and enjoying their other work I was really looking forward to finally watching Fargo.

The first thing you will recognize is the Coen style dialog. It is very unique and probably the best part of the movie. The Coens are experts at giving the dialog humor elements while still keeping the story serious. As far as I understood they follow the real story pretty close and I must say it is pretty amazing that this really happened.

The acting is also amazing. William H. Macy does a superb job in his role and the rest of the cast are not that far behind.

Sadly this was not the masterpiece I was hoping for. The movie drags along at a slow pace never really catching on. In my experience there was no real climax in the end ether. I was hoping for it and the movie kept trying to build up to one, but it did not happen. This is of course partly because it is a true story and they had limited options, but I still think they could have edited it better.

Overall its a decent movie, especially when you look at the fact that it is a true story. A must see for all Coen fans and entertaining enough for the rest. 7/10

Underworld: Evolution

Selene and Michael team up to find where William, the very first werewolf is held prisoner. They have to find him before Marcus does, Williams brother and the first vampire.

The second movie in the Underworld series by production date, but the last one if you follow the storyline. The focus is switched from normal vampires against werewolves too the fight against the big bosses. By doing this they have also expanded on the special effects making Marcus and William look different from the normal beasts.

Marcus is a huge demon looking vampire and looks amazingly badass. Major kudos to the people that came up with the concept. William also looks different from normal werewolves. He is a lot bigger and white. Overall the special effects team did a awesome job in bringing these creatures to life.

The story is also good and continues where Underworld ended. There are a few "plot holes" but overall I was very satisfied. They made the plot more epic which was necessary to progress the story. There is also more focus on the love between Selene and Michael.

What makes the underworld series so enjoyable is largely the action scenes. And Underworld: Evolution is no exception. Especially the last fight is very cool to watch.

If you liked the first Underworld I am fairly certain you will enjoy this one as well. It completes the story nicely while being a great action/fantasy film. 8/10

Underworld

Selene, a vampire warrior in the war between the vampires and the werewolves falls in love with Michael, a human turned werewolf.

The first Underworld movie made but the second if you follow the story. The Underworld movies are great if you like vampires, werewolves and great action sequences. And if you don't this will change your mind.

The first positive thing that comes to mind is the great story. A lot of background material was made to help make a whole fantasy world. This helps a lot with the main story in the movie and give the characters purpose and meaning. I was actually positively surprised by how developed the background story was and it really helped me get into the movie.

In addition to the story the action is great! There is something mysteriously sexy with Kate Beckinsale as a vampire kicking ass in slow motion, with nothing but a latex suit on. This was initially what made me watch this. Thankfully the movie is so much more on top of that.

A few bad performances by the rest of the cast is what mainly drags this down. I especially did not like Shane Brolly playing Kraven. He just did not fit in the role at all. The dialog is also a little stiff and to many old and rare words are used to try and give the vampires class. I thought it just sounded weird and not very natural.

These are just small flaws in a overall very enjoyable movie. Never have vampires and werewolves looked better on screen. When you combine this with a interesting story, lots of action, one hot Kate Beckinsale and great special effects you get Underworld. Not to be missed. 8/10

I Spit on Your Grave

A young woman is brutally raped by four men and left for dead. She decides to take a deadly revenge.

"I Spit on Your Grave" or "Day of the Woman" as it originally was named is a classic revenge movie. It has over the years gained a small cult status as being provoking. Especially to women that watch it. And I can understand why, after all over half the movie features the rape of the young woman Jennifer Hills.

If you ever watched "Irréversible" you know about the famous rape scene. This movie has a rape scene 10 times worse. It looked scary realistic and Jennifer Hills' screams will stick in your brain. When it is finally over you are just hoping that the revenge will be horrifying. And it is horrifying. Especially the bathroom scene is disgusting.

The movie has a fair amount of nudity and gore and is a low budget horror/exploit flick. Most of the actors are new and sadly not very good. The camerawork is decent but the sound really fails. A lot of the dialog is so muffled or low that it is impossible to hear and the rest is hard to understand unless you crank the volume up. This was really annoying and could easily have been fixed.

The realism of the revenge is also debatable. Personally I highly doubt anyone raped as brutally as Jennifer Hills is ever capable of using sex to your advantage when taking revenge. There are so many easier and more logical ways of doing it. I must say however it was a pleasure to watch it anyways.

If you are into the more low budget/extreme/provoking movie genre this is a decent title to watch. For me the technical details ruined what could have been a great gore flick. 5/10

Visitor Q

A dysfunctional family gets help in the strangest possible way when Visitor Q arrives to live with them.

I have for a time now been interested in extreme cinema and other weird, provoking or out there movies. After watching "Oldboy" I was reading the IMDb forums and ran across this title. It was posted under movies with provoking themes and I must say that fits the description very well.

We start off with a scene involving a father and his daughter in a hotel room and from there it only gets weirder and worse. The movie involves scenes of necrophilia, lactating and abuse and will for many disgust or repulse.

The story was actually pretty good. The family is so dysfunctional at first glance there is nothing that seems to work. But when a stranger arrives, known only as Visitor Q, things start to change. Using unorthodox methods he turns the family around into a more loving and functional one. The acting is also decent and these two elements save the movie from being a waste of time.

As far as I understood this was a low budget flick. The quality of the picture is not that great. If this was done on purpose or not I do not know. Another thing that I personally did not like was the attempt at comedy. It is listed as a comedy among other things and many people have posted that they found it funny. Personally it was just to strange and morbid to be funny. That's not saying its a bad movie, I just didn't get the comedy part and enjoyed the movie as a Drama.

If you are into extreme movies I suggest you take a look at this film. Otherwise you are probably better off watching something more mainstream. 6/10

Oldboy

A man is held captive for 15 years. When he is released he is told that he only has 5 days to uncover why he was held prisoner.

I stumbled across this title while looking for movies to watch. Apparently it was on the IMDb top 250 list and I had never even heard about it. Ashamed I quickly got hold of it and watched it, and what a movie it was. Being a South Korean movie I watched it with the original language and English subtitles.

Pretty much every aspect of this film is brilliant. Let me start with the story and plot. The plot seems simple enough. A man wants revenge on the person that held him captive for 15 years. However as the movie progresses the plot unfolds and the story changes into something a lot bigger and more shocking. When the final plot twists are over and believe me they are massive, you are left with an uneasy feeling. The movie touches some very delicate subjects and the viewer is left with moral dilemmas.

The acting is also superb. I can not start to imagine how this movie would have been without this level of quality. Every person does a fantastic job but it is the lead Min-sik Choi playing Dae-su Oh that really steals the show. He shines in every single scene.

They did a fantastic job with the rest of the movie as well. Editing is rock solid. Nothing is spoiled before the correct moments and the story unfolds perfectly, giving the movie a great flow. This is also thanks to the directing and other aspects. The music also deserves to be mentioned. There are some great choices and the overall feel is very satisfying. Great music really give movies that extra special feel, and this is a prime example of just that.

I fully understand why this movie is rated as high as it is. I strongly suggest everyone that has the opportunity to take it. You will not be disappointed. A true masterpiece. 10/10

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

This is the third movie in the Underworld saga. The movie explains the story of the Rise of the Lycans and is, if you go by the storyline, the first in the series.

If you liked the previous underworld movies I am fairly certain you will enjoy this one as well. There is lots of Vampire against Werewolf fights and the background story for the other two movies is explained. Without Kate Beckinsale I was a bit unsure if this would feel like a Underworld movie, but thankfully I was proved wrong.

The story is solid enough and really clears up a lot of the background. We also get to see the Lycans in a very different light. In this movie they are the good guys in a way, and the vampires, with Viktor in the lead, are the bad guys. Of course this line is gray and we can discuss if Vampires and Werewolves are good guys at all. It is worth watching this to get a fresh aspect of the whole fight between the races and to fully understand what is going on in the later movies.

Another aspect I really liked about this film was the great performances given by Bill Nighy playing Viktor and Michael Sheen playing Lucian. Without them this would have been a dismal affair. That's not saying the rest of the cast was horrible, but they did outshine the rest.

Sadly the movies has some flaws as well. The dialog seems very stiff and unnatural. I have a hard time believing Vampires talk the way they do in this movie. You can also see that the special effects budget was lacking. Especially the blood looks fake. These are however minor flaws and I was positively surprised by the movie. It keeps the feel of the previous films and adds new light to the fantasy world of Underworld. 7/10

Untraceable

A murderer kills his victims while streaming it live on the internet. The victims die faster as more people log into the website to watch. The job goes to the FBI to stop the killer before more people are killed.

The concept of the movie is very fresh and different from what I have seen before. It is very relevant to our way of living and the technology we use on a daily basis. This could have turned into a brilliant movie if the people behind it did not screw up the other parts of the movie.

The plot is well written and uses modern technology accurately. Or so it might seem for anyone that are not computer geeks. If you start looking at the details on how the killer broadcasts his webcam and hosts the site, it is not possible in reality. This however is not why the movie gets an average score from me. For most of the viewers the technical details will seem centered around reality.

What pulls the score down is the parts that they really should have been able to do without mistakes. There are a few major plot holes and unlogical choices made by the characters that just end up being silly. One example is when the FBI agent forgets to check the back seat before getting into her car, right before she is kidnapped. No real FBI agent is that careless or stupid. It is these small things that could so easily have been fixed that makes this just another average cop/crime thriller. 6/10

Apollo 13

The true story about the Apollo 13 mission that experienced problems on the way to the moon and almost turned into a disaster.

I have always been interested in the universe and especially our own solar system. I am fascinated by the Apollo missions and the race to put people on the moon. This is the second time I watch Apollo 13 and both times I have enjoyed it tremendously. It is one of those movies that is based on a true story and actually follows it down to the last detail.

I was not born when the events took place, so I am very grateful that a movie that captures the real story was made. And what a story it is. Pretty much everything that can go wrong does and it is thanks to the astronauts and the crew on the ground that they return safely back to earth. It can seem impossible or made up, but everything happened.

Tom Hanks has an amazing ability to pick great movies and he is as good as ever in this one. The rest of the cast is also very solid. Without Ron Howard's eye for detail, authenticity and ability to direct great movies this could have turned into a huge waste of time. In stead it is a movie everyone interested in our previous space program should watch. It is a movie that shows how dangerous traveling in space can be, but also that we do not give up easily and the determination to get the astronauts back alive. A piece of history that should not go by unseen. 9/10

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Lifelong friends Zack and Miri are totally broke. Their water, heat and electricity is cut of and they have no money to pay the bills. Too get out of their financial problems they decide to make a Porno and sell it.

The first time I watched this I gave it a 10/10 and proclaimed it to be the best comedy I had seen in years. Second time around was unfortunately something different. I guess sometimes when you watch a movie more than once you realize it is not as fantastic as previously thought. Don't get me wrong, it is still a very solid comedy with a lot of heart.

The story is easy to follow and full of great scenes and dialog. The Star Whore's song is brilliant and had me laughing out load. Also pretty much every scene in the coffee shop will stick to your brain. One of the very first scenes, with the black guy Delaney and the coffee shop owner is absolutely amazing.

Without solid acting, and by solid acting I mean the actors are acting like they can't act on purpose, this would have been a far worse movie. Jason Mewes known as Jay in "Jay and Silent Bob" has a role in this film, he plays a different characters but it reminded me of Jay. His character in this flick is in my eyes the funniest one of them all.

As seems to be the trend with comedies these days the ending is actually very heartwarming and sweet. Our main characters finally find each other after the problems that happened earlier in the film. The great chemistry between Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks is a major part of why this comedy is as good as it is. That and very good humor makes this one of my favorite comedies. It is not the amazing 10/10 I gave it the first time, but it still gets a strong 8/10.

Sex Drive

A high school senior borrows his brothers car without asking and drives cross-country to meet a woman he met online.

The number of road trip movies released the last 10-15 years is astonishing and most of them are horrible as well. My hopes for Sex Drive was not much more than a few laughs and maybe some boobs. I got what I hoped for but more surprisingly I also got a decent movie. I actually really enjoyed this little flick.

The story is pretty much the same as every other road trip movie out there, just with a new setting. Our hero sets out to meet the dream girl he met over the internet, and of course a few friends join. On the way they run into different problems and situations and overcome them with totally unrealistic methods. Finally they get to their goal and things are not as they should. Even though the story has been used before, this version was entertaining and had some great humor scenes. The Amish jokes where hilarious and Rex the homophobic older brother was brilliantly portrayed.

Sadly a lot of the jokes have also been used before and you end up with old material in a new wrapper. The unrated version is a joke on the whole unrated stamp. There are random naked women running across the screen to ensure the unrated tag is in fact fulfilled. This has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and can for some people ruin it. I found it weirdly funny and not to distracting. If you are looking for a brainless road movie comedy with awkward and hilarious scenes, decent humor and naked girls. Sex Drive will fulfill that requirement and keep you smiling for about two hours. 7/10

Fanboys

In 1998 a group of friends set out on a road trip to Skywalker Ranch to steal the new Star Wars movie "The Phantom Menace" before it is released to the public.

I had not even heard about this movie before one of my friends showed it to me. It is one of the many comedies that has been released lately. The subject of this one is fanboys as the title so obviously explains. More than fanboys, our friends are Star Wars nerds. The story itself is pretty straight forward and self explained. Our friends set out on a road trip and of course various problems arise on the way. We get a seemingly endless row of jokes making fun of various movies and popular culture and if you are not up to date this will quickly become boring.

I believe that I am up to date on these subjects and that is probably why I found this movie a bit of a positive surprise. Somehow they managed to knit the jokes together into a very funny movie. Especially the fight against the Star Trek fans was hilarious. The other thing I really liked, that seems to be a new trend in today's comedies, was the surprisingly touching ending. It was actually very good.

Making a comedy into a masterpiece is one of the harder things to do. This is not a masterpiece but it is funny. It has some great scenes that will have you laughing out load and some heartwarming moments to top it of with. The jokes are above average as long as you are familiar with Star Wars, Star Trek and other pop culture references. 7/10 from me.