A niche Canadian war movie, it brings a new perspective into a conflict usually only dramatized as American movies. I decided to write this review as I was positively impacted by the movie, and how well written, and well acted it was, well above the 6 rating it currently has. The movie is a solid 8, with a solid storytelling, well explained, and a fresh take on the precision of the sniper warriors, taking the time to impress into the viewer how static the war really is when it comes to observation and engagement. The action scenes were above average, and I believe reflected well what war looks like.
Reviews
28 Reviews
Den of Thieves
(2018)
Underrated
21 February 2023
This movie is much better that its rating.
It's 7.0 a solid for a action movie these days? Yes. But this movie is much better than this. This movie rips. It's like somebody grew up loving Heat and then also played a lot of GTA and decided to make a movie. Incredible stuff.
There are great shootout scenes. I mean really great. Great as Heat level since 1995 I've never seen. Well edited, well filmed, just amazing stuff. There are great actors, and Gerard is just amazing as well as always.
The only thing weak about this movie is the script, it's just somewhat generic. But that happens with all action movies.
A more accurate rating would be something close to 8.0 or so.
It's 7.0 a solid for a action movie these days? Yes. But this movie is much better than this. This movie rips. It's like somebody grew up loving Heat and then also played a lot of GTA and decided to make a movie. Incredible stuff.
There are great shootout scenes. I mean really great. Great as Heat level since 1995 I've never seen. Well edited, well filmed, just amazing stuff. There are great actors, and Gerard is just amazing as well as always.
The only thing weak about this movie is the script, it's just somewhat generic. But that happens with all action movies.
A more accurate rating would be something close to 8.0 or so.
A failed attempt to make a new Elite Squad
5 February 2023
Please bear in mind that Elite Squad is the best movie ever written, produced and distributed in Brazilian history. It's the standard that teachers should use to teach Acting anywhere in college. It's the ultimate masterpiece of Latin movie.
Given that success, the format is often copied by other titles trying to gauge on the success attained by Elite Squad to drive viewers to new ticket sales. This title fails to do that. Acting is very weak, the story itself is very simple and the outcome is unrealistic. It lacks the conceptual presence that previous movies had, connecting with real cops to narrate a history that is not too much Hollywoodian but actually connected to Rio's day to day reality.
Given that success, the format is often copied by other titles trying to gauge on the success attained by Elite Squad to drive viewers to new ticket sales. This title fails to do that. Acting is very weak, the story itself is very simple and the outcome is unrealistic. It lacks the conceptual presence that previous movies had, connecting with real cops to narrate a history that is not too much Hollywoodian but actually connected to Rio's day to day reality.
Plane
(2023)
Better than most
22 January 2023
This is a common story. Have you probably watched a movie before that has a similar plot? Probably. But this category has so many poorly executed, budget poor movies that just making one that doesn't contain any mistakes, puts you already in the top of the list.
The movie itself is quite realistic. Gerard Butler does a great job in setting the pace for the movie, but there is good action from all the other folks, including the Filipino leader, the prisoner and also the flight crew.
I also quite liked the fact that there are almost no "emotional scenes". In movies of the disaster genre, is quite common to have the family crying from home, making, and this one is avoids this mistake but focusing on a well developed timeline with certain actions and progressive motion.
I am glad that this movie exists. A solid executed movie in the disaster category with well shot action scenes. I will watch it again when I have the chance.
The movie itself is quite realistic. Gerard Butler does a great job in setting the pace for the movie, but there is good action from all the other folks, including the Filipino leader, the prisoner and also the flight crew.
I also quite liked the fact that there are almost no "emotional scenes". In movies of the disaster genre, is quite common to have the family crying from home, making, and this one is avoids this mistake but focusing on a well developed timeline with certain actions and progressive motion.
I am glad that this movie exists. A solid executed movie in the disaster category with well shot action scenes. I will watch it again when I have the chance.
Ambulance
(2022)
Script written by 5 year olds
27 March 2022
The action scenes on this movie are awesome. They are intense, fast faced and fun.
But the dialog, oh the dialog is dreadful. The script makes no sense et all. The arguments and actions taken by both cops and thieves are so weak, like if they were leaving in fantasy land. I will not mention any particular situation here cause I don't want to be flagged as spoilers, but just keep in mind that if you are going to watch this movie the script is bonkers.
Also, what is this thing with Michael Bay that the camera viewfinder is always moving like crazy in different directions? Is that his personal directing style?
I did not give this movie a 4/10 star review because of the action scenes. So 6/10 seems fair enough to me.
But the dialog, oh the dialog is dreadful. The script makes no sense et all. The arguments and actions taken by both cops and thieves are so weak, like if they were leaving in fantasy land. I will not mention any particular situation here cause I don't want to be flagged as spoilers, but just keep in mind that if you are going to watch this movie the script is bonkers.
Also, what is this thing with Michael Bay that the camera viewfinder is always moving like crazy in different directions? Is that his personal directing style?
I did not give this movie a 4/10 star review because of the action scenes. So 6/10 seems fair enough to me.
Reacher
(2022– )
A huge improvement from the movies
4 March 2022
I am foreign born. First time my mom told me to read books in the English language, I went to the library with her, when I was just 13 and she told me to buy anything I wanted to read, as long as it was English.
The library section for books in English was very small, so I went to a corner and found a Lee Child book, Killing Floor, and bought it. It took me a very long time to understand everything that was written there, since I had to look the words up on the dictionary and take notes. I think it took me 6 or 8 months to finish the book.
This was 15 years ago. Today I am fluent in English and I've read every single Lee Child Reacher's book since they were released annually. I love them and I love what Reacher means, a person that is not powerful because of money but because of his immense skills as a person to solve problems. For me, this is the ultimate level of greatness, being able to solve an incredible array of different platforms with raw knowledge absorbed through experience. Today we only seem to value people that are monetarily rich, but this should not be the case.
This series is wonderful. It fixes a clear problem from the Tom Cruise movies because they now depict Reacher on its correct body size. Reacher is huge, he is not a small person, and although I also love Cruise movies, he is not Reacher (sorry Tom).
I am picky also. I think the character of Reacher is aligned well with what is written on Lee Child books, the sharp thinking, the sudden movement that can change from, the impressive body type that makes people change their behavior just with a solid glance, and of course his training on how to handle emotions.
One last thing: I loved the cameo at the end of the last episode with Lee Child! It is so crazy that I was able to recognize him instantly, it was so natural to me, and I feel happy about that because if shows how much a person can impact you on your young years.
The library section for books in English was very small, so I went to a corner and found a Lee Child book, Killing Floor, and bought it. It took me a very long time to understand everything that was written there, since I had to look the words up on the dictionary and take notes. I think it took me 6 or 8 months to finish the book.
This was 15 years ago. Today I am fluent in English and I've read every single Lee Child Reacher's book since they were released annually. I love them and I love what Reacher means, a person that is not powerful because of money but because of his immense skills as a person to solve problems. For me, this is the ultimate level of greatness, being able to solve an incredible array of different platforms with raw knowledge absorbed through experience. Today we only seem to value people that are monetarily rich, but this should not be the case.
This series is wonderful. It fixes a clear problem from the Tom Cruise movies because they now depict Reacher on its correct body size. Reacher is huge, he is not a small person, and although I also love Cruise movies, he is not Reacher (sorry Tom).
I am picky also. I think the character of Reacher is aligned well with what is written on Lee Child books, the sharp thinking, the sudden movement that can change from, the impressive body type that makes people change their behavior just with a solid glance, and of course his training on how to handle emotions.
One last thing: I loved the cameo at the end of the last episode with Lee Child! It is so crazy that I was able to recognize him instantly, it was so natural to me, and I feel happy about that because if shows how much a person can impact you on your young years.
Moonfall
(2022)
Insane and creative script
28 February 2022
The plot and the story changes constantly and all the time. There is an uncountable number of parallel stories going on all the time and honestly you should go watch this movie as a comedy and not really as a sci-fi movie.
The movie feels like it is being played at 1.5x. Ideal for kids these days that can only pay attention for 7 seconds or less. All the scenes are very short and the movie moves very very quickly.
There are some very gross mistakes on the story line. Sometimes a scene jumps to another where things that take hours are accomplished in less than one second, or sometimes they even start before the causing effect in the next scene has been displayed!
The movie relies heavy on CGI effects I believe. Which is not a bad thing if you look at it the right way.
Overall the story changes so much and the theories are so crazy that is a good watch as long as you go mind free to this premiere.
One scene worth mentioning though was the rocket launch when the waves are coming, and because of the Moon's gravitational pull, they match the gravity's of the Earth and it creates a very interesting visual effect for us viewers on the screen.
The movie feels like it is being played at 1.5x. Ideal for kids these days that can only pay attention for 7 seconds or less. All the scenes are very short and the movie moves very very quickly.
There are some very gross mistakes on the story line. Sometimes a scene jumps to another where things that take hours are accomplished in less than one second, or sometimes they even start before the causing effect in the next scene has been displayed!
The movie relies heavy on CGI effects I believe. Which is not a bad thing if you look at it the right way.
Overall the story changes so much and the theories are so crazy that is a good watch as long as you go mind free to this premiere.
One scene worth mentioning though was the rocket launch when the waves are coming, and because of the Moon's gravitational pull, they match the gravity's of the Earth and it creates a very interesting visual effect for us viewers on the screen.
True Detective
(2014– )
Season 3 was a gift to myself
4 February 2022
The level of this series is so high that after watching Season 3 later, when I was closer to my birthday, so I can really enjoy this thing.
The level of production is insane. The dialogue is built on conversations and accents that are local, not industrialized. You can't believe this is not unreal.
Season 1 is an epic masterpiece and the one that really delivered. I also think that the first season is the one with more impact and craziness included, from the character. That is why it is more impactful, in my personal point of view. The other 2 seasons the characters they have a trend to be more stable over time.
Some scenes are very disturbing. Some scenes are epic in terms of production, specially the action scenes. They are full frame, not partial frame, and that makes a big difference in terms of viewer experience.
I highly recommend this masterpiece. What an incredible piece of art.
The level of production is insane. The dialogue is built on conversations and accents that are local, not industrialized. You can't believe this is not unreal.
Season 1 is an epic masterpiece and the one that really delivered. I also think that the first season is the one with more impact and craziness included, from the character. That is why it is more impactful, in my personal point of view. The other 2 seasons the characters they have a trend to be more stable over time.
Some scenes are very disturbing. Some scenes are epic in terms of production, specially the action scenes. They are full frame, not partial frame, and that makes a big difference in terms of viewer experience.
I highly recommend this masterpiece. What an incredible piece of art.
The Killing
(2011–2014)
Solid series but very sad
23 December 2021
I only watched the two first seasons. I don't know what happened in the third installment. The show is solid but a bit slow. We do have time to explore some of the personal challenges from all the characters, not only from the detectives but also the Larson family, the mayor issues and more. It some times feel that it is too much, and not needed. I think this show was well produced and shows the day to day of what an investigation into a corrupt system would be like. I do recommend the show. I think also that times have changed and in 2021 would be impossible to make this as 2 seasons, it would be only one season.
Elite Squad
(2007)
A masterpiece!
28 November 2021
This is without.
The story is super complex and depicts very well Rio de Janeiro in 1997. How the police, government, slums, corruption and dealers are all interconnected in a very expansive system that covers the entire city of Rio. Their relationships and how each other affect them in a long term chain it's amazing to see as the story develops in the next 2 hours or so.
The characters are many but are we can grasp the personality and traits of the main ones, which reveal their intense stress factors around their work but also how it affects their personal lives as police.
The acting is superb. You can clearly see that the actors feel the anxiety and stress related to what they are living. They understand how critical each scene is and they also act accordingly to local customs and traditions.
Pimentel, the policeman that inspired the original Capitão Nascimento, mentioned that 90% of the background story is true, which gives a rare felling of high reality on a film like never seen before. It feels like a real movie, with perfect accurate scenery and assets that depict what Rio de Janeiro was like in 1997.
This movie is masterpiece because it doesn't appear to be a movie, it actually appears to be a real story with a magical camera that was able to capture everything.
It's a 10/10. It's a truly amazing work of art.
The story is super complex and depicts very well Rio de Janeiro in 1997. How the police, government, slums, corruption and dealers are all interconnected in a very expansive system that covers the entire city of Rio. Their relationships and how each other affect them in a long term chain it's amazing to see as the story develops in the next 2 hours or so.
The characters are many but are we can grasp the personality and traits of the main ones, which reveal their intense stress factors around their work but also how it affects their personal lives as police.
The acting is superb. You can clearly see that the actors feel the anxiety and stress related to what they are living. They understand how critical each scene is and they also act accordingly to local customs and traditions.
Pimentel, the policeman that inspired the original Capitão Nascimento, mentioned that 90% of the background story is true, which gives a rare felling of high reality on a film like never seen before. It feels like a real movie, with perfect accurate scenery and assets that depict what Rio de Janeiro was like in 1997.
This movie is masterpiece because it doesn't appear to be a movie, it actually appears to be a real story with a magical camera that was able to capture everything.
It's a 10/10. It's a truly amazing work of art.
Dr. Gama
(2021)
A solid performance without steryotypes
18 October 2021
The movie focus on the story of one the very few Brazilians that became a self taught lawyer in Brazil per republican days.
Going through his entire life cycle, the movie decided to focus on why Luis Gama became so important to the Brazilian history, highlighting most of the scenes around hallmark ideas that he explored and delivered o his trials instead of any personal issue or suffering he went through.
The capability to deliver the arguments that are based on the Brazilian constitution and not just a self victimism (which would have been entirely justified given that Brazil was still a slave state) is a very strong example of why Luis became an example for many other generations.
The film is short (around 80 minutes) and could have been longer. The actors perform well, but we don't have enough time to understand more of their characters. The whole movie delivers a strong professional role, which is the appropriate tone for a movie like this.
A must watch for everyone.
Going through his entire life cycle, the movie decided to focus on why Luis Gama became so important to the Brazilian history, highlighting most of the scenes around hallmark ideas that he explored and delivered o his trials instead of any personal issue or suffering he went through.
The capability to deliver the arguments that are based on the Brazilian constitution and not just a self victimism (which would have been entirely justified given that Brazil was still a slave state) is a very strong example of why Luis became an example for many other generations.
The film is short (around 80 minutes) and could have been longer. The actors perform well, but we don't have enough time to understand more of their characters. The whole movie delivers a strong professional role, which is the appropriate tone for a movie like this.
A must watch for everyone.
Marighella
(2019)
Excellent long movie depicting Brazilian military regime
17 October 2021
A great movie, written with great actors and scenes.
Wagner Moura is becoming a very fine person of the arts in Brazil, moving from very early successful action movies such as Elite Squad and starting to create always movies that show critical thinking in its best form.
Ratings can be lower due to a political issue in Brazil where most reviewers were right wing voters automating low reviews on the platform. I believe the actual rating would be something between 6 and 8.
The question when watching this movie is not whether you are left or right, but understand if you can be open minded to review critical thinking from a different point of view, its different perspectives and depiction of reality as it was played in real life.
The movie action scenes are well acted out and exciting, they providing some entertaining moments through the almost 3 hour long flick.
I recommend this movie to everyone that wants to learn more about a critical moment of the Brazilian recent history.
Wagner Moura is becoming a very fine person of the arts in Brazil, moving from very early successful action movies such as Elite Squad and starting to create always movies that show critical thinking in its best form.
Ratings can be lower due to a political issue in Brazil where most reviewers were right wing voters automating low reviews on the platform. I believe the actual rating would be something between 6 and 8.
The question when watching this movie is not whether you are left or right, but understand if you can be open minded to review critical thinking from a different point of view, its different perspectives and depiction of reality as it was played in real life.
The movie action scenes are well acted out and exciting, they providing some entertaining moments through the almost 3 hour long flick.
I recommend this movie to everyone that wants to learn more about a critical moment of the Brazilian recent history.
In the Heights
(2021)
A celebration of life and Latino pride
13 June 2021
A great movie. A 2 hour long story of love, immigration and great music to explore why we should wake up every day and do something we enjoy, to be happy and change our lives to be better. Also the importance of never forgetting where we came from, and never to turn our backs to our past. Highly recommended.
Green Zone
(2010)
Solid movie for the proper historical context
18 October 2020
The storyline is very well detailed if you know the context about Iraq in 2013 and the reasons for the war. It's not a Jason Bourne movie nor is it a fictional movie; WMD were indeed never found in Iraq and this was already known. But, the world can't go without a new war per decade right? So we make up stuff to justify them. As someone said "Enjoy your war soldier"!
The Outpost
(2019)
Great war movie, don't get demotivated by the naysayers
5 July 2020
This is a great movie. Indeed there are, but there are a couple of great things about it:
It follows a similar line to 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, which I liked a lot too. The storytelling around the lives of each soldier are built differently, but the goal here is not to explore the lives of each of them, but to understand the challenges of fighting a war in a place clearly indefensible. There are no protections against the mountains and everyone knows it, even the viewer as you get the first glimpse of the environment the soldiers were put in.
I recommend this movie and I think you will like it if you also like movie based on true events.
- this was a movie based on true events
- the action scenes are exciting and provide an engaging visual felling
- there is no sugar coating, the actions depicted on the movie real and truthful
It follows a similar line to 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, which I liked a lot too. The storytelling around the lives of each soldier are built differently, but the goal here is not to explore the lives of each of them, but to understand the challenges of fighting a war in a place clearly indefensible. There are no protections against the mountains and everyone knows it, even the viewer as you get the first glimpse of the environment the soldiers were put in.
I recommend this movie and I think you will like it if you also like movie based on true events.
Inhuman Resources
(I) (2020– )
Very creative plot - a masterpiece for me
31 May 2020
The story itself runs into so many smaller stories that are really captivating. The characters evolve through the series, they show new facets we have not seen before which allows us to question if what we have seen before used to be their real persona or was already something new.
Alain's main hostage-taking scenario is the main plot, but during the process he also covers his strategy, his background as a strong man, his family relationships, his behavior towards stressful situations.
Are there faults in the storytelling process? Yes. Are there some scenes where we find it hard to believe that a man "crushed" by the system could think and deploy so many powerful ideas? Yes. But the series are so enternaint and unpredictable that I found it to be a masterpiece into the making. I never thought it would have ended the way it did.
Alain's main hostage-taking scenario is the main plot, but during the process he also covers his strategy, his background as a strong man, his family relationships, his behavior towards stressful situations.
Are there faults in the storytelling process? Yes. Are there some scenes where we find it hard to believe that a man "crushed" by the system could think and deploy so many powerful ideas? Yes. But the series are so enternaint and unpredictable that I found it to be a masterpiece into the making. I never thought it would have ended the way it did.
Great principles being taught here
26 May 2019
The movie is really great. But I want to talk about the macro hidden message beyond the whole sequel:
- never break a contract. Once you sign it, you must honor it.
- if you make a mistake, honor the consequences. Don't be a whiner or try to change the rules of the original contract because you don't like it anymore.
- be the best at your job, aim to be number #1 in your life or professional area.
- be calm and contain your emotions, even when super excited. I love how calm they are the whole movie.
- money matters, but it should not be the main goal of your life. Relationships matter more.
Operações Especiais
(2015)
Well produced action movie on corruption and bias!
19 April 2019
I must share that this is a good movie. Brazil action movie quality has improved much in the last few years and this movie is currently rated top 5 on "AdoroCinema" Brazilian action movies, a website focused on Brazilian movies.
There is some decent action scenes, but that is not the main message. The message is around handling bias and corruption, two topics which are very popular today in the media. There is no extremist visions or commentary around it. It's straight to the point, has good character development and has a decent ending, which is something most movies lack these days.
The best action movie ever from Brazil was Elite Squad, if you have not seen it yet. Elite Squad storyline was made by geniuses. This is a very good movie, but not Elite Squad quality.
There is some decent action scenes, but that is not the main message. The message is around handling bias and corruption, two topics which are very popular today in the media. There is no extremist visions or commentary around it. It's straight to the point, has good character development and has a decent ending, which is something most movies lack these days.
The best action movie ever from Brazil was Elite Squad, if you have not seen it yet. Elite Squad storyline was made by geniuses. This is a very good movie, but not Elite Squad quality.
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