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Reviews
Demolition (2015)
During watching I thought I understand this movie
Just after the car crash, I honestly thought that the main character actually had fallen into a coma and was experiencing a symbolic journey of self-discovery and reflection. That would explain why the scenes were so disjointed and chaotic, a bit dreamlike, and why he encountered symbolic characters (like Karen, who is supposed to be his mother figure - e.g. Kiss on the son's eye; or her son, who could've been his younger self) and situations. He also engaged in acts of demolition and destruction, which I interpreted as metaphors for his physical and psychological deterioration.
However, the film's ending contradicted this interpretation and left me puzzled. I was hoping that the film would reveal some deeper insight at the end, but instead the only twist was that he met with the person, who followed him for a while who caused the accident. It was an unsatisfying experience for me as a viewer. Although I can still interpret the movie in a way I wanted to see it (and in this way it makes sense to me), but I'm really not sure, what the directors originally wanted with their film.
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
I'm sad to say, but the story was just too dumb
I'm giving 3 stars only for Denzel's act, because the story quality is nowehere near to the first movie.
I liked the first film, but the writers were very lousy in this one amd created too much dumb characters.
Even Denzel's character was way more smarter in the first movie, but his old "students" were so dull, that it even humiliates McCall, and sets him up as a bad teacher.
Just two examples, which blew my mind: why would anyone spend minutes in front of a mirror, when he knows, that on the other side there could be someone with a gun; they kidnapped McCall's young friend, but why the hell did he only use the poor (and also stupid) guy only when all of his allies died? (and these are just the "tip of the iceberg")
Also McCall was very lousy. He should've expected a sniper on the tower, so he could have prepared a trap there easily (in the first movie, I'm almost sure, that the character would've done that)
And the base of the story was also very weak for me. I didn't really get the part, where the main character explained his motives. Because even if his secret agent job wes cancelled, ha was still in a leading position in a government agency probably with high salary and a safe job. Why would anyone risk something like that with becoming a hitman?
The Equalizer (2014)
A superhero movie without magical powers
The film is basically a superhero vigilante story without the supernatural stuff. Maybe I'm getting old, but I realized, that a vigilante story actually works better for me if it's a bit more realistic, and it has more time for the character and story development than wasting scenes for superhero transformation clichés.
Of course it's not fully realistic, and in the second half of the film it gets unbelievable, but a retired secret agent vigilante is much more valid storyline, than geeky teenage boys saving the whole world from spaceworms etc. And I know, that there are other films like this, but Denzel Washington makes the difference from those, because he is perfect in his role. You can feel the tormented life behind his act, and the way he goes from his peaceful inddifferent state to a rogue hero is nicely written.
My only concern is that the story became a bit flat for the second half of the movie. Since he messed up almost the whole underworld, I expected some political intervention as well. Especially after he visited his old boss. I understand that he got a permission from the secret agency, that he can eliminate a whole maffia branch (which is weird by the way), but I expected that this branch is connected to politicians and other legal poweful people too. Maybe in the next sequel..
Jerry Maguire (1996)
It's a love story, not a film about sport agency
I was misled by the description, I tought that I would see the business life of a sport agent. I seriously doubt, that the few scenes which were about this topic are realistic.
And Maguire is one of the worst agent I could imagine. You can't see him work at all, only just watching games and telling his player to play from his heart (while he has good stats already...).
During negotiations his only argument was: "I'm asking for a favor". In business.. I understand, that sometime it could work, but it's not interesting in a movie.
Come on, you are an agent of a player with nice stats and talent. If his current team doesn't plan with him long term, just look for a trade partner, do some real business work!
For a love story it's nice, sentimental and quiet unusual. About a man, who loves a kid more than the kid's mom. But there are other layer's of human emoitons and relationships. The sportman-agent connection also wants to be a "love story", a friendship thing but for me that's not really working - maybe because I didn't like the business part of it.
Anyway, there is a cute kid and I think it could be the sexiest act of Renée Zellweger.
Im Westen nichts Neues (2022)
The book had a great influence on me back then, so I'm quiet disappointed now
I think one of the main problem with the film that they wanted to cram into too many things, too much background information about the war. There are scenes about politics and hackneyed war characters, which I think only interrupts the main plot. (we all know the main story from school, or its 2 min. To read in wikipedia) They even changed the original (book) date of the action to the end of the war - probably to make the deaths and losses feel even more pointless - but I think it was unnecessary.
The book is a masterpiece, which I would suggest everyone should read, so then hopefully noone would ever feel that war is a nice idea.
However this film doesn't remind me of that classic except that there are some characters with the same name from the book, but they have almost no resemblance to the original personalities. Which could be ok, if it was conceptual, but unfortunately they just became more shallow, and it was very hard to sympathize with them.
Althoough the film seems historically authentic (thats why I gave 5 stars), but lacks that dramatical dephtness, which the book has. I know that its a crazy hard task to screen literatures like this, so I shouldn't be too harsh with my critics, but unfortunately I just saw 1917 some days ago, and I have to say, that 1917 is a much more authentic visualisation of the athmosphere of the book "All Quiet on the Western Front" (even though the plot is completely different) than this film with the same title.
The Gentlemen (2019)
Well, the title was Gentlemen, so I should've expected this I think...
But it was still quiet bothering, that everyone in the bloody underworld were refined, lordlike characters. And everyone act restrained except of course when they bang each others head with a hammer and blood get's on their glamorous dresses. Of course it's Guy Ritchie, and thats why we like him, but in this movie it was too much for me. There weren't enough repulsive, raw characters which would've counterbalanced this elegant, high-class underworld.
I especially hated the boxer gang with their coach, because normally they could have been these guys (they are unexperienced, just entered this world, poor etc), but what were they wearing? Spotless tweed training clothes....
It's absolutely fine for a one time entertainment, because some of the great acting, but for me it's nowhere near as the Snatch.
1917 (2019)
Almost perfect war movie for me
I gave only 9, because I didn't like that the two sides were too black and white and german soldiers were all depicted as agressive evils. If only one of the enemy soldiers had reacted differently, I would have given 10 stars I think. (I can accept though that this could have been possible, that so close to the enemy lines things were more rough).
And of course I was amazed by the cinematography, by the continous flow of scenes, which works here much-much better than in Birdman, where I've seen this technique the first time. It really gave me the atmosphere of the constant fear, adrenaline and hazard of the warzone, The only thing that bothered my eyes was that sometimes it felt like a video game. I don't know exactly why, but the settings in some scenes, the body language and expressions of some supporting characters reminded me of this. But I have already observed this in other films, so it is conceivable that the influence of the two genres on each other is a general trend.
Skyscraper (2018)
it feels like a story written by a bad AI
Oh God, is it really that hard to find at least an average screenwriter in Hollywood?
You can see who is the bad and who is the good guy from the first scenes in which they appear. No surprises at all. What would be the original purpose of the rooom with the mirror like screens? I know, its good for a mediocre fighting finale (something, that you can expect from the 10th minute of the movie), but why would any millionaire build it, especially on the top of a skyscraper, where you have the best view?... It feels like, that the writers didn't study skyscraper fire protocols at all (e.g. fire protected stairways), and the lack of firefighters is also really unrealistic. Moreover there are a lot of clichés (superhero veteran fighting for his family; a badass fighting nurse, who knows things better than a whole police depatment, etc) and stupid decisions (e.g. creating and giving away a tablet, which can control your whole building).
Spending all these money on the effects and the actors without a proper story is a complete waste of resources. It's not an excuse, that this is a blockbuster. Watching this film is not relaxing, but very irritating.