Category Archives: Violence

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Birdman (2014)

review birdman

Before Birdman was released over here in the Netherlands I saw nothing but positive reviews and various Oscar nominations. This was one of those movie which I had to wait for a couple of months before I would be able to form my own opinion of it. Just like the movie Paper Man this really isn’t a superhero movie, but a story which focuses on Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), once a popular actor who is suffering with mental issues. In his case he hears the voice of Birdman, a character with whom he had a lot of success in the past. He has said goodby to that role though. As an actor he is looking for something new to prove himself and stay relevant. He wants to show that he’s more than someone who stands in front of a camera. He does so by bringing a play to the stage which he has written, is directing and starring in. The movie opens during the rehearsals. Continue reading →

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Wild Card (2015)

Recensie Wild Card

Is it really still necessary to write reviews of Jason Stathammovies? If you have seen a couple of them and know you enjoyed them, chances usually are that you will want to watch his latest one. You know exactly what you can expect from a Statham movie: A tought, lonely man fighting a bad guy and usually is the last one standing. So basically the ultimate action hero. So is this also the case for Wild Card? Continue reading →

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Inherent Vice (2014)

Review Inherent Vice

Dear Mister Anderson,

The first work of yours which I ever saw was the movie Magnolia, your work impressed me and during your career I’ve seen almost all of your movies including Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood and The Master. Also didn’t want to miss your latest film, Inherent Vice. I couldn’t wait to find out what it was about and what to expect from it. See, I never read the book this movie is based on, but as you know how to make movies I had confidence this would be a nice surprise. Continue reading →

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Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Review Exodus: Gods and Kings

According to some people Ridley Scott has lost the magic he once had. The director who made his name with movies like Alien, Blade Runner and also created Gladiator would not be able to make movies with the same quality anymore. For many Prometheus wasn’t the return to the Alien univers they wanted and The Counselor was basically destroyed by the critics. Exodus: Gods and Kings is Scott’s latest movie and is the second bible story in a short time to receive the movie treatment after Noah. Exodus is about the story of Moses. Continue reading →

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Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Review Jupiter Ascending

The Wachowskis don’t seem to want to make “safe” movies. The want to think big, bring different concepts and spectacle to the screen. That sometimes leads to movies which are widely loved like The Matrix (where reality wasn’t what it seemed to be), but also movies which divide audiences, like Cloud Atlas (a story told across centuries).

With Jupiter Ascending they show that daring attitude again. By taking a story which would also work as a costume drama, spectacular action as you’d expect from them, costumes which wouldn’t look bad in a Tarsem Singh movie and a sauce of science fiction, they have created a movie which is meant to be seen on the big screen. Continue reading →

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Black Mirror: White Christmas

Black Mirror White Christmas review

With the series Black Mirror, writer/comedian Charlie Brooker has managed to deliver two seasons of an extremely smart TV-show in which he explores the dangers of the quick development in the world of technology. By taking well-known present day concepts and showing what these could lead to in the future he has managed to let its audience think about what could happen: What are the consequences on technological improvements to our body? What is the power of social networks? Or how far are we willing to go when it comes to giving away our privary? It is the reason it is one of my favorite shows and I couldn’t wait to see the Christmas special. The promo shots, which show John Hamm seemingly talking to an egg, made me curious and the question is whether White Christmas has managed to meet my (extremely high) expectations. Continue reading →

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John Wick (2014)

Review John Wick

The gunkata is back! There is no doubt in the back of my mind that the main character in this movie, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), must have seen Equilibrium quite a few times and studied it to perfection. The grace with which he moves with his guns while eliminating foes left and right is similar to that of an armed ballerina. Before you get to see that ballet of violence though the movie introduces him as a man grieving the death of his wife. When he gets a last, unexpected gift delivered to his house from her it means a lot to him.

John Wick drives a classic car and when he is at a gas station a Russian man, Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), tells him he would like to buy it. John tells him it isn’t for sale, but that same evening his house is violently broken into. When he finds out that the person behind it is the son of a former employer he has to head back into a world he had left behind. Continue reading →

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Hercules (2014)

Review Hercules

How do legends form? How is it possible that some stories are forgotten within a few months, but others are still read centuries later and are still being told? Could it be because a specific story holds a lesson, like the well-known fairytales do? Or is it because the story is so unbelievable that it is exactly that which inspires its listener/reader? The admiration only increasing the more beautiful the story is, even if it might not be grounded in reality. It is something the best movies do. This one looks at the legend of Hercules. The son of the god Zeus who managed to defeat an unbeatable lion or who cut off the heads of the Hydra. Continue reading →

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Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Review Transformers Age of Extinction

Are reviews responsible for the success of a movie? If you look at the ones for the Transformers movies you have to conclude that they are completely useless. According to Rotten Tomatoes half of the review for the first movie were positive, but after it the percentage quickly dropped (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 19%, Transformers: Dark of the Moon 36%). This movie only managed to get 18% of positive reviews. Despite that the movies have been a huge success. Does this mean that the reviewers don’t know how to review or have they lost their feeling with their audience? I have to admit that I don’t go to the cinema to watch these movies, but that at home I do consider them “guilty pleasures”. Continue reading →

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Interstellar (2014)

Review Interstellar

If there was one movie in the past year (besides the Interview) about which a whole lot of things were written, it was Interstellar. After its release my mailbox and Feedly were flooded with reviews, news articles and pieces which tried explaining the theory behind the movie. It was an overload of information and at the time I didn’t feel like adding too much. Continue reading →