Throughout history the term witch has always had a negative image. Wizards were usually good in fairytales, TV shows and movies, but witches were mostly evil. If the society of witches needed an advertisement to change that image then this movie would be perfect for them. The broomstick and black cat are present, but every other thing you might associate with witches will not appear here. As this is a Studio Ghibli film it does posess the animation magic you’d expect from them. Continue reading
Rurouni Kenshin might not be known to everyone, but it is a Japanese manga series (also known as Samurai X). It tells the story of a samurai named Himura Kenshin (Takeru Satoh), who after the start of a new age in Japanese history decides to no longer kill and protect those in trouble. He even carries a sword where the sharp edge is on the inside, not being able to hurt others with it.
When a murder takes place the police find a letter, claiming the murder is performed by this samurai, also known as Battosai. Not everyone is convinced though as a cruel businessman (an enjoyable scene chewing role by Teruyuki Kagawa) is trying to expand his power and wealth selling opium. Himurau Kenshin meets a woman who tries to run the dojo her father left her, with little success. When a group of thugs tries to get their hands on the dojo it is Himurau who makes sure to stop them. Samurai X has to prove his innocence and protect the ones he cares for. Continue reading
Relationships can be hard and brothers Max (Tim Haars) and Jules (Daniel Arends) learned that at a very young age. When their mother leaves the house after a fight with their father he tells the two that they should never start a relationship as all women are bitches/ho’s. The two make a pact to never do so and grow up sticking to it. The two go out as much as they can and try to sleep with as many women as possible. That all changes when Max meets Anna (Sylvia Hoeks) as he falls in love with her, but when he finds out that his brother is seeing her he has to decide whether to go with his feelings or stick to his agreement with Jules. Continue reading
“Everything is awesome!” is the one thing you will surely remember after leaving the cinema having seen The Lego Movie. That is what you might think of the movie, but those words are actually the lyrics of the main theme of the movie. If you are honest it sounds like a J-Pop song and despite that knowledge it is very catchy. Two weeks after having seen this movie myself I still hum it from time to time. So the music of the movie is solid, but what about the rest of it? Continue reading
Although most popular TV series are made in the US, the Scandinavian countries have proven that they also produce a lot of great shows. On of those shows is Bron/Broen, better known as The Bridge. Season 1 managed to be extremely interesting from the start. A body was found at the middle of a bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden. The departments of justice of the two countries have to work together on the case because of it. It was a thrilling story with an ending you will not be able to forget. That first season wrapped everything up nicely and when I heard that a second season would be made I started to wonder if it would be able to reach the same quality as the first season. My fear was that it would feel extremely unrealistic and forced. That first season everything the story flowed in a convincing and natural way. I also wondered how you would be able to bring the characters together again. Continue reading
The Lord of the Rings trilogy told an epic story, filled with adventure and when The Hobbit trilogy was announced people were expecting the same. Last year’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey did not manage to match those expectations. Although I did enjoy it, the movie felt too long, with not much happening. As someone who has not read the books a lot felt like filler. It is not a movie I am tempted to revisit. Now having seen the second movie I would almost be inclined to say that most of the first movie could have been scrapped with only some small portions added to this one. If you have not seen the first one you could easily see this second film and not miss out on much. The hobbit and the dwarf continue their journey to reclaim the city of the dwarves. Continue reading
A star studded cast is not always a guarantee that a movie will be good. The Counselor is a recent example (if the reviews are believed). There is only so much great actors can do with material which isn’t good enough. American Hustle is full of great actors: Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. The question is whether the story is as impressive as its cast. Continue reading
Tom Hanks is one of those actors I love watching in anything. Not all movies he stars in will always be good, but I will see a movie if I know he is in it. In Captain Philips he plays the titular role of a captain who has to deal with Somali pirates who want to take control of his ship. The movie has been directed by Paul Greengrass, who is best known for his work in the Bourne movies. He’s a director who knows how to frame action in a way that involves you and in this case that is a good fit for the type of story that’s being told. Continue reading
Robert de Niro became famous for playing characters connected with organised crime. His roles in movies like The Godfather 2, Goodfellas and Casino are iconic. He is good in these roles and playing a mobster in a comedy came as no surprise. Usually these type of movies that make fun of the concept of organised crime aren’t very good. When this first came out my expectations were low, but as it was de Niro I did need to check it out and was pleasantly surprised by Analyze This. It was time to revisit this film. Continue reading
Some movies can win you over with just a single performance. Drinking Buddies to me is one of those movies thanks to Olivia Wilde. Straight from the start she makes her character a very likeable one. A woman who acts like one of the guys and is cool to be around. As the movie progresses her character starts struggling with things that happen in her life and I started to feel for her. Continue reading