The very entertaining ending makes this film.
I wasn't sure about 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' up until that point. Like, don't get me wrong, it is a good film from the get-go but I wasn't personally convinced by it to be more than that until the credits rolled - at which point, I found myself to have been thoroughly entertained.
With Guy Ritchie in his directing debut and a whole host of familiar British faces, it isn't a difficult film to get into. I did feel at some points that there were too many characters and that they weren't distinctive enough; there were momentary bits where I had to think a tad harder at which characters were linked with each other. However, that actually turns into the film's best thing at the end as it does come together brilliantly.
All in all, this 1998 gangster flick is something I'd consider as very good and worthy of watching.
Genuinely one of my favorite movies of all time. Watched again recently and realised how well written, brilliantly shot, beautifully cast and cleverly produced this movie actually is!
Far from being a good movie, with tons of flaws but already pointing to the pattern of the whole Ritchie's filmography.
I remember reading about just how much money Rockefeller was making at the height of his prowess and the sums were eye watering. His Standard Oil company is referenced in this powerful drama with Daniel Day Lewis as “Plainview”. He’s a prospector looking for silver but who has a bit of a fall and discovers that there is something much more valuable and plentiful - if you know how to find it, He gradually buys up leases and together with his stalwart “Fletcher” (Ciarán Hinds) and young son “H.W.” (Dillon Freasier) starts to develop his business with a view to building a pipeline of over one hundred miles to reach the sea. Along the way, their lives are fraught with dangers and tough choices have to be made - especially when an accident at one of the wells renders the young boy deaf. It’s at this remote site that “Plainview”meets his nemesis. Not in a competitive, business, fashion - but in a puritanical Christian one. The son of a local homesteader is aspiring preacher “Eli” (Paul Dano) and the remainder of the film sees the one trying to humiliate and outmanoeuvre the other and disclaim each’s strongly held values. It’s a slow burn, this film, but DDL is on super form as a man striving for success but for it’s own purpose. His wealth does not bring him contentedness nor, for that matter, does it bring joy to anyone else. This also demonstrates just how poor rural parts of the USA were at the turn of the 20th century, and at how vulnerable the population were to exploitation and the venality of the oilmen. The photography is immersive and the pace works well in drawing us into the perfectly constructed characterisations that were the natural successors to the earlier pioneers. I didn’t love the conclusion. It seemed a little unnecessary, underwhelming - rushed even. The last ten minutes have an intensity of their own that though they well illustrate the skill of Dano and DDL, they just didn’t quite wrap things up as I might have liked. Still, it’s a great piece of cinema with some strong writing underpinning a series of lusts….
***Weighty, morose period drama with complex characters and Daniel Day-Lewis***
In the early 20th century, an industrious prospector in Southern California, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), becomes a shrewd oil magnate, whose journey is paralleled with a dubious Pentecostal pastor of a remote church, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano).
“There Will Be Blood” (2007) is a one-of-a-kind period drama with Western elements. It’s arty and the furthest thing from a conventional blockbuster. You have to be in the mode for a deep, slow-moving, epic flick like this in order to appreciate it. The contemporaneous “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” and “No Country for Old Men” are good comparisons.
Whilst the story and main characters are simple on the surface, they go deep and there are many gems to mine: What good is success if you have no one to love and enjoy it with? Is Daniel a sociopath or a quality individual who acquires sociopathic tendencies because his choices put him on the road of madness? Was Eli a “false prophet”? If so, was he always a con or did he become one?
Why is Eli paralleled with Daniel? Does Daniel have the capacity for genuine love? Does he mean what he ultimately says to HW or are they words born from a sense of betrayal? Would a sane person rashly resort to murder? Is there a positive protagonist in the movie? If so, who and why? If not, why not?
The film runs 2 hours, 38 minutes, and was shot in Southern Cal and Texas (Shafter & Marfa); and Lakewood, Washington (Thornewood Castle).
GRADE: B
Great movie, not a spaghetti western. Very good story and atmosphere 10 stars.
So this is a movie about Strong Female Lead, and though Strong Female Lead isn't a hunter and it seems like she hasn't really gone out hunting before, she is the bestest of the bestiest hunters ever. And the village is wrong for not letting her be the hunter and the lead of the hunting party because not recognizing her untested bestiest is wrong.
And then she goes out and puts everyone at risk to prove that she is the bestest hunter ever... and she is, effortlessly, because she is a Strong Female Lead.
And then Strong Female Lead encounters the Predator, and does something that was actually cool and pretty unique for the series. But then the Predator has to go kill off the rest of the hunters in her tribe for not recognizing that she is the bestest hunter ever.
Only this is a politically correct movie, you can tell by Strong Female Lead, so the Predator can't be the bad guy, there has to be more of a political message.
And because of that the plot adds in white people, who are the real evil, the evilist of the evil. The bestest of being evil. And they have to show that even when an alien is out there hunting people, white people are worse.
And Strong Female Lead has to prove that she can be even better than them too without trying, and then proves it without expending any real effort.
And out of the blue one of her hunting party (who are now not as evil because there are white men who are eviler) is allowed to do something actually sort of heroic because he doesn't have to be bad at everything now because they white people can be.
And them 'Member Berries.
And at the end Strong Female Lead proves to everyone that she is the bestest at everything, without needing to try, by virtue of just being the bestest of the bestest at everything without even needing to know what she's doing.
yeah... you get the point, you've seen a thousand other movies just like this one since 2016.
Best thing about this movie was the trained pup. Movie was boring and the acting was horrible . DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS TRASH
I didn’t have a frame of reference for this movie, never having watched a predator movie, or indeed hardly any movies in the thriller-action-adventure genre. But it sounded intriguing so I gave it a try. It was okay for what it was. The body count rose as it does io thrillers it seems, Nikki it was alien Mano on woman’s, as one might have predicted from the start. I am not sure why people in her village thought she wasn’t able to hunt when she seemed to have Batman like strength and dexteriity. I guess she never practiced or trained in front of anyone.
So it was fine, though it won’t motivate me to seek out more movies in the predator franchise or indeed the genre. I will quit while I am ahead, at least until the next one in an unliked genre inexplicably draws me in.
Pretty gnarly and also pretty great!
Sad I didn't get to see it in a theater :(
Full review: open.spotify.com/episode/3MS52tXr7jHbZxxWsx62tO?si54552c2fb542cd
I came into this movie with some apprehension due to how much I enjoyed the original Predator movie from 1987. My biggest concern was would they ruin the legacy left by the original movie, mostly due to the fact that this is a prequel, unlike the other's in the franchise. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
There is so much to like about this movie, from its beautiful scenery, the highly entertaining action sequences, the stellar acting (led by Amber Midthunder) and how it actually paid homage to the original. The story, much like the original was simple and got straight to the point, and it didn't overcomplicate anything with lengthy or unnecessary dialogue. It also didn't do overboard with the easter eggs and references. I really cant excuse movies which make you pause to show off references to previous instalments of the franchise, even at times when they dont make sense. This movie did none of that which was refreshing.
I highly recommend this movie. If the younger generation was to watch movie first and follow up with the original from 1987, it would not be a disservice at all. Looking forward to the sequel to this and seeing how they tie in more of the predator lore.
**Overall : Prey brings new life to the Predator series, and I hope there is more to come.**
The Predator franchise has been all over the map when it comes to quality, settings, and story. With entries ranging from the incredible 1987 Predator to the awful 2018 attempt, The Predator. Thankfully, Prey shines as the best film in the Predator series since the original. This prequel takes a while to get going as it establishes character motivations and the dangers of the Great Plains. But once it gets going, it just gets better and better! Prey remains faithful to the original, blending horror and action with the elusive alien killer eliminating its prey one by one. But this time, the improved effects and primitive setting make the action more visceral and scary. I could go on and on about how brilliantly the time period raised the stakes, how excellent Amber Midthunder’s heroine was, or how fantastic Dan Trachtenberg’s directing was. Prey returns the Predator franchise to its best form by avoiding the cheese and focusing on the horror of the hunt.
OK. Please explain. Is this just supposed to be "Pocahontas" meets "Predator"? Just because it calls itself an "origin" story doesn't mean it needed to be made - and I'm sorry, but I just didn't understand whom this is for. It has none of the suspense or tension of the original Arnie film from 1987, and I kept expecting Peabo Bryson to burst into song at some point as these hopelessly out-gunned/arrowed/tomahawked Commanche - and, to be fair, most of their critter counterparts, seem to be on the menu of this visiting alien creature who has invisibility, enduring strength and some pretty whizzy weapons at his disposal. It is a little bit gory, but no more so that you might see on your latest Blumhouse effort, and to be fair it doesn't hang about - there is plenty of action once it gets started. The acting, however, is really neither here nor there and of course, there isn't the slightest degree of jeopardy as the whole thing sort of lurches along to a quirkily silly ending that made me smile. The effects are pretty old hat and though the human characters are tenacious and courageous enough, the story has just too much of the ridiculous David and Goliath to it. I did wonder why it didn't get a cinema release, but now I have seen it, I reckon I know why. It's watchable enough, but I can't say it's much good or the least memorable.
I guess I have to start by saying that this movie was a lot better than some of the latest entries in the Predator franchise but then, that is not really difficult so it does not say that much. Personally, I think this movie is rather mediocre.
Cinematically it is not a bad movie. I liked the footage for the most part. Story wise, well, for the first half of the movie I found it rather boring actually.
There was some brief scenes with a wolf and later a bear that had some action in it but for the most part the main protagonist ran around moping and whining and trying to pretend to be worthy of being a great warrior. Somewhat unrealistic of course since Hollywood, of course, had cast a woman in the role. Not that I have anything against it per see but at the time this movie is supposed to happen a women, native Indian or not, stayed at home doing the chores whether Hollywood tries to pretend otherwise or not.
As I said, I m still okay with that but she spends most of the time fumbling, stumbling and when a threat comes around she runs and looks scared. Not the kind of great warrior charisma that I was hoping for in the main protagonist.
When it finally starts to get interesting she stumbles into a bloody animal trap and gets caught by a hunting party. The latter which of course is portrayed as the typical Hollywood stereotype of “white man bad”. Minor details like, having your foot caught in that kind of steel trap would render you useless for the rest of the movie, is of course ignored.
The later half of the movie has some action in it at least which is dragged down by the main protagonists moping and the fact that, when she finally has the chance of taking a shot, she just stares stupidly for half a minute and voila, the chance is gone.
On the good side is that the actors are doing a pretty decent job of the not so great script they were given and, as I mentioned, cinematically it is a quite good movie. The action, when it happens, is pretty good if one ignores the Hollywood stupidities and the not so kick-behind main protagonist.
Overall the movie is watchable and, as I wrote, better than previous instalments in the franchise but that is about it.
Sometimes it's best to let the dead rest in peace and such is the case, with the much exhumed, Predator franchise. The original has, quite deservedly,become a cult classic. What came after ranges from passable to truly awful acts of grave robbing.
Prey is not awful. It has wonderful cinematic's and a superficially believable, 18th century world. A world on the cusp of modernisation and change but one that still holds on to, the fading reality embraced by its native inhabitants.
Regrettably, that's far as we get. What comes after is a revisionist construct, that does not reflect life, as it was, in this era. Instead we get feminism, at a time when its presence would have been akin, to finding an automatic wrist watch, in an Egyptian tomb.
If by some miracle you can overlook this nonsensical plot turn, it doesn't get any better. Our hero, a slim young girl, apparently has the wherewithal to take on and defeat, a savage interplanetary killer. A killer, as we can recall from the first film, who chewed through all but one member, of a hardcore team, of special forces mercenaries.
Sure, Arnie's character did use old style tactics, in the end, to defeat the beast. That said, he's a huge, profoundly physical man, cast as someone with no end of combat training and even then he barely made it out alive.
No matter, old world patriarchy defying girl, who has to run like stink from a simple bear the predator easily dispatches, magically gets the job done.
Do I need say more? If utter suspension of disbelief is your thing this just might work for you. My advice, watch or re-watch the original and suspend your disbelief that the spin offs that came after, were ever made.
4/10.
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/prey-spoiler-free-review
"Prey lives up to high expectations, being the first movie in the Predator saga to come close to or even surpass the original.
Dan Trachtenberg is able to restore the franchise by focusing on a compelling protagonist and the motivational essence of the primary creature, as well as creating one of the most dazzling films of 2022.
Both the cinematography and the score take advantage of the on-location filmmaking to create an almost epic atmosphere, whether through gorgeous wide shots that will leave every viewer amazed or through violent, macabre, exceptionally choreographed action sequences in conjunction with long takes.
Amber Midthunder delivers one of the best performances of her career.
For fans of the saga, horror, and/or action, it's not easy to find something better this year."
Rating: A-
The latest film in the Predator film series has arrived and the first
under Disney ownership since their purchase of 20th Century Fox. “Prey”
takes a look back in order to move the franchise forward and it does
this by setting in amongst the Comanche community roughly three hundred
years in the past.
The film follows a young girl named Naru (Amber Midthunder) who looks to
become a warrior but in a male-dominated setting, only her brother is
relatively supportive of her ambition and talks about when she will face
a trial which she must endure to show her worth.
At the same time, a Predator has arrived and begins to hunt the local
wildlife. Naru sees evidence of his work and tries to convince the tribe
that the carnage they are finding is not the work of a bear or a
mountain lion as the community believes.
When the nature of the threat manifests itself, Naru must find the
courage and skills to track and face the enemy who threatens to destroy
her tribe.
The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and he mixes a good amount of
action along with a very interesting setting and characters to create an
engaging tale.
There are some moments that the FX was not as sharp as one might expect
but the sequences with the Predator are filled with action and suspense
and should make fans of the franchise very happy. The film at times does
require some leaps of faith from the audience but in the end, “Prey” is
a satisfying film that is superior to “The Predator” and rates as one of
the stronger entries in the series and that the franchise is in good
hands for the future.
It will be interesting to see where the franchise goes next as there is lots of material for the franchise to explore, but for now, “Prey” is a refreshing take on the series and one fans should enjoy.
4 stars out of 5
Olympus Has Fallen delivers a solid action thriller experience that keeps you engaged from start to finish. The first act sets the stage well, with a strong focus on character relationships, especially between Mike Banning and the presidential family. The chemistry here makes you care about what’s at stake, and it transitions smoothly into the high-stakes chaos of the second act. By the time you reach the ending, the president’s speech ties everything together in a way that feels satisfying.
The acting is solid all around. Gerard Butler nails his role as the determined and capable hero, while Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman bring the right level of intensity to their characters. That said, there aren’t any standout moments that elevate the performances beyond what you’d expect in this genre. Still, everyone plays their part well.
The cinematography is impressive, with dynamic shots that amplify the tension during action scenes. However, some noticeable CGI slip-ups and editing issues can pull you out of the experience momentarily. They’re not deal-breakers but definitely stand out when the rest of the visuals are so polished.
The script does its job, but there are a few plot holes that could have been handled more realistically. Still, given the nature of the movie, they don’t take away from the fun. The direction by Antoine Fuqua deserves praise, he’s no stranger to creating tension and drama, and his expertise shines here. The foreshadowing and character moments sprinkled throughout are a nice touch.
While the movie doesn’t reinvent the action genre, it delivers exactly what it promises: high-octane entertainment. Sure, it’s a bit over the top and occasionally unrealistic, but that’s part of the fun. If you’re in the mood for a well-paced, patriotic action flick with plenty of explosions and a likable lead, this one’s a safe bet.
Great movie with action throughout. Lots of drama as well. Just your average insane crew trying to take over the white house.
Olympus Has Fallen ironically insults America’s national security through lunacy and patriotism. “Die Hard in the White House” claims British lads’ magazine Zoo, divulging into the testosterone-fuelled minds of its laddish readers. To be fair to them, Fuqua’s patriotic perspective of a national terrorist attack is exactly that. A ‘Die Hard’ rip-off that relies on the same narrative rhythms beat-for-beat. One man, and only one man, can save the day by gradually depleting the numbers of the antagonistic gang that harness either monetary or diplomatic motives. But where the aforementioned feature excelled, this action extravaganza flopped.
In apparently thirteen minutes, the entire Secret Service force is massacred at the hands of Korean ultra-nationalists, at the White House, in the middle of the day. “The most secure building in the world” exclaimed one of the useless decision makers attempting to assist the Acting President. Yeah. That’s an armoury of irony right there. Olympus Has Fallen is so unrealistic in plot, that for the majority of its runtime you’re left baffled as to how any of it was conceptualised. Fully trained Security guards joyfully skip towards barrages of bullets. Protocols are broken left, right and centre. The frickin’ Army Chief of Staff sends a fleet of armed helicopters into a danger zone despite already acknowledging the opposition acquiring a ridiculously overpowered turret. Boom! Dead. The lack of intelligence for its characters is, quite frankly, insulting. Especially when this action blockbuster is supposed to be shrouded in patriotism.
The worst offender though is the obtuse amount of horrifically rendered visual effects. From blatantly obvious green screens to clunky polygonal helicopters floating around aimlessly. It was as if the team played ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ and directly extracted the models from it. Just woefully terrible. Fortunately Butler emanated his “tough guy” brutality in the central role, because he was continually stabbing Koreans through the skull, throat and legs. A convincingly physical role that was perfectly suited to his acting style, enabling him to destroy his opponents whilst injecting some light buoyancy. Unfortunately the screenplay is limited in the “fun” department, taking the narrative extremely seriously, which hindered the nostalgic cheesiness of 80s action blockbusters that Fuqua took inspiration from.
Speaking of, his directing style was taut as expected, with much focus on the shenanigans taking place within the Presidential bunker. But the frenetic editing hindered his clarity. Eckhart provided strength as the President, but as usual, picks lacklustre films to repress his talent. Freeman shouted at one point and I quivered. Bassett, Mitchell and Yune were underused and Leo overacted. Oh, and who stops a countdown at three seconds? Let it go down to one! Create that suspense for flip sake!
So yes, for thirsty action viewers who crave violence blended with one-dimensional characters, unintelligent plot points and obscene amounts of polygonal visual effects, Olympus Has Fallen has got you covered. However, if you prefer your action blockbusters with an ounce of excitement, might I suggest a minuscule film called ‘Die Hard’?
Out of the wealth of "_Die Hard in an (X)_" movies that are on offer, "_Die Hard in the White House_" is an.... okay one. The story is old hat and the CGI is awful, but the sequence of the initial attack on the White House isn't just good, it's great.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._
Olympus Has Fallen is, for all practical purposes, a modern remake of Die Hard that replaces Bruce Willis with Gerard Butler and Nakatomi Tower with the White House. Butler puts in a respectable performance as Mike Banning. Director Antoine Fuqua did as well as could be done with the story, and some gripping action makes it almost watchable. But the downfall of the film was its lazy writing.
Almost no part of Olympus Has Fallen is remotely believable. A single airplane penetrates into protected airspace around Washington D.C. and riddles the White House with bullets. It takes 15 minutes for armed reinforcements to arrive. The President of the United States risks the annihilation of a peaceful ally nation to prevent an acquaintance of his from being beaten up. I could go on. And on.
For this reason, the movie is somewhat painful to watch. You will certainly find yourself complaining loudly at the screen. And yet the action is riveting. Watch this movie, then try to forget it. 5.5/10.
I should have stayed away when I heard some of the interviews about it... but I didn't.
If they had dropped the budget and not taken it so seriously, it actually would have been a fun albeit ridiculous space adventure. It really had all the makings for campy Science Fiction fun. The potential was there.
But, instead, the film took itself too seriously... so seriously that kind of lost the fun element behind it. And it took itself seriously because of the political message attached to it, and unfortunately it's kind of directed towards the "everything has to be political all the time" crowd and they take everything so seriously that nothing can be fun.
But the potential was there. It wasn't dark enough to be Sci-Fi Horror ala Alien... and the plot lends itself to campy Sci-Fi adventure, or at least a Sci-Fi adventure... and even there politics are integral to the plot. Science Fiction is a satire of some element of culture, but it's done in a way that is entertaining.
Had they toned it down a bit, had they not thought they were making Chinatown, it would have been much better.
Instead what you have is pretentious, heavy handed, and boring.
It is hard to write anything positive about Ad Astra but I shall try.: it does look great; the visual effects are unique in their brilliance and application, except, perhaps, for Star Trek, Star Wars, Mars, Starship Troopers, Battlestar Gallactica (you name it! ). The film moves along with the pace of a an elephant trudging through fudge (or something of a similar colour) and by about half an hour in, I found myself considering the cardinal sin of the cinema - looking at my phone for messages I knew I hadn't received since sitting down. As ever with these kind of films, I am grateful that their box office viability helps cinemas to stay afloat in times when many prefer to watch on their televisions at home; but aside from this tangential benefit, this has precious little else to offer. I expect Brad Pitt may skirt over this film in his career retrospective autobiography one day... Drivel!
One of the most emotionally impacting films I've ever seen. With its amazing cinematography and great performances it won me over.
This movie had some decent actors, sadly the story was disappointing and quite slow. This would be a good option for those nights when you just can't fall asleep.
“Ad Astra” is one of the most cerebral sci-fi films I’ve ever seen. The original story from writer / director James Gray gives an intimate look at the emotional toll that comes from being just one man lost among the stars in the vastness of space. It’s like a more existential version of Terrence Malik’s “Tree of Life,” but set in the outer reaches of our galaxy.
Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), an astronaut with nerves of steel, travels to Neptune to find his missing hero astronaut father (Tommy Lee Jones). As part of a top secret mission, Roy begins to unravel a mystery and uncover truths that may threaten the survival of Earth. This may sound like a blockbuster action thriller, but it’s not. Instead, the film is an emotionally complex introspective about a man burdened with the sins of his father.
Pitt gives a stunning, understated performance as a man struggling with the psychological toll of isolation and regret. It’s one of his best to date, and it’s nearly impossible not to have a deep emotional connection as you share his character’s established sadness. The father and son dynamic shapes Roy’s life, and he’s never quite gotten over the abandonment issues he’s felt since he was a child. The scenes where Roy and Cliff finally reunite are brief but come from a heartfelt place of forgiveness that grows with the passage of time. It’s the perfect analysis of our own humanity, as we all continue searching with a blind hope to find our footing in the cosmos.
The film relies heavily on voiceover narration from Roy, something I normally hate because it feels like lazy storytelling. That isn’t the case here. It works well and is a very effective method that complements the director’s vision. In fact, everything about this film is a success, from Max Richter‘s haunting original score to the special effects and striking cinematography (by Hoyte Van Hoytema), tight direction, and detailed sound design. Gray achieves what he’s going for when every element of the film works together as a whole, and it all is executed in a stunning fashion.
“Ad Astra” is highly intelligent and melancholy science fiction that will leave a lasting impression on those who can appreciate its sadness and beauty.
I really did like some moments in this movie. Some of the action was intense. The pacing went from quiet movements focusing on the protagonist internal struggle to intense chaotic external action. This repeated several times throughout the movie. These undulating beats made the movie predictable and unsurprising.
While visually stunning this movie left me feeling disapointed.
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