EvilPhoEniX

Netflix and J.A. Bayona deliver a reconstruction of the famous story of the plane crash with a rugby team in 1972, and although Alive is good, this more modern package suits it even better. Those who haven't seen the original will enjoy the film even more, but for those who don't remember it like I do, this remake is not harmful. Bayona is an expert on disasters, as he already proved in The Impossible, and the plane crash is brilliantly captured. Unpleasant, realistic, and brutal (that bone-breaking scene was epic, I had to watch it three times), the characters are likable; you will root for them, as the frost, hunger, and hopelessness mercilessly engulf you, which is an important element. I was hoping that cannibalism would be more developed (I hoped they would show some butchering, but that would be entering a different genre). The scene with the avalanche is also good, and despite its longer running time, the film quickly passed by, even though nothing significant or fun happens. Netflix delivered a decent, chilling survival flick right from the start, which will please fans of the genre. The story remains powerful even after all these years. 75%

James Wan is wasted with this digital crap. He needs either another horror movie or some action-packed smash, this film could have been directed by anyone else and the result would be the same - average. The first one was really cool, this is a bit of recycling, but at the same time without any added value. The humour doesn't work either, why the hell do we have the same villain and not someone new? I would have liked a horror and atmospheric sequence like from the first one (the with those creatures like from Alien – It's a shame that the spin-off with them was cancelled). The supporting characters don't have much space, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, and Dolph Lundgren are appear briefly, and although there’s one action scene after another, none of them really blow your mind. When I think back to that epic monstrous fight from the first one, the finale here is quite intimate, which is a big minus for me. The sound in Theatre Deluxe is great, there was something to watch, so I’m not pissed off, it's better than The Marvels, Ant-Man 3, and Blue Beetle, but still it isn't anything special. Comic books films are going in the wrong direction. 6/10.

After a long time, Nicolas Cage stars in something that is not in entertaining or a crazy B-movie, but a serious drama from the A24 studio, and is probably something few people expected. Dream Scenario has a very original thought-provoking concept. The main character starts appearing in people's dreams out of nowhere and becomes a viral phenomenon. As a professor, he desired fame and attention, so he is happy about it. But then he starts appearing to people in nightmares and Cage becomes hated by society. It is a pretty scary idea that something he is not responsible for could ruin his life. This is all fine, just a shame that there were very few of those dream sequences themselves (which are quite good), they could have taken up more time. I didn't find it funny at all, so I don't understand the comedy classification. Cage plays naturally, and since he is a professor, he has intelligent dialogues. It's a shame that in the end, when there could have been a significant twist, nothing happens, it just fizzles out. It is an interesting film that deserves attention, but I could imagine it being more audience-friendly. I would rate it between 3-4 stars, but this time I lean towards three. 65%

Action martial arts historical romp! I have been waiting for this film for over a year and finally got a proper blue ray version, and it is an amazing martial arts ride as expected. It is quite close to Rurouni Kenshin and the Korean The Swordsman, although the story here serves only as a sauce for the fights, which doesn't matter at all because I always appreciate honest craftsmanship and proper choreography. The protagonist is a blind swordsman and bounty hunter who is collecting money for his eye operation and decides to bring justice to a city that has suffered a tragedy. A groom has been brutally murdered and the bride brutally attacked. Revenge in this case means a pile of dead bodies and a lot of broken bones. Right from the opening fight in the rain, where the protagonist brutally mows down a gang of bastards, but in such a way that it hurt even me and it literally shot me off the couch, which hasn't happened in a long time. The film has beautiful visuals, and considering the low-budget film, they took my breath away in some places. Most of the fractures are even in slow motion, so you really get to enjoy every move and hit, and thanks to the highly developed choreography, believe me, there is something to watch. The protagonist uses about three different fighting styles, and although he is blind, he is the ultimate killing machine with no competition. He also has two strong opponents, a woman and a jumping lunatic with hooks, and the fights with them are worth it. The film is only 75 minutes long, so it doesn't have time to captivate with the plot, and you mostly just waits for the fight sequences, but it's still fantastic. If you like martial arts stuff, don't hesitate! It's a shame that the film was not two hours long and did not deliver more. 8/10.

I enjoyed the first episode more unfortunately. It's very nicely shot (the cinematography is breathtaking), the actors play perfectly, and there is less action, but when it comes to it is again very good. However, since I didn't remember the first part much, I got lost in the plot, it seemed to me too convoluted and because of that, I couldn't fully immerse myself in the film. Maybe I'll give it a second chance when it comes out online, but I just don't feel like giving it 4 stars, even it meets the parameters of a 4-star film. 6/10.

An excellent historical drama that grabs you by the balls. Mads Mikkelsen should ditch Hollywood, because there it's one misstep after another for him, but once he's in his native Denmark, it's usually a decent blast, and Bastard excels right out of the gate. The story focuses on Ludvig Kahlen, a man who has worked his way up from gardener to captain, and his dream is to build a colony in the inhospitable surroundings of the moors, with the coveted title of nobility as a reward when he achieves his goal. But he soon makes enemies. Nearby lives Frederik de Schinkel, a ruthless, arrogant lord who believes that this land belongs to him and not to the king, and gives Ludvig a hard time on more than one occasion. The first half is a bit of a getting-to-know-you kind of movie, but thanks to an attractive premise and great actors, the film holds your attention very well. Once the film switches to the second half, some very interesting things start to happen. The atmosphere, cruelty and barbarism of the time is captured very believably. Mikkelsen has to make a lot of tough decisions and overcome a lot of difficult obstacles to achieve his goal. There's one scene reminiscent of Sophie's Choice that decently manages to mine the emotions out of the viewer, and then there's one surprise after another, and a delightful little stealth action sequence. The film is so good that it gets by without battles and that's saying something, especially for for me. 85%

Michael Mann returns after a long time with the stiffing biopic Ferrari, and it's fine, although more was expected. It seems to me that all the big directors, except for Nolan, have disappointed and failed to fully realize their potential this year. Those who expect another Ford vs Ferrari, Rush, or Gran Turismo from Ferrari will be slightly disappointed because the you won't get to enjoy many races. Even the final race lacks drive, tension, and atmosphere. Mainly, I didn't understand the rules, so it doesn't give you proper satisfaction, and the fact that the racers themselves are uninteresting and the rivalry with Maserati could and should have been tangible and impactful is also to blame, but when I consider that Michael Mann mainly wanted to shoot a film about Enzo Ferrari and his personal life and problems, and the race itself is just there, so to speak, I'm fine with it. Because when it comes to acting, it's top-notch quality. Adam Driver is excellent, I liked the dialogues and his performance, he's just an interesting personality. Penelope Cruz also skillfully supports him, portraying a pissed-off woman perfectly. These interactions between them are nicely intense. The retro visuals and the atmosphere of post-war Italy are also well done. Surprisingly, Mann manages to keep the viewer's attention and I wasn't bored, which is rare for these kinds of films. In conclusion, I have to highlight one shocking scene that shook every viewer in the audience! There is one uncompromising and brutal scene that even includes gore! Severed limbs, intestines, split bodies, I really didn't expect that in such a film, so a big PLUS! If Mann had captivated me with the final race and there had been a business meeting with Fiat, which seemed attractive (too bad there wasn't enough time for it), maybe I would consider giving it a full rating, but like this, it has to settle for a pleasant four out of five. 75%

I was looking forward to a proper catastrophe blockbuster with Souoth Korea’s biggest star Lee Byung-hun, but I got an uninteresting and dull utopian drama that made me suffer from boredom. The earthquake disaster itself takes up less than five minutes in the film, the rest of it focuses on a group of survivors in an apartment complex dealing with uninteresting stuff. If anything, I was hoping it would veer into dark survival mode, but not even that. For me the worst South Korean film of the year. 3/10.

Xavier Gens (Frontier(s), The Divide, Gangs of London) directs an action flick in the vein of Gareth Evans and Tim Tjahjant, and I can say that it's a pretty good sibling to The Raid and The Night Comes for Us, and although it doesn't reach their qualities, it's a superior work by European standards. The protagonist is an Arab model who has been released from prison, only to be immediately followed by the wrong people and left with no choice but to go as far away as possible – to Thailand. He wants to live peacefully, start a family and find a nice job, but soon he gets involved with Thai drug dealers and has to dust off his fists and kicks. The story is nothing groundbreaking, but nobody hopes for that either, what's important is that the main character is a likeable guy you can root for, the pacing is awesome, and there is an uncomfortable atmosphere in the air from the opening. The film grabbed me by the balls immediately and entertained me even during the non-action passages, which is pretty damn important. The action is good, the cinematography is fine, the fights are properly rough and uncompromising, properly R-rated (they use knives and machetes and I always have a soft spot for that). There's a sense of toughness and physicality, so I enjoyed it like old times. What is a bit of a minus is that there is no proper fighter among the villains to match the main character. All of them are more like pawns to be defeated than regular opponents, so we are deprived of a final fight with the main rival, as usual in similar movies, which is a bit of a pity. Apart from that, I don't see any significant issues, it's a fine flick that will please fans of brutal action. 8/10.

Jung Woo-sung is one of my favorites, so I was curious about his debut. He probably wanted to emulate his colleague Lee Jung-jae, who debuted with Hunt, where they faced each other, but his colleague won. It's not a bad film, there are some good moments, but the it has no real zest and the action is not one of the highlights. The protagonist is released after from prison after ten years, learns that he has a daughter and doesn't want to go back to his previous life as a gangster, he wants to live peacefully, but a jealous henchman from his former boss hires a pair of hit-men to take him out. I didn't like one of the assassins very much, he's a loudmouth dork who has some skill but his behaviour is too over-the-top, and I'm a bit disappointed that the whole film is mainly just about the duel between the main character and those two, it would be much more interesting if the protagonist went up against the whole criminal organisation, there were some interesting cronies. There is one decent fight in the finale and a good car chase in a tunnel, even so I can't shake the feeling that the potential was much higher. 6/10.