Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
So, after Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we have Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. I enjoyed Rise, but apart from the motion capture and the action, Dawn is really a step down in my opinion. I wanted to like it more. It’s just dull and gloomy, and not in a good way. The acting is ok, but it just all seems average. If it weren’t for the visual effects, this movie would be a straight to DVD B movie sequel. It’s ok if you enjoy these movies, but don’t get too hyped.
The Age of Shadows
This film is based on a true story from 1923 where Hwang-Ok blew up police headquarters.
I wasn’t aware of this story, but I enjoyed this film. It is a bit long, over two hours, but it kept me interested. The story moved along well, and there were scenes of bombastic (pardon the pun) action. The acting was good, and overall, I would recommend this film.
Thanks again to Soda Pictures for providing a copy for me to review.
The Age of Shadows is out on DVD and Blu-ray.
Wild Child
This is a teen comedy, which I didn’t think I’d like, but came to do just that. Sure, it’s corny and pretty predictable, but it was entertaining. The acting is good, and I didn’t feel bored at all. Normally I don’t like romance, but in this, it didn’t bother me. The romance in this is a bit over sentimental, but there’s not a lot of it, and the film as a whole doesn’t dedicate its whole runtime to it. All in all, if you just want a fun, light-hearted watch, then you could do worse than this.
Sweet Dreams
This Italian film is about a boy, whose mother one day dies mysteriously. We then follow him into his teenage years and adulthood, where his mother’s memory still follows him.
This is a sweet and sentimental film, which brings a tear to your eye. It doesn’t feel forced at all. It’s just a leisurely told story which grows on you. It’s also very well directed, the actors are amazing, and, in my opinion, some of them should be up for awards. An award should also go to the director and cinematographer.
The only negative thing about this film is that the running time is a bit over long, just a bit. But then again, it is a leisurely film.
I really enjoyed this film. It is a really heartfelt film, written with the same compassion that infuses Massimo’s (the protagonist) journalistic work.
I would highly recommend this film.
Thank you very much to Soda Pictures for giving me a copy to review.
Sweet Dreams is out on DVD.
Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2
I watched this movie, the sequel to the Lena Headey starring slasher horror, and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a graphically gory as the first Laid to Rest, but it did feel like the makers just wanted an excuse to show gore, and rake in the late night audience. Which isn’t bad, because it does what this movie intends to do; it sets out to gather that audience. After all, what do you want going into this movie? Well, you get it in heaps. The effects are really well done, I have to say. Well done to the visual effects team on this movie. So, if you want near straight up gore, then this film is for you. I can’t say that it’s Oscar material, but why does it have to be. Ok, the acting’s not great, but when a film steps out and wants to show mainly one thing: in this case gore, and it does that well, I can’t fault it for that, because it’s done what it wants to do. It’s like if romantic films didn’t have any romance or the romance wasn’t done well. If the horror hadn’t been there in this horror film, it wouldn’t work. I would recommend this if you enjoyed the first one, or if you want to see a good horror film.
Toni Erdmann
This is a father-daughter relationship film.
I have to say, at first I felt detached from the characters and was lost with all the business side of it, but gradually (read: very slowly) I came to like the characters more and became more attached to them. It’s fair to say that this film is a slow-burner, and it does go on for two and a half hours, so it is big.
It’s a well-made and nicely acted film and it did keep my interest, although I didn’t really follow the business plot as well as the father-daughter relationship.
It’s a good film, I would recommend it. It has its surreal moments of bizarre comedy, but above all it’s a sentimental film. I didn’t feel that they forced the sentiment down the viewer’s throat, but it was organic with the story, which I liked.
All in all it’s a good film.
Thank you to Soda Pictures for giving me a copy to review.
Toni Erdmann is available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Ibiza Undead
A group of friends go on holiday to Ibiza, where they intend to party hard. However, a nightclub owner is running a business, using zombies as dancers and entertainment. It’s safe to say, that it gets a little bit out of hand, literally.
I am a fan of zombie movies, and I have to say, going into this I didn’t have any expectations. I was neutral. I knew from that title that there would be gore and people dancing. I got that. However, I was a bit unaware at how the infection started. But that’s a minor thing because what zombie fans want is gore. This had a lot more gore than I thought it would. The effects were mostly done well, except for some wobbly arm sawing and a face of a particular zombie.
If you are a person who goes clubbing you’ll like this film. It has that clubbing vibe, and I liked the vibrant colours which went with that feeling of partying in a club. I did laugh - it’s not laugh out loud funny, but it’s still funny. I also liked the chemistry of the actors, they worked well together.
I have to say, by the end I wanted to spend more time with these characters.
All in all, I really enjoyed this film. It’s got everything a film with that title would make you expect to have. It’s a fun film, which I would recommend.
Ibiza Undead is out now.