Year: 2010
Genre: Horror
Director: Adam Wingard
Plot: A serial killer escapes from prison and hunts for his ex-girlfriend, who is trying to rebuild her life.
The gist: I understand the need for indie filmmakers to come up with something different in style and mood to set themselves apart from everyone else, thus justifying the different methods they use, from camerawork to writing and scene setups and so forth.
That being said, A Horrible Way To Die simply did not get it right. If alternately disorienting and boring the audience is an indie method of doing things, I'd rather watch something more straightforward with the time I would have saved from seeing all that.
This film basically focuses on two people, Garrick the killer and Sarah, his ex-girlfriend. Garrick has just escaped from prison and is on the move towards her, just as she's trying to get her life back together with the help of a guy she meets at AA meetings. The film alternates between the two characters plus some flashback sequences before he was caught, when they were still together.
While I can't argue with the fact that Adam Wingard went to great lengths to establish his leads and is decent enough at that, his pacing is way off and there is zero excitement or thrills, even when he hits the big twist at the end.
The good: The twist was actually good because I didn't expect it, but it gets followed up by another (I'll mention this in a bit). Acting is decent at least.
The bad: The second twist made zero sense to me, it simply did not add up. Camerawork was awful, supposedly to create a dark mood but only ended up making me dizzy. Pace was snail level slow.
Verdict: Even indie filmmakers need to make an effort to bring the right kind of reaction to the audience based on the genre they're going for. This one failed in so many ways. Avoid. (2/5)
Year: 2013
Genre: Horror
Director: John Luessenhop
Plot: A young girl learns she has inherited a large mansion in Texas and decides to go there with her friends, not knowing she has also inherited a chainsaw wielding killer with it.
The gist: I never saw the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film or the many remakes following it. So I'll judge this based on its own merits as a horror flick.
Texas Chainsaw 3D is pretty much a by-the-numbers horror film in every way. Pretty damsel in distress? Check. Horny woman who shows lots of skin? Check. Inept law enforcement officers? Check. Good guys who aren't what they seem? Check. Characters making stupid decisions? Check. Bloody kills? Check that one too.
I've seen quite a number of slasher type horror films, and nothing in this particular one makes it even remotely outstanding compared to those. Worse off, towards the end, it turns out that there are more despicable people in the story than poor Leatherface. Boo hoo.
The good: Alexandra Daddario at the very least makes good eye candy, even with her clothes on.
The bad: Plenty of lapses of logic, even though it's not uncommon in horror films. Like for example, some people choose the worst places to run or hide from a monster, like an open grave. And what kind of policeman would enter a house where the killer is with no backup? And the above mentioned textbook elements.
Verdict: Skip this and go watch some horror flicks with genuine scares, of which there are plenty. (2/5)
Year: 2013
Genre: Action comedy
Director: Robert Schwentke
Plot: A cop betrayed and killed by his partner is recruited by the undead police force, where he is paired up with a 19th century US Marshal.
The gist: As it turns out, RIPD is a lot like Men In Black, only not as funny. The similarities are obvious: veteran and newbie paired up together, they don't get along, they fight supernatural stuff, lots of crazy hijinks ensue, the works.
On paper, this idea might not seem so bad, even if it's not entirely original. The problem is, it never breaks the average barrier. The script, direction, comic timing, action and plot are all average or lower, and the CGI is barely decent.
The saving grace is Ryan Reynolds, who at least plays it straight enough for us to root for him till the end.
The good: As mentioned, Ryan Reynolds. Stephanie Szostak is easy on the eyes as Reynolds' character's wife. Kevin Bacon does a decent enough job as the villain, but he deserves better.
The bad: Jeff Bridges is basically playing Rooster Cogburn all over again, only with a more exaggerated accent. I could barely understand a word he said. Mary Louise Parker simply isn't funny, period. She shouldn't even be here. Everything else they tried to do, MIB can do better. And I'm not even an MIB fan.
Verdict: It's not bottom barrel bad, but you can do better things with your time than watch this. (2.5/5)
Year: 2013
Genre: Thriller
Director: Kasper Barfoed
Plot: A burnt out CIA agent must protect a CIA broadcast station and its operator from outside forces who attempt to breach the station.
The gist: After watching this, one can't help but feel that John Cusack is going the same route Nicolas Cage is, as in taking smaller, low profile projects which will probably end up on DVD only.
That's not to say The Numbers Station is bad, in fact it's decent. However the quality of the film is obviously low, looking almost like the entire thing was shot on a shoestring budget and in less than a month.
Cusack plays Emerson, a burnt out CIA operative who botched a mission and is sent to guard a remote CIA broadcast station and the civilian operative who broadcasts the numbers from there every day. Things get hairy when unauthorised people try to break in and use the station for themselves. Then Emerson, who is in this situation because of a conscience problem, now has to decide again whether to follow orders, or follow his heart.
Director Kasper Barfoed wisely uses the most fascinating tool about his film well, which is the idea of broadcasting numbers to agents through the station. This isn't something viewers are used to, at least not for me, so I liked the creativity. However the rest of the plot seems pedestrian and predictable, unfortunately.
The good: Cusack makes decent chemistry with Malin Akerman's civilian broadcaster character. He plays the burnt out agent well, though you can't help but sense he deserves better roles than this. Akerman's fine, but she does get occasionally annoying trying to get through to Emerson. The idea of using number codes to send out assignments is, as I said, intriguing.
The bad: The feel overall is bland. There are just a few minor shootouts and a couple of decent explosions. If you're looking for an edge of the seat thriller, this is not it.
Verdict: A decent thriller that relies on breaking codes more than busting heads. Just barely over average. (3/5)
Year: 2012
Genre: Cop thriller
Director: Nick Love
Plot: The film focuses on The Sweeney, a group of armed elite cops tasked to fight crime with any means necessary.
The gist: I hadn't seen the 70s UK TV show that this film is based on, but watching this does remind me of The Shield, a US cop show a lot like this one, except those cops were mostly dirty.
The plot involves Jack Regan, head of the squad who tries to solve a robbery-murder, only to get into trouble with Internal Affairs over his methods. When someone in his squad gets killed, Regan gets suspended, and he has to break a few rules to bust the case.
I like the gritty approach that director Nick Love applied for this film. These guys are tough cops and make no excuses for their actions, and Love has no problems showing what they have to do to catch the bad guys. He also spends some time painting the guys in a normal light, showing that they're regular folk who enjoy what they do, but at the end of the day, they're just people trying to make ends meet.
The good: Ray Winstone is tailor made for the lead role, there are very few guys who can cuss and kick ass like him. Ben Drew deserves plenty of credit as Carter, Regan's second in command, who shows lots of guts when he has to. The action sequences, which include long shootouts and a couple of car chases, are well filmed. They're made to look gritty and not flashy, which works for the film.
The bad: A better representation of the team would have been nice. The other members should have gotten more time for character development. The plot itself isn't much, it's just another case for the team, the kind of case that barely qualifies as a reason to make a movie with.
Verdict: A solid cop thriller, despite the flaws, and it's rare to see one set in London. (3.5/5)
Year: 2003
Genre: Action
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Plot: When a sacred Buddha statue's head is stolen from a village temple, a village youth named Ting volunteers to travel to the city and get it back.
The gist: Before there was The Raid, there was Ong Bak. Thai action star Tony Jaa made waves with this first film in the Ong Bak series, featuring the Muay Thai fighting style in all its glory.
Director Prachya Pinkaew and co-writer Panna Rittikrai (who passed away recently) who also served as stunt coordinator, have come up with an action masterpiece which stands the test of time.
While the story isn't really strong and Jaa's acting isn't too solid, it's not a big deal as Jaa easily wins the audience's support by playing the country bumpkin who is forced to go into the underworld of Bangkok, a world he is unfamiliar with, and fight his way to the Buddha head he has to retrieve.
Credit goes to the film crew and stunt guys who make all the action pieces stand out. Notably, Jaa did all his own stunts.
The good: All the fight sequences were great and well choreographed. Even the chase sequence involving tuk tuk cars was well executed. Petchtai Wongkamlao plays Ting's ally George with enough humor to make him quite likable.
The bad: There is a slight overusage of slow motion and instant replays during the action sequences. But it's not a big deal.
Verdict: One of the best action flicks out there. Recommended. (4/5)
Year: 2013
Genre: Animation
Director: David Soren
Plot: A snail gains speed powers after a freak accident, enabling him to perhaps realise his dream of winning the Indy 500.
The gist: The story of the underdog overcoming impossible odds is nothing new, but it is one of the most satisfying ones out there, despite its predictability.
In this case, a snail named Theo wants to be fast, like his hero Guy Gagne, the Indy 500 racer. He keeps dreaming about it despite being told by his brother Chet to face reality. One night, he gets sucked into a drag car's engine and gets a dose of nitrous oxide, and a lightning fast snail is born. Along the way, he meets Tito, a guy who sells tacos and races snails on the side, and like him, wants to have a dream his brother doesn't believe in.
Overall the story is as predictable as it gets, but it never really gets old. The characters are at least likable even though the dialogue isn't as sharp as it should be. The kids will love this more than the adults, I think.
The good: The animation is pretty good, though the snails look better than the humans. The final race sequence was nicely set up, especially since it involves a snail racing against huge race cars.
The bad: Even as an animated film, the idea of a snail racing with cars can be a bit hard to swallow, even more than toys that talk. The jokes also don't always hit the mark.
Verdict: As a film it's not too bad. It's light entertainment at best, just don't expect Pixar level stuff. (3/5)
