Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

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Genre : Adventure/Fantasy
Land : USA

Cast :
Kristen Stewart : Snow White
Chris Hemsworth : The Hunter
Charlize Theron : Ravenna

Director :
Rupert Sanders

Summary
Snow White, imprisoned daughter of the late king, escapes just as the Magic Mirror declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen sends her men, led by a local huntsman, to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queen's men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William, learns that she is alive and sets off to save her.

My Opinion

Watching a fairy tale ... duhuh ... and in the end it was something in the nature of "The Lord of the Rings" with 7 funny, combative dwarfs. I thought it was a beautifully executed fantasy story, with a rather Gothic kind of atmosphere and with fun action scenes.

First disappointment : Kristen Stewart isn't such a great actress. The Twilight saga passed me because I hate hypes. I knew her well from Panic Room, but that's no point of reference. 

Get it on Amazon ...

A funny quote I've read on IMDB : "Kristen Stewart is like my refrigerator, no matter what I put in it (milk, soda, eggs, vegetables, meat), it is and it will always be a refrigerator. And so is she." And yes that's true: she shows almost no emotion and I'm convinced she dips her face in starch before walking onto the set.

Second disappointment : I need to see this movie once again but then with subtitles because of these dwarfs with their damn Irish / Scottish accent. It was so difficult to understand.

Anyway, I wasn't bored while watching this entertaining tale.
And I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Het verdict 6/10
Links : IMDB

Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

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Genre : Action
Country : USA

Cast :
Bruce Willis : John McClane
Samuel L. Jackson : Zeus Carver
Jeremy Irons : Simon Gruber

Director :
John McTiernan

Summary
John McClane is now almost a full-blown alcoholic and is suspended from the NYPD. But when a bomb goes off in the Bonwit Teller Department Store the police go insane trying to figure out what's going on. Soon, a man named Simon calls and asks for McClane. Simon tells Inspector Walter Cobb that McClane is going to play a game called "Simon Says". He says that McClane is going to do the tasks he assigns him. If not, he'll blow off another bomb. With the help of a Harlem electrician, John McClane must race all over New York trying to figure out the frustrating puzzles that the crafty terrorist gives him. But when a bomb goes off in a subway station right by the Federal Reserve things start to get heated up.

My opinion

After the unsurpassed parts I and II of the series "Die Hard", this part was released in which McClane needed to be assisted by Samuel L. Jackson, the chameleon of Hollywood. I think he's a class actor as he demonstrates from Pulp Fiction to Django Unchained. Give that man a role, and he makes something epic out of it. Ditto in "Die Hard with a Vengeance". He plays the nervous Zeus, jumping up over and over again when he notices something discriminatory. The chemistry between these two characters was a guarantee for firework in action scenes and dialogues.

I thought "Die Hard with a Vengeance" was far better than part two, both in action as in the humor used. Also Jeremy Irons was a lot better as a villain. There was something psychotic, threatening and unpredictable about him.  The expression on his face changed suddenly from full of anger into a face as if Willis just told a good joke. Masterful.

The game being played to mask the ultimate goal, was brilliant. The action scenes are finger-licking exciting and thrilling.  
 

Unfortunately the next two sections are dreadful. What a disappointment!

My rating 8/10 
Links : IMDB , Moviemeter

Freelancers (2012)

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Genre : Action/Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Robert De Niro : Joe Sarcone
Forest Whitaker : LaRue
50 Cent : Malo

Director :
Jessy Terrero

Summary
The son of a slain NYPD officer joins the force, where he falls in with his father's former partner and a team of rogue cops. His new boss, Sarcone, will see if he has what it takes to be rogue through many trials and tribulations of loyalty, trust and respect. When the truth about his father's death is revealed revenge takes him over and he won't stop until justice has been truly served.

My opinion

Well ... again another police flick with the well known corrupt/dirty cops subject. I thought it was only worth watching because De Niro (playing on auto-pilot) and Whitaker were performing in it. I think Whitaker is a sublime actor.

But despite these class actors this movie is as flat as a bad raised pie and this thanks to the miserable poor performances by 50 Cent. How he ended up in this film I don't know but there is a saying "Every man to his own trade". In other words, 50 Cent stick to your turntables.
It's a film without any depth.

I saw a review on IMDB with this title: "Elvis was a better actor ..."
Indeed

My rating 3/10 
Links : IMDB , Moviemeter

Safe (2012)

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Genre : Action/Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Jason Statham : Luke Wright
Chris Sarandon : Mayor Tremelo
James Hong : Han Jiao
Catherine Chan : Mei

Regisseur :
Boaz Yakin

Summary
In China, the girl Mei is a genius that looks like a computer in numbers. She is abducted by the Chinese Triads and the boss Han Jiao ends Mei to Chinatown, in New York, to help him in the control of his activities. Meanwhile, the fighter Luke Wright has his life destroyed when he wins a fight against the will of the Russian Mafia and accidentally kills his opponent. The Russian mobsters kill his wife and the alcoholic Luke wanders on the streets and hostels with no objective in life. One day, Han Jiao asks Mei to memorize a long number and soon the Russian Mafia abducts the girl from the Chinese mobs. She escapes from the mobsters she is chased by the Russians; by the corrupt detectives from the NYPD; and by the Triads. When Luke sees the girl fleeing from the Russian mobs in the subway, he protects the girl and discovers that the number she had memorized is the combination of a safe where the Triads keep 30 million dollars.

My opinion

A good Statham movie is always welcome ...
Simple story ...
Tight action scenes ...
Cool dialogues ....
And a ice-cold looking Statham ....

What more do you need for an entertaining movienight ?
It shouldn't always be a smart, thoughtful, highly intellectual put together film, huh.

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB , Moviemeter

Die Hard 2 (1990)

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Genre : Action
Country : USA

Cast :
Bruce Willis : John McClane
Bonnie Bedelia : Holly McClane
William Atherton : Richard Thornburg

Director :
Renny Harlin

Summary
After the terrifying events in LA, John McClane is about to go through it all again. A team of terrorists, led by Col. Stuart is holding the entire airport hostage. The terrorists are planning to rescue a drug lord from justice. In order to do so, they have seized control of all electrical equipment affecting all planes. With no runway lights available, all aircraft have to remain in the air, with fuel running low, McClane will need to be fast.

My opinion

Follow-up of THE action movie from the 80's, "Die Hard", and this time it's located at an airport. Personally I think this is the least of the three parts due to the absence of tension and because the villain, played by William Sadler, doesn't look so evil. Just a soldier on the wrong path, who performs the entire operation with military precision. No room for improvisation.
John Amos as Major Grant, the defector, was an excellent supporting act. I knew him from "Coming to America", and was pleasantly surprised to see him here as a bulldog of a military.

Bruce Willis seemed to be super excited to play McClane again. Again he was there with his cool "you-can-kiss-my-butt-asshole" attitude and his dry, cynical humor with great one-liners as a result, such as :
-Hey, Carmine, let me ask you something. What sets off the metal detectors first? The lead in your ass or the shit in your brains?
-Oh man, I can't fucking believe this. Another basement, another elevator. How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?
- Grant: Too bad, McClane. I kind of liked you.
John McClane: I got enough friends.

The only downside to this film was the slightly less sense of tension. It's not a movie that puts you on the edge of your seat, like the first one did. But without a doubt, a worthy action-rich successor of "Die Hard" !


My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

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Genre : Adventure/Fantasy/Action
Country : USA

Cast :
Jason Momoa : Conan
Rachel Nichols : Tamara
Ron Perlman : Corin

Director :
Marcus Nispel

Summary
A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.

My opinion
Long time ago I saw the original movie with Arnie. Well Arnold is still Conan, but that doesn't mean I thought this was worthless. A simple storyline and acting isn't really necessary as long as there's the necessary slaughtering going on in it ... and there was plenty of it here.

I certainly didn't fall asleep. That's for sure.

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB , Moviemeter

The Cold Light of Day (2012)

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Genre : Action/Thriller
Country : USA/Spain

Cast :
Henry Cavill : Will
Bruce Willis : Martin
Sigourney Weaver : Jean Carrack

Director :
Mabrouk El Mechri

Summary
After his family is kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, a young Wall Street trader is confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase.

My opinion

This was only a faint imitation of "The Bourne" trilogy. An action movie that doesn't stand out among the thousands of other action movies. And casting wellknown names such as Willes and Weaver won't make it a big hit anyway. Besides, they only had a minor roll. What bothered me immensely was the inappropriately appearances of huge advertising of brands ... it looked like a stretched commercial after a while.

My rating 2/10
Links : IMDB

Die Hard (1988)

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Genre : Action
Country : USA

Cast :
Bruce Willis : John McClane
Alan Rickman : Hans Gruber
Bonnie Bedelia : Holly McClane

Director :
John McTiernan

Summary
New York City Detective John McClane has just arrived in Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his wife. Unfortunatly, it is not going to be a Merry Christmas for everyone. A group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber is holding everyone in the Nakatomi Plaza building hostage. With no way of anyone getting in or out, it's up to McClane to stop them all.

My opinion

"Nine million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister." 

Well, what else can I say besides that this is "THE" (can't stress it more) action movie from the 80's with a young Bruce Willis. Personally, I dont even know how many times I've seen this movie. "Die Hard" remains an example for all action movies that followed. At that time you had the Sly and Arnie action movies. But these were more a performance of brutal violence, with big muscles and a sense of invincibility. Bruce showed a clever, shrewd, caustic action hero, who can take a beating, but on the other hand shows that he's not completely invincible.

Of course, the action in films nowadays is much bigger, more impressive and mind-blowing, but the strength of this film is the story, the accumulated tension, lightness and the dry humor of Bruce Willis. From the first minute he takes you in his grip, and he won't let loose. You can see him slowly evolve from a wrinkle-free clean-shaven top cop into a reasonable damaged hero. This pattern keeps coming back in the next two parts, which are also top movies of the same caliber.

You'll notice this is already an old movie because for instance lighting a cigarette in a public place isn't prohibited.  But how the action scenes are imaged, is still top-work and should be the aim for many action flicks.

I think the sudden confrontation between Gruber and McClane is one of the strongest scenes in this film, along with the well known "Yippie-kay-yee" cry. Trademark of Willis. The fact he likes the character of McClane a lot, you see clearly in "The Last boyscout". In that movie he plays an impoverished detective with the same coolness and cynical, dry humor as McClane. Too bad that in the last two Die Hard movies, McClane is only a shadow of himself like in the original movie.

"Die Hard" is one of those rarities in movie land, which you can watch without thinking "Pfft Again this movie". It remains, for me, an enjoyment to watch.

My rating 9/10
Links : IMDB