lamps

There’s no comparison with Eco's amazing novel – if some foolish filmmaker decided to quote the famous book in all its plot levels, from the epic one embracing the detective plot and the investigation of the murders in the abbey to the philosophical one, where the characters talk at length about the basic theological issues of the time, and retain the overall structure, atmosphere and historical value of the story, the project would have to be stretched into at least a seven-part series, with each episode easily exceeding 90 minutes. Instead of that, Annaud very cleverly forged his own path through the dirty, unwelcoming and fog-shrouded abbey, highlighting the importance of the detective storyline, which was just one of many in the novel, and cleverly amplifying the significance of the character of the fanatical inquisitor Bernard Gui, who becomes the most sinister villain and poses a tangible, physical danger to the "medieval Sherlock" William of Baskerville. The narrative is gripping and the script fulfils its purpose within its stated aim: to present the audience with an image of a typical medieval abbey, to trap the villain using the intellect of the central duo, to highlight the role of love in the midst of religious fanaticism and to punish and show the monstrosity and inhumanity of the church tyrants of the time. The story retains its compactness and atmosphere, and is also favourable to the proponents of the book's premise, as it is not literal in its secondary motifs and relies precisely on the familiarity and insight of the viewer. There is no need to talk about the brilliant cinematography, capable of inducing vertigo with circular raids on the abbey or, on the contrary, claustrophobic feelings just by creeping movement inside the labyrinth, as well as about the absolutely fabulous cast, from the charismatic Connery to the truly diabolical Abraham to the delectable and funny creation of Ron Perlman... I greatly respect and admire Umberto Eco's book, but I absolutely love this film... 100%

So, this is carnage, total carnage and nothing but carnage. I didn't have quite the fun I was expecting from some of the reviews, but I can say for sure that if there are any films that can be described as exceptional, unforgettable or unrepeatable, one of them is the disgusting, but in its own way terribly charming and captivating Braindead. Peter Jackson wasn't afraid of anything at the beginning of his career, and where other horror directors would put the brakes on and tease the viewer's imagination, he, on the contrary, stomps on the gas with all his might, perhaps teasing the viewer's stomach juices. His Braindead is simply an indescribable spectacle, with a well-developed humorous side, which, combined with a likeable main character, runs like clockwork from the beginning, and with an absolutely incredible last act that completely rewrote the history of all brutal and bloody films and raised the bar to an unsurpassed level in this respect. Blood spurts, limbs fly and ribcages are torn from bodies, but the viewer laughs, laughs and keeps laughing... How does Jackson do it? 4.5*

The opening is great and the bridge collapse is technically and cinematically perfect. However, I'm amazed that the filmmakers have already embarked on a fifth sequel with the same premise, because this part copies the first one literally scene by scene. The premonition, the escape from death, the funeral, the precisely lined up deaths, the rescue of the protagonists and finally the well-executed final scene, which I had long anticipated. In addition, unlike the first part, the story is now too routine, the deaths are overly contrived, and it lacks the true horror edge and surprise that director Wang could have relied on ten years ago. Final Destination 5 is not a bad horror film and still holds a pretty decent position in the vast crowd of teen murder mysteries, but I wouldn't think of recommending it to my friends. 60%

The awfully naive script has a lot of feeling, and I couldn't help grinning bitterly at the happy ending, but what does it matter when Knoxville, Scott and their souped-up General Lee have the gas pedal pressed firmly to the floor at all times, stopping only by a room full of undressed university students? I had a great time, the chases were great and Jessica Simpson needs no comment...

An uninteresting horror B-movie that wastes a good premise in the most reprehensible way. Just the mention of Nazi experiments sends a chill down my spine while I imagine the most depraved and cruel of human actions, but Steve Barker, despite having a story with an interesting idea and a clearly stated goal, failed to put half as much of a horror face on the material as I would have expected. The first two acts are uninteresting and tedious, but at least they keep the viewer's attention thanks to the growing anticipation towards the key twist, which is spiced up by a few interesting deaths and one surviving “guinea pig". But as bored as I was throughout the film, I found the ending utterly annoying and watching the mindless shooting of an army of immortal soldiers was a major screw-up from Barker after the carefully constructed atmosphere. Disappointing, with the exception of Brett's pretty good score there really isn't much worth mentioning.

What does it matter that the visuals are so charming and interesting when, story-wise, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is an utterly weak spectacle that, after a promising first half hour, gradually lost my sympathy until it stopped at the freezing point? At least the stars are visibly enjoying their participation, although I would be a thousand times happier if none of them had to help Terry Gilliam and Heath Ledger was still among us. More or less only for him, for Johnny Depp and for Jude Law I give the two stars (I don't mention Farrell, because I couldn't watch that long)...

A lot crazier than the first two. There are more crazy gags, crazy situations and references to Hollywood films, which are mostly really good (the opening parody of The Untouchables is awesome). What remains, however, is the determined Lieutenant Leslie Nielsen, a.k.a. Frank Drebin, who once again belts out one catchphrase after another, showing that there was no better comedian in American cinema in the 1990s. Peter Segal has a different style than David Zucker, and the goofiness of the main characters is probably more purposeful and important than ever before, but if any director could make a threequel to two legendary comedies of this quality, I certainly wouldn't complain. 4.5*

What more could you ask for than a smiling Mila Kunis, whose beautiful eyes could disarm Rambo in the middle of a Vietnamese siege? Director Gluck had a very easy job this time, and I really enjoyed this otherwise quite routine and uncommitted romantic comedy. 80%

A cool and watchable fantasy snack. The great visual and sound effects, the captivating sets and an interesting alien setting greatly support a slightly routine story that can no longer be taken seriously these days. Taylor Kitsch is ok, but Jake Gyllenhaal could have been better. Otherwise, I can’t complain. the two hours passed like water, Lynn Collins has beautiful eyes, and John Carter boldly aspires to be not only the best popcorn movie of the year, but also the most visually enchanting spectacle since the lush and magical Prince of Persia. 75%

A proper action flick, perhaps even more raucous and explosive than Bay's oft-mentioned The Rock. And the biggest credit goes to the actors, who fit their roles to perfection. The creepy and cold-blooded villains Malkovich, Rhames, Trejo and Buscemi, the dashing agent John Cusack and the long-haired marine Nicolas Cage, they all thoroughly enjoy the hijacking of the plane and, most importantly, they don't spare any insight or dry humour. Simon West's overall approach is very easygoing, which makes all the exaggerated action set-piece at the end, with that almost lethal final quarter of an hour seem much more natural and entertaining than if the characters had been deadly serious the whole time and ignored the excited fans with popcorn bags in their hands. If it weren't for the explosive visit to Las Vegas, I'd give it a full rating; Malkovich aiming for the stuffed rabbit at least is downright calling for it... 80%