EvilPhoEniX

The anticipated new release is out and even though much more could have been made of the excellent premise, a cautious thumbs up nonetheless. The first trailers for The Belko Experiment were very enticing and the film has thus ranked among the most anticipated things of this year. It’s clear: an enclosed building with 80 employees tasked with killing each other (friend-to-friend) is more than attractive stuff for a horror film, too bad they didn't have the courage to push the envelope more. Yes probably the most heads in the history of movies explode here at once, some of the employees turn out to be proper bastards (Tony Goldwyn rules the roost and his selective choice of who should survive and who shouldn't is one of the film's strongest moments). I was a bit disappointed that the executions, though quite ruthless, were mostly shootings, as a horror fan, especially of violence, I would have expected more play with axes, knives or other tools. The ending, although expected, was still a surprise and if there is ever a sequel I will be looking out for it. 70%.

A nice lively theme and decent animation, but not much humour, so for me it's rather an average fairy tale. Children will definitely enjoy it 100%. 65%.

Gore Verbinski is going back to horror, the genre that made him famous (The Ring), after spending some time with blockbusters (Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lone Ranger) and his new film is one of the biggest surprises for me this year. A Cure for Wellness has a very attractive theme set in a sanatorium in the beautiful Swiss Alps, an aspiring protagonist, Dan de Haan, who, although rather unlikeable, gave a solid performance, and intelligent dialogue, excellent camerawork – you can see that Verbinsky is more or less into unconventional camera shots, the crash with a deer is one of the best car and animal collisions ever filmed. Overall, there are very solidly directed horror scenes that will please any fan. Nothing is pretty to look at, but at the same time I got goosebumps and was fascinated. For some, the the two and a half hour running time may be a drawback, but for me it was a very entertaining affair that kept me on my toes throughout. A great mystery satisfaction that will be one of the best this year. In terms of visuals, A Cure for Wellness is perhaps one of the best made mystery horror dramas I've ever had the opportunity to see. 85%.

While Korea and Hong Kong have been pretty stagnant this year, China is rocking like hell. This is the third action movie in a short span of time that's been awesome. The film came out of nowhere, but the writer of The Departed and the director of Infernal Affairs also hint that this is no cheap B-movie. It's an action flick set among drug smugglers and dealers, where the protagonist, an undercover cop, is tasked with taking down a drug syndicate. There's a likeable main character and a very good villain, there are some decent twists and turns, the visuals are solid, nice pacing and decent action, especially the half hour finale is so packed I was ready to go full score. It rocks, the shootouts have oomph, it feels real. I'm impressed. 80%.

Decent surprise. China serves us the second old-school style actioner this year, and I liked it. The film strikes me as a mix of The Fugitive with Harrison Ford and Hard to Kill with Steven Seagal. It moves quickly, the action scenes are decent (the opening knife attack in the hospital is awesome), and the visuals are very decent. I have nothing to complain about. An action thriller for a boring evening 75%

A solid wartime film focusing on climbers attempting to summit the previously unconquered Mount Eiger. The first hour is quite a yawn, but once you head up the mountain it's a decently chilling spectacle where you can clearly see the power of nature, which certainly has no mercy. Decent survival drama. 75%

I was very excited, I liked the trailers and I believed in the movie, unfortunately DC Comics didn't live up to their curse again and it ended not badly, but rather awkwardly. Gal Gadot is adorable and Chris Pine is excellent (almost always lately). The island of the Amazons with the action passage on the beach is one of the best the film had to offer and I liked the World War I setting, which is always good, especially in comic book films. That's where the upsides end. The film is 140 minutes long and features only three action scenes, albeit longer, but it's very much underwhelming and it shows in the pacing, which is quite unbalanced as a result. The humour doesn't work very well, the action doesn't make fall on your ass (maybe the opening scene), the finale is downright bad and the uninteresting villain only adds to it. Too bad it could have been better. 70%

One of the best series ever. The second season is even more polished than the first. There are a lot of new characters, the emotional impact the series had on me was incredible (I bawled half the series), Siegfrid and Erik are perfect villains, the action is intense and the period atmosphere is incredible. Destiny is All. 150%.

The opening episodes are perfect especially when it comes to violence and brutality, the series knows no boundaries. But as time went on, I felt that the action was no longer the primary focus and the series focused more on the development of the story, which I enjoyed, but I would have liked to see more action. Still, again, a good series. 8/10

An internationally praised festival genre film starring the beautiful Teresa Palmer. Judging by the trailer, I was expecting something more intense, but it's still an original thriller from the the abduction sub-genre that tries a different angle than we're used to. A big plus is Teresa, who shows up naked and is definitely a joy to look at. I also liked the sense of hopelessness, but that's where it ends. The running time is a bit excessive and there isn't much suspense or gore either, which makes the film unexceptional. However, it's passable for a boring evening. 60%.