The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

107 min, adventure, action, animation 

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Steven Moffat (screenplay), Edgar Wright (screenplay)

Stars: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig

Storyline:

 Having bought a model ship, the Unicorn, for a pound off a market stall Tintin is initially puzzled that the sinister Mr. Sakharine should be so eager to buy it from him, resorting to murder and kidnapping Tintin - accompanied by his marvellous dog Snowy - to join him and his gang as they sail to Morocco on an old cargo ship. Sakharine has bribed the crew to revolt against the ship's master, drunken Captain Haddock, but Tintin, Snowy and Haddock escape, arriving in Morocco at the court of a sheikh, who also has a model of the Unicorn. Haddock tells Tintin that over three hundred years earlier his ancestor Sir Francis Haddock was forced to scuttle the original Unicorn when attacked by a piratical forebear of Sakharine but he managed to save his treasure and provide clues to its location in three separate scrolls, all of which were secreted in models of the Unicorn. Tintin and Sakharine... 

Review:

I finally watched "The adventures of Tintin", and I must say I'm sorry I haven't seen it before. In short it is fun, with a nice story, excellent animation, good performance by the actors who gave the voices  to the characters. It's a film you must watch. Don't know what else to say about it.  

Rating: 7/10        

Red Tails (2012)

125 min, action, adventure, drama

Director: Anthony Hemingway
Writer: John Ridley
Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Gerald McRaney and David Oyelowo

Storyline:

1944. To help win the war, the Pentagon brass has no choice but to consider the untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program. Just as the young Tuskegee men are about to be shut down and shipped back home, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. These intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country - and the fate of the free world.

Review:

Well..., I expected more.The movie, kinda, misses everything. It misses character development (we learned nothing about the pilots themselves), it needs more flight sequences, better story development,... We learn nothing of the Tuskegee pilots. If I didn't know who they were before I watched the movie, I sure as hell wouldn't find out anything about them watching "Red Tails". And it's a shame. The story about them is great and they deserve a better film than this.

Trailer: Red Tails

Rating: 5,5/10

The Avengers (2012)

142 min, action, adventure, sci-fi

Director: Joss Whedon
Writers: Zak Penn (story), Joss Whedon (story)
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson

Storyline:

Marvel Studios presents Marvel's The Avengers-the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins

Review:

OH MY GOOD!!! Its not good, it's fantastic and more! The best superhero movie ever made and one of the best movies I have ever seen. Everything about it is perfect. I expected much from The Avengers but I got so much more. The story, cast, effects...amazing. I'm speechless. To all of you who haven't seen it yet: YOU MUST GO AND WATCH THE AVENGERS!

Here is the trailer so you can see the preview: The Avengers

Rating: 10/10

Tekken: Blood Vengeance (2011)

100 min, animation, action

Director: Yoichi Mori
Writer: Dai Sato
Stars: Isshin Chiba, Erik Scott Kimerer and Yuki Matsuoka

Storyline:
The plot, which takes place between the events of Tekken 5 and Tekken 6, begins with Anna Williams setting up a decoy for her sister, Nina Williams, who is currently working with the new head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, Jin Kazama. Anna, on the other hand, works for Jin's father, Kazuya Mishima and its rival organization, G Corporation. Both are seeking information about a student named Shin Kamiya, and Anna dispatches a Chinese student Ling Xiaoyu to act as a spy, while Jin sends humanoid robot Alisa Bosconovitch for a similar purpose.
During their investigation, Xiaoyu and Alisa form a friendship, although they are forced to turn against one another when Shin is captured by an unknown assailant. It is here that Alisa is revealed to be a cyborg - although Alisa believes she possesses human qualities after she spares Xiaoyu's life. After coming to terms with each other, Xiaoyu is abandoned by Anna and G Corporation, and the two girls flee from their previous organizations, taking refuge in their teacher, Lee Chaolan's mansion.
Xiaoyu and Alisa eventually discover genetic experiments had been done on Shin and his classmates, and believe that the Mishima family is seeking Shin, the sole survivor, and M gene subject, for his immortality...

Review:

Not playing the game more than a few time's, I'm not really familiar with the story and the characters, so I can't say how true to the game the movie is. What I can say is that I'm not thrilled with the story and the voice acting.The CGI animations is fantastic, as are the fights. Since I don't know much about the game there is not more I can say about the movie. I say: Watch it! Maybe you'll like it.

Watch the trailer on youtube Tekken: Blood Vengeance!

Rating: 6/10

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

133 min, action, adventure, thriller

Director: Brad Bird
Writer: Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec,
Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg

Storyline:

This is not just another mission. The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Ethan Hunt and his rogue new team must go undercover to clear their organization's name. No help, no contact, off the grid. You have never seen a mission grittier and more intense than this.

Review:

I'm sitting and thinking what to write. Trying to reflect on the good and the bad things in the movie. And fact is that that there isn't anything bad in it. The toys are cool, the cars are great, the locations are spectacular,...then we have the action scenes, good, smart story...I just loved it! Definitely a film to see!

Visit the official web site missionimpossible or watch the trailer on youtube
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

Rating: 8/10

The Darkest Hour (2011)

89 min, action, horror, sci-fi

Director: Chris Gorak
Writer: Jon Spaihts (screenplay), Leslie Bohem (story)
Stars: Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby and Max Minghella

Storyline:

The Darkest Hour is the story of five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow, fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack. The 3D thriller highlights the classic beauty of Moscow alongside mind-blowing special effects.

Review:

This is one of those movies that is both good and bad. You've all watched a movie that is bad, but at the same time you had to watch it till the end because there was something so good about it that pushed you to finish it. "The Darkest Hour" is one of those movies. It has a good premise and most of the movie is really exciting. But at the same time it is full of stupid decisions made by our main characters that make's it barely watchable. Also the whole movie looks like it could have gone straight to DVD instead to the theaters. So on one hand, I really enjoyed the 90 minutes I spend watching it, but on the other, I regret it wasn't made by a better crew. And despite of all it's flaws I have to recommend "The Darkest Hour"!

Visit the official web site: darkesthourmovie, or watch the trailer on youtube: The Darkest Hour!

Rating: 6,5/10

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)

95 min, action, fantasy, thriller

Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Writers: Scott M. Gimple , Seth Hoffman        
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ciarán Hinds and Idris Elba

Storyline:

In Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance we catch up to Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) many years after the events of the first film. “The Rider” has apparently grown into an all-consuming force of nature that Blaze desperately tries to hold in check; until the presence of evil inevitably sets The Rider loose again, to feed on the souls of the guilty.
The Rider is presented with a full buffet of evildoers when a group of ruthless mercenaries storm a church in pursuit of a young boy named Danny Ketch (Fergus Riordan), who The Devil (Ciarán Hinds) intends to use as his human vessel. Blaze claims that The Rider is no savior, but when warrior monk Moreau (Idris Elba) promises to lift the curse from his soul as reward for saving Danny, The Ghost Rider is given new purpose, and an opportunity to be more than just a demon in the night.

Review:

Hmmm...What to say? Well, I expected sequel to be better than the first one, since I wasn't really thrilled with the first one. And the only part I liked more is what the Ghost Rider looks like. In my opinion it's much better than before. Everything else is just bad. The story, acting, effects... BAD! And the action scenes? There were only a few, and they were poorly made. I mean, what went wrong with Ghost Rider? Hollywood made such a good job with the other Marvel characters such as X-men, Thor, Iron Man, Wolverine... What the hell happened? The whole thing looks like a bad B movie. What a waste!

Visit the official web site: thespiritofvengeance, or watch the trailer on youtube: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance!

Rating: 5/10

The Grey (2011)

117 min, adventure, action, drama

Director: Joe Carnahan
Writer: Joe Carnahan , Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
Stars: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney and Frank Grillo

Storyline:
Ottway (Liam Neeson) is an oilman in the Arctic who has grown weary of his job in the frozen north. He wants to be back home with his wife, to whom the audience is introduced through flashbacks. He decides to fly home, but the plane transporting him and his fellow workers crashes, leaving just Ottway and six other survivors in the wilderness to contend with the harsh elements and the vicious wolves.

Watch trailer: http://adf.ly/6iuN5

Review:

 I must stop judging a movie by it's trailer. Watching a trailer I excepted a thrilling movie about a few men stranded in the cold north trying to survive the wilderness and the wolf attacks. Instead it's like watching a slow suicide. Seven of them left the plane, and for the next hour and a half I have watched them be killed one by one by wolfs. It's just stupid. They had no plan how to survive, what are they doing or where are they going. No weapons to defend them selves, no shelter to protected them... Basically, the whole movie made no sense. And with so many mistakes it's barely watchable.

Rating: 4/10

Johnny English Reborn (2011)

101 min, adventure, comedy, thriller


Director: Oliver Parker
Writers: William Davies, Hamish McColl (screenplay)
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West

Storyline:

Rowan Atkinson returns to the role of the accidental secret agent who doesn't know fear or danger in the comedy spy-thriller Johnny English Reborn. In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her Majesty's Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. In the years since MI-7's top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premier's life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action. With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of state
conference...

Review:

Good: funny, great cast, R.Atkinson is as funny as ever
Bad: I've seen many bad comedies not to say anything bad about this one

Haven't watched anything that Rowan Atkinson made in a while, and I'm glad I saw "Johnny English". It has that world famous Atkinson's comedy. All the gags and facial expression's. We also have Rosamund Pike in this one, who is a delight to see. She is a good actress as well. All jokes aside, it's worth to watch. And stay for the after credits scene!

Visit the official web site: johnnyenglishreborn or watch the trailer on youtube: Johnny English Reborn!

Rating: 7/10

The American (2010)

105 min, crime, drama

Director: Anton Corbijn
Writers: Rowan Joffe (screenplay), Martin Booth (novel)
Stars: George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli and Violante Placido

Storyline:

Alone among assassins, Jack is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Pavel that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde, is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto and pursues romance with local woman Clara. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

Review:

Good: George Clooney
Bad: everything else

Boy, did I pick the wrong one to watch. It was so boring, I thought it will never end. I would have had more fun watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. The only good thing about it is that George Clooney is in it. When I started watching it I thought it was slow and expected it will pick up eventually. But, guess what!? It never did. It stayed as slow and boring as it was in the beginning.  I understand the movie is a character study of an aging hit-man, but I need more to keep me interested.

Rating: 4/10

Real Steel (2011)

127 min, action,drama, sci fi


Director: Shawn Levy
Writer: John Gatins (screenplay), Dan Gilroy (story)
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly and Dakota Goyo

Storyline:

Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father.

Review:

Good: story, cast, special effects, excellently choreographed robot fights...
Bad: a bit dissapointed with the ending

A loser dad, smart kid and a junk robot give a great movie. It's "Rocky" with robots. But for me, and I know "Rocky" fans won't agree, "Real Steel" is better. Maybe because I like robots. "Real steel" is, surprisingly, a worm family story with kick ass robot fights that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The only thing I didn't like is the ending which I won't comment because of all of you that haven't seen the movie yet.

Rating: 9/10