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hanneswohlfarth
Reviews
The Last of Us (2023)
Not bad, not as good as the game
This series feels like a good remake that does fall short of being in the same league as the source material.
There are a few things that were really good, for example the short introduction pieces that told more of a background story of how the cordyceps began to spread or how certain characters are the way they are. These are really well made and add to the story of the game.
Whenever the series stays faithful to the game, it is the closest to reaching the same heights. One example is the first episode, which is just as emotional as its corresponding part of the game.
Unfortunately, some other episodes or events deviate from the game in a way that makes scenes less impactful. Often these are small changes but they add up. Big events in the game are made less significant by almost glossing over them, changing the general mood of the scenes or by changing the scenery that was such an important part in the game.
Overall, this series is good. I suspect people who havent played the game might find it a little better (but they are missing the bonus of fan service). As someone who has played the game however, I can only say: This is an off-tune version of the game and therefore if you gave me the choice between the two, I would always pick the game. It is more impactful and rounded off.
Still, I enjoyed it, mainly for the backstory it provides and the times it does follow the game more closely. And it gave me a reason to play the game again.
Surrogates (2009)
Action with interesting SciFi background
The movie is not as sophisticated as, for example, "Minority Report" but it has risen above my expectations. It shows a scenario that does not seem as far fetched anymore as it was when the movie came out.
At its core, it is a simple "action hero saves the world" story but it has some emotional scenes as well and some good messages that many of us should take to heart, even though we aren't at the level of technology depicted in the movie.
While this movie does not do as much world building as it could, the visual depiction of the surrogates is suitably uncanny, so it does a good job in that regard.
I also liked Bruce Willis and Rosamund Pike in this movie.
My criticism for the film revolves around some of the plot and motivations of certain characters. But overall it is quite enjoyable if you manage your expectations.
The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Surprisingly Good
It's a short film between the first and the second Fast and Furious film. I really like it because it manages to convey so much of the mood of the early Fast and Furious films. It doesn't even have dialogue. It's a simple story with cool cars, an awesome soundtrack and a very "2003 feeling" to it.
Extraction (2020)
Solid
The film has superb action, similar although not quite as excessive as John Wick. The plot is good enough and the picture is excellent. Chris Hemsworth does a good job portraying the vulnerable but brutal action hero. The only thing that at times broke the immersion a tiny bit for me is when the movie didn't know if it wanted to be realistic or not. The (by the way stunning) female lead looked far too glamourous in combat and Chris was too superhuman at times when you consider the (relatively) realistic setting. So maybe the sequel needs to be more realistic or more over the top. But overall I found it very entertaining, especially for a Netflix-original.
Dragged Across Concrete (2018)
Good But Incredibly Brutal And Dark
This film is objectively pretty good. There are some very solid performances and the craftsmanship is better than in many higher budget films. I also don't have much to complain about in terms of storytelling. But there are two reasons why I do NOT recommend this film to most people:
If you don't like long, drawn out stories with very little action in between the intense action scenes, this might not be for you. And the second (much more impactful) reason is that this movie is insanely violent and dark, pretty much throughout the second half. And I mean guts sticking out and sympathetic, innocent characters being mutilated and mercilessly killed with the camera directly showing it. It is absolutely not for the even remotely faint hearted. And I am typing this as someone who has seen quite some ugly scenes in films.
So in short, I like the craftsmanship and the first half but unless I wanna outright shock someone I will not recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't in particular ask me for some very violent and dark films.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Watch the Remastered Extended Edition
For anyone wanting to forget all the sequels: Watch the extended edition featuring an alternative ending that concludes the series in a quite satisfying way. Be sure to get the right version, there are numerous editions of this masterpiece.
The Terminator (1984)
Watch the Remastered Extended Edition
For anyone wanting to forget all the sequels: Watch the extended Edition featuring an alternative ending that concludes the series in a quite satisfying way.
Be sure to get the right version, there are numerous editions of this masterpiece.
The Terminator (1984)
Watch the Remastered Extended Edition
For anyone wanting to forget all the sequels: Watch the extended Edition featuring an alternative ending that concludes the series in a quite satisfying way.
Be sure to get the right version, there are numerous editions of this masterpiece.