Change Your Image
Erikwk04
Reviews
The Whistleblower (2010)
I can't believe it...
Look, let's not waste time talking about the 'movie'. If the Whistleblower was a work of fiction it would rate as a tier 1 movie, mentioned in one breath with a great cinematic artwork, 'A few good men'. But it's not fiction, reality, it seems, is indeed stranger than fiction... If you can believe it.
I saw this movie just a few hours ago during a sneak preview in the Netherlands. The movie premieres here two days from now, but obviously the film has been seen by others much earlier. From what I could find online with a quick search is that at the very least the BBC interviewed Kathryn Bolkovac about her experiences in Bosnia, where she talked about the human trafficking and how the UN and a PMC have covered it up.
The Whistleblower is by any right a great movie, but if the claims it makes turn out to be true, well, that is a troubling thought...
I recommend this movie.
Orcs! (2011)
Battle for balancing rock, yeah...
So let's get the obvious stuff out of the way. Orcs! is a parody of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy where orcs have been released from their mountain prison and are now on a rampage thru a national park.
Our would-be heroes are parks rangers Loser and Dumbass, hippy tree hugger / Amazon warrior princess and Pee-man. Worse than the characters themselves is the acting, making each character completely unbelieving and impossible to warm to. The film suffers greatly from a lack of budget, with the orcs wearing masks to save costs on make-up and off- screen action moments. Simply put, the original A-team TV show had better special effects.
That being said I will admit the director showed some real skill in hiding the lack of budget with some trick photography. But it doesn't make up for a bad story and the simple fact that Orcs! just isn't entertaining.
I don't recommend this movie.
Triangle (2009)
It's all about time...
Group of friends go out for a sail and disaster strikes, forcing them to take refuge on an abandoned oceanliner. Wait haven't you read this before?
Yes, at first glance this seems like a movie we've all seen before but there is a twist. Triangle isn't a standard ghostship story and as such you'll spend the first half of the film wondering what is really going on and trying to put all the pieces together. That murder mystery element combined with a high octane pace makes for a great cinematic experience. At least for about 30 mins or so, then, well, not so much.
The problem with Triangle is that the entire plot, clever and intricate as it is, relies entirely on the lead character's inability to cope with the situation. You'll spend a good part of the movie thinking 'if only she would turn left here the problem would be solved and we could all go home'. In fact, towards the end of the movie the lead character Jes starts making decisions that are a bit loopy to say the least and character motivation goes right out the window.
I can't help but think that had this been a 4 hours mini-series a la Stephen King's the Langoliers, the concept would have worked much better. As it is now with just under 100 mins, the story is rushed and the audience can't keep up with the emotional journey of the lead character.
Triangle is an original horror mystery with solid acting, good suspense and a few memorable scenes, including an unique 'suicide'. True fans of the ghostship niche will enjoy Triangle, but it won't float everyones boat.
I don't recommend this movie
The Captains (2011)
Jump aboard as Shatner takes his fans on another Trek...
Being born in '88, the original Star Trek series starring William Shatner had long stopped running and the new series Next Generation starring Sir Patrick Stewart was in full swing. It wasn't until TNG hit the daily reruns on the BBC that I got my first taste of Star Trek, mind you I could not have been more than 8 years old at the time.
As a young adult now I look back at the shows with a great sense of nostalgia and joy and have come to admire the original two Captains of the Enterprise for their influence on previous and current generations. I'm not a trekkie, as I have never been to a convention or felt the need to sport Spock ears, but I am for sure a fan.
So let's be honest about this, would I have watched Shatner's The Captains if it weren't for so many fond childhood memories? No. Would I have enjoyed it if it weren't for said memories? No. Is it a quality documentary by its own right? No. Is William Shatner a talented or even competent interviewer? No, although the other reviewers would disagree with me on that one. From my point of view Shatner makes some basic and rookie mistakes in his technique as an interviewer, best shown during his interview with Avery. So is it all just a wash and 90 mins of my life wasted on a pursuit of childhood nostalgia? No, and here's why.
What Shatner does in The Captains, is to give us a look into his own Star Trek experience. What it was like as the first captain, what it did to him at the time and in the years after. How it affected his personal life (failed marriage with three kids) and how he has struggled to give Kirk a place in his life. Shatner's journey of discovery is deeply personal as he, with the help of his fellow captains and Stewart in particular, comes to terms with the legacy he will eventually leave behind when Scotty beams him up one final time. This theme of mortality works brilliantly as a stark contrast to the immortality of the Star Trek franchise as it lives on to this day still.
The Captains gives us fans a never before seen glimpse into Shatner's mind and heart. It is dirty and messy at times, but always honest and genuine.
Watch this if you are a fan and interested in the man that made the captain that inspired millions to boldly go where no one has gone before
P.S. To Shatner and all the captains, much love and appreciation for your work.
Mirrors (2008)
Learn to do your hair without a mirror before you watch this...
There are basically two ways to Judge a horror movie. The first is to look purely at the quality of the production, things like acting, lighting and writing etc. The second is to simply ask yourself 'did it scare me?' Mirrors is one of those few movies that scores high on both accounts, not only is it well put together as a movie, it's also going to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and have you clutching your armrest. Simply put, Mirrors is a demon/ghost story where the evil spirit makes use of mirrors to interact with humans. Thru the mirrors this unholy reflection causes all kinds of nastiness, including one very gory, yet refreshingly original, death in a bathtub. However, the film has enough of a murder mystery element to keep you guessing at the real nature of the threat until the very end, so don't think this is just another typical ghost story. Director and writer Alexandre Aja has put some real effort into making a film that captivates audiences, not only with high quality special effects and unexpected scare moments but also, and perhaps more impressively, with an engaging storyline and likable characters. Which brings me to the acting. Having always been very indifferent to Kiefer Sutherland I was surprised to find myself really rooting for the guy as he tries desperately to save his family and not lose what little sanity he has left in the process. His estranged wife is caught between trying to help her beloved husband get a grip on reality and protecting her children from daddy who has been unstable at best and has now taken to painting, punching and shooting mirrors. The acting on everyone's part is convincing, including young Cameron Boyce who can go from cute and adorable six-year old to evil demon spawn in seconds. All in all Mirrors is good for several good scares and has a better storyline than you might expect from a horror movie. I recommend this movie.
Battle of Los Angeles (2011)
Burn before watching...
I'm going to keep this short; DO NOT watch this movie! Yes the graphics are bad and the acting is worse but the reason you shouldn't waste a single second of your life on this movie is the truly laughable script. An American airforce pilot from 1942 lands in modern day L.A. and joins up with local National Guardsmen, no questions asked? Shortly after, our team of would be heroes joins forces with a samurai chick with a pirate eye- patch. Again, nobody seems to bother asking a simple but valid question: 'Hey, who are you?' Instead our band of merry morons are just fine with following would-be ninja MILF into her creepy underground bunker. Even the title is an obvious attempt at piggy-backing on the success of World Invasion: battle Los Angeles. Like I said, burn before watching...