Reviews

I found this movie to be highly enjoyable and had a very positive experience. The cast, humor, visuals, and action were all well-received by me. While some may find the goofiness of the film to be a negative aspect, I personally found it to be an enjoyable element. Obviously, not everyone shares my opinion, as evidenced by the films poor performance in theaters. I believe this negative reception was largely due to unfavorable reviews, which I find puzzling given the existence of far inferior films that receive critical acclaim.

Despite the somewhat predictable nature of the plot, the film managed to surprise me with several unexpected twists and turns.

The cast appeared to be having a great time and fully embraced the silliness of the film. Loved it!

The scene featuring the color explosions was visually stunning, and the "oil skating" sequence was both innovative and entertaining, reminiscent of a comic book.

As a seasoned consumer of movies and television shows, I often find myself growing bored lately, due to repetitive content, particularly in the superhero genre. However, this film successfully captivated my attention and left me feeling satisfied and entertained.

One of my favorite movies of the year, so far.

I was close to cancel my ticket, because of the bad reviews from critics, I consider trustworthy. Glad I didn't!

Meg 2 is dumb fun, if you manage to shut the part of your brain, that deals with logic, down for the movies runtime.

But you do that with "The Fast and Furious" franchise, and some other recent flicks, all the time. So why making such a deal of it in this movie?

Yes, it has almost nothing to do with the book(s) anymore. Yes, it got especially one scene, that the writers/director could've handled better (I just say diving without suit in those depths).

But other then that you get your highly entertaining, fast paced, fun, action/monster movie madness. And in times like this, sometimes you want to switch your brain off and have a good time.

And that's exactly what "Meg 2" delivers and what the audience, at the theater I watched it at appreciateted, based on the reactions.

If you wanna enjoy some action and fun with some thrills here and there, just give it a try. Just don't expect something Oscar worthy (though who can take the Oscars seriously anyway, nowadays)

I loved "The Swarm". But in its printed form, as the book was a clever and thrilling science thriller that had a few flaws but was nevertheless a page turner. So, I was looking forward to the show, expecting an intelligent thrill ride.

But nope.

This show would've been better off, if one of the bigger streaming services would have given it the right treatment. But this Euro-Production led by German national TV station ZDF is more talking about what happens, then showing it. The effects are nothing special and the changes they made could've worked, if not executed so poorly.

The cast is okay, though, but even they are not able to save the swarm from being a below average thriller/drama that has its moments but is not able to transport the feeling of a global, apocalyptic threat to the screen.

Everything seems "small" and the "possible end of the world" danger is absolutely lacking.

The author himself was not happy with the result and said in an interview "it is more soap, then thriller", and sadly, he is right. I would have given it 6 stars, but the last episode was such a disappointment, that I think an average rating for an average show is just right.

Maybe a bigger studio or streaming service will jump in and make it right. "The Swarm" deserves it!

"Unhuman" is no masterpiece and made for Gen Z. The cuts, the style, the stereotypes: it is all there, and it looks like it wants to appeal to people with ADHD.

At the beginning I had my share of fun with everything going on, until it became a bit tiring and sort of predictable and thereby boring.

From a certain scene on I suspected that there will be a twist, and I was right.

From there on it became funnier again and at the end I had to admit, I was entertained.

The movie never takes itself seriously, btw. It just does not find the right balance from time to time and drifts into a chaotic mess.

But at the end: the twist elevated it from a 4 to a 6 star rating and I did not regret, watching it. But one can also spend his/her time with more desirable activities.

Why do you take beloved characters, from a beloved, fictional universe and create "this"?

I wanted to like something in this uncreative and uninspired take on the "Discworld" novels. Just because I was happy that there is a TV Show now, based on some of the books I love. But after two episodes, I had to give up (and I'm easy to entertain).

There's nothing magical or even comical about this abomination of an adaption. Why even relate it to "Discworld"? It could have been its own thing.

But being honest (and I thought hard if I would like it better if it would be just another fantasy show), imo it wouldn't be much better. But at least it would not anger me (and other Discworld fans) as much as it does now.

Just sad.

Reading the book now and so I wanted to watch the movie before I finish it. And already now (and I'm just 50% into the novel) I'm angered by the changes.

Why did they have to shift the story location to the US? It's so much creepier when the Vesps are set free in Moldova and the protagonists follow the events mostly through TV and Internet from the UK, while the danger moves closer, wiping out one European city after another, country after country.

And while the movie is very streamlined and stereotyped to fit common horror clichés, thereby creating a lot of unlogical situations, the book explains everything way better and it actually makes sense.

So does the handling of the situation by the main characters and the way the act and try to escape/survive.

I still give it 6 stars, because for the first 70 minutes it was entertaining and it had its moments. But the end was so rushed and anticlimactic, that I can't wait to read how the book progresses and ends.

This movie missed all its opportunities to raise above average.

I have to admit, that I laughed a few times. But definitely sometimes it was not intended. "The Wrong Missy" was very annoying at times and while some jokes were landing, some were just disgustingly misfiring (in my personal perception). Sure, it's an Adam Sandler production so you know what to expect, but can there not be at least a bit more intelligence involved? Bodily fluids and vomit jokes are so cheesy and yesterday. We finished this movie, but we knew how it will end after like 15 minutes. And we were right. And Rob Schneiders character was so over the top dumb that I felt sorry for the actor, that he manages to lower his level from movie to movie. And don't get me wrong. I liked the cast but what was given to each of them came out of the lowest and least creative comedy drawer and the misfires outnumbered the few laughs that "The Last Missy" generated in us while watching it.

First things first: I loved the stage production in the Eighties and saw "Cats" multiple times. So I knew what to expect "storywise" and also that it is more or less just a character run through in musical form. And I had zero expectations watching the movie besides "you will laugh about it" and "you wanna like it, but like everybody else, you will hate it, once you've seen it"...

Well: I didn't!

The effects were bad, that is true, but I could totally ignore that and have a good time. I think I can connect to the vision director Tom Hooper had, creating the movie version of that once beloved musical.

I liked the surreal scenery, the stage, the cinematography (I am serious), the choreography and, even if some acting was a bit shaky, some performances...

Some criticized the "confusing" jumps from one stage to the other but hey: movie-musicals do that since their beginning and a musical fantasy (and "Cats" clearly was and is that) has all the right to use those tools. The scene with Skimbleshanks the railway cat and the temporary cut to an "outdoor setting" was beautiful (and would've been even better with good FX). And it was done before and will be done later in musicals (TV or Film).

That the cats or the surroundings seemed once big, once small: for me that was not distracting, but an element of style that enhanced the surreal fantasy touch, Tom Hooper went for (at least it is my interpretation, that it was intentionally)

The songs were good as ever (just the new interpretation of "Mungo Jerry and Rumpleteaser" robbed this numbe of its original qualities).

Yeah, it had its flaws and one can focus on those and rip the movie apart, but overall it was an entertaining musical trip with a fair amount of cheesiness, but honestly: even the stage version is cheesy and fun because of that.

For me "Cats - The Movie" was a psychedelic trip with beloved songs and visuals (visuals that sadly were obviously plagued by unfinished SFX)

And yes: the oversexed way the cats were presented, felt very awkward at the beginning, but after a while I did not care anymore....Working with practical effects would've been a blessing. But it is how it is and we (my partner felt the same) had a good time watching it.

Btw

Don't take it so seriously! It is a musical FANTASY and what Jellicles are, well who cares. Maybe they are a cat gang on shrooms and the whole movie is a huge trip...

Jennifer Hudson, btw, is totally into it. Never saw a such an emotional interpretation of the Grizabella character ever before... She's giving it all!

I might be the only person in the world that loved and enjoyed it with all its flaws (besides my partner), but I seriously don't care.

Thanks Tom Hooper. I think your vision for it was a good and courageous movie experiment, that sadly bombed. You will recover. And who knows, maybe in a few years, the perception changes in some other people too...

...it would be soooo boring....

Oh man, does it hurt to read all those complaints about the story and the "illogical behaviour" of the protagonists.

Yes, even I was thinking more then once "Problem solved, sure the next one is just around the corner. Give them a break" but this is one of the few shows where the characters are more then once overwhelmed by emotions and act on them instead of staying clear headed.

It is exactly this character driven dynamic of a show like "Lost in Space", that moves it forward and it is true to the original in that case, if I remember it right from my childhood.

In the reboot I just love the characters, the heart they display, the fears they have to confront and in general that they behave like humans beings with all their flaws and their strength.

Nobody is really evil or good, something that seems not to resonate with the current "black/white, good/evil" Zeitgeist most of the people seem to prefer nowadays.

Yes, it is not perfect, but it is a great, entertaining show that deserves to be continued. Family entertainment for all ages. And a hell of a (emotional) ride...

Like some of the other reviewers, I loved the first half of the movie. The songs are catchy and the silliness is not to much. The cast is charming and talented and so the ride begins very funny and very entertaining.

Half through the movie it felt to me like another director took over. All of the sudden, "Anna and the Apocalypse" could not decide anymore if it wants to be crazy, dramatic or funny and somehow it lost its track (in my personal opinion).

Even the Zombies turned into parodies of themselves, which is a bit awkward if the movie basically IS a parody of the genre (and a damn good musical). In a way not even they were able to decide if they should be scary or funny...

Soft Spoiler: That the ending will not be your typical one was already foreshadowed in the fantastic musical number "Hollywood Ending", still it just did not feel right how things developed, especially if the Zombies crawled like snails in the second half of the movie.

Nevertheless I LOVE the soundtrack and the energy the cast delivered and I was so entertained that the first half would get a 10 and the second half a generous 5. So I stick with 7 Stars. Well deserved, especially because of the music (some songs are on heavy rotation since I saw "Anna"... That does not happen often :)

It would have been great to see a better paced sequel, but when I checked "Boxoffice Mojo" it turned out, this musical did not do that well, which is still a shame. It definitely deserved more attention and a wider release.

Compared to some Hollywood crap flooding the theaters lately in wide releases, this one is a gem, despite the second half, and it would be a perfect Halloween flick.

But who knows. Maybe they can "Turn their life around" (singing) and deliver a follow up? ;)

It would be welcomed...

I so wanted to like this movie with its stellar cast. The Netflix trailer promised an unusual experience, a satire, some horror, style, and great actors.

Well, it had great actors and a bit of everything mentioned above. So far so good.

But in my opinion it did not add up and the whole movie felt uneven. Instead of bringing everything together in a satisfying way, the move switched continuously between its different styles and for me it did not work.

A great, suspenseful scene here, followed by a mediocre cut that gave me the impression that they put someoriginally "deleted scenes" in between to stretch the length.

"Velvet Buzzsaw" has all the ingredients but somehow they did not mix up well. A little bit of this, a little bit of that,...and hoping it works? It feels to me like the director did not know in what direction he wanted to take the material. Or maybe he did and it is "art" that I don't get?

It has its moments and the visuals are pretty good throughout the whole movie, but the style does not really cover up the missing substance and the weird switch of genres that got tiring after a while.

I enjoyed the good parts, but was still disappointed at the end.

As someone who really loves the first "MEG" novels I could not wait to see the movie. It was clear to me, that it will be different, and that from the moment on the trailer hit the screens. And I was okay with it and lowered my expectations.

I also love shark movies since "Jaws" (which I saw in theaters, just to say ;)) and I watched all of them since then, besides the Asylum productions...

"THE MEG" could have been a very entertaining and fun watch, despite the differences. And in some parts it was/is. Hell, I was and I am even okay with the cast. But I am totally sure the studio prevented it from all it could have been with its theatrical cut, that just plays it safe and makes the "Movie Meg" just a movie that you won't remember after a few days.

And that is a shame and a waisted opportunity!

I still give it 8 stars because I liked the cast, the music, the effects (they are not half as bad as some here are stating) and yes: I was entertained enough to like it. But I was all set to LOVE it, and that did not happen.

Rough cuts and jumps and way to less of a thrill but more of a loud action vehicle. There are enough successful movies nowadays that show at the box office that they score because studio bosses were risk taking.

So all we got is a popcorn flick above average. At least an original one :)

And hey: that's something in the times of uninspired sequels, prequels and reboots.

As a fan of the genre, there are few Zombie movies I did not see. And from those I saw, "Cargo" is one of my favorite ones. Beautifully shot and with human drama at its heart, it is miles away from those cheap and trashy flicks that are flooding the market. And don't get me wrong, some of those are very entertaining and definitely "guilty pleasures", worth watching.

But "Cargo" manages to not only add some true heart, but also to grab you from the beginning to the end (unless you are one of those who are just out for gore and action: you will be disappointed)

The acting is fantastic and I have to say: Martin Freeman cements his status as a very versatile actor, who just delivers in almost every role. But also the rest of the cast is does admirable jobs.

In my opinion the people do behave very real and you get that sense of overwhelm and dread that might mess with ones head and bring out the worse in people (this counts for one character - no spoilers here).

The natives and how they deal with it was just fantastic and touching, it added a spiritual touch that I found very refreshing.

Yes: "Cargo" is slow, but never boring and unlike some reviewers here who state that "there is no apocalyptic atmosphere", I personally think quite the opposite. It delivers on tension and emotions in a realistic way.

It was truly the first Genre movie, that had me in tears at the end. Tears of sadness and tears of happiness. No other Zombie-Flick achieved this, so far. And still the tension was there.

"Cargo" and "The Girl With All The Gifts" are the "newer" Z-Movies to watch if you like the Living Dead/Infected and you are open minded and bored of "the same"...

Beautiful! How often can you say that after watching a Zombie-Flick?

Guess you can say that I am a fan as I even saw "A New Hope" and its follow ups various times at the movies, whenever they originally came out. I really did not like the prequels (1-3) and I was okay with "The Force Awakens". This one, I loved again!

Unlike most of the haters here, I focus on the fact that it is the middle of a trilogy and as such it worked perfectly. I did not expect to get all the answers in "The Last Jedi" as they might keep the surprises for the final.

I have no troubles accepting Luke Skywalkers history since "The Return Of The Jedi" and his decisions. A hero is also human and we don't have to idolize characters to much, as those responsibilities certainly take their toll on something.

That said: the spiritual aspects, the characterizations, the explanation of the force and the fact that light and darkness are all part of one coin. I loved it. There is a deep aspect behind the entertainment (and yes, I was entertained) that felt fantastic, if one bothers to look and think. But in our present "black and white" development, where polarization seems trendy again, this take on seems to be unpopular and generate hate.

The message of love and peace that that also came through in "The Last Jedi" was touching.

"The Last Jedi" has everything to be expected from a "Star Wars" movie, and fantastic visuals. If they mess up the final, then I might re-think this review as a lot depends on how they will answer some questions and open storylines in the next one. But until then: 10 Stars from a through and through satisfied Star Wars fan for a great take on the mythology.

I love the Madagascar Movies and the Penguins always made my day. Even the TV show is decent. But what happened here? Their movie is just so bad, that I had a hard time finishing it. I say "I"? We! had a hard time finishing it.

What works in small doses loses all its appeal on the big screen and gets tiring. And the story: so generic and sterile, that it almost hurt.

There were a few laughs, but they really did not make "The Penguins of Madagascar" a better movie...

This feature film missed everything that makes them so great, especially the interaction with other characters. It was so heavily penguin centered that the humor just failed on most places.

The penguins really really deserved way better then this "lets make quick cash" installment... I hope the "Minions" movie will not make the same mistakes, but after watching the trailers, I am very optimistic it won't...

The Dead 2 starts with beautiful pictures and a good outbreak scenario, but it soon becomes clear,that the acting range goes from "medium to low" and the further the "story" develops, the more of this movie becomes a mess up until the very very bad ending.

The first half was enjoyable and captured the mood of its very good predecessor, but then it takes a downward spiral with forced, cheesy dialogues, a very stupid "coincidence" that should trigger emotions, but only makes you laugh after the "soapish" moments, leading to it.

And the acting had its moments, but turned more and more to the level of a very bad TV soap with amateurs, trying to make their first steps into the business.

I liked the "slow moving" Zombies, but even there it turns out to become really ridiculous with editing mistakes and scenes where you are thinking: just outrun them, as they are sooooooo slow...

I loved "The Dead" but "The Dead 2" you have to take with a lot of humour (unintended). It promises a good sequel and starts in the spirit of part 1 but goes wrong on every level as the movie progresses into a cheap acted soap opera with Zombies...

Okay, if you like trash, this might be the movie for you. The 3D is AWFULLY converted and makes your eyes bleed without any visible depth... The acting is horrible. Christa Campbell cannot move her face because of all the botox, and Patrick Muldoon has seen better days and there is a sense of desperation radiating from him during the whole movie. And no, it does not have to do with his role. The story is on SyFy Channel level, the FX are slightly better than usual in a production like this one... If you have to see every monster movie on the market, than give it a try, but you have been warned. Don't expect "Eight Legged Freaks" from outer space as the movie takes itself so seriously, that there is not the slightest sense of humor in this production. At least not wanted one. The second star is only for the decent special effects... What a waste of money...

What if some normal (American) guys get superpowers? Will they be heroes? Well, according to "Chronicle" not necessarily! This "Cloverfield" style movie is very entertaining and it raises some questions about our times. And one sort of understands the guy who goes mad instead of using his powers for good. Bullying, abusive father, a sick medical system that does not grant his sick mother the help she needs because of money issues.... Something to think about behind all the noise and entertainment. The actors were great and talented, and that made "Chronicle" in any case fun to watch. Good work... even if it is not always logical...

I liked all 3 Scream movies and was pretty much looking forward to the unexpected sequel, glad that Wes Craven directed it again. But was it worth the wait? Not really. It was literally to much of everything that made the Scream movies great, but lacking story and dramaturgy. I loved the beginning gag (and the cameo by Anna Paquin, but thinking about it now, it was symptomatic for the development. The references to "how horror movie sequels work" became annoying after a while. The acting was not really convincing (especially Emma Roberts was horrible towards the end), but it was cool to see the whole crew (Sydney, Dewey, Gale) again reunited. All the killing did not really help the character development that makes you "care" for the victims... It was entertaining for nostalgic reasons, but unlike 1 to 3, I don't really want to see Scream 4 more than once...

This was one of the worst movies i ever saw. Amateurish and not even worth to be released on BluRay. How should it: It was shot with a video cam that does not even catch focus all the time, the tone comes from the camera itself and if it would be at least promoted as an amateur movie, it would be okay. There are so many mistakes but you get distracted by the bad acting anyway. As I said: as a movie done by hobby filmmakers one can show or watch it on private screenings and it might be "fun", cause you know the makers. As a DVD/BluRay release it is a mess and a lie to the one who falls for the description. Shame on me, but I was one of them!

"Saw 3D" is just a bad and senseless movie that continues what the latest installments already did: to be a bad excuse to show as much gore and guts as possible and torture/kill the (very bad) actors in every tasteless way possible. You can say that after part 2 the spiral just went down and hit rock bottom with this 7th disaster that hopefully will be the end of this franchise. Cheesy! And what was totally painful to watch is, how the makers try to stick with this "pseudo moral" when everybody feels, that actually its all about sick imagination without any excuse. And of course its ending is threatening the audience with yet more sequels to come. The "big surprise" feels as spectacular as some hot wind. Just let it be over.

Okay: "Thor" was not flawless, but I still loved the movie. First of all: despite my doubts, Chris Hemsworth was perfect in his role as the god of thunder. He delivered and so did the rest of the cast. Then there was the great merging of myth and SciFi in the way Asgard was shown. I expected the worst (as I love the Norse mythology and spirituality) and was stunned by the cosmic beauty the makers presented. The visual interpretation of Bifrost and the rainbow bridge was just great. And so was the whole movie, kind of "old fashioned" but nevertheless funny, entertaining and with way more soul than a lot of other hero-flicks and recent blockbusters.

The special effects were okay and so was the 3-D, even if they added it afterward (like in "Clash of the Titans" and "The Last Airbender"). My favorite 2011 film so far and I really consider, watching it again in the movie theatre , which does not happen that often as I usually wait for a BluRay release...

I did not expect much from "The Reef", but I got it all. First to say: as a horror veteran since the Eighties I'm not really easy to scare by a movie anymore. But this unspectacular but incredibly thrilling mix between "Open Water" and "Jaws" (as some people say) really delivered and kept me on the edge until the very last moment. I am so happy, that this was not some stereotyped Hollywood Trash with a stereotyped cast that you really wanna see getting eaten or that you don't care about at all. "The Reef" shows really nice and sympathetic people, that you wanna see safe at the end. So you actually do care. Very well acted and very realistic executed, "The Reef" is the second best to me, in its genre (right after "Jaws") and I saw almost every Shark Movie on the market. In some way its even scarier, even without gore, effects and action. Its the silence of the ocean, the fear that spreads and the real shark itself, that is not portrayed as a Monster but just a predator who "does his or her job", that makes this Low Budget Aussie Flic so extremely outstanding. And the shark actually behaves like one in its attacking patterns! Not for action and gore fans, but for anyone who values a good intensity and is able to connect to growing desperation and fear that this people are experiencing in "The Reef"...

Actually I expected the worst after all that devastating reviews, but I did not regret, giving the movie a chance. As a huge fan of the original Nickelodeon series it was for sure a big task not to hate the movie already after the first 20 minutes. Shyamalan robbed all the fun elements, the lightheartedness and the humor to create a grim fantasy drama that takes itself a little bit to serious. Than there was the misspelling of the original names, that was for sure not necessary. The 3-D conversion was bad. It would have better stayed 2D but vivid and colorful. The dialogs where wooden, so was some acting, but that was not the actors guilt, as they just followed that weak script. But still: it was not an awful movie. It was not even that bad. After rushing through the first events, it focused on the big water bender battle and that was the moment, when I finally connected a little bit to the story and the characters. Also the 3D effects seemed a little better in the second movie half. All together not masterpiece and everybody who loves the original needs a very open mind to approach this film, but still Im looking very much forward to a possible sequel. Just make things right then (whoever will direct it).

There is not much to say about this movie mess, that should not be allowed carrying the word "Halloween" in its title, as it clearly kills of the franchise and any spirit and mystery that Michael Myers - one of the most known horror movie villains for years - once possessed. Gore, trash and lunacy are not making a good horror movie by itself. It still needs some spirit to cook a great and suspenseful film of this ingredients. And trying so, Rob Zombie failed on all levels, cause he could not put his ego back and wanted to tell this sick story! He even found a way to put his wife into this piece of trash, although her acting skills seem to be very limited. Where his first "re-imagination" was well done, the sequel is a complete failure. R.I.P. Halloween. R.I.P. Michael Myers.