THE EQUALIZER - Movie Review

 Title: The Equalizer
Running Time: 132 min
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Martin Czokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, Johnny Skourtis, David Harbour

Review:
With "Taken" Liam Neeson found a new niche in Hollywood: Old men kicking a ton of ass. Since then, more and more movies have been trying their luck with this concept and eventhough Denzel Washington had already been kicking butts before his hair got grey, "The Equalizer" can probably be considered one of those attempts. And it worked out pretty damn well!

This film is a terrific action piece that really gives you goosebums in its most brutal moments. Revolving around a guy with a shady past, forced out of 'retirement' to go kill some bad guys, it actually seems like a pretty straight forward story. However, it is elevated by the great performances of its actors. Of course we've got our leading man, Denzel Washington, who shows us time and again that he is a true movie star. While the depiction of his character's good and warm side is mostly found within this dialogues, the darkness that lies underneath is almost exclusively presented through Washingtons body language and facial expression. Here, he puts a lot in the details and gives a perfekt example of how much one can say with very little. Opposing him is Martin Czokas, giving a performance that might as well be an audition for a Bond villain. Calm, but unpredictale, he brings tension to every scene he is in. The interaction between those two is very fun to watch, because dispite their differences, they are actually quite similar in their way of doing things. Chloe Grace Moretz' part is smaller than the trailers suggested, but she too does a very good job, assuring us that her career isn't doomed just because she started as a child actress.

Furthermore, the camera work needs to be mentioned here as well. The varied choices of angles and especially movement beautifully underline the characters' positions and inner processes, be it the total control of the situation or a feeling of restlessness. But since this is an action flick, let's come to the actual action,... which is awesome! Nicely choreographed and again cleverly filmed, it has a realism to its brutality that gives you the chills. There are some elements that you have seen before, but even those are executed well enough that you won't mind at all.

Sure, this movie is not flawless as it has a couple of scenes that don't really add to the story and could have easily been cut. Also there are one or two conveniences that feel like their sole purpose is to keep the plot moving and interesting. But "The Equalizer" is an extremely entertaining action film nonetheless, and the movie for you, if you want to see a super bad ass Denzel Washington one man show!

For Fans Of:

Man On Fire (2004)

Killer Elite (2011)

Safe House (2012)

Taken (2008)

 Click Here To Watch Trailer!

GONE GIRL - Movie Review

 Title: Gone Girl
Running Time: 149 min
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Kim Dickens

Review:
David Fincher is one of the greatest directors of our time. Gaining popularity with dark thrillers like "Se7en" and the cult hit "Fight Club", he later even managed to enthrall us with Dramas such as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Social Network", both of which, though lighter in tone, had the same emotional impact as their predecessors. Most recently, he also headed for the small screen producing and at times directing the incredible political series "House Of Cards". So is it save to say that he won't disappoint this time either? Hell yeah!
"Gone Girl" is a fantastic movie! Despite its two-and-a-half hour running time, it constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat, giving you enough twists and turns to have you wanting to know what happens next at any moment. Fincher achieves this with an excellent atmosphere and has you being empathetic, skeptical, curious, but most of them all: extremely creeped out! Yet, the film has much more going on for it than the mystery of a missing women. Critically examining topics like the influence of the media as well as the concept of marriage, it touches you on many different levels.
Another strike of genius is the cast. Everyone involved in this movie is giving an exceeding performance. Ben Affleck is the perfect choice for Nick Dunne, most likely channeling his own bad experiences with the public for his portrayal. Quite often, he shares the screen with Carrie Coon, who delivers such fine acting that you wonder why we haven't seen much of her until now. Also surprisingly convincing in their against-type roles are Neil Patrick Harris and even more so Tyler Perry, who delivers the few natural laughs of this film. The most captivating performance however, was given by Rosamund Pike, who has never been better. Through the many flashbacks in the movie, we learn  more and more about the relationship of our two protagonist, and with every bit we get more unsure of what is really going on.
The only "problem" with this movie is that the climax comes a tiny bit too early and eventhough the tension doesn't drop to zero (it acually never does in this film), ending the film a few scenes earlier wouldn't have hurt its overall feeling.
Still, "Gone Girl" is a brilliant multi-layered thriller that manages to put a packed movie theater under its spell. It catches you off guard and is definitely one of the greatest movies this year. A must-see! 

For Fans Of:
Zodiac (2007)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009/2011)
Black Swan (2010)
We Need To Talk about Kevin (2011)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion! 

NORTHMEN - Movie Review

Title: Northmen - A Viking Saga
Running Time: 97 min
Director: Claudio Fäh
Starring:  Tom Hopper, Ryan Kwanten, Charlie Murphey, Ed Skrein, Anatole Taubman, Ken Duken, Darrel D'Silva, James Norton, Johan Hegg

Review:
It's not every day, that Switzerland, Germany and Southafrica team-up to make an English language film about Vikings, which is including a british rapper and the lead singer of a swedish death-metal band in its cast. Therefore, no one quite knew what to expect from this tale of stranded warriors, who find themseleves in enemy territory: The Scottish Highlands.
"Northmen - A Viking Saga" really isn't a masterpiece, but entertaining nonetheless. For a movie produced by such relatively small studios, the film is actually pretty good looking. Strong contrasts, impressive landscapes, bad ass villain costumes and some inventive fight scenes are a lot of fun to watch and give this movie a bigger feel. The actors are all doing fine, most notably: Ed Skrein. This former "Game of Thrones" actor shows us that he can put on a game face and throw a hard punch, which is good to see since he'll take over the wheel for Jason Statham in the upcoming "The Transporter Legacy".
What this film suffers from, however, is its pretty generic plot. You'll find your typical group dynamics: the young leader, who has the responsibility to make the tough calls; a rude douche, who doubts the leaders decisions; that boyish, yet ambitious character; a loyal fighter; an older nice guy; the comic-relief-guy; an ally made along the way who might-or-might-not-be trustworthy; and of course the beautiful but feisty captured princess, who's character development needs no explanation.
Further, the writers must have taken some drug that kicks in very slowly while conceiving this script, because the movie starts off quite serious, but, especially towards the very end, gets a bit crazy when it comes to the mortality of their characters. Also, the fact that people seem to be just as fast as horses, and that the bad guy army varies in size however it is convenient to the plot, strips off this film's gravitas.
In the end, "Northmen - A Viking Saga" is an action adventure certainly meant with a wink. Definetly not a must-see, but if you ever come across it, you probably won't regret it.

For Fans Of:
Vikings (2013 - TV Series)
Solomon Kane (2009)
10.000 B.C. (2008)
Season of the Witch (2011)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR - Movie Review

 Title: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Running Time: 102 min
Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Ray Liota

Review:
When Robert Rodriguez pitched Frank Miller the idea to put his graphic novel into film, Miller doubted that it would work. Rodriguez however, stayed persistend and asked the comic-book writer to let him shoot a sequence that, if he still denied, would become a cool short film at the very least. This experiment ended up to be the opening sequence for one of most accurate comic book adaptations of all time. "Sin City" became an instant cult hit and even won the Technichal Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2005 for its unique visual style. After a long wait of nine years (i.a. due to some production issues) we finally get to see a second batch of Miller's stories translated into a film.
"Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" brings back the great neo-noir elements and the over the top violence from the first movie, but doesn't manage to have the same impact its predecessor had. The actors are all doing a damn good job: Newbies Brolin and Gordon-Levitt show they can fit in this universe just as well as the members of the old cast, and Eva Green gives us all she's got, which is very little when it comes to clothing, but makes her the perfect woman to give this movie its title. Jessica Alba upgrades her performance from the last movie, but it is Mickey Rourke who remains the showstealer with his perfect portrayal of the brutal and yet somehow likeable colossus Marv. With 3D in the mix, Rodriguez even managed to take the visual one step further, cleverly using the third dimension as stylistic devise in certain shots throughout the movie.
Nonetheless, the film still feels much smaller in scale than the original. The main reason for this are probably the stories: Inspite of maintaining the same great atmosphere, they just don't seem as thrilling and emotionally captivating, most likely because they are simply missing a creepy villain. While "Sin City" had a mute teenage cannibal, a yellow-skinned rapist and a half-beheaded corrupt cop, this installment settles with much more common bad guys like a mobster/senator, a money-grubbing femme fatal and a nearly indestructible henchmen. That big parts of all stories are set in the same bar, and that the main story also mostly takes place at one particular mansion, does not help to make the movie feel larger either. Lastly, the film feels much more episodic than its forerunner as the way the stories are pieced together isn't as smooth.
All in all, "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" is a very good time and a feast for your eyes, but doesn't quite hold up to the 2005 cult classic. For all that, I am extremly curious what Rodriguez and Miller can come up with next. Although, sadly, this might rather be a question of "if", considering this movie's box office numbers...

For Fans Of:
Sin City (2005)
300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
The Spirit (2008)
The Expendables 2 (2012)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!

GOTHAM - Series Premiere Review

 Title: Gotham
Premiere: 22nd September 2014
Episode Length: ca. 50 min
Creator: Bruno Heller
Starring: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Robin Taylor, David Mazouz, Camren Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, John Doman

Review:

Joel Schumacher killed the Batman franchise in 1997 with lame one-liners, goofy sets and the infamous bat-nipples. Eight years later, Christopher Nolan managed to revive the caped crusader, going back to the darker, more serious tone that made this superhero without superpowers so special. The Dark Knight might be more popular than ever before and we already know that Ben Affleck will be the next actor to put on the mask.
In the meantime, "The Mentalist" creator Bruno Heller brings us a brand new TV Series set in this masked manhunter's comic book universe, but.... without the Batman himself?!
Yes, "Gotham" might evolve around the world's greatest detective, but in this particular case that would be Jim Gordon. It is his origin story, and it starts with his biggest case yet: The murder of the Wayne Family! As we follow his path, we explore this sinister city with all its inhabitants, including but not limited to low life criminals, gang leaders, mobster, dirty cops and a few good ones as well.
The series started off very strong on Monday night. Its characters and their relationship with each other were cleverly constructed, and quite interesting and fun to watch. Among other things this is probably due to the show's perfect casting, and especially Robin Taylor shines in his role as Oswald Cobblepot. Also, when it comes to scale, this show really has the ambition to be able to compete with the movies.
This is where it has some minor problems though: the great strength of television is that it has the possibility to take its time with character development, and with a setting like Gotham I would have wished to see it go more of a neo-noir route, putting an even bigger focus on Gordon and exploring his personality even through the quiet moments when he is alone. Even more filming at night would have strengthend the atmosphere as well. This premiere felt just a little bit overcrowded and story wise they could have easily ended with a cliff-hanger about half way through. Also, the introduction of well-known Batman characters like the Riddler, or the Penguin was a little on the nose and i wish they would have trusted the audience enough to figure out who these people are by themselves.
But now I am nit-picking, because firstly, a perfect pilot is rare, and secondly, this one was already great. "Gotham" has a cool concept, seems extremely promising and shouldn't be missed by comic-book fans. If it calms down just a little bit with its story-telling, it might become a truely excellent TV experience!

For Fans Of:
Arrow (2012 - TV series)
Batman Begins (2005)
Batman: Year One (2011)
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 - TV series)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD EP.4 - M. Night Shyamalan

 Hello there puny humans,
the fourth episode of our podcast has us talking about M. Night Shyamalan. Mentioning his heyday, exploring his downfall and extensively ranting about him hitting rock bottom with "After Earth".
Upload Music Files - Audio Hosting - Podcast #4 - After Earth
I hope you enjoy this hilariousity review!

Your Cinemartian

A MOST WANTED MAN - Movie Review

 Title: A Most Wanted Man
Running Time: 122 min
Director: Anton Corbijn
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman (†), Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Grigory Dobrygin, Homayoun Ershadi, Daniel Brühl, Herbert Grönemeyer

Review:
After his surprising death early this year, Philip Seymour Hoffman comes, at least for a little while, back to life on the big screen. Eventhough his final postum released film will be the great conclusion of the "Hunger Games" franchise, in this one he takes on the leading role for the last time: As Günther Bachmann, he heads a team of espionage agents seeking to develop intelligence from Hamburg's local Muslim community. A post 9/11 spy story written by none other than author and former MI-6 member John le Carré.
"A Most Wanted Man" is a very interesting movie, and this is said with absolutely no sarcasm implied. It depicts espionage in a truthful light, stripped off the flashiness and explosions of the likes of Mission Impossible and James Bond. You see agents talking to contacts, listening in on conversations and having to put up with other agencies and departments that interfere with their investigations. This realism comes of course at the cost of pace, but this is ultimately also the point and kind of the charm of the film. Gathering intelligence takes its time, and you need to start at the bottom to get to the top, or as Bachmann states it: 'It takes a minnow to catch a barracuda and a barracuda to catch a shark.'
This is not a popcorn flick, and requires a bit of patience and focus, but it pays off, as the movie rewards you with great atmosphere and excellent performances. Especially the late Hoffman shows us why he will be missed. There is a lot of brilliance within the subtlety with which he portrays his characters and the impact of the final scene would not have been the same without him.
Lastly, the movie seems very up-to-date covering topics like the fear of terrorism, suspiciousness towards Muslims, and the different approaches of intelligence agencies as well as the bureaucracy they have to work with. "A Most Wanted Man" might not be a film you will rewatch very often, but one whose themes and message you will definiteley remember. So if you are in for something sophisticated, this is a film for you.

For Fans Of:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)
The American (2010)
The Wire (2002-2008, TV Series)
Unknown (2011)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!