Stanislaus

The three-dimensional (in my case, fortunately only 2D) Piranha is IMHO the bloodiest, most brutal and most disgusting film of the decade. The film has loads of floating limbs, hanging entrails and blood. On the other hand, the effects were pretty cheap at times, for instance the shot of more than one piranha or a bitten penis. In short, a typical American horror B-movie with a good dose of blood, where the most gruesome scene was the one with the stage falling into the "lake of death". P.S. They could have left out the ending!!!

At the end of 2021, I had the chance to see My Neighbor Totoro on the big screen (and in its original version), where it has a lot more charm. While I still stand by the fact that I wasn't as enchanted by "Miyazaki's cutest character" as I was by Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, Totoro is a powerful experience that, while primarily aimed at a younger audience, has the potential to appeal to an adult viewer as well. Miyazaki's inspiration from Alice in Wonderland is unmistakable, whether it was the grinning catbus, the pursuit of the "rabbit" or the juxtaposition of the real and magical worlds, and it creates unforgettable magical scenes with the director's own imagination, accompanied by Joe Hisaishi's equally magical music. I know I have always been somewhat irritated by the shouting character of little Mei, yet her behaviour has its place and reason in the plot. On the surface, a simple yet very powerful film about family and faith.

I only saw the original two Predators from afar, so this movie was basically a Predator premiere for me. I can't say I didn't like it, but on the other hand, I can't say I was impressed either. The creatures in the film are all very well done, the music was great to enhance the atmosphere, and the actors were mostly good (I didn't really care for Adrien Brody as the capo, but that's just my opinion). Most of the scares were pretty predictable, so the scare portion was not exceptionally filled. In short, an average American-produced action sci-fi flick that benefits mostly from its predecessors.

Overall, The Sorcerer's Apprentice struck me as a mix of Harry Potter and some teenage sugary stuff. The effects were great and I have absolutely no complaints. Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina, and Monica Bellucci fit their characters for me, but Jay Baruchel pretty much sucked - as did a lot of others there. In the end, this is a typical American commercial fantasy film with a predictable plot, mostly good actors and solid effects.

After watching Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki is for me right up there with James Cameron as a directorial god. His spectacular and narrative masterpieces (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke) are amazing examples of the genius and imagination of a skilled filmmaker. Once again, the director relies on the love between a boy and a girl against a backdrop of horrific dangers, and once again he does not disappoint. Of the films mentioned above, I found Mononoke to be the most mature and darkest. In short, an indescribable experience that I will carry with me for a long time.

The old familiar tale of two restless neighbours who play pranks on each other and in the end there is supposed to be a lesson. Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick were less funny than usual, but I'll still give it 2* for the beautiful production design and a couple of bright moments.

An average Christmas affair with an above-average cast, wrapped in a layer of clichés. In short, a film that doesn't impress but doesn't offend either.

After the Christmas special from Shrek and Madagascar comes the Kung Fu Panda special, which offers nothing new and falls short of the three stars due to a lack of humour and an excess of sentimentality. It could have been better, but it could have been worse.

A typical American chill-out film with a good portion of clichés, which they tried to wrap in a new packaging. Add an annoying Katherine Heigl and a bunch of “hitmen” who really got on my nerves towards the end, and you have Killers. Fortunately, I wasn't expecting much from the film, so I'm not disappointed. One big plus for me was the perpetually pissed Catherine O'Hara.