Kaka

“Hold the line, stay with me” – Roman general Maximus leads his army into battle, accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s powerful score, which I consider to be one of the best in the history of cinema. Ridley Scott once again serves us a visual feast, at the expense of weaker content. But it must be noted that the content wasn't really that bad, after all, the story also has its historical roots, which makes it closer to the audience. Sometimes the dialogues seemed a bit silly, but I won't dwell on it. The main thing in this well-made film is to enjoy Scott's typical style, the fantastic cinematography, which is incredibly dynamic and detailed, especially in the action scenes, the exceptional editing, and even the sound design deserves praise.

An exceptional masterpiece that may only receive true recognition after several years. The Brazilian nature of this film can literally be felt in every second. The filmmakers break away from the typical clichéd story and give us a gritty, realistic experience, where we see the harsh life in the roughest neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro. The formal aspect is flawless, with fantastic handheld camera, brilliant editing, and sound. The actors (unknown to me) give wonderful performances and the direction is even better.

A fantastically directed action movie by the master of masters John Woo. The plot is not essential and the storyline itself is practically pulled out of thin air, with all the lapses in logic and screenplay flaws that come with it. However, the action is filmed so perfectly that one cannot help but forgive all the downsides. Woo has an unbelievable sense for visuals and colors (Seville, the scenes in the desert, the shootout in BioCyte), he doesn't miss any detail and puts an unprecedented effort into it. One example of his precise craftsmanship is the shootout in the multi-story building, which is simply breathtaking, not only because of its dynamics, but also the overall visual concept (sparks, lighting, camera). This is where Woo is truly the best, and it is the film’s main attraction. As the second and third thing that make me give it a full score, there is the brilliant atmospheric music and possibly one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.

A very weak concoction of the already mediocre first part. The typical simple chase with a hooded killer, full of clichés, predictable and with mediocre acting. The sets are very bad and the murders are not excellent either. Very boring.

A gloomy and relatively rough (within Hollywood standards) film showing the dark alleys of the metropolis, mentally disturbed perverts, murderers, deviants, and a traditionally clumsy Nicolas Cage. It's not inherently bad, but his acting simply doesn't dazzle and it even the Breitlings he wears most of the time can’t help. There were several scenes pleasantly twisted my nerves and digestive system (the final scene with the music is brilliantly tense) and the decently atmospheric depiction of that underworld with all its filth and tragedy is good. It's not groundbreaking, but on the other hand, Joel Schumacher has already directed several first-class crap, so let's be glad this film turned out like this.

A classic. Great value for money, with a charismatic Sam Neill, a fierce Billy Zane and a gorgeous Nicole Kidman, for whom this film marked a phenomenal start to a stellar career.

There's not much to talk about here, it’s an average film practically in every aspect that can be mentioned: action, plot, actors, ending, sets, editing; essentially just another genre routine. But it's still better than the previous few films of the karate master. Here, at least, he’s a solid badass that can kick and doesn't try other styles that don't suit him (comedy, raw drama). Maximum Risk can even be seen multiple times (Natasha Henstridge).

The topic is indeed interesting, comprehensive – we find out the cause of Travolta's psychological change – but that mysterious “enlightenment” that happens by chance under the moonlight didn’t sit sit well with me. Otherwise, it's a touching and intelligent film for easygoing moments, and even for normal moments, which it will make easygoing without any problem. Towards the end, it gets a little sentimental, but it can be endured. Travolta’s performance is excellent, and his character is so vivid that instead of shaking your head and not believing your own eyes, you swallow the love story with line, hook and sinker. Kyra Sedgwick's very rough voice also has its merits, as a rough country girl in the context of the place where the film is set, is much more attractive than many of her more beautiful and more polished colleagues.

A fairly believable piece of American heroic action, at least in terms of the plot structure, with a lot of likeable actors in typically masculine roles (David Morse, Kevin Spacey, Samuel L. Jackson, J.T. Walsh, etc.) that complement a good action story with solid pacing and a typically attractive, falsely accused, hero. The work of the negotiators is presented in a very interesting way and the chemistry between Jackson and Spacey is great. There are scenes that are not completely believable, and that are forced into the film with violence, but otherwise, it is a solid action ride.

While watching this bizarre piece, I could not help but compare it to the films of Quentin Tarantino. Walter Hill serves a simple story of a rough gunslinger bursting with one-liners with such exaggeration that it is hard to believe at times. On the one hand, there are bloody shootouts, on the other, dry humor and lots of fun. Christopher Walken is also brilliant in the role of the legendary shooter Hickey. A fairly unknown film that was relative success for Hill and solidified Bruce Willis’s position as a tough guy.