D.Moore

The idea may not be so original anymore, but it is still used to the max; the film has real momentum and the viewers feel that they are searching along with the main character. I was expecting an unexpected twist, although I had no idea what it would be, but I'm glad for the ending because I probably wouldn't have wanted to see it end any other way. The only thing that disturbed me a bit was the music: although it was good, it brought down the feeling of authenticity.

For me, this installment of the film series is roughly on the level of the oft-mocked second part: well made, but otherwise pretty bad. Thieves turn into secret agents, cars get hacked while driving with Bond-esque contraptions, Letty's resurrection is delivered like something out of the worst possible soap opera, the bad guy is as bad a character as the good guys... Plus the annoying pathos, not to mention the action scenes, which with all their car-to-car, car-to-plane, and plane-to-car jumps just crawl tongue-in-cheek to reality. Not much to see here.

Before I got to know Bong Joon-ho’s other works (if I’m saying the name right), I was a bit skeptical of Snowpiercer. That star-studded cast in a dopey-looking plot that wants to be something more... You know, it smelled. But then I saw the excellent Parasite, the great The Host, and the great Okja, and I was looking forward to Snowpiercer more and more, because it's just the kind of headlong story that Bong Joon-ho should have made. A sci-fi metaphor on rails, elaborate characters, suspense, action, humor, some quirks, and more than one surprise. To some, it may seem elementary and cheesy, and I can't really blame such viewers, because Bong Joon-ho isn't for everyone. However, this just goes to show what an exceptional filmmaker he is.

Compared to the previous film, I have to take a star off. The film does follow the path trodden by the first, and in the tradition of most sequels, it tries to be bigger, bigger, and bigger, but something about it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. In fact, it seemed to me that the second Scooby-Doo was made mostly out of necessity and not because the filmmakers were having fun. And that sentiment rubbed off on me more than a few times. It's a shame, because in some scenes, Monsters Unleashed managed to evoke the atmosphere of the original Ghostbusters and definitely had more to offer.

If it weren't for the fight scene and the fact that more films are still being made, this would have been a great finale to the series. The stories of the familiar characters come full circle during a big action ride that's not just about cars, but also gets into contact fights, shootouts... Justin Lin's predatory direction, Dwayne Johnson's super charismatic bad guy, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker clearly having a blast, plus Brian Tyler's stomping score that finally gets a proper airing... And that giant vault finale, which really took my breath away (and which was rather stupidly robbed by the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean, but I won't get into that here). I've been waiting for a movie this good since the first film in the series, The Fast and the Furious.

It's a bit of a weak piece, mostly because of how drawn out it is. The idea is great, and the punchline improves the overall impression, but still... The opening half hour (also a bit cheesy) could have been cut in half and it would have been better.

It's a simple story through and through, but it has a certain, ahem, barbaric charm. It doesn’t dazzle cinematically and rather comes across as a narrative episode of TV's Hercules, but despite some annoying supporting characters, it entertains, passes by quickly, and doesn’t leave you feeling robbed. I was intrigued by John Debney's score, which intersperses very honest and catchy orchestral pieces with almost contemporary electronic music without clashing. Why not.

Hugh Jackman is the man. To play a character like that... Admirable. I didn't know anything about the actual affair, so the story surprised me a few times, but the main thing that made it worth seeing was Jackman's performance and how his character gradually changed before my eyes.

It's silly in exactly the same way as the animated series, but it has one big advantage: it knows it's silly, and constantly uses that to more or less successful jokes. Child audiences will find it just as enjoyable as lovers of racy double entendre, but I was most amused at the stylization into a brainy, deliberately parrot-like slapstick and the presence of Rowan Atkinson. The titular canine hero was also fine, and as far as the Mysteries Inc. gang goes, Matthew Lillard is second to none.

After a number of very tense episodes, this one felt like a ready-made treat with a lovely, almost optimistic feeling at the end. Mackenzie Davis in particular is amazing here; I didn't see the cold semi-mechanical qualities from the last Terminator in her for a second.