September 6^th

SUMMER 2007 REVIEWED

The presence of snow in the newest releases and the heavy publicity some Winter-themed films are already receiving make it clear that Summer 2007 is already in the books, a summer so colossal that it hit the world of cinema like a tsunami, splashing film buffs with CGI brilliance and drenching movie moguls with insane amounts of cash. Because this was a life-transforming season for me, I am sharing with you what I think were the best fighting sequences, the funniest comedy bits, the most original screenplays and the finest blockbuster of the biggest season of cinema to date. Hope you enjoy!

The immensely popular ninja series about the hyperactive kid the orange outfit who always finishes his sentences with the mysterious word ‘dattebayo’ is very long, very childish and at times maddeningly slow. After 135 episodes, I went through several mood stages, but my final verdict is this: ‘Naruto’ is one of the most absorbing, addictive and fulfilling anime experiences ever. For the hardcore fans, this analysis might serve as a reminder of the finest battles in the series. For the skeptics (and I’m sure there are many) this might probably convince you to give this awesome ninja world a try!

August 31^st

A very important season is gone, not only for the filmmaking industry, but also for me as a graduate student. As I am quitting my job at AMC, I won’t be able to watch as many films as before. My real excuse for stopping my reviews is that I am currently working on a novel, and I really can’t make a lot of progress if I spend a considerable amount of my spare time writing about films that I would never pay to see. I am not saying never again; if I watch something inspiring, you will be the first one to know, but I should at this point try to turn this hobby of mine into a prolific job. So here’s the last five for now.

WAITRESS * ½

The worst birthday present I could’ve asked for. Ridiculous, unfunny and annoyingly feminist story of a knocked up waitress trying to find the meaning of life not in her belly but in her pies.

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM * * ½

Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne in the final chapter of his amnesiac and pissed off spy series. The super-fast editing style gave me a headache, and I didn’t find anything memorable about this insipid James Bond Jr.  

KNOCKED UP * * * ½

Romantic comedy reconfigured. Quirky dude sleeps with hot chick, detonating some of the biggest laughs of the summer. Very sweet, very affecting, and a true winner.

NO RESERVATIONS *

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart star as two chefs in love in this insanely unhealthy sugar dose. With some of the worst quotes of the century, this kills the believability of its once-capable leads.

SERAPHIM FALLS * * * ½

Liam Neeson hunts down Pierce Brosnan through mountains, rivers and deserts in this unusual but sufficiently poetic story of the solitary road to revenge and forgiveness that two wounded men have to cross together.

August 21^st

On my birthday’s eve, I am prepared to leave AMC behind and, consequently, my movie reviews. The summer season’s virtually over, but there’s still very good stuff out there.

THE HOAX * * *

Richard Gere gives a class performance as a likeable scoundrel who almost got away with publishing Howard Hughe’s fake autobiography.

EVAN ALMIGHTY * * ½

A very bad and overly artificial film that throws in your face some cheesy family values, but it’s done with goofy grace, a pair of really funny gags, and a budget of biblical proportions.

TALES FROM THE EARTHSEA * * ½

Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary Hayao, delivers a delightful visual ride that rings, however, a little bit plain and spiritless.

SURF’S UP * *

Surfin’ penguins at last! A great comedy concept that crashes and sinks with the waves.  

RUSH HOUR 3 * * *

It’s been so long since we last saw Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker kicking some ass together that the third part of the smashing buddy cop trilogy still feels fresh. Electrifying and daft, this takes the action to the top of the Eiffel Tower!

July 29^th

The end is near… The biggest summer season ever is coming to a climatic end as the heavy-hitters are finally released!

TRANSFORMERS * * * *

Michael Bay’s adaptation of the Autobots vs. Decepticons never-ending battle is blissful stuff. With witty one-liners, jaw-dropping graphics and a legendary final duel, this is the potential king of the summer.

HOSTEL PART II ½*

The first film I have ever granted half-a-star. Eli Roth’s sequel to the smash hit ‘Hostel’ is, simply put, worse than a lobotomy. Avoid.  

HAIRSPRAY * * * *

Maybe not a four-star film for all tastes, but this is one of the season’s most delightful surprises. A true musical with a very big heart and fantastic performances from start to finish!

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE * * * *

Here is why I think Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge and Maggie’s big-screen breakthrough deserves four stars and more. Feel free to differ!

July 12^th

GRINDHOUSE: PLANET TERROR & DEATH PROOF

Read the advanced review of Robert Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s unmissable, out-of-this-world, incredibly amazing horror extravaganza!

LUCKY YOU * * * ½

Forget Danny Ocean and his crew, this is the real Las Vegas! Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore and Robert Duvall are all-in in this effective and engaging poker drama.

DIE HARD 4.0 * * * ½

Bruce Willis’s return as the bald but still ace cop John McClane is, in a word, awesome.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX * * * ½

The darkness begins! More ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ than ‘Goblet of Fire’, and miles away from ‘Chamber of Secrets’ and ‘Sorceress’s Stone’, ‘Order of the Phoenix’ is a fantastic film in all the sense of the word… exclusively, that is, for ‘Harry Potter’ veterans.

 July 1^st

Brand new month, brand new set of emotions. Another ‘threequel’ reviewed and two new anime recommendations.

DEATH NOTE

Yagami Light, an amazingly bright but bored student, finds a notebook that gives him the powers of a Death God. While trying to build a crime-free utopia, he will be challenged by the most famous and respected detective in the world, the mysterious and quick-witted L. Philosophical ambiguity, cleverly-paced suspense, ingenious mini-plot resolutions, compelling characters and polished production values make of ‘Death Note’ a great anime series. It is, without a doubt, one of the most original and riveting works I’ve come across…

ELFEN LIED

Male otakus around the world could argue that in anime there is nothing like watching cute girls—with bright-colored hair and preferably wearing a minimum amount of clothes—feeling attracted to a strong and determined guy, gallons and gallons of blood, simultaneously comic and explicit violence, and some supernatural romance involving ancient curses or otherworldly beings here and there. Under that conception, ‘Elfen Lied’ feels like a rare gift from god.

SHREK THE THIRD * * ½

With Fiona about to give birth to baby ogres, a panicked Shrek sets off on a journey to find a worthy heir to the throne of Far Far Away. The third part of the once charming Dreamworks saga has now become a wasted joke.

 June 23^rd

Another blockbuster review and a very important event to celebrate!

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER * * ½

 On the eve of the wedding of the mega-stars with supernatural powers Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, and Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, a menace from outer space surfs his way into our planet with the purpose of—wouldn’t we guess—destroying it. With generally well-timed jokes from Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, this is CGI-boosted silliness just for the sake of silliness.

And…

‘Kane’ is still the King according to the American Film Institute, which has just published its 10^th anniversary list of the 100 Greatest American films of all time. Wanna know more? Read the full article!   

June 13^th

Six new films reviewed.

MAGICIANS * * * - Britons Robert Webb and David Mitchell transfer their ‘iMac vs. PC’ rivalry (which has produced some original adverts for Apple all around the UK) to the big screen with a low-budget film about two lifelong friends who completely destroy each other after being part of a magic double-act for years.

WEDDING DAZE * * ½  - Jason Biggs, that horny teenager who gained world-fame after getting intimate with a steaming apple pie on the big screen, is back with a more subtle, standard romantic comedy about a confused lover who, after losing the girl of his dreams, proposes to a random, clumsy waitress and gets an unexpected ‘Yes’ for an answer.  

 PARADISE LOST & THE HITCHER - A group of partying backpackers terrorized by a mad doctor with a knife and a lovely couple terrorized by Sean Bean on a highway, which one is better? Read the battle review!  

OCEAN’S THIRTEEN * * * - Danny Ocean and his snazzy crew are back for more action in Las Vegas in the third, and hopefully last, part of Steven Soderberg’s casino-heist series.

THIS IS ENGLAND * * * * - Shane Meadows directs this semi-autobiographical childhood story about skinheads and their crimes. An insightful, devastating and spot-on social commentary that tells what others have kept hidden from the world.

May 30^th

It’s already been a year since Jack Sparrow was swallowed by a Kraken and many questions were left unanswered in the rollercoaster-based ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ trilogy. And now director Gore Verbinski and superstar Johnny Depp work their magic again in this brilliantly dark, brilliantly funny, and downright spectacuar final chapter.

And… the unsolved San Francisco Bay killings are depicted with cinematic dexterity and with the support of an A-list cast in David Fincher’s ‘Zodiac’.

April 28th

There’s plenty of good stuff to recommend out there!

SHOOTER — Mark Whalberg plays the Solid Snake role in this First-Person-Shooter disguised as a revenge political thriller.

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER — Shiny, colorful and mouth-opening visual feast which actually tells an engaging, complex story within an Imperial Palace. Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li star in this excellent international film.

THE LIVES OF OTHERS — Technically, a better movie than ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. A gripping and ultimately affecting tale of voyeurism during strange political times in East Germany. 

WILD HOGS — Four suburban losers hit the road on their bikes in this easy-going, gleefully mindless comedy effort. John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy star.

FRACTURE — Anthony Hopkins steals the picture as a frighteningly calculating man who is able to shoot his wife and get away with it in this intelligent and witty courtroom thriller.

REIGN OVER ME — Balancing comedy and personal tragedy, this is an interesting post-9/11 analysis starring Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler.

April 20^th

After a week of happiness in Spain it’s time to wake up to reality. Two new reviews, the latest Will Ferrell extravaganza (this time on ice) ‘Blades of Glory’ and ‘The Reaping’, a watchable but inconsequential horror flick starring the gorgeous Hillary Swank. Also, I am recommending to everyone Richard Linklater’s philosophical odyssey in watercolor ‘Waking Life’, a film that I consider a complete masterpiece.  

March 17^th

Four new reviews: a Marvel adaptation, a period drama, a complex espionage story and a god-awful film about a fat woman. But I am still watching a lot of anime, and I really hope I can find time to review one of the finest series I’ve ever seen, ‘Samurai Champloo’!

March 10^th

Oh my gosh building sites is not an easy task to do… and I am not even programming! Anyway, it feels kind of weird when one of your most beloved possessions is only an abstract concept. I have put a lot of effort and energy into this website, and I am proud of it! I updated my profile and even dared to add a picture! (Although I hate to be judged by one single pic but anyway, I understand the rules…) Two new reviews, and I decided to go back to my beloved 4-star rating system.

February 23^rd

The second month of the year is flying by and before I knew I had 10 movies to review! This will mark another departure for me, since a lot of things are changing in my life and I will try to use the five-star rating system commonly used in the UK. Please read on!