jentlke_in_black Reviews

The Last Airbender (2010)

The worst part is that there's going to be two more sequels.

[2/10 · 5 September 2010]

It's been a long time since I've gotten so incredibly annoyed at a movie. But first things first.

When I heard Avatar: The Last Airbender was being turned into a live action movie I was excited yet skeptic. When I first saw the teaser trailer I was slightly put off by the fact that Aang was going to be played by a white boy, even though a bunch of elements from the series (clothing, name, culture) suggest that he is Asian. Then when I heard M. Night Shyamalan was doing the movie, all that was left of my faith in the movie hit rock bottom.

First of all I wonder whether Shyamalan has actually SEEN the series. I wonder simply because he makes such obvious mistakes such as having the characters' names and other terms pronounced incorrectly. Other characters look absolutely nothing like the original, both their appearance as well as their personality, like General Ihro. Prince Zuko on the other hand looks more like a spoof of the original character. There is no depth in his character whatsoever.

And the way he handled the script was simply aggravating, making it seem as though Katara only realizes he's the avatar near the end of the movie, before the big North Pole finale. The dialogs were cheesy and best to be ignored.

The fighting scenes and special effects were okay, but they could've been better. I found the animation in the original series to be far more impressive than the choreography in the movie. I mean, if you see a handful of unbends do this little 'haka' like routine where they shout and stomp their feet on the ground, you're pretty disappointed when all it does is launch a basketball sized rock at one of the firebenders.

The acting was awkward and painful. It was simply unpleasant to watch and that's all I will say about that.

I just pray that next time, they pick a director that can deliver to handle a movie that had so much potential.

The Vanishing (1993)

I love the book, I hate the movie.

[2/10 · 24 June 2007]

You could hardly even say this movie was written by Tim Krabbé, because the movie is only loosely inspired by the book, so it seems. The original title was "Het gouden ei" or "The golden egg". The reason why this wasn't literally translated is because all references to a golden egg quite have quite simply disappeared. And that was what made the book so great. That's one great minus.

Also, Jeff's character does not resemble the one in the book either. In the book he is desperate to know what happened to Diane, just because his ignorance is killing him. Not because he wants her to be still alive. He's not in love with Denise either, sure he likes her, but not as much as is displayed in the movie. In the book, Denise has a minor part. Another minus.

Also, the movie represents the killer as some sick psycho. OK, in the book you can't really say he's normal either, but the movie really takes his character over the line.

Then, the thing I hated most. The last twenty minutes of the movie quite simply do not exist in the book. It ends with Jeff waking up inside a coffin, praying he will die soon and glad he knows what exactly happened to Diane. So, Denise will never know what happened to him, the murderer does not end up getting killed and Jeff most certainly doesn't survive. In short, there is no typical American happy ending.

The only thing I liked about this movie, was Jeff Bridges acting. He has an amazing way of presenting the murderer's way of thinking and acting. A great actor.

My advise for those who haven't seen the movie yet. If you have a choice, read the book rather than watching the movie. You won't get your sweet happy ending, but you won't feel as empty.

Final Fantasy X (2001 Video Game)

Not as good as part eight, but still

[9/10 · 25 July 2006]

I myself am a great RPG lover, and the best RPGs of our time are without a doubt the Final Fantasy series.

The story begins with Tidus, a young blitzball player, who is looking forward to his brilliant career when a monster called Sin shows up and destroys his home town Zanarkand. Tidus wakes up a thousand years into the future, in a world called Spira, where machines are forbidden and the villagers live in fear of Sin. In Besaid he meets a young summoner Yuna, who's only dream is to become a high summoner and beat Sin for good. To do this she must travel to the ancient and sacred city, Zanarkand.

Here comes my rating:

Graphics and music: 2/2 Plot: 2/2 Game play: 5/6

Final Fantasy X is another typical work in the series, with great FMVs and great music. Just like in part eight it's flooded with the great movies that will take your breath away. New in this Final Fantasy is the Facial Motion system and actual voice actors. Some of it may be just a bit disappointing, but I'm able to turn a blind eye to that.

The plot is as always original and renewing. The world of Spira seems to be very real (well, as real as it gets in a Final Fantasy game) and all other aspects such as blitzball and the aeons as well.

The game play is different from the other Final Fantasies and this could be annoying for the true fans. There's a new Sphere Grid system that allows you to choose which parts of the character you'll upgrade and even what sort of fighter they'll be (White Mage, Black Mage, Thief etc.) Then there's the new weapon and armer. Instead of the normal armor that indicates what things are upgrades (Strength, Magic) you now have other things equipped such as Fire Proof, Stone Strike etc. Not that handy if you're used to the old armor/weapon system.

Still if you can look past that, you will enjoy this game. The average gamer will spend more than fifty hours on this so you'll be busy for a while. Plus the ending is worth all the waiting.

Red Ninja: End of Honor (2005 Video Game)

It was so promising...

[6/10 · 25 July 2006]

This game had potential. I just know it had. They came up with a good idea and tried to work it out. Too bad they didn't try hard enough...

When it comes to video games, I give my stars to a number of aspects: graphics and music (2), plot (2), game play (6).

So here's my score: Graphics and music: 2 /2 Plot : 1,5 /2 Gameplay : 2,5 /6

And now the explanation.

From the intro FMV on I knew the game had beautiful graphics. They weren't Final Fantasy, but they were great. Later on I found out the cut scenes were good as well and so was the music in every level.

The plot was very movie-like, you really learn your place in this story and it feels good to play your part and do your stuff.

But then came the game play...

I only have one word for it: frustrating. The camera movement only is annoying. You have to do it all manually, then when you want to do it manually, you can't. The camera never repositions so you have to do it yourself. Then the battles. You can not lock on to an enemy that easily. It takes a while for you to do so and after you've attacked him, you have to lock on again. The Tetsugen was a very original idea, but it's a very difficult weapon to work with. There's a limited range to use this weapon, you can't be standing to close and you can't be too far off either. Close enough for the enemy to hear you, if you aren't careful. When an enemy strikes you down you better equip a Potion cause in the later levels it's difficult to pull away from his attacks, since you have to stay on the ground for three more seconds, Gods knows why, before you can get up. Sometimes you can block enemy attacks, but I don't really understand why they've put that in either. Most of the time, you can't. There aren't many save points in the game, which is also very annoying. You can be wondering about a level for hours, in the middle of the night, longing to get some sleep, then you finally break through, you end up in another long level, without being able to save your progress.

Like I said, it had potential, but it just wasn't meant to be.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Help! There's a maniac after me and I'm not wearing a sports bra!

[4/10 · 25 July 2006]

The idea was good...

The intro was bloodcurdling...

But somehow they still messed up.

I really had high hopes for this movie. The plot was cool, especially since it was based on a true story (true stories always make movies even scarier). But I already feared from the first scene on that the movie would suck.

First of all: the movie goes too fast. By the time the movie is halfway, almost everyone has already been slaughtered or half-dead. I was expecting to see more than just Erin running around with her boobs bouncing up and down.

Secondly: the movie is filled with 'stupid idiot' scenes. That's a technique used a lot and I don't mind if there are one or two of these moments in a movie. But it's filled with it! The female lead has just made one idiotic mistake and then she already makes another one. It's frustrating.

Finally: What's up with the intro? They tell you five young people got killed by this so called Leatherface. Still, Erin escapes. In exchange they make it look like a twist by showing a policeman and his cameraman were killed by the maniac as well. But they weren't included in the whole 'five victims thing' since that would make six of them. And it can't be the hitchhiker either, since she shot herself. Unless I'm missing some serious plot material, I am very confused.

I didn't give this move one or two stars, because the outro was good, plus the acting was also splendid.

W817 (1999–2003)

Possibly the best Belgian series ever

[9/10 · 19 July 2006]

And when I say ever, I mean ever.

'W817 (W8 a sec)' tells the story of a couple of teenagers living together in a rent house. They go together through school, love and friendship.

My favorite characters in the series are without a doubt Akke and Carlo. They're funny and weird and between you and me, they kinda remind me of myself. They're best friends and fill their days doing nonsense: hanging around (and then they mean, actually hanging around), charging each other for switching channels, going on a vacation in their bedroom etc. They always manage to surprise you with another hilarious deed.

There are other characters of course. There's Birgitte, the sexy type of girl, Steve, who is gay though you can't really tell, Zoë, the party animal, Tom, a writer, and Katrijn, who does not actually live there but does spend lots of her free time at their place.

I personally love this series, but I'm just not that keen on giving a maximum amount of stars. That's just not how I am. There'll always be flaws, that's life. Nothing and nobody's perfect.

The Memory of a Killer (2003)

You won't forget this

[8/10 · 19 July 2006]

I'm sorry to say this myself, but I'm not that keen on Belgium movies. I love the chocolate and the fries, and yeah we've got great beer as well. But Belgian movies aren't really my thing...

Was I surprised.

They were playing this movie in a Belgian hotel in Switserland, so me and my brother went to see it. I was surprised, very surprised by the intensity of this movie. You get all caught up in the story, wondering what plot twist they'll come up with next.

Jan Decleir has proved earlier that he's a fantastic actor, with many talent. Those who watched 'Daens' know what I mean. Never before have I seen a man get so caught up in the act, could bring his character to life in such a convincing way.

Decleir has certainly made his way into my list of favorite actors, together with Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson. In case you haven't seen this one, see it.

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Major tear-jerker

[6/10 · 4 June 2006]

It's been a while since I last saw this one, but I will always remember this as one of the saddest movies I ever saw, in a good way of course!

There are hardly any cheerful tones throughout the movie, so it is not for people who like soppy stories. But the effects are amazing and the vision of heaven is very original. Robin Williams is, as always, very good at performing. This was the first serious movie I saw featuring Williams, and I was amazed. I had thought Williams would be the type who could only act decently in comedies, but this one proved me wrong. He can put down a serious character with all ease not only that, he can truly touch you with his oh so tear-jerking lines.

My conclusion: if you are planning on watching this movie, keep your tissues at hand, and some food and drinks as well since the movie isn't exactly what you call short.

Saw (2004)

How much money would you shed to watch this movie?

[9/10 · 4 June 2006]

Lots of it, I bet! My friend had watched this while she was with some friends in Austria, and when she came back she was so excited about I thought 'what the heck'! I hurried my butt to the movie store closeby where I got it for €5, settled myself in the couch that night with chips and a can of soda and pressed the precious play button - and enjoyed.

The lines only thrilled me...

"He doesn't want us to saw through our chains, he wants us to saw through our feet." But not only that, the main actors were really convincing and the atmosphere chilled my bones. I must say, near the end of the movie I was getting a little disappointed since you knew who was the killer way too early and he didn't apply to all the aspects of the 'Jigsaw killer', but a couple of minutes before the ending I was back into it and was seriously touched by the twist.

So all of you who haven't seen it yet: get your a** to the store, damn it!

Rings (2005 Video)

They should have picked this instead of The Ring 2

[8/10 · 29 May 2006]

I shall be honest about this. I liked it, it was the best short movie I ever saw, as far as i am concerned. In a matter of fact, I liked this one way better than the true sequel. It's very thrilling, to watch how a teen slowly grows insane while being in the presence of Samara Morgan. It's very realistic, just like how I would see it happen in real life. It's far more realistic than The Ring. i mean, if I'd been Rachel, I would have freaked out the first day or something. Screw 'finding out what mystery lies behind the tape'. I'd lose my mind!

Sometimes I actually screamed and crushed my friend's arm. So a big bravo.

Scary Movie 2 (2001)

Four point two is way too high

[2/10 · 29 May 2006]

Honnestly, I don't get how people could like this movie. So you make a parody, okay. That's cool, that's even fun. People buy it, people like it and you earn money.

But you don't write a sequel to a parody! This whole idea is wrong on its own, but then they just had to add lame jokes about sex and other vulgarities. You can be funny without that! By example, the Charlie's Angels parody was good. If you saw the real movie afterward, you truly realized how ridiculous it was. But all the other humor was just way over the line. Those are jokes ten year old kids giggle at. By the looks of it, it was some guy with the brains of a ten year old who wrote the script... So, I beg you, next time, think twice before you write a sequel.