wolverine34 Reviews

Boar (II) (2017)

Can we have more fun creature features like this?

[8/10 · 7 March 2019]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but come on, it wasn't that bad!

I really enjoy these kind of films. Low budget survival horror against creatures. When I was younger I loved the film Razorback, so I was looking forward to seeing it.

To enjoy these films, you can't expect Jurassic Park effects, or a great Oscar winning performance. The acting isn't great but it is good for these sort of films. Comparing it to Jaws isn't really fair, considering the cast Jaws had. I did like how they cast Nathan Jones, and were basically comparing the Boar to him.

If you enjoy B-movie creature features, and don't expect a masterpiece, then you will enjoy this film. It was entertaining, with an ok cast, and I think the director done a good job.

Now, I want a Razorback 2! 😁

Night Zero (2018)

Frustrating

[3/10 · 22 September 2018]

Wasn't all bad, but there was enough to give this a low rating. The quality was quite good as low budget films go. The acting was ok at times, though it did seem to be improvised a lot.

I was frustrated as it had potential to be better. The topic of the film was to do with human anger, I think, but the constant shouting and angry confrontations between the couples got a bit annoying.

It didn't matter who they were shouting at, it just seemed everyone was angry. Sometimes for no real reason! Which I guess is human anger, but it was just too much.

The sound was quite bad. The dialogue seemed to dip now and again (maybe distortion caused by all that shouting!). The background noise didn't make sense, with police sirens going past and crowds shouting.

The worst part for me was this constant beeping in the house. It really ended up putting me off what the actors were saying.

With the sound issues and all the shouting, I really wanted to reach for the remote. I did watch to the end, which did allow me to see what the film was trying to say, but what an anticlimax. Or maybe that is the wrong word to use, as the last 5 mins was the most exciting part of this film.

If the rest of the film was left out I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Playing with Dolls: Bloodlust (2016)

Potential that sadly flopped.

[4/10 · 10 March 2016]

OK it is a low budget film, and I didn't expect any awards.

From the opening you could tell how low a budget it was (or should be). However I enjoy films and also filmmaking so thought I would give it a try. First off, the other reviews mention how many kills the masked killer made. They must have watched a different edit from me. Granted, you don't see all of the kills but you know what has happened.

I will be honest and say I felt they were doing OK for such a low budget film. I have seen a lot worse. The main actress was definitely worth watching too.

I was wanting to know how the film ended as I was hoping to see the guy get back to his son and the main character get back to her daughter.

Well I think maybe they ran out of money or ideas!! Have you ever watched a film that ended quite suddenly? Well this beats any I have seen, which prompted me to write this.

Spoiler alert here. The 'hero' is fighting the big bad masked killer, while the main bad guy watches on. They both grab each other's throat.....the end. Yup the credits role. I am guessing it is because they wanted to make a sequel, either that or they really did run out of money!!

I also felt the director wanted certain shots or scenes but they failed while filming them. As I said. They had potential for a good wee film. OK actors, I felt they were OK and I have seen worse in bigger budget films. Beautiful actress, and a killer with a rather cool scary mask.

I wish I was on the production to see what was going wrong. Also please bare in mind this is an extremely low budget film. If you watch films like this expecting a Friday the 13th or Halloween film, I can tell you right now, just don't watch the film. I give them 4 stars for their attempt, but take 6 off for errors and especially that ending!!!

Red Dawn (2012)

Watchable but some worries were correct

[5/10 · 16 March 2013]

I really don't understand why people moan about films like this being unrealistic. All films are for entertainment, if they made them real there wouldn't be many films made. I would also miss films like The Avengers and that would suck! Just a point. Original had Cuba invade America with help from China. This one had N Korea invade with help from Russia. Russia & China are as big as America. Just a wee point for fact based realists.

The only worry I had was how it would live up to the original. I think if people haven't seen the 1984 version, they may enjoy this better. Unfortunately I am a fan of the original and this is another film remake that doesn't do the first one justice.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't that bad, but there is a lot that it fails on.

I felt the first allowed you to get to know and relate to the characters more. There are some reviews I agree on, Josh Peck really wasn't too convincing with the character Charlie Sheen played. Chris Hemsworth done a reasonable job on the Patrick Swayze character, but I felt for Patrick's character more.

The same goes for the character Robert, originally played by C. Thomas Howell. This was one of the main characters in the 1984 film. There wasn't the same intensity with Josh Hutcherson. I don't blame the actors for this but the writers and director.

Each character grew on you in the original and you liked, loved, or hated them. I didn't get that feeling for any of the ones in this version.

This film was obviously rushed in production, and it just didn't flow as good as the original. There was nowhere near as much tension. In fact I don't think there was enough at all never mind compared to the original.

I give this a 5 cause it is watchable and people will enjoy it, but was miles away from being better or even as close to the 1984 version. It saddens me to see remakes like this as they obviously just try to cash in on the popularity of the classic.

Having someone who hasn't Directed before maybe didn't help. Too late now, unless someone gambles on another remake. I just hope if someone takes another one of my favourite films that they can actually do it justice.

Just felt I had to write this as I am a fan of the 1984 film and disappointed in another ballsed up remake (although don't agree that it is that bad).

Area 407 (2012)

Coulda Been, Shoulda been, wasn't :(

[4/10 · 20 August 2012]

I have mixed feelings on this film. The idea, I find to be rather good and with the potential to be better than how this turned out. I agree with most, in that the pre crash scenes were interesting and it got my attention. A nice way to get to know some of the characters.

The crash it self was well done. I had an incident on a plane before and it gave me goosebumps, remembering it. My plane didn't crash but the person hitting the ceiling etc got me going. I was enjoying this nice low budget horror. Blair Witch or REC it wasn't but it was watchable and enjoyable.

Maybe the Producer and Director spent all their budget and schedule on the plane crash, because for me this is when it falls flat. There was glimpses of this on the plane but it really became obvious that the actors were ad-libbing all of it.

I like to see a bit of ad-lib when it is done right and it doesn't frustrate the hell out of me. Unfortunately it got to the stage where I was hoping they would all just get killed so the film would end! This movie was filmed fairly well and it also had some good moments (mostly pre-crash), I have seen worse, but I think certain parts was just too much. It also got predictable and I felt myself checking to see what time it was.

I like a film where they have characters that you either relate to or just like, or hate in a good way. Maybe this is where the film lost its appeal. I couldn't care less for any of the characters and this was the case half way through the film.

More distinct dialogue for the actors, cause the ad-lib got out of hand, and maybe a bit more building on the characters after the crash, then maybe this could have been a lot better.

I may be told I am wrong, but something tells me they put all the effort on the plane scenes and the crash that they messed up on the schedule and budget for the rest of the film.

Just my view, and the reason for writing this is because I do feel it had the potential, but that they just got it wrong.

The 7 Adventures of Sinbad (2010 Video)

I was feeling generous

[4/10 · 5 January 2011]

The film got 4 stars for casting Sarah Desage who made the pain worth while! If the film was good she would have boosted it to a 10 :).

OK, it isn't the worst film I have seen, but I ended up wanting the film to end (and I don't tend to do that with many films, even the bad ones). As mentioned in another review, there was a couple of funny bits, just not enough to maybe improve the enjoyment value.

I have a feeling they tried to make the film bigger than it could ever be, they tried to dramatise it too much with the music and some slo-mo etc. The effects are maybe the worst I have seen of late. The old Sinbad films, from the 1970's, are probably better! They also use the same effects a couple of times (maybe to cut their budget), I don't like that as it is like cutting corners in a production.

Am I being too harsh? Maybe, you will need to watch it to find out. I produce short films, so know the type of work that goes into even a 2 minute film, so can appreciate the work put into this. I just feel, with more thought in pre-production and more of an entertainment approach than a dramatic approach that I think they tried, it may have been much better.

rant over, now go and decide for yourselves :).

Falang: Behind Bangkok's Smile (2005)

Fact or Fiction?

[1/10 · 3 January 2011]

I watched this out of curiosity. I am never one to say that if there are bad places in a country, then the whole country is like that. I can only imagine that Bangkok has it's seedy places, going by reports, but I do not believe it is all like this. Unless I actually go, I'll never know as I do not judge a book by it's cover.

As for the documentary, the girl was the main feature, being beautiful with bright white teeth it was always nice to see her smile. Maybe a must in the sex industry to have white teeth, not sure.

I did enjoy watching it, maybe thanks to Pla, but it is disappointing to only show a small area of Bangkok, unless it is a very small city? In a documentary, I do not think you are supposed to come to a conclusion that the main star dies, but I did. I decided to try and read more into it and it seems nobody knows for sure, unless the thread I read is true.

Documentaries are supposed to be a true insight into things, and if this person fabricated this, it shouldn't be aired. I was reading a forum on the whole documentary with some comments, one of which appears to be from the Director, who states he called Pla's friend and was told she was dead (which may be true), however he never replied again when this was posted:

'Speakthai 4 weeks ago Hi Jordan, as a very close friend of Pla and her husband I can assure you that Pla is alive. I don't know how she will react finding out that she playes a major role in your film documentation. Besides of that I agree with most what TravelinAsia said. Westernstyle finger-pointing is a very bad manner in Thailand and besides of this it is only - if ever - one side of the medal.'

This is why I give it 1 star. I did enjoy watching it, but if the death is a lie to sell the story, then it deserves 0 stars as it is not a documentary but an exploitation. Until the truth is told it stays at 1 star, just for the smile :).

71: Into the Fire (2010)

Awards

[9/10 · 2 January 2011]

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I do enjoy watching war films, especially true stories, as they generally depict the horrors of war. Right from the start I was hooked, and was not disappointed.

It is a pity films from Korea, Japan, China, and other oriental countries are not included in the Oscars or bafta awards, but then America and Britain wouldn't have so many winners.

This film is typical of this as it has some great acting and is filmed extremely well. It also shows you don't need a budget like that of some Hollywood movies. The biggest thing for me is that it is a true story and is dramatised well. Without being too political, with the ongoing problems in Korea, they could have made the North out to be animals, but they don't.

For a film that probably wont be mentioned at the big ceremonies, it is a loss for film-making. I would highly recommend this film if you haven't seen it yet. Would love to see Britain make films as good as this, but I haven't seen many, recently, that comes close. That is just my opinion though.

As with all films though, don't go by opinion, watch it and decide by yourself, but I think you will enjoy the movie.