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The Road to El Dorado (2000)
A PG version of "The Man who would be king"
It is OK if you haven't seen "The Man Who Would be King" with Michael Caine and Sean Connery. For me, similarities were too glaring. I hate to leave a negative review, but I am disappointed how much work and money went to an unoriginal story. I am sure there are many scripts out there that *are* original, that their writers are struggling to 'sell', but whoever gave the green light to spend funding on this movie, obviously did not want to take any chance$. Instead, they decided to simply reuse the already existing story of a successful movie/Rudyard Kipling's story. Additionally, dialogs were neither funny nor fun, and songs left no impression. I know it's Hans Zimmer and Sir Elton John, but it did nothing for me.. To be fair, I did like the animation, and Armand Asante did a great job as Tzekel-Kan.
YellowBrickRoad (2010)
Great new kind of horror, actually scary!!!! No spoilers
I am shocked and confused by such a low rating (4.7 at this time).I am a huge horror fan and have been avidly watching horror movies since I was (probably) way too young for them (by the western standards).After seeing so many horror movies throughout my life, it is really hard for me to be surprised, scared, or intrigued.Yellowbrick road has scared me and scarred me. Some scenes from it I shall never forget.It was subtle at first so the shock effect that came later was profound.Although I am leaving a comment here for people to read,I suggest that if you want to get scared or surprised, do not read the reviews, plot, summary or even keywords.Not just for this movie, but ever.Especially for horror movies.Take a chance.Go into it fresh and with no expectations.In time, you will overcome your need to predict events and twists.I understand that we are all different with different set of experience, emotions or traumas, and what is scary to one, may be ridiculous to the other; I myself don't know precisely what scares me and what will have effect on me.Our fear changes in time and we overcome fear of the dark, bogeyman, serial killer movies, spiders, scary children, ghosts - at some point.I gave this movie an 8, which I rarely ever do, especially for horror movies.This movie is highly underrated and deserves a second watching.Preferably alone, in the dark, with the headphones or good sound system. Don't be afraid to get scared :) I would watch it again (really difficult with horror movies) and I would pay to do so. Great horror movie!Would like to see a sequel.
Petrijin venac (1980)
Beautifully sad, yet comforting
This movie is made by the book of the same title, written by Dragoslav Mihajlovic. The story is told from Petrija's point of view, as an old woman's tale. She tells us about her life, about the three men she loved ,about loneliness, sadness, loss, disappointment and hope, all symbolically presented as human endurance and victory over tragedies of life. It's a biopic that happens in a small mining village in Serbia, before, during and after the Second World War. Although a tragic story, it doesn't leave us bitter or sad. There is no Hollywood-type of happy ending, but in the end we learn something from a person who survived through all the troubles, and never felt sorry for herself or searched for the way out. Although Petrija is a simple woman, uneducated, living in patriarchal pre-war Serbia, she grows through the movie and in the end we hear the old wise woman speaking of life. It is a story that I could easily imagine being told by my grandmother. The language is beautifully archaic which makes this realistic story even more believable. Actors are superb! Role of Petrija - the title character - is delivered by incredible Mirjana Karanovic in her debut role on film! I don't have enough words of praise, she is absolutely fantastic! "Petrijin Venac" is a wonderful film that should be seen by everyone!
Cudotvorni mac (1950)
Beautiful Yugoslavian epic movie - great surprise!!!
Movie contains elements from Serbian fairytale "Bas Celik" (means "Head of steel") but has it's own plot that, although follows standard patterns of fairy tales, is original in it's presentation. The final battle can be seen as a fairytale version of the First Serbian Uprising, and Bas Celik as a metaphor for Ottoman empire.
One day while hunting, little boy Nebojsha (means "Not afraid")ends up among ruins of an old castle. There he finds a big barrel, from which a voice comes asking for water. After he pours water on the barrel, evil Bas Celik is released. The boy realizes that he has done bad although he intended to help. But Bas Celik lets him live - he gives Nebojsha one life as a reward. Years pass and the boy is now a young man ready to marry. He is in love with Vida, but but he is poor. None the less Vida loves him and wants to marry him. But everything goes wrong when another young man, Gritsko - who is rich but rude and superficial, overhears two lovers' plan to get married. He finds out how to trick the maiden's father to allow him marry his daughter. So the girl is on the test. She has to choose one of the gifts that two men has brought. The one whose present she chooses will be her husband. But loving Nebojsha and only Nebojsha she is not tricked by the gold. She chooses her true love's modest gift and the wedding is organized the same day. At that very time, Bas Celik is passing through the woods near by and thanks to enraged Gritsko he finds out about Vida. On the night of Nebojsha and Vida's wedding he steals her and locks her in the castle with an intent to marry her. This time, Nebojsha's pure love is not enough. He needs an extraordinary weapon. He takes on a difficult quest to find this weapon and save his lovely maiden.
Movie is filmed in beautiful and authentic locations! Actors are great, especially Rade Markovic as Nebojsha and Mihajlo-Bata Paskaljevic as Gritsko. There are beautiful close-ups with dramatic shadows on the faces. The light is beautiful throughout the movie and there are some interesting shots. (ie. the shot of Vida in the prison cell, viewed through the necklace that Bas Celik is holding; also shot of the shadows on the wall of the women dancing)
I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in fairy tales or old epic movies. A true gem of Yugoslavian cinema!
8/10
Mimic (1997)
Better than I expected
It is way better than some reviews suggest. I am glad I didn't read them before I watched the movie.It is better than many new movies with same grading. And if you think of a movie with (conditionally speaking) similar subject i.e. Parasite Eve - which got the same grading ( I gave it 1 star)- this movie is fabulous. It is not scary though. It's predictable but yet engaging. Yes, there are flaws, but it is decent. Atmosphere is OK. Impossibility of the entire story in real life is obvious, and if you consider watching this movie with any other intention but to get entertained - then don't - you will be annoyed. It could have been done way better, but it is what it is, and that is definitely not 'the worst movie ever'. It will entertain you, and I guess that's what you go for with a movie like this. I will rent the sequel.
6,5 with 7 being a good movie.