Change Your Image
Ufo476
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
A remarkably mature movie for its time!
A bunch of alien astronauts crash-land on our planet near a remote desert town. They need to repair their ship and go on their way but know humans are neither ready for contact nor can be trusted. Luckily for them, they can disguise as humans but need to kidnap the respective humans first. A peaceful astronomer realizes the crater crated during their crash-landing holds actually their ship when he descends into the crater but no one believes him at first (including his ladyfriend) as a rockslide buries the ship into the crater right after he solely sees it. Naturally, problems ensue for all parties in the movie's course.
This is the main theme of this wonderful and thought- provoking sci-fi suspense movie, one of the best of its kind. Although most of the movie is told from the POV of humans, especially the amateur scientist/astronomer John Putnam (Richard Carlson), it follows through both races, including aliens in their native (not so eye-soothing) form. The triumph of this movie is that none of the sides depicted (humans and aliens) are evil and no one has any intention to hurt others, but both mistrust each other and both are ready to defend themselves. Both races have their pros and flaws, and both make mistakes that tangle with each-other and bring both races in the brink of a showdown (a metaphor for humanity's behavior perhaps who has a habit of swinging between progress and destruction). And of course, humans (being the rather savage, aggressive race we kind still are) make most of these mistakes! (This side is represented by Sheriff Matt Warren (Charles Drake), while Putnam represents common sense all-throughout the film). There are no monsters in this movie (with the sheriff and his passe being the closest to this category, but even they are far from being "bad" or bluntly unjustified, acting merely as humans!), though there are some mildly alarming and plenty suspense scenes.
In all, the movie successfully looks realistically at both races. No character is over simplistic and all characters presented have depth and make sense, humans and aliens alike. In a way, this movie presents the hardships of a forced (unwilling and unplanned) "first contact" where BOTH races are clearly NOT ready for it... (putting the shape-shifting, ultra-fast language learning etc abilities of aliens aside, ofc...) Some things (like how aliens survived this crash without at least minor head trauma and how they managed to crash land in the wrong planet with all their technology) is never explained (but we can't expect that much, cause perfect reason would probably render this movie impossible!) but otherwise the movie is serious, realistic (for its measure) and good paced. All actors, main and supportive are from competent to amazing. And most of all, at the end of the movie, I was rooting for both races, and that's a measure of its success! I won't reveal the end, but it DID leave me with a rather warm feeling and that's probably the most important trait of a movie overall. The movie is directed by renown Jack Arnold and co-written by Ray Bradbury which explains its intelligence and philosophical nuances, and the music score by Mancini ea fits nicely into the set. Special effects are (mostly) Ok for its budget and fit nicely to the set too.
Strangely, I had never even heard of this movie before (and learnt of it through comments of another movie actually), because this movie should be amazing for its time and still holds today. If it was made today I would give it a 7-8, but I give it a 9 considering it was made in 1953! (definitively worths more than avg 6.5 given by IMDB rating!) Strongly suggested for every sci-fi lover and everyone which appreciates good old movies or simply nice, competent, intelligent movies overall...
Every Day (2018)
Sweet movie but could be much better
The movie centers in the teen romance between a girl and a soul who has to switch bodies every day. It's a good premise with the benefit of the nice message that love should be about the contact between souls and not external characteristics and that it's the inside, not the superficial characteristics (body, social class, circumstances etc) that should matter. (Additional little messages, like how someone should cope with hardships in life and when someone should interfere in someone else's life to help are there too). However, it could have been so much better. The origin and the reason for A's situation, as well as any other prospectives are never delved into or explored and the protagonists just go along with it, something that seems obviously unrealistic
On the up sides, performance. The young protagonists give a stellar performance all around and the main protagonist, Angourie Rice, is amazing. She is beautiful and talented, she emits a sense of sweetness and warmth throughout the movie and she plays very maturely for her age. On the downside, the obvious unrealisticness of how they handle the situation. A lot of traits in the movie are morally dubious to say the least, as how "A" recks a little havoc in people's lives to be with Rhiannon, especially near the end, and how she goes along with it. Surrounding subplots are not adequately explored too. But the worst part is how adults let their offsprings run along completely free without any intervention, including letting the protagonist run away for the weekend (!) with strangers without any reaction! Luckily, there is no promiscuity, sex, drugs or anything like that in this movie (though a lot of kissing), but the point is that adults are simply not there. Not to mention, this movie would have been better if the protagonists were older. In their age, children should center on school work and friends, not serious love affairs and major issues of life! Basically, basic young characters act outside their age and that seems stressed at some points. And of course, there is indeed (SPOILERS AHEAD) a relatively inspirational but somewhat sad ending...
This movie seems to be an adaptation from some (presumably superior) book and probably a similar Korean movie. I have not read the book and probably won't or see the other movie. On its own, the movie manages to deliver some warm emotions and something to think about with very simple materials and it's really artfully executed (really, kudos to the director/producer and the entire team), and it does score some points for originality (something rare these days), as it does tackle sth we haven't see much before... But its not something exceptional either. You see it and move along. As most have said, not delving more into "A" and searching for answers costs and at times the movie is a little repetitive or drags more than needed. Strictly it deserves more of a 6/10, but I couldn't bring myself to give less than 7 just for the amazing ACTING of all young actors who really give their best self. Though that movie was not groundbreaking, and generally falls far from my cup of tea, its entire quality was certainly above average. See it if you want sth original/ fresh or if the subject matter seems to you worthy to think about, but you won't lose too much if you don't either. My final vote 7/10.
Covenant (1985)
Fairly nice!
I saw this movie by chance in an unexpected place and it really got my attention. The pace was slow but atmospheric enough and interesting, the basic concepts kept their appeal and the acting was from decent to excellent, especially from the main protagonists (Ferrer, Morse most notably etch), and it even had some likeable characters that kept your interest. This was no superproduction and in never pretended to be but it was above medium and, although it probably didn't have enough going on to become a full series, it would have made an interesting couple of sequels that I wouldn' t mind to see, although of course this never happened... To sum up, if you don't have lots of expectations and you like the genre it is not a waste of time...
La innocència (2019)
Misleading title
I gave a shot at this movie when I stumbled upon it by accident in a movie site. I thought to give it a try because I liked the anticipated combination of "innocence", with teen life in a rural area as the title seemed to promise. As anticipated in modern movies like this, there weren't any shred of innocence in this movie. There were disfunctional families, girls who act inappropriately to say the least and the main protagonist which litterally (spoilers ahead) lured her boyfriend to have sex with her, got pregnant and was trying for a way to have an abortion. There was litterally not a single likeable character in the movie except from some chlldren and the translation to english subs was appauling. In essence this movie was a waste of time and its subject matter has been dealt excessively in a lot of others, mostly better movies. Depiction of teenagers in it is not the worst we have seen but not the best either and I have grown tired of been presented mostly the ugly aspect of people, especially young people. You can see it if you like this type of social drama (although it's still mediocre) but as I said there isn't any sense of innocence in this movie at all and the title was misleading.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Just another movie to promote Depravity, Vulgarity and Perversion
(Maybe only minor spoilers)
I had no intention to see this movie at all, but I fast-forwarded most of it to be able to write an impartial review. And I literally coulnd't believe my eyes. This is a completely vulgar movie designed to do only one thing: To promote immorality and perversion as if they are the most natural thing, in order to contribute in the complete extinction of whatever morals have been left in Western societies. Without getting into any details, it features the love and sexual experiences of a teen with both a girl and an older man. It includes lots of sex scenes, especially homosexual ones, and a lot of other vulgar scenes,(like the peach scene) along with the admittingly beautiful scenery, and is run by a superficial "intellectual" vibe in order to seem smarter and pass its central message with more ease. And the central message is the absolute acceptance of immorality, promiscuity and perversion (the last scene with the father's dialogue has to be seen to be believed) All these in a nice rapping, but not much else.
It is literally inconceivable how degenerate our societies have become for such a movie not only to be able to be produced, not only to be higly appreciated by the as-known-to all deeply corrupted Hollywood, to the point where is nominated for Oscars, but mostly to be welcomed or accepted as a nice movie by the majority of society and to receive such good reviews here. It's past the point of shame. There are really no excuses for a movie who endorses promiscutity and perversion so openly as this one (and with no less than a teen boy as its subject). I am writting this review to state that not all people are completely stunned and some of us still remember the difference between right and wrong, and we will try to wake up others.
Besides the above elements, the movie does feature some beatifull scenery and some nice archaeological info (for which the two stars). But that's just a nice wrapping, as I said. In all, this is a disgraceful movie with no other merits at all, and the fact it knows such promotion is almost impossible to believe, but as I said, it simply underscores how perverted our societies have become- and perhaps, how hard we shall have to fight to restore some of our values if we ever decide to wake up...
I Bet You (2009)
Good, but....
I stumbled on this little obscure movie and I was able to see it thanks to Imdb's Withoutabox, and I really found it interesting. It was a remarkably well acted dramatic film for an indy production. It was also competentyly directed and executed, with a very good dose or realism, much above the average for such independed films. Sound did had some problems, but minor. Unfortunately, the thing I had a problem with (and which forced me to put only 6 stars) was the script. In specific, (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD) the motives of the main characters, and in specific of Matt. All along he seems such a good friend with Dan, so there is absolutely no explanation for his action (participating in Amy's rape). His motives are never revealed and they just don't make sense. And besides, having done what he did, how would he let Dan all alone with the one person that could reveal his role? Not to mention that the two protagonists adapted way too easy to the concept of murder for two ordinary people without prior record. And I didn't get exactly, why did they kill Shane?....
Anyway, the movie was OK for its production values, and the actors play their role well, but the central twist of the story would be actually worthy, for dramatic purposes, if it was compatible with the plot. Some background to the characters and their motives would upgrade the movie by at least one notch, but this was not the case, so the movie does hold its interest but it doesn't make much sense! But anyway, you won't gain much but you won't loose either if you see it... The conclusions are yours.
The Wrong Neighbor (2017)
Mediocre but still mildly interesting
(Spoilers included) This is a typical Lifetime movie, of about average (i.e usually mediocre) quality, although does maintain some interest because it has a (relatively) normal family going through stuff
The acting was generally average. I liked the girl's (Cristine Prosperi) acting, up to a point. She has a sweet face and she gave a shy, restrained performance which was very fitting for the tone of the movie, but relatively let me down when she doesn't seem to heart (at all after the initial shock) after her boyfriend gets killed (actually the whole school and their environment seem to bypass that as nothing happened). Of course, that shows lack of directional skills.
On the plus side, there is a small role for the very sympathetic Michael Madsen, although he doesn't get the chance to do much.
One of the biggest drawbacks for me was when people started to die(!) which I found over the top. They didn't have to push it that far, and even when they do, its presented so calmly that the emotional impact is missing. Another was the mother: During the final fight scene I would have her to fight more for her husband and daughter!
And of course, another major drawback was the psycho herself (adequately played by Ashlynn Yennie). There is nowhere an explanation about her motives, or how she came to be like that, or why she got crazy over the specific family. A little background would be nice!
All in all, its a mildly entertaining movie for a small break, if you have nothing better to do, although its not anything special! Despite its drawbacks however, I kind of liked it.
Oculus (2013)
There is a special place in hell.....
for people that make movies like this
If you haven't watched this movie, please stay away, since I am going to include major Spoilers. Or keep reading if you don't want to waste your time as I did.
This movie is a perfect example of how screwed up is our world, and provides an excellent insight to why it is so messed up. Why is that? Because people liked this movie, and this is the worst part! It means that a tremendous amount of people root for Evil against Good and secretly identify themselves with the former than the latter otherwise producers couldn't make movies like this and get away with it!
In short, some (or a lot) of movie-making people seem too stupid to understand that, when we watch a movie with a supernatural threat, we want to see the good guys WIN and not the demon/entity or whatever. THAT'S THE MAIN reason we are watching the movie! (There are some notable exceptions- like when the main characters are unsympathetic and get what's coming to them, or when you already know the ending like in some "found footage" film, or when the villain is so enchanting and powerfully presented on his own etc- Nightmare on Elm Street had me sometimes rooting for Freddy, albeit not against the main characters!) None of the above however is the case here.
Hence, when a movie shows the dark spirit to win, not only we are not happy about it, but it ruins the entire experience and just gets us angry! Its a form of sadism from the part of the producers and its repeated continuously as if these people use the movies to satisfy their own repressed feelings which they can't do anyway else. This happens so often in horror movies that not only is not original anymore, it simply becomes utterly boring! In other words, YOU HAVE NO REASON TO WATCH THE MOVIE IF YOU KNOW WHO IS GOING TO WIN, ESPECIALLY if that's the bad "entity" against the main heroes of the movie.
Like I said, there are a lot of movies of this sort that you just don't give a damn. But its a lot worst when the movie is actually GOOD (in terms of script, acting, ideas, originality etch) and the protagonists are not only likable, but they are given so many reasons to need to win (like avenging their parents etch), that help you even more to identify with them! Although it was pretty obvious where the movie was heading, I kept watching until the end hoping it would surprise me somehow, but of course it didn't; it just verified how perverted the people who make this beloved genre (thriller- horror movies) are nowadays instead, which is part of the reason this type of movies has sinked so low in the recent years
In short, this movie should be a big hit in Hell, but not with an audience of "normal" people in our world! Someone must unscrew the head of the people responsible, but that is not going to happen until we massively protest against this type of "endings" and show that we are not going to take it anymore!
As you understand of course, the above was not a regular review: it was mainly me expressing my frustration, hoping that more people will wake up until we can do something about it! (Other people suggested the mirror was just a metaphor-that's irrelevant, it still had a completely obnoxious ending!) So, 3/10 stars from me (it really deserved 4, but I want to lower its overall ranking), and should anyone reads this review before actually seeing the movie, please be warned!
P.S: Notwithstanding all the above, the performances were great, especially from the children (Young Tim and Kaylie).
The Shallows (2016)
An amazing thriller and so, so much more!
I really have no words for this movie! Most of the action takes place in a very narrow scene (the sea, a woman, a metal buoy and a shark),and yet few movies have impressed me that much! With an immensely tense plot (allowing properly at times some reliefs to lighten the tension),a wonderful character you root for from the very beginning, spectacular special effects that emit the sense of peril without becoming gory, and an overall chillingly realistic approach to a (in fact) rather unrealistic situation, this movie grabs you from the start and never lets you go!!
Nancy is a young surfer and a medical student who visits an unnamed beach, previously visited by her mother, now passed away by a terminal illness. Due to circumstances she has been left alone. She goes surfing and (minor spoilers...) eventually gets attacked by a shark who seriously wounds her leg, finding shelter to a small rocky terrain which almost completely submerges during high tide. Unable to contact anyone she must now fight for survival in what soon becomes a relentless battle of wills between her and the shark. She has to stay focused, mend her wounds, overcome the pain, hunger, environmental conditions and exhaustion, and use whatever insignificant means she happens to have to stay alive until she can figure a way out, as no one seems to be coming to the rescue.
There are secondary characters in the movie too, but for the most part they don't matter to the plot that much. The film centers on her battle against the shark. Blake Lively shines as the leading protagonist who, despite impossible odds, never looses hope, never bends and never gives up. She gives up a tremendously reliable, realistic and vigorous performance, and rightfully gets credited for much of the film's success, the other parts being the tight plot, the excellent effects, an all- fitting music score, the cinematography, the seagull (!) and the overall direction, although the supportive cast doesn't fell short either.
And above all, this movie accomplices a really great triumph: to stay away from ALL types of clichés. (Minor spoilers: Some elements, like her trying to send message to her family, are so gracefully done that can't count as clichés, just underline what a loving and caring person she is, making us root for her even more!). The ending (the final conflict) indeed criticized by some, does require some suspension of disbelief, but not really that much- personally I found it a lot smarter than from most movies of the type. The only thing I missed was some background for the shark, who seemed too intelligent and personally involved against young Nancy, almost depicting a grudge against her, since his actions were far from typical for an animal of his kind.
All in all, this is a movie about the will to survive and the strength to overcome, wrapped around an action- packed thriller package, a truly wonderful combination. It redefines and uplifts the standards for shark movies, among which it sits right at the top, surpassing maybe even ''Jaws'' (which I just re-saw and couldn't believe how fake Its shark seemed), with its high production values. In conclusion, its one of the most suspenseful and interesting films I' have seen, surpassing any typical classification to a genre. Therefore, it should be seen by anyone who likes thrillers, adventures, suspense, shark movies etch, or who simply wants to watch a really good movie!
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
I couldn't believe they made it this good!
When the original trilogy came out, it totally amazed me. Although I didn't find everything perfect- certain things could have evolved differently etc, these movies got imprinted in me and my imagination. They were bright, innovative, artistic, had an atmosphere of devoutness and awe, and in a lot of ways represented things scarce in our world: Beauty, innocence, clear distinction between "good" and "evil", along an entire versatile universe, likable characters, imaginative scenery, compelling and tense story and a lot more. In some ways, I think, they inspired me as a person- and this capability, to inspire beyond simply entertaining, is a trait of many great movies arguably but rarely accomplished by SF! In any case, they were a point of reference to me- an almost perfect sample of fantasy/science fiction. Thankfully, a lot of people in the world felt the same!
However, when episode I came out I was reluctant to see it. A lot of films which are produced considerably after their original (sequels, prequels, remakes etc), have a tendency to loose their innocence or their spirit, to become more vulgar, commercial, more standardized, more "common" than their original counterparts and since "Star Wars" still held an iconic place in my imagination, I didn't want anything to spoil the image I had of them!
Gratefully, when I actually did see "episode 1", I found out it had retained exactly its initial brightness, beauty and spirit! The fact it was created by George Lucas, whose life is connected to "Star Wars", is obviously related! JL handled the task of creating the saga's prequel while maintaining its feel with the utmost care- and it paid off! Because without loosing the original atmosphere, it delivers a compelling story that lays the ground for everything to follow. The backbone of course is the fight for freedom of an innocent planet against a greedy federation, similar although in scale to the future battle of the entire galaxy (every major process has a start!), but if you look closely, the events there (SPOILERS: especially concerning "Palpatine") have an absolute connection to the route to "Empire".
In effect, continuity is the stronger card of this movie. What happens here fits perfectly with what will come! Unlike other franchises like Star Trek and Xmen, with tons of plot-holes between prequels and sequels, things here actually make sense! For instance, the Senate is corrupt and run from bureaucrats - and reasonably so, you can't go from a galactic Democracy to a dictatorship so shortly if the whole system isn't corrupt! The Jedis are the noble, kind, and generous peacekeepers we envision but hardly see in the original trilogy- and what a contentment it was to see them in their prime! And above all, all the main characters are likable! Queen Amidala (which Portman plays like she was born for it) is caring, courageous, idealist, unselfish- everything you would want her character to be (how on earth Anakin slips to the dark side with her as wife?), Jale Loyd is amazing as a selfless, loving little boy with tremendous talents and aspiration- nothing saying "dark" to him yet, Neeson delivers a strong lead as the wise, noble master Jedi always in control, and Binks is a fun and sympathetic character, not at all annoying to watch! All the other actors (McGregor, Pernilla, McDiarmid, Park = Darth Mall, Terence Stamp etc) deliver solid performances too and play brilliantly their role. Overall the acting is great, and as for the lack of heartbreaking moments, expected for instance when Anakin parts from his mother, lets just remember that this is "Star Wars" and DOES NOT want to make us depressed!
So, all in all, this is a wonderful movie and deserves our appreciation. It may not reach the height of the original trilogy, but this is to be expected as this episode concerns the beginning of events, in a seemingly peaceful period before major wars, and everything happens in smaller scale! Nevertheless, there is plenty of action, agony and remarkable special effects to go around, although occasionally the action seems to stall a little. Of course, this is a fantasy movie, so a lot of things don't follow strict reason (like the republic allowing unjustified planet invasions, and how it tolerates slavery), but all these fell within the spirit of the "Star Wars" world. Besides if everything worked fine, no Sith could take over the entire galaxy!
Having said the above, I have to say that, besides recently reseeing this film, one main reason I decided to write a review now, is my anger with all the negative criticism this movie has received! This movie was realized by people like George Lucas who both love and respect the original films, and you can see this throughout. In fact, its 100% ''Star Wars'' material! Having watched also extracts about how it was produced, how enormously hard work it took, the scrutiny given for every detail and how innovative it was in some fields (like pioneering digital technology that would become the canon later), one cannot but refute as unjustified and unacceptable this blind rejection, coming from people who sit in the comfort of their chair and just like to be mean! But then again, its a mean world altogether, so...
To wrap this up, this was an excellent effort who deserves appraisal, not only from "Star Wars" funs but from anyone who appreciates good movies! And as we know, the new trilogy's 2 other movies turned out to be just fine too! I hope this new installment, that now comes out from Disney, will manage not to spoil this magnificent Universe so many people love!
Grace Unplugged (2013)
Finding Balance
Although I am writing from a non-religious point of view, this movie was all about finding balance and your real purpose in life, of course, through the necessary side-turns. It was simple and efficient, and it gave a beautiful feeling without doing anything really fancy. All in all, it was about a young girl trying to find her place in the world, balancing her ambitions, her talents, her beliefs and her relation with her parents- especially her dad. During this process all the major parties make mistakes (the girl and her dad namely), but they eventually recognize and correct them.
Obviously, this movie doesn't say anything new, but it gives its message with a relatively fresh and bright way. Although I would personally prefer it if Grace had found a better balance between the two different worlds she was divided among, better if she had imposed her own moral rules to the music industry (I would have loved to see THAT!), it still turns out just fine. So although this movie is not in the AVENGERS league, its still manages with the simple resources its using, and, some really good acting of course, to deliver a nice message (regardless of anyone's religious beliefs, if you can get past that),and to let you, as I said, with a nice warm feeling. Ah,and the music is also really nice. So, If you haven't something really better to do, go see it!
Incendies (2010)
So outrageous it becomes blatantly funny!
I never thought it possible that a film with such heavy subject would have me laughing at the end! But thats exactly what happened. After depicting all the clichés that there are about the wars at the middle East (for most of the time, so efficiently and subtly that the movie went quiet well up to a point), and after having us convinced we are actually seeing a really good movie, it drops a twist so "over the top " that instead of delving us in shock, it just leave us there standing like in WTF happened now?
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD......
So, the mother had an illegitimate child that was taken away from her (after the killing of her boyfriend by her family) ,who was then captured and trained from an opposite group, who was then later captured and imprisoned from the original group, and then in the blink of an eye changes his loyalties, becomes a tormentor, ends up raping his own mother, and the later, after encountering her son/rapist completely accidentally in the other edge of the world, collapses and dies but arranges to sent her offsprings to find their brother/dad for closure! (which she still loves of course!) Sorry, this is so extreme that it no longer seems horrible or serve us to transmit the dismals of war, it just becomes plainly laughable. If you ever saw a movie that tries so hard to make a point that it TOTALLY misses it, then that movie was it!
In the background of course, there are masterfully presented descriptions of the horrors of war, especially civil war, which every nation who has been through this process knows how worst is from "normal" wars, but again everything is given with such extremity, crazy coincidences and the like that you can only accept it if you take them for their symbolic meaning. Unfortunately, the end is so extremely absurd that simply ruins the strength of the movie. Everyone knows what happens in wars. Sorry, such crazy development doesn't happen even in them.
The saddest part is how many people embraced that movie, showing beyond a doubt how accurate the story about the naked king (H.C. Andersen) still stands today, both among the critics and the common people. But then again, there is no surprise there!
In conclusion if you want to see a "punch in the gut" about such subjects, see "Whistleblower" (or Hotel Rwanda and the like), who truly deliver. This one is betrayed by the fact that it simply tries too much, and hence looses the realism that would give the movie its strength. Oh well, next time...
Swing Vote (2008)
A gut-punching political satire with tremendous messages
There are some good mysteries left in the world. The Loch Ness monster. The dark matter. Atlantis, etch. Another mystery for me is how this small gem received a mere 6.0 in IMDb!
Anyway, this movie is nothing short than a small masterpiece! Based on a made-plausible, but not really so realistic scenario (which shouldn't be anyway, since this movie is a metaphor), it addresses ,with humor and sensitivity, all the basic issues in today's world of politics. Its hypocrisy. Its luck of real empathy. Its volatility and opportunism. And although the messages conveyed here relate to vastly- more-than-the-US political scene, in effect to most of today's modern politics, the obscurities and insanities of the US political system (like the electoral college) are clearly hinted here, despite the movie's intentional exaggerations (because, uh-mm, IT IS a satire!)
Political hypocrisy and opportunism are, of course, the main focus of the movie. How easily political leaders change their agendas in order to win? And how much of THEIR agendas do they really make, instead of being swayed left and right by their opportunist political consultants? (Some people commented that in reality they wouldn't change views so easily, because that would get them into trouble with their other voters! But this is a metaphor, not really aiming to be realistic, but rather to show how spineless politicians can sometimes be , if the stakes are high enough!)
The second message is a message for all of us, and it is conveyed by Molly's brilliant quote, one of the brightest ever uttered on TV: "All the world's great civilizations have followed the same path. From bondage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy back to bondage. If we are to be the exception to history, then we must break the cycle, for those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" I spent a while reflecting on from civilization to civilization, and it was mind- boggling how true that quote is (ancient Greecs, Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines... you name it!!!)! It was as if someone distilled 3000 years of history and came down to a single message! If there is something worthwhile to take home from this movie, this is it!
Finally, the third major message, that went unobserved by most is the one concerning the place of children in our world. Children, wonderfully represented by Molly(and in smaller extent by Jed), carry massively more than their due weight of the world, having to suffer from the adult's insufficiencies and indifference (despite Bud's sincere and best intentions of course). But with them lies all the hope for the future! All throughout the movie, Molly represents all the most decent (and caring) traits in her world (her voting attempt being irreproachable since is central for the plot), and in that respect she stands out from all the adults in the movie!
There are a lot of secondary messages, about the major flaws, contradictions and inequalities of US political, social and economic system, but of course all these are known and have been seen before. But wait, there is a core of optimism amidst all that! By the end of the movie all the main characters (most notably Bud and the two presidential candidates) show redeeming qualities: the last talk between Boone and Bud and Bud's introduction to the debate say it all! And perhaps, the best accomplishment of this movie is that among all the satire and the wrongs exposure, it manages to retain a sense of understanding, even sympathy for its main characters who all, more or less, show specs of consciousness at the end. That alone elevates this movie from a flat, strictly denunciatory statement to a lot more qualitative work, giving it a lot more humanely approach. Thus, all the important messages are conveyed, but with traces of hope, understanding and entailing awareness within them. And this is a hard-worked but wonderfully meaningful mix to end up with!
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead...
Despite all the above, however, I have to note that in my opinion, the ending should be different. Instead of Bud finally taking a vote, the movie should end with Bud DENYING to vote (or voting "blanck"), thus leading to new elections or the election of the President by the Congress. This would have made a lot more fitting ending, staying close to the movie's spirit but also closer to the true people's will (its why I give this movie a mere 8/10). But even so, this film strives to maintain strict neutrality, and this is one of its biggest accomplishments (if the end was showing what was Bud's selection, it would have ruined the movie at all!) There is no doubt in my mind that the creators of this movie (director, writers, producers) are real patriots, striving to pass all their messages and points about US along with genuine satire, while virtually omitting any clichés! The end product is a really hard and well balanced mix. I am just sorry that a lot of people didn't get that, although they should!
I cannot finish without commenting on Bud's daughter, Madeline Caroll. The little girl was simply amazing, delivering a remarkably mature performance and stealing virtually every scene she was in, outshining even Kostner most of the time! Surely she has a great future ahead. All the other cast, starting from Kevin Kostner, was simply remarkable too. So, all in all, a wonderful movie with important messages that everyone, especially with a sense of humor and political sensitivities, should definitively see!
Star Trek (2009)
What an utter piece of cr...
This is my first review, and although it may seem spiteful, I believe it is well justified!
Warning! Major spoilers ahead.
Well, that was a very good movie for people who are dazzled with sounds and lights- ah, and the brain-dead. But for people who think, that movie was insulting! Lets forget it pays no respect to the original series or its spirit, nor for the details of the original timeline' s character lives. Lets also ignore it presents Kirk like a promiscuous, snorty, arrogant "rebel without a cause" guy (which is SO old)! (Arguably there are relevances with the original C. Kirk, but the new version doesn't have his insight or gentleness, and is a lot more superficial). So lets concentrate on everything else.
I firmly believe that, although not enough by itself, nothing can substitute a good storyline- neither acting, nor special effects, not flashy characters. So lets go for the major holes:
1. Major spaceships traveling to past through black holes. Anyone heard of tidal waves who would tear the ship apart?
2. Black holes are all about mass. Super dense mass. You can't make a black hole out of ANY kind of liquid- substanced red matter just by exposing it to thin air (or thin Universe vacuum!). And even if you could, it would take a black hole the mass of Earth (which would have approx 2cm event horizon) weeks to consume a planet like Earth, not minutes!! And if you want to use THAT as a weapon, you just throw it to the surface- the planet's gravity would absorb it to the core! You don't need a super drill at all!
3.Super novas threaten their immediately nearby neighborhood, not the Galaxy (nor even hypernovas!), unless they emit a gamma-ray burst, and then only the star systems located in the direction of the gamma-ray cone. And of course they don't destroy planets outside their solar system! Anyway, where did that blast took place anyway? If it did outside the Romulan system, races that move faster than light would have all the time to take any action necessary (the blast waves can only travel so fast..). If it was the Romulan star that exploded, well, a race with warp capabilities should have read the signs in their sun like, ehm.. a few million years ago! So, totally unrealistic!
4. Besides all these major holes, its the storyline I detested the most. The entire Vulcan planet, home of the most advanced race in Star Trek Universe, and 6 billion Vulcans were gone? How can you like anything with such depressive plot in it? Would we like the movie if Kirk, Spock and the whole Enterprise were gone? No? OK, but the demise of an entire planet (the Vulcans no-less) simply pass by? (unless they go back in time in another movie and fix that)! Total loss...
There were so many other things that didn't make sense in this movie. There was no reasonable rank development for the main characters. Kirk jumps from cadet to captain and all the other crew members reach their final ranks in Enterprise from cadets in the blink of an eye? A huge spaceship severely threatens major planets (Vulcan, Earth) and there are NO spaceships in reserve to stop it at all? In any planet? AND NOT AT ALL AIRFORCE OR GROUND-KEEPING FORCES? Was there any background to Niro at all? And didn't the Vulcan be the original homeworld of the Romulans? So he essentially destroyed his initial homeworld? And what happened to the... thousands of the crew that a ship so big as the Romulan should have? And what was that completely silly story between Spock and Uhura?? How did that relate to any of the original character's characters? And what relation existed between the flamboyant new Uhura and the sweet girl that sang ballads in TOS?
All in all, that movie was a rip- off for money, designed to capitalize on the Star Trek franchise but only got at superficial level. It massively insults our intelligence, both in terms of plot and of science and common sense. They forgotten there is a SCIENCE in science fiction- otherwise its simply fairy tale. This movie is addressed only to people who don't think- and the sad part is that they are so many, that this became an instant hit! Now, the old series often neglected scientific facts as well- its why I never became a huge fun, but at least it had cool story lines and excellent character development. None of these redeeming features are present here, and this is 2010's, not the sixty's- the world has moved since then. But we get the science fiction we deserve.
I so hope they will do something within the Babylon 5 Universe, anything! We need this!
Four/10 stars in respect to the decent efforts of all the actors, the tight plot (with all its flaws), very nice special effects, and overall a good adventure who keeps the interest going. Ah, and the presence of Leonard Nimoy- although he shouldn't have endorsed that movie! However, if they make a series out of this, I won't be watching. I would prefer to see the TOS instead.