vladp6 Reviews

Fallout (2024– )

This is Fallout!

[10/10 · 11 April 2024]

How can I give less than 10 to the great world adaptation of my favorite game! Everything shines there, items, weapons, clothing, everything look exactly as in the game. The atmosphere and characters, and the same blood and humor as in the game. I was wondering if they include even such extreme things as cannibalism and they did. Lucy is my character, particularly when she went out from the Super Duper Mart in that light leather armor with my favorite 10-mm pistol looking exactly as in the game. Also, I felt the influence of the mods on the plot. When I saw Vault 4, it really reminded me one of the best mods I played. In general, the atmosphere of the series makes it all. Yes, I agree there maybe some plot holes, and the characters do not always act rationally or seriously, but again this is all about Fallout, which has never meant to have a linear plot and rational characters. The acting is great. The bad ghoul is probably taken from one of the mods as well, but it looks exactly as he should be. After watching the whole season, I can highly recommend it to anyone adult enough for this. Those who has never played the games, particularly Fallout 4, may not appreciate it enough. Moreover, there are many things in the series which assume that you played the game. Otherwise, they may be not understood. But nonetheless, the series are great on their own. Now, waiting for the second season and hoping the scenery will be Boston with its Institute.

Spaceman (I) (2024)

Good pill against insomnia

[1/10 · 3 March 2024]

I don't know how anyone in their right mind could rate this movie above 1 star. In fact, there is absolutely nothing in this film. I love thought-provoking alternative cinema, but this film has absolutely nothing to do with that. A pathetic attempt to make cinema in the spirit of Keslowski and Von Trier. The whole film is just one long and boring story with some chain of pictures. The idea is very basic and there is nothing innovative about this so called movie. I just can't imagine how such a wonderful ensemble cast could agree to this. Perhaps money is the only reason. Despite all these 5+ reviews, I can guarantee you that you will be asleep within 10-15 minutes.

Ladyhawke (1985)

Not for today

[3/10 · 1 June 2018]

It was a great movie back in late 80's as I remember, but today it looks unbearably boring, everything is predictable, no CGI, and the soundtrack by Alan Parsons is bad. Michelle Pfeiffer is young and beautiful, Rutger Hauer looks much better as a replicant than a fantasy knight, and Matthew Broderick is sometimes funny. Let this movie stayed archived, no need to spend two hours for watching it.

Altered Carbon (2018–2020)

To sum up: Waste of time and gore violence

[1/10 · 16 March 2018]

First of all, and this is my warning: the show is very gore. Morgan and the creators of the show have very pervasive minds and fantasies. I really don't understand people who can come with the idea of sexual excitement from bloody and slowly killing prostitutes using different torturing instruments. This should be censored from the movie and from the book. This is not a modernism or art house genre, this is a pure perversion. Morgan, shame on you for cultivating all your dirty fantasies. When you watch this series, you even stop paying attention to frequently nude male and female figures and the amount of blood flowing from the screen, because there are much worse things shown there. I understand that this is probably the future of our literature and cinematography, because nothing more can surprise the young generation and keep them focused for two hours on a piece of crap than gore violence.

Now, a few words about the plot. There is nothing new here. A bit of Blade Runner, a bit of The Cell and a bit of Agatha Christie, all mixed together and spiced with CGI effects and gore violence. The scene from Agatha Christie was just copy/paste. The first 4-5 episodes are trying to go into something deep, a lot of pseudo-philosophical musings are supposed to keep you interested. In fact, they are not. After the seventh episode, the plot becomes really "meh". Instead of stopping here, the creators of this show continues to smear it for hours with love-hate brother-sister-girlfriend triangle. The happy end was promised and expected. After completing watching this series, my only question was "are you kidding"? Why have you wasted my time for absolutely nothing but gore violence?

Elephant (2003)

Be warned - this is not a film

[1/10 · 9 March 2018]

I rarely review films. But this time I'm going to do that. The film is bad, really bad. I can hardly call it a film at all. Those who give praises and high ratings to this film should be put in that school as a sacrifice for wasting our time. There is absolutely nothing watchable, nothing happens until the last 10 minutes of the film. Believe me, what you are going to watch is just a first- or third-person walk along the corridors of the school. Camera on a shoulder of an operator follows one person walking from behind for 5 minutes, then another person for 5 minutes. Most of the time these persons are silent, sometimes they give comments, sometimes they meet someone and the camera switches to someone else. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens. Why there are so positive reviews, what people like in this film is beyond my comprehension. After 10 minutes of this torture, I've already wanted to switch it off, but then I thought may be there will be something else, may be the characters will start acting or at least talking, it couldn't be that people give 7.2 rating for nothing! Another 10 minutes of walking along the corridors of the school, now the same scenes and same walking but with different people, scenes started to repeat themselves. I've started feeling like someone was fooling me into watching this camera play. Another 10 minutes of walking the same corridors again and again made me angry. I've eventually fast forwarded to the last 15 minutes to see what's all this fuss about. After suffering 5 minutes of the same walking, two students bought guns and armour on-line, received them by post, kissed each other in a shower, dressed like rembos and went shooting everyone in that school, just for fun, as they said to each other. I couldn't understand their motives, because the creators of this "film" did not care about any plot and about making the characters to talk. So, do you want to tell me that just because of the last 10 minutes of heartless shooting everyone in the school this film is worse 7.2 rating???

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Lacking any sense

[1/10 · 1 December 2016]

This movie is strongly overrated. It's not that bad and you may feel sometimes with the characters watching it, and the acting is good, but what really made me disliking this movie is an unbelievable behaviour and the ending of the story which lacks any sense. This is a strongly spoiler so you may stop reading here if you want to watch the whole movie, but I really cannot comprehend how the father and the son can agree to share the bed with the same girl. It really disturbed me - the whole situation and the script. Imagine, you suddenly know that your father slept with your girl, loved her and wanted to marry her, but she escaped from him, and now you share the bed with her, whilst the father still has very strong feelings to her. Disgusting! It's simply "Damage" by Louis Malle with Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche. But that was THE MOVIE, and the characters were real and acted like real people. Never a son would agree to such situation. What we have here - they all act like Hollywood puppets just ignoring the situation, like it's pretty usual in life that a father had a girl and then his son inherited that girl. It's simply lack any sense - the father is just supporting his son - "Go my dear son, do have her too as I really love her and you'll love her as well, I do understand you." What's that??? And to completely ruin the script and the whole film which had a great potential, Adaline is telling everything to the son, he knows that his father was and is in a very "deep" love with her (how deep, we only can imagine) and he completely ignores this fact, everybody is happy like robots without emotions, and a happy Hollywood ending follows. I simply refuse to understand this. I even can believe in the SciFi behind this movie, but I don't believe in such human reactions and behaviour.

The Librarians (2014–2018)

Even kids are bored

[1/10 · 27 November 2015]

Well, after watching 7 episodes of the first season, I've realised that this show is unbearable. The target audience is obviously kids up to 10 years old. But even for kids this show seems to be boring. It reminded me Power Rangers plus some stupid humour, very old and amateurish effects from the kid shows of early seventies and some kind of reference to magic. Even if we consider only kids as a target audience, it cannot be justified to make this type of shows nowadays when the filming technology uses computers. Oh, Harry Potter would die in such environment, either from laugh or from grievance. And guys, is this the kind of humour you really enjoy??? The only positive thing in the series is watching Rebecca Romijn.

The Congress (2013)

Unwatchable

[1/10 · 21 October 2015]

Initially, I should note that I've read the book which has almost nothing to do with this film. As the title indicates, this movie is simply unwatchable. I don't know why to make such surrealistic film if there is no idea behind it at all. I have no problem with mixing animation into the film but I have a problem with the scenario itself. The actors are great and try their best but there is no connection between what they play and what happens. In fact happens absolutely nothing until boredom. It's all about visual and psychedelic perception of a very sad life and dark future. The idea of replacement of a real world with the imaginary one is not new, as well as the idea of using drugs to bring your mind into a completely psychedelic state bordering with a suicidal state. If you have absolutely nothing to do, I suggest you better read the book by Stanislav Lem and never watch this film.

Humans (2015–2018)

Remake?

[1/10 · 12 July 2015]

I put 1 star just for the reason that I watched the original Äkta Människor about 2 years ago. It was a good series, and I don't see a reason to copy it for the American audience. It's available with subtitles, and any American can watch it. The scenario and acting in the Swedish show were good. In fact, even the names of the characters are the same in the new American version. Also, acting seems weaker than in the original show.

In my opinion, it's boring to watch the same series for the second time, so after the first episode I gave a miss to this series. Those who watched Äkta Människor, you can skip this show. Nothing new, really.

God Bless America (2011)

Inglorious Bastards in America

[10/10 · 25 June 2015]

This movie reminded me Inglorious Bastards. The same hatred but for modern American nation, the same ending but killing stupid Americans in the studio. Like Tarantino felt for nazists with one dream - whipping them all starting from Hitler, Bob and many others feel the same for stupid Americans starting with their stupid president whom they elected already twice.

Here was a comment by Chris Pandolfi stating that "he has devised a final solution, namely that we should all be wiped out." In fact, it is true. Seeing how many people across the world think the same, many many 10-star reviews supporting this point of view.

I survived this atrocity of modern American nation for half a year, and I'm happy I've escaped from that decaying society. Guys, are you blind, don't you see where your country is falling down - right into the hell. God Bless America is a joke - he'll never bless it. The country built on the blood of people, trying to reach the world superiority, shaking the nuclear weapons, brainwashing their own people, advocating the material values, growing kids with the idea of making money and career, the nation of Valium, - it's a road to hell. You don't need anyone to wipe you out. You're doing that yourself. Your politics are stupid dreaming about world power. It's a matter of another 10 years, couple of economic crises and couple of stupid presidents. Learn from China, they have the path, plan and aim where to go. Your country and your people are just degrading.

10 stars to Bob, the team and actors for being brave and honest.

Project Almanac (2015)

Another brainless film

[1/10 · 20 May 2015]

This film is a typical example of a very amateurish cliché. It doesn't attract any interest because all this has already been said in The Butterfly Effect. But the quality of this movie is non-existent. There is no much of a story, but cut fragments which are really brainless. The movie is shot by a single camera from a shoulder. I've got headache as a result of constant moving and shaking the frame, it has never been stabilized. And after all, the end is just so simple and predictable that I wonder what was that about? If you have never watched The Butterfly effect, then it's a good time to watch it. But if you have already watched it, then you may skip this very bad movie.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Total eclipse of the brain

[1/10 · 20 May 2015]

When I see rating of 8.0 for this film, it seems to me that something is wrong with people today. 80% of 150,000 really liked this movie! I'm shocked, I'm confused, I have no words to describe my negative emotions about the level of the modern audience. This movie is boring, dumb and even dumber, jokes are stupid. It's kind of parody, but it fails to be a parody like "naked gun". Again, because the jokes are old and not funny. I even fail to see who is the target audience for this movie, because some jokes should be rated. If the target audience is an American brainless kid of 12, I can understand, but then I question the age of the reviewers here. To sum up, if you don't want to be disappointed, just give a miss to this terrible piece of movie making. This is my sincere advice. Shame on all good actors to participate in this bacchanalia, which I cannot call "movie".

Sucker Punch (2011)

Worth watching

[10/10 · 17 April 2015]

Well, the movie is completely underrated here. That's why I'm leaving this brief review. It's Zack Snyder's film, not for everyone. The movie is dark, music is good, plot is excellent, three CGIs set-ups are from games - fantasy, WWI and scifi. It's a kind of mix of everything. But the major plot is brilliant, and the ending is great. You don't need to concentrate on CGI scenes or their quality. Zack Snyder could equally insert anime or just pictures instead with the same effect, it doesn't really matter. The movies is not about manga girls acting in games. When you watch all this darkness of the clinics recreated by Zack Snyder, and the final medical verdict made, and you know a bit history of American psychiatry, you start thinking more about dark American past and where all these evil people came from. Surely, not from dreams of the poor girl.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

The complete nonsense

[1/10 · 13 May 2014]

I was watching this movie in IMAX 3D, and the only star I can give for CGI effects. But these days, CGI effects have become a routine and basic element of any action movie. Hollywood simply forgot how to make movies in a natural environment. It's so easy now - just put a group of 3D artists in a room, and they will do any movie for you in a short period of time with almost no expenses. There is even no need for good acting, the CGI effects will completely suppress good scenario, good acting, everything that once had values in cinematography. The tendency of Hollywood production is very clear - brainless, saturated with impressive CGI effects films, just to brainwash the audience. The modern audience like it because the majority of the modern generation does't want to think, to focus, to feel something, just relax with the bucket of popcorn and keg of coke. Watching such movies like Amazing Spider-Man 2 allows easily to browse and chat in the Facebook during the show. That's what the Hollywood ideologists want to do with the modern and future generation. This is how they see their own nation. And now we see the rating for this terrible movie - 7.5! I think Coppola and Spielberg rest already. Seriously, if you don't want to loose the great American nation in the nearest future, you should do something with this extremely low-quality flood; even censorship in this case, as a last resort, may work well.

Adoration (2013)

Mixed impression

[10/10 · 28 April 2014]

I put 10 to raise the rating a bit, but actually it's somewhere between 7-8. This is a very good movie with the solid performance of both stars. I like particularly the performance of Robin Wright. She is a great actress. The topic is very disturbing, and the plot is not without its flaws. Some scenes and dialogues seemed too polished and even naive, but in my opinion, in real life these scenes and dialogues would appear and sound even worse and less logical. This movie is about emotions, obsession, definitely not about logics. The whole setup looks like the only women the boys had met before they grew up were their moms. They weren't simply interested in other women (also less hassle, when the moms are just nearby, easily accessible and available every day and every night). Nobody cares. They lived in their strange small world, both physical and emotional, very comfortable, and had fun days and nights for many years. I really envy such place and style of life. The views of the Australian seashore with green islands are incredible and fantastic. I wish I had such a house and easy life. All in all, I liked the reasonably happy ending of the movie, although I hoped the two baby girls would join the couples of their grannies and fathers, and the whole family would be absolutely happy. Maybe it will happen in a few years...

The 100 (2014–2020)

Far below average

[1/10 · 20 April 2014]

I've recently watched 2 episodes of Star-Crossed and dropped it. Now I've watched 5 episodes of The 100, and it's all the same. The series are for naive teenagers spoiled with the very low quality Hollywood production last years. To be objective, I must admit that the series started not bad, although having some flaws but at least without all those snivel and clichés. Initially, I thought it would be more or less in the style of the Lord of the Flies, which is a great book. And the series should follow that style. Unfortunately, it has never happened. After watching the 5th episode, I quit with The 100. Modern Hollywood producers prefer money-wise to turn to the brainless audience swallowing everything that they are fed than to make smart movies that the majority of the audience won't understand and won't watch. O tempora o mores!

Anyway, if your main objective of watching movies/series is to finish two packs of popcorn with coke and nice colourful background pictures, than you may found The 100 enjoyable.

The Book Thief (2013)

Vanila movie about Nazism

[1/10 · 5 April 2014]

This movie is strongly overrated, that's why I give it only one star, although I'd give it 5 stars under different circumstances for excellent acting and topic.

During watching this movie, I felt very disturbed by stupid dialogues, unbelievable scenes, completely vanilla mood of the movie, everyone and surroundings are clean like from the glamour war postcards. Good Nazi propaganda movie about hard but tolerable life of a small Nazi district in Stuttgart during the war. Bad British Avros who bombed the city and killed very peaceful civilians. I felt even sorrow when the truck full of Nazi soldiers including the character of Geoffrey Rush was exploded. What is that? Another Hollywood vision of the life of Germans during the war? Why is it so glamour? Why is it so untrue and unfair to Jewish people? Honestly, I didn't feel much about the girl robbing the house of the burgmeister and her insinuations on the theme of the Nazism. It was not convincible. I didn't understand what was the sense of inclusion of the Death narrations either. It's trivial for everyone that war is bad and people die. It gave me strong impression like of watching a movie for kids, and not for adults. Those narrations and the final image of Death walking along the streets completely disconnect from the content and from the whole movie.

All in all, this movie is a classical example of a glamour and banal Hollywood production; the example of how the movies should not be made.

I'd recommend watching Life is Beautiful and Pianist instead, and of course Schindler's List. The Book Thief is just a poor attempt to contribute something to the genre.

Blue Velvet (1986)

Probably the weakest movie of Lynch

[1/10 · 22 March 2014]

I think this movie is overrated. I heard here and there how great is Blue Velvet and that it's really a masterpiece and one of the best movies of all times. The true is that it's weak even in it's own category and time. There are plenty of significantly better thrillers of 80s in the similar style but underrated. Bringing gore and sexually explicit scenes to this movie does not save the plot, which is very weak if none. Actually, the film is very boring, there is no tension, usual Lynch's mood of mystique is wasted simply because there is no mystique like in his other films. I like Lynch's films, and I remember enjoying Twin Peaks a lot, and music by Angelo Badalamenti is fantastic, which should supposedly create the same atmosphere like in other Lynch's films. But all this is simply wasted, as well as beautiful play of Dennis Hopper, again because the plot is close to nothing. I still wonder what was all this about? How can such a talented director like Lynch make such an empty and boring movie without any sense. And I don't understand all the praises to the movie that I've read and heard. Could someone explain me what was so exciting in this film?

Savages (I) (2012)

Anti-criticism

[10/10 · 18 March 2014]

I've voted 10 in order to raise a bit the very low rating for this film. It's actually a good movie by Maestro Stone, which seems to be strongly under-appreciated. I read many negative reviews here and laughed at them. In my opinion, the plot is interesting, acting and performance are good, and the dynamics of the film is excellent.

I've watched the uncut version, so there are several important scenes have been added, which make a huge difference. Without these cut scenes, the theatrical version should look pretty plain. The monologue of Travolta about the American order is extremely important, and of course it has been cut from the theatrical version (no surprise), as well as the true relationship between Lado and his wife. Both cut scenes serve a good basis for the finale of the movie.

The questions about love in three is completely irrelevant. Reading reviews questioning this kind of love and wondering 'why' and 'how' made me really laughing. They just love each other, so what's the problem? Should everything be explained for the dumb and childish audience, which has got used watching the rubbish movies full of CGI effects, with brainless heroes and minimal acting? And I well understand the motives of the guys. This is the love movie in ala Tarantino environment. It reminded me True Romance in some way. Now I see, where Counselor came from.

All in all, Savages is highly recommended, although it's not a chef d'oeuvre, just another good movie to watch in your free time.

Pompeii (I) (2014)

Waste of time

[1/10 · 23 February 2014]

This is my first review at IMDb, and I cannot withstand from warning the people reading the reviews: this movie is very bad. If I could give a zero, I'd do that. I've read so many reviews that really helped me a lot to choose the movie I'd like to watch. Pompeii (2014) is one of a few movies I didn't inspect properly before watching. And that was a big mistake. This movie has no sense, no story, actions are amateurish, emotions are artificial, dialogues are brainless. We laughed a lot during the movie on how stupid many scenes and dialogues could be. Paul Anderson should really retire. I read his books and I liked them, but as a movie director, I'm sorry it's probably not for him. After two hours watching this movie and after the last sequence of scenes, I really wonder what all that was about? Even if considering a love genre, this movie doesn't belong to it either. Love between the main characters was very funny and superficial. Please, don't waste your time on this movie. It's completely worthless.

P.S. By the way, the volcano eruption was so funny. Most of the time it shoot fire bombs instead of producing lava. And the shoots were really bully. I think Paul Anderson took this from Starship Troopers where the huge alien insects shoot the similar bombs in space.