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Reviews
Security (2017)
Enjoyable no-nonsense action movie with likeable hero
This is a low-budget action film made in Bulgaria with Antonio Bandares. The plot is simple and there are no or few surprises, but it's well-scripted, acted, edited and shot. For a film that's almost all set in a shopping mall, it's surprisingly good. Kingsley looks pretty good for an actor in his 70s and some of the fight scenes are very well choreographed. My only gripe is that some of the other characters could have been slightly more developed, but I guess in a movie that's this short, that wasn't possible.
The Hustle (2019)
Awful remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
This gender reversal remake of the excellent Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is not just disappointing but embarrassing, in its poor script and bad acting. You can see all the "jokes" (and the word is used loosely as we didn't laugh even once during the film) a mile away, they usually involve the chubby Rebel Wilson waddling around and saying something completely unbelievable loudly, and some overacting male mark implausibly falling for it. Even the Anne Hathaway scams are pretty stupid. The effect is that the viewer is left squirming at the unfunnyness of it all. Wilson and Hathaway don't come close to emulating Steve Martin and Michael Caine, whose acting had us in stitches in the classic this is based on. Do yourself a favour and don't waste your time watching this rubbish.
Bermuda Tentacles (2014)
Big budget sci-fi adventure, don't be fooled by the title
Don't let the whinging reviewers fool you. This isn't the low budget 50s style sci-fi movie which the title suggests. It's a classy film with a whole fleet of U.S. Navy ships, big guns, sailors armed with bazookas, a missing President, a bunch of US marines in a high tech submarine, tough Admiral Linda Hamilton (from Terminator) and, yes, big, freakin' tentacles in the Bermuda Triangle. But there's lots more, which I can't tell you about without giving away the story. The cast is great, there's no ham acting, the movie is fast moving (the action begins from the first moment and continues right to the end), the special effects are great and the plot, well, OK, maybe it's a bit thin, but who cares? Big, freakin' tentacles, right? Actually, there's one gripe I have about the film and that's that the guy leading the US marines is Chief Oliver. That's Chief Petty Officer, an enlisted rank. I thought that only commissioned officers would lead missions like the ones in this film. But that's a very small niggle. If you like exciting adventures, particularly if you enjoy the series the Last Ship, you'll like this. Set sail to your nearest video store (or online library), rent this, microwave some popcorn, maybe open a beer and have a great evening.
Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
Brilliant, don't miss!
This really took me back to the original movie (watched during my student days). If you liked the effects, the ridiculously over the top violence, the witty one-liners, the creepy way the possessed humans moved, the buckets of blood, the eyeballs, the boom-stick, the chainsaw and, most of all, Ash (Bruce Campbell), you'll absolutely love this.
If you're not into that kind of thing, hullo?, what are you doing even reading the reviews on this movie? The only thing it lacks is the original suspense and the naivety of an audience not used to this sort of stuff, but that's inevitable.
I would be WRONG if I said that Ash is just as bad-ass as he was before. He's actually more bad-ass now!! This series will be legendary.
Hail to the king baby!
The Crown and the Dragon (2013)
Not all that bad but no all that good either
Fantasy films with a female lead (particularly one as beautiful as Amy De Bhrún) are rare, hence I was keen to view this offering about a young noblewoman fulfilling her destiny, which involves a potty-mouthed Aragorn hero, some bad soldiers and a dragon.
On the plus side, there is a plot, there are some fight scenes which are not bad, the acting is above average, Noblelady and Aragorn are likable characters and the dragon is rather well done.
However, ultimately, the film is brought down by what appears to be simple directorial disinterest. It lacks pace, continuity (the condition of her dress and the whereabouts of his sword), wholesale copying of scenes from Ivanhoe but on a much cheaper scale, and a rather abrupt ending.
To tell the truth, I had to re-watch this three times, because I kept falling asleep and it wasn't because I had had tiring days at the office.
Don't expect much and you won' be disappointed.