Neue Kritiken - Progressive Nutzer*innen

Sweet Tooth - Aus dem tiefen Wald

EvilPhoEniXSweet Tooth - Aus dem tiefen Wald(2021) 

Englisch After the first episode, it’s clear this is not for me. You look forward to another post-apocalyptic story with a rather interesting hybrid idea and you get a drama with fantasy elements but without fantasy? The family-children feel doesn't fit at all. I wish the hybrids would grow up and start a proper hunt, this will stay very much away from perhaps everything. Filmed quite nicely, but that’s par for the course for every Netflix series. Maybe for families, but I'll pass on this one. 5/10.

Hungry Joe

EvilPhoEniXHungry Joe(2020) 

Englisch Surprisingly decent stuff. Maybe a bit longer than it should be, but definitely interesting. A story about a boy who suffers from some kind of disorder and can't stop eating, in fact he eats everything that comes his way and it escalates a bit more towards the end. Chilling, weird, slightly creepy and actually quite original. 7/10.

State Zero

EvilPhoEniXState Zero(2015) 

Englisch An excellent Swedish post-apocalyptic shorty with freaks that look great. Technically perfect, the atmosphere is dense, it has a beautiful cinematic look and I want a feature film immediately. It should work! 8/10.

Flashback

EvilPhoEniXFlashback(2020) 

Englisch It's a weird and strange film. The whole thing is so muddled that at times I got lost in the reality-dream. It was presented in a cluttered and uninteresting way, and most of all I didn't even enjoy thinking about it, I didn't care. It's not badly shot or acted, so it's not an outright dud, and the film will probably find its fans. Those who like mystery movies like The Butterfly Effect might enjoy this one. Unfortunately, I didn’t. 4/10.

Bad Guy #2

EvilPhoEniXBad Guy #2(2014) 

Englisch This is really absurd and crazy carnage! The main character is covered in blood and has a cleaver stuck in his leg! It's funny, brutal (acid!!) and quite interestingly conceived. I had fun. 8/10.

Stay

EvilPhoEniXStay(2017) 

Englisch A female cult and a nicely done demon. Erotic, funny and slightly perverted. With quite an unexpected plot development. Decent. 6/10.

Bobby Yeah

EvilPhoEniXBobby Yeah(2011) 

Englisch A crazy psycho flick with stop motion animation. Perverted, insane, I have absolutely no idea what was going on. The whole thing is WTF ad-absurdum at best, but I did laugh in places. Impressive, but unnecessarily long. 7/10

SCP: Dollhouse

EvilPhoEniXSCP: Dollhouse(2019) 

Englisch I'm fascinated by these shorts. Visually, they're on a better level than the movies coming out today. A special squad (like in “Splinter Cell”) goes to investigate a house where strange things are happening. The professionalism and equipment of the soldiers is perfect, the paranoid atmosphere is great, even creepy enough at the end, very good. For a full score it needed a bit more wildness or an action shootout, but I'm still satisfied. 8/10.

A Quiet Place 2

EvilPhoEniXA Quiet Place 2(2020) 

Englisch Back in the cinema after a year for a film that was postponed for a year, and enjoyed it to the max. A Quiet Place 2 is a worthy sequel, it's bigger, more action-packed, more intense, and grungier. From the opening minutes, I gave myself over to Krasinski completely and enjoyed the 90 minute ride that ripped my balls off in the final half hour so much that I even considered leaving them in the theater! The women there will probably forget their knickers. The opening with the outset of the apocalypse is very intense, uncomfortable and properly chaotic, just the way I like it. Then the film immediately picks up from the first one and continues with the story. The middle of the film is a little quieter, but thanks to the great actors (Emily Blunt is my sweetheart and Cillian Murphy is awesome) it's a great watch. Technically perfect, the sound design is awesome – the transition from complete silence to extreme loudness is well done, and there were at least 5 where I was genuinely scared, jumped and screamed obscenities across the cinema! The monsters rampage on the set more often and they still command respect (for me the best cinema monster since Alien). The tension practically doesn't let up, at times I forgot to breathe, the soundtrack is great and I was afraid that there would be a missing scene like the birth from the first film, but there was the bear trap! The finale is quite similar to the first one and so a threequel is absolutely inevitable, and I already feel like this is the beginning of one of the best horror trilogies in years. A slight downside is the lack of gore scenes, it does get grittier at times, but I would have definitely welcomed some juicy R-rate action. Some may be bothered that there aren't many innovative elements compared to the first one, but monster horror films are few and far between. I enjoyed this one and as a first time cinema goer this year I'll gladly oblige. Those who were enthusiastic about first film will be enthusiastic now, those who weren't blown away by A Quiet Place won't be now. Story- ***, Visuals- *****, Action-****. Suspense- *****, Gore-**, Humor- no, Actors- ****, Atmosphere- *****. 8.5/10.

The Substitute

EvilPhoEniXThe Substitute(2015) 

Englisch An interesting premise for sure, a strange and weird atmosphere and a pretty decent twist. Unfortunately, it's a bit too long and nothing very satisfying happens in the end. It could have reached much higher levels. 6/10.

Loki - Glorreiches Ansinnen

EvilPhoEniXLoki - Glorreiches Ansinnen(2021) 

Englisch The start is still almost devoid of action, but it has its qualities. It is shot and acted wonderfully and the atmosphere absorbed me. The ending is surprising. 8/10.

Awake

EvilPhoEniXAwake(2021) 

Englisch Awake wants to be A Quiet Place and Bird Box, but unfortunately it's not even average. Of all the genre relatives, Awake is the worst and therefore the most useless, and anyone who gives this the same rating as A Quiet Place is really out their mind. It looks as cheap as toilet paper under the commies, a pure made-for-TV production instead of Netflix. I was already hoping it would end somewhere around the 20 minute mark. There's no denying Awake has an interesting idea, where after a global catastrophe the power goes out and people lose the ability to sleep. Unfortunately, it is only sketched out and I felt like the film didn't really engage with that premise. There is no chaotic outset of the apocalypse, no treatment for the disease, in fact everything potentially interesting that could have been addressed gets pinned on the central family and it's boring as fuck. I wasn't entertained at all, it's shoddy everywhere it can be. The gore here looks like something out of a 90s horror movie and there's nothing worth seeing, unfortunately. When cooking, when ironing, as a backdrop perhaps, otherwise I don't recommend it. I find it funny that people lose their ability to sleep in the film, but they do a damn good job of putting the viewer to sleep. Story**, Action**, Humor>No, Violence*, Fun*, Music**, Visuals**, Atmosphere*, Suspense**, Actors**, 3/10.

Infinite - Lebe unendlich

EvilPhoEniXInfinite - Lebe unendlich(2021) 

Englisch Antoine Fuqua is a director whose every new film I look forward to (Training Day, The Equalizer, Southpaw and The Magnificent Seven). I've enjoyed his work, so of course I was looking forward to Infinite. I also like Mark Wahlberg, but this unfortunately won't be a film I'll remember. OK, the 43% is no doubt unfair, the film is really not that bad. The craftsmanship is okay, it doesn't feel underfunded, the actors are okay, and the idea of reincarnation is fine, but not used properly. I'm not one to criticize lack of logic, a stupid plot and such things, let fans of dramas and similar intellectual retirement movies that are unwatchable and unbearable for me deal with that. For one thing the film lacks R-rated action, that's just basic and points are always down for that. I wouldn't be angry if Fuqua had worked on the humour in the non-action passages, a bit of witty enlivenment would have done the film good. Also, given the reincarnations, I was hoping they would show flashbacks (like the Punic Wars, the French Revolution), hell if they had devoted 10 minutes to that I wouldn't be angry at all. I was also a bit puzzled by the fact that if someone has a few years of experience in martial arts, why the hell can't you see it? The enemies don't show much of anything, the threat is minimal and it's definitely underused and underdeveloped in that regard. The action is a bit plain, flat and lacking in proper spice, and that's a shame. I have to give a shout out to the steampunk shotgun, though, it was awesome. Overall, it feels hastily made, but I still didn't suffer with it, I wasn't bored, it went by relatively alright, so I have no problem giving it an average 3 stars due to my love for the genre. Next time I would prefer something in the style of Training Day, Antoine! Story-**, Visuals- ****, Action-***. Suspense-**, Gore-no, Humor-**, Actors-***, Atmosphere-*. 5.5/10.

Wish Dragon

EvilPhoEniXWish Dragon(2021) 

Englisch Netflix is doing a pretty good job with animation. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is still the clear winner, but this is a nice surprise. It’s similar to Aladdin, but it doesn’t matter. The protagonist gets a teapot from which a magical dragon comes out and can grant him three wishes. It’s nice entertainment for the whole family. The humor works (the dragon is awesome) and the villain who solves everything with his long legs was top notch. The animation is decent, the characters are great, and it oozes feel good atmosphere. I had more fun than I expected. A nice film. Story- ****, Visuals- ****, Action-***. Suspense-*, Gore-no Humor- ****, Actors- ****, Atmosphere- ***. 8/10.

Trese: Hüterin der Stadt

EvilPhoEniXTrese: Hüterin der Stadt(2021) 

Englisch A Filipino comic about a female detective who battles mythical creatures and various monsters in Manila. The animation is decent, it's quite engaging as a crime show, and when it comes to blood, it splatters nicely. Occasionally they conjure up a horror vibe conjured up (the zombie attack on the police station). I'm not quite the target audience, but I was relatively entertained. Anime fans can throw in an extra star. 6/10.

Milk Teeth

EvilPhoEniXMilk Teeth(2020) 

Englisch A neat short atmospheric horror film set in an orphanage with a nicely done central boogeyman (the Tooth Fairy) who gives the children money in exchange for their teeth. Very nicely shot, with decent atmosphere and an interesting idea. If they had tightened it up in the finale, I would have been even happier. 7.5/10.

The Jester: Chapter 3

EvilPhoEniXThe Jester: Chapter 3(2019) 

Englisch An up-and-coming trilogy set during Halloween about a mysterious magician with a pretty creepy mask, but it doesn’t show much of anything. It's not brutal or atmospheric enough for a horror film, the magic isn't attractive enough, and the visuals are mediocre too. It didn't really grab me. 5/10.

In the Heights

EvilPhoEniXIn the Heights(2021) 

Englisch I don't really watch musicals, but I was looking forward to this one and it's a summer sensation in full effect. Vibrant, energetic, feel-good, sexy, attractive, pompous, racy and very appealing, set in the exotic world of a Latino street in New York. I was a bit worried about the overlong running time (half an hour less wouldn't hurt), but there are enough songs, and they are catchy, melodic, and at times I felt like hitting the streets and dancing across the city! The choreography is also fine – the scene in the pool is the best. The actors are likeable, both the main character and Vanessa. Overall, a very enjoyable summer and fun piece with energy like few things. 7.5/10.

Wiro Sableng 212

EvilPhoEniXWiro Sableng 212(2018) 

Englisch I went for five stars. 212 Warrior was my dark horse and everything pointed to that: Ruhian, silat, Indonesia, jungle. However, fresh from watching it I have a very bitter taste in my mouth. It did not sit well with me at all, it went off in just about every direction. I was very naive if I thought I was going to get The Raid, but set in the jungle. What I got instead was more of a parody of action movies from the 1990s with Jackie Chan, but without Jackie Chan. Given that it is delivered it in a lighthearted way, I'm even more disappointed that I didn't laugh even once. I found the humour childish and awkward, the main character annoyed me to no end (his weird grins and dancing during fights were completely out of place). There is only uninteresting chatter for an hour, it looks quite cheap, a kind of B-movie made for Indonesian TV. Of course there is no R-rated, and they included unnecessary fantasy wu-xia elements (there's a bit of flying, magic and ropes), exactly what I hate. So the only plus point is Ruhian, who plays the bad guy and shows off his skills in fights three times in total, and the scenes with him are probably the most interesting thing in the whole movie – though unfortunately he didn't get any suitable opponent because the main character really can't do much. I have it between 2-3 stars, I'll give it 3 in the end out of mercy. I haven't seen anything from Indonesia in a long time and Ruhian is still cool, but I definitely won't be going back to this one in the future. Story***, Action***, Humor*, Violence NO, Fun***, Music***, Visuals**, Atmosphere**, Suspense**. 5/10.

Killer's Bodyguard 2

EvilPhoEniXKiller's Bodyguard 2(2021) 

Englisch "I wouldn't leave a Chucky doll in her care." The second cinema visit this year, another sequel, and it's a fun R-rated ride that I really enjoyed. Drama fans will of course be disappointed as the story doesn't really bring anything new to the action comedy genre and the villain has a traditional bomb plan, but who cares. It's fun, it's gritty, it's got a breakneck pace, lots of familiar faces, cool memorable scenes, and I had enough fun that I didn't have time to think about anything downright annoying. Ryan Reynolds may be doing his Deadpool thing again and Samuel L. Jackson spurts one motherfucker after another. Frank Grillo as the detective and Antonio Banderas as the villain (albeit with punishingly little space) were quite enjoyable. Of course Salma Hayek steals the whole show here, not only with her deep cleavage but also with her awesome lines. I wanna marry her! The highlight is the flashback grim reaper who seems to have fallen from a Final Destination movie, it had the whole cinema laughing. The entrance of Morgan Freeman is similarly cool as the entrance of Christopher Lloyd in Nobody. I have minor reservations about the action scenes, they were little too wild and chaotic for my taste. The camera was either too close or there were so many cuts that I didn’t know was going on at times (this not Indonesia or Korea, so I’ll turn a blind eye). A tad weaker than the first one, but still a fun and enjoyable ride with fine actors that shouldn't offend anyone. Story 3/5, Action 4/5, Humor 4/5, Violence 3/5, Fun 4/5, Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 3/5, Actors 4/5. 7.5/10.

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