3DD!3

A Chinese modern western with a wonderful chase involving a truck, a Jeep and horses. Geo uses the “story" as a crutch supporting stylish action scenes that often stray outside the bounds of reality. The character profiles are scant, the motivations purposeful. The main strength lies in the unfamiliar landscape of western China near the Gobi Desert. "This coat is bullet-proof! My grandma told me so."

A great adaptation, faithful enough to the book to please its fans, and different enough for it to tie in with the end of Kubrick’s movie. McGregor is excellent as Danny, but the sexy Rebecca Ferguson’s performance as Rose the Hat is just heaven. Much better than in the book. The climax at the hotel, logically different from the book, is a playful variation on the original Shining, with an ending that closes the circle.

Great actors in a crazy comedy about Nazi ideology. Written, directed Hitler played by a New Zealander. This unusual child’s view of war is presented unobtrusively and in great style. Heil me, man!

A spectacular modern crime movie that bends the rules of the genre. Johnson is the narrator, so it’s hard for the audience to get lost. The tension could be cut with a knife almost throughout the movie. An incredible acting recital. Craig’s investigator removes all memory of Bond and Ana de Armas carries the heart of the entire story on her shoulders. This movie is like a donut with a hole in which there is another donut…with a hole…with a great climax inside.

Uncut Gems is almost unpleasant to watch. A spiral of self-destruction (with the very best intentions, of course) with the excellent Sandler in the lead role. The incredible pressure of an evil and raucous world conveyed through the “hero" to the viewer with unbelievable intensity. Lies, crooked deals, basketball, gambling, infidelity and contempt and the entire world plotting against one person who deserves it like no other (but you’ll still be keeping your fingers crossed for him at the end). A morality tale about gambling and something extra, and a reflection of modern times.

The series often strays from the source material, but always for the best. The main motifs remain, but they are developed in a way that is more palatable for today’s audience. The oddness of the comic book jumps out at you in a few delightful scenes, like Hazel and Cha-Cha at the prosthetics center and Sean’s conversation with God. The ending is spectacular too; I’m curious about season 2 and how they tackle the comic book in season 3. Inventive development of a concept penned by the singer from My Chemical Romance. Originality has no bounds.

A lot of bang for your buck. An atmospheric movie about a pilgrimage during which a group of monks are taking a reliquary to the Pope in Rome to boost the numbers of knights in the Holy War. One of the monks happens to be Spiderman, accompanied by the Punisher as his Sherpa/bodyguard, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. Along the way, they encounter obstacles, get attacked by the natives and the bloodbath begins. Bernthal decapitates heathens with a wooden shield, people are disembowled alive, criminals have their hands chopped off. The ending is appropriately crushing and pointless. Films like this are like gold dust and deserve admiration. Judas!

The ending is like something out of a Mexican telenovela on a (good) trip. The Bad Boys are back for one last escapade, but surprisingly it seems like more of a toned-down version of the first one with emphasis placed on the story. The effective storyline around Mike is brimming with death. Smith really needed this role again, which might well restart his career. And Lawrence will never land a better role. The AMMO team is unexpectedly fine and the chemistry between the old and the new works unexpectedly well. Even the new directors know their stuff. They can’t yet compete with the big boss, but they have style. And Bay’s cameo was also good to see. P.S. Paola Nuñez is awesome.

This is just bad. It’s no great surprise that the screenplay is like an action version of a Mexican telenovela. But the fact that the action is terribly filmed is a great disappointment. Megaton buries everything in confusion and is excessively over-the-top. When you compare this to Morel’s action scenes, it brings tears to your eyes. Is it really too much to expect to see Neeson shooting and torturing people in a simple, yet meaningful story revolving around well-produced action scenes? P.S: It still bothers me that I don’t understand why Forest carries that chess piece around with him all the time…

Put this on a loop and this would make a great video for TV showrooms. Malick’s meditative essay about our corner of the universe is a feast for the eyes. The wonderful landscape shots are interrupted by video cross-sections of life that rather spoil meditation.