Kaka

The first Bond that is practically without a beginning. It takes a while to get used to the fact that the film starts essentially in the middle, so we don't get a lot of character analysis and explanations of who is working for whom. Quantum of Solace is almost exactly on the well-worn tracks of Casino Royale, and that is a good thing. Daniel Craig has achieved something unprecedented, he has perfectly defined the contemporary action hero, which no one has been able to do in the past 10 years. Ethan Hunt is too action-oriented and not believable enough, Jason Bourne is an emotionless machine, but Crags's portrayal of James Bond is a thrilling persona that fits perfectly into the current trend of the perfect man: a rough, charismatic, and intelligent killer who is like a fish out of water without a luxury suit. Thankfully, there are emotions and love, but presented intentionally in a subdued manner, and delivered in precise doses, and Bond is breathtaking in those moments with the accompaniment of a gentle piano. Forster knows exactly what is in nowadays and he is careful. Perhaps it is only in the last two Bond movies where they managed to bring rawness to the action, meaning that finally the blows are hard enough, the falls are rough enough, and the running is fierce enough; no frills, no clever cameras shortening this or that, absolutely fierce, uncompromising, and devilishly fast action without any time for thinking. It could almost be said that the adrenaline can be felt through the screen. Casino Royale plus Quantum of Solace: timeless filmmaking.

A by no means groundbreaking action film about a badass woman and a somewhat questionable motivation from both her and her trainer. Poorly shot fight scenes, low-quality sound, weird shaky camera, and above all, absolutely nothing apart from a few action-packed moments. Without style, without drive, without any “conversation”. I'd rather watch Hard Target, which may also lack a constructive plot but has everything else.

A highly intelligent, expertly directed, and unobtrusively presented romance. Fantastic camera work, lighting, and music score, and an overall captured feeling that plays a similar crucial role as in Blade Runner, The English Patient, or 1492. A mesmerizing audiovisual gem that, however, failed to captivate me, which I consider a lamentable lack. The question is, where the mistake lies.

Honestly, I would like to read a book, because I haven't seen anything so stupid on the screen in a very long time. It starts with terrible instrumentality, continues with picturesque scenery like a Nivea ad, and ends with pompous prologues and epilogues with strange depth. Add to that a pathetic story about panties, an uninteresting protagonist, love, tons of clichés, tears, and we have a fancy dish for adolescent pimples. I haven't enjoyed myself like this in a long time. Romance, yes, but this is truly unbearable.

A horrifying wannabe innovative mix of comedy and classic epic storytelling style. Luhrmann's obvious attempt to come up with something new, a new concept of an epic story, is shocking. At times, Australia appears to be an amateurish blend in terms of its plot, and without the beautiful scenery and captivating actors, it would be a complete horror. Two strong storylines clashing with each other, a ton of digital effects, an introductory half-hour of comedy, bad war sequences, and a final epic cliché. Once was enough for me. Luhrmann is an amateur who should watch Cold Mountain every other day.

Another one from the bunch. Nothing outstanding, nothing surprising, a perfumed fairytale for (almost) adults. Cameron Diaz will play a naive girl until she's fifty and Ashton Kutcher is not as sweet as he might seem from the pictures at first glance, but I cannot deny his comedic talent and ability for relative improvisation. That said, you don’t really want to know what it's really about. The attempts at originality sometimes turn out to be lost, especially when the script is full of dumb scenes. You'd be better off watching My Best Friend's Wedding, it's at least one level higher in intelligence.

Less straightforward and more “intel” and “hi-tech” than Kingdom. Some people might like it, others not, but the fact remains that you would hardly guess that this talky spy film was directed by the master of visual and compositional image, Ridley Scott. There are several quality action scenes and sequences where he plays with the contour of colors, but there is nothing extra in this regard. And it is not even reached by the stunning dark contact lenses of Leonardo DiCaprio, who this time did not get as much space as in Blood Diamond and is overshadowed by Russell Crowe and especially the demonic and elegant Mark Strong, probably the most interesting character of the film. Overall, too much talk and too little action for my taste – although very high-quality and impactful. Kingdom is a simpler film and deals with Eastern culture in a very straightforward and simple way, but I liked it more than Body of Lies, which tries to go into depth but does it in a very uninteresting and overly talkative manner.

Satisfaction. The best film since Exit Wounds. Steven Seagal is finally seen in action scenes in full, and it’s clear how and when he delivers his Aikido moves. The action is rich, with quality camerawork despite the budget, and overall the film is nicely disguised as a B-movie. Although the story is not revolutionary, the transformation of the protagonist will at least surprise. Steven no longer plays the tough guys and righteous heroes from the 90s, different times require a different hero. He is not principled, honorable, or decent. He delivers one-liners, kills for money, and enjoys himself to the fullest. It's not what it used to be, but it is possibly the only way to keep the action icon in the game.

Apart from the final fight, it's a great disappointment. The saddest thing about this action movie is that Steven Seagal doesn't even show his aikido anymore. He fights recklessly, pounding on opponents like a wrestler, but there are no techniques or impact. Very average, I would say. I won't even comment on the confusing and insane editing. There are a few good lines and two decent shootouts, which are the only saving grace. Otherwise, it's heavily lacking. It's getting worse and worse.

I won’t deny the sensitive portrayal of Adam Sandler’s character, as well as the deep connections between the characters, but the rest not have such an impact. It is a slow and unremarkable film that mainly relies on the cast and the well-crafted atmosphere. There are unnecessary characters and some scenes did not really touch my heart. One thing is certain though, Sandler delivers the best performance of his career, and for that alone the film is worth watching.