EvilPhoEniX

The third installment of currently the most famous Korean action series Round Up is another decent gangster flick, but it adds nothing new, doesn't surpass the second or the first installment, and is simply too much of a safe bet using tried and tested methods. In the first we had gangsters from China, in the second we went to Vietnam, where the film benefited from the unfamiliar setting, and in the third we are back in Korea, but we have the Japanese Yakuza. I quite like the fact that each installment focuses on gangsters from a different nationality, which is a trademark, and a lot of the success of the series lies in its choice of villains, though this one is perhaps the weakest (it may be due to the fact that the Yakuza doesn't enter the film until somewhere in the 40 minute mark). But compared to the other films, it's still a decently charismatic and uncompromising villain. We've got a new drug on the scene, Hyper, with the protagonist, the Yakuza, and corrupt cops all going after it. Story-wise it's fairly straightforward, it's just a case of who gets beaten to the drugs first, but it's still decent above-standard entertainment. Visually top notch, Ma Dong Seok uses his boxing skills to the max and every time he busts up a whole room with one hard punch it's a joy to watch, though it’s a bit of a bummer that he doesn't have many equal opponents this time. I was a bit bothered that they cut down on the violence, it felt maybe PG-13 because when the Yakuza are swinging katanas and knives there is absolutely no blood (we only see blood on the main character), and any potentially brutal scene is out of focus, which is not the norm in Korea, but maybe that's due to the fact that this is already a mainstream series where they have to tame the violence. There are a few humorous interludes thrown in as well, which I also don't find too fitting for such a genre. In sum: this is the weakest installment in the series, but it's still a fine action ride. 7.5/10.

I find that I get bored with these comic book movies, unless it's an R-rated movie in the style of Suicide Squad or Deadpool . This one is just another in a line of mediocre originals where a couple of old characters (Keaton and Shannon) are enjoyable, but otherwise I wasn't too blown away. The humour didn't work for me, and I only liked two of the the action scenes (the opening slow motion scene with the babies is fun). The finale itself is decent too, but everything in between doesn't really stick and flows along without much interest, though it was a bit more fun than Doctor Strange. The multiverse is presented surprisingly more clearly here than in Marvel. As a one-shot, The Flash is okay, but nothing I keep coming back to. 6/10.

Not as good as Euphoria, but still pretty hot, unconventional and twisted. The interesting thing about this series is that it hardly leaves the luxury mansion, 90% of it, really takes place there, where we get a peek behind the curtain of how the music industry works and that pop starlets certainly don't have it easy. Lily-Rose Depp is portrayed as a sex symbol-goddess, her ass and often bared boobs are nice to look at, and in every episode she sets new fashion trends that must be driving women crazy in America right now. The Weeknd also does a good job, playing a cult leader, a proper sleazeball and a manipulator all in one. The whole concept kind of evokes the Oscar-winning Parasite. The music is perfect, the whole soundtrack is great (The Weeknd himself plays in the background). Visually it's also classy and I enjoyed the dialogue. The ending even has quite an unexpected twist. It's nothing groundbreaking story-wise, but it's quite distinctive, it has its own angle, it's sexy and kinky enough (there’s plenty of sex and drugs), and I liked the way the managers work in such an industry. 7/10.

When I think back over the last three months of movies I've seen in the cinema, Indiana Jones comes out as the weakest. Objectively, it might have been worth 3 stars, but I struggled for the first time in a long time and the film failed to engage or captivate me at all. If I look at my watch at least five times in the cinema during a film, I can't give it more than 2 stars. Indiana Jones is not my favorite franchise even though I grew up on it, but I wasn't too pleased with Mangold. The acting is not bad, though Mads Mikkelsen is terribly bland when he's supposed to play the bad guy. Harrison Ford is likeable but didn't entertain me, and I liked Boyd Holbrook but he didn't have much to play here. I didn't enjoy the action scenes, they were digital and lacked pizzazz (the car chase was good though), and when it came to the adventure rides it was one of the highlights (the eel scene was probably the best), but there were only two such scenes in total. The humour was completely absent and I found the plot also quite uninteresting and not very engaging. At home I would probably have turned it off, for me it was an exhausting movie. 4/10.

A fun and quirky survival thriller set in one place – a bathtub! The main character wakes up from unconsciousness in a bath, has his arm pierced by a barb, can't move and only has an hour before the whole thing blows up, Considering the premise, it's quite entertaining. The main character thinks rationally and some of the ideas are well executed. There's even a bit of gore, with one scene being really delectable and quite unpleasant to look at. Otherwise, it's a bit of a one-off with no major plot or significant surprises. If you like movies set in one place where someone is fighting for their life, you won't be offended by this one, but it lacked something to get an above average rating. A decent average from Germany that definitely gets plus points for its original idea, rational thinking protagonist and a portion of violence.

Philippe Lacheau and his crew go again for a full rating. They are the only ones that keep the comedy genre afloat and there is currently no competition that comes even close. It's unbelievable that they have once again managed to make a great film where they come up with new ideas, while keeping their trademarks, adding old friends, and the whole thing is just as you expect from this bunch. Those who don't know them by now should be punished after their sins. On the one hand, I would have appreciated a completely different film, or rather seen a Nicky Larson sequel, but Alibi.com was a hit too. Elodie Fontan is getting more and more beautiful, the woman just doesn't age, Boudali and Arruti have less space though, due to the amount of new characters. The return of the Joker from Badman is definitely pleasing, and Lacheau is excellent again. This time they avoid movie references, but it all builds up nicely. At one point the film is even suspenseful, where everything gets incredibly shitty until it slowly becomes a thriller. The jokes are once again unreal, the ideas are silly and the finale itself with the two weddings and the subsequent slow motion fight is really the highlight both in terms of craft and humour. I laughed, I cried (with emotion and laughter), I was surprised, shocked and had an incredible time. I wouldn’t have minded another half hour. I really wish they would take on horror characters next time and make a proper parody of them.. hopefully dreams come true. 9/10.

Brilliant, the TV Event of the Year. I knew from the first trailer that Silo would be my kind of thing and even though it is not a violence-filled action ride, I was absolutely engrossed and enthralled in every single detail and as a whole. The Last of Us has finally got a run for its money. Silo is a blend of several genres. It's primarily post-apocalyptic sci-fi laced with film-noir, dense mystery, suspenseful and atmospheric thriller, and also nerve-wracking drama. This cocktail works in all respects and is not weak in any means. No part of the 10 episodes is a weak link and the second half of the series builds up in truly epic style. The entire story takes place in an underground silo as the outside world is destroyed and toxic, and there are interesting rules and order at work. The series is full of mysteries that it slowly, cleverly unravels for the viewer. It's a bit of a bummer that we know the revelations before the characters do, so the shock isn't as impactful, but it doesn't matter. Rebecca Ferguson pulls the whole series incredibly well, I hadn't really noticed her as an actress until now, but what she does here is breathtaking. Emotionally and empathetically, I completely identified with her and experienced it incredibly thanks to her acting talent. She really shines like a bright light here. Of the cast, Common, who is classically unpleasant, is a great, and Tim Robbins has a very impressive role too. I also have to praise the soundtrack itself (the opening theme song is great), and once the show starts get going, it really managed to get under my skin. The reactor repair in episode 3 is such a powerful atmospheric blast that it evoked Chernobyl in me. The finale was also good, where the expected questions were answered and in turn more were added. However, readers of the books have a bit of a disadvantage of being deprived of all the surprises and revelations. We won't see anything more intense in the series production this year. A wonderfully addictive and intelligent affair.10/10.

A decent prison drama based on real events from the director of the lauded Marshland. The casting is also interesting. Javier Gutiérrez is a big star, and we all know Miguel Herrán as Rio from Money Heist (you could say this is an unofficial spin-off of Money Heist, what would it look like if Rio had stayed behind bars). The film is set in post-dictatorship Spain in the 70s, when prisons had harsh conditions and prisoners didn't have many rights, the guards just did whatever they wanted and the prisoners tried to get amnesty. The whole film takes place in one prison and since I have a soft spot for prison themes, it definitely caught my attention immediately. There are interesting rules and well written characters, occasionally someone gets killed or beaten up, but this is not about murder and fighting (although there is a minor riot). There are grittier prison-themed films, but this one has heart, great characters, and an unusual Spanish setting. It's simply a quality affair that has everything a viewer would expect from a genre film like this. 75%

This French bunch is unfortunately two classes weaker than Lacheau’s and Boudali’s, but it is at least an inoffensive French average. I like French comedies, they are properly wacky and not as vulgar as the Americans, and most importantly, they still hold on to the comedy waters, whereas in America the comedy genre is almost dying out. Here we have a bunch of friends who go to Colombia to look for their kidnapped brother, only for the evening to go wrong and the drug-addled son of the biggest local boss, El Diablo, is kidnapped and goes for their throats. The premise is fun, the action is okay, though it consists more of car chases, and there’s the occasional laugh, but it's more of a throwaway that flows well without any crazy fits of laughter. Mike Tyson at the end is also a delight. 55%.

Utter crap. The Japanese can't make movies. It's weird in every way, plus the villain is some kind of creepy transvestite. The characters are flat and uninteresting, nothing much happens for an hour, and there’s only a bit of action at the end, but it's poorly shot, and the bit of gore doesn't save the film. I found it excruciatingly unbearable, bordering on embarrassing and far beyond digestible.