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Reviews
Das Experiment (2001)
intense, thrilling and breathtaking
I haven't heard much about this movie, so I didn't know what to expect, but when I got out, I found myself captured by the intensity. An excellent thriller, and surprisingly realistic. All of the guys reacted like you expect in the beginning, which made it even harder to see what's going on with them. Maybe violence takes over a little too much at the end, but this makes it even more disturbing. A great experiment, not to be missed! 9/10.
Boh lei chun (1999)
Hopelessly romantic!
These are three movies in one actually: an action movie (well, just look at the star), a comedy with great slapstick elements, and a romance. And although this usually doesn't match well, here it works without problems. The chemistry between Chan and Qi Shu is - although a huge age difference - always there, and believable, which helped a lot. And those fantastic one-on-one fights are a highlight of the genre. If you feel bad, see this movie, it helps definitely! 8.5/10
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
I wanted it to be better
This one didn't just lower my expectations on Mission: Impossible, it also lowered my expectations on John Woo. What did he need a $100 million + budget for? For some usual shootings and car chases? Well, the final 20 minutes are what you're waiting for: a brilliant motorcycle race that leaves you breathless. But everything before is nothing compared to other Woo masterpieces. Just two words: Thandie Newton. Her character is the most annoying I've ever seen. The way she looks simply creeps me out. Her scenes with Tom Cruise don't work! But I thought everything Cruise did was unconsciously funny! This is not Ethan Hunt anymore, this is just an exchangeable action figure. The final fight is like Bud Spencer vs. Terence Hill. How many kicks, punches, hits can a normal person take? Yeah, these are no normal persons, but I just laughed about it. Maybe I expected too much, maybe I was too much in de Palmas mission, but I was disappointed and the only thing to do is hoping for Woo's next try, he's still the god of action movies. 4/10
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
The spy who keeps me laughing
I've waited so long to see the sequel to one of the best comedies ever, and after seeing it, my first thought was: deja-vu all over again? I was surprised that many gags from part 1 were recycled or varied slightly. While this is actually the worst you can do in a sequel, it works here and makes, combined with fresh, new ideas, an extremely entertaining movie. Also thanks to the cast. Nearly everybody from the original is back, and they show that they had fun at filming. They're so funny, like Frau Farbissina or Scott Evil, they could have their own movie. While part 1 was Austin's show, this one is all Dr. Evil. Myers delivers such a hilarious performance that it's impossible to dislike him. He's like Ally McBeal in a Bond movie. The relationship between him and Scott is the funniest I've seen for years. So why isn't it better than the original? Well, many jokes are too dumb and vulgar, which is not necessary, because the basic idea is a clever spoof without humor like `American Pie'. And the german dubbed version is (once again) really bad, especially Austin's voice, part 1 was better.
Anyway, both movies are definitely worth seeing, I enjoyed the heck out of it, and although the original is the better one, this one is also a must-see! Can't wait for part three! 8/10
Gladiator (2000)
Not a Spartacus for the new millennium
I was really looking forward to see this one, everybody said it was great, critically acclaimed and a place in the Top 250 must be something special. But this was not what I expected. This is nothing else than your average Death Wish - one man goes for revenge flick, only difference is that it's set in the roman empire. Why do we have to see the same story over and over again? Where are new, fresh ideas? Yeah, you don't see a $ 100 million movie for intellectual advance, but this is Ridley Scott!
Remarkable is the physical presence of Russell Crowe. Since his cool-as-hell performance in `The Quick and the Dead' he was the man for the important roles, and here he shows that he's able to carry a whole movie. A truly breathtaking performance, he's the man right now!
Good action scenes and SFX, amazing sets and great acting are not enough to distract from the weak plot, but makes at least a typical popcorn movie, and isn't that what most movies are all about? 6/10
Playing by Heart (1998)
Warmhearted
It took 2 years to show it in german theaters, and it was definitely worth the wait. After a slow start, the story develops in different ways. The relations between the characters are very well balanced, especially the Jolie/Philippe scenes were wonderful. And Gillian Anderson was so great, I really felt with her. The ending was surprising, how they were related to each other, I didn't see that come. A feel-good-movie. 8/10
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Simple, but interesting film.
An innocent person is imprisoned, breaks out to find the real murderer, and Tommy Lee Jones hunts that person across the States. Sounds familiar? It's like a sequel to The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals. Although the Double Jeopardy point is almost forgotten in the movie, it's a nice entertaining film. Nowadays thrillers are full of explosions or special effects, so I was pleasantly surprised by this good old filmmaking, and Ashley Judd did a great job. Too bad that it wasn't a success in Germany. Well, the german title "Doppelmord" is pretty silly. Recommended. 7/10
Otto - Der Katastrofenfilm (2000)
Title says it all
Oh Otto, where are you going? After seeing the trailer, I wondered that his sense of humor didn't change in the last 20 years. That wouldn't be too bad if there were his typical jokes in this movie, but no chance. I can't believe that I smiled only once the whole time. Too much time wasted on the "story", which is really nothing special. And his girlfriend....I mean, she's a BOMB, but acts like being in a daily soap. Well, the SFX are great, but why in a comedy? Better make an action film with that. Finally, if you like Otto, see the first movie (a must see!) or part three, but this is really disappointing! 3/10
El buque maldito (1974)
No horses?
Another film in which you have our friends terrorizing a group of people, but this one takes place on a ship which is a great idea, because there's limited place to hide. Sounds better than it is, and the effects are so laughably bad that you are reminded of Ed Woods masterpieces, but like every film with the blind priests it's creepy and fun to watch, although there are better tries in the series. Great ending anyway. 6/10.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Unexpressable in words!
Every year, there are one or two movies which I fall in love with, but in 1999 there was nothing like this until the end of November when BWP was released in Germany. This is definitely a masterpiece! It's fantastic, innovative and thrilling to the bone. The ending is one of the best ever. I was sitting in a nearly full theater and all the time there were jokes and comments on the film, but at the end you could hear a needle fall on the floor, it was total silence. Can't wait until it's available on video. 9.5/10
Mimic (1997)
Dark and stylish
Mimic is really nothing new, but it creates an atmosphere which is rarely in modern cinema. Like Sleepy Hollow, you're captured by the dark, creepy sets which reminds me of the old horror movies from the 30ies like Dracula or Frankenstein. And the creatures look so great you can't even tell if they are real or not. Although it lacks of plot, it deserves 8/10.
Anatomie (2000)
Nightwatch meets Urban legend meets Scream
Finally, a good german horror film. You may have seen this before, but the film delivers some great scares and a weird atmosphere. The actors are quite good, especially Anna Loos, which reminded me of Tatum in Scream, and Franka Potente is always nice to see. Maybe the final half hour they were running out of ideas, so it seems a little long, but I was never bored, and this says something. If you want to see a german horror film, and Premutos is too much for you, check out this one, you won't be disappointed. 8/10