rainfollower-95-646324 Reviews

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thor: Venom 2

[5/10 · 11 September 2022]

Basically, here is the same story as in Venom Let There Be Carnage: 30 minutes of actual story, the rest is just fillers. Lame humour, meaningless dialogues, characters presenting themselves (again), awful 'romance'.

No really, you could take the prologue, remove the next hour, and start watching right there. And you would miss nothing meaningful.

The only bright spot is Christian Bale playing his role like there's no tomorrow. That's the only good thing you will encounter. Honestly, the movie should have been named "Gorr the God Butcher", and you could just keep Thor out of it until the very last battles. That would only make it all better.

And one more thing. Why in hell Thor's name on the poster colored like Russian tri-color?..

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Pretty meh...

[3/10 · 8 September 2022]

Based on the first 2 episodes, I say, this is pretty bad.

Characters are not themselves, mostly. They do not fit Tolkien's setting. Gil-Galad is old and sagging (compare to Thranduil of Lee Pace!) Ages-old Galadriel acts like she is a stubborn teenager. Elves are just human with pointy ears and nothing else special about them (where's your elven sight, Legolas, where's your light step?) I won't even start about racial difference in homogenous societies, such as Dwarves in their halls of stone. What's even worse, you do not feel that air of aspiration that followed Aragorn, Faramir, Theoden, Eomer... All talks are so lowly! You could hear something like that while making your first morning coffee in the office.

Actors overplay all the time. Durin, Elrond, Galadriel, the goblin that attacked. Some others just say their lines, trying to look good. The only bright spots here are the harfoot girl and that Harad woman with her son.

Costumes are just total meh! White nighties, tin armor, very cheap 'ornaments', such as letters on Gil-Galad's chest. Costumes are just the worst part. There is no way that the elves of mid 2-nd epoch could dress worse than they would in 4000 years. Cosplayers often look better than that. And hair! Why so much unwashed and uncombed hair? Do people not know how to use a comb? And some of the characters seemingly have chemical perm (hello, Elrond!)

The writing is more or less coherent, and that's what saves the day (as much as it could be saved) but some scenes are laughably dumb. The ship is, for example. Anyone who wrote and directed this, had obviously never had any idea of seafaring (even taking all the special circumstances into consideration). I could not help but laugh my head off.

Ah. And the graphics! The CG is good. If you want CG, this is your movie! But otherwise, I say this is not much fun.

The Last Warrior: A Messenger of Darkness (2021)

Overcomplicated, yet a good ending of trilogy

[8/10 · 10 January 2022]

The movie definitely seems inferior to the two previous parts. But it is good, still. A good movie on its own, and a very good ending for the "Last warrior" trilogy. I've seen this movie today, and I do not regret a single minute of it.

The biggest problem is the overly complicated plot. So much to happen within two hours! Also, it's a bit overloaded with little details and interludes, that are beautiful and fun, and give us more exposure on characters, yet meaningless on major scale, and thus the main plot line feels somewhat rushed and a bit... scrunched up, I'd say. We see a bit too much of the artifacts to be obtained, and conditions to be fulfilled, and so we somewhat lose connection to the humane side of the adventure, to the nature of choices to be made. In the middle it all fills a bit like a road movie, really. But the silver lining here: towards the end, it all straightens up, again! Another problem is that you need to see the previous parts to fully understand it all. But is it really a problem in 2020-s?

The good things that I really like here are numerous. First, I really like how the plot turns back to the very roots of the main characters, so that we can recall who they are, and who they were, and it matters! I also like jokes here, even though many of them are Russian-specific. I like how they show us modern days in Moscow. I like sound, visuals, I like references, I love plot twists. And how it all ends, I like it, too. It is a good end of the story!

And I'll say it again, I really, really love the actors here! Each and every one of them. These people are so great! Totally fit for the story and the direction.

Now, to sum it up. Not sure if this is really fit for little kids. But for teenagers and adults alike it should be fun. More fantasy than fairy-tale now, still a good adventure, good action and a good story. And of course, one of the best movies of Russian cinema in decades.

The movie is underrated. Go see it, that's my advice!

The Last Warrior: Root of Evil (2021)

Absolutely lovely. Even better than part one.

[10/10 · 20 December 2021]

I've seen the first movie and I loved it. I love this one even more.

Thee are many things about the movie that can only be understood if you're Russian. But not only that. The movie is great for all kind of people and great on many levels: the direction, the cast, the acting, the make up, the costumes, the 'message' and the morals. The writing may be a bit simplistic, still it's no worse than your average superhero story. Better, I dare say. The visual effects may be not the best in the world, still they are good enough. The overall style may be a bit too much of a sweet 'fairy-tale', but a fairy-tale is what this movie is, basically!

My biggest praise goes to the director who managed to tell this visual story so wonderfully. And my second biggest praise goes to the actors. Ivan Khorinyak managed to pull out the most truthful fairy-tale Ivan character: 'Ivan the fool' who is also the hero at the same time. Baba Yaga played by the famous and loved Elena Yakovleva is the best new vision of this traditional character since... 70-s, I believe? Mila Sivatskaya as Vasilisa is absolutely lovely, the very symbol of Slavic beauty. Others are also wonderful.

Again, I will repeat: this "Last warrior" is the best thing that happened to the Russian cinema in decades! The triumphant comeback of the 'fairy-tale movie'. I love it!

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Boooooring with a lot of "o"-s

[7/10 · 19 December 2021]

Turning Sinister six into a therapy group is the dumbest idea ever. The disband of that group have been even worse. But who cares if it were The Three Spideys Together that sold the movie.

95% of fanservice, 4% of pretty visuals, 1% of the actual plot and exactly one phrase that really touched my heart: "I don't want it" - said by MJ in the end. (or however it was spelled in English).

Upon the Magic Roads (2021)

Lame, amateurish, but not exactly bad

[4/10 · 27 July 2021]

Not really bad, but feels very amateur. Low-budget.

There's a lot to blame the movie for. Screenplay, CGI, make up and costumes, some cringey dialogues, actors overacting here and there... But the biggest problem overall is that it looks more like a cheap TV-film, not a cinema-level thing.

On the other hand, there are good points, too. You can't really believe into Kings and Peasants here, but actors truly make you believe their characters' feelings now and again. The writing maybe not too coherent, but some story arcs are just wonderful! They may have severely shortened the original story making it a third of what there were, they may have also changed a lot in characters' development, but in the end they still delivered a nice magical fairy-tale based upon the classics of Russian children's literature.

I can't really recommend this as a movie, I'm afraid. Definitely not the best of Russian cinema! It can't even surpass the cartoon of 1975, by far. Still, if you have a spare evening, you may give it a try.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Wonderful new approach to Harry Potter's world

[8/10 · 5 May 2021]

I really liked this movie. It gives us a fresh new angle at the world where Harry Potter will live. I really like how we delve into different times, and different people, and different places, and also we approach the magical community from a different side: we meet ministry clerks, and a zoologist, and other community members, living on their own - not just another school of magic.

The Beasts themselves are the most wonderful. They really play a major part. And they're really engaging to see.

As for the plot, it is quite simple. Nothing too exceptional. But it is nice, and pleasant to go through. And some turns, while not being too unexpected, are just unforgettable! That saying about cookies? It will stay in my memory! Another good thing is the concept of the Obscuri. A very nice addition to the HP universe!

All in all, this is good. If you like the world of Harry Potter, you should see the "Fantastic beasts" too.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

A mess

[5/10 · 5 May 2021]

This is as much bad, as good the first "Fantastic beasts" were.

The biggest problem is the story. The story is just a mess. Two years after I watched this movie I can't even recall what was the general plot. There were some some vivid scenes, sure, but that is all. How did it start? How did it come to that end? How were all of those people invloved exactly? I've got no clear idea now. Oh! There was Nagini somewhere in-between! Why? No idea, either...

What's worse, their attempt to introduce Grindelwald was not a success. To do that they cut the actual beasts' presence, and as a result, we have neither beasts nor Grindelwald. Very few of both, and none are really developed. The movie's called "Crimes of Grindelwald", but we see almost none of those. The movie is also called "Fantastic Beasts", but the beasts now play no major part. That's sad.

The only good part is Eddie Redmayne. He's wonderful!

Major Grom: Plague Doctor (2021)

Unexpectedly good superhero movie from Russia

[9/10 · 24 April 2021]

I never expected it to be anything that good. No, really, it's fun! First, it is a really well-made piece of filming. Second, this is a real superhero movie, a fact even more surprising, taken that... well, let's be frank, Russians do not know anything of comic books and superheros. It's just not in the culture. But this one time they did it!

Igor Gromov (Grom ~ Thunder) is a superhero without superpowers. You may think of him as a total anti-Batman: he wears no mask , owns no money (lives in poverty literally), has no fame, but he acts in absolutely the same manner as Bruce Wayne: using his brain, and his knuckles, and never taking a life. You will find other references to Gotham, too: the police department, for example, and some other places, which are totally unrealistic for Russia. But the rest is just a thick layer of everyday Saint-Petersburg life smeared over slices of the most truthfully taken city center. Together, the hero and the city background make the most wonderful mix! As for the story, it is much different from those done by Marvel or DC. I'd even say it is quite unique. It runs along a different kind of track, and it has different climax points and unexpected turns.

Overall. Good writing. Good acting. Good CG. I'll say it again, this is a just a very well made movie. And it is fun! Probably the very first real Russian superhero movie that really made it!

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Not bad but could be better

[6/10 · 17 April 2021]

First of all and overall, this is quite an enjoyable thing to see. It's got the story, the actors, the acting and the deep respect towards the MK game lore. The chemistry between Kano and everyone else is so real! Kano is the best party guy all around. Shang Tsung is good too, and Hanzo's arc is just great! And I really like how they cast all the people who really look like their gaming prototypes! That's cool.

But this MK is nowhere beyond 'enjoyable', I'm afraid. There're reasons to that. First, the combat scenes, however surprising that might be! The camera is of a modern shaky kind, and the montage cuts the continuous action into a lot of tiny pieces, and as a result, the fighting is not really spectacular. I've seen a fan-made movie with Baraka where fighting was way more spectacular than here. No idea how they could come to this! The MK should be all about fighting, but the best you get is that scene with Hanzo you've seen in a trailer. Another thing is overly simplistic plot. It's super straight, and obvious, and very steady. No real 'climax points' anywhere. No tension! Both inside the fights and outside of them. The third and the last flaw: too much product placement and too little cinema magic. They tried to fit in too many iconic things, and as a result, we mostly see iconic things where we should've seen the action, the chemistry, the story flow. Putting it all together... I see it so that the concept is just not whole enough. That's the problem. Unlike 1995 version, it's more about fan-service than about making a movie. I have to admit that I still like the 1995 version more even now.

All in all, it's fun if you know what "Mortal Kombat" is. And if you don't, then it should feel somewhat boring, but still enjoyable, just like your average 'weekend action movie'.

Chaos Walking (2021)

Dull and dumb

[4/10 · 30 March 2021]

This a very boring, straightforward story set in a strange, pointless and incoherent world. It will leave a lot of unanswered questions in the end unless you read all the books beforehand. What's worse, all these special properties of the world are pointless in terms of world and character development. All you see is just another Wild West with a bit of funny Noise effects and some (very little!) alien fauna, and all this never impacts the story in any meaningful way.

Tom Holland and Mads Mikkelsen are good, as expected. Even Daisy Ridley is more or less okay. Their characters are not. You can understand what drives the young Todd, he's the most developed one, still, there's a lot to reveal in his background, in his past, in his relations with the other settlers of his town. Others are worse than that. Most of them talk riddles all the time, just like in a teenager's fan fiction, and the Noise never helps there.

Another problem is the lack of reason, the lack of sense. There's just a lot of tiny little details that clearly make no sense, both in character's judgement, in their actions and in the world itself.

Overall. This is bad as a tale. This is bad science fiction. And this is also bad in terms of storytelling. What I liked: the new fresh world, and the beautiful visuals. But... that's all.

PS: No really, I've been looking at my wrist watch roughly at the middle, trying to recall how long the movie should be overall. If I had been alone, I would have probably walked out of the cinema then.

Bloodshot (2020)

I don't get all the hate

[8/10 · 15 May 2020]

Sure, the movie is not the a masterpiece that would define the cinema in the following century. But it is fun on many levels.

It is a good story (however flat it look at a glance) with good twists It is a nice fresh approach to the superhero powers, which returns us to the origins, where you really could have no magic or gods in your script (hello, Marvel, hello, DC) It packs enough high quality action. And the aforementioned new approach makes the fighting more realistic. A whole lot of nicely designed gizmos, too. And it has quite some things to think about in it, and a good message, too.

I think, this movie is quite worthy. Maybe it has a future, even.

Kalashnikov (2020)

Quite mediocre. Beautiful, but non-engaging

[6/10 · 13 April 2020]

On one hand, this is a technically good piece of filming. Costumes, vehicles, decorations, sounds, small details of the everyday life look very true. The overall picture is simple, but beautiful. A pleasure for an eye.

On the other hand, the story is very shallow, flat and non-engaging: just 5 years of Mikhail Kalashnikov's life condensed into an hour and a half. And also, quite... let's call it 'pleasant'. Saying that, I mean there's no conflict in the story, no struggle, no tension, no unexpected turn. The road to AK-47 just unwinds before us, smooth and wide, and dotted with signposts. Just like Mikhail Kalashnikov himself! Who as a character looks just an-all-round-good guy. Quite pleasant to glance at, but there's nothing much to examine and explore.

You can't really call this a biopic, because there's no real biography in it, no personality - only large milestones. Instead of diving deep into the tangled thicket of man's life the story just flies by at speed, barely touching treetops. And it is not the story of Kalashnikov's invention, too, because you can't really trace the path of the thought on its way from the idea to the final triumph. Not a drama, certainly, because there's no drama. And not a struggle, again; rather a chain of fortunate events. If Bilbo's journey of "There and Back" was of this kind, I think the book would start right at the Lonely Mountain. And the dragon would give up.

The most fitting words would probably be "a formality". A well-built panegyric formality. A layer of gilding upon the relic, that makes it glittery, but smoothes out its real features.

Watching this you will lose nothing, I think, except 90 minutes of your life. On the other hand, you will probably gain nothing, too (except maybe picking up some names).

1917 (2019)

Great depiction of war

[10/10 · 30 March 2020]

Basically a 'road movie', this is a very good depiction of different faces of war, changing one another, as the road goes on. And masterfully done, too! Great acting, good visuals, coherent story, good direction, and feels very truthful overall. Really touches your emotions, too.

Nothing much to say here, it is a great movie about war. Full stop.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

A tad better than episode 8. Still, stupid.

[6/10 · 28 March 2020]

The only good piece of story is where Rey finds the second wayfinder in the remains of Kylo's starship that she had almost burned (even though it had a good chance to be destroyed in the very first encounter). And the X-Wing that was on the bottom of the ocean.

The rest is a just a variety of painful blows to the SW lore, fanservice-level references, deus ex machina cases and the lack of reasoning behind characters' actions. Just like in every Disney-made movie of the franchise.

The Witcher (2019– )

A bad quality fanfic on the original title

[3/10 · 25 December 2019]

I review, basing on 4 series out of 8. And I am sincerely trying not to be sour. But... This is bad.

First, it's no more close to the original "Witcher", than TV-series about "Hercules" (the ones starring Kevin Sorbo) are close to the original mythology of Ancient Greece. It's just... another story about modern Americans on a fancy background, who's taken some fancy names from some legend no one of them properly learned.

Second thing is... Okay. This could be a different story. It happens. But it is further ruined by really bad writing, awfully built characters, "deus ex machina" plot twists and terrible personality development through dialogs. Most of it is just a lot of cheap cliches of modern Hollywood.

What's noticeable, the pieces of the story, that were written anew, are more or less good, but the screening of the original plot is just terrible. But anyway. This is not the real cinema level. This is the community theatre, with some money spent on the VFX.

PS: Thanks to Henri Cavill who really tried, at least.

Frozen II (2019)

Not bad, yet not too good, and too much commercial

[7/10 · 2 December 2019]

This a very good sequel, if you compare it to other sequels of modern days. Defenitely better than many.

Yet, it has this horrible feel of being commercial and secondary all over it. The storytelling is still good, yet the story itself degraded in complexity and power, and what we get is rather "a predictable sequel story" based on second-hand ideas, than a fairy-tale about princesses and sorcery. Lots of fuss, little of real character development. And commerciality, of course! So bold, that you can almost see big red 'ads' tag on top of some scenes, just like in 1990-s cheap cartoon series.

Still, I rather liked it than not. And I think that you and your children will most probably like it, too.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

Good beginning, dumb ending

[6/10 · 16 November 2019]

The movie starts as a very promising story, but in the end I felt really disappointed. It's not that the storytelling itself is bad... It is quite good actually, and engaging, and emotional. But the ending of the whole plot feels really underwhelming. Even worse: it feels really dumb. So dumb that I hardly can believe that it all really ended like this.

If you want details, I have two major objections to the story.

One of them is that the idea and the moral problems in the movie are all secondhand, taken right from the previous one. Played off differently? Yes! But still the same kind of moral choices. Come on! We have already seen this, and you already told us what's good and what's bad! Tell us something else! Why are you repeating this lesson again?

The other objection is how they solve (or rather, do not solve) everything. How it all ends, how it all comes to the "happily ever after". I'll say this again: the ending feels really dumb. In the first "Maleficent" we could clearly see where exactly was the moral problem, and the physical conflict, and how exactly it could be solved. In this movie... well... we don't. Also, you can clearly see how the story's quality degrades in the second half of the movie. It gets all rushed, and chaotic, and it all rather happens, than being told.

You know... It really feels like the writers' team changed in the middle of production. Or maybe there was a deadline at hand, and no way to solve all the complex problems thrown at main characters, so... "well, let's add some cliches and just consider it all solved, okay? Let's go to happily ever after, already!" Another reason to think so is all those little things nicely planted in the beginning of the story and never paying off in the end (well, not all, but most of them).

But there are good news, too! If you turn off your intellect while watching this, you will have enough fun. The picture is good, the magic creatures are fun, the actors are great, and finally I can praise princess Aurora herself not only for her looks, but also for the emotions she's giving us.

Animal World (2018)

Simple concept turned into good story.

[7/10 · 9 September 2019]

First of all, "gambling for life" is not anything new. We've seen the idea development in many movies and books already. There were all kinds of such games: walking day and knight, card games, labyrinths, TV shows, computer games... Even the extra-dimensional space sliced into cubic rooms (you know what I am hinting at!) So you can hardly be surprised or entertained by yet another kind of a game where stakes are so high.

And you can hardly say that you couldn't guess what would be the plot in general. Really, you can roughly outline it since the very beginning.

Yet, this movie is really good! And what makes it good is how story writers turned a very simple kind of game into a very deep and complex human interaction. How the gaming process melts into background to highlight all the complex things that happen between characters downstage. How the plot twists are really powered by human passions, not just gaming activities. And this is really cool! This is where really good movie making begins!

I won't say this is the best film of the year, but it is definitely good, and entertaining, and also quite beautiful (even with all the surrealistic ugly monsters that appear on-screen). Unexpectedly "western" kind of movie for China, too. See it! It's fun!

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)

Good in details, mediocre overall

[7/10 · 3 June 2019]

Long story short: the main plot is dull, but the love and effort put into secondary things and details is absolutely amazing.

The thing is that most of it falls into one of the two following bins: either great or boring. Pokemons themselves are great! And the city where they live is great. And all the little details like dirt on the T-shirt are greatly and very-well designed. And oriental japanese manga-style moments, too. Meanwhile, the action is mostly chaotic and dull. The plot has twists, but all the main moments are plain obvious (although secondary things are great again). And all the personalities are boring and their development is non-existent. No, really, the only character to be remembered is Pikachu himself!

All in all, this is a not-so-great movie with truly amazing things in it, including really good filmization of Pokemons.

Shadow (2018)

Very, very beautiful

[9/10 · 1 March 2019]

This movie is a really good Chinese costume drama. Almost every thing about it is superb: the story itself, the plot twists, the characters, the acting, the style, the stage direction, the effects, the drama... But what strikes the most about it is how easily the most fantastic scenes can change into the most truthful realism in a matter of mere seconds; how fantasy and realism are interweaved to make the most stunning depiction of the battle. The movie is just a masterpiece, if only being a bit too slow and contemplative for the Western viewer. But it is definitely worth seeing!

T-34 (2018)

A very casual approach to WWII movie

[6/10 · 27 January 2019]

First of all, this is not a "War movie". If you want drama like in "Saving private Ryan", you chose the wrong title. This is action movie. And this a very casual, childish action movie, more like a computer game than real life.

I can't say it's bad. It's got some good sides to it. Like... it is quite spectacular, and stylish, too. Slo-mo, trick shots, inside-the-tank perspective... Some nice little details of the tank warfare, too (like: what the crew feels when a shell ricochets from tank's armor).

But I can't say it's very good, also. First of all, the basic plot is secondary to an old soviet movie of 1965. The story is mostly different, but it's built upon the same plot. And if you try to compare, you will see how lame and casual this movie is. Secondly, the personalities. No objections to the actors themselves, but the personalities they perform look false. Ivushkin and his adversary do not look like war enemies. They do not feel like that. They look like guys competing in a PvP computer game, really. And many other people also feel like one-note characters. Thirdly, quite some plot twists are plain stupid. That is, if you know anything about nazis, and war, and tank warfare. And it is not the case of "alternative reality" (like in Marvel movies), it is a case of the wrong and overly simplistic perception of how it all works. As if makers did not dip into the epoch deep enough. And some other scenes and plot twists look like they're just plainly taken from the original 1965 title without any real need to it (beer scene, for example). Fourthly, the CG in some scenes is absurdly bad (of tanks, in particular). You _see_ the CG! Although it does not happen very often, to be honest.

I can't give this "T-34" a rating above 6, I'm afraid. It's nothing special. You watch it once, and next day you forget it all (except maybe some funny in-tank camera angles).

Knowing (2009)

The plot is a liar

[4/10 · 30 December 2018]

When you start watching you may think this movie is a sci-fi disaster movie. Or maybe a global conspiracy movie. Or maybe a movie about supernatural stuff. But this all would be wrong, because "Knowing" is just a loose retell of the "Apocalypse" book from the Holy bible. Kinda a retell bent into the shape of modern day.

The Duelist (2016)

More than I expected.

[9/10 · 10 March 2018]

"The Duelist" turned out unexpectedly engaging to me. Dark, bloody, yet beautiful. The dark side of honor and the dark side of beauty.

Not historically accurate, yet very, very immersive. Most technical details are plain false. But that aura of Russian Grand Society feels so much true, so natural!

The best definition I could find for this movie is "Noir, transferred into the XIX-th century, Saint-Petersburg, Russia". There's much in common, really. Blood, death, wounds, tortures, nudity... plenty of this. As well as desperation, infamy, cruelty, scheming, femme fatale. Everything you can find in a typical noir. Only the place would be the capital of Russian Empire. Vast palaces, dirty streets, crowded soirees, the shade of the Royal Family, officers, nobles... and the duels!

A rare gem of late Russian cinema, really. Truly underrated.

Max Payne (2008)

Good, although not great

[7/10 · 9 March 2018]

For a screen adaptation this is too loose in terms of script. For a fresh new story about cop taking his revenge against drugs and conspiracy this is also too loose in terms of script.

I won't join my voice with the chorus saying "this is not how it had been in the game". The lowest-rate reviews are of that kind. Yet, writers had to choose side. Which they did not.

In terms of brand new movie this is simple: plot seems too much generic. Just another cop who takes revenge for his family against conspiracy and corruption. How many of that kind do we know? A lot.

In terms of screen adaptation there's too little of Max Payne in this Max Payne movie. Yes, we've got picturesque scenes and precisely directed vignettes (more of the visual kind). But... you know, that is all. Not a movie of Max Payne, but a movie with a cameo of Max Payne. Some different story that takes place somewhere in those parts, and remarkable details glimpse to you now and then. Yet, a totally different story. Not only in script (god knows, that is not necessary) but in the terms of feeling. Bright sun, neat offices, cute family-driven premises are not the things that should surround us!

Still... I can't say this is a bad movie. Everything but script seems supreme. To me, at least. I really like visuals. I think Mark Wahlberg is a fairly good Max Payne (except that brand stupid smile is lost). And I love how accurate and beautifully they depict weapons. and...

Overall, if you can stand a stupid script, I think you will like this.