This movie looked dreadful from the trailer, but was still the best option at the time I was going. Going with rock bottom expectations I was pleasantly surprised - but only slightly. Its absolutely ridiculous, the violence is unnecessarily gory and there are so many holes in the plot. That said its not the worst revenge movie of the year, or even the worst Gerard Butler film this year (it just about edges Gamer out by having a bit more sense of fun and awareness of its own ridiculousness.) There's some nice interplay between Foxx and Butler and some semi-intriguing how did he do that moments. But still only worth seeing if you're stuck for a better option.
tonyotim's Reviews
Displaying Review 1 - 5 of 7 in total
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The first crank movie at least had a sense of fun in its ridiculous, over-the-top-ness, but this revs the adrenalin up another few notches, but substitutes any sense of fun for an ugly nastiness - not worth watching.
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In this movie, Roland Emmerich basically re-makes The Day After Tomorrow: global catastrophe with a dodgy scientific explanation, great effects shots of major landmarks and cities being wiped out, unresolved father-child isues, earnest long distance conversations between well-meaning scientists one of whom is about to meet his end and finishing with survivors from the rich countries having to seek shelter in the poorer parts. The cast is more starry, but somehow the whole is less effecting, the destruction less beilievable. Maybe because, unlike global warming, this catastrophe is not man's fault, its less moving. However, there is some pleasure to be had from this in a silly kind of way. Woody Harreleson's turn is especially entertaining, completing a good year for him.
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Not being a huge fan of Guy Ritchie, I enjoyed this movie more than i expected to. Law and the ever-excellent Downey Jr make an entertaining double act, the setting is well done, the script lively and the action keeps moving at a good pace, but there's not enough mystery for a real Holmes story - you know who the bad guy is from the off and too many of individual elements are explained by yet another mysterious chemical reaction. That said, it still makes for a pleasant evening's viewing and has promise for the heavily hinted at sequel.
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OK - so the plot's not much. Within the first 20 mins, most cinema-goers can probably work out exactly where this story is going to go, and yet Cameron manages to keep you there for almost three hours without you noticing the time pass. Visually, especially in 3D, this is stunning and will totally immerse you into a whole other world in the way that perhaps no other film yet has. There's maybe a bit too much pseudo-spiritual nonsense and certain elements jar a wee bit, but in the finale, Cameron shows the young pretenders a thing or two about staging a big battle - one of the best since Return of the King. Not sure how it will work on DVD, but in the cinema in 3D, this movie is truly stunning.
