10s Movie Review - Dracula Untold

Director: Gary Shore
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Fantasy
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 36: A PREQUEL
 
Description: As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.

Review: “Dracula Untold” is an origin-story about the most famous vampire: Dracula. Set in fifteenth-century Transylvania, Vlad the Impaler keeps the Turkies armies at bay by adopting the superhuman powers of a primordial vampire, but naturally pays a price.

I expected the origin story of Dracula would be way bloodier. This was not even a horror film. It was just fine. I didn’t think it was terrible, but it wasn’t good either. I liked Charles Dance in it, I like him in everything to be honest. But a vampire movie with barely a drop of blood, isn’t really a successful vampire movie.

Rating: 2/ 5

10s Movie Review - Miss You Already

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Paddy Considine, Dominic Cooper

Description: The friendship between two life-long girlfriends, Milly (Toni Collette) and Jess (Drew Barrymore), is put to the test when one starts a family and the other falls ill.

Review: Few manage to elicit as many tears as a film in which someone is diagnosed with cancer and, after a long fight and emotional goodbye, suffers. Think of “Terms of Endearment”, “My Sister’s Keeper” and “The Fault on Our Stars”. In “Miss You Already”, we deal with two best friends, one of whom is told of the dreaded diagnosis early in the film.
The two inseparable friends, Milly and Jess, have been friends since elementary school. An opening montage shows us how their friendship started and what they have been up to together. After this we see Milly visiting her doctor and is told the bad news. She gets sich from the chemo, needs surgery. While Milly faces this disease and potentially leaving her husband and children behind, Jess is busy starting a family of her own and building a life with her husband. For years she was there for Milly and was part of her life, now she is finally at the point where she can build those things for herself. Jess is trying to find a balance between being there for her friend and living her own life, something that isn’t easy.
“Miss You Already” tries to show the disease process and its impact on relationships in a raw way. Thanks to Toni Collette’s good acting as Milly, it certainly succeeds. A great moment is when Milly shows her friend the scars from the mastectomy. It is fully portrayed and that is quite shocking, but at the same time real as so many women have experienced that moment. It also tries to paint an honest picture of the relationship between best friends, who have become dependent on each other. The men in their lives sometimes seem to take second place, which is well played by male supporting roles of Dominic Cooper and Paddy Considine.
Less successful is the unsympathetic side of Milly. In the opening montage, you can see that se used to lead a free life, be a good mother and a heartthrob with whom Jess had countless great nights out.  But from the moment of diagnosis and insufferable narcissist emerges, who expects her friend to constantly drop everything to be there for her. She also cheats on her husband because he has trouble dealing with her changed body (and the psychological aspects that go with it) and she is angry at everything and everyone around her. Pleasant is different and because of this you miss the connection with Milly. Not unimportant within this genre.
With many of these films you sometimes have to wipe away the tears or unexpectedly rush through a whole box of tissues, but that is not the case with “Miss You Already”. There is certainly an attempt to move the viewer, especially towards the end, but by that time you feel Milly’s death may have put an end to Jess’ life as a doormat, especially since Drew Barrymore knows how to portray the character warmly. Ultimately, this makes it really nothing more than a drama about the raw effects of getting cancer, without the much-needed heartwarming (and therefore emotional element) needed to move you.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 109: Starter For 10

Director: Tom Vaughan
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: James McAvoy, Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall, Dominic Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, James Corden, Charles Dance

Description: Set in 1985, working-class student Brian Jackson (McAvoy) navigates his first year at Bristol University.

Review: “Starter For 10” is based on a novel by David Nichols, one of my favorite authors. The film is set in the 80s, but it really looks like it was actually made in that era. Everything breaths 80s.
No special effects, no fancy camera positions, no tricks. This film’s strengths are in the nostalgic atmosphere, talented and strong actors and a well-directed script. Okay, sometimes it’s a bit cheesy and predictable. But it’s such a fun film.
I really love James Mcavoy in this coming-of-age story. As am 80s baby and hopeless romantic, “Starter For 10” is a win!

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 105: Need For Speed

Director: Scott Waugh
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Rami Malek, Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton

Description: Fresh from prison, a street racer (Aaron Paul) who was framed by a wealthy business associate (Dominic Cooper) joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins.

Review: Movies based on videogames don’t have a good reputation. When it’s a race game where the story barely even matters, the fans are skeptic. But “Need For Speed” has some tricks up its sleeve: a big budget, a talented cast and an ambitious director.
“Need For Speed” is based on the game with the same name, where the first part came out in 1994. The story is about Tobey Marshall, the owner of a garage and a talented street racer. When his garage has financial struggles, his arrogant rival Dino Brewster gets him to join an illegal street race, where the winner gets a large amount of money. The race ends up in disaster, when one of the cars makes a fatal crash. Dino gets out before he gets in trouble, but Tobey gets the blame for it. After two years of prison, he is determined to clear his name and take revenge on Dino.
Action movies like this don’t really need an intelligent plot or a surprising course of events. Beautiful cars and spectacular races and chases are enough. Director Waugh experimented with angles while filming those races: from the first person, from the sky, far away and up close. And he manages to make you feel that speed. And the stunts are real, no green screens. “Need For Speed” is visually very well done.
Aaron Paul does a good job and I really liked his chemistry with Imogen Poots. But the dialogue is so silly and clumsy sometimes. Michael Keaton is one of my favorites, but his role is a bit strange and I don’t know why he is in this film. His character seems unnecessary. And that strip scene by Rami Malek didn’t belong here either.
“Need For Speed” is filled with clichés, but this film does have something. The film never bored me, even though I have no connection with cars whatsoever. Maybe it was Aaron Paul…

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 30: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Fantasy
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, Anthony Mackie

Description: Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker), the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

Review: The title says it all, former president of the USA Abraham Lincoln is going to slay vampires. This completely insane concept is based on the bestseller written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Director Timur Bekmambetov knows how to make it into a good movie. The movie starts with a scene where a young Abe sees his mother get killed by a vampire. When he grows up he meets Henry Sturgess, who teaches him how to become a vampire hunter.
The filmmakers take the strange story very seriously and that works surprisingly well. Although it’s sometimes over-the-top, the scenes are very authentic and the film is very surprising and gives you some big scares. Especially the scene where Abe is fighting vampires on top of a train is fantastic. Eighty percent of its runtime this movie manages to burst of energy, but the visuals are always 100%.
The cast is also a strong point, because there is not one black sheep. It’s a solid line-up, without any ‘big’ names. “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” is a joy to watch and it succeeds in turning the bestselling book into a movie.

Rating: 3,5/ 5