00s Movie Review - The Matrix Reloaded

Director: Lana Wachowski, Lily Wachowski
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Aaliyah, Harold Perrineau Jr., Monica Bellucci, Gloria Foster, Daniel Bernhardt

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 5: SECOND MOVIE IN A TRILOGY
 
Description: Freedom fighters Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead to revolt against the Machine Army, unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation.  

Review: The sequel to the blockbuster “The Matrix” falls far short of the original. Some nice scenes are interspersed with uninteresting scenes that disrupt the rhythm of the film and undermine the story. In 1999, people worldwide were surprised by “The Matrix”, which gathered mostly rave reviews around the world and became a huge success. As a result, more films were made.
At first, the film seems to revolve around the machines’ attack on the city of Zion, with 250,000 human inhabitants who were freed from the Matrix or born on Zion. But actually, that’s not what the film is really about, since you also don’t get to see anything of the actual attack on Zion. This is one of the changes that “The Matrix: Reloaded” makes to the story and characters of the first film, which doesn’t really help the continuity and is also a disappointment to some.  
The film has some really cool scenes, like the fight scene between Neo and Agent Smith and the chase scene.
Overall, the film is not nearly as impressive and surprising as its predecessor. Even though I’m not a fan of the film, I can acknowledge its quality and see clearly that this sequel is okay, but never reaches the lever of the first film.

Rating: 3/ 5

90s Movie Review - The Matrix

Director: Lana Wachowski, Lily Wachowski
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Anthony Ray Parker, Gloria Foster, Marcus Chong, Juluan Arahanga, Matt Doran, Belinda McGlory, Paul Goddard, Robert Taylor

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 4: FIRST MOVIE IN A TRILOGY
 
Description: When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) to a forbidden underworld, he discovers the shocking truth – the life he know is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.  

Review: The mysterious Morpheus recruits hacker Neo and tries to open his mind to the truths lurking within The Matrix.
Since 1999, “The Matrix” has been seen as an influential film that has left a big impression on the American film industry in terms of action/ special effects. The well-organized action scenes offer clear homage to martial arts films, and the many effects still stand strong after many year.
Despite the fact that this film was made in 1999, the film has passed me by all these years. I had seen bits and pieces, but never saw the entire film.
The concept is engaging, makes you think and contains plenty of philosophical issues appropriate withing the science fiction genre. Carefully, the rules of the world are first explained and revealed to the viewer. This brings endless exposition, but is absolutely necessary. Because it’s all quite complex. Later we focus on the action.
I understand why “The Matrix” has so many fans and is as successful as it is. And I’m happy I finally got around to see it. It will not end up on my favorites lists, because it’s simply not really my cup of tea. Even though I believe it’s a really good movie, I will probably never rewatch it.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 201 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortenson, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monoghan, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, David Wenham, Ian Holm, John Noble

Description: Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) lead the World of Men against Sauron’s army to draw his gaze from Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

Review: People said the books were impossible to turn into film. Well, they were wrong. Director Peter Jackson managed to translate Tolkien’s work to film, in what is probably the most ambitious and bravest film project in movie history.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” starts with a prologue, where we see how Smeagol became Gollum. How the ring changed him. The Fellowship is still broken. Frodo and Sam are lead to Mordor by Gollum, while Gandalf hurries to Minas Tirith with Pippin. Merry stays behind with King Theodon and Eowyn. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli take the Path of Death, to recruit an unearthly army. We follow all those different storylines, before the final battle for Middle Earth starts.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” is a dark film, filled with war and misery. You finally understand the immense power the ring has and then there is also the threat of Sauron.
Peter Jackson made Middle Earth look as impressive as it is. It amazes me how much work and love had to be put into this project. The Orcs, the elephant like creatures, spider Shelob, it all looks scary and fantastic.
The love triangle between Aragorn, Arwen and Eowyn doesn’t manage to convince. The scenes feel forced and take away the attention from the actual events. Thankfully there are only a few scenes, so it doesn’t bother me that much.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” is a fantastic film, a great end to an amazing trilogy.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 178 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortenson, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monoghan, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies

Description: A meek Hobbit (Elijah Wood) from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

Review: “The Lord of the Rings” is an adaptation from the world wide popular fantasy book by J.R.R. Tolkien. Director Peter Jackson took on the challenge to direct this series, starting with “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”.
In a prologue we are introduced to The Ring, who Saurn was and how that ring eventually got into the hands of a Hobbit in The Shire. That’s also the place where the story starts off, in The Shire.
The reason why people like this franchise so much is of course the fantasy genre, but also the relatable characters and their emotions. The characters are three-dimensional, have depth and you feel connected with them. Look at Gandalf, a man that laughs sometimes, is grumpy at times, is hard to understand and also makes mistakes. Perfectly portrayed by Ian McKellen.
The actors and makers of the film handle the source material as if it was our actual history. That’s how Tolkien did it, that’s how they did it. And everything looks perfect, up to the smallest details. It’s all authentic.
It’s hard not to get sucked into this fantastical world that Tolkien once created and Jackson brought to life. The Orcs are really scary, the eater monster with tentacles though only in it for a brief moment gives you the chills and Balrog looks fantastic. It’s visible that Peter Jackson has a love for movie monsters.
The action is phenomenal. The film starts off quiet and peaceful, but there are a lot of nail biting battles ahead. And they are all filmed brilliantly.
The drama and the emotions really grab you. You would think that fairytale like creatures like wizards and Hobbits wouldn’t do that, but they all become unforgettable characters that you care about.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” was the start of the entire adventure and it had to convince the fans. It definitely did that!

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Babe

Director: Chris Noonan
Genre: Family/ Drama/ Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: James Cromwell, Christin Cavanaugh, Hugo Weaving, Miriam Margolyes, Danny Mann, Miriam Flynn, Russi Taylor, Evelyn Krape, Michael Edward-Stevens, Charles Bartlett, Paul Livingston, Roscoe Lee Browne, Magda Szubanski, Zoe Burton, Paul Goddard, Wade Hayward, Brittany Byrnes, Mary Acres

Description: Babe, a pig raised by sheepdogs, learns to her sheep with a little help from Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell).

Review: This is the story of a little pig, named Babe, that lives on a farm and is raised by sheepdogs. This way Babe learns how to herd sheep and Farmer Hoggett sees that this pig is special.
“Babe” is the perfect family film. Images of the young pig and the other farm animals are heartwarming and melt all our hearts. And there are many lessons learned in this film as well. Lessons about friendship, stereotypes and judgement. And each animal has its on character trade. “Babe” also has some great comical moments and the animals look great (because they use animatronics and puppets sometimes).
“Babe” deals with some ‘grown-up themes as well, but is mainly focused on a younger audience. And this way the film is an easy watch and will warm your hearts. And even though it’s a mid-90s film, it’s not outdated at all and will still entertain many youngsters today. If you can still eat meat after watching this film…

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Hacksaw Ridge

Director: Mel Gibson
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington, Rachel Griffiths, Luke Bracey

Description: World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Review: Mel Gibson didn’t really grew in popularity, due to his anti-Semitic outbursts and alcoholism. Ten years after his directorial debut, Gibson sits in the director’s chair again for this war film about a true American hero. His impressive comeback “Hacksaw Ridge” tells the story of Desmond Doss, who managed to save 75 fellow soldiers during the battle of Okinawa, by dragging them away from the fire line.
Desmond Doss didn’t want to carry a gun, due to his religion, let alone fire one. So at all times, he was unarmed. At first, the other soldiers and his superiors think he is crazy and want him gone. Because he will not protect his fellow soldiers. And Doss becomes the mark of jokes and they try to get him to leave. But Doss stays and eventually gets permission to join without a gun and become a medic.
Whenever the soldiers step foot on Hacksaw Ridge, the film becomes more brutal and unnuanced. But the images are filmed so well and it looks very realistic, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
Even though there is a lot of war violence going on, Gibson never forgets to focus on his main character. And that’s all because of Andrew Garfield, whose performance is so strong and believable. Vince Vaughn can easily make you forget about his silly comedies and is also very solid in his performance. But the best supporting role is for Hugo Weaving, who plays Desmond’s father.
The film does follow some standards, as we know them from other war movies. It has clichés and it knows when to make certain decisions at the right moment in the film. And sometimes it gets a little too sentimental.
A great comeback by director Mel Gibson and a fantastic performance by Andrew Garfield.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Battle: V for Vendetta Vs. Children of Men

The Movies I choose this time are both sci-fi films set in the future, where most countries in the world are near destroyed by natural disasters, riots and war. England has established a totalitarian regime that shields the country from outsiders. In both movies the society is portrayed as extremely racist and xenophobic and the main characters are part of an underground movement. To battle it out, here is “V for Vendetta” Vs. “Children of Men”.

 

CAST

V for Vendetta: Hugo Weaving plays lead character V, a freedom fighter wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. His performance, even without ever seeing his real face, is breath-taking and phenomenal. Natalie Portman also does a great job, especially the rooftop scene.

Children of Men: Clive Owen, who a lot of people say can’t act, does a fantastic job. He plays main character Theo Faron. Julianne Moore and Michael Caine also have solid roles, but they don’t have very big roles.

STORY

V for Vendetta: Great Britain is now a fascist state. A man named V uses terrorist tactics to oppress society. He rescues the young Eve from the secret police, and she becomes his ally. It’s based on a graphic novel, that I have read. It’s very close to its source. The story is great, the character of V even more.

Children of Men: Dystopian London, surrounded by violence and warring nationalistic sects. People are no longer aloud to have children. The youngest citizen, just 18 years of age, has just died. Then a young pregnant woman is discovered and the desperate journey to deliver her to safety starts. Great idea for a story.

EFFECTS

V for Vendetta: There are some amazing fight scenes in it. Especially the one in the dark tunnel (I believe it’s a tunnel). The while movie has a dark, greyish tone.

Children of Men: This also has a certain tone, more the grey, bluish tones. They makers made London look like a worn down plays, filled with violence and war.

WINNER

Although both movies are amazing, with great acting and fantastic stories, I will have to go with “V for Vendetta”. That’s a movie I’m more willingly to re-watch.

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 41: Cloud Atlas

Director: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 164 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, James D’Arcy, Ben Wishaw, Susan Sarandon, Doona Bae, Keith David

Description: An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

Review: I finished the book by David Mitchell in 2011 and I remember thinking this would be impossible to make into a film. The book has six separate stories, all in different eras and told in its own unique way. Directors Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachoswki decided to give it a go.
The stories in “Clous Atlas” shift in time, where some elements from one story return in the other. The makers took a huge risk to change one important element . The book has five unfinished stories and the sixth is told completely. Then the other five stories are completed. De movie shifts between those stories in pretty much every scene. It’s a miracle that this doesn’t bother you, because you’re literally going from one point to another very abruptly.
Another risk is the cast. The most important actors play five or six different roles. Ýou can easily trust actors like Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving with that task, because they did a great job. The décor and make-up is just sublime.
“Cloud Atlas” could have been a masterpiece, but I stand with my first thought: It’s really hard to turn this magnificent book into a film. It didn’t capture the power of the novel. But that doesn’t take away that you can’t miss “Cloud Atlas”.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Tip # 49: Captain America: The First Avenger

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones

Description: It is 1942, America has entered World War II, and sickly but determined Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is frustrated at being rejected yet again for military service. Everything changes when Dr. Erksine (Stanley Tucci) recruits him for the secret Project Rebirth. Proving his extraordinary courage, wits and conscience, Rogers undergoes the experiment and his weak body is suddenly enhanced into the maximum human potential. When Dr. Erksine is then immediately assassinated by an agent of Nazi Germany's head of its secret HYDRA research department, Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), Rogers is left as a unique man who is initially misused as a propaganda mascot. However, when his comrades need him, Rogers goes on a successful adventure that truly makes him Captain America and his war against Schmidt begins.

Review: Let's just say that I'm not a big fan of superhero movies, with off course some exceptions. But I have to say that this is my favorite superhero movie. "Captain America: The First Avenger" is in many ways an old-fashioned movie, and I don't mean corny. It's old-fashioned entertainment, old-fashioned as in: why don't they make more movies like this? Most cinematic superheroes of today inhabit a universe where the heroes are full of shortcomings, including a large dose of cynicism. Steve Rogers has an innate goodness and he does anything in order to save humanity. Rogers is a very likeable man and Chris Evans does a fantastic job portraying him. I love Chris Evans. Great visual effects, which made Evans a very tiny and skinny man in the beginning. Because of the Vita-Rays, they made him the supersoldier he eventually became. The casting is by the way perfect, for every character. Hugo Weaving is a very convincing villain and is probably the strongest character in the film. I was impressed by Hayley Atwell, who played Rogers' love interest Peggy Carter. Evans has some very amusing scenes and lots of chemistry with Atwell. Strong supporting roles are there for Tucci as the moral anchor of the film and Tommy Lee Jones gets the most laughs as the no-nonsense Colonel Philips. I was really glad to be talked into seeing this movie, because it was very good and I enjoyed every bit of it. Now I have a new favorite superhero: Captain America rules!

Movie Tip #38 - The Wolfman

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving

Description: Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), a haunted nobleman, is lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate.

Review: I saw it yesterday and I am very enthousiastic about it. It's a remake of a movie from the 1940's and it has the atmosphere of a classical horror movie. Grim, dark, sober and very scary. The only difference with a classiscal horror movie is that this film actually has good acting in it. Benicio Del Toro has always been one of my favorites and he proves again why he is. Emily Blunt is a charming actress, she plays her role just right and her acting is perfect. She made a great duo with Del Toro. I don't have to convince you about Anthony Hopkins' acting, because just like Denzel Washington he's one of those actors that hardly ever stars in a 'bad' movie. The only down side was the running time of the film. It was only 102 minutes long, they could have stretched that a little bit. That's just a minor point, so don't let that stop you. "The Wolfman" was definitely worth the money and I could recommend it to every horror fan.

Movie Tip #22 - V for Vendetta

Director: James McTeigue

Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Stephen Fry, James Purefoy

Description: In the not too distant future, Britain is filled with torture cells, unfair punishments, prejudice against minorities. However in the mist of all this chaos, one man known only by the name V (Hugo Weaving) dares to stand up to the government and is labeled as a terrorist. One night V rescues a mild young woman called Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) and an unlikely bond between the two emerges which results with Evey becoming Vs ally. But though V may be charismatic and have a passion for justice he also is bitter and has his own personal hatred of the government for something they did to him long ago. As November the 5th, the day V says he and those who will follow him will stand up to the government once and for all approaches, Detective Finch (Stephen Rea) becomes more and more determined to uncover the truth about V, however his search leads him to ask to question whether or not he is on the right side.

Review: I have the say that this is far out one of the best new movies I have seen over the past five years. It's a bloody masterpiece!!! The character V is very interesting and his quotes are just genious. Hugo Weaving, allthough we never see his face, did a brilliant job portaying him. He created a character you will never forget. I love this man! Natalie Portman is also wonderfull in this film. Especially the scenes where she's in prison. Very intens an believable. The chemistry between those two is absolutely amazing. I've read reviews of people who think it's a bad adaptation of the novel, but these movies are not made for the ones who love the book. They are made for the ones who love movies! So, I highly recommened you this movie, and anyone who tells you otherwise.... don't listen. It's just brilliant!!!