Movie Review - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 154 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, John Rhys-Davies, Antonio Banderas, Boyd Holbrook, Olivier Richter, Thomas Kretschmann, Karen Allen
 
Description: Archeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.

Review: When it comes to film, Indiana Jones is the adventurer. Harrison Ford gives the iconic character heart and soul.

In this final Indiana Jones adventure, Indy is after an artifact that could change the course of history. He is accompanied by his goddaughter Helena. But we start the movie in the past, where Ford has been made digitally younger. Here is explained what this artifact, a dial made by Archimedes, means to his friend Basil Shaw, Helena’s father.

Even though “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is a big step up from “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, it is the first film without Steven Spielberg as a director. James Mangold takes over and does a good job, but you do miss Spielberg at times. It is entertaining and I always like going on an adventure with Dr. Jones. He is my favorite male movie character for a reason. And Ford hasn’t lost it. But this movie never reaches the level of the first three films in the franchise.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 143 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Richard Coyle, Jessica Williams, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner
 
Description: Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) assigns Newt (Eddie Redmayne) and his allies with a mission related to the rising power of Grindelwald.

Review: In 2001, J.K. Rowling released two booklets with proceeds going to charity. “Quidditch Through the Ages” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” where two fictional school books. The latter was written by an alter ego of Rowling: Newt Scamander. As the best and also only magizoologist, Scamander knew how to deal with magical creatures hidden from muggles.

Due to the immense success of the eight Harry Potter movies, film studio Warner Bros. went looking for a new way to continue the series. Rowling came up with the idea of writing a film series based around the adventures of Scamander and including the rise and fall of Voldemort’s predecessor Grindelwald. Three films eventually became five. the first one I loved, the second a little less, but it was still highly enjoyable. I was excited for part three. Maybe even especially because Mads Mikkelsen took over the role of Grindelwald from Johnny Depp. Mikkelsen eventually became the highlight of this film.

Part three, as the title suggests, revolves largely around Dumbledore, who in his younger years is played by Jude Law. The wizarding world is at a major turning point when a new leader of the International Wizarding Association must be chosen. Leader Vogel thinks he has found two excellent candidates in the Brazilian and Chinese Ministers of Magic, when Grindelwald also applies for the post. Dumbledore and Grindelwald share a troubled and emotional past but have also sworn a blood oath preventing them from harming each other.

Grindelwald however, is planning to take over the wizarding world and is working hard to win souls to do so. He has managed to get his hands on an extremely rare Qilin, an creature with special abilities. Not only can you see the future in the creatures blood, but a living Qilin is able to point out the candidate who has a pure, honest soul. Newt, along with his brother and friends, is sent by Dumbledore on a mission where a confrontation with Grindelwald will be inevitable.

The film is dark and at times even dreary due to its hidden subtext. Without mentioning it, a strong parallel is drawn between the rise of Grindelwald in the 1930s and the rise of Adolf Hitler. Nazis are not mentioned, but that Grindelwald has fascist tendencies is obvious. It is a villain who is more sibtle and sophisticated than his later successor Voldemort. With his charm and patience he seems less straightforward, but it is abundantly clear that he ruthlessly eliminates anything and anyone who stands in his way.  

The recasting of Mikkelsen proves to be a golden touch. The Dane is more subdued, more subtle and doesn’t employ the manufactured mannerisms of Depp. His interaction with Jude Law, in particular, pack an exciting punch from the start, due to the various kinds of tension that hangs between the two wizards. Eddie Redmayne, as Newt Scamander, is once again a charming presence, but his character seems increasingly relegated to the sidelines. Unlike the previous installment, the sequences in which his magical beasts are brought from the stables serve the story. It certainly makes for both comical and nail-biting scenes when a liberation attempt is made.

It is also a strong move that Rowling is increasingly working towards the wizarding world and the Hogwarts we already know from the earlier films. For example, the characters visit the school several times and we see a young Minerva McConagall. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” excels especially in complex, ambiguous characters. Ezra Miller impresses as Credence (who reminds me of a young Snape) who must choose between loyalty to Grindelwald and his family.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” makes some bold choices. And it works out. I really enjoyed this film and can’t wait for the next.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Riders of Justice

Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Crime/ Thriller/ Comedy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen Lars Brygmann, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Nicolas Bro, Gustav Lindh, Roland Møller, Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt, Anne Birgitte Lind, Omar Shargawi, Jacob Lohmann, Henrik Noël Olesen

Description: Markus (Mads Mikkelsen) goes home to his teenage daughter Mathilde (Andre Heick Gadeberg), when his wife dies in a tragic train accident. It seems like an accident until a mathematics geek (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), who was also a fellow passenger on the train, and his two colleagues show up.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 10: A MOVIE  RECOMMENDED BY A FRIEND
 
Review: A girl asks for a blue bicycle for Christmas. The we see the lock of exactly such a blue bicycle being cut loose, after which the vehicle is loaded into a white van. And then we end up again in the story of the girl Mathilde, who bicycle it was. She and het mother now have to go to the train station on foot. Due to the delay, they take a later train, which also carries the recently fired mathematician and computer programmer Otto. He gives up his seat to them and the train has a horrible accident. Mathilde’s mother is killed in the process.
Otto soon contacts Mathilde’s father, the soldier Markus, who has returned from his peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan after the death of his wife. It wasn’t an accident, says Otto, because he saw someone fleeing from the compartment just before the accident. Otto asks a group of men to find out what’s actually going on. And so begins the quest for justice. And a feud against the terrorist group Riders of Justice, which soon comes into the picture as the prime suspect. We also get to find out how explosive veteran Markus can be.
“Riders of Justice” is an absurdist tragicomedy with moments of action and suspense. It seems like this movie resembles movies like “Taken”, but you wouldn’t be giving it enough credit. But the interesting thing about this film is precisely how it contrasts with a group of socially disturbed nerds, who get in over their heads in a life-threatening situation. Director Anders Thomas Jensen managed to combine the ridiculous with the violent.
Something Jensen likes to do do is play with the expectations where stories like this go. If “Riders of Justice” might compare to anything, it’s the work of Irish filmmaker and playwright Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”): sharp dialogue, colorful characters and very quirky. It’s delivered with a sense of humor that you just have to be able to accept. But also with an unexpectedly sincere sentiment for the character we follow and an engaging basic idea that is severely tested.
Mads Mikkelsen is slowly growing to become one of my favorite actors, he never lets me down. He didn’t in “Riders of Justice” either.
“Riders of Justice” is original, something that is very rare these days. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Druk

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe, Maria Bonnevie, Helene Reingaard Neumann, Susse Wold, Magnus Sjørup, Silas Cornelius Van, Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt, Martin Greis-Rosenthal
 
Description: Four high school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.

Review: History teacher Martin and his three colleagues are fed up with their standard operating procedures  and decide to test a peculiar theory. It seems that humans are born with 0,5 promille alcohol deficiency in their bodies. The foursome therefore decide to drink constantly during the day in order to maintain this alcohol level in their blood.   
History teacher Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) and his three colleagues are fed up with their standard operating procedure and decide to test a peculiar theory. It seems that humans are born with 0.5 promille alcohol deficiency in our bodies. The foursome therefore decide to drink constantly during the day in order to permanently maintain this alcohol level in their blood.
Danish director Thomas Vinterberg and actor Mads Mikkelsen previously came together to treat us with the gripping drama “Jagten”, a movie that left me speechless and became one of my all-time favorites. When such a good duo reunites for a new project, it’s only natural that my enthusiasm for it was high.
When you read the premise of the film you immediately understand that this can make for funny situations. From the start of the experiment, the superficial benefits of alcohol are immediate shown. Talking to other people more easily, getting an extra boost of self-confidence, appearing a lot looser and feeling more comfortable with who you are. It all starts so innocently and the friends are having fun with this experiment. Fortunately, the film is not an excuse to glorify alcohol, as the downside of excessive alcohol consumption is also highlighted. This execution makes “Druk” a real comedy/ drama – very well balanced.
Needless to say, the experiment has a major impact on the social and mental states of the four teachers. When their personal lives begin to suffer, the film treats this seriously and director Vinterberg trusts his top actors to convey this credibly. Strongly played by lead actor Mads Mikkelsen in particular. He silently became one of my favorite actors.
Vinterberg manages to ground his film with a dose of humanity and creates likeable characters, who, despite sometimes not making the wisest decisions, do have their hearts in the right place. Reflected in the smaller moments.  
“Druk” proves that an excess of alcohol can be devastating for anyone, but doesn’t shy away from also making a statement that treating yourself to a drink sometimes is part of the deal. This is underlined in the fantastic final scene.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Arctic

Director: Joe Penna
Genre: Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir

Description: A man stranded in the Arctic (Mads Mikkelsen) after a plane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.

Review: This Icelandic drama isn’t rich when it comes to plot, but leans completely on the emotions and experiences of the lead character.
As the title says, the films is set in the Arctic, in the North Pole area, where we meet a man who is busy digging into snow. When the camera pans out, you see he is trying to carve S.O.S into the snow. The situation is clear immediately: the man is stranded and has been there for quite a while. He already made a map of the area and has developed a daily routine to make life bearable. The movie needs just a few simple shots to tells us about his situation. No voice-overs, no flashbacks, no history. The wreckage of the plane says it all.
The movie never shows the actual crash, which makes it unique. The film starts when the end of all the misery has already begun. The man is found by a helicopter, but all hope is lost when it crashes. The pilot dies, but one of the passengers is heavily injured. He starts to take care of her. Now it’s not just him who is surviving, he tries to make sure the young woman also survives. From that moment, the man decides to no longer stay in his ‘safe haven’ but to start walking and find help.
Like I stated before, it’s a simple premise: a man struggling to survive in the cold Arctic. A thin base for a survival film. But luckily for us there is Mads Mikkelsen. He is one of the best actors today. He is a reliable actor that doesn’t necessarily have to play a sympathetic character. Although his performance in “Arctic” is mostly physical, he gives away a perfect one-man-show. There is also a lot of focus on psychological moments and he shows a wide spectrum of emotions. He is just a resourceful and resolute as he is scared and selfish. Mikkelsen himself claims that filming “Arctic” as the hardest thing to do in his career.
“Arctic” has enough to keep your attention for an hour and a half, but it never goes too deep. It could have easily become a boring movie if it weren’t for Mikkelsen.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 8: A Royal Affair

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, David Dencik, Trine Dyrholm, Thomas W. Gabrielsson, William Jøhnk Nielsen, Cyron Bjørn Melville, Laura Bro, Zinnini Elkington, Erika Guntherová, Søren Malling, John Martinus, Bent Mejding, Rosalinde Mynster, Karin Rørbeck, Klaus Tange

Description: A young queen (Alicia Vikander), who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician (Mads Mikkelsen) - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.

Review: King Christian VII was barely 17 when he became king in the 18th century. He ruled for a long time, but he had an unstable mental health and people claimed he was schizophrenic. This is the image we seen in “A Royal Affair”, that cause a lot of discussion in home country Denmark. The biopic by director Nikolaj Arcel focusses mainly on the secret affair his wife Caroline Marhilde had with physician Johann Friedrich Struensee.
Caroline was the princess of Wales and only 15 when she became queen of Denmark. Her marriage with Christian was arranged and she had to move to Denmark. Caroline and Christian only did their royal duty, which is more to say for Caroline.
The new queen discovers that the rules, rights and censorship isn’t far from what they had in the middle ages. Caroline tries to makes something of the forced marriage, but eventually she is only there to give Denmark a heir. She even starts to hate Christian. He drinks, gets visits from prostitutes and has strange ideas.
When a new physician arrives, things change. Christian finds him very interesting and is easily influenced by his ideas. And Caroline finds him interesting for a whole different reason. Caroline and Johann start a passionate affair. From this moment the influence of Johann is clearly visible.
Mads Mikkelsen excels in his role as confident doctor. He isn’t an opportunist, but a free thinker. The Danish aren’t used to someone like him. The narration of Caroline feels sometimes a little but melodramatic, but “A Royal Affair” is a very solid royal drama.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 154: Doctor Strange

Director: Scott Derrickson
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McADams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins

Description: A former neurosurgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.

Review: We all know Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor and the X-Men. They are all famous Marvel heroes. But there are also superheroes that are a bit more mysterious and unknown. Movies like “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Deadpool” and “Ant-Man” proved to be a success by telling the tale behind the lesser known Marvel heroes. “Doctor Strange” is also one of the films, about apparently one of the oldest heroes Marvel has created. Stephen Strange is a neurosurgeon who gets into a terrible car accidents. He is not able to use his hands properly anymore, so he takes on a journey into the world of the mystic arts.
“Doctor Strange” features a lot of dark magic and parallel realities. For the movie there needed to be a lot of action to express the powers of the character. We meet a somewhat arrogant Stephen Strange, a cynical doctor that is the best in his profession. He has a big, luxury appartement and the ladies like him. But Strange is also a distant man, almost irritatingly stubborn. When Strange wakes up after a car accident, his hands are completely fractured and he knows he will never hold a scalpel. Strange does want to find a way to heal and goes to the Kathmandu. There he meets ‘The Ancient One’. She teaches him to use his mind in many different ways.
Benedict Cumberbatch is really good in his role. He adds some scepsism and sarcasm to his role. The interaction between Cumberbatch and Rachel McAdams is fun to see.
The décor of the film is fantastic, which sometimes remind you of “Inception”. The action is good as well. It can get a little busy at some points, but it looks stunning.
Doctor Strange is a tough character. He is physically not as strong as some other superheroes, so it will not speak to everyone. What he can do with his powers, needs to be explained.
“Doctor Strange” is a good Marvel film, but probably won’t make my favorites list.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 29: The Three Musketeers

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz, Juno Temple, Logan Lerman, Mads Mikkelsen, Til Schweiger

Description: The hot-headed young D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers (Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans) must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.

Review: There are some stories that have been made into films quite too many times. “The Three Musketeers” is one of them. Paul W.S. Anderson tried to give the classical tale a new life, but he didn’t manage that completely. The director does do what you would expect from him: not a very clever film with a lot of action.
It’s almost impossible to ruin the story about D’Artagnan, who looks up to the three undefeatable musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Each with their own distinctive trades. The book is filled with action, humoristic incidents, espionage, romance and intrigue. Anderson simplifies everything, while the book is a perfect script for a good adventure film. And the characters don’t get the depth they deserve, because I think they were cast very well and they all try their very best. Logan Lerman knows how to be D’Artagnan. Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans don’t even get the chance to act and portray the most important characters of the story. I think the focus is more on Milady the Winter, who is played by Milla Jovovich. And Christoph Waltz, as villain Richelieu, is seriously underused. If you can get an actor like Waltz, you should give him something to do.
The movie is a visual treat. Great special effects, beautiful settings and gorgeous costumes. The movie was filmed in 3D and I can understand that some parts of the movie look a bit better with this addition. I also liked the idea of the map.
“The Three Musketeers” is a bit of a mess, but it was very entertaining. The end scene suggests a sequel, but I don’t think that should happen.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 21: Jagten

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larson, Annika Wedderkop, Lasse Fogelstrøm

Description: Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is a teacher who lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son's custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.

Review: Thomas Vinterberg comes, with his film “Jagten”, awfully close to reality. Nothing seems wrong: Lucas is recently divorced and tries to make the best of it. That he doesn’t see his son enough bothers him, but Lucas is surrounded by a bunch of friends who support him. Life starts getting better when he finds love, but then something completely unexpected happens. Lucas, who is very loved by the kids he works with, is accused of child abuse by Klara, his best friends daughter.
His carefully rebuild life starts falling apart again. The lie that Klara told has a big impact on Lucas’ life. And it gets a little worse every day. You can off course understand the concern, but the story is starting to live its own life and a witch hunts starts. Lucas can’t even shop at his local supermarket anymore and his sweet dog isn’t safe either. Everyone believes Klara and no one seems to be interested in Lucas’ side of the story but his friend Bruun and his son Marcus.
In “Jagten” we don’t have to ask ourselves the question if Lucas is innocent or not, because we see exactly what happens. The remark of one little girl starts to lead its own life. Vinterberg puts the accent on the happenings after the accusation. This makes “Jagten” an interesting psychological study. Even when Klara tells her parents Lucas didn’t do anything, they twist her words so that Lucas is guilty. The strongest scene is set in a church, on Christmas eve, where Lucas confronts his fellow citizens.
I didn’t know what to expect from “Jagten”, but it left a great impression on me and it gets under your skin. This movie was haunting my mind after I watched it. Mikkelsen shines as the anti-hero, what a great performance. But young Annika Wedderkop impresses as well. “Jagten” has some strong themes like injustice, condemnation and paranoia. I was speechless, what a fantastic movie. The shocking climax shows us that Lucas will always have that stigma, the scars will never go away.

Rating: 5/ 5