mikoyan-51104 Reviews

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Some impressive and emotional moments cannot rescue a messy inconsistent story

[5/10 · 5 December 2020]

A great (albeit slow) start with an interesting setup. A moving ending that both closed and started new chapters. However, everything in the middle was messy, with failed intentions, eye-rolling moments and a questionable story line with one plot hole too many, to the point that it hurt the MCU and some of its characters. Although impressive at times, plot matters.

It's all the more disappointing since Infinity War, and even both Ant-man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel, connected so well, give a nice build up, I expected a smarter movie that was meant to be the height of it all.

Good Boys (2019)

Meh. Amusing, but not amazing.

[6/10 · 4 April 2020]

It's a coming of age comedy movie with - slight original twist - tweens. It's mostly good fun, but certainly not laugh out funny. However, it didn't make much sense, unlike the likes of the classic Superbad, the more recent Booksmart, or what not. Recommended for a very light evening.

Brimstone (2016)

Worth watching. Great start, failing finale.

[6/10 · 14 May 2017]

Brimstone is an atypical Western about a young women (Fanning) who is confronted by her past, told in 4 chapters. From the start the movie grabs you: There is unease, tension, mystery. And sure, it is not always for the faint of heart. However in the last chapter, the movie crumbles. It just becomes too tiresome. The antagonist (Pearce) apparently is also some kind of superman and it all just becomes too silly, to a point that it becomes hard to still care for what's going on. Reflecting back, the plot also has some issues: Knowing what we know by the end, I wondered why she was so passive in her actions at the start of the movie.

Acting overall was great though. Dakota Fanning was wonderful. Guy Pearce's Dutch-ified English was fun too hear too.

6.5/10

Into the Forest (2015)

Promising but hard to recommend due to the final acts.

[6/10 · 17 October 2016]

A near future survival story with Evan Rachel Wood (Eva) and Ellen Page (Nell)? I did look forward to seeing this. Now, I find it difficult to rate.

All you know as viewer is that it starts with a massive power outage, silence on the radio, empty shops and no more delivery of gas. The point is that modern society comes to a halt and two sisters very very slowly realize that this is not a temporary situation and learn to cope with loss and this new situation in their isolated repair-needing woodland home. Though this is not about a spectacular instant end of the world situation such as a zombie outbreak, a "post apocalyptic" movie situation eventually shows both the best and the worst of humans.

Some scenes felt underwhelming, but all in all, as the movie goes it kept me glued to the screen. There is an undertone of suspense, both actresses perform well and nothing felt notably unrealistic. That is, until the final parts. After much time has passed, and some dramatic events, there are drastic changes as the sisters take two decisions which are very... weird. It's not so much WHAT they do, but HOW they (seem) to do it, that made it very hard for me as a viewer to accept.

The ending, both in film and the Jean Hegland book it is based upon, has apparently been discussed to death. Maybe the book brings it better, but in that case, the movie failed here. To me, it was a deal breaker. (Though I briefly linked it with Grave of the Fireflies, which is good).

**Conclusion**: I liked the atmosphere and enjoyed the performances. Mid-way, the movie was heading to a solid 7, but it ended up with it a 6. Due to the final part and especially the ending, I find it very hard to recommend. Get it on sale?