aggelos-76652 Reviews

Jarhead (2005)

Great movie that is not enjoyable, but isn't trying to be!

[8/10 · 10 May 2023]

This one is a realistic depiction of the Persian gulf war, or rather live lifes of a Marine corps squad during the war.

This is a 2 hour film that feels triple that thanks to it's very slow pacing. This was done intentionally because this movie wants you to feel the boredom, the restlessness and the lack of meaning and purpose the soldiers felt. And at that is really succeeds (yey?). I mean we see the training, the men,the weapons, the destruction...etc and we the viewers as well as the soldiers can't wait to see the war play out so all that time and effort doesn't go to waste. But that moment never comes, everything was for nothing and did nothing except deteriorate the mental health of the soldiers... This is obviously an anti war film and does not want to glorify war but still does that mean we must get a well made boring movie? Maybe yes maybe no but personally when I see a movie labeled as anti war I am almost sure that I will be watching something with a runtime that feel like a week and nothing of substance happening that moves the plot forward and maybe sometimes horrific war imagery... Is that a good thing? It can't be right?

I'm any case I rate this high because it succeeds at doing what is set out to do.

1984 (1984)

A well made tip of the hat to those who read the book

[7/10 · 3 May 2023]

This is a very well made movie the acting and atmosphere especially. This film is also very loyal to the book. The thing is it felt like you have had to read the book in order to get much needed context. The book put much much effort in world building as well as Winston's thoughts. In large both are missing here (partially limited by a movies run time I suppose), so many of the scenes greatly lose impact or straight up leave many questions to the viewer who hasn't read the book.

Also, to me at least the missing information made the story feel like it is moving in fast forward. So the pacing felt a bit weird to me.

Personally I enjoyed the film because it put the world and story outside my head. Making me visually look at this twisted world and also experience it from a perspective that's not mine. Which was really interesting.

For these reasons I would recommend all people who read the book watch this movie but definitely not to people who haven't read the book.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Photography compilation not a movie.

[2/10 · 16 January 2023]

It has no plot at all. 90% of the time nothing happens and it has really amazing production. Um... that's it really nothing more nothing less. I didn't not enjoy this movie at all, I got extremely bored because apart from 3ish battle scenes to grab your attention there is nothing there. And I mean nothing! The plot is non existent, the dialogues could be removed and the movie would not change at all and the characters aren't even characters. I mean after spending 2 and a half hours watching this movie I can not describe even one character because there is literally nothing to describe nothing to tell. I do like long non-action packed movies a lot. But other than the first sentence of this review the movie does not have something else to offer. Also I get that this is an "anti-war" movie and now days that just means the movie has to be graphic and boring for some reason. Maybe because real war is that way?!

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

A long beautiful shallow ocean!

[3/10 · 20 December 2022]

Extremely light spoilers!

Being a huge fan of the first movie and of James Cameron I went to see the new Avatar at a movie theater in 3D!

As expected, visually this is a masterpiece period. It is one of the most visually impressive movies ever made.... In 2D.... In 3D there is an extensive depth of field effect so if you dare to look anywhere else than where you are supposed to be looking (what is in focus) you see a blurry mess which really throws you off and makes you unable to fully take a scene in. (Which in this movie is a sin!). Also the frame rate seems inconsistent. I say seems because I am not sure if it actually is or it is a visual illusion that makes it seem like there are less frames. In any case, some scenes look really smooth and others very choppy.

When it comes to the script the movie is really really bad. And by that I mean, it is like a 15 year old wrote it kind of bad. The story simply does not make sense and takes all the water in from the oceans of Pandora with all the (huge) plot wholes is has. The writers (and yes, it was not Cameron alone that wrote the script) didn't even bother to think answers to extremely basic and important questions.

Why do humans hunt Jake since he doesn't want to fight?

Why did Jake just abandon his tribe?

The humans wanted to kill his tribe they if he was not there?

Why call the helicopter to help Grace's daughter (which didn't do anything anyways)? That is literally why they found them!!!

Why did not Jake left imminently when he was discovered at the water tribe?

Why do the Navi teenagers speak like they are from a big city in the US?

And I can go on for ever....

Apart from that Avatar 2 the way of plot wholes seems not to understand what made the original great and feels like it was made from different people and for a younger audience. Gone is the serious gritty tone of the first film. And is instead replaced with a more light hearted 2020 teen movie tone which I really really really hate.

The characters are gone and it's as if they were replaced by bad copies of them selves (hm that would actually make a more interesting story than the one we got). You look at Jake and you think to your self that is not the Jake I know. And that is the case with all characters.

All in All, I think the problem is that you can not take this movie seriously. Seriously! On the one hand it has astonishing visuals and action and on the other almost everything else has been given very little thought. Leading into a movie with little to no substance. No vision (other than the visual aspect) and sadly not reason to exist!

Would I recommend seeing Avatar the way to make brilliant tech demo ?

Yes and no!

Yes, if you do not expect to be satisfied with the story or characters. But want to experience the brilliant visuals and world.

No, if you can not wait to see where the story will take you next and what awaits the the characters.

Oh and watch it in 2D!