neilperera20 Reviews

The Warrior (2001)

$60 million budget??

[4 January 2004]

Although the cinematography is nice I cannot honestly see where they have managed to spend 60 million on this film. Those expecting huge sets being destroyed in epic battles with thousands of extra's, will be sorely disapointed. Like most Korean films I thought the plot was a little incoherent to start with. This film is compared to Braveheart and Gladiator but lack of a strong lead character prevents Musa from competing. Although the film has good visuals (but then so does Ridley Scott's Gladiator).

Summary : Great cinematography, good realistic violence, un-even paced story, very "un-epic" battles, difficult to emote with characters...

good Cinematography and well-shot realistic violence push this beyond average....6/10

The Animatrix (2003)

A varied pick n mix of Japanese animation

[11 July 2003]

The Animatrix is quite a nice selection of shorts. I thought the first one, "The final flight of Osiris" has perhaps stolen too much of the credit. The Squaresoft people have made this look amazingly realistic but then again I think animation should be more about style and artistic impression, rather than ultra-realism.

My favourite ones were the Second Renaissance Part 1 and 2 because I felt this one on balance had the best animation/story. "Kids Story" was also very well animated and naturally the kawajiri one was very typical japanese animation, and did entertain.

There were some poor ones like the "world record" one and the very final one (can't remember the name). But overall it is a nice package and since they are like 10 minutes long, you can just watch them at any time.

7/10

The Ring (2002)

Is it better than Ringu?

[11 July 2003]

I thought this film was pretty good. Was pleasantly surprised that the film kept faithful to the original and also incorporated aspects from Ring 0 and Ring 2. I still think I prefer the japanese version, although there is not much in it. I thought Ringu had a greater sense of evil and darkness which The Ring kind of lacked.

Like Ringu...no way near as scary as people say but distinguished nontheless...7/10 then

Spirited Away (2001)

Deserved winner of Best Animated film oscar

[10/10 · 10 July 2003]

This film reminds us that great animation is not about excessive CGI and overblown special effects, but is about sheer imagination and creativity. I love how japanese animation makes serious issues about life accessible to children to understand, yet have a deeper level which adults can also appreciate through the symbolism and rich imagery. Being enthralling for children and deep for adults makes this film exceptional. Only negative would be the length which left some of the youngsters abit restless but the imagery really is wonderful and will intruige even the the most cynical audience.

In short escapism at its best....up there with the anime classics like grave of the fireflies!!

9/10

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Impressive

[23 April 2003]

Grave of the Fireflies is not JUST a cartoon, its a great film in its own right. The animation is very subtle and the behaviour of the young girl is very well implemented. The Japanese version should be the one of choice since the voice acting in some of the characters in the english version do spoil it a little. I thought Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away were a tad too long but Grave of the fireflies is the perfect length at just under 90 minutes. The score of the film also deserves a mention! in short an exceptional film!!

9/10 for its time

(8/10 by todays standards set by Spirited Away etc...)

Léon: The Professional (1994)

Touching

[9/10 · 29 January 2003]

This is a very stylish action film!! ok this film is not clever or anything but it it does what it needs to do well...which most films often fail to do!!!! the music is emotional and after watching it makes u feel empty and gives u a sudden taste for milk!! I personally thought the cut version was better as it was more succint which makes the film far better paced!! I think one of the charms of the relationship in the cut version was deciding for yourself if they were in love or what!! i liked the fact that it was more open to interpretation!!!

bottom line though......an excellent film......... 9/10

Devdas (I) (2002)

Style over Substance

[6/10 · 16 January 2003]

I must admit that the trailer to this film showed alot of promise...shame it didnt live up to the hype!!! the first 20 minutes of the film have got some some nice set-pieces. Bhansali is one of the better bollywood directors (although that isnt saying much) but he does use some nice sweeping camera angles to hypen the grandeur feeling of the film. As far as the story is concerened, its nothing new and the pace at which it unfolds is a major fault. This film could have been miles shorter. The characters are poor although madhuri dixit is the better of the leading ladies Another factor which contributed to the films length were the songs. Although Ismail Darbor has done a good job with the songs and they are well choreographed, they are far too long. self-indulgent is a good phrase to describe Devdas. Its a very polished and grand film but when you take that away you are left with somthing which is Average. Its only saving grace is its good direction.

6/10 then

Ringu (1998)

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[16 January 2003]

After reading some reviews i was expecting to wet my pants while watching the film!! however, it didnt happen!! the film is tense at times and creates this feeling of un-ease but at the climax you're thinking is this it?? 7/10 - distinguished

Ps - lots of fun can be had with dvd!! one of the extra's enables u to watch an isolated version of Sadako's video!! u can then discreetly phone the house your watching it in to scare your mates!!! very amusing....

Gladiator (2000)

Ridley scott does it again!!

[10/10 · 16 January 2003]

I'm sick of ppl saying that this film isnt historically accurate!! who cares!!! The film makers are in the story-telling business, they're not history teachers!!! and ppl only say sparticus is better cos Kubrick is dead and they are too proud to admit that a new film can beat a classic!!

The story is entertaining. The characters are believable. The computer graphics range from breath-taking to slightly out of synch. The background score is exceptional and combined with usual Ridley Scott visual style, this film is a winner!!

8/10

Humraaz (2002)

Good film that deserves to do well

[19 October 2002]

After all the tripe such as K3g and the like, along with Company Humraaz is one of the better efforts from Bollywood this year. Slick production with a Hollywood inspired script, this film is far more gripping for its 3 hours. With good acting by bollywood standards (Amisha Patel doesnt have to cry!! yippeee!!!)and well placed songs in context of the film (Bardaasht is admittently the stand out track with a fair few fillers), Humraaz is a winner. The backgroud score is exceptional and compliments the on-screen action. This film could have benefitted from a slightly bigger budget because one gets the feeling that the directors had cut alot of corners in the filming of this film, due to lack of money. However, they should be praised for trying somthing different and not palming us off with the dire Chopra/Johar love triangles. Humraaz is what the indian film industry should be striving for.

8/10

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

abit of a mish mash

[6/10 · 7 August 2002]

This film is good for escapism but nothing else. Heralded as one of the most expensive hindi films of all time, it is a shame to see alot of that money go to waste. The film looks far cheaper than its budget suggests. Then theres the story. The film is closely related to Karen johars previous film Kuch Kuch hota hai, but like this film, k3g suffers from the overuse of bollywood cliches. Two girls and a guy, which one will he fall for etc.. Due to the overuse of cliche's and cheesy songs, it s difficult to sympathise with the charcaters. They are essentially lifeless and the tiresome length of the film almost makes you want the film to end. It is a better effort from bollywood but that is not saying much. Ignore the hype, this film is average.

5/10

Hannibal (2001)

Ridley Scott's good direction

[7 August 2002]

Lets start with the positives. All those familiar with Ridley scotts work will be unsurprised that the direction of this film is excellent. The flaws in this film are however quite clear. While the silence of the lambs created the sense of tension through what you don't see, Hannibal is far more graphic. Thus, these shock tactics ruins the tension and pails in comparison to the intricate and subtle psycological thrills in the first film.

Good, but not as good as people say

6/10

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

HYPE

[1/10 · 7 August 2002]

American viewers must get scared easily because this film fails to live up to expectations. It was such a good idea, but it certainly did leave me unsatisfied at the end. Ignore the hype!!! but watch it anyway and judge for yourself...you'll probably agree with me!

In its favour, it does try to be original, however an average film deserves an average mark... 5/10 then

Independence Day (1996)

Tosh!!

[3/10 · 7 August 2002]

This film is nothing more than a special effects show. The "God Bless America" phases of the film are vomit-inducingly cheesy.

9/10 if your american

3/10 otherwise

Braveheart (1995)

great film

[9/10 · 7 August 2002]

Historical accuracy aside, this film succeeds in portraying the emotion and power to the audience. Excellent battle sequences with an engrossing plot which draws you in. You empathise with the characters. James Horner's musical score is also exceptional and manages to stir emotion. A triumph, hail William Wallace!! 8/10