Lord of the Flies (1963)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Director

Peter Brook

Country

UK

Cast

James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Hugh Edwards, Roger Elwin, Tom Gaman, David Surtees, Nicholas Hammond, Roger Allan

Storyline

Survivors of a plane crash, a group of British young boys are marooned on an island. Left to fend for themselves, they must take on the responsibilities of adults, even if they are not ready to do so.

Opinion

Having read the Classic novel by William Golding, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the film that many people have flattered.

Dull in some parts, Lord of the Flies follows the book pretty well but lacks enthusiasm, and a deep psychological study.

With adaptations of novels often happens that some of detail from the story are removed in the film. This is no exception, and if you're read the book, you may be disappointing to see that some of the parts you found interesting are not included. However, this is not the film's problem. In fact, the film tells the original story in a pretty good way, but the problem is that it simply tells the story.

Director Peter Brook did not manage to convey that sense of restlessness that accompanies the reader through the novel.  The terrible, disturbing presence of the Lord of the Flies, reincarnation of evil and death, is practically absent. There is no presence of that imaginary yet very real monster that creeps in the minds of the hunters, symbolized by the rotting pig's head.

Among the parts left out in the adaptation there is one that should have been in the film: the conch shell smashed into a million pieces when Piggy was killed. This is one of the most important parts of the story, as it symbolizes the ending of civilization. But apparently it was not that important to the screenwriter. 

The cinematography isn't great, the acting is mediocre and the casting is mostly wrong.

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | Western

Director

Kevin Costner

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, Jimmy Herman, Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, Michael Spears, Jason R. Lone Hill, Charles Rocket Robert Pastorelli, Larry Joshua, Tony Pierce, Kirk Baltz, Tom Everett, Maury Chaykin, Wes Studi, Wayne Grace, Michael Horton

Storyline

Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Native Americans, making him an intolerable aberration in the military.

Opinion

Some people said there's no reason for the film's three-hour length. I agree on that, because the film's length was supposed to be almost four hours, but then the studio made Costner cut some parts.

Dance with Wolves is a marvelous, adventurous, romantic, peaceful, and violent western, full of love and hate, misunderstanding and guidance.

Never before has a story about Native Americans been told with such emotion, and although such contacts hardly ever took place, because of the racist dominant culture, this 'what if' story is simply spectacular. The magnificent storytelling drew me in, and made me one with it's leading character, as the Native Americans were with nature. 

Kevin Costner's directorial debut is flawless. I'm amazed at how smooth the film is, whether is an action, romance, or quiet scene.

The cinematography is breathtaking. The scenery is absolutely stunning. The musical score also is spectacular.

The acting is great. Kevin Costner plays the role of John Dunbar to perfection, delivering his best performance ever. The supporting cast is excellent: Graham Greene delivers an outstanding performance as Kicking Bird, Mary McDonnell delivers an emotionally deep performance as Stands With A Fist, and Rodney A. Grant is wonderful as Wind In His Hair.

Not too many films leave you feeling enriched, but this one does. And if you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend you the Director's Cut version, it might be longer, but it's flawless, and you'll never want this 'journey' to be over.

Quotes

John Dunbar: Many times I'd felt alone, but until this afternoon I'd never felt completely lonely. 

John Dunbar: My name is Dances with Wolves. I have nothing to say to you. You are not worth talking to.

Wind In His Hair: Dance with Wolves! I am Wind In His Hair. Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Tim Story

Country

USA | Germany | UK

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Doug Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Beau Garrett, Vanessa Minnillo, Andre Braugher, Stan Lee, Brian Posehn, Debbie Timuss, Moneca Delain, Kevin McNulty, Crystal Lowe

Storyline

As the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones, voiced by Laurence Fishburne) races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue (Jessica Alba), Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis) must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon), before all hope is lost.

Opinion

I did have really low expectations for this one, and it didn't disappoint me. While a little improvement on its predecessor, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer still is mediocre, dull, and a shame to the fantastic comic books.

As if letting Mark Frost write the script for the first film was a good idea, they called him back, and along with director Tim Story and screenwriter Don Payne, he did a bad job.
Although I like films to be faithful to the comic books, I tolerate some little differences or omissions. Unfortunately, in here, it is a huge problem. There is no backstory of Galactus - he is not even a character - and his servant, the Silver Surfer, has the power to destroy him. How ridiculous is that? Also, the Silver Surfer goes around resurrecting people. There is no explanation to the power swapping, the Torch can just swap powers with the others by touching them, and how the Torch manages to absorb everyone's powers, leaving them powerless, is a mystery.
And the villain for god's sake! Couldn't they come up with some other bad guy? Why did they have to bring Julian McMahon's awful Dr. Doom back?

Nothing exciting happens aside from the chase scene involving the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer. The visual effects suck. Mr. Fantastic looks fake most of the time.

The acting is bad as the rest. Ioan Gruffudd looks like some guy from a soap opera, and his accent still is bad. Jessica Alba is painful to watch. She is nothing more than a pretty face. And the chemistry between the two of them is inexistent. Chris Evans steals the show as Johnny Storm having the fortune to play the only character that evolves during the film. Michael Chiklis did a better job the first time. Julian McMahon is ok. Doug Jones and Laurence Fishburne do a good job as Silver Surfer's body and voice.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Igor Jijikine, Joel Stoffer, Neil Flynn, Alan Dale, Andrew Divoff, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, Dimitri Diatchenko, Ernie Reyes Jr.

Storyline

After being forced to leave Marshall College under dubious circumstances, Indy (Harrison Ford) joins forces with rebellious, young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who believes he knows the whereabouts of one of the most spectacular archeological finds in history, the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear. 

Opinion

19 years after "The Last Crusade", Steven Spielberg and George Lucas come back with a new film of the franchise, starring an old Indy, still more pleasant than a 007 Agent sipping Martinis for the whole time.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a solid adventure film, entertaining, and with some fun, that still delivers the thrills, and does not damage the reputation of the Saga.

Written by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson, the story is pretty good, but there's a problem with the characters. First of all, Oxley, Indy's friend. He looks like he's on acid, but then he heals, unfortunately it happens only at the end of the film. 

Now the villains. Cate Blanchett's Irina Spalko is not that intimidating, and the Russians are out of place. I'd rather have the Nazis back.

The action is good, and the jungle chase is ok. Only there are way too many, and implausible stunts - not a Bruce Lee's film, right? -, there's an overuse of CGI, and a pointless nuclear explosion scene.

The acting is ok. Harrison Ford still is the same, and old charismatic Indiana Jones. Shia LaBeouf is quite good to be honest, and not much annoying. Karen Allen is back as Marion, but she smiles and laughs for most of the time. John Hurt does what he can with his annoying character. Cate Blanchett is definitely wasted to play the "villain".

Quotes

Mutt Williams: You know, for an old man you ain't bad in a fight.

Indiana Jones: Thanks.

Mutt Williams: What are you, like, 80?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Marton Csokas, Chris Cooper, B.K. Novak, Denis Leary, Michael Massee, Aidy Bryant, Stan Lee

Storyline

As Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finally managed to balance life as both Spider-Man and Peter, a new villain treats the city: socially awkward Oscorp worker Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), who is obsessed with Spider-Man, ends up becoming the hero's new foe.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If J.K. Simmons was still playing J. Jonah Jameson he'd say, "Damnit! This thing is dragging on and on!".

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is just not that amazing, and focuses more on the emotional element, developing the relationship with Gwen - it almost feels like watching Twilight -, and leaving thrills and action behind.

However, the main problem of the film is the same that occurred with Spider-Man 3: the writing. There are way too many awful things going on, and two and a half hours - which feels like eternity - are just not enough to stand the whole thing.
Let's start with Electro. He is not the same guy from the comic books. This Max Dillon is naive, shy, has low self-esteem, is ignored by everybody, and people barely remember his name, in other words, he is a loser. And he works for Oscorp. Turning into Electro after falling into a tub of electric eels, he heads to Time Square, where he sees his face all over the screens, and he suddenly become a badass because the whole city is watching him. He doesn't really have any motivation to do what he does. Not to mention his costume, that looks like it has been stolen from the Fantastic Four's trash.
Harry Osborn and Rhino are two wasted, cheesy characters. Also, the 3-minute grainy video in which Peter's dad basically tells us "Oscorp is evil" is pointless, because at that point you are already aware of that, and if you don't, well, you probably think Spider-Man is the villain.

While flying sequences are great, the fights are not epic, totally forgettable, and some of them even boring - the one with the Russian for instance -, and the fight between Spider-Man and Electro is just bad. It's not all of course. Why did Electro and Harry Osborn/Goblin attack Spider-Man separately? Why didn't the police show up near the power plant? Why didn't Gwen bleed when she hit the floor? Why did Harry kill Gwen? Wasn't Norman supposed to? And more important, is Harry normal or still "infected"?

At least the acting is still good. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are good as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, and their chemistry is amazing. Though his character development is bad, Dane DeHaan delivers a good performance as Harry Osborn, and same does Jamie Foxx as Electro.

Quotes

Gwen Stacy: It's easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too. There will be days where you feel all alone, and that's when hope is needed most. No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer. My wish for you is to become hope; people need that. And even if we fail, what better way is there to live? As we look around here today, at all of the people who helped make us who we are, I know it feels like we're saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other into everything that we do next, to remind us of who we are, and of who we're meant to be.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, Michael Byrne, Kevork Malikyan, River Phoenix, Alex Hyde-White, Robert Eddison, Vernon Dobtcheff, Alexei Sayle, Michael Sheard

Storyline

When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, an art collector (Julian Glover) approaches Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) with a proposition to continue his father's search. Once accepted, Jones must find his father and stop the Nazis.

Opinion

Definitely the best Indiana Jones film yet, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is more comedic, emotional, and spiritual than its predecessors, still plenty of superb action and thrills.

The great story, written by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes, begins with an introduction to a younger Indy, that finally gives the audience something about his background, such as the roots of his taste for adventure, the determination to put artifacts into museums, his fear of snakes, and, less important, how he got the chin scar. Back in 1938, the story is related to God in a beautiful way, without disrespecting religion - thing that happened in The Temple of Doom. 

The introduction of Indy's eccentric father, played by Sean Connery - couldn't really get any better than that -, is one of the highlights of the film. Most of the fun is delivered by him, and along with Ford, he also provides a great father-son dynamic.

Having most of the action of the film, Harrison Ford is amazing and charismatic as Indy. New entry Sean Connery does a wonderful job in portraying Indy's father, making a perfect duo with Ford. John Rhys-Davies is back as Sallah, and he is wonderful as ever, so is Denholm Elliott, returned as Marcus Brody. Alison Doody does a good job with her interesting character. Julian Glover is probably the best of Indy's villains so far. 

Quotes

Fedora: You lost today, kid. But that doesn't mean you have to like it.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Leif Gantvoort, Hannah Marks, Kelsey Chow, C. Thomas Howell, Stan Lee, Michael Massee, Michael Papajohn, Max Charles, Jake Keiffer

Storyline

Like most teenagers, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance, leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opinion

The Sam Raimi's trilogy, though the awful ending chapter, will always stand out among the superhero films, and definitely did not need to be rebooted. Still Marc Webb succeeded in making a quite amazing interpretation of Spider-Man's origins - and a more loyal film towards the comic books.

The Amazing Spider-Man is surprisingly engaging, plenty of action, thrill, and genuine emotions, with a more effective drama than ever.

Marc Webb faithfully manages to bring to the screen Peter Parker's humanity, creating a more credible superhero, that must defeat a villain, and on the other hand take care of his worried aunt.
In this new film, Parker isn't accidentally bitten by the spider but he is kinda looking forward to, and there's a new way his powers work. He now needs a device to shoot a web perfectly, and still causing lot of damage, he looks more credible. Some parts - like when Peter is working on his costume - are way too rushed though. The villain is good, but Connors becoming evil because he became Lizard is a little forced.

Andrew Garfield is indeed the best choice to play Peter Parker, giving him that humour - and better look - Maguire's didn't have. Emma Stone is amazing as Gwen Stacy, way better than Dunst, and her character as well is better than MJ, being more than just a love interest. The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is amazing.

Quotes

Ben Parker: Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I'm sorry about that. I think I know what you're feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you've been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road... they make us who we are. And if anyone's destined for greatness, it's you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You're my hero... and I love you!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, Roy Chiao, David Yip, Raj Singh, D. R. Nanayakkara, Pat Roach

Storyline

After arriving in India, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees, and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.

Opinion

As a prequel, it should have some coherence with the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I'm not quite sure that happened. I understand the absence of Willie, as is common practise to change the hero's woman in each film, but what happened to Short Round? Wasn't he Indiana's sidekick in this one? Is he dead in 1936?

Having said that, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a great, entertaining, too dark for some, adventure film, filled with thrilling scenes, nonstop action, and some fun.

Written by George Lucas, the story is good, but it also provides a negative portrayal of India and Hinduism. At least, this time, Indy has a point in the film as he manages to fulfill his mission. The character of Willie, though a little annoying, was hilarious, and you have to love Short Round.

Harrison Ford is amazing and charismatic as Jones, and gives a better performance than earlier since the character requires more humanity. Kate Capshaw struggles to get close to Allen's Marion. Jonathan Ke Quan is good as Short Round and adds something to the story. The villain, though not very interesting, is well-played by Amrish Puri.

Quotes

Short Round: I keep telling you, you listen to me more, you live longer!

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Sam Raimi

Country

USA

Cast

Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell, Theresa Russell, Dylan Baker, Bill Nunn, Elizabeth Banks, Ted Raimi, Perla Haney-Jardine, Willem Dafoe, Cliff Robertson, Elya Baskin, Mageina Tovah, Michael Papajohn, Joe Manganiello, Stan Lee

Storyline

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has finally managed to balance life as both Spider-Man and as Mary-Jane's (Kirsten Dunst) boyfriend. But when a strange black entity from another world bonds with him and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, and revenge.

Opinion

Your friendly neighborhood web-slinger is back, only this time he is shineless. As happened - and will keep on happening - with other trilogies, Spider-Man 3 is a disappointing closing chapter. It is way too ambitious and doesn't accomplish anything.

First of all, the writing: there are way too many characters and even if the film was four hours long, there wouldn't be enough time for all of them. There is definitely too much going on for one sitting.

The New Goblin's aka Harry Osborn conflict with Spider-Man might be interesting, but it's just thrown into the story, and Harry's continuous attitude changes are pretty annoying. He seeks revenge for his father's 'murder' by Spider-Man, then he is Peter's best friend, then again he wants to kill him, and at the end they are friends again. 

The same problem occurs with Sandman. Firstly he is made to look like a good guy, then bad, and then good again. And at the end, we don't even know what to think about him. Should we fear him, or feel sorry for him?

Let's move to Venom. He is one of Spider-Man's main enemies and my favourite villain. Also everybody loves him, and that's how he got a part in the film. Unfortunately, he has just a tiny amount of screen time, and that incredibly let me down.

Lastly, Gwen Stacy. She doesn't contribute much in the film, she only serves as a mean to separate MJ and Peter.

The musical score isn't that brilliant. Some parts are ok, but some parts are so bad to ruin the scene. Also, there is too much dancing and singing going on. 

Luckily, there are still some good aspects. The action sequences are brilliantly done and visually beautiful. The CGI is fantastically used, particularly in the creation of Sandman and Venom.

The acting is quite shocking. Despite the extraordinary and hilarious performance by J.K. Simmons, which steals every scene he is in, and the quite good portrayal of Sandman by Thomas Haden Church, the rest of the cast isn't good at all. 

Tobey Maguire is very disappointing. He should have worked better on the black Spider-Man, because he wasn't very good at being bad. And he did look like the retarded version of John Travolta while dancing. 

I didn't think it was possible, but James Franco's performance is even worse that in the previous films. Kirsten Dunst is apparently very good at screaming, and very bad at singing. Topher Grace was just not the right person to portrait Venom.

Quotes

Peter Parker: Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. My friend Harry taught me that. He chose to be the best of himself. It's the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what's right.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Harrison Ford, Paul Freeman, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey, Denholm Elliott, Wolf Kahler, George Harris, Anthony Higgins, Vic Tablian, Don Fellows, William Hootkins

Storyline

Archaeologist Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. (Harrison Ford) is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

Opinion

I bet most people who gave this film a 10 out of 10 didn't consider the film itself, but the fact they loved it as a child. Personally, I really thought that a collaboration between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg would produce something better than this.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is a quite entertaining action/adventure film, with some fun and thrill, but it surely is not the best of all time.

Written by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the story is fairly good, but unfortunately Indiana Jones, the main character, doesn't add anything to the story, and indeed take him out of the story and nothing changes - the Nazis still find the Ark, open it, and die. Furthermore, there Nazis weren't in Egypt in 1936, and how Jones survived the ride on the submarine is a mystery.

At least, there is not an overuse of special effects, which are actually good for the time, although they look fake nowadays - lightnings in particular. And the musical score fits the film.

Harrison Ford is charismatic as Indy - although Han Solo is a more likeable character in my opinion - but he should have worked on his acting better. Paul Freeman is decent as Belloq.

Quotes

Belloq: All your life has been spent in pursuit of archaeological relics. Inside the Ark are treasures beyond your wildest aspirations. You want to see it opened as well as I. Indiana, we are simply passing through history. This, this *is* history.

Hit the Road: India (2013)

Genre

Adventure | Documentary

Directors

Gor Baghdasaryan | Mushegh Baghdasaryan

Country

Armenia | India

Cast

Richard Gazarian, Keith King

Storyline

Hit The Road: India is a travel adventure documentary about two friends participating in a 12-day rickshaw rally across India, from Mumbai to Chennai, recognized by Lonely Planet as one of the top-10 greatest adventures of 2012.

Opinion

Hit the Road: India is an incredible and witty journey to discover India, that feels more like a mixture of an adventure film and a reality show - in a good way -, than a documentary, due to lack of interviews, and narration.

Although aim of the race - and of the documentary - is getting from point A to point B, the film focuses less on the race itself, but more on the incredible experience the two friends have during their trip. Despite the several misfortunes - Rickshaw problems, monsoons, police, bad roads, never ending traffic - they don't give up. Although the insane trip confirm the decision to take part in the event might have been foolish - and that they probably will think twice before doing something like this in the future -, it also confirm it surely was a great experience and worth doing it.

The scenery is outstanding and breathtaking, and the photography is great. The music is spot on.

I highly recommend this documentary to anyone looking not to watch, or to learn, but to experience something a little different.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Sam Raimi

Country

USA

Cast

Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, J.K.Simmons, Donna Murphy, Daniel Gillies, Dylan Baker, Willem Dafoe, Mageina Tovah, Stan Lee, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Deschanel, Daniel Dae Kim, Vanessa Ferlito, Gregg Edelman, John Landis, Phil LaMarr

Plot

It's been two years since Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) transformed into Spider-Man, and he is still struggling to balance life perfectly. As if his personal problems weren't enough, a new enemy is in town: Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina).

Opinion

Spider-Man 2 is at the same time emotionally deeper, funnier, darker, and more exciting than its predecessor.

The film is one of the best superhero films ever made: the web sequences are bright, fast, and spectacular; the script is interesting and involving; the score by Danny Elfman is exceptional; and the supervillain Doc Ock is spectacular - a good man gone bad, and then gone good to save humanity - and way better than The Green Goblin.

The acting in great. Tobey Maguire does a great job with Peter Parker, and makes the audience cheer for him. Alfred Molina is fantastic as Doc Ock, and turns out to be a better villain that Willem Dafoe was. Kirsten Dunst is really nothing more than a pretty face. James Franco is good but a bit one-dimensional - I hope to see more from him in the next film. J.K. Simmons is wonderful as always, and he still steals every scene he is in.

Quotes

Peter Parker: You once spoke to me about intelligence... you said it was a gift to be used for the greater good...
Doc Ock: A privilege...
Peter Parker: These things have turned you into something else... don't listen to them...
Doc Ock: It was my dream...
Peter Parker: Sometimes... to do what's right... we must be steady... and give up the things we desire the most... even our dreams.

Spider-Man (2002)

Genre

Action | Adventure

Director

Sam Raimi

Country

USA

Cast

Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Joe Manganiello, Bill Nunn, Michael Papajohn, Elizabeth Banks, Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Stan Lee

Plot

When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a shy, nerdy high school teen, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), gains spider-like abilities. After a tragic event occurs in his family, he realizes that his newly found powers should be used only for good.

Opinion

In early 2000's, they made this Spider-Man trilogy, but I wasn't exactly a fan of him growing up, so I missed them all. 13 years after its release, I decided to give it a try. 

Spider-Man is a fantastic, fun comic adaptation that keep the action high, but also emphasizes the human element. 

The first half has the right balance of action and humour - mostly in Parker's discovery of his powers and how to use them -, and it also shows the character development of Spiderman. Unfortunately, the second half is not strong as I hoped. The Green Goblin isn't much of an interesting character, and the attention is hold more on the disappointed father figure than the villain's.

The acting is great. Tobey Maguire is very believable as nerdy Peter Parker. Willem Dafoe is wonderfully scary, but the ugly Green Goblin's costume limits its greatness a bit. Kirsten Dunst is fine as Mary Jane. James Franco perfectly portrays the no-matter-what-I-achieve-my-father-will-never-be-proud-of-me guy. J.K. Simmons is hilarious as J. Jonah Jameson, and steals every scene he is in. 

Quotes

Peter Parker: Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale... if somebody told you I was just your average ordinary guy, not a care in the world... somebody lied.

Into the Woods (2014)

Genre

Adventure | Fantasy | Musical

Director

Rob Marshall

Country

United States | United Kingdom | Canada

Cast

Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Johnny Depp, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, MacKenzie Mauzy, Billy Magnussen, Tammy Blanchard, Lucy Punch, Frances de la Tour, Richard Glover, Joanna Riding, Annette Crosbie, Simon Russell Beale

Plot

The film follows the tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)-all tied together by an original story involving a baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.

Opinion

After many - and endless - months of waiting, the film has finally been released in Italy. It wasn't as good as I was hoping, but not even as bad as many people said it was. Into the Woods is a humorous musical, a good twist on several of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, with a delightful first half, and a gloomy ending, but not a kids film.

Having not seen the stage version, I've searched the Internet to be more familiar with it, and it turned out that many changes were made in Act II. Disney has actually cut everything important and meaningful for the show, such as the death of Rapunzel, making the character completely pointless now. Furthermore, in Act II, the narrator is almost gone.

On the other hand, the costumes, Meryl Streep's makeup and the sets are great, and the singing is good - great in some cases.

Among all the performances, which are pretty good, Meryl Streep's stands out. She is wonderful as usual, and several times she induces laughs from the audience.

Quotes

Witch: You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice. I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right. I'm the witch. You're the world.

Cinderella's Prince: I was raised to be charming, not sincere.

Witch: Stay a child while you can be a child.

Rating

7.0/10

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | War

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Country

United States | Germany

Cast

Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Mélanie Laurent, August Diehl, Julie Dreyfus, Sylvester Groth, Jacky Ido, Denis Ménochet, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor, Martin Wuttke, Gedeon Burkhard, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, Léa Seydoux, Richard Sammel, Alexander Fehling, Christian Berkel, Söhke Möhring, Samm Levine, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Rainer Bock, Bo Svenson, Enzo G. Castellari, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel

Plot

In Nazi-occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.

Opinion

The tagline says it all: you haven't seen war until you've seen it through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino. Inglourious Basterds is a brilliant, brave, exuberant, comic, dark, violent and glorious film.

Quentin Tarantino's pleasure to tell stories leads him to rewrite history, by telling the - fictional - assassination of Adolf Hitler, set in the only possible venue: a cinema.

The dialogue, the continuous tension, and the use of several languages - English, German, French and German -, on which irony is mostly based, make of this film a jewel of cinema. Also, the film is smooth and there is no heaviness resulting from its long running time.

The Spaghetti-Western score is magnificent, and the opening scene's song, The Verdict (Dopo la condanna), written by Ennio Morricone, is absolutely stunning.

The acting is pretty much great. Christoph Waltz is spectacular: he built a deep, detailed and realistic character, the kind of Nazi everyone would be afraid of. Brad Pitt's performance is not very good, and his Italian is pretty painful to be heard. August Diehl well plays the other sadistic German, very important in the final plot twist. Michael Fassbender is great as Lieutenant Archie Hicox, he has the chance to show off his almost perfect German, and he gets extra points for delivering the line, "There's a special rung in hell for people who waste good Scotch". 

Quotes

Lt. Aldo Raine: You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin'.

Bridget von Hammersmark: I know this is a silly question before I ask it, but can you Americans speak any other language besides English?

Rating

9.0/10

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Drama

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

Spain | United Kingdom | United States

Cast

Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver, María Valverde, Indira Varma, Hiam Abbass, Kevork Malikyan, Anton Alexander, Golshifteh Farahani, Tara Fitzgerald, Dar Salim, Andrew Tarbet, Isaac Andrews

Plot

In the ancient tale of the Hebrews, Moses (Christian Bale) gathers the faith to free his 400,000 enslaved people from the Egyptian Rule. King Ramses (Joel Edgerton), who he grew up with, must face his once best friend in a battle that exceeds the mere mortals and endures the act of God.

Opinion

Exodus: Gods and Kings is a huge disappointment. This story, which has been told and retold for thousands of years, deserved something better than this. And it really means a lot coming from an atheist. Ridley Scott brought to the screen his own interpretation of the Bible, and is it good? No, it isn't. $140 Million probably spent for special effects, costumes and a cast full of stars, but surely not on the script. I was expecting a spectacular Red Sea parting, but there is no trace of it. It is a mystery how Scott did such a poor movie.

Christian Bale is mediocre, delivering an emotionless performance - I wasn't expecting this from him at all. Joel Edgerton is surprisingly good.

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Quotes

Ramses: You sleep well because you know that you're loved. I've never sleep that well.

Moses: Follow me and you will be free. Stay and you will perish.

Rating

5.0/10

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Louis Leterrier

Country

United States

Cast

Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, Christina Cabot, Peter Mensah, Lou Ferrigno, Robert Downey Jr., Stan Lee

Plot

After the gamma radiation, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster, the Hulk, under emotional stress.
Whilst on the run from military which seeks his capture, Banner comes close to a cure. But all is lost when a new creature emerges: The Abomination (Tim Roth).

Opinion

In Hulk, Ang Lee abused of visual effects, portraying a cartoon look alike Hulk, too fake and therefore ridiculous. The Incredible Hulk, its reboot, gave people a more realistic Hulk - as far as realistic a superhero can be - and provided the action to please comic book fans.
The cast also is better than the previous. Edward Norton is great as Bruce Banner/Hulk, giving him inner strength and being able to express his feelings with his eyes only. Liv Tyler is good as Betty Ross, and Tim Roth is a beast - literally - and an amazing villain as Blonsky.

Quotes

Bruce Banner: Don't make me hungry. You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry.

Emil Blonsky: I've had missions go wrong, and seen good people go down, all because someone didn't tell them what they were walking into. I moved on because that's the job, and that's what we do. But this... this is a whole new level of weird, and I don't think I want to step away from it. Sir, if you're going to take another crack at him, I want in. And with respect, sir, you'll need a team that's prepared and ready to fight, because if that thing shows up again... you're going to have a lot of professional tough guys pissing in their pants, sir.

Rating

7.5/10

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Genre

Adventure | Crime | Drama

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

United States

Cast
Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, Jason Beghe, Marco St. John

Plot
Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon) works as a waitress in a diner and has some problems with her boyfriend, Jimmy (Michael Madsen).

Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis) is married to Darryl (Christopher McDonald) who likes his wife to stay at home and have no fun. One day they decide to take a two-day vacation, jump in the car and hit the road.

Their journey, however, turns into an escape when Louise kills a rapist (Timothy Carhart).

Opinion
Janet Maslin of The New York Times had only praise for the film in her review and so do I. Thelma & Louise is Ridley Scott's masterpiece. This road movie is outstanding and timeless.

The screenplay - written by Callie Khouri and Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay - the director and the cast are brilliant.

Thelma & Louise is a story that blends several themes: family life, friendship and freedom. The desire and the right to be free, as seen at the end of the film, seems to be the most important.

Quotes
You've always been crazy, this is just the first chance you've had to express yourself.

Rating
8.0/10

Noah (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Drama

Director

Darren Aronofsky

Country

United States

Cast
Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Douglas Booth, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins, Leo McHugh Carroll, Frank Langella, Dakota Goyo, Marton Csokas, Finn Wittrock, Madison Davenport, Nick Nolte, Mark Margolis, Kevin Durand, Nolan Gross, Adam Griffith, Ariane Rinehart, Gavin Casalegno, Skylar Burke

Plot
Noah (Dakota Goyo as a kid, Russell Crowe as an adult), the last descendant of the lineage of Seth, is the one chosen by the Creator to execute his will: he has to build an ark sufficient to carry a pair of each animal's species to safekeep them by the arrival of a flood that will submerge all the lands for a long time.
After building the ark, with the help of the Watchers - fallen angels confined on Earth as stone golems - he, his wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), their sons Shem (Gavin Casalegno as a kid, Douglas Booth as a young-adult), Ham (Nolan Gross as a kid, Logan Lerman as a young-adult) and Japheth (Leo McHugh as a kid) and Shem's wife Ila (Skylar Burke as a kid, Emma Watson as a young-adult) will board as the last of the men. When they find out Ila, which was supposed to be sterile, is pregnant, Noah will have to make a huge sacrifice: if the child is a girl, he will kill her to satisfy the Creator's wish to destroy humanity.

Opinion
My expectations were quite high and I've been disappointed, I felt no thrill for it. It's visually spectacular - I loved the creation of life sequence - the cast is brilliant - I loved Emma Watson - and the direction is fantastic but the script sinks like the Titanic.

Quotes
Fire consumes all. Water cleanses. It separates the foul from the pure. The wicked from the innocent. And that which sinks from that which rises. He destroys all, but only to start again.

Rating
5.5/10