dvd: equilibrium This is meant to be notable in its unusually high body count (236 on-screen deaths), and yes, the martial arts / weapons scenes are well choreographed, but in general, this cross between “V for Vendetta” and “The Matrix” is not as good as either.
Category Archives: media
dvd: shut up and sing
dvd: shut up and sing Documentary about country trio “the Dixie Chicks”, and the troubles that they had by speaking out against the president (a single throwaway line at a concert that was blown out of all proportion). Cleverly manages to make the frighteningly wealthy singers seem quite normal and down-to-earth, most of the time. …
dvd: intacto
dvd: intacto An odd film, to be sure, but just as good as I remember it. Worth it just for the scene where the men run blindfolded through a forest.
dvd: mister roberts
Mister Roberts An old classic, I remember watching it with my dad. As it turns out, I didn’t remember as much of it as I thought. Amazing to see how much content can be smuggled past the censors back in the day. A slow-paced film – based on a Broadway play – its pacing was …
dvd: millions
dvd: millions You might not expect that the director of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later would be able to make a kids movie, but in fact he can, and it’s a highly enjoyable one. What would happen if two young boys found a fortune in cash, only days before a currency changeover makes it all …
dvd: jumper
dvd: Jumper. From the director of Swingers, and Mr and Mrs Smith comes this “must try harder” effort. Watching the special features reveals that they put enough ideas together to make a trilogy: perhaps that explains the poor ending, and the reason that the comic-relief character has a stronger screen presence than the lead. A …
dvd: duelist
DVD: duelist Korean action-comedy-romance film, that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. There’s some entertainment to be had, but it’s a frustrating one to watch, and try to understand.
dvd: fearless
dvd: fearless Some great fight scenes in this biopic of a legendary martial artist. Unusually for Jet Li, the characterisation is quite good – this is due, perhaps, to the Chinese dialogue, instead of the English pictures I’ve seen him in. Somewhat inspirational, though by-the-numbers story of a man who learns to see beyond his …
dvd: house of flying daggers
DVD: house of flying daggers Sweeping Chinese epic, not quite what I was expecting from the title – the house of flying daggers is an anti-government movement, not an actual house. A bit slow-moving, but visually stunning.
dvd: my sassy girl
DVD: My Sassy Girl A Korean movie destined for cult status; an odd combination of romantic comedy, and genre-defying comedy. Hard to compare it to anything else I’ve seen, but if looking into a movie that somehow combines film references like “The Matrix” and “Tomb Raider” with physical comedy and the best parts of those …