Stanislaus

The Czech answer to Guy Ritchie could definitely have turned out worse, but Punch and Run fortunately stays at a decent level for most of its running time. Adam Hobzik could have pushed the black-humour envelope more and serve up a more vigorous piece that would certainly have stood out among Czech cinematography. The film has an ideal running, during which something is always happening, but it certainly could have been conceived in a more action-packed way.

This is my third encounter with the immortal classic after The Man in the Iron Mask from the 1990 and the somewhat overdone Paul W.S. Anderson adaptation, but I have never read the book, so I can't blame filmmakers for their faithfulness to the source material or lack thereof. After watching this film, however, and considering that the story of The Three Musketeers is split into two films, you can sense that they took care in this regard. As this is a notorious story, the film offers no big plot surprises, but it does offer solid adventure full of action, intrigue and well done fights – the "bloody" wedding or the chase on the cliffs really had some serious moments. I'm curious to see what the sequel will bring, which will give more space to Eva Green, who is perfect in these demonic creatures.

I've never played the game, but I didn't want to miss the film adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. phenomenon. In terms of story, the film doesn't have much to surprise, which, considering it's a video game adaptation, is understandable, so I can see why many viewers (used to more sophisticated animated films like Coco or Inside Out) might have been bothered by it. But I had fun in the cinema, because the film managed to fully compensate for its flatter story with proper action, wrapped in nice visuals. Some sequences were even more or less evocative of other films, like Mad Max: Fury Road (the rainbow chase), or Pinocchio (the bowels of the "whale"). Yes, you know the direction the film will take, but thanks to the brisk pace and not least the well chosen oldies soundtrack you forgets about this "flaw".

“Life, uh... finds a way”. I've loved dinosaurs and everything related to them since I was a kid – from encyclopedias, to museums, to feature films and documentaries – and Spielberg's Jurassic Park is at the top of the list for me in terms of feature films about these prehistoric lizards. I've seen it several times now, and even though it's been a whopping thirty years since its premiere, it still manages to mesmerise me to the hilt. The film breathtakingly manages to breathe life into the long-extinct creatures that once dominated the land, sea and airspace, bringing them closer to the audience in a supremely authentic way. In addition to the stunning work with animatronics and the incredible visual effects, the makers "spared no expense" on the sounds of the dinosaurs, which feel truly believable (even if it is essentially a reconstruction). The scenes with the escape from the T-Rex and from the kitchen with the velociraptors still take my breath away. But Jurassic Park wouldn't be what it is if it weren't for the casting, with Jeff Goldblum and the young Joseph Mazzello entertaining me the most. Last but not least, I can't forget the wonderful musical score by John Williams, which wraps-up the unique audiovisual experience that Jurassic Park was, is, and will be - "We spared no expense."

I was quite surprised, and as a fan of the franchise, pleased that the sixth Scream would be screaming in theaters just fourteen months after the release of the fifth, which came eleven long years after the fourth (Wes Craven's last "slash"). As I've said before, I have a soft spot for Ghostface, so I'm willing to overlook the fact that it's pretty much a recycled version of the previous films. But as a fan, it's that connection between the first and fifth films that I appreciate and (along with the many pop culture references) downright enjoyed. The intro alone, which slyly plays with the rules of horror and stands them on their head, proves that the "screaming franchise" still has a lot to offer. I welcomed the film's setting in New York, where the they managed to take advantage of other locations to offer some truly good scenes – whether it was a chilling sequence from a convenience store or an apartment, or the atmospheric scene in a flashing subway. (Spoiler alert!) The identity of Ghotsface is clear from the first mention of the deceased family member, and then later from the attack in the apartment, but the film isn’t that concerned with a plot twist as it plays with audience expectations and horror rules, creating a hide-and-seek game. The viewer (ideally a fan) then calmly overlooks the immortality of certain characters and just watches the uncompromising destruction of the bad guys with a satisfying smile. (End: Spoiler alert!) In the end, Scream VI certainly didn't feel boring or dull, but if there is to be a sequel, which I wouldn't be opposed to, at least a three-year hiatus would be preferable.

I've never played D&D, and the movie adaptations from 2000 and 2012 passed me by (fortinately?), so I approached Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with a clean slate and as a complete ignoramus. I commend the film for not focusing only on the action-fantasy level, but also for giving enough space to the likeable characters, of which I would single out the snarky bard Edgin and his cruel but sharp friend Holga. The character of Simon was quite unbearable: firstly, I found him annoyingly clumsy and secondly, it's really hard to like the actor. The film could definitely have been a quarter of an hour shorter, but I still enjoyed the screening in the cinema immensely, whether thanks to the aforementioned characters, the regularly dosed action, the demonic Sophina, or more than one humorous scene – the graveyard confrontation with the dead and the with the "chubby" dragon were the most amusing. I believe that if I were a player or fan of the game I would give it full marks, but as a non-player I can honestly say that I would definitely not be averse to a sequel in the future if the quality remains at a similar level.

As a lover of dinosaurs and a die-hard fan of Jurassic Park, I'm always happy with the release of a film with these overgrown lizards that doesn't fall under the aforementioned "universe" – and there are very few such films. The final product, although it brings down the initial expectations a bit, still stays within the average and thanks to the reasonable running time it hardly gets boring. The purpose of the space mission is admittedly stripped down, and the family storyline felt futile, but thankfully the film primarily concentrates on the struggle to survive on Earth 65 million years ago. (Spoiler alert!) The scenes with the dinosaurs were satisfactory, especially the cave sequence, which makes imaginative use of a motion sensor, and the final confrontation between Mills and a sort of hybrid of a T-Rex and a dog. Although it is predictable, you already know from the title and at the latest with the first shot of the sky what moment the Earth is in, I had fun watching it in the cinema and the ninety minutes were perfectly adequate.

Autumn Spring is all the sadder when you consider that Vlastimil Brodsky killed himself less than a year after the film was released. It is as if Vladimír Michálek's film was a harbinger of the inevitable future. Autumn Spring benefits especially from the leading trio of Brodský, Stella Zázvorková and Stanislav Zindulka, who really put their hearts into their characters and offered believable and sober performances. The film depicts in a sad but endearing way the ways in which one can deal with ageing and the approaching end - one can give up before death, or slowly prepare for it, or pretend as if ending is out of the question. A touching and human film!

Martin Pohl elevated his Party from a positive to a comparative and moved the plot of the equally crazy sequel to cinemas and the famous Máchovo Jezero. As far as the technical execution goes, Party Hard was definitely much better to watch. But thanks to its humour, I enjoyed the appealed to me a bit more, but it’s still not my cup of tea – though I must say I liked the scene at the surgery and the end credits scene. I praise the animated insert, it was very bizarre, but quite effective in the end. I wonder if Pohl and co. will come up with a superlative as well.

I can understand any rating for Party Hard, because it is a truly unconventional film that is sure to captivate some viewers and disgust others. In my case, I will be somewhat stingy with my assessment. Although it is a rather unique piece in the field of Czech comedy, unfortunately (or is it rather fortunately?) it didn't really hit me with its humour. The scenes with Marek Milko amused me quite a bit, otherwise it was too bizarre with sometimes rather tasteless fecal humour. The film didn't benefit from its amateurish execution, whether it was the (non)actors or the camera. But, as I said. some people will like the explicit explosions of Jebi's craters, the brown-skinned revenge, or the union of Czech perverts ... and others may not.