Stanislaus

An utterly charming and breathtaking sequel to the wonderful first part, which is both very funny and at times sad, but never pushes too hard. Toothless was again perfect, funny, adorable, perhaps an order of magnitude higher than the first installment. The characters have grown up noticeably, there was even some family drama, but as I said, all within acceptable limits. The story was decent and the peripeties unexpected, so I give it a thumbs up. In short, I went to the theatre for a guaranteed cinematic experience, which I got with all the right stuff: a smile on my face, a tear in my eye and a pleasantly astonished expression at the great technical workmanship.

What irritated me most about Tim Burton's first feature film was the lead character Pee-Wee. In the first few minutes, I even felt like turning the film off, but I wanted to see how the plot would develop. And I was not wrong, at least not completely. Pee-Wee acts slightly like a dick throughout the film, his antics are off the mark and at the height of awkwardness at times, but that's really not Burton's fault. The story is a bit flimsy, but that doesn't matter. The other supporting characters are also bizarre and at times I got that typical Burtonian vibe from the sets or special effects, which is more characteristic of his other films. In short, it's a film in which you have to deal with the wacky character of Pee-Wee, otherwise it's a pretty passable piece of filmmaking.

The feature-length expansion of the original 2010 short film is not as intense, as it spans a slightly longer running time, but I still have to give it full marks. The Way He Looks is a film that doesn't play around, it's honest and realistic, helped by the solid performances. The story outlines the plot of the original short in a more comprehensive way, with purposeful additions of moments that form a consistent whole. I also have to commend the musical score and the selection of familiar songs featured in the film. In short, a modest and extremely warm film that has a nice story and a likeable cast.

There has already been a mention of Summer Storm, which was quite apt in terms of similarities, although it is true that the two films are different in many ways. In particular, the concept of the relationship between the two main characters is different, but the element of sport and a kind of fear of reality somehow unites the two films. I can't say that this film took my breath away, but it was good to watch, didn't irritate me at all and felt realistic. In short, an unassuming Dutch piece that impresses with its simplicity and honesty.

Edge of Tomorrow is undoubtedly one of the best and most imaginative science fiction films of the last few years, benefiting in particular from an absolutely superbly structured story. It's the same thing over and over again, yet different and a step further each time. Tom Cruise is kind of a wimp at first compared to his other action and badass roles, but war demands tough men, so you have to adapt or die sooner than normal. Emily Blunt is one of my favourite actresses, and this action role oddly suited her, when I compare it to Queen Victoria for example. From a technical point of view I have nothing to fault the film, the look of the aliens was perfect, the battles clear and well shot. I also have to commend John Newman's choice of the title song "Love Me Again". In short, total satisfaction on my part, a very well layered film in which you never know how it will end (or rather begin).

In X-Men: Days of Future Past, the previous history of all the previous installments about the mutants was completely but utterly hacked, which may have made many viewers cringe, but I welcomed this very bold idea with open arms. It was great to see characters who had somehow figured in previous episodes pop up at various points throughout the film. From a technical standpoint, I have nothing to complain about, and as far as the premise goes, as I mentioned above, I was satisfied. In short, for me, an ultimate cinematic experience with a plethora of great actors, which I enjoyed to the fullest, devouring everything it had to offer.

Maleficent is another in a series of new adaptations fairytale classics that haven't aged with time, and as a lover of Disney films, I couldn't pass up such a feat. And I have to say that this film is beautifully stylized, they really took care not only on the production design, but also on the look of the characters, both human and mythical. I’ve never been a fan of Angelina Jolie, I was quite put off by her Lara Croft, but this role really suited her perfectly and won my sympathy. As has been mentioned in other reviews here, I also liked the development of the relationship between Aurora and Maleficent, which for me was the centre of the whole story and was handled brilliantly. Who really is the villain in this story? Not everything is as it seems! Finally, I must not forget to mention the magical song "Once Upon a Dream" by Lana Del Rey. All in all, a very well made film which, like all fairy tales, offers a clash between good and evil, alongside a nice audio-visual experience and a likeable cast.

The trailer alone looked wacky, but since there wasn't another thought-provoking film on the bus, I decided to watch The Magicians. Well, it was pretty crazy. I think what annoyed me the most about it all were the utterly creepy and unlikeable characters, and the movie overall didn't strike me as a comedy at all. The only major redeeming quality perhaps worth mentioning was the casting of Alan Arkin, that's all. All in all, a film that disappointed me, though I must admit I didn't expect much from it to begin with.

Yes Man has a particularly imaginative premise and the casting of the likeable Zooey Deschanel, but it’s also marred by a rather annoying Jim Carrey (I think I've had enough of his monotonous facial expressions) and the fact that I didn't laugh much, which is a bit of a problem with comedy. The romance line wasn't bad, but overall nothing above average. All in all, a pretty easygoing affair where you can actually switch off and not think, because this type of movie doesn't require it.

I was really looking forward to the new Godzilla, I was waiting with anticipation for the premiere and finally I got it. I haven’t seen the very first 1954 film, nor the other Japanese kaiju-monster films, so I was "grew-up" on Roland Emmerich's American version. I have a weak spot for 1998’s Godzilla, I find time to watch from time to time, and I don't care that the script is rather dodgy at the expense of decent visuals, but the latest version from Gareth Edwards is completely different, and definitely better, no doubt about it. The story is much more colourful, the actors don't act so silly and they really act (and don't "act"). The visuals of the monsters were very well handled, and Godzilla is more "realistic" in a way, though it's true that perhaps they don’t show up that much, but I was nevertheless very impressed by the various depictions of them throughout the film (in archive footage, on TV, as backgrounds behind the military action, etc). Probably the best scenes for me were the train+tunnel+bridge and the jump from the plane, accompanied by the now-familiar music from the trailer, while I would also like to praise Alexandre Desplat's score. All in all, a very good film that has some flaws, but I got exactly what I wanted, so I give this popcorn audiovisual orgy a thumbs up.