EvilPhoEniX

An intense experience and perhaps even stronger than the first season. Story-wise it's classically over-complicated, twisty and confusing, but that's part of this series. It added a lot to the action which is very brutal and the Indians and the samurai bring things to life wonderfully. I wouldn't be surprised if Westworld goes in the vein of Game of Thrones, because there's actually a lot to invent. I enjoyed myself and almost couldn’t breathe during some episodes. The colorful direction and visuals make Westworld one of the genre's gems. 85%.

A decently engaging genre film, and very entertaining. A perverted mother forces her son to bring home prostitutes and do with them whatever his mother wishes, including killing them on Skype. The acting by the two leads is decent. Oliver is a proper sleazy maniac and his mom is an even more deranged maniac. It's filmed quite competently and there is some gore, although I was expecting more of an onslaught here. 65%.

After the fourth episode, Mission Impossible has become one of the best action franchises of our time (Bond and Bourne are not even close), and with the sixth episode the series literally reaches its peak. Tom Cruise, at 56, performs an incredible physical feat, with his iconic running and stunt escapades that cause stuntmen to lose their jobs, literally sweating blood and risking his life for his franchise! Hats off and much admiration. Story-wise it's classically convoluted and nicely twisted, and I liked that, although this time there was no twist that killed me like last time, but still a high standard. As for the action, it's full throttle almost the whole film. The fight in the restroom right at the beginning probably won't be beaten this year, and the adrenaline-packed chase with motorbikes, and the finale itself, which absurd, with the best helicopter chase I've ever seen. Alongside Ethan Hunt, Rebecca Ferguson is wonderful here again, and she definitely deserves more action roles, and then there’s the new surprise of Henry Cavill, who, when he's not comic-book movies, is actually an excellent actor who can handle multiple stances at once and can make a real nuisance of himself in fights. Praise must also go to Rob Hardy for his excellent cinematography, which adds to the authentically intense experience. A proper ride. 95%

This is a ghost anthology where the unlikeable to me main character tries to prove that all paranormal cases are a hoax and gets three cases to solve. The cases alone aren't that interesting except for the last one, where at least something interesting happens and Martin Freeman scores points, but what is worth mentioning is the main final line, which could be described as a decent mindfuck as it absolutely avoids the previous plot, but I'm not entirely sure I understood it either. It's nicely shot, has atmosphere, the acting is decent and it's unusually overwrought for a horror film, so it's worth a watch, though I prefer more action-packed and entertaining stuff. 65%.

Prison hell set in a Thai prison!! Prison movies did very well last year (both Shot Caller and Brawl in Cell Block 99 were great additions to the genre), but this one clearly wins this year. The protagonist is a British boxer who lives in Thailand, gets into drugs, deals them himself and ends up serving a sentence in a local famous prison, where, by the way, real prisoners feature instead of actors. In Rotten Tomatoes it's 100% with an exclamation mark and I applaud and follow on those ratings. Of all the prisons I've seen in movies (British, American, Danish) the Thai one is definitely one of the worst. They all sleep on the floor like animals in one room crammed next to each other, newcomers are raped on camera, and it's not a pretty sight at all, I can tell you. It has a very realistic and authentic tone to it, the Thai poker-faced prisoners are unpleasant to look at. Brutal and ugly things happen, the very atmosphere of the unusual setting is perfect and it has a brutal effect on the viewer. Joe Cole's performance is very convincing and the Muay Thai prison fights are also very good to the eye of the fans (but the fights themselves are not that impressive). A bleak gem based on a true story! 85%

A solid Hungarian gangster film about a famous robber who robbed over 30 banks and always left behind a bottle of Whiskey. A great main character who didn't find life too much to his liking and decided to go against the tide and get a taste of the rich man's life with all the trimmings. The action is great, the suspense works, it has a solid pace, there is no shortage of romance and the period atmosphere is perfect. Incredibly good job by the Hungarians. 80%.

A great action ride from Hong Kong from a great director Dante Lam, who hasn't disappointed me so far (The Beast Stalker, Unbeatable, Demon Cop, Operation Mekong, The Viral Factor, all of which I liked). This time he got a solid budget of 70 million and made one of the best action movies of the year (but not for long, because there’s a Mission Impossible around the corner). Story-wise, the film didn't really grab me that much and was even slightly boring at the beginning. That said, a Chinese special commando is tasked with rescuing hostages held by rebels and terrorists, but as it happens nothing goes according to plan. The film has phenomenal action scenes, perhaps some of the best I've ever seen. The finale lasts maybe an hour and it focuses on 8 special commandos fighting 150 rebels and it's carnage! It has almost all the action. There's a duel between two professional snipers who go at each other's throats (it made me remember the legendary Zaitsev), shootouts with all kinds of weapons (machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades and there's even drones), strategic tank battles, explosions at every corner that would make even Michael Bay jealous – well, pure action joy. The only thing I missed were close-range fights. A big plus is the violence in the film. There are scenes with burnt bodies, the explosion of a bus with civilians and the subsequent shot of severed limbs, even heads, a soldier who has his whole arm blown off by a grenade and is still fighting for his life, everyone is covered in blood and you believes the cruel and harsh war zone they are all experiencing there. The whole thing feels realistic and professional, without pathos and cheesy scenes, so for me a lot of satisfaction. One of the best military action movies I've seen. 85%

Eugenio Derbez in a similar role to the recent Latin Lover and I quite like this Mexican guy, only Anna Faris seems like a more boring female actress. The movie has a pretty cool plot about a millionaire enjoying life on a yacht with models who suddenly loses his memory after falling off the boat, and Anna Faris takes advantage of this by pretending to be his wife. I loved the turning point where the cocky millionaire who never did anything has to become a man who has to go to work, cook, clean and take care of his family, and I don't know why but emotionally it took me beyond belief. I didn't expect to get more crying than laughing here, so 4* of course. Nice film. 75%.

Very girly movie, but it wasn't bad. I don't really like Amy Schumer, but I liked her vision of being beautiful because the confidence she got out of nowhere gave the film a lot of juice and made for some interesting situations to laugh at, and I always like seeing Emily Ratajkowski. Too bad the second half is more serious, but the dancing scene is a highlight. Good for one viewing. 60%.

A new post-apocalyptic road movie thriller starring Theo James and Forest Whitaker. This Netflix effort this time quite impressed me with a decent atmosphere, actors and flow, even though nothing major happens here. Theo James is looking for his girlfriend and Forest Whitaker as her father helps him. The whole film is spent travelling in a car through a ruined landscape, and of course they come across some shady people who can't be trusted; these scenes are definitely the best. I liked the more comical finale. All in all, this is a digestible flick that doesn't offend and is a better average in the sub-genre. 65%.