EvilPhoEniX

The anticipated Train to Busan-style horror film with rats ends up being a disappointment with untapped potential. The fact that the rats are digital was to be expected, after all the hordes like in World War Z could not be filmed any other way, but I didn't expect the whole thing to be so bland. There’s no gore, zero tension, and when they don’t manage to create tension in the confined space of a train where the passengers have nowhere to escape, it's pretty bad. Overall, it's kind of a boring TV-movie that doesn't really please with anything. Visually, it's not exactly cheap and rat lovers will survive unscathed, but as a horror film it doesn't stand a chance. Pros: passable visuals, hordes of World War Z rats. Cons: no gore, no suspense, too much not-so-good CGI. It's not even very entertaining, unfortunately. 3.5/10:

The best Hong Kong movie in the last 10 years! Herman Yau has made a lot of movies, but in the action genre he hasn't really shone until now. Shock Wave 2 is such a load that even John Woo himself would bow. I don't remember much of the first one and I know I wasn't that interested at the time, so I approached the second one on its own and it's a great film full of spectacular action and a wonderfully interwoven plot. The very opening with a spectacular airport explosion is such a visual mayhem that it almost blew my balls off, and little did I know that the next forty minutes would go from one action scene to the next. The film then stops for a while, otherwise I would have needed an ambulance, and culminates in another thirty-minute intense finale where I was screaming all the swear words with excitement probably across the house. The ageless Andy Lau gives one of the best performances of his rich career, and at 50 he does a Tom Cruise style job. The action is superb, there are great bloody and realistic shootouts, contact fights, scenes with bomb squads trying to defuse challenging bombs, and spectacular explosions that are among the best the genre has ever produced. The finale is so monstrous and spectacular that I couldn't believe my own eyes. To make matters worse, there's also a brilliantly thought out, intricate and convoluted plot with a twist every ten minutes or so and it all clicks together like a puzzle at the end. Rightfully the highest rated Hong Kong actioner in a long time. Pros: perfect and spectacular action, great actors, impressive visual effects, dynamic pacing and never-ending tension, challenging, twisty and intelligent script. Cons: at times it’s so complicated that inattentive viewers can get lost, a quieter middle. 8.5/10.

Quite interesting and nicely shot, nut I expected more information. The second half focuses too much on politics and conspiracy theories, I was more interested in Facebook and Google. But it is worth watching. 6/10.

Perfect, original, funny, wise and very entertaining. Tarantino probably drew inspiration for The Hateful Eight here. Anyway, the story takes place in a saloon where everyone present hears the narrator's voice and reacts to it, culminating in a Wild West Ballet of Death as it should be. I have to give it full marks for that brilliant idea. I recommend it to everyone, it's a must see. 9/10.

Decent, but I have my complaints. For a documentary, there's a decent pace, great music and it's surprisingly quite suspenseful. What bothered me, though, is that it focuses on amateur detectives, i.e. internet nerds who have nothing else to do but follow someone else's life. That's a bit of a turn off for me, I'd rather watch real detectives whose work is definitely more interesting. It's also disappointing that they don't explicitly show the content of the video when everyone in the documentary could see it, I don't know why the viewer can’t see it too. And one last complaint, I don't really like why a man who killed one person is called a butcher and serial killer, what was Night Stalker then? The finale is quite interesting and quite unexpected, I enjoyed it, but I liked Night Stalker better. 7.5/10:

A great, original, brilliantly imagined and atmospheric thriller from China that almost took my breath away, and probably the Chinese too when it won the Best Picture award. A relatively poor family is thrilled when their daughter is accepted into a school they can't afford, but they have no idea that one of her classmates is a notorious bully, he is the son of the town's police captain, and will rape their daughter and film it on his cell phone at the first opportunity. When the bully comes to blackmail the daughter an unexpected horrific act happens and from that point on a crazy ride full of twists and turns, shocking surprises and script tweaks begins, and I was downright excited about the film. The father will try to protect his family from the dark side of the law and since he has watched a little over 800 movies (mostly crime and thrillers), he decides to use his knowledge to create the perfect bullet proof alibi that the will have Police literally shitting themselves. Out of nowhere, China debuts a crime drama that is entertaining, suspenseful, superbly acted and literally packed with twists and turns. Pros: excellent premise, great actors, decent pacing, striking atmosphere. Cons: not very brutal, slower pacing. 8/10.

A crazy, perverted, twisted and original short from Ireland! A frustrated boy discovers something in his room behind the wall that probably every guy would like to have at home 7.5/10.

Tribes of Europa, February's most anticipated series is finally out and, even though I was expecting a much bigger smash, it's still very decent and entertaining post-apocalyptic stuff with an original world. The story is set in 2074, Europe has suffered a mysterious global catastrophe that has brought it back to the Middle Ages, where, instead of states, there various tribes with different traditions and technologies. The idea is great and I enjoyed exploring that world with the main characters. Unfortunately, it’s not as dirty and action-packed, but it reminded me a lot of Hunger Games and The 100, so if you're a fan of at least one of those, you won't be disappointed. The series has a nice production design, when it comes to action it's brutal and nicely shot, the intrigue, betrayals and twists work well to the point that I feel the Germans are building their own Game of Thrones. I was most impressed by the tribe of black crows, the villains – their Princess Varvara with her Angelina Jolie look is literally hypnotic with her sex appeal . There are three storylines going on at the same time and all of them are interesting and engaging enough in their own way. I had a great time and am excited for the second season. The cards are dealt and as a start of something spectacular, Tribes of Europa is solid. It's strange It=s strange that there are three characters that look almost exactly like Angelina Jolie, Mads Mikkelsen and Jennifer Lawrence. Pros: interesting and originally imagined world, solid pacing, likeable characters, a decent dose of twists and intrigue, the visuals and the brutality. Cons: lacks a downright epic action scene, the script could have been more imaginative. 7.5/10.

Rosamund Pike plays your typical, ruthless, evil, confident bitch who literally gets away with everything. The film has a compelling story about a woman who steals from defenseless pensioners and always gets away with it, until she runs into a lady who has dangerous friends. In addition to Rosamund Pike’s great performance, there is an excellent antagonist in Peter Dinklage (known to most as Tyrion). It’s nicely and engagingly shot, it has style, swing and panache, and plenty of twists and turns are not spared and suspense. I certainly wasn't expecting such an entertaining, engaging and intelligent film. Netflix is on. Story****, Action>No, Humor** Violence**, Funniness****, Music***, Visuals****, Atmosphere****, Suspense***. 7.5/10:

I was looking forward to Shook thinking that it would be another addition to the Skype/Cam subgenre, but in the end it is a classic thriller that doesn't really stand out. It's not intelligent, suspenseful or brutal enough – it’s phone calls and conversations than anything else. The opening murder with a heel is solid and the main character is quite likeable, the denouement is okay, but unfortunately I wasn't really into it. I found the whole thing too light and made for TV. The 4.4 on IMDB is appropriate. Story***, Action>No, Humor>No, Violence*, Entertainment**, Music**, Visuals**, Atmosphere***, Suspense**. 4.5/10.