Mike S (CloudStrife84)
Sweden
Mike's Recent Reviews
Fright Night
R
Nice to see a new vampire flick that doesn't involve any glitter or awkward teen angst. This is more like the ones we got in the 80's and 90's, where vampires do what vampires are supposed to, as in sucking blood and spawning terror, as opposed to just sucking. Pacing-wise, it's pretty draggy in the first half. Had it been like that for its entire length, it would have earned nothing more than a mediocre 3 stars. Luckily, however, it gets a lot better in the second act, where the action is kicked up into a gloriously bloody gore-fest. Great SFX as well, even if I wasn't too keen on the whole "monsterization" of the vamps. And by that I don't mean the way they are depicted as a race - for their are undoubtedly a bunch of evil bastards in this - but rather their physical transformations into over-the-top CGI freaks. A little more subtlety would definitely have been preferable. And altough creepy and suspenseful, I'm not sure it really deserves the title "Fright Night". Maybe I'm just jaded, but in my view, it was never any scary. A pretty entertaining film either way though, with dependable performances from the entire cast. Christopher Mintz-Plasse in particular is very fun as the typical nerd, who also happens to be a self-entitled vampire hunter. Sort of reminiscent of the movie The Lost Boys, except with more humor and better action. An optimal pick for Halloween, or if you're in the mood for a good horror-comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously.
King Kong
PG-13
Awesome special effects, brilliant story and one of my favourite adventure movies of all time. This is so much more than a mere monster flick. It's a visual extravaganza that also happens to be really captivating and well-written (which isn't exactly a common thing within the genre). So if this is the Jurassic Park of the 21th century, Peter Jackson must surely be the new Spielberg. Or rather to say, in the same extraordinary league.
Mike's Favorite Movies
Braveheart
R
Mel Gibson's monumental masterpiece, of which he is both the leading star and the director, is a sweeping and majestic ode to one of history's most beloved heroes, William Wallace. Each and every scene a pure cinematic delight, this is a motion picture for the ages, that just gets better and more dazzling with time. Breathtaking scenery, sensational, Oscar-winning action scenes and one of the most beautifully orchestrated music scores ever produced, merits this grand and stunning epic a very special place in my movie-loving heart. Say what you will about Mel Gibson's sanity and the historical accuracy of the film. For at the end of the day, he knows how to make quality that counts.
Gladiator
R
Cinematic perfection! An unforgettable and masterfully directed epic, from the brilliant mind who brought us such timeless classics as "Alien" and "Blade Runner". It's not often I use the word masterpiece for a film, but this spectacular piece of historical action deserves nothing less. The story, of a Roman general named Maximus, who goes from a soldier to a slave to a gladiator champion in the majestic Colosseum, is one of the most moving, impressive and triumphant tales ever told. Roused by the amazing battles and stirred by its emotional power, I always come out of this film with a lingering sense of awe and wonder. I wish I could erase my memory, only to experience it for the first time again. For this is epic story-telling at its finest hour and one of my favourite movies of all-time. If you haven't seen it yet, you have certainly missed something!
