Kaka

The gorgeous Catherine McCormack literally steals the whole film for herself and I don't mind it at all. Her captivating performance as an involuntary courtesan is unforgettable, it unleashes a whirlwind of emotions and creations that place her among the acting elites. There are no grandiose decorations, monumental sets, or twenty-million-dollar actors, yet everything fits perfectly even with a minimal budget. The plot is told in a captivating way, and the “oldest profession” is excellently portrayed halfway between comedy and drama. It is expertly dosed and brilliantly directed. Bravo! A fantastic film.

Jan De Bont basically drained all his energy on the first film, so the sequel is just a tired action ride, lacking any drive, compelling pace, or heroes to root for. Jason Patric tries as hard as he can, but the flawed script doesn't give him much opportunity to match up to Keanu Reeves’s performance from the first film. Sandra Bullock, once a tough driver, has turned into a ridiculous diva that starts getting on your nerves after about fifteen minutes. The finale is grand and quite alright, but otherwise it's an unnecessarily dragged-out and poorly executed action ride. A stupid and unnecessary sequel.

The action a level worse, the villains are less charismatic, and the plot is more idiotic with a motive so weak that it's almost funny. A very weak sequel. Kickboxer and the others at least had a pleasant touch of mysticism – partly because they were filmed outside of the US – and it is precisely this element that kills Lionheart.

Another legend. Van Damme can do everything, he takes down terrorists, masters acrobatics, and even showcases save of the year as a goalkeeper. It may be ridiculous, but it has its charm, especially for fans of the 1990s. The fights are decent, the villain is very elegant, and the visual effects very inconsistent, from the good (the rocket launcher) to the incredibly awkward (helicopter slow motion). It is very hard not to laugh during the over-the-top finale, but you have to take the Belgian tiger with a grain of salt. Clichéd and quite average, what else to expect from Peter Hyams?

I can't shake the impression that Steven Soderbergh went a bit overboard with the dialogues this time and should have pushed harder on the dynamics of the story. George Clooney is slick and Jennifer Lopez looks good, but in some parts, the drive disappears. It is also impossible not to notice the often messy and somewhat convoluted editing, which is like an eyesore in a chillout film. Three stars for maintaining a solid intellectual level despite some flaws, and for the incredibly shot, lit (!), sound-designed (!), and acted romantic scene in the restaurant and hotel, which is undoubtedly among the top 10 in the history of the silver screen, supported by beautiful set design (room decor) and captivating details (snowflakes fluttering outside the window).

I’ve never had anything against Oliver Stone’s directorial invention and political incorrectness, but this is already too much. His most intense film, where the violence goes to such an extreme that it practically overpowers the story and becomes the protagonist.

Elektra is by no means a great film, but at least you won't get bored and you won't laugh at it (like Catwoman). The action scenes are sometimes messy (with excessive editing in the final fights), but some of them are really well done (the training), and there are some excellently shot sequences where the protagonists use throwing weapons (shurikens, daggers, knives, etc.). Everything is complemented by a solid musical score, so I'm actually satisfied with the final product. It may be slightly overshadowed by the action masterpiece Mortal Kombat, but it's not completely bad either.

The only thing that saves it from being utter garbage is Halle Berry in a leather outfit and Pitof's unusually conceived visual stylisation of the film.

Alfred Hitchcock is a master at creating a dark atmosphere, the constant rain, black and white composition, the old house, and a few shots of a heavily clouded sky literally predicts evil, accompanied by brilliant music. Overall, this film was revolutionary for its time and something unseen. Today? The power and shock have somewhat diminished, times are changing after all, but even after all these years, this film still has something special.

Some scenes are quite original and the script is decently put together for a romantic comedy, but the ending is a shame, it was overly sugary, with everything turning out exactly as it was supposed to.