BokisMovies

“Rush” is about the real life fierce rivalry between Chris Hemsworth’s character, James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl’s Niki Lauda. Hunt and Bruhl were both formula 1 drivers during the 70′s and the movie tells us what happened during the years they both raced against each other. Chris Hemsworth may never get the Thor- stamp off him (and that isn’t that bad since those movies make tonnes of money) but he is genuinly great in this film and the best part is that he isn’t Thor. Chris Hemsworth portrayes James Hunt brilliantly. Hunt is a reckless playboy who is willing to risk his life in a car. Not only does Chris look the part, he also acts just like you would imagine Hunt acting. Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda is the polar opposite of Chris as Hunt. He is the rich, good boy who goes to bed early and who doesn’t party all night. However Lauda and Hunt are not only nice guys and playboys respectably. They are much more than that: Lauda is kinda douchy and not actually the nice guy you would have in a typical movie. Hunt is also troubled and you can, much thanks to Chris’s performance, see the scared side of the character. I can only say that the characters and the actors are the best part of the movie. Ron Howard is a very underrated director. He is a two time Academy Award winning director and yet he’s never really mentioned in the top. He is however directing this film incredibly well. The editing is also fantastic, Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill are really sharp, working with quick cuts, my favorite technique. There was a certain sequence in the movie where the race wasn’t shown but the result were presented through text on the screen. That directing and editing trick caught me of guard and I admire the wat it was handled. “Rush” isn’t really about racing. It focuses on the characters more than the cars and that’s how I want my sport movies. Similar to “Warrior” (a review for wich can be found on this very site) I don’t care for the sport in it, I care about the overall story. That being said, the sound of the motors and the way the characters (I seem to constantly come back to the characters) behave towards the sport are great and they kinda made me an ounce interested. I contend that John Williams is the greatest composer ever but I also believe that the best soundtrack for a movie is the one for “Inception”, “Inceptions” score is composed by Hans Zimmer. He also composed “Rush”. Zimmer crafts a score with might similar to a motor and with the emotion and passion of the driver. It’s a beautiful soundtrack. A surprisingly good thing about the film is the product placement. It gave a form of credibility to the 70′s racing. The only real complaint I have about the film is how the relationship between Niki Lauda and James Hunt progresses. While the development is great I didn’t really buy into the way they went from non-respect to respect. I saw how they tried to introduce the growing friednship but it didn’t translate that well ont the screen. Overall, “Rush” is an intense, thrilling ride (pun intended) with the right focus and no real big flaws. It’s good to see more from Chris Hemsworth and even better that his range as an actor increases. The movie is far from predictable (but if you know about the real life events you obviously know how it’ll end), something that is hard to pull of in a sports movie. Even if you don’t like racing, I think you’ll love “Rush”.

“Notting Hill” was a movie I was hesitantly looking forward to because it stars a bunch of solid actors like Hugh Grant (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Julia Roberts (“Erin Brockowich”) and Rhys Ifans (“The Amazing Spiderman”). I had also heard some good things about it. Then again it was a romantic comedy and those are really hit and miss for me… I am however pleased to say that I liked it. “Notting Hill” has a very basic plot: simple bookshop owner William Thacker, played by Grant, falls in love with the beautiful moviestar Anna Scott, played by Roberts. The entire movie is then a predictable “will they, won’t they?” ride but it is an enjoyable one at that. I have already cited the main cast, Grant, Roberts, Ifans, and they are all great. Hugh Grant is perfect in his role since he delivers his lines with a dry wit that the character demands. Roberts suits her part great as well not only because of her looks but also because of her natural sense of humor. I know Rhys Ifans from “The Amazing Spiderman” where he plays the dead serious professor, Curt Connors. His role in this film is not like Connors. Not at all actually. Here he is an odd-ball, slacker who lives with William, named Spike. I have noticed that characters named Spike are often kooky… Just a fun sidenote. Roger Michell is the director helming this film and his directing in this movie is fine. Nothing spectacluar or remarkable like what Edgar Wright does but… fine. He uses some long continuous shots that looks nice and the cinematography is very cool at times. The soundtrack in “Notting Hill” is good. I say that it is good because it has one great part and one not so great part. First of all is the orchestral soundtrack wich is not the best. I wouldn’t say it’s sub-par but it feels too cheesy and it beats you over the head sometimes. Then there is the great part, the songs. “When You Say Nothing At All” is such a great song and it fits the film brilliantly. Other songs are played throughout the movie and they are equally fitting, “Notting Hill” is a rom-com in it’s purest form. I have already described the basic plot wich is obviously not the strongest part of the film. The best part is however the script. The dialogue is very witty and funny. I cracked up several times thanks to the dry, humorous both style and tone of the talk in the film. However, the dialogue is a double edged sword. While it is funny it is very unbelievable and it feels fake and theater-like. I have no problem with theater but plays and movies are two different mediums and they should not be switched up. So in the end, “Notting Hill” is a standard rom-com with funny dialogue and fine acting. The story is compelling enough to keep you invested while not leaving the formula we are used to. If you want to see a fun movie with great chemistry between the actors you may not have to look any further than to “Notting Hill”.

“The Rock” is about a hostage situation on Alcatraz. An FBI agent specialized in chemical weapons (Nicolas Cage) and a former prisoner from the Rock (Sean Connery) has to venture into the infamous prison to stop San Fransisco to be destroyed… The core cast of “The Rock” consists of Ed Harris, Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. Nicolas Cage is probably one of my favorite actors of all time. Yes, he has been in some, hrrm, questionable movies lately but he is a tremendous actor with a broad range. In “The Rock” we see the crazy, sany, Cage and the dramatic Cage as well. Sean Connery is always Sean Connery. He is just great in the film. Him and Cage’s chemistry is electric. Ed Harris is also solid, delivering a very human character in the form of the general keeping the hostages. “The Rock” is directed by Michael Bay, you know the guy who uses explosions, hot girls and American flags in every single movie he makes! His movies have been, hrmm, questionable for a while but this movie is very well directed. He brings out fun performances from all his actors and the tone fits the movie well. Since this is a Michael Bay movie it is sure to feature a lot of action and it does. “The Rock” has one of the most enjoyable car chases I’ve seen and the suspenseful shootouts are very well made. The soundtrack in “The Rock” is composed by none other than my favorite composer Hans Zimmer! His soundtracks are always fantastic and this one is no exception! Suspenseful, and reflecting the action, it is an awesome score. Fun performances, solid directing, an awesome score and a suspenseful plot makes “The Rock” a very fun movie!

“Anchorman: The Legend Continues”, or “Anchorman 2″ as I like to call it, is a sequel to the classic comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”, or “Anchorman” as I like to call it. “Anchorman 2″ is about the familiar anchorman Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) who loses his job. To get back into the news business he reunites with his incompetent team from the last film, Champ (David Koechner), Brian (Paul Rudd) and Brick (Steve Carell) to do a 24 hour live maraton with news! The old cast from “Anchorman” is back for the second outing. I have not been a fan of Will Ferrell, but after seeing “Step Brothers” and this movie I must say that now I am! He is so in synch with the character of Ron Burgundy that you forget that you are watching Will Ferrell. Everyone else is great in this film but the actor who’s work I liked the most was Steve Carell! His character, Brick, was my favorite part about the previous movie and he had more to do in this one. His charming stupidity and the way he reacts to his fellow acting buddies is absolutely hilarious. We also see a bunch of cameos from well known actors, just like in the previous movie. These cameos are great because as an avid movie-geek I love to spot references to other films and stuff! Adam McKay, the director of Will Ferrell starred movies like “The Other Guys”, “Step Brothers” and the first Anchorman-movie, has directed “Anchorman 2″ and his direction is good. On a technical level, it isn’t anything fantastic but he does get good performances out of his actors, and that is in the end what a director should try to achieve. “Anchorman 2″ is a comedy so I’m obligated to mention, well, the comedy in the movie. “Anchorman 2″ is hilarious! The movie is the typical Will Ferrell movie and everything that goes along with that so it isn’t for everyone. If you like pop-cultural references, over the top randomness and a lot of irony you will find yourself loving this film. There are a lot of fantastic lines, just like in the original, but it isn’t really as quotable as the first one but 60% of the time the jokes work everytime. As a sequel “Anchorman 2″ works very well. It carries over the same tone from the first one and the story seems, to me at least, be a natural continuation of “Anchorman”. There are some scenes that are great nods to the original and they are so funny! To sum it up: “Anchorman 2″ is a sequel that I think surpasses the original! It is really funny and it gives us great comedic performances from all actors involved. “Ancorman 2″ is however not for everyone but I can say that I loved it!

Before I get on with the review I have to mention that MCU is an abbreviation of Marvel Cinematic Universe, the universe where all the Marvel-studios movies take place. Are we on the same page? Yes? Good, let’s start the reviewing! Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is the latest installment in the MCU and it is technically a sequel to both “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “The Avengers” and it follows Captain America (Chris Evans) who now works for S.H.I.E.L.D in modern time. When he discovers a conspiracy in the organisation his loyalties are trusted and old friends turns enemies. In his doubts he also encounters a new foe called the Winter Soldier (I will not say who plays him since that may spoil something for you) and secrets from the past and the present are revealed… The cast in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is star studded and fantastic! Chris Evans is reprising his role as Cap and he has really grown into the part. Scarlett Johanson, Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders are also back in their roles from previous MCU-movies and they are better than ever! Newcomers to the MCU includes Anthony Mackie and Robert Redford(!). All the actors are fantastic in their roles. The chemistry between, well, everyone is great. Evans and Johansson share intriguing scenes where their characters morals clash. Anthony Mackie’s character is the comic relief but his acting makes the character more than that. It is great to see Samuel L. Jackson’s, Nick Fury get some real action in this film and Robert Redford is very fun to watch. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”‘s strongest suit is probably the script, which is weird to say since this is a comic-book movie and this particular genre is not known for strong writing. Every single character is written perfectly with new characters getting enough development and already established ones are explored further. Captain America as a person was not very interesting in the previous two movies he appeared. He is however a very well written (and acted) character in this movie. One thing that was done brilliantly in the script was that the story isn’t just a “fish out of water” arc. Cap does react to his new surroundings in a very fun and cool way but the emphasis is on the S.H.I.E.L.D-and-everyone-who-works-there and Captain America relationships. The Winter Soldier is a perfect character with much depth and, well, he’s a major bad-ass! Not only the characters are written well but the plot is also great. It has, much like the characters, a lot of depth and twists and turns. It plays out very much like a political thriller in present day with the classic, but oh so fitting, “don’t trust anyone” theme. The action in “Captain America. The Winter Soldier” is nothing short of amazing! I was literally chewing down my nails, panting and I if I wasn’t so tense I would’ve jumped out of my seat because of all the suspense. The movie was rather violent for being a Marvel-studios production and I appreciated that. It gave the movie a sense of realism and it was intense to the limit. When Cap is being punched around you really feel his pain. There are so many great action pieces and scenes with spectacular fight-choreography and jaw-dropping, in lack of a better word, action! Directors of the movie are Anthony and Joe Russo from “Community” fame. One would not think that a director-duo mostly known for comedy would be suited for a 170 million dollar blockbuster. One would however be wrong! The Russo’s are handling the directing brilliantly. The comedy is definitely not out of hand. As of matter of fact, nothing is out of hand. Everything is balanced well, the tone is perfect for the kind of story that is being told and all the action is shot amazingly! Kudos! This film is packed with action, has stellar performances a thick plot and solid directing. Giving great nods to comic-book fans and movie fans alike “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” isn’t only a fantastic comic-book movie, it is a fantastic movie in general! Cap is back and he is cooler than ever!