Dark_Trooper Reviews

RoboCop (2014)

Much better than I expected

[8/10 · 6 February 2014]

OK, so the trailers for this movie had made me very badly predisposed towards it, being a really big fan of the originals (yes, Robocop 2 and 3 included). But I won an invitation for the first screening in my country so I thought why not.

Well, it is much better than I expected and than what the trailers show. I won't go into spoilers, but my biggest issue with the trailer was the fact that Murphy knows from the beginning what they did to him, no memory erase and all. Well, I have to say that they are actually handling this very well in the film and it's not that simple. It actually sets the tone for the impressive second half of the movie.

During the first half of the movie I was like "OK, it's a nice film but not near what the first film accomplished". Well, it's like they heard me, because the second half feels pretty much like the old ones!

The script uses actually some of the best concepts of the first two films. Joel Kinnaman does a pretty good job as both Alex Murphy and Robocop. He doesn't manage to steal the impression that Peter Weller made of course, but he truly does a good job. I hope we see more of him in the future.

All in all, to all those who, like me, had low expectations from this film: give it a chance. It's much better than what the abysmal trailers let you think. By the way, what is it with awful trailers to good films lately? First Pacific Rim and now this...

Oh, and there are sequel hooks for a movie that will be even closer to the originals. Here's hoping...

Epistrofi ton katharmaton (2003 Video)

The peak of cult b-movies!!!

[10/10 · 23 January 2006]

OK, for those who don't know, in the 80's Greece was a paradise for cult b-movies! There were films that were made to be just fun b-movies and they served that purpose well but there were also films that were made with serious intentions... And that made them even more ridiculous :D It was the decay of the once very good Greek cinema and we enjoy those works even today! "Ta Katharmata" (or "The Bastards" in English) were an example of the second category. It was hilarious!!! And now, 20 years later, we have the sequel which is probably one of the most cult b-movies ever shot! Not only in Greece, perhaps in the whole universe! Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's that bad!! I mean, seeing Apostolos Sougklakos in sex scenes that last 10 minutes is one thing. But the whole thing is so messed up!! Ah, the lines they deliver... The actors... I doubt Tsachiridis and Pitsilos had played in anything for about a decade but now we see them both again in their full b-movie glory!!! When I saw this movie with my friends we just couldn't stop laughing!! My heart ached afterwards from all that laughter. Yeah, the 80's are back and this is the greatest proof of all!!! Fellow b-movie fans worldwide: take my advice and search for this movie. Surely it must be somewhere on the internet, what the hell. You won't regret it. In fact you will keep this DVD like a jewel. And don't forget to check out the 11-minute commentary of Pitsilos on the classic Greek cult films of the 80's. I just wish he had included a few more! I would just like to end this review by saying that I have had the honour to meet Apostolos Sougklakos in person. My father used to be a wrestler too and they are friends. But although I had already seen plenty of his films when I met him, I hadn't seen this one yet. I just hope I will meet him again soon! Man, this movie is a monument

The Girl of Your Dreams (1998)

Quite entertaining besides its flaws

[7/10 · 5 July 2005]

OK, I've never been a great fan of Penelope Cruz, but I was going to take my Spanish exams two weeks before I watched this film and I thought it would be good practice. I was pleasantly surprised! The movie takes place in 1938 and shows the story of a Spanish film crew, one that is funded by Franco, which is invited by Goebels to Germany to make a Spanish and a German version of the film "La Nina De Tus Ojos" (freely translated into something like "The Girl Of Your Dreams"). And when they arrive at the studios of UFA, the mayhem begins! First of all, I would like to note that this is a great production. It's obvious that plenty of money were thrown into it, a thing that is obvious in some scenes. There are some scenes that are very funny and some characters in general make you laugh from the moment they appear on screen. Personally I will never forget that dog in the beginning! You will know when you'll see it.

Trueba's directing is very good. Although I had heard his name before, I hadn't had the chance to watch some other movie of his before this one. I will try to in the future. He managed to keep the whole thing running, never making the viewer get bored at a single moment. And well, at those moments when the plot had started getting a bit slow, he threw in Penelope Cruz's breasts! What I didn't like was the political statements this movie tried to make. They seemed completely out of place and most of them were childish. First of all, all those arguments about the Jews that Cruz's character made hardly had anything to do with what was going on at the moment and they seemed as if they were forced. In fact, I can't understand why the Jewish character was there. He is the only one among the gypsies that were brought to the studio, or at least they don't show us any more. But the Germans didn't place Jews and gypsies in the same concentration camps! Anyway... Some times it just felt as if the producers hoped that they could sell this film to Hollywood (I hope you understand the connection). And of course the way they portrayed Goebels was way too cartoonish. Of course I know this is a comedy and Goebels had indeed some very ridiculous things going on about him and, yes, he did sleep with many actresses but well, they show him way too silly most of the times...

But if you set aside the moments where the story tries to make itself look really serious, this is a good and very enjoyable film. In fact, sometimes you will be surprised by the skill Trueba shows here. Spanish cinema has been giving us many gems in the last few years and I hope it will continue this way!

EuroTrip (2004)

Lots of fun!

[9/10 · 5 July 2005]

I remember first noticing this movie when it came to the theatres here... Back then I wasn't really thinking of going and watching it. I thought "well, just another silly American comedy that will probably be using European stereotypes to force some faint laughs. i won't see it in the theatre but I will rent it on DVD"... Don't get me wrong, I love the stupid teenage comedy genre with the obscene characters and all the things they go through. In fact seeing that it was made by the same guys who made Road Trip, I knew this would make me laugh. But when I had seen Road Trip in the theatre, I felt that it was actually a film that is made for home viewing. It's enjoyed much better that way.

Anyway, I have to admit that I was wrong in some of the adjectives I used above. Yes, it is an American comedy, and it does use European stereotypes, but it's not silly at all and the laughs are not faint! In fact it's hilarious! Of course I rented the uncut version and the first 25 minutes had me hitting the sofa! And then, when the journey begins everything remains just as funny! OK, some of the stereotypes they are using are too far-fetched. I imagine that if I was a Slovakian I would be insulted by some of the things they show and I'll totally understand any guy from that country who bashes on the movie. But the viewer can understand that even these moments weren't put there with any bad intention, the writers (who are also directors) just wanted to make everything even more obscene! And it really worked... Even though, as a fan of English football, I laughed when I saw Manchester United having hooligans! (come on, where are the mighty Leeds United, Chelsea, West Ham or Millwall? Oh, I forgot, Man Utd sells in the last few years more than any other team in the world...) Oh, and "Scotty Doesn't Know" is awesome! Man, what a pain for that guy... FIONAAAAAAA!!!! Overall, for me this film deserves to be placed at the top of its genre together with the American Pie series. Although I wouldn't like to see them making a sequel of this one. It's great as it is. If someone wants a great evening laughing, then I highly recommend a rental!

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Now that's an EPIC movie!!

[8/10 · 3 March 2005]

When I went with a friend of mine to see this movie I expected the standard Ben Stiller thing: obscene characters and crazy jokes, some of them successful, some of the not. But I enjoyed it a lot more! There were parts during the film when I was stuck on the back of the chair laughing! This movie is really EPIC! Well, in its own way of course. It's one of those sports movies where the good guys always win at the last crucial moment of the final match... well, kind of. This film works at times a lot like a great parody of these movies! Hell, just take a look at the cameos!!

I recommend it to anyone who wants to have two pleasant hours. You won't regret it!

The Confession (1970)

Thrilling and fascinating!

[9/10 · 21 December 2004]

I'll start this review by saying that although I do consider Gavras to be a very good and skillful director, at the same moment I consider him overrated by many, at least according to the films I have seen of him (Z, Mad City and Amen). However, in this film he really left me at some moments breathless! The film is set in an unnamed communist state of Eastern Europe, a satellite of the USSR. The main character had recently reached the Supreme Council of the Party by being appointed Minister. He has a rich history behind him as a communist fighter and politician. However, one morning, some guys from the secret police arrest him (and others as we later find out), throw him in a cell, try to break his will and make him confess of his unloyalty to the Party, something that he never committed though. Of course it is the Soviets who demanded his imprisonment and confession and the puppet government has to oblige.

We had this film shown at the university here two weeks ago and I really couldn't understand why some guys found it "boring". It showed things that seem really barbarous to us now but they DID happen to MANY people back then. And many of them did not have the influence the character of this film had. I suppose the people who made this criticism judge a movie by how many explosions and cold jokes it has in it but that's not the point here. This movie HAD to have a slow pacing in order to show how hard it is for the days to pass in this madhouse-prison.

The acting is great, especially from Yves Montand and all those actors who play the crazy communist officials :p It's thrilling to see the character's facial expressions change throughout the film showing suspicion at first before he gets arrested... then shock... then despair... and then plain stubbornness and exhaustion. It's obvious that everyone took this film very seriously and thus the great performances! Another thing that surprised me and was also mentioned by the (unfortunately only) other reviewer of this film is that it was shot in 1971. This is noticeable on its own, because it was a time that not only the Soviet Union was still strong (with Brezniev trying to show a "nicer" but also stronger face to the world) but the Communist Party in France had also great support and numbers of voters. I would like to know more about how the French audience reacted when the film was screened for the first time back then...

Overall, it is a movie that I would recommend anyone watching. It is a good and graphic display of how far the demands of power can reach and the paranoid mentality of the Cold War (and it would be wise to remember that this mentality and these incidents did not only take place in the East side but in the West as well). If you find it on VHS (since I doubt that it is released on DVD) just grab it!

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

My God, WOW!!

[10/10 · 12 December 2004]

Note that this review is for the Director's Cut. I hadn't watched this film at cinema but I saw the theatrical ending and I'm glad I waited to get it on DVD.

This movie is brilliant and left me with the mouth open every few minutes! And the DC ending left me totally speechless, I wanted to start clapping!! The whole time-traveling scenario is shown as it should be shown, with every minor change in the being able to affect major aspects of the future ("a butterfly's flight here can create a tornado at the other side of the world" as the chaos theory says). The acting was very good from all the major actors and even the kids were thrilling. Definitely a great movie that is really worth to be watched. As for those who liked the theatrical ending better, I better not speak because if I do this review isn't going to make it :p

I'm not the guy who buys DVD's but I've really started thinking about buying the Director's Cut edition. I just have to own this!

Three Kings (1999)

Very good!!!

[9/10 · 12 December 2004]

I had watched this movie when it was first released at cinema and I also watched it a while ago on TV. My opinion hasn't changed. It's a very good and pleasant film, a great way to spend a couple of hours!

The way it presents the first Gulf War is very ingenious with the satire of the soldiers' presence there and of the media coverage. The plot is also pretty nice, although not that original (I recall that film with Clint Eastwood and Hitler's gold) but all is well done. The characters are great and they give some very good laughs!

As for the cinematography I liked it a lot. I was pretty small during the Gulf War but I remember very well how the TV images from there looked like and I've also done a little research of my own on the subject. Well, this film recreates very well the atmosphere that the whole world lived back then while watching on the screens (let's not forget that the Gulf War was the first "tv war" ever) and I can't understand why some people complain so much about it.

Also, a higher vote is given from me to this film because it mentions Judas Priest (a few months before the story is set they had just released their legendary album "Painkiller")! Well, OK, it was about time they were mentioned somewhere :p Anyway, all in all, this is a very enjoyable film and I would advise everyone to rent it if they come across it. They won't regret it.

Valentine (2001)

I didn't really like it

[9 December 2004]

Well, I've always been a fan of good horror and slasher films and that's why I rented this movie, because it seemed like it would be a decent way to spend a Wednesday night. Unfortunately it let me down in many ways...

First of all, the plot isn't anything original. Here you have a guy with a story similar to that of Jason Voorhees and a mask similar to Mike Myers'. And of course he's killing to avenge those who destroyed his life! Of course, we have all loved movies with similar plots. But this one is too weak to be any likable, at least for me...

As for the characters and the acting... Nothing really special. In fact, if there wasn't Denise Richards I'd be yawning during a large part of the film. And I didn't feel like I cared for the character. This really became clear to me at the ending when the real identity of the murderer is left an open topic (was it Dorothy, was it Adam?) and I realized that I didn't really CARE who the murderer was because I hardly even cared about this bunch of people...

One thing that annoyed me in some scenes is how this movie really rips off from Halloween. Some shots of murders were like real copies of Halloween murders. Especially at the scene with Campbell's murder. Damn, even the poster of the movie reminds A LOT of Myers' mask (as I also stated above). Even at the behind the scenes documentary one production guy says that one of the director's main influences is Halloween!...

There were a couple of things I liked about this film though (besides Denise :p). For a little more than half of the movie there are many threads and possibilities left open as to who the murderer might be. Of course, in the beginning they use that cheap trick with that Jason guy (which shows that the writer didn't really know what he was doing), but overall it kept some interest in a movie that would otherwise be plain boring. I also liked the art gallery scene with the video maze, I found it very original and the murder scene there was the only one I found really good. That's all that the film had to offer for me.

Overall, I give it a 4/10. You won't cry for your money if you rent you won't miss a thing if you don't watch it. Enough said!

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs (1987–1988)

Man, how I used to love this series!!!

[29 November 2004]

A few hours ago me and some friends of mine had a talk about the cartoons we were watching when we were kids... And Saber Rider was one of those everyone agreed was really AWESOME!! Here in Greece, this series used to be EXTREMELY popular when I was a kid back in the late 80's - early 90's (like most things back then, it took a couple of years for it to make it here).

One of the things I remember most distinctly is the theme.. Man, especially when the narrator tells the summary of the episode and there is that guitar solo on the background... Fantastic! One of our friends even remembered certain plots, such as the one with Jessy Blue and the covalt cannon (those who remember, know exactly how much that trouble that guy brought to our heroes)!

Anyway, to all anime fans out there I recommend this with all my heart. Surely, those giant-robot elements aren't very original (but served quite well for the times of giant-robot comparisons back in the age of innocence :p) however you're really going to enjoy it a lot. Pick a few episodes up, especially if you can from the later seasons and take a journey to the worlds of the New Frontier...