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Now You See Me (2013) Directed by Louis Leterrier

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 7:40 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



Perhaps I'm just weird about certain things but I don't like movies about illusionists. Thing that annoys me about them is that they can make things as crazy as they want, without having to explain anything. And yes, this movie also features all sort of implausible magic tricks in it. It feels like cheating! It should be a law, that when you decide to do a movie about illusionists, you are only allowed to use actual magic tricks and no 'movie magic'.

But besides all of that, this movie has plenty of other problems in it as well. The premise actually still sounded kind of nice and promising to me but I was absolutely annoyed and disappointed by the way certain things played out.

It believes that keep pulling rabbits out of the hat and stack surprise upon surprise, equals being a clever and surprising movie. But more often than not, things just don't add up too well. It's a typical example of a movie that thinks it's being more clever than it in fact truly is. As a matter of fact, the movie is a very lazily written one in some regards. It mostly relies on coincidences and other conveniences for its story. When looking back at this movie, you have to agree on it that certain things just don't make any sense or add up too well, no matter whether you liked the overall movie or not.

And it still is a very easy movie to like. I mean, sure, it's an entertaining one to watch. It has a constant fast pace and some fine actors, that help to keep you interested in the movie, all throughout. It's not the fun heist movie I expected it to be but it certainly is not without its entertainment.

Thing that still at the same time annoys me about its pace is that it's trying to go to fast at times. Sometimes the camera literally can't stand still and it keeps swirling all over the place, even when not an awful lot is happening. No, I'm not talking about shaky cam but swirly cam...shaky cam's lesser known but far more annoying cousin!

Guess you could say that the foremost thing this movie has going for it, is its cast. Not all characters are equally likable but the actors playing them still give a fine performance. I particularly liked Mark Ruffalo and Woody Harrelson in this movie.

Really, calling this movie a terrible one would be crazy in my opinion. It actually, despite everything, still succeeds to bring some entertainment, some good snappy type of dialog and fine performances by its cast. I just wasn't too fond of its story however and the way certain things played out.

6/10

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Trailer #2: Now You See Me (2013)

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 10:19 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

FBI agents track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine and others
Current release date: May 31, 2013

Trailer: Now You See Me (2013)

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 5:21 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,

FBI agents track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine and others
Current release date: June 7, 2013

Danny the Dog (2005) Directed by Louis Leterrier

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 6:27 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 20 August 2008)

It's as easy as 1 + 1 = 2. This movie features a ridiculous concept and therefor the movie as a whole is a ridiculous one to watch. The title "Danny the Dog" should already say enough. Beats me why these fine actors ever agreed to appear in this movie.
No, I seriously didn't hated watching this movie but I can't really understand either why so many people love this movie. Yes, well it is a different and original movie but its concept just doesn't ever make me take this movie seriously. The movie tries to blend material arts action with serious drama. It could had worked out and it does work out in several other, mainly Asian, movies but I didn't found the story of this movie to be gripping and believable and therefor it just didn't worked out for me.
Two persons are taking Danny in their home and they don't seem to find it strange at all that he doesn't speak much and doesn't know and understand much of our world. Instead of finding out what happened to him and or where he comes from and don't notify the right authorities, like any other normal person in such a situation would do, they feed him and care him and take the time to learn him things about everything in the world and emotions and feelings. They adopt him like a son and brother, even though they know nothing about him.
The movie begins fine and stylish but as soon as the drama and serious plot line of the movie kicks in the movie becomes quite dreadful to watch. After an hour it starts to take up pace again and the movie begins to get better to watch again when the action starts to kick in again. Louis Leterrier is obviously a capable action director as he also showed "The Incredible Hulk". This movie was his directorial debut, after working as assistant director in several big productions before. I must say that he could had done a lot worse directing wise. It's not the movie its style or directing fault that the movie isn't really a great or effective one. It the typical new French action and enjoyable style of directing, which also can be seen in for instance movies from Luc Besson, who also produced and wrote this movie and no doubt helped out fellow Frenchman Louis Leterrier, with who he had worked before on several occasions. You could say that its the action that still makes this movie good and interesting. Everything else is just blah.
Of course it are also the actors that still makes this a watchable movie. Not that Jet Li is a wonderful actor but Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman are of course always excellent in any movie. Jet Li is mostly there to provide the movie with its spectacular action and he shows why he should never been given too much lines.
A mixed bag but the movie remains mostly watchable thanks to its action sequences from Jet Li and directing style from Louis Leterrier.
6/10


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The Incredible Hulk (2008) Directed by Louis Leterrier

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 6:10 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 13 July 2008)

Seems like I'm one of the very few who actually liked Ang Lee's "Hulk". It was a movie that failed to attract and please the majority of people. Still they obviously thought there was lots of potential with the Hulk character for further movies and therefore 5 years later this movie got released, which is not a sequel to Ang Lee's "Hulk" and instead is a re-telling and re-establishment of the Hulk character. It ignores the facts from the first movie and doesn't very much concentrate on the Hulk origins or emotional aspect of Bruce Banner but it's more a movie that comes straight to the point and cuts to the chase immediately, so to speak. "The Incredible Hulk" is bigger, has more action and far more potential to please the mainstream crowd. It also of course obviously has as a result that the movie is rather simple.
Not only the director is different this time (Louis Leterrier) but also the cast is. Edward Norton seems like an unlikely choice for such a big mainstream blockbuster but he of course is more than a capable actor and therefore also pulls off just fine. Still I liked Eric Bana's more humane and emotional performance of Bruce Banner in "Hulk", despite the fact that I think Edward Norton is a better actor. But to be honest I liked every actor and performance from "Hulk" better than was the case with this movie. Liv Tyler replaced Jennifer Connelly as Betty Ross and William Hurt replaced Sam Elliott as general Ross. Completely new characters are being played by Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky and Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns, who are again, two actors who don't seem like very likely choices for such a big summer blockbuster but work out just fine for the movie. Of course especially Tim Roth, as the movie its main villain. Still funny though that a supposedly Russian character speaks with such a fat British accent. It was good though to see him in a big production again. He had been out of the picture for too long.
Of course this is no movie that pays particularly much attention to its story. Once you start over-analyzing it you'll find plenty of plot-holes and the movie leaves more questions then answers. But of course you shouldn't think too much about this though, for "The Incredible Hulk" is just not this kind of movie. It's a movie that is supposed to bring entertainment and at this it really does not fail.
This is obviously a movie that cost some serious money to make. With its budget around $150,000,000, this is a real big summer blockbuster. The money can mostly be seen back on screen with some big action sequences. I actually have to admit that some of the action is the best I've seen in recent years. It's of course also a movie that relies heavily on its CGI, for its Hulk character mostly. The special effects are simply great though so it shouldn't really ever 'trouble' you that this is a CGI heavy movie. This is also due to the directing approach of the movie, that shows the Hulk often more as a mysterious and dark creature who moves around in the shadows. The camera doesn't zoom all the time right into the Hulk or the villainous Abomination. They often instead more walk around in the background and the camera doesn't get a clear focus on them, as if it's 'bigfoot' footage, or the Loch Ness monster. This amateur, shaky, unclear looking style that has become recently popular for movies and is a style that I like very much for movies and also truly works out well for this particular movie.
It's a movie that shows that the Hulk and superhero movie genre in particular still has plenty of potential in it. The movie also hints at possible sequels and even for movies in which multiple Marvel comic book heroes are going to team up. I would pay money to see it happen all!
Even though I don't think it's the best the genre has to offer, it simply was a movie that I very much enjoyed watching.
7/10


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