THE EQUALIZER - Movie Review

 Title: The Equalizer
Running Time: 132 min
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Martin Czokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, Johnny Skourtis, David Harbour

Review:
With "Taken" Liam Neeson found a new niche in Hollywood: Old men kicking a ton of ass. Since then, more and more movies have been trying their luck with this concept and eventhough Denzel Washington had already been kicking butts before his hair got grey, "The Equalizer" can probably be considered one of those attempts. And it worked out pretty damn well!

This film is a terrific action piece that really gives you goosebums in its most brutal moments. Revolving around a guy with a shady past, forced out of 'retirement' to go kill some bad guys, it actually seems like a pretty straight forward story. However, it is elevated by the great performances of its actors. Of course we've got our leading man, Denzel Washington, who shows us time and again that he is a true movie star. While the depiction of his character's good and warm side is mostly found within this dialogues, the darkness that lies underneath is almost exclusively presented through Washingtons body language and facial expression. Here, he puts a lot in the details and gives a perfekt example of how much one can say with very little. Opposing him is Martin Czokas, giving a performance that might as well be an audition for a Bond villain. Calm, but unpredictale, he brings tension to every scene he is in. The interaction between those two is very fun to watch, because dispite their differences, they are actually quite similar in their way of doing things. Chloe Grace Moretz' part is smaller than the trailers suggested, but she too does a very good job, assuring us that her career isn't doomed just because she started as a child actress.

Furthermore, the camera work needs to be mentioned here as well. The varied choices of angles and especially movement beautifully underline the characters' positions and inner processes, be it the total control of the situation or a feeling of restlessness. But since this is an action flick, let's come to the actual action,... which is awesome! Nicely choreographed and again cleverly filmed, it has a realism to its brutality that gives you the chills. There are some elements that you have seen before, but even those are executed well enough that you won't mind at all.

Sure, this movie is not flawless as it has a couple of scenes that don't really add to the story and could have easily been cut. Also there are one or two conveniences that feel like their sole purpose is to keep the plot moving and interesting. But "The Equalizer" is an extremely entertaining action film nonetheless, and the movie for you, if you want to see a super bad ass Denzel Washington one man show!

For Fans Of:

Man On Fire (2004)

Killer Elite (2011)

Safe House (2012)

Taken (2008)

 Click Here To Watch Trailer!

GONE GIRL - Movie Review

 Title: Gone Girl
Running Time: 149 min
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Kim Dickens

Review:
David Fincher is one of the greatest directors of our time. Gaining popularity with dark thrillers like "Se7en" and the cult hit "Fight Club", he later even managed to enthrall us with Dramas such as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Social Network", both of which, though lighter in tone, had the same emotional impact as their predecessors. Most recently, he also headed for the small screen producing and at times directing the incredible political series "House Of Cards". So is it save to say that he won't disappoint this time either? Hell yeah!
"Gone Girl" is a fantastic movie! Despite its two-and-a-half hour running time, it constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat, giving you enough twists and turns to have you wanting to know what happens next at any moment. Fincher achieves this with an excellent atmosphere and has you being empathetic, skeptical, curious, but most of them all: extremely creeped out! Yet, the film has much more going on for it than the mystery of a missing women. Critically examining topics like the influence of the media as well as the concept of marriage, it touches you on many different levels.
Another strike of genius is the cast. Everyone involved in this movie is giving an exceeding performance. Ben Affleck is the perfect choice for Nick Dunne, most likely channeling his own bad experiences with the public for his portrayal. Quite often, he shares the screen with Carrie Coon, who delivers such fine acting that you wonder why we haven't seen much of her until now. Also surprisingly convincing in their against-type roles are Neil Patrick Harris and even more so Tyler Perry, who delivers the few natural laughs of this film. The most captivating performance however, was given by Rosamund Pike, who has never been better. Through the many flashbacks in the movie, we learn  more and more about the relationship of our two protagonist, and with every bit we get more unsure of what is really going on.
The only "problem" with this movie is that the climax comes a tiny bit too early and eventhough the tension doesn't drop to zero (it acually never does in this film), ending the film a few scenes earlier wouldn't have hurt its overall feeling.
Still, "Gone Girl" is a brilliant multi-layered thriller that manages to put a packed movie theater under its spell. It catches you off guard and is definitely one of the greatest movies this year. A must-see! 

For Fans Of:
Zodiac (2007)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009/2011)
Black Swan (2010)
We Need To Talk about Kevin (2011)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion! 

NORTHMEN - Movie Review

Title: Northmen - A Viking Saga
Running Time: 97 min
Director: Claudio Fäh
Starring:  Tom Hopper, Ryan Kwanten, Charlie Murphey, Ed Skrein, Anatole Taubman, Ken Duken, Darrel D'Silva, James Norton, Johan Hegg

Review:
It's not every day, that Switzerland, Germany and Southafrica team-up to make an English language film about Vikings, which is including a british rapper and the lead singer of a swedish death-metal band in its cast. Therefore, no one quite knew what to expect from this tale of stranded warriors, who find themseleves in enemy territory: The Scottish Highlands.
"Northmen - A Viking Saga" really isn't a masterpiece, but entertaining nonetheless. For a movie produced by such relatively small studios, the film is actually pretty good looking. Strong contrasts, impressive landscapes, bad ass villain costumes and some inventive fight scenes are a lot of fun to watch and give this movie a bigger feel. The actors are all doing fine, most notably: Ed Skrein. This former "Game of Thrones" actor shows us that he can put on a game face and throw a hard punch, which is good to see since he'll take over the wheel for Jason Statham in the upcoming "The Transporter Legacy".
What this film suffers from, however, is its pretty generic plot. You'll find your typical group dynamics: the young leader, who has the responsibility to make the tough calls; a rude douche, who doubts the leaders decisions; that boyish, yet ambitious character; a loyal fighter; an older nice guy; the comic-relief-guy; an ally made along the way who might-or-might-not-be trustworthy; and of course the beautiful but feisty captured princess, who's character development needs no explanation.
Further, the writers must have taken some drug that kicks in very slowly while conceiving this script, because the movie starts off quite serious, but, especially towards the very end, gets a bit crazy when it comes to the mortality of their characters. Also, the fact that people seem to be just as fast as horses, and that the bad guy army varies in size however it is convenient to the plot, strips off this film's gravitas.
In the end, "Northmen - A Viking Saga" is an action adventure certainly meant with a wink. Definetly not a must-see, but if you ever come across it, you probably won't regret it.

For Fans Of:
Vikings (2013 - TV Series)
Solomon Kane (2009)
10.000 B.C. (2008)
Season of the Witch (2011)

Click Here To Watch Trailer!