docnova-264-364862

I don't write too many reviews but I had to write a short one when I saw the low ratings for this cinematic gem. What do we watch movies for? Storytelling! What do some viewers and reviews want? Bullets and explosions? Perhaps they can't be bothered with subtitles? What an age we live in :(

Alpha is the classic story of man and his trusted best friend, the faithful dog. Though in this case Alpha is a wolf and perhaps the original ancestral mother of the domesticated dog. Every scene was beautifully shot and the relationship between the lead actor and dog (probably a husky or malamute) was evident and real. If you cried when Lassie came home when you were a kid, then you're going to love this movie. I really enjoyed this one. I honestly believe this movie would have been rated higher if the short dialogue was in English and 'The Revenant' hadn't set the standard for surviving the harsh elements of Mother Nature in a movie.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is the breed of dog. Thank you Wikipedia.

I can't believe the low rating of this movie so I had to write this short review. This is a pure example of how a low budget movie can leave a proper impression with the viewer. Well written character driven story. Slow built suspense and a perfectly paced story. Frank Grillo carries this movie on his own. And this is the directorial debut of Jeremy Rush who also wrote this movie. A serious talent! I would have given it 10 stars but I noticed a serious editing mistake. You can figure it out yourselves... :) Still worthy of 9 stars. I am reminded of a Tom Hardy movie 'Locke'. If you enjoyed 'Wheelman', I recommend the latter.

I was so looking forward to this release. 'Pitch Black' was original and 'Chronicles' was a superb follow up and is one of my favourite syfy movies of all time. When 'Chronicles' didn't quite make back its budget at the box office, I thought it would be shelved forever but the DVD sales were impressive afterwards and has placed the movie into cult status. So of course I was delighted that a third film went into production. From the beginning, we were all aware that the budget was significantly reduced and the story would be based around a 'Pitch Black' scenario - trapped on a planet and alien creatures. So I wasn't expecting the gloss of 'Chronicles' but still be on par with 'Pitch'.

I must admit, the first 30 minutes were very entertaining until the moment he adopts Pluto. And when the 2 groups of mercs landed, the film fell into the vortex of stupidity. Then the ending where Johns has a change of heart and rescues our antihero, the franchise has run its course in my eyes.

I will still give the movie 5 stars. Vin Diesel does right by Riddick and my main complaint is the script. The reduced budget did effect the CGI in some parts and made it like a 90's movie but the script just fell to pieces.

One of the trailers I saw for this movie should be given an award. It must be an art form to be able to edit and portray a lemon like this movie into a gem. I was so looking forward to seeing this but I was still cautious because I know trailers can be off the mark from previous experiences.

'Gangster Squad' is a completely different film from what I was expecting, it was actually a farce. It had everything going for it, a superb cast, good locations and based on true events. It's first major fault was the director. My belief is that the director is the key factor in any production, the same as a conductor in an orchestra. You can have the finest musicians at your disposal but if you're clueless as to how to coordinate them, the result is disastrous. Sean Penn, who is one of the finest actors around, came across as a 'Dick Tracy' villain. And the other actors were not far behind for OTT performances.

The second major fault was the screen writing. What utter tripe! At one point I thought I was actually watching a 'Dick Tracy' reboot. Clichés and plagiarism (the sound of the bullet shells hitting the floor was robbed from 'The Matrix' and the shootout in the lobby reminded me of 'The Untouchables' Union Station scene).

Only one good point, Emma Stone looked the part and could have starred with Bogart with ease. If you want a proper gangster movie, look up 'Miller's Crossing', 'Road to Perdition' and even 'The Untouchables' though Penn must have modeled himself on DeNiro's Capone. For a realistic feel of Los Angelus during this period, Eastwood's 'Changeling' and 'L.A. Confidential' and ultimately 'Chinatown'.

My advice is to skip this movie altogether. 2/10 is my rating, 1 point for Emma Stone and the second point for the movie trailer because it completely tricked me.

As I'm writing this review, 'Love/Hate' has been running for three seasons on Irish television, our own 'RTE'. In an age of multi-channels, this series slipped past me completely. I knew it was a new Irish drama but I wasn't bothered to look it up. First of all, the title. I thought it was a new mini-series about infidelity among the Celtic Tiger boomers hitting the hard times in Dublin during this recession. And secondly, it was an 'RTE' production whose past track record for drama has been very poor and moderate.

How wrong I was. I have never heard so many friends rave about a series before the new year and to my surprise, it was this 'Love/Hate'. So I watched the pilot yesterday and 10 minutes into it, I knew I had found a gem (emerald, excuse the Irish pun). And 16 episodes and some sore eyes later, I can honestly say this is one of the best series I have ever come across. It is gritty, tragic and even painfully funny at times. Most of the characters are polished and involving and the writing is groundbreaking especially for Irish TV. This won't be to everyone's taste but if you are reading this, you are already interested in it's promise and will not be disappointed.

Been Irish myself, you may say that I'm being biased, but I would be the first to criticize any production that was below par from any country. I just hope that this series can get it's feet onto the international scene and give recognition to it's creator/writer Stuart Carolan and director David Caffrey. I think my review is only the ninth to be written here and by right, there should be a hundred. If America could pick this series up, on the East Coast around NY and Boston, it would go viral as far as Australia and beyond.

So now there's hope for more new drama in Ireland for the future. Hats off to 'RTE', they finally got with the times. And now a 9 month wait for season 4. I have no problem giving 'Love/Hate' 10/10.

I caught this one by pure chance without any knowledge of it and what a visual treat! I soon recognized the style of cinematography, the same director as 'The Cell' - Tarsem Singh, who seemingly funded this movie on his own.

Two stories intertwined, the hospital where the bedridden storyteller Roy and the little girl Alexandria meet, and then the fairytale come to life in beautiful detail. The actors were brilliant and the locations were out of this world! The screenplay was so tight and only after the end credits did everything fall into place. Superbly done! The sinister tension near the end was almost unbearable, reminded me of Gillian's 'Tideland'.

The interaction between the two leads is fantastic. It is the injured stuntman's story (a way for Roy to entice the girl to help him obtain some pills) but it is from Alexandria's perspective and imagination that we see the fairytale blossom. And what an imagination! Set in 1920s Los Angelus, it was the time for advancement of the moving picture. Alexandria is fascinated by light and photography without even knowing it herself. She had never seen a movie. The inverted image of the horse through the keyhole onto the wall intrigues her deeply. You will hope she eventually escapes the grove and follows this path for a few days after watching this one, so much is the impact.

A must see for any decent movie lover!