[5.50/10] Red State (2011)

Red State (2011)

Brief review: In its core, "Red State" is definitely a horror movie, even though it doesn't really feel like one. On one hand, it fails do deliver any real scares and thrills along the way, but on the other hand, this extreme fundamentalist Christian madness and denial of modern reality is nothing short of terrifying and utterly disturbing. Kevin Smith is that type of director that you ether love or hate, because he's a bit hard-to-get as a filmmaker. His films are a too weird and pretentious for mass tastes, and "Red State" is no exception. Here, Smith's direction often lacks focus and cohesion, the pacing drags a bit too much, and the movie is full of unnecessarily extended scenes that get tiresome real soon. Having said that, the script is clever and exceptionally well-written, and allows the entire cast to shine. "Red State" is worth-seeing for the performances alone. Academy Award winner Melissa Leo steals the show with her sensational performance as the brainwashed, yet tough believer, Sara. Michael Parks is absolutely brilliant as the manipulative crazy preacher, Abin Cooper, and Kerry Bishé delivers excellent performance as the innocent and caring Cheyenne. The rest of the cast does a great job as well, with Stephen Root and John Goodman being the standouts.

Overall summary: Believable, well acted and thoroughly disturbing, yet quite pretentious, too talky and visually dull, "Red State" fails in its ambition to be a subtle horror, dark comedy and action thriller all at once, and ends up being a mess that can't cope with its own weirdness.

[6.75/10] Sint a.k.a. Saint (2011)

Sint a.k.a. Saint (2011)

Brief review: Last year's Finnish horror movie "Rare Exports" showed us the evil side of Santa Claus. This year, Netherlands brings us more 'holiday' horror fun in "Saint" - a horror comedy that depicts St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who murders children when there is a full moon on Dec 5. The best thing about this Dutch horror movie is that it never takes itself too seriously and shows us what a great sense of humor its director actually has. Dick Maas knows perfectly that his film is superficial, but he demonstrates imagination, originality, and some good skills behind the camera, offering us a horror comedy that is well-balanced, entertaining, action-packed, and visually effective, but most of all, fun to watch. Set in the murky, yet beautiful Amsterdam, "Saint" captivates the eye with its gloomy visuals, atmospheric snowy settings and stylish cinematography that suits the dark tone of the film. The make-up and gore effects are also spot-on. Although it's far from scary, "Sint" is quite creepy and gory and there a few jump-of-your-seat moments that will raise your adrenaline. All the actors do a good job in portraying their characters, though you may struggle to figure out which characters are the main, and which are the secondary.

Overall summary: Despite its ridiculous premise, "Sint" remains a unique, clever, and finely-executed little gem of a horror comedy, that provides some good laugh, decent scares, tons of gore, and a surreal dark holiday atmosphere that makes it perfect to watch on Halloween.

[6.50/10] Secuestrados a.k.a. Kidnapped (2011)

Secuestrados

a.k.a.

Kidnapped (2011)

Brief review: Spaniards are great at making horror films, and "Secuestrados" is another proof for that. Although it's often predictable and not at all original, "Kidnapped" manages to shock the viewer with its harshness, graphic violence and utter brutality, thanks to the solid script and Miguel Ángel Vivas' stark and uncompromising direction that leaves very little to imagination. The acting is definitely the highlight of the movie. Fernando Cayo, Ana Wagener and Manuela Vellés all give an extremely believable performances as the abducted family, and make you feel connected with their characters. The ravishers also deliver. Dritan Biba does a fantastic job as the cruel leader, Guillermo Barrientos is the 'good guy', and Martijn Kuiper is definitely the most disturbing and intimidating of all the three. As most 'home invasion' films, "Kidnapped" is set mainly indoors, and although the house setting is beautiful, luxurious and modern, it gets a bit monotonous and uninteresting after a while. However, considering the low budget of the movie, the production designer has done a great job in creating a family-friendly environment that later on somewhat 'transforms' into a grim and gloomy setting, due to the all tragic circumstances. And that's a hard thing to achieve.

Overall summary: It's no "Mother's Day", but "Secuestrados" is still a brutal, terrifyingly realistic, and shockingly violent horror thriller that may leave you speechless as the credits roll, and also one of the better and most memorable 'home invasion' flicks released over the past decade.

[4.25/10] La herencia Valdemar II: La sombra prohibida a.k.a. The Valdemar Legacy II (2011)

La herencia Valdemar II:
La sombra prohibida
a.k.a.
The Valdemar Legacy II (2011)

Brief review: Last year, Spanish newcomer José Luis Alemán surprised us with "La herencia Valdemar" - a stylishly old-fashioned 'haunted house' horror thriller that delivered. Sadly, in 2011 he brings us a sub-par sequel that doesn't do justice to the original. At all. It's kinda hard to believe that Alemán has directed both films, since the first movie and this one barely have something in common in terms of execution, visual style and plot development. While the original was beautifully-shot, well-acted and gripping from beginning to the end, this sequel suffers from clumsy pacing, unengaging characters, Alemán's confused and uninspired direction, and a plot that feels all over the place and never really comes together. Visually, "La herencia Valdemar II" also fails to surpass its predecessor or to make a big impression. The film is lacking in production values, the settings are nowhere nearly as eerie and atmospheric as in the first movie, the cinematography is bland, and the special effects are quite poor, except for the well-designed CGI creature that appears at the end. The performances are also disappointing and forgettable, as it seems like almost all the actors involved don't really care about their (flat) characters and the movie as a whole.

Overall summary: Unlike its solid, creepy and nicely-crafted predecessor, "La herencia Valdemar II" is a huge step in the wrong direction, and despite its exciting final act, it feels rushed, contrived, unimaginative, and it's quite tedious for most of its running time.

[7.50/10] Final Destination 5 [3D] (2011)

Final Destination 5 [3D] (2011)

Brief review: The Final Destination franchise had its ups and downs over the years, but the 2011 installment is a true breath of fresh air and, in fact, tons of fun. Plot-wise, "FD 5" brings nothing new to the table, however, director Steven Quale's inventive direction and a few clever twists here and there make up for the lack of originality. The acting is decent from everyone involved, except for Nicholas D'Agosto. He appears a bit stiff in his role as Sam, and not very convincing at all. The rest of the cast is okay, with Jacqueline Wood being the eye-candy, and Miles Fisher - the standout. The visuals are definitely the strongest and slickest in the series so far. The bridge sequence in particular is nothing short of spectacular. The demolition of the bridge is so realistic and superbly-crafted, it feels like watching a tragic event on the news, rather than a horror movie sequence. "FD 5" is all about the deaths though. Every single one of the death scenes is executed to perfection, delightfully gross and in-your-face gory. You'll find yourself covering your eyes and turning your head off, but at the same time, deep inside, you'll be satisfied by the extreme graphicness of it. The 3D is well-used, beyond effective, and certainly adds to the horrific experience.

Overall summary: Although it's basically more-of-the-same, "FD 5" is almost a masterpiece compared to its dreadful predecessor, plus, thanks to its uber-creative death scenes, fantastic gore effects, and great use of 3D, this installment can be easily considered the best of the series.

Blogfest: Nebular's "Filthy" Dozen - The 12 Worst Movies Ever

Worst Movies Ever Blogfest:

My 12 Most-Hated Movies of All Time

[in alphabetical order]

My great friend, Alex J. Cavanaugh, hosts his 5th blogfest, and this time, it's all about the movies yet again. However, there's a twist. It's not about our favorite ones, but about those we hate and despise, which is a rather cool idea. Thanks for the awesome blogfest, Alex!

Over the years, I've seen tons of dumb, rotten, hideous and downright unwatchable movies, but those 12 listed below are definitely the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. Check out my "Filthy Dozen" list, and let's see if you agree with me or not. :) I bet there are many worse films then those I list, but thankfully I haven't watched them. :)

Alone in the Dark (2005)

Uwe Boll constantly proves himself as one of the worst film-makers working today, and his video game-based piece of crap,"Along in the Dark", is probably the most stupid, uninspired, poorly-crafted and laughably terrible movie I've ever seen.

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)

I've never been so bored by a movie in my life, like I was bored by this one. Without a single interesting moment, "Ballistic" is hands down the dullest and most tedious action movie ever made. Period.

Barb Wire (1996)

Do I really need to say something about this film? It's all so obvious: Pam Anderson stars as a badass chick in a futuristic(?!) action thriller...!!! You're kidding me, right? This girl's brain has more silicone in it than her tits do.

Delta Farce (2007)

A "Delta Force" spoof, huh? Who's "brilliant" idea was that? "Farce" is an absolute comedic disaster and I hated every second of it!

Disaster Movie (2008)

There are decent spoofs, there are bad spoofs, there are some truly terrible spoofs, and then there's "Disaster Movie", that definitely lives up to its title.

D-Tox a.k.a. Eye See You (2000)

Slashers could not get any worse the that. This so-called killer-chiller has everything awful you could think of - cliches, predictability, lack of imagination, and... Sylvester Stallone.

FearDotCom (2002)

Fear my ass. This sadistic junk of a movie not only lacks scares, thrills and chills big time, but it's also one of the most ugly-looking and visually-sloppy horror movies ever created.

House of the Dead (2003)

Surprise, surpriiise! Another Uwe Boll film... which automatically means another pathetic effort! "House of the Dead" was so unbelievably horrible and so bloody dumb, I quit watching after 15 minutes.

Jason X (2002)

The "Friday 13th" films are by no means masterpieces, but this one clearly crossed the line of the acceptable. Jason Vorhees looks like cheap robot and slaughters people in space. How ridiculous is that?!

Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow (1994)

Painfully unfunny, terribly-made
and full of WTF moments, this 6th sequel of "Police Academy" is just as stupid as it sounds.

Rollerball (2002)

This remake of the 1975 "Rollerball" is choppy, ludicrous, terribly-acted, boring as hell, and completely unnecessary. I still can't believe I paid to see this shitty snooze-fest. Worst movie ever? Hell yeah!

Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)

"Urban Legends: Final Cut" is a poor sequel to a mediocre original. It's as simple as that. It features a boring killer, even more boring plot and out-of-this-world stupid characters. Pure slasher garbage!

Dishonorable mentions:

Wild Orchid (1990), Bats (1999), Watcher (2001), Valentine (2001), Soul Survivors (2001), Half Past Dead (2002), The Order (2003), Absolon (2003), The Thirst (2006), Meet the Spartans (2008)

[6.00/10] Atrocious (2011)

Atrocious (2011)

QuickRating: This Spanish 'found footage' horror flick is kind of a slow-burner, and despite its 75 min running time, it feels a bit too long and dragged out, because of its unimaginative plot, however, "Atrocious" delivers some believable performances, a couple of truly tense and chilling moments, and a shocking twist at the end, that not only works well, but also manages to make up for the screenplay's shortcomings.

[4.00/10] Shark Night [3D] (2011)

Shark Night [3D] (2011)

Full review: Being a big fan of shark-related movies and judging from "Shark Night"'s cool poster and previews, I expected this film to be pure mindless entertainment. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Despite the countless cliches, "Shark Night 3D" is quite watchable at first, even moderately fun at times, however, after the reveal of how the sharks have gotten into the lake, the movie gets dumber and dumber with each next scene, and turns into a big fat "fishy" mess, that hardly makes any sense. I can't believe I'm saying this, but if it was more straight-forward, it could have been a lot better and a lot more fun to watch than it actually was. The scares are also lacking big time, except for the fact that there are a couple of sudden shark attacks, that might make you jump out of your seat. "Final Destination 2" director, David R. Ellis, does a pretty good job in the first half of the movie, delivering plenty of creative and diverse camera angles, yet unfortunately, his direction goes absolutely out of control later on, and turns from decent to amateurishly lame. Maybe, in the right hands, "Shark Night" could have been a great silly fun, but sadly, it's just silly. The most (unpleasantly) surprising thing about this movie is, that the special effects are shockingly bad and poorly-executed. During the underwater scenes, the sharks and their movements look so cartoonishly fake and the CGI work is so obvious, it's laughable. The 3D ranges from decent to completely hideous, and adds nothing to the visuals of the movie, nor to the overall experience. On a positive note though, the scenery is beautiful, and the lake itself - absolutely glorious. Acting-wise, "Shark Night 3D" also disappoints. The entire cast is incredibly charming and full of fresh faces, however, none of the young actors/actresses possesses any acting skills whatsoever. Sara Paxton is as phony and incapable as she's cute, Dustin Milligan is ridiculously stiff, Joel David Moore is goofy as usual, Chris Zylka is nothing more than just a pretty face, and former American Idol contestant, Katharine McPhee, is mediocre at best in her role as Beth. Joshua Leonard as Red delivers the only worthy performance here.

Overall summary: A few fun-to-watch attack scenes aside, pretty much everything about "Shark Night 3D" is wrong - the story is absurd, the characters are shallow, the special effects are cheesy at best, and the conclusion is downright ridiculous. If you want to see a truly frightening, tense and realistic shark flick, check out Traucki's "The Reef" instead.

CineMarvellous Preview: Stylishly Action-Packed First Trailer for "Underworld: Awakening 3D"

Stylishly Action-Packed

First Teaser Trailer for
Underworld: Awakening [3D]

The first teaser trailer for the upcoming fourth "Underworld" installment, called "Awakening", is finally here, and thankfully, it's filled with plenty of stylish visuals and over-the-top action. In other words, exactly what I was hoping for! Check it out below and see for yourself.

Star of the first two films, the absolutely gorgeous Kate Beckinsale is back on track, and ready to kick more werewolf asses, this time in 3D. She returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

"Underworld: Awakening 3D" hits theaters on January 20, 2012.

CineMarvellous Preview: Short, Yet Mesmerizing New Trailer for Tsui Hark's "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate"

Short, Yet Mesmerizing New Trailer
for Tsui Hark's WuXia Epic
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate

After the eye-popping trailer for Ching Siu-Tung's "The Sorcerer and the White", released a month ago, here's the new trailer for another hugely anticipated martial arts flick - Tsui Hark's 3D wuxia epic, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate". Judging from the surprisingly short trailer, the visuals are absolutely stunning, and the wire-fu-driven action looks both, stylish and thrilling. Check out the new teaser below, and hopefully it will make you just as excited as it made me.

The movie stars Jet Li, Chen Kun, Zhou Xun, Louis Fan Siu-wong, Kwai Lun-mei, Mavis Fan and Li Yu-chun, and tells the story of the struggle between a Ming Dynasty general (Jet Li) and his rival, a powerful eunuch (Chen Kun). Although this film is based on the story of 1992's "New Dragon Gate Inn", Tsui denied that this film will be a remake of the old classic but more of a re-imagine. Tsui also worked on the screenplay in addition to directing and producing the film, to ensure the originality of the story. "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" is shot entirely in 3D, being the first-ever 3D wuxia film in history, and it's scheduled for release in December this year.

[9.00/10] Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Full review: Ten years after Tim Burton's disasterous entry into the long-running franchise, director Rupert Wyatt brings us the latest "Planet of the Apes" installment, and much to our surprise, he not only manages to pull it off, but he delivers arguably the best and most entertaining of all "Apes" films released since 1968. Story-wise, "Rise of the Apes" doesn't really break any new grounds, and its plot feels a bit familiar here and there, however the lack of true originality is compensated by the smartly-written script, the fantastic cast, and the absolutely slick and spot-on execution. Moreover, the movie's perfectly smooth pacing and 'evolutionating' plot development draw us more and more into the story as the movie progresses. Some minor faults aside, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is as visually-breathtaking, as it's absorbing. Rupert Wyatt does such an incredible job behind the camera, it's really hard to believe that this is just his second full-length film. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is so skilfully-shot and creatively-composed, it feels more like Wyatt has a huge directing career behind his back. He provides us with tons of fluid, yet dynamic camera movements, plenty of inventive angles and lots of diversity, and the end result is nothing short of spectacular. The settings are excellent, both indoor and outdoor, but it's the visual effects that make the biggest impression. All of the apes shown in the movie are stunningly-designed, deeply-detailed, incredibly realisitc and crafted to perfection. Although the action comes a bit late in the film, it's striking, brilliantly-staged and worth every second of waiting. Apart from Rupert Wyatt's amazingly stylish direction, and the absulutely first-rate special effects, the most impressive thing about the latest "Apes" movie is Andy Serkis' sensational performance as Ceaser. He brings the ape to life in a very believable and natural way, and he turns in one of the most memorable non-human performances in history of cinema. James Franco grew so much as an actor over the past couple of years, it's really fascinating. Last year he blew us away in Danny Boyle's "127 Hours", and now he delivers another strong, mature and convincing performance as the tough, yet sensitive young scientist, Will Rodman. The beautiful Freida Pinto know for her role in another Boyle film, "Slumdog Millionaire" gives a solid supporting performance as Will's love interest, Caroline. John Lithgow also delivers in his formidable role as the nutty, yet sympathetic father who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Overall summary: Featuring innovative direction, clever writing, brilliant performances and some of the most polished CGI effects ever put on film, and filled with action-packed thrills and electrifying moments, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the best, most gripping and visually-striking movie of the summer so far, along with "X-Men: First Class".

Editor's Note: 200 Followers & 2 Years of Blogging!

CineMarvellous! Celebrates
Its SECOND Anniversary,
and Hits 200 Followers!

Hello, my dear blog buddies and readers. Today is a very special day for me, as my blog celebrates its 2nd anniversary. Yay! Happy Birthday, CineMarvellous! It's been two years now, and the blogging experience has been tremendous. I wouldn't change it for anything. Thank you, Blogger, for the opportunity!

So far, my blog has been visited exactly 77,437 times by 15,002 unique visitors from 143 different countries. Isn't that amazing? In my wildest dreams I would never imagined that my blog would become that fairly successful and read by thousands of people. Thank you all!

Furthermore, today I hit 200 (now 201) followers and I couldn't be happier that I got my 200th follower exactly on this particular day. Thank you, Doralynn for becoming the 200th member of my blog! A big thanks to all my followers and regular (and not that regular) readers. I've created this movie blog because of my huge passion for cinema, but mostly because of you, guys! So thank you for reading my amateurish movie reviews, and also thank you for all the lovely comments you've left on my posts throughout these 2 years. There will be special mentions, of course. ;) All the people mentioned below, I consider my closest and most endearing blog friends. I met all of them thanks to blogger, and I'm glad I did, because they're all fantastic! Just check them out and follow their wonderful blogs.

Mel @ Melissa's Imaginarium & The Movie411
Alex @ Alex J. Cavanaugh
Matty @ FilmMattic
J-Son @ SON:sation
Harry @ MM's Horror Movie Diary
HorrO @ Horro's Gory Reviews


And also:

Michele @ The Girl Who Loves Horror
Caledonia @ Writings, Musings and Other Such Nonsense
Russ @ filmsRruss
Lonelslander @ Bad MOvies... Positive Light
M. Hufstader @ The Smoking Pen
venoms5 @ Cool Ass Cinema
Mr. Review @ Mr. Review's Blog
M Pax @ Wistful Nebulae
Lesya @ Eternity of Dream
Andrew @ Who Wants Taters???
Ricky @ Ric's Reviews
Stevee @ Cinematic Paradox
Budd @ SciFi Media
Maurice @ Filmn Sketchr
Ty @ Comeuppance Reviews

CineMarvellous Preview: Stunning New Poster and Quick-Cut Teaser Trailer for the Upcoming Marvel Superhero Hit "The Avengers"

(click to enlarge)

Stunning New Poster and Quick-Cut
Teaser Trailer for the Upcoming
2012 Superhero Hit The Avengers

For those who still haven't seen Marvel's latest superhero flick, "Captain America", the news is that the studio reveals a rather cool, quick-cut teaser trailer for probably the most anticipated movie of 2012, "The Avengers", at the end of the recently released "Captain America: First Avenger". Check it out below, and enjoy the short, yet thrilling ride! Bring on the first proper teaser, Marvel! We are hungry for more 'Avenger' awesomeness and mind-blowing action!

CineMarvellous Preview: Gruesome Red Band Trailer for "Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings"

(click to enlarge)

Gruesome Red Band Trailer for
Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings

I, personally, loved the original movie. I thought it was intense, brilliantly gory, highly entartaining and a fine example for a "guilty pleasure" type of horror movie. However, the first sequel failed to deliver the chills, and the second one was hardly watchable. This fall, director Declan O'Brien will bring "Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings" - obviously a prequel to the 2003 surprise hit, and judging from the trailer, it looks surprisingly decent, despite the fact it is a straght-to-DVD movie. Check out the red band trailer below, and let me know what you guys think of it.

“Wrong Turn 4″ DVD and Blu-ray release date is set for Oct 18, 2011.

[6.25/10] Captain America: The First Avenger [3D] (2011)

Captain America:
The First Avenger [3D] (2011)

Full review: We all know that Marvel-based superhero movies are money making machines, so when "Captain America: The First Avenger" was announced 'in production' no one was surprised by the news. Although it's a huge imrpovement over the 1990 disaster, the 2011 version of "Captain America" certainly doesn't rank amongst the best Marvel movies, nor is one of the worst. In other words, it's average at best, and a bit overrated by both the ctitics and audiences. "The First Avenger" is often inoherent and suffers from a weak script and lack of "WOW!" moments, however, it still remains satisfying, fun, and moderately entertaining. Joe Johnston's direction feels a bit all-over-the-place at times, but despite that, he manages to provide us with lots of deverse camera angles and dynamic camera movements, as well as some subtle that balance the pace and the energy of the movie. In terms of style and visuals, "Captain America: The First Avenger" suceeds vastly. The muted, 'smokey' cinematography suits the old-fashioned vibe of the movie amazingly well, and the authentic and incredibly atmospheric settings add to the already stunning look of the movie, however, the visuals hardly compensate for the lack of strong script and jaw-droppoing action. The action scenes themeselves are well-staged and fairly exciting, yet somewhat unimpressive. They start from the middle, jumping from one scene to another so fast, it's like watching them in fast forward. The 3D effects are passable, and yet sometimes unnoticeable, and... rather unnecessary. The performances range from mediocre to great. In the first half of the movie, Chris Evans does a good job as the skinny, overly enthusiastic soldier rejected from the military, but later on when he transforms into Captain America, his strong screen presence suddenly disappears, and he becomes very unconvincing, even goofy playing the title character. Usually, I don't mind heavy British accent, but Hayley Atwell's is maybe a bit too pretentious, and her performance - rather forgettable. Hugo Weaving, on te other hand, turns in a great villain, delivering the show-stealing performance as the nutty, intimidatin Nazi officer, Johann Schmidt / Red Skull. The rest of he cast deliver decent performances overall, but without any real standouts.

Overall summary: For better or worse, "The First Avenger" feels like an entrée before the main meal ("The Avengers" 2012) - thanks to its outstanding retro production design and atmospheric visuals, it's a real feast for the eyes, yet sadly, it somewhat fails to deliver a compelling story, memorable protagonist and stupendous action scenes.

[9.00/10] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 [3D] (2011)

Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows - Part 2 [3D] (2011)

Full review: This year, "it all ends". Sadly. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is the last and arguably the best, darkest and most mature entry in the hugely-popular franchise. A few dragged-out scenes and some rather unnecessary flashbacks aside, "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is thrilling and thoroughly captivating from beginning to the end. The story unfolds at brisk, yet smooth pace, balancing action-packed, epic scenes with dialogue-driven ones quite well, while the long-awaited conclusion is utterly predictable, yet somewhat satisfying. British director David Yates simply outdoes himself this time around. Back in 2007, he did a good job with "Order of the Phoenix" and his direction was competent and everything, however, not necessarily exceptional. Yates stepped things up with "Half-Blood Prince", but his directing skills were still far from perfect. Having said that, last year with "Deathly Hallows - Part 1" he proved to all of us he already 'gets' the whole Harry Potter concept 100%. Now, with "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" it feels that he has gotten even more comfortable with the source material, and it's more than obvious that he grew up loving the characters and the entire story with all his heart, as his fourth installment is filmed and crafted with such a passion, imagination and zeal, it shines through the screen. In terms of visuals, the film is nothing short of spectacular. The grim, washed-out cinematography fits the dark tone of the movie incredibly well and creates an intense, yet magical atmosphere, and the uber-slick production design is so stunningly impressive you will be wowed by it for sure. The CGIs are absolutely first rate and a true feast for the eyes, and the action scenes range from great to stupendous, with special mention goes to the Tresor/Dragon sequence in the middle of the movie, which is, in my book, the real highlight of the film. Another memorable moment is the attack on Hogwarts, which sadly ends up a bit shorter than expected. The 3D effects are passable, but they hardly add any depth to both the visuals and the story. Acting-wise, "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" also meets and even exceeds our expectations. The charming trio Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are all better than ever before, and the top-notch supporting cast does an incredible job at bringing their characters to life, however, it's Ralph Fiennes that steals the show as the mean and vicious Lord Voldemort.

Overall summary: Compelling, emotionally-powerful, wonderfully-crafted, and visually mind-blowing, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" not only ranks as the best installment in the super-successful franchise along with Alfonso Cuaron's "Prisoner of Azkaban", but it's also a great and truly magical way to end the series. Farewell, Harry Potter!

[7.00/10] Bad Teacher (2011)

Bad Teacher (2011)

QuickRating: Sexy, shamelessly naughty and laugh-out-loud hilarious, "Bad Teacher" is not only a breath of fresh air into the tired comedy genre, but also hands down the funniest movie of the year so far, thanks to Cameron Diaz's larky, yet alluring performance, the absolutely marvellous supporting cast, and last but not least - the smart and witty script full of clever jokes and amusingly awkward situations that bring tons of laughs.

[4.50/10] Your Highness (2011)

Your Highness (2011)

QuickRating: David Gordon Green's latest effort boasts beautiful scenery, and succeeds partially in the acting depatment because of its uber-talented A-list cast, yet unfortunately, "Your Highness" falls short on pretty much every other aspect - the jokes are ridiculously lame, the script is uninspired, the CGIs are sub-par, and the pacing is incredibly off. If you want to see the most amusing parts of the movie, just check out the trailer instead.