[4.25/10] The Lucky One (2012)

The Lucky One (2012)

QuickRating: Sure, almost nothing about this romantic drama based on Nicholas Sparks 2008 novel of the same name feels over-exaggerated or too cheesy and sentimental and Taylor Schilling's super-expressive performance makes it watchable at times, but at the end of the day, Scott Hicks' "The Lucky One" is painfully slow-moving, everything but heartfelt and touching, and full of countless and rather tedious love scenes, and it's every bit as dull as Zac Efron's bland character.

[4.25/10] The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

The Twilight Saga:
Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Brief review: The Twilight saga is getting worse and worse with each next installment, and the lifeless snoozefest "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" is yet another proof for that. The first half of the movie is terribly slow, overly-sentimental, romantically-corny and mostly boring, while the second half is more dramatic, action-packed, and a tiny bit more watchable. Not sure if we should blame the source material or director Bill Condon for this mess, but either way, the latest entry in the insanely popular franchise is just plain cheesy. The movie is full of unintentionally funny moments and ridiculous dialogues, and even though acting has improved slightly, the wooden Robert Pattinson and the stiff Kristen Stewart still look awkward together on screen. Unlike its terribly-filmed predecessor "Eclipse", "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" is at least technically well-shot and edited. Edward and Bella's fancy wedding is every teenage girl's dream, and the romantic scenes on the breathtaking Brazilian island are beautifully-captured. Having said that, Bill Condon's direction feels a bit lazy and somewhat lackluster, and it's hard to believe that this is made by the same director behind the fantastic "Dreamgirls". And don't even get me started with the silly-looking CGI wolves...

Overall summary: Slow, sappy and annoyingly tedious, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" may be the best-looking installment in the franchise, but it's also the most boring one. The Twilight fanatics might enjoy it, but the rest will howl with rage and disappointment.

[4.25/10] Trespass (2011)

Trespass (2011)

Brief review: The mediocre director Joel Schumacher brings us another of his uninspired projects, and this time it's all about home invasion. Basically, "Тrespass" contains every single cliche ever used in any home invasion film, which makes it laughably obvious, often boring and constantly uninteresting to watch. Having said that, the movie is far from awful and it has its moments, but those good moments are very few and far between and overshadowed by the nastiness of it, and the unbelievable selfishness of its main male character. "Тrespass" is also aggressive and quite violent, but not in an entertaining sort of way, plus it's so loud and screamy, it may cause you a headache. Visually, "Тrespass" is an absolute lackluster as well. Although it's set in a big, modern, luxurious house, the cinematography is so dull and muted, and the lighting is so low-key, you'd wish you had a flashlight. Schumacher's direction is very straight-forward and lacking in versatility, which lets the film down even more. Aside from Nicolas Cage's unlikable character, the performances are great. Nicole Kidman delivers as the anxious mother, Cam Gigandet is surprisingly decent in his role, and Liana Liberato steals the show as the willful, yet clever daughter Avery.

Overall summary: Thoroughly predictable, annoyingly loud and often nasty, "Trespass" is a big bloody mess of a thriller that mostly relays on its A-list cast, but that cast, while capable, can't compensate for a cliched script, the lack of actual thrills, and the overall ugly nature of the film.

[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.

Numerous QuickRatings PART 9: Poor-to-Decent 2011 Movies

The Dilemma (2011)

QuickRating: The movie mostly relies on its talented A-list cast, but a couple of decent performances can't compensate for the lack of ideas, originality and laughs, and as a result, "The Dilemma" ends up as yet another uninspired, unfunny and instantly forgettable comedy, that shouldn't been made at all.

My Rating: 4.25/10




Exorcismus (2011)

QuickRating: Although it features some truly creepy and disturbing images, and a believable and more-than-convincing performance by the promising young actress Sophie Vavasseur, at the end of the day, "Exorcismus" offers nothing new or even remotely original to distinguish itself from all the other exorcism-related horror flicks.

My Rating: 5.25/10

The Eagle (2011)

QuickRating: "The Eagle" boasts plenty of gorgeous settings and impressive visuals, but unfortunately, the film is neither as spectacular, nor nearly as epic as expected, plus, it's let down by Channing Tatum's unsurprisingly dull performance and Kevin Macdonald's unimaginative and somewhat unsteady direction.

My Rating: 5.25/10




From Prada to Nada (2011)

QuickRating: This modern-day interpretation of "Sense and Sensibility" may be slightly ridiculous, and full of tired cliches, but "From Prada to Nada" compensates with an amusing script, enjoyable story, and likable characters, and manages to turn itself into a guilty pleasure type of chick flick that many girls (and boys) would enjoy.

My Rating: 6.00/10

[4.25/10] The Roommate (2011)

The Roommate (2011)

Brief review: Obviously inspired by numerous thrillers from the 90s, "The Roommate" is a pretty standard fare about a deranged college freshman who becomes obsessed with her new roommate. If it was made 20 years ago, it would have been very successful, but in 2011, pretty much everything about this movie feels dated... the idea, the plot, the script, even the execution. However, the film's biggest flaw is not its overall datedness, but its failure to generate any tension, or to deliver thrills, chills, scares, and suspense. Technically, "The Roommate" is also very disappointing, due to Christiansen's unimaginative by-the-numbers direction, and the film's relatively plain visual style. The acting is the only area in which this film doesn't fail completely. Well, sort of. Minka Kelly not only looks stunning, but she gives a surprisingly decent , if a bit lifeless performance as the naive and kind-hearted Sara. Leighton Meester also does an okay job, and she's moderately disturbing in her role as the obsessive Rebecca, though her character is so stereotypical, it's hard to take her seriously. Most likely, Cam Gigandet has been cast more for his looks rather than his talent, and Billy Zane, while undoubtedly charismatic and talented, feels a bit out-of-place here.

Overall summary: Not only "The Roommate" suffers from its painfully hackneyed premise, weak script, sub-par acting and utter predictability, but it's neither scary or thrilling enough to be called a horror movie, nor suspenseful or intriguing enough to be considered a thriller.

[4.25/10] Mean Girls 2 (2011)

Mean Girls 2 (2011)

Brief review: In this made-for-TV sequel to the 2004 hit teen comedy "Mean Girls", high school senior Jo Mitchell befriends outcast Abby Hanover, and follows the girls as they take on the school's mean girls, the Plastics. Story-wise, "Mean Girls 2" brings nothing new to the table, as it's a complete spin-off (or should I say a rip-off) to the original, and while the movie delivers a few clever lines and a couple of good laughs along the way, it suffers badly from a sub-par acting, poor execution and crappy visuals. Considering the fact that "Mean Girls 2" is a TV movie, its cheap look can be forgiven, but the lack of imagination and fresh ideas couldn't. Melanie Mayron's unbelievably uninspired direction totally ruins this otherwise potentially decent teen comedy, and so does the mediocre acting from the young cast involved. Meaghan Martin is a sweet-looking girl, but her acting skills are quite weak to say the least. Maiara Walsh is mediocre at best as the 'meanest girl', Mandi, while the other two 'plastics' are downright annoying. Jennifer Stone plays the only truly likable character in the movie, and she does a decent job in her role as the rich, yet rejected Abby. Though Bethany Annes character barely appears on screen, she's somewhat interesting.

Overall summary: Thanks to its mildly amusing script, "Mean Girls 2" is somewhat watchable, if quite unnecessary and poorly-crafted sequel, that has no real reason to exist.