action | Fifth about The Seventh

Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (Di Renjie: Shen du long wang)

October 24, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon: Tsui Hark’s film is an entertaining mix of fantasy, mystery and action, with hints of humor. The story itself is convoluted (almost confusing sometimes), full of factions and details, therefore rich in conflict; the characters are flat, but at least distinguishable. Acting is, at times, stylized and over-the-top, as is usually the case in action films. Action scenes are vibrant and interesting; however, visual effects are sub-par, and that subtracts from the […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, fantasy

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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

October 2, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s work is more of a charicature than a film; it’s a very profane and violent experience, but far from an interesting one. While its stylized visuals adhere to the original source, they are interesting for only a while. Which is more than can be said about the characters (with one notable exception) and storylines, truth be told. The cast, for the most part, is not given much to do; Joseph Gordon-Levitt […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, crime

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The Equalizer (2013)

September 26, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

The Equalizer: Antoine Fuqua’s film goes with a vigilante story that has been told countless times before; constant repetition, however, doesn’t make it particularly interesting or engaging. One distinguishing factor is Denzel Washington, as he is a charming and strong presence, even when the character he plays is a cypher such as this one. Another one is how enamored the film is with needless graphic violence; it’s tiring. The action scenes, while stylishly done, are repetitive, and more often than not, their […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action

Lucy (2014)

August 29, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Lucy: in equal measures vapid, pretentious and needlessly violent, Luc Besson’s film is an unpleasant spectacle. The high-concept plot feels almost an afterthought, simply being the vessel for a lot of philosophic mumbo-jumbo. Scarlett Johanson plays not so much a character, but an all-powerful cypher; not much is known about her, making it hard to care, relate or worry about her fate. Morgan Freeman is not given much to do. Visually, the film is slick; the early interludes end up being distracting […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, sci fi

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The Great Escape

August 27, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

The Great Escape: John Sturges makes one incredibly entertaining film, all the more impressive since the story (against all appearances) is based on historical fact. One of the factors that make this such a spectacle is the great, instantly recognizable, score by Elmer Bernstein; in particular the main theme, but all of it resonates (even if he borrows from another collaboration with Sturges, another great action score). However, it’s undeniable the film would not connect so well if not for the […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, top, war

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Guardians of the Galaxy

August 5, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Guardians of the Galaxy: James Gunn’s film is very entertaining, thanks to the light tone (it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but doesn’t fall into parody territory) and the inspired choice of soundtrack. The relentless pace (the action scenes are varied and efficient) hides somewhat the fact that the story is formulaic (and suffers from an excessive number of villains and/or antagonists, not allowing most of them to feel well-developed), but still gives enough space for the characters to display […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, super hero

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

July 13, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Matt Reeves’ is a great accomplishment in many levels. The most obvious one is, of course, the special effects that create such level of authenticity with the ape characters; it’s hard to know when the special effects end and when the motion-capture performances of Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell (just to mention the two that have more to do and therefore stand out the most) begin. Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman are good presences in the human side […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, sci fi

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Snowpiercer

July 2, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Snowpiercer: an interesting action film; Joon-ho Bong executes with great measures of violence what is a great concept of a dystopian world, one which violence is far from being simply a concept; as it so ofter happens with good science fiction, this one has also something to say about our present times. Set design is an important part of this film, and it’s quite well executed. The cast is generally interesting (and refreshingly mixed), but Tilda Swinton in particular is fun […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, sci fi

22 Jump Street

June 30, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

22 Jump Street: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s film is not devoid of laughs, but they are few and far apart. Channing Tatum and Ice Cube are the main reason for them; Tatum, in particular, if for no other reason he is given more to do and has more screen time. As in the previous entry to the series, the story is almost an afterthought (and, in a much self-referenced bit, basically the same one told in the first film). Visually, it’s a rather nondescript […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, comedy

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