Way back in 1969, Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather was published – not long thereafter Paramount Pictures had the film rights, and were to adapt it into a movie. Sergio Leone passed on the film, as did Peter Bogdanovich – finally Francis Ford Coppola signed on, and the rest is history.
The following is a spoiler free review of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The original review was more positive, but I still like the film.
Marvel’s The Avengers is one of the biggest films for comic book nerds across the globe. But with the incredibly successful first Avengers outing in mind, could Joss Whedon and Kevin Feige surprise and wow us again? Well, yes and no. Whedon makes some superhero movie-sins, but does give us visual spectacle.
There really is no better mix of testosterone, speed, and thrill than the Fast & Furious films. I remember how much I enjoyed the first one a long time ago, I remember how Paul Walker won me over time and time again in its sequels.
To me Paul Walker has been the soul of the franchise, so I was worried about this seventh installment considering the fact that Walker passed away in 2013. Would it be the same knowing what happened to him in real life, or would real life events cloud and tarnish the potential of the most expensive Fast-film to date? Continue reading “REVIEW: Fast & Furious 7 (2015)”
The following is an updated spoiler-filled review of Kingsman: The Secret Service – Directed by Matthew Vaughn
If you’re like me, then you like the Daniel Craig Bond-films. But, then, if you are like me, you probably think that some of them take themselves too seriously. In what is a nice break from serious spy flicks, Kingsman takes over and successfully manages to captivate its audience. If you want to know what the love-child of The Spy Who Loved Me and Kick-Ass is, then watch this film and find out. Continue reading “REVIEW: Kingsman – The Secret Service (2015)”
Last year, I introduced 17 categories – one of which has been discontinued, or at least not considered for the nomination process, this year (PlayStation Vita Game of the Year). This year, I’ll present the following list of categories, which does include new categories:
A total number of 25 categories. 25 winners to be announced today. Please be aware that cinematic and gaming release dates are based on the Danish theaters, so, films from 2014 that premiere in 2015 (in Denmark), won’t be considered for the I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards-announcement. First, let’s dive into some gaming-related awards…
Sometimes sequels just aren’t called for. In the sequel to the 1994 comedy classic, Dumb and Dumber, we follow Lloyd and Harry once again go on a trip across America – this time in search for the daughter of Harry, who has been adopted. There’s some added emotional weight added to the film, seeing as Harry desperately needs to find a kidney-donor.
That’s the overall frame for this feature length journey, and it’s complete with fun nods to the original film like specific dream sequences ending in a certain way, and the vehicle on the film’s poster. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are, of course, back – but while they both act out the comedy extremely well, they aren’t given a lot to deal with. I just don’t feel that a huge chunk of this movie is funny at all – primarily around the time of the point of no return in the third act. That’s not to say that it’s not funny at all, because of course Daniels and Carrey are funny – but most of the jokes are not really that memorable – and the film isn’t instantly quotable.
The thing is that the film borrows a lot of the plotpoints and quotes from the original film – and thus takes some fanservice and turns them into wasted moments of material that feels copypasted. Sadly, I also felt that the parts of the plot that weren’t ‘copypasted’ were predictable. Daniels and Carrey are the real highlights of the film, for there’s nothing else to be excited about. The plot feels similar to the original, the jokes feel similar to the ones in the original and the sidecharacters aren’t that exciting.
While I didn’t hate this movie, I feel that I have to add that the people next to me were so disappointed that they left the film after 30 minutes – and I’m sure they weren’t the only ones wishing they were somewhere else… And that’s sad, ’cause it’ll never get old seeing Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey having fun together.
Overall Score: 4.7 out of 10. Though not completely without laughs or fanservice, this film remains nothing more than yet another comedy classic sequel – and not a single one of them are very good. I loved the original, but this one lost its magic – perhaps this was a missed opportunity.
The following is an updated review of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. It was updated in March 2026, as I felt, upon rewatch, the final score needed to be upped, while the writing did not reflect my current voice.
Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar follows Cooper (played by Matthew McConaughey), a NASA test pilot-turned-farmer and father of two, as he attempts to secure a future for his children, who are living in a difficult situation that threatens to only get worse. With violent dust storms and worsening conditions, Earth is falling apart, and the future of humanity is in question. When Cooper’s daughter discovers an anomaly, it becomes the starting off point for a journey that will take him far away, as Cooper is thrown into something much bigger than him and his family, i.e., interstellar travel to potentially save humanity. Cooper’s daughter, Murphy (played by multiple people, but chiefly Jessica Chastain), doesn’t agree with his decision to partake in the journey, as it means leaving them on Earth for what could be decades (and possibly forever), but he feels that he must take this chance to secure a life for his children. As Cooper goes on the mission to travel through a wormhole, encounter a black hole, and evaluate distant planets, the story truly begins.
With the focus on a father-daughter relationship and risky missions into space, this may sound like Michael Bay’s Armageddon, but this film is much more ambitious, scientifically savvy, and cerebral than that. Don’t get me wrong, the aforementioned film can be enjoyable, but the small plot points of films like Armageddon are processed much better here in Interstellar by the Nolans. The themes in this film revolve around family, self-sacrifice, and love. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Anne Hathaway, all of whom turn in instantly iconic performances. Shepherded by one of the most intelligent and gifted filmmakers of our time, Christopher Nolan, they deliver what I am comfortable in saying is one of the most breathtaking space-set adventures put to the big screen. There is also an epic surprise cameo in this film that blew me away. I’d like to add that the scenes involving Michael Caine have a lot of weight to them, and that there’s an overall message in those scenes (retrod in the scenes involving the special surprise actor). A message created by poet Dylan Thomas, which is absolutely breathtaking and at times quite emotional. It is a perfect use of a perfect poem.
The film is chock-full of memorable scenes, but none is more emotionally impactful than those that revolve around a message-in-a-bottle communication system, as Cooper sees the effect the sands of time have had on his family and his relationships back on Earth. It is an almost torturously affecting aspect of the film. McConaughey does some of his best work in the scenes wherein he receives videos from Earth. At its core, this really is a film about saving your family, and the sacrifices one is willing to make for love. Those expecting more of a horror sci-fi going in will be disappointed. Nolan, instead, aims for a balancing act of realism and reality-defying love. He focuses so much on theoretical science, but he never forgets that the story inherently has space operatic aspects. The blend works wonderfully, as it is not only satisfying from a cerebral standpoint, but also when it comes to tugging at your heartstrings. It also features breathtaking science-fiction visuals, as Nolan puts awe-inspiring alien planets, a black hole, and reality-defying locations to the big screen. It truly deserves to be watched on the biggest screen possible. It is arguably Nolan’s best-looking film to date.
Though I loved the film, I do think that one may struggle with it and have a less-than-stellar experience if they’re unable to properly relax in the film through suspension of disbelief. Also, though the film does a great job of building a credible father-daughter relationship, I do think the father-son relationship feels underdeveloped. Its biggest swing is in the final act, though, where some elements can feel a little bit clunky or confusing. The extent to which you love this film will depend on how willing you are to suspend your disbelief and go with the emotional core of what is happening rather than overthinking the details of it.
Though the film has an iffy final act, with perhaps a tad too much Hollywood-sweetness added to it, this is a great example of a proper space opera with foundations in a somewhat realistic portrayal of integral sci-fi aspects, but which is unafraid of throwing itself headfirst into the beating heart of the film, even if it may defy our sense of reality. The visuals, performances, and technical prowess make this a near-masterpiece of science-fiction filmmaking with the potential to become a true classic.
– Review written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
The documentary Artifact, directed by Jared Leto (as Bartholomew Cubbins), tells the story of how his band Thirty Seconds to Mars fought the record label EMI. In what is an interesting tale of wronged people fighting back in real life – we are also introduced to the rest of the music world – and we see just how unjust labels are in today’s society.
Now, I’ve said multiple times that I’m a big fan of Thirty Seconds to Mars, but I’ve tried to remain as unbiased as possible in reviewing this documentary. I fully expected to see how their own journey was, but I was surprised at how encompassing their journey was. Not only do we follow the Letos and Tomo, but we also hear from leading musicians from Linkin Park, System of a Down and so on and so forth. It’s really interesting to get an idea of what they went through, and what musicians generally go through – getting bankrupt because of their record label. It’s a sad story, and as Jared reflects later – even if they win, is there really anything to cheer for.
The documentary touches upon David v Goliath, and the idea that you should ‘stick it to the man’ – but one thing that surprised me was how uncentralized the documentary was. What I mean is that this isn’t just the central story of them battling the record label, and other musicians struggling. A big part of the documentary is about showing everyone the origin of the band. I like hearing it, but I don’t think it’s the time or place for this origin story.
Overall Score: 7.7 out of 10. An entertaining documentary that showcases the frustrating lives of modern day musicians. While interesting, though, it does tend to veer from the theme at hand by showcasing an origin story.
In Jason Croot’s sequel to 2010’s Le Fear, we are presented with a director’s goal of creating this horror blockbuster, but when ideas from Nollywood gets thrown around, and a worthless producer comes along, the blockbuster dream falls apart. That is the basic premise of this film by independent filmmaking triple-threat (Writer, Director, Actor), Jason Croot.
Recently, I was approached by Jason Croot to review this film – and I obviously chose to do that. Honestly, I did not know what to expect from this independent comedy horror-parody about filmmaking. In the end, I think it actually turned out okay. Look, it’s not perfect – but for what it is (being a mockumentary-like independent parody) it is pretty good. The film is going to have problems with keeping a general audience happy, due to it having disappointing transitions – and time jumps. But with that having been said, as this niché faux pas-genre piece it works fine. Think Curb Your Enthusiasm or the Scandinavian Klovn – these are faux pas sitcoms, and the film does adopt similar storytelling methods. A fun little side note is the fact that the film’s character introductions have these ‘character-title-cards’, very reminiscent of the Sergio Leone/Spaghetti Western-homage in Community‘s A Fistful of Paintballs-episode.
I have a few problems with the music and score – as it, at times, is too cliché. Some cliché musical-choices could have been acted out, rather than simply played in the background – e.g. at the very beginning when Carlos Revalos (the director) reveals his blockbuster-plans. Speaking of Carlos Revalos – Kyri Saphiris’ performance is probably the best thing in the film. His character also stands out, due to the rest being very stereotypical and cliché.
Now, this is an honest review – as should be clear by now, as I’ve both pointed out things that work and things that don’t. However, do understand that this film is a very good example of faux pas filmmaking – and I do think this is a nice stepping stone for Jason Croot in filmmaking. With that having been said, I do think this would’ve worked better as a short, or a series of shorts – as I believe faux pas often does. I’ve been informed that this film will be released in 2015.
Overall Score: 5.9 out of 10.0. While its form is questionable, it stands as a fine example of independent faux pas filmmaking. I do like these faux pas-tellings, and therefore there is potential – an independent diamond in the rough.
The following is a review of Nightcrawler — Directed by Dan Gilroy.
In Nightcrawler, the directorial debut of The Bourne Legacy-co-writer Dan Gilroy, we meet Louis Bloom (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) a guileful thief, desperate for a chance at a job. As Bloom traverses through Los Angeles at night, he, at one point, encounters Joe Loder (played by Bill Paxton), a so-called ‘stringer’ who makes a living by selling footage of violent crimes or accidents in the Los Angeles nightlife to local news stations. Bloom becomes intrigued, acquires a cam-corder and a police scanner, and slowly begins to climb up the ladder of relative success as an unscrupulous freelance photojournalist. But when Bloom then becomes an employer, he becomes decidedly unhinged. Bloom is a quick learner, and if he wants something, he’s prepared to take it by any means necessary. Continue reading “REVIEW: Nightcrawler (2014)”
I'm Jeffrey Rex 