an ok movie for thriller fans
346384
Entertaining but confusing at times.  Needed more depth
4007484
I enjoyed this movie about as well as I thought I would.  We played a drinking game while watching it and every time the movie did something quite cliche/predictable, we took a shot.  Well, after several shots and only a half hour into the movie we decided to stop.  Overall, this isn't a bad movie but it's certainly forgettable.  If you're looking for an action movie and simply want to turn your brain off for a while, this is definitely a good choice in movies.  One bright point of the movie was the acting, I honestly didn't have a complaint there.  And it was relatively entertaining throughout the entire movie.

I think one of my main issues with the movie is the premise of the movie.  Its about rescue helicopter pilot trying to save his daughter.  At the beginning of a movie, he's freaking using a rescue helicopter as if its his.  So, with everything he did in this movie, it kind of left me wondering how many people died that he could have saved had he not been so focused on simply saving his daughter.
1828050
This movie was okay.  I have set up a pretty big "watchlist" on Amazon Prime just by browsing through the Prime movie list and when I feel like watching a movie I just go there and pick one.  Some of these movies are those ones I've never heard and I like that because I know nothing about the movie (no previous hype or trailers) and consequently no expectations.  So unless the movie is totally terrible, it provides an acceptable level of entertainment.  This is one of those movies.  I would not have paid to see it, but for what I do, it was okay.  The chubby Val Kilmer is in it along with a bunch of sorta unknowns.  It is a mystery that sort of turns a tad horror-ish in the last quarter, but the acting and production was not bad.  LIke I say..I would give it an "ok" and it entertained me.
4898273
The movie stars Keanu Reeves as a detective that deals with the supernatural who helps a female police officer fight against the forces of evil in order to save her twin sister's soul from the forces of evil. The story is ok but it lacks a bit of originality and some of the acting is not really that good. Keanu Reeves is miscast in his role and a better actor could have done more with it. Rachel Weisz does gives a very dark and wonderful performance that is really more complex than the film itself but the movie is more interested in special effects than to really focus on the other much better actors in the film and that's the movie's biggest mistake right there because the special effects are not that very good to begin with. Djimon Hounsou and Peter Stormare are good as well but they are reduce to a few scenes, which is a shame because both of them have more interesting characters than the main character himself.

Worth a look but don't hold your breath for anything spectacular.
3086741
If you are looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, skip this.

A lot of other reviewers have mentioned the excellent parts of this movie better than I ever could.  In the special features, the director says the movie talks about guilt, which many people have reiterated here.  But I got more from it than that.  It's about film.  It's about manipulation.  Honestly, once the movie ended and I got over the initial shock/disappointment of the ending, I realized that the mystery isn't really that important (in my opinion, of course).  The mystery is a device to discuss other things, such as manipulation.  How film can be used to manipulate ideas/actions because it seems to mirror reality, but it isn't reality.  It is video, video that can be cut, edited and distributed to sell an idea.

I could go on and on, but I feel that, if you view this movie as a shallow thriller, you will more than likely not like it.  But if you are willing to read the movie, rather than just watch, you may be surprised at the theories you come up with that have nothing to do with the solution of the mystery.
4513814
Based on the bestseller by the late Robert Ludlum and executive produced by Ludlum and Frank Marshall, THE BOURNE IDENTITY pares down the book and 1988 miniseries while updating the story for the 21st century. For the few thriller fans in the world who haven't read the book the basic story appears rather old: an amnesiac struggling to learn his real identity, while predictably being pursued by people who want him dead. Director Doug Liman's (GO, SWINGERS) first attempt at an action thriller is fairly good with some spectacular stunt work and an OK performance from Franka Portene (RUN LOLA RUN). Julia Stiles also has what is basically a glorifed cameo and Brian Cox, the original Hannibal Lecter also co-stars. THE BOURNE IDENTITY is a good movie, but don't expect it to remain true to the book. Apparently there are plans to film THE BOURNE SUPREMACY with Damon. I hope that one turns out a little better. And I hope Damon has developed some kind of acting range by them. His Jason Bourne seems to have been "Bourne" prematurely. Not that Richard Chamberlain was much better in the role. It's still worth watching though. Don't let my quibbling put you off.
4185214
I was disappointed with this one, thought from all the glowing reviews that it was going to be something great.  It's a watchable slow paced thriller, that has stood it's time more so than a lot of other films made in 1981. Basically it's about an American trucker, who has been in Australia for a while and is reluctantly when he wants to be resting due to his workload, transporting pig carcasses from Melbourne to Perth, because abattoir workers in Western Australia are on strike.  Before he heads to Melbourne, he awakens early in the morning, lets' his dingo out to do its business and witnesses a man behind a curtain paying way too much attention to his dingo sniffing around garbage that is about to be collected.  He discusses with his dingo the oddity of it all when it gets back in the truck, as he will basically all his internal thoughts throughout the movie when a hitchhiker isn't in his truck.  Once he has picked up the refrigerated trailer, and starts the long journey west, he is perplexed by the behaviour of some of his fellow motorists, especially a green van that is trailing him and not behaving as he would expect.  Unbeknownst to him radio reports are rife with a story about a serial killer and when his first hitcher informs him or this and points out a guy burying something with a shovel, he becomes to believe that van driver is that serial killer.  He's also noticed, that the van driver has definitely noticed him.

I found the movie quite good for the first half, with exceptions such as a long game of I spy with the old woman, but the second just got boring and dragged on. It's marketed as Rear Window on Wheels, and that's a fair assessment. Though it's also marketed with the name Jamie Lee Curtis predominantly on the cover, she plays a hitchhiker, who he calls Hitch, but she doesn't have a lot of screen time.  If you're annoyed by road hogs, you'll really enjoy seeing one towing his boat get his comeuppance in Road Games.
4173181
IN THIS BOND MOVIE, YOU GET WHAT YOU HAVE COME TO LEARN TO EXPECT FROM A BOND MOVIE:A LOT OF ACTION- THAT EDGE OF YOUR SEAT ADRENALINE RUSH. HOWEVER, WITH THE PROMISED THRILLS OF BREAKNECK ACTION, YOU ALSO GET  A PRETTY SIMPLISTIC PLOT AND NO NEED TO REALLY USE YOUR BRAIN WHILE VIEWING.

IF THIS IS YOUR IDEA OF SOME GREAT ESCAPISM FROM REALITY- THIS MOVIE IS FOR YOU.

I have seen varied Bond movies with varied men playing Bond over the years.

I do like Craig as Bond even if he is a more rough around the edges, type of Bond. (

Craig does a decent job with the material he is given.  But in truth, like most Bond movies, this is about action.

 Craig just has to show up.

In fact, it often bears out that the movie is only about action, with a flimsy plot surrounding it, just to give the action a basis to happen.

You  simply don't watch a Bond movie if you want something cerebral.

With the progression of Bond movies over the years, it seems there is nothing super sophisticated about spy equipment anymore- it is getting harder to find more interesting or scary bad guys that want to accomplish some evil mission we haven't heard of already-  even the required Bond Girl seemed to be a FAIL in this movie.

 Actually, I can't really say we have a true Bond girl for Skyfall.

Watch it, to see what I mean.

 It seems that 50 yrs of the same Agent doing much of the same things, is starting to show wear.

It is not surprising that even the biggest Bond fans have become kind of unimpressed with any spy gadgetry as opposed to 50 yrs ago where viewers were really *wowed* by such.

Villains used to be freaky, scary, insane, etc and their desire to accomplish something sinister was once chilling, where now, it has kind of left us numb to it all.

Our own world's reality of bad guys across the globe, often ruling nations, tends to make any Bond villain these days seem quite lackluster.

The changing times are definitely reflected in this film not just by what isn't impressive any more, but also by our major use and reliance of the internet.

The villain and the Secret Service are fighting via computers.

The theme of how just about anything can be accomplished by computers is made clear in this movie.

(Watch what damage can be done with just keying in a computer command.)

Some things in the movie proved interesting, while seeming just as unbelievable at the same time.

 But that is the nature of a Bond movie- you suspend all reason and logic the minute the story starts because we all know Bond should have never made it out of the first movie, 50 yrs ago.

To his credit, Bardem takes a different kind of quirky, bad guy and manages to both repulse and intrigue us at the same time.

The  drab, blonde hair he sports, allows Bardem to morph deeper into his very emotionally deranged character.

 Judith Dench. Her main point in this film, is to cover the theme of *loyalty*.

SKYFALL and what it all means, will become clearer as the movie moves into the last 3rd.

We get an important, revelatory glimpse into Bond's personal life of long ago, but I don't want to offer any spoilers so that is all I will say.

Because it is an action packed movie- the storyline goes at a rapid pace.

 In the end, however, I felt a sense of, " That's it?"

  Yes, that was it and there was a feeling of hoping for something more from this movie that just wasn't there or just never happened.

Can any future Bond movies be kept fresh?  Seeing Skyfall made me question that.
923328
A toothless, unoriginal thriller, IN THEIR SKIN follows a fairly wealthy family (lawyer father, alcoholic mother, prop-set son) as they retreat to their vacation home in the woods following the accidental death of their daughter. While they grieve and struggle to hold both themselves and their family together, they encounter another family (dad, mom, and son) who a persistent about making nice. Of course, if you've seen the trailer (which gives away pretty much the entire film except for the final fifteen minutes), this new family is not what they seem.

The director does a decent job with what is obviously a paint-by-numbers script. Not a single line of dialogue or twist in the plot is unique or interesting, and the entire story feels like the product of a Learn Screen-Writing By Mail correspondence course. The acting isn't too bad, although the performers aren't asked to attempt anything of a whole lot of depth. And even though you can easily see where the film is headed, there are a few tense moments nevertheless. Unfortunately, they come after a whole lot of waffling around, and they precede an ending that feels sloppy, rushed, and pretty much tacked on. All in all, I wouldn't say it's a bad movie -- it feels almost like the template for a movie, like it wants to be embellished with more interesting characters, conversations, and plot elements -- but it's also about as memorable as a glass of water.
174087
The following review refers to "The Flock" (105 minutes) released in Japan where I saw it in theater.

The story of "The Flock" centers around the case of a missing girl. Or girls perhaps, and some disturbing photos. The thriller has an undertone of "The Silence of the Lambs," but in spite of its intriguing protagonist played by cast-against-type Richard Gere, "The Flock" is short on thrills, and some parts require an enormous amount of suspension of disbelief.

The most unique aspect of the film is the central role Richard Gere plays with slovenly appearance with unkempt clothes. Gere plays Erroll Babbage, veteran officer of department of public safety, monitoring paroled sex offenders. After 18 years of his work of supervising the registered offenders, Erroll, firm believer of his own theories about offenders, is not content with just visiting them and doing routine question. He cannot arrest them, but he thinks he can do something with his method, which is not exactly legal sometimes. Even his co-workers stay away from him, including his supervisor Bobby Stiles (Ray Wise). So in 18 days Erroll is to quit, or "let go" from the job.

To Erroll is sent an understudy Allison Lowry (Claire Danes). Erroll takes Allison under his wing and grooms her for the career as officer who can see through the "public presentation" of people. While training Allison, Erroll confides to her that he is convinced of one thing, believe him or not, that only he can know the truths behind the case of a young girl who suddenly disappeared.

As I said before, "The Flock" needs more suspense. Not many details are given about the missing girl (who might have just run away from home). Though Richard Gere is convincing as the man who is obsessed with his work, not much is told about the background of Allison either and her flat character weakens the master-pupil relation between them.

The film anyway keeps telling its story, fast-paced and stylish, with Gere's strong performance as its real power. However, "The Flock" becomes less and less credible in the second half. As it has something to do with sex offenders and Megan's Law, "The Flock," it is obvious, has one very important topic in it, but the film's plot, which poses some intriguing questions about the law and morality, does not delve into them.

Director of "The Flock" is Andrew Lau from Hong Kong, known for his acclaimed "Infernal Affairs" (original of "The Departed"), but internet site IMDb says Niels Mueller did uncredited re-shoot. I don't know which director is responsible, but the film, especially the opening, is full of jump-cuts, fast-forwards, double-exposures and other visual gimmicks that only help lessen the suspense. This unnecessary editing is regrettable because the cinematography itself is fine with the bleak landscapes (shot in New Mexico).

As to the role of Avril Lavigne as a young woman, it is not a big one. It is more like a cameo, and it is hard to judge whether her acting is good or bad.

And it is hard for me to judge the film either. During most of the time I was not bored, but that is not because of the slickly told but implausible story, but because of Gere's fine acting and the stylishly grainy photography and sinister atmosphere that reflects his character's mind. At the same time, besides the lack of suspense, I felt something is wrong with the film, which attempts to tackle one of the most serious issues, but somehow stops in the middle of the process.
2891990
The movie was good to pass the time. The plot was a bit corny and the ending... so/so. One watch is enough for me.
4064736
In November man, a former CIA operative (Brosnan) is brought back in on a very personal mission and finds himself pitted against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high level CIA officials and the future Russian president.

In a movie that reminds me of a Bond movie or the Bourne movie series and although it lacks a bit of originality in storyline, it does have a pretty decent story and plenty of action.

I found the movie entertaining and watchable.  I cant say though I liked it better than the Bourne movies or one of the latest Bond movies but an entertaining popcorn watch.

3 and a half stars
4266702
Seemed a bit long, but a thriller of a movie. Worth the watch.
3923484
Oh, Mr. Kilmer, what's with all these mediocre movies? You used to be in the really good stuff.

This movie isn't terrible. It had real potential; the problem is "wronged man returns from the grave for vengence" has been done before, and this movie didn't really feel like it brought anything new to the table.
There were no real surprises, except the end, and that was more of a train-going-off-the-rails than a surprise-twist. I think this movie's big problem is that it revealed the crime of the 6 cops too soon, and then kept rehashing it over and over. Maybe if they'd left the why of it all until the very last minute, dropping hints now and then, but never revealing it until the final showdown, it would have been a more compelling film.

-HS
2229884
Not a bad book, but not anything to write home about. It's a sports-themed thriller that moves along pretty briskly. I wouldn't read it again, but I wasn't disappointed with it or anything. It was okay.
637094
If you are into Action Thrillers then this is for you, otherwise don't even bother with this DVD.  The Story is nothing special, but also not a run of the mill type that would bore the audience.  What distinguishes this film are the fast paced action parts which are well dispersed throughout the film.  The protagonist is a young woman that has been set up by "her" own intelligence agency that she's working for as a contract killer.  When her job is done she was supposed to be killed in order to get rid of any lose ends for her contractors who are in the highest positions of that intelligence agency.  She, however, manages to escape her henchmen and turns the tables on the contrators once she discovers that they have been into some very illeagle schemes.  Enough said, its worth watching, especially for the action scenes and the thrills that go along with them.
790808
"The Killing Machine" (also known as "Icarus") is a so-so action film starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren. The low-budget action film is not actually terrible, but it is not very good, either.

The story is a standard take on the old-fashioned action genre, about one Edward Genn (Dolph Lundgren), currently working for an investment company. Of course Edward, ex-KGB special agent, is not what he seems. As a killer for hire, he travels around the world and does what is required to do, but one day someone seems to have discovered his true identity, and he is forced to fight back, protecting his ex-wife and daughter.

The slapdash script is a concoction of clichd and uninspired set-pieces, but it's OK with me. I thought with Dolph Lundgren as a star and director we can expect something better than an average direct-to-DVD actioner, I mean, some fun. Unfortunately, with the tired narrative devices (too frequent voiceovers and flashbacks), overused flashy camera work and the hackneyed storyline, even Lundgren and his solid direction can do little to save the film. What is worse, despite its rather silly title the film takes itself too seriously and Bo Svenson is sadly wasted, having not much to do.

The fact that Dolph Lundgren is a competent director doesn't change, and as an actor I think he is pretty good as a disillusioned former assassin. (And I suspect that the film was made under very difficult conditions.) However, even his considerable skills as actor and director cannot save the messy script.