chrisalsop1213

First off, what a brutal title. I mean c'mon. There's at least 5 other films prior to this that have already used it... what happened to at least trying to be original? I went in to this movie kinda stoked because I really dug Neeson's last film Taken. But within the first 5 mins I knew this film was already in trouble. First off, both Neeson's character and the cab driver forget to take Neeson's briefcase off the luggage dolly. Really????!!! So beyond obvious but whatever, I'll go with it. Then as Neeson races back to retrieve it, he can't get a cell phone signal while trying to call his wife??????!!!!!! He's in the middle of Berlin for Christ sake!!!! He's not on some backwoods road or out in the middle of nowhere. C'MON!!!! Throughout the movie, things like this continue to happen. The acting is so rigid. Neeson ain't that great and the chick playing his wife is horrible. The action is few and far between and the actual story is frustrating to watch. Everything was so subpar. The only decent part of the film was the young girl who helps out Neeson. She actually kicks way more ass than he does. He's actually pretty useless. There is also an unintentionally hilarious scene where Neeson and the guy who has assumed his identity rattle off identical sentences simultaneously. The theater was laughing while poor Liam was trying to be serious. I just paid $11 for this crap. Was it the worst movie I've ever seen? No. but considering it's a film with a 30 million dollar budget... then it could be up there.

Just saw PVC-1 on a recommendation from a friend and although I had never heard of it, I was seriously intrigued at not only the premise of the film but of course the fact that the movie plays out in a single take. As a camera operator it's an idea that I've always loved so I was very excited to check out this film. The film succeeds on many levels and at times is a gripping piece of work. Excellent camera work, very well shot, genius subtle changes in exposure and well thought out camera movements to help convey the emotions of certain scenes. The acting was also solid except for a few over the top moments. Remember though, this is essentially like theatre with the actors pouring their hearts out for almost an hour and a half. Very well done! However, I found myself becoming frustrated with the film at various points, ranging from the actions of some of the characters, to the inexplicable absence of certain tools (yes i realize this is Columbia but a scalpel will work better than a dinner knife and a car engine will surely generate more heat than a candle), to the lack of rational thinking. I was also upset at the lack of explanation as to why the woman had a bomb placed around her neck. I'm assuming this is a common act - but for what purpose. To what end? Sometimes the lack of motive works amazing but not in this case. And finally, while I applaud the film on its realism, I found there were just too many times where nothing was happening to advance the story and or bring you in to the story. The ending was spelled out but props to the quality of the movie because it still got me. PVC-1 is a great piece of filmmaking, no question. But while other reviewers rave about the movie's impact, I was left feeling somewhat let down. I feel that the filmmakers became too caught up in the whole "single take" thing and forgot to really work on adding more special pieces/elements to the story. For sure check it out. I'm looking forward to Mr. Spiros next film.

Hey, we all know that this movie isn't going to win any awards for groundbreaking performances, directing, story etc. (Although the special effects were pretty damn cool!) So with that being said, no one should walk into this movie with any other intention other than to be entertained (and if you do, then maybe you're not qualified to watch movies). And this movie does that pretty damn well. The story is pretty cool (understand it's adapted from a book series) and it had just enough depth to keep the viewer rooted in the movie. It delves into the whole surviving life as a teen thing but not to the point that movies like twilight do (which beats you over the head with it). It's not the focus, the focus is more about being an outsider. pretty simple but that's all you really need. There aren't any real dull moments. Even the romantic scenes aren't too drawn out and they never linger too long. The acting is solid all around. The villain is particularly unique and is played quite well. There are also some genuinely funny scenes. But it's the action scenes where this movie really comes out swinging. Really wicked special effects, coupled with tight editing (almost too tight) and just overall killer action. I found myself smiling and just plain out having fun throughout the entire movie. Maybe I was just in the mood for it. I don't know. But I really dug it. And I usually hate movies like this because of there flat out mediocrity. Now I don't plan on going out and buying this on DVD nor am i going to rave about how amazing and groundbreaking this movie is... but I am number four is a solid entertaining movie that I would for sure check out at a theater or on a lazy afternoon. Lots of fun!!