George Beremov's Top 5 Movies of the First Half of 2012

George Beremov's Top 5 Movies of
the First Half of 2012 over at
White Cat Magazine

Click on the picture above, or this link, and check out my Top 5 list of the best movies, released in the first half of 2012 (January to June), posted on my monthly column over at White Cat Magazine. And don't forget to leave a comment. :) Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it.

[8.50/10] The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Brief review: Even if it doesn't quite meet the high expectation set by its predecessors, Nolan's long-anticipated conclusion to his "Batman" trilogy is still a great way to end the franchise. In spite of its 164-minute running time, "TDKR" never fails to entertain, thanks to the clever writing and gripping narrative, enhanced by the film's visual depth. In the same fashion as "The Dark Knight", "TDKR" has little to no 'comic book feel' about it, simply because its director tries to keep everything as realistic as possible. Unfortunately, that combined with the lack of humor makes it seem a bit too serious at times. Execution-wise, "TDKR" is nothing short of masterful, but considering Nolan's amazing skills that's not a surprise. Pfister's muted, almost noir-ish cinematography and gritty camera work match perfectly with both the movie's dark tone and Gotham City's grim atmosphere, and Nolan's refined, yet vigorous direction maintains the intensity of the story. While far from epic, the action scenes are well-shot and thrilling to watch, and the CGI work is first-rate and intentionally kept to a minimum. The acting is superb. Although a bit underused, Christian Bale turns in his best Batman performance yet. Anne Hathaway steals every scene as the seductive, yet shifty and manipulative Catwoman, Tom Hardy does an outstanding job as the astounding villain, Bane, and Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are at their very best.

Overall summary: Pretty much humorless and tad overlong, yet never boring, "The Dark Knight Rises" is a beyond satisfying conclusion to Chris Nolan's worldwide acclaimed "Batman" trilogy, that boasts a deeply thoughtful script, strong characters, and top-notch execution.

[6.50/10] [REC] 3 Genesis (2012)

[REC]³ Génesis (2012)

Brief review: Five years ago, Spanish directing duo Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza blew all horror fans away with their 'found footage' phenomenon "[REC]" - arguably the scariest movie ever made. Than in 2009, they brought us an imaginative sequel, that went in a direction no one saw coming. In "[REC]³ Génesis", Paco Plaza goes solo for the very first time, in order to show us his own vision for the franchise, and for better or worse, "[REC] 3" differs vastly from its predecessors, in terms of concept, style and execution. That may be disappointing on one hand, but on the other, it feels completely refreshing. The 'wedding party goes wrong' storyline is pretty straightforward and lacking in twists, and the religious explanations do not always make sense, but at least the movie doesn't take itself too seriously and has an unexpectedly great sense of humor. After a 20-minute-long opening sequence, shot in a POV style, Paco Plaza throws the hand-held camera away and gives the movie a 'standard' look, which increases the quality of the visuals and makes them more vibrant. Unlike its predecessors, "[REC] 3" ain't frightening at all, however, the thrills are there, and so is the gore, and the gruesome, cool-looking zombies, which make "[REC] 3" a bloody fun ride of a horror film. The movie also features an entirely new cast of actors, with Leticia Dolera and Diego Martín doing an awesome job in the lead roles.

Overall summary: It's not the horror masterpiece the original "[REC]" was, nor is as inventive as "[REC]²", but Paco Plaza's "[REC]³ Génesis" is still a refreshing entry into the popular franchise, with enough action, thrills and slick gore to please the fans... and everyone else.

This review is also featured on TVFilmNews.com

[6.25/10] Detention (2012)

Detention (2012)

Brief review: "Detention" is a slasher / time travel / sci-fi / teen comedy mash-up that has too much going on, but still manages to keep you thoroughly entertained throughout, even if the movie itself often can't cope with its own ambitious creativity. From the sarcastically hilarious opening scene and super-cool opening credit, you could tell that Joseph Kahn's "Detention" intends to be one "smart ass" of a horror movie. And it kind of is. Aside from its talky script it successfully makes fun of most stereotypical teen characters and some overused horror cliches in an ironically cruel, yet funny way, and that alone makes it quite enjoyable to watch. "Detention" has tons of cool gore and blood splattering, but it lacks scares big time, as it relies purely on its visual impact, instead of trying to build any sort of tension. Technically, "Detention" is a hit and miss. Even though there are some truly interesting direction choices and some flashy editing, Joseph Kahn's direction ends up being all over the place. The lack of focus may confuse some viewers, but at the end of the day it becomes pretty clear that this directional chaos is completely intentional, and Joseph Kahn deserves credit for his risky, yet innovative approach. "Detention" also boasts a colorful cast of young actors, but sadly none them can act decently, maybe with the exception of TV series star Shanley Caswell and the wildly underused Josh Hutcherson.

Overall summary: More funny than scary, Joseph Kahn's "Detention" is a creative, yet rather messy and unfocused horror comedy, devoid of any proper scares, that shouldn't really work at all because of its head spinning over-the-topness, but in the end, it somewhat does.

This review is also featured on TVFilmNews.com

[8.75/10] The Amazing Spider-Man [3D] (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man [3D] (2012)

Brief review: Let's be clear - this ain't a remake of Sam Raimi's version from ten years ago, simply because Raimi didn't invent the story - Marvel did. Therefore, Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man" should be considered a reboot, and as such, it takes the franchise to whole new heights. Yes, it comes way too soon and it's far from necessary, but the new director Marc Webb manages to refresh the series and put his own cool spin on it, in a way no one had expected. Аpart from the lack of originality, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is not only way slicker in execution and technically superior to the 2002's "Spider-Man", but also bigger, better, smarter, funnier and much more accomplished. Eat your heart out, Sam Raimi! Webb skilfully balances strong character development with thrillingly innovative action, and his uber-stylish direction features an exceptionally dynamic and diverse camera work that sets the energetic pace of the movie. The humorously witty script contrasts with the dark visuals, which are absolutely stunning, and the use of 3D is effective, without being overpowering. As Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield is much more engaging and sympathetic than Tobey Maguire, not to mention the incredible Emma Stone, who draws the viewer's attention every time she shows up on screen. Compared to Dr. Octopus from "Spider-Man 2", the Lizard is not as memorable, but is still a decent and worthy enough villain.

Overall summary: Although it comes only 10 years after the 'original', "The Amazing Spider-Man" not only does Marvel's original story justice, but surpasses Sam Raimi's version in terms of execution, visuals, acting, entertainment value, action and CGIs, as it's amazing indeed.