The Raid 2: Berandal (2014) Rating: N/A "A butcher house"

First of all, I am afraid, Afraid to say anything bad about it, afraid to comment anything shit about it. Just afraid because I don't want any anonymous comments attack by fan boys. Just be serious score on IMDB of 8.8 with 75% giving perfect 10?!?!?!?.  Well not only that, user reviews talking bad about it also bombarded by disapproval. Just for a case one of the review received 5 out of 61. which means around 56 users said screw his review. Almost all critic reviews praised the movie giving perfect five stars labeling it genious. Well, I don't have anything to said about it, they are the master. Thus this time I will not rate it.

So to begin, The Raid 2 started with gruesome Rama's brother being dragged to nowhere farm and bla bla. BAM!!!! his head was smoked. Poor guy only had around 5 minutes screening time. then after that cutting to Rama in small wooden cabin in nowhere land. Conversed a couple lines then BAM!!!!!!!! The guy in raid 1 with ridiculously white hair that looked like he used bucket of paint as a shampoo being shot in the head. The story just flow on then until Rama ended up in prison after some sort of agreeing with the chief to work undercover in approaching the big mafia. Then SLAM!!!! A big fight CRACK!! SCREAM! SHOUT!! Raining blood. Then Rama went out of prison - - hmm. Then the story go on with gruesome bloody fight. Yeah mean really really bloody with cracked bones, grilled faced, skewered neck and a sprinkle of family drama. The Raid 2 is packed with martial fight scenes with BLOOD as the main ingredients. Is just like Gareth Evans (Director) said "well the fight is good, lets add some blood; well the talking is enough, lets add some blood; well lets pour the film with blood so we don't have to do it in post production". The fight is great I have to admit it. But it will be greater without the shaky camera. So the art of Silat can be clearly seen and admired. I understand that they have to hide the fakeness with shaky camera. But its a shame that the gruesome stabbing and slashing are standing out more than the art of Silat fight.

The plot and character is lacking. Starting of with Rama and then moved to Uco for the almost half of the movie and then back to Rama as the hero of the day. Other than that have to praise Oka Antara as Eka that executed it very well than the rest of the cast. As well as Kenichi Endo as Goto. They both really stand out from the crowd. But for Rama, I just don't really get it. A love-able and humble husband, A dedicated cop or just physco maniac with ambition for blood and revenge. The plot is predictable as you watched the first installment. Its just like Evans trademark to leave a twisting plot at the end of the movie. Unfortunately this time the same formula did not turn to the same result. Perhaps a miscalculation or something. Its just did not have the kick like the first installment.

Well on top of that, the raid 2 is the debut of Indonesian film that really stand out from that local creepy lame horror movie that have ridiculous name like "Pocong having grandchild".  The Raid 2 will give such entertainment and enjoyment for the blood thirsty fans. The Raid 2 is the first Indonesian action genre movie to be distributed across the globe. You like violence movie then this is a must. A must to watch in the silver screen. There are a lot of improvements from the Raid 1 like more lively dialogue , a vast setting from city to old house to warehouse. But please, please don't bring any children. REMEMBER R++++ no children for this movie. PLEASE!. You don't want to traumatize with scene of bloody piece of brain dangling from the blown skull. For faint heart, stay out of this. At the end, I like Raid 1 but not Raid 2.
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Psst: There are a lot of deleted scenes, if you are eager to look for more blood. Just search it in youtube. You can also find it in the trailer. Like the guy shooting someone head on escalator. and this gang war scenes. 

10/06/2014 update====>

Recently received a letter of complain from GOOGLE saying that I infringed a copyright law on this particular post "The Raid 2" which I do not even know what have I been infringing. Posting a poster that I took from wikipedia? Sharing a video that clearly stated trailer from youtube? 

Been checking it out on chillingeffects.org. Here is the details =>
http://www.chillingeffects.org/dmca512c/notice.cgi?NoticeID=1736067
The complaint was sent by Madman Entertainment Pty Ltd 
So to take matter no further, I deleted the posters and video that I shared on the 

Dark Shadows (2012) Rating : 2.5 / 5 "A lot of empty hole"

A lot of missing part and half hearted plot but with a good character execution, great costumes and great settings. Dark Shadows has a lot of holes that needed to be filled. The story is too rush, the mystery is not intriguing enough, the plot is nothing but a plug in plug out plot to make the story seems longer. However, from all the bad side, what makes the movie good enough to compete in the movie market is the cast. Johnny Depp "Barnabas Collins" is good, so do Helena Bonham Carter "Dr. Julia" and Eva Green the antagonist "Angelique Bouchard". They do really perform the best portraying the weird characters. The setting is amazing, Tim Burton is good in bringing a classic tale to new adapted darker theme just like what he did in Alice in wonderland. The costume perfectly fit the 70s time as well as the old fashion imperial age Barnabas Collins costume. Really love the way each setting and costume is crafted with full passionate. Well the comedy is not as hilarious as I could imagine. Dark Shadows is a remake of 70s  horror comedy soap opera, perhaps that is why you will find a lot of empty mysteries left behind because you just simply cannot squished all the story into  113 minutes movie.

There is absolutely a lot of mysteries being left out just to rush it to the end. Starting from the Dr. Julia, to mysteriously behaving teenage girl "Carolyn  Stoddard" and sad lonely young boy "David Collins". They are all just a plug in plug out plot to make the story longer. The ghost in the mansion is just lame. Barely anything being told about it. The nanny doesn't even solved the mystery why the Barnabas loves ghost is talking to her. Firstly the attention is being brought to the nanny "Victoria Winters" in the first part of the movie, leaving the audience with a great expectation that Barnabas Collins will be mystery. Then, reaching the half of the movie, the main attention turns to Barnabas Collins leaving out the nanny as a supporting character. But for ever what reason, suddenly Victoria Winters fell in love with Barnabas Collins while the whole story is telling about how Barnabas Collins is going to restore the family wealth. Overall the plot and storyline is weak. 

On the other side, the collaboration of Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp is great. Just like in Alice in Wonderland portraying a funny weird character, they also did it in Dark Shadows. Bonham as Dr. Julia and Johnny as the vampire "Barnabas Collins". They executed the character very well. Don't forget the antagonist Eva green, she does make Angelique as annoying and evil as it is but not neglecting the heart that the character is still in love with Barnabas Collins. The other characters are lacking of character development, perhaps not enough time to tell it. Or the writer just assume that everyone watching the movie has lived through 70s or at least have watched part of the Opera soap. Unfortunately, I haven't watched it and I feel a lot of empty plot being left out or just merely plugged in for a short amusement.

The setting is amazing, a lot of Tim Burton themed setting to please audience eyes. Barnabas Collins mansion is creepy magnificent huge and glamorous. The imperial design could still be felt in the mansion. In the town, the 70s atmosphere is surely convincing enough with the car, costume and architect. The forest is as dark as what you can find in Alice in wonderland. Tim Burton is the amazing in creating a new theme to fit the current taste of movie goers which is a little bit darker and serious. Quite amazed by the ghost scene that brings out the nanny from her room to the hall but disappointed heavily on the story line. Well directed movie as I can say. Well, here is the trailer for you to enjoy =>

Vanishing on 7th Street (2010; Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller) Rating: 2.5 / 5 "Spooky "

Directed by Brad Anderson


Produced by Norton Herrick
                      Tove Christensen


Written by   Anthony Jaswinski


Starring  Hayden Christensen
                Thandie Newton
                John Leguizamo


Studio  Herrick Entertainment


Distributed by Magnolia Pictures


Release date 12 September 2010


Running time 90 Minutes

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Quick Synopsis

Several humans stuck in the middle of the darkness that is about to consume them. The way and the only solution is to stay near the lights. With the dark soul waiting in the darkness, they need to find a way to get out from the city.

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Review

Hayden Christensen (Luke) has gone through the pain of fighting the darkness in "Star Wars" and then come back just to find himself stuck with his own past darkness in "Jumper". Now, he is back again to be consumed by the darkness in "Vanishing on 7th Street". Performing along John Leguizamo (Paul) and Thandie Newton (Rosemary), this movie is great in character execution. You can exactly feel the fear depicted by the characters. The setting is fabulous with a little magic touch of the movie director, the audiences are surely being brought into movie especially with the strong scene of plane crashing in the middle of the city. The way it executes the beginning surely enhances the curiosity of the audiences. With the spooky setting surely everyone going to think that this is going to be hell out of a movie.

Well, unfortunately the lack of originality and half full story telling result in it as an average movie. Even with the good directing, the movie fail to lift itself to the next level. The lack of character building just left the audiences with never ending guessing. The lack of explanation just left the audiences with emptiness in the story. However, Vanishing on 7th Street is still acceptable movie to be enjoy by horror fans. For those who love horror mystery movie without some sort of creatures that jump out and haunt you in the mind for the rest of the night, this movie is worth a try. Overall, seeing "Vanishing on 7th street" is interesting, seeing it second time makes me angry for wasting time.

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Trailer

Crazies (2010: Genre: Horror, Drama, Action) Rating: 1/5 "Not recommended"

Crazies 2010 is the remake of 1973. Starring Timothy Olyphant (David Button), the original version is interesting but the remake fail to grab audience interest.

The story begins in a baseball match where a strange guy come in the field with a shot gun held in the middle of the game. David Button as the sheriff response to it and try to stop the strange guy that eventually he knows who he is and unfortunately, David has to shoot him to save his own life. Then, the next killing scene is on the middle of the farm, where a farmer kills his family and end up with blank look like the one before in the middle of the baseball game. Afterwards, David then suddenly found out that the river is contaminated which also is the main supply of the water which later he finds a crashed airplane. Then, the weird day occurs with the some sort of infected human that consumed the contaminated water called "crazies" start to attack without any reasons. Then suddenly, the whole town is abandoned and blasted up with a nuclear which by then the main character "David Button" has escaped the town with his wife.

Audience is just simply thrown in the game without an explanation how to play it. The movie fail to tell a good story so do fail to develop "the crazies" that end up want to act like zombies but come out as a brainless maniac psychopath killer. So, what is the movie about? The most weird thing is only 2 lines in the movie describing why the villager become a brainless maniac psychopath killer. Let me give you a clue " a biological weapon that crashed in the river which eventually consumed by the villager then cause them to either die or go insane". The premises of the story is simple "a couple and his best mate running away from contaminated city together".

Well, it is up to you to give it a go and have another thought about it.

But I am very disappointed with this movie which after I read the version of 1973 in the Wikipedia, I found it a lot more interesting than the remake 2010.

The Box (2009; Genre: Sci-fi, Horror) Rating: 2.5/5

The box starring Cameron Diaz is a sci-fi movie which completely take audience to a new level of what they can imagine. Looking a the title, the box is definitely will be a mysterious movie.

The box,of course is about a box, sends to a married couple with a single child by stranger,which in the movie it is Lewis Family. By pushing the button inside the box, a person that the family don't know will die and the responsible person will receive a million of cash. Norma Lewis starring Cameron Diaz is appealing to push the button which brings her in a interesting adventure discovering the truth behind the stranger, Steward (Frank Langella), who sends her the box. Who is Steward? You have to watch it on your own and Frank who I believe acted perfectly as a mysterious stranger man, Steward. You might salute the way Frank execute the character.

The box is great in entertaining so do exciting as it makes you like a cat in curiosity with instinct want to look for more. Yet, the movie fail to deliver an exciting moment of truth which left audiences wondering what is happening. Like a cat thrown in the water, audiences turns away wondering why have they watched that movie. As I can say, a waste of good story with a terrible ending. However, if you like a mystery movie with some sort of hidden message in the movie by the writer, you may like this movie.

Received 44% in rotten tomatoes and 6.0/10 in imdb. Its up to you. I would suggesting just rent a dvd and go through it with your love one and probably have a little or mocking discussion about the movie at the end.

Here is the trailer. Hope you enjoy it.