Crap, crap and more crap. Lame from start to finish. I suppose it has its few cool gruesome bits. Hard-core zombie fans might want to sit through it for a couple gross-out effects. But otherwise, steer clear. I'm pretty sure the Italians that made this film just ended up using some footage from other exploitation flicks. Bring on another Cannibal flick while we're at it!
A gorgeous film. The first half is visual storytelling at its finest. Ballard is great at capturing landscapes (Never Cry Wolf) and writer Melissa Matheson understands how to move people with just a few precious images. She also wrote E.T. and Scorsese's Kundun. The second half of The Black Stallion isn't as remarkable but it still has a beautiful story. Every kid needs to grow up with this film.
A shame this movie didn't capture the magic of the Wallace & Gromit short that first introduced this mighty character. Without Nick Park onboard, the film feels a little half-ass. The animation is naturally jaw-dropping but the script feels like it's missing that extra punch. Still, an entertaining kid's flick.
A silly horror film. It starts off decent enough and they try to take things seriously. But it all becomes pedestrian very quickly. The ending is memorable and bold. Essentially, they bring in the Devil, so you know, it's not all bad.
It may not have the sophisticated perfection of the original but this sequel has plenty of things to cheer about. There are twice as many scares this time (although, that isn't always necessarily a good thing) and the way it borrows from a true story is simply terrifying. During the ending credits (and imagery) I was genuinely freaked out. James Wan truly cares about his characters and it shows. So much affection for the people in this movie. There are a handful of clichéd and contrived bits (especially near the beginning and once or twice in the second half) but 80% of the film totally works. Horror fans will rejoice. One thing for sure, Wan definitely owes a great deal from The Exorcist. But if you're going to steal, then might as well steal from the best.
