The Quake - Das große Beben

I stumbled upon "Skjelvet" ("The Quake") by pure luck. I picked it up and saw that it looked very reminiscent of the 2015 movie "Bølgen" ("The Wave"). Then I noticed that it was the same actor in it, and since I enjoyed "Bølgen", of course I had to give "Skjelvet" a watch.

Good thing that I did, because "Skjelvet" turned out to be every bit as entertaining as the 2015 movie "Bølgen", and it turns out that "Skjelvet" is actually a continuation - a part II - to the 2015 movie. So that was quite a nice surprise thrown into the deal.

Writers John Kåre Raake and Harald Rosenløw-Eeg managed to put together a story that turned out to be as entertaining and adrenaline-filled as the predecessor movie, while Director John Andreas Andersen managed to bring the story to life visually and entertainingly.

I am very surprised with the level of fantastic CGI that they managed to capture and put into the movie, very much reminiscent of the 2015 movie "Bølgen". It all looked so realistic and downright amazing. So that is a great achievement in a Norwegian movie, because that is something you would usually associate with multi-billion dollar movies made in Hollywood.

Kristoffer Joner (playing Kristian Eikjord) in the lead really brought a lot of charm to the movie, and it was great to see him return to reprise this character. He definitely carried the movie quite well. The other actors and actresses in the movie also performed quite well, but it was Kristoffer Joner that carried the movie through and through.

If you have watched the 2015 movie "Bølgen", then you definitely should take the time and effort to sit down and watch this 2018 sequel "Skjelvet" because it is right up there alongside "Bølgen" in entertainment value and in intensity.

The Norwegian "Skjelvet", a.k.a. "The Quake", is an overrated disaster movie. The special effects are indeed stunning and worthwhile watching, but the predictable storyline and characters are disappointing. Kristian Eikjord is unpleasant and strange and most of the characters have stupid attitudes. The abrupt conclusion is weak. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

First thing you notice is the wonderful natural light and cinematography. But once your eyes adjust, you realize how poorly written this is. You can't believe your eyes. The first hour crawls along with the lead character, silent and anguished, making you wonder what's he so disturbed about and why aren't we allowed into his mind, more than just a hint. After the hour is over, you watch in disbelief as characters act in irrational ways that make you sit in astonishment as believability is thrown out the window to accommodate a weak script. The final 50 minutes try to make up for the first part's inadequacies but by then, you're no longer involved. Is this merely a money-grubbing exercise or are the principles just not very good at their craft? The Wave was so much better.

This Norwegian movie is a follow up to the 2015 disaster film "The Wave". Kristoffer Joner is back as geologist Kristian Eikjord , some three years after a tsunami disaster in Geiranger, Norway claimed 248 lives and for which he was considered a hero for saving many people.

However, Kristian is suffering from severe trauma and depression, directly related to that disaster. He has even separated himself from his wife Idun (Ane Dahl Torp) and his two children.

Kristian, via a colleague's death, begins to realize there could be another disaster, a major earthquake, about to strike Oslo. As other reviewers have mentioned, the build-up to the disaster is extremely slow and is filled with lots of melodrama and overacting.

It's only in the final third of the movie that things pick up dramatically with some high tension and truly horrific scenes worthy of a disaster flick. Overall, if one can have the patience to stick with this movie I believe it's worth a watch.

Another good norwegian movie with great photography, tension and good acting.