Terremoto

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

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

A few years ago, the film The Wave came out and became a big success in Norway. The same people have now made this and the same actors and characters are still here. The films are both catastrophe films, but the action is now moved to the capital Oslo. The title indicates well what is going to happen here? Unlike other movies in this genre, this attempts to convey feelings and a story about a family in dissolution. Pretty successful too, the protagonists manage to get a drama out of the situation they are in and their lives. Everything is clearly building up to the event as well as what we are going to see, namely the quake. The effects are good and perfectly done. Good sequences. The movie may be a bit of a hassle before it gets any action, but I can still recommend this movie to those who like this genre.

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.

It's sad but true. The wave was amazing not just because of its suspense, but also because its characters'actions made sense. And what makes this one even worse is that they are the same characters only stupid! I didn't mind the slow build to the the actual disaster; what annoyed me the most was how everyone was lame and slow and just unbelievably wrong when it comes to their reactions! Scenes where they're supposed to be running for their lives, but instead having melodramatic moments. Human instincts don't work that way or else there would never be any survivors in any life-threatening situation ever! It was so irritating to watch them behave this way after the amazing performance of the previous film! It was a disappointment.