The Quake

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.

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.

The prequel of this movie was The Wave (Bolgen) and was slightly better than The Quake (Skjelvet), but I still rate it the same because there are some moments of suspense towards the end even though it were also those same moments that were annoying at some point. Annoying because of the characters having a little chat or emotional moments while the only thing they had to think about was trying to escape death and disaster. It just didn't make any sense and therefor it brings the ratings down. The actors were the same as in The Wave but again I thought they did a better job in the prequel, maybe due to the story telling this time. But if you like disaster movies it's worth watching once. To me it could have been much better if there were more disastrous moments and lesser emotional moments. When you fight for your life there is just no time for sentiments.

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