You Move You Die

I wasn't expecting much from this film given the low ratings and was really just sitting back killing some time. However I was pleasantly surprised to find this movie very quickly became entertaining and humorous. Although it started a little slow, the pace picked right up and pulled me along with it. Rob and Mike worked well together and bought a real 'mates' feel to the movie. It isn't often I laugh out loud but the guys antics and banter had me chuckling all the way through. The twists and turns and situation comedies had me laughing out loud and I have come away with four new faces to look out for in up and coming movies. Thank you for an entertaining hour and a half and would love to see more from this crew. :)

Alas, Francis Ford Coppola was wrong. The digital camera revolution has not resulted in an explosion of talent gracing our screens. All it has delivered is the never ending glut of amateur material, posturing as cinema, that clog the shelves of video stores worldwide. YOU MOVE YOU DIE is a continuation of this never ending cycle of sub-mediocre, ego- driven and wholly wretched home-movies.

Suffering through YOU MOVE YOU DIE is like watching a gang of young schoolboys, inspired by a movie they just saw, playing Goodies and Baddies as they chase each other around the drab back streets of their boring small town. They play-fight and play-act, and do all things their parents would frown upon (like swearing and smoking). The jolly romp is all made up on the spur of the moment and after an hour or so, they're so darn tuckered out from all the tussling and screaming and pointlessness of it all, so they simply...stop.

Now imagine a group of age-retarded adult men in their thirties, doing the above. Yet sadder still, is their friend with a video-camera who's followed them around as they playact like little kids- bored during the summer holidays. Then afterwards, they all wearily (but satisfied and with much backslapping) go back home to endlessly watch themselves replayed on telly, over fizzy drinks and chips as they collectively fantasize about hanging out with Tarantino.

That pretty much sums up wrist-slitting banality that is YOU MOVE YOU DIE.

Pretty good movie overall in the sense that the story keeps moving and there's no soppy love scenes to slow things down. Acting was alright too and most of the actors / actresses were convincing. Ketzal's outbursts and coined phrases added that little bit of humour and if you just watched it at face value, you'd never have guessed the ending. Looks like this is a Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie in the making. Just too bad he didn't come up with anything like this after. I've watched it a few times and will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a 'light' movie or simply to find out what a knob jockey is.

As always it is the complainers that are the first to comment. I personally thoroughly enjoyed the film. Surely a films aim is to entertain? Well this one did the job as far as I am concerned.

Has something similar been done before? probably but who cares, and without knowing how it was shot you (or at least I) couldn't even attempt to judge how innovative it is. All I know is that it felt very different to watch than most movies you will see. As for the comment that this genre is dead... what a load of tripe, this is not some Quentin T rip. It stands alone as an interesting story with some good twists and plenty of humour (assuming you like your humour fairly dry) Was it a low budget flick? almost definitely, does it look "cheap"? not at all. I think this is a breath of fresh air for the industry within NZ. And I firmly believe it is a good quality, entertaining flick.

Is it the best movie in the world? of course not... still I liked it better than at least one huge blockbuster I saw recently. Mind you some people apparently can't live without huge explosions and/or a festival of CGI! If you enjoy the flavour of the "british gangster" type flick, and like your humour dark and dry you will probably enjoy this film.

So go check it out you will probably enjoy it. Plus you are supporting genuine NZ film.. i.e. not financed from half a world away with the money and talent disappearing offshore the day it wraps. Oh and it might pay to watch to the end...

PS I can't wait to see what these guys can do with the next film and some cash support behind them!

While it's not a great film, it is close to unique, consistently fun to watch, and keeps you interested until the end. A crime-action film like Crank in some ways.

It's the light-hearted version of a film like American Gangster, and gangster films in general which almost always take a very serious thriller angle to the story. The difference here is you really don't realize you're watching a gangster film until near the end. You get some strong hints of it, but it's never clear.

This is the type of film that should get a best screenplay award. The beginning and end tie together perfectly, yet you never see the connection until the end. I probably should give it a higher rating for that alone, but it's not without a few annoyances. Very much worth seeing nonetheless.