LennyOO

A movie starring Johnny Depp is always interesting. Not all of them are good, but that's because we have such high expectations of him. I think, when it comes to acting, he has met these expectations once again. I consider him one of the greatest actors today, and this movie is no exception.

It was a treat to watch. The film takes place on the beautiful, tropic and somewhat idyllic (on the surface) Puerto Rico of the 50's. As said in the film, the island is practically owned by the US. People go there to escape the problems their country is facing, say, the Vietnam crisis. They escape reality and drown themselves in sweet sorrow, enjoying the wonderful weather, lovely palm beaches and lots and lots of rum and other alcoholic beverages. The perfect example of the capitalistic and commercial imperialism of a monster called profit, being one of the key problems in the plot.

So far, so good. I enjoyed the setting, the lovely, somewhat classic scenery of a world of living the good life. The music matches everything. I absolutely loved the entire score, it has some lovely relaxing jazz music, making you want to lie down on the beach and sleep.

The story however, wasn't carried out that well. It was clear, alright, but it took off rather late and even then, it was mostly about drinking rum and facing the subsequent hangover. It wasn't exciting, there wasn't a lot of action, not many moments to leave you on the edge of your seat, breathlessly hoping for relief. Not once was Kemp (Johnny Depp) really in danger. It was however, clearly stated as an action-comedy. Alright, it was funny at times. But Depp's wit isn't carried out as much as in, say, Sleepy Hollow or the Pirates quadrilogy. He is much more of a normal man, trying to make a living on an island which appears to be fresh, but is rotten on the inside.

Yet, the rather disappointing execution of the storyline cannot leave me concluding the movie is boring and dull. It was fun to watch, it gives one that laid-back feeling of satisfaction, thanks to the great music and the beautiful places. But if you really want action, then, no, I am sorry. I, however, am not that picky and will settle with whatever the movie turns out to be: Easy and fun, beautiful at times, but not that gripping. It was certainly lovely to lose myself in beautiful weather, blue skies, a cool drink and those nice beaches they have over there. Especially in Holland this time of year, with its dreary dark weather. Ugh. [7/10] Give it a go! It's fun and hot and it won't scare you!

Over the last couple of years, a lot of documentaries on wild life and nature have been made by BBC. And we all know that no one does it better than them. When I heard that this new documentary, called 'One Life', would be in the movie theaters, I was immediately convinced. I just had to see it, and I'm quite sure millions of other people felt the same way. I am a huge fan of the amazingly popular and beautiful series 'Earth', so my expectations were quite high.

But I was slightly disappointed. What I saw was another collection of the most beautiful images of nature, another one and half an hour long stream of events. Predator vs. prey, mother and cubs, and what not. It was delightful to watch all the same, but it was far from original, it brought nothing new. That, however, is quite difficult, because there are so many documentaries. But why bother making another one? I haven't seen anything I haven't seen before on BBC's previous movie-making masterpieces.

Of course, if you haven't any experience when it comes to documentaries on nature, this is a very, very good one. It also focuses on trying to show how animals and humans are alike, how we are inevitably connected to the same things animals are, and what we both try to achieve.

I can recommend this to anyone who is not that familiar with documentaries. It is very good for children to watch, because it is very easy to understand. And on top of that; there are of course the amazingly beautiful scenes of nature. But if you have seen a lot more of these (say 'Earth'), then 'One Life' will probably not be worth the effort. [7/10]

Last Friday, we had Tower Heist for dinner. We went there without much expectations, as is so often the rule when it comes to sitcoms. One shouldn't expect a movie-making masterpiece, but that is not a problem anyway. Sitcoms do what they should: Give you a good and easy laugh! And it did. The old recipe of comedians (Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy) can still put off some good laughs, I must admit!

But not always so, for the first half hour was very boring and regular. It is the standard introduction of the environment, in this case "The Tower", a gigantic skyscraper where the high and rich can spend their days embalmed in luxury and high quality service. We see Ben Stiller as its manager, the one to make sure everything is alright. I will not really use elements from the story, because you can also read a short introduction. These first touches are boring but necessary: They contradict what is about to follow when the sh*t hits the fan, the ricochet. Only, the problem was that this part of the film lasted just a little too long. But what followed made everything right, nonetheless.

The casting isn't special, but it works, an older formula with a new touch. Who doesn't know the comedy about businessmen whose life is about to get into serious sh*t? Trading Places, Liar Liar, anyone? Who doesn't know Eddie Murphy, always there to turn even the most serious and formal places into a mess. And don't forget Ben Stiller, who happens to take up a role much more serious than we're used to.

If I have made you think that this is just a comedy, well, not entirely. It has action in it, and some parts actually gave me the thrills (I have fear of heights). Comedy and action has also proved a very good combination, for example "The Hangover".

So far so good. It might seem like a cliché, which it actually is, but it's good. It's nigh impossible to think of an original comedy story, because there's an ungodly amount of them made every year. Elements of older comedies are used by the new ones, creating slightly different ideas every time. Think about it for a longer time and you'll see the simplicity in them, which you could... but... maybe you shouldn't. Why not? Because these movies aren't made for thinking, but laughing, enjoying.

Conclusion: I can recommend this movie to anyone looking for some nice and easy sitcom fun. That's what you want, that's what you'll get. I promise, you will not be disappointed. This movie is nothing special compared to its other comedy counterparts, but neither are they. This is everything a comedy SHOULD be: Fun. [8/10]