Gemini Man (5 Stars)

In my review of "Deadpool 2" last year I informed you that I'd bought my first 4K television set and 4K Blu-ray player. What I haven't told you is that since then I've bought a few 4K discs. The first was "John Wick 2", which I actually bought in October 2018, two years before I was able to play it. The reason is that there was a special offer at the time, making the 4K disc cheaper than the standard Blu-ray release.

So far I have mixed feelings about 4K discs. I have to mention that every 4K disc I've bought so far is a dual format release that includes the standard Blu-ray. That means that I'm able to compare them. In the case of "John Wick 2" I can hardly see any difference between the 4K disc and the upscaled Blu-ray disc. (My 4K Blu-ray player upscales Blu-ray discs and sends a 4K image to my television). In the case of the other 4K discs that I own, which include "Red Sparrow" and "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", I can see that the picture is superior, but it's a subtle difference. What I mean is, the picture is better, but if I'd never seen the 4K image I'd be completely satisfied with the Blu-ray disc. Currently, 4K discs cost triple the price of the corresponding Blu-ray releases. Is it worth paying 30 Euros for a 4K film instead of 10 Euros for a Blu-ray? I think not.

It's not just about the video quality. 4K discs also have improved sound quality. I have very sensitive hearing, so I'm sure I would recognise the difference with the right home entertainment system. But that's just it. The sound equipment that I have isn't capable of doing 4K discs justice, so they sound the same as Blu-ray releases.

Now let's talk about "Gemini Man". The 4K release is incredible. It leaves the Blu-ray version far behind. It's the best 4K release that I've seen so far, and it's worth every cent of the price difference.

It's not just a question of the higher resolution. It's not even about the larger colour palette (High Dynamic Range), which makes the colours more vivid. It's the high frame rate. "Gemini Man" was filmed with a frame rate of 120 fps. Blu-ray discs can only handle a maximum frame rate of 24 fps, but 4K discs can use a frame rate of up to 60 fps. The higher frame speed gives the film a big improvement.

"Gemini Man" is only the second film to be made at 120 frames per second. Ever since the beginning of cinema, films have been made at 24 fps. Viewers have grown so used to it that it's deemed cinematic, and increased speeds seem to be hyperreal. Peter Jackson was the first director to suggest a higher speed. He made the three films in the Hobbit trilogy at 48 fps. When I saw the first Hobbit film I was so impressed that I wrote a lot about it. It was an improvement, but the director Ang Lee didn't want to stop there. In 2017 he made "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" at 120 fps, even though there was no cinema on Earth able to show it. A small number of cinemas were able to show it at 60 fps, but they were only a handful worldwide. Now he's made "Gemini Man" at the same speed.

Both films have been released on 4K discs at 60 fps. That's currently the most that 4K Blu-ray players can handle, until the technology catches up.

120 fps is the perfect speed. Supposedly, the human eye can process up to 110 fps, so there's no need to go any higher. 60 fps isn't perfect, but it's a big leap in quality from 24 fps. I knew what to expect today, but if I sat an unknowing person in front of "Gemini Man" in 4K he would immediately notice that something is different, even if he couldn't describe what it is.

The film is about a 51-year-old sniper called Henry Brogan who works for an American organisation that assassinates terrorists. When he decides to retire, his boss decides that he can't be allowed to live, so a young assassin is sent to kill him. This young man, known only as Junior, is a 23-year-old clone of Henry.

Will Smith plays both roles. As Junior his face has been digitally enhanced to make him look younger. I want to be digitally enhanced as well.

But to sum up: I don't recommend that you rebuy your Blu-rays on 4K. It's not worth the money. If you're buying a new film, be selective. I don't think 4K discs are worth the higher price, but it's up to you. However, "Gemini Man" is a special case. Buy it on 4K, however much it costs. You won't regret it.

Success Rate:  - 0.7

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Gemini Man (5 Stars)

This is the second film made by Ang Lee using the revolutionary frame rate of 120 fps, so revolutionary that there's still no cinema able to screen the film in its original format. Tonight I watched it in the cinema at the traditional 24 fps. I wonder how many years it will take for the film industry to catch up.

Henry Brogan is a hitman for the Defense Intelligence Agency who decides to retire, against the wishes of his superiors. Now 51 years old, he wants to settle back and enjoy a quiet life, but he isn't afforded that luxury. He knows details about his last operation that make him a liability, so he has to die. The agent sent after him is a clone of himself, only 23 years old, with less experience but at the peak of his physical capabilities.

This is a different sort of film for the director Ang Lee. Instead of the usual quiet introspection we're used to, there's a lot of action. He handles this genre well, and he still manages to weave in a few philosophical questions.

The acting by Will Smith in both of the lead roles is outstanding. His younger self, known only as Junior, is made younger by computer technology. If I ever star in a film I want to look 30 years younger as well.

The critical response to the film is generally poor, praising the acting and the special effects, but criticising the story. I checked the reviews on Amazon's website, which uses a one to five rating system like mine, and I was surprised to see that it only had one star or five star ratings, nothing in between. It's a film that people either love or hate. I love it.

Sin City (5 Stars)

I watched "Sin City" years ago, but for some reason I thought I didn't like it. All I could remember is seeing Elijah Wood jumping around, nothing else. That was enough reason to watch it again. Wow! I was mesmerised. I can't write much about the film because of being short of time, but I'll promise to return to it and write more next time. Whenever that is. I don't break my promises, I just need a long time to keep them.

Success Rate:  + 2.0

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Valerian (3 Stars)

This is a spectacular science fiction epic from the French director Luc Besson. Visually it's what "The Fifth Element" would have looked like if it had been made 20 years later.

At a cost of 200 million Euros it's the most expensive film ever made in Europe, but it looks like it will only earn a fraction of that amount at the box office. Does it deserve more success? After watching it for the first time today I refrain from giving an opinion. I'll give it a default three star rating. I really need to see it again before I can say more.

The setting for the film is the International Space Station. The film's introduction shows it growing steadily larger as different human nationalities, then different alien races move in to share it. 400 years in the future it's grown so large that it's considered a threat to the Earth's safety, so it's propelled into the far reaches of space. Humans are the largest group on the space station, but there are hundreds of alien races sharing it.

Valerian and Laureline are two special agents who work for the commander of the space station. The commander asks for their assistance in battling an unknown force that is spreading in the centre of the space station. As good soldiers they do what's asked of them, but as the story continues they find out that not all is as it seems.

The story is exciting. The acting is perfect. The visual effects are good, but to me they were confusing. It's as if Luc Besson's intention was to put the special effects first and everything else second. The film is based on a French comic series, "Valerian and Laureline". The visuals in science fiction comics can't necessarily be duplicated in a live action film, but that's clearly what Luc Besson has tried to do. The images are too overwhelming for me to say much about the film after only watching it once.

The International (4 Stars)

The banks always win.

Shoot 'Em Up (2 Stars)

A man known only as Mr. Smith is sitting at a bus stop when he witnesses a pregnant woman being pursued by men with guns. He rushes to her rescue and helps to deliver the baby while still in a gun fight with the men. He goes into hiding with the woman, but he is discovered and the woman is shot. He thinks this is the end of the problems, but more men come after him attempting to kill the baby. He struggles to find out why it's so important that the baby has to die.

The whole film is a series of gun fights strung together by a scanty plot. Everything is played for shock value to make the viewer gasp as he sees it. This isn't negative in itself; I can enjoy a film that has little or no plot if the action appeals to me. But if there is a plot, it has to make sense. This is the main reason why I didn't enjoy the film. The explanations which Mr. Smith finally finds for the bounty on the baby's life are very thin and difficult to believe. The film is a showcase for Clive Owen's acting talents, but the story is disappointing.

Click here to view the trailer.

Killer Elite [Guest Writer] (4 Stars)

Okay so I recently went to watch this movie in theaters and since I'm a huge De Niro fan and will watch almost anything with him featured in it, this hit my radar pretty quick. I also like Jason a little just because he can deliver those raw, gritty action films that I'm so fond of although I wasn't a huge fan of his smut-filled Crank.

So here's the low-down. Killer Elite pits two of the world's most elite operatives - Danny (Jason), an ex-special ops agent and Hunter (De Niro), his longtime mentor - against the cunning leader of a secret military society (clive owen). covering the globe from Australia to Pairs, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse where the predators become the prey.

Seems a bit muddled huh? Well here's an easier version of the plot: contract killer Danny Bryce (Jason) attempts to get out of the “game” after a job in Mexico turns ugly. That is, until his closest friend and mentor, Hunter (Robert De Niro) is captured by a rich Dubai sheik. In order to free his friend, Bryce must succeed in completing Hunter’s assignment - to kill three British Special Air Service (SAS) agents responsible for murdering the sheik's three oldest sons in cold blood. Bryce quickly assembles a team and gets to work - subsequently drawing the attention of former SAS operative, Spike Logan (Clive Owen) who will stop at nothing to protect the soldiers.

So when I saw the trailers I was initially excited about this movie - more so because my De Niro was featured in it than anything else and he really played his part well. Being able to watch the well-known veteran kick some major ass was a huge plus in the movie but excluding him and the intense action and fighting scenes I was left a bit cold and unsatisfied. It seems they really tried to fit way too much into this movie and it came off almost clumsy and disjointed rather than smooth and thrilling. The romance part of it was unnecessary in my opinion and only made the plot all the more confusing but of course Jason just needs to get his piece on the side. I've never been the biggest fan of Clive Owen mainly because everything that comes out of his mouth almost sounds like a cliche and it seems he's just too 2 dimensional for me to really emotionally invest in during the movie. So his part was a let down for me as well.

Overall this is a nice movie to watch if you have some time to kill and are in the mood for some hard-hitting and wild action and special effect scenes but I'm sad to say that it didn't live up to all my expectations. *sighs*