The Son of Bigfoot – 2017

Score: 3/10

The Son of Bigfoot is not a terrible movie, not by any means. It’s passable as an animation and it even has a couple of funny moments. But, unfortunately, that is kind of about it. There is nothing more to see here and frankly for me it was a huge disappointment. It flew under the radar for good reason and it is definitely one of the weakest animations I have seen in the last couple of years. A big disappointment and one that has once and for all made me question the point of seeing animations made outside the big traditional studios… I am sorry independent movie makers, either up your game or stop bothering us with your shit…

The story is just one cliché after another and I was not surprised at all. Not once did I think oh man, I didn’t expect that. Everything follows a formula and you can anticipate the ending after literally the first 5 minutes. Basically, this movie is just a rehash of something that we have all seen before and frankly, I am getting tired of films that refuse to bring anything new to the table. Do it better or stop doing it at all.

The characters are bland, there is nothing special about them, they are simply clichés that come together and try to offer up some comedy while failing at everything else. You have the child that searches for his father, the mother that tries to protect that child from the truth, the father that left but is really a nice guy, the evil corporation and so on. And they all come together in a bore fest of epic proportions… Which is a shame because the actors, while not big names, do try their best. So I have to say kudos for trying to: Pappy Faulkner, Christopher L. Parson, Terrence Stone, Marieve Herington, Sandy Fox, Joe Ochman, Laila Berzins, Michael Sorich, Joe J. Thomas, Shylo Summer, Cinda Adams, John Allsop and George Babbit.

The animation style, while decent, is nothing to speak about, and because we live in a world where Pixar and Disney exist, this is simply unacceptable. I know, it’s an independent movie, I know its European bla bla bla… Those are no longer excuses, because I can simply not tolerate any more animations that are just trying to tick all the common boxes without brining anything new to the table. The style is decent yes, but there is nothing special about it, nothing that pops on screen, nothing that makes you want to keep watching.

What is the point? That is the question I was asking myself over and over while watching this film. I mean it has no point, it serves no one, it manages to accomplish nothing. The ending is more than obvious from the start, the plot twists are just clichés that we have seen countless times before and nothing manages to stand out. Everything seems formulaic to the core and boring… The movie is bland and it offers absolutely nothing more than a rehashed story that we have seen told in dozens of films before it… I mean honestly, you can’t watch this one without asking yourself what is really the point here…

In conclusion, The Son of Bigfoot is definitely one you should skip unless you are a huge fan of animated movies and you are basically willing to watch anything as long as it is animated. If that is the case, then by all means, go watch it, but don’t expect anything more than just a couple of good jokes peppered over the course of a terribly bland and boring story. It is really a shame, because there was some talent here and it could have been done much better, but unfortunately the end result does not live up to expectations. It’s very sad but I have to say it, this one does not warrant a viewing from you guys.

Kidnap – 2017

Score: 3/10

Meh, simply meh… Kidnap is a meh movie that chose to suck on so many levels it becomes actually infuriating, especially towards the end. There was something here, it could have been entertaining, it could have even been good, but no, they chose to weigh it all down with unnecessary dramatization and with overacting that actually hurt my eyes. It could have been a good film but it ends up being a huge waste of time for the viewer. I do not recommend this one because you will simply waste your time watching 91 minutes of boring and predictable derivative abduction thriller.

The story is the one thing that could have saved this movie, because it is sort of interesting, it has that element of surprise that is usually enough to make movies engaging. I mean the idea that a mother would initiate a car chase after the abductors of their child is actually something that has not been used so many times before. But unfortunately, after the car chase that is nicely done and has raw emotions in it, the film devolves into a pitch black dark fight with guns and shovels and phone calls to 911, thus becoming nothing more than a copy paste of stupidity. Halle Berry was supposed to be the badass female version of Liam Neeson but instead she ends up being just overdramatic and clichéd to the core.

Speaking of clichés, the characters are all clichés, right to the last extra. There is no development here, none at all, despite some feeble attempts in the beginning of the movie. You don’t care about anybody, the mother and the child have no sort of connection, the villains are bland as porridge and everything makes you want the movie to be over sooner. I ended up not caring at all about anything that was happening and that was mainly because every single actor was overacting in the cringiest way possible. Hugely disappointed by the performances from Halle Berry, Sage Correa, Chris McGinn, Lew Temple, Jason Winston George, Christopher Berry, Aaron Shiver, Kurtis Bedfor and Carmela Riley.

The big thing about this movie is that it is boring. Boring as hell because everything is so obvious, there is no god damn tension anywhere. Nothing happens out of the blue, everything seems programed and thus forced. Even the emotions of the main character seem forced and it’s like she tries to act dramatic on purpose. That takes all the fun out of the movie, because you literally feel that it is huffing and puffing in order to impress you. It fails miserably at doing this because there is nothing here besides choreographed pain. There are no real feelings on screen and this is why this was never going to be the summer blockbuster that it wanted.

Another incredibly annoying thing here is the attention to little details that absolutely doesn’t pay off for the viewers. I mean take the example of the car gas meter. They show it to us when it’s almost empty, making us feel that wow, gas is important, it will matter. But then she goes on for miles on end without any mention of the fuel. Until of course, it becomes important again, out of the blue, just when we forgot about it. But now it doesn’t actually matter, because the kidnapper doesn’t run like any logical human would, no, he comes back to kill her of course… So it doesn’t matter that she has no fuel, it doesn’t matter… This is the best description of this movie: it doesn’t fucking matter!

In conclusion, skip Kidnap, just skip it and forget even reading this article. It could have been interesting, it has a nice premise, it has some flashes of respectable action in the car chase part, but unfortunately that’s not enough to make it even tolerable. It is a shame that it fails so badly but that’s what happens when you just decide to make a movie without having an idea about what kind of movie you actually want to make. Oh, and if you leave your child unattended in the middle of a crowded park to talk on your phone, you’re gonna have a bad time… 😛

Hostiles – 2017

Score: 7,5/10

Hostiles is a very deep and powerful movie, right from the start, and I sincerely was surprised by this. I didn’t expect it to be such an interesting experience and I can honestly say it is one of the best modern westerns I’ve seen. I don’t like the genre very much and I can’t say I am actively searching for movies like this, but this had what it needed in order to make me think about things, in order to make me care about how it ended. It’s a tough one, difficult to see and difficult to enjoy, and yet, it has a certain appeal. I truly recommend this movie to anyone that wants more than just shooting and scalping from a Western.

The story is good, interesting, and it makes you care for the characters, especially the main one. I mean at the start, the first 30 minutes or so, the movie really annoyed me, because I hated the main character, he was acting like a total idiot. I hated it, I was thinking that I will abhor it in the end. And yet, as the movie goes on, there is growth, understanding, changes happen, and they happen naturally. It is amazing how the story evolves here, it is amazing how the characters grow and understand the world better and change their beliefs… It was refreshing to see and I really hope more movies learn that this is the right way to make audiences care about your protagonists…

The characters are powerful, interestingly created and they gel well together to propel the story forward. You care about their actions because you understand everyone’s motivations. It might sound like a boring cliché, but here, everybody behaves as normal people would and that is endearing. There are a couple of scenes where the quality of the actors shines, and altogether, the casting is on point. Great performances from Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Jesse Plemons, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Peter Mullan, Scott Wilson, Paul Anderson, Timothée Chalamet, Ben Foster, Jonathan Majors, John Benjamin Hickey and Stephen Lang.

For me, the most amazing aspect of this movie is the way in which the main character evolves throughout. It starts off with Bale being incredibly annoying, taking stupid decisions, shouting alone to the sky like an idiot and refusing to accept reality. And it ends with a matured character that has understood that good and evil don’t exist as absolutes and that every decision has consequences. It is refreshing, it is powerful and it transforms the entire narrative of the movie. A great process that we can all relate too.

As minuses, I have to point out many of the fight scenes, that were of course happening at night, which means impossible to see. It didn’t bother me so much since I was not interested in fighting here, but still, again, why do movies do this, I simply don’t get it… Also, many scenes are drawn out because Scott Cooper has this idea that drawing them out makes them seem more profound. He is wrong and it becomes very annoying towards the end. Also, the music is lacking and it seems to never be in tune with what is happening on screen. I was very disappointed by the score and I truly think it hurts the movie a lot.

In conclusion, Hostiles is definitely a movie worth checking out. You will be able to enjoy it even if you are not a big fan of the genre, because it manages to go beyond Indians versus white people and into the realm of psychology and understanding the human condition. It is a powerful movie that, despite of the grittiness and casual killings that happen almost nonstop, has a positive message. Not a politically correct bullshit of a message, but a realistic one that goes straight for your core. A good movie, one that I will remember and one that does justice to the period in which it is set. Oh, and seriously, I never thought I would see Batman in the Wild Wild West :)))

The Ritual – 2017

Score: 1/10

I’m done! I’m officially done accepting movies like this and trying to find positives to say about them without mentioning the one thing that absolutely kills it! The Ritual is too dark, too fucking dark, impossible to enjoy and impossible to appreciate! The story is interesting, it’s scary, it has a nice soundtrack, but all of that means absolutely nothing, because it is to dark! I am tired of horror movies doing this and I am tired of staring at a screen in order to maybe see what is actually happening. I am tired and we should not accept this anymore from our movies. Stop making movies in pitch black darkness, it’s not entertaining, it’s not interesting, it’s not art, it’s just pure and utter stupidity!

The story is full, and I mean full of clichés. And yet it is not unbearable, you can soldier through it and you can actually end up enjoying it in a sort of weird way. There is nothing new here and you have seen it all before, because the movie ticks all the boxes that modern horrors have to tick. I have to highlight here again the musical score, which ads a lot of tension to the scenes and was a definite bright spot for me. The tension that the music creates complements the story perfectly and make you feel shivers on your spine, which is always a nice feeling when you are watching a horror movie!

The characters are interesting because they are annoying. I know it might sound paradoxical, but you can’t like any of them, you can see how stupid they behave, how insecure they are, and that makes you sort of interested in what happens to them. I so wanted all of them to just die because they were making mistake after mistake, so on that front, if the movie actually intended this, Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton, Kerri McLean, Maria Erwolter, Paul Reid, Francesca Mula and Jacob James Beswick do a good job.

As I said in the first paragraph, the visuals here ruin absolutely everything, absolutely everything. The monster was designed in an interesting fashion, but alas, you only properly see it in the last scene of the movie. I mean for fucks sake, there was more lighting in A Blair Witch Project, and that says it all. If that stupid movie that basically invented the abomination we call shaky cam had more light than this one, I think we can end all discussions now and go home… Seriously, STOP making movies unwatchable!

What is most infuriating is that there was potential here, real potential. The idea is not new, we have seen it many times before, and yet there was something here, an atmosphere that made it creepy, something take makes you really afraid while watching certain segments. Of course that goes away fast because you can’t be afraid of something you are unable to properly see, but still, with a different visual style and actual lighting this could have been one of the scariest movies of the year… Such a shame.

In conclusion, DO NOT watch The Ritual, because it does not deserve your time. It is actually insulting that they made a film that you can’t actually see if you don’t squint your eyes very hard and stay 20 cm away from the screen, it is insulting and infuriating and we have to say enough if is enough and make Hollywood understand that darkness in a movie does not equal scary, it does not equal tension, it does not equal anything at all. Darkness is stupid and you should have the balls to make scary movies that we can actually see. So skip this one. And always remember, when you do a countdown, do it like this: 1, 2, 3… Brexit! :))))

The Death of Stalin – 2017

Score: 8/10

The Death of Stalin is funny, truly and epically funny. If you like politics and you like satire, this one is a must see. You will not regret watching this and you will discover that even the worse events in humanity’s history can be told in a funny and relaxed way. It is a great movie and although it goes a little bit overboard with the satire from time to time, the overall feeling works. You will discover a world totally different from our own and you will get engaged and entertained throughout its entire duration.

The story is based on real events, but it strays a lot from them, and that is what makes it funny. The reign of Stalin in the Soviet Union was marred by abuses and a lot of deaths, and yet this film manages to make everything seem funny. I really appreciated the overall atmosphere and the fact that while it deals with some very hard themes, it manages to do it in a way that is both engaging and interesting. You care about what happens and although you know the historical conclusion, you get attached to the characters. It’s a staple of a good political satirical film and I was very impressed by the flow of the narrative.

The characters are funny to the bone, they interact in an over the top way that makes every single scene memorable. I loved the casting choices, I loved the air of banality that surrounded every single murder and execution. It’s like a sketch that is transported in the middle of history and yet it still works. The casting is great and I have to praise every performance from Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Jeffrey Tambor, Adrian McLoughlin, Olga Kurylenko, Paul Whitehouse and Paul Chahidi.

The jokes hit home, they are not over the top and yet they work. At first, you are surprised, you are shocked and you can’t take things seriously, but after a while, you just get into the stride of the movie, you start to understand and accept that reality. And that is when everything just kicks in and you can appreciate the blending between serious and funny, that is when you understand that although the period is dark, the way you look at it can be sarcastic and self-depreciating. It is a great example of how you can tackle sensitive themes in a funny and easy to understand narrative…

This movie has been accused of not sticking to the historical fact and yes, it doesn’t. It changes a lot, it exaggerates. And while many of those exaggerations are made for comedic purposes, it does take something away from it when you add them all up together. This is why it’s getting only an 8, because in parts, it goes overboard with the humor and descends into absurdity. Those segments take you out of the story and it hurts the overall suspension of disbelief. Plus, I hated the way the movie gets suddenly very very serious towards the end. Don’t do that, stick to your style throughout and it will offer a better overall feeling.

In conclusion, The Death of Stalin is a hidden gem that you should not overlook. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it works, it makes you chuckle on more than one occasion and it manages to offer a lighthearted version of a dark part of history. Oh, and it’s not politically correct at all, so there, another breath of fresh air. Hopefully this trend continues. And always remember, if you have to live in a world that has killing lists, make sure you are the one making them… Trust me on that!

Geostorm – 2017

Score: 4/10

I wanted to like this movie, I truly wanted to like it. But, unfortunately, Geostorm is a bad disaster film, a copy paste of so many others before it but without the fun parts. It is far too serious, it is filled with plot bots that really stick out and overall, my experience was bad. I felt that I wasted 109 minutes of my life and I would not watch it again. So feel free to just read this review and skip this one, you will not lose anything.

The story is bad, full of clichés and it is the one element in this movie that totally destroys it. Everything moves at a blistering pace and everything seems to happen just because the script says it has to. The evil plan is beyond stupid, there are many inadvertences and you simply can’t connect with what happens. Towards the end you discover that you are simply not invested in the outcome at all and in a movie that is supposed to be about preventing the destruction of the entire world, that is catastrophic.

The characters are the one interesting thing about this movie. They are engaging, and that is mainly because the cast is filled with big stars. And even though it seems over the top in parts, the personal stuff that is going on ends up being the most interesting thing about this movie. The actors do a good job and I have to give credits to Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish, Ed Harris, Andy García, Richard Schiff, Alexandra Maria Lara, Robert Sheehan, Eugenio Derbez, Adepero Oduye, Amr Waked, Daniel Wu and Zazie Beetz.

The special effects are amazingly bad, and I simply don’t understand that considering the huge budget that this movie had. If 120 million dollars are not enough to make a fire look realistic than I seriously don’t know what we are all doing here. They took me out of the movie and I actually rolled my eyes in so many instances that they hurt. It is truly a sad thing to make a movie about the destruction of cities around the world and to be unable to make this destruction appear majestic or at least interesting. This I think is the biggest failure of the film and that’s a shame, considering that amazing effects were the only thing that could have saved this from being the box office bomb that it was…

The message of the movie was another very annoying aspect of it. I get it Hollywood, I get it, the end is coming, we didn’t listen. But seriously, can you people just stop hammering this to death? Yes, I get it, global warming and shit, but it’s getting old. This is like the 10^th movie that focuses on the same shit in the last 20 years, it is starting to wear thin and it is actually becoming annoying. I like grand scale disasters in movies, I love special effects, but at least try to find more plausible and interesting premise than global warming. It’s been done already too many times to be entertaining and the overall reactions to this one prove it. Just move on Hollywood, move on! I hear zombies are a thing J)))

In conclusion, Geostorm is a bad movie, and unfortunately it can’t be saved by the good performances from the cast. The story is full of clichés, we have seen it before countless times, and the effects just make everything worse. This movie could have been so much better but in the state that it is, it is just a worse The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, The Core or… Take your pick, it is just worse… Oh, and also, I’ve said it before and I will keep on saying it until you people understand: WEATHER DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!

Father Figures – 2017

Score: 5/10

This movie is a weird one. It tries to be deep and funny at the same time and it fails at the first one. And unfortunately, that failure makes it unbearable in parts. You can’t really get invested in the story and you don’t resonate with the main characters. Nevertheless, there are some nice gags in Father Figures that will make you laugh and so transform it into an enjoyable experience. If you look at it as a simple comedy you can get something out of the viewing and you will not regret it overall.

The story is not believable and it reaches absurd heights in certain points. It is based on people acting wrong. People do not act like that in real life and this is why I could never become invested into the ending. There is no real conflict here, nobody truly learns anything of note, and the one bit about the Universe that the movie keeps shoving down our throats is actually just a boring and bland cliché that I have seen before countless times. You know Hollywood, something is bad even if you insist on showing it to us a million times!

The characters are the one amazing thing about this movie. The cast is star studded and everybody tries their best. You can see the stars clicking and overall, their performances really make the jokes land. They are not helped by the script unfortunately, but nevertheless, I have to praise the way that Owen Wilson, Alexander G. Eckert, Ed Helms, Ivan Mallon, Glenn Close, Annie Starke, J. K. Simmons, Terry Bradshaw, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, Katt Williams, Harry Shearer, June Squibb and Katie Aselton gel together.

The overall sensation that I got from this is that it tries too much to be something special. Instead of focusing on the pure comedic aspect and offer us more funny bits, they tried so hard to make it about family, about relationships, about life… And this actually makes it feel forced and fake. While taken separately some of the scenes are really funny, if you try to put them into the context of the film and view them together, they become diluted and bordering on boring and clichéd. Truly a shame.

The deep themes actually end up hurting the movie, because they do not gel at all with the type of comedy that we get here. They are not done in a way that brings something new to the table, and this is why you feel like the film is simply rehashing used tropes and putting them together just in order to seem something it’s not. Comedies have to have a certain story in the background to act as a support for the jokes, but that story should have something in common with those funny moments in order to be believable. Unfortunately, that is not the case here.

In conclusion, Father Figures is not the worst movie in the world but at the same time, you should not expect it to be very good. If you want a simple comedy that will make you laugh in parts but that will not hit home with the story, than this is perfect for you. It is a simple movie that tries to be so much more and fails miserably, but I can say that some of the jokes manage to redeem it. It is racists, sexists, stupid as hell in parts and these put together make it a tolerable experience that I do not regret. So give it a chance if you don’t have anything better to watch. And always remember, when the Universe calls, you should never answer! I mean seriously, why would the Universe call you…? Think about it…

Just Getting Started – 2017

Score: 4/10

Meh. This movie was simply that, meh. It could have been so much better, it had the cast for it, but unfortunately, the story was just beyond bland. It does not manage to get you invested at all and you will forget this one immediately after watching it. I am forcing myself to remember bits of it for this review and I just finished watching it a couple of hours ago, so there… Oh, and if you want to see the most weird audio of all time, you can’t go wrong with Just Getting Started. Seriously, Morgan Freeman sounds like an alien :)))

The story is the worst part of the movie, by far. It is filled with one cliché after another and it actually manages to hurt the movie, both from an action point of view and an acting one. I got the distinct sensation that the actors were held back by the script, they were given material that was impossible to work with. It is really a shame because I would have expected more from the story and there were a lot of possibilities there to truly make it interesting. Alas, that was not to be and we have here just another generic action comedy.

The characters are bland, and that is amazing considering the names involved. There are a lot of great actors here, legends of Hollywood, and despite of this, the movie just doesn’t click. You are bored, you are never invested in what happens on screen and everything just seems forced and artificial. It is a real shame and I don’t get how big names like Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, Rene Russo, Glenne Headly, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Elizabeth Ashley, Kristen Rakes, Joe Pantoliano, Graham Beckel, Mel Raido, George Wallace, Nick Peine and Jane Seymour ended up offering such lacunar performances.

The wasted potential is the most infuriating thing about this movie. It could have been so much better, it could have been a comedy to remember, a staple, but instead, it is just more of the same. The jokes are older than the cast and they do not manage to hit home on more than a few weird occasions. The charisma of the big names manages to make it tolerable, but still, this is not one that you will ever want to see again.

Don’t believe the critics, this movie is not the worst in the world, they love to exaggerate. I can honestly say that I was bored, but at the same time, I was not angry towards the film. It doesn’t manage to offer too much, but at least it doesn’t pretend to do that. From start to finish everybody seems so relaxed and everybody seems to understand that there is not much here for the viewers. Now, if you are looking for that sort of film, this one deserves a shot. If you don’t expect much and you just want to watch the screen and see people doing shit, this is the perfect movie for exactly that…

In conclusion, Just Getting Started is just another bad popcorn movie that will not move you at all. But, if you have 91 minutes to waste, then go for it, it can’t be that bad. It is a comedy and it does have some strange moments of levity. There are unfortunately too few to save the movie overall, but as a bland and flavorless cracker in between two films that you actually want to see, this one can work. Oh, and please, Hollywood, don’t listen to the title of this movie and never make another one like this… Please…

Amityville: The Awakening – 2017

Score: 3/10

Amityville: The Awakening is a horror movie. And that says it all I think, because this one has almost all the clichés that drag this genre down. It’s too dark, filled with attempts at cheap scares and, most damaging, one of the worst acting performances I have seen in a while. This is not a movie that deserves your time and you should just skip through it or watch the first 5 minutes. That will tell you everything you need to know…

The story is nothing to speak about. This feels exactly as what it is, the 10^th movie into a franchise that has worn out its welcome ages ago. Nothing happens, there is just a string of clichés, one right after another. You are never surprised, you are never wondering about the plot, everything is streamlined from start to finish and you can guess the ending after 5 minutes. This makes it boring and predictable…

The characters are bland, stupid, not developed at all and not realistic. You don’t feel for them, you don’t care about what happens to them, overall the movie fails big time when it comes to creating any sort of tension and interest. It is boring and the actors are not credible on screen. And I seriously don’t get it, because Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mckenna Grace, Thomas Mann, Taylor Spreitler, Jennifer Morrison and Kurtwood Smith are actually not that unknown. So all in all, on the acting front, a shameful display!

We are analyzing a horror here so of course there are jump scares in the movie. Amazingly, the movie shows a little bit of restraint and they did not become too bothersome. And, to my surprise, one or two actually made me jump a little from my seat, which is always interesting. Especially the mirror one made me really think that I am in a true horror movie, so kudos for that. It’s a shame that these were not enough to save this movie overall, because all the other clichés end up drowning up the small good parts that you can find here.

I think I would have given this movie a higher rating if only I would have been able to actually see it. Everything is very dark and yes, I know, it is a horror, but a horror doesn’t have to be necessarily dark as fuck. I want to at least see and understand what is happening and there are a lot of scenes here, especially towards the end, in which I just gave up. Seriously directors of horror movies, if you don’t have the decency to make your movies watchable so that we actually see what is happening, I will not bother to change the settings to my monitor and make them absurdly bright just so I can see your shit…

In conclusion, if you are a huge fan of horror and you have seen a lot of movies from the genre, you could also see Amityville: The Awakening. It is full of clichés, it is dark and muddy, but it does have an interesting musical score and it does manage to pull off a couple of decent scares. And, that’s about it. If you don’t like the genre skip this because you will find absolutely no enjoyment here and you will only waste your time. I truly believe that this franchise is on its last legs and something needs to change drastically if they want to keep going with it. Until then, I am looking at my clock and it’s 3:15 AM so I guess it’s time to go make myself a cup of tea… 😛

The Snowman – 2017

Score: 5/10

The Snowman is not a bad movie by any means, but it is also not a good one. It is far too long, convoluted, and while it does manage to offer a decent amount of scares and tension, the mind-blowingly complicated plot ends up taking most of the fun away. If you like crime thriller films and you have nothing better to see, give it a shot, but only if you don’t have a better option. If you do, just forget about this one…

The story is the worst thing about this movie, by far. It tries to be deep, it tries to be interesting, it tries to surprise you, but it fails horribly at all of those things. It is boring, it is convoluted, it makes no sense in a lot of parts. It is one of the worst adaptations of a book to a movie I have ever seen from the story point and the movie never manages to recover from this, despite having strong acting and nice visuals. Speaking of the visuals, you will truly enjoy them, but at the same time, seriously, people who sleep outside in the snow without proper clothes end up dead… Seriously, I kid you not movie!

The characters are good, interesting and it is the only common point the movie and the book have. The actors gel well together and they manage to offer credible and engaging performances. And while you are not going to relate to many of the things that happen in the movie, the cast completes the story and I can honestly say that performances from Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Val Kilmer, J. K. Simmons, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Ronan Vibert, Chloë Sevigny and James D’Arcy are definitely a strong point of this film that lacks in so many other aspects.

It happens very rare for me to watch a movie and be truly lost, but this one managed to confuse me to hell. It is convoluted, it tries to surprise you but ends up only making everything much more complicated than it needs to be. It is a real letdown because the book is not like this and because it could have been done much better. This is one of the main reason it had such a mediocre performance at the box office, because movies like this don’t work anymore, not in this day and age and not with modern audiences.

This is supposed to be an adaptation of a book, but it falls way way short of that. There are almost no elements from the book present here, everything is changed and everything is made much more complicated and confusing. Beside the names, there is almost nothing here that reminds you of the book and if you read it like I have, you will be scratching your head all throughout. It is truly a shame and it is one of the most infuriating aspects of this movie. A shame, because if it followed the story in the book, it would have been definitely much much better.

In conclusion, The Snowman is a movie worth seeing, but do not expect too much and, most important, if you read the book, don’t come here looking for that story. It is a completely different story. In fact, the only things from the book are the names and the overall concept, which is a damn shame, since the book is truly worth it. Nevertheless, you can watch it, because the actors to a nice job and the musical score is above par. Still, you ruined snowmen for me movie, so shame on you… Shaaaame…!