Frankenstein's Army (2013) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know I have been fond of the sub-genre of horror movies that are essentially, 'Nazi Zombie' ever since I saw the movie, Shock Waves (1977)... I mean that movie was just a total blast, and told the story of the last bastion of the Nazi's and how yachters end up finding the old Nazi and his creepy Zombie Nazi unit!

Well the truth is, is the one thing I am starting to find is that this type of movie so far seems to have been done really well in the past, but for some reason filmmakers seem to have taken this sub-genre and have started destroying it!

What I mean by this for example is, Bloodstorm (2012)... This movie had a lot of promise, in that this movie told the story of an American scientist in the arctic, and how he would basically give selected members of his team over to the last Nazi base on Earth... Or rather I should say in Earth... (Their final base is at the center of the Earth.)

Well the problem with this movie is that it was so ridiculously constructed, that in the movie the Nazi's end up bringing Adolf Hitler back to life in to some weird robot body!

Not much of a fan, and well even though, Frankenstein's Army (2013) was definite better then Bloodstorm... sadly not by much!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="215"] Sadly one that should be forgotten![/caption]

You see this movie, which was written by: Miguel Tejeda-Flores (Revenge Of The Nerds), Chris Mitchell (De Poel), Richard Raaphorst (who also directed this movie). Starring: Karel Roden (Hellboy), Joshua Sasse (Rogue), Robert Gwilym (Escape From Sobibor), Alexander Mercury (The Golden Compass), Luke Newberry (The Heart Of Me), Hon Ping Tang (The Fifth Element), Andrei Zayats (X-Men: First Class), Mark Stevenson (The Last Horror Movie) & Christina Catalina (Chasing Robert Barker).

This movie told the story of a Russian reconnaissance unit near the end of world war 2 that is sent on a top secret mission to rescue another Russian recon unit... Or so they think...

You see, once they get to the town, they discover that most of the town's inhabitants appear to be missing, but when they finally make it to a converted factory, they discover a strange monster that seems to be vaguely human... And when it attacks the commanding officer of the unit... They discover from that, and through a couple of German soldiers and the woman that was with them, that a Doctor had been re-animating the dead and creating new Soldiers for the Nazis... And that the camera man is actually a, 'Captain' in the Red Army that has been sent in with these soldiers to capture him!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="505"] One of the soldiers finding one of the re-animated corpses![/caption]

After this, they end up a whirlwind nightmare that all of them are going to have to survive, before they become one of Hitler's, 'undead' Soldiers!

In the end, this movie has it's moments, but the truth is, is if you are looking for a fun exciting found footage movie... This isn't it... Even though this is a found footage movie, the filmmakers decided to use modern filmmaking (i,e... This, 'found footage' movie makes it looks like Russian Soldiers from the mid-1940s are using equipment that had been made in 2013!)

But that is unimportant to the over all problem... This movie has almost no story, no character development (As a matter of fact, most of the Russian soldiers portrayed in this movie are pretty much assholes, and the only person worth routing for is the Polish man serving with the Russians...) The special effects are alright... But the special effects are about the only thing of any real value in this movie...

To say the least... I found this movie pretty useless, and not worth my time, and if you try this one, I suspect you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/dOF8GiIXtGY

Hellboy (2004) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

Over the years there have been a ton of movies that have been based on the comics... A couple of the more famous ones of course being, 'Superman', 'Batman' & 'The Avengers'.... But in the early part of the new millennium it seemed like the studios had decided to go in a different direction with their super hero movies...

The truth is, is I don't think that this was particularly successful, but it was still fun to see the difference between the more well known super heroes, and the lesser known... A good example of this (A fun movie but nothing to particularly jump out at you, and that is, The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003))...

The truth is, is that movie had an amazing cast (including: Sean Connery), who did a great job, it also had a fun story, but what it lacked was the seriousness that I believe makes some of the more well known super hero movies so great!

Another one that is an alternative to the more classic Super Hero movie, is the movie, Hellboy (2004)!

[caption id="attachment_2396" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Ron Perlman as, 'Hellboy'![/caption]

Written & Directed by: Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim). Starring: Ron Perlman (Drive), John Hurt (Alien), Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions), Rupert Evans (Agora), Karl Roden (RockNRolla), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Doug Jones (Adaption), Brian Steele (Predators), Ladislav Beran (Blade 2), Biddy Hodson (Wilde) & Corey Johnson (Saving Private Ryan).

This movie tells the story of how near the end of World War 2, A group of Nazi Scientists and mystique's, decide to bring in to the world a demon that they hope will turn the tide of war in their favor... The problem is, is that when the monster is released, just about all of the Nazi's on the island are taken out by the Americans!

Well this monster as it turns out is a baby demon whom the Scientist/Mystique on the project by the name of Dr. Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt) decides to take home with him and raise as if he is his own, and calls him, 'Hellboy' (Ron Perlman).

Well ultimately this is not all, you see, in the present, the Professor has set up a special unit with in the American Government that is responsible for the more (paranormal) elements, and this unit, (along with Hellboy), are going to have to fight a plot that had been slowed that night on the Island during World War 2... Because if they can't, well it will literally be the end of the world!

[caption id="attachment_2398" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Hellboy with his team![/caption]

Now the plus points:

1. All the cast did good for their roles.
2. As always their was some fun special effects.

As for the minus points, the main problem that I had with this movie is that the way it was written was actually a pretty solid story, but the way it was filmed was not very serious (so much so that Jeffrey Tambor's comic relief was more of a distraction, then a welcome addition!)

And the other thing that I have to say about this movie is that even though I do like Selma Blair, I just couldn't see her as a love interest in this movie! I mean don't get me wrong, she did a good job in this role, I just don't think her role was written quite right!

In the end, this movie was a fun one, and is well worth a watch, but if you are looking for something truly epic, then this one is probably not the one for you!

http://youtu.be/OcEAOu80xSE