Pasha's Film Reviews Etc.

4/5 It is 48 BC and Huo An is a disgraced head of so-called SILK ROAD PROTECTION SQUAD. As brave as he is kind hearted, he fights for the benefits of the others. When faced with Roman General and his squad, escaping Rome after a coup, he lets them into the GOOSE GATE, a ruined fortress he is forced to rebuilt as a punishment for a crime he did not commit. Here he makes a great friend in the face of Lucius (John Cusack). Together they work hard to rebuild the city. But the Roman legion, led by villainous Tiberius (Adrian Brody), approaches the GOOSE GATE. Will a handful of warriors be able to stand against the army of Rome? The correct translation of the movie is “CELESTIAL GENERAL, HEROIC ARMY”, it is more suitable name to this giant epic deserving an IMAX screen. The enjoyment of DRAGON BLADE requires total suspension of disbelief. One of the characters calls the story of Huo An “an engrossing fairy tale” and this is exactly what it is. If you want a historical movie...

* * * Young fairy Maleficent lives in an enchanted forest without a care in the world, until a terrible betrayal of the one she loved turns her into a monster. Maleficent seeks revenge and puts a terrible curse on a new born princess Aurora.  Years later Aurora is all grown up and bonds with Maleficent, who little by little starts to regret what she has done. But the curse is still there and the day of Aurora's sixteenth birthday is approaching… MALEFICENT is a real treat for the fans of Angelina Jolie, who plays Disney's greatest villain with a likeable energy, straightening up the illogical moments in the story with one mischievous look. This is a superhero fantasy movie with all the elements of a modern comic book pop culture.  Maleficent goes through a typical stages of an Avenger - she fights evil, she looses to evil, she is consumed by the darkness but finds her way back to make things right, she even temporary looses her powers and she has a deadly weak...

* * * * Dora,her husband Ramon and their baby daughter Rosita own a piece of land not far from a small town in Spain. The year is 1916 and as revolution takes over the country Ramon’s life is in danger and he is forced to flee. The family has a secret - on the eve of the same night every year some strange lights appear in the forest. According to the legend those who enter the lights will find themselves in another dimension. As Ramon is swallowed by the forest Dora is to shoulder all the hardships of war all by herself waiting for his return…  One cannot avoid comparing THE FOREST with GUELLIERMO DEL TORO’s famous PAN’S LABYRINTH. Both films mix the realities of war with supernatural, both have similar structures and strong female protagonists. THE FOREST, however, has its own unique voice and a story to tell. It focuses on the role of a woman at the heart of war, positioning her as a true protector of land and the only reminder for men of their slipping humanity. Whi...