Do you remember Indonesian action thriller The Raid that portrays how a squad of twenty men attempts to raid an apartment block to arrest a naughty crime lord? Well, The Princess has a very similar premise. Except that it's one young woman instead of twenty man and that she is trying to get from the top of a tower to the bottom in order to save her imprisoned family members and stop the dangerous sociopath who attempted to force her into marriage.

I have read and heard what many critics have been writing and saying about this film. It asks for a complete suspension of disbelief. Check. The story is easily predictable. Check. Casting a rather small and slim actress as a strong martial artist might be questionable. Check.

However, despite such obvious flaws, The Princess is one of the very best contemporary action movies. First and foremost, this film entertains from start to finish and doesn't include one single second of boredom. This is a wild ride of ninety-four minutes and once it's over, you just can't wait to experience it time and again.

As for the story, this movie keeps things simple and focuses on topics that most viewers will easily empathize with. The Princess focuses on a lead character protecting her family and stopping those who have been doing them wrong in terrible ways. Certainly, this kind of movie won't qualify for nominations at the Academy Awards but viewers don't always need profound, serious and thought-provoking ideas to get involved. Rooting for the sympathetic lead character is all that is needed to carry this explosive feature.

Up next, the costumes, make-up and settings are absolutely spectacular. The castle where the entire story takes place is filled with beautiful bedrooms, impressive churches and dark dungeons. The way the lead character is dressed, the looks of her allies and the manner how her brutal opponents appear have been planned and executed with care, intellect and precision.

The fighting scenes are absolutely spectacular and can compete with contemporary action franchises such as John Wick. This movie features excellent use of martial arts techniques. It includes a clever use of dangerous weapons and improvised tools. Spectacular chases and risky jumps will keep viewers out of breath.

The acting performances are excellent. One must particularly point out the outstanding job by lead actress Joey King. She has been a rising and shining star in the last few years, convincing in low-budget horror films like Slender Man, impressing among multiple international stars as villainess in Bullet Ride and now delivering the goods as brave, clever and resilient heroine who will fight the world in order to protect her family and save her kingdom. The lead character's ideas, motivations and struggles are believable thanks to a disciplined, empathic and powerful performance by Joey King. Let's not forget that she was only twenty-two years old when this movie was made and released. She is already one of the greatest young actresses in the business and here's hope that she will continue her excellent work throughout the next years.

At the end of the day, The Princess is a wonderful action film with excellent pace, fitting story, imaginative settings, impressive fight choreographies and convincing acting performances. This film's strengths are so strong that minor flaws such as unrealistic plot elements, predictable story and surprising casting choices won't harm the final result in the slightest. The Princess offers a maximum of enjoyment and is a perfect candidate for a movie night with family and friends.

Sisu is a Finnish historical fiction action film inspired by the works of Nicolas Winding Refn and Quentin Tarantino. This movie features a quiet, isolated and gritty protagonist facing dangerous challenges as in the movie Valhalla Rising and the movie is subdivided into different chapters introducing new locations, characters and sudden outbursts of violence as in The Hateful Eight. The story revolves around a former Finnish soldier living isolated in Lapland after having lost his family. When he finds gold, he decides to ride to the next town in order to exchange said gold to lots of money. However, several Nazi soldiers come across him and make the simple mission a seemingly impossible challenge.

This movie convinces on several levels. First and foremost, the stunning isolated landscapes of Lapland are a thing of beauty if you favour the wilderness of the northern hemisphere. Up next, the quiet protagonist certainly has a certain rough charme that will make viewers root for him. The side characters varying from sadistic Nazi soldiers to rebellious female prisoners add some spice to the movie. The action scenes are quite brutal but also exaggerated in a way that will provide some laughs throughout the movie. Especially the scenes in the river are quite memorable in that regard. The film's showdown is completely over the top and will have genre fans crying tears of joy.

On the negative side, the film's plot is extremely predictable as it has been done time and time again in the past. The movie is also completely exaggerated and throws any attempts at historical accuracy violently out of the window right from the start. At times, this movie feels more like a video game in the key of Far Cry.

At the end of the day, Sisu is worth being enjoyed once at a local theatre with plenty of cineasts applauding, cheering and laughing throughout the film. If that isn't possible for you, make sure to watch this film with a friend and a selection of fine drinks. Switch your brain off and go along for the ride. Once the wild ride is over however, there is no interest in going on it again. This is why I wouldn't recommend purchasing this film. Sisu is no memorable highlight but a brutal action flick that should be enjoyed by its target audience.

Wild Card is an action drama starring Jason Statham that walks off the beaten path. This approach might attract the famous actor some new fans but might not sit particularly well with those who have been following Jason Statham's career for many years.

This movie tells the story of Nick Wild, a bodyguard with lethal skills who is wasting away in Las Vegas where he has gotten addicted to gambling and has been drinking more and more alcohol throughout the past few years. His biggest dream is to get out of town and travel to Corsica but finances are tight. This is why Nick Wild accepts a seemingly boring job where he has to keep an eye on Cyrus Kinnick, a young millionaire lacking self-confidence who wants to discover Las Vegas and try his hand at gambling. Nick Wild's boresome life takes a dramatic turn when his ex-girlfriend Holly gets raped and beaten to a pulp by young gangster Danny DeMarco and his bodyguards.

The most interesting thing about this movie is the depth of its protagonist. Jason Statham convincingly incarnates a washed-up bodyguard who doesn't have the strength to organize any changes in his life. Throughout the movie, we observe the protagonist drinking alcohol, losing money while gambling, reminiscing upon the past, waiting for a better future and getting involved in brawls with repulsive criminals. The supporting characters are also fairly interesting such as the resilient escort Holly and eccentric millionaire Cyrus Kinnick who all have to deal with their own demons but manage to show the protagonist how to overcome these challenges.

The action sequences in this movie are short but quite intense. There are essentially only three of them: in a hotel room, at a gambling parlour and in a restaurant's backyard. However, all three sequences are quite memorable and they are also getting progressively more brutal. The fight sequence in the backyard is one of the greatest Jason Statham has ever done if you like a realistic approach to the genre rather than an overload of special effects.

The realistic grit that is present in the movie from start to finish is another strength worth pointing out. It's easy for viewers to empathize with the protagonist who doesn't come off as a hero but rather as an anti-hero with significant flaws but also a few strengths. The way Las Vegas is portrayed in this movie is also quite interesting. There are some elegant locations shown throughout the movie but also desolate places that show that all that glitters isn't cold.

To keep it short, Wild Card is an interesting movie for you if you value character development as much as gripping action sequences. The movie's plot might not be the most surprising and there are a few lengths in the middle section but the film's unique approach and balanced mixture of depth and grit make up for these minor flaws. Wild Card could even be described as one of the more interesting movie's in Jason Statham's extensive filmography.

Bullet Train is a highly entertaining action film with both humour and thrills that offers one hundred twenty-seven minutes of gripping entertainment. The movie is about a set of eclectic characters with different dangerous missions aboard a bullet train going from Tokyo to Kyoto.

This movie convinces on numerous levels. First and foremost, the different characters are all very unpredictable, memorable and diversified. For instance, we have a seasoned but unlucky assassin suffering from anxiety, a seemingly innocent schoolgirl who is more manipulative than anyone else on the train, a Mexican assassin and former kingpin of a drug cartel, a German assassin disguised as a mascot who specializes in poisons and two criminal brothers with an obsession for media franchise Thomas & Friends.

These different characters are perfectly incarnated by experienced veterans and talented newcomers alike. Brad Pitt convinces as charismatic protagonist in his strongest role since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. British actor and martial artist Andrew Koji offers a particularly diversified performance as tormented father who wants to avenge his son's tragic death but soon gets manipulated by forces he underestimated severely. This movie's shining star is however an extremely charismatic Joey King who plays the psychopathic schoolgirl with much conviction.

As mentioned earlier, the movie offers an intriguing genre mixture. This film is filled with dramatic action scenes involving elaborate duels with knives, rapid gunfights and brutal martial arts elements. Bullet Train is also a thriller with a plot that comes around with quite a few twists and turns regarding the different characters. The film uses flashbacks to tell us fascinating background stories about the relations between the dangerous assassins. This film however also includes some slapstick humour in form of hilarious running gags and quirky situation comedy. These elements are thankfully never exaggerated and are genuinely uplifting rather than unnecessarily childish.

The settings are also particularly interesting and obviously give the movie its title. Aside from a very short introduction and conclusion as well as the occasional flashback, the entire movie takes place aboard a bullet train. There are certainly quite a few elements to discover from packed service wagons over play sections for children, first and second class sections and unusual restrooms to elegant restaurants. These locations are so diversified that the settings never feel claustrophobic and certainly don't get boring at all.

Despite the limited space in the settings, the movie has been shot with much expertise. Shaky cameras and epileptic cuts are thankfully being avoided as the camera work is dynamic but balanced and makes this rollercoaster ride easy to follow without ever losing track of what's going on.

The quirky sound effects and eclectic soundtrack blend in wonderfully and make you want to revisit quite a few catchy tunes. This sound is best enjoyed at your local cinema in its sheer beauty as home cinema simply can't compete with this stunning quality.

As you can read, Bullet Train is a dynamic action movie with little comedy and thriller elements that entertains from start to finish and leaves a lasting impression with its unique style. Murder on the Orient Express has been repeated to death and feels outdated by contemporary standards. Bullet Train is a welcome contemporary alternative that should appeal to teenagers, young adults and anyone who likes a healthy dose of a cinematic rollercoaster ride. Make sure to enjoy this very good movie to its fullest at a cinema. A special shoutout goes to all those who understand what inspired the title to this review. Rock on!

Uncharted is an action-adventure movie that was harshly criticized before it even saw the light of day. Cineasts and fans of the video game franchise alike complained about the cast choices, plot line and first trailer. However, the final result comes as a very positive surprise. While the final result certainly isn't movie of the year material, it's among the better video game adaptations and should also please fans of the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider franchises.

This film convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the locations of this movie offer much variety from New York City over Barcelona to the Philippines. The special effects are quite impressive and especially the movie's climax is going to be leaving a lasting impression. The acting performances are rather decent as Tom Holland convincingly portrays an ambitious, courageous and naive explorer while Mark Wahlberg even exceeds expectations as manipulative, resilient and unpredictable thief. The actresses in this film also leave lasting impressions with Sophia Ali portraying an agile, courageous and witty young woman who can be perceived as both ally and opponent while Tati Gabrielle exemplifies a mysterious femme fatale who has both a charming and a pitiless side.

Obviously, the movie's plot is closely inspired by the excellent video games and fails to offer any surprises. This film doesn't offer much replay value. Before producing another movie, most people would certainly prefer a reboot of the video game series instead.

However, Uncharted is entertaining from start to finish and convinces with surprisingly solid acting performances, beautiful locations and excellent special effects. This movie has therefore exceeded expectations and should please most fans of the franchise. Try to watch it on the big screen with some friends and make sure to check out the video games if you haven't done yet.