Blackhat

No way. Even for me it was incredibly long and lacked any suspense. Mann showcased his strength in the action scenes, which were truly well-shot, but they were rare. It’s an action thriller, or at least a thriller, and I was incredibly bored by it. This is what happens when someone wants to be modern at any cost. (06/02/2015)

Thor may not have his hammer, but he does just fine with a keyboard and a screwdriver. And Michael Mann, due to various technical finesse, sometimes tries the viewers' attention too much and cannot shoot for a clean target, but his electrifying style is still equally captivating. Predecessors like Heat and Collateral are occasionally clearly visible, and that's a good thing. Digital, bullets, Chris Hemsworth, hands gripping the armrests, and a pulsating soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams and Atticus Ross. And a heart still beating to the rhythm even now. (01/14/2015)

Mann is undoubtedly capable of more than only making a "sophisticated B-movie". But it's still more entertaining and disproportionately better shot than most of the other movies in this genre. It is a slowly developing thriller in a trademark Mann's neon hypnosis style, where computers replace guns and command lines bullets. And to its detriment, the movie is largely ruined by the final scene with "two person on the run longing for revenge" that immediately turns it into overplayed mediocre genre movie that has nothing to offer and is completely predictable. (01/13/2015)

The overall concept is more than interesting, but the slow narrative style doesn't add much to the film. 132 minutes is too much for a film where not much happens. On the other hand, the uncompromising and intelligent main character, who has computers in his sights, is certainly cool, but I expected more IT gadgets, but that is made up for by the surprisingly very good action!! The film features only four action scenes, but they are very high quality. The very first action scene in the bar, is so uncompromising, hard, with perfect sound design, that you will want to watch it at least once again (the cadence of the punches is still ringing in my ears now, I thought, what, this is not a Korean film?!! ), but you will also enjoy the various shootouts, which are very realistically and authentically filmed, watching them you feel like you are watching news footage, and my jaw dropped at the end. Michael Mann really delivers and shows us a Chris Hemsworth more pissed off than ever, and that scene with the screwdriver and knife reminded me of the final fatality from The Raid 2, so in terms of action, I'm very satisfied, it's just a shame there wasn't more of it. 65%. (01/23/2015)

Mann is still searching himself after Collateral. Hacker may be a visual and atmospheric treat that is a joy to watch, but you could almost weep at the memory of the infallible Michael from the nineties, when he was able to deliver even simple stories in a complex, emotionally and psychologically almost more mature way than Scorsese. Hacker works with a convoluted crime-romance-mystery premise featuring a bulldog character (Hemsworth), a tender and devoted lover, and a bunch of cold-blooded criminals with schemes involving tens of millions, but the way it presents the contents is so simplistic and superficial in every respect that, if you leave your brain completely off, it doesn't affect the final impression one iota, which can be truly chilling, given Mann's polished directorial style and Williams' traditionally excellent soundtrack. 65% (11/23/2015)