Category: cinema

Yesterday I visited a VIP-cinema in Budapest for the first time in my life. I got to see Ice Age in 3D while sitting in a very comfortable chair. But before I entered into the room to see the film I could enjoy some other advantages of my VIP ticket as well.

A small buffee could be found in the vip-area where you can grab some slices of bread, salami, ham and vegetables; some cakes, biscuits and chips at another place; and in the bar I could drink whatever and I could get as much popcorn and nacho chips as I managed to eat and bring with me into the cinema room.

The ticket price yesterday was 3400 Forint, which is not to bad… and I enjoyed it a lot. The electronic chairs also had a small table where I could place my drink and my nachos which gave extra comfort.

If you want to try it as well, check out Cinema City at Arena Plaza. For groups, read more about group offers and help we can give at group travel.

Some weeks ago I had never heard about this film. Then it won 8 Oscars, and everyone wants to see it. I watched the film in Mom Park and the cinema was almost filled up. My expectations were not big, as I did not really have much clue about the film and its story.

But as time went by and the film rolled on I realized; this is a great film. It is the story about the slumdogs in Mombai, India, and about Jamal taking part in the Indian version of “Who wants to be a millionaire?” We follow him, and I do not want to tell so much about the film, rather just advice everyone to go and watch it. Slumdog Millionaire is a clean, pure and nice film, but it also give insight into the life in India, and in the slum of India. Romance can of course be found in the film as well!

Some people have been discussing whether this film is better than for example “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” For me that is not even a question; it is ten times better (if not hundred). And it is great that Slumdog Millionaire, which is not a typical Hollywood film, wins 8 Oscars!

Based on all of this, I advice you all to go visit a Budapest cinema, and see if you agree with me, as I give Slumdog Millionaire ten out of ten smileys!

Hungarian title: Gettó milliomos

This Thursday Bolt entered the cinemas in Budapest, and we watched the new Disney film Friday evening in Palace WestEnd. There you have the chance to see it both in normal 2D and in 3D, so we went for the more expensive version, and checked out Bolt in 3D.

Bolt is about the superdog called Bolt, and the dog things everything that happens is true and reality. The only problem is that his life is the life of a movie star and TV-effects. Bolt has to learn it the hard way, as he runs away from the studio and faces real life in the USA.

The last film I watched in 3D was “Journey to the center of the earth”, and though I liked Bolt better, I enjoyed the 3D effects of the Journey film better. I missed those funny experiences that you feel when something is flying towards you or almost hiting you, using the 3D effects.

Bolt was though a great family film, not something to remember forever, but still enjoyable!

Based on all of this I give Bolt 6 smileys.

Keira Knightley always plays in strange and old fashioned films. Sometimes I like them a lot, and sometimes I dont. Some weeks ago I watched The Edge of Love in the cinema, and I did not like it at all. Before that I saw Atonoment, and I really enjoyed it. It was a brilliant film, and the music was fantastic (not strange that the film won an Oscar for its music).

I enjoy history, and somehow I like those old fashioned films showing what life may have looked like some hundred years ago. In this film we get to see how the life as a Duchess may have been, and we can see Ralph Fiennes play the Duke of Devonshire, a mighty man in his days.

Georgina (Keira Knightley) and Ralph Fiennes (Duke of Devonshire) gets married in the start of the film, and then comes the trouble. The Duke is in desperate need of a female heir, and his hope is that Georgina will give it to him, and if not, she is not of much use to him. Georgina is a popular lady, but she is not satisfied either with being married to the Duke. If you watch the film, you will find out what happens!

I enjoyed the film and my wife even more. For me it was to flat with no real “action” or highlight, while my wife found it to be a relaxing and nice film.

Based on all of this we give the film together 6 out of 10 smileys.

Cinemas in Budapest

Just after Christmas Australia was launched in the cinemas of Budapest, and it is not often, but for some days it was three films that I wanted to see in the cinema (which does not happen often). The first was Bedtime Stories, the second was the “The Tale of Despereaux” (Cincin lovag) and the third was Australia. So far I have seen two of them, Bedtime Stories and Australia.

We went to Palace Mom Park to see Australia, as this was the only cinema showing the film with English speaking and Hungarian subtitles. As I read about the film I noticed that it was a long film (160 minutes), so I bought a big popcorn and a big coke, just to be prepared.

The film was long, but it did not feel to long. It tells the story of Lady Ashley (Nicole Kidman) leaving for Australia to visit her husband and to help him on his farm. Things does not turn out to be the way she thought they were, and eventually she meets with Drover (Hugh Jackman) and Nullah (Brandon Walters), a little boy who does not fit into society.

In the film these three together face several challenges, and as the Second World War breaks out in Australia with an attack on Darwim, the events heat up even more.

During the film I was never bored, but I rather enjoyed the film from start to end. It was not a superfilm, but quite okay, and a nice way to use 160 minutes inside, if you do not really want to go out into the cold Budapest winter.

Based on all of this I give the film 6 out of 10 smiles!

Hungarian title: Ausztrália

Cinemas in Budapest

A good laugh is said to extend your life. Going to cinema should therefore extend your life, at least if the film is a funny one. Adam Sandler is supposed to be a funny guy, and when I saw his name as the main character in the film, I knew that this is supposed to be a humorous film. Earlier this year I saw the film “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and though it did not became a favorite, it managed to give me a good laugh several places.

Can you imagine what would happen if all the stories told you turned true? That is what happens to Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) in Bedtime Stories. Or maybe not all turns true, but just some parts. What parts?

This is the story of Skeeter that has to watch out for the children of his sister, and every day ends up with a bedtime story. On the first day after telling such a story he notices that the bedtime story starts coming true, for example as chewing gum starts raining down from “heaven”. Following these episodes he wants to take advantage of the bedtime stories for his own promotion, but all things does not seem to happen the way he would like it to.

Bedtime stories took away 90 minutes from my life, but hopefully it gave back just as much through the funny things happening in the film. Though it could have been even funnier, I was quite satisfied watching the film. All in all this is a family film; totally pure (no sex), no violence, fun things happen all the time and for the girls some romance as well!

Based on all of this I give the film 8 out of 10 smiles!

Hungarian title: Esti mesék

Cinemas in Budapest

When I went to the cinema to see “The Day the Earth Stood Still” I did not have to high expectations. The last Keanu Reeves film I saw in the cinema was “Constantine”, and I remember only the fact that in my eyes it was terrible. With that in my mind I sat down to enjoy this film, the reinvention of the classic from 1951.

There are some things that makes me laugh when I go to cinema. One of those things are strange robot creatures which behave strangely. I got a nice laugh in this film! A giant robot that reminded me of Robocop with red laser coming out from the mask gave me a good reason to smile. But, the problem is that it was not meant to be funny.

The story of the film deals with Keanu Reeves coming to the earth as an alien (Klaatu), and he is here to decide what should be the destiny of the earth. Destruction or a second chance! We follow him and Helen Benson (played by Jennifer Connelly ) who tries to help him, who has a son following them throughout the film.

This could have been a good film, and though it might be that I do not like science-fiction to much, this was quite boring. I survived the film, and though one of the persons I watched the film together with really wanted to leave the cinema, and some other guests actually did, we stayed towards the end.

All in all I gave the film 3 out of 10 smileys!

Hungarian title: Amikor megállt a Föld

Cinemas in Budapest

Some weeks ago I mentioned in the blog that James Bond was going to have its premier in the cinemas of Budapest. Yesterday I was able to see the film myself, and I watched it with very low expectations. The reason was that I really did not like Casino Royale, and Daniel Craig was a way too brutal James Bond for me.

But, somehow the Quantum of Solace was much better than Quantum of Solace, at least in my oppinion. He is still quite brutal, but as I watched it, I still enjoyed this film much more than Casino Royale. It must be said that it is starting to look much more like a pure action film than a James Bond, since Q is not in the film, he is not introducing himself as “Bond, James Bond”, and it is no more “Shaken, not stirred”. But as an actionfilm I enjoyed the 1 hour and 40 minutes the film lasted!