Horsemen (2009)

Pretty Good

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

As Good As It Gets

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A cheap rip-off of 'Se7en', 'Horsemen' (because '4our' would be too obvious) is about a widowed detective (Dennis Quaid) dealing with a serial killing that apparently has to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.It is all in there. The macabre killings in order to make a point, the religious modus operandi, even the 'society is evil, we live in a world of crap' underlying message, are just some of the 'similarities'. The revelation of the killer is different, true, but it is such an obvious and idiotic plot twist that it would be better just to copy 'Se7en' again. However, unlike its 'source of inspiration', 'Horsemen' is devoid of thrills and boring to no end. Its message is also terrible and poorly thought, like everything in the film. Full of plot holes too: The killings are done through suspension rigs which nobody saw coming and going between the murder scenes? And the 'explanation' the vendor gives for not caring who it was sold to!? How did Quaid not notice the white room for so long? And how the **** can the killer's plot change anything at all!?One scene scene stood out to me. About a medical savant, apparently very intelligent 'but' gay boy killing himself in front of his non-supportive, prejudiced brother (after TORTURING him) to prove some kind of point. That was such an stupid thing, it was maybe the very lowest the movie got.The cast is as terrible as everything else. Dennis Quaid is unbelievable as the grieving detective, and the way he acts (if you call that acting) when with his sons or anyone else is absurd. Ziyi Zhang, a 30 year old who plays an 18 year old girl, is not only unbelievable as a teenage girl (and that was before I found out her real age) but also as a psychopath who tries to come off as a mix between John Doe and Hannibal Lecter; she is laughable. Quaid's son is as bad, and only Clifton Collins Jr. manages to do a decent job but his character is so irrelevant it makes no difference at all.I was not too surprised when I saw Michael Bay's name as a producer. Anything he touches tend turn into crap; he is almost magical in that sense.

"Horsemen,"is your basic tough guy, detective chases serial killer story. Dennis Quaid plays the emotionally distant father and detective, Aidan Breslin, who is on the trail of a serial killer who seems to use the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse as inspiration for a series of grizzly murders. As the story progresses one of the victims has an Asian adopted daughter, Kristin (Ziyi Zhang) who to her own delight, gleefully exposes herself as part of the team of murderers who are not done yet. This case may come close to home with Aidan and his family.OK, Dennis Quaid has played this character several times before, and is hit or miss. He seems to be one of those actors that is good as this type of character but it always depends on the script, director, or the actors around him. In this movie he does a credible job, he keeps the story moving but the real star of this one was Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang.Ziyi Zhang was perfectly cast as the villain. She, by all outward appearances fits the mold of the quiet, submissive, demure, stereotypically Asian woman. She sizzles on the screen as the sadistic cruel, cunning femme fatale that she turns into as the movie progresses. As my summary stated, "I know an 7 is high," but for her performance alone it was definitely worth watching and remembering. Asian audiences already know her for her Hong Kong movie resume and here we have seen her in a few films (Memoirs of a Geisha, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The cute villain in Rush Hour 2) but this performance was convincing, evil, and much better than I could have imagined. I think the last movie I saw where someone flips a character like this was at the very end of "Audition."For the movie it has a decent twist in the end but it is way too telegraphed. The murders in movies like "Se7en" were a little better and the storyline isn't very original. The Dennis Quaid, straight upstanding stone faced detective thing was actually pretty good in comparison and relation to Ziyi Zhang's shockingly honest, evil, bad girl. So, Yes I do have a bit of a crush on her and I do like the bad girls, but all that aside I think she definitely isn't getting the credit she is due on this one.You may not like this film as a whole with its unoriginal storyline, but there is at least one character to make it a worthy watch.Like my reviews, Hate em? Comments, complaints, or want an opinion on a DVD? Just e-mail me at: [email protected]

Tell me that the movie is like Se7en and I am interested. Tell me that Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs of a Geisha, House of Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2046) is in it, and I am interested. Tell me that Dennis Quaid, the actor starring in one of my favorite films, The Big Easy, is starring this one, and I am definitely interested.A combination like that should mean that I am in for a treat of some kind.Barry Shabaka Henley is always a welcome addition, and he was no disappointment here. However, the rest of the film was a big disappointment. It was devoid of any real emotion, and the struggle with the kids just distracted from the quest for the killers. It never came close to Se7en.

This frightening and suspenseful thriller concerns about an unsettling and bitter cop emotionally affected for the death of his devoted wife by cancer , being trapped into a dark and tenebrous environment . It's a stirring and moving story full of twists and turns ; however being pretty claustrophobic . This exciting picture contains thrills, chills, plot twists, action-filled and lots of gore and guts . The movie centers on a Detective named Aidan Breslin (Dennis Quaid) , an expert on forensic Odontology , as his chief (Chelcie Ross) assigns him to investigate a weird chain of murders that bear a rare marks on trees and surrounding. The ominous killings have a rare phrases as ¨ We are nothing ¨ from Exodus 1,5 and ¨Come and see¨ , as he finds out it proceeds from Book of Revelation of the apostle Saint Joan . Meanwhile , Aidan holds a problematic relationship to his oldest son named Alex ( Lou Taylor Pucci) . Investigating a series of murders of strange violence, he discovers a horrifying link between himself , his dark secrets and the suspects that seem to be based on the Biblical prophecies dealing with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death ; resulting to be the leader a horseman riding a white horse. Breslin is helped by a tough inspector ( Henry Collins Jr) and a forensic expert ( Barry Shabaka).In the picture there are psychological issues , plot twists, emotion, mystery , spooky sets and a little bit of gore. The movie turns out to be a crossover between the religious intrigue from ¨Crimson rivers : Angel of Apocalypse ¨ , the suspension tortures from ¨The cell¨, investigations means of ¨CSI¨, and ¨Seven¨ thriller. From the beginning of the film until the end the suspense and intrigue is unstopped . The creepy images of wide range from the genuinely eerie to the bizarre along with scary and amazing frames . It's predictable but also its predictability is redeemed for some extraordinary surprises and in part by the charismatic acting from the main protagonists . Acceptable performance by Dennis Quaid as unlucky Inspector who distances from his two sons and good support cast formed by Ziyi Zhang, Patrick Fugit , Peter Stormare , Eric Balfour and Paul Dooley , among others . Thrilling musical score fitting to action and tension by Jan Kaczmarek who formerly won an Academy Award for ¨Finding Neverland ¨. The flick is middlingly directed by Jonas Akerlund , a Videoclip-maker in his first and only picture. The movie obtained a bit of success but failed at the box office. Rating : 5,5 . The motion picture will appeal to religious thriller buffs and dark atmosphere enthusiasts.