MovieChat Forums > Michiel de Ruyter (2016) Discussion > Looks hilariously bad

Looks hilariously bad

posted 9 years ago by LiamNeesonTrollHunter
29 replies | jump to latest

- Lieke van Lexmond in a historic movie...Couldn't they have picked you know...A good actress? Someone who doesn't look like she'd belong in a soap or hockey team?
- Getting Charles Dance to phone it in with basically his Game of Thrones role.
- Guy from Jumbo commercial as Michiel de Ruiter.
- Using modern Dutch in a movie about the 17th century.
- Egbert Jan Weeber.
- The overall idea of trying to turn this historic figure into the hero of an "epic movie"
- The silly attempts at creating patriotic sentiment for a country that is pretty much characteristically devoid of patriotism.
- A director with only B-movies on his resume.
- Awful camera work.

I'm sad to say that Dutch attempts at epic movies just don't work. This will probably be torn apart by critics. Leave bombast to Hollywood, they're the only ones who know how to do it right. I kind of feel bad for the actors that they have to sell this piece of trash.

[–] golddigger 9 years ago

dutch attempts at movies just dont work,period

[–] HelloMyNameIsMrBurns 8 years ago

[–] sjaool 9 years ago

Wow, you've already seen the movie? Btw. Dead in Tombstone was a fun movie. ;)

[–] kamps89 9 years ago

It's actually really well made, lol. "Hollywood only one knows how to do it right". Lost all credit right there. Lots of talented actors, both Dutch and foreign, as well.

[–] grumbs64 8 years ago

Um, no it's not. It's atrociously badly made.

[–] RogerSmithAD 9 years ago

The silly attempts at creating patriotic sentiment for a country that is pretty much characteristically devoid of patriotism.

AMEN.

These patriotic type films just come off as forced and ridiculous. It feels born out of fear for loss of identity fed to us by extremist politicians. This is not the country of patriotism, this is the country of Turks Fruit. Shock people with graphic sex please because that's what we're good at, not this bullshiz.

[–] mamporrero 8 years ago

Having pride in being a Turkish colony would be stupid indeed, but that doesn't mean that a film can't be made about a time where things were vastly different. In a few generations no one will care about the ancestors of a tiny minority like the Dutch, so now is the time to be making these movies. Future Europeans will probably enjoy them as pieces of exoticism, in the same way as Americans of today are interested in Cherokee arts and crafts.

[–] zatoeechii 8 years ago

Having pride in being a Turkish colony would be stupid indeed, but that doesn't mean that a film can't be made about a time where things were vastly different. In a few generations no one will care about the ancestors of a tiny minority like the Dutch, so now is the time to be making these movies. Future Europeans will probably enjoy them as pieces of exoticism, in the same way as Americans of today are interested in Cherokee arts and crafts.

😀
That was an amusing rant

Mostly because poster can not help himself, and has to let it out, even if it's totally off-topic.
Points for trying to veil his own phobias in concern for Dutch.

Not that I am completely without sympathies for his cause, but maybe he should find a proper Youtube thread and scratch that what so hilariously obvious itches him.

[–] diederiklinders 8 years ago

Totally disagree. It's this idea that kills any kind of patriotism that's left in the Netherlands. And it kills the already low movie quality of Dutch movies even more. I as a Dutchman am ashamed of the useless graphic sex that is so common in Dutch movies.

There are plenty of people that are still very patriotic when it comes to the Netherlands. It's not the arrogant patriotism that are stereotypical for the USA and England (I say England on purpose and leave out the rest of the UK). We are just very down to earth about it, that doesn't mean it's not there.

I loved that finally there are people brave enough to make a patriotic movie, I loved it! There is much in our history to be proud of. And even though there are politicians who try to kill that, I won't fall for it. Proud to be Dutch!!!

[–] VitalSoX 9 years ago

Oops.

First did you even seen the movie? There are a plenty of good actors in it. Rutger Hauer and Charles Dance.

Second, you sound mad about our "patriotic sentiment"? Just because your country don't have any history?

I would say, First watch it than complain. Your name fits well, except it got to be TrollMaster instead of Trollhunter.

[–] LiamNeesonTrollHunter 9 years ago

I am Dutch... Do you really think someone from another country would know about Jumbo commercials?

No I have not seen the movie. I just have a slight hunch it will be bad. Nothing about the production looks good. It looks like the local toneelvereniging doing a play. Hauer and Dance are good actors, but it looks like they're probably just doing cameo's, and they likely sucked up most of the budget. The rest of the actors are mediocre soapies and bad actors. And that's a shame , because he's an interesting historic figure, who deserves a good movie, not shallow fake heroic crap.

[–] jeroentoele 9 years ago

Then you should first watch it.
I've just seen the movie on the première last nigth and you'll be blown away.
It's not just a heroic tale, the politics is well played out with an awesome performance from Egbert-Jan as Willem III.

Calling Frank the "Jumbo" guy????
Your nuts man, Frank is a great actor who played in many movies with great roles.
We trained with him for the sword figths and he did very well. Nothing but respect for that man.

Same goes for Roeland and Barry, they worked their asses of while training for the lynch scène.

Lieke did her job just fine as the charming wife of Johan de Wit.

[–] LiamNeesonTrollHunter 9 years ago

It's cool that you worked on the film, so I'm not trying to be a dick here towards the hard work that people undoubtedly put in it. But keep in mind that it's hard for those who work on a project to keep an independent view.

I'm just giving my views towards the film based on what I saw in the trailer. It doesn't look inviting to me at all, like it will fall in the same boat (no pun intended) as other attempts at historic movies like Het Bombardement, Kenau, De Storm and movies like that. Unconvincing, amateurish and held back by the relatively low budget.

Holland does have some good directors, so why the project has to fall into the hands of someone who directs mostly straight to video action movies is beyond me. Verhoeven did Flesh+Blood and Black Book which were good movies. Reine may shoot action sequences well, but can he believably portray the time period? What about the human drama? Why cast BN-ers like Egbert Jan Weeber and Lieke van Lexmond? Similar to casting Jan Smit, to sell tickets instead of genuinely good actors. I feel it will all be a little cartoony and unbelievable, drenched in a sort of populist attempt at patriotism and flag-wavery. May see the movie eventually, but I don't have high hopes at all.

[–] jeroentoele 9 years ago

Funny you should mention Egbert.
I didn't work with him on set because i was there for the action.
And when i saw him in the trailer i thougth what the hell.....

But he actually makes a very convincing Prince that goes through a transformation. He pulled it of really well.

Sanne Langelaar also impressed me on set.

[–] frans-17 9 years ago

You're a biased idiot.

[–] LiamNeesonTrollHunter 9 years ago

Instead of insulting me ad hominem, you could intelligently explain why you felt the film was good. But that seems to be too much to ask.

[–] VitalSoX 9 years ago

Saw it yesterday and I must say, for a Dutch production it's very good! Gave it a 8 out of 10. Emotionaly the movie was very touching. The story was ok. But for the first time I had connections with the charactors in a dutch movie. I recommed this movie to see!! Sorry for my English...

[–] frans-17 9 years ago

Oh look, PC trollboy edited his post.

[–] frans-17 9 years ago

Well I've just seen it, the movie is great, and you're full of *beep*

[–] fwf-174-755372 9 years ago

First of all i'm wondering how you've managed to see the movie almost 2 week before it even premiered.

Don't care about the modern dutch. What about english in movies about the roman empire? Frank Lammers did a pretty good job. It's not to hard to see him apart from his work in the commercial.
Don't forget the budget was "only" 8 million euro's. Which is huge by dutch standards, but nothing compared to hollywood blockbusters. Give me some titles to which you've compared the movie. For dutch standards this movie is really groundbreaking.

Michiel de Ruyter has been a very important person in dutch history. He's perfect for an epic movie. Not sure if i'm getting your point, but there have been epic movies about historic figures before.

[–] joycedzn 9 years ago

1) never judge a movie before you actually see it.
2) so I'm guessing that's whenever you go see a movie with George Clooney in it, all you can think of, is coffee? You do realize Frank Lammers did a lot more than being the goofy Jumbo dad, right?
3) Lieke van Lexmond isn't my favorite either, but her role isn't that big even. And she isn't even bad at it. Numerous critically acclaimed actors got their start in a soap opera. Where someone starts his/her career is no indication of talent.