jaredkjacoby Reviews

IF (I) (2024)

Full of Heart and Creativity

[7/10 · 27 May 2024]

Bea is a young girl who struggles with the loss of her mother and the possibility of losing her father as he is getting ready for surgery. By now, she has lost all of her interests as a child believing that they are childish and that she is not a kid anymore. When she spots a strange creature one night, she finds strange but friendly creatures called IFs. Meeting these creatures brings a little bit of Bea's childlike joy out as she helps the IFs after they have been forgotten by the children who outgrew them.

I have to say, IF is a lot better than the trailers make it look. John Krasinski's passion for this movie is on full display here. First of all, this movie is very sweet with how it handles emotional moments and character moments. There is one scene towards the end of the film that melted my heart because of the way it was executed. It is a small moment with Blue that demonstrates the power of actions over words. Also, the story in general is pretty heartwarming as the movie is about helping people who maybe down on their luck become happier by reconnecting them with their imaginary friends. This movie feels like one big warm hug with its sweetness and innocence.

The story is very interesting. The movie feels like one of those classic, fantasy family films made in the early 2000s full of whimsical moments. It takes advantage of its premise by using the invincibility imaginary friends for humorous moments and having their world unlock the childhood joy of the visitor by seeing what their imagination look like. I love the scene where Bea lets her imagination loose in Memory Lane Retirement Home. It is like watching her regain her spirit after it has been gone so long. This movie does remind me a lot of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends from Cartoon Network. I wonder if Krasinski was inspired by that show when making this movie because if is, I can definitely see how.

What I appreciate the most about IF is that it is a whimsy, cheerful live-action family film that it tells a story with some surprisingly dark themes for a kids film. Beneath the colorful cast of characters and the goofy humor, the movie is about dealing with the lost of a loved one, the fear of losing a parent and the struggles of growing up. IF encourages the audience to not let go of their interests they are passionate about, regardless of how "childish" or "awkward" they seem. The movie handles these subjects in a mature and respectful fashion which could resonate with the adults in the audience.

Now, I do think the pacing could have been better, especially in the first act. I appreciate the fact that this movie is slower paced than most family films focusing more on characters and story rather than slapstick or gags, but the movie does find a little trouble picking up steam in the beginning. When it finds its footing though, it keeps a consistent pace and tone.

The humor is surprisingly very good. There are several scenes that cracked me up with Bea talking to the IFs in front of people, a running gag with an invisible imaginary friend and several gags from the supporting cast. Not every gag landed and there is one or two that wiped the smile off my face, but overall, this is probably the most I have laughed in a movie this year. The audience I was with laughed throughout the movie too, both kids and adults.

Cailey Fleming is THE star of the movie. In a film that is funny, heartwarming, emotional and even crazy at points, Fleming gives everything she has as Bea. She shows all kinds of range from a kid who wants act more grown up, someone who finally finds their inner childhood joy and a daughter who is afraid of losing her father. This is not a movie for her either. Fleming has to act with CGI creatures that are not real, but her performance helps make them feel more real than they are, especially with her interactions with Blue. This excellent performance helps make Bea a very likable, relatable protagonist with some hidden depths.

Ryan Reynolds is fun in this role, but he does feel a bit typecasted here. He is snarky and grumpy here and it takes a while for him to bond with Bea, but he did get some laughs out of me, especially during the scene where Bea's reimagining of the Memory Lane Retirement Home. I like his twist at the end and it brings his character a lot more perspective. While the twist might seem predictable, it gives subtle hints to why his character acts the way he does.

As for the IFs themselves, they are fun but only a few of them are great. Blue is endearing and adorable with Steve Carell doing an amazing job voicing him, but there are a couple of times where he lets a gag go on too long. My favorite is Blossom voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She is very polite and likable with a lovely voice. Louis Gossett Jr. (Rest in Peace King) delivers a heartwarming performance as Lewis who acts as the fatherly figure of the Memory Lane Retirement Home.

I also really liked Guardian Dog voiced by Sam Rockwell. He is only in a couple of scenes, but he is adorable and fun to watch. My second favorite is Christopher Meloni as Cosmo, a detective with an obscured face who is hyper and suspicious. I love Meloni's wit and energy in this role and Cosmo's fluid movement as well. Heck, Maya Rudolph's character got a few laughs from me too. These are fun characters with big names behind their voices including Emily Blunt, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and many more, but a lot of them are smaller roles. I do feel like these characters are a bit of an excuse for John Krasinski to invite his friends to play as funny creatures in his movie. This does not take away from his passion from the movie at all as I still think this movie gives all of them a chance to be endearing with their unique personalities. In fact, I would not mind seeing a mini series based off this movie about the other IFs because a lot of them have interesting designs and potential to be memorable characters.

Visually, the movie looks very good for the most part. The set designs are beautiful and colorful and the redesigning of Memory Lane Retirement Home is a treat to watch because of how creative the set becomes. The designs of the IFs are pretty creative, especially with their quirks and gimmicks. Blue is very expressive and Blossom reminds me of a golden age cartoon character brought to life on the big screen. The CGI animation aims to be cartoony rather than realistic and surprisingly, it is integrated well here. The IFs look and feel as if they belong in this world and in their own home too. They could have easily looked awkward and out of place, but they fit this world because the CGI and composition with them are really good. The cinematography also has a few beautiful shots and the lively colors help make this movie more whimsical and fun.

Even if you have no interest in seeing this movie, I recommend listening to the musical score by Michael Giacchino. This is has got to be one of the best musical scores I have heard in a family film. It is charming, catchy and it fits the whimsical and fun world of IFs. I loved every single piece of music in this film and this might be my favorite score from Giacchino so far. This is my second favorite musical score of the year right behind Dune: Part Two and there have been some great soundtracks in 2024 movies.

There could have been so many ways for this movie to turn out bad. Luckily, John Krasinski directed IF with love and fun making this a very enjoyable family film with a surprising amount of depth. The fun humor, likable characters, maturity of the story, positive messages about inner childhood and whimsical world of IFs makes this an enjoyable watch for both kids and adults. In fact, I definitely feel that Krasinski aimed to make a film that adults would appreciate just as much as kids with the subtlety of some of the twists and the relatable themes. I am glad I gave this movie a chance because I had a really good time with it.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

A Top-Notch Prequel

[9/10 · 25 May 2024]

A young Furiosa is kidnapped by bikers who work for Lord Dementus. They take her away from the Green Place of Many Mothers, they kill her mother that tried to rescue her and they roam the wasteland before finding Citadel led by Immortan Joe. The two warlords engage in a war for Citadel while Furiosa lays low to plot her way back home and to get revenge on the man that took everything from her.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga succeeds on nearly every level. It is great as its own action movie and it serves as a fantastic prequel to Fury Road. It is an action movie epic that somehow manages to gather all of the interesting elements from all four Mad Max movies to deliver an epic tale of revenge, survival and war. It combines the revenge theme of the first film, the post-apocalyptic war setting in Road Warrior, the world-building of Beyond Thunderdome and the visceral and insane action of Fury Road to deliver a prequel that compliments Mad Max: Fury Road beautifully.

The tone of this movie is not as dark as Fury Road as the bad guy in this movie is a little more humorous and the situation is not quite as bleak as Fury Road, but it is still an intense and dark movie. The story is about power control over two evil warlords and Furiosa trying to stay alive and get her revenge on Dementus. It is about how Furiosa's whole childhood gets taken from her so she becomes the stoic and quiet warrior that she is as an adult. This is a revenge tale on a much bigger scale than the original Mad Max as she goes up against a much bigger threat and more enemies. It is an enthralling story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The pacing is slower than Mad Max: Fury Road because it is more character focused and there is more world-building here, but Furiosa is constantly engaging because of the character drama and the incredible world-building that sets up the war in the wasteland. Furiosa's character gets expanded upon too as we see why she becomes as rebellious as she is and how she got a mechanical arm. This movie fleshes out not just the world of Mad Max, but the character of Furiosa too. I also love how in this conflict between two warlords throwing everything they have at each other, she just wants to make Dementus pay for taking away her childhood.

While I prefer the set pieces in Fury Road just on a visual and spectacle level, Furiosa has some breathtaking action in its own right. The standouts include the battle of The Bullet Farm and the chase scene that goes on for 15 minutes! Both of these set pieces are filled to the brim with impressive stunt work, beautiful cinematography and choreography, sweeping camera work and sheer intensity. There is so much back and forth on who has the advantage in these chases and the tactics the combatants use to fight that it adds to complexity of the action. Also, the parachute fighters are awesome here adding a layer of coolness to the movie. The climactic sequence is mesmerizing especially in the final confrontation between Furiosa and Dementus. One of the most chilling climaxes of the year and that I have seen in recent memory.

The visuals look breathtaking as the movie uses several tracking shots and beautiful imagery that has a few disturbing images. Also, this movie has a few graphic moments, one of which made my jaw drop. It is not because it is bloody, but it is an important part of Furiosa's story told in the coolest way possible. Between this movie and Dune: Part Two, this is a great year for movies that take place in desert areas. The costumes and makeup are all on point as we would expect from a Mad Max film. The direction by George Miller is dynamic as he delivers in telling an engaging story in a visually thrilling and narratively epic way. The soundtrack by Tom Holkenberg is not quite as strong as Junkie XL's masterful score in Fury Road, but it is very good with the music in the final 30 minutes sending chills down my spine. This movie is a marvel on a technical level, matching its already fantastic story.

Anya Taylor-Joy does not show up as Furiosa until around the second act, but once she does we can see how this woman nails the character. For a role that gives her minimal dialogue, she makes the most of it with her presence in every scene she is in, especially in the climactic scene. From the attitude, to Furiosa's mannerisms and to her stoic personality, Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a captivating lead performance as the title character that gives Furiosa more depth and personality just with her expressions and actions. I saw Furiosa in each of her scenes. She is proving with each film she stars in that she is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood between this, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Northman and The Menu. Also, Alyla Browne captures the young Furiosa perfectly as well pinpointing the moment she loses her childhood.

Chris Hemsworth makes for a fantastic and memorable villain as Lord Dementus. I could tell Hemsworth relished in playing as a bad guy m, but he takes the role very seriously at the same time. While Dementus is not as outright depraved as Immortan Joe, he is an intimidating and clever villain in his own right despite some goofy moments. Also, he is probably the most human villain I have seen in a while. Dementus is very powerful and ruthless giving the audience many reasons to root against him, but what makes him memorable is that by the end of the film, we are reminded that he is human just like everyone else in the wasteland. He might be my favorite villain in this saga because he is fun to root against, he has some surprising amount of depth and Chris Hemsworth delivers on every aspect of this character.

The supporting cast is pretty solid too. Charlee Fraser is magnificent as Furiosa's mother saying so much with just her eyes alone. This is one of the best examples of small role, big impact I have seen in a while. Lachy Hulme is very good as a younger Immortan Joe, nailing his mannerisms. Tom Burke makes for a solid supporting character as Praetorian Jack who serves as a love interest for Furiosa. Burke shares a surprisingly sweet chemistry with Anya Taylor-Joy in a film filled with no hope and death. John Howard is fun as the people eater and Nathan Jones is surprisingly unsettling as Rictus. This is a great supporting cast that compliments the amazing leads.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is breathtaking in so many ways. It is a whole different beast from Mad Max: Fury Road, but this is a great prequel that builds on the universe these movies take place in that also improves the story of Fury Road by adding depth to Furiosa and the dangerous wasteland of a world. It also succeeds as its own action movie epic with an engaging story and enthralling sequences filled with beautiful destruction and dynamic stunts. I adore this movie and I think it will remain as one of my favorite movies of 2024 and as one my favorite blockbusters of the decade. See Furiosa on the biggest screen possible.

The Fall Guy (2024)

A Solid Blend of Romance, Comedy and Awesome Stunts

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

Based off the 1980s show with the same name, The Fall Guy follows stuntman Colt Seavers who gets injured in a stunt gone wrong. Eighteen months later, producer Gail Meyer calls Colt to return for a movie directed by the woman he is in love with: Jody Moreno. However, the main star for the film, Tom Ryder has gone missing and Gail assigns Colt the task of searching for his whereabouts. Balancing his work with helping Jody with her film and tracking down Tom proves to be quite a challenge.

The Fall Guy is a movie that combines romance, comedy and action to make a film set in Hollywood to shed light on stuntmen and women, the guys who take the hits for the actors. It is directed by former stunt performer and coordinator David Leitch who also directed Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs and Shaw and Bullet Train. I do not think there could be a better choice of director for this movie than Leitch. This movie is meant to be a love letter to stunt performers who don't get the recognition they deserve. Does this movie succeed at that?

The Fall Guy has a lot going for it. First of all, as far as a movie for stunt performers go, this movie definitely highlights the hardships they go through and the hits they take. The movie is about how unappreciated they are and how overworked they are. Colt's producer not only calls him to help Jody with her film, but to also search for Tom Ryder which puts a lot of stress on him. The story is more action-oriented than other blockbusters, but there some really good themes here like honesty building the best relationship, when things go wrong you can get back up and to trust your instincts. The movie has positive messages for not only relationships and stuntmen, but also people who might be down on their luck.

The movie has a lot of humor and most of it lands. There are a lot of references to movies, funny situations that Gosling and Blunt are put in, great comedic timing and fun dialogue to demonstrate the chemistry between the two leads. Not every joke landed and there is one that I cringed at, but most of the humor is really good and surprisingly sweet-natured. Everyone I was with in the theater laughed throughout so I think there is a good chance that this movie offers a lot of different types of jokes to make anyone who watches this movie laugh.

Directed by a former stuntman, the action scenes in this movie are absolutely spectacular. Not only are they beautifully shot and edited, but they are creative and showcase awesome stunt work. One of my favorite sequences is the scene where Colt is chasing bad guys who captured Alma in a truck. The fight on the back of the truck reminds me of Raiders of the Lost Ark in how many dangerous stunts are performed. It is genuinely intense, it looks awesome and the stunt work is impressive. The climax is another one of my favorite set pieces. A movie set blowing up while chasing the bad guys and using props to defeat them? The climax is one of my favorites in a while for its creativity and visuals because how often do we get to watch a set piece of a film set? The rest of the action scenes are great and creative as well with some beautiful cinematography and lighting. There is even a scene involving the blank gun that has creativity. There is not a single bad action scene here and there is plenty of them. David Leitch did a fantastic job because I can tell that this is a movie made by a person who is an expert on stunts.

Even before the action takes the stage, the cinematography looks amazing. The opening tracking shot is really cool. The action scenes look even better thanks to the slick camerawork and lively colors. The boat chase scene comes to mind because it is beautifully lit and visually striking. I really like the set designs as they fit the tone of the movie very well and they look really cool. The set for Metalstorm looks fun and imaginative even as a fake movie set. I would be kind of curious to see how that movie would play out if it were real.

The soundtrack is also quite good, with Kiss' I Was Made for Lovin' You making a good theme for this song. They even have a newer version of this song by YUNGBLUD made for the movie that is a fantastic cover for Kiss' original song. Also, Emily Blunt has a beautiful singing voice in the karaoke scene. I forgot that Blunt starred in a few musicals before this film and I may have to check them out. It is also the perfect song for that scene for her to sing.

However, we cannot have a great romance story without two great leads. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt makes for a match made in heaven. Their chemistry is dynamic and they play off each other perfectly. I love how Jody is this seemingly tough director who stutters when she is talking with Colt when she starts to like him. Emily Blunt is great in this role because she has great comedic timing and a surprising amount of range here. She handles comedy and drama equally well, while showing the hidden depths of her character just by her expressions and speech. She even gets a couple of action scenes which is always a plus. Gosling is goofy as ever trying to win her over, but is equally sincere when he needs to be. His line delivery in the climax to Blunt is touching. Colt Seavers is a great role because it allows Gosling to showcase his comedic, romantic and dramatic talents while showcasing that he is a capable action star. Gosling and Blunt are the perfect leads for this movie.

The supporting cast is not too shabby either. Aaron-Taylor Johnson is great as Tom Ryder. I did not recognize him at all and he pulled off that role as an egotistical actor perfectly. Stephanie Hsu does not get a whole lot to do, but the one scene she gets is really cool and it reminded me why I want to see her in more stuff. Winston Duke is really fun as Colt's best friend and stunt coordinator. He is a loyal friend who joins in on the action to help Colt. Teresa Palmer is wasted as Tom's girlfriend though. They could have given her so much more to do. Hannah Waddingham character Gail Meyer irritated me though. She is definitely supposed to be unlikable and sleazy despite putting on a friendly act in front of Colt and Jody. However, you can see her dark side from a mile away. I kind of get the angle the writers were going for with Gail as she is supposed to be that person is just flat out unpleasant to be around acting fake towards everyone around her. Still, Gail the only character I did not get a laugh from. Other than that, the supporting cast is really good.

As far as other issues go, the movie is a bit bloated. This movie has a lot going on in the script. The romantic love story, a mysterious disappearance, plenty of action scenes and stunts and several characters getting thrown in. The movie has a lot of cooks thrown in and not everything works. At first, it is tonally jarring because it cycles through several different genres, but this movie does find its footing and when it does, it becomes much more fun to watch.

The Fall Guy is a great time at the movies. This is the definition of a crowd-pleasing blockbuster. It has romance, comedy and a ton of action to keep anyone who sees it entertained. It also pays a lot of respect to stunt performers and coordinators who work hard to make action scenes in movies possible. This movie was a relief to watch because I saw this movie after a rough morning of work and for a while I was crankier than usual, but this movie definitely brightened up my day. I also took my mom to see it as an early Mother's Day present and she really enjoyed it. The Fall Guy definitely made a turned a bit of a rough day to a fun one and to me, that is the best thing a movie can do for me.

Definitely stay through the credits especially if you are a fan of the original show or just someone who wants to see how people perform the stunts.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)

A Great Comfort Movie

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

Tim Goodman, the son of mysteriously vanished detective Harry Goodman makes his way to Ryme City, a place where Pokémon and humans live together in harmony. Hoping to find answers about his missing father, Tim finds a talking Pikachu to his apartment who was Harry's Pokémon partner. Although the two struggle to get along and to understand each other at first, they learn to warm up with each other as they search for clues about Harry Goodman's disappearance. They also discover a bigger threat to Ryme City on their adventure.

Detective Pikachu plays out similarly to most family adventure films. It follows several similar beats storywise such as a third-act breakup, a twist villain and a crazy reaction to a talking creature when the two protagonists first meet. However, what Detective Pikachu lacks in unique story beats more than makes up for it in its creative world building, breathtaking visuals, extremely likable characters, imaginative set pieces and a ton of heart and charm underneath the spectacle.

The movie has a very fun story despite the familiarity. It moves at a brisk pace, it feels like an adventure to solve a mystery and the humor is charming. This movie has several moments utilizing different Pokémon's quirks and abilities to come up with really funny scenes. I cracked up at the scene with Mr. Mime and with Ditto. The dialogue is also pretty witty too, especially the lines from Pikachu. Not every joke lands, but I had a smile on my face the whole film and I got several big laughs out of this movie. While the story is simple, there are some messages about the relationship of a distant father and son. There is a scene where Tim opens up about his father and how he wishes he could have been nicer to him and Pikachu comforts him reassuring him that it is not his fault. It is a sweet scene that encourages kids not to blame themselves for whatever regrets they may have with their parents. Detective Pikachu thrives on being a sweet-natured film with its story and characters and it succeeds because this movie feels like one big hug.

My absolute favorite thing about Detective Pikachu is the world-building. It is phenomenal! This movie builds a unique world of Pokémon where they live amongst humans each other which seems like a perfect utopia for the Pokémon world. There are not even Pokéballs here! However, the movie slowly reveals the dark secrets of Clifford and shadier areas of the city like the battle arena. Not only is the world imaginative, but we get to see how Pokémon work with humans in their jobs and in other parts of their daily life. It actively encourages humans to share bonds with their Pokémon, including Tim with Pikachu. This is one of the few movies that I felt truly immersed in the world that they created in a movie. It helps that I am a Pokémon fan but this world is still magnificent and this is the one aspect I will definitely defend about this movie.

The story is given a lot more charm thanks to the fantastic leads in Tim and Pikachu both as their individual characters and with their relationship. Tim starts off as someone who constantly pushes others who try to befriend him away, but as he grows close to Pikachu, you can how he lightens up and becomes more optimistic. It's like watching someone become a completely new person after getting the advice they need. I find Tim to be a very underrated protagonist with Justice Smith giving a great performance here. This is his first time as a lead in a big movie like this and he pulls off being freaked out, sad, optimistic very well. Smith is given a lot of range with this character and he comes off as natural in nearly every scene he is in. He shares great chemistry with Pikachu, especially in the scenes where they enjoy each other's company more. They play off each other superbly and I could feel Tim getting attached to Pikachu more and more as the story continued.

This version of Pikachu is one of the funniest and most endearing comedic leads in a movie. His interactions with Tim and other Pokémon are such a joy to watch. Pikachu is a loner who couldn't talk to other humans before meeting Tim so some interactions that might come off as rude come off as endearing because Pikachu is legitimately trying to be polite and cordial with Tim. When he mentions his mom in a picture and Tim tells him about his mom, he quickly apologizes, showing that while Pikachu is a jokester, he has compassion. There is a difference between a character who means well, but may come off a bit insensitive and one that is just unpleasant and rude. Pikachu fits the former from the start and he becomes more and more protective of Tim while mellowing out quite a bit. While he keeps his snarky personality, he definitely mellows out and takes his job as a detective seriously finding several clues to lead to Harry and the bigger threat of Ryme City. Add Ryan Reynolds giving an enthusiastic and lively performance as Pikachu and you have a lovable character who lightens up the mood anytime he is on screen.

The supporting cast is hit and miss. Lucy Stevens is much more likable than I remember her being largely because of how likable Kathryn Newton is in the role and her sweet chemistry with Justice Smith, but she could have been fleshed out more. One interesting thing I noticed is how her partner Pokémon is Psyduck who can get headaches when stressed out. Despite being a reporter who goes on dangerous adventures, Lucy has a sweet friendship with Psyduck showing that he trusts her despite the dangerous situations she could end up in. I think that is a neat character attribute to Lucy that I didn't catch the first time I watched this movie.

Ditto is pretty awesome in this movie. This is probably the only movie where Ditto is not just threatening, but terrifying. Psyduck is really adorable and funny here and he helps the gang out in a crucial moment. Sebastian runs a secret battle arena in Ryme City and although he only gets one scene, it is really cool scene showing off more depth to this world of Pokémon. The weak link in this movie as far as characters go unfortunately is the villain. Howard Clifford has an interesting motivation and plan. Turning people into Pokemon and turning himself into Mewtwo is a good concept that is just not explored enough. He is not given enough story to make him stand out as a villain because he is revealed to be the mastermind in the climax. If there one major issue I have with this movie, it is definitely the villain. Ken Watanabe could have been used more. He is a great actor who I like in anything I see him in, but he gets little to do here. Overall, I would say the supporting cast is okay, but the leads carry the movie.

Visually, this movie is a marvel. This has to be one of my favorite looking movies simply because this movie brought the world of Pokémon to life in a unique way. The Pokémon all have detail on their designs, they look colorful and it is a good combination of looking real enough to be believable and colorful and zany to fit a world of Pokémon. They are also very expressive, especially Pikachu who is a joy to watch just for his fun expressions with his eyes and ears. Even Psyduck has a memorable expression. The movie has some nice cinematography, polished special effects and great set design The only bad thing I can say about the visuals is that they repeat some of the Pokemon designs like Sneasel and Loudred, but aside from that, this movie looks perfect visually.

The action scenes are a ton of fun to watch. There are three major set pieces with the fight in the Ryme City Arena, the giant Torterras and the battle with Pikachu and Mewtwo. All of them are very memorable and creative. The Torterra scene is my favorite because it is such a great use for that Pokémon and it is very intense to watch. This movie finds new ways to make set pieces with Pokemon interesting. The final fight with Pikachu and Mewtwo is pretty epic and beautifully shot. It is the perfect length for a film like this, but I honestly could have watched it for hours. The fight between Pikachu and Charizard is amusing and I love the reference of Pikachu kicking Magikarp to evolve it. I still remember that episode from the anime. Even the smaller moments are fun like Tim fighting the Ditto and their confrontation with Greninja. I do wish we got a proper Pokémon battle, but I think we will get one for a potential sequel (and please let there be a sequel to this movie.)

The musical score by Henry Jackman is whimsical. I love Ryme City's theme. It fits Pokémon perfectly especially for this particular world where humans and Pokémon coexist. I also love the nostalgic theme in the credits as well. That was the perfect end for this movie.

As for the ending, this might be a hot take, but I don't mind it. The twist is a little cheesy, but it does come together with Tim wanting to bond with his father. Honestly, it is one of the few twists that genuinely surprised me because it is a little crazy. I do like that the movie does not really set up for a sequel in the end like a lot of blockbusters do. It has a sweet and wholesome final scene that allows this movie to stand on its own.

I will not deny that this movie is flawed with the mediocre first ten minutes, formulaic plot points and weak villain. However, I love Detective Pikachu. It really is a sweet and wholesome film that succeeds as its own adventure film for families while being a big hug to Pokémon fan. This is one of the few movies where I kind of put off my more critical side and just soak up the world this movie takes me to. That is why this is my favorite video game movie of all time and the one I believe broke the video game to movie curse for good. I loved it when I saw in theaters nearly five years ago and I still love it now. I can safely say that Detective Pikachu is one of my favorite comfort movies ever.

Challengers (2024)

A Terrifically Juicy Drama Disguised as a Tennis Movie

[9/10 · 28 April 2024]

Two tennis players are in the final match of the Challenger tournament. They are former best friends Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson who are now rivals. Long before the match, both tennis players were attracted to another Tennis prodigy, Tashi Duncan. When they meet her and get to know her, their friendship becomes fractured. Tashi eventually marries Art and helps him become a much better tennis player, but she has to face her past when Patrick faces Art in the match at the Challenger event.

Challengers is a movie that succeeds as both an intense tennis movie and an engaging drama. The movie moves at a pretty brisk pace despite being over two hours long. The movie is split up into different sets with the story being how Patrick and Art met Tashi and how their relationship as whole split them apart. The movie represents this three-way relationship as a competitive tennis match. Patrick and Art are making moves on Tashi and she is playing her own game with them. I love the way the story plays out because it represents a narrative every bit as competitive as competitive as the tennis matches. This is a movie about relationships and rivalry that are as intense as a prestigious match of tennis. The dialogue is sharp and often witty, the tension is high with the three leads, the chemistry they have is dynamic and the editing is fantastic which builds the tension further. Even the humor is pretty funny. I laughed pretty hard at a couple of scenes because the lines are so crazy that I could not help but smile.

The movie never has full on sex scenes that you may expect from the trailer, but it certainly has some attractive moments. This is like watching a movie that is beginners level before something a little more erotic. However, these scenes fit the movie because it begins the rivalry and it showcases the personality and cunningness of Tashi Duncan. My favorite scene in the movie is when she visits the two boys in their dorm because not only is the scene in general very juicy to watch, but it establishes the kind of relationship these three will have with each other. It is the perfect scene that shows how the story will go from there. Also, I like how it takes a different direction than I expected.

What I love about this movie is that it never paints as any one of the three main characters as saints. All three of them are flawed individuals. Art and Patrick are both trying to get the attention of Tashi even if it means going behind each other's backs. Tashi on the other hand leads both of them on making this a love triangle of three morally grey people. They have their likable traits and charisma to keep them from being too unlikable, but there is no real hero or villain here. That makes this story more interesting for me.

All three of the leads are phenomenal in this movie. These are some of the best performances I have seen in years. Zendaya is as charming as ever as Tashi Duncan. However, she shows a great amount of range here with her expressions as dynamic as ever and her line delivery being precise and knife-cutting, especially one scene where she confronts Patrick. Zendaya also plays as a more morally questionable character with a vulnerable side which I think makes her performance harder to pull off, but she does it so effortlessly. The scenes during and after Tashi gets injured are powerful moments that Zendaya portrays beautifully. With this and Dune: Part Two, Zendaya is slowly becoming one of my favorite actresses. Even with Tashi's faults, I could never bring myself to root against her because Zendaya is that likable and charismatic.

Josh O'Connor is also very strong here. He gives brings a lot of energy to the table and he has a sense of calmness despite the rivalry. His line delivery when he confronts Tashi is spot on. Mike Faist is probably the most stoic of the three, but that does not mean he is bad. In fact, he has the best expressions of a man who just wants to move on from Tennis and wants to grow up. One scene with him and O'Connor has my favorite part from him distinguishing their goals, but Art's tone towards Patrick is awesome to watch. What makes a lot sadder is how enthusiastic Art is when he is younger and Faist showcases that in the scenes taking place long before the game. These three carry the script and make the movie even more compelling to watch from their interactions, to their chemistry, their emotional range and their complex relationships. These are probably the three best lead performances I have seen so far this year.

Visually, the movie looks very good. The cinematography looks great with a nice sense of composition and style, especially the scene where the boys invite Tashi in their room. Also, there are several long takes in scenes to make the drama more authentic. They also improve the performances because it seems very difficult to act out a scene or shot as long as some of them do yet the actors still feel natural. I love the first person shots where we see both players points of view in the match and even a perspective of the tennis ball. Seriously, how did they manage to film from that perspective? I adore the soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It is so techno and memorable yet it fits the theme of the film. Also, the soundtrack is just unique compared to a lot of the orchestral music I have been hearing in movies lately.

If there is anything bad I have to say about Challengers, the movie is a tad overlong and the beginning is not as strong as the rest of the movie, but once I got hooked in, the movie never gets boring or tiresome.

Luca Guadagnino's Challengers is a fantastic drama. It is filled with juicy moments, great characters with complex morals, tight writing and an engaging love triangle. I love the comparisons of how competitive the game of tennis is to romance. This movie also has what might be my favorite ending of the year so far. It put a huge smile on my face. This is a weird film that I am not used to watching, but I am so glad I did. By all accounts, this should not be a film that appeals to me, but the fact that I thought it was great and engaging throughout is a testament of how much of a great job everyone involved did here. This is a movie you don't want to miss and you don't have to be a fan of tennis to enjoy it.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Not as Exciting as the Title...

[5/10 · 21 April 2024]

Taking place during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of skilled commandos led by Gus March-Phillips create a plan to. They must strike against the Nazi forces behind enemy lines. They could end up in jail I SOE agents Marjorie Stewart and Fredrich Heron work their way in the Nazi base as spies and to distract them while Gus' army uses unconventional fighting tactics to take out Nazis and change the course of the war.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is quite an awesome title and Guy Ritchie is a very good filmmaker. I did not know this movie was even coming out until I saw it lined up with Abigail and I grew interested in seeing it. It has a great cast, a solid director and an intriguing premise loosely based off of a true story. This seems like a match made in heaven.

In execution unfortunately, I feel rather underwhelmed by this movie. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not a bad movie, but I expected to like it so much more than I did. My biggest problem with this movie is the pacing. It lacks natural flow and the second half is really slow. The movie starts out very promising with an awesome opening action scene, a cool introduction to Gus' crew and a premise that seems really exciting. The longer the movie went, the more I was waiting for things to pick up. The climax did win some points for me, but it did not save the movie entirely.

The movie spends a lot of time with the squad building up their plan for the mission, but not a whole lot of time with Gus' crew. We do not learn a whole lot about them after the opening sequence and a lot of the dialogue does not give the characters a lot of chances to shine. A lot of focus is on Marjorie Stewart and Fredrich Heron and the scenes with them are not as interesting as I would have hoped. The dialogue never grabbed my attention in these scenes. The humor doesn't land as much as I thought it would either. There are a couple of funny moments and one line from Gus that made the audience I was with laugh out loud, but generally, I felt indifferent to the comedy here.

Now there is plenty of stuff to like here. The cast is absolutely game for their roles and have a lot of fun here with Eiza González, Henry Cavil and Til Schweiger as the standouts. Schweiger in particular plays the role of a particularly ruthless nazi and Cavil oozes with charisma every time he is on screen and he is better utilized here than he was in Argylle at least. Alan Ritchson is another standout. Henry has the funniest scenes and he handles the action very well. The action scenes are well-shot and entertaining to watch, but the opening sequence is the best part. I also like the set piece inside one of the ships. The only thing I will say is that the action is a little too tame for an R-rated film. There are a couple of brutal moments, but I could have seen this being PG-13 if they edited around a few of the scenes and removed some of the swearing. The cinematography looks great, the set designs are fantastic and the costumes are solid. The soundtrack by Christopher Benstead is spectacular. I loved the score because it helped build tension to the movie and the song in the climax by Marjorie Stewart is fantastic.

Ultimately, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not bad, but I didn't care for it. There were some very entertaining parts in the movie, but there were also some rather boring moments that took me out of the movie. Honestly, I am kind of disappointed here. I really wanted to love this one...

Abigail (2024)

A Thrilling Bloodbath

[8/10 · 21 April 2024]

A gang of criminals accept the task of kidnapping the daughter of a very wealthy and powerful man. The plan goes accordingly as they have to stay in the mansion and keep the girl tied up. If any of them speak to the girl, they must do so while wearing a mask to protect their identities. The mission goes smoothly until a few members of the group mysteriously die. The surviving members find out the young girl they kidnapped is actually a bloodthirsty vampire. Hell breaks loose from there.

Abigail is probably my favorite theater experience of the year so far. This movie is so damn good! I love the story in this movie. It combines horror, comedy and even a little action so seamlessly that it kept me on my toes the entire movie. What I love about the story is that it takes a simplistic premise and takes full advantage of it. The movie feels like Ready or Not, but flipped where one person is targeting and killing the members of the gang. Watching Abigail just toy with her enemies is a joy to watch. The pacing worried me a little bit because this movie is long for a vampire horror film, but Abigail is beautifully paced for the most part. Each scene built upon the next pretty seamlessly and the pace the characters started biting it built the tension even further.

The movie is not as scary as I thought it would be, but it does have its moments, particularly one scene with Sammy that freaked me out. There are couple of noisy jump scares and one really obnoxious fakeout, but for the most part, Abigail uses its creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere, the sadistically gleeful dialogue from Abigail herself, a lot of blood and gore and vampires to create a creepy as hell movie. The humor landed for me pretty hard. There were at least two scenes that had me laughing out loud in the theater. The comedic timing is perfect and everyone in the cast knows how to deliver funny dialogue. Speaking of which, most of the dialogue is very sharp. It builds upon the tension and even humor of the frightening situation. Not many movies can combine horror and comedy that well, but Abigail does it perfectly making it so enjoyable to watch.

This movie has one of my favorite casts in a long time. Melissa Barrera is fantastic as Joey. Barrera has a lot of charisma and genuineness in her performance here. Joey is also the most levelheaded person and Barrera represents her control well. Her first scene where she is promising Abigail to not hurt her shows her chops very well. Barrera makes for a sympathetic and smart protagonist who makes a lot of good decisions. Kathryn Newton is very enjoyable as Sammy. I could not help but feel bad for her throughout the film, especially towards the end, but Newton shows a lot of range, especially in the third act. Kevin Durand has such a likable presence as Peter. He has a couple of the more heartwarming scenes, one he shares with Kathryn Newton that I found touching. Dan Stevens as Frank is my favorite performance and character though. He has so much range with his character in both serious and comedic scenes. His line delivery is gold. His best moments are at the climax though that legitimately gave me chills down my spine. Angus Cloud is fun as the way too calm Dean and William Catlett is committed as Rickles. This cast of bandits is top-tier and they make for surprisingly sympathetic protagonists despite being criminals. I genuinely rooted for nearly everyone to survive. Even with this great cast of protagonists, one person outshines them.

Alisha Weir as the title character is phenomenal. She pulls off so many ranges of emotion from being scared to being sadistic with her "food." She also handles the ballerina scenes beautifully. The best part about this performance is that it seems like Alisha Weir is enjoying every moment she is on screen. I can tell she had fun playing as this insane, bloodthirsty vampire who can beat up people twice her size. This is one of the best performances from a child actor I have ever seen. Abigail is also a great antagonist. She is smart, frightening and she goes after her victims while performing ballet. What is not to love? Abigail is my second favorite antagonist of the year so far, right behind Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen of Dune: Part Two.

The movie also looks outstanding. The cinematography by Aaron Morton captures the atmosphere of the movie while keeping a varied color scheme as well. I love the big mansion as the set design. There are so many different areas in the house and makes for the perfect setting for this kind of film. Now the tough part for me; the gore. I can get a bit squeamish when it comes to gory scenes or torture scenes. This movie has its moments for sure. Every kill has some level of bloodiness. What surprised me was how good it all looked. While the gruesome nature of the movie is very over-the-top, bloody scenes looked like they were crafted using practical effects. These genuinely looked slick adding another layer to the solid visuals in this movie.

The fight scenes are very entertaining to watch, if not a bit over-edited. I love the scene where Abigail straight up beats down Frank, Sammy and Peter all at once without killing them. That scene put a giant smile on my face because of how insane it was to watch. That is the kind of cheesiness and craziness I love to see in a movie like this. The soundtrack by Brian Tyler is great. It mixes horror music with some oddly whimsical tracks. This movie also has a great selection of songs used as Abigail hunts her prey. Abigail surprised me with how slick and solid the production values are especially with the blood and gore.

Although I think Abigail is a great movie overall, I do have one major issue with it that holds it back from being nearly perfect. There is a scene around the end of the second act that reveals the pasts of the surviving characters that comes out of nowhere that Abigail somehow knows. I get that the movie wants to have twists with these characters, but it feels out of place. This is the one moment of the film that took me out of it briefly not just because it feels manufactured, but because it breaks what was the brisk pacing of the movie. Luckily, it won me back over with the third act as it picks up steam quickly. Aside from that issue, my only other minor complaint is that I wish we got to see other members who died early on become vampires. That would have been cool to see because there are a couple of characters who do turn into vampires and it is awesome to watch.

Aside from that one scene I did not care for, I kind of loved Abigail. This is a movie completely out of my comfort zone and I am so glad that I watched it. I had such a great time with this movie and it made for a great theater experience. I kind of want to see it again because I do have a couple of questions and theories regarding the final act. I wanna see if I can catch some foreshadowing I may have missed in the first act. As it stands, this movie is bloody awesome and if you like vampires, this will be right up your alley.

Monkey Man (2024)

Dev Patel's Bloody Great Directorial Debut

[8/10 · 7 April 2024]

Kid is a man looking for vengeance after his mother was murdered by corrupt police chief Rana Singh under the order of an equally corrupt spirit guru, Baba Shakti. He earns money by fighting in illegal boxing clubs. Each of those matches, he wears a monkey mask. He finds a way to approach Baba and Rana by landing a job as a waiter and kitchen employee at Queenie's restaurant. Kid finds the task of avenging his mother much more difficult than he anticipated.

As soon as I saw the trailer to this movie, I was hooked. Not only did it look awesome, but Dev Patel is the star and director. He was fantastic in The Green Knight and I could not wait to see what he has in store for Monkey Man. Turns out it is a lot more than just a simple revenge tale.

Monkey Man marks a very impressive directorial debut from Dev Patel. What I love about this movie is how the story plays out. In a lot of revenge movies, the hero has to battle through hordes of bad guys to take down their target. In this movie, Kid encounters Rana early, but he hesitates before he can take out Rana which nearly leads him to getting killed. He has to learn from his mistakes in his first attempt which he contemplates on. This is a movie about endurance and patience. They play a huge role into Kid's development throughout the film.

The tone of the movie is rather dark, but there are a few moments of humor that cracked me up. By far, the moment that made me laugh the most was the scene Kid fails to jump out of the window. I nearly cackled at that scene because it is such a cliche in action movies that this movie defies. In fact, this movie does not rely on that many familiar beats in most revenge movies. While Kid has a familiar motivation for revenge and the villains are corrupt authority figures, Kid is not nearly as invincible as other action heroes, making him more vulnerable and sympathetic. He actually gets beaten up quite a bit here as it takes time for him to grow into a stronger fighter which shows in his return to the boxing ring. I was worried that this movie might have a stale storyline about revenge, but because of Dev Patel's stellar direction and the way the script plays around some of the tropes, Monkey Man is constantly engaging.

The action scenes in Monkey Man are pretty awesome. A few of them have a little overuse of shaky cam making it a bit hard to get used to at first, but the sequences are inventive. The set pieces are filled with great stunt work, bloody hits, energetic camerawork and beautiful lighting. Kid beats up goons using any weapon or object he has including doors to ovens! The third act is when the action goes from entertaining to enthralling. There is a kitchen fight with a long take that blew my mind and a one-on-one fight between Kid and Rana that is bloody brutal (pun intended). What I like so much about the action scenes is how many hits Kid takes here. Having Kid vulnerable to getting beaten allows his character to be more human and to develop into a stronger fighter. It gives weight to each fight he gets into because it shows he does not take his injuries lightly. Dev Patel said he suffered a few injuries during the filming of this movie and I can see how from watch the fights play out. This shows how much passion and care he put into this movie which is perfectly showcased in the fight scenes.

The cinematography by Sharone Meir is absolutely stunning. This movie has some of the prettiest uses of color I have ever scene from how it uses red and blue to the lively purple. There are many shots that are quite mesmerizing even outside of the action scenes. Just shots of Dev Patel's eyes can look impressive with the composition of the frame as it gives him the look of his eye wanting the blood of Rana and Baba. I love the way the movie looks. The editing is fantastic too. There is a scene where a thief steals a purse and it gets handed to one person to another in such a stylish way. The training montage in the second act is another standout scene. I really like the sound design in this movie too. The fights sound realistic and painful compared to other action movies. The soundtrack is awesome too. Not only does this movie have several great choices of songs throughout, but it also has a great musical score by Jed Kurzel. There is a scene near the climax of the movie that has an ominous piece of music that captivated me. The chilling music in that scene helped build the tension in a particular fight. The production values in this movie are virtually flawless.

Dev Patel once again delivers a powerhouse performance. We can see what this man is thinking just from his facial expressions alone. Kid has minimal dialogue throughout the film, but Patel manages to have a commanding presence every time he is on screen. Whenever Patel does deliver dialogue, he does it in a way that fits the stoic rage of his character making him even more intimidating. Everything we need to know about Kid as a character is show through Patel's magnificent performance. During action scenes, it seems like he does his own stunts which makes his performance even stronger. Vipin Sharma as Alpha makes for a very likable and engaging character. Alpha is the leader of a group of Hijra known as the third gender in India. Alpha is a very kind and caring character who helps Kid on his quest for revenge. Sharma's performance is fantastic as he makes this character so engaging. I think this is very good representation of the trans community because it shows a trans woman assisting the hero and guiding him to the right path.

Another standout is Sharlto Copley as Tiger, the scumbag promoter at the illegal fighting pit. Copley is clearly having a great time in this role as he oozes with smarminess and charisma as the referee. Makarand Despande has limited screen time as the greedy spiritual guru Baba Shakti, but he makes the most of it any time he speaks. Any scene we see him in, we root for Kid to get his revenge. He embodies the corruption that has put through the characters through so much suffering in this movie while putting on a facade of peace and kindness. Baba makes for an effective villain performed expertly by Despande. Sikander Kher as Rana is pretty menacing as a corrupt police chief. The scene where he insults Kid's mom to his face is one that made me angry making it even easier to root for Kid. This is a fantastic cast that makes characters that would be otherwise simplistic so much more memorable. My only complaint is that I think Pitobash as Alphonso is kind of wasted. He is built up to be an ally for Kid, but he disappears halfway through the film and only shows up later without even interacting with Kid. A part of it could show that the Hijra women who help Kid made for better allies, but I would have liked to have seen Alphonso in the last confrontation in someway because I liked his character who had a couple of goofier moments.

While not without its faults, Monkey Man is a bloody, bold, beautiful and enthralling revenge tale. I came into this movie expecting a fun action movie. While it is a blast to watch, I did not expect the movie to have deep themes about corruption and endurance. Dev Patel has shown with this and The Green Knight that he is one of the most talented actors working today and that he has a lot potential as a director. His creative and passionate direction are both on full display in every minute of this movie. I highly recommend this movie, especially if you like action films. I cannot wait to see what Dev Patel does next after this movie.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Plenty of Awesome Kaiju Spectacle

[7/10 · 31 March 2024]

Taking place after the events of Godzilla vs Kong, Kong settles into his new home in the Hollow Earth. During his stay, he encounters more of his kind including a small red ape who starts out as hostile, but begins to trust Kong. However, with this discovery comes a new threat: Skar King, a tyrannical leader of apes who controls a titan with ice powers. Kong must get the help of his rival Godzilla in order to take on Skar King and his weapon. Kong is accompanied by Dr. Irene Andrews and her adoptive daughter Jia who is close to Kong, Bernie Hayes the conspiracy podcaster and newcomer Trapper who helped heal one of Kong's wounds.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire delivers exactly on what the trailers promised. I have heard that this movie puts the human characters to the side a bit and gives more spotlight to the monsters. While I think the humans got a little more screen time than I thought they would have, this movie definitely focuses on Kong and the civilization of apes he discovers. This movie is Kong's story and what I like a lot about this movie is how his scenes are handled with his expressions and actions. The relationship between Kong and Suko is the perfect example. We can see when Suko slowly begins to trust Kong as he shows the young ape kindness just from his eyes. These scenes do a great job with show and do not tell. This is definitely where Director Adam Wingard's passion for the source material comes into play. I can tell that Wingard set out to make a movie about the titans rather than the humans dealing with the titans. I really enjoyed the scenes where Kong is traveling through Hollow Earth and discovering the other apes. They are interesting, intense and fun especially the scenes with Kong and Suko.

Skar King might be my favorite villain from the MonsterVerse. He has the most ominous presence I have seen from a villain in a while. Just the way he walks around his army, how he smirks at Kong, the way he controls Shimo and how he uses his awesome weapon makes him such a memorable bad guy. Shimo is pretty fun, but a bit more of a minion than I thought she would be. My only major complaint about this movie is that I really wish Godzilla got a little more screen-time. I understand that this Kong's movie and that Godzilla is more of a force of nature than a character, but I would have loved to see him either destroying more monsters or spending a little more time fighting alongside Kong.

The action scenes are fantastic. This is a movie that is packed with action from nearly beginning to end. My favorite set piece is one that takes place in Hollow Earth that involves zero gravity. It is one thing to have kaijus battle it out, but it is another to have them fight from rock-to-rock. That whole fight is a joy to watch and it reminds me why I love seeing these kinds of films on the big screen. Another fight I like is Kong's first encounter with Suko and two other apes. Yes, it looks a bit goofy, but it is so entertaining to watch Kong use Suko as a weapon to smack the hostile apes. All of the fights are enjoyable to watch because they are shot expertly and they pack a punch.

While I prefer the visual style of Kong: Skull Island and GvK to this, this movie is not without striking images and creative set designs. I love the use of purple in this movie particularly with Godzilla. He looks more powerful than ever. Some of the sets on Hollow Earth look really cool, especially the temple which fits Hollow Earth well. The special effects for the monsters look amazing as they are so expressive and lively, that it gives them more character. Their powers look great and their designs are very impressive. The scale is interesting here because the monsters are now in a world bigger than Earth making them seem a bit smaller than they are. I love the scene where they return to Earth to remind us their massive size. This is a great looking movie that shows how much fun Adam Wingard had directing this movie between the colorful visuals and the crazy fight scenes. The soundtrack is decent with a nice choice of song at the end and a solid musical score by Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di lorio.

I think the human story is okay, but not particularly inspired. The cast do a great job, especially Kaylee Hottle as Jia who is wonderful in this movie. Hottle is a deaf actress and she does a fantastic job expressing herself especially with her interactions with Kong and with her adoptive mother. She is the heart and soul to both this and GvK. Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens look like they are having the time of their lives here and Rebecca Hall gives a very committed performance as Dr. Irene Andrews. The actors are definitely game and they are fun to watch. My problem is that they are kind of just here along with Kong for the ride. Jia is the only character who has a major role in the story.

The tone of the movie is very goofy with plenty humor that mostly landed with me and a lot of scenes that make little sense. There is a scene where one of the humans gets eaten by a plant out of nowhere and it is not brought up again after that scene. This feels like watching a Saturday morning cartoon more than any of the other MonsterVerse films. It works for this film because of all of the MonsterVerse movies, it has the most absurd story. This is an adventure into a brand new world that comes up with an excuse to bring Kong and Godzilla on the same side. This is a movie that knows what it is and it does not hold back on the cheesy plot and the bombastic action scenes.

I have a lot more to say about Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. However, I would have to get into spoilers at that point so I will just say this. I had a great time with Godzilla x Kong. I got exactly what I wanted from the movie. This movie has some amazing action scenes and goofy moments that make it more enjoyable to watch, but it also has a lot of heart. This is a movie where I can tell that every person involved in the production had a blast making this movie. Now, I am excited to see what new direction the MonsterVerse will take after this.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Flawed but Fun Fourth Installment to Kung Fu Panda

[6/10 · 17 March 2024]

Shifu assigns Po to pick the next Dragon Warrior. However, Po does not want to give up his status that easily. When the day comes to pick the next Dragon Warrior, he picks himself. One day, a small fox named Zhen breaks into Jade Palace and attempts to steal and break stuff inside the Hall of Heroes. When Po captures her and imprisons her, the fox agrees to help Po stop the shapeshifting sorceress known as the Chameleon who wants to conquer China by stealing the skills of all of Po's enemies. Po and Zhen venture off to Juniper City where they receive a lot of negative attention.

Kung Fu Panda is probably my most watched animated film of all time. I remember watching that DVD I could not count. I did see the sequel in theaters, but not the third. I wanted to see this fourth installment just because I love the first three movies and the trailers did make me curious about where the story would go. On a day where nothing went as planned, I still got to see this movie. Did it brighten my day or did it make me feel like I was climbing the stairs to Jade Palace?

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a movie that does not match the quality of the original trilogy at all. Not by a long shot. For starters, the Furious Five are not in this movie at all except one cameo. I always thought they were such cool characters and want to see more from them, but they feel wasted at this point. The story has a lot of familiar tropes like the scene of walking in a tavern and raising an army for the final battle. In fact, that is a plot point similar to Kung Fu Panda 3. I feel disappointed with how Tai Lung is utilized here. He could have played a bigger role in the story and interacted with more characters, particularly Shifu. Seriously, that was a missed opportunity here. Lastly, I feel the movie is a little too short. Yes, it is a fast-paced adventure packed with action, but with a story like this, a lot of the problems I have could be fixed if the movie was just a little longer. Some of the characters could get a bit more development and we could learn more about the antagonist. With my negatives out of the way, let me talk about what I liked about this movie.

Kung Fu Panda 4 has several issues, but I enjoyed overall. First of all, the voice acting is terrific. Jack Black has not lost a bit of enthusiasm or heart as Po. He brings his A-game here delivering some great emotions and a lot of the funnier lines. Po is just as likable as ever. I like how he is just a normal nice person who doesn't make a scene about, particularly when he shares his cookie with Zhen. Speaking of Zhen, I like this character a lot. She is a nice refreshing take on the lovable rogue who steals to survive. Her twist in the third act surprised me a little bit, but the movie foreshadows it in a clever way. Also, her character is just adorable. She is a snarky fox with a lot attitude and a speedy fighting style. Awkwafina is excellent as Zhen. She handles her snarking scenes very well, but she excels in her dramatic scenes in the third act. Her acting comes off as genuine and she has a very sweet emotional scene here. She is known for comedic roles, but I think this is Awkwafina's best performance I have seen from her so far. Po and Zhen share great chemistry together. They bounce off each other's personalities perfectly and their banter made me smile several times. It helps that Jack Black and Awkwafina have a lot of fun interacting with each other. I can tell that with this film, they are probably friends in real life.

As for the supporting cast, Po's dads have a really fun subplot that shows how concerned they are for their son. They go on a journey themselves to make sure Po is safe. I enjoy them because they are good, but flawed dads who will stop at nothing to protect their son. I particularly love Bryan Cranston's performance as Li Shan. He plays a character who tries to be intimidating and scary who is actually a big chicken themselves. I can see that Cranston had a lot of fun here. James Hong is really good here too. He does not sound any different here than he did from 2008. As for the rest of the supporting cast, we have a trio of cute but deadly rabbits who are awesome, Han who is a fun, but underutilized leader of a den of thieves voiced by Ke Huy Quan and Captain Fish who is kind of a unique character who again, I wish was utilized a bit more. I see a lot of potential in the supporting cast, but the movie focuses on Po, his dads, Zhen and the Chameleon the most.

Speaking of the Chameleon, I am mixed with her. Tai Lung, Shen and Kai were all amazing villains for different reasons, but the Chameleon lacks the coolness of them. She has to earn more of her powers by copying the powers of Po's enemies. However, what she lacks in fighting style, she makes up for with her manipulation and shapeshifting abilities. Also, I get the feeling that she is more loathsome than the other antagonists because she is more reliant on cheap tricks than skill. I like Viola Davis' performance as the Chameleon. She comes off as a cold, ruthless leader who can intimidate anyone. Davis seemed like she was having a great time voicing this character. The cast of characters are great overall, but there can be improvements for sure.

The story focuses a lot on trust and how to take more responsibility. Po does not want to give up his position as the Dragon Warrior. I do not blame him. I get the feeling that he likes being a hero not just because it's cool, but he enjoys helping citizens out and that has always endeared me to Po. That being said, the movie shows that he is being a bit selfish and immature about his task to pick the next Dragon Warrior. One message I like is that the idea that it is never too late to do the right thing or become a better person. Since one of the main characters is a thief who has quite a reputation in Juniper City, this is meant to encourage audience to change their lives when they are in sticky situations like this. I wish it was a bit more tapped on because it is a great message, but that is only a minor complaint. The humor is not bad but not hysterical. It had me smiling throughout, but I did not laugh hard often. Never cringed either though and that is just as important. Cringeworthy comedy can be a death sentence for a movie like this, but Kung Fu Panda 4 avoids that. I like what they tried to do with the story. They tried to take a different approach by having a new successor to Po as the Dragon Warrior and have him go to a new city where he has no recognition. I like that Po is now the one guiding his friend to become a better person and fighter. Not everything worked with the story, but I liked it.

Despite having the lowest budget of the Kung Fu Panda movies, I think this movie looks gorgeous. The textures, the character designs and movement look great. The environments are creative and fit the chaotic Juniper City well. The action scenes are a ton of fun to watch, though none of them top the first movie's insane scenes. To be fair, topping the first movie's action scenes is extremely hard because that movie has some of my favorite battles in any movie. In this movie, Zhen is so much fun to watch beat down enemies much bigger than her. Her speed and trickery give more depth to the fights. Po gets a pretty awesome fight scene in the fog. The fight at the tavern is memorable too as it showcases the contrasting personalities of Po and Zhen perfectly. The climactic battle with the Chameleon is fun to watch because she takes full advantage of her powers and the powers of the villains she stole from. The action scenes are awesome and there are plenty of them.

The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro is quite good. It is epic and has plenty of memorable tunes. The sound design is great as well, especially the scene with Po fighting in the fog. I like the muffled sounds as it is a touch of the mystery of being surrounded by fog.

I enjoyed Kung Fu Panda 4. It is nowhere near as good as the trilogy, but it is a solid addition to this awesome series of animated films. I think this movie had a lot of heart put into it despite its faults. Kids and adults will have a good time with this one. I felt like my experience with this movie is the one thing that went right with my day as nothing I planned went through except this. I am happy I got to see one of my favorite characters on the big screen one more time.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

The Near-Perfect Sequel

[10/10 · 3 March 2024]

Following the events of the first Dune film, Paul Atreides and his mother join the Fremen to destroy the Harkonnens who have control of Arrakis. Paul gets attached to Chani while learning the ways of the Fremen and his mother is pregnant with a daughter. She becomes a Reverend Mother after drinking the Water of Life. Paul starts to become a bit of messianic figure of the Fremen who look up and bow to him. With Paul's family destroyed, he has two goals: he wants revenge on the Harkonnens for what they did and he wants to prevent a bad future that he can predict.

Dune Part Two was definitely among my most anticipated films of the year. The first Dune movie by Denis Villeneuve is stunning in nearly every way. Sci-fi epics like this are my favorite kinds of movies to watch and I was wondering how this story would go. The trailers looked great, but it did not prepare for the movie I experienced.

Very few sequels to movies surpass the original. In my opinion, Dune: Part Two is one of them. This movie is AWESOME! It is rare for a movie's production to draw me into the movie so much that I feel a part of the film, even in theaters, but this is one of those films. The scene that Paul is riding the Sandworm from his perspective has the sand flying in our faces with the sound of the Sandworm traveling through the land sounding like a sandstorm almost. I love these kind of scenes because this is the kind of magic that I look forward to in movies. It felt like I was a part of the experience. That is just one scene of this immersive and enthralling sci-fi epic.

The production in this film is nearly flawless. The cinematography by Greig Fraser is some of the most beautiful cinematography I have ever seen period. It is gorgeous and it sets up the dark tone in this movies. The scenes where Feyd is in the arena is magical representing the pure evilness of the Harkonnens. It is such a magnificent scene that stands out in a movie largely set in a desert, but it is just one scene of great cinematography. The desert shots and even a romantic scene with Paul and Chani stand out as well for the clever composition. The visual effects look real, especially the Sandworms, the sets are amazing and the costumes are some of the best I ever seen. I heard Austin Butler was in this movie but I absolutely did not recognize him. He transformed completely in this movie, partially because of the fantastic makeup.

The battle scenes are epic and filled with clever tactics. I love how the Fremen can emerge from the sand to take the Harkonnen soldiers down and the scenes where Paul and Chani are fighting together. We get to see how the Fremen slowly get the upper hand on the Harkonnens with the action. The physical fights are even better here than the first movie with the choreography and intensity being on point. The action sequences are all beautifully shot and edited and some of the melee fights standout with how unique they look. The soundtrack is just as great as the first film with musical by Hans Zimmer being haunting at times. This movie has more than a few technical achievements.

I love the way the story is told in this movie, it is not anything like I expected it to be. It tackles the messianic figure trope in a fantastic way and it shows why it is not always great for a certain group. Paul Atreides mixes his good intentions with his more ruthless ones and it creates a narrative that is darker than the first movie. The movie progressively gets darker as it starts out optimistic with Paul learning how to ride a Sandworm, fight like the Fremen and connecting with Chani. The last act in this movie is one of the best third acts in a movie I have seen in a long time leading to me feeling a lot of different emotions. I even felt shock through my body in one scene and that rarely ever happens when I see a movie in the theater. The story here is terrific and the direction by Denis Villeneuve is masterful. Villeneuve sets his vision for the movie perfectly and he shows that he is one of the best directors in Hollywood.

The performances and characters in this movie are top-notch. The only issue I had with the first Dune is that I felt that Paul Atreides was not the most interesting protagonist. He is so much more intriguing here. He is a better fighter, wiser and a bit more ruthless. He becomes a better leader as well. Timothée Chalamet is phenomenal here. He shows so much range in emotion and fury that I saw his growth as the leader natural. His speeches are amazing and memorable with the emotions he conveys. Zendaya as Chani steals the show. Her facial expressions in the third act show so much emotion and you can tell so much about what she is thinking that it gives her character more depth than she already had. In genuine, Chani is a great character who I rooted for the whole film and Zendaya brings this character to life. I knew Zendaya is talented, but this is without a doubt her best performance I have seen from her. The other allies are awesome as well. Rebecca Ferguson is amazing as Jessica again, Javier Bardem is awesome as Stilgar and Josh Brolin brings the heart as Gurney.

You cannot have a great movie without great villains and this movie has some of the most memorable villains I have seen in a while. The Baron is as evil as ever and Stellan Skarsgård is fantastic, but it is his two nephews that standout. Dave Bautista is great as Rabban as he shows a lot of rage, but also some weaknesses that kind break him. However, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha steals the show every single time he is on screen. His screen time is a little limited since he makes his debut here, but Butler makes the most of it by transforming into this monstrous guy who loves to fight. His mannerisms, line-delivery and actions are frightening and I was nervous every time he was on screen. Feyd also has a surprising sense of honor in that he is ruthless, but he also respects people who put up a good fight against him, making him more respectable than his brother and uncle. My only minor complaint is that I wish he had a little more screen time just to explore his character a bit more, but this is still one of the best and most memorable villains I have seen in years. Austin Butler is definitely a force to be reckon with between this and Elvis.

Dune: Part Two is one of the best sequels I have ever seen. It is also one of the best moviegoing experiences I ever had. I got to see it on a pretty big screen with a pretty packed theater filled with older people and when the movie started, the chatter vanished as the audience became silent for nearly the entire film aside from laughing at a couple of moments of humor. It felt like we were all mesmerized by the film. As soon as the movie, there was some applause and a lot of chitchat about what happened in the movie. It was such a great experience because it feels like the audience was engaged with this movie and I rarely see that with other movies I see in theaters nowadays.

I could have watched Dune: Part Two for hours longer. I was never bored or tired in the slightest. I did not want the movie to end. I thought the first movie was fantastic, but this improved on the first in every way in my opinion. This might be my favorite sci-fi blockbuster I have seen in theaters since Edge of Tomorrow. I cannot wait to see the final part of this movie. As someone who has yet to read the novel, I have no idea what direction the last movie will go. As far as the rest of the year goes for film, I think it will be challenging to find a movie I thoroughly enjoyed more than this one.

Argylle (2024)

A Messy, but Thoroughly Entertaining Spy Flick

[7/10 · 4 February 2024]

Writer Elly Conway is working on her fifth book in her Argylle novel series which is about a competent and dashing spy named Agent Argylle. Her mom offers to visit to help her brainstorm ideas for the ending, but Elly decides to take a train to her mom's house. However, Elly finds herself on a train full of spies, one of them being Aiden who protects her from all of the other passengers attacking them. Aiden helps Elly get out of harms way and shows her that what she writes in her books is connected to something real and sinister going on.

Argylle is a movie full of twists and turns that slowly make the movie become more and more absurd. It starts off as a typical espionage adventure with some elements of The Lost City with an author out of her element for adventure. Then, it becomes increasingly zany with reveals left and right. While the movie is not an outright parody, the tone is definitely more comical than Matthew Vaughn's other work. Honestly, while the movie is insane and a bit bloated, I was never bored. In fact, once the plot kicked in, the runtime went by smoothly.

Argylle for all its quirks is a very entertaining movie with a lot of flair. What I think this movie gets right is the zaniness of the story. There is hardly a beat here that makes sense, but the movie never takes itself too seriously. Some of the twists actually surprised me because they can come out of left field. It is nice to see a movie just relax and have fun with its premise.

The cast is fantastic. They all know what movie they signed up for and they have a blast. Bryce Dallas Howard is great as Elly Conway. She embodies the stressed writer who can be savy, but her performance in the second half showed her chops for this kind of movie. Sam Rockwell is clearly having the time of his life here with how he plays as a spy. His introductory scene where he helps Elly escape shows his personality of a laid back spy. Howard and Rockwell work well together as their chemistry makes the pair more likable. They especially shine in the third act.

While the leads are awesome, the supporting cast is mixed. A lot of the actors I was excited for ended up wasted. John Cena only has five minutes of screen time, Samuel L. Jackson doesn't get enough to do and Sofia Boutella only gets one scene. Henry Cavil makes for a cool spy character, but he doesn't get a whole lot to do because he is only a character in Elly's story. I know that there is a saying of small role and big impact, but I really wanted to see more of these guys. However, Bryan Cranston does a great job as the over-the-top bad guy. He hams up his role and it is always fun to see him deliver his lines. On the other hand, Catherine O'Hara stood out for me. Without spoiling the plot, She kills her roll and is pretty interesting. The cast is great, but some of them could have been used better.

The visuals and cinematography are pretty good for the most part. Some of the CGI is noticeable, especially in the opening car chase which looks a bit cartoony, but for the most part, the movie looks solid. Since this movie is only PG-13 and not R, Matthew Vaughn finds a way to sprinkle his style in the action scenes with two in particular standing out... and those two scenes are awesome. It is rare for a movie like this to embrace its zaniness in its action scenes the way this one does. The two set pieces involving a dance and ice skating are some of the coolest action scenes I have seen in a while. They also scream Matthew Vaughn. Not all of the action scenes are amazing, but when it works, it works well. The cinematography is beautiful with some inspiring shots. One includes a shot of henchmen with the reflection of a spoon. That's creative. The costume design and makeup are both really fun to look at as are the set designs. The scene with Sofia Boutella's character is particularly striking. The musical score is nothing special, but the movie does make good use of the songs it has, especially the song Run by Snow Patrol.

Overall, in spite of its messiness, I really liked Argylle. It could benefited from an R-rating and not all of the twists work, but I was never bored with this movie for even a second. Each scene, I was trying to guess what crazy turn would the story take next. I enjoy this kind of craziness to plots sometimes. I do feel that the reception this movie is getting is a little harsh. For my money, this movie is definitely worth checking out. Even with its slightly long run time, it never felt long.

Stay through the credits.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

My Favorite Version of Godzilla

[9/10 · 3 December 2023]

Taking place in Post WWII Japan, Godzilla emerges and attacks Odo Island, killing everyone in the area except for kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima and plane mechanic Sosaku Tachibana. Two years later, Shikishima begins a to takes in Noriko Oishi and her adoptive daughter Akiko. He starts to build a relationship with Noriko as he continues to deal with survivor's guilt, but he soon comes face to face with his demons when Godzilla returns.

Godzilla Minus One is epic. It has so much tension from both Godzilla and the human characters that it never gets old. This is by far my favorite version of Godzilla. This monster is frightening to the core and he is out for blood. He shows no mercy to civilians and destroys as much land as possible. He looks amazing and his atomic breath is jaw dropping. I was not ready for that atomic breath scene.

The human characters are just as memorable. The main character, Shikishima is a war survivor who feels guilty about deserting his station. He is flawed and sympathetic with how he feels trapped with his experience of Godzilla's attack. He's flawed enough to feel human and just likable enough to root for. The supporting cast is just as good. Shikishima's friends are all very likable and contribute to the battle against Godzilla. Noriko, Shikishima's partner, is the most surprising for me. She seemed like she would be an annoying comic relief at first, but she is probably the most likable person. She acts as the heart of the film and gives hope for Shikishima's desperate situation. The story is consistently engaging and properly paced. It never feels like the pacing drags or goes too fast. It also has some great themes about life after war and nuclear destruction. I will say, this is not really a cheesy or comedic Godzilla film. There is hardly any humor at all. The story is played straight and that made me more engaged in the story. It worked for this film because of the themes and the characters.

The visuals are awesome. Godzilla looks top-notch with his design, but it's his atomic breath that blew me away. The beam was to describe it best, calamitous. The action scenes are stunning as well. They are beautifully shot so we can enjoy them and follow them. They also remind us of how devastating Godzilla is, especially in this movie. The explosions are insane, with one in particular rivaling Oppenheimer this year. This movie has only a $15 Million budget yet it looks way better than any big budget Hollywood production this year. The soundtrack is awesome too. We have remix of the classic Godzilla theme and hearing it on the big screen felt so good.

Godzilla Minus One gave me what I wanted from a Godzilla film. While I appreciate what the Monsterverse has brought us so far, this movie gives us the kind of Godzilla I want to see. It gave me what I felt was missing from the Godzilla films that I saw and more. This movie rocks. See it as soon as you can, especially if you are a Godzilla fan.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Mario is Brought to Life on the Big Screen

[8/10 · 23 April 2023]

Brothers Mario and Luigi start a plumbing business in Brooklyn. After their first job ends in disaster, the brothers investigate a manhole leak that causes a flooding incident on the street caused by the drainage. The two find a strange pipe that sucks them in another world and they get separated. Luigi ends up in the Dark Lands where he is captured and held captive by Bowser who is in possession of the Super Star. Mario finds himself in Mushroom Kingdom where he gets the help from Peach and Toad to stop Bowser's evil plans and save his brother.

The Super Mario Bros Movie is a treat for any fan of Mario of all ages. This movie is jammed packed with references from different games and there are even references to the old Mario cartoon in the '80s and '90s. I could even recognize some of the music in the film from various games. I believe that I didn't catch all of the references so that might give this film some rewatchability for me. This movie feels like an awesome Mario game brought to the big screen. It is faithful to the series while being able to tell its own story. As far as being an adaptation to the Mario games, this movie succeeds on nearly every level.

Visually, the movie looks stunning. The world and character designs captures Mushroom Kingdom to a tea. Every single object and shot is gorgeous here. The colors are perfect and the lighting is fantastic too, particularly with the scenes in the Dark Lands. At first, I thought Mario, Luigi and Peach's designs looked weird, but seeing them in action with their expressions and movement make them look natural. Bowser's design in particular is awesome though. He is looks so much more threatening and his facial expressions are terrifying. The animation is beautiful and crisp. This is by far Illumination's best looking film. The action scenes are inventive and fun to watch. They flow so well and seeing Illumination take advantage of Mario's power ups to create some memorable set pieces is a treat to see. The first fight between Mario and Donkey Kong is a standout. Also, the Rainbow Road scene is a doozy. The soundtrack is awesome. The musical score by Brian Taylor is excellent. I love the way Mario tunes are incorporated here especially the Captain Toad theme. Production-wise, this movie is a knockout.

I love the takes on the characters as well. They are loyal to their game counterparts while having some touches to give them a few more traits. We see why Peach is a great Princess in how she sticks up for her kingdom, how Mario is a nice and brave guy, but not a pushover, how Bowser's crush on Peach is obsessive and why Mario and Luigi have such a great brotherly bond. They even manage to make Mario a good role model while showing that is okay to not be an invincible or perfect hero. While they do not have the same depth as characters in other animated films, they really do not need to. Mario is a pretty tough game to make a complex movie out of and likability is the main goal here. Mario is very likable as are Peach and Toad. Even Bowser is a likable villain because he is that cool. I know this movie gets criticized for not having enough depth in the characters but sometimes, simplicity works.

The voice cast is great. Chris Pratt is a lot better than I thought he would be as Mario. He channels the Brooklyn side of Mario pretty well. I definitely see the inspiration of the cartoon in his performance. Keegan-Michael Key is great as Toad. He makes Toad such a likable comic relief. Anya-Taylor Joy is solid as Princess Peach and I appreciate this version of Peach a lot. I have always wanted to see Peach be more active in adventures and this did not disappoint. Luigi is sadly sidelined. In a movie called Mario Bros, he spends most of the movie locked in a cage having very little too do. Luigi is by far the most disappointing part of the film. It's a shame because Charlie Day is pretty fun as Luigi. He captures Luigi's personality perfectly. Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong is enjoyable and I love seeing Mario and Donkey Kong's rivalry here even when they have to work together. There are also some great performances from side characters such as Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Scott Menville as the blue-shelled Koopa and Juliet Jelenic as Lumalee.

However, Jack Black as Bowser easily steals the show. I already had a feeling going in that he would be the best part, but his take on Bowser might just be one of my favorite villains in an animated movie ever. His take on Bowser is as cool as it is frightening. He does not sound like Jack Black. I heard Bowser. From his first scene, I knew Bowser would be a great villain and he is. Bowser is a bit more menacing here than in the games in terms of how irredeemable he is, but that does not stop him from being a thoroughly entertaining and oddly likable villain in spite of his ruthlessness. I also appreciate that he is irredeemable for now. Maybe the sequel might change that. Regardless, I love this version of Bowser and I love Jack Black's dedication to the role. The fact that he wrote a song for this character and performed it shows. It is also a really good song too.

The script is straightforward. Mario is new to the Mushroom Kingdom and he is trained by Peach to prepare himself to fight Bowser. The pacing in this movie is fast. It wastes no time going from one set piece to the next. I enjoy a movie with a lot of action scenes, but I do think this movie could have had some more time for character development. One scene with Peach and Toad feels almost like they were gonna add some more dialogue but it was cut to make the runtime closer to 90 minutes. I enjoyed the story though as it is a nice origin story for Mario and Luigi, though they should have more scenes together because they are so good together.

Finally, I want to talk about the humor. Surprisingly, this is a really funny movie. Not every joke works, but nothing made me outright cringe unlike some other animated films. The movie uses the wacky world and the power-ups as a source of gags as well as some clever references. As a result, there several times I couldn't help but laugh and smile and the audience laughed out loud several times. I appreciate this movie's humor and dialogue because not once did I feel that they were trying too hard.

Sorry for the long review. I had a lot on my mind and I got a bit carried away. The Super Mario Bros Movie is far from perfect, but I had a great time watching this movie. There is not a dull moment here and you can see the amount of love and care Illumination put into bring Mario's world to the big screen. My two biggest gripes are Luigi not getting enough screen time and the story feeling rushed at times, but I walked out of this movie with a big smile on my face. Regardless of this movie's flaws, it brought Mario to life on the big screen. No joke, after the movie ended, the packed audience I was with clapped loudly. Possibly the loudest applause I have heard in a movie theater. If you are a fan of Mario, no matter how young or old you are, you will probably have a good time with this movie. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out.

Oh and definitely stay through all of the credits. I actually jumped at the end of the second post-credits scene.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Pure Fantasy Fun

[8/10 · 2 April 2023]

Based off the tabletop RPG, Honor Among Thieves follows a crew of five who have been separated after a failed heist. The goal was for bard Edgin to get a magical tablet that could resurrect his deceased wife. However, he and his party are defeated by an evil red wizard named Sofina and he loses the tablet to a party member turned traitor. He and his friend Holga break out of prison and they learn that the traitor has both the tablet and Edgin's daughter. Edgin and Holga find the other members of their crew, a wizard and a morpher and together, they go on a quest to steal the tablet back and save Edgin's daughter.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is so much more entertaining than I expected. In fact, this is probably the first surprise of the year because this movie is pretty great. First of all, it has a fun story filled with memorable and well-developed characters. I love the tone of the movie. It has enough balance between humor and drama in the script to make it a silly adventure without turning into an outright parody. Speaking of humor, this movie cracked me up. There are a lot of scenes where me and the audience I was with bursted with laughter. There is some dark humor such as digging graves for answers and the writers made the scene as absurd as possible. Underneath the comedy and antics, the film has a theme of regret. It about a man who lost everything, his wife, daughter, crew and even his freedom. Despite all of this, he is trying to rebuild his life for the better even if it means putting himself in danger. The message is that even if you hit rock bottom, do not give up hope. There is always a chance for life to get better, but you must take the first step. The movie has a great story and message that could motivate others. It kind of hit me because I have had some bad luck this year, but I have been trying to make the best of it.

As for the cast, I love it. The cast is great and they play their characters with energy and joy. Chris Pine knows the ridiculous script and he has a great time without taking the role like a complete joke. When the movie gets serious with his backstory, he knows when to stop messing around. His character is very flawed, but rootable. He tries to make the best of his second chance and to motivate his team when they hit dead ends. The supporting cast is fun as well. Holga is the strongest member of the party being able to defeat hordes of enemies, but she has her weaknesses as well. Michelle Rodriguez kills it in this role. Simon the Wizard is easily the most developed and Justice Smith plays the role well. He is a comedic character, but you can see his growth throughout the film as he becomes a stronger wizard. Sadly, Loric the druid is the least developed character. She is excellent in the action scenes and she has a lot of potential, but narrative-wise, she is more there for the ride than the other three leads. Sophia Lillis does a great job in the role and makes the most of it. The main cast is great despite some faults. What makes them so great is that they have great chemistry and banter, especially Pine and Rodriguez. You can tell these four got along great outside the movie.

Other characters are also memorable. We have Xenk who is essentially the strongest member of a party who makes the journey much easier. Although he is only there for 30 minutes, he makes a big impression. He is charming, likable and cool. It helps that Rege-Jean Page is awesome in the role. He nails the role perfectly as the crazy good adventurer. The villains are quite scary and memorable. Sofina is a frightening evil Wizard with her destructive motivation, but Forge the con artist steals the show. Hugh Grant makes him hilariously hammy and charming despite being a scumbag. He is a joy to watch every time he is on screen. The villains are not necessarily ground-breaking, but they are entertaining to watch and their downfalls are satisfying.

The production design in this film is very creative. There are plenty of beautiful sets, creepy creatures and rousing magic here. Almost all of it looks great. The sets look so cool that I just want to step on the movie set to check everything out, especially in the underground cave. This movie puts in a lot of detail in the creatures and costumes as well. The owl creature is a great example. This is the kind of creativity I love seeing in fantasy films like this. The movie is shot beautifully with some gorgeous shots and one particular crazy tracking shot in the form of a chase scene. The action scenes range from good to great. The hand-to-hand combat is pretty solid if not kind of standard, but the set pieces with the fat dragon and in the arena are awesome. The climactic battle is very memorable as it has all kinds of action including a magic duel. The soundtrack is great as well with a memorable and catchy musical score and a great song for the credits.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has everything a good blockbuster movie should have and more. Memorable characters, great visuals, some awesome set pieces, some hilarious humor and a surprisingly smart message, this movie is a complete package. It has heart, soul and even a bit of old-school movie magic. I highly recommend this movie for any fan of fantasy. You don't have to know anything about Dungeons and Dragons to enjoy this movie.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

LOVE IT!

[10/10 · 7 February 2023]

After losing his eighth life to a bell falling on top of him, Puss in Boots is down to his last life. An encounter from a vicious bounty hunter with a frightening presence destroys his confidence and for the first time, he feels fear. After escaping by the skin of his teeth, he decides he is no longer worthy of the name Puss in Boots and begins life as an adopted cat. He learns about the Dark Forest where someone can make a wish on the Wishing Star. With this in mind, the crafty feline returns to adventure to get his lives back.

A little late to review this movie, but I still caught it in theaters. I knew from the trailer that this would be a cool movie. At first, I was wondering why DreamWorks is creating another Puss in Boots movie. It feels weird to make a sequel to a spin-off that came out over a decade ago. As someone who has not watched the original Puss in Boots, I do not think you need to watch the original to get what is going on here aside from maybe Puss' relationship with Kitty Softpaws. With that said, let me tell you how good this movie is!

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is everything I love about animated films. First of all, the animation looks absolutely stunning. The movie has probably the best animation from a CGI film I have ever seen. Not only do the movement and expressions look smooth and crisp, the cinematography and imagery looks amazing and memorable too. There are many awesome shots in this film such as a shot of Puss staring in the eyes of Death. These shots strengthen the emotional moments and even some of the funny moments as well. Every shot in this movie looks awesome. The animation really shows its fluidity in the action scenes. This movie has better action than 90% percent of the live-action blockbusters out there. The set pieces are so dynamic and entertaining that there is not a boring moment in the film. The opening set piece sets the tone for the entire movie and from that point forward, I knew I was in for a ride. The soundtrack is awesome too from the catchy score to the fun opening song for Puss in Boots.

Fantastic visuals aside, the story is memorable too. This movie pushes its PG rating. There is blood, cursing and dark themes that may frighten younger viewers. The story is about how Puss is reacting to the idea that he is on deaths door. If he dies one more time, he will be gone forever. This is a movie where we see one of the coolest and most confident characters in animation lose his confidence. With that, he has a character arc that gives him depths and flaws that are relatable so even when he does something kind of selfish, you can still sympathize with his motivations. This movie has a lot of stylish action and funny jokes, but the scenes revolving around the Wolf ramp up the dark tone of the movie. It never loses its sense of humor and this is one funny movie. I love the snarky dialogue, Perrito gets one scene with Goldilocks and the Three Bears that steals the show comedy wise. This movie has the perfect mix of comedy, action, drama and emotional moments to make it stand out.

In addition to a great story, the cast of characters are memorable too. Puss is at his best. He is the same awesome and adorable character from Shrek, but he is given a lot of vulnerability here. He starts out as this arrogant, but powerful guy who can take down giants, but when he sees that Death is coming for him, you can see how it shakes him to the core. His friends Kitty Softpaws and especially Perrito are great characters too. Perrito seems like the guy that would annoy everyone, but he is a great support character who is hilarious and just plain adorable. He is also surprisingly aware of emotions. There is one scene with him and Puss that warmed my heart.

As for the antagonists, the Wolf is one of my favorite antagonists in an animated film. He has a badass voice, he completely changes the tone of the movie and he wipes out Puss' bravado entirely and reduces him to a frightened cat. He is also a great fighter, but it is his presence, voice, dialogue and whistle that make him truly memorable. Kids might have nightmares because of him. Goldilocks and the Three Bears are fun anti-villains that have a sweet bond with each other. Then there is the gluttonous scumbag Jack Horner. This is the character the writers decided to just make as hilariously hatable and disgusting as possible. They make no attempt to give this guy any sympathetic trait and I love it. We need more outright terrible people in new animated films. He is a funny villain with how unapologetic he is towards his minions, but you will be actively rooting for this character's demise.

Every single character in this film is memorable to a degree. It helps that the voice acting in this movie is excellent with Antonio Banderas as Puss, Salma Hayek as Kitty, Harvey Gullén as Perrito, John Mulaney as Jack Horner and especially Wagner Moura as the Wolf. Moura might have one of the best voices for a villain in animation I have seen in a while. Each person brings their character to life in this movie. I can see any main character here being someone's favorite in the movie. That is how you know that you have a great cast.

There is not a dull moment in this movie. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is everything I love about animation and more. I did not expect a movie like this to be that great, but when I saw the trailers with the gorgeous animation, I knew this movie was going to be a ride. I did not expect it to become one of my favorite films of 2022, but it definitely. I really hope it wins best animated feature at the Academy Awards this year. DreamWorks deserves this one. Check it out as soon as you can.

The Menu (2022)

A Delicious Treat of a Movie

[9/10 · 27 November 2022]

Tyler, a young food fanatic and his girlfriend Margot travel to a remote island with nine other diners to have a full course prepared at the restaurant Hawthorne. The other diners include a restaurant critic and her editor, an actor with his girlfriend, a couple who dines at Hawthorne often and a tech business executive and his buddies. The menu is prepared by Chef Julian Slowik who takes time to present every dish in the most artistic way possible. As the night continues, the tone of the room becomes more ominous as the true nature of the special menu is revealed as well as the nature of some of the diners.

The Menu is the kind of movie I love to see on the big screen. It is one of the most unique and original films I have seen in a long time from its story, its handling of character development, its comedy and even the stylistic choices of the structure. Mark Mylod separates this story with each course or dish presented. It works very well as each course unravels the sinister nature of the restaurant. The second and third courses give some subtle hints while the later courses deliver the crazy reveals. It is such a fun way to tell the story given the fine dining theme of the movie. As someone who enjoys watching competitive cooking shows, I love the way the dishes are described with each ingredient, complete with a picture of each course. There are also some fun references to other chefs and shows that I caught which is always fun. Just the presentation and script of the film had me hooked.

As a comedy-horror film, this is one of the funniest films I have ever seen. There is a lot of black comedy in this movie that had me laughing hard. The subtle bits of humor are just as funny but by far the funniest part of the film comes from a certain dish made by one of the diners. That scene cracked me up so hard that I wanted to burst out with laughter. Imagine a person who is very critical about food is forced to create a fine dining dish themselves. As for the horror, it is more intense and nerve-wracking than outright scary, but what is scary is the buildup to the final course and how everyone on the island will die. You can see the desperation on the faces of the guests as well as the twisted courses from Chef Slowik showing how the special menu he prepared has a dark finale. It is definitely psychological horror as it makes you wonder how the night will end. I thought the twist be completely different from what actually happens in the movie, but the movie is more subtle with its horror or thriller aspects. This movie is fantastic as both a comedy and a horror/thriller. The script makes this combination work together like bread and butter.

While the comedy and horror maybe subtle, the commentary and themes the movie has are not that subtle. The movie definitely has some critiques towards wealthy diners who don't appreciate the food as much as one time guests or snobby critics who bash restaurants. What I see the movie conveying is the lack of appreciation for the food the chef gives the diners who are taking their privileges for granted. It also has some comments about how sometimes fancy meals that try to be experimental are not that impressive. The breadless bread course is a perfect example. In spite how innovative the dish is, the guests are still hungry. Sometimes, simple food is the best. I like that about this movie that it is willing to call out both the wealthy diners and the fancy food.

As for the characters, a lot of diners are wealthy and entitled people, but not all of them are bad. A few of them are sympathetic and even have some likable traits such as the actor and the woman who dined at Hawthorne often. However, there is at least one character's reveal shocked me. I did not see that reveal coming. As for the main characters, Anya Taylor-Joy is a blast to watch as Margot Mills. She is a cool and likable protagonist, who is smart with her decisions and never takes crap from anyone. Margot is the kind of protagonist I like watching and Taylor-Joy delivers a fantastic performance here. The standout however is Ralph Fiennes as Chef Julian Slowik. Fiennes captures the polite yet sinister nature of the chef perfectly and he is at his best when telling stories about the inspiration of the dishes. His breakdowns throughout the film are gold. Slowik as a villain is great as well. He is a frightening figure who controls the atmosphere of the room and commands respect from his staff. His backstory and motivations are pretty interesting as his conflict with each diner in the restaurant. Nicholas Hoult is strong here too as the awkward food lover who takes dining to an extreme. One of his facial expressions in the second act is amazing as it shows real hopelessness in a man. Hong Chau as the maitre d' is also fun to watch with her polite exterior and her frightening lines. Everyone in this cast is great. There is not a bad performance in this movie.

The production design is great with some beautiful shots and some elaborate sets. I love the design of the restaurant where the dining room can watch the chefs cook. One thing I really like about this movie is how they show close-up pictures of each dish made, even the ones that are not on the final course. It adds to the culinary feel of the movie. My only issue is that a few nighttime scenes are a bit too dim with their lighting, but the rest of the film looks great. The sound design is really good too with the clap to get everyone's attention and cooking sounds as well.

The Menu is easily one of my favorite movies that I have seen this year. Something about this movie really drew me in from the beginning. I don't know if it is because it is a horror movie with cooking as a theme or if I loved the comedy that much, but I adore this movie. It has some shocking twists, darkly clever humor, a fresh and creative story and a menacing and memorable villain. I am so glad I got to see this movie in theaters. I love seeing these kind of unique movies on the big screen. This is an awesome movie that I cannot recommend enough.

Black Adam (2022)

Enjoyable, but Underwhelming

[6/10 · 22 October 2022]

Black Adam takes place in Kahndaq. In 2600 BC, a tyrannical king created the Crown of Sabbac which would give the wearer strength. During a revolt, a young slave is given the power of Shazam that allows him to become Teth Adam and kill the king. In modern day, Teth Adam is once again awaken by archeologist Adrianna Tomaz who is searching for the Crown of Sabbac. Soon after waking up in the Tomaz' residence, he finds himself targeted by Hawkman and the Justice Society of America who are contacted by Amanda Waller to take Teth Adam into custody.

I never had anything other than optimism going into Black Adam. I like The Rock, I enjoy comic book movies and I want to learn more about characters I am unfamiliar with. I also enjoyed both trailers so I was looking forward to this movie from the start. I was just ready for an old-fashioned fun blockbuster with Black Adam. How does the newest entry of the DCEU stack up?

Black Adam is a very action-oriented blockbuster. Sure, there are some good character moments and interactions along with a solid story, but this is probably the fastest comic book movie of the year so far regarding its pacing. It works well enough with its theme of grey mortality and rebelling against authority. Some of the development does feel rushed as Al and Maxine of the JSA end up feeling wasted aside from doing well in action scenes. The story is nothing special, but it works well enough for the brisk pacing and it helps that the humor is solid. The movie made me crack a few smiles here and there. The writers knew they had a pretty invincible protagonist here so they did what they could to have fun with him.

Black Adam (Teth Adam) as a character is interesting to say the least. He is easily the most untouchable superhero (or anti-hero) I have ever seen. He can win any fight with hardly any scratches on him. Any hits he takes have him counter his assailants with ease. As long as he had his powers, this man was not going to lose a fight. That being said, the movie does highlight the dangers of his powers around people. Ultimately, Black Adam is just not that great of a protagonist because of his stoic nature and invulnerability. He's not a bad character, but not as engaging as other DC characters. I did like Dwayne Johnson's performance because it is clear that he is very dedicated to this role and he still has a lot of charisma despite playing as a destructive character.

The rest of the cast is mostly great, but Pierce Bronson as Doctor Fate is the standout. This is an awesome character with wisdom and wit. He also has one of the funniest scenes in the film. Aldis Hodge as Hawkman is great too and even with his mask on, you can tell what he is thinking with his eyes alone. The character is a nice contrast from the apathetic Black Adam as Hawkman tries to save his enemies rather than kill them. I also really liked Adrianna Tomaz. While she is just a regular human, she is no damsel in distress as she actively gets involved in the action to protect her son. Even when facing an army of undead, she grabs a weapon with no fear! As far as normal people in comic book movies goes, she is one of my favorites and Sarah Shali gives a solid performance to boot. Maxine and Al are fun supporting characters, but they do not get a lot to do. The chemistry between the two of them is pretty sweet though. The villain is the weakest and most forgettable character in the movie. He is just a generic bad guy who mainly wants to take over Kahndaq and the actor's performance is rather wooden. The cast is great, but the villain leaves a lot to be desired.

The visuals and action scenes are a little inconsistent. There are some great looking effects, costumes and set designs here. The costumes look wonderful in this movie and color scheme fits the tone of the movie well. However, there is a lot of CGI in this movie some of it looks a bit too dated. The JSA have really cool powers that have some good effects to back it up, but not all of the visuals look polished. To me, the biggest offense is an embarrassing shot of The Rock in a white screen looking like he is teleporting somewhere when he is just battling. That shot is as bad as the hologram shot in Thor: Love and Thunder.

As far as the action is concerned, I enjoyed most of it. I can tell that this movie took a lot of inspiration from Man of Steel and even DBZ at times. There are times when Black Adam engages with a brutal close combat fight with Hawkman or the villain and those are awesome battles. Watching Black Adam in action is really entertaining just to see him destroy armies of people with so much ease. Doctor Fate's battle against Sabbac is also a standout for the way it is shot and edited. However, there is a reliance on slow-motion that does more to hinder the visuals than anything. Otherwise, the action scenes are a lot of fun to watch, they are shot nicely and there is plenty of them here.

The soundtrack is awesome too. On top of getting a fantastic musical score that fits Black Adam, "Paint it Black" is utilized surprisingly well. It went well with Black Adam's insane introduction.

Black Adam is a fun blockbuster film that I think could have been a bit better. I enjoyed it and I would not discourage anybody from watching it, but it felt kind of underwhelming compared to some of the other blockbuster films released this year. However, I really want to watch this movie again soon. I did not have a great theater experience at all when I saw this so I wonder if that turned me off a bit. I may appreciate it more if I watch it a second time. Fans of The Rock and DC should get a kick out of this film.

Definitely stay through the credits. It got me pretty excited.

RRR (2022)

An Action Movie Epic

[10/10 · 24 September 2022]

When British governor Scott Buxton kidnaps a young girl from her tribe, the guardian of the tribe, Komaran Bheem vows to rescue the girl from her captives. Bheem enters the British Raj, the colonization of an Indian subcontinent by the British to get in Buxton's stronghold and rescue the girl. Aware of Bheem's presence, Buxton offers a special reward for the officer who brings him in. A. Ram Raju, an Indian officer with a lot of strength and talent, volunteers for the job and is instructed to bring him in alive. In a turn of events, they meet each other and not knowing each other's true identities, they end up becoming best friends after rescuing a child from a falling train on fire.

The best way to describe this movie is that RRR is an action movie epic. This movie is one of the most glorious pieces of entertainment I have seen in years despite its three-hour runtime. There is not a single minute in this movie that is boring. There is always something crazy happening in the story whether it is a crazy action scene, a fun moment in the bromance, a comedic scene, a dramatic scene or even a lively musical number. RRR is a complete package.

First of all, I adore the two protagonists, Bheem and Raju. Both of them are awesome in their characterization and in skills. Bheem is a kindhearted man who wants to rescue Malli and take down the evil British Empire. Despite this, he never targets anyone innocent. He does a great job disguising himself and he overall incredibly likable and endearing, especially with his interactions with Jenny. Raju on the other hand is one of my favorite characters in a movie this year. He fights a whole mob with his a blunt weapon, he encourages his friend in a dance off, he has the best arc in the movie and he has an interesting backstory. Raju is a fantastic character to the point where I actively rooted for his survival throughout the film. The bromance between Bheem and Raju is wonderful as well. They are so wholesome together, you forget that they have opposite goals while you see them hang out. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. And Ram Charan share some of the best chemistry I have seen in years. They act like best friends throughout the movie. The two leads make this movie a delight to watch.

As for the rest of the characters, the British villains are quite despicable with Buxton and his wife being some of the most despicable people of the year. They are complex villains, but you want to see them go down in flames. Jenny is an interesting character. I thought she would be a twist villain who is only there to give the British Empire a good public face. Turns out, she is not really bad, just with bad people. I'm glad she ended up not being a villain, but I kind of wish she would have been a bigger character by the end. That is probably my only complaint in the entire film.

The script is fantastic as well. The story engaged me from beginning to end between Raju's past, the friendship between Pheem and Raju, the conflict when they reveal themselves to each other and the adventure of the film. A great action movie has a great story and this movie is proof of that. It takes full advantage of its runtime to develop these characters and flesh out the themes and world of the movie. The tone is a perfect balance between lighthearted cheesiness and touching dark moments. When the movie gets cheesy, it is the fun cheese as this movie is hilarious with its humor and sequences. However, it pulls of its emotional moments well, including a torture scene that reminded me of Braveheart in some ways. The script packs a lot in one movie, but it delivers big time.

The spectacle in this movie is out of this world. It puts many American blockbuster films to shame. This movie has at least three of my favorite set pieces of the year. The first infiltration of the stronghold, the rescue of the child at the train wreck and the insane climactic battle are all standout set pieces. Each one of them are not only a joy to watch, but they are creative in the way the stunts are performed and how the bad guys are taken out. The fights also show how Bheem represents water and how Raju represents fire, especially the one-on-one fight between the two. There is not a single action scene in this movie that is boring to watch. It is all so much fun. The sets and costumes are gorgeous as well. The cinematography is stunning as there are several jaw dropping shots and a couple solid takes. The only minor bad thing about the visuals are that some of CGI on the animals are not that great, but only when there is so much going on. The animals still look believable. I didn't question it at all except for maybe one or two scenes. The visuals in this movie are spectacular.

Also, this movie has an awesome soundtrack. The musical score and main theme are great and fun to listen too, but this movie has some surprisingly robust musical numbers. The dance choreography is on point and so much fun to watch. It seems like every single person had a blast with this film.

RRR is about as close to perfect as an action movie can get. This action epic proves that a good movie is never too long. Despite being three hours long, I did not once check my phone to see what time it was. This movie makes me want to watch more Bollywood films. I feel like I am missing out. This movie brought me so much joy that I almost want to watch again right after the first time. This movie is smart, creative, funny, heartwarming and bonkers in the best possible way. My only regret is that I did not see this movie when it was first released in theaters. For now, I will seek this film out on Blu-Ray as soon as I can.

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

A DC Movie That's Both Cute and Cool

[7/10 · 27 August 2022]

Krypto is the dog with superpowers who has been by Superman's side since he was a baby. When Superman meets Lois Lane, Krypto grows jealous and wants to get the attention back. However, his feelings cloud his judgement as Superman along with the other members of the Justice League get kidnapped by an evil Guinea pig named Lulu who gained powers from orange Kryptonite. Krypto must save Superman with the help from four other animals that Lulu abandoned at an animal shelter after she got her powers. Turns out, they have powers too, but they need to work on them.

DC League of Super-Pets looked like a movie that would not really appeal to me. It did not look bad, but it looked like a movie that would appeal more to kids than adults. However, after good things about it, I decided to go check it out and I am glad I did.

Super-Pets has a sweet and fun story. It is told from Krypto's point of view as a pet who sees himself as Superman's best and only friend. He sees himself this way because of the lack of interactions with others. He takes pride in the fact that he is a dog with superpowers. I like his perspective because it shows how important Superman is to this canine because without him, Krypto would feel lonely. It is also made clear that before Ace and his friends, Krypto only had Superman. His frustration is understandable and sympathetic, but the movie does point out that he needs to look past his own needs. I thought Krypto was a solid character who seemed invincible, but is actually flawed on the inside. He has a solid character arc. It does help that Dwayne Johnson gives a great performance as the super canine.

The rest of the cast are no slouches either. Kevin Hart has a good time with the cynical yet caring Ace. Kate McKinnon is really threatening as the tiny maniac of a Guinea pig though. She is both funny and villainous here. Lulu is one of those characters I cannot help but feel a little sympathy for because of her backstory, but also want to see her go down in flames. She is better than most of the live-action villains and that is saying something. I appreciated the supporting characters too since they brought something to the table and contributed to the plot. I really like PB in general. She is very sweet and supportive even in the darkest times.

As for the Justice League, this movie has the weakest version of the DC heroes I have ever seen. I know the movie is about the pets, but I cannot imagine a small Guinea pig and her army of Guinea pigs defeating the entire league. I will say, that I love John Krasinski and Keanu Reeves as Superman and Batman respectively. Those are celebrity voices I can get behind. Even with the humiliating defeat, I did enjoy seeing an animated Justice League on the big screen and I wouldn't mind to see more of them as a spin off. Overall, this cast is fantastic. A bit heavy on celebrities, but it works.

The humor is kind of the weak point of the film. The movie does have its funny moments, but a lot of the jokes are too unoriginal for me. The best bits of humor for me are the facial expressions on the animals. Krypto has several expressions that had me giggling and the movie has swearing. It's censored but it still surprised me. The humor is not cringeworthy, but it is not hilarious either. It's fine for me since the movie focuses a lot on the friendships between Krypto and Ace as well as Krypto's development to become a better canine pal for Superman.

However, what this movie lacks in humor, it more than makes up for it in action. This movie has some pretty awesome action scenes. Not only does it take full advantage of every single hero and villain's powers, but it also shows the scale of superhero battles. It looks amazing. The animation is smooth and crisp. It shines in the fight scenes when showing how fast the characters are and how their powers work. The character designs are a bit awkward, at least for the humans. The pets look great, but humans look like humans from older animated films. That is my only gripe about the visuals.

In spite of its flaws, I liked DC League of Super Pets a lot more than I thought I would. The more I think about it, the better it gets especially thinking about the development of the characters. It is such an adorable movie that it makes me want to spend more time with my cats right now. I hope we get more animated DC films on the big screen after this. I would love to see more. As for Super Pets, I think both kids and adults can enjoy it and pet owners will have fun too.

Stay through the credits.

Bullet Train (2022)

Messy, but Exciting, Engaging and Even Creative

[8/10 · 6 August 2022]

Five assassins board a Bullet train in Tokyo, Japan. Ladybug fills in for Carver who had to call in sick. With the guidance of Maria Beetle, Ladybug searches for a briefcase waiting for a deadly leader of a crime syndicate known as White Death. What he does not know is that other assassins are on the board looking for the same briefcase. He wants to complete his mission with as little violence as possible. The task does not go the way he would like...

Action is my favorite genre of film. I am a fan David Leitch's work. He directed the first John Wick, Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2. There is no doubt that I was going to see this movie. Bullet Train has a lot going for it. First of all, it has a great setup for an action thriller as a group of assassins boarding the same bullet train. Sounds like a lot of danger already right? This movie not only takes advantage of that premise, but also the setting itself, the train. Here, there are a few different rooms that the characters travel through. For example, is one room where the characters must remain quiet. Despite that, there is a fight that breaks out and the two assassins cannot scream when they hit each other. This is how you write a creative set piece as well as a fun bit in the movie's world. Little details like this go a long way to make the movie fresh from other action comedies. This is just one way the movie utilizes it's premise.

The story is not messy, but it is very fun and interesting. It is like a big giant puzzle and each of the characters are pieces to the puzzle to find out what plan is being hatched. It helps that the movie feels like a battle royal where the five assassins and a few other characters go out of their way to threaten and kill each other. What surprised me is that a few characters that I thought would have a bigger role ended up dying quickly. Anyone can die here so do not get attached. The part where the movie gets messy is how all of the characters have their stories connected in some way. It becomes a little hard to follow at times and many instances feel rather coincidental. Still, the movie does a great job building tension and leading up to its epic climax by having each stop grow more tense.

As for the characters, I like most of them. Brad Pitt as Ladybug is as charming and likable as ever while playing the chill guy in a deadly scenario well. I like how Ladybug is the one person who would rather talk everything out than kill people. However, there are three standouts here. The assassins played by Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron-Taylor Johnson are comedy gold. They bring the best humor with their chemistry, banter and references to Thomas the Tank Engine. They handle their dramatic scenes just as well as their comedic ones. Honestly, they could have been the main characters and the movie would have worked just as well. The other standout is Hiroyuki Sanada as the Elder. He does not have the biggest role, but his character is very compelling and cool. Sanada's presence gives the film the serious atmosphere and heart when it needs it while showing how great of a fighter he is. Joey King as the Prince is a pretty intimidating evil young woman. I was actually kind of scared of her in a few scenes. She is scarier than some of the buff assassins around.

The rest of the cast is really good, but some of the actors are wasted. Because this is a movie where anyone can die, a few characters are killed off pretty early. While I appreciate a movie where no one is safe, it does sadly lead to a few characters getting wasted. This is my only major gripe about the story because there are a few really cool characters that are taken out so soon. Overall, this cast is fantastic and each person brings something unique and fresh to the table. I just wish a few characters had more to do.

The action in this movie is solid. There is some great camerawork and stunt work in the fighting. As I said earlier, I love the fight in the quiet car. I also love the one on one fights between Ladybug and the Hornet as well as him and the Wolf. What I like about the action here is the buildup. Ladybug does what he can to avoid these assassins and fight with them, but once he gets caught, he uses every thing he can to fight back. The climactic battle is amazing. It is bloody, brutal and it utilizes the train setting perfectly. The comedy is mostly funny as well. There are a couple gags that I rolled my eyes at, but I couldn't help but smile at the Thomas references, the craziness of the fights, the banter between Lemon and Tangerine and Ladybug's confusion on how this all involves him. This movie works great as an action comedy.

Despite that, I wonder how comedic David Leitch wanted the movie to be. Sure it has Brad Pitt punching a cutesy Japanese character, but some of the characters have some pretty dark and serious backstory. The third act is much darker than the rest of the film. While the movie is comedic, there are some dark elements to it for sure. The tone and style of the movie reminds me a bit from Guy Ritchie. I think Leitch took some inspiration from Ritchie with the stylish way the plot advances as well as the pacing of the film. I really enjoyed the way the movie is edited because it helped keep the movie going at a fast pace without forgetting to flesh out the characters.

While the movie is far from perfect, I had a blast with Bullet Train. It made me laugh with its humor, it engaged me with its story and it exhilarated me with its set pieces. There is even some creativity within the action and world of this film. This movie is insane and I enjoyed it from start to finish. If you are looking for a fun and violent action movie, this is definitely worth checking out.

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

Better Than I Thought it Would be

[7/10 · 1 August 2022]

Set in North Carolina during the '60s, Kya Clark, also known as the Marsh Girl is charged with the murder of Chase Andrews. As Kya's lawyer tries to get her to talk so she can plead her case to the jury, Kya recounts her life from her childhood to her older years when she met Tate Walker and Chase Andrews. She also remembers how she learned to survive on the marsh and eventually thrive on it. Her interactions with Chase Walker could determine her fate.

Where the Crawdads Sing is an interesting movie. It deals with romance, survival, betrayal, abuse, murder and nature. That is a lot to unpack here. There are so many themes that could make the film feel cluttered, but it does keep its focus on the buildup to the murder. What this movie does well, it does really well. I like the backstory of Kya and the way she goes from being a small girl in the marsh trading mussels for food and gas to having her own illustrations. Despite going through so much trauma with her family and being timid towards people, she manages to find a way to survive without school. She is a pretty smart character who knows her way around her area and I like that about her. Daisy Edgar Jones is great in the role as this shy and sensitive character from her mannerisms to her interactions with Tate and Chase and to her emotional moments. You can tell how damaged Kya is from Jones' performance. She never overacts. She comes off as sincerely broken. It is hard to watch at times, but it is impressive.

The supporting cast is pretty good too with Kya's lawyer and Tate standing out. I liked Kya's lawyer because he goes out of his way to approach Kya not just as a client, but as a friend. I also enjoyed David Strathairn's performance as this sweet-natured, but clever lawyer. As for Tate, he is a friendly, but flawed character who has good intentions but can come off as insensitive. I liked Taylor John Smith's performance as Tate, especially during his apology to Kya. His chemistry with Jones is sweet as well. Tate is not the most exciting character, but he is likable and well-meaning. Then there is the victim: Chase. Once you learn more about him, let's just say you will not feel sorry for that man. The cast is pretty good, especially considering that no one here is that well known.

The cinematography is gorgeous. It takes place in a marsh for the most part and there are some lovely shots of nature and reflections. The scenery is lush and captures the wilderness tone of the movie. The makeup on Jones also makes her look like someone who has been in the marsh for her whole life. The song by Taylor Swift is nice as well as the rest of the music.

There is not much more to say. Normally, this is not my kind of movie, but I liked Where the Crawdads Sing more than I thought I would. It had a lot of intrigue in the story and a fantastic lead performance by Daisy Edgar Jones who carries the film. It may not be my favorite film of the year, but it definitely surprised me especially considering I don't usually watch these types of films often.

Just a warning though, even though this is a PG-13 movie, it has a pretty disturbing sexual assault scene. If you want to watch this movie, beware of that.

Nope (2022)

Had Me Shaking at Times

[8/10 · 24 July 2022]

In the Haywood Hollywood horse ranch, OJ Haywood is shocked when his father is suddenly fatally wounded by falling debris from the sky. After a commercial of the ranch goes badly, OJ and his sister Em lose the opportunity and they need to make a decision on what to do with the ranch. When OJ considers selling some of the horses to a former child star turned carnival entertainer. However, the siblings suddenly encounter a UFO that has been attacking and eating their horses while spitting out inedible matter. From there, OJ and Em try to get the perfect shot to prove the existence of the strange UFO.

I loved both of Jordan Peele's first two movies. Both of them are unique and original while being scary and effective while having some strong themes in them. His new movie, Nope, takes a different approach from his first two films. Instead of being a straight up horror film, it is actually more of a sci-fi thriller than a horror film. However, that does not make any less frightening because Jordan Peele's Nope had me shaking in some scenes.

There are at least two scenes in the film that are extremely disturbing in the best possible way. Very rarely does a horror movie actually scare me even after it is over, but this one did just that. I now do not want to ever see a flying UFO... the story subverts several expectations and puts on a very unique and scary twist on the UFO. The result is an alien movie that made me squirm. The script shows how putting small changes or twists can go a long way to make horror elements feel inventive and new.

As for the rest of the story, it starts off pretty slow. I had a hard time connecting to the story at first, but it not only picks up around the second act, but it actually answers some questions in part one making it more interesting. Some elements and details that seem weird in the first half make more sense after the events of the second half. There is a fantastic subplot regarding an animal actor that is a parallel to the main story. The moral? Dangerous animals or creatures should not be used for entertainment. This is one of the subplots that I really like because not only is it just as scary as the UFO, but it is relevant to the main story.

The last act is where I think people be divisive on. I think it is a very good change of pace from the horror content we have gotten from Jordan Peele. The climax is nerve-wracking as the siblings find ways to lure the UFO. I feel as if the movie takes inspiration from classic creature features in the way that the climactic encounter unfolds. It is made like a spectacle and it works very well. The third act is exciting and scary because of how vicious the UFO is despite the tonal shift.

Performance-wise, I loved Keke Palmer in this role. She is very energetic and animated. Palmer looks like she is having the time of her life here. She also plays her more stoic brother played by Daniel Kaluuya very well. Kaluuya has little emotion here as he feels like that guy who just seems done with the world. You can even tell it in his eyes that he is just irritated. At first, I did not like this performance, but the longer the movie went on, the more I appreciated it as he plays this character perfectly while showing some strong signs of losing his cool after encountering the UFO. There are two great supporting performances from Steve Yeun and Brandon Perea, the former who plays as a character who shows signs of a man troubled by his childhood and the latter who plays as a likable tech salesman who is realistically scared of what is happening. He is not over-the-top cowardly or outright oblivious to the danger, but he is instead freaking out like any normal person would, but still tries to help the siblings catch the UFO on camera. This is a solid cast of characters where even the supporting characters work well with the plot, especially Yuen's character.

Visually, the movie has some inventive production design. Regarding the UFO, it looks like any normal UFO, but when you get to see what is inside of it, that is when it becomes disturbingly unique. It looks great and the effects are very good. The UFO itself looks very believable making it all the more terrifying. The cinematography is also gorgeous. There are several shots that show a lot about the themes and the danger the people in this area face. On top of that, we have a fantastic musical score that fits the tone of the movie, both the horror aspects and the oddly whimsical aspects. Even the sound design is great, especially during the scene where the twist with the UFO is revealed.

Jordan Peele is three for three with Nope. He continues to show how much skill and imagination he has with filmmaking. The script has a lot of stuff in it and not everything works, but what does work had me hooked. Nope is very strange and original, but it has some old school charm to it. I want to see more genre mixed films like this. If you are a fan Peele's other films, you will get a kick out of this.

Lightyear (2022)

Not Pixar's Best, but Still Solid

[7/10 · 25 June 2022]

Based off of the origin story of one of the most famous toys in film, Lightyear follows the story of the real Space Ranger. Buzz Lightyear and Alisha Hawthorne are marooned on a hostile planet and they start trying to find a way to get back home. After their exploration vessel gets damaged, Buzz tries to use the hyperspace fuel which is a key component of the repairs for his vessel. This leads to him jumping forward in time a few years each time he does it and soon he finds himself decades into the future where he and his robot cat companion Sox meet Izzy, the granddaughter of Alisha Hawthorne.

Pixar's Lightyear is much more action-oriented than most of their films. There are plenty of action sequences in this movie and they look great. They are shot smoothly and they look dynamic. Some of them are surprisingly inventive with one involving zero gravity. It helps that the animation is beautiful with the perfect color scheme and designs to point to how Buzz Lightyear's universe would look. I loved the designs of some of the creatures and robots that Buzz and his crew have to fight. Overall, the movie is visual feast for the eyes.

Story-wise, it has its issues. The story is fine overall, but it lacks the emotional impact of the Toy Story films or their other work. It focuses more on the adventure and the world-building than the relationships between the characters. There are also some themes here such as letting go of the past and making mistakes. The former feels a bit tapped on while the latter may sometimes understate the mistakes the characters make. One thing I do like about the story is how the dangerous the universe and the characters struggle getting out of these sticky situations. It shows that Buzz is not perfect and the rookies he is working with are still learning. The theme of adapting to new environments is the one done the best in the film. While the story is not bad, it has a lot that could have been improved upon.

As for the humor, I got several laughs out of this movie thanks to the solid comedic timing of the gags. One of my favorite jokes in films is when a character teases their friend in a lighthearted manner. Some of the gags could miss the mark, but I laughed more than I thought I would.

My favorite character in this movie by far is Sox the robot cat. The funny thing is that when I saw the trailers, I thought he would be annoying. About five minutes after he shows up here however, I fall in love with this character. He is adorable, sweet, funny, loyal and really tough. He is capable of taking on enemies much bigger than him. He even has a snarky side to him. It helps that Peter Sohn does a great job as the robotic kitty. Sox actually outshines Buzz. Buzz is a solid protagonist with some depths and fears, but I could not help but think we have seen this character before. However, I do appreciate that he is portrayed as flawed rather than an invincible hero. Chris Evans does a solid job as the Space Ranger, but I wonder if he really was the best fit for Buzz. As for his crew, I liked how they had to learn and grow from their issues in combat and in communication so they could complete the mission, but they are a mixed bag. Izzy feels like the only member of Buzz's crew that grows into a different person by the end. The other two side characters Mo and Darby have their fun moments, but they feel a little too one-note for me. Their bickering got old too. I kind of wish the story was more about Buzz and Alisha since their chemistry was good. The villain is sadly the weak spot in the movie. The twist involving Zurg made me cringe. I won't spoil it, but it is unpredictable, but not in a good way.

Overall, Lightyear is a good as Sci-fi animated film. It is not a particularly good Pixar film, but being one of the weaker films in a company that produces some of the best animated films does not make a movie bad. If I saw this movie as a kid or even as a teenager, I may have loved it despite its issues. Even then, I still had a good time with this flick. I think I would have had an even better time had the theater experience not been painful. Seriously, this will be the last animated film I see in theaters for a while.

Stay through the first part of the credits.

The Thing (1982)

A Cult Classic that Stands the Test of Time

[9/10 · 20 June 2022]

Twelve men are trapped in an Antarctic camp when suddenly a Norwegian suddenly attacks their dog. They learn that a hostile alien is roaming around the area that could potentially kill everyone. When they learn that this alien can change in both human and alien form perfectly, paranoia sets in the camp. The Thing can infect anyone and as more people get infected, the crew realizes that the alien lives among them.

This is the second time I have seen a classic movie in theaters for its anniversary rerelease with the first being Labyrinth with David Bowie. I love the feeling of watching an old film on a bigger screen. It feels so special. For this movie, I have always wanted to watch it, but never got around to it. What a way to experience it for the first time huh? How does this cult classic hold up 40 years later?

I cannot remember the last time I was this frightened by a horror film. John Carpenter's The Thing had me spooked. Just the setting of the film. The men are stuck in a cold camp where they could potentially freeze to death and now there is a shapeshifting alien on the loose. The movie's atmosphere is what sticks out to me the most. Not the Thing itself, not the blood and gore, not even Kurt Russell's awesome performance, but the frightening and paranoia fueled feeling the movie gave me. Unlike Alien where the crew can work together, this crew needs to turn on each other and make each other do outrageous things just to prove that they are not the alien. With the pacing of the story, the buildup to the horror sequences makes them so nerve-racking so when the alien shows up, it will be much more frightening. The atmosphere and setup to this movie is damn-near perfect. Despite the amount of blood and gore, the movie is not about that. It is about the people trying to figure out who is human and who is the creature. It shows that Carpenter understood how to scare an audience with subtle events to lead up to frightening images.

Speaking of which, good god... the creatures in this feature are frightening as all hell. Now some of the effects may not have aged that well, but that does not stop the aliens in this movie from being body horror personified. The amount of gore that the aliens bring as they transform into the crew members can be a bit much. However, the effects look great for the time and a lot of the practical effects hold up to this day. They are genuinely unnerving and the way they can kill is what scares me the most. To me, torture is scarier than death and Carpenter understood that as well. The scariest scene however has to be the reveal of who was the alien among the crew during the blood test. I jumped at that scene. No joke. Everything about this species is terrifying and I may have some nightmares about it tonight.

Then there is the musical score by Ennio Morricone. This has to be one of the best musical scores in any film. Not only does it sound creepy and cool on its own, but it fits tone of the movie to a tee. There are not many jump scares or loud noises, but the camp is full of mistrust and paranoia. The mysterious alien is a pretty new discovery that peeks curiosity and tension. The music replicates that perfectly. Seriously, a great musical score can make the atmosphere and tone so much more effective and The Thing is a perfect example of that.

As for the cast of characters, they are not the deepest, but they do not need to be. They are generally very likable despite the circumstances that they are in and root for their survival. Kurt Russell as MacReady is the most memorable. Russell gives a great performance as an alcoholic man who is slowly driven to insanity the longer they are stuck with monstrous creature. Despite that, he fights it off and tries to save his co-workers who are not infected even if he goes to extreme measures. Childs is another character I liked. He is a really cool guy who was not afraid of death. It takes guts to tell someone to shoot them out of suspicion. As for the other characters, I could not help but feel bad for Garry who seemed really polite, but he was treated kind of badly. He also gets the best line in the whole film. The actor who played as Blair did a great job as well showing how insane he became after learning about the potential fate of the crew. That scene is pretty unnerving. What made the characters in this film standout is how they all reacted to the alien's presence. If you pay attention certain characters actions, you can tell who is human and who is not at points. Still the one of the alien reveals did catch me off guard. Overall, this is a solid cast filled with characters you want to see survive.

The Thing by John Carpenter is an impressive horror flick to this day. For a movie that was panned when it was originally released, it sure managed scare the crap out of me. I think watching this in theaters made my experience a little more special, but that does not change the fact that this is an awesome movie. I love inspiration that it draws from Alien as well as the scary atmosphere it brings. This movie shows that you do not need excessive jump scares to frighten the audience. If you are a fan of horror, than I highly recommend this cult classic. It stands the test of time. Just prepare for a lot of gore and body horror. Sure, not all of it looks real, but it is still not for the faint of heart.