I like it. It's witty, well acted and directed. This version of Lupin is a clever re-imagining (with some flaws), trying to fast-forward the original character 100-years. And yes, XXIst century Lupin is the son of African immigrants. And why not? Omar Sy is a great lead character and the production values are good. Perfectly enjoyable light entertainment. I repeat: this is meant to be watched for fun, it's not faithful to the details of the original books, it's not meant to be realistic. Good tv is escapism. It reminds me in a good way of successful series like Hustle, or Leverage. With intricate cons and twists. To the critics: you are right, this is not a series of Lupin faithful to the original books and historical context, in a way that David Suchet's Poirot was. But it is in the same line of re-imagining classics (though not quite as spectacular, but neither on the same budget) as Dominic Cumberbatch's Sherlock. It's an enjoyable ride. Don't begrudge the artistic licence. Have some fun. For god's sake it's 2021!
Reviews
261 Reviews
Stranger Things
(2016–2025)
Stranger things
6 May 2023
There is no reason, in terms of story, for Stranger Things to take place in the '80s. But the '80s atmosphere - the dial phones, the chain smoking, Winona Ryder - are there to clue you in on the inspiration for this movie, which is pretty much every supernatural movie from the 80s with a focus on kids. E. T., Poltergeist, that sort of thing.
The wondrous thing is how dead-on this tribute. It's not just the clothes and hair, but the style of acting, the scripting approach, the structure, all hold true to their inspiration. You've got the young nerdy kids, the horny, unsure teenagers, the monster, the mysterious one with the power, the bad science/government people, the conflicted investigator, the tearful mom.
You could argue that this entire season is simply a pastiche made up of recycled elements, and I wouldn't disagree, but it really feels less like a copy and more like something of that era, as though the writers had fallen into a coma in 1985, woke up and got to working.
While it doesn't have the high style of the Spielberg films that are a primary influence, it does have the likability. The story is consistently engaging and fun, the acting is excellent, and the movie has sufficient laughs and tears to satisfy.
The wondrous thing is how dead-on this tribute. It's not just the clothes and hair, but the style of acting, the scripting approach, the structure, all hold true to their inspiration. You've got the young nerdy kids, the horny, unsure teenagers, the monster, the mysterious one with the power, the bad science/government people, the conflicted investigator, the tearful mom.
You could argue that this entire season is simply a pastiche made up of recycled elements, and I wouldn't disagree, but it really feels less like a copy and more like something of that era, as though the writers had fallen into a coma in 1985, woke up and got to working.
While it doesn't have the high style of the Spielberg films that are a primary influence, it does have the likability. The story is consistently engaging and fun, the acting is excellent, and the movie has sufficient laughs and tears to satisfy.
Uncharted
(2022)
Uncharted
1 June 2022
After many years we finally have an Uncharted film, this film is based on the really popular video game franchise and today I have watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a young man getting recruited to go on a hunt for a long lost treasure.
Main Character Tom Holland plays Nathan Drake and I can't help myself he is really entertaining to watch and I think this is just because of Holland's natural charm and charisma manages to drag him through. But the issue is that he just isn't what I wanted from Nathan Drake as a character, he is nothing like his video game counterpart and that is a big shame. I was watching the film and all I saw was Peter Parker just without his Spider-Man costume. Hopefully, this is only because this film came out just after Spider-Man: No Way Home but I do worry that Holland might become typecast and a one trick pony.
Supporting Characters Mark Wahlberg plays Sully and it is a similar story to our main character. He has plenty of natural charisma to him and his chemistry with Holland is really good and at least there is some sort of character development on show. But I felt like it was Mark Wahlberg walking around and the character of Sully from the video games and that was the issue for me, he is just the same as he is in every other film and this is a slight shame for me. Sophia Ali plays Chloe and I actually quite liked her, maybe because she was the one performer I didn't recognise made her feel like an actual character and somebody who was actually interesting to watch. The bad guys didn't work though, Antonio Banderas is here but he is just your generic villain and I don't know when but it seems like when a European bad guy is needed then he is the one cast and it just didn't work here. Tai Gabrielle is better as a villain but she isn't that great either but was at least a physical enemy to Drake.
Story The story did a pretty good job of showing a young Nathan Drake starting his career and leading us on a fun adventure story across the globe that had shades of Indiana Jones to it. There is some sort of character development attempted and the actors seemed like they were having fun here. But there is a lack of depth and direction for the overall plot of the film. I think it could needed to pace itself a bit better and focus on the characters a bit more and give the villains way better motivations.
Script The film actually has a surprising amount of humour to it and I was chuckling my way through most of the film, mixed with a bit of heart made this alright. But there isn't enough here, I didn't care about the characters enough and sometimes it felt like the film relied on its star power instead of actually crafting these better written heroes and villains.
Style The style has some really good action scenes, including the crazy cargo plane scene that was in all of the trailers. The film is quite relentless too, the adventure moves at a pretty break neck pace which is good but it also harms the characterisation and plot of the film. It was a fun action film without the depth needed to become a good film.
Overall Overall, Uncharted is a pretty average adventure film. There is some good here for sure and Sony are hoping to make this a franchise but it doesn't do enough for me to get me excited for that or recommend this for a watch.
Main Character Tom Holland plays Nathan Drake and I can't help myself he is really entertaining to watch and I think this is just because of Holland's natural charm and charisma manages to drag him through. But the issue is that he just isn't what I wanted from Nathan Drake as a character, he is nothing like his video game counterpart and that is a big shame. I was watching the film and all I saw was Peter Parker just without his Spider-Man costume. Hopefully, this is only because this film came out just after Spider-Man: No Way Home but I do worry that Holland might become typecast and a one trick pony.
Supporting Characters Mark Wahlberg plays Sully and it is a similar story to our main character. He has plenty of natural charisma to him and his chemistry with Holland is really good and at least there is some sort of character development on show. But I felt like it was Mark Wahlberg walking around and the character of Sully from the video games and that was the issue for me, he is just the same as he is in every other film and this is a slight shame for me. Sophia Ali plays Chloe and I actually quite liked her, maybe because she was the one performer I didn't recognise made her feel like an actual character and somebody who was actually interesting to watch. The bad guys didn't work though, Antonio Banderas is here but he is just your generic villain and I don't know when but it seems like when a European bad guy is needed then he is the one cast and it just didn't work here. Tai Gabrielle is better as a villain but she isn't that great either but was at least a physical enemy to Drake.
Story The story did a pretty good job of showing a young Nathan Drake starting his career and leading us on a fun adventure story across the globe that had shades of Indiana Jones to it. There is some sort of character development attempted and the actors seemed like they were having fun here. But there is a lack of depth and direction for the overall plot of the film. I think it could needed to pace itself a bit better and focus on the characters a bit more and give the villains way better motivations.
Script The film actually has a surprising amount of humour to it and I was chuckling my way through most of the film, mixed with a bit of heart made this alright. But there isn't enough here, I didn't care about the characters enough and sometimes it felt like the film relied on its star power instead of actually crafting these better written heroes and villains.
Style The style has some really good action scenes, including the crazy cargo plane scene that was in all of the trailers. The film is quite relentless too, the adventure moves at a pretty break neck pace which is good but it also harms the characterisation and plot of the film. It was a fun action film without the depth needed to become a good film.
Overall Overall, Uncharted is a pretty average adventure film. There is some good here for sure and Sony are hoping to make this a franchise but it doesn't do enough for me to get me excited for that or recommend this for a watch.
Morbius
(2022)
Morbius
1 June 2022
Entertaining and very atmospheric, Morbius manages to serve up yet another helping of campy superhero indulgence despite many little flaws. I'll start off with the problems I had with this film- that mainly being its blatant editing and CGI. I know many people say this about a lot of superhero films, but coming from a horror lovers perspective- as well as fitting the atmospheric and tone Life director Daniel Espinosa seemed to pair within it- this movie really should have been rated R. It feels like Sony really did censor and edit this one as much as they could have, with the blood and violence being as limited as possible. It takes away from the experience as a whole, one moment in particular where a man acts like his throat is cut open but there is LITERALLY NOTHING THERE. Unsurprisingly, as with the case with a lot of films like this, the CGI can be a bit overused at times. For the most part I liked the look of vampire blood hungry Morbius taken on by Jared Leto- but other similar CGI and at times that CGI itself can feel a bit too ugly and forced for comfort. The fight scenes towards the end in particular are also overdone with CGI, and I just really wish Sony would have let the people working on this film give some life to the project instead of worrying about its box office gross. I know i've complained a lot so far, but in terms of a film- I oddly did enjoy this one for the most part. Sure it's messy, Matt Smith's character is a bit over the top and it has some formulaic moments- but it is a very entertaining film. Leto and Arjona give their all to their performances and it has a lot of cool ideas and concepts that are interesting to see fleshed out on screen- particularly with Morbius in particular as he begins to learn how to control himself. There's a lot of humanity hidden beneath the surface in this film though, even with some formulaic moments, there's a lot of depth and heart put into the titular character and it really allows you to empathize both with the film's story as well as Leto on screen. In the end, I enjoyed Morbius- it is far from perfect but it was a solid superhero endeavor and I'm curious to see what they may do with this character next.
The Godfather Part III
(1990)
The Godfather: Part 3
1 June 2022
This film came out about the same time as Goodfellas, and pales in comparison with the Martin Scorsese effort. I know the two shouldn't be compared, but the fact that they are both gangster films begs some sort of comparison.
Does Godfather III "complete" Coppola's Godfather series? Only in the sense that we see what happens to Michael when he is an old man. In my opinion, we didn't really need to know that. To me, the Godfather films ended with Michael Corleone as a shell of a man after losing his wife and murdering his brother.
Besides, I'm of the view that the best American films of the 20th century were made in the 1970s.
Does Godfather III "complete" Coppola's Godfather series? Only in the sense that we see what happens to Michael when he is an old man. In my opinion, we didn't really need to know that. To me, the Godfather films ended with Michael Corleone as a shell of a man after losing his wife and murdering his brother.
Besides, I'm of the view that the best American films of the 20th century were made in the 1970s.
The Batman
(2022)
The Batman
31 May 2022
3 Hours run time is totally worth it.
A well mature dark movie which Batman character deserves.
Robert Pattinson as Batman and Bruce Wayne is the best casting choice after Christian Bale.
It's so dark, gritty, visceral and god damn great.
Colin Farrell as Penguin was Fantastic. Couldn't recognise him.
Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle and Cat woman was great. She was fantastic.
Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis were great too.
Casting was done greatly.
Batmobile was so f*ing great. When the engine revs, you will get the goosebumps.
Action scenes were absolutely f*ing great. Its loud, bombastic and visceral which will give goosebumps.
Fight sequence were absolutely gritty.
Cinematography done by Greig Fraser is another masterpiece from him.
Michael Giacchino music composition really great. It has that dark gritty grandeur theme music.
The dirty, criminality and madness in Gotham City, you will feel it. It's so dark and grey which Batman character needs.
Production Design is just brilliant.
Story wise this movie felt more to Detective Batman comic book and done outstandingly.
Detective Batman which is the original DC stands for.
I couldn't not find any error in the whole movie.
This is a well made brilliant movie by Matt Reeves.
Totally worth waiting for. Can't wait to see it again.
Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Screenplay:10/10 Story:10/10 Music: 10/10.
This movie deserves 10/10.
A well mature dark movie which Batman character deserves.
Robert Pattinson as Batman and Bruce Wayne is the best casting choice after Christian Bale.
It's so dark, gritty, visceral and god damn great.
Colin Farrell as Penguin was Fantastic. Couldn't recognise him.
Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle and Cat woman was great. She was fantastic.
Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis were great too.
Casting was done greatly.
Batmobile was so f*ing great. When the engine revs, you will get the goosebumps.
Action scenes were absolutely f*ing great. Its loud, bombastic and visceral which will give goosebumps.
Fight sequence were absolutely gritty.
Cinematography done by Greig Fraser is another masterpiece from him.
Michael Giacchino music composition really great. It has that dark gritty grandeur theme music.
The dirty, criminality and madness in Gotham City, you will feel it. It's so dark and grey which Batman character needs.
Production Design is just brilliant.
Story wise this movie felt more to Detective Batman comic book and done outstandingly.
Detective Batman which is the original DC stands for.
I couldn't not find any error in the whole movie.
This is a well made brilliant movie by Matt Reeves.
Totally worth waiting for. Can't wait to see it again.
Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Screenplay:10/10 Story:10/10 Music: 10/10.
This movie deserves 10/10.
The Godfather
(1972)
The godfather
31 May 2022
This isn't just a beautifully crafted gangster film. Or an outstanding family portrait, for that matter. An amazing period piece. A character study. A lesson in filmmaking and an inspiration to generations of actors, directors, screenwriters and producers. For me, this is more: this is the definitive film.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
(2021)
Spider-man: no way home
7 February 2022
Before all of the hype I wanted to see Spider-Man in the theater, and the hype just made me want to see it more. I didn't know what to expect, but I certainly expected better than what I saw. Besides being a snooze fest, it was so sappy and saccharin I scheduled a dentist visit during the movie.
The movie started going wayward the moment Peter Parker (Tom Holland) went to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for a spell to make everyone forget him. It wasn't a bad idea for Peter to go to Doctor Strange to fix his little revealed-identity problem, it was just oddly dumb of Doctor Strange to actually accommodate Peter. Doctor Strange truly attempted to make everyone in the world forget who Peter Parker was. It was a massive spell that seemed very excessive just to fix one man's problems. The movie went into silly mode as Parker kept interrupting Doctor Strange as he was doing the spell. The result was a host of old nemeses from different universes converging upon this universe to find Parker. If it was explained, it was explained poorly.
At this point the movie was on shaky ground, but it hadn't given way. "No Way Home" would suffer another setback when Parker fought Strange to prevent him from sending all of these villains back to their respective universes. You see, if they were to go back then they'd meet death at the hands of, or because of, that universe's Spider-Man, and this universe's Spider-Man was way too moralistic to allow that to happen. No, Parker would fix it so that they could all go back home and they could all live happily ever after.
Everything after this part of the movie was immaterial to me in the grand scheme. For me, when a plot is based upon a faulty or simply bad premise, everything that follows is equally faulty and meaningless. Not that the things that follow can't be cool aesthetically; they're just empty.
Parker was operating upon the righteous advice of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Per her wisdom, Parker had an obligation to help these poor misguided men, no matter what the exponentially more knowledgeable Doctor Strange said. Doctor Strange wanted to do the most logical thing which was send each villain back to his own universe and let fate take over from there. Parker, with his oversized heart and undersized common sense, wanted to keep them in his own universe as pet projects until he could fix them, then send them back. Nevermind that he was going to be actively tampering with the course of events of another universe thereby massively altering their timelines with untold consequences, he simply wasn't old enough, wise enough, or experienced enough to know what was the best thing to do. Furthermore, it was a slap in the face of the other Spider-Men. As if to say, "You guys screwed up, I'm going to find a better, more wholesome solution because I'm a better Spider-Man"
I was so thoroughly perturbed by this new mission of Spider-Man's to save these villains that everything after that began to annoy me. The attempts at comedy were awkward and grossly unfunny. The emotional moments were too often and too long. The final nail in the coffin of this was the runtime. Boy did they drag this out. I could put up with a didactic and flawed plot if you get us through it in a quick and exciting way, but in their attempts to have this grand send off for Spider-Man we had to suffer through an ocean of tears, a chasm of emotions, and an abundance of silence with slow music. I left the theater drained and upset as though I'd just been to the DMV. Everything was set up for them to reboot Spider-Man if needed, but at this point I could use a break and no more Spider-Men about "home."
The movie started going wayward the moment Peter Parker (Tom Holland) went to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for a spell to make everyone forget him. It wasn't a bad idea for Peter to go to Doctor Strange to fix his little revealed-identity problem, it was just oddly dumb of Doctor Strange to actually accommodate Peter. Doctor Strange truly attempted to make everyone in the world forget who Peter Parker was. It was a massive spell that seemed very excessive just to fix one man's problems. The movie went into silly mode as Parker kept interrupting Doctor Strange as he was doing the spell. The result was a host of old nemeses from different universes converging upon this universe to find Parker. If it was explained, it was explained poorly.
At this point the movie was on shaky ground, but it hadn't given way. "No Way Home" would suffer another setback when Parker fought Strange to prevent him from sending all of these villains back to their respective universes. You see, if they were to go back then they'd meet death at the hands of, or because of, that universe's Spider-Man, and this universe's Spider-Man was way too moralistic to allow that to happen. No, Parker would fix it so that they could all go back home and they could all live happily ever after.
Everything after this part of the movie was immaterial to me in the grand scheme. For me, when a plot is based upon a faulty or simply bad premise, everything that follows is equally faulty and meaningless. Not that the things that follow can't be cool aesthetically; they're just empty.
Parker was operating upon the righteous advice of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Per her wisdom, Parker had an obligation to help these poor misguided men, no matter what the exponentially more knowledgeable Doctor Strange said. Doctor Strange wanted to do the most logical thing which was send each villain back to his own universe and let fate take over from there. Parker, with his oversized heart and undersized common sense, wanted to keep them in his own universe as pet projects until he could fix them, then send them back. Nevermind that he was going to be actively tampering with the course of events of another universe thereby massively altering their timelines with untold consequences, he simply wasn't old enough, wise enough, or experienced enough to know what was the best thing to do. Furthermore, it was a slap in the face of the other Spider-Men. As if to say, "You guys screwed up, I'm going to find a better, more wholesome solution because I'm a better Spider-Man"
I was so thoroughly perturbed by this new mission of Spider-Man's to save these villains that everything after that began to annoy me. The attempts at comedy were awkward and grossly unfunny. The emotional moments were too often and too long. The final nail in the coffin of this was the runtime. Boy did they drag this out. I could put up with a didactic and flawed plot if you get us through it in a quick and exciting way, but in their attempts to have this grand send off for Spider-Man we had to suffer through an ocean of tears, a chasm of emotions, and an abundance of silence with slow music. I left the theater drained and upset as though I'd just been to the DMV. Everything was set up for them to reboot Spider-Man if needed, but at this point I could use a break and no more Spider-Men about "home."
Thr Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
28 August 2021
Now I personally enjoyed the first two hobbit instalments as much as each movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, though without a shadow of a doubt the original trilogy is far superior (probably due to the fact the book it is based on, is far stronger) I still find each of them incredible films and after the agonising and excruciating cliff- hanger of the Desolation Of Smaug, I was highly anticipating the third concluding chapter: The Battle of the Five Armies.
The Battle of the Five Armies forsakes the tradition of prologues that would often go back in time from the main narrative and instead thrusts us into the action, sending us with a flurry of excitement into Smaug's attack on Laketown, it is truly a spectacle to watch, building up the suspense and then being the perfect pulse racing build up and is one of the standout set pieces of the year as we finally see Smaug the terrible lay wake to the town, and as the title card appears over the ruined Erebor, the film continues to be the ultimate goodbye to Middle Earth, high on energy, whizzing through scenes at a breakneck pace until the credits roll.
In an attempt not to reveal any spoilers about the film, I will not delve into anymore of the plot events, needless to say this movie has countless scenes that Jackson is known for. He masterfully strings together the best elements of his Middle Earth films into one package. Amazing characters with brilliant performances, standout and beautiful settings and design of Middle Earth, a beautiful epic yet emotional soundtrack and of course: incredible action set pieces to make one visual masterpiece. Jackson who has had two films worth of build up really tests the characters to their limits. Thorin has more to do than ever before and Armitage plays the part perfectly, not to forget Martin Freeman, who has a stunning emotional moment which had the audience blubbering with tears. Whilst the previous cast all fulfill their roles masterfully, Evangeline Lilly and Aidan Turner both continue this slightly cliché romantic subplot but one that is given far more weight in this movie and really contributes to the plot this time and does not feel tacked on which did seem to occur with Desolation of Smaug.
The action as well is the best of the whole middle earth saga, the battle of the Five armies feels like Jackson looked at Minas Tirith, saw everything that worked and decided to turn it up a notch. Full of epic moments, awesome fights, giant armies clashing and the final showdown with the long awaited Thorin vs Azog does everything right with brilliant performances all around and the best one on one action scene in the series between Legolas and Bolg is a pure delight to watch.
The film for me embodied what I loved about: The lord of the rings. Whilst the action is marvellous and the best of the series, it's the emotional tone that ends the last ten minutes that makes The Battle of the Five armies such a brilliant goodbye as it is the end to the Hobbit tale, whilst still being a set up for the Lord of the rings and being one last farewell to the series that has touched so many viewers across the globe as Billy Boyd ends the series with a nostalgic note with his song.
My only few complaints is that much like in the Desolation of Smaug, the lonely mountain theme from An Unexpected journey does not appear, instead the 'house of durin theme' seems to be the most prominent, though I have understood it could be a copyright issue which in that case cannot be helped. Also though the film went by in a blur, I wish it could of been longer, most of the dwarfs don't get as much screen time as they should of and the ending feels like such a flash but perhaps that may be because I was desperate not to leave Jackson's middle earth vision for the last time, there was a lot of questions that were left unanswered admittedly and it does feel like they took the climax of the second movie, when the Hobbit was only two films and then extended it for as long as they could without overstaying their welcome, but these are all very minor gripes in what is a magnificent experience to see on the silver screen.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the ultimate send off for the Middle Earth saga. In a trilogy where the quality of films has got progressively better, the Hobbit which easily could of been a supplement to the Lord of the rings, feels like a significant half of the Middle Earth saga. It's crammed with nolstagia, especially when Shore reuses some classic themes. There's some minor gripes but I frankly don't care, this is Middle Earth at it's finest and it ticked all the boxes of what I wanted to see and what I wanted it to do. It was an emotionally powerful, spectacle filled ending to the greatest fantasy cinematic series of all time.
The Battle of the Five Armies forsakes the tradition of prologues that would often go back in time from the main narrative and instead thrusts us into the action, sending us with a flurry of excitement into Smaug's attack on Laketown, it is truly a spectacle to watch, building up the suspense and then being the perfect pulse racing build up and is one of the standout set pieces of the year as we finally see Smaug the terrible lay wake to the town, and as the title card appears over the ruined Erebor, the film continues to be the ultimate goodbye to Middle Earth, high on energy, whizzing through scenes at a breakneck pace until the credits roll.
In an attempt not to reveal any spoilers about the film, I will not delve into anymore of the plot events, needless to say this movie has countless scenes that Jackson is known for. He masterfully strings together the best elements of his Middle Earth films into one package. Amazing characters with brilliant performances, standout and beautiful settings and design of Middle Earth, a beautiful epic yet emotional soundtrack and of course: incredible action set pieces to make one visual masterpiece. Jackson who has had two films worth of build up really tests the characters to their limits. Thorin has more to do than ever before and Armitage plays the part perfectly, not to forget Martin Freeman, who has a stunning emotional moment which had the audience blubbering with tears. Whilst the previous cast all fulfill their roles masterfully, Evangeline Lilly and Aidan Turner both continue this slightly cliché romantic subplot but one that is given far more weight in this movie and really contributes to the plot this time and does not feel tacked on which did seem to occur with Desolation of Smaug.
The action as well is the best of the whole middle earth saga, the battle of the Five armies feels like Jackson looked at Minas Tirith, saw everything that worked and decided to turn it up a notch. Full of epic moments, awesome fights, giant armies clashing and the final showdown with the long awaited Thorin vs Azog does everything right with brilliant performances all around and the best one on one action scene in the series between Legolas and Bolg is a pure delight to watch.
The film for me embodied what I loved about: The lord of the rings. Whilst the action is marvellous and the best of the series, it's the emotional tone that ends the last ten minutes that makes The Battle of the Five armies such a brilliant goodbye as it is the end to the Hobbit tale, whilst still being a set up for the Lord of the rings and being one last farewell to the series that has touched so many viewers across the globe as Billy Boyd ends the series with a nostalgic note with his song.
My only few complaints is that much like in the Desolation of Smaug, the lonely mountain theme from An Unexpected journey does not appear, instead the 'house of durin theme' seems to be the most prominent, though I have understood it could be a copyright issue which in that case cannot be helped. Also though the film went by in a blur, I wish it could of been longer, most of the dwarfs don't get as much screen time as they should of and the ending feels like such a flash but perhaps that may be because I was desperate not to leave Jackson's middle earth vision for the last time, there was a lot of questions that were left unanswered admittedly and it does feel like they took the climax of the second movie, when the Hobbit was only two films and then extended it for as long as they could without overstaying their welcome, but these are all very minor gripes in what is a magnificent experience to see on the silver screen.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the ultimate send off for the Middle Earth saga. In a trilogy where the quality of films has got progressively better, the Hobbit which easily could of been a supplement to the Lord of the rings, feels like a significant half of the Middle Earth saga. It's crammed with nolstagia, especially when Shore reuses some classic themes. There's some minor gripes but I frankly don't care, this is Middle Earth at it's finest and it ticked all the boxes of what I wanted to see and what I wanted it to do. It was an emotionally powerful, spectacle filled ending to the greatest fantasy cinematic series of all time.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
28 August 2021
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy blew me away, they were truly outstanding masterpieces that deserved every bit of recognition they got.
The Hobbit I delayed due to a laundry list of concerns, all of which are being confirmed now I'm finally getting around to them.
They look beautiful, they are a lot of fun, but compared to LOTR they are alike Mythica movies.
The whole franchise has become a cash grab, the Hobbit should have been one single movie and without all the excessive alterations. Yes I know LOTR had changes, but not to this devastating extent.
Desolation Of Smaug certainly has it's moments, I especially enjoyed the spiders and the not so jolly romp through the cursed forest. Thankfully the film isn't as goofy as the first either which was a welcome relief.
Alas it's no better, it still feels lackluster. This is The Hobbit, one of the greatest tales ever put to paper! So why do these movies feel so underwhelming? I enjoyed this I truly did, but not as much as I should have and that right there is the problem.
The Good:
Forest scene was great
Looks stunning
The Bad:
As neat as the barrels scene is it's about as realistic as Tara Reeds boobs
Second movie, second stock scream
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Bilbo Baggins has never seen Arachnophobia (1990), don't.....pluck.....the web
Walnuts make great pillows
Whatever Cumberbatch was paid it was FAR too much.
The Hobbit I delayed due to a laundry list of concerns, all of which are being confirmed now I'm finally getting around to them.
They look beautiful, they are a lot of fun, but compared to LOTR they are alike Mythica movies.
The whole franchise has become a cash grab, the Hobbit should have been one single movie and without all the excessive alterations. Yes I know LOTR had changes, but not to this devastating extent.
Desolation Of Smaug certainly has it's moments, I especially enjoyed the spiders and the not so jolly romp through the cursed forest. Thankfully the film isn't as goofy as the first either which was a welcome relief.
Alas it's no better, it still feels lackluster. This is The Hobbit, one of the greatest tales ever put to paper! So why do these movies feel so underwhelming? I enjoyed this I truly did, but not as much as I should have and that right there is the problem.
The Good:
Forest scene was great
Looks stunning
The Bad:
As neat as the barrels scene is it's about as realistic as Tara Reeds boobs
Second movie, second stock scream
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Bilbo Baggins has never seen Arachnophobia (1990), don't.....pluck.....the web
Walnuts make great pillows
Whatever Cumberbatch was paid it was FAR too much.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
28 August 2021
I watched this in 3D and I'd have to say, the graphics is as real as it gets. Absolutely stunning, I can't imagine how many CG artists have worked on the amazing details of the 3D models. Definitely one of the most photorealistic CGs I've seen to date, yet. The best graphics however are totally ruined by a boring and slow storyline. The plots move on extremely slowly, and after the first hour I was already beginning to wonder when the movie will end (unfortunately it's 3 hours). They tried to throw in funny spots in the script but did not work at all, the dialogs just feel stupid. Throughout the movie, the actions are repeated over and over again and boring. The editing is also poorly done. I don't feel nervous or excited watching the main characters fight at all, there are too much fighting scenes of the same kind and I ended up just watching the beauty of the computer graphics instead. I could not enjoy the storyline at all. Overall? Don't waste 3 hours of your time on this movie. It's not worth it, it's not motivating, it's not touching. It's just some sort of demonstrations of how good our 3D computer graphics can get today.
Gringo
(2018)
Gringo
28 August 2021
Let's start by saying that this is a dark comedy. Reading some of the worse reviews I get a sense that maybe they have missed this. The movie is thoroughly enjoyable, not one single weak actor in the cast and all performing well. Hat's off to Charlize Theoron, she is already one of my favourite actresses and has further cemented my opinion of her here.
Watch Harold, a victim of circumstance, muddle his was through his seemingly disaster filled life, all whilst trying to do the right thing, while others want to take advantage. Highly recommend this movie.
Watch Harold, a victim of circumstance, muddle his was through his seemingly disaster filled life, all whilst trying to do the right thing, while others want to take advantage. Highly recommend this movie.
Black Widow
(2021)
Black Widow
28 August 2021
(She just came over cartwheeling and flying through the air) when she could have walked because she was right in front of me
But it cracks me up everytime she does it... she can't walk she does unnecessary cartwheels all the time
Anyway Sherlock Holmes, er I mean black Widow in white, was boring and just a lame attempt to fill Disney+
Next up from Disney: the story of the taxi driver who gave a ride to iron Man for 20 seconds.
But it cracks me up everytime she does it... she can't walk she does unnecessary cartwheels all the time
Anyway Sherlock Holmes, er I mean black Widow in white, was boring and just a lame attempt to fill Disney+
Next up from Disney: the story of the taxi driver who gave a ride to iron Man for 20 seconds.
Gravity
(2013)
Gravity
28 August 2021
Gravity is the latest in science fiction feature films, a thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón that will have your heart racing and your breath held for most of the film. Gravity toys with your emotions from minute one, juxtaposing the beauty and serenity of space with its impending danger and destruction.
The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and tells the story of two astronauts and their fight to get back to Earth after the destruction of their space shuttle. Bullock plays the role of Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her first expedition to space with Matt Kowalski, played by Clooney, a veteran and the more experienced of the two. Bullock's acting is wonderful, as she shared strong and true emotions with the audience despite the fact that for most of the film, she only has herself or Matt (a man her character isn't very well acquainted with) to talk to.
What set this film apart are the special effects. With a budget of $100 million, about 80 per cent of the production was done in CG (more than James Cameron's Avatar) to create a visually stunning film. Viewing the beauty of Planet Earth from space is what captivates you for most of the film, with the help of 3D technology designed and added in post- production under the supervision of Chris Parks, giving an amazing depth to the film. The work producers put into bringing space to life is phenomenal - not to mention the light box, with over 4,000 LED bulbs that had to be created (invented, even) to film the actors' faces inside their astronaut helmets.
Gravity shares similarities with traditional tales of determination to return home and survival. The Odyssey and Castaway come to mind. But in space, this narrative takes on a new perspective. The theme of perseverance is written all over this movie, with Stone questioning her ability to keep fighting - to look death in the face and either go on or give up. This is a story about going against all odds when the entire universe is against you.
There are several hints of a rebirth theme as well, with the astronauts hanging from the space shuttle with their lifelines like fetuses with their umbilical cords. Look out for the scene partway through the film with Bullock floating in a C-shape fetal position, and remember the way astronauts have to relearn to walk and gain strength in their muscles upon returning to Earth, like a child. All these instances suggest a Kubrick-like interest in demonstrating the evolution and vulnerability of human life, united with the scenes of confronting death.
Gravity is at the top of the list where the Oscars are concerned, with ten nominations (tied for the lead with American Hustle), including a nomination for Best Picture. Even astronaut Buzz Aldrin gave the film positive reviews, and he told the Hollywood Reporter that he's happy Gravity was made and hopes it will "stimulate the public" to encourage advancements in space technology. I think with a movie like this - and all the recent press from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield - we're taking one small step in the right direction.
The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and tells the story of two astronauts and their fight to get back to Earth after the destruction of their space shuttle. Bullock plays the role of Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her first expedition to space with Matt Kowalski, played by Clooney, a veteran and the more experienced of the two. Bullock's acting is wonderful, as she shared strong and true emotions with the audience despite the fact that for most of the film, she only has herself or Matt (a man her character isn't very well acquainted with) to talk to.
What set this film apart are the special effects. With a budget of $100 million, about 80 per cent of the production was done in CG (more than James Cameron's Avatar) to create a visually stunning film. Viewing the beauty of Planet Earth from space is what captivates you for most of the film, with the help of 3D technology designed and added in post- production under the supervision of Chris Parks, giving an amazing depth to the film. The work producers put into bringing space to life is phenomenal - not to mention the light box, with over 4,000 LED bulbs that had to be created (invented, even) to film the actors' faces inside their astronaut helmets.
Gravity shares similarities with traditional tales of determination to return home and survival. The Odyssey and Castaway come to mind. But in space, this narrative takes on a new perspective. The theme of perseverance is written all over this movie, with Stone questioning her ability to keep fighting - to look death in the face and either go on or give up. This is a story about going against all odds when the entire universe is against you.
There are several hints of a rebirth theme as well, with the astronauts hanging from the space shuttle with their lifelines like fetuses with their umbilical cords. Look out for the scene partway through the film with Bullock floating in a C-shape fetal position, and remember the way astronauts have to relearn to walk and gain strength in their muscles upon returning to Earth, like a child. All these instances suggest a Kubrick-like interest in demonstrating the evolution and vulnerability of human life, united with the scenes of confronting death.
Gravity is at the top of the list where the Oscars are concerned, with ten nominations (tied for the lead with American Hustle), including a nomination for Best Picture. Even astronaut Buzz Aldrin gave the film positive reviews, and he told the Hollywood Reporter that he's happy Gravity was made and hopes it will "stimulate the public" to encourage advancements in space technology. I think with a movie like this - and all the recent press from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield - we're taking one small step in the right direction.
Memento
(2000)
Menento
21 August 2021
Losing your memory would have to go close to one of the worst experience anyone could ever suffer from. In the movie 'Memento', we get to see how bad it is to suffer from short term memory loss. It also gives us the chance to see how far a patient of such a disease will go to remember what is most important to him. In the vain of 'Pulp Fiction', Memento is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. It is no wonder that this movie is so popular with the movie going public around the world.
Leonard Shelby wears expensive, tailored suits, drives a late model Jaguar sedan, but lives in cheap, anonymous motels, paying his way with thick wads of cash. Although he looks like a successful businessman, his only work is the pursuit of vengeance: tracking and punishing the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer is compounded by the fact that Leonard suffers from a rare, untreatable form of 'amnesia'. Although he can recall details of life before his 'accident' Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he is, where he is going, or why.
Christopher Nolan has made one great (but confusing) movie. His style in directing and editing 'Memento' is quite unique, as no movie has ever been made quite like it before. The story being told in a backward kind of motion makes the audience have to think hard about what they are watching. It also makes the audience feel for a guy like Leonard, whose condition only gets worse and worse as the movie goes on. I am almost 100% sure that Nolan and his brother Jonathan, made up this story in the realisation that it was meant to be confusing. What is also cleverly done by Nolan is the use of black and white and then colour shots. In my opinion, the variations in these shots are used so it confuses the audience even more.
Guy Pearce's role in 'Memento' shows me why he is so successful in Hollywood today. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, a man on the hunt for his wife's killer. The only problem is that Shelby is suffering from 'anterior-grade amnesia', a disease that cannot be treated. With 'Lenny', I feel the audience suffers partly the same condition as he does, and partly does not, as we can remember what has happened in the present.
Memento's other main stars include corrupt cop 'Teddy' (Joe Pantoliano). A friend said of Pantoliano's performance in Memento, 'he was perfect for the role of 'Teddy', as he comes across as the mysterious bad guy'. I could not agree more. There is also the character of Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) who is a lot like Teddy in her own way. What is similar about these characters is the way they use Leonard's condition to advantage their own situations.
Other characters include Sammy Jenkis (Stephen Tobolowsky), who is a victim we learn about from an old case when Leonard Shelby was an insurance investigator. There is Leonard's wife, Catherine (C. S. I.'s Jorja Fox) who is another fascinating character. Although we do not hear her say much, she is a vital part of this most confusing story. Add in the funny role of Burt (Mark Boone Jnr.), the motel clerk, who openly admits to Lenny that he is ripping him off, by giving him two rooms, but that he will not remember it happening anyway.
Yet in no way do any of the characters in 'Memento' realise they are in a time reversed movie. I am sure that many of the performers would have had to read their scripts many times to understand what was happening from a cinematic point of view. But from an acting prospective, this would have been an easy experience to be part of. Memento also has some interesting devices to tell the story. The way Leonard tries to remember things in the present and the future, via notes tattoos and photographs, making them an important element within the movie. Without them, our hero would not be able to remember anything.
Nonetheless, memory is the most vital element in this movie, because without it, people are confused, isolated and abused, which is what happens to our 'hero', Leonard. As Lenny mentions early on in the film, "Memory's unreliable ... Memory's not perfect. It's not even that good. Ask the police; eyewitness testimony is unreliable ... Memory can change the shape of a room or the colour of a car. It's an interpretation, not a record. Memories can be changed or distorted, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts." But it has to be ironic that Leonard is the one who narrates 'Memento', when his recollections and memories of events are inaccurate and jaded. There are also some powerful scenes in 'Memento'. The one 'which sticks in my mind the most' has to be where Natalie abuses Leonard, calling his dead wife a 'a', snorting smartly 'that you won't be even able to remember what I have said'.
So, if you watch this movie and it confuses you the first or even the second time, I can assure you that is how you are meant to feel, confused. If you hated watching 'Memento' the way Christopher Nolan intended, then I can only recommend that you get a hold of the DVD and watch it in chronological order, as it will really help you. Memento also shows how bad 'mental disease' patients can be abused by healthy people and what lengths sick patients will go to try and keep 'sane'. Also, if a movie makes you think, then in some way it has been successful in doing something that many movies do not do - making you think. Those sorts of cinematic experiences are the ones that we need to cherish for life, as they are few and far between. Memento is one such experience.
Leonard Shelby wears expensive, tailored suits, drives a late model Jaguar sedan, but lives in cheap, anonymous motels, paying his way with thick wads of cash. Although he looks like a successful businessman, his only work is the pursuit of vengeance: tracking and punishing the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer is compounded by the fact that Leonard suffers from a rare, untreatable form of 'amnesia'. Although he can recall details of life before his 'accident' Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he is, where he is going, or why.
Christopher Nolan has made one great (but confusing) movie. His style in directing and editing 'Memento' is quite unique, as no movie has ever been made quite like it before. The story being told in a backward kind of motion makes the audience have to think hard about what they are watching. It also makes the audience feel for a guy like Leonard, whose condition only gets worse and worse as the movie goes on. I am almost 100% sure that Nolan and his brother Jonathan, made up this story in the realisation that it was meant to be confusing. What is also cleverly done by Nolan is the use of black and white and then colour shots. In my opinion, the variations in these shots are used so it confuses the audience even more.
Guy Pearce's role in 'Memento' shows me why he is so successful in Hollywood today. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, a man on the hunt for his wife's killer. The only problem is that Shelby is suffering from 'anterior-grade amnesia', a disease that cannot be treated. With 'Lenny', I feel the audience suffers partly the same condition as he does, and partly does not, as we can remember what has happened in the present.
Memento's other main stars include corrupt cop 'Teddy' (Joe Pantoliano). A friend said of Pantoliano's performance in Memento, 'he was perfect for the role of 'Teddy', as he comes across as the mysterious bad guy'. I could not agree more. There is also the character of Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) who is a lot like Teddy in her own way. What is similar about these characters is the way they use Leonard's condition to advantage their own situations.
Other characters include Sammy Jenkis (Stephen Tobolowsky), who is a victim we learn about from an old case when Leonard Shelby was an insurance investigator. There is Leonard's wife, Catherine (C. S. I.'s Jorja Fox) who is another fascinating character. Although we do not hear her say much, she is a vital part of this most confusing story. Add in the funny role of Burt (Mark Boone Jnr.), the motel clerk, who openly admits to Lenny that he is ripping him off, by giving him two rooms, but that he will not remember it happening anyway.
Yet in no way do any of the characters in 'Memento' realise they are in a time reversed movie. I am sure that many of the performers would have had to read their scripts many times to understand what was happening from a cinematic point of view. But from an acting prospective, this would have been an easy experience to be part of. Memento also has some interesting devices to tell the story. The way Leonard tries to remember things in the present and the future, via notes tattoos and photographs, making them an important element within the movie. Without them, our hero would not be able to remember anything.
Nonetheless, memory is the most vital element in this movie, because without it, people are confused, isolated and abused, which is what happens to our 'hero', Leonard. As Lenny mentions early on in the film, "Memory's unreliable ... Memory's not perfect. It's not even that good. Ask the police; eyewitness testimony is unreliable ... Memory can change the shape of a room or the colour of a car. It's an interpretation, not a record. Memories can be changed or distorted, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts." But it has to be ironic that Leonard is the one who narrates 'Memento', when his recollections and memories of events are inaccurate and jaded. There are also some powerful scenes in 'Memento'. The one 'which sticks in my mind the most' has to be where Natalie abuses Leonard, calling his dead wife a 'a', snorting smartly 'that you won't be even able to remember what I have said'.
So, if you watch this movie and it confuses you the first or even the second time, I can assure you that is how you are meant to feel, confused. If you hated watching 'Memento' the way Christopher Nolan intended, then I can only recommend that you get a hold of the DVD and watch it in chronological order, as it will really help you. Memento also shows how bad 'mental disease' patients can be abused by healthy people and what lengths sick patients will go to try and keep 'sane'. Also, if a movie makes you think, then in some way it has been successful in doing something that many movies do not do - making you think. Those sorts of cinematic experiences are the ones that we need to cherish for life, as they are few and far between. Memento is one such experience.
Mulan
(2020)
Mulan
21 August 2021
A Chinese girl disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father...this is mainly the plot and Nothing Else!
The new wave of - Marvel/Disney and DC's - Origins and reboots are such a drag, easily spotted as a cash grabber and what's worse is they lack the means to fool the average audience to think that there's a point there, with out any care for a solid plot, interesting story telling, decent acting or even a POINT for telling a story to being with. Just colorful CGI and wrap it up and throw it out there as people eats everything big companies throw at them. Mulan follows the same disfigured recipe for failure with a boring story, lame non relatable characters, disfigured shadow of the old classic and a drag when it comes to acting.
Overall a pointless continuous disaster for the money driven reboots that is not worth wasting time.
The new wave of - Marvel/Disney and DC's - Origins and reboots are such a drag, easily spotted as a cash grabber and what's worse is they lack the means to fool the average audience to think that there's a point there, with out any care for a solid plot, interesting story telling, decent acting or even a POINT for telling a story to being with. Just colorful CGI and wrap it up and throw it out there as people eats everything big companies throw at them. Mulan follows the same disfigured recipe for failure with a boring story, lame non relatable characters, disfigured shadow of the old classic and a drag when it comes to acting.
Overall a pointless continuous disaster for the money driven reboots that is not worth wasting time.
The Prestige
(2006)
The Prestige
21 August 2021
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Christopher Nolan can do no wrong. Teaming up again with his Batman Begins cast of Christian Bale and Michael Caine, and joined with the Scoop team consisting of X-Men's Wolverinie Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson, the stellar (eye candy) cast already set tongues wagging as to whether they'll be able to live up to the hype of Nolan's long awaited movie directly challenging the other picture about Victorian magicians, The Illusionist. The Prestige is the third act of any magic trick, with the first and second acts being the Pledge and the Turn. And this movie lives up to its namesake to a T. The way the movie plays out, it's like a huge magic trick, with the audience waiting to see how it unfolds, getting the suspicion on how it's done, but yet sitting through it thorough engaged to discover how everything will be revealed and resolved. It tells the story of how two magicians, fellow apprentices turned unfortunate rivals, plod down the slow path of jealous obsession, revenge, and the deliberate attempts to go at lengths to steal each other's ideas, to go one up against the other, a fight in romance, life and the long held passionate drive to discredit each other. There are perfect explanations of the value of secrets, and how secrets can sometimes be used as tools for deceit. What I thought was valuable in the movie was the reinforcement of the notion of how "magic" actually worked. Besides the better understanding of the common body of scientific knowledge, things like having pretty assistants to distract, and having planted staff amongst the audience, somehow made me a sceptic to tricks and illusions, and try harder to spot at which stage had things undergone a sleight of hand. More importantly, it introduced me to the notion and importance of a loyal engineer behind the scenes who designs elaborate contraptions solely for the magician's use, and how having disloyal staff can indeed be detrimental to any leaks of secrets. And Michael Caine took on this engineering role as Cutter, responsible for assisting Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) with loyalty and conviction that they could, as a team, beat Christian Bale's Alfred Borden. I thought the cast in general were superb, with Christian Bale leading the charge. Hugh Jackman too showed that he could play a dark character, as the two leads tackled their characters' theme of sacrifice, arrogance, and ultimately redemption, especially for Rupert Angier. I thought he did what he did towards the end was a kind of penance to what happened in the beginning, hoping to kill two birds with a single stone, to exact the sweetest revenge he could possibly muster. What also was intriguing about the two lead characters was that there is no right or wrong, no hero or villain. It's always a shade of grey in what they do, and for Alfred Borden, I felt it's more for survival and the provision for family, which is a strong subplot running through the film. I just have to mention though, that Scarlett Johansson being Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive, gets to play a flower vase role here as a magician's assistant, though her role as the pawn between the rivals added a little gravitas. The atmosphere was set up great, and so were the costumes and sets. The soundtrack was hauntingly mesmerizing, capturing the look and mood appropriately. Look out too for David Bowie's appearance as a Serbian scientist! I was floored by the deftness of how Nolan weaved and juxtaposed the non linear narrative so flawlessly. While the usual techniques is to use placeholders, or flashback sequences, colours etc, here, time is so fluid, but yet the audience will know precisely which era they're in, without being explicitly told, or working too much of the noodle. You just know, and it's just that feeling of being totally transparent with time. Even though the movie clocked in at slightly more than 2 hours, you don't feel its length at all. At the end of the movie, one quote popped into mind: Misdirection - what the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes. Quite apt to describe how things work out during the movie, or to describe in general, Nolan 's films so far. That added richness to lift the movie to a superior plane. Do yourself a favour, if there's one movie you absolutely must watch this week, then Prestige must be your natural choice. It's smart in delivery and slick in presentation. There is none other. P. S. Is it just me, or are notebooks a common feature in Nolan's movies?
Insomnia
(2002)
Insomnia
18 August 2021
First off, Christopher Nolan is one of my biggest influences when it comes to film and screen writing. With films such as Following and Memento, both of which reached cult following levels, he is well on his way to a successful Hollywood career. Then, today came, his 3rd film was released, Insomnia. Based on a 1997 Norwegian film written by Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjærg, Insomnia is a true work of art in the world of film.
Christopher Nolan takes all that was the 1997 film, and brings it to the next level, using his own style of directing, a musical score with shades of Memento, and an all star cast. Al Pacino and Robin Williams pulls out the greatest performances of their careers in the past decade, if not in their ENTIRE careers in my eyes.
Pacino once again excels in the role of master dective, while Williams takes this chance to show his "dark side", and he does it so well. I can only hope that this is a rebirth of Robin Williams, and as it stands with his upcoming film One Hour Photo (which he once again plays a dark, psychotic role), it seems to be just that! Hilary Swank also pulls out what is the greatest role of her career.
Insomnia brings you in as an audience, with it's perfectly woven plot, with a film noir feel to it, just as Nolan's first two films. It is a rollercoster ride of drama and suspense as you watch Al Pacino from the very beginning unravel, and the rest of the story and his past catches up with him. I can not say much more about it, as I do not wish to spoil anything about if for you, but I do want to say this... ...go see it, right now, and enjoy. If you love crime/mystery/drama films with that wonderful Film Noir feel to it, you will love this film. If that isn't your thing, then the performances of the three main actors are worth the price of a ticket in itself.
Finally I just want to say, that Insomnia proves once and for all that Christopher Nolan will indeed be a force to reckoned with in Hollywood. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... ...Christopher Nolan is well on his way to becoming the Hollywood legend which he proves he is capable of becoming.
Christopher Nolan takes all that was the 1997 film, and brings it to the next level, using his own style of directing, a musical score with shades of Memento, and an all star cast. Al Pacino and Robin Williams pulls out the greatest performances of their careers in the past decade, if not in their ENTIRE careers in my eyes.
Pacino once again excels in the role of master dective, while Williams takes this chance to show his "dark side", and he does it so well. I can only hope that this is a rebirth of Robin Williams, and as it stands with his upcoming film One Hour Photo (which he once again plays a dark, psychotic role), it seems to be just that! Hilary Swank also pulls out what is the greatest role of her career.
Insomnia brings you in as an audience, with it's perfectly woven plot, with a film noir feel to it, just as Nolan's first two films. It is a rollercoster ride of drama and suspense as you watch Al Pacino from the very beginning unravel, and the rest of the story and his past catches up with him. I can not say much more about it, as I do not wish to spoil anything about if for you, but I do want to say this... ...go see it, right now, and enjoy. If you love crime/mystery/drama films with that wonderful Film Noir feel to it, you will love this film. If that isn't your thing, then the performances of the three main actors are worth the price of a ticket in itself.
Finally I just want to say, that Insomnia proves once and for all that Christopher Nolan will indeed be a force to reckoned with in Hollywood. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... ...Christopher Nolan is well on his way to becoming the Hollywood legend which he proves he is capable of becoming.
Ready Player One
(2018)
Ready Player One
18 August 2021
There seem to be two camps as far as Ready Player One is concerned, those who have read the books (Who tend to dislike the movie) and those who haven't (Who tend to like the movie). I'm in the latter group and am very thankful for this.
When the trailer came out I was unimpressed and didn't get onboard with the hype at all, yes I was impressed with all the pop culture references and characters but I figured it would be all flash and no substance.
Thankfully I couldn't have been anymore wrong, Read Player One has plenty of substance, emotion and charm and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Set in a near dystopian world where people use a virtual reality world called the Oasis to escape their lives it tells the story of one player and his efforts participating in a competition that with decide the fate of the entire universe (Oasis).
The plot if fantastic and very well handled, the movie looks like a billion dollars, the cast did a decent enough job and the pop culture references though thick and fast didn't overwhelm the movie like I feared they would.
From Overwatchs Tracer, Streetfighters Chun-Li & Ryu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Iron Giant, Chucky, Freddy Kreuger, Mortal Kombats Goro, Gundam, Mech-Godzilla, King Kong, and countless more I being a big ol'nerd really appreciated this. Combined with the incredible mostly 80's soundtrack it's a sight to behold.
The movie wrapped up nicely and went in directions I didn't expect, I'm suitably impressed and would love to see more.
If it's very different than the book I understand peoples anger, for me however this was fantastic.
The Good:
Looks amazing
Solid plot and delivery
Pop culture references are charming
The Bad:
Honestly nothing springs to mind
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I'm still not impressed with Gundam
People CAN swear in Spielberg movies
Old Simon Pegg looks like a tall hobbit
Artemis is the offspring of an elf and a porcupine.
When the trailer came out I was unimpressed and didn't get onboard with the hype at all, yes I was impressed with all the pop culture references and characters but I figured it would be all flash and no substance.
Thankfully I couldn't have been anymore wrong, Read Player One has plenty of substance, emotion and charm and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Set in a near dystopian world where people use a virtual reality world called the Oasis to escape their lives it tells the story of one player and his efforts participating in a competition that with decide the fate of the entire universe (Oasis).
The plot if fantastic and very well handled, the movie looks like a billion dollars, the cast did a decent enough job and the pop culture references though thick and fast didn't overwhelm the movie like I feared they would.
From Overwatchs Tracer, Streetfighters Chun-Li & Ryu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Iron Giant, Chucky, Freddy Kreuger, Mortal Kombats Goro, Gundam, Mech-Godzilla, King Kong, and countless more I being a big ol'nerd really appreciated this. Combined with the incredible mostly 80's soundtrack it's a sight to behold.
The movie wrapped up nicely and went in directions I didn't expect, I'm suitably impressed and would love to see more.
If it's very different than the book I understand peoples anger, for me however this was fantastic.
The Good:
Looks amazing
Solid plot and delivery
Pop culture references are charming
The Bad:
Honestly nothing springs to mind
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I'm still not impressed with Gundam
People CAN swear in Spielberg movies
Old Simon Pegg looks like a tall hobbit
Artemis is the offspring of an elf and a porcupine.
Pearl Harbor
(2001)
Pearl harbor
17 August 2021
I've never written a review before but after seen how many people are saying this film I thought I better. I actually think the film was great the main premise of the film which I feel most people have completely missed is a bond between two guys that is as strong as a brotherhood hood. The alpha one who has the confidence to take over the world and the quiter one both who would die for each other in an instance. And maybe it was just me but I really did feel the emotions that they feel throughout the film. It seems like a lot of people hate the film so maybe I'm missing something but i think its a great film. The film is not totally accurate but films don't need to be and I film is long which is the reason I suspect it gets so much hate.
The falcon and the winter soldier
31 May 2021
Marvel has spoiled us fans in the past. But this series is just not as good. Its not because of politics or of political correctness or of racial mentions; its because of the PLOT.
Which kinda sucks. Inconsistent and at many times just pointless, the plot seems uninspired and forced, in order to make this series' story move forward.
Here's a few: What exactly was Carly's main motivation? What makes the GRC so bad for Carly? Why don't they work more on the idea of the shield as a mantle? That could have been a great opportunity here.
Why get into the power broker story arc in the first place and not further develop it?
And why spend so much time in the political issues? Is that because the script is just non-existant? Maybe... The dialogue at times is also incredibly stupid...which makes me wonder about the way marvel/disney approach their audience nowadays.
Wandavision was not perfect but it was smart and well made with good dialogue and world building. But this one is more closer to a messy, character-lacking and backstory-missing series.
Now why 6,5? 1-The action sequences are good and the start is impressive. Also there is a few more action sequences further on which are worth it. 2-Stan and Mackie are good action actors and look alright on screen, so its fun watching them and their chemistry is ok. 3-because i m a fan like most people here and i still like watching these stories and I appreciate the effort needed to get these done.
Which kinda sucks. Inconsistent and at many times just pointless, the plot seems uninspired and forced, in order to make this series' story move forward.
Here's a few: What exactly was Carly's main motivation? What makes the GRC so bad for Carly? Why don't they work more on the idea of the shield as a mantle? That could have been a great opportunity here.
Why get into the power broker story arc in the first place and not further develop it?
And why spend so much time in the political issues? Is that because the script is just non-existant? Maybe... The dialogue at times is also incredibly stupid...which makes me wonder about the way marvel/disney approach their audience nowadays.
Wandavision was not perfect but it was smart and well made with good dialogue and world building. But this one is more closer to a messy, character-lacking and backstory-missing series.
Now why 6,5? 1-The action sequences are good and the start is impressive. Also there is a few more action sequences further on which are worth it. 2-Stan and Mackie are good action actors and look alright on screen, so its fun watching them and their chemistry is ok. 3-because i m a fan like most people here and i still like watching these stories and I appreciate the effort needed to get these done.
Raya and the Last Dragon
(2021)
Raya and the last dragon
27 May 2021
This movie is gorgeous to look at. The visuals alone represent a masterful achievement from Disney, it's hard not to concentrate only in the amazing animation that surrounds the movie. The voice acting is also great and the basic premise of the story is incredibly creative. However the movie is far from perfect; it mainly uses the same Disney formula that everyone knows by heart, creating a story that, although creative and well presented, feels repetitive and incredibly predictable. The humor in the movie falls flat at times and it can take the viewer out of the suspension of disbelief bubble that is required from a movie like this. Overall Raya and the last dragon is a proof that the Disney formula can work, however it falls flat in comparison to other films that the studio has done in the past.
The Lorax
(2012)
The lorax
12 January 2021
It's the second movie of Dr. Suess I have watched until now. The first one, which I watched about 3 years ago, Horton hears the who, is still in my top 20 animated movies of all time. I'd already set mediocre expectations for this one with the reviews, ratings and the plot. At the start, we come to know what message we are gonna get at the end. So, it's not pretty suspenseful. Also, it starts slow. It took almost half the movie to let them come to the track and pick up. It's not slow, but boring in the middle although a few laughs from the little ones which doesn't amuse the giant us too much. No doubt, towards the end, laughs get better and more, however, remain average. The last few minutes are fun, rest it's average/below average stuff. The animation is good.
Shaun the Sheep Movie
(2015)
Shun the sheep movie
12 January 2021
I considered Aardmans last stop motion effort 'Pirates - in an adventures with scientists' to be a bit of a let down when it was released three years ago and wondered if they had gone off the boil a little bit by trying to appeal to the mass market and thus diluting their witty humour as a result. However after 80 odd minutes of Shaun the Sheep I am happy to report that they are back on track.
Shaun is extremely well animated and manages to keep the story ticking along and funny enough to keep your interest without really feeling stretched. Considering as the film has no real dialogue to speak of that is no mean feat, and is reliant on top notch production design, expressive animation and a script that is entertaining and funny without being overly ridiculous. Whilst the Shaun the Sheep/Timmy Time TV shorts are aimed at young viewers, there is a decent amount of underlying humour here that adults will also engage with and thus it doesn't insult your intelligence the way some films do.
After Aardmans infamous falling out with DreamWorks (who wanted them to Americanize Wallace & Gromit) I did wonder if Aardman had sold out for the mass market after feeling the Sony Pictures distributed Pirates had a whiff of compromise to it, and that's partly why I felt Pirates fell a bit flat. However Aardman have teamed up with an independent European distributor for Shaun and as a result it seems they were allowed to make the film they wanted to make this time round. In effect I was not disappointed with Shaun, the simple but hilarious premise of the TV show is expanded successfully to the big screen with no noticeable compromises for the mass market. That the film is also dialogue free should make it an easy sell abroad too and I'm glad to see the film has been well received.
So well done to Aardman for making one of 2015's most enjoyable, entertaining and amusing films so far.
Shaun is extremely well animated and manages to keep the story ticking along and funny enough to keep your interest without really feeling stretched. Considering as the film has no real dialogue to speak of that is no mean feat, and is reliant on top notch production design, expressive animation and a script that is entertaining and funny without being overly ridiculous. Whilst the Shaun the Sheep/Timmy Time TV shorts are aimed at young viewers, there is a decent amount of underlying humour here that adults will also engage with and thus it doesn't insult your intelligence the way some films do.
After Aardmans infamous falling out with DreamWorks (who wanted them to Americanize Wallace & Gromit) I did wonder if Aardman had sold out for the mass market after feeling the Sony Pictures distributed Pirates had a whiff of compromise to it, and that's partly why I felt Pirates fell a bit flat. However Aardman have teamed up with an independent European distributor for Shaun and as a result it seems they were allowed to make the film they wanted to make this time round. In effect I was not disappointed with Shaun, the simple but hilarious premise of the TV show is expanded successfully to the big screen with no noticeable compromises for the mass market. That the film is also dialogue free should make it an easy sell abroad too and I'm glad to see the film has been well received.
So well done to Aardman for making one of 2015's most enjoyable, entertaining and amusing films so far.
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