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Gojira -1.0 (2023)
Monster and Man in Japan
Often times in monster movies you get one. Either a touching human story with well built sympathetic characters. Or a visceral monster flick. Leading to films that are unable to balance both of these elements. Godzilla Minus One nails both of these aspects. Leading to one of the best films of the year. It is meticulous in its execution. The characters and relationship are built expertly. Crafting sympathetic characters, by the end a simple conversation over dinner will have you fully engaged. At the same time the main spectacle is equally phenomenal. Godzilla is as menacing, deadly, and spectacular as you would come to expect. The effects are great both delivering in spectacle yet still being believable. No time is wasted and almost every interaction or piece of information is important to the story. Every aspect of this film is amazing and stands out.
Echo (2023)
Echo: Marvels cold streak continues
Echo is one of the most frustrating shows one can watch. Its attempt to capture a more stripped down and gritty tone is a failure. Neither delivering on the brutal action nor the dark grounded story. Making for a show that is completely boring from start to finish. Echo is as bland of a character as one could conceive. She has no personality and no concrete goals. Her relationship with kingpin is poorly developed and executed. The actual plot revolves around a relationship that is barely developed. And the action is some of the most pedestrian you can find with the occasional hiccup. All of this happens at a snails pace. Making this show a complete waste of time.
The Killer (2023)
A clinical and dull study of a hitman
The Killer might just be one of the most disappointing films of all time. With David Fincher in the directors chair and Michael Fassbender as a professional killer you would only expect great things. But the result is a slow and boring film devoid of any real payoffs. One can appreciate the courage to show a slower approach to the assassin business'. But that does not give the film an excuse to do little and develop almost nothing. What is left is a boring character inner monologuing while killing a series of people. Talking to uninteresting underdeveloped characters. While talking about how he could kill people in interesting ways but doesn't. It has its moment one action scene comes to mind and Michael Fassbender is convincing. But its not enough to make one care.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
Interesting premise, mixed execution
They cloned tyrone feels like a lesser clone of a Jordan Peele film. This film starts with an interesting premise and charachters. But the story itself is not enough to meet either in terms of quality. Taking any potential and fixing it squarely in mediocrity. Before long the mystery peters out and seeing are gang incompetently stumble onto the next piece of evidence gets dry. Eventually when there is the final revelation it leads to more questions and gaping plot holes than anything else. For the movie to tie together it needed to flesh out the community and the relationships but it could not do so. Add to that no memorable sequences you have got a pretty cut and dry film for the most part. Unfortunately this film itself feels much like a clone trying to deny its place much like our characters.
Castlevania: Nocturne (2023)
Castlevania Nocturne: A disappointing and uninspired sequel
Castlevania nocturne is a sore disappointment and a huge drop in quality compared to the original. It certainly can feel like castlevania at times. But that only extends to the fight scenes which for the most part are well done. However outside of that every other aspect of this show suffers. Character arcs, a compelling plot, and an interesting villain are not found here. Add in a heavy focus to multiple political issues the show tries to do too much and can not succeed. By the end I really couldn't care for Richter who is overshadowed by annete. For what reason this direction was taken I don't know but it is not a positive one. This show can not light a candle to the original.
The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Pale Blue Eye is much like a midnights dreary
Pale Blue eye fails on most of its promise. It has a unique aesthetic. One of dark academia with a sharp blue and soft whites. It has great performances as well. However the aesthetic leads to many conversations in dingy taverns and cottages. And those great performances are lent to characters with no character. The mystery is interesting, then becomes uninteresting and then is again interesting in the last thirty minutes. The usual hall marks of a mystery are mostly missing. With various conflicts and resolutions rushed through. But the film is not short, so much of the time feels underutilized. Making the film feel far longer than it should have. Unfortunately this film is kind of like a midnight dreary. But it can pass the time.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
An intense but slightly unsatisfying mission
Mission Impossible Dead Reackoning is a testament to Tom Cruises commitment to make visceral and immersive action films to entertain the audience. However in this film it seems that this ambition has come at the cost of story. This is nothing new for the franchise as it is a well known fact that action scenes are constructed first. With the story written later to bind all of them together. For the most part this has worked for the series however in the seventh installment it does not. All the downside here is exposed. Exposition dumps, confusing plot threads, unsatisfying story progression and much more. This film is definitely on the lower end for the franchise. Tipping towards mindless action. But when Ethan hunt has to run, shoot, or jump off an elevated surface. It is hard not to enjoy yourself.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
A heartfelt and messy goodbye
The guardians film have always been about a cast of lovable characters in wacky situations coming up with wacky solutions. And guardians three most certainly fits in that category. What separates guardians three is how much darker and emotional the film can be. Exploring some of the backstories and the uncertain future of these characters is welcome. And in this aspect the film mostly delivers with a great antagonist to match. However, this film is messy and has plenty of problems. For one the film is too long, it certainly has pacing issues and by the end i was ready to leave. James Gunn has overindulged in the zany elements here again. Too many times this film indulges in weird off-putting scenes, characters, or jokes which can really take away from the darker tone this film pursues. The action itself is serviceable with only one outstanding action sequence. Finally the music here is terrible, instead of the tasteful additions in the first film. It sounds as if two people are fighting over the ipod during a roadtrip. This certainly is a solid entry into the MCU one that is sorely needed at this point. But one I doubt will stand out in the long run.
Extraction 2 (2023)
Pure action goodness
This is a straightforward action film through and through. One can see that is where the majority of the effort has gone, maybe exclusively so. This movie certainly has its issues, most notably the story and dialogue can be an after thought. But when you see tyler rake pick up a minigun on top of a train exchanging fire with a helicopter its hard to care about the movies shortcomings for long. This is a nonstop action festival. The action is fun to watch, intricate, brutal, and well shot. Chris hemsworth shows up once again as tyler rake and nails it once more. The film knows he is the badass and does not stray from a solid formula that works. When the action is this good, its really hard not to enjoy yourself.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Its good, just good
Across The Spider-verse is very much a product of its moment. Very aware that by this point the things it needs to do to separate itself from the never ending releases of superhero movies. It is meta in the best way, not only bringing a comic book to life but also acknowledging directly what its doing. The animation and soundtrack are top notch. The movie literally bounces of the comic book page. But for all the color, the style, and the swagger. This film has flaws. Most notably a missing third act. This film establishes characters sets up a conflict and then ends. Its insistence to repeat the same beats over and over again is annoying. Leading to a movie that is far too long for the story it did tell. But too short for the story it could have told. By tightening the pacing and giving the movie an extra half an hour it could have been done. Is this a masterpiece, no not really. I believe that with time the hype will die down and people will settle to a more realistic score. But it certainly is fun!
Sisu (2022)
Sisu! Violent action... and not much else
Sisu is a film that does one thing and one thing well. Seeing nazis get killed in spectacular fashion. That is actually all it does however. Though this is a strategy for a fun popcorn action film, it is not a recipe for a film that will have legs in the longrun. It is great when the action kicks off. Tense moments filled with sudden bursts of extreme violence, the type of fun action harkening to action films of old. However once the excitement fades and one settles in for the rest of the film. The rest of the film is the same. The film is presented like a powerpoint presentation. Moving from point A to point B in an extremely linear fashion without deviating. Here is a location, here is the main setpiece of action and now we move on to the next. This is the structure throughout and by the end it has worn out its welcome. Doing this leaves very little room for character, motivation, or interesting curves in the narrative. There is not much character given, just the exposition dump a character gives which is very cliche. The motivation its just gold. The plot development... there is none. This film is not terrible, it is quite enjoyable. However, it lacks the sustenance to go beyond fun popcorn action.
Im Westen nichts Neues (2022)
The definitive WW1 film
All Quiet on the Western Front is not anything like your standard Netflix movie. This is the closest I have ever felt to have a "movie going like" experience at home. The truth is this movie is one of the most intense, visceral, and brutal war movies I have ever seen in my life. For two and a half hours my eyes were fixed on the screen looking at the horror that was the western front during world war 1. There is no real story, rather just following a few select characters and experiencing the war. The production quality here is nothing short of brilliant. There is not one moment that I ever thought I was anywhere other than the trenches. The lighting, sound design, and cinematography are meticulous and all go towards immersion. The cast here is superb, actors do the most they can with very little screen time conveying the horror just before they pass. Felix Kammerer does a phenomenal job, you are right with him for the entire journey and his performance allows you to feel exactly what he feels in each moment. The action here is shot well, both lending to wide immersive shots of violence, then transitioning into close quarters combat within the trench itself. With all manner of artillery, machine gun fire, flamethrowers, and tanks. However even with all the action, it never is glorified, never seems overstated. The director fundamentally understands that the true horror of war, there are no heroes. Men who once killed another man begging for his life soon find themselves at the opposite side of that equation. And more often than not ones survival can boil down to luck. This is a must see for anyone who enjoys war film, and one of the best in its genre.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
A mess of madness
This movie is a mess. Coming of a fantastic origin Dr. Strange's sequel sorely disappoints. Scott Derrickson's (the director of the first Dr. Strange) absence is felt and not even the highly touted Sam Rami can fix this disaster of a script. The film itself takes the most uninteresting approach to the multiverse one could imagine. Instead of exploring a vast amount of universes, each with their own physics, rules, and characters. The audience is treated to a lackluster plot surrounding the Scarlet Witch and at most two different worlds all too similar to the one we know. The positives of the movie are few. First the performances are well done, especially Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. Second, at times the action is unique. That is all, the rest is either mediocre or terrible. The movie begins with a frantic pace that does not let up. This might seem great but it leads to uninteresting exposition filled dialogue most of the time. There is so much happening that the characters have to explain more than they can marinate on their individual circumstances. The introduction of America Chavez is not done well, not only taking away from our titular protagonist but also lacking in the acting department as well. The action itself is also a disappointment, gone is the mind bending kaleidoscopic action of the first movie, replaced with mindless cg blasts. Dr. Stranges magic is more of a plot device here than it actually is magic with a set of rules and procedures. Sam Rami's horror elements do little to shake up the marvel formula and honestly a better director might have been needed. The most disappointing aspect is how the script itself treats Dr. Strange. The script makes him an unlikable and incompetent sorcerer. In fact in the finale he is not even involved in defeating the villain. The original Dr. Strange is my favorite MCU movie, and this was the biggest letdown in the MCU itself. Next time they should bring the original writers and director. If this is the script they gave Scott Derickson I am not surprised he left.
House of the Dragon (2022)
A good but not perfect start
House of the Dragon delivers a good reintroduction to the world of Westeros even for those jaded from the previous show. House of the Dragon slowly builds up tension, stakes, and action throughout the season. Although it can get of to a rocky start so far it is worth the journey. The only pet peeve being occasionally the CG is questionable. The cast delivers all around, with Matt Smith delivering a captivating performance. His character is a standout and plays into the escalation and sudden bursts of violence that go into making Game of Thrones the beloved franchise that it is. That being said it has not reached the heights game of thrones is known for. It seems to distance itself from the other ugly parts of game of thrones. The ugly character moments, the torture, the subjugation of the disadvantaged, and the sexual violence that plagues this world. It seems that the show wants to have its cake and eat it too. The show can not simply tell us how cruel this world is it needs to show it more often. Although it is not perfect i believe the show provides an entertaining ride and is worth your time. Just set your expectations right.