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Reviews
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Another great addition to the alien franchise!
This movie has a lot of good things going for it. It's got great production value. A lot of cool practical effects. And it's a very good intense horror/thriller. But it kind of fall short with the story and the characters.
Overall, in terms of production value, this was an alien fans dream. We had practical aliens. There is obviously some CGI in there because making it completely practical would be virtually impossible at this point. But the score and the lighting along with the way it was edited made you really wonder what was gonna happen next. The grossness and ferocity of some of the gory scenes was very well done and unsettling (in a good way).
Where it fell short was the story and the characters. The story was very mundane. In terms of pacing like most alien movies it's very boring for the first 45 minutes or so. They're introducing the characters setting the scene, but there's not much in terms of action or even in terms of moving the dialogue along it felt kind of slow. It goes from 0-100 real quick though after those first 45-60 minutes.
In terms of characters, they were bad, but I didn't really feel connected to them. Yes they were desperate people were doing something desperate to get out of their sad life, but I didn't feel much emotion for them as The movie went on. But the Alien franchise usually doesn't have great character. It's about survival of the fittest.
Overall, if you enjoyed alien, I would see this. It has a lot of callbacks to old alien movies, including Prometheus and covenant. If You've never seen the alien franchise then you might like it if you enjoy violent horror/thrillers.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Another typical Deadpool movie, which is a good thing
If you enjoy a Deadpool movie, then you are going to enjoy this film. The protagonists were great, The story was good and compelling, and overall, it was an enjoyable film.
The best part of this movie was the characters. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman had great chemistry together. The side characters were very memorable and you're in for some surprises But my lips are sealed. Fans of X-Men will be happy.
The story was. The dialogue was downright goofy as well as engaging in some serious topics including mental health, which was a breath of fresh air. The problem was very consequential so there was something at stake and it was important to save the day. There are also plenty of gory and amazing fight scenes
Production value was very good considering it is a Disney movie so if they're not footing top dollar for this movie, then that's just their own fault. But overall the visual effects were good. The editing was good. The soundtrack was good, especially some of the songs with the fight scenes were great.
Overall, this was a stellar movie and if you enjoy Deadpool movies you're gonna like this one.
Old Dads (2023)
I get it, But it's two on the nose for me
From the beginning, I understood what it was. From the very first voiceover, I knew it was going to be a boomer/older Gen X'r complaining about Millennials and Gen z. I don't know if Bill was being satirical. A lot of people think he was being serious about it. I don't know if if he was satirizing His generation as well as the younger generations. I was a bit confused.
There were redeemable moments of it. They were moments at Bill Burr was very true. They were moments that he was kind of over the top and cartoonish. Overall, he was decent and relatable to a degree. His friends were a bit weird in my opinion. What it boiled down to was a bunch of older dudes who married millennial wives and then they complained about them the whole time. If that's what you're into then certainly you'll like this movie. I chuckled a few times, but overall the comedy just did not hit for me.
My biggest gripe with this was the story. It started off as a decent story, but then the whole premise of Bill Burr was axed in the third act. It totally destroyed his character. It just was not well written.
MaXXXine (2024)
A solid thriller, A24 continues Put out bangers
This film was a very good thriller/slasher film. Another good thing that I like about this film is that you don't have to watch the X horror/slasher series to understand the plot. It helps but it's not necessary.
The acting in this film was phenomenal. Mia Goth played Maxine very well. In the movie, we only saw a little bit of bad ass. Maxine can be, But in this one it was too a whole new level. The side characters were also very good. Gian Carlo Esposito plays a small but amazing role as her manager. Kevin Bacon plays a great sleazy detective. Plus the mishmash of other side characters that help make this world feel alive.
The story was good. The flow of the story was good and I didn't feel bored at all. The dialogue was good and snappy, nothing weird or awkward. The only thing is if you have seen the X series, the ending is kind of predictable. But overall, it was a good story in my opinion
The production value was good as is most a24 films. They had a cool retro looking filter over the whole thing. So whoever did the color grading was good. The score was really good. It helped make those intense thriller scenes way more suspenseful.
Overall, this is a very good movie that stands on its own. It can be seen with the X series or without. Your choice.
House of the Dragon: The Burning Mill (2024)
A lot better than the last episode for sure
Please note that I made this review after watching episodes 1-3 together.
I will say this episode was a lot better and there's a lot more stake than the last episode. There was a lot of cool character development, especially with Daemon As well as some cool conflicts that go below the royalty level showing how the subjects thought of this whole Civil War. Invest a lot more into the world. The last episode is very isolated just the royals and I love when they bring the folk to the mix.
I will say I was angry when they did not show the actual battle of the burning mill. I'm not saying they should've had a full on 20 minute battle of the bastards rendition of this fight, but maybe a minute or two halfway into the battle especially focusing on At least one of them men who was involved in the Initial conflict in the beginning of the episode. And then they could've cut to the aftermath which was in the episode itself.
But overall, this episode is a great deep dive into the Build up to the actual war. Am I opinion they could've cut a bunch of stuff out of the second episode, Cut a little bit of unnecessary stuff out of This episode and just stuck it on the third episode and the third episode would've been slightly longer maybe 15-20 minutes longer than it was.
Overall, it's much much better and at this point, I believe the actual preparations for war are pretty much over so I think the next few episodes are gonna be alot of battles with stuff in between.
House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra the Cruel (2024)
A bit boring unfortunately until the end......
Please note I've made this review watching episodes 1-3
The first episode of This season did a great job and didn't really have any battles which is fine. It helped set up what's going on and it had a cool, but chilling ending as well. Unfortunately, this Episode did not live up to the first episode. There was a lot of talking for nothing getting done with no stakes. I am writing this after watching the third episode because again we had another episode with the same problem. A lot of talking with no pay off. They could've taken episode two and three cut out what was not needed and made that its own episode. There was so little in terms of stakes Involved in this episode.
There are many things they could've shortened or taken out that was not needed. It felt like fluff to me. The editing team definitely needed to work on this a little better.
The saving grace was the end of the film, which I'm not gonna go into so it's not a spoiler, but it brought a lot of excitement that was needed for this episode. Unfortunately, it was only about 5-10 minutes
I'm hoping it picks up because I'm gonna watch this for the long run because I don't mind long-winded shows as long as the stakes are high. This episode just did not translate well to what I was expecting.
The Bikeriders (2023)
Great characters, meh delivery
Overall, I would say this is a decent film with an excellent cast. The Character development was amazing. Every time something happens to one of them you felt bad. It went good happened. You felt happy for them. The obvious standouts were Tom Hardy and Austin Butler.
The story was pretty good, but it felt kind of choppy and quick. It didn't seem to flow well. I will say it showed the gradual rise and fall very well.
The production value was good. The costumes were on point. Even down to the haircuts that would've been more popular in the time period of this film. At the end they showed Pictures of the real life bikers they based the movie on.
Overall, this is a good film, especially if you like motorcycles and motorcycle gangs.
The Fall Guy (2024)
It's a fun action comedy
This movie is very fun. It's got some good action, with a pretty basic plot. At times it does take itself too seriously trying to move forward their message but in general, it was a fun ride.
The strength of this movie Everyone in this movie had great chemistry. Ryan Gosling did an amazing job as the main character. Emily Blunt was also very good as the co-star. The sexual tension felt thick and real at times, bordering on cringe, but never going over the top. The dialogue was well written and didn't come off as corny or stupid.
The story itself was the weakest part of this movie. It was very basic. They try push this message of men's mental health and stuff like that, Which is a worthy topic to discuss but it just came off as corny on unit end.
The production value was decent. It was as good as you'd expect from a major motion film.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Visually stunning, dreadfully boring
In general, the zone of interest is a well-made movie in terms of production value with a pretty boring story. I understand what they were trying to do with the story, but it just didn't translate well in my opinion.
They did a good job of building up tension throughout the film. Which made it mildly interesting but the story itself was very drawn out and unnecessary.
Characters which were based on historical figures were well casted, and acted. They did a great job of playing the ideal family with dark undertones. The real stars were the side characters who were nameless, but you understood who they were. It was a bit chilling to be honest.
The movie was beautifully shot. The color grading was excellent. The editing with the background noises were very distinct and set the mood for the whole film.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Fun, witty, but predictable
In general, not a bad movie. It has a lot of action, with some witty dialogue. But to be honest it's a very weak Guy Ritchie film.
The characters had plenty of development, but not much of an arc. The main characters arc was static pretty much the whole film. Most were pretty well casted and had decent chemistry.
The action was great, but the story was the weakest part of this film. It was very generic and cliche. The dialogue was pretty witty and fun as it is in most guy Ritchie movies. Most of it landed pretty well but some of it came off as cringey.
Overall, the action was worth it as long as you don't mind the drab story.
Civil War (2024)
Chilling, thrilling, and dark af
Overall, it is a very chill thriller, based on a dystopian United States, in which the The majority of the United States is up against what remains of the old United States Government and a tyrannical leader played beautifully by Nick Offerman for the limited screen time that he had.
The whole thing gave me a March to Berlin vibe from ww2 when the allies tightened the noose around Nazi Germany Berlin. It was kind of slow in the beginning, but picked up very quickly.
Kirsten Dunst did a great job as a nihilistic veteran journalist who becomes softened when a younger journalist joins them. Joel played by Wagner Moira does a great job of bringing levity to the story. Cracking jokes And smoking weed/drinking when necessary and being serious when needed.
The action is very chaotic. They don't do a great job explaining why the states succeeded, but it's not fully about the story of the United States splitting up, That's just the backdrop, but it's mostly about the cruelty of war And The unspeakable things humans will do in times of conflict and chaos.
It has its flaws, but all in all It's another solid A24 movie.
Fallout (2024)
Best Video game adaption yet
Season 1:
Fallout has a particular flavor when it comes to post apocalyptic tales. Luckily, the show captured it perfectly. The aesthetic was perfect. I felt like I was in the fallout world. You could tell from the junk in the background and the uniforms and the way the armor looked. Whoever did the set design did their homework
The tale of these three characters are great. The characters are very still developed and have great character arcs.
This does a lot of fan service to the people who played the games. If you like sci-fi, post apocalyptic things and/or wacky dark humor you might like this, but if you're more of a casual show watcher, this might not be for you.
But there wasn't a lot to complain about. The ending was okay, but kinda meh. The journey was great but the way it was tied up was not great imo.
I didn't like the liberties they took with some aspects of the lore but I understand this is an adaptation, not a copy of the video games on a different medium.
All in all, I enjoyed the ride. I can't wait for season two.
Monkey Man (2024)
Great action film with a great message
Everything about this movie was great.
Dev Patel killed it as the lead character. Heat acting, great emotions. The story was amazing. It had undertones of many social issues of today, like the widening gap of the rich and poor, the excesses of the rich, racism, etc, not just of India but the world as a whole. The dialogue was well written and meaningful. It was a very serious movie but they were able to inject a few comedic moments.
The production value was my favorite part of the movie. The camera angles were amazing. They were so varied and well done. The fight scenes were well choreographed and looked very believable.
If you like a meaningful martial arts centered action movie you're finds love it.
Road House (2024)
It's okay and not as bad as I thought it would be
Straight from the jump I had low expectations for this movie. It certainly isn't a great movie, but it's not terrible either. It has problems with some of the characters and some of the production value was a bit shoddy.
The story was fine. It was a pretty basic story, but solid. The pacing was fine. They could've cut out a little bit. Some of the dialogue was a bit cringey.
Overall, the characters were probably the weakest part of the movie. The main character didn't have much of an arc. The main villain who is played by a mixed martial arts fighter and not a legitimate actor didn't do well either. It's to be expected, but he supposed to be the main villain, so I was hoping they get some more acting chops. But Connor McGregor should stick to fighting.
Overall, it was OK at best. A Shoddy b level movie at worst.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
It has everything you want in a dune sequel
Before I get Into detail about this movie I just want to say that it's a fantastic movie and it's everything I wanted from the sequel.
The story is on point. It's very well paced and it doesn't drag like some parts of the first movie. The dialogue is well written, and impactful.
The main character arc is awesome. The story arc of other supporting characters is also very well done. They have great character development. The new antagonist is awesome.
The production value was very good. The score like the last film was amazing. The editing was on point. I just have nothing but good things to say about this movie.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
Very mediocre, but better than the Star Wars sequels
I really wanted to give this a better score, but there were too many glaring faults. It's very mediocre and borrows heavily from different sci-fi instead of making its own world.
In terms of the story, it's not too bad. The story itself isn't much of a copy of Star Wars, like others have said, but it feels like more of a copy of seven samurai minus the scene where they help defend the village. Which will probably be the next film.
The characters are pretty shallow in my opinion. The main character was OK with no story whatsoever. Her character development was good, but that's about it. The character development of the other characters are very shallow as well.
The production value was good. The visual effects were good, but he uses Slo mo was way too much. There were several scenes in which slow mo was definitely warranted, but not 20 to 30 minutes of the actual film lol.
Overall better than the modern sci-fi we've seen recently, but still pretty mediocre, which is sad.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Whether you're a fan of Pro wrestling or not, you'll love this sad, but amazing film
Let me preface this by saying I am not a fan of pro wrestling at all. I actually think it's kind of silly but this film is great regardless
As always A24 delivers another great film. The acting is amazing. The story and dialogue are great. Everything about this film is awesome. It is a bit sad though. But coming in, I knew it was gonna be sad because I knew a little bit about the Von Erics from my dad who loves pro wrestling.
Zac Efron does an amazing job as the lead in this film. The co stars that played his family do a great job as well. Zac Efron and pretty much every major character has an amazing arc and a lot of development. They also have very good chemistry on screen.
Story wise it is a very good story, but very sad at the same time. It does have the benefit of being based off of a truly amazing story of a family of athletes. The dialogue is very well written. The story goes very smoothly.
The production value was good. I've come to expect a good production value when it comes to A24 films. The cinematography isn't as crazy or unique as a normal A24 film but they still do a good job regardless.
Overall, it's worth the time and money you spend.
Silent Night (2023)
All action no substance
I'll preface this review by saying it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. But if you line violence filled films you'll like this one
The story is very basic and not really well paced in the beginning. The arc of the main catcher is pretty meh. I just didn't feel connected to toss story that much. But the action scenes were great and well choreographed. There's plenty of slow mo which OS pretty typical for a John Woo film.
The lack of dialogue does hurt the film. Very few films have been able to pull of a film worth next to no dialogue from the main character. You need powerful supporting characters and's this film didn't have it. The main actor OSS great but he's not an emotional actor so he's alil out of his element imo.
Cherry (2021)
Riveting story it gets better as it goes forward
Overall, it's a very good movie. Have a great message with a great story and a good cast.
It's a bit slow initially, but it ramps up quick, and it becomes a very powerful look at soldiers and what many have to go through when they come back. Tom Holland does an amazing job at portraying, PTSD and drug addiction. However, the Casting is a bit top-heavy in terms of talent. Tom Holland is the stand out with only a few other good actors/actresses.
Overall, the production value is spot on. The directors and cinematographers know what they're doing with great camera, angles, and good editing. The score was definitely adequate. It isn't even groundbreaking, but it will do.
It is a bit dark, so if you're not into that kind of movie, you're not gonna like it. But it is a great human story.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Great acting, but the story direction was all wrong
The acting was magnificent. Leonardo Capriano, and Lily Gladstones an amazing job. Robert De Niro killed it as the creepy and somewhat sadistic De Niro I know from Cape fear. The production value is on point nothing technical stunk about it.
It was an interesting story, and I actually enjoyed it some more but I felt that it was built as being this crazy thriller like death and violence but it's more of a Shakespearean tragedy. It's a slow burn Shakespearean tragedy that takes a while to unfold. Some will love it and others will hate it. I think they should've focused on telling a different character's story than the main's.
The Creator (2023)
And interesting, unfortunately, uncanny resemblance to our own times
This movie was very interesting. It was formulaic of the old sci-fi, trope of man versus machine, but it had additional layers to it as well. It's not gonna win an Academy award probably, but it is a well-made film from a good Director who has done well in the sci-fi genre. If you like sci-fi, you're probably gonna like this.
In general, the casting was pretty well done. The two main characters were amazing and a good chemistry together. The two main characters had a great story arc, and there was a lot of character development behind them as well.
The story was very good with a lot of twists and turns some comic relief with a crazy emotional ending.
The production value wasn't anything to write home about, but it did it's job.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Another great Nolan movie
This movie does many things well, including production value, the characters, and the story itself. If you like Nolan films, you are going to thoroughly enjoy this.
As with most Nolan films, it has an intricately woven story that you have to really pay attention to. But the story is amazing. Three hours and I didn't look at my phone once.
The main character Oppenheimer played by Cillian Murphy was amazing. The character had great character development, as well as a great story arc.
The production value was amazing. The cinematography was great in the score as always with any Nolan film is amazing.
What struck me most about this film was at times it almost seemed like a thriller. There were no major action scenes, or "jump" scares which makes the production value even better.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
A fun fantasy film that's worth a watch
Disclaimer: I am not a D&D fan. I am reviewing this slowly on It's merits as a stand-alone film and not on how well D&D was adapted to a new medium.
I came into this film with no expectation of out being good but I was pleasantly surprised.
Actors were very well casted and had good chemistry. Most of the characters had the character development so you actually cared about them. The main character had a very good character arc. NGL solid as can be.
In terms of production value it was very well done, and some of the camera angles were really cool. The editing and CGI were very good. I was especially surprised that the fight scenes had very few cuts.
The story was good and well paced. The dialogue was well written, and funny without being cringe.
All in all it's a good movie especially if you like fantasy films. But it's not a serious fantasy film like Lord of the rings. And as a bonus they actually got the concept of dragons correct. Yes dragons have four legs not two lol.
The Whale (2022)
Heartbreaking and beautiful
This film isn't perfect in anyway, but the acting is tremendous. Brendan Fraser murders a role in a good way. His nurse friend in the film was fantastic and had a great chemistry. And the other support characters were great as well.
Production quality wise it was generally good. The score was great, and I helped add depth to the actors' performances.
The story was very slow, but it was that kind of movie, so you can't really hold that against it. But if you like extremely fast paced movies with a lot of action, you we will get bored by the story.
What I love about this movie was the pure emotion of the movie. I usually don't cry during movies with this made me cry several times.
Cocaine Bear (2023)
It's exactly what it is supposed to be, and it doesn't lie about it
This film is exactly what you think it is. It's a bear on cocaine going crazy in the woods. That doesn't mean it's not good. It's actually surprisingly good.
It's such a good thriller. You're on the edge of your seat for most of it and when you're not on the edge of your seat, you're laughing your ass off.
The cast is actually very unrelated. Keri Russell is phenomenal. Alden Ehrenreich And O'Shea Jackson Jr (Ice Cube's son) are great together and have great chemistry.
The production value is so so it is definitely not a super high budget film. But it doesn't look bad. The editing as well done especially during the action scenes and the CGI is actually pretty good.