Revuer223 Reviews

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Timothée Chalamet's Finest Performance

[10/10 · 4 March 2024]

Known for his skinny and boyish look, I was nervous about the transformation necessary to play the part of matured Paul. Chalamet was perfect for the coming-of-age stage of Paul's character and he nailed his part in Part One and the first hour of Part Two. But could he play the part of a bloodthirsty military leader hellbent on revenge, and later the role of a reluctant Emperor of the Known Universe?

Yes. Chalamet exudes charisma. He has in him a powerful masculine voice and is able to deliver combat sequences well. His depressed and sullen acting perfectly embodies the curse and the pain of prescience, the tragic necessity of the Golden Path at the expense of the prescient mind's humanity.

Seeing him play the part of a messianic military leader, I wouldn't mind seeing Chalamet try a hand in playing an action hero after bulking up a bit.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

A Restrained Masterpiece

[10/10 · 23 July 2023]

We know that the bomb worked. We know history. But the weeds of it, we do not.

The writing, the acting, and, most of all, the restraint made this movie into a trie masterpiece.

And I really do want to emphasize the restraint in my review. A studio exec or a less experienced director could have added in a scene where the bomb actually gets used In Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They would have made a spectacle out of it with CGI.

But Nolan did not. Nolan trusted his writing and the ability of the actors to deliver the guttural horror of the atomic destruction in relative silence. Even without showing the physical destruction, the destructive nature of the weapon becomes too clear in more ways than one.

After you see the movie, you truly realize that it was destructive to humanity in more ways than one. You get the sense that it was a spiritual and moral destruction, a blasphememous grasp at power.

Now, thee movie doesn't say all that in a speech. But the acting and the writing makes it too clear.

A phenomenal movie that all should watch.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Could Have Been Great. 2nd Half Brings It Down.

[6/10 · 23 July 2023]

The quality, the humor, and the writing of the movie is fun for a while. It's quirky and it's unique. When they get into the weeds and try to explore deeper themes, the movie is a miss. The middle expositional phase of the movie, I must say, is a bore.

The movie was so close to being great, but it was incapable of delivering a message without having a character literally give a speech worth of dialogue.

What could have been a great satire and what began as a cleverly funny movie turned into a preachy and moralizing movie in the end. But I guess the charm of the first half of the movie made up for the shortcomings.

The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)

Taste of the Witcher without Henry to come

[1/10 · 27 December 2022]

This show released in the midst of Henry Cavill's exit from the Witcher series, supposedly over conflicts between the production team. Cavill is a known Witcher nerd with deep knowledge of the lore and the core messaging behind the source material. I would consider myself one as well. The way I see it, Henry Cavill may have played more than the Geralt of Rivia. He may have doubled as the Quality Control Officer.

This show fails in so many respects, but here are the bullet points:

1. This show does not appeal to the fans of the source material, including myself.

2. Acting and choreography is so poor that it wastes Michelle Yeoh's talent away. You can even see the resentment in her eyes, screaming "oh, no... what have I signed up to?"

3. Writing is so poor, leading to poor acting. The structure of the story is utter rubbish and rushed.

4. Set pieces and costumes are on par with Rings of Power. Extremely cheap looking.

If this is what they create without Henry Cavill watching over the series and challenging the production team, one can only imagine the disasters to come for the Witcher franchise.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Overblown and Oversaturated Airplane Movie

[6/10 · 11 November 2022]

At this point, Marvel is getting too saturated for its own good. The movie's beginning and the end is good, but the middle is too slow and crammed with corporate-mandated plot requirements, so much so that the writers didn't know what to do.

I really feel that this is the product of unrealistic corporate deadlines, leading to incohesive and plot-hole ridden story, subpar CGI, and morally problematic characters that we are supposed to think are heroes. I don't think Marvel is really taking the time to quality check.

To start, the villain is not really likeable or unlikeable. The villain just sort of exists. At least the first Black Panther movie had a villain that was likeable, carried by the performance of Michael B. Jordan. Another point of weakness is how Ironheart was crammed into the plot as required by Disney. As they tried to cram her in, plot points began to crack (which will not be mentioned here due to spoilers). The story is not cohesive. The third, and perhaps the biggest, point of weakness is the action scenes.

Action scenes, you would think, would be the centerpieces of superhero movies, right? But Marvel's sweat-shop CGI studios seem to lack the motivation or at least the time to render quality products, not to mention how the choreography is sub-par as well. At the end, Black Panther 2's action scenes are forgettable.

It is mildly entertaining enough to be an airplane or a steam-at-home movie, but this is by no means a great movie.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Ignore 1/10 and 10/10 bombers. Looks Expensive, Feels Cheap. OK to pass time. Nothing more.

[6/10 · 2 September 2022]

Ignore 1/10 and 10/10 bombers. We know what's going on. The show has been in a PR nightmare its entire production starting with rumors of "tasteful nudity" and with a legitimate Tolkien scholar quitting (or booted off?) off the advisory role he had. When casting list was revealed, purists were already disappointed and political progressives started to defend the show out of spite and with the intent of justifying the political choice Amazon made with equal level of zeal as the purists.

But none of that matters in judging cinematography. In my opinion, the show looks great. That is to say it looks expensive as expected. But the show feels cheap. That is to say the show feels like it was written and acted by C-list talents. To begin, none of the actors have the pedigree of Sir Ian or Andy Serkis, whose performances anchored the Peter Jackson Trilogy. Of course, the viewers will have sky-high expectations. Amazon failed to deliver almost spectacularly. Morfydd Clark lacks the gravitas and commanding presence her character is clearly supposed to have and some actors in the show have no business portraying a serious character (or have a convincing Scottish accent).

Moving on to writing, there are narrative mistakes in this show from a story telling perspective. There are minor storylines that fail to have a payoff later on, a mistake that only serves to extend the runtime. Moreover, the dialogue feels uninspiring and, due to its uninspiring nature, gives actors less to work on.

Amazon had the ability to throw a sinful amount of money at the project. But it seems that its budget went to CGI and set pieces and not to talents that truly, truly matter.

No Time to Die (2021)

A fitting end for a Millenial Bond

[8/10 · 10 October 2021]

By "millennial," I don't mean that Daniel Craig is one. Just the current reboot.

Casino Royale set the tone far different from its ancestors, and No Time to Die follows close suit. It's less funny. It's less light-hearted. It's more serious and more brutal. There are psychological complexities to villains unseen in a more cartoonish past versions of Bond films.

This film was a fitting end to the saga. The art direction and the action sequences are the best in the whole series, and Lea Seydoux's acting takes it up a notch, far from being a dull Bond girl like the last film.

Not the best ever of an action film. But this is a good end to a saga.

The Guilty (2021)

7.5/10 Offsetting strange ratings

[10/10 · 9 October 2021]

Jake Gyllenhaal absolutely crushes the performance. The emotions, the dialogue, the back story beautifully comes together. Not the best, but still beautiful.

Sure, this movie is not worth a repeat watch, but it is unique enough, both in style and substance, apart from its Danish parent. They made a movie slightly more relevant to the American experience, in a good way.

If you want to be see what a good one-man show looks like, this is the film for you.

Dave Chappelle: The Closer (2021 TV Special)

Inb4 Critics -- all jokes are critical. So lighten up.

[10/10 · 7 October 2021]

All jokes are critical or offensive to someone/something. Trump jokes? Offensive to Trump. Asian jokes? Offensive to Asians. Laughing at someone falling down? Critical of someone who got injured. Dave is a botton pusher, and he's good at it.

The so-called critics, whose profession intrinsically involves reading, listening, and interpreting the words spoken on the screen to a cogent article, will willfully and without scruples misinterpret this show against Dave. I don't think anyone with half a brain could interpret Dave's jokes as "transphobic." Either their English comprehension is poor or they don't care if they label someone as something evil without legitimate proof.

This is funny. If you're into offensive jokes, this is for you. If you don't like offensive jokes, it's ok to not like it. But don't punch down on Dave.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

7, not 10. But want to compensate

[10/10 · 19 December 2019]

I'm giving it a 10 to hopefully counteract angry fans. As for the actual review, I give it a 7/10. It's ok. It's not bad. It is visually stunning and gorgeous to watch everything happen. But the plot is convoluted. To be fair to the film, nothing much of a plot development occurred in the last movie. I mean, the whole of the Last Jedi is but a 36 hour jump from the end of the Force Awakens. It was inevitable that the plot of this movie to be convoluted.

At this point, I'm ok with an ok Star Wars movie, and this is ok.

Arthdal Chronicles (2019–2023)

Standard Korean Historical Drama Formula Had a Child With Fantacy

[10/10 · 24 June 2019]

I would give this show a 8 stars so far, but I give it a 10 to counteract some undeserved reviews.

This is not a carbon copy, nor is this show influenced by Game of Thrones. If you are familiar with Korean Historical dramas, they are usually set in politically treacherous time in Korean history. The same goes for all East Asian historical dramas. Game of Thrones' political twists, you might say, are merely influenced by historical events. In fact, Martin admitted as much.

Arthdal Chronicles is loosely based on Korean mythology regarding the First City called Ah-sa-dal. The names mentioned within the shows are loose derivations of characters in the mythology. This is just a fantacy twist of how Korean Historical dramas usually go. All the political backstabs and maneuverings are standard in Korean shows depicting the past.

With that said, the show is beautifully choreographed and its aesthetics are top notch. I would not expect anything less from Studio Dragon production.

Disenchantment (2018–2023)

An Outdated Formula That Doesn't Work

[6/10 · 18 August 2018]

If this show was an early 2000's animated show, this would have been considered O.K.

In an age of Family Guy, F is For Family, and Rick and Morty, the show is too bland for adult taste. A PG rated animated series no longer entertains us too much.

An alcoholic princess with two creatures following her is a sort of character set that's not unique anymore. The humor is not vulgar enough for the modern crowd. And the fantasy setting is not as captivating.

Mr. Sunshine (2018)

Eye Candy for Aesthetes, History Buffs, and Romantics

[10/10 · 31 July 2018]

The show is set in early 20th century Korea, few years away from being occupied by the Japanese Empire. The ruling Joseon dynasty has finally opened up their ports to Western powers and modernization is happening at an unprecedented pace for historically xenophobic Koreans.

The setting is a playground for showmakers to flaunt the beauties of multiple cultures: Korean, Japanese, and Western. And they flaunt them masterfully, coupled with the beautiful Korean geography. For every episode I was overtaken by the aesthetics of the show.

The show is also a subject of interest for history buffs. As Westerners watching the show, Korean history is probably the last thing we would be interested by. It is interesting to see how the show portrays adapting Korean people and how foreign involvements in Korea during the period played out. Also, the main character features a Korean-American Marine Corps captain. Sounds far-fetched? Surprisingly not, I have found.

And, of course, the romance. I should not say too much, but I will say that the show will make you cheer for the male and female leads.

In sum, this show offers no other show has to the greater international audience. I found Netflix to be quite dull when it comes to recent originals. But Netflix really outdid themselves this time around.

Altered Carbon (2018–2020)

Could Have Been 10, But Lacking Deep Dialogues

[8/10 · 3 February 2018]

This movie is hands down the most breathtakingly beautiful show out in the market. The show reminds me of the newer Bladerunner movie, and the atmosphere is similar also. And this is not a critique but a compliment. The genre is critically lacking in the industry in my opinion.

Yet the movie lacks a deep dialogue. I realized that I was hyper-enganged with the show because of the world-building aspect of every scene. I was curious what this new world I am exposed to and how humanity panned out a millennia down the line. There were philosophical bits here and there, but the dialogue themselves were rather dry and cliched.

This is due to the flaw in the writing method: instead of leaving a trail of breadcrumbs easy enough for the audience to follow and have the characters engage each other like no explaining is left to be said, they dedicate too much line to world-building.

If you can look past the dialogues, boy... you will LOVE this show.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

Objectively Poorly Executed Movie: Not Coming From a Die-Hard Fan

[5/10 · 23 December 2017]

Minor spoilers ahead.

The reason why I give this movie such a low review is simply because it fails to follow through narrative/character mechanics any competent storyteller should employ if not intending the story to be some sort of bizarre postmodern project. I watched the film with friends as per their request on an opening night. Otherwise, I would not have gone so early. Coming out, I really wanted to like the movie, but something about it felt intuitively wrong. It seems that I wasn't the only one. I've done some reading on why people were disappointed, but, as I am not a die hard fan, I could not catch on to all the supposed plot holes. I am coming strictly from how the film is structured and how it defies tried-and-proven methods of storytelling, leading to a poorly executed entertainment product. Two points: Pacing and Characters.

1) Pacing At very beginning of the movie, the story tellers introduce a sense of urgency right off the bat. The puny rebel fleet, which consists of one battleship and two support ships, after engaging with the First Order, are running out of fuel while the first order is pursuing them. Within hours, the fuel will run out and they will be destroyed.

However, the two intertwining story-lines, Rey/Luke and Finn/Rose, do not reflect the urgency at all. Rey and Luke are having a relatively peaceful time on a beautiful island, and Finn and Rose are commenting on how animals are mistreated and how wonderful the casino city is.

The movie defies the pacing mechanics ALL movies should employ: simply being consistent. If you introduce a sense of urgency, you must keep that sense of urgency in all subsequent scenes until the urgent circumstances come to an end. Likewise, if you introduce a sense of peacefulness, you must keep that slow-paced peace until a crisis is introduced. It's simple storytelling 101 mechanics even B movies that go straight to DVDs employ.

It is quite disappointing how the movie failed to do this one simple thing.

2) Characters The flaw, which turned out to be quite fatal with the fans, is how underdeveloped so many of the characters are. In an already expansive cast of characters introduced by the previous movies, they introduced even more characters we are supposed to feel for. Namely, Rose and Admiral Holdo. Rose is introduced out of nowhere and begins to assist Finn. Yet the two characters don't have any "clinks" two or more characters must have in order for us to like them. See soap opera character interactions. Further, Admiral Holdo appears to be some sort of First Order spy, but turned out that she was a loyal rebel after all. This tension, which led to mutiny, is something that does not make sense. On a side note, she took the death scene Carrie Fisher should have deservingly had. What exactly went inside the director's head? Also, Snoke was introduced as the chief bad guy, but he wasn't even fleshed out over the two movies. Each movie must fulfill some sort of curiosity audience members have, while leaving some to ponder on. There needs to be, as the characters love to say, a balance.

The Punisher (2017–2019)

Much More Than Just a Comic Book TV Adaptation

[9/10 · 21 November 2017]

***unsubstantial spoilers ahead***

One of the successes of other Marvel shows Netflix has put out, with the exception of Iron Fist and the Defenders, all deal with pertinent issues in our society. Daredevil with the idea of justice, Jessica Jones with treatment of women by sociopaths, and Luke Cage with the black struggle. The Punisher deals with two issues: the way our veterans are treated and the Second Amendment.

"Sic semper tyrannis," or "thus always (death) to tyrants" is the theme of the show. This phrase spoken in the first episode set the stage clear that the anti-hero is about to take on the governmental abuse. Indeed, one of the characters in reply asks: "Do you think that our government is a tyrant?" Indeed, throughout the show, the audience is exposed to numerous acts of governmental overreach and corruption.

Through this phrase, what appears to be our generic CIA spook abusing soldiers type of action cliché develops into something deeper. And this theme is developed by the underwoven dialogue about the Second Amendment.

I first thought that the character who is an NRA member speaking of radical things was just another way of Netflix's virtue signalling, as it has with so many of their shows like Sense 8. But I changed my mind when I saw them using one of the protagonists to justify concealed carry and when they made a liberal politician look like a hypocrite. In effect, the show maintains at least an open view toward what the Second Amendment entails.

The concealed carry discussion was spoken of in light of self- protection. But the way the Punisher uses guns, and how it was necessary to fight off CIA-hired gunmen, adds a whole new level to the discussion: Is it prudent for people to have military-grade guns to protect ourselves from governmental overreach?

When it comes to actions sequences, the showmakers did exactly what they did in Daredevil season 2, which is pitch-perfect. I never thought that the Punisher adaptation could be anything more than a clichéd action movie, but this show here is a masterpiece.

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

Cliché Done Right

[8/10 · 4 September 2017]

I give this 7.5. Sadly, IMDb does not give me the option to give decimal stars. So I generously round up to an 8.

Let me tell you right away: This movie is something you watch with your brain turned off while being tipsy after three drinks.

The title is "The Hit-man's Bodyguard" starring Samuel Jackson. The trailers even over play the motherf****r cliché of Sam Jackson. Right off the bat, you expect this movie to be a cliché-fest filled with guns and off-topic romantic interests.

What the movie gets right is the chemistry between two actors: Samuel Jackson and Ryan Reynolds. It was brilliant to have these two actors in the movie. Otherwise, the movie would have been a big fail.

These two guys, however, keep the scenes lively through their experienced comedy acting. Hell, the scripts were probably written with these two guys in mind.

There are awesome actions sequences and hilarious dialogues included in this movie, as you would expect from these two actors.

If you are not expecting too much and a little tipsy from over- priced theater alcohol, you will love this movie.

The Defenders (2017)

Empty, Messy, and Boring

[6/10 · 21 August 2017]

I had high expectations for this show. I thought that the writers could take a different direction from the failures of Iron Fist, a bland show with no depth whatsoever in its own right.

Instead of exploring societal and philosophical issues in a meaningful way like in Daredevil (moral dilemmas), Jessica Jones (women's experience), and Luke Cage (black struggle), one of the reasons why the aforementioned shows were so great and offered layers of personalities to the characters, The Defenders leaves little to add on to the character's depth.

Hell, even Iron Fist tried to explore a moral issue (corporate greed), though it failed miserably.

While DD, JJ, and LK explored what it means to be a hero in a dark and morally corrupt world, Iron First and The Defenders are off-tone than the rest of the universe. The portrayal of the villains are almost childish, and likewise the story-line feels childish like a bad cartoon.

Because of lack of substance and childish story-line, the show feels empty, messy, and excruciatingly boring. Though the series is short due to its 8 episodes, the show still felt a bit dragged.

I only hope they don't muck up The Punisher and subsequent Daredevil seasons.

The Battleship Island (2017)

A Blissful Middle Between Tarantino's Revenge Fantasy and Historical Drama

[8/10 · 6 August 2017]

***Minor Spoilers Ahead***

I've read four "professional" critics' reviews on Metacritics so far, and I do not believe that they are doing justice to the movie. So I write mine own here.

The movie, although inspired by the harsh conditions of Japanese occupation of Korea, is highly fictional, and the last action piece never happened.

That said, the movie is a re-visioned piece, much like Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds." The movie borrows many elements from Tarantino. 1) Inhumane treatment by historically superior entity, 2) re- visioned telling of the story, and 3) interim comedy.

The third element is one this movie executes well. The comedic relationship between the two main characters, along with the horrific conditions they are placed in, make you feel invested in their future.

As it is with Korean cinematic custom, the actions sequence was brutally violent. However, it was magnificently done. Every minute of it I was clutching the sides of my seat, hoping that the protagonists would prevail.

The movie also has layers of hidden messages that perhaps foreigners might not get. The movie's ending action piece is accompanied by "Ecstasy of Gold." The music feels out of place yet it oddly fits into the narrative of the entire movie. There, the filmmaker's alluding to the same message "The Good and the Bad and the Ugly" presents in its scene. The scene from "the Good" shows a man* running in a mass graveyard but ecstatic due to his satisfaction of greed. What should be a solemn and mournful place is turned to a fest of greed.

The message is toward current Korean culture. Likewise, the filmmaker is criticizing Koreans who live blissfully in unparalleled amount of wealth, almost forgetting the holocaust their ancestors suffered merely two generations ago.

The downside is that there is a lack of development for other characters. By consequence, the side-plot feels out of place and too sudden. There is a twist in the middle, but that twist is likewise affected by the underdevelopment of characters. A good twist needs breadcrumbs leading up to the twist so that it gives the audience the feeling of "aha!" after combining all the clues. This movie had none.

In sum, this movie is a great piece that reminds Koreans of the horrors of their ancestors. And, for us foreigners, the movie is informative of the actions of the other side of the AXIS during World War II. It is a historical fact that this island is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Though the Japanese came to an agreement with Koreans that the site used forced labor, they are not providing this information on their tour program and their tour website.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020)

Like Fine Aging Wine: A Show that Keeps Getting Better

[10/10 · 6 July 2017]

I give this show a solid 8.5, though I rate it as 10 to possibly offset the reviews made based on the first half of the first season. To know what I think, I consider Game of Thrones to be the only 10, because it is probably as good as a TV show can get.

The 7.5 score this show currently has probably lives up to the rating... if the score is based on the first 10 or so episodes. The show started off bland and clichéd. The first couple episodes were interesting, and had fun character interactions. But they began to bore really fast as I got accustomed to their personalities. The substance didn't really help at all, because the main plot point didn't seem to go anywhere.

However, the show really kicks off at the start of the second half of the first season. The show's plot line didn't rely on the main MCU movies. It offers a nod to the main movies, but the show operates almost independently from whatever is going on in the movies. So even if you are not a big Marvel fan, you can still enjoy the show without knowing much of the movies.

The show gets even better in the second, third, and fourth seasons as the show adds new characters and develops existing ones. The boring dynamics of the first couple episodes develop into something great.

Along with excellent CGI and action sequences, there's rarely a dull moment in each of the episodes.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Average Movie That is Not Close to the Hype

[7/10 · 18 June 2017]

To be truly honest, the reason why this movie is loved so much is because of the women's rights undertone people are weaving in. It seems that it is simply culturally and politically "correct" to be in love with this movie in the context of the current feminist movement embraced by major entertainment and news outlets. But let's look at the movie by its merits.

Wonder Woman is a perfectly average and entertaining superhero movie. The movie does have "aha!" moments that make us feel as though we have made moral strides toward better treatment of women, and it does focus on that issue rightly through this character. But here are the parts the movie falls short:

The movie, I think, has foregone that philosophical dialogue "Man of Steele" and "Batman vs. Superman" have undertaken under Zack Snyder. Many have seen the philosophical aspects of the previous two DC movies as its weakness. I think the studio took a wrong turn; they should have doubled-down on it and make the message clear.

The choice of setting as WW1 instead of WW2 is not coincidental, I think. The main antagonist is Ares, a god who manipulates people. WW1 is as gray as a war gets in modern history: there is no clear good and evil like, say, WW2 and the Korean War. The script could have explored the exploits of British imperialism along wit the cruelty of the Germans. But the movie went full WW2 and vilified the Germans only. In turn, the purpose of Ares is next to useless.

Speaking of Ares, the last fight scene was too cartooney in comparison to the rest of the movie. The previous fight scenes were of gritty fields of no-man's land. But the last scene was of a British gentleman cosplaying with a horned set of armor.

Another part is the complete lack of character development except Wonder Woman. The movie's protagonists are diverse, but getting diversity points is all they are good for. Sure, they have a few wisecracking lines here and there, but any character or actors could have delivered that.

The real highlight is Gal Gadot's portrayal of Wonder Woman. Many, including myself, loved her as Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman. She may be enough to dazzle the viewers into loving the movie. But, sadly, that is the only thing that's outstanding about the movie. Under stricter scrutiny, Wonder Woman is not great. It's good and entertaining, to be sure. But it's not one for the history books.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Review Scores Ruined by "Fans": Watch and Judge for Yourself!

[10/10 · 21 May 2017]

Minor spoilers ahead. I give this movie a 10, though I believe it to be a solid 7.8. The movie, as I write right now, stands at 6.9. The lower-than-expected rating is mostly by disappointed fans who wanted something for themselves. It is my hope that I compensate for the senseless and immature 1 star reviews. Movies, as are all forms of expressive mediums, ought to be viewed in light of a movie's entertainment value, narrative mechanisms, and, most of all, in light of the movie's genre. I see people disappointed about the "plot." It should be noted that the Alien franchise was primarily a horror franchise. The current installation brings the franchise around to its horror roots of the first Alien. Having that said, horror films by nature deliver very little plot: People flee and get killed by monsters, only one or two survives. So over-analyzing the main plot arch is an unjust and unproductive thing to do. Think back to the original Alien. Only a fool would say that the plot was "good." What made the first movie great was not the plot. What is productive is the background theme and the way the movie makes you feel. The movie combines the suspense that was absent from Prometheus, and the mystery that yet surrounds the Engineers and Xenomorphs excellently. The movie teases tiny bit about the Engineers, satisfying the curiosity I developed for them in Prometheus. But above all, I think Ridley Scott pulled what the original Alien movie did right: suspense. The suspense mechanisms were not as masterful as the first, to be sure. But it still has traces of a master filmmaker. The elements I have mentioned would bring the movie to a good 7.3. But I am compelled to add another .5 because of its thematic approach to the franchise. The movie continues the philosophical dialogue that began in Prometheus. It does something that the horror genre rarely do, and the movie does it well; it is a bold move that paid off. Is this film as good as the original? No. But it is a horror film that transcends the horror genre, leading the audience to engage intellectually.