rgkarim Reviews

Back to Black (2024)

Emotional Emulation Blacks Out On Pace

[6/10 · 19 May 2024]

LIKES:

Great Acting

Layered Cinematography

Love The Setting

Decently Contained/Edited

Makeup/Wardrobe Department

Powerful Music

Enjoyed The Performances/Depictions

Artistical Direction At Times

Emotional At Times:

Summary The movie's primary benefit (in my opinion) is the use of Hollywood's resources to take us back in time and make the world of her music come to life. Back to Black may not be the most dated period, but it's so much fun to see London take a trip back a few decades and get caught up in the fervor of the early 2000s. Mixed with costumes and make-up to bring Winehouse's look to life, especially in the coiffing of her hair in the grungy beehive that she wore so well. An artistic direction that takes advantage of a fantastic department set to revive the woman in her "prime".

Yet, others will most likely be caught up in this dark story of this songstress and a darker side of fame that most can't capture. Back to Black's tale is again artistic, with metaphors mashed into most scenes that bring out the literary devices and add something to the moment. The camera work greatly assists with this, finding a lot of good shots that sort of mirror the mood of the times and foreshadowing things to come without straying too far as some directors do. Taylor-Johnson and Greenhalgh's writing conveys a very emotional story, helping to give their take on Winehouse's journey to show the struggles and using it to build up to musical moments. Powerful musical numbers and sequences, (or perhaps just some background music) are utilized well, giving the audience that musical element they seek (should you be a fan of her music). And bringing it all together is Abela, who does a fantastic job in her mimicry of Winehouse in more ways than one. She's got the dialect and edge in her voice, the look of confidence and rebellion in her mannerisms, and for downfall, moments can play the part of suffering the morning after. It's all an emotional whirl, and the group accomplished much in making an emotional homage to the Jazz singer but still managing to contain it to a respectable degree.

DISLIKES:

Very Sporadic

Lots Of Stories Half Discovered

Numbers Don't Feel Complete

A Lot Of Sex/Drinking scenes

Minimal Relief From Dark

Can Be Boring

Summary: Artistic directions can lead to less entertainment though, something that many reviewers have complained about (alongside the accuracy of this film). Winehouse's life had a lot going on, and despite their best efforts, Back To Black feels very edited and sporadic with the story. While they do a great job with a few of her characters, other plots feel like mere cameos for inclusion sake than anything else, stories that could have helped expand her horizons. This extended to the movie as a whole, where things felt very sporadic, with lots of time jumps that translated semi-well into a cohesive story, but a scattered one at that. This translated to the music at times, numbers that felt shoehorned in as a means to get to this next dramatic moment that became rather repetitive for a viewer like me. And while the movie does clean things up and censor, there is still plenty of debauchery at hand, elements that become quite a chunk of the movie that chops up the momentum and keeps you in the black void of her music. The minimalistic relief from the depression, (especially if you don't enjoy her genre/style) alongside this scattered storytelling style, makes this movie feel slow and boring if you aren't ready for such character profiling.

The VERDICT: Back to Black is a powerful character profile of a troubled story and the music that resonated from those troubles. With solid direction in the camera work, makeup, setting, and design, it's a window back to the past with a powerful actress to spearhead the storytelling. An artistic portrayal to maximize the emotion and make every number hold more than a simple reenactment of her numbers, which may resonate well with fans and similar stories. Yet, this biopic still does not hold the same entertainment value that other films had in the past. Winehouse's dark story is not going to be for everyone and the little relief from it with the scattered storytelling and incomplete numbers does not compensate enough for this film's tedious pacing. Thus, this movie may be best left to only her big fans to see in film (pending you can suspend the accuracy discrepancies), or better yet a home viewing.

My scores are:

Biography/Drama/Music: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 5.5-6.0.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

Strangers To A Lot Of Horror Elements, but A Solid Chapter Of Cinematography

[6/10 · 18 May 2024]

LIKES:

Great Cinematography

Two Protagonists Who Aren't Complete Idiots

Some Suspenseful Moments

Loved The Use Of The Record Player

Good Pacing

Some Creepy

Summary: Strangers is a simpler film than other slashers, but that's not always bad. This movie thrives in great cinematography to keep the movie dynamic, choosing engaging shots and angles to give you the best immersion experience. I found the shadows, the shading, and the order of the shots building on most moments, and helping add to the suspenseful moments that surprised me in this movie. Even more compelling were the protagonists, two people who aren't clear airheads or idiots who are fighting for survival. I always enjoy having better characters than the typical fodder with acting to convey the true pain and terror in their fight against the silent antagonists. Director Harlin has used fantastic cinema techniques to help add some creepy atmosphere at times without going too out of the way, alongside some haunting use of music that works on multiple layers to elicit the emotions and terror of these crazed killers.

DISLIKES:

Not Scary

Not As Engaging As The Last Movie For Me

Limited Action/Antagonistic Development

World Building is Limited

Maybe Needs Some Closer Calls

The Ending is A Tad Bloated

SUMMARY: The movie may have a lot of entertainment value, but it still hasn't stuck out as one of the most unique or haunting films. Our band of Strangers has moments, but the movie's first chapter is rather tame, mediocre, and lacking a lot of world-building or engaging design that many might be hoping for. It's not scary for much of the film if you have experience with this genre, nor does the silent walking and bobbing in the woods make for the most engaging threat. While there are some close calls, the toying drops this suspense quickly and there aren't as many engaging tactics to try and outwit these experienced murderers. And even the world-building is mundane in terms of any meaningful lore or explanations. I get this series is not known for that, but for a reboot, this was the time to start instilling more to the masked culprits to add something. And after all the limited close calls and combats, a bloated ending extends the film by an extra twenty-five minutes with only the last five holding meaning for a set up for the next installment.

The VERDICT: The Strangers' first chapter in the reboot is okay. It's not the worst movie to come out for me, but it needs to take some chances and some storytelling to help add more to this series. , Balancing out the suspense and adding some lore could do wonders to take the strong cinematography work to the fullest effects and give our already strong antagonists some extra fight. This movie could be a fun night out, but I think it's a better night in for a time killer as the suspense is not enough for seasoned viewers of the horror/thriller/slasher cavalcade.

My Scores: Horror: 6.5 Movie Overall: 6.0.

IF (I) (2024)

IF you want an Emotional PUnch, IF Is Where It Is At!

[8/10 · 18 May 2024]

LIKES:

Cute

Good Acting/Voice Work

Fantastic Animation/Editing Blending

Deep Character Dives

Great Soundtrack

Relevant To Some

The Third Act Is Where It Shines

Summary: IF's strengths lie in good acting and writing to convey a cute and deep story that will really strike a chord in those with relatability to the content. The characters have a lot of soul-searching and dive into their psyche, with fantastic guidance that fits into the story and never feels too preachy or exaggerated. Krasinksi continues to impress me with how he can integrate such things and not let it become the whole movie and how natural it feels when the material relates to you. Especially in the third act, where everything comes together in a stellar combination of emotions, comedy, and music that had me tearing up at times. Aside from the storytelling, IF is also impressive in the graphics, feeling much like Roger Rabbit, but with more 3-D animation that moves fluidly, is cartoony in design, creative in execution, and maintains that cuteness. Add in a fun soundtrack and a few fun "numbers", and you round out the likes with a production value I like to see in movies.

DISLIKES:

Not As Funny

Many Characters are Voice Cameos only

Some Plots That Need More Finesse

Boring And Aimless For Much Of The Acts

SUMMARY: This movie looked to be something that kids and kids at heart would dive into and come back every day to watch. And they still might. However, IF feels a little limited in how adult this movie is and how lacking in the younger audience tropes that Hollywood studios thrive on. Comedy is limited and sometimes a bit overhead, lacking slapstick or repeated lines that annoy parents. Those characters I mentioned before may have good design and animation but are not present in most movies outside of Blossom and Blue. These plots they introduce are cute and corky, but they are very truncated until the end and hastily wrapped up with the emotional third act. Krasinki's direction is deep, but I feel that this film has a lot of edits that tore up the direction and pacing of the story feel a tad aimless, which without the emotional connection, may be boring and tiresome for younger audiences or those looking for a Ryan Reynolds comedy knockout.

The VERDICT I found this movie to hold much quality in the emotions that it churned up, (the first movie to make me tear up in about two years). IF is charming and endearing with kid qualities that make it family-friendly and not too scary with their top-notch animation and editing that made these relationships so much fun and believable. Acting-wise, the movie is quality promised by the cast, though much of the group are mere cameos and one-liners before their stories go away. And alongside the lack of a direction at times, nor the typical Reynolds' humor, this trek to the third and powerful act may not be for everyone. Thus, those ready for an emotional comedy should hit theaters, while those wanting to wait and test at home are encouraged to do so with this movie.

My scores are: Animation/Comedy/Drama: 8.0 (primarily for animation/drama) Movie Overall: 7.0-7.5.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

A Kingdom Of Potential and Quality

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

LIKES:

Spectacular Animation

Great Sound Editing

Fantastic Writing/Dialog

Wonderful world-building Story

Acting Is Beautiful

Very Deep And Sets Up Lots Of Plots

Summary: The start of the likes involves the production quality that Ball's team brought to the screen. Kingdom's animation is beautiful, motion capture at its finest with a blend of reality and CGI coming together in ways that may not completely erase the line between worlds, but make it miniscule. The characters hold many astounding details, movements captured in surprising accuracy, textures that change as they are affected by the environment, and emotions that somehow blend humans and apes into one. Accompanying the visuals are sound effects and editing, and come together to bring out that primal fury that comes with every grunt, groan, and roar of the dominating forces. The sounds are not distracting, but rather accessories that help convey each person's emotions, which supports the strong writing packed into this film.

Past the production quality, the story is impressive for a first installment into the next trilogy of this movie franchise. Kingdom is a world-building movie bridging the audience to the next arc of this franchise as they shape the direction of this franchise. They present elements of the old to remind us of the previous trilogy but never get lost in the past to distract the movie from Noa's quest to explore the world. The writers made Kingdom its own film, building from the foundation to make something that can be an exciting trilogy depending on the sequels to come. A deep narrative that explores so much and integrates these pieces into a movie that flowed and came off natural as the next wave of evolution occurred, bringing with it several plots to pursue in the next installment. The dialog carries a lot of the film in the philosophical debates of existence, humanity, and character, yet seldom got caught up in corny monologues or soap opera temper tantrums. And the actors and actresses who spoke those words were true testaments to their trades. I won't call out individual names, but human and ape actors had such chemistry and conveyed the tension between the two species and their beliefs. Assuming they were the ones acting in the motion capture suits, the actors certainly showed off their physical and verbal performances to match the magnitude of the animation effects.

DISLIKES:

Long

Slow AT Times

Needs Some Action Like The Prequels

William H Macy Needed More Involvement

A Tad Predictable.

Where The Plot Will Match

SUMMARY The movie is long and at times it did feel like it was two-and-half hours with where it dragged (especially during the transitions between acts). That slow aspect was tough at times as we meandered through the dialog that we had heard several times by that point was annoying, but tolerable and fortunately not as frequent as I've seen in other movies. A bit of action could have helped mitigate some of these time-dilation moments and spice things up as Rise of the Planet of the Apes did for me. Sure, some moments are exciting, but the centuries have dampened the action a bit and require another movie to potentially get to the action that had me smiling in delight. Outside of that, the movie's plot has a lot of predictability in the foreshadowing dialogue and focused scenes. Nothing that destroys my enjoyment of the character development, but again could have used just a tad more surprise to bring that wow factor. William H. Macy could have had a more engaging character arc as well, given the potential they were building with him, but alas his character had more of a metaphorical use than I would have liked. Finally, the plot is exciting with the vast directions they can take with the story, but at the same time, I'm not quite sure where or how it will connect to the first movie that started it all. Is that a bad thing? I guess it depends on the type of fan, but the fact there are still plenty of years between them offers some leniency. Still, very interesting with the vague direction where we can go.

The VERDICT: The latest movie of Planet Of the Apes is a wonderful promise of an engaging, character-driven story that will be worth the investment in the future. A solid focus on storytelling and worldbuilding, Kingdom establishes a fracture point to take the series into a new direction that may never cross the original, and does so with a deeper lore than I had anticipated from the trailers. With great dialogue, writing, and acting to sell it, this movie really shines in the quality of a believable relationship between man and ape that is intriguing to watch. As for the production quality, it is a prime specimen of Hollywood evolution that I hardly encourage to be seen in theaters, preferably Imax, for the fantastic visuals and high-definition sound. Sure I myself wanted more action to help speed up and handle the longer run-time of the movie, and perhaps some better use of some actors. Yet, that's about all I can point at for this film and feel this is a solid film to see:

My scores are:

Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 7.5-8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Tarot (I) (2024)

The Cards Point To Okay Movie

[6/10 · 4 May 2024]

LIKES:

The Pacing For Entertainment Purposes

Creature Design

The Card Design

The Atmosphere Setting

The Acting Is Fine

The Comedy To An Extent

The Story Is Better On Some Parts

Summary: Tarot's strengths come in finding new monsters to bring to life and putting them in a means to maximize that design. The cards held illustrations that were chilling, simple pictures with shading and craft that were menacing, disturbing, and a nightmare-inducing illustration that served as a proper gateway to the horrors at hand. When the beasts arise, most are quite chilling and very interesting, a blend of nostalgia and terror that at times was very fitting and other times a bit kiddier, but certainly memorable. Whatever the avatar, our directors brought an atmosphere they played well in, with the modern setting offering plenty of venues to pursue our "heroes" and test their fate. Once the story starts to find some "deeper" qualities, the pairing of the creatures with the kids holds a little more bite and adds some more purpose and drive.

Monsters aside, Tarot is a PG-13 pacing that works to entertain and get you in and out of the theater in the shortest time. It doesn't get too deep in plots, avoids getting too convoluted with the explanations, and leaves the horror elements to do most of the lifting with the loud visuals. Acting-wise, the cast is very pretty and plays the college collaboration well. They can scream, doubt, complain, and banter with the best of them, though they were funnier than some of the movies I've seen with a young cast. Batalon in particular had me cracking up, his style from Spiderman carrying over to a more stubborn and jerk nature that somehow works on many levels for viewers like me. The others have some heart and design that I rooted for them and had only wished for more time to get to know them

DISLIKES:

The Suspense Doesn't Last

Not Scary

Characters Can Be Annoying

The Story Needs Work

The CGI Comes Off Corny At Times

Many Scenes Ruined By The Trailer

Cheesy In The End

Summary: With all that said, the movie fails to live up to the hype of the trailers on many levels for this reviewer. For one thing, the film is not scary. I don't think it's the PG-13 rating as some will blame, and I have to account for my desensitization to being scared by these movies. However, the movie doesn't have enough build-up, teasing, and tactics to make it scary and utilize the horrors to the fullest extent. In addition, most of the moments hold little suspense, quick bouts drowned out by comedy, or cheesiness that felt robbed by editing. Some of the characters did have those elements, there just needed to be something more to accomplish the full effect of what they were going for. And though the designs are good, the CGI effects become too fake for my liking, and could have used some live-action moments to help spice up the bland animation. It's not horrible, but it has enough fake look that some of the horrifying designs were better left on the cards than in real life. Throw in that many of the scenes have already had a lot of showcasing in the trailer and the edge is further dulled by over-presenting.

In terms of the other areas, the story is again okay. Some elements do work when they try to put some layering on their characters and give them some emotions beyond terrified and disbelieving. When the origin story appears, again there was some decent presentation and building I enjoyed and the potential to find solutions to their problems. That potential was lost in my opinion. Any story and engaging plots again weakened by the pace and CW antics that just didn't deliver the horror punch that other movies have done better. Many of the characters started annoying and remained annoying, making them more cannon fodder than engaging to watch. Not the actor's fault at all, but just shallower characters that needed a lot more time and details to thrive. Sadly, in the end, the movie cuts out what little thrills are left for a very emotional, teenage drama, that uses words and some cop-outs to finish the tale. It's not the worst, but again just fell flat from the build-up I had hoped would come after a slow middle trek.

The VERDICT: Tarot accomplished much in the PG-13 department and came out feeling like an Are You Afraid Of The Dark Episode with a bigger budget. Its low levels of scare are brought out mostly by some creepy designs and a shadowy atmosphere than anything else. The cast does its best with writing that is very linear and full of comedic relief, but with enough lines to help give some depth. Sadly, the scares, the plot, the characters, and the suspense are very diluted by the pacing and atmosphere of this movie. A series by Netflix would have been key, with 9-10 episodes to give it everything allow more play with the story, and give this talented cast more time to shine. That or perhaps have fewer kids and a more creative solution or two to fight fate. Either way, the movie's theater-quality lies in design and shadows, but the rest is best seen from the comforts of your home. My scores for this film are:

Horror: 6.5 Movie Overall: 6.0.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Fall Head Over Hells For The Fall Guy

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

LIKES:

The Acting

The Music

The Action

The Dog

The Process/Presentation

The References/Easter Eggs

The Comedy

Summary: The Fall Guy is a movie that plays so well with the themes of Hollywood movie crafting and the tribulations that come with it in a sincere (yet ridiculous) way. Production-wise, the movie accomplishes the task of making a comedy, romance, drama, mystery, and action come together in an amalgamation of unlikely aspects. This Frankenstein-like plot works though, keeping each piece engaging enough and seldom breaking out of the entertaining presentation it's working with. Musical selections were on point, many amazing tracks that sum up the mood and bring those momentous moments to life blared on the speakers alongside the hyperbolic sound effects theaters thrive on. Action scenes are campy and fun, but yet hold the same choreography and feel as the movies they are parodying, helping to tone down the comedic overtones and keep the movie exciting to watch. The comedy itself is a diverse deck of styles for all to enjoy, slapstick moments of ludicrous moves and injuries, catchphrases and running gags that are spaced out and utilized in the plot decently well, and even the dog's utilization had my theater hollering with laugher. What's the secret? It's the fact that they encompass so many tropes, stereotypes, and gimmicks of Hollywood, integrate them into the story, and balance their utilization to help bring all the moments and give an extra kick to the normal styles. Plus, a bonus comes in the form of all the references to movies, shows, and Hollywood dramas they incorporate that will serve as a little game for viewers.

All of these aspects are done well with a talented cast of extras and the leading actors/actresses that take much of the center stage. My shout-outs to actors Hannah Waddingham and Winston Duke, who stole the show with their performances and gave eccentric secondary characters that played well with the leads. Taylor-Johnson is solid in this film, and his idiocy plays a staple in this movie that he continues to pull off well, reminding me of his Kick-Ass roles in how he presented the material. Blunt's performance is as stunning as ever with the range of characters she can play. Playing a lovestruck director with a chip on her shoulder, she pulls the pettiness to a favorable role, but then brings that strength and confidence when she is shouting directions and taking charge of the scene. Gosling is the star of the show though, the center of the web to which all branches spring from. His chemistry with Blunt alone is amazing, but the star interacts with everyone and hits that exaggerated emotion to the point of being entertaining, but not straying too far to the annoying level. I loved all his roles sort of emerging in this part, some elements of Ken that then transfer to his Notebook days, but then goes to the intensity of his Drive days. He's like a Swiss army knife, equipped with lots of tools to bring to this hodge-podge film and I liked it.

DISLIKES:

More Emily Blunt Like At The End

Predictable

Perhaps Needed A Few More Interludes

A Tad Too Crazy And Long At The Final Action Sequence

It's Focus May Be Restrictive

Summary: My dislikes will be very nitpicky, but I'm trying to give objective elements that might limit the enjoyment of the audience as a whole. For one thing, Emily Blunt does have adequate screen time, but I felt at parts she needed more use and integration for being one of the top-billed names. The ending makes up for it, and it does work for the story, but I just felt something was missing in her inclusion in the middle section of the movie. The story as well didn't need to be as predictable as it was. Perhaps this was another comedy element that the director was shooting for, but for the mystery element, I'd have liked a little more depth to the mystery as we tried to figure out the secret of the scenario.

In terms of presentation, the movie may have needed a few interludes to help calm things down and give a bit more of the romantic teasing we saw earlier in the film. Perhaps more filming of the movie, or maybe another addressing of the past, something to help add a little more to the romantic element in the middle of the movie and strengthen it (giving Blunt more time). In addition, the ending action moments match the insanity of this film, but perhaps veered a tad too off the path. Sure, I was laughing and enjoying the cute little plan to tie everything together, but this was where the action, comedy, and romance moments cracked a bit and became overdone to the point of adding unnecessary bloat. Finally, the very thing I enjoy, the cinematic history, references, and Hollywood elements, may also be restrictive to others who don't know all the referenced material. While this may inspire people to research the references, it may also be an annoying distraction to see such devices executed and detract from the stereotypical action/love formula. Two of my friends made this very comment, so this movie may not be as wide-reaching as you might think.

The VERDICT: The Fall Guy turned out to be much more fun than I was expecting it to be. To combine so many elements into a cohesive movie, I certainly enjoyed the presentation for much of the film, with so many references to a world I've invested much time in and how much fun they had with the material. This movie also gives enough of each element to satisfy most fans, and to do so much in about two hours is a feat that I find impressive given the current state of affairs. Many should enjoy the acting granted by the performances, with the chemistry and cast being a tad inconsistent, but certainly optimizing their time when on screen. Is this film perfect? Not by any means. The story is predictable, the antics get farfetched and there are still some balance issues that need more time to hammer out. Yet, these aside, The Fall Guy is another fun time that is maximized by being at the theater and enjoying the effects in full glory. I suggest this one for many audiences to have a night out to see.

My scores:

Action/Comedy/Drama/Romance/Mystery: 8.0-8.5 Movie Overall: 8.0.

Boy Kills World (2023)

Boy's Killer, Comedy Action Thriller

[8/10 · 27 April 2024]

LIKES:

Very Fast Paced

Impressive Music

Fantastic Choreography

The Costumes

Good acting

Several Production Techniques

The Edge

The Comedy

Surprisingly A Tad Deeper

Summary: This is indeed an action movie, the likes of which adrenaline junkies will thrive in as they watch the chaos unfold. Boy Kills World is all action, almost all the time, and floors the gas pedal to unleash as much action in the short time of about 110 minutes. Boy's journey starts with a training montage and continues to dive into various bouts that put a plethora of skills to the test and had my theater shouting in glee. The choreography is fantastic, intertwining several "action" franchises into something that is oddly unique yet familiar. Fist-to-fist fights of martial arts brutality, gunplay matching John Wick's lethality, and anime-like acrobatics the likes of which defy physics. It's silly and over the top, but the result is quite amazing when it comes to pure energy, high-stakes destruction, and escaping reality for some time. It's got an edge that is one part perfect and one part going too far, with a musical soundtrack that blares through the speakers. Heavy metal, rock, and a few other elements pump up the volume and seem to speed the movie up, only making every kill that much more intense to watch. It's the primary bread and butter of this film and if that is what you are seeking, you are in for a very fun time.

Outside of the action component, the movie's other elements are good production quality that shows up in a variety of forms. For one thing, the costumes are perfect for this type of movie, elaborate, unique, and representative of the various boss characters and minions that our hero faces. Fans like me will recognize the influences and perhaps appreciate the attention to detail. Other elements include dynamic camera work that, like the fights, refreshes the movie and gives it a different feel despite the similarities between scenes. Acting is good despite the lack of words, with all our thespians having fun and making their characters very enjoyable to watch, or in some cases the slimeballs that ruin the lives of others. And the comedy is perhaps one of the better elements I've seen in a while, matching the over-the-top theme of the movie scene for scene. The writing is very funny, with the narrative being the best part as Boy's internal voice provides commentary questioning what was going on (e.g. Bob's Burger providing his thoughts on a serious action film). Other tactics involve ridiculous gibberish that is illustrated by Boy's imagination, his "teammate" trying to hype the moment up, slapstick humor during the fights, and a few choice quotes. Though it does tread far sometimes, the movie manages to not ever go excessive with a style, and I can appreciate this balance to keep everything balanced and enjoyable.

DISLIKES:

Too Gory

Minimum Character Development

Story Needed Some Work

Some Sporadic Camera Movement

The Ending

SUMMARY: Sadly, the gore was the excessive component that could have been tapered a bit. Boy Kills World is a very violent movie, one that paints the camera red and makes little apology for it. Those dark moments and close-up shots of the poor victims dying with the gore will be tough for sensitive eyes and stomachs, not to mention one scene that is going to be even harder to watch due to modern times. I can't blame the movie too much on this, but I can wish that the gore wasn't so much a key feature as just the fighting moments alone.

Outside of that, the movie's primary dislikes for me is needing a bit more story and character development to help give it a little more depth. Monkey Man proved you can do this well, and I'd have liked more with some of Boy's characters, especially the other Rebellion members. I can't say it's all bad as there are those deeper moments that tug at the heartstrings, but Boy's tale had room to expand upon the rather limited characters and cliché story. The finale as well is mixed for me. On one part, I love the closure provided and the emotionally fulfilling element, but at the same time feel it was rushed and simplified, perhaps a bit too vague in where they go from the carnage. Finally, the camera work does occasionally get in the way of the fight, getting a bit jittery, or in one case, just a close-up of Skarsgard's face instead of more fun bouts of fatal fury.

The VERDICT: Boy Kills World is an unapologetic violent movie (as the title suggests) and thrives on the adrenaline-stimulating action thrills. A mash-up of many movies and shows of this genre, this movie dives head first into the ridiculous nature and keeps the movie moving with little delay or development. Its humorous narrative is simple, but it works and utilizes all the fundamentals of the film well to just make a fun and entertaining movie (so long as you can deflect the darker elements.). With a bit of heart, some good acting, and production elements that prove not everything is stagnant or too artistic, this movie succeeded on many levels. Yet, the violence with the simplistic story may be a severe limitation for fans, alongside the ridiculous feel of the movie that feels like anime or video games. I highly recommend a theater run for those willing for such a flick, or a home theater that can support such good qualities. My scores for this film are:

Action/Crime/Thriller: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Challengers (2024)

It's A Challenge To Review This Movie

[7/10 · 27 April 2024]

LIKES:

Acting Is Strong

The Dialogue At Times

The Setting Changes/Feel

Original/Artistic One Level

Some Fantastic Tennis Moments

The Music

Summary: The trailers did not mislead in terms of the strong performances present in this film. O'Connor and Faist, are two integral pieces of this movie, portraying complex characters whose arcs require mastery of emotion and personality manipulations. The chemistry between the two is always engaging (despite the material), as they craft strong bonds of brotherhood, tense bouts of alpha-male rivalry, and eventually into something more complex. I found their performances believable, so thorough in their mannerisms and jeers as they navigated the decades spent in the sport and all factors surrounding it. And bringing them together is the zealous Zendaya, who continues to bring phenomenal quality to the trade. Verbal and non-verbal acting is top-notch, master-class, delivery bringing out the inner qualities of the character without trying too hard. Very engaging, and very malicious, and her control of her delivery is something I've come to appreciate in the last few years of her work. All of them bring out writing that is layered with realism, cleverness, comedy, and other devices to help illustrate the motley crew and what their minds and hearts desire. Much of this dialogue oozes with the corrupted delivery and velvety promises of the strong preying on the meek that many modern dramas thrive on, a perfect taste for those with a pallet geared towards the genre.

Past these performances, Challengers' other quality is the presentation and the immersion that Guadagnino's crew brings for us to enjoy. There are lots of time leaps in this film, spanning nearly two decades where the world grossly changed. To my surprise, they accomplished much with the style of the clothes, the cars, televisions, phones, and other minute details of the setting. I felt pulled back into each facet of life and enjoyed my little travel back in time and visiting their lives. It's a fun little artistic spin to the presentation. They incorporated music into many of the moments to enhance the experience and just make it fun. In fact, the music may be my favorite as it adapts to the times and scenes, while also just being fun to dance to with my friend. Outside of the setting, the movie also gets points for an artistic presentation that puts great effort into laying clues and information to register for later. That style even comes into the tennis moments, which when present are fiery bouts of emotion, action, and drama that feel like the matches I've seen on television. Though exaggerated, the movie does lend powerful cinematography and an ever-engaging presentation to keep you in the moment and find suspense to see the end of the match. Highly original indeed.

DISLIKES:

Limited Full Tennis Moments

Some Writing That I Did Not Enjoy

Raunchiness That Was Awkward And Annoying

I Did Not Enjoy The Characters

The Artistic Directions Got Bloated And Annoying

Summary: Despite these elements though, the dislikes were greatly present for my friend and me. For one thing, the movie does have enough tennis to get classified as a sports film, but the completeness felt off at times. Many bouts are training or from one angle, often short-lived before returning to another bout of talking, drama, and sex. Only the "main" match that acts as the central line has any "tense" match elements, but the constant interruption chops this up and did become annoying at times depending on what they focused on in the sequences, which often focused on the drama elements to feed into the meat of this movie.

Challengers is much more about the drama than the actual sport, focusing on this relationship triangle in the seedier and uglier aspects of pressures of fame, fortune, and "aspirations." While there is a great quality to the writing as mentioned earlier, some of the writing was not enjoyable for me when it crossed into crude innuendos, curse-laden insults, and tired banter that dragged on in a never-ending circular banter. Those who have read my work also know that raunchiness and sexual themes do little for me in points, but this film loses aspects of how awkward, odd, and unnecessary it feels at times. Some scenes start fun, but then get extended to levels that only bloat the movie to the point of begging for it to be complete. This was amplified by my not liking the characters as many held little redeeming qualities to cut through the constant cascade of corruption they held. When you don't enjoy characters, I just don't get turned into the drama and find myself something would undermine them to make up for the boredom of their indulgences. My last component is that though original, I am not a fan of the complicated presentation of flashbacks, within flashbacks, within flashbacks, and then resetting to the present. Challengers got very heavy-handed with this gimmick, sometimes confusing more than helping and often a boring shot of locker room talk or repeated illustrations of how the characters' morals. The ending especially was the point where this tactic had grown stale, no longer endearing, but annoying to squeeze whatever it could to get to the 120-minute mark where the "metaphorical" ending culminated in a disappointing set of final words.

The VERDICT: Challengers is a movie that I agree with many reviewers on. It's a strong visual novel with very original and artistic approaches to a rather cliché story. A stellar cast brings the writing and scenes to life, supported by visual and audio elements that travel through time and make the feel of the movie authentic. And when the tennis moments come in, they hold a bite that often supports the drama, but at times feels like a good sports homage. Yet, this is by far a seductive, sinister, and raunchy drama that will appeal to those with a little more hedonistic and histrionic pleasures to enjoy. By the end though, the artistic style got old, the characters were hard to care about, and the sexual antics just bloated the movie and grew annoying and distracted from the plots I cared the most about. Throw in some awkward direction changes and some sexual things that do little for me, and you round out a movie that is complicated to review. With all this in mind, my scores for this movie are:

Drama/Romance/Sport: 7 Drama: 8.0 Movie Overall: 6.0.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

The Ministry Of Realistic War Scenes

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

LIKES:

Very Smart Writing

Love The Classier Comedy

Acting is Fine

Decent Pace

Combat Is Rather Contained

Comical

Summary: Like the title, this movie is very much about smart and "elevated" writing, with a style that feels very realistic in its approach to a mission. It's classy and planned out, using espionage, tactics, and strategy to obtain intel and carry out the mission. There are fantastic dialogue exchanges with quips, planning, and immersive strategizing to help you feel like you are in the 1900s again planning a battle. Alongside this is a comedy that matches the elegance of the movie, very well-timed, reference-filled, and cultural warfare that is very much as deadly as a gun. This means a drier sort of rambling compared to most movies, but there were several times that I chuckled during the film. Good acting helps establish the theme well, with presentation and mannerisms very endearing and proper to this special op group. Each character may not be the most memorable in terms of a unique story or look, but they all come together to be a very elegant and suave band of fighters. Cavill in particular is quite charming, with James Bond qualities that are tongue in cheek and yet deadly when we need it. His supporting cast each has their own personalities that are different, yet not so extreme to stand out too much. This is great for constancy, if not a little drab compared to other movies. Eiza González was my particular favorite, such attitude and charisma tied into one role.

Outside of good acting and classy writing, the movie moves at a balanced pace giving plenty of time for details and yet not dragging us too far into details that we are fighting sleep. This translates into a movie that gives you a decent build-up to action scenes that culminate into a semi-engaging action scene. This warfare is much more contained than in other movies. Much of the choreography is far more sedated, taking on the stealth ops of simplified shots than the full-blown warfare. The scenes are a bit simpler, but again hold the realistic feel that the movie upholds and keeps the cinema in line with the theme they establish early on. The result is something a bit down to earth and I believe that this will be appreciated by fans who like war movies without the spectacle of gore that some of these movies get too caught up in.

DISLIKES:

More talking than action

Needed A Bit More Dive into Other Characters

Wanted More Intense Action Scenes/Movie Magic

Summary: Sadly, if you went in here (like I did) with the hopes of combining war movies into an action spectacle, then you might be ab it put off by the approach of this film. More of a spy thriller than an action-war movie, you're going to get a lot more intel and sabotage for much of the film as our agents collect data and change their plans to incorporate my people or speed up their sailing. This part is intriguing and cool, but I would have liked for all the planning to amass in a spectacle that was engaging, close calls, and holding that more movie magic flair. Sure, their stories and skills are important, but in a movie with this much promotion... I would have liked to have a bit more bite to match that intensity and scratch that adrenaline itch. Throw in that some of the other characters needed more investment, personality, and coordination into the story, and You get the primary dislikes I had with the film.

THE VERDICT For this movie, I can say it's a more balanced and down-to-earth war story that feels at home in a history classroom. The fascinating portrayals and the planning are fantastic, with smart writing that helps give you a taste of the intelligence side of warfare. Our crew is well-ingrained into the movie and keeps everyone a part of the action as they battle the Nazis, led by some solid acting. And with an engaging pace and realistic action, you really get something that should not overwhelm and still give you that war-story bite. Yet, the movie's toned-down approach may also be a weakness for those wanting that engaging, nail-biting choreography with boom, bang, and blood. You do have some cool moves, and the comedy does make it more bearable to help cut through the drier tones of the movie. Throw in a little better character balance and some Hollywood magic and perhaps this movie would have scored higher for me, but again a very engaging spy thriller that is worth a watch if you have the time and intrigue yourself.

My scores are:

Action/Drama/War: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Abigail (2024)

Abigail Has A Fun Bite To The Horror/Thriller.

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

LIKES:

Engaging Pace

Very Funny

Intriguing Characters

Fantastic Performances

A Surprising Deeper Tale

Some Nice Twists To Homage

Loved the Setting And Ambience

Summary:

Abigail is a very unique blend of horror, thriller, and comedy that worked very well for me. With solid direction and writing, the movie has an engaging and fun pace that is very engaging to watch. Comedy is a variety of insults, stupidity, slapstick, and dark tones that are somehow both light and dark, with execution nearly perfect in timing and performance. Abigail herself is a solid portion of the laughs in her taunting and baiting, while the rest of the crew each have their styles that resonate and build on each other. What helps this is that they also have intriguing characters, some merely just tools and tropes meant to be fodder for the girl, while others hold deeper elements and stories that make people feel so much more than simple victims in a horror movie. Even more impressive is the crafting of an engaging story, one with heart, emotion, and some layering that constructs a more complex plot than I expected. Abigail's trailers hide a richer narrative if given the chance, but not to the point of getting in the way of the antics promised by the menagerie of clips presented in advertising. Acting-wise, the movie is solid. Barrera is a solid "team leader" whose performance transitions well into the emotions she goes through as the night's events unfold and the truth is revealed. The actor Dan Stevens is this ever-present pessimism, doubt, and snide commentary that is so much fun to watch as he snipes at every angle he can. His roundabouts with Weir are perhaps my favorite, the powerful writing brought to life by his talent to just deliver that antagonistic or anti-hero feel that makes his behavior annoying, but fun in the grand scheme of the movie. As for Weir, this young woman is super talented in her performance, displaying so many elements that seem far out of reach for someone so young. She masters her emotional control, and her delivery is hauntingly beautiful and terrifying at various stages of the movie.

Finally, the movie just knows how to bring the horror and thriller elements to life with the way the setting is displayed. After the modern open sequence, Abigail's scene shifts to a house that references the mansions and castles of past films. The halls are spooky, filled with shadows, cobwebs, and other relics that convey abandonment and torture, while the halls and several rooms somehow hold enough light and composure to provide safety. There is lore built into the setting to help add some background storytelling to provide subtle shading to what could have been mundane characters. Yet, I also love the nice twists to the stereotypes of vampires, from the powers they wield to the various styles and weaknesses we've had associated. Such a balance of new and old was a delight for me to watch, and I think the writers and directors appreciated these elements to craft this fun piece.

DISLIKES:

Perhaps A Bit Too Fast

Giancarlo needed more time

The Language And Gore Go A Tad Too Far

The Trailers Ruining What Could Have Been A Great Twist

Summary: Despite all the solid work I enjoyed, Abigail does have some dislikes that I wished had been ironed out. While it has an engaging pace, there are times when such a fast pace took away from some of the elements I was enjoying. Perhaps it was the elimination of a character too soon, or maybe taking a new twist and finishing it too quickly. Whatever the presentation, Abigail could have cut some of the fluff and give a bit more time with the other characters and story elements I was enjoying. One such limitation was Giancarlo, a man with so much talent and can play so many characters, I was hoping for so much more from this man, who still maximized his time on the screen, but deserved more time given the promise he brings almost every character. Outside of that, the only other warnings or dislikes for me come in the fact of taking things a tad too far at times with this movie. Primarily in the form of cursing and gore, Abigail's obsession with the F word and blood goes to levels I don't particularly like. Be warned, this is a blood bath in the literal sense of the word, so just be warned if your stomach is sensitive to this level of grotesque behavior. Outside of that, the trailers robbed the audience of what could have been a legendary twist. I understand they needed the gimmick to lure people into an oddly timed horror piece, but knowing Abigail's secret hurt this film a bit in the predictability department, with only a few curve balls to help keep things mixed up.

THE VERDICT: If I had to summarize Abigail in one word, it would be entertaining. The movie may not be the most original, but it really did something to mix old and new and develop a very fun movie that combined horror and thriller into one film. With a nice balance of comedy, characters that are above the usual genre fodder, and some deeper storytelling, Abigail does stand out as a more unique vampire movie. It is a fun pass of time, and any vampire fan, except for maybe the Twilight-level romance, I feel will enjoy the nice changes and play on the vampire powers. Sure, the movie is a bit fast and loses the surprise element that could have been a nice surprise, and it does get out of hand on the gore and language at times to the point of absurdity. Still, I feel this movie will be very enjoyable by a wide spectrum and if you can get to the theater, I think you will maximize the fun.

My scores are:

Horror/Thriller: 8.0-8.5 Movie Overall: 7.5.

Civil War (2024)

Maybe Not An Action, But a Heck Of A Thirller/Drama/Political Film

[8/10 · 13 April 2024]

LIKES:

Acting

Music Use

The Decent Pacing

Realistic Content

Addresses Issues In Good Ways

Engaging Character Profiles

Surprisingly Maintains Edge

Shot Fantastically

SUMMARY: I'll cut to the chase and say that A24 has recruited a lot of top-grade resources to make this intense movie come to life. The acting is phenomenal with portrayals that stay true to the realistic imitation of someone caught in such a chaotic and unforgiving landscape. Dunst, in particular, steals the show with skills so balanced, poised, and levels that evolve the further we travel towards Washington D. C. Moura is an excellent co-lead, loaded with his challenges requiring a bit more hot-headed and brash elements that balanced out the hard neutrality of Dunst, again evolving to its degree as the journey continued, alongside fantastic performances by Cailee Spaeny and Stephen McKinley Henderson whose own portrayals mesh well with the leads to make chemistry that is authentic and deeper than most of the work I've seen lately. The result is engaging character profiles to latch onto and take this intense trial and find an avatar to explore the war with. It's fantastic and one of the strongest elements of the movie for viewers like myself.

Outside of the characters though, the movie's other element is the detailed and artistic dive into a very charged subject. Civil War is all about political commentary and the very nature of just how troubled the world is all from a unique perspective of journalism. Garland's writing and direction integrate a lot of stories to integrate, all tethered to the primary quartet of our journalists. The material is indeed tough, raw, and realistic, but somehow still holding taste and etiquette to help bring it to watchable and respectable levels without crossing too far into the theatrical flair as many would do. Such realism is charged with so much emotion and edge keeping what would be a mundane news story into something far more gripping when combined with the characters. Garland's team brings other tricks to elevate the writing and performances, including decent pacing with their edits, music that conveys the thoughts of the scenes they are used in, and cinematography that captures it all in such creative and bewitching moments. Again, it's hard to see some scenes, but those who can tolerate it will be granted footage that unleashes so much in each passing minute. All of this comes together to make a movie for A24 that I just could not turn my eyes away from. Fantastic work.

DISLIKES:

Bloated At Times

Nick Offerman Wasted

The Timing Of The Content/Too Much

Action Is A Broad Term

The Ending Seems A Tad Lacking

Summary: In regards to dislikes for me, the movie was harder to pick things out compared to some of their other works. For one thing, fans may find it more controlled and censored than the usual horror and thriller genre (which isn't a bad thing). More a warning than a dislike for those gung-ho fans of their body horror. Yet, for an action movie, the terminology for the genre is a tad broader than the usual terms, with the action not coming until the very end. Instead, it is more of a drama thriller with politics heavily woven into the other elements. While very limited, the movie does have its bloated moments, and depending on your comfort, these moments are going to be magnified by your comfort with the subject. It slowed the movie down for me, and I think there could have been some other things done to test our characters in more meaningful ways. And the ending feels a tad rushed and limited, especially after a fantastic climactic finish that held so much excitement and build, only to kind of end the A24 metaphorical finish. Outside of that, the only other major limitations for me were the timing of the film and the use of Nick Offerman. For Offerman, he's a talented actor, but his utilization was severely lacking in a few appearances and some voiceovers. To limit such talent was not the call for me, but I guess he isn't so much the focus as he is the destination. As for the timing, it's a double-edged sword. The relevancy makes the suspense and impact of the movie that much better and scarier, adding that bite without taking too much effort to prove it. On the other hand, this very nature may limit how many are willing to go into the movie given how disturbingly close to real life it is.

The VERDICT: For me, the Civil War is a hard watch for the closeness to the real world and the vicious blood sport that war is. However, if one can stomach that, you'll end up with a very impactful movie with incredible artistic fervor to help grant you that unique fervor you might be looking for. Dunst and company bring investigative journaling to life and serve as intriguing players in this theater of war that are supported by fantastic writing and planning integrated into the story. The cinematography itself is the magical key to bringing the edge and suspense, amplifying the stakes alongside the relative nature that makes this movie thrilling. True, some artistic choices bloated the movie, and some misuse of characters that might irritate fans like me. Outside of that though, Civil War proves to be one of my favorite A24 films in a while due to the choices of story over the odder content they choose. Should you be able to handle the raw material, this one is worth a trip to the theater, and definitely worth a shot at home.

My scores are:

Action Film: 7.5 Movie Overall: 8.0.

The First Omen (2024)

The First Does Most Things Right

[7/10 · 6 April 2024]

LIKES:

The Atmosphere

The Acting

The Music

The Makeup

The Attention To Detail

The Story

Summary: The factor that the Omen series always captivated me, was how it makes you uncomfortable and terrified rather than using jump scares. For this film, the same devices were used to make the story haunting starting with the atmosphere of the entire film. Another dive into a European monastery that hides much behind the beautiful tapestries and art. The First Omen uses a lot of the setting to provide the scares, hiding things behind shadows at night that prey upon our fear of the unknown and what lurks in the dark. The daylight offers little relief with the muted colors and more extreme actions happening to show that the Evil One cares little for the time of the day. The addition of haunting music, with grandiose instruments blaring after a build-up of creepy undertones, just adds other levels of haunting chills that add to the suspense. These aspects are some of my favorites for the Horror genre that do so much without trying too hard to be noticed.

Playing within that setting are fantastic characters and a story to play out. Acting-wise, the cast is fantastic, bringing terror and shock to the screen at the indescribable actions being taken. Braga's performance is chilling and intense as a nun, with very little warmth, and all foreshadows what she will be serving in this role. Ineson is a great character for this world, intense, on edge, and gives a performance that makes his character questionable for what purpose he serves. And Nell Tiger Free is the star of the show and unleashes such fantastic displays of pure horror as she undertakes the trials of the group. While her screaming and dramatic persona are top-notch skills, there are other elements requiring control of her body to convey the actions needed. Her performance is real and raw, and it adds so much to the believability of the performance at hand. Alongside these performances, is stellar makeup that Hollywood applies flawlessly (most times) to bring out the negative effects such dark arts bring. And this application is used so well, unleashing so much of the terror and pain they wanted to convey. All of this goes to a respectable story that pays homage to the original movie and is kept in line with most details that the original quadrilogy required. Stevenson and her team paid close attention to detail in their design, not only getting the presentation right but designing a great story that respected the original plot well. Certainly, it's not perfect, but such efforts to capture the feel and lore of the Omen are things I like in a director, even with some of the new angles they have designed for further sequels. That's the thing that made this movie such an experience for me and why I ended up surprised at the quality of the movie.

DISLIKES:

Not Scary

The Set Up

The Pacing Near The End

Perhaps A Bit Too Copy Of The Original

The Grosser Moments.

Summary: I start my dislikes with a warrant that my current exposure to most movies in this genre has dulled my scare reflex. Thus, for those with a similar background, you aren't going to find this movie truly scary as you will unsettling. The environment may rob you of your safety, but otherwise, the movie is rather low on the things that disturb or scare me. A few rogue jump scares and the terror of lurking in the shadows were always hanging on me, but again nothing to leave my mind too upset or lingering. Only the grosser moments may have gone too far for me. I'm not the biggest on what is dubbed Body Horror, and this movie sometimes dived a bit too much into that for me. While much tamer than what A24 Studios indulges in, The First Omen still practices some disturbing shock factors involving the manipulation of anatomy to very unethical levels. Outside of those moments, the only other thing that was a letdown were elements of the story being a bit too much of a copy of the original movie. Maybe they played too safe in paying homage, maybe they were trying to set up a franchise as the modern era seems to thrive on. What I can say is, that the First Omen tries to do a bit too much in the movie to dilute some of the experiences I think they were going for. Especially at the end, the movie sort of does this unrealistic and unnatural progression that has worked for genres in the past, but for this movie felt forced and last-minute leading to lackluster inclusion and a very mundane finish. Sure, there is the artistic flair of diving into the mind, but... I can't say it was the most impressive direction after such a solid opening.

The VERDICT: The First Omen proved to be a lot better than I had expected from the trailers. It works because it understands the foundation of what made the Omen its own thing and does not try to push past that limit in the pursuit of being its unique self. Stephenson has paid respects to the lineage and captured the feel of the movie. With the great study of the story, delivering an atmosphere that is both old and new, and acting to bring it to life, this movie accomplishes much in this era or rewrites. Is it perfect? No, far from it. It doesn't deliver many unique scares for me, it falls in proximity to another movie and just feels a bit too safe at times with the scare tactics and story. Yet, the movie is certainly a step up from other remakes and is worth a look if you get a chance. Do I think it's worth the trip to the theater? In some ways yes, but in many ways no.

My scores are:

Horror: 7.0-7.5 Movie Overall: 6.5-7.0.

Monkey Man (2024)

Monkey Man With An Action Plan

[8/10 · 6 April 2024]

LIKES:

Solid Music

Strong Dialogue/Words

A Solid Character Story

Emotionally Fulfilling

The Action Is Insane At Times

There Are Stakes

Summary:

Monkey Man had a lot of likes for me in the action movie and it starts with the music. A solid soundtrack list that takes the culture of the Indian land and utilizes it to a degree that adds fire and edge for the fighter to use as fuel. Amidst various styles of music, the visuals awaken an intense display of the mythological level on which this story is based. Powerful words and dialogue inspire one to root for Kid while at times are infused with spirituality and wisdom befit of a guru enlightening his mass. A poetic display that helps to drive character growth, Monkey Man accomplishes a deeper character story with an emotionally complex protagonist dealing with the enemies found within and without. With a solid direction of giving us information gradually, Kid's journey relies heavily on cultural references to set the foundation and then build up using dramatic tools to further construct a strong character. That story remains throughout the movie, luring me in to keep my attention on Kid and see the ending to this personal vendetta war. It's strong. It's engaging. Best of all, it's emotionally fulfilling in both lessons and action, which only further made this movie intriguing to me. Add in the sensational action, and the movie only further got better for me. What made this action so great for me was its growth alongside the character, starting decent but clunky, and then strengthening to John Wick levels. Like a good video game, Monkey Man manages to intertwine good pacing, realistic training, and awesome choreography into a display of energetic and meaningful proportions. And the fact that there are stakes only further enhanced this movie and hope they don't get any unnecessary hits for the consequences that might arise from it.

DISLIKES:

The Blood and Guts

Doesn't Pull Things Back

The Shaky Camera

Some Wasted Character Opportunities

The Vague Ending

Summary: Some things that didn't work for me and I also wish to warn others about before heading into the theater. For one thing, the violence factor is amplified by blood and guts to a degree that will go into a disturbing level for audiences. Where John Wick makes the violence somewhat cartoony to blunt the violence, Monkey Man leans into the gore to the point that you'll be seeing the scene painted red within minutes. This certainly establishes the stakes and atmosphere, but does get a tad excessive for my tastes. In addition, the movie could have also pulled back on the shaky camera work and the dizzying quality of the spastic cinematography. Don't get me wrong, there are times the Hardcore Henry approach adds that finesse, but other times it pulls away from a sequence that I was enjoying to the fullest extent. In addition, the movie also had some other characters influencing Kid's life, but the teases and build-up didn't quite pay off in the most meaningful ways. These moments disappointed me and I would have liked the connections to match what Wick's party does in his series. And that vague ending is indeed artistic to go with the story's themes and legends, but this level of ambiguity seldom does little for me but inspires fan fiction or a book sequel.

THE VERDICT: Monkey Man is in a way a knockoff of John Wick, but still manages to establish a unique quality to make the movie its own story. The movie's atmosphere is a diverse factor as it blends story and action into a spectacle of something deeper than just throwing punches. Patel has managed to give us a film with heart, anchoring emotion, personification, and ego into each shot and enhancing the already impressive bouts that Kid gets into. To grant the protagonist vulnerabilities only further added stakes, and I loved having that exciting edge to pull me into the movie. While impressive, the movie still has areas to smooth out, including some restraint on blood and shaky camera work for audience members like me. Yet, the other characters needed some more development and inclusion to further enhance the story, and the ending could have used a little more closure. Still, Monkey Man accomplished much and I encourage many to watch this extreme movie if you get the opportunity, certainly worth a theater visit if you can manage it.

My scores are:

Action/Thriller: 8.0-8.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

An Empire Of Fun, Feral Action

[8/10 · 30 March 2024]

LIKES:

Good Pace

Lots of Monsters

More Monsters On Screen Than Other Films

Humans Weren't Annoying This Time

Graphics Are Good

Mini-Kong Is Cute

Action Works So Well

Summary: The latest entry in the installment exists purely for entertainment expectations and it accomplished this for this reviewer in many more positive ways than I expected. It holds a good pace, is fast, and pushes the plot towards what everyone wants in this spectacle, doing little to diverge into complex twists. The humans are about seventy percent of the plot, much less annoying than previous installations were when they took over the story. While it's mainly comedic relief, the humans provide the translation to establish the archetype and help get this chaotic mess of a tale together. Fortunately, there are plenty of monsters to help distract, the New Empire starting to feel like a powered-up version of Jurassic World and give us the anime-level goodness this series is known for. Plenty of familiar faces get some time on the screen, alongside some impressive use of their inclusion that I've been wanting for a very long time. Hollywood's graphical prowess continues to shine well (mostly) in this movie, with sleek patterns, textures, and designs that keep to the characters but help add some realism to their design to help give the live-action purpose. Or, perhaps you are just in it for Mini-Kong, whose adorable addition is one part story, one part pertinence, and all parts comedy as this universe's Grogu steals the show on a lot of aspects, though not too much to rob from the other contenders. And of course, the action is the highlight of the movie and so good for this reviewer. Both lizard and ape get plenty of time to show off their moves in very impressive displays of giant MMA matches. It's exciting, it's fun, and it has surprisingly good choreography that has all the adrenaline-fueled emotions you want in an action film. The New Empire excelled in that spectacle and knew a large part of what it wanted to deliver.

DISLIKES:

Plot is Full of Holes

Needs More Antagonist Build Up

More Godzilla probably needed

Still Cheesy Given The Rushed Storytelling

Some Battles Needed to Be Longer

Summary Now it just needs some finessing, once more needing to get the story in check and add a little more composure to make it as strong as it could be. It's campy and corny, summed up rapidly, and uses a lot of conveniences to fill the gaps and put "logic" behind what is going on. I'd wished it was stronger like some of the earlier films, but it works, until near the end when too many things just quickly fell into place with that luck only Hollywood can harness. My main complaint is that the movie moves a tad too fast, which truncates a lot of things into micro bouts that rob some of the enjoyment for me. Godzilla takes the brunt of this pacing, his parts feeling very limited, only really being continuously present at the end of the film. His battles are the ones that end rapidly, and though he has quite an amazing finish in each one, he just really misses some of the magic that Kong's battles did better. Throw in those plot holes we talked about, add some cheesy levels that get out of hand, and well... the faster pace needed probably another thirty minutes to get the full effects of the movie (and me more fun).

THE VERDICT: While this movie may not be the cinematic marvel that Minus One was, The New Empire certainly gave me hope that someone understands what we want in this movie and how to bring it to life. Certainly, the story is eye-rolling at times, with some of the antics really stupid and or convenient. However, in its place is a movie that holds a lot of the monsters fighting monsters in some of the best choreography to date in this series. It's anime-level goodness that was just a lot of fun, all at an engaging pace that will keep fleeting attention spans happy, so long as you know what you are getting yourself into. Certainly, the pace does hurt it to some degree, primarily in Godzilla's inclusion and chopping up the battles to levels that can be a tad annoying. Overall, though, I was very satisfied with this movie and recommend that you catch this in the theaters to get the most out of this film. It may not be as artistic as some other versions, and the story may still need work, but it is fun and filled with feral fun. My scores for the movie are:

Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Immaculate (2024)

Sinfully Sweeney Can't Save This Horror Film

[6/10 · 23 March 2024]

LIKES:

-Great Aesthetic -Haunting Music -Fantastic Use Of Light -Stalwart Line Presentation -Makeup and Prosthetics -Sydney Sweeney

Summary: Immaculate is loaded with techniques that elevate the scare factor by embracing the setting and ambiance of the film. The movie has a fantastic aesthetic with the Italian convent, with hallowed halls being tall and foreboding in the majestic European classic design. The way the statues and paintings mirror moods and tell stories further adds that touch of freakiness, supported by a ranged music tone that almost mirrors the terrified looks of the characters and memorabilia scattered about. Immaculate's lighting is a monster of its own, shadows that only turn the safety of the monastery into an illusion with the limited light of flames the only sanctuary from the reaching shadows of the walls. And sometimes, that's not enough as the safety of the light is lost to threats that care little about being seen. Throw in the stifling darkness and claustrophobia that comes at the end, and you get something uncomfortable and heavy.

Past the setting, the makeup department brought their A-game to the movie with fantastic visual effects. The movie is loaded with moments that maximize prosthetics and manual effects conveying true body horror and injury. The main character alone undergoes transformations that hold such realism which only adds to the disturbing context of the movie's plot and adds that element of horror that fans adore and some (like me) shiver at some of the things done in this film. Acting-wise, the cast is solid, a majority forming this aura of intensity that is a complex mixture of stern, safe, and scary at the start before the pieces start to sink in. The way they deliver their lines holds so much tension and emotion with their rich Italian accents that go with the motives and further deliver the deranged secrets of this movie. Sydney Sweeney in particular is the essence of the acting though, and practically carries the movie on her shoulders with her massive talent to pull this performance to incredible heights. The girl is a natural in this world, conveying fear and stress to shockingly amazing degrees and giving us her best portrayal of suffering. I was blown away by just how authentic her performance was and the balance she brought with every shot was incredible. Certainly, the best thing for me in this movie, she is the strongest part of this movie for me.

DISLIKES:

-Goes Too Far With Oddity -Story Elements Are Lacking -Predictable Plot -Mystery Is Dull -Character Elements Are a Miss -Becomes More Drama Than Horror -Excessive Screaming At the End -The Ending Is Bland

Summary Immaculate has that authenticity, but not the story to strongly support it in my opinion. The movie has material that is going to be hated and divisive, but putting that aside it's odd and sometimes crosses the line to the point where the odd didn't rub me the best way. Story elements become lacking and cliché, with a predictable plot that only has a slight twist to trip me up despite the same outcome. This movie relies heavily on a mystery to remain engaged when not tripped by the setting, but that mystery was dull and held little support to put this tale to the top. All of these elements lacking, perhaps character support can help it out, especially with the strong acting game I mentioned earlier. Sadly, this component is even lacking, many of the characters are removed far too quickly or diluted to stereotypical roles with only line presentation and costumes to help with the looks. There were some dynamics I was like, and their abrupt cessation and lack of follow-up led to disappointing story elements for this movie to continue to fail. What results is a drama more than horror at times, more soap opera theatrics and Lifetime thriller with a bigger budget and edgier graphics. Eventually, the story reaches a fun level that Sweeney capitalizes on, but the things I appreciated faded into more screaming to annoying levels. It works for the story, but when that's all it became, it just did little but illustrate Sweeney's talent as we got to the end of the exaggerated finale. And sadly, the ending was just bland, a great metaphor for the journey, but an abrupt finish that did little for me.

The VERDICT: Immaculate is a movie that was promising on so many levels and in ways delivered the promised spooks of a horror film. Fantastic atmosphere and lighting are the keys to the horror for me, with delivery, music, and special effects that truly bring the horror elements to life. With an alluring premise and performance that further support the atmosphere and provide Sydney Sweeney with a canvas to paint her magic on. Yet the actress' talents and dynamic range of emotions are not enough to save this movie from becoming another bland movie of oddities. The small twist to a familiar story does little to alleviate the predictability, and the ending's artistic presentation does well in one aspect but fails to leave any unique or haunting finish that I had hoped would be the memorable cherry on top. With lackluster characters or engaging story arcs for most of those characters, Immaculate just wasn't the mesmerizing piece that I think they were reaching for in this production. Therefore, this film isn't one to rush to the theaters for, but instead check out for the odd view at home. My scores for the film are:

Horror: 6.5 Movie Overall: 5.5.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

An Empire Missing An Awesome Closure

[7/10 · 22 March 2024]

LIKES:

Fun

Funny At Times

References

Graphics

Character/Ghost Design

Origin/Worldbuilding

Some Good Character Moments

Solid Acting, Most of the Cast

Summary: Ghostbusters Frozen Empire achieves the goal of being a fun movie to watch in the presentation style alone (for most of the movie). It's a great pace that keeps things moving while giving us time to marinate and get caught up with the lives of the characters. Comedy is present throughout the movie as styles blend with witty quirks, sarcastic jabs, and some situational sliming that is always a running gag in this series. Alongside those familiar styles come great references to the series, adding a fun element of egg hunting and inside information that adds to the enjoyment for nerds like me. Yet, the world-building and design of ghosts elevate the movie to theater elements with the stylized creatures that linger in New York. The main villain, in particular, has quality build in his movements, voice, and elongated features that never go overboard, but still feel like the villain from the cartoons. And the other ghosts have their unique flair that keeps to the vibes of the series. When the origin story gets added, the opening acts give those designs even more flair and further bring the ghosts (ironically) to life. And all of it with fluid animations and movement that Hollywood can bring when they commit their resources and time. Finally, the character development is good for me on some of the characters. Several stories have a relevant bite to me with performances that help bring them out in full force and sometimes convey the perfect emotion that sells those heartfelt moments to the perfect degree.

DISLIKES:

Imbalanced Characters

A Rushed Ending

Cheesy Moments

Too Much Humor?

A Villain That Doesn't Live Up To The Build-Up

Summary: As I feared, Frozen Empire does put a freeze on quality the further you get into the film. One aspect that suffered through much of the movie was the balance of characters in this very star-packed movie. Several have clear focus and favoritism getting much screen time, but some like Trevor and Janine get left in the dust with horrible screen time and use in a film of this caliber. These story elements were much weaker than I expected and did not feel needed in this movie given how diluted their roles were. Even the big bad guy, Garraka, was underutilized, more threatening and menacing offscreen than when he filled the stage with his imposing figure. A shame given how cool he looked and the potential of his powers. Even more so, the jokes interrupted some of the horror and story elements when silliness was needlessly extended or integrated. These moments are few, but when they appear they throw off the momentum of the moment for me and are often not that funny. And like the humor, the sentimental moments come off cheesy as well, approaching soap opera levels that again did the opposite of what I think they wanted. Finally, all of this culminates in a lackluster ending that felt rushed, simplified, and heavily edited to something incomplete. It ties things up nicely, but all the things in my Dislikes feel magnified and duller compared to Afterlife's fantastic ending. And that build-up to the last battle was wasted, as the finale felt very mundane and dead upon arrival by the time we got to fighting the ice specter

The VERDICT: I had fun with much of Ghostbuster's latest entry. It's a very fun movie with entertaining antics, a good pace, and plenty of humor to keep things in the entertainment avenue. The actors were great and the world-building/design is stunning, making the busting adventure as life-like as they can to keep up with the modern-day graphics without sacrificing quality. In all honesty, the movie had another ride for being an awesome spectacle with a touching finish and that same heartwarming ambiance that Afterlife brought with it. Sadly, the final act seemed to trip up the movie taking the epic climax and shoving it into a rushed and weakened state that felt off compared to the movie. With imbalanced characters, a misused villain, and silly elements getting in the way of the spooky story, it felt a step back given the promise of the trailers. Still, the movie's fun elements still were enough to encourage getting out and seeing this film and hopefully at the theater as well. My scores are:

Comedy/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Arthur the King (2024)

The King In A Different Light

[7/10 · 16 March 2024]

LIKES:

Great Pace

Fun Acting

Great Cinematography

Beautiful And Rigorous Setting

Music Elements Boost Emotion

Fantastic Dog Use

Writing Is Realistic

Decently Balanced Between Fiction and Fact

My likes boil down to great presentation of a story we've seen several times on the news with just that twist of unique flavor. Arthur the King caters well to the audience and brings an adorable story to life for just about every person to enjoy across the spectrum of emotions. A fantastically fun and family friendly tale that blends the Hollywood theatrics with a realistic base goes a long way to entertaining folks like me. The setting is gorgeous with camera work to capture the awe and delight of the island race that brings this cast together in ways that help mesh that authentic team/family role. Performances are fun, tight, and hold that Disney level feel, and the dog's inclusion adds even more character and an element that helps the laughs and the near-tears keep flowing. With the editing to further give those perfect shots and sounds, the movie excels in being one of those go see to feel better moments.

DISLIKES:

Cliché

Cutting Parts

Character Development is Mundane At Times

Mediocre Antagonists.

Predictable

Dislikes are going to be nitpicky and potentially illicit some negative responses, but that's kind of my job. Arthur the King will fall into the cliché role, something critics will find familiar, if not overdone, which leads to them feeling bored and listless. Such predictable antics are slightly off shot, but the trailers have laid the foundation for knowing how most of the story will go, meaning that the surprise element gets a tad diluted. Throw in editing that helps condense the five days into ninety minutes, and part of the adventure is taken away to give you quality of life and your time back. Characters have enough dissection to be engaging, but fall short of the perfect mix, choosing efficiency over meaty profiles. It's not the worst, but it could pack more punch like say Cool Runnings did. Even the antagonists need a little work, a little more connection and involvement to help establish the rivalry that they were going for. There are some other elements I can't say to avoid ruining the little mystery, but the movie being a bit simplistic and maintaining that family feel is going to drop scores for a pickier fanfare.

THE VERDICT For me, Arthur the King was quite enjoyable and certainly a solid installment in the library of just having fun with a light-hearted story. An incredible dog that did so much with a remarkable team is a solid mixture of just simple enjoyment in a tale with all the elements of movie magic thrown in. Solid performance by all members (especially the dog) will tug at heart strings and athletic stature alike, with editing that brings much of the race's excitement out in spades. True there are some editing choices and character directions that need tweaking, and the movie is very by the numbers in terms of predictability. But outside of that, Arthur the King's story is certainly a tale worth watching, enjoying, and just embracing in the energy and inspiration it puts out in such a tight and fun package. So grab the kids and the family, and get to the theater for this one if you can.

My scores are: Adventure: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.

The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)

Not Quite as Magical As i'd hope

[6/10 · 15 March 2024]

LIKES:

The Pace -The pace is fun, decently fast, and keeps the gear-shift in a setting that gives you plenty without getting lost in the details -A steady opening to give you the theme of the tale quickly transitions to the main event, and the lines and dialogue make time pass by without feeling like a slog.

-All this keeps to a very engaging pace that suits this genre well and adds a bit of something to the movie to help support it. Plus, nothing wrong with a shorter movie to respect your time.

The Concept Is Unique -Libii knows how to craft a unique tale with this script that takes some serious political topics and merges it with fun.

-The society is about saving the world in a unique way by catering to people and the chaos that comes when their rules aren't followed.

-Libbi's writing is very smart at times, blending genres together into a story that at times is respectful and handles the character material well.

-And some of the lines hold sharp jabs and cultural phrasing that is razor sharp like a rapier that stabs at just the right amount to make the point.

-And the way the magic system works is a nice combination that holds both comedic and intriguing properties to explore in the world.

The Rom Com Is Genuine -This film also has a romance aspect in it, and like Anyone But You, there is a sincerity that is makes this relationship stand out more than the usual.

-There are familiar tropes and elements that have become a staple in this film, flirting, corny dialogue and the inevitable poetic jealousy.

-Yet, ASMN manages to clean up the corniness and turn the relationship into something real, with awkward attempts at dialogue and a friendship building.

-It takes the problems of the characters and incorporates them as a part (not the only thing) of their characters, giving me more interesting and relatable stories to follow and root for.

-And it's still charmingly fun and engaging, nicely incorporated into the plot overall and not just forced in for getting more fans.

Some Decent Character Development -And those points mentioned above about the story gave me characters with a lot more depth than I had expected in a satire given my experience.

-Aren's story has some surprising emotion to it and as the story progresses turned more and more relatable to follow and invest, at least on some levels.

-His mentor Roger holds some shocking levels with decent time commitment to give a little more layering without consuming the other elements in this film.

-And Lizzie and Jason's arcs are pulled together to form a parallel tale that integrates the antics and uses them to develop the secondary (though close to primary) characters to not leave them in the dust.

-To balance this many characters into a movie as well, not an easy task. Though not perfect, the big players still get to play for much of the movie as the trailers suggested.

Good Acting -Most of the actors in the billed are first billed, so I'm going to focus on the three main ones that I believe leave an impact.

-An-Li Bogan is the type of leading lady that is engaging to watch for me. Strong, vulnerable, loving, and tough are the characteristics of the character Lizzie, which work in tandem to make a love interest worth pursuing. She's not too stand-offish, nor is she a damsel in distress and there is never that tip of the scales into something she is not.

-David Alan Grier is quite a fit for the mentor role. Tough and snarky at one point during his more imposing roles, he serves as that foreboding mystery. While the sincere side holds that exposure to something more and fosters a bond I wanted to explore more. I loved how he delivered the lines, his comedy sassy, but never insulting too much like some others do.

-It was Justice Smith who was my favorite though. The lead role is handled sensationally by this young man who keeps stretching his acting to levels that suggest he can do just about anything. From catty jokes, sincere kindness, odd love, and more, he manages to bring his A game and give me one of the better performances in this genre.

Powerful Monologue With A Tasteful Finish -The movie eventually comes to a very tense point that will divide a lot of audience.

-For me, the movie handles it pretty well, the monologue at the end preachy, but holds emotional rawness and artistic nature that is pleasant to hear for fans like me.

-And the way things wrap up is a campy poke to typical genre trends and bending them to the will of the movie. It's tasteful despite the content and a surprising finish given some of the dislikes I had for the movie.

DISLIKES:

Predictable/Trailers Ruined A Lot -Sadly, this movie is a victim to the modern time of showing too much in a movie.

-Any who have seen the promotions has about 80% of the story's direction already known with only the consequences being the unknown.

-Libii's writing though holds a lot of foreshadowing phrases that kind of push you to knowing what is coming. Only the last scene really surprised me, which given the alluring mystery this world had, was disappointing.

Some Characters Are Wasted -There isn't much to say at this aspect other than some characters turned out to be disappointing in the grand scheme of the movie.

-While some serve as cameos that are fun and cheeky, there are many that are just boring and more talking than actually contributing to the story.

-The biggest disappointment was the head of the magical society, a foreboding woman who seems to have a lot more to her story. Yet, outside of some comedic moments, this character did little to live up to anything more than a weak cameo. L -Other characters have the same problem, and the society aspect seems a tad lost to anything but a crude joke..

No Major Threat -Despite the hints of the trailer, suspense and consequences in this movie are rather lacking in my opinion.

-The magical society's consequences are hyped up in the trailer and yet still results in very limited suspense or story elements despite a grandiose intro to what happens with the rules.

-On one benefit you do get some witty jokes and dialog catered to a certain comedic style, but otherwise, this is an empty threat with little need in the grand scheme of the story.

Tries Too Hard -Another aspect that was hard for me to ignore was the movie trying too hard at times in certain elements.

-One part is the comedy. Libii at times put fantastic jokes in the film and cleverly integrated them in a natural way that worked for me.

-And other times it felt very SNL, where they try a little too hard to get that zinger in, or perhaps go a bit too far with a joke that it wasn't funny, but annoying to me.

-The same is true for a certain story element, primarily the racism track this movie plays and going a bit too far to preach a point that it becomes the new "Full House" commentary.

It Crosses Lines That Are Going To Trigger -Finally, I leave a warning that this movie may trigger or feel limited to a certain niche.

-This is to be expected if you scope the trailer out, but there were moments that the movie's assertive comedy are going to become offensive or say something harshly enough to drive people away.

-For me there are times it works, but there are times that more sensitive viewers may find it frustrating to keep watching the movie.

The VERDICT:

The American Society of Magical Negroes is an idea that excels in originality and clever plot lines that brings a lot of genres together with entertaining qualities. Crafting a more realistic and relatable tale, this romantic comedy and political drama is quite a fun film in how it handles most of its characters and the material they wanted to address. With some good acting, humorous dialogue, and surprising balance in most concepts, this movie turned out to have some magic of its own. Yet, the potential was not fully reached to me, and some of the elements promised in the advertisements sort of lost that magical touch the further into the film I went. Between trying too hard to be funny, consequences feeling lacking, and predictable arc thanks to said trailers, the movie just doesn't have the finesse or full finish for me to say the best film of the year so far. A final warning that this movie may be a bit niche despite the important elements I liked, this film is going to be a toss of a coin if you go to the theater to see it. I'd say better viewing at home if I had to choose. My scores for this film are:

Comedy/Fantasy: 5.5-6.0 Movie Overall: 5.5.

Imaginary (2024)

Not Quite What You Imagine

[5/10 · 9 March 2024]

LIKES:

Decent Pace -Imaginary is a movie that keeps consistent in keeping the story moving with minimum divergence to complicate matters.

-Approximately ten minutes in, the mischief and intrigue start, doing their best to keep things engaging for the two hours.

• A faster pacing allowed the movie to feel less sluggish, which made it more enjoyable for me.

Okay Acting -The movie is a far cry from the best acting category, but that does not mean it's the worst performance group in the industry.

• I enjoyed Pyper Braun's acting merits to many levels as she captured a girl caught between traumatic sessions and finding a means to cope. Her voice work holds borderline creepy elements, and she displays terror and hurt to a believable level that helps capture that sincerity.

-Burns' acting is a step up from her Mighty Ducks days, going from pre-tween diva to moody teenager. Stumbling a bit in her transitions, she manages to pull some better acting skills in the final act that is promising for future roles once she masters it.

-Yet, DeWanda Wise is the best actress in this movie for me, displaying touching moments of connection and balanced emotion that provided a better character.

-She may have gotten a bit overdramatic at times, and there were some ill-presented lines, but they were (mostly) kept in check for this movie despite the corny writing Funny -Whether intentional or not, the movie ends up having very humorous moments that left me chuckling or laughing at loud.

-Chauncey's games and taunts are very childlike, but then receive an adult twist that spices things up and adds extra laugh power.

-Or perhaps you'll just find the looks of the monsters to be laughable as well, many of them a parody that reflects what imagination can craft when at a young age.

-If that's not enough, then there are always the toned-down lines, forced emotion, and overacted character qualities that may get a rise out of you.

Creative Starts To Creepiness: -Horror movies thrive on a lot of presentation styles to create that lasting feeling of terror.

-Imaginary takes some of the playbook tricks and manages to nudge them to an original setup that shows promise for a memorable bout of terror.

-When you have an imaginary friend, the sky is the limit for ways to open up putting our "heroes" in peril, and there were times I was impressed with the start of the scare and how creative they got.

Heartfelt Moments: -Like many movies in this genre, Imaginary's characters have to address some things in their past to recover and thrive in the future.

-Two character arcs in particular had moments that I resonated with, fantastic presentations of the trauma, combined with authentic portrayals of the hurt they can bring.

-One moment was fantastic for me, as they used the scene in many ways that helped maximize the impact of that story for me. Its design answered a few gaping questions while also helping forge a stronger bond between two characters that struck me deeply.

-Moments like these are the best part of the movie given the purpose it brings to the film alongside crafting characters to invest my time into watching.

DISLIKES

Overdramatic Plot: -The movie tries to give more to the story than other horror films though, something I appreciate very much in a very expansive genre.

-This story does have elements that work well with the drama and horror elements and help enrich the characters past the usual fodder status that is seen.

-However, the movie tends to waver to the more CW-esque drama patterns, becoming more about over-expression than an engaging plot.

-When the predictability component factors in, the plot only weakened further for me, which inflated the dramatic flair for me.

Too Silly For Its Own Good -Granting a PG-13 rating is a double-edged sword for a movie in my experience.

-For Imaginary, I think the rating dulled the film, allowing for too much silliness that got in the way of the horror elements.

-Between the comical displays of the bad guys and ludicrous secondary characters, there were too many interruptions that diluted what I came to the movie to see.

-Dialog and acting further added to the silliness and resulted in dulling the movie down to a censored version of a concept that could have gone much further.

-Factor in the overdramatic limitation, Imagination then starts to move into an area where the cuteness becomes a bit distracting and annoying. This feeling seems to be a big part of what has lowered the ratings and perhaps might be too much comedy for its good.

Too Many Plot Elements -A minor dislike of this movie, Imaginary tries to take on a lot of things in a short amount of time.

-I think it handled it, okay. Some elements accomplished the goal of diving into the psyche of the main character and connecting these broken pieces to make a fulfilling character arc.

-However, another plot felt half-baked, the little girl's story holding some details that were intriguing, but were utilized as plot devices to bridge the main story. A shame given how many elements were tied to this girl that actually could have included other characters in the picture.

-And in the case of the teenager, she felt like an accessory designed to pull in the loose ends and shakily glue them together in a menagerie that didn't quite come together for me.

-The end product is manageable but falls short of what BlumHouse has put out in the past, and not even the campiness elevates the limitations.

Lack Of Suspense/Thrills/Scares -Horror movies are all about the scares or thrills for most of the entries in the genre.

-In this movie, I felt that only about ten percent of the movie had traces of these elements for me to enjoy and contrasted the trailer's promises.

-Chauncey can be creepy at times. The way those eyes stare and the looming shadowy presence are a few examples of a horror element done right for me.

-But it never elevates much past that, often delivering lackluster jump scares or comical moments that were supposed to be scary.

-Once the turn in direction took place, the nightmare moments practically evaporated, and now starting to approach Tim Burton's styles of design. -This style does have its disturbing factor to it but Imaginary didn't take it that level and pulled punches that again were more humorous than terrifying.

-The most disappointing element was the revelation of the monster's true form. Chauncey takes several uncomfortable transformations, but upon showing his true face, I wasn't impressed with the final result, especially at him doing very little despite the powers he possessed.

The VERDICT: Imaginary is a movie that held a lot of potential for me when I watched the trailers. Sadly, only a little bit of this potential was achieved for me in this viewing. The acting is fine and creates some engaging character moments that work well with the PG-13 rating. It has a story with some unique elements and some potential creative setups for scares, while also not treading too far into disturbing levels. There is an atmosphere of comedy embedded that at times brought out a laugh or two in me. However, the movie does not finish any of these elements strongly and struggles to keep the balance between fright and fun just right. The result becomes a mundane film that could be a beginner-level horror movie that only stands out in a few spots as the creepy piece it aspired to be. I can't recommend this movie for a theater showing, instead looking to a night at home as your venue of choice. Who knows, being at home might enhance the scare factor a bit.

My scores for the film are: Horror/Mystery/Thriller: 5.5 Movie Overall: 5.0.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Kung Fun Panda

[8/10 · 8 March 2024]

LIKES:

Great Animation -DreamWorks has created another fantastic world filled with stunning design and animation.

-Fluid movement combined with great animation makes a fantastic place to enjoy the adventure, loaded to the nines with that same splendor found in Kung Fu Panda.

-The animals hold so much personality, which when mixed with the gorgeous setting, creates a vivid world that is pleasing to the eyes, especially in 3-D.

Strong Voice Acting -A fabulous cast comes together to bring the animals to life in ways that create engaging characters.

-Jack Black is the martial arts mammal and is still as ridiculous as ever with his clumsy, goofy, and naïve self that continues to melt our hearts. Somehow, he still gives some heart to his performance to bring out the deeper levels of Po's character development.

-Awkwafina is a newcomer to the game and brings that sass and attitude to the fox character, Zhen. A great personification of the actress, she's a welcome addition to the world, with her humor fitting well into the animal antics.

-And Davis rounds out the acting with a solid performance. The chameleon has a poignant prose, and her status is well-matched to Davis' strong demeanor, deep, icy voice, and threatening attitude that the actress carries well.

Funny At Many Parts -If you are a fan of Kung Fu Panda humor, chances are you will find enjoyment in the fourth installment.

-Po's adventure is loaded with quirky dialog that is innocent and jovial. His naivety is charming to watch, but I like how Po engages with the cavalcade of characters who spice up the antics.

-His dads come along for the ride as well, forming a fun substory that held its charm and cuteness. The little intermissions from the story helped keep the humor fresh and blended nicely to the ending without going too far out of the way to accomplish it.

-Altogether, the movie accomplished much in this department and stuck to its roots for simplistic chuckles and laughs.

Deep Story Components -Despite being a kid's film, Kung Fu Panda 4 still manages to give some deeper plot elements that were very relevant to me.

-Po's journey keeps evolving with each film, requiring the clumsy oaf to face the changes life throws at him and take the lessons to heart.

-It did not matter with whom he engaged. Po somehow manages to find those vulnerabilities and engage them in a manner that feels legitimate and authentic.

-This helps reign in the movie from becoming too comedic and helps viewers invest a bit more into the film and complete this journey with the panda.

Entertaining End Credits -The first half of the credits gives you more animated goodness with our characters and brings some nostalgia that I quite enjoyed.

-A cover by the lead actor's band accompanies the scenes and provides a solid track that matches the theme of the sequence.

-Surprisingly, the song is also quite a good cover with comedy and rock beautifully combining into an engaging and energetic track.

Cute And Balanced -The movie accomplishes much in being an entertaining film for all ages to enjoy.

-One level is the heavy emphasis on silly antics, laughable clumsiness, and the censorship that cushions the violet components of the movie.

-Yet, Kung Fu Panda 4 is not pulling punches either. The movie provides plenty of inside jokes and elements for parents and older members to enjoy that helps expand who will enjoy the movie.

-Such a balance is what I loved in nineties movies and this film felt in touch with that balance.

Action That Works Super Well -Surprisingly, I really loved the action of this film and found it to be one of the better sequences I've seen in a while.

-The animation is a solid display of computer-generated imagery, with strong attention to detail to display the martial arts in an accurate manner.

-Dynamic fight sequences unleash the tension of the moment and hold anime level quality of fast punches, wicked reversals, and physics defying finishers. All with that magical twist representative of the lore.

DISLIKES:

More Of The Same -It's a great movie, but the fourth installment still is more of the same design and function as the others.

-While the base is important, I would have enjoyed the movie adding that twist and edge that the first two movies held.

-Or at least reintegrate the other characters a little better to help give a bit more climactic suspense into the movie and elevate the movie's inclusion of many new characters.

A Rushed Finale -Another instance of timing issues, this film still struggled to perfect the final battle and finish.

-Po's part they knocked out of the park, which was the saving grace of the movie. While the planning, character speeches and last-minute solutions were the weaker elements that needed another ten to fifteen minutes to make it worthwhile.

-Even the touching speech at the end felt a tad drowned out by the quick wrap up, only saved by the transition to the fun credits and the promise something more could still come from this film.

Predictable -No surprises here. King Fu Panda Four doesn't add too many twists or surprises that I could not predict early on in the film.

-There isn't much more I can say. So don't expect any mind-blowing moments, but in a way it doesn't matter.

Tries A Tad Hard To Be Funny -And like always, Jack Black and the crew sometimes try a bit too hard to get a rise out of you.

-Some lines are a tad over-emphasized, a little too much push to get the line out and get you to laugh.

-Other running jokes become stale or annoying, never knowing when to quit. I suspect such antics will be enjoyed by kids, but viewers like me might just roll their eyes at the constant reiteration.

The VERIDCT: Kung Fu Panda's latest installment may not be the most unique experience I have had, but it certainly is one of the more fun movies I've gotten this year. Sticking to its roots, Po's story continues to be a fun adventure filled with family-friendly laughs and balanced storytelling for all ages to enjoy. Beautiful design and animation make the world come to life and strong voice acting helps to further develop the characters we've grown to love. And with action that is very fitting and perhaps some of the better fights I've seen in a long time, the movie accomplishes much in a shorter run time. Sure, a few twists could have broken up the monotony alongside better character usage. A less rushed ending also would have helped this movie end on the strongest foot it could with that wisdom meets humor, but the entertaining credits are a blessing. With everything incorporated, I give this movie:

Animation/Action/Adventure: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.5.

Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

A Controversial Coen Divides Driving To This Film

[6/10 · 23 February 2024]

LIKES:

Great Music -A sucker for a good soundtrack, these Dolls have some classics to add that zest of the times and help give you some mood establishment.

-Some scenes feel very psychedelic, hypnotic and mellowing out that will eventually mean something if you stick around, adding to that clever execution Coen seems to be going for in this film.

-While other times it's just fun hearing that classic band feel, that music that moved generations with the messages and emotion that they brought, a few times crossing into poetic portrayals, though very few for me.

Short Run Time -This movie is not going to be for everyone, and a short run time may be a saving grace for viewers like this.

-Less than ninety minutes, with credits, it was quite a relief to know that an "artistic" film like this was going to take the minimum out of my busy day.

-And for those that have shorter attention spans, this is a plus. Otherwise there is little more I can say about this category.

Clever Wit At Times -Like the music use, Coen and wife's writing is indeed very smart, stepping up to handle a lot of comedic topics in one movie and do it so brazenly.

-The dialogue has a lot of wit behind it, jabs at moral character, pokes at political views and personalities, handling of very sensitive topics, and all with that wrapping of TikTok worthy quotes that are so popular.

-It holds a lot of confidence, and some of the metaphors are quite startling in just how crazy and out of left-field it is, and for that it's admirable to see just how they managed to work in so many challenges to the normal.

Unique -For those reasons above, Drive-Away Dolls is unique in that it will be a memorable movie for one way or another.

-The story may not be the most dazzling, layered, or even spectacular, but its elements are certainly a topic many don't take a swing at without being foreign or independent in terms of category.

-With visuals that only help support it, and the political nature of the plot being a big element without trying to mask behind a story, these dolls are certainly going to be that tributary that is going to try to open up a "whole new kind of movie."

Progressive -It's a joke in the movie, and there is no shame in how progressive this movie takes with liberties from the normal restraint of other films.

-The opening shot alone is going to be a selling point for some parties, and a killing moment for others, leading to a divisive nature that might be exciting and engaging all at the same time.

-And again, because of that boldness, because of the brazen challenge, that unique atmosphere is again going to be a memorable factor that may rock a lot of the modern society and get the higher reviews.

-To be honest, I can appreciate the courage to try some of these things out, as it really adds that punch to step out of the comfort zone and give some niche markets their time to shine.

Some Character Exploration Class -The movie accomplishes much in trying to explore what seems to be very simple characters at the start of the movie. At least one of them.

-Marian's world seems very closed off, but soon expands into a surprisingly touching exploration of a psyche that explains the tendencies her character shows, which I found very touching, realistic, and classy.

-And even the more ludicrous and annoyingly forward Jamie gets some touching moments near the end that again adds that realistic vulnerability that doesn't become a Hallmark special.

-The rest, have some moments that suggest more, again mirroring societal arcs and views that mix things up and give you a debate without being a debate special. And that's going to have mixed reception depending on who you are.

Acting: -Performance wise, the movie has levels of acting that might not be my favorite roles, style of coy, or really heroic and thought out characters. Yet, still handles this controversial movie well.

-Qualley is great a playing an annoying, extreme, and very reckless character with a heavy southern twang. She's energetic, very social media vibe, who holds very little boundaries for her actions, nor is often not sorry about being who she is. Qualley own this role, and just holds an energy that goes with the progressive tone of this film.

-Viswanathan adds that class to the movie, and I loved the character direction with the execution of a more engaging and deeper character. Sure, she's aggressive on a different level, but her delivery and restraint are more engaging to me and the better character to get through this movie with.

-And Beanie is Beanie. She's loud, she's obnoxious, and she's the extreme character that will meld with those just wanting a stupid and silly role with that brazen attitude. She works well with both characters, if not still unable to make a role that has more layers than yelling and pissed off.

DISLIKES:

Plot is Odd/Aggressive -With unique flavor, often comes aggressive and oddities to the plot, and Drive-Away Dolls is certainly odd.

-Do not be fooled by the trailers, which are heavily edited to hide just how much of what this movie is. And instead, the rated R brand is earned in just how aggressive, strange, and ugly this movie can get.

-To avoid spoilers, this adventure takes what seems to be a road trip gone wrong and turns it into that, but with a lot more aggressive and strange twists that seem to go nowhere and somewhere at the same time.

-And because of that approach, this weird mix didn't quite entertain me to the full extent, with me just riding out to see what all this mess was about.

Aggressive In Many Ways -That aggressive level I see entertaining some of my friends, those liking films like Zola, absolutely loving the absurdity at a tale like this and the jokes that come with it.

-Another film that pulls few punches, Drive-Away Dolls is a little too much for me in lots of the things they present and how much it's rubbed in your face.

-Jamie's annoying, selfish, and excessive rudeness did little for me, not really funny in how intrusive and idiotic she was, nor the sexual obsession she hold for a lot of the film.

-And the banter turning everything into being something about sex is not classy or clever, instead just Twitter drama amplified to levels to be so absurd it's funny.

-Again, several of my friends who like the boundaries HBO pushes, ae going to be captivated by this film.

Very Stupid -Yes, the movie is stupid on parts, and admits it with some self-deprecating jokes that were my favorite.

-And again that boundless idiocy just got old when I had few characters to latch onto, or a serious plot that didn't suddenly veer into sexual shenanigans again.

-Thus, the absurdity and wackiness were lost on me just because the tale was not engaging enough nor broke it up enough to not exhaust me.

Character Disappointments -I've stated it before, but many characters are annoying, with questionable moral compasses that even in the movies don't do much for viewers like me.

-Even worse, the hot topic actor Pascal was wasted for me on many levels, barely involved enough to put his name on the ads, and really only for bait.

-This would happen with several others, as most felt like accessory cameos that for the most part did little for me and could have been skipped given the hyperbolic overshadowing that our leads have.

Hypersexual Visuals/Trippy -The movie is essentially a big collection of sexual scenes brought upon by the insidious drive of the lead character and perhaps to the point of unnecessary excessiveness to the point of overkill.

-What is honestly just a step above the cheesy XXX films, Drive-Away Dolls is going to bombard you with very "intimate" moments of self-pleasing, uncouth, excessive orgy fantasies all for the sake of being unapologetically "human." -Sure, it's a side of humanity, but with plots that barely escape the pull of this perversion, and many unneeded detours to just cram more sex into every line, it's an ugly and less entertaining side compared to other R ratings I've seen.

-Throw in these trippy, acid trip interludes that for the most part have little purpose until the end, and this Alice in Wonderland sex show does nothing for me.

Potentially Offensive -Finally, the questionable content is going to be offensive for a lot of people, so a warning to actually read a few reviews warning you about this film.

-Coen's work is very much inciting attention, but don't put yourself in the trenches for what could be a very insulting and inciting film.

-I myself found a few times the blunt comedy, visuals, and aggression to be too much, crossing a line without any clever or witty set up, merely again an unfiltered venting through cinema that just felt unneeded.

The VERDICT: It is tough to score a movie this subjective in nature and design without causing the crowd to rise up. One the one hand, the movie is indeed blazing some trails, bringing a very unique and absurd story to life with some ingenuity and wit that Coen can bring to the screen. Handling topics in these odd ways, with that parody meets reality and political venue, Drive-Away Dolls really adds that "indie" like quality with a more blockbuster packaging. There are few moments that relieve the hyperaggressive comedy and satire, touching moments that do justice to the characters our talented cast brings to this progressive film. Yet, like some of his other films, Coen's level of directing is going to be targeted to niches and certain groups without much care, and perhaps to the point of being too "elevated." With very offensive dialogue, progressive political points of view, and very graphic and unyielding sexual content with nary a break in the adult comedy, this movie's plot and direction might be tough to sell to some. Thus, my scoring for this film is divided into:

Action/Comedy/Thriller: 6.5 (not much action or thriller) Movie Overall: 5.5-6.0.

Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Trying To Cram Too Much Into ONE movie. Still Respectable

[6/10 · 16 February 2024]

LIKES:

The Makeup/Costumes -We take a trip back to the 70s and 80s for this film and the fashion of the decades helps to get one into the moment of Bob's world.

-Ben-Adir's makeup alone is sensational alone, the hair, the facial profile, the look to give his cheekbones and patterns that Marley glow was all awesome for a nerd like me.

-And add that Marley fashion sense and you have accomplished much to bring out that feel of watching a fantastic replica of the master Reggae man.

The Portrayal Of His Spirit -Even better than the physical portrayal is a fantastic performance to give the heart and soul of Marley for the modern era.

-The movie really focuses on so much of this man's integrity and spirit, the way he tried to keep peace and unite the world, and yet also face the fear plaguing him.

-Powerful shots with a great writing set up so much in Adir getting to flesh out that soulful rhythm, and yet never treads too far into trying too hard to be the character.

-The movie accomplishes much to really convey the message of hope and unity, but never making the character invincible or overpowered to do it.

Loved The Writing/Dialogue At Times -The lines sell much of the attitude of Marley and the complexity of an artist he was and the struggles he faced in his rise to the status he held.

-Quippy one liners and poetic monologues truly helped add that soul surfer aspect, stern and disciplined, but yet friendly and fiery all the same to shape that figurehead he would become.

-And then when the banter between he and his bandmates comes in, those lines only become more powerful and fun, establishing that family dynamic I love to see in band movies.

-While the more emotional and hardship scenes provide that Hollywood magic I love, making the heated argument something of a motivational moment, with powerful lines to help support it.

Acting -I've already said much of the acting, but the lead role (a majority of the film) is carried by Ben-Adir, who gets so much of the mimicry of Marley in words, movements, and looks that it is shocking to think how much he studied. He continues to hammer out the roles to artisan levels and really bring every character some level of depth I did not anticipate.

-Lynch is a powerful supporting actress, strong in her emotional play, controlled in her actions, and has a solid command of making a character come alive and do more than simply just be there. As Rita, she has a dynamic flare that is admirable, with some of my favorite pieces from her, especially the back-alley scene. Her chemistry with Adir is phenomenal, and just needed more time in my opinion.

-And Norton, well he has some good moments and the finesse of the manager role, but just didn't get to engage or bring the full performance out to really sing praises.

The Music -By far the biggest selling point is the music of Marley. Fans are sure to enjoy the numbers and the recreation/integration of some of his songs and the numbers that we get.

-The message and the spiritual movement are ever-present in the inclusion of the pieces and seeing that power presence of feelings, love, and torment at times just helps add stakes and a hook to invest my time in.

-Seeing some of the songs being made and the album cover further peaked my interests in the nerd style of mine and wished I could have seen a little more of this than some of the other factors.

-And of course, seeing some of the concert numbers and the effects on Marley was a cool touch as well, a supposed homage to the wishes of the man per his son that help visualize the terror.

DISLIKES:

The Pacing: -Here is where things get messy for me for this film -The Pacing of One Love is a little erratic and perhaps too quick given what the trailers sort of painted this film would be.

-Marley did and had a lot of things happen to him, and to try and cram much of it in under two hours was an impossible challenge.

-For this movie, I felt we were ping-ponging all over the place, very brash clips of his life, challenges, and time rising, with the supposed main event lingering in the background.

-Various montages filled much of the film's musical moments, clips of his songs, while other elements of character development seemed rush and just snippets.

-That family factor and banter help to ease some of the strain, but Marley's movie moves mega fast and just lacks a certain bite I had hoped this movie would hold.

-Given Jersey Boys, Get Up Off of That Thing and Bohemian, I'm spoiled to more fleshed out pieces and Marley's film just lacked some of that finesse and balance in presentation that others have had

Other Characters Not Having Time To Develop -Bob and Rita get great development and focus, which is no surprise given the movie is much about them.

-However, there are other characters that are a part of their lives that get a lot of mention in words, but then sort of flop on screen for me.

-One Love: Is laden with extras and secondary characters who were supposedly big in the man's life, and yet... I barely got to see them interact outside of some jam sessions and smoking weed.

-His agent, his manager, some of the girls with his wife, his best bandmate, and kids all felt like just add-ons to give glimpses of his life's focus, but never really incorporate them like others do.

-It just makes the movie a bit less special and blander, with only the dive into Marley's soul as the sustenance for a very complex character.

More Of The Musical Numbers -Again, I've been spoiled by Bohemian Rhapsody and how much of the music I got for my buck with full numbers, the entire track, and creation process.

-One Love, not so much. The music is there with the message, but the complete tracks, the dive into the creation process, or the strategic placement of the numbers is minimal for a reviewer like me.

-I had hoped for that blend of movie magic and realism pulled to give you that sensational experience and make you want to watch the clips on YouTube over and over again.

-And yet, I don't think I had anything feel that powerful in this movie, a huge disappointment given how others have put at least two songs that were spectacles for me.

The Repetitive Sequence -Using a scene over and over again to try and personify a metaphor, a memory, or a process can be good, but in my experience often does little good.

-One Love has a scene to show his healing soul, but the gradual addition does little for me and gets annoying when it could have been done another way and filled with something else.

-This sequence's repetition gets old very quickly for me and perhaps cutting down to two or three times and adding more to the puzzle would go a long way than this slow and drawn-out symbolism.

Some of the Talking/Sound Editing In My showing -Some of the dialogue was hard to follow in my theater showing. Maybe due to the speakers, the dialect, or both, there were some mumbled versions and dialogue that were difficult to follow -Much of the movie is fortunately understandable, and these hard to interpret parts were often side stories than the main tale, so missing out did little in the movie overall.

-Yet, it also makes this limitation more annoying as this extra jumble was just not as much fun or necessary if they had stuck to something better.

The VERDICT This music biopic has the soul, spirit, and mellowness of the great Marley. A fantastic performance by a leading cast with the tricks of the trade to bring the physical appearance to code, this movie accomplishes much in the look and feel of Marley. Showing his impact, the pressures, and the struggles was nice, and I appreciate the dive into the Reggae king with what he had to do in his time and why he stood up against the political affairs happening. And yet, the movie still falls short for what I expected the film to be, too chopped up, condensed and artistic than other biopics that are higher on my list. The character integration is rather bland, the story flow is faster and erratic, relying on montages to do the lifting than the true build, and some approaches in presentation and artistic choices sort of got in the way for a viewer like me. I had hoped for more musical prowess in this film, but alas, to cram a major figurehead's life to under 2 hours, this is the risk you take instead of doing a limited series run. With all this in mind, the movie is best left for home viewing in my opinion, and with that my scores are:

Biography/Drama/Music: 6.5 Movie Overall: 6.0.

Madame Web (2024)

A Messy Web Of Mediocrity

[5/10 · 15 February 2024]

LIKES:

The Commentary At Times -Some lines in this movie are startling at how funny they were for me, a fantastic bout of teenage emotions with a less than thrilled babysitter.

-Madame Web's origin story is almost like an anti-hero tale to Charles Xavier idea, and though it's not fully fleshed out, there is emotion, fun, and what felt natural angst and vulnerability into it.

-With the right timing, and build up, this section of commentary was a striking positive in this reviewers book.

Representation of Paramedics -It's a rare thing to get to actually see E. M. T's in their work and what they give to serve the public.

-While a bit forced, and perhaps a tad overdone and cheesy, kudos for Madame Web accomplishing some detailed shots of them serving the public and giving a little character development with it.

-There were great avenues taken to help ingrain parts into the story, and with that, the medical nerd inside me found a cool little nod in those sequences.

Some Artistic Visuals Are Cool -I'm a sucker for a good shot and a good artistic visual popping out and ingraining itself into my mind.

-Madame Web has some of these moments for me, the creepy and yet serene world of the Web World, being one that holds majesty and mystery, but also the very emotions of the person trying to wield it.

-Other shots of costume crusaders striking that right pose, or perhaps that nostalgic early 2000s look, really help establish some of the themes of the movie or a good set up visual to cascade into.

-It may be sprinkled about, but there were some superhero visuals that accomplished the job for me in Madame Web.

Talented Cast -Celeste O'Connor is very fun in this movie. A tad quirky, but she keeps the attitude going, a lot of that sass very fun and usually well-placed to help move the story towards forced comedy and obvious story telling.

-Merced eventually grew on me after she got into the meat of her character and starting to push past the stubborn and cheeky attitude. She's got charming charisma, a fun brainy side to exploit, and this sadness that she uses to illicit such emotion, something I wanted more of, but got only little.

-Sweeney is fun in this movie. Toned down from the other roles I've seen, the woman knows how to adapt her style and give me something to hook to several times. I love the awkwardness she brings, the tie in to the two extremes, and her surprising smallness after she plays such big roles.

-And Johnson is about the same as she always is. A snarky and condescending nature that she wields expertly, but a tad dry at times that some lines feel unfulfilled. Fortunately, she's got good chemistry with the girls that assisted in smoothing out the faults.

Some Surprising Character Arcs -The movie may miss a lot of things, but there are a few moments that work very well to show the potential of Madame Web if given the right focus.

-An opening that holds some merit was one of the victories, something that would eventually bleed into plot points further on that gave you a very touching moment.

-And another element has the other's origin stories granting us some potential hurt and relatable tales to latch onto and acknowledge. Again, helping give a young and in your face Charlie's Angel group some vim and vigor.

The Music -Call me a sucker for nostalgia, Madame Web has a mix of songs that were perfect for viewers like me to enjoy.

-Comedic use of the songs are not the most creative, but add that minor element to help give the girls a little more dynamic and believability.

-While other times, it's just a blast of the speakers and me dancing in my seat as the forgotten wonder returns for another run to get things started.

DISLIKES:

The Pacing Uneven -Despite the trinkets and some merits to the story, Madame Web's dislikes for me start with the pacing of the tale.

-A moderately slow start did little to keep me engaged, only to then have these sprints of faster moments to try to change things up, before hitting the brakes again.

-Like a CW season crammed into one, Madame Web's pacing feels a lot like dressed up teenage drama trying to give realism and gradual steps, but really just being the mashup of the uglier time use dramas can get stuck to.

The Stale Mechanic -From the trailers, you know there is some type of vision gimmick that Cassie is supposed to use to protect her charges.

-That gimmick gets stale very quickly for a viewer like me, the convoluted presentation starting out fun at first, but then turning into annoying déjà vu that felt more like reshoots than actual artistic twisting.

-Like Moon Knight, that element makes sense at first, but really could have stopped halfway through the movie once the viewers has connected the powers.

-Had there been a bit more excitement, fighting, or even better storytelling to distract, it would have been less impactful, but alas, for me, all the other limitations added up.

Lack of Other Character Development -There are a lot of characters in this movie, some played by bigger names than the leads themselves. And yet, their time and character development felt shoehorned than planned out.

-Adam Scott and Emma Roberts seem disengaged, with stories that are cliché, simplistic, and a waste of talent that again showed potential with that slower pacing at the start.

-But even the villain and main girls tales feel very bland, and that lack of character development was very much felt by me that it almost seems to rely heavily on another movie to do these characters justice.

Annoying Dialogue -I know, I said the commentary was good, but that was a small amount of it compared to the whole.

-Madame Web's dialogue seems to have gone through the writing grinder several times, very loaded with one liners, sassy comments and attitude that seemed to be out of place for much of the film for me.

-Statements of the obvious, corny dialogue essentially pushed in with too simplistic of writing and in your face, overdramatic flair to count as quality dialogue. It needs tuning up, needs to be less forceful, and try to add a little Hollywood magic to help tenderize it to something matching a comic book movie.

A Villain Needing A Lot More -Don't get me wrong, there is an element to him that is relatable, believable, and indeed threatening in terms of the madness of his actions.

-But outside of this and the opening scene, Ezekiel is a very bland bad guy who just didn't get the time to shine outside of crawling and repeating the same lines over and over.

-The direction failed to give him any recognizable skills, his threats empty most of the time and sort of creepy obsessive, and dare I say his actual character is zoomed over and practically absent but for the opening line.

-To me, that's a limited villain and one major flaw that much of the movie suffers from.

Visuals Get Really Muddy/Bad -Sony makes such great looking video games, and yet their movies still suffer from last gen effects -While the artistic flair of those moments was enjoyable, they did have that faux effect that dropped some of the realism this movie was going for.

-Even worse, there are lots of movements, character renderings, and powers that leave a lot to be desired in looking their best. I won't say it's a dealbreaker, but it doesn't help to have such limited technology presentation.

Scenes/Story Seem Very Chopped Up -Between the gimmicks and pacing, the scenes already feel limited, messy, and almost like an abbreviated version of what they could be.

-Sure, the dialogue gives you everything they are going for, but the presentation felt very much like a lot of reshoots of the same scene, and slight changes that made little difference.

-Such indecisive direction and edits got away from them and left me just wondering what this film could have been with half the gimmicks of the visions pulled back.

The Action Is Very Boring -No denying this, Madame Web maybe even worse than many of the CW attempts at action.

-While witty, and an amusing game of cat and mouse, a Spiderverse without a solid one or two fights is a verse I'm not fond playing in for nearly two hours.

-A lame villain does little but strut and crawl, while our cast somehow running away and eluding comes off a bit pathetic than entertaining.

-Even the climax is a mess, rushed finishes, suspense of disbelief, and an overdramatic battle of words with a very extravagant and mushy ending to cap it off.

-Eternals at least had a few moves that had me rocking in my seat, but this... this was a challenge to stay awake in.

The VERDICT: Madame Web is certainly not the worst movie I've seen in years, but that doesn't mean Sony's latest is a masterpiece either. There are elements of this vision that show the potential for a good future, but need a lot of work to make up for this rushed installment. A talented cast, music and some fun writing can be the starting building blocks, but it can't offset what feels like lots of production limitations, rewrites, and editing that greatly show in this movie. Boring battles, annoying gimmicks, and under developed characters despite a strong cast were just some of the limitations this movie has to work through if a series is to come with it. Should one see it in theaters? Not really. A shot at home, I would say sure, but with all of this, my scores for the movie are:

Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 6.0 Movie Overall: 5.0.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Wild, Weird, and Wicked

[7/10 · 9 February 2024]

LIKES:

The 80s Vibe -I'm a sucker for the decade of the 80s, as are most, and Lisa Frankenstein manages to capture the fun of the ending years of the decade.

-This film conveys the energy, the wild fashions, the big hair, and all the outdated cars, homes, and technology to really get that feel.

-And somehow, that avenue was perfect to sort of dampen the darker tones of the movie, giving it that John Hughes version of an occult that opens up who can watch this film.

-It's a perfect choice for decade and time period for me, and Cody/Williams' direction to help maximize it without getting too lost.

The Opening Credits -A small like for some, the opening credits are a charming introduction to the tale we are about to partake in.

-It's animated, holding silhouette style of art that reminds me of some favorite games, alongside a Tim Burton animation that is haunting, but again curved to be cute than disturbing.

-The story told at the beginning has a great medium to do it, and is concise, giving us more time to spend with Lisa and her... weird hobby.

The Acting -While not any of the Oscar talking roles, this younger cast accomplishes much for me in the film, handling this strange and disturbing content like a pro.

-Breaking my rule, I'm going to credit the most involved performances than top three just because they are holding much of the performance and I think it's fair.

• Cole Sprouse was quite dynamic for not saying many words through the film. Mostly using body acting and grunting, the former Suite Life star is a modern Hocus Pocus Billy as he struts, lumbers, and does other stuff to bounce off of Lisa's actions and very fun in most cases.

-Soberano as Taffy, is the fun version of the damsel of the story, sweet, engaging, and fun, layered with that uncertainty vibe that can go which way. Add her Mean Girls delivery on lines, and you get some extra comedy power that I see many enjoying.

-Newton is the star though, and is the ferry woman on this odd dance with death. How her character changes throughout the movie required a lot of versality, and I was impressed with how she managed to change her aura with each level. Mostly kempt, delivery of lines was amazing, and the way she captures that dark and methodical movements all add up to becoming a "modern" Frankenstein role that I think they were going for.

The Comedy -It's twisted for much of the movie, but bravo for adding comedy styles that seem too hodge-podge and abstract to fit together.

-Like the concept of Frankenstein though, somehow these pieces get sewn together and become this eclectic mix of parts that just work for the angle this film took.

-Ignorance and stupidity of many cast offers that simple level of lightness to break up the darker roles of the macabre.

-Then, you get into the dark elements, these puns, jabs, and sarcasm hyperbolized to the point of adding that dryer sense of humor that adds spice and "livens" things up.

-And for those of the truly twisted and morose humor, Cody's writing has given you your feast of darker elements that may not quite cross into the full horror, but give you enough shock factory and dark reflections that will please your goth hearts.

-All-in-all, it works well and for much of the movie, I enjoyed the integration of this element.

Costumes/Makeup: -Again, the costumes have a life of themselves, much of it reflecting the decade, holding the energy, setting, and vibe to not break the illusion of the past.

-Sprouse's costumes are a tad more creative, a mixture of both worlds that becomes a very character element and comedic tool to have a lot of fun with and still be stylish. While his makeup application shows the artists telling a story on its own with impressive attention to detail.

-And Lisa's wardrobe goes above and beyond, taking all of the aforementioned elements, and giving that last push of edge, character development, and that added sex appeal of the Frankenstein to speak to the target audience.

The Clever Writing -Diablo Cody is known for her intelligence and wit with writing, finding ways to blend a lot of things into one movie.

-Lisa Frankenstein I find a testament to her work, another mashup of satire to parody the classics, but adding that new age twist and drama to appeal to the modern audience.

-This story is not just that dark thriller the trailer seemed to highlight, but instead a really intriguing twist to the Frankenstein role.

-A character study, mixed with this odd romantic spin, that starts approaching CW levels of odd and cheesy, as they express the various qualities behind young "love." -And yet, there is something more, a sort of Cinderella tale that emerges from this, and helps add some thought provoking measures and cultural insight to those looking for a little deeper content.

The Odd Character Development -And much of the story comes down to the character profiling of the players involved.

-Lisa in particular has so much to unpack, this essential dive into this fractured mind that like her namesake is stuck between artistic brilliance, teenage lust, and potential insanity.

-While the Creature somehow holds so many qualities and unravels his tightly held feelings, gradually introducing them with each new person who meets him.

-This is the odd fascination that pulls everything together, and will be very appealing to those liking Buffy, Supernatural, and Heathers like psyches.

The Music -A nod to the music, it's a soundtrack list that feels welcome to all the scenes they were in. The 80's track list kept me bouncing, had some comedic involvement, and at times bridges sequences together.

-And a two covers of REO speed wagon, each holding different weight in their use, another choice decision to work with that creativity of the writing.

The DISLIKES:

The Pace/Concept Drop -The pace starts out well, but then sadly loses pace about the last third of the movie, where things speed up to a bad levels.

-While it works with the logic of the story, the movie's interesting concept felt dropped to me, and turned more towards the CW element that works and yet needed more of the original concept -Several characters had potential to have more involvement and yet... it didn't happen and that was disappointing.

Gets Carried Away At Times -The darker tones threaten to overwhelm the movie at any point, and though it walks the thin line well, it does go overboard.

-Lisa's mindset is like the mad doctor's at point, and cross the insane point to a level that sometimes gets too True Crime for some.

-And that ending decides to take things in an even weirder and more uncomfortable element that crosses into territory that (though funny and sarcastic) still is disgusting, twisted, and might only appeal to a small sample population.

Rated R Most Likely Needed -Those moments of crossing the line, even though it's no level of SAW/Hostel, still are probably not full PG-13 no matter how poetic and charming this spin is.

-Anything involving high school and teenage slaughter is very much a darker tale and so I would exercise caution for weak constitutions and taking younger audience members to be aware please.

Too Silly/Geared To CW audience?

-And yes, I'm not the target audience for this movie, as Cody is very particular and often gears her writing to a niche audience.

-This film's key audience should impress most of the group, but for me, the further into the movie, the more CW overdramatic than at the start.

-While impressive character exploration, the avenues they chose to explore have little effect on me and feel almost like a darker version of the film Blockers that seemed a little too cheesy and fanfiction for my tastes.

-Fortunately, the metaphorical ending helps wrap things up to a level that I very much enjoyed.

The VERDICT:

Lisa Frankenstein is weird, dark, and surprisingly intriguing on many levels. Cody's writing with Williams direction has captured the charm of Tim Burton horror, warping the story of Frankenstein to a fun level, and making it relevant for modern topics. A strong cast and even stronger production value really help, ironically, bring things to life, helping capture the spirit of the decades and content. This movie handles a lot of advanced concepts in a fun way, and does it's best to blend the morose macabre with that twisted tackiness, and with the blend of so many styles and elements, achieves something I didn't expect. Sadly, for me, the experimentation goes awry and veers into the niche audience level, venturing into that CW level of drama that feels fanfiction. True, there is some metaphorical poetry to help stem things, but it didn't save it for me and the fact that the original direction seemed dropped and lost before it hit momentum Had the not done that... I would have given this higher. With all these concepts, my score for Lisa Frankenstein is:

Comedy/Horror/Romance: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Argylle (2024)

Had Fun For Awhile, Argylle

[8/10 · 2 February 2024]

LIKES:

Humor -I enjoyed a lot of the comedy in this movie, despite how cheeky and over the top it can be sometime.

-Argylle uses a lot of tactics to get a laugh, including: sarcasm, straight up delivery, unbelievable stunts, cheesy moments, and some slapstick that helps go with the flow of the Vaughn movie.

-Balanced into a surprising degree, it doesn't go too farfetched for viewers like me and helps blend that comic book quality with real life that meshes well for me and keeps the movie in that fun area that the first two Kingsman did well.

Music -Absolutely one of my favorite elements, Vaughn's group has helped pull the right tracks together that are used so intelligently to accomplish a lot of things.

-Sometimes the song is just funny, that perfect touch to go with the theme, sell the thoughts, and add that background noise that hits scene by scene in the sequence to bring everything together -Other times, the song is just catchy, very energetic, upbeat, and with the sound effects, that culmination of sound engineering that gets me pumped to find the right song.

-It's dynamic, it's quirky, and it really just has the Vaughn feeling behind it that I've loved in most of the spy ring craziness.

The Fun -Like Kingsman movies 1 and 2, the movie for me was just fun.

-It didn't get too caught up in the politics and agendas of the world, but went back to that ludicrous story that blended many elements together into an engaging piece that kept my attention.

-And yet, still has a story that helps ground it and lead to a more well-rounded experience that avoids (mostly) getting caught up on an element or gimmick to bash it into paste.

The Story: -I won't say it's the best, but the movie still holds candor for elevating the film past just knock off jokes and violent punches.

-Argylle's story actually gives some character development in two of the title characters, helping focus on the story elements and less on the power player role that I very much enjoyed.

-A little bit of world building, alongside some engaging elements really gave me characters to follow, and upped the stakes a bit to help accomplish much in the short time period.

The Action To Some Degree -Vaughn knows how to make memorable action sequences and this movie still shows his creative elements coming to life.

-The early stuff surprisingly is grounded, a bit more traditional outside of a few stunts that scream Rockwell fervor.

-Near the end though, most of the bouts are totally in the comic book aspect, over the top, flashy, funny, and downright corny that I couldn't help but love everything coming together.

-If that's not your element, chances are this movie wasn't for you, but for fans of the extreme Kingsman brand, stick around for the latter hour of the movie to get your wishes.

The Acting -Once again, I'll focus on the three actors with the most time and/or have the most build up, or else we'll be here all night.

-Cavill is fine for the time he is on screen. He's got the sex appeal of the Pierce Brosnan spy, the delivery that works with the role, and yet the humor in the later portions of the movie. It's just too bad he isn't on screen enough to really blend it all together to the max (more on that later) -Rockwell is Rockwell, fantastic at what he does and bringing his trade sarcasm with it. In this film, he's sarcastic, drops one-liners, just naturally humorous to me, and yet has that moment of vulnerability down that shows how talented he is.

-But Howard surprised me with her props in this film, once more proving she can give more layered roles. She's nerdy, she's anxious, she's loving, and so much more, all brought together to make this odd situation believable, and often avoiding the annoying levels that this thing could have gone into.

The Pace, Mostly -And like most of the spy-action entries in this director's list, the pace is engaging for me given the balance of faster walking through the scenes, but slowing down to still smell the roses.

-Argylle does its best to find the right ratio of storytelling, world building, and action, all to help further uncover the mystery of this writer's talents and the truth they are seeking.

-And for much of the film, I admit they accomplished a lot and made the 2 hour and 17 minute run time feel better than I anticipated, and that is impressive in this day and age when you can complete a story in that time range.

DISLIKES:

The CGI Needs Work -Some corners were cut in this film and one of them was the CGI of the film.

-It is not the worst thing I've seen, but there are a lot of moments where the budget cuts and stretched graphics stood out and could be a tad annoying when not used right.

-Whether this is during the action scenes, or sometime the backgrounds, Argylle's tech prowess needs some work to obtain the same prowess it did in the past and not get so blurred by the limitations of CGI.

The Action Could Have Been Better -Argylle keeps the action a little closer on the pulse of reality, forgoing the usual effects for much of the first part of the film and keeping it more of a straight shooter, brawler, with just a little twist.

-Eventually we get to the roots, but for this limitation for me, the stunts just needed to be a little more spread out and hold that wow factor Vaughn's work is known to have.

-Where were the over the top car stunts or off the wall blasts? Where was that pinnacle end fight that didn't feel so last minute and a stretch to fit another twist into the mix.

-And though much of it does become balanced, I can't help but think there was still some more tweaking to be done to help find that balance the first Kingsman accomplished for me.

A Few Too Many Twists?

-I agree with the reviewers that perhaps Fuchs got a tad carried away with the number of twists in this movie.

-Argylle is loaded to the nines with plots twists. Some of these are good, and others feel forced and added on at the end in some vain attempt to try and break a record.

-They aren't all bad, but at some point, the amount of twists and surprises gets to the point of annoying for me and they could have cut a few things to help finessed the story and help on some of the other dislikes above.

-Perhaps that straight and narrow could have gone a bit more to help achieve the same wow factor for Argylle

Balancing Of Actors Needs Improvement --For me the biggest limitation is by far the balancing of the cast and the characters that get promoted in the commercial.

-Rockwell and Howard have the most screen time, but after that, most of the rest of the cast is in these fleeting moments, with only Cavill eking out a few more moments.

-True, they all have that memorable factor, but I know there was a lot more they could have done with them, more inclusion and bending the story around their involvement like the first part of the movie.

-Samuel L Jackson, Cena, Dua Lipa, and more just felt like they got the shaft on this film, and though better than some movies, Argylle still shows what loading up on a cast can do if not balanced.

The VERDICT:

Argylle was a lot of fun for this reviewer, and was a lot better than the prequel a few years ago for the series. The primary reason is just Vaughn pulling his magic of blending so many things into an entertaining piece and finding the way to just make it energetic and fun. Some decent acting to deliver the lines, character development, escalating action and plenty of comedy all mesh well and optimize the feelings Vaughn knows how to make come alive. An engaging pace and just that entertainment value were all elements I loved and found worthy of the theater visit. Yet, it still has room to improve to get back to the first Kingsman for me. The action gradually gets to that exciting level, but feels a bit stiff to begin with as the move finds ground. The twists and pacing need a bit more sprucing up to be that perfect balance of storytelling and flair I know this director can bring. Yet, it's the CGI and the character integration that are the weakest elements, and no amount of catchy music and humor is going to offset that several key players were fairly absent. Still, I give this movie a solid go to and had fun with the theater experience, so I encourage others to get it a try at the theater if possible.

My scores are:

Action/Thriller: 7.5-8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.