nashezzubair Reviews

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Non stop action ride.

[8/10 · 7 January 2024]

When you start watching a John Wick movie, you expect it to be a non stop action ride. Thats true for this 4th chapter in the most John Wick way possible and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Keanu Reeves' silent assassin John Wick is always a treat to watch. People do complain about his lack of dialogue but in this setting it works to his advantage as the action tells most of the story. John Wick is a force of nature, something everybody fears to be the other side of his gun. And in this movie, its maximum carnage from him.

Can't believe that 4 movies in and the director Chad Stahelski and his stunt choreography team haven't let us get bored of the action yet. Its surprisingly refreshing in every movie and each builds on top of the previous one, raising the bar higher. The story's tightly knit too, so you feel like the fight scenes organically come out of it and never feel forced.

An amazingly entertaining watch, as expected from the John Wick movies.

The Continental (2023– )

Not the John Wick spinoff we deserved

[4/10 · 6 January 2024]

There are very few elements of the original that made John Wick such a big hit. This is poorly paced and not what you expect from a John Wick spinoff.

Winston's character is still on point though. Rest of the characters, not so much. It seems that they rushed this one. The characters don't feel original as well, seems like they were picked from each of the previous movies we have seen before, be it the assassins, adjudicator or the protagonists. Feels like the writers were afraid to try something new so they cherry picked from the original.

The pacing is very slow for the majority of the season and they try to cram in all the action in the last episode, by which point, we have already lost faith in the series. And when the action does start, it doesn't deliver to the level of John Wick. Doesn't even seem like its set in the John Wick world.

Had high hopes with this one. But sadly it couldn't meet expectations.

Gen V (2023– )

Unexpectedly Good!

[8/10 · 6 January 2024]

A spin off set in the most incredibly thought through universe of recent times. Sounds too good to be true but they pulled it off in spectacular fashion. Looking at the Boys' universe from the lens of teenage superheroes as they realize what being a superhero means in the real world is refreshing.

The cast is good, although not at the level of The Boys but good enough. Jaz Sinclair (as Marie) in the lead is good, supported by Lizzie Broadway (as Emma), Chance Perdomo (as Polarity), London Thor (as Jordan Li) and others are also good.

The plot surprisingly ties in very well to the story of the main series and the cameos of the main show are extremely rewarding.

Good and entertaining to watch. Not a must though for the Boys universe.

The Boys (2019– )

Binge this if you haven't. ASAP!

[9/10 · 6 January 2024]

Violent, Gory, Explicit but also Deeply Satirical and Critical of the world of superheroes and more importantly, the corporate driven world we live in. As one of the characters in the show very rightly puts it "When in history has it ever been about anything other than Business." Its unafraid and unapologetic in exposing the glam and gloom side of celebrity culture, and the consequences of treating them as gods. And its a treat to watch.

Anthony Starr as Homelander is hands down the best written and acted villain in all of TV show history, maybe even all of cinema dare I say. Karl Urban (as Billy Butcher) is also amazing in the role. The show is worth watching based on these 2 actors' charismatic performances alone.

Not to take anything away from any of the other cast members, Erin Moriarty ( as Starlight), Jack Quaid (as Hughie), Tomer Capone (as Frenchie), Laz Alonso (as MM) and many others all bring their A game which makes the show all the more entertaining to watch.

Binge The Boys if you are looking for an escape from the endless superhero media content out there.

Reacher (2022– )

Reacher is how its done: If it ain't broken, don't fix it!

[8/10 · 6 January 2024]

Its rare to see such a show being made these days, faithful to the source material and stays away from propaganda.

Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher couldn't have been a more perfect casting choice.

Season 1 support cast complements Alan well and have their own character arcs which are also well written. Malcolm Goodwin (as Oscar Finaly) and Willa Fitzgerald (as Roscoe Conklin), who by the way is one of the most well done strong female characters in recent memory.

Season 2 support cast is also great. Maria Sten (as Neagley), Shaun Sipos (as O Donnell) and other army compatriots of Reacher and there team dynamic is enticing to watch.

Show's not perfect though, it does not have that interesting bad guys. However the mystery around each season is entertaining enough that it more than makes up for the above problem. Plus the action is spectacular.

This is how to do a faithful adaptation!

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

The mediocre Star Wars series EveryBody asked for but NoBody liked much

[5/10 · 28 June 2022]

Ewan McGregor is always great as the titular character, so is the rest of the cast but that sense of purpose is missing in the characters. And it would have been fine if the characters cultivated it throughout their journey but this effort seems to be lacking.

The Villains (Inquisitors) are just unnecessarily there, and the attempt to squeeze in Darth Vader feels unnecessarily burdened.

In all, the series feels, for the lack of a better word purpose-less.

The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)

Surprisingly brilliant and emotionally complete

[8/10 · 28 June 2022]

The Umbrella Academy is a surprisingly good show that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Each of the character arcs are so brilliantly crafted that you'll find yourself second guessing each of their motives, aspirations and actions.

The cast members, led by Elliot Page are also fantastic, especially Aiden Gallagher as Five and Robert Sheehan as Klaus were big surprises.

My only complaint with the show is that it does have a lot of main characters to follow and the season arcs are getting kind of repetitive, apocalypse incoming and all.

But I do see that season 3 ended on a different note, hopeful for season 4.

Otherwise, a very compelling story which is as brilliantly acted as it is well written.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Possibly Spectacular, but not in this universe

[6/10 · 28 June 2022]

With gorgeous visuals, some cliche horror tropes and jump scares and a lot to unpack in a short time, Dr. Strange's Multiverse of Madness could have been a spectacular film in another universe, but not in ours.

Instead what we got were a few moments of brilliance, fan serving cameos and a linear story with seemingly confused characters that seem to be good or bad just because the narrative tells you so.

Wanda completely unravels her Grieving arc from WandaVision (possibly one of the best acted shows in MCU). She has some brilliant moments, but with bland and unjustifiable motives, even Elizabeth Olsen's superb acting can't save her. Benedict Cumberbatch and Wong are great to watch as always, although the pairing with Xochitl Gomez does seem forced.

Sam Raimi signature directing style is ever present which could have been a good thing if they had just tried to pick a genre and stuck to it. Trying to make a superhero movie as a horror + sci-fi is already difficult enough as it is, but throw in the multiverse aspect and you've got a cocktail no one wants to drown in.

Its a shame, this was a missed opportunity which could have been a great movie in another universe.

Panchayat (2020– )

Deeply moving, honest and heartfelt

[8/10 · 21 May 2022]

An amazing tale of rural India's Panchayat system, the series explores a Panchayat executive - SachivJi played beautifully by Jitender as he tries to settle in a remote village.

The character explorations and emotional range displayed by the actors here, be it the main or the supportive cast are phenomenal. Beautiful direction and depiction of life in an Indian village, the politics of the Panchayat and how it entangles the lives of the villagers is awe inspiring. The commentary on the common Indian household, both rural and urban is great.

You will grow to love Phulera gaon, even with all its flaws and politics.

Definitely a must watch, Hats off TVF.

Dune (2021)

A Visual spectacle that tries to do too much too soon

[7/10 · 21 May 2022]

Visually brilliant, packed with good performances, an amazing musical score and good direction.

A lot of exposition but the movie earns it, even though it tries to do too much in its two and a half hours of runtime.

Very talented cast, everyone brings their best to the table. Absolutely no problems with any of the performances.

Will be waiting for the next one, since they invested so much here to set it up.

Uncharted (2022)

Ok as a filler

[3/10 · 21 May 2022]

Good action scenes, depthless characters along with a timid excuse of a plot.

Don't get fooled by Mark Wahlberg or Tom Holland's face in the poster. Even Spiderman can't save this one

Doesn't feel earned. Just watch casually to get lightheaded.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

Fantastic Movies and How to write them : BUT THIS ONE ISN'T

[3/10 · 21 May 2022]

Oh please, that "Love" trope is getting kind of predictable. The writers just can't seem to avoid it and its getting frustrating.

Terribly confusing plot and even more botched up direction. There is some novelty in keeping the audience guessing but how do you take these many U-turns and the end is still predictable!

The only reason to sit through this all the way is to watch Jude Law and Eddie Redmayne play out their characters. Mads Mikkelson does his best to work with whatever he is given but he comes off as a one dimensional bad guy. Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Jessica Williams are all good actors who try their best to save this movie but they can't. Its heartbreaking to see that these many talented actors and they squander their potential. DO SOMETHING INTERESTING with them, Please.

Please don't watch if you're a Harry Potter fan, or else magic will be ruined for you.

Moon Knight (2022)

Has many flaws, but they certainly try weird!

[5/10 · 21 May 2022]

Driven by Oscar Isaac's powerful performance, Moon Knight certainly delves into the weirder side of the MCU.

The problem here is that its an exposition heavy story, which doesn't clarify much to the audience (even though they had the time!). Which does leave you scratching your head if you aren't familiar with Egyptian mythology, which in itself certainly isn't as well known as Greek or Norse mythology to most people. Also the second half of the series seems a bit rushed.

No quams with performances though. Ethan Hawke wasn't given much do with but he certainly does his best. May Calamawy is also good in her role, portraying a strong independent woman, capable of carrying the baton herself. Oscar Isaac's portrayal of split personality does appear to be inspired from James McAvoy's performance in Split, which isn't a bad thing, its just not as original as I have come to expect from Oscar Isaac, given his acting capabilities.

Even though it has some problems, I would certainly give them an A for effort but not for execution, mostly coz of the series pacing and lack of exposition.

The Batman (2022)

Playing it Safe

[6/10 · 21 May 2022]

Same old Batman solving crimes, corruption in Gotham city, battle for the city's soul, the usual drill with a few dashes of visual brilliance. Seems like they aren't taking any risks here at all and playing it safe, which delivers for the most part. Similar tropes as previous Batman movies, not bad but nothing to write home about.

Matt Reeves' direction is good, so are the performances of Robert Pattinson & Colin Farrell (His makeup does deserve a nod). Zoe Kravitz and Paul Dano deliver incredible performances as Catwoman and The Riddler respectively.

In short Nothing bad, but nothing special or unique either.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Hilarious, Heartfelt, Relatable, ALL AT ONCE!

[9/10 · 20 May 2022]

A truly incredible piece. Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert absolutely knock it out of the park with superb writing and fantastic direction and action that is just bonkers enough to make sense and yet imaginative enough to keep you thoroughly entertained.

The movie is a fresh breath of air amongst the recently developing crowd of multiverse flicks. Never does it shy away from the weirdness or trying to offer complicated explanations which gives room to explore the core characters and the underlying story. This movie will leave you playing out your own What If scenarios in your head, and how the slightest decision can lead to drastic differences in life. Its not a new concept but never has it been explored from the perspective of a relatable story of an ordinary household with common problems which are very much at the heart of it all.

The performances explore the widest range of emotions I have ever seen. Michelle Yeoh gives a career best performance in the role of Evelyn, who is trying to be a good Wife, Mother, Daughter and laundromat owner. Trying to be Everywhere, do Everything all on her own which later ties very well into the multiverse concepts. This is a character she plays to perfection and in my humble opinion is definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination at the very least if not a win. The support cast Stephanie Hsu (Joy) also gives a well layered performance. She flushes out the nuances of being different in a conservative family very well and beautifully channels the frustrations. Ke Huy Quan is also a great support.

To sum it all up, the movie is Hilarious, Heartfelt and Relatable, ALL AT ONCE.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

For Neo's Sake, please Don't ...

[4/10 · 16 January 2022]

"All that Keanu Reeves touches cannot become gold", but the story of this movie certainly seems to rely on that.

The first Matrix movie was so perfect that it seemed logical to make the next one. But it was all downhill from there. Even though the next 2 movies were downgrade from the first one, we can still see countless videos of YouTubers and Literature students trying to connect these 3 movies philosophically. Well, I would like to see them try to explain this convoluted mess.

I don't have a complain against the actors because they weren't given anything to perform with, and they had to make do with what they got. Jonathan Groff was a standout for me and Jessica Henwick was a welcome addition to the cast. Although I felt that the script didn't do justice to the legendary role of Morpheus, even with an actor as charismatic as Yahya Abdul Mateen II.

Convoluted concepts were added and plot points introduced just so that they could look relevant but at the cost of retconing the legacy of the previous movies. Also, The movie's self awareness works against it in ways that make you cringe out. Overall, the plot seems confusing and kind of all over the place. Even the action scenes are not as polished as the original, suffering from bad CGI at times that feels superficial. And how in Neo's name did they manage to turn Bullet Time into a joke! That was really infuriating.

I feel really bad that Keanu Reeves is in this movie, he was the sole reason I suffered through the entire thing.

The Matrix Resurrections tarnishes the legacy of the original. Please avoid watching if you are a fan.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

A Dream Come True and More ...

[8/10 · 16 January 2022]

Tom Holland's 3rd solo outing as the titular web slinger is jam packed with action, heart felt moments and dare I say surprises. Its like once in a lifetime kind of movie, that does justice to almost all of its characters and in typical MCU fashion, tries to set up the next arc.

By no means it is a perfect movie, and I can understand how hard it must have been for the director to juggle so much continuity and try to explain so much in a little over 2 hours. Still, Jon Watts manages to deliver us an amazing movie which looks and feels Marvel while still being firmly rooted in the Spiderman movie lore that came before it and for that, I would give the director and the writers a 10/10.

I would also go as far as to say that there wasn't a single bad or for that matter average acting performance in the movie. Holland really kills it as the lead and has an incredible chemistry with Zendaya's MJ. Jacob Batalon is a treat to watch as Ned and Benedict Cumberbatch's commanding presence as Dr. Strange never ceases to amaze me.

The villains also pull off great performances. The standout for me though was Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina and I hope to see them again if possible (Marvel please make it happen!).

My problem with this is that it tries to set up a lot of stuff, coz of which, some moments didn't feel as impactful as they could have been (like that one cameo we all know :wink:). Other than that, its a perfect movie. Thanks Marvel and Sony, for making this happen.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Silence in a Horror flick, that's new

[9/10 · 16 November 2019]

A very original story and amazingly directed by John Krasinski who along with Emily Blunt gives an amazing performance. Millicent Symonds also is spectacular in the role and her scenes with John are really heart-felt.

Very original and superbly directed, this one's a must watch for both horror movie lovers as well as science fiction buffs to keep speculating on those theories.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

The VFX is revolutionary, but the story definitely is not.

[7/10 · 16 November 2019]

The actors all give a good performance. Rosa Salazar's motion capture is superb and Christoph Waltz is also amazing, as always. But the plot definitely is a little too predictable and does leave a lot to be desired for. Maybe a sequel will answer those for us? Fingers crossed.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

Continuing the Carnage Count!

[8/10 · 16 November 2019]

The story although is getting a bit predictable but the action scenesmost certainly are not. Introducing another Continental and the manager played by Halle Berry gives a good performance.

But of course the highlight is Keanu Reeves himself who steals every scene in the movie. Ian McShane and Lawrence Fishburne also shine as their respective characters are finally given more relevant scenes that intertwine with the plot.

A solid action flick which continues the tradition of Carnage.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

"I'm thinking I'm Back", and back with a vengeance indeed!

[8/10 · 16 November 2019]

The villain performance was a bit weaker than the last movie but Damn the action is too good. So believable and yet you'd be wondering How'd they do that?

This movie also explores into the larger world of the assassins, exploring the Roman Continental, introducing the High Table, etc.

Overall, a worthy successor to the John Wick universe.

John Wick (2014)

A Revolutionary Action Flick Indeed!

[8/10 · 16 November 2019]

This is how action should be done. Keanu Reeves is a delight to watch in the role of a retired hitman. There are some plot holes and convenient cliches but those can be forgiven as the fight choreography more than makes up for it. The music didn't make sense to me much in some of the sequences but it did support the action.

In a word - Spectacular.

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

A true masterpiece, TV shows can't get any better

[10/10 · 5 October 2019]

Breaking Bad is one of those TV shows where everything just miraculously falls into place. Such meticulously crafted plot with clever twists and turns that keeps the viewer engaged and thirsty for more with every passing episode. I can't remember any other show that so rigorously sticks to its core theme (which is "Study of Change") and yet still remains notoriously engaging and entertaining.

But this show at its core is a character study, so if you are just looking for a good time with pointless humor / action, this show isn't for you, otherwise do binge watch it ASAP, you don't know that you are missing out on an incredible show.

Chernobyl (2019)

Offers a horrifyingly accurate but humanizing perspective on a potential global nuclear catastrophe

[9/10 · 2 October 2019]

An intricately well crafted account of the events leading upto and post the potential world ending catastrophe of Chernobyl. This is one of those significant events that just gets a passing mention in the books, maybe a line or two under the "dangers of nuclear energy" section but we don't realize that the entire landscape of Asia and Europe if not the world would look vastly different had it not been handled properly.

The series looks at this event from multiple perspectives - the fairly accurate yet simple scientific descriptions, the engineering challenges faced by the cleanup committee, the medical aspect denoting the effects of radiation on the body (some of the most haunting scenes I've ever seen) and how it affects the families of the victims and the people who were forced to relocate, the political side showing that even in the face of potential extinction level catastrophe people individually as well as the governments as a whole are "obsessed with not being humiliated" and how this makes it even harder to correct the situation. A most honest and human tale that tries to get even the most minute details correct.

Brilliantly acted as well, Skarsgard and Harris make a good onscreen team. The rest of the cast is good as well, all bring their A game to the table. The result is a phenomenal five hours of damn good television. A must watch in a nutshell.

Not sure if they are going to make a sequel, but I would like to see their take on the Fukushima disaster as well.