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Reviews
The Exorcism (2024)
Proof that no amount of talent can save a bad script
Honestly this movie should be studied by any and every aspiring movie enthusiast and anyone hoping to work in the industry.
You can have A list actors, good editing and decent cinematography and still come out with an absolute steaming pile of garbage. The movie is paced horribly, 45 minutes, I felt like I had been watching the movie for 2 hours. Not to mention the side characters, specially the priest feels like the most useless representation of a priest in a horror movie ever seen.
This film is a lesson put out on the mainstream, a lesson in what not to do in a movie, a lesson in how not to do horror.
The Boys: Wisdom of the Ages (2024)
Fantastic episode, ignore the blind NPCs still hating on it
The show took a bit of time to get going but we are back with what The boys does best, fantastic back story for Homelander and with time it only makes more and more sense why he is the way it is.
The side plots are also evolving well, specially A train in particular is getting some serious character growth. Butcher having this random X factor with his V worm growing inside his brain is also a significant step in the right direction, it doesn't let us think about him as just doom and gloom till death anymore.
The dialogue writing has also become more stable, with more consistency with how the characters are supposed to be. Some people will never stop hating this show now, remember these people are doing nothing but projecting themselves because they relate to the people being made fun of.
Enjoy the show for what it is, what it always has been, a great mix of shock value, good writing and a FU to both sides politically.
Into the Wild (2007)
Failed to live up to my expectations, good film nonetheless
There is a lot to like about this movie, the first thing that jumps at you is the amazing , natural toned cinematography that truly captures the beauty and power of nature. The atmosphere plays a big part to make the movie what it is, all credit goes to
Eric Gautier for filming it with such grace and Jay Cassidy for doing a masterful job of editing.
The score by Michael Brook, Kaki King and Eddie Vedder does a good job of coupling with the excellent shots.
All the praise aside, the movie really fails to connect and feel coherent. Chris McCandless played by Emil Hirsch can feel relatable, at times everyone has felt overwhelmed by materials, the society and thought about just being one with themselves.
The problem is, you cannot help but feel the character just left his sister in a horrible situation with parents that are not really empathic. Also it is really off putting that the character never tries to inspire others to find the value in disconnect from the chaotic city life, instead he just magically always finds helpful people without seeing the other side of life.
How can you see the real world without seeing some negativity, finding some evil. How can the core of a man's experience expand if they have never experienced the worst of humanity or even seen a glimpse of it?
My favorite characters in the movie ended up being Hal Holbrook who is the only one who benefited from Emil's journey.
A good movie with a decent message, but no really a consistent plot that makes all that much sense sometimes. Too pretentious and full of itself to feel endearing.
House of the Dragon: A Son for a Son (2024)
Great first episode but color grading needs work
House of the Dragon is back! It is one of the few shows that actually lived up to its potential, unlike Rings of Power which failed miserably despite having 20 times the budget.
The first episode starts slow, but it is necessary to let the impending feeling of doom spread. You feel the dread, pain and fear from everyone. The pacing picks up and stabilizes in the last 20 minutes, signaling for everything that is to come in the second episode. It is nothing ground breaking but everything was done right to let the plot breathe and progress.
The acting is consistent from almost everyone, though there isn't anything complicated to be performed in this first episode. Audio design remains solid as ever, with the atmospheric sound playing a big part to make things feel the way they do.
However, one thing that feels like a needle on the soft bed is the color grading. You don't feel the color contrast that is intended by the cinematographer due to how dulled down everything is and yes faded dark look is necessary for this show, but the color grading fails to strike the balance necessary to still give scenes space to breathe. The costume designers work is completely wasted because of this, you constantly miss out on detail that is obviously there due to how muddy it all is. A good example of similar scenes executed far better is the movie is ''Nope'' where legendary cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema strikes a flawless balance of grim scenes , color and impact. Something this episode lacks.
Still let it not distract you from the hard work of the show's cinematographer. P. J. Dillon who made the first episode look very authentic. Flickering realistic flames, glooming shadow and clever camera shifts to give you a true sense of direction and scale.
Overall a solid episode.
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (2024)
I never expected to care this much about an Otter!
I have been an animal lover all my life, so when I saw the title I was immediately drawn to it. However, I was not expecting to be hit as hard as I was through this documentary.
I have had many interactions with animals in my life, as someone who has worked as a rescuer for cats and dogs. So I could understand right away what Billy felt, even though he did not have the right training or knowledge, I KNEW what he felt right away. I could relate to the love, the dread that comes with loving an animal. Caring for it. Your life starts revolving around it. The documentary showcases the relationship between them masterfully.
The cross between how you take care of a wild animal, and how much help you should really give them is a very complex question. This becomes a very important topic in the documentary as it goes on and in my opinion is a natural evolution any animal lover should have towards a semi-wild animal like this.
Give it a watch, it is adorable, emotional and lovely.
One Day (2024)
Absolutely amazing at times, an emotional roller coaster
I changed and wrote multiple reviews for this show, simply because with more time my opinion on it evolved. Initially I was really overwhelmed by the emotion this show bought in and how powerful some moments were. I want to start with praise and love -
The performances are stellar, two people in particular stood out to me. Leo Woodall as Dexter and Jonny Weldon as Ian. Which is not surprising because they both go through some extra ordinarily crushing moments. Ambika Mod was also solid and did her job really well. The cinematography is stylized, with this ray of sunshine all over the place in positive scenes and gloomy cloud whenever it is a dark moment.
Where the show falters a bit is in its pacing, editing and lack of likable characters. Though the latter is a deliberate choice though, because it is so obvious that they wanted every character to be incredibly flawed and damaged, specially the leads are genuinely questionable people with weak morals and ethics. You just have to realize you are watching a story , you don't have to cheer for anyone and they do not have to be likable.
It is a good show, falls shy of being truly great for my standard, but really good nonetheless.
Give it a watch, you might end up liking it a lot more than me! It requires a type!
Back to Black (2024)
A disservice to Amy Winehouse, Marisa Abela tried but could not save it!
I finished this movie and could not believe what I just saw. What an absolute waste of 2 hours!! I feel like if someone who does not know about Amy Winehouse watches this movie they will come out with a completely skewed perspective on her. It does an incredibly poor job of setting the scene, does NOTHING to establish her relationship with music. It is a shame.
Where is her slow love building towards jazz music as she interacted more and more with her maternal uncles who performed in bands? What about the lasting impact her mothers' death probably ended up having on her dad, which is why he clung onto her the way he did and really was not able to push her to rehabilitate herself properly? Why are we having a flashback of her intimacy with her love interest when she says goodbye to her grandmother who was such an important part of her life?
Not to mention her rise to fame, how she made a name for herself, none of that exists in this movie? Why would anyone even watch this again ? The only thing worth writing home about is Marisa Abela, who truly did her best to salvage this mess, but you can only do so much when the pacing is off, the story feels incomplete and the direction is poor. Even Blake Fielder, Amy Winehouse's boyfriend has gone onto say in interviews that they did not do her any justice in this movie. What about the regret he had about her death? This movie just makes me ask questions over and over again, why do a movie like this at all ?
Anyone who has ever dealt with addiction, or had friends who have had issues with addiction for years in their lives, know that this movie does an awful job of showcasing how it develops, how they have to start much earlier in life and they do not spring into life MAGICALLY from a bad relationship. The lack of insight from the writers is loud, it screams throughout the entire movie.
Huge letdown, I really hope people hold nothing back in their feedback of this movie. It is inexcusable to so poorly represent a soul that was in so much pain and fell into a cycle of drug abuse.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
The amazing cast saves a mundane movie
When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was very excited to to see Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson team up in a Guy Ritchie movie. Throw in the stunning
Eiza González, who seems to be in every major show nowadays and it was a solid casting trifecta to start with.
The music choice deserves some praise, heavy jazz usage throughout the entire experience and good use of drums as almost ambient music. You top that off with some western music in climax scenes and it is a very fun ride.
So what went wrong ? Well the action scenes lack impact, you don't feel the explosions , the hits , the bullets and the intensity. The film is also plagued with poor choreography, at least compared to what it should be with a movie of this caliber. I also cannot help but feel that Henry Cavill was very under utilized, most of the movie he is just walking around doing nothing and he has a few catchy unmemorable lines. The editing team should also take some responsibility here, the cuts feel unnatural and incoherent at times. This brings the experience of the whole movie down, compare this to something like the ''Kingsman: The Secret Service'' which has far superior choreography, action sequences and editing that conveys impact and it is a huge difference.
The movie is still a fun ride that you can enjoy over a good meal and some drinks. But it falls short of being great.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
One of the greatest showcases of Trauma ever
The show starts off as a stalker story centered around a character played by Richard Gadd, inspired by some of his true life experiences. You get pulled into what you think is a show about a creepy stalker and you think, oh maybe there is more to the stalker, we will see some depth and layers with this creepy character and mental illness that influences it.
Slowly you realize that this show is about something far more sinister and the comedy is there to hold your hand and carry you through without getting overwhelmed by the trauma. It is very cleverly written and it gives you a peek inside a type of horror most people cannot even relate to.
The cast is fantastic, Jessica Gunning does a fine job but the person who really takes the cake here is Richard Gadd himself, you can tell some scenes were NOT EASY for him to film. If you watch this as a man, you understand a level of horror you probably have never faced before, it kind of makes you rethink what masculinity is and what we should truly strive to be like as a man in this world of hurt. It is a fantastic show coupled with fantastic performances and cinematography. Give it a watch, it is definitely worth your time.
The King's Man (2021)
Great cast, good cinematograph - Horrible script
When you look at the writing team, it becomes very obvious why this is the worst written movie in the franchise. It truly suffers from missing Jane Goldman. Karl Gajdusek fails spectucarly to fill her massive shoes.
The overall direction and story of this movie so poor in comparison to the other movies in the franchise that even titans like Ralph Fiennes and Djimon Hounsou fail to salvage this mess.
Some fun actions though, so if you and your friends are drunk enough, you might be able to ignore the plot of the movie and just enjoy the chaos and spectacle. At least the sound track is still solid.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024)
Ignore the show title and give it a chance, it is good!
I think a lot of people got lost in this being a take on the original movie, it is not. It is part of the same universe, but your beloved original couple with the stunning Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is not being recreated. The new couple is simply a part of the new universe and they do a great job.
It is a good show, with decent pacing, cinematography and fun character growth. The SUPER AWKWARD conversations of two inexperienced spies make this a very different take than anything we saw in the movie, it is actually rather funny! In my opinion the title of the show is the biggest mistake the marketing team made, if this was an original show that acknowledges being part of the universe but with its own twist and a DIFFERENT name, I am sure this show would be received far better.
Give it a chance, it is good.
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
Does not hold a candle to any of the other Kung Fu Panda movies
The Kung Fu Panda franchise is one of the best in the genre, the first three had impressive writing, direction and character development.
Then we have Kung Fu Panda 4, which will make you feel like you are watching a movie written by a bunch of ambitious interns. There will be SOME SPOILERS ahead so be careful reading ahead.
So turns out Shifu wants PO to stop being a dragon warrior, but why ? There is no logic or reason to that. If you think back to the first movie, Oogway finally chose a dragon warrior when he was incredibly old, fully at peace and ready to move on, HERE we see Shifu literally force PO's hand to choose a new dragon warrior and the character that is supposed to be the new focus on interest is written with no grace.
Zhen, has some of the worst dialogues and interactions I have seen from any Animated film, let alone Kung Fu Panda. She is an absolutely insufferable character that just pops in out of nowhere and you are forced to give it your attention with any character backstory, development or even charm. She also suffers from the new gen main character syndrome of magically being great at everything. Whereas Po worked hard, suffered and went through serious emotional growth to become the dragon warrior, we are just supposed to accept Zhen as this flawless perfect character who can fight on par with a very evolved version of Po to a near stalemate. Zhen also uses Oogway's staff right away, no training, NOTHING needed. The character that Zhen reminds me of is Rey from Star Wars, gifted beyond any other character in the history of Kung Fu Panda and breaks the rule and sense of growth the entire series used to pride itself in.
The voice acting of The chameleon by Viola Davis and Jack Black's endless char as PO is the only reason this movie is still somewhat worth watching, make sure you bring a lot of drinks and don't expect it to even touch what the previous movies in the series were.
Massive let down.
X-Men '97 (2024)
Good sound design, art and plot let down by poor animation
It felt really good to hear the opening music, it hit me like a wave of nostalgia that felt as sweet as childhood. The story is well executed and is catered to a fresh audience while still being loyal to its core fanbase. The artstyle is fresh and likable and surprisingly consistent.
The sound design also deserves praise, with classic SFX touch that really makes you feel the impact, UNFORTUNATELY that all falls apart when it comes to actual movement , the animation itself is far below my expectations. The lack of movement, idiosyncratic motion and the hilarious amount of repeated frames was a real disappointment. For those of you who do not have the eyes to notice this , it will still be a very enjoyable show. The other elements are good enough that they carry the show.
Saltburn (2023)
Incredibly inconsistent art piece that relies on shock value
The movie has potential but gets taken down by very inconsistent direction and pacing. Instead it relies in shock and awe to hook you in.
There are parts of the movie that feel like a masterpiece but then they are instantly dragged by phases of the movies that feel below average. Also you constantly feel that there is this disconnect between the progression of things and a serious lack of thought on how some things would come to be.
The performances for the most part are solid and the actors really do try their best, the cast is probably the strongest element of the movie. Barry Keoghan in particular deserves praise for a very chilling performance.
Summary : Very inconsistent, relies on shock and awe too much to be taken seriously and connect.
Poor Things (2023)
Unique movie and Emma Stone's greatest performance
Are you reading reviews to figure out if this movie is worth watching? Well I will answer that right away, it absolutely is worth your time and an experience you won't forget easily.
From the get go, you notice the unique aspect ration, distorted lenses and a very unique path to color grading. How things change as Bella the main character grows. Speaking of Bella, Emma Strone delivers, what is probably her greatest performance in a role that is unlike anything else she has ever worn. There are very few roles that can even be used as a blueprint for something as bizarre as this. I mean that in the most positive sense possible. The visuals have great resemblance with the video game Bioshock Infinite.
That being said you should be aware that this movie is probably not fit for everyone and there are some disturbing elements.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
Solid, but not as good as the IMDB rating would have you believe
Seeing a rating of 7.5 honestly got my hopes up, I thought that similar to One Piece this will also be a solid show, which while not a 1to1 copy of the source, will be a solid retelling.
While this is a vast improvement over the older attempts at Avatar the Last Airbender, The fight scenes are great, well choreographed. Couple that with decent CGI and you get a very fun show. However, where it falls flat is choosing which parts to show and pace things properly. The acting is also absolutely abysmal, I find it hard to believe they could not find a more talented lead child actor with how many people start taking lessons early nowadays. The dialogues are also written very poorly. There seems to be a real disconnect between the teams and quality of people working behind them.
Could it be worse? Sure. However, it is also not deserving of being called good. It is your average middle of the pack retelling of a famous media piece.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Incredibly accurate and shows a side that is often denied by the family
This movie shows a side of the Von family that is often ignored in my opinion. If you talk to their last surviving members they often talk about how 'No it was not my father, some of the tragedy was caused by the fear of failing and letting him down'' Without them still realizing that that fear and pressure was instilled into them by their father. That is why I respect this movie so far, NO SUGARCOATING AT ALL, just the straight up reality of what transpired instead of taking the family's word as law and truth over the documented truth. That is exactly why you should watch this movie, this is the greatest look into the wrestling industry and generational trauma we have had in decades!
Madame Web (2024)
A new classic 'So bad its good' movie is born!
I think this is the highest production quality for a bad , troll style movie we have ever had. This will be THE ROOM in the future, people will go in waves into the future just to have a laugh and have a fun time.
Everything about this movie is so bad that its good, the dialogues, the script, the ridicules CGI and plot hole barrage that puts some of the worst movies out there to shame.
Except its wrapped in my more expensive packaging and has a media market behind it, which actually makes things even funnier in hindsight.
Easily the best bad movie we have had in a while, specially compared to expectations vs. Reality.
Godzilla (2014)
A misunderstood movie with stunning cinematography
The IMDB rating mislead me into thinking this was bad
Naturally, when you see a movie that is rated below 6.5, your expectations fly out of the window. However, this was a pleasant surprise and I understood that much of it was misunderstood and under appreciated simply because people went into this movie expecting Kaiju battles from start to bottom, but that simply does not work in a movie that is meant to be a reimagination of an iconic character, you need to establish the universe.
First of all let's get the obvious praise out of the way , as someone who has gone and seen all the legendary produced Godzilla films, this one has by far the best acting. Bryan Cranston for the first half of the show absolutely carries everything, his iconic interrogation scene is in my opinion the best piece of acting we have seen in the legendary Monsterverse, obviously not including any of the Japanese films.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson does a decent job, but he can be a bit unreactive at time, which I think is this movies biggest weak point, with better direction he might have been able to appear more sincere. Other then that the plot is solid, none of it seems that ridicules if you accept that monsters do exist in this universe and how nations would react to it.
The cinematography however is a masterclass by Seamus McGarvey, who in my opinion gives up some of the best shots in the entire Monsterverse. The iconic drop scene is easily one of the most stunning scenes you will ever see. Godzilla is also presented in a very mysterious and almost god like way, seen through light flares, smoke, water and other elements for most of the movies. A LOT of people see this as a negative, NOT enough Godzilla they scream, but what other legendary movie manages to actually make the moments count for monsters to this degree? Compare this to King of the monsters, which while has a lot more screentime for the monsters, is nowhere near as good in presentation and completely fails to make you feel the impact and weight of these massive fictional creatures.
In conclusion, Godzilla 2014 is incredibly underappreciated and you should not be persuaded by negative reviews, it is WORTH A WATCH.
Blue Eye Samurai (2023)
Crafted with love for the western audience
After finishing the show I realized that in order to fully appreciate this show, you will have to understand all the references. This show is truly a love letter to geeks and nerds! References ranging from Kill Bill, Hero (2004), Naruto, Vagabond (Manga), Ninja Scroll and many more.
I am not going to claim this show is flawless, it is not. There are some pacing issues early, but I urge people to sit through for the first few build up episodes and see the amazing turn and twists it takes. The story is simple but very relatable and will grip you if you give it time and understand the growth and changes the characters go through.
The animation is good too, though some may argue it lacks impact frames and fails to convey weight at times, but it remains very consistent and pleasing on the eye throughout the entire show. Visually there are a lot of eye candy moments and also cinematographic tribute to many classic shows, movies and anime. Also I will grant that the ending is a bit inconsistent and starts to break the barriers of reality in terms of feats, however, it is just right amount , at least for me without going too far. The final battle is also a nod to Ninja Scroll's legendary battle amidst a chaotic fire.
A good binge worthy show that deserves praise and credit.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Will the Real May Please Stand Up? (2023)
The show is going downhill
I am extremely confused at the downhill trend of the last few episodes of this show. Early on the show had a lot of potential, dialogues were fairly well written (for what it is) and decent production quality was provided.
Then things got worse at every step, this episode in particular is a prime example of forcing human backstories that have not been fleshed out and are extremely poorly written. No one cares about most of these characters, not even a little bit , because their progress and involvement into the stories feel incredibly immature and forced.
It is just a sad thing to watch because of how much potential this show had, at least we got the amazing Godzilla Minus movie and maybe Legendary will also step it up in the upcoming Godzilla X Kong Movie, but this one has officially failed to connect with fans of both silly and serious Godzilla styles.
Loki (2021)
Exceeded expectations, might be the greatest Marvel TV show
I am not going to give anyone any spoilers, because this show is worth experiencing fresh and raw.
Loki is easily the greatest show Marvel has ever produced, maybe even superior to all of their movies in terms of pure writing. It stands out among all the new generation Marvel movies and shows as a shining beacon.
The only reason I cannot rate it 10/10 is because the first few episodes were a bit slow , the pacing was not perfect and there were some color grading issues.
But do not let that stop you from experiencing this stellar journey, because once the show picks up most of those issues get ironed out. The payout comes late but it is well worth the wait.
Somebody I Used to Know (2023)
A movie filled with unlikable characters
This movie is simply put ''Bizarre'' and it feels like it has been written by an incredibly immature team of writers.
The only feeling you get when watching this movie is that every single character is unlikable, immature and a mess you would not want to touch with a ten foot pole.
It leaves you feeling disgusted and grateful that real life is nothing like this. At least there is some good encouragement of body positivity and that is honestly the only thing you can praise about this movie a little bit. Overall cinematography is also not that bad and audio mixing is above average. So due to those decent points, the movie gets 4 points from me. The performances are also good given how poor the script is.
This movie might be a fun watch if you are drunk. So you can at least laugh at the mess of it all.
Matt Rife: Natural Selection (2023)
Far below expectations
Oh Matt..
All that momentum and hype and you crash and burn. This special proved why Netflix probably does not give opportunities to comedians who are huge on YouTube.
My expectations were much higher for Matt Rife, this guy was relatable, had jokes you could understand but still keep things modern enough that they don't feel like the same old thing every other comedian tries.
Unfortunately the jokes were dry, punchlines did not really land and the opening was incredibly weak. No one really enjoys listening to bland jokes about women being in the kitchen, their biological clock and old men telling stories.
Matt can do better, I have no doubt, but he needs to go back to the drawing board and understand shorts and special are different.
This special was poorly paced, poorly structured and filled with bland jokes that did not land.
The Continental (2023)
Tries too hard to be cinematic and fails to connect
Five minutes into the first episode, it becomes PAINFULLY clear that the cinematography team failed at the most obvious rule of visual storytelling ''If you do it well then the audience won't ever notice'' - Cinematography legend Roger Dickens. Not to mention the obnoxious and poorly executed music combinations to make certain scenes feel more ''STYLISH''. It is just childish. However, it lets you play a fun drinking game and take a shot whenever there's a different song playing to a scene to look like a cheap YouTuber montage.
The attempts at cool transitions and fun visuals were so obvious that it constantly takes you out of scenes, nowhere near the subtle beauty that was the John Wick Movies.
Acting is also subpar and the SFX is often poorly timed. The only reason to watch this show is if you are a big fan of the John Wick world and have free time to indulge in some fan service.