MovieWarfare's Reviews

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

7/10

An enjoyable movie but it doesn't quite live up to Fury Road

25 May 2024

Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies ever made. I have been craving for another Tom Hardy sequel for years! I understand that because of the lawsuit with WB is the reason why the sequel still hasn't happened. For now, we have a prequel concerning Charlize Theron's character, Furiosa, from Fury Road. Is this a worthy entry in the Mad Max saga?

One enjoyable thing about the Mad Max films is that they all feel very different. Furiosa is no exception. It is a very gang-driven, political and revenge-filled story. We get a lot of world-building on how the Wasteland is operating with all its factions. Seeing the political tension between the previous villain Immortan Joe and the new villain Dementus is very engaging. It is also interesting to see a calmer and smarter Immortan Joe. I also like that we get to see what "The Green Place" looked like as we only got tiny mentions before. The prequel story also successfully expands more on how Furiosa is where she is by the time of Fury Road. By the end, I do sympathise with her more.

On that note, Anna Taylor Joy does a good job as a younger Furiosa. She doesn't have much dialogue but she does great through facial and body performance alone. Chris Hemsworth is the highlight of this film though as the villain Dementus. He is clearly having a lot of fun and does a great job of hamming it up. His villainous speeches are thoroughly entertaining! The rest of the supporting cast do a wonderful job as well but special praise to Lachy Hulme as a younger Immortan Joe. He does a terrific job living up to the previous actor Hugh Keays-Byrne. One of the most important things of a Mad Max film is the action and there is certainly a lot of it. Every action set piece is a marvellous spectacle with its over-the-top violence and incredibly well-made wasteland vehicles.

Unfortunately, the action scenes here just aren't as great to look at as it was in Fury Road. This is because the CGI and colour grading are just not that well done in Furiosa. Fury Road did a majority of the action practically while CGI was used subtly to enhance the movie. Furiosa has a fair amount of action scenes that are not done practically. We have action set pieces that are entirely CGI or scenes that contain lots of green screens. These CGI are very noticeable and can pull you out of the movie. The colour grading is just orangey for the most part and looks way too clean for an apocalyptic movie. Visually, Furiosa just doesn't look as nice and the cinematography never quite mesmerises me.

Junkie XL returns to compose the music for Furiosa. His score for Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the most amazing things ever. However, his music score is so incredibly underwhelming in Furiosa. It doesn't help that the action scenes are oddly silent when they would greatly benefit from an epic soundtrack. Junkie XL feels wasted this time. The movie also lacks the kinetic and fast-paced editing that you would expect from director George Miller but here it just feels generic. The movie is also 148 minutes long (28 minutes longer than Fury Road) and you definitely feel it. There are a fair amount of moments where the pace is quite slow and the last 20 minutes of the movie does drag a bit.

Overall, Furiosa is still an enjoyable movie but it doesn't quite live up to Fury Road. Still, it is impressive that George Miller was able to make this when he was nearing 80 years old. I am still looking forward to a Tom Hardy Mad Max sequel that will blow me away again because Furiosa doesn't quite do that.

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The Fall Guy (2024)

7/10

Succeeds in making me appreciate stunt performers even more!

24 May 2024

The Fall Guys is a movie that knows what it is: a fun and entertaining popcorn flick. Ryan Gosling is incredibly charming and charismatic as the main character. Emily Blunt is also very lovable as the love interest. Their romance works because both Ryan and Emily have excellent chemistry. The rest of the supporting cast knew what movie they were making and gave a hammy performance that worked for the movie.

What makes this movie stand out is how it is a love letter to stunt performers, with the plot centred around it. It helps that the action scenes are excellent! The movie does suffer from a weak script that has jokes that don't land. It feels like everyone is doing improv leading to weak dialogue scenes.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable movie and it succeeds in making me appreciate stunt performers even more!

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Fallout (2024– )

9/10

This era of great video game adaptations!

21 May 2024

For video games adapted to movies or shows, I usually have extensive knowledge as I am a fan of the game itself. Fallout is different as I have not ever played the games. This meant that this show was a unique experience for me as I was now coming in from a non-fan perspective. Does this show succeed in pulling in newcomers?

Firstly, the world itself is interesting. The post-apocalyptic world is visually stunning thanks to the phenomenal cinematography. They managed to capture a weirdly unfound beauty of the world but also contrast this with the ugly nature of human beings. We see how humans on the surface survive through these towns or the cruel activities they do. We also see factions such as the Brotherhood who try for some order on the surface and people who become ghouls after becoming mutated by the radiation. The monster designs are creepy and disgusting which is what makes them great. Some humans have also survived by going into vaults underground. The mystery behind the vaults is a big part of this show and kept me guessing about the meaning all the time. The lore in Fallout is captivating but never feels like information overload.

The story also does a great job of juggling multiple character plots. Our central character Lucy MacLean, who is played wonderfully by Ella Purnell, goes to the surface to rescue her dad after their Vault is attacked. The premise is simple but the execution is well done. The series starts as a fish out of water story for Lucy but gradually becomes something different as more mysteries are uncovered. We also have a story about Maximus who is sent on a quest from the Brotherhood to receive a man. There is also The Ghoul, played amazingly by Walton Goggins, who is now a gunslinger also on a quest for the same man. Additionally, Norm MacLean is discovering a dark secret about their vault. All these characters and different plotlines occur in the show but they managed to balance all of it out while keeping all of them engaging. The writing and the dark humour are all great. I love that none of the characters are one dimensional and they all have quite the depth to them. Lucy isn't a badass and is an overly naive idiot. Her growing as she spends more time in the wasteland feels natural. The others also have great character arcs.

The production designs of the sets are amazing. It is clear that a lot of effort went into building them and being as practical as well. It is also very notable that they filmed a lot on location which makes the show feel more real. They could easily just use green screen or CGI for a lot of the show but they didn't and I appreciate that. For example, the Brotherhood power armour is an actual practical suit and looks awesome. The rest of the costumes are also wonderfully designed from the Vault suit to the dirty look of those on the surface. Special praise should also come to the practical makeup of The Ghoul's face which honestly should win awards because it looks amazing. The music score by Ramin Djawadi for the show is very good. He uses excellent 50s and 60s songs for the right moment. He also composes a nice score that doesn't feel overly distracting. The score for whenever The Ghoul appears is honestly terrific! The violence in the show is grim and maybe a little gratuitous but it adds to the charm of the show.

I don't have many flaws to say about this show apart from nitpicks. The second half of the show, except the finale, is a little weak compared to the first half. We don't get any cool action sequences and the story goes on a slight side quest detour for some characters that doesn't amount to much. The dialogue is also a little on the nose and a bit overly silly for the second half. I also kind of wish we got to see more monsters on the wasteland. We get two great monster encounters in the first half of the show but the second half just doesn't have any.

Overall, Fallout is the next in amazing video game adaptations. When you have a show written by someone who seems to respect the games and the fans, you get Fallout. Not only did they write a show that pleases fans but also one that can bring in newcomers like me. I barely have any knowledge of the games, yet I was thoroughly entertained by this show. I can't wait for season 2! Heck, maybe I should get into the games for once.

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Abigail (2024)

7/10

Successfully delivers on the premise!

18 May 2024

Abigail has such a ridiculous yet fascinating premise and completely succeeds in delivering it.

The characters are all pretty flat and one dimensional but they are carried by the great cast and writing. The constant tension between them all and the charismatic performances elevate the story. Alisha Weir is one of the most phenomenal child actors I've seen as her performance as Abigail is stellar!

This is such a fun, entertaining film. The gore is enjoyable and the comedy works well. The 3rd act is a little messy but it does have a pretty heartfelt conclusion. I highly recommend avoiding any marketing for this one!

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Monkey Man (2024)

6/10

Overstuffed Revenge story but a decent director debut

6 May 2024

Dev Patel is an actor I admire so of course I was interested in his directorial debut. There is a lot of great stuff here but there are some issues too.

The first act has a great build-up with its sprinkle of backstory and world of crime. The action scene is fun albeit it is overly edited and has a lot of shaky cams. The movie's pacing then goes to a complete stall with its boring second act that goes on for too long. Nothing of importance occurs apart from explaining something the audience already knows and a pointless side quest. The final act is a full-on action set piece that doesn't use shaky cam but is incredibly predictable.

Monkey Man has an interesting spin with the added Indian mythology but it is just an overstuffed and over-explained revenge story. It is a great start for Dev Patel and I will look at his director career with great interest.

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Late Night with the Devil (2023)

8/10

Hollywood needs to give us more David Dastmalchian

3 May 2024

I adore how this movie is filmed like it was an actual broadcast of the show. They use a 4:3 ratio and a 70s colour grading to make it seem like a 70s camera. They also start the movie in a documentary style to catch the audience up to speed on the talk host. For when the camera is off during ads, they film in black and white to make it seem like archive footage. All of these elements are incredibly clever and well done.

David Dastmalchian is amazing and gives such a believable performance that made me believe he could be a real talk host. I love how he gives a different performance for the character's TV persona and when the camera is off. The movie does a great job of building up the tension as more and more insane things start to happen. The CGI effects aren't great and the last act is a bit of a mixed bag. However, this movie shows how original movies can still thrive in modern cinema.

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Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

5/10

I miss The Furious Five...

12 April 2024

I love the Kung Fu Panda trilogy! The 3rd movie felt like a nice wrap-up for the series. However, modern movie studios just can't give up on milking a franchise. Now we have a 4th entry in the series. Is this movie justified, or is it just another cash grab?

Jack Black is still great as Po. He still hasn't lost his charm and continues to deliver a hilarious and charismatic, vocal performance. I also love that his character Po is still a badass dragon warrior. He is always the most skilled fighter in the room and I am glad they didn't make him weaker for the sake of it. Awkwafina is again voicing another sidekick character. She is fine but that is mostly because her character isn't written to be unbearable and that makes Awkwafina bearable. Their characters do have a fun buddy dynamic throughout. Speaking of buddy dynamics, it was nice to see James Hong and Bryan Cranston return as Ping the Geese and Shan the Panda again. Po's fathers have their own, fun mini-adventure in the movie.

The animation is beautiful. Not to the extent of other dreamwork animated movies such as How to Train Your Dragon or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. However, it looks very appealing for the most part. The action scenes are still very entertaining with its well choreographed Kung-fu scenes. It was also nice to see Ian McShane return as Tai Lung even though it was clearly done for nostalgia bait.

Unfortunately, the story is predictable and boring. Po is required by Master Shifu to pick the next Dragon Warrior but Po doesn't want to and wants to remain the Dragon Warrior. This idea in itself, can be very interesting as he could potentially have to choose between his friends, The Furious Five. Sadly, they are not even in this movie so instead we get a new character in Zhen played by Awkwafina. Oh wow, I wonder who Po will pick...

Po and his dynamic with The Furious Five have always been a highlight but removing that, makes this less interesting. The villain, The Chameleon, is also extremely underwhelming. She can steal the Kung-Fu of martial artists, including previous movie villains. Her motives are weak and her presence is just not menacing enough. They try to say throughout that Po might finally meet his match but they don't do a good job of convincing us that this is true. If anything, the big final battle feels like the easiest fight that Po has ever had so far. How is The Chameleon a threat if the Furious Five weren't even needed?! Ke Huy Quan is also in the movie but his character has no depth at all so it feels like a glorified cameo. Additionally, many of the jokes didn't land. I hate that they leave awkward pauses cause they clearly thought we the audience would laugh.

Overall, this 4th movie had no reason to exist. The story is not meaningful enough to justify its existence. This will be the start of the second trilogy but the ending itself doesn't do much to make me interested in more. The ending is a fine ending to wrap up the series (again). Hopefully, the 5th entry is a lot better and this time, make sure The Furious Five are actually in the movie!

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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

6/10

Unfortunately, Godzilla and Kong do not kiss

29 March 2024

I am honestly glad we are getting more movies in the Monsterverse. The movies have been amazing or anything but they have been thoroughly entertaining. After Godzilla vs Kong, we are getting a team-up movie with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Does this continue to be entertaining, or is this finally the entry that bores you?

You came to this movie for big monsters fighting and in this aspect, the movie succeeds. There are a great many fight scenes in this movie, especially with Kong. I love the way Kong fights and how you can clearly see how he is strategizing and planning compared to Godzilla's ferocious animalistic style. They also created a new villain for Kong with "The Scar King". I love the design of him and his more agile style of fighting. The movie builds up to an epic 3rd act brawl and it is insanely entertaining and worth watching for it alone.

The CGI is pretty good considering that this is the cheapest MonsterVerse movie so far. Hollow Earth looks great and Kong looks phenomenal. Godzilla has a new pink design for story reasons and it looks fine. There are some visually great-looking shots by returning cinematographer, Ben Seresin, that capture the mystical nature of Hollow Earth and the Titans. Kong is the main lead in this film and he is the stand-out star. There are many scenes with just Kong and other apes that go on for 10 minutes long with no dialogue or humans and they work so well. Just through Kong's facial expression and body language, you can perfectly understand the emotion and the story that is being conveyed. It is impressive. In terms of human characters, Trapper played by Dan Stevens is a fun newcomer. He has excellent chemistry with returning character Bernie played by Brian Tyree Henry.

Unfortunately, the story concerning the human characters is still incredibly dumb. There are many questionable and stupid things such as why they only brought one armed soldier for a mission or why even a conspiracy podcaster is even involved in the mission. The human characters are still not interesting or engaging enough to care about. They tried to incorporate the mother-and-daughter relationship plot element again with returning characters Dr. Ilene (Rebecca Hall) and Jia (Kaylee Hottle) but it doesn't work well because they don't explore it enough. For the most part, Ilene is again the exposition character. It's a shame as Godzilla Minus One shows that you can do big monsters and engaging human characters in a movie.

The pacing drops off significantly around the second act where it just has a bunch of humans talking and exposition dumps. Additionally, Godzilla is barely in this movie despite being the first in the title. Every fight scene concerning Godzilla barely lasts a minute in the first 2 acts. It is understandable to show how powerful Godzilla is but it would have been nice to see the fights last a bit longer. On that note, while the fights are indeed entertaining, they are not as well choreographed as the ones in Godzilla vs Kong. Junkie XL returns to score the music for this movie but it definitely lacks the impact that Junkie usually does. The music score is a bit forgettable.

Overall, I came to see giant monsters fight and I got exactly that. This feels like a very high-budget B movie and honestly, that is completely fine. Godzilla x Kong is another entertaining movie in the MonsterVerse and I hope more is made in this cinematic universe. The possibilities are endless!

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The Rebel (2007)

7/10

A surprisingly great movie from Vietnam!

27 March 2024

I heard of this movie from the Scott Adkins podcast and thought it sounded interesting as I am not aware of the quality of Vietnamese movies. It is one of the top expensive Vietnamese movies at 1.5 million to 3 million USD. Pocket change for Hollywood but huge for Vietnam.

After watching it, I have to say that I was surprised at how enjoyable the movie is. The martial choreography is amazing and I love how stylistic the fighting styles are. I love the 1922 setting with the French occupation which is a unique setting. I like the villain who is quite menacing even if a bit cartoony.

The story isn't much to write home about with its predictable and many tropes. It has some tension in the first half with the villains hunting our main characters down but it devolves into a lot of stupidity in the second half.

Nevertheless, a very enjoyable movie that I didn't expect from Vietnam. Would love to see more from them!

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Road House (2024)

4/10

Another remake that is not as good as the original

26 March 2024

Road House is another remake that is not as good as the original. The dialogue is awful, the characters are boring and the story is uninteresting. It's not even the same story as the original so why even use the name? The movie lacks any of the fun and the actual exploration of bouncer culture like the Swayze movie.

The only redeeming factor is that Jake Gyllenhaal is having a lot of fun and Conor McGregor who is so over the top that he is at least entertaining to watch. The final fight is also pretty cool to watch.

I can totally understand why this went straight to streaming after watching.

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Damsel (2024)

3/10

Boring and Predictable

16 March 2024

I'm a huge believer in there being more original live action Fantasy movies not based on any existing IP.

Damsel has some interesting ideas that could have led to an awesome Fairy Tale revenge story. The problem is that Damsel just doesn't deliver on any of it.

The characters are all bland and uninteresting. Our main character is great at things because she just is. The plot is so predictable and boring with it using every trope imaginable. The dragon is not menacing enough and is also incredibly stupid. The acting from everyone including Angela Bassett is mediocre. Milly is literally screaming for most of the movie which got annoying quick.

It's a dumb popcorn movie that doesn't overstay its welcome. If you got 100 minutes to spare then you can enjoy making fun of this movie. Shame that this is such a waste of a fantasy setting.

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Dune: Part Two (2024)

10/10

An absolutely Stellar Sci-Fi film!

2 March 2024

I enjoyed Dune (2021) but it definitely felt like mostly setup and world-building. It even ends right when things are about to get interesting. Does Dune Part 2 deliver on all the setup?

Short answer, Yes! The story is incredibly engaging and thought-provoking. What makes Dune so special is that it isn't just a typical revenge or good vs evil or chosen hero-type story. There is more to everything, with very creative dilemmas that our main character has. It does have the typical romance story in the first act but it is handled wonderfully and then used with great effectiveness afterwards. The second and third acts are just phenomenal storytelling. The director, Denis Villeneuve, just pulls you into this world and manages to deliver an emotional rollercoaster experience that will mesmerize you.

On that note, every actor is amazing. Timothée Chalamet had to convince the audience that his character was becoming a frightening leader in part 2 and he absolutes excels. Zendaya is great and has excellent chemistry with Timothée which makes their character's romance believable. Javier returns with more of a substantial role and he is magnificent. He provides some levity to a very dark story but does it naturally compared to the forced humour that is thanks to MCU movies. In terms of newcomers, Austin Butler gives a very top-notch psychotic performance as Feyd. He felt like a frightening presence. Additionally, Christopher Walken is a crazy casting for the Emperor but he absolutely works. All the returning actors continue to deliver terrific performances, and newcomers such as Florence are excellent additions.

Part 2 also has a lot more action set pieces. These sequences are a lot better than the first movie as they are choreographed and shot more clearly. The 3rd act has a very entertaining sequence and the final fight itself is an epic way to end. Greig Fraser returns as the cinematographer and he might be one of the best since Roger Deakins. Every shot is just beautiful and really captures the world of Dune perfectly. Hans Zimmer also returns and he delivers more or less the same epic music score as the first film. The set design is still gorgeous and the costumes are still as wonderful as ever.

I only have minor nitpicks and that is the movie can feel a bit fast at times. This is notable during the first act where it sort of breezes over Paul's initial time with the Fremen. I also kind of wished the Emperor and Princess Irulan had more appearances considering their vital roles. The character Thufir Hawat from Dune (2021) is also nowhere to be seen in part 2 despite his fate being unclear from the first film. I honestly wouldn't have minded if this film had 15 more minutes to add these additional scenes.

Overall, it is rare for a sequel to be this good but Dune Part 2 is one of the best sequels. It delivers on everything the first movie setup while also being a stellar Sci-Fi film. Denis Villeneuve is one of my favourite modern directors and I hope he gets to make that final Dune movie that he wants. I know I will 100% be there to watch it if it happens!

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Badland Hunters (2024)

6/10

Bland story and characters, kick-ass action setpieces

23 February 2024

Ma Dong-Seok is one of the coolest dudes in Korean cinema. I do think the film is a little disappointing as the post-apocalyptic setting isn't used in an exciting way. The plot is also nothing special. It is incredibly dumb and predictable while also having minimal explanation about anything. The characters are also very bland. There is barely any exploration of any of the characters including the main character. Due to this, they all come off as one-dimensional and this makes it very difficult to care about anyone.

However, it has some incredibly well-choreographed and fun action sequences. Who doesn't want to see Ma Dong-seok kick ass!

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Madame Web (2024)

1/10

Makes Morbius look like The Dark Knight

17 February 2024

Warning: Spoilers

I would absolutely love to be in these Sony meetings because I am absolutely baffled how things like Madame Web are getting greenlit.

Madame Web is one of the worst superhero movies ever made! It has terrible writing, characters, action setpieces and even acting. Dakota Johnson is so dull and boring as the main lead but this is probably down to the terrible script.

To be fair, the movie does have an interesting concept with this Final Destination x Terminator thing. However, it is so poorly executed that it makes Morbius look like The Dark Knight.

Anyway give me the "He Was in the Amazon With My Mom When She Was Researching Spiders Right Before She Died" cut!

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The Iron Claw (2023)

9/10

The Iron Claw grips you with its enthralling yet devastating story.

16 February 2024

The Iron Claw grips you with its enthralling yet devastating story. It is based on the true story of the Von Erich wrestling family and shows the powerful, strong and loving family bond that also hurt them all.

Zac Efron gives one of his best performances in his entire career. He delivers a lot of subtlety and nuance to his performance that still conveys the pain his character is having physically and mentally. The supporting cast is phenomenal as well and the chemistry between them all feels genuine.

This is a downward spiral emotional rollercoaster of a film. I highly recommend this, whether you like wrestling or not.

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The Beekeeper (2024)

6/10

You get exactly what you expect from a Jason Staham action movie

11 February 2024

I came for a fun action movie starring Jason Statham and got exactly that. It is an inferior John Wick movie with an elderly dying of a scam instead of a dog.

The big problem this movie has is its terrible writing and dialogue. It is filled with countless Bee puns and one-liners that don't land. The characters are forgettable and one-dimensional. The villain is very cartoony compared to every other character. There is a person sent to kill our main character halfway through the film that feels like they are from a completely different movie.

However, you are here for the action scenes and they are very fun to watch with their great choreography. In the end, that is what most people are watching this for and it delivers.

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

3/10

What a messy way to end the DCEU

3 February 2024

Warning: Spoilers

What a mess of a movie. The visual effects are atrociously bad, the writing and dialogue are terrible a lot of the time, the comedy feels like the force humour you saw in a lot of Marvel movies, the pacing is slow, plot is disjointed and messy with weak character development from Aquaman himself. The biggest disappointment is the villain, Black Manta. He is Aquaman's most iconic villain but he is so underwhelming in this movie because the plot has some ancient evil king poisoning his mind throughout. He ended up still feeling like a side villain.

There are some cool action set pieces, especially the trident fight at the end which had great choreography. Aquaman and Orm having this buddy copy dynamic was fun to watch.

It is a shame that this is how the DCEU ended.

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Wonka (2023)

7/10

Lacks the dark undertones but delivers a fun musical

3 February 2024

This prequel lacks a lot of the dark undertones of previous live-action Willy Wonka movies. Timothée portrays Wonka with this upbeat, charming and charismatic nature that lacks any dark edge to him compared to Gene Wilder. It doesn't help that the story doesn't explore more of who Wonka is, so it kind of wastes the prequel idea.

However, it is a fun, light-hearted musical that delivers on a whimsical adventure that everyone can enjoy. Vibrant costumes, well-made set design, enjoyable musical numbers and great performances with superb direction from the director, who is known for the Paddington movies, execute a film that is a very enjoyable time.

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The Marvels (2023)

3/10

Could have been great if there was actually PLOT!

21 January 2024

Warning: Spoilers

I found the first Captain Marvel movie to be relatively enjoyable. I had a lot of gripes with it but it was okay for the most part. However, Marvel Studios has been in a sort of downward spiral since Endgame so my hopes weren't high for this. So is this a Marvellous entry or another to add to Marvel's recent dumpster?

One of the big issues in the first Captain Marvel was how incredibly stoic and bland Captain Marvel was. There was nothing emotionally engaging about her character. The sequel does improve upon this aspect by making her less stoic. She has more of an emotional and some actual proper reaction to things occurring. She also shows a fair amount of emotionally vulnerable moments, especially concerning her relationship with Monica and her mother, Rambeau. There are 2 strong scenes with her. One is a flashback and another where she is opening up is something I wish the film had more of.

A key element of this movie is that if Captain Marvel or Monica or Ms Marvel use their powers at the same time then they will swap places. The first act of this movie is very entertaining because of this. There is a great action set piece in the first act where all 3 end up fighting in different locations but keep swapping during it. The biggest highlight of this film is Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel. She is extremely likeable and her performance is wonderful. She is enjoying every moment in every scene and it feels like the actor is having fun. It also has a kind of cool mid-credit scene.

Unfortunately, this is where the praises end. The plot is incredibly paper-thin. The hero has to stop the villain, that is it. There are no layers or depth to anything in the plot or proper character development or arcs. The plot is so bland that the movie adds a pointless side quest that adds almost nothing to the main narrative. We have a planet where everyone sings and it is as stupid as it sounds. It happens and it is just so out of left field. It's not funny, if anything it is very cringy. I hoped that they would at least do something special with the singing planet, maybe they would fight by singing or have special singing weapons or something. However, they just fight normally, so what was the point? There is also a side plot with the Flerken, the alien cats, that comes out of the left field and is a pointless distraction that has nothing to do with the villain.

On that note, the villain Dar-Benn might be the worst villain in the MCU. She is the new leader of the Kree as her planet was put into chaos due to Captain Marvel destroying the Supreme Intelligence. This could have been an interesting element as from her perspective, Captain Marvel is the villain that destroyed her planet. If they showed more of her struggles at being a leader, how terrible the planet has become and how she is genuinely doing this at the goodness of her heart for her home, she might have been interesting. Sadly this is not the case, despite having a sympathetic motive, she is just overly aggressive to everyone, including her allies. She is a one-dimensional villain who never becomes much of a real character with any depth. She is also somehow able to fight all 3 protagonists and has a hammer-like Ronan from Guardians of the Galaxy despite having no Power stone which is never explained.

My biggest disappointment is Monica's, Ms Marvel and Nick Fury's role in this movie. Monica doesn't do much at all apart from spouting exposition and being a MacGuffin. Her now sour relationship with Captain Marvel is only touched upon a bit and barely explored. She just ends up following Captain Marvel for the whole movie and doing some things near the end. This is also the same for Ms Marvel who is also very underwritten. Her being a big fangirl of Captain Marvel is the only reason she is here. She has no character arc or development. This is a shame as she could have been used in more effective ways. She could have been the contrast to Captain Marvel. A naive, idealistic hero vs a battered and burnt-out hero. Ms Marvel could help Captain Marvel to lighten up and be more hopeful again while she learns how it isn't all fun and games and there are a lot of responsibilities with being a hero. Unfortunately, she is just comic relief and that is it. Nick Fury is just kind of there. The movie is just very tonally inconsistent. We can go from a quite moving scene to something so incredibly dumb and stupid within minutes.

Overall, what an absolute shame this movie ended up being. It is so gut-wrenching to see what MCU has become since Endgame. All the heart and effort put into their films are nowhere to be seen any more. I do have a small glimmer of hope that they are going to do better in 2024 onwards. They only have 1 MCU movie in 2024 which is making me hopeful that they are slowing down and putting effort into their future project. If Captain Marvel 3 even happens, I hope they write a plot this time.

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Echo (2023–2024)

3/10

Marvel continues to Echo disappointment

13 January 2024

I was interested in Marvel Studios' first TV-MA show and was hoping that this would be a step into the tone of something similar to the Marvel Netflix shows.

God, I was wrong. The writing is awful. Maya Lopez, the main character, has no depth or proper development. She is bland and one-dimensional. None of the supporting characters are interesting at all either. The story is just boring and all over the place. The show feels more interested in exploring the Native American community than its characters and the interesting gangster story. The show feels like it got butchered in the editing as some scenes are edited poorly and things in the plot feel missing. The final episode is especially terrible.

It does have some enjoyable fight scenes and the actors, especially Vincent returning as Kingpin, all do a good job. However, this show is a massive disappointment and I hope that the MCU Daredevil show is significantly better.

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The Boy and the Heron (2023)

9/10

A magical return from Hayao Mizayaki!

29 December 2023

The Boy and the Heron is wonderful! The animation is gorgeous and visually stunning! The colours are vibrant and the movement is energetic! Every scene feels like a painting. Hayao also returns to the magical and fantastical, which is awesome. The design of the supernatural creatures and the world itself is mesmerizing. It even has some dark visuals and themes which was icing on the cake.

It does have some problems. It does take a while for it to start exploring the more whimsical, supernatural stuff. The world-building itself is a little convoluted and can be very confusing on first watch. The ending is also very sudden. He doesn't let the movie slowly flow into the ending or let the audience breathe. It just ends with minimal fanfare.

Nevertheless, it is great to see another beautiful 2D hand-drawn Ghibli movie. If this is his last one, then it was a great way to end his career.

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Thanksgiving (I) (2023)

7/10

A great original modern Slasher movie!

27 December 2023

Thanksgiving has all the things you expect from a slasher film but it does it extremely well. Giving many suspicious characters to make it fun to guess who the murderer is. Over-the-top and gory kills that are entertaining to watch yet disgusting enough to make you look away. Many suspenseful and tense scenes to keep you on the edge of your seat. There is also a very crazy yet fun opening sequence that is one hell of a way to start the movie.

It's not perfect though. The characters are all very bland and not remotely likeable, making it hard to care for any of them to survive. This includes the main character herself who just isn't that interesting. The 3rd act goes on for a bit too long and gets a bit silly too. Still, this is a great modern slasher film and I see potential in this being a new Scream-type franchise.

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Silent Night (2023)

4/10

I wanted Hard-Boiled but got Boring Night instead.

24 December 2023

The action is fine but it is nothing special. It has the same type of action we have seen from a lot of post-John Wick movies, but not as good as John Wick itself. It lacks the charm that we would normally see from John Woo movies. Where are the doves and cool slow-mo? After the action-packed opening scene, it then takes 50 minutes for the action to start occurring again. The set-up is too long! It just keeps hammering the motive of our character over our heads repeatedly.

I give it praise for trying something new with the no-dialogue gimmick. However, it just isn't done properly and actually comes at the detriment of the movie. Characters will just stare at each other and not say anything, leading to some really weird, awkward scenes.

I wanted Hard Boiled but got Boring Night instead.

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Godzilla Minus One (2023)

10/10

Hollywood should learn something from this

20 December 2023

Godzilla Minus One is a standalone Godzilla movie from Japan. It brings the franchise back to its roots where Godzilla is a monstrous force of nature, an allegory of war. While I do love the Western Monsterverse franchise, it is mostly for seeing Godzilla or Kong fight another giant monster. The writing and characters have never been a highlight in that universe. Does Godzilla Minus One deliver more than the Monsterverse?

Firstly, Godzilla's design is spectacularly frightening, his roar is menacing and his heat rays are some of the best and most impactful blasts I've seen from Godzilla. Every Godzilla action set piece is terrifying and tense. I love how these sequences are filmed from a human perspective, so we get to truly see the scale and how dangerous Godzilla is. The music score by Naoki Sato is phenomenal! His subtle orchestral score compliments the scene and illustrates the pain and struggles that Japanese people in WW2 went through. He then uses a strong powerful orchestral score for Godzilla to show how he is bringing back the pain again. His use of the Godzilla theme is effective every time. The visuals and cinematography look great while the CGI can be a bit wonky sometimes, for the most part, it looks good. Especially for Godzilla who looks awesome. It is honestly astounding how good this film looks for a movie under a $15 million budget.

What this film succeeds at in comparison to Western Godzilla movies, is having compelling human characters that you truly care about. The characters are all suffering in some way from World War 2, whether it is PTSD or loss. You're watching these characters try to overcome and push through this dark period. The camaraderie and family dynamic is at the core of all the characters and it is extremely touching to watch. I was especially rooting for the main character to get development just because I wanted to see him be happy. That is why for the first time, I was rooting for Godzilla to lose as I didn't want to see our characters get hurt. I also love how the story doesn't shy away from the negative aspects of Japan's government during WW2. The human drama is wonderfully engaging and can even tug at the emotional strings which is such an achievement in a Godzilla movie.

Overall, Godzilla Minus One is not only a terrific Godzilla movie, it's an amazing movie period. This movie shows that you can tell a great story with great characters and still have Godzilla as a major element. Not only that, you can still make a great looking movie with good CGI on a low budget. The CG in this movie looks better than a lot of these western movies with 200 or 300 million budgets. Godzilla Minus One is must watch and I highly recommend going to a theatre near you to experience it in all its glory!

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The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022)

7/10

Gorgeous visuals with a predictable plot

2 December 2023

This is a typical boy meets girl story with a supernatural twist of a tunnel that can grant your wish but every 3 seconds in the tunnel equates to 2 hours outside. Just from this premise alone, you can guess exactly what is going to happen. The plot is incredibly predictable with tons of cliche tropes.

However, what it lacks in plot, it makes up for it in everything else. The art style and characters are visually appealing. The interactions between our main leads are enjoyable to watch. The animation is gorgeous. The soundtrack is terrific. The theme and message are incredibly heartfelt.

The ending does raise a lot of questions but the overall experience was enjoyable. It is not going to be for everyone but for anyone craving more of that sweet anime romance, this is a good one to watch.

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