Reviews

I'm definitely not the target audience for this movie.

While it was well acted, the entire narrative was too slow and on the boring side for my taste. I tried to like it, but in the end, it just lacked any nuggets that kept me focused on watching it.

Instead, I let it play at the background while I did work on my laptop.

This is definitely a movie for those who love emotional dramas. It really digs deep into the individual consciousness of human loneliness.

If that's not your type of a movie, then give this one a miss. However, if you love emotional dramas, no matter the situation, then you'll be at your element with this movie.

But it's just not for me.

This movie turned out suprisingly entertaining. It was much better than I expected. I ignored this movie for a few weeks but when I saw reviews in IMDB, I decided to watch it. And I'm glad I did.

Think of this as amalgamation of Die Hard, Home Alone & Santa Clause movies. It is a very different take on Santa. A Santa whose inner animal has been unleashed. And while it is gory in many areas, it never truly takes itself seriously. The movie has plenty of comedy thrown here and there. Some good, some terrible. But all-in-all, it was entertaining.

So, if you don't take this movie seriously and accept it for what it is - ie. Pure mindless entertainment - then you won't be disappointed.

SUMMARY: A different take on a Christmas movie and Santa Clause. It's entertainment not for kids.

The heart of this movie is about friendships we form as we go through life, with the El Camino de Santiago trail as the backdrop.

I like how organic the friendship developed over time, as they continued on their pilgrimage along the El Camino de Santiago. The movie didn't force the situation, nor hurry it. As a result, it made this more meaningful.

From a rocky start by the characters upon meeting each other along the journey. Where at first the four main characters seemed so different, coming from various walks of life, only to find as their journey progresses, they all have a common bond.

I thought the movie did well capturing the emotion of each character, and the mood of the scenes being shown. This movie is much more emotional that I thought. But emotional without being cheesy, nor slowing the storytelling. Emotional in a very good way.

What the four main characters experienced with each other through this journey is what makes life-long friendships.

The movie is inspirational. As even as unfit as I am, it made me want to do the El Camino de Santiago, and hope to find friendships like that in the movie. Perhaps one day.

Emilio Estevez did well in driving the direction of the narrative. Even the slow, emotional moments did not bore me, nor detracted my attention from the screen.

VERDICT: I highly recommend this movie. It is heartwarming, emotional, and inspirational.

The movie starts off slow. But give it 30 mins and the action starts to develop. The action begins with a good escape sequence, then slowly evolves from there.

Ghosted is in the same genre of movies like Knight & Day, Mr & Mrs Smith, Red, and True Lies. A spy action movie with some comedy thrown in. A movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Ana de Armas can definitely pull off being an action hero. From the moment I saw her in action in the James Bond movie, "No Time To Die", then followed by the movie "The Gray Man", I was hooked. She is also a versatile actor, pulling off very credible roles in movies such as "Knives Out" and "Blonde".

Chris Evans did a great job as the clueless civilian being pulled into something that is bigger than he can ever imagine. And the various cameos of actors who have played MCU superhero characters are fun Easter eggs.

But Ana de Armas' is definitely the star of the movie.

VERDICT: Slow to begin with but does build up. Ends up being a good movie in the end.

Maybe I'm just getting old (mid-40s), but I found this movie a little tidious and a tad on the boring side. It's clearly targetting the teen audience based on the dialogue and action.

I also found it utterly predictable with some very cheesy heartworming moments. Lacking any sophistication and smart storyline. Put it this way, your brain won't be challenged.

If you're into the whole super-hero genre, you'll find some great action within the movie. Full of caos and destruction. But if you like intelligent scripts and with solid storylines, this is left wanting.

Despite the great cast (although Lucy Liu came across trying really hard to be a super-villain), this movie was a little underdone for my liking.

VERDICT: Young audiences, and super-hero fans will love it. For those whom are neither, its a so-so movie.

Many of the key ingredients that made the National Treasure movies popular are in this series. The puzzle solving, the mystic & mystery, the adventure, good vs evil, and of course, the treasure hunt. But what is lacking is the great chemistry the movie casts had. The chemistry between Nicolas Cage (Ben) & Diane Kruger (Abigail) was strong. Then brilliantly backed-up by Justin Bartha (Riley) as the comic-relief.

IMO, this is missing from this (TV) casts. While they have pockets of brilliant chemistry, it is not consistent, and far & few in-between. In particular, the chemistry between Lisette Olivera (Jess) & Jake Austin Walker (Liam), isn't really there (nor with Jordan Rodrigues (Ethan)). But Zuri Reed (Tasha) gives a strong performance, and Antonio Cipriano (Oren) does a fine job as the comic-relief of the bunch. He's the Riley of the TV Series.

Having said that, the TV Series has potential to be great. It was slow to start off the blocks, perhaps due to the series establishing each characters' interpersonal relationships with each other first. But hopefully with this out of the way, the second season will see it hit higher gears. I know Disney has the know-how to make TV series in the calibre as movies (i.e. Mandalorian, Andor etc), so here's hoping this will be one of them.

VERDICT: A fine viewing, just not as exciting nor as fast paced as the movies - yet.

As a budding sailor myself, I followed the real story with keen interest as it unfolded in 2009. And while I was twice Jessica's age, when she did her circumnavigation, Jessica's tenacity, determination and passion to follow her dreams, inspired me to do the same. To follow my own dreams.

This movie adaptation of the real story IMO was executed beautifully. It was skilfully edited which kept the narrative flowing in a good pace. No unnecessary drawn-out dull moments. It kept me engaged the entire time. The CGI and filmography was equally good.

But the best part was the directing and the actors. The director did a fine job steering the movie and leading the actors. The main actors, all did a tremendous job bringing their characters to life. I'm sure it's even harder when portraying real-world characters. There was not a single dud among them. But the true standouts were Teagan Croft (playing teen Jessica), and Alyla Browne (playing young Jessica). These two were brilliant.

The only criticism that I have in the movie is the clothing Jessica was shown wearing during a violent storm off the coast of Tasmania. Not sure if that was truly what she was wearing in the real-world. But if it was, she should have been in her storm weather gear.

VERDICT: A great true story adventure-drama captured wonderfully in this movie. A worthy watch for the entire family.

This review is from an adult point of view.

The series looks promising. It has an interesting storyline which happens to include outer space. It's filed with spacecrafts, an AI sidekick, new technology, gadgets, aliens and robots. What's not to like?

Plus it's endowed with fantastic CGI, I was expecting this to be entertaining. But after the 3rd episode, I found the two kids incredibly Annoying, with a capital "A".

Putting aside the kids for the moment, this could be a great series. The CGI is first rate. The look & feel gives me the same vibe as "Lightyear". The quality of the CGI of this series will give Pixar a run for their money

The storyline is also interesting, and due to its setting, they (writers) can go nuts with the storyline. Exposing us to as far as the creators' imagination can go. Filling us with new worlds and characters to their hearts' content.

But those kids, were not likeable at all. They came across as stubborn, undisciplined, and lacking total respect for the father (i.e. They don't listen). And considering the daughter is supposed to be somewhat of a genius with street smarts, ends up acting extremely dumb in many ways. My only hope is, as the series progresses, they (kids) will become more likeable. But after 3 episodes, not looking good so far.

VERDICT: It's a good watch, just ignore the two brats..., err, I meant, kids. Younger audiences will love it.

With the passing of Chadwick Boseman, I was always going to be curious how they will evolve the Black Panther character in the series. And I'm happy to say it was done in a tasteful and respectful way.

In my view, this is a worthy sequel to the uber successful first Blank Panther movie. There are new unique elements shown here to keep you interested including introucing never seen and known before adversary that are equally as powerful to keep the Wakandans in check. I'm glad they didn't resort to more alien invaders in this area.

As expected, the special effects is first class, and cinematography impressive. But I think some elements where included just for the purpose of putting something different in. I'm refering to the Wakandan ship. Its design had no practical elements to it considering what is was used for. What makes movies like this believable is if every aspect of their design made sense, if they were real in the real world. Having said that, this movie delivered in CGI delight.

There is plenty of action to be had, but far too many moments of slow burn. Puttimg an unecessary pause to the increasing fast pace the movie has built up.

VERDICT: If you like super-hero movies and/or you liked the first Black Panther movie, then you'll enjoy this. It's more of the same but different.

This is another take on the jouney to the centre of the Earth type genre, but with a unique twist.

Animation is brilliantly done, with new creatures and worlds never before seen. Keeping the entire world consistant in design, adds to the realism in our imagination. I love seeing entire worlds cleverly created that would make sense if it was real. Entire new worlds like those seen from "Avatar" etc. Simply put, this animation a visual spectacle.

The actors did a top notch job in bringing their characters to life. I have to admit though, I wouldn't have guessed Callisto Mal was voiced by Lucy Lui. She sounds so different in this movie.

However it's not all rainbows and lollypops. While the first act was a wonder to watch, the second & third act had too many stretched out slow moments. I get the directors where trying to bring some emotional depth and profoundness into the characters, but from this reviewer eyes, it failed. What it did instead was put an anchor on the pace of the storytelling, and brought boredom, and unecessary complications.

Having said that, I do love the story and its big reveal at the end. The story is really an analogy of what's happening in our own world.

VERDICT: Not one of Disney Animation Studio's best, but it's far from being bad. It brings enough new elements in the movie that will keep you intrigued. A fun movie for the entire family. Younger audiences will love it.

The characters in this movie where somewhat styleist. I mean, their personalities where all hyped and turned up to the max. I'm sure there are many people like these in real-life. But all in the same place at once? If you watch this movie, you'll know what I mean.

Having said that, this movie genre is a comedy afterall, and I guess, the director thought it best that the actors portray their characters as larger than life, and in over the top way, to deliver best laughs per minute. Sadly it didn't always come across that way. Some scenes, instead of the characters being funny, became more like clowns. But there were some funny moments.

Jennifer Lopez looked increadible. I can't believe she's in her '50s. She looks like she's in her late '20s. Josh Duhamel, did well as J-Lo's counterpart. He was equally funny and convincing. Both carried the movie well, and their characters were likeable. The other characters (particularly the bad guys) where 2-dimentional, to really relate well. But some did a great job supporting the two main protagonist.

VERDICT: Other than the over the top comedy acting, I was surprised I liked this movie. It did give me genuine laugh out loud moments.

Let's start with the positives, the CGI of this movie is epic. Uber realistic, and utterly convincing. From the in-plane action, flying sequences, sea action, and ground battles. All were fantastic.

Some of the most realistic and brilliant CGI in movies I've seen in a while. The acting was first rate, the cinematography was refreshing, and directing was good. Though far too many stretched out moments that IMO, only broke down the momentum that it (movie) has already built up and then slowed the pace to a crawl again.

The bad..., if this movie wasn't based on a true story, I would have rated it higher. But since it is, and I'm familiar with the story, it's a shame the narrative of this movie tried to include so much into it, thus making key events, only half polished, and lacking many important details.

The movie tried to focus on both Thomas Hudner and Jesse Brown's lives. But by doing so, it (movie) only glossed over their respective stories. Essentially a summarised story, that fitted into a movie length format. As a result, it didn't do justice for both men.

I'm sure the struggles of Jesse Brown being in the position he was -an African-American naval aviator - in this era ('50s America), was much greater. But the discrimination and racism shown in this movie that Brown got, made light of this part of his life. The struggles shown wasn't there. And the same can be said for Hudner's story. No detail.

This (movie) could have easily been made into two separate full-length movies. A movie about Jesse Brown's life, and another that of Thomas Hudner.

In Hudner's case, focus more on the events leading to the day of his heroic Valor for going above and beyond, that earned him the Medal of Honor.

But instead, what was shown in this movie, didn't look heroic, nor above and beyond whatsoever. The movie failed to capture why Hudson's actions where deserving of a Medal of Honor recognition. A real shame.

VERDICT: Some of the best CGI in ages. More a drama story that happens to be set in the Korean war, that was based on true events.

This movie at the heart of it, is a 19th century detective thriller with a twist. Set in the 1800s in a non-fictional location (West Point), with a non-fictional character (Edgar Allan Poe), in a fictional situation, makes for one engrossing & original story.

A very solid performance by both Christian Bale & Harry Melling. They brought their characters into the screen so convincingly. Both their performances where a stand-out.

Who would have thought that the boy who played Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling) in the "Harry Potter" movies would turn out to be such a great actor. His performance matches that of Christian Bale throughout the movie. IMO, Melling even outshining Bale. Such is the quality of Melling's portrayal.

The narrative is well paced, and beautifully shot. The set, costumes, and the old English dialogue, suits the period perfectly, and adds to the authenticity of the movie. This movie is not only a joy to watch but also to listen to. A directorial masterpiece by Scott Cooper.

VERDICT: If you like detective thrillers with a twist, then you'll love this movie. Highly recommended.

I'm a big fan of Anna Kendrick, and I tend to love the characters she plays on screen. But this character, I'm not a fan off. The narrative could have been a bit more serious, and IMO would have made the movie infinitely better. But this movie has far too many over the top comedic scenes, which simply detracted the narrative.

As it was directed, the movie was trying too hard to cater to the whole family and made light of really important subjects covered in the movie, and simply devalued the message of the story, IMO.

Anna Kendrick & Bill Hader did a superb job portraying their characters. They had great on-screen chemistry as siblings. And surprise, surprise, Shirley MacLaine once again plays a character with a strong personality. It seems she's been stereotyped to play these types of characters, based on her past few movies.

SUMMARY: If the director took the movie into a more serious route, and the over-the-top humour was toned down, IMO it would have elevated this movie into the next level. But as it was (directed), it is a simple an average cute holiday comedy.

VERDICT: A light Christmas movie for the whole family. Young kids will enjoy the humour, but adults will find most of it rather silly.

I think I am in the minority when it comes to my thoughts about this movie. As at the time of reviewing this (movie), it had an IMDB score of 8.1 (Jan 2023). I gave it 5 stars, and I was being generous at that.

For me, the story was confusing, with only limited spots of action here and there. But overall, it's not an easy movie to follow, and was disappointed for the reason given why all the caos is happening. Its saving grace is the suberb cast. The movie is well acted (it's why I gave it 5 stars), but the story pace is all over the place. Very slow in the beginning, then fast, then slow, then even more slow. Some great action when it happened, but nothing new that we haven't seen before, and they (action) come far and few in-between. The interaction between the characters is not great neither. There is no chemistry with all of them. Although it was good to see "Data" and "Short-Round" (aka Ke Huy Quan), all grown up.

I really wanted to like this movie, but in the end it just left me confused, and the journey to my confusing wasn't really as entertaining as I would have hoped.

VERDICT: If you're a fan of Michelle Yeoh and like multi-verse type movies, then this could be your cup of tea.

The premise of the story had promise, but this movie is let down by bad script and terrible action sequences. Particularly the questionable tactics employed by the main protagonist (who's a gulf war vet) when under fire. Add to this the seemingly hard to kill bad guy (Theo Rossi), who (over) acted like an immortal being, and simply stood still without cover while a gun battle ensues around him.

Despite some weak directing, some actors did well with their characters. By far the standout was Thomas Jane. IMO his portrayal of his character (Dante) even surpasses the main character (William Duncan) played by Clive Standen. I think a spin-off movie about Dante would be interesting.

Bruce Willis' character is just a footnote in this movie. A minor role. Perhaps the producers hired him simply as a "name" to attract audiences to the movie.

VERDICT: A predictable story. And while not a total disaster, it is left wanting, and falls short in many areas. Not the worst movie, but not good neither.

I'm am so late to this show. But I'm so glad I found it. I only discovered this series in Dec 2022. Ten years after the show ended. From the very first episode I was hooked, and became a huge fan.

There is no denying the onscreen chemistry between Zachary Levi & Yvonne Strahovski. Playing the two lead characters of Chuck & Sarah. And the rest of the cast, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez and the rest, are amazing supporting cast. All of them are likeable in their own unique way. The dynamic interaction of all the cast makes the show a cut above the rest. The casting director did a superb job hiring the right people for the parts. Then add great humour, wonderful script & interesting storylines makes for a fun and wonderful show. It's sad it ended.

VERDICT: A fun and entertaining show. A show that has something for everyone. A recommended watch.

NOTE: I think a spin-off series, focusing more on the staff and shananigans of "Buy More" would have been as funny and successful.

The simple synopsis of this movie didn't really give away anything, which was a good thing. My thoughts where that this was just another hijacking action thriller. Where the good guys try to find a way to neutralise the stereotypical baddies. But it turned out to be a lot more than that.

Revealing more about the movie will spoil it. So I'll just keep the details under wraps. Though official movie poster from IMDB kinda gives away a bit of the twist.

All I'll say is there is an added dimension to the plot that made it slightly more interesting and different to other hijacking movie genres.

But don't worry, the twist is revealed very early on in the movie, so you don't have to wait till the end to find out.

VERDICT: Not a bad movie, but avoid reading about the movie too much to avoid spoiling the twist.

I like the premise of this movie. A tale of two lovers finding themselves at the wrong place, at the right time. It's full of calamity, mishaps, and even frustration. But the journey to the end is a fun one, with just the right amount of heart-felt moments.

The movie is well acted, well directed and well edited. The narrative has a consistent pace with no unnecessary lingering boring parts. Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk both did a superb job in making their characters relatable and endearing. Their chemistry together brings another level to this movie. It is a delightful movie to watch anytime, but particularly during Christmas.

VERDICT: A charming and heart-warming movie. It's worth the watch.

I had no expectations from this movie before watching it. I didn't even know what it was about, until I read the synopsis, which I found interesting. Plus I'm a fan of Emma Roberts.

But I'm glad I watched it. How you'll like this movie in my IMO will depend on your thoughts in "faith" and if you have ever been in-love to the right person. If you're a believer, then you'll find this movie uplifting, and inspiring. If you're not, then you might just be irritated by how the movie plays out. As for me, it's nice to believe in a little bit of faith now and then. It's a perfect movie to watch at this time of the year.

This movie is well directed and well acted, even though the four main characters, are somewhat on the unrealistic side. I doubt anyone would have reacted in the same way as the characters have in this movie, if the situations they were on happened in the real-world. This movie is also well edited. It keeps the narrative of the story moving along at a nice pace. But it's also your typical Christmas love story movie that goes through a roller coaster ride. There's an initial heartbreak, then a saviour , then another heartbreak, then a happy ending. Or is there? You'll just have to find out for yourself.

VERDICT: It's a good movie, especially during Christmas.

This movie is beyond bad. Do not even waste your time watching the trailer.

I can't believe Frank Grillo agreed to make this movie. Its either he was desperate for money, or he owed someone a big favour.

Everytihng about this movie is sub-par. It's not even a C-Grade movie. Acting is woeful, sets are mediocre, and I've seen better graphics from a computer game. And the post-production editing, simply atrocious. The movie didn't have any atmosphere. Lacks any background ambience. Clearly indicating this was all filmed in a studio.

But I got to hand it to the produces, in getting this green-lit for approval. Otherwise, whom in their right mind would have funded this.

VERDICT: Avoid at all costs.

I love feel-good movies like these that are based in real-world events.

While the reason for having the female lead character to be in the base is not real (Andersen Air Force Base in Guam will never be closed due to its strategic importance & the only US base on US territory close to Asia), the hard-work and generosity of the USAF personnel and their families is very much real.

I particularly liked this movie as it reminded me of my own personal experience when I was a very young boy. I'm in my late 40s now living in Australia for the past 35 years, but before this, as a very young boy in the late 70s/early 80s, I lived near Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. And to this day, I still distinctively remember the generousity of the men and women of the USAF, to the local townships every holidays. I still remember how excited the kids like me where at Christmas holidays to see Santa riding at the back of a military truck giving Christmas presents and US chocolates & candies to the kids. But their generousity goes beyond holidays. The local base also provided annually (sometimes more), free vaccinations to the local township, and first to respond and help out the authorities during disasters (ie. Typhoons, floods etc). They even provided free rabies shots to dogs. I know this, as one year when I was 7 or 8, I lined up with my dog to get it. Because of these generous actions, I grew up admiring the Americans. These actions is what wins hearts and minds of the locals.

And it is great that this movie show some of that. But other bases used to do it too. Sadly after Mt Pinatubo erupted and left the base in tatters, the USAF left the region. But their generous actions while they were there is still fondly remembered.

VERDICT: If you like to watch a feel-good movie that is based in real-world generosity, then this is a movie for you. I love it.

This is your typical Hallmark holiday movie.

It's thick with unrealistic super-sweet characters, and at times in uber corny situations and interactions. The movie also have far too many "meet-cute" moments, in my opinion - real-world realistic it is not. Then again that's why a lot of people like Hallmark movies. As for a brief moment, they (Hallmark movies) let you forget reality, and show you what I'm sure what most people wished, people in the real-world where like.

The main actors are fine actors. They did a great job bringing life to their characters on the screen. And while it is a super-sweet movie (some would say sickeningly sweet) and utterly predictable, the journey to the ending is not a terrible one.

VERDICT: If you want to be uplifted, and are into heartwarming movies with super-sweet characters, then this one is for you.

Just like most of the movies in this genre, this feel-good movie's outcomes are utterly predictable. But the journey to predictability is a good one.

If you've had a bad day, or simply want to be uplifted, this movie is the perfect one for you. I won't spoil it and mention anything that transpires from the movie, I'll let you discover that for yourself, but there are no surprises, nor big plot twist. This is just a good wholesome heartwarming movie which I wish the real world has more of.

The actors, set and directing was first class. I thought the two actors playing the two main protagonists did an exceptional job in bringing their characters to life. They were relatable and easy to endear oneself to both.

VERDICT: A good viewing for the whole family and/or loved ones.

Wednesday is like an outcast Nancy Drew with a touch of darkness and a bit of "Stranger Things" thrown in.

Wednesday is one of those rare shows that took me by surprise in an extremely good way. It (Wednesday) kept me intrigued and glued from the first episode to the last. It was hands down, the only TV show that I've binged watched this year. It's that captivating.

The show while hardly original, is refreshing and unique from its point of view - a teenage Wednesday. The cast were well chosen (apart from IMO, Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams - Don't get me wrong, Luis is a great actor and I'm a fan, but as the suave and charming Gomez, Luis is not). Jenna Ortega did a superb job portraying the protagonist "Wednesday". Her acting is sublime. The other actors in the show did equally a brilliant job - kudos to the director (Tim Burton). And that dance. Yeah, the dance. You can't miss that part. I read Jenna choreographed it herself.

Apart from the magnificent acting, the sets and directing were first rate. Tim Burton knocked another one out of the park. But I'm sure, it was made easy with Jenna Ortega in the main lead. Her take on Wednesday, took the character to a whole new level. She made Wednesday her own. Love it.

VERDICT: Don't miss it. A must watch.