Reviews

A -{ B I G }- Screen Mini Review ; Movie Seen Thurs., 08-03-23.

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Woman, to nearby man : "You can relax. This place, 'Meg-proof'. I mean, Jonas was always afraid of this, but I was also thinking....." { a Meg crashes through the 'impenetrable' glass barrier and chomps her up whole }.

( Scene features in the -official- trailer by Warner Bros. Pictures ; hence a Non-spoiler ).

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You already KNOW that this "Ain't No Oppenheimer" ; is almost certainly -not- going to win any Academy Awards ; nor was it -ever- intended to be as such. Bearing that in mind, here's a few thoughts to get the boat rowing. Isn't the reason that we -{ PAY }- . . . Of our "own-free-will", { and often rather handsomely, at that! } . . . To see a larger-than-life { quite literally! }, "UTTERLY BONKERS LEVEL" sci-fi action extravaganza such as 'Meg 2: The Trench' ( to be referred to simply as 'Meg-2' here ) . . . That we wish to 'Escape', be 'Enthralled', and perhaps most significantly of all . . . " Be able to let our hair down for a while, and just have a little 'Serious' Cinematic -{ FUN }- ? ? ? " Just Sayin'. ( And if you consider yourself to be a -true- lover of action flicks, then you will most -definitely- be able to relate to Meg-2 ).

Jason Statham has been one of my favourite action heroes for the longest time, & well & truly -Delivers- in Meg-2 as 'Jonas Taylor', inasmuchas the "kicking ass" department is concerned. However, the absence of Bing Bing Li ..{ 'Suyin', in the first instalment }.. was an unequivocal disappointment, as her presence in 'The Meg' was nothing less than sheerly delightful. In contrast, Page Kennedy { 'DJ' }, not only reprises his role ..with 'Panache!'.. but also brings some -genuinely enjoyable suprises with him . . . -{ And }- performs the massively exhilarating hip-hop song "Chomp"! ( The track plays over the end credits ). If I have one -major- criticism of the film, it is that the -extremely- deadly Komodo Dragon like prehistoric creatures on "Fun Island" { -Also- featured in the aforementioned trailer } were, for want of a better expression . . . Just permitted to er, well, simply "be there" ( this is -very- obviously implied ) by the island's management ; -inspite- of the said venue, ( quite expectedly of course ), being chock full of, you-guessed-TOURISTS! But ..'other than that'.. I simply surrendered myself -completely- to the -{ "MINDLESS MOVIE MADNESS" }- at hand, and made a perfectly earnest effort to just relax, and enjoy the undeniably -immense- level of entertainment on display.

Summary : The opening sequence is "Par Excellence". Also, I was -especially- heartened by Jonas's very endearing relationship with the "sparky and seemingly ever enthusiastic" 14 year old whiz-kid 'Meiying' { Suyin's daughter from the first picture, and played by the -now- 15 year old Sophia Cai } ; as it provided a VERY refreshing break from the 'Heartless Badass' personna that we almost -always- see Jason Statham's roles embody. In a nutshell, Meg-2 is "rife" with Twists, Turns & Curved-balls, galore. It -attempts- to fight every possible narrative cliché Real-hard, and generally ends up winning ( -NOT- to be confused with all the -very- obvious "homages" present in the picture ). Ergo : " 8.00 -{ UNABASHED }- , Chompalicious Marks Out Of 10.00 " . . . . KUDOS, Director Ben Wheatley ! ! ! !

A -{ B I G }- Screen Mini Review ; Film Seen on Saturday ; Oct.08, 2022.

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Dear Reader, JUST IN CASE you're -not- aware, "Amsterdam" is, in -actuality-, "structured" around several REAL LIFE EVENTS, -all- of which transpired over the early part of the 20th century. I'm telling you this for the simple, following reason. Once I'd done just a -little- bit of research on the matter, but only -AFTER- having viewed said movie .....{ I'd had absolutely -no- idea of this entire 'True History' aspect of Amsterdam whatsoever prior to my viewing of it ; I'd just ( -wrongly- ) assumed that it was going to be entirely fictional ; like say, most other theatrical offerings available out there over the course of an average moviegoing week }..... my appreciation for veteran director David O. Russell's massive, ambitious "Period Caper" immediately started to grow, A N D -{ T R E M E N D O U S L Y }- S O.

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The picture was in -FACT- inspired in whole by the "BUSINESS PLOT" ; a 1933 political conspiracy in which a veritable HANDFUL -{ literally! }- of "uberwealthy" American bankers and businessmen plotted a military coup d'état to overthrow widely Beloved US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt . . . . . { often referred to affectionately as simply "FDR", and -immensely- revered by his base for the many Progressive Policies that he enacted ; including SEVERAL that resulted in uplifting the lives of -multiple- minority groups in America, over the course of his 'enormous' 12 year tenure } . . . . . And replace him with a truly malicious and fascist Veterans' Organization ; headed by a Marine Corps Major General by the name of Smedley Butler. -This- particular narrative account of the events in question relates the goings-on from the perspective of three "MADLY" loyal friends, who get unwittingly drawn -{ right }- into the mayhem. The parts are played to utter PERFECTION, ( and then some! ), by Margot Robbie, Christian Bale & John David Washington ( leading man of "Tenet", and real-life son to none other than Denzel Washington ). And finally, without further ado, that leads me to this: a bit of sincere, friendly advice to you. If you're someone who DOESN'T appreciate one or more of the three characteristics listed below, ALL of which are -{ specific }- to Amsterdam ; then be assured, this particular film will very likely -{ NOT }- be 'right up your alley'. Here goes. 1. Long-Playing ( albeit very comically enriched ) dramas, that -REALLY- take their time to build up their respective storytelling arcs, and do so in a -genuinely- "Relaxed And Unrushed" manner, at that ( a production sensibility that - I - for one, have always -truly- appreciated ). 2. Quite simply put: PERIOD PIECES that have "that distinct Oscar contender" feel to them ( in general ). 3. Movies that try & show "The Best In Us", and that break down RACE BARRIERS, ( as well as other socially iniquitous barriers like the altogether unfounded fear, and prejuduce, of "the other" ), in the most Tender, Poignant, And Often HEARTMELTING of ways.

SUMMARY: If, on the flip side, you're -{ NOT }- likely to be fazed by -any- of the three aforementioned salient aspects of Amsterdam { "Good On You, Yay!" } ; -and- its 'decidedly non-cursory' runtime of about 135 minutes doesn't intimidate you ( -EITHER- ) ; then you're in for a "mindbogglingly entertaining" festival of -genuinely dazzling- . . . "Star Power", to the tune of FIFTEEN MAGNIFICENT A-LISTERS, no less! I sincerely hope this picture resonates with you 'deeply and personally', the way it did with me. I left the theatre not only literally -overflowing- with a sort of renewed sense of "Hope For Common Decency" but, ( quite frankly ), "For Humanity Itself". Furthermore, as I emerged into the calming serenity of the night sky ; I was -also- utterly { E C S T A T I C ! } in the "secure" knowledge that my favourite male actor 'of-all-time', ( the one & only Christian Bale! ), "was every bit the Deeply Caring And Noble HUMAN being that I'd -always- believed him to be" . . . Based on his "RAW AND SHOCKINGLY HONEST PERFORMANCE" -alone- ; adorably quirky narration and all. So my score? 25 Lavish, Grandiose Marks Out Of 10. "Sheer no brainer!!!!!"

A Netflix -{ MICRO }- Review ; This's the first TV serial to get me watching -{ "TV" }- again ; in 5 LONG YEARS!

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Rufus: { with 'considerable' ire }: "I'm in the damn Stone Age ( ! ), but, man, I hope you live a long, long life. Long enough to see Michael Jordan dunk, Michael Jackson dance, Mike Tyson punch. Really, just any black guy named Michael ( ! )".

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I literally -just- finished the -whole- First Season of "TIMELESS", and was just SO-O-O Wowed by what I saw, that I felt like I simply -HAD- to put "a few words" down here, before advancing -ANY- further. { There are two seasons in all, of which Season-1 comprises 16 episodes, with Season-2 being made up of 11 }. In the interests of 'full disclosure', however, it would be only fair for me to tell you ..'at the very get go'.. that if you're someone who's easily nonplussed by fairly in-depth explorations of well established -Actual- events thru ( -relatively- ) recent human history, then you are more than likely -NOT- going to appreciate this show, I'm afraid. As for me... well, I'd like to offer a "A HUGE, HEARTFELT" Thank You to Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, Sakina Jaffrey, Claudia Doumit, Goran Visnjic & Paterson Joseph, ( Lucy, Wyatt, Rufus, Denise, Jiya, Garcia & Connor Mason, respectively ) ...for inspiring, enthralling, humbling, uplifting and EXCITING me in the way that I NEVER thought a "TV series" ever could! What an utter, & welcome: 'Revelation'!

I would've also loved to thank all of you SUPER TALENTED directors one by one, but as there are "All Of 13!" { -benign chuckle- } of you, I guess I'm just going to have to settle for the 2 'Leads' { i.e the 2 of you who have those ( relative ) super majorities of '5 episodes directed' each ; in addition to always being the -Very- first two to be listed }, namely Greg Beeman, & John F. Showalter. You've well-&-truly reinvigorated the notion of "..kept me on the edge of my seat right the way through!!!!!.." But -{ Most Of All }- Thank You not only for providing us with that VERY TOUCHING little "glimpse" into what the 'VERY-BEST( ! )' of inter-race, inter-sex ( and basically straight up "human -to- human" ) relations could -{ Potentially }- look like here on Planet Earth ( with -Pointed- reference to some of the -Main- characters, of course ) ; but also for all the SUPERB -HISTORICAL-, and indeed, POWERFUL SOCIO -ANTHROPOLOGICAL- insights which you've so graciously and wondrously provided us massively lucky viewers with, ( that, upon -careful- observation ), reveal themselves as being -{ Literally }- . . . . all over the place!

Summary: Kindly bear in mind that although this television programme is officially rated "12", according to -this- very platform, it is really -{ Not }- suitable for children. And so, pursuant to having gotten that rather important little -detail- off my chest, all that remains to be done before I quickly end this little -review- of mine, is to enthusiastically say the following. "There is no doubt -{ Whatsoever }- in my mind that I absolutely, positively -need- to be Awarding, and indeed Re-warding... this sheer small screen "Delight" with my 'trademark' "Personal -Grand- Slam" score of "25 Marks Out Of 10 Marks" ...and it comes with a veritable -Ton- of "Love and Appreciation", at that. YES, IT'S REALLY -{ THAT }- GOOD . . . . . OH, JOY!!!!! "

A -{ Netflix }- MINI Review ; Film Seen around March 27, 2022. It is -{ Not }- very likely to be released in Cinemas.

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Ellie { Young Adam's Mom }: "This's the third time you've been suspended for fighting".

Young Adam: "I know. You'd think I'd be better at it by now!!!"

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If you're someone who's presently in the mood to take a -Welcome- Break from all the doom and gloom on the news right now and watch a movie that comes "FULL-CIRCLE" in the most Enthralling, Engaging, and indeed -{ Heartwarming }- of ways . . . Then I wish to -Wholeheartedly- recommend "The Adam Project", ( TAP for short ), to you. The only -Other- cinematic experience I've had where a film came Full-Circle in -Such- beautiful fashion, in -Recent- memory at least, would be the simply Fabulous "SpiderMan: No Way Home" ( "SM-NWH" ). It is a picture that literally ( And -Very- Cleverly ) ties up loose ends within the -{ Entire }- Spiderman CANON of films, from as far back as 2002. It also just happens to be the -Last- Massive Blockbuster that I reviewed ; before going on an -Entirely- unplanned, ( but -Incredibly- refreshing ) 'Extended 101-day hiatus from reviewing'.

Ok, so if you thought that the 13 yr. Old "Newcomer" of said film, pint-sized thespian Walker Scobell was a tremendous -Dramatic- actor, well, then you'd only be -Half- right. The fact of the mater is... he's also a terrific -COMEDIC- talent, with seriously "Impeccable" timing, especially given that this is, get this ...his -{ First Ever }- movie or TV ( 'Feature' ) appearance. Factor Walker's "Super-Fun" performance in alongside a 'full spectrum' of absolute -{ "POWERHOUSE!" }- deliveries from the film's unequivocal ensemble principal cast of Protagonists ( Zoe Saldaña, Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, ) . . . Then add in some absolutely -Fantastic- ( & truly state of the art ) CGI, a genuinely -Mindblowing- grand finale set piece ...and the kind of fight choreography that you really have to -See- ...to believe . . . & you have a seriously, seriously exciting picture, indeed.

Not to mention FUNNY AS HELL!!! I really hadn't laughed so hard in a long time ; -since- ( about the 3rd time ) I watched SM-NWH, to be precise. On the downside, though . . . & if I'm to be 'painfully' honest . . . -Both- the Villain ( ...don't get me wrong, the person who plays the main 'baddie' is a Veteran performer ; I just felt like the Writing there could have been just that "Little Bit Stronger"... ) -And- her 'ever loyal' henchman are a 'tad weak', as is the very title of the film, itself. Even something as ( relatively ) simple as "FLASH-BACK-FORWARD", would have been -{ Far }- catchier than its existing name, ( although I do think I sorta understand -Why- they called it what they did, for what it's worth ). It's for these two reasons -Alone- that I -Didn't- give it my trademark "25/10" ; reserved especially for movies That Move Me -{ VERY }- Deeply, as TAP ( ...quite obviously... ) -Did-.

Summary: This is a picture that, ( among -several- other things ), pointedly asks the question: If you could -{ Somehow }- go back in time, & talk to your Younger-Self... "WHAT'D YOU SAY?" ...and in the most -Intriguing- of ways, at that. Furthermore, having lost my Dearly Beloved Father when I was -Just- 13, in a horrible, brutal car crash, TAP resonated with me PROFOUNDLY. It has some Genuinely "TENDER" Moments, & does a -Phenomenal- job of addressing the issue of 'Estranged Father-Son Relationships' the world over, but most especially in the USA ; ( where the film is also -Set- ) ; and where the issue is quite possibly now almost at epidemic levels, what with the country's sky-high divorce rate, separation rate, & just plain old 'Absentee Father-ism', in general. All said & done, the "EVER-DYNAMIC! Duo" of Actor Ryan Reynolds & Director Shawn Levy have well & truly "Done it Again". Although this -ISN'T- a Marvel movie, It -does- star a "Handful Of Marvel's Best & Brightest" and -is- ultimately, " A ( not so ) little cinematic streaming MARVEL 🌠 ", in its 'Very Own Right'. Sadly, I'm not able to give TAP my 'Absoluuut-High-Score' ( as I explained a bit earlier ), but it -Still- earns a "Majestic, Rock Solid 13 Marks Out Of 10 Marks" from me . . . Nonetheless!!!

A -{ B I G }- Screen Mini Review; Film Seen Sept. 30, '21.

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Q : "Can I just have one nice evening please, before the world explodes". { Said to 'James Bond' and 'Miss Moneypenny', at Q's London residence. This was taken from an -Official- preview for "No Time To Die", ( to be referred to as "NT2D" in this review ), & is -By No Means- , 'A Spoiler' }.

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1. " The Overall Calibre Of Acting Here, Given That This -{ Is }- , At The End Of The Day, A 'Blockbuster Popcorn Flick', Is Well & Truly -{ BREATHTAKING }- ". . . . Spearheading the Dazzling 💎 array of world-class acting talent that is on full display in NT2D are the following three "Absolute" cinematic icons. { A } Hollywood veteran Léa Seydoux ...arguably best known for 'Blue Is The Warmest Colour' ; 'Ghost Protocol' ; & 'Spectre'... who plays the deeply damaged, yet independent, & ravishing Lovely psychotherapist, 'Madeleine Swann'. She renders a delicate -and impassioned- performance, that is nothing short of " Mesmerizing ". { B } Rami Malik, a.k.a 'Lyutsifer Safin', the movie's PRIMARY -of two- "Classic" Megalomaniacal Bond-Villains. On account of the character's having been ( Very ) badly scarred as a vulnerable, young child ; Rami succeeds handily in providing the most "Idiosyncratically" -{ Delectabe }- Portrayal of the 'never before seen' baddie, that you could ever possibly hope to see. { C } 'The-Man-Of-The-Hour' himself of course, Daniel Craig, who -Did- actually catch me somewhat off guard . . . Managing to completely 'Wow', with -{ Both }- his utterly stupendous 'Physical' performance . . . -{ And }- " His Genuinely Superb Dramatic, & - EMOTIONAL 🌠 - Delivery ".

2. " Cary . . . . . . . . . Who ? " : You could -Very- easily be forgiven for -Never- having heard of Cary Joji Fukunaga, the { formerly } -relatively- unknown, yet { " Multigifted " } Actor ; Producer ; Writer ; Cinematographer ; Director , who, in the September of 2018 was officially -and publicly- awarded the globally "Mega-Coveted" job of not only -Directing- NT2D, but of co writing its whole script & screenplay, -As Well- . The reason I say mega-coveted is due to the 'Particularly' high profile nature of -This- specific cinematic venture. Not only is it Eon Productions' "Grand 25th" Bond offering ; but it is -Also- Daniel Craig's unequivocal " GRAND FINALÉ " outing as the universally -Adored- superspy ; ( based on -Widely- known statements made by the actor, himself ). And it's no wonder, frankly, that Mr. Fukunaga was given such a totally 'Goliath Project', given the fact that only the very -{ Second }- complete picture that he ( ever ) Directed, executive produced -And- co wrote { 'Victoria Para Chino' or 'Victory For Chino' ; 13 minutes ; 2004 ; New York University ; Student-movie } . . . Went on to not only win the 'Best Student Narrative Short' -{ OSCAR AWARD 🏆 }- for the year 2005 . . . But -also- pretty much " Sweep The Deck -Clean- " . . . . by winning "A Whopping" 4 of the 5 -other- ( Major ) awards that the said 'Short' was nominated for, in that very same year.

3. " Final Analysis " : Every now and then, along comes a film with the capacity to altogether, and " Most Unexpectedly . . . . -{ M O V E }- the viewer, ( me, as well as my family, in this instance ), To Their Very Core ". A Deep & Heartfelt -{ Thank You }- is in order to you, Cary Joji Fukunaga, to your 'viscerally beautiful' movie's Entire -{ Ensemble }- Cast, your uber talented crew ; and most of all to your leading-man, DANIEL CRAIG 🙏 💜 ; for so successfully having enthralled us to "this" degree. -{ Yes }- , I shan't deny that I would have loved to see a -{ Lot }- more screen time given to -both- 'The Completely Tantalizing Ana de Armas', -as well- as the 'Ever-Endearing Jeffrey Wright' { 'Paloma' & 'Felix Leiter', respectively } . . . But hey, I am -No Less- grateful for the undeniably mind blowing experience that I just had. " A Full Blown, Unabashed 25 Marks Out Of 10 " ; And -{ Yes }- , My Word Is Indeed . . . " -{ MY BOND }- " 😉 .

A -BIG- Screen MINI Review ; Picture Seen Oct. 07, '21.

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Lady Jessica Atreides : "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain". { This is the -Very- first quote, on 'IMDb.com' }.

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1. If you're one of the -Millions- of people around the world who loved Denis Villeneuve's hauntingly riveting 2015 thriller 'Sicario', ( yours truly included ) ; then strap in for 'one hell of an Interstellar ride', with an -{ Equally }- INTERSTELLAR 🌠 Cast . . . . that -literally- presents itself like a Who's-who of Hollywood's "Best, And Brightest". This time around, the unequivocally -{ Prolific }- Academy Award nominated French Canadian director has taken acclaimed American author Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi thriller, ( once touted as the world's -Best- selling science fiction novel ), & turned it into a veritable masterpiece of a movie. -Make Sure- to 'keep a special eye out' for Rebecca Ferguson's completely "Stunning" portrayal of 'Lady Jessica Atreides' . . . . I can promise that you most certainly -Will Not- regret it.

2. Almost needless to say, the Music, Acting , Cinematography 📽 , Art-direction, CGI, Dramatic pacing & the sprawling, lavish Set-pieces are all, well . . . -{ " Past Compare " }- . When it comes to 2021's cinematic 'big budget" smorgasbord : if you want to see the -Very- best Popcorn Flick SENSATION of the year, it's most unequivocally going to be Bond 25 : 'No Time To Die'. But, on the -other- hand, if you're more in the mood for some -equally- magnificent "ART-FILM MEETS BLOCKBUSTER" ( no seriously ) fare . . . That may -Well- hold you in a state somewhat comparable to 'Absolute Rapture' from start to finish, then 'Dune' should most -Definitely- be your first port of call. Just make sure to come to said movie with a { Genuinely } open and unbiased -->-- Heart , As Well As Mind 🙃 .

3. " Final Analysis " : The only -{ Pronounced }- lack you will feel, if any at all, is that of -{ Humour }- . . . . especially if you're someone who enjoys their big screen delights served with a, er, "generous" side of free flowing -Mirth- . I counted -Literally- only about "3.5" plausibly funny moments, ( at the very most ), in the -Entire- flick. But the obvious reason for that is : it simply -Wouldn't- have worked within this sort of a 'Deadly Serious' dark, dramatic, & super futuristic setting ( 10,191 "AG", to be precise ). So, having taken -that- aspect of the production into consideration ; it really ended up -{ Not }- bothering me very much, at all. Thus, in sum . . . . I was utterly -{ MESMERIZED }- by " Dune : Part 1 " and hence ; I'm giving it a " Wholehearted, Adoring, MEGA-APPRECIATIVE 13 Out Of 10 🔥❗" .

A -BIG- Screen Mini Review. Viewed Sept. 05, 2021.

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Katy : "That's fine...... you can just explain on the plane". { This is said by her to Shaun a.k.a Shang-Chi, marking a "sudden and unexpected" twist of events }.

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1. " So -{ MANY }- Upsides : "Crouching Tiger, Hidden MARVEL" { Gosh . . . . where do I even start❓} " : Ang Lee's circa 2000 quasi-mystical Martial arts spectacular is the -Very- first film that came to my mind whilst watching a certain beautifully -{ ' Atmospheric ' }- segment of the opening-act of 'Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings' ( "Shang Chi" for short ) . . . . you'll know it -Immediately- upon seeing it . . . . featuring the "ever-amazing" Malaysian Mega Star Michelle Yeoh ; who of course was one of the -Principal- characters in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', -As well- . { FYI : this is by no means intended to be a spoiler ; -several- of the movie's -official- teasers & trailers 'gallantly' feature the said scene, albeit briefly }. And what's more ...( trailers also )... if you're someone with 'even the slightest bit' of true passion for all things within the realm of sheer cinematic -{ FANTASY 🌠 }- , then you'll be absolutely -delighted- to know that Shang Chi -Also- has a distinct 'Harry Potter' aspect to it . . . & if even -that's- not enough for you . . . Then, get this, its got a 'full-blown dollop of Narnia' thrown in there for good measure, at that. To be -Really- honest, it felt a bit disorienting , -At First- , seeing all "those types of elements" in an 'MCU' ( 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' ) picture, but then I suddenly realized that 'Infinity War' -And- 'Endgame' both -Very- prominently feature, well ...{ a walking, -"Talking"- demolition derby of a, err, -"Raccoon"- }... in them, & I began to feel at home again, pretty darn quick.

2. " There -Is- One 'Stark' Downside, Alas . . . . The MCU has had -{ WAY }- Too Much "Muddled & Obfuscatory" Messaging Vis-a-vis 'The Ten Rings', Over The Years " : In 2008's -superbly- received { and completely -iconic- } 'Ironman', which is where we were all introduced to the bespoke militant organization, ( 'TTR' for short ), for the -Very- first time . . . . there is an "Explicit And Unequivocal" reference to the film's ( initial ) setting as being sometime within the USA's long 'War In Afghanistan', ( where the -Official- state religion is Islam ). Hence, by -{ EXTENSION 💡 }- , there is the correspondingly "Glaring", ( although tad more "Implicit" ), suggestion that TTR is . . . . . { from the immediately apparent ethnic backgrounds of the mostly Urdu & Arabic speaking members portrayed, to the group's visually -Distinctive- flag, right down to the undeniably frightening 'Imminent-Beheading' type video featuring a thoroughly bruised & bloodied Tony Stark as its centerpiece ( all too reminiscent of the -Horribly- tragic & bloodcurdling news stories that we've been, sadly, accustomed to reading about, hearing about and watching over the years ) } . . . . . 'yet another' archetypal, classic "Islamist-fundamentalist" type group. When in fact, as is -Strongly- conveyed to us in -This- particular picture, ( beginning all the way with the trailers itself ), that this is simply -{ Not }- the case. The said militant group does, of course, turn out to be, ( at its very 'Core' ), & by way of, this, its Origins-Story ; "Not Arab Or Middle Eastern -At All-" , but in fact . . . . -{ " 100% CHINESE " }- . Certainly very confusing, -especially- for the majority of us, who -haven't- read any 'Mandarin vs. Shang-Chi' comics . . . . Go Figure 🤷‍♂️ 🤔 .

" Final Analysis " : -{ If }- you can get yourself to basically -Overlook- the aforementioned, & "Legitimate Inconsistencies" pertaining to Marvel's cinematic representation of its Ten Rings Organization, then . . . . -Yes- , for the most part at least, you -{ Should }- believe all the "Rave Reviews" that this 'Utter Delight Of A Movie' has -already- garnered, 'Globally'. A -Huge- Shoutout to its 'rookie' ( -relatively speaking- ) Director 'Destin Daniel Cretton', who"s been able to achieve this feat with, get this, just his -"5th"- Directorial-venture . . . Ever 👏 . What started as a humble yet impassioned little comic book effort about 10 very magical, & { Phenomenally Empowered Alien "MAKLUAN" Rings } . . . By the "Truly-Legendary" Stan Lee & Don Heck in Feb. 1964 ( "Tales Of Suspense, No.50" ) . . . Has now become the supremely enthralling "Fresh New Face" of Marvel's 'BOLD NEW ERA' { that started with 'Phase Four' }. The film's 'Star' is newcomer Simu Liu, whose portrayal of the outwardly nerdy-seeming yet immensely likeable 'Shaun' works wonderfully { not to mention all his ( " Super 😉 " )-impressive Kung Fu skills, of course }, with his ever-jocular best companion 'Katy', ( Awkwafina ), showing an absolute -ton- of heart, courage, & most of all, -{ " Fierce " }- Loyalty, throughout. Tony Leung, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, & of course Shang-Chi's Big, Fun, "Open-Surprise" .....the 'one & only' Ben Kingsley.... perform their respective roles with -{ " Panache " }- . So, all told, it's going to be " A Completely Charmed, Fiery 9.50 Marks Out 10 From Me . . . . ROCK ON, MARVEL 👊 🔥❗" .

A -BIG- Screen Full Length Review. Viewed Aug.09, 2021.

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Frank Wolff : "Hey , McGregor! . . . Had a girlfriend once, she was cross-eyed. Didn't work out. We could never see eye to eye!".

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1. " What A Ride 👏❗" : This is a journey filled with Colour, Beauty, Awe, Drama, "Massive"-Spectacle, But -Most- Of All, { " HUMOUR . . . & HEART " }. Now, I like to think of myself as a person who has a ( -fairly- ) high bar when it comes to the 'funnies', so I just -have- to say, Dwayne Johnson's 'Frank Wolff' delivers -So many- ..."genuinely" Ribtickling Spur-Of-The-Moment puns... in Jungle Cruise ( 'JC', for short ) ; that I -honestly- couldn't help but get "Drawn-in", & to the fullest, at that . . . . almost 'Every-darn-time'. Not to mention all the masterfully executed -Slapstick- humour 😂 { a little taste of which is in the movie's -"Official Trailer 1"- ( August '20 ) }. All in all, expect Two-hours-and-seven-minutes of Non-stop, "Lavish" . . . . Wholesome -{ Family }- Entertainment.

2. So, Does He Still Charm, Endear, & Delight ? Short answer : -{ Yes }- . . . . he can, & -Does- , still well and truly "ROCK" The Boat. -{ However }- I sincerely urge you not to expect any particularly 'Oscar-worthy' sort of performance from The Man himself, Mr. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Meaning -things like- you're just going to get the 'Same old', run-of-the-mill American Accent from him yet again, despite him playing the role of, get this, a -Spaniard- . . . Living in -Brazil- . { To be -Entirely- fair, this was almost ( certainly ) a directorial-Call by the picture's absolutely " OUTSTANDING 🌠 " Director, Jaume Collet-Serra ; for reasons I -Shan't- disclose, so as to not give anything away }. So anyways, I'm just going to recommend that you go to the cinema -{ Expecting }- to see him put in a "Thorough & Dedicated Performance", with a few "impressive" surprises sprinkled into the mix, for what it's worth. And inasmuchas the sister-brother duo of Emily Blunt's 'Lily Houghton' & Jack Whitehall's 'MacGregor Houghton' are concerned, ready yourself for an incredibly -{ FUN }- journey with these two effusive, "Mega-Talented Stars" and veterans of the Film and Telivision business, ( respectively ). In the " nascently Post-Victorian 🎩 " setting of JC, you are likely to find these two characters to be -Nothing- less than sheerly Affable, Charming, & Indeed Just, " All Around . . . . DELIGHTFUL ".

3. "Jesse Lon Plemmons" Was The Marvellous "Shock" : of this huge, exciting movie { well for -Me- ateast, that is to say }. He portrays the Tyrannically-Monstrous German "Prince Joachim : your worst nightmare straight outta World War 1" in Jungle Cruise ; and in real life he's the partner to bubbly, adorable, global Giga-star, Kirsten Dunst. So here's the thing. Not much having been a big afficionado -for the most part at least- of the whole 'Breaking Bad' craze, { arguably Jesse's first 'Really, Really' big-break ( as 'Todd Alquist', 11 Episodes., 2012-2013 ) }, I'd somehow managed to let his " WHOPPING 🔥❗" Sixty-three Acting Role Career, to date, somehow slip under the radar ; with the -Sole- exception being his -Relatively- "diminutive" ( yet 'tremendously' enjoyable ) part as the -genuinely- likeable "Jimmy 'Ordy' Ord" in 2012's massive blockbuster, 'Battleship'. And Now, to see him { seemingly } "come out of nowhere", take on this 'Way' larger-than-life kind of part ; & play it with Utter, Consummate -{ " CLASS " }- . . . . oh, & don't even get me -started- about his -fabulously- performed German Accent. Suffice to say that his portrayal of the aforementioned -and entirely fictitious- "Evil megalomaniacal occultist" Prince, was executed well . . . -{ " IMMACULATELY " }- .

Summation : Indeed, had it not been for -all- the pretty gross out -{ " OVERKILL " }- Mud, Slime, and the -hundreds- , literally , of Bugs & Bees -In- Said Slime, ( the aforementioned trailer -Will- , b.t.w , be able to give you a small, but 'succinct', flavour of this ) . . . I might just have given this film my { "trademark" } 12 , or -"Even 13!" - , marks out of 10, reserved "Exclusively" for films that I 'Very, Very wholeheartedly' enjoy. However, as that stuff -{ DID }- actually bother me a fair bit, ( " Sorry, but that's just -ME- " ) . . . It's going to remain a 'Solid 10 Marks Out Of 10' . So, umm, still " not too shabby , eh " . . . . . " Wouldn't 'Ya Reckon 😅 💥❓" .

A "Good, Old Fashioned" -{ B I G }- Screen Full Review . Viewed -{ Twice }- By Me , Over The Course Of Of July .

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Yelena Belova: { to Natasha Rommanoff , The Black Widow , and said in -Jest- } " .. You're such a Poser❗"

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1. "I Absolutely, Positively Loved It" : And I'm going to say that right off the bat. For what it's worth, I actually had to go see 'Black Widow', ( 'BW' for short ), -twice- as I wasn't able to catch the beginning the first time . . & ended up appreciating it -{ So }- much more on the 're watch' ; because this time around the -Superb- , Intricate, ( and often super -Hilarious🤣🤣🤣- ) drama between the lead characters -{ Really }- hit home for me. So much so . . . That inasmuch as - I - was concerned atleast, just about the -{ Only }- Existing Flaw with this film for me, if any, was the altogether "glaring" fact that it is now all but -Certain- . . . That we -{ Won't }- be seeing Scarlett Johansson ( 'SJ' for short ) . . . Reprise her fascinatingly complex, and truly "Glorious" role as the globally "Revered-superheroine". Not only has this "Prequel-movie's Narrative Place" in the overall 'MCU'-s ( 'Marvel Cinematic Universe's' ) massive, integrated storyline -Always- been made Crystal💎 clear by 'Marvel Studios' from the very get go ; but SJ -{ Herself }- has now "Very Publicly" come out & all but unequivocally -Confirmed- that she will -Not- be returning as The Black Widow, "Period" . I invite you in earnest, { -Especially- if you're somewhat new to the whole "MCU-thing" }, to view the first 1 minute of one particular -Official- trailer by them, the one -still- entitled "New Trailer", ( -YouTube, Apr.03, 2021- ), where the, 'rationale' ( -if you will- ) for BW is explained, um, "Super"-well . . and is narrated by -none- other than, you guessed it, the "Hopelessly-Vivacious and yes, genuinely Affable" . . -Miz- Johansson, herself.

2. "Loose Ends Are Tied, Nicely" : Here's a small { but undeniably significant } example. The aforementioned Miz Johansson's seemingly -{ "Random🤷‍♂️" }- & generally inexplicable "suddenly-Blonde" hair in 'Infinity War' . . . . { a look that frankly, I -could- never quite fully appreciate, or even simply "Understand" at the time, having ...( over the course of -All' her first five Major starring role films as the BW )... come to entirely adore the -trademark- "Fiery Red-tresses look" that she would -Inevitably- be seen sporting } . . . . was " Finally " explained to us. And looking to the 'bigger' things: the picture essentially filled in a -{ Whole }- bunch of gaps and Story-holes , that would often totally have me headscratching for -Answers- , in the often 'frustratingly' long spells between each successive new Marvel release. This is achieved through a -Wide- array of intricately intertwined -and previously Unknown- "Backstories 📚" ...( not to mention giving us a satisfyingly -thorough- insight into the reasons behind the smattering of "badly damaged relationships left in the BW's wake" )... that occurred -{ Well }- before & indeed leading up, to her "Very, Very" high-priced and hard-won 'formal-entry' into the super-secretive 'Shield' Organization { and concomitant defection from the Russian Secret Service, the 'FSB' ; formerly known as the 'KGB' }. Hence, a big, loud -{ " KUDOS " }- to the wonderfully gifted -Miz- Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson ( the story-writers ), as well as Eric Pearson ( the movie's screenwriter ).

3. "A Veritable -Explosion- . . . Of Talent": A HUGE 👊❗, Hearty pat on the back is -{ Completely }- in order for Cate Shortland, the Australian Directress of this USD 200 Million cinematic 'Powder-keg". Although she may have been "hitherto" -{ Relatively }- unknown to -many- , this tremendously accomplished native of Temora, New South Wales actually has, get this -{ Two Full Decades }- of both TV, as well as Film direction Credits under her belt, with 2012's war-romance-drama 'Lore' being her highest earning movie to date, -until- Black Widow of course, that is to say 😉. -{ Not Only }- has she very successfully managed to bring together a tremendously "Cohesive" -Principal- cast just 'gushing' with absolutely -{ Stellar }- Talent, let's be clear . . . { quick, special "Mention-of-note" altogether warranted here for the -charmingly- bubbly & ever "Tenacious" ( newcomer to -Marvel- ) Florence Pugh, who well & truly excels in her portrayal of 'Yelena Belova' } . . . But the film-crew that she's "assembled" have -{ Also }- well & truly outdone themseves ; in -Every- single aspect of the Production. The."Dazzlingly" Mega-stylistic & Impressive fight choreography employed in the "Widows' training scene" -trailers also- ( featuring an FSB mini battalion of "Spectacularly Luminescent🖲" black-&-red clad 'elite Girl-assassins' ), is probably among the few that "Really, Really" stood out for me -{ Visually }- in the film. And last, but most definitely -Not- least ; a quick 'Special-mention' of the fact that the 5 -Individual- Russian accents performed by 5 of "most" important Principal actors, ( -each to its 'Very Specific', varying degree- ), were pulled off, rather -{ "Immaculately" }- I might add, by 5 different actors from, well , -get this- . . . . the UK , & the USA { 💥😃 } .

Summation : -{ Just > As > Long }- as you go and see Black Widow with a "Free and Open-mind", prepared to be "Well and truly" -{ Entertained }- . In my-specific case, the ( very obvious ) "ANACHRONISTIC" aspect of said movie . . . -{ Did }- . . . In fact make the prospect of watching it ( in the days leading up to BW's release ) feel a tad strange, if you will. However, just as soon as I was actually -{ In }- my seat, the protracted, & "fabulous, Even Bond-esque" intro sequence had already "surreptitiously" -Begun- to work its I insta-magic on me. And then, ( but of course ), when that ever familiar, ever dramatic, and yes, ever -"Beloved"- Marvel theme eventually roared through the massive cinema-hall I was in, it all just seemed to at once "Snap" into place. An -Unabashed- , "Explosive" 13.00 Marks Out Of 10.00 Marks From Me. Oh and yes, Scarlett Johansson, you will be "sorely, but Surely, & Dearly" -{ MISSED }- . . . As 'The' Black Widow . -{ Wow }- " A Whopping " -Nine- pictures ( 8 major leading roles & 1 post-credits scene ) later . . . What a " Spectacularly Memorable" Journey " it's been 👏 ❤❗

A "Good, Old Fashioned" -{ BIG }- Screen Mini Review .

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Christopher : " Maybe this is our true nature " .

Richard : " That's a profound thought " .

{ NON-spoiler : This is ( -Clearly- ) audible in the film's March-2021 trailer } .

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I've -actually- come across -atleast- a 100 reviews on this forum slamming 'Voyagers' for being, in essence : " -{ Not Much More }- than an ( outer space ) rip-off of a certain acclaimed author's novel -turned film- { "Lord of the Flies" ( 1954 ) }. Here is my response to that accusation , in earnest. -All- Directors , & -All- Artists , frankly... are -{ Constantly }- being " inspired " by prior artistic works, & " borrow " from them FAR MORE OFTEN than we may 'readily' be prepared to admit. I would like to make it entirely clear that this most certainly -{ Not }- the same thing as 'ripping-off', 'plagiarizing', or 'stealing'. For the seemingly -endless- contrarians among you on this platform that have somewhat callously accused this undeniably -{ Enthralling }- Space 🌌 thriller's super-talented Director Neil Burger, { known best for the critically rejected yet -popularly- "Colossal" 'Divergent' ( 2014 ) }, of doing just that : Kindly note the 'following' . " I'd be 'willing-to-bet' that if the bespoke 'literary late great', Author & Nobel Laureate William Golding, were somehow able to publicly opine on the matter from the great-beyond ; he would be rather -{ unequivocal }- in lavishing praise on -{ this }- particular iteration.... { of that age-old " Darkness-Of-Man's-Heart ( etc. ) " theme } ....presented here as a grand scale "Cinematic Thought-Experiment" of sorts. The pointed, Unbridled critique of the frailty of human nature offered in the picture, along with its perfectly paced and -unabashed- study of how 'Serious-immorality' can rear its ugly head in literally -{ Any }- given social setting, is, in point of fact, completely & utterly " Fascinating " , at the very -least- . Even just as a pure work-of-Art, the film works BEAUTIFULLY 💙 , 'in it's own right'. Moreover, the ( somewhat ) "fresh-faced" ensemble of 'Up-and-comers', led by none other than veteran actor Colin Farrell, render their ( often ) "deliberately-Subdued" performances, for the most part, "To an absolute freakin' tee" .

Summary : Alas, I know in my heart of hearts that I -Must- take a -Whole- point off this ( 'ultimately' ) fiery & riveting movie's overall score, & here's why, in a nutshell : 'Voyagers' is truly -{ Not }- appropriate for young teenagers . . . -{ Inspite }- of the fact that it is rated PG-13 . This, the film's -OWN- homepage, in fact, mentions that it very nearly received an { 'R' }-Rating from the M. P. A. A. Additionally, I feel that this -should- really have been atleast a -{ Slightly }- longer picture . . . Exploring a few " Key " aspects of the story in greater depth. So, from me, all told, that's going to be a 'pandemic-Considerate', yet nonetheless -decidedly- Inspired, Even { " INVIGORATED " } . . . 7.50 Marks Out Of 10.00 🚀🔥🖖 .

A "Good, Old Fashioned" -{ B i g }- Screen Review .

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Hannah : " I should have gone to them, and instead I was a ( expletive ) Coward " .

Ryan : " Then you'd be dead too " .

Hannah : " ..... That's Our -{ JOB }- " .

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Let me start with the -{ Unbelievably }- natural 12 year old ( when the movie was filmed ) child-actor, native Australian Finn Little ( 'Connor Casserly' ). I have to say that I was just -{ Blown Away }- with the Depth, & the Range of his performance ; charged with a role that was ( literally ) about 25 Times more demanding in terms of its Dramatic & -{ Emotional }- 'heavy-lifting' needs ; than what we are used to seeing the average 12 year old Hollywood thespian tasked with ( in terms of their on-screen assignments ), these days. Bravo 👏❗. The Ever-stunning Angelina Jolie ( 'Hannah Faber' ) , for her part, has -{ most definitely }- " Still Got It " , ( i.e that uniquely quintessential " Supreme Cinematic Fire-power " of hers ) , make - no - mistake . And last but { by -No- means } least, let me just give a quick, yet Massive shout out to the 'second big surprise' of the night, namely ( -relative- ) newcomer Medina Senghore, who does a -{ Stupendous }- job as 'Allison Sawyer', the embattled Deputy Sheriff's very doting, and -{ Equally }- embattled 'six months pregnant' wife .

The overall cinematography , the truly -Sprawling- vistas , and the visual & special effects -{ Both }- in terms of all the thoroughly gripping action-sequences, -{ As Well }- as in terms of the "phenomenally" -real' seeming, & quite frankly, "Terrifying" looking forest-fire scenes . . . . . Were just, well . . . . . 'Hands-Down-Fantastic'. The major problem for ( -Me- ) was : " What I've now come to 'affectionately' label as " The War Of The Worlds ( Tom Cruise, 2005 ) Syndrome 🤷‍♂️ " . Or in other words, & very simply put : " When you -{ Really, Really }- start to get into the picture, and in a -Big- way, no less ; it pretty darn -Suddenly- grinds to a screeching halt, leaving you -Not Only- with the palpable sense of a sort of 'Anticlimax-malaise', but -Also- a few rather Pertinent... 'Outright' ...Unanswered-questions, relating to the film's -{ Genuinely Thrilling }- & 'Mildly-plausible', premise. And finally, & unmissably of course, there's the 'Profound' level of, er... profanity 💥💣 . Yes , I -get- that the film's rated 15 on this very homepage ; in fact that's ( just about ) the -Only- reason I'm -Not- griping about it in my review-Title. But the fact of the matter remains : The somewhat excessive seeming level of -'Hard'- swearing in the movie , coupled with the few brief but nonetheless significant instances of profane ( -Subject Matter- )... in a picture with a, let's not forget, -{ 12 year old }- as its " lead-star " ...was simply -{ Not }- indespensable to the story , -{ Period }- .

Summary : Had me on that ever proverbial 'Edge' { of-my-seat } for the -majority- of its 100 minute run-time. So this movie, with its "sensorily-Explosive" forest-fire backdrop... { No spoilers here, that's ( -very- ) much in the trailer } ...gets a -{ Fairly }- " warm 😉 " , and indeed , -Unflinching- "pandemic-considerate" 6.50 out of 10.00 from me .

A -{ B i g }- Screen Review, republished -Long- after the cinematic release of the picture, as a rewrite .

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Ward : " What touched this place cannot be quantified or understood by human science. It was just a color out of space. A messenger from realms whose existence stuns the brain and numbs us with the gulfs that it throws open before our frenzied eyes " .

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So here's the thing. I Honestly don't know which was more " Macabre " . Watching Nicky Cage go, well, -{ Almost }- er, " Full-on Batsh... Nicky Cage Crazy { 😅 } " ...Or the -{ Actual }- spooky stuff in the film ; { and believe me, there is a veritable ( -Ton- ) of it, to boot, I can Un-equivocally assure you }. On a really Positive note, however, I was utterly Wowed by a -{ Lot }- of the movie's Sheerly Superb Cinematography, courtesy of its veteran D. P, Steve Annis. From delectably wide nature shots and " Lavish " Sunrise & Sunset Vistas to some Truly astounding nature capture , { including, but not limited to } . . . Several Completely -Stunning- 'More Than' Poster Perfect 🏞 shots of towering trees & glittering lakes . . . A -Good- deal of the picture is an un-deniable, veritable , " Rich Visual Treat " . Not to mention the super-Vivid " Colour Kaleidoscope " that gradually accrues, permeating a -Significantly- large proportion of the film's eerie frames, as a -{ Direct }- result of the Alien-presence that 'The Meteorite' brought with it. { No spoilers here ; this is ( -All- ) in the trailer } .

Everybody gives a -Hugely- commendable performance in 'Color Out Of Space', ( broadly speaking ), with a -{ Particularly }- Special 🌠 "Mention-Of-Note" going out on the one hand to the movie's amateur occultist, Madeleine Arthur's 'Lavinia Gardner', and on the other to Tommy Chong's all-knowing Deep-forest-sage, 'Ezra' . What's more, the story in & of itself, is Absolutely, Positively . . . -{ Solid }- . . . Although it very clearly bears noting here that there are -{ Very }- many rather disturbing scenes, in said film. ( As, I suppose, is only to be only expected from a film of this particular nature ). So, All-said-&-done, and as a " Firm , Unwavering -{ Non }- Horror-movie Aficionado " ; I must say that as a 'Pure, flowing work of art' alone ; this often 'Grotesque', yet all at once often -{ Beautiful }- picture... { swaddled in its 'Shockingly' Vibrant, Psychedelic, Phantasmagoric ( -Even- ), " Visually Extravagant Hues 🍭 " } ...succeeds, well, " Phenomenally " .

Summation : Gifted Director Richard Stanley alas , has hit a bit of a stumbling block, by way of allowing the 'afore-mocked' { yet ( -Very- ) talented, let's be clear } Nicholas Cage a tad -Too- Much Leeway, with his outright "Over-The-Top" Scenes. If I -Had- a 15 year old , I would most definitely -{ Not }- want her or him watching such scenes ( The Film Is Rated '15' ). For this reason -Alone- , it's going to have to be a 'Sizeably' reduced ; yet -{ Nonetheless }- " Sparky , Lustrous 7.50 Marks Out Of 10 " , from me 👏 💥 🏆 .

A { Micro } Review ; And A -{ B i g }- Screen Review .

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Chef Jackie : " I will not let this hotel be ruined by a cat and a mouse 😡❗" ( referring, Of Course, to the 'demolition duo' of Tom and Jerry ) .

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Fun Fact 🌝 : Over the course of its original run, the -{ Madly }- talented animation duo of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera produced an Un-equivocally impressive total of One-hundred-and-fourteen " Tom and Jerry " short movies for MGM from 1940 to 1958. During this time, they won a Whopping -{ S E V E N 🙆 💥❗}- Academy Award in the 'Best Animated Short Film' category. Well, although that fact certainly helped -{ Motivate }- me to watch " Tom and Jerry " { 2021 }, it is 'in no way' meant to be a hint from me-to-you, that -{ This }- particular iteration of the world famous entertainment franchise is in any way worthy of a 'Best Feature' Oscar .

👉{ However }👈 , EVEN having said that, I want to make it clear that : ' just the very contemplation ' : of the " Genuinely Phenomenal Levels Of Imagination" that it must have taken the dramatically & -{ Comedically }- Fabulous 💎❗Chloë Grace Moretz { & a whole -Host- of other Principal-characters } to, well ...( basically )... perform -The Entire Picture- opposite their two " Leading Critters " who ( in-point-of-fact ), well... didn't really even EXIST-At-All ...leaves one in complete " Awe " of -not only- their collective Acting Prowess 💜❗, but also with a 'Profound' sense of -{ Respect }- for the impressively ambitious scope of the overall project, itself .

Summary : I -Sincerely- recommend enjoying this just as more of a casual, 'at home, sort of watch'..... { -Unless- , Of Course , you happen to be chaperoning 👉( Pre-Teens )👈 to the Movies ( & hopefully in a safe watching environment, at that ) } ...& -{ Not }- as a full fledged cinema-Event, especially for those of you who may tend to be financially conservative in terms of their big-screen movie watching habits, & more so at this time of ( general ) global hardship. You -{ Won't }- be remiss, watching it on a streaming platform, or on Dvd , -{ INSTEAD }- . A " Supportive , -{ Pandemic Considerate }- " 6.50 out of 10 😘 🐭 🐱 .

A -{ Mini }- Review .

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Roy Pulver ( Frank Grillo ) : " The only woman I've ever loved... who can stop this, is still alive. And I have to get killed, over, and over again, until I can save her " . ______________________________________________________

Right, So, ...Hypothetically... If you had queried me, about halfway through this picture, from one of the two " Pandemically-Correct 😉 ✅ " do-not-sit cinema seats beside me, as to how I thought this thoroughly 'relentless' movie's narrative arc might progress, or even culminate, I wouldn't have been able to answer correctly, 'to save my life'. And when it comes to movies & me .....that is -Most- definitely a " Very, Very, Very Good " Thing. Why❔because I'm an -Absolute- Stickler❗for films that ~{ End }~ up, when all is said & done, being, shall we say, ~{ " Wonderfully " }~ Unpredictable -DESPITE- the marked presence, within said film, of a seemingly obvious predilection towards a predetermined outcome .

However, even -{ Having }- said that... In Truth ...it took -A Good While- for the film to -Actually- start to grow on me. Let me 'Attempt' to describe whatever it was that ~{ Genuinely }~ surprised me in the case of -THIS- particular 'High Octane Big Action Blockbuster' flick , ( as follows ) . Well, so..... 👉{ On-The-One-Hand }👈, the ~{ Fact }~ is, that this film felt : -Not Only- a little annoying & 'repetitive, as well as " straight up gruesome to the point of being almost outright " Macabre " ; but -Also- rather 'Crass', Stereotypical, & chock full of standard, 'Run-of-the-mill' popcorn-flick clichés .....{ for what seemed like the ( -Entire- ) first quarter of its 01:45:00 run time }. Not to mention the decidedly "Glaring" fact that a movie utterly ~{ REPLETE }~ with all manner of Gaming-References ( including a few rather sweetly-Nostalgic 'Analog Type' ones ), is in effect... ~{ " Phenomenally " }~ ...inappropriate ⛔ for children of -Any- age, on account of the gore & language in the film, -Alone- ( ...& that's a bit tragic, really, come to think of it... ) .

But 👉{ On-The-Other-Hand }👈 though, when some loose ends "Very Gradually" start to be squared away & a few critical backstories begin to come to light ; ~{ EVEN }~ leading man Frank Grillo's potentially irksome, somewhat nasal, 'N.Y.C-By-Way-Of-Calabria', ( & profanity -"Saturated"- ), drawl... thankfully ...does -Not- stand in the way of bringing that real "Thrill-Factor" ( 👏 💥 ) into the house, & with "Full Effect", at that. So, in retrospect, I'm going to attribute this to the delightful ability of Director Joe Carnahan -( 2010's 'The A-Team' Remake )- to interweave 'A Little Heart And Soul' into his films, ~{ Irrespective }~ of how Chaotic, Irreverent & indeed, even outright " FRENETIC " the unfolding action in the picture might prove to be. An often subtle... yet ultimately " Tremendous " ...Performance from the "ever-Resplendent💎" Naomi Watts ( 'Jemma Wells' - Roy's ex-wife in the story ) is a huge & 'obvious' Boost to the entire paradigm ; while the -Biological- son that she & Roy Pulver share in the film, 'Joe Wells' ...{ get this : played by none other than Frank Grillo's ~{ Real Life 👦❗}~ child Rio }... brings a " Vividly Radiant " Cuteness & Innocence to the fray, -Significantly- lightening up what would otherwise ~{ Just }~ be fairly crude, bloody & -( Unquestionably )- less appealing cinematic fare .

Summary : Once you get over the slightly, err... ~{ Tedious }~ ...& remarkably violent flashback "Inundated" buildup to the -Actual- "Real-Time" narrative ( or as 'close-to-that' as is realistically possible, given the, um... 'Edge Of Tomorrow meets Groundhog Day' aspect of the film ) ; this ~{ Is }~ an ' Unabashed , & Refreshingly small-talk and B.S-Free { 👏 ✅ } ' ..... " In-Your-Face " sort of a film ..... & -Yes- it's most definitely laced with its fair share of some really ~{ " Darkly " }~ Funny Moments, as well. An { UN }-equivocal 9.50 Marks out of 10, motivated -Primarily- by the veritable smorgasbord of Uplifting & POWERFUL 👊 💜❗ Messages ; with -Most- of them being concentrated in the movie's Final Act .

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A -{ Mini }- Review . ____________________________________________________

First & foremost: if you're someone who's -{ NOT }- into this genre { Namely: 'Full Throttle action films borne -( Entirely )- of pure fantasy type video games' } ..'at all'.. then ( kindly ) move right along. Nothing. To. See. Here. PERIOD ⛔ . Conversely, if, ( like me ), you ~{ Aren't }~ too picky when it comes to the whole genre thing, 👉In-The-First-Place👈, and can kick back & enjoy a ( Truly ) exciting film... ~{ " As long it transports you to Another-Dimension 😉 for a little while " , or even just helps you get away from life's 'PETTY-LITTLE-PERPLEXITIES' for a little while, ( & come away " Enthralled And Beaming 🔥 " ) }~ ...then this review is " Especially " for you. Jump. Right. IN❗.

Ok, so ~{ Even }~ in this unprecedented age of " Prolific Digital Super-realism " in -both- CGI ( computer generated imagery ), -as well as- SPFX ( special effects creation ) 'right across the modern cinematic board', so to speak..... to the point where it is most certainly starting to at least -( Seem )- as though we now, ( Very Sadly 😢 ), often find ourselves taking these two ~{ " HUUUGELY❗" }~ labour intensive aspects of film production ~ " Almost For Granted " ~ .....the veritable plethora of monsters featured in Monster Hunter have been brought to life by the filmmakers ( and, of course, their collective little ' Army ' of Animatronic Modellers, Digital Artists & Effects Specialists ), with sheerly " STUNNING 🌠 " prowess. My heart well & truly goes out to ~{ Every Single One }~ of you die hard fantasy -slash- monster flick aficionados, that is genuinely " Aching " to watch this picture on the " Big " screen ; but will more than likely be unable to do so, -( Completely )- on account of the Covid-19 Pandemic situation in your particular country -slash- region .

In as much as the 'Mirth And Hilarity' Department is concerned, I can -unequivocally- assure you that this film not only has its 'fair share' of Laughs, but that they tend to show up in the most ~{ Unexpected }~ of places, & often in the most ~{ Charming 😅 }~ of ways. And I say this.... " Knowing as we -Now- do, ( for-a-fact ), that the bedrock of practically -Any- successful, fun, typical, big budget action-"drenched" blockbuster these days, lies in the said film's ability to -artfully- ( & of course -tastefully- ), weave a hefty dose of that much needed thing known as HUMOUR ✅ into the eager fabric of its otherwise ( almost -inevitably- ) 'relentless and frenetic' narrative arc " . And speaking ~{ Of }~ 'the funnies'... if you were to put a gun to my head & said that I simply ~{ Had To }~ point out a 'glaring' weakness in Monster Hunter ; it would most certainly be the utterly ~{ Baffoonish 🤡 }~ look of the ( normally ) robust, often even " Majestic❗" looking Ron Perlman ( 'Admiral' ), who of course played the lead character in the very well received -( original )- "Hellboy" duology. Other than that I honestly cannot say that I had any really ~{ " Serious " }~ qualms with the movie .

Summary : The Fabulous Milla Jovovich 🌠 ~{ And }~ The ( Equally ) Fabulous Thai Martial-Arts Veteran Tony Jaa 🌠 have truly performed their parts to perfection. But then again, I would've given this genuinely superb production a Solid Score on the merits of its ( visually ) " mind-numbing " Technical Success, ~{ ALONE }~ . 8.25 Glorious Marks out of 10 🚀 🔥❗.