kimberlyely-27550 Reviews

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

Will give you boredom

[2/10 · 24 April 2024]

Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scar giver: Will Give You Boredom

Making multiple parts to a movie before the first one even comes out, does not always work out the way directors hope. This is the case for Rebel moon, the series of movies were announced, even before the first one came out. Now, Rebel Moon Part two: The Scar giver is out, it is directed by Zack Snyder, and stars Sofia Boutella from Kingsman: The Secret Service, Ed Skrein from Deadpool, and Michiel Huisman from Game of Thrones.

Kora (Sofia Boutella) goes back to her hometown; there she and the rest of the villagers prepare to fight against the mother world to keep their grain.

Back in the day, Snyder wanted Rebel Moon to be a Star Wars movie for Disney. Luckily, Disney did not go along with the idea, especially since Rebel Moon is a bad movie. It is boring, and there was no reason to make Rebel Moon two or more parts.

Part one of Rebel Moon was not particularly good ither, all Kora did was go to different planets, to get warriors to help fight along side the farmers. I was hoping part two would be a little better, since they would have to have a battle. Yes, towards the end there was fighting, but I do not care about any of the characters. The only two characters that had a little intrigue were the little boy and the robot. The boy, for some reason, has a connection with the girl that has a light saber looking like weapon. In part one Jimmy (Anthony Hopkins), also known as the robot, was on the wrong side of the fight. As the movie went on however, he changed sides, which was one of the only interesting things in a boring movie. In the first half of part two, I wanted to fall asleep. All they did was farm, which seems like a waste of time, especially in a movie.

Snyder has made it clear that he wants to make an entire Rebel Moon universe, with six films. I find this very funny, since these two movies do not have anything in common with other good franchises, such as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. These movies provide world building and take time to get to know the characters. Whereas Rebel Moon Part two: The Scar Giver will only give you boredom.

Fallout (2024– )

Expectations will fall

[3/10 · 16 April 2024]

Fallout: Expectations Will Fall

Adapting movies and shows from video games seems to be a new trend in Hollywood. This can sometimes be confusing for the audience, if the show does not do a decent job at explaining what is happening, such as in the case of Amazon's new show, Fallout. Jonathan Nolan etal, and executive producer, Todd Howard. It stars Ella Purnell from Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

After the apocalypse destroyed the Earth, 200 years ago. A select number of people got to take shelter in vaults (safe from the outside world). However, when Lucy's dad is taken, she decides to go outside to find him.

This show may sound like other shows, such as the 100, but unfortunately Fallout is confusing, pointless at times, and a little bazaar.

The first couple of minutes of the show were unnecessary. It explained how the apocalypse happened, but the characters that participated in it had nothing to do with the rest of the story. The timeline jumps to the vault survivors 200 years later. The way the show jumps between two plotlines, (the vault dwellers and people on the ground) is very confusing. The show never makes it clear what the ground people are trying to accomplish. Nothing like how the 100, portrayed the sky people and the grounders. Maybe Fallout should have introduced the ground people, only when the storyline had Lucy (Ella Purnell) needing to know of them. The only way I was able to figure out who some of the characters' names were, was by looking them up. The show does a bad job of introducing other people, besides lucy.

For a show labeled as a drama, Fallout has some very strange moments. A dog who eats things that most dogs would not, such as people, a robot that does not seem to serve a purpose in the plot, and very odd creatures that attack people on the ground, for no reason. If the robot were helpful and friendly, like the one from Lost in Space, that would have given Fallout a likable creature.

The only two characters that make this show, not completely terrible is lucy and Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins), or as I call him, grave dude, since he rose from the dead. Purnell did a good job at portraying Lucy's caring and innocent nature, in a world where all they seem to do is violently fight. This show may have been a little better if it only focused on the adventure Lucy is having to go on to find her dad. If you are looking for Fallout to be another good apocalyptic siFi show, like the 100, your expectations will fall.

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

Depressingly relevant

[9/10 · 21 November 2023]

Fall of the House of Usher: Depressingly Relevant

Not all drugs that you might take are bad for you, some are to help you get well after being sick while others keep you alive after a transplant. The problem becomes, when pharmaceutical companies are more interested in money and power over improving your life. A good example of this is portrayed in the new Netflix show, The Fall of the House of Usher. Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, and based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The show stars Mark Hamill from the Star Wars films, Kate Siegel from The Haunting of Hill House, Ruth Codd from The Midnight Club, and Carla Gugino from The Haunting of Hill House.

Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), is confessing to a prosecutor, C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly) about how Roderick started a drug empire with his sister Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell), along with how all his 6 children have died. Each episode shows the downfall of a different family member.

Not all societal issues can be portrayed in a bright and colorful manner, like how Barbie showed being a woman is hard and how the patriarchy is unfair. Since The Fall of the House of Usher is dealing with power, greed and the opioid crisis, it makes the show depressing to watch, and the timeline somewhat confusing.

From the first episode, the show continually jumps between two different points in the past. It shows how Roderick and Madeline, take over Fortunato, (a pharmaceutical company). Then, jumps forward in time, to be about how each of Roderick's kids die. All of these plot lines are important to understanding what terrible people Roderick and Madeline are, but sometimes it can be confusing. Even though , you figure out who's in what time, it may have been better if Netflix have made The Fall of The House of Usher more than 8 episodes long.

Even though most of the characters of this show are terrible people, The Fall of the House of Usher is well acted. Kate Siegel plays Camille, she acts like the family's business manager and always is thinking of ways to make them look better in the public's eye. She is demanding and strong willed. It would have been nice to see her stick around longer, she was fun to watch. It's very impressive how Carla Gugino played multiple versions of Verna. Each episode she was someone different, from a nice bartender to creepy office manager. Verna proves she is a good person, every time she gives the Usher family chances to do the right thing. The older version of Roderick Usher is portrayed by Bruce Greenwood, who I prefer over the younger version of Roderick (Zach Gilford). Greenwood makes Roderick out, to not care about much else, other than making money off of Ligodone. This fits the story more. Both Willa Fitzgerald and Mary McDonnell did a great job at showing that Madeline Usher will do anything to get what she wants. Madeline was the one to help Roderick take over Fortunato, so they both can own the company.

Flanagan did a great job putting in things from Poe stories that fans of the author would enjoy. I don't know much about Poe's work, so some things, like the word nevermore doesn't make sense to me. In addition, The Fall of the House of Usher deals with serious issues such as, drugs, power, and greed.

The 100 (2014–2020)

Intensely compelling

[8/10 · 8 October 2023]

The 100: Intensely compelling

The C. W. has multiple different types of shows. However, one of the more suspenseful ones is, The 100. Based on a series of books by Kass Morgan, Jason Rothenberg wrote and produced the show The 100. It stars Marie Avgeropoulos from Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Henry Ian Cusick from Lost.

100 years ago, Earth experienced an apocalyptic level event, which is why the inhabitants now live on The Ark, (a spaceship). However, oxygen on The Ark is running out, therefore, Thelonious Jaha (Isaiah Washington) makes the decision to send 100 prisoners, (passengers who disobeyed the rules) to the ground. His hope is that, everyone can come back to Earth. Will the 100 survive the dangers they encounter on the ground?

All people had to do on the Ark is not break the rules to survive, but on the ground, things are much different. It doesn't take long for them to discover they aren't alone, whitch results in some brutal fights, and compelling characters.

After arriving on the ground with no adults, the teens need guidance in order to stop the fighting amongst themselves. Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) tries to take charge of the situation. Others however, would rather listen to Bellamy Blake (Bob Morley), due to the fact he lives in the moment. While Bellamy is a great character, he doesn't have the focus on the future that Clarke has. All Clarke wants is peace, and she is willing to sacrifice everything to achieve this goal. This task takes a lot of courage and strength. However, it doesn't take long for her to realize, that in order to survive, they all need to work as a team. Often, Octavia Blake (Marie Avgeropoulos) is rebellious since she stepped foot on the ground. She is very determined to do things her own way, and doesn't want her brother constantly telling her what to do. As the seasons go on, Octavia becomes a really amazing fighter. No one would have survived without the help of Raven Reyes (Lindsey Morgan), a mechanic who would rather help others instead of herself. John Murphy (Richard Harmon) makes the audience laugh with his sarcastic remarks, which sometimes can lighten a situation.

The killing and torture in this show, feels realistically portrayed by the camera crew. . This is due to, the camera zooming in on things like, the mountain men preforming a bone Meroe transplant on the teens against their will. When it comes to the amount of blood shown, there isn't as much as shows like The Vampire Diary's, but The 100 show enough to let the audience know when someone is injured. The chaos of the bigger battles, makes it challenging to keep track of who's fighting who. This however doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the show. You get invested in these characters, and want the ones you like to succeed, want the ones you don't like to die, and are sad when a character you liked dies.

There was supposed to be a prequel to the 100 however, with the sale of the C. W. to Nexstar Media Group, the likelihood of this happening is very slim. Luckily, The 100 is just as intensely compelling the second time watching.

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Better than recent mystery movies

[6/10 · 19 September 2023]

Haunting in Venice: Better Than Recent Mystery Movies

Multiple mystery movies have come out in the last couple years. Unfortunately, they have been predictable and the Adam Sandler ones on Netflix have been especially bad. Even though the Poirot films aren't the best, at least they are interesting enough to watch. A Haunting in Venice is the third film Kenneth Branagh has directed and starred in, based on Agatha Christie's books.

Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has retired to Venice, or so he thought. His friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) comes to ask for his help, in figuring out if a medium is fake or real.

A Haunting in Venice is a little different from the previous two Poirot films, due to the movie dealing with what everyone thought was a haunted house. If a movie about a haunted house and a medium sounds familiar, it's because Disney released The Haunted Mansion last month. A Haunting in Venice is a Disney related film as well. Also, both movies won't let people leave the Mansion. In The Haunted Mansion, the ghosts are holding the people captive, where in A Haunting in Venice, Poirot insist that everyone stays put until he solves the murders. Even though both movies have similarities, A Haunting in Venice, though a little weird at times, is the better movie.

In all three of the Poirot films, the guilty one is never who I expected. Even in Murder on the Orient Express, which is the worst out of the trilogy, it wasn't predictable. A Haunting in Venice is comparable to Death on the Nile, the plot keeps you invested in wanting to figure out who could have committed the crime.

Branagh did a good job portraying Poirot, someone who is logical and doesn't believe they are in a haunted house. By the end however, he begins to believe in spirits, even if he won't admit it to anyone. A Haunting in Venice is worth a trip to the movies, because the film is better than any mystery movies released recently.

The Nun II (2023)

Better than the previous

[5/10 · 11 September 2023]

The Nun 2: Better Than the Previous

The Conjuring universe expands more with the latest release of The Nun 2. The Nun first appeared in the Conjuring 2. Soon after it got its own movie called The Nun, now comes the sequel to that movie. The Nun 2 is Directed by Michael Chaves, who previously directed The Curse of La LLorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me do It. Returning cast include: Taissa Farmiga, Bonnie Aarons, and Jonas Bloquet. Joining them is Anna Popplewell from The Chronicles of Narnia franchise.

After the events of the last Nun movie, everyone thought they defeated Valak. Unfortunately, he's still alive, and possessing someone else to get the eyes of Lilith. Together Irene (Taissa Farmiga), and Debra (Storm Reid) must prevent the Nun from retrieving the eyes and becoming powerful.

The first movie was pretty bad, so expectations for this sequel most likely won't be very high. With this sequel having some substance to the plot, it makes the movie at least better than the previous.

The mystery that Irene and Debra have to solve involves figuring out who and what the Nun wants, was interesting enough to watch. The other storyline involves Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey) in her school, where the Nun and the eyes of Lilith are locked away in a forbidden room. In the end both storylines come together and connects the movie to the Conjuring universe. The Nun 2 is better than the first movie yet it's still forgettable.

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

A good ending to the trilogy

[6/10 · 5 September 2023]

Equalizer 3: A Good Ending to the Trilogy

For someone like Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), who wants to balance the scales between good and evil, peace is hard to find. However, he manages to find peace in a little town in Italy. The Equalizer 3 was directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Denzel Washington, along with Dakota Fanning.

After years of fighting crime, McCall's travels take him to Italy. There he discovers a drug operation run by the Camorra family. In order to keep his new found Italy family safe, along with retrieving what was taken, McCall must stop the drug lords before they take over the town.

Many times, in action movies the hero is portrayed as invincible, such as when John Wick falls off buildings or gets hit by cars in John Wick Chapter four, yet he is not hurt at all. After McCall gets shot by Lorenzo Vitale's (Bruno Bilootta) grandson, McCall ends up recovering in Enzo Arisio's (Remo Girone) house, off the Amalfi Coast in Italy. This makes the movie feel more realistic.

Washington portrays McCall as methodical, always observing his surroundings. Everything he does is calculated, precise, and serves a purpose. In The Equalizer 3, McCall and the crime lords battle it out at night, where it was hard to see McCall coming. It's very impressive that at age of 68, Washington is doing his own stunts.

There was a nice call back to the second Equalizer film, in the form of who the CIA detective is. In the second film, McCall's best friend, Susan Plummer was killed. In Equalizer 3, McCall tips off a CIA agent named Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning), which later is revealed to have a connection to McCall's deceased friend. Whether or not there is another sequel is yet to be seen. The fact that he found peace after all this time balancing the scales between good and evil, gives The Equalizer trilogy a good ending.

Heart of Stone (I) (2023)

Has heart

[6/10 · 16 August 2023]

Heart of Stone: Has Heart

After Netflix has had success with other action movies, such as: Red notice, The Mother, and Extraction. They are trying again with a new action movie. "Heart of Stone" is directed by Tom Harper and stars Gal Gadot from Wonder Woman.

Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot), is a double agent, working for MI6 as well as the Charter, who are both after the heart, which is an intelligent computer that knows what's going to happen in the future. Soon however, her secret gets discovered, and she must choose between the two teams.

The action starts off with a scene involving Stone skiing down a mountain with a parachute. After that, the thrills continue, with riding on motorcycles, fighting in snow and free falling out of a plane.

Gadot portrays Stone as being loyal to her friends, she goes to save them, even though she knows it will blow her cover. MI6 was unaware of her fighting abilities, until Stone rescues them in a fight at their hotel. Keya Dhawan (Alia Bhatt) teams up with another spy, in hopes in getting revenge on the people who killed her parents.

The only stunts Gadot preformed herself was all the fighting, which was very impressive. Her stunt double did things like skiing down a mountain with a parachute or free falling, which was an incredible thing to do since it looked dangerous. George Steel, who did the Cinematography actually shot on location. He captured beautiful scenes including one in the snow, which was filmed in Iceland. The way Heart of Stone ends, leaves it open for a sequel. Heart of Stone is an action movie with heart.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

A good yet tragic movie

[8/10 · 13 August 2023]

Last Voyage of the Demeter: A Good Yet Tragic Movie

The story of Dracula has been around for a long time. However, this is the first time a movie has shown him looking like a monster, instead of him appearing as a human. Andre Ovredal directs, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which stars Liam Cunningham from Game of Thrones, David Dastmalchian from The Dark Night, The Suicide Squad, and Oppenheimer. Also sharing the screen is Corey Hawkins from The Walking Dead and In the Heights, and Straight Outta Compton, and Jaeier Botet from The Conjuring 2.

Based on a single chapter from Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, a crew sets sail to London with cargo crates. Little does the captain and crew know, there is something evil in one of the crates. Night after night, and one by one, the crew slowly disappears.

Clemens played by Corey Hawkins is a doctor who tries his best to heal people after they have been bitten in the night. He also is the one who discovers and treats Anna (Aisling Franciosi), a stowaway he found on the lower deck. He is an interesting character, who only believes in science and wants to understand how people think. Which leads him to wanting to find out why Dracula does what he does. Liam Cunningham portrays a brave Captain Eliot, who goes in search of Dracula after his grandson dies. Eliot was hoping Dracula would tell him how to bring his grandson back. Javier Botet didn't say much as Dracula, but he showed his expressions in other ways. Every time he went to bite someone he always smiled to show all his teeth, it probably also was because he enjoyed getting stronger each night.

The music combined with the storm and rain provided a tense atmosphere. Dracula's practical affects were impressive, especially with not using CGI. Unlike other Dracula films, this time he looks more like a monster. With horns on the top of his head, claws for fingers, fangs and wings, as he got stronger, he came out of the shadows more. However, since he is a vampire, he only hunts at night, which made it hard for the crew to spot him. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a good movie with a tragic ending.

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

Action packed

[8/10 · 9 August 2023]

Meg 2: The Trench: Action Packed

Ben Wheatley directs this action packed sequel, starring Jason Statham from The Expendables and Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw.

Jonas (Jason Statham) takes a crew down to explore uncharted waters in the bottom of the ocean. The sea life is colorful yet dangerous. During their research they learn about the betrayal among their team. Meanwhile, the trench is breeched, and many dangerous creatures escape.

Predator and prey relationships are established in the killer opening scene. Three Megs, a giant octopus, Mini-megalodons, that look like dogs who can swim and walk on land, and fighting between Statham's team and the traitors, provides all the nonstop action.

Statham does an exceptional job playing the hero, as he wants to keep his team safe. Especially Meiying, who he takes care of since her mom is no longer around. His action scenes are spectacular as well, he makes bombs, gets into gun fights, and battles three Meg's on a Jet Ski, which is all very intense. Shuya Sophia Cai plays Meiying, a determined 14 year old. She just wants to prove herself as a scientist, that's why she sneaks onto the submarine. Jonas obviously isn't happy about this, but since they get stranded at the bottom of the ocean, there's not much anyone can do about it.

The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos was incredible. The way the scenes were shot, adds intensity and intrigue, which leaves the audience on the edge of their seat. Zambarloukos attached a camera to Statham's Jet Ski and just added the shark in later, that's some good teamwork. In addition, Statham also performed his own stunts, which is impressive. The designs of all the different creatures, is very creative. Meg 2: The Trench is an action packed sequel, waiting for thrill seekers to go see it in theaters.

Haunted Mansion (2023)

A fun Halloween movie for kids

[5/10 · 1 August 2023]

Haunted Mansion: A Fun Halloween Movie for Kids

Many Disney rides have been made into movies over the years, for example, Pirates of The Caribbean or Jungle Cruise. Now, Haunted Mansion gets a movie based on the ride. Directed by Justin Simien, who previously directed Dear White People. It stars Jared Leto from Suicide Squad and Morbius, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish a comedian, Owen Wilson from Night at the Museum and Loki, Jamie Lee Curtis from the Halloween franchise and Knives Out, and Danny DeVito from Matilda, Batman Returns, and Jumanji: The Next Level.

Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase Dillon), move into a new house, however, soon they find out that it's haunted. To try and get rid of the ghosts, Gabbie hires Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), who leads ghost tours around the city, Harriet (tiffany Haddish), a spunky psychic, and Father Kent (Owen Wilson) someone who claims to be a priest. They also go to hire a professor played by Danny DeVito, who used to write books on haunted mansions, but after learning of his health condition, they won't let him come. This of course, doesn't stop him, he shows up anyway because he wants to see the mansion.

Haddish did an excellent job at playing a medium, the team wouldn't be the same without her. With the elaborate outfits, her charismatic and outgoing personality, makes her stand out as my favorite character. Stanfield portrayed a grieving widower, who continues his wife's ghost tours. Even though he doesn't believe in spirits, he unenthusiastically gives the tours anyway. He only believes in what he can see, so it's a good thing he brought his ghost camera along. This allows him to see the spirits in the pictures taken. As a comedian, DeVito is funny. He may be an old professor with health complications, but he is very determined to see this mansion. Wilson is a fake priest, who isn't very convincing, which is humorous. Jamie Lee Curtis was Madame Leota, a witch who was trapped in a crystal ball. Something that would have given this movie a plot twist, would be if she was evil. She and the Hat Box ghost could have been conspiring with each other. However, this is a family movie, so a storyline of that nature might be too dark for younger kids. The hat box ghost, also known as Crum, is the evil ghost. He only needs one more soul to escape the mansion. Even though Jared Leto plays the role, his appearance is mostly CGI, along with hundreds of other ghosts, who the actors amazingly interacted with. Between his hat and how they drew him at the police station, he looked like Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog. Dillon plays Travis, a brave kid who ultimately makes the right choice. Rosario Dawson who plays Gabbie, mom to Travis, just wants to start fresh in a new town. She doesn't believe in ghosts either, until she sees one standing behind her son. All the cast work well together. Their personalities each provide something different to the team.

The Haunted Mansion ride opened in 1969, and fans of the ride will most likely enjoy this movie. Haunted Mansion is a fun Halloween movie for kids.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Everyone watch this

[10/10 · 25 July 2023]

Barbie

Did you grow up playing with Barbie's? If so, you probably know that not everyone likes the idea of Barbie. Some people think Barbie's are harmful to children. Other people love Barbie. This new movie called, Barbie, explores why Barbie could be problematic. Greta Gerwig is the director, previously she directed Little Women. It stars Margot Robbie from Birds of Prey and Suicide Squad, Ryan Gosling from The Notebook and La La Land, Michael Cera from Arrested Development, Helen Mirren, and Rhea Perlman.

In 1959, Ruth Handler, the co-founder of the Mattel toy company, created Barbie. She wanted this doll to inspire little girls to dream and know they can be whatever they want. This thought process seems sexist, it leaves out little boys, who also can be whatever they want. The movie will show you that Handler's idea that Barbie will make society better, hasn't worked out as she probably wanted. Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) live in Barbie land, where women are in charge. Barbie needs to travel to the real world, where she discovers men are in charge and she isn't the inspiration she thought she was.

Robbie plays two sides of the same character, at first Barbie is very carefree in Barbie land, and oblivious to all societies' problems. When she gets to the real world however, she discovers things seem to be the opposite from where she came from. Not only is Gosling nice to look at but he also will make the audience laugh. Ken has always felt left out of Barbie land, until he travels to the real world with Barbie. Unfortunately, he learns the wrong lesson from capitalism. He finds out men are in charge, and wants that for Barbie land. What his take away should have been however, is that men and women can both hold equal power. Alan (Michael Cera) doesn't have a duplicate, therefore he knew who he was from the beginning. He has good morals and values, which gives him confidence to be the best version of himself. Meanwhile, Ken and Barbie are struggling to figure out who they are, and want to be.

The dancing, choreography, and facial expressions were all done spectacularly well. The cast, including the supporting characters did a wonderful job. Gosling does an excellent job, portraying a more submissive Ken in the beginning, then more dominant, when he wants to take charge of Barbie land. Robbie's role as Barbie was much different than when she played Harley Quinn. Barbie is nice, kind, and not evil, while Harley Quinn is a criminal, who could be good from time to time. These roles show she is good at playing different parts, which will help her in the future.

Not only does this movie have some funny moments, but it also has themes that are relevant to what's happening in life today. Capitalism, equality for all, female empowerment, and self-acceptance, are all things people need to know about.

There is a lot of pressure on women to be perfect. Women have to go to work, which usually means getting payed less than men, taking care of the house and kids, all while looking their best, which is difficult to do all the time. Mattel hoped that Barbie would be an inspiration for women. Unfortunately, she doesn't even look like most people, Barbie is extremely skinny, which is an unrealistic standard for anyone to live up to. Along with that, the company, Mattel, and its founders aren't exactly honest people. Years after Barbie was made, Handler was found guilty of tax evasion.

Barbie shows one of the reasons the WGA (Writers Guild of America) and SAG (Screen Actors Guild) are striking. They all want better pay, meanwhile the top CEO's of company's make millions a year. However, the way it should be is more equal, meet somewhere in the middle. Don't pay people so little they need multiple jobs to support their family, but also no one is asking to become a millionaire. Barbie is a good movie that happened to come out at the perfect time. I would encourage everyone to go see this movie. It was well cast and has multiple messages surrounding issues our society faces today.

Elvis (2022)

Tragic story

[5/10 · 23 July 2023]

Elvis

Did you grow up with Elvis Presley? If so, you have probably already seen Elvis, which came out in 2022. Elvis is a musical drama about his rise to fame and how he died. Baz Luhrmann is the director. It stars Austin Butler, Tom Hanks from the Toy Story franchise, Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery from Stranger Things, Luke Bracey, and Richard Roxburgh from Mission Impossible 2.

In June 2022, a biopic about Elvis Presley's life came out. Presley's dancing on stage, his singing, and love of writing music is portrayed well by Austin Butler. Butler's movements, singing, and persona captures who Presley was before taking drugs. Tom Hanks played his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who signed him to a record label. They had a complicated relationship, but ultimately Parker didn't have Presley's best interest in mind.

Not everything in this film was accurate. The biggest difference between the movie and reality, was the age Priscilla was when Presley met her. Elvis would make you believe they were around the same age, where in fact she was only 14 and he was 24 when they met. They got married when she was only 21, which still seems very young to make a commitment like that.

Unfortunately, all the sad parts about the doctors feeding him drugs and Parker cheating him out of money is all true. If only Presley had a different manager things might have turned out very differently.

His style of music combines numerus genres and backgrounds. The combination of gospel, country, and blues would help bring segregated groups together. Along with his personality and movements on stage, he would become known as the king of rock and roll, as well as inspire future musicians.

65 (2023)

It's average

[6/10 · 21 July 2023]

65

Do you like survival movies that happen to have some dinosaurs? 65 was directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, they previously wrote A Quiet Place. It stars Adam Driver from Star Wars: The force Awakens, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman, Nika King from Euphoria, and Brian Dare.

Mills (Adam Driver), is an alien, who leads an expedition into deep space, unfortunately they crash land due to an asteroid. Besides Mills, the only other survivor is Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). Together they have to get to the escape pod on the ship, all while trying to avoid the dinosaurs and the asteroid headed towards the planet.

Driver, a loving dad, goes on this expedition in order to pay for his daughter's treatment. Greenblatt portrays someone who wants to get back to her family. Sadly for her, her parents died in the crash. Even though they don't speak the same language, they find a way to communicate. Mills and Koa communicate with the little English she knows, and Mills pointing out where they need to go to survive.

Even though Mills and Koa bond during the movie, the lack of dinosaurs was disappointing. The Jurassic Park films have an entire park with numerous dinosaurs, who will try and eat you. Where 65 only has a couple dinosaurs, who never really do anything exciting. 65 isn't as good as Jurassic Park, but the characters make it interesting enough to watch.

Ticket to Paradise (2022)

Cute and fun

[5/10 · 18 July 2023]

Ticket to Paradise

Who wouldn't fall in love in Bali? This is exactly what happens in Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker. It stars Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman, George Clooney from Batman and Robin, Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier, and Genevieve Lemon.

A divorced couple, Georgia (Julia Roberts) and David (George Clooney), head to Bali to try and stop their daughter's wedding. After all, what parent wouldn't want the best for their child, and throwing away a law degree over someone you just met is impulsive. True love must be very powerful.

The antics that ensue are humorous; Roberts and Clooney are a good pairing for a bickering couple. The disagreeing could have easily gotten annoying, instead it came off as funny. Kaitlyn Dever portrayed Lily (the daughter of Georgia and David), who just graduated from law school. Before becoming a lawyer, she takes a vacation to Bali with her best friend, Wren (Billie Lourd). There, unexpected things occur. Maxime Bouttier plays Lily's kind fiancé, Gede, a sea weed farmer, with a simple life.

Lily's parents had every right to try and break up the wedding. If you graduate with a degree, it should mean you really want to do that job. If Lily got so distracted by a guy living a simple life, maybe she never should have gone to school. Clearly she wasn't ever serious about becoming a lawyer.

Even though this film is set in Bali, it was filmed in Australia. The scenery is beautiful, and makes you want to go visit. The water looked crystal clear, something people would actually swim in. Ticket to Paradise is a lighthearted and fun film, due to the stellar performances of Roberts and Clooney.

Titanic (1997)

A romantic movie based on a tragic event

[7/10 · 15 July 2023]

Titanic

In 1912, The Titanic was transporting 2,240 passengers to the United States. Four days later the ship hit an iceberg, only 706 people survived. Years later, in 1997, Cameron wrote, directed, and co-produced a movie based on these true events. It stars Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart, and Victor Garber.

This movie tells a story about two fictional characters, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet). They are from too different social classes, Jack doesn't have a lot of money, where Rose's family is rich, along with her mom wanting her to marry into a wealthy family.

The combination of practical affects, CGI, and set designs, made everything including the ship sinking look real. The water scenes were filmed in water tanks and made to look like the Atlantic Ocean, this is an impressive accomplishment of the crew.

Winslet does a good job portraying someone who is carefree, yet doesn't like her life with her fiancé she's supposed to marry. DiCaprio plays a charming guy who teaches Rose that she can just be herself. Together, they make a convincing couple. Its obvious Jack loves Rose, due to the decisions he makes towards the end. Billy Zane gives a strong performance, as he makes the audience dislike him, because of how he mistreats Rose. Titanic is a romantic yet sad movie, based on a tragic true story.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2022– )

Pretty good

[8/10 · 8 July 2023]

The Lincoln Lawyer

Netflix has adapted a novel called The Brass Verdict into a television show. It stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Becki Newton from How I Met Your Mother, Neve Campbell from the Scream franchise, Christopher Gorham, Angus Sampson from the Insidious franchise, Jazz Raycole, and Lana Parrilla from Once Upon a Time.

In 2006, Michael Connelly published his first novel out of six books, based on Mickey Haller. 2011, sees Connelly's first book The Lincoln Lawyer get adapted into a movie. Years later, in 2022, Netflix released a television show, called The Lincoln Lawyer. This is based on the second book in the series, known as The Brass Verdict.

After another lawyer mysteriously dies, Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia Rulfo) inherits all of his unfinished cases. On top of needing to learn his cases, he starts to investigate the sudden death of his colleague, while trying to repair his relationships in his personal life.

It's not hard to see why The Lincoln Lawyer is so popular on Netflix. All the storylines, and likable characters make the show intriguing to watch.

Rulfo is charming and personable as Haller. He makes the audience as well as the court laugh with his one liners. Previously having substance abuse issues, he has compassion for other people in similar situations, which is what leads him to hire Izzy Letts (Jazz Raycole) to be his driver. She is a great supporting character. They care and hold each other accountable to insure they both stay on the right path. Gorham does a good job portraying Trevor Elliott, a billionaire who plays the victim in his wife's murder. Newton plays a positive and caring Lorna Crane, she is Haller's secretary as well as friend. In addition, to all the people assisting Haller, he hires a private investigator named Cisco. Sampson works well together with the team in order to insure Haller's success.

The multiple storylines creates interest in the show. Most episodes there is a smaller case that Haller must win, but there also is a big case he has to solve along with other plot points. My verdict for The Lincoln Lawyer is if you like legal dramas, you will like this show.

The Meg (2018)

Not bad

[5/10 · 7 July 2023]

The Meg

Jon Turteltaub directed The Meg, an Action/Sci-Fi film based on Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. It stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Ruby Rose from Orange is the New Black and John Wick Chapter 2, Rainn Wilson from The Office, Jessica McNamee, and Cliff Curtis.

In 1997, Disney bought the rights for The Meg novel and was planning to adapt it into a film. After two failed attempts, the rights went back to Steve Alten, the author in 1999. New Line Cinema obtained the rights to The Meg in 2005, and planned on making a movie, however due to not having enough money, the rights reverted back again to Alten. Finally, in 2013, Warner Brothers acquired the rights to all seven of The Meg books.

Scientists are exploring the bottom of the ocean, when they get trapped in their submarine. The team on land, seek out the help of Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham), a rescuer, who has claimed before that something was in the water. They soon find out his claims were correct, when they encounter The Meg, a 75 foot long shark. A battle ensues between man and shark, while the action heats up.

At the box-office, the movie made more money than originally projected. This is most likely due to the action and it being a little similar to another franchise.

In the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies, the dinosaurs try to eat people, and in The Meg, the shark tries to eat people. Resulting in lots of action from beginning to end.

The cinematography underwater looked real, while in fact it was all computer generated. All the action unfortunately leaves little room for character development. The Meg isn't as good as the Jurassic films but it's still a fun movie.

Wednesday (2022– )

Awesome preformance

[8/10 · 4 July 2023]

Wednesday

Netflix has developed a supernatural comedy horror television show, called Wednesday, based on characters from the Adams Family. Directed by Tim Burton and written by Charles Addams et al. It stars Jenna Ortega from You, Emma Myers, Christina Ricci, Percy Hynes from Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Hunter Doohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Gwendoline Christie from Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The force awakens, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.

In 1944, Wednesday first appeared in comics alongside her brother Pugsley, her dad Gomez, and her mom Morticia. So far there has been a television show, two movies, a Broadway show, and now a Netflix show.

After getting expelled, Wednesday's (Jenna Ortega) parents send her to a school for outcasts called Nevermore. There, Wednesday discovers her special abilities. Meanwhile, something or someone is killing people in the woods, Wednesday takes it upon herself to solve this mystery. Will she discover the truth or die in the process?

Ortega does an amazing job showing no emotion in her role as Wednesday, yet deep down she does care for some people. Her one liners and dark sense of humor comes off as humorous at times. Ortega's performance is what makes Wednesday as a show and character so intriguing. Emma Myers did a good job playing Wednesday's roommate, named Enid. She never gave up on trying to be friends with Wednesday. Catherine Zeta-Jones played her part well, as a cold and distant mom to Wednesday, who ultimately cares about her daughter. Luis Guzman plays more of a supporting role as Gomez, Wednesday's dad. He isn't in the show that much and when he is he never seems to do a whole lot.

Wednesday combines humor, mystery, and supernatural elements to entice the audience to keep watching. However, these reasons are not what makes the show so memorable, it's the performance of Jenna Ortega as Wednesday.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Good action

[8/10 · 1 July 2023]

Godzilla vs. Kong

Adam Wingard has directed Godzilla vs. Kong. It stars Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood and Succession, Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Julian Dennison from Deadpool 2, Kaylee Hottle, Brain Tyree Henry, Rebecca Hall, and Eiza Gonzalez.

In 1954, the first Godzilla movie was made and in 1933 the first King Kong movie was released. So far there have been 36 Godzilla movies and 12 King Kong movies. However, it was only in 2014 when Warner Brothers started making a cinematic universe, called the Monsterverse, which contains four movies so far. The most recent being Godzilla vs. Kong, in 2021.

In this film, Kong searches for a home. Meanwhile Apex, a government organization, wants to rid the world of all monsters. This poses a problem for Godzilla and Kong who just want to live in peace. In the movie Godzilla and Kong fight each other, along with fighting another monster named Mega-Godzilla. Who will win?

Even during the pandemic, when Warner Brothers was putting their films on streaming and in theaters, Godzilla vs. Kong still was very successful at the box-office, it's not difficult to see why. The film has lots of action.

Millie Bobby Brown did a good job portraying Madison Russell, someone who wants to learn the truth surrounding why Godzilla is attacking the area. Her performance was just as good as when she plays 11 in Stranger Things. Brian Tyree Henry does a well enough job playing Bernie Hayes, who helps Madison discover the truth about Godzilla. Julian Dennison does a fine job portraying Josh Valentine, someone who helps Madison and Bernie uncover the truth. Jia played by Kaylee Hottles is an interesting character, she has a bond with Kong, and they seem to understand each other.

There is lots of action from beginning to end. The script however doesn't give the actors much personality. You don't necessarily need to see the previous three monsterverse films, but if you want the background on Godzilla and Kong, it might be a good idea. Godzilla vs. Kong is a fun action movie.

Nightbooks (2021)

Not into it

[4/10 · 28 June 2023]

Nightbooks

Netflix has adapted Nightbooks into a movie, directed by David Yarovesky and written by Yarovesky et al. Along with Sam Raimi as a producer. It stars Krysten Ritter from Jessica Johns and Braking Bad, Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, and Jeremy Ray Taylor from It and It chapter 2.

If you know the story of Hansel and Gretel, for the most part you know the overall plot. Alex (Winslow Fegley) gets trapped in a witch's house. In order to stay alive he has to write a new scary story for her each night.

This movie's problem isn't the cast, they all played their parts well. Krysten Ritter wasn't as scary as adults probably would have hoped but for a family horror movie she's a likeable and scary enough character. Fegley did a good job portraying Alex, someone who loves horror and is a writer. He got scared at the right moments, which made his fear believable. Lidya Jewett did a well enough job playing Yasmin, the girl who is trapped. She clearly has been there awhile, therefor she doesn't want to get close to Alex, in case he dies.

The script wasn't very interesting or engaging. It's obvious that everyone involved in this movie loves horror, based on to the references to the Brother's Grim Fairytales.

This movie never seems to know what it wants to be. In 2021, Netflix marketed this movie as a family horror film for Halloween time, yet, some scenes might be too scary for kids but it's also not scary or interesting enough for adults. Though Nightbooks has a theme of accepting yourself, the movie itself has an identity crises.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Awesome movie

[9/10 · 25 June 2023]

Evil Dead: Rise

Lee Cronin directed Evil Dead: Rise with Raimi et al producing. Dave Garbett does the Cinematography, it stars Alyssa Sutherland from Vikings and The Devil Wears Prada, Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Lily Sullivan, Nell Fisher, and Mia Challis.

In 1981, Sam Raimi started The Evil Dead franchise. There are now five movies, a three season television show and video games. The most recent film came out in April 2023 called Evil Dead: Rise. Instead of it taking place in a cabin in the woods, it takes place in an apartment building. Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), a mom of three kids, soon gets possessed by a Deadite after she opens the book of the dammed, that her son found in the basement.

Out of all five of the films in the franchise, Evil Dead: Rise was the highest grossing film in its first weekend at the box office. It's not hard to see why this is the case, the movie is dark and suspenseful.

Beth (Lily Sullivan) is a likeable character which makes it easier for the audience to be invested in wanting the family to escape. Sutherland did a good job portraying both Ellie and a possessed version of the character.

This movie alone used 1,717 gallons of blood which is a lot of blood. Cronin has said that they had to hire an industrial kitchen to make all the blood. Warner brothers made a good decision by putting this in theaters, rather than streaming which is what they were going to do originally. The nice thing about Evil Dead;: Rise is the story doesn't connect to the other films, so you won't be confused if you haven't seen the other Evil Dead movies.

Extraction II (2023)

Better than the first

[5/10 · 23 June 2023]

Extraction 2

Sam Hargrave returns to direct Extraction 2, which is produced by Hemsworth "et al", and written by Joe Russo. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Tinatin Dalakishvili, and Sinead Phelps from Carnival Row.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Netflix created an action movie called Extraction. Hargrave, a former stunt double, directed both Extraction and its sequel, which has some impressive action scenes. Extraction is very slow to get to the action, however, its sequel has action from beginning to end.

Extraction was very successful, Netflix has reported that in the first four weeks of the movie being released it had 99 million views. Extraction 2 was watched 42.8 million times around the globe in just 3 days, which beat out its last original action movie, The Mother, which was released last month for mother's day. Keep an eye on Extraction 2, it may gather more views than its predecessor.

After Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) wakes up from his coma, he goes to rescue a gangster's family from being wrongfully imprisoned. It's impressive how Hemsworth did all his own stunts, especially him getting lit on fire. Hargrave has said that it wasn't CGI fire, instead it was a real fire that was used to shot the scene. It's good to see Hemsworth get to play a more serious role, rather than the one he played in Thor: Love and Thunder. Extraction 2 isn't the best action movie released this year, however it takes its self-more seriously than The Flash, which was also released on June 16.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

It's confusing

[5/10 · 21 June 2023]

Insidious: Chapter 2 James Wan returns to direct Insidious: Chapter 2, with a story by James Wan and Leigh Whannell. It stars Jenna Ortega, Lindsay Seim, Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Danielle Bisutti, Ty Simpkins, and Lin Shaye.

Now that Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) is awake, the Lambert family thinks they will return to normal everyday life. What they discover is Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) isn't himself. Meanwhile, Lorraine Lambert (Jocelin Donahue) investigates the past of these spirits from the further.

I somewhat liked the first Insidious movie and was hoping to like chapter 2 more. However, I thought it was worse than the first. It wasn't scary and they tried to add humor, which felt out of place in the moment.

This movie wasn't dark or mysterious like the first Insidious film. There wasn't any suspense or intrigue to make me really care about what was going on. In both movies, the characters didn't have much personality to them. I didn't care that much about the first film, but, I did like the supernatural beings. However, the further didn't seem that creepy, compare to the first film. It didn't seem like there was as many spirits trying to possess the people who were there.

In the last half, they tried to add humor, however, it just came acrossed as silly. It made the last half, of the movie seem goofy and out of place from the first half.

Something I found confusing was the fact Josh was trying to contact two of his younger selves. It made some things that happen in the first movie not make sense. In my opinion , Insidious: Chapter 2 felt more like a drama and action movie, due to the fighting rather than a horror movie.

The Flash (I) (2023)

Tv show is better

[1/10 · 18 June 2023]

Flash movie review Andres Muschietti, who previously directed the It movies, now is directing The Flash. It stars Ezra Miller from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, and Justice League, Michael Keaton from Batman and it sequel Batman Returns, Ben Affleck from Batman V Superman and Justice League, Sasha Calle, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, and Maribel Verdu.

Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) goes back in time because he wants to save his mother. In doing so, it creates an alternate timeline. He seeks the help of Batman (Michael Keaton), Super girl (Sasha Calle), and a younger Berry Allen to help undo the mess he created.

I like the Flash, Super girl and Batman, so I thought I would like this movie. However, it was too goofy and there wasn't any character development to make me care about what happens.

Younger Barry was really immature, once and awhile it made me laugh, but overall it got annoying and repetitive. Older Barry was more mature, yet, still irritating and not very smart. They made Flash out to be a joke similar to how they made Thor look in Love and Thunder.

Flash never developed any friendships with anyone, its mentioned how him and Batman are friends but we never see that. He had an opportunity to bond with his younger self, instead all they do is bicker, which I feel, got old after a while.

Miller didn't seem like he fit the role as the Flash, I personally like Grant Gustin in the Flash television show. He seems more charming. Keaton didn't ever convince me he used to be Batman, due to the fact he wasn't ever keen on helping them. Out of everyone in this movie Calle's super girl was the only one I kind of liked. She wasn't on screen for long but she seems tough.

Since there isn't a meaningful plot, the action scenes feel pointless and drawn out. In my opinion The Flash didn't need to be two hours and 24 minutes. If you want to watch something with the Flash in it, I recommend watching The Flash television show instead.