luan-penna Reviews

Captain Marvel (2019)

Solid fun but one of the weakest movies in the MCU, unfortunately

[8 March 2019]

Listen, I was rooting for this movie so hard! Specially after all the backlash started online and also because I really like Brie Larson. So you can imagine that I was a little disappointed after seeing the film. It's not a bad movie (actually it's kinda fun) but there's just very little great/amazing things in it. Most of it is just okay. After so many great films and moments Marvel has been given us, this one just feels bland compared to the rest. Lets analyze it:

PROS:

-Brie is okay, could've been better, and her character is fine but I didn't connect with her very much (I think she needs a movie like The Winter Soldier so all the audiences can connect fully with her)

-The acting: everybody is good here, especially Ben Mendelsohn, I loved him

-Action scenes: they're good, but nothing special

-Characters development

-Goose, the Cat is lovely (duh)

-Vers and Fury's relashionship (also her relashinship with Maria was good as well)

-The Skrulls

-The score, editing and CGI is all fine

-The humor mostly works

-The third act is really good

-The post-credit scenes are perfect

CONS:

-Visually is very bland and ugly

-Some of the twists are predictable

-The first hour is kinda confusing and almost boring

-The story is not really that interesting (or at least is not told in a very interesting way)

-There is almost no suspense, tension and (for the most part) very little emotion

-The pacing

How funny is the fact that Captain Marvel is THE most powerful character in the MCU, yet still has one of the weakest movies of the series. I still would recommend Captain Marvel, just don't go see it with high expectations, then you'll have a fun time. Trust me, it's not nearly as good as Wonder Woman, not even close, but it's perfectly enjoyable. I can't wait to see more of Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame (especially after THAT mid-credit scene) and also more of her in her own sequel.

PS. Carol Danvers, please, KICK THANOS' ASS! Thank you :)

The Nun (2018)

The worst Conjuring movie so far.

[8 September 2018]

Yes, it's worse than Annabelle. Unfortunately The Nun is a disappointing addition to the Conjuring Universe. It's not a terrible movie, it has some good moments in it, but overall, it's a mess. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

-Great acting: Everybody is really good here.

-You don't hate the characters: Even though they make some questionable decisions sometimes and are not very interesting, you don't hate them.

-Some of the visuals are pretty nice.

-The first act is great.

-The ending is good (especially the last 2 minutes).

-The humor works.

Cons:

-It's very repetitive: the same scare is repeated over and over. A character walks down a dark and foggy hallway...nun is in the shadows...nun jumps out.

-It's boring for the most part.

-The characters are bland and not very interesting.

-There's little to no suspense.

-It's not scary at all.

-The pacing sucks: it doesn't have a flow, it's just a series of events happening.

-There are some cheesy moments.

-The flashbacks scenes are unnecessary and silly.

-The jump scares are predictable.

-It doesn't have a single memorable scare.

-It's just 96 minutes long but if I didn't know that, I would easily said it's more than 2 hours.

-Some thing are introduced and never fully explored or explained: Irene's powers, for instance.

-The Nun is barely in it: she has less than 5 minutes of screen time.

Justice League (2017)

Just okay

[16 November 2017]

I grew up watching the Justice League animated series and I enjoyed every DCEU movie so far, so I was really excited to finally see these heroes together for the first time on the big screen. Unfortunately, the movie was a letdown. It's not bad by any means, but it was not as epic as it should have been. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

+ The acting is really good

+ Great chemistry between the League

+ Some good action scenes (Amazons vs Steppenwolf is one the best moments of the movie), even though the movie lacks any memorable action like the ones in Man of Steel, BvS or Wonder Woman

+ Superman is finally done right

+ There are some fun scenes

+ The Flash is great and you can't ignore Wonder Woman every time she's on screen. Aquaman and Cyborg were fine. Batman was fine as well (Ben Affleck didn't look very interested in this movie as he was in BvS)

+ The post credit scenes are great

Cons:

• The plot is weak (bad guy wants to destroy the world, just like The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Man of Steel, Suicide Squad, X-Men: Apocalypse, etc). You can tell how it all ends, everything is very predictable

• The villain is really awful. I didn't fear him for a second

• Not a lot of surprises

• The VFX is a letdown compared to Man of Steel and BvS (Superman's erased mustache is really distracting)

• Very little character development

• You can tell basically all the scenes added in reshoots

• The jokes didn't work. Most of them are silly, not funny

• Gal Gadot's acting is not very good in some scenes. It looks like she is as good as her directors. With Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman's director), she was great. Here with Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon, not so much

• Some of the dialogues are really bad (like the ones with Mera and Aquaman). Half of them are pure exposition

• The movie lacks stakes or any sense of danger

• The final battle is really generic

• The movie is never really exciting. It's almost exciting, but never really really exciting.

It's not a bad movie, but it's not great either. Unfortunately Justice League is just okay. You won't remember it in a year. I didn't love the movie, but based on the last post credit scene, I'm excited for where this universe can go next.

Wonder Woman (2017)

The first really good movie about a female superhero. Finally!

[6 June 2017]

I remember when I read that Gal Gadot was going to play the Wonder Woman I thought it was a big mistake. I never doubted her acting skills, I just couldn't see her as Wonder Woman. All my fears were completely vanished after watching WW. After decades of lame female superhero movies, they finally got one right. Wonder Woman is everything we could ever wanted. Let's analyze it:

PROS

• The movie is a lot of fun! It keeps you entertained from beginning to the end.

• The acting: everybody delivered great performances throughout the movie.

• Action: Fantastic! I haven't seen great action scenes since CA: Civil War. The No Man's Land sequence is already iconic.

• Score: I liked the score, it wasn't mind blowing, but it did what it had to do. Every time I heard WW's theme from BvS was very exciting.

• Themyscira: I loved this world, the Amazons, everything.

• Cinematography: What a gorgeous film. I loved the contrast between Themyscira and London.

• Directing: Can Patty Jenkins direct every DCEU movie from now on? Please?

• Script: Really well written, well paced, full of great lines, heart and charismatic characters. The humor worked absolutely well.

• Wonder Woman: They did the character so right, her motivations, her attitude, her kindness, everything. Also, it was very refreshing to watch a female superhero being the center at least once.

• Gal Gadot: She was absolutely fantastic, really charismatic. Her chemistry with Chris Pine was incredible. Gadot IS Wonder Woman and I can't imagine no one else playing the part.

• Emotion: If you don't cry watching WW, you will at least get goosebumps in some scenes.

• Messages: This is a superhero with something to say. It talks about humanity, love, patriarchy and war.

CONS:

• Villains: A superhero movie with forgettable villains, wow, I've never seen that before!

• Third act: predictable, kinda generic, too much CGI, silly and almost lost me. The movie was so simple and original until the ending, when it turned out to be like every recent superhero movie climax ever.

If they changed the third act and villains, it would have been an perfect movie. But still, WW is a ton of fun and the best DCEU movie yet. Go see it!

Wolves at the Door (2016)

73 minutes of my life wasted

[3 June 2017]

This movie was not released in theaters and you know why? Because the studio saw the result and decided not to waste any money in the garbage that is Wolves at the Door. If it had a theatrical release, it would have fallen like a rock at the box office week after week because word of mouth would've been terrible. Let's analyze it:

PROS:

• The performances are good.

• There are some creepy shots here and there.

• The dialogue is not the worst thing ever thankfully.

• This movie is watchable, boring but watchable.

CONS:

• Some of the attitudes of the characters are ridiculous (they see a stranger in the house and act like that's not a big deal; they know something is wrong but don't grab a knife or whatever, come on!).

• This movie is boring, it takes forever for something remotely interesting to happen. Seriously, 90% of this movie is people walking and wondering if something is wrong.

• There are countless shots of the killers walking behind the victims without them (victims) noticing it.

• The attempts of suspense doesn't work.

• The attempts of character development doesn't work, you don't care about any of these people.

• The recreation of the real events is poor and unfaithful. If you're interested in this case (Charles Manson's murders) you're not going to learn nothing new, different or interesting here. I learned more by reading about this case on the internet than watching the movie.

• The 73 minutes run time seems like 2 hours.

• The movie has no climax or an ending, it just stops.

• What happened to Sharon? I mean, I know what happened but why she just disappeared in the ending?

• What was the purpose of the opening scene? It's too long and absolutely unnecessary.

• Nothing feels organic: the period setting, the suspense, the characters, the villains, the deaths scenes, everything is completely soulless.

• The score is generic.

• The cinematography is really, really dark. Sometimes I couldn't see a damn thing.

Do not watch this movie! It's a waste of money and time. Wanna watch something similar but good? Try Don't Breathe, You're Next, Martyrs (2008), Inside, High Tension, The Strangers, anything but Wolves at the Door!

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Weak Prometheus sequel, but a great Alien movie

[11 May 2017]

After Prometheus, some fans were angry because of lack of answers, character development and the Xenomorph in that movie. So, a lot of faith was put in Alien: Covenant. Will this movie please those fans? Well, there is Xenomorph(s) in it, but very little answers and character development. But, you know what? Covenant is a lot of fun. It's definitely an Alien movie (minus Ripley). Let's analyze it:

PROS:

• The philosophical/religious aspect: There is some discussion about faith, creation, creator and creature, which is really interesting. They could have explored a little more this subject matter though.

• Acting: Everybody is really good and convincing here, specially Michael Fassbender.

• Tension: there is some suspenseful moments in this movie, for instance, the first attack. That whole sequence was great, really tense and very violent (a good portion of this scene is in the Teaser Trailer unfortunately).

• Main character: she's good, even though she's far from being Ripley or even Shaw.

• The visuals.

• The soundtrack: creepy and beautiful.

• Technical aspects: the visual effects, the sound design, production design, everything is top notch.

• Action scenes.

• Xenomorph(s): I missed him very much, so every moment he was on screen was exciting, tense and entertaining. This time, he's 99% or 100% of the time CGI (which will bother a lot of fans, but didn't bother me. I thought he looked great and he's more fast and agile than ever before).

CONS: (possible spoilers below)

• Lack of characters development: There are a lot of characters in Alien: Covenant, but I can remember only three names. Most of them are just meat. Some of them are not very smart either, considering they're scientists.

• Some pacing issues.

• Surprises: there is some, but most of them are obvious/predictable, like (SPOILER) the final twist. They could have handled that in a more subtle, less dramatic way.

• Lack of answers: almost all questions left in Prometheus are not answered. I mean, I'm not mad about it, but I left Covenant thinking the same thing when I left Prometheus: "let's see if they're going to answer the questions left in Prometheus in the sequel". Only two questions are actually answered: what happened to Shawn and David, and who created the Xenomorph. This movie is more Alien 5 than Prometheus 2. (SPOILER) Also, I was really disappointed to learn about what happened to Elisabeth Shaw and the Engineers. I mean, why? I wanted to know more about the Engineers and the fate of Shaw was a big let down. She's way more interesting than Daniels.

Alien: Covenant is a weak Prometheus sequel, but a great Alien movie. If you're a fan of the Alien series, you have to see this one. Probably it's the best Alien since Aliens (which is still my favorite of the series, hands down). There are some flaws, but the tension, the action, the acting, the gore and the Xenomorph(s) makes it all worth it. It's not a life changing experience or one of the best movies of the year, but it's fun and creepy. A great time at the movies.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Vol. 1 is fantastic, Vol. 2 is satisfying and nothing more

[2 May 2017]

When I watched Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, I couldn't imagine it would be one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. It was so funny, inventive, original and packed with memorable characters, I just loved it. So, as you can imagine, I was really excited to see the sequel. Did Vol. 2 match my expectations? Hum, not exactly. It could have been much worse but it should have been much better. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is more like Age of Ultron or Iron Man 2 than The Winter Soldier or The Empire Strikes Back. Let's analyze it:

PROS:

• The opening sequence: it perfectly captures the spirit of the first Guardians.

• The soundtrack: it's okay, it fits into the movie, although it's not near as memorable or as good as Vol. 1.

• The visuals: stunning. The cinematography and special effects are definitely better this time around.

• Baby Groot: you can't hate him. Every time he's on screen you can't take your eyes off him. He has 3 funny moments, but I felt he could (and should) have been used a lot more.

• The characters: We learn new, surprising things about some of them. That helps us to understand and even sympathize more with them.

• The action scenes: they're good, not incredible, original or memorable, just entertaining (even though there is very, I mean very, VERY little physical fights and a lot of spaceship battles).

• Surprises: there are compelling plot twists (but none of them are particularly original), there are some great cameos and fun post-credit scenes.

• The acting: just like the in first movie, is amazing. Everybody fits their roles perfectly.

• Mantis: a good addition. She's a funny and interesting character, but I don't see anybody after this movie saying "Mantis is my favorite character of Guardians of the Galaxy".

• There is a sequence with Yondu, Rocket and Baby Groot that is just incredible. One of the best moments in the whole MCU for sure. I just loved it.

• There are some heartfelt and touching moments.

• The movie is never boring.

• It's great so see the characters we loved in the first movie back. As usual, their interactions are fun to watch.

• The 3D: good, although unnecessary.

CONS:

• Unfocused story line: The movie takes a long time to really start; there is too much characters and too much going on at the same time.

• Ego: I was expecting much more. Kurt Russell is fine, but I can see this role been played by any other decent actor. The character is much more a Living Exposition than a Living Planet.

• The villain(s): weak and forgettable, just like 95% of the villains of the MCU.

• A lot of forced humor: the original had it but this time there is even more. Vol. 2 is funny but the original is much much more.

• Lack of originality: this time, almost nothing feels fresh, memorable or inventive.

• The main characters evolved very little compared to the original and most of them are given nothing to do during most part of the movie.

• There's not enough tension or excitement.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not as good as the original or the best MCU movie ever, but it's a satisfying follow up. It has some misses but more hits. It didn't let me crazy to see Volume 3 or increased my excitement for Infinity War, but it was a fun ride. Just don't go see it with crazy expectations because otherwise you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a good time at the movies, this is the movie you should see.

PS.: You don't have to watch every single MCU movie to understand Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Watch only the first Guardians, that's enough.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

An offense to the original

[23 July 2016]

If you loved the original, you're gonna hate this sequel. It's everything what the original never was: bad, boring, stupid and nonsensical. The performances are OK, but the script is awful. The filmmakers tried not to make a copy of the original, but they made a completely different film!!! If they had called this just Book of Shadows, nobody would ever say this is a sequel to the amazing The Blair Witch Project because there is almost nothing to do with the original. Just like the 1999's film, this is more a psychological horror movie rather than a straight horror, but it's very dumb and poorly made. There is no suspense, the characters are stupid and boring, the ending is laughable, it's not even scary, and the story is terrible. The best thing about Book of Shadows is the beginning that shows the impact that The Blair Witch Project made. That's it. Run away from this sequel! One of the worst movies I've ever seen.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

One of the very few horror movies that really scared me to death

[23 July 2016]

I love The Blair Witch Project. It's definitely one of the best horror movies I've ever seen, but I understand why a lot of people hate it. It's actually a psychological horror movie, that what really scares you is your imagination rather than what is shown on screen (unlike 99% of the movies we see around). It's very slow burn but it isn't boring. Do not expect to watch a lot of action or jump scares. The first 20 minutes serves to build up the mythology behind the Blair Witch, and the remaining hour it's all about these 3 people lost in the woods. It sounds boring but it's not. The movie keep your attention because these people are interesting and they really look like real people, people you can relate to, you root for them to survive. There is also a creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere during the whole movie that keep you with fear. It all seems real. You never know what really is haunting this people, it is the witch or is something else? It really scared me and I'm not a easy person to scare. I can count in my fingers the movies that scared me and Blair Witch is definitely one of them, specially the ending... The last 10 minutes are unforgettable. Scary, disturbing, tense, heart beating, edge of your seat type of ending. It's really the most scary part and the last shot still kills me till this day. It's impossible to watch The Blair Witch Project and simply forget. You will think about the ending for a long time definitely. It's all very subtle and creepy. The Blair Witch Project is a classic and it deserves to be watched by every horror fan. If you want to get scared, this is it, trust me. I don't know personally a single person who didn't get scared watching it. Go see it.