isaacsundaralingam Reviews

PT Sir (2024)

Moral luck and moral delusion

[3/10 · 30 May 2024]

I've never watched any of Adhi's movies before, but always assumed him to be a bad actor. Well, with "PT Sir", I learned that I was in fact correct in my assessment, but I didn't expect the extent to which I was. This guy is not just bad in that he can't act, no, he's bad in that he tries to, thinking of himself as a better actor than he really is, and the delusion in that is just sad and painful to watch.

Now on to the movie itself... it was trash. The movie in its essence tries to raise awareness about a very real and legitimate social issue, but seeing them go about it in the most directionless, unthoughtful lip-service, rage bait kinda way makes it all the more insufferable. It's bad when watching and worse in hindsight. It starts off as one thing, and then just deviates into something else entirely, making whatever it was originally about as pointless as the rest. And as if that wasn't insulting enough, they just had to end the movie with one of the most brain dead facepalm climaxes you could come up with. It was infuriating, more so because it was done with a boisterous tone of moral superiority that just screams condescension.

Maybe watering down a social issue to be as basic and as rage baiting as possible to reach a wider audience might not be the worst idea, but it only works when you know that this is watered down for reach and not the actual issue itself... something you don't get from this movie. There was very little to enjoy and even little to learn from. Skip this.

The Garfield Movie (2024)

I wonder if even kids would find it interesting

[4/10 · 29 May 2024]

Casting Chris Pratt as Mario was a move that got pretty much everyone scratching their heads, but seeing how well that movie worked out (commercially at least), people seemed to not care as much when he was cast as Garfield. Well, turns out that his casting is as mistaken and uninspired as the movie itself, as there just isn't anything to be entertained by here. It's a movie with a lot of cheese (excuse the pun), lazy humor, uninteresting characters and a plot that is just nonsensical. It's so bland and lackluster that I doubt if even kids would find it entertaining in any capacity. It's not a horrible movie by any standards - the animations are clean and there's at least something happening on screen, but it's just not enough to justify a full length movie. There's very little here to appreciate and I'd rather you not waste your time checking this movie out.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

You're missing out on a lot if you choose not to watch it

[9/10 · 29 May 2024]

When last weekend's box office numbers came out, it was shocking to see how poor Furiosa's opening weekend performance was. I say 'shocking' in a more disappointing tone, because for all our complaining of mind numbing, formulaic and unoriginal trash, we seem to abandon the good ones when they do come out.

George Miller's "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" is one of the year's stronger movies and definitely one that HAS TO BE WATCHED on the big screen. It is as gorgeous as it is a visual spectacle, and it's also just 150-minutes of pure adrenaline and mayhem. 150-minutes that I couldn't get enough of, especially given how one of my biggest cinema regrets has always been not watching its predecessor "Mad Max: Fury Road" in cinemas. Untouchable as "Fury Road" might be, "Furiosa" is as close as it gets, and in cinemas, it's more than what we paid for.

I'm not going to lie, that first trailer was anything but promising. It felt cheap, it felt fake and it felt like it exists simply to make a quick buck off of the success of Fury Road. But if I can convince you of anything, let it be to ignore the trailer and give this movie a chance. Not only for its high octane action, its amazing stunt work, its gorgeous cinematography that captures the barren wasteland in ways that might seem magical, but also for it being a well made, well written, well realized movie that can keep you entertained without a doubt.

It would be better if you were familiar with the Mad Max universe, especially "Fury Road" to which this movie is an immediate prequel, as it helps appreciate this movie for itself as well as for how well it fits into the universe, but this being your first Mad Max movie isn't a bad idea either. The premise and the concept could be a little jarring at first, but give it a chance and you'll grow to appreciate it!

Star (I) (2024)

Riddled with mistakes

[4/10 · 20 May 2024]

It's a shame when what could have been a promising movie ends up being a giant waste of time. Elan gives us the story of an aspiring actor and the hardships he faces trying to make a name for himself in the Tamil cinema industry in "Star" with actor Kavin in the lead role after the sleeper success of his previous outing in "Dada". And therein lies the first problem.

Actor Kavin - the anchor on which this movie is fastened, turns out to be grossly miscast, with him just not having the range required to play the role effectively. I've seen a few reviews praising Kavin for his performance here, but I just don't see it. Most of the movie was me just wondering how bad a job Kavin is doing here, and feeling that as bad as the movie might be, if it could have been salvaged by a better actor. Every time Kavin tried to be what the script might demand of a great actor, it just comes across as incredibly try-hard and cringe-worthy. Think the monologue he recites to his father which was clearly intended to be a moment of awe, which instead just ended up being an incompetent caricature of a good actor.

The movie's second biggest issue is the very plot itself. It lacks any bit of focus or direction, and just ends up being all over the place. What makes things worse is the painful melodrama infused throughout the movie without any self-awareness. It's a nothing movie where things happen for the sake of happening, and happens so in the most ridiculous way possible. Think the entire second half, with the introduction of Aditi Pohankar's character Surabi - who not only was written to be the most annoying person in the world, but was also written as if the writers themselves had no idea what to do in the second half of the movie.

And yes, characters. It's difficult to like a movie without a single likeable or relatable character. Kavin's character especially, spends the entire movie being an arrogant entitled loser with no redeemable qualities, but is somehow the one we're supposed to be cheering for? Worse so is the fact that the movie tries to justify his insufferable nature by virtue of him being the main character. It was such an incompetent movie all around.

I think the one thing the movie has going for it is the fact that it keeps us expecting something to happen throughout. And this is good enough to distract us from what a horrible movie we've been watching the whole time. It's not until you get home and start thinking back on what you actually watched, do you start to realize just how bad it is. So yea, save yourself the trouble and ignore this movie. You'll be better off.

Inga Naan Thaan Kingu (2024)

Underwhelming, even with zero expectations

[4/10 · 20 May 2024]

It needs to be said upfront that this movie isn't and never can be as bad as some of Santhanam's previous movies - namely "Kick", which to this day is one of the worst excuses for a movie I've ever watched. But that's not to excuse whatever they tried to do here. Structured like a comedy of errors, the movie never really finds its voice and ends up being a half-baked-everything movie. The comedy is either too bland or too annoying to be effective, and the screenplay which is to their credit, consistent, just doesn't have the X-factor needed to pull off this particular concept. You're not really missing out on anything here, so just ignore this movie and go about your day!

IF (I) (2024)

Good luck remembering anything a month from now

[5/10 · 20 May 2024]

A movie with modest ambitions, John Krasinski's "IF" doesn't try to be anything more than yet another family friendly kids movie, and that is fine. You're not going to have a horrible time with it, but neither are you going to be impressed with anything about it. It's a movie eventually bound to be forgotten, especially due to it's nonsensical plot and an incoherent premise that falls apart with even the slightest examination. It tries its best to keep things simple and safe, but it sometimes feels like there's just a little too much unoriginal simplicity here to justify any enjoyment. But hey, if you just want to watch giant plushies walk around acting adorable, then maybe there's no harm checking this movie out!

Aranmanai 4 (2024)

Sundar C hates you, and he probably hates himself

[3/10 · 14 May 2024]

What else justifies this amount of laziness? When was the last time Sundar C had an original thought he wanted to explore? This is the 4th movie in a series that didn't have a single good movie (which of course is mostly speculation on my part, as I have only watched the first; which was bad, watched bits of the second; which seemed horrible, and wasn't even aware of a third until I saw the fourth in theaters). There's nothing here to enjoy really, as the movie is as predictable and pathetic as you'd come to expect. Is it funny at least? Nope, not even close. Having Yogi Babu in your movie doesn't automatically make it funny, and this is something directors just seem willfully blind to. In any case, save yourself the trouble of watching it, as there's absolutely nothing to enjoy here. The most it could squeeze out of you is a couple of chuckles and that too could just be you laughing at how stupid the movie is.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Exactly as advertised

[7/10 · 14 May 2024]

It's one of those movies where the trailer lets you in on exactly what to expect when you watch it. Following "Bullet Train" - a movie that almost everyone (besides myself) seemed to really enjoy, director David Leitch gives us the better written but just-as-fun and just-as-charismatic "The Fall Guy", a movie that puts a well deserved spotlight on stunt performers, whilst also delivering an enjoyable movie with some high adrenaline action. It has Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt with their charm maxed out, and the chemistry between the two works really well. It's a likeable and easy to follow along style-and-substance movie where the action, comedy and the overall vibe guarantees you a good time!

Mankatha (2011)

The BGM carries

[7/10 · 14 May 2024]

You have to feel for Ajith fans during the current re-release season, because there isn't a single "Ghilli"-like re-release worthy Ajith movie. That doesn't mean that his movies aren't good, no, it's just that there isn't that vibrant flair in any of his movies needed to make a re-release more enjoyable than the usual visit to cinemas.

Venkat Prabhu's "Mankatha" is probably the closest, and of course they go with it. Works out well for me though, as I have never watched this movie before. I've seen clips here and there and was aware of the general idea, but never watched it from start to finish until now. And honestly, I must say I'm a little disappointed as the movie seemed much better when it was just clips. That's not to say the movie isn't good, because it actually was decently entertaining, but there just wasn't anything truly remarkable about it like people would have you believe.

In any case, I'm glad that I finally had a reason to watch this movie from start to finish. It isn't a bad movie at all, but it's definitely nowhere close to try and justify the gaslighting that goes on regarding this movie. Shoutout to that amazing BGM track though, that practically carries the movie more than anything else going on on screen.

Rathnam (2024)

Like being hit on the head with a trash can

[3/10 · 9 May 2024]

Hari is one of those filmmakers who thinks that loud noises and endless fight scenes somehow make for an engaging movie. It's the same formula here honestly, with Vishal slashing his way through a nonsensical plot that's ultimately as boring as it is dumb. There's literally nothing that works here - a piss poor story, bad acting, annoying comedy, trash music and even the action just feels clumsy and loud. I also very specifically have to point out just how utterly embarrassing the villains were - whether it be their back stories or even just their characterization - it all reeks of laziness and incompetence. There's very little here to appreciate and even less to enjoy. Skip this, and skip any movie Hari makes in the future.

Romeo (2024)

This is probably what incels dream about

[3/10 · 14 April 2024]

The man is such a 'nice' guy. He is in love with his newly-wed wife. She hates him and only marries him to escape her family situation. She doesn't know how much she's missing out by not loving him back. He loves her and is willing to do anything for her until she accepts him (because you know, he's 'nice'). She doesn't care. He indirectly starts giving her everything she wants. Will she ever come to realize that she is wrong to not have loved and accepted such a 'nice' man?

Yea, that pretty much sums up the movie. It's as if it was written for and by some pathetic, incel loser whose life philosophy boils down to how women would love them if only they knew how 'nice' they are. Sure, the movie is funny at times, but that's not even close enough to distract you from how obviously pathetic it is.

Civil War (2024)

It stays with you long after the credits

[9/10 · 14 April 2024]

Alex Garland has announced that this would indeed be his final film as director, and man, what a great way to go out. "Civil War" is as essential an anti-war movie as it is timely. The fetishization of a modern United States civil war is one so loud online that it even reaches us all the way here in Sri Lanka; who ourselves had to survive a 3 decades long civil war not so long ago.

The word is easy to throw around in a tantrum, forgetting just how much death and destruction it entails. And as if to give them exactly what they want, Garland slaps them with the reality of that which they ask for in this harrowing exploration of human selfishness and war-hungry depravity. Taking the twisted form of a road movie, we follow along a group of journalists travelling through the now war-torn nation to reach the White House before it is taken over by the rebelling states. It's a brilliant showcase of not only the toll of war, but also the indifference and the inevitability of it.

With 4 amazing performances by Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura and the ever reliable Stephen McKinley Henderson, "Civil War" captures both a personal and a national perspective of identity and humanity. I'm glad this movie was screened here in Sri Lanka and would encourage anyone reading to go check it out before it's too late.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

I didn't care for it

[4/10 · 14 April 2024]

Unpopular opinion, but the Ghostbusters franchise as a whole is just a waste of time. And yes, that includes the original which I still think is an unenjoyably cheap trash film. Saying all that, I still watched the new one, because I've watched four of these already so why not a fifth, and yea, it's about as pointless as I thought it would be.

It's not that the movie is bad or poorly written or unfunny, no, it's just so generic and forgettable. Nothing about this movie stands out and nothing about this movie is worth talking about. It seems unmotivated to be anything worth caring about and exists solely to milk some nostalgia money. I don't know, I dislike the franchise anyway, so why listen to me huh?

Maidaan (2024)

Effective at what it does

[8/10 · 14 April 2024]

In the veins of movies like "Chak De! India" or even "Dangal", Amit Ravindernath Sharma's "Maidaan" recalls the golden age of Indian football as facilitated by coach and manager S. A. Rahim. Ajay Devgn brings his A-game in his measured and stoic portrayal of coach Rahim, alongside an effective cast, all of whom make this movie one worth watching.

It's a movie that has its fundamentals right, which at no point seems to be doing anything unnecessary. Sure, its 3-hour runtime might seem like a lot, but the movie covers so much ground so effectively that you'd barely notice the time. From its recollection to its messaging, "Maidaan" offers everything one could want from a sports film, but with a welcome touch of the socio-political awareness of the time. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

Crew (2024)

Who even watches this and thinks this is good?

[4/10 · 8 April 2024]

I don't have much to say about this except that it's such a waste of time movie. Maybe it's not as bad to native Hindi speakers, given how much in comedy can be lost in translation, but I was just bored the entire time. Lost in translation can't justify a poor script which offers nothing of substance to entertain you. It's not the worst movie ever, neither is it bad enough to make you want to walk out of the theater, but it's still boring enough to make you feel like you could be doing something more productive with your life. Sure it's ultimately harmless, but it just wasn't for me, and I quite frankly don't know who it's for.

Monkey Man (2024)

Revenge IS primal

[9/10 · 8 April 2024]

Can we take a minute to appreciate just how much passion seems to have gone into the making of this movie? From its production woes to its post-production hell, the fact that Dev Patel's "Monkey Man" nonetheless turned out as good as this, is only a testament to how much toil, sweat, and effort went into making this movie worth watching and talking about.

If the trailers lead you to believe that this might be yet another John Wick wannabe revenge movie (which I've heard people say), you couldn't be more wrong. Sure, it borrows a lot from the medium, that which it referentially seems to be aware of, but it ultimately is its own unique movie with just so much depth setting it apart from other movies in the genre. Add a touch of Dev Patel, who as an amazing actor, brings what all other action heroes today lack - a sense of introspective depth and an ability to express the sheer range of emotions of his character in a way that's compelling and evocative, "Monkey Man" is as commanding a movie as it is entertaining.

It's not a movie without its flaws, the biggest in my opinion was the fight choreography which while more than adequate for what it tries to achieve, felt at times a little too sluggish as if to unwantedly remind us that Dev Patel isn't really a martial artist like say Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Tony Jaa, or Iko Uwais. If the trade-off was either flawless martial arts hand-to-hand combat but with none of the acting prowess Dev Patel brings to the table, or Dev Patel at his most passionate as an actor and director, I'm comfortable siding with the latter. I also noticed a majority of people having complaints about the shaky-cam employed in the film's fight choreography, pointing it out as the movie's single biggest flaw, but I personally didn't feel it intrusive to offend my experience. But I guess I can see where they're coming from.

In any case, Dev Patel's "Monkey Man" turned out to be much better than I expected. I had a blast watching it and am more than comfortable recommending it. A movie so simple, yet so rich in its storytelling vocabulary, it is one that you definitely should check out in theaters if you have the opportunity to.

The Goat Life (2024)

Humanity and survival

[8/10 · 5 April 2024]

One just has to appreciate a movie that respects itself, and Blessy's "The Goat Life" (or Aadujeevitham) is one such movie with a lot of heart and a lot of grit. Off the back of lead actor Prithviraj, who brings out a career defining performance, and with a story so native to the human experience, the movie pulls no punches in its presentation of the human spirit; from its rotten to its most admirable.

While flawed in certain aspects, most notably the padded runtime, the sloppy VFX and so on, these are complaints nonetheless dismissible in hindsight simply due to how effectively the movie grabs your attention with it's clear 'hero's journey' screenplay written well enough for you to care. It's a well made survivor movie that deserves the success it's seeing.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

It had its moments, but there just wasn't the hype

[5/10 · 29 March 2024]

I'll start by saying that nobody who goes to watch "Godzilla x Kong" really cares about what's going on in the movie. We're there to see monsters fight, and anything else, unless compelling, is filler to be ignored. If all you're looking for are monster fights, there's plenty of them here, and they're decent too - both the visuals and the action. Sadly everything else is so silly that it's almost self aware of its silliness. It's an undeniable step down from the first (which in itself wasn't anything too special), and while promising at first with Kong finding his place in Hollow Earth, it soon becomes a nothing story with nothing to hype it up. Overall though, you just want to see Godzilla and Kong kick some ass and there's plenty, and I mean PLENTY of it here.

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010)

The music makes the movie.

[7/10 · 24 March 2024]

The third major re-release this year, following "Vaaranam Aaiyram" and "3", and I'm glad that they're all movies I haven't seen before. Gautham Menon's super-hit "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya" is now in theaters, giving me an opportunity to catch up on a cult favorite that I haven't been interested in watching prior to this. Of course, I've heard the songs, which at this point, we can all agree makes up an amazing (and deservedly iconic) soundtrack. And upon watching the movie, I think it's the soundtrack that's clearly the best thing about it.

Now, let's put music and nostalgia aside for a minute and look at everything else going on in this movie. It has a rather fairytale-like 'love at first sight' story, and as much as I hate that trope, let me excuse it. The movie sure is inviting, as it has that muted sense of charm throughout. But it still lacks a lot of work. For a movie so highly acclaimed for its romance, I found a tremendous lack of flow and chemistry to drive the movie forward. It just felt like a collection of vignettes that exist solely to compliment an amazing soundtrack, where each scene feels disjointed from the next to some degree, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was just something not right about how this movie flows. Things happen, but most of the time, it's for the sake of things happening and just doesn't feel too natural. Also, having sat through almost 180 minutes of this movie's runtime, I just wasn't convinced that Simbu and Trisha were so madly in love with each other (despite how many times they made sure to remind us). It was a baffling lack of chemistry excused by dialogues and songs that do all the heavy lifting.

All that aside, I still enjoyed it, and I can see why people enjoyed it. I personally am a little iffy on some of Gautham Menon's directing choices in this movie, but my overall impression of it is rather positive. Almost all of it has to do with what is one of Tamil cinema's best soundtracks ever, courtesy of A. R. Rahman, and a script that tries its best to complement it well. So hey, it's yet another movie people love, that I have finally watched!

Shaitaan (2024)

It was engaging, but also silly

[6/10 · 24 March 2024]

I think the trailer does a pretty good job of outlining what this movie is about. A vacationing family encounter a man who gradually abuses their courtesy with intentions far more sinister in mind. It's not at all an original idea, but for movies like this, what matters is the execution. And I am very half and half on this.

This movie's biggest fault is that it's not very convincingly done. Yes, suspension of disbelief and yada yada, but are we to just accept the whole mind-control/ hypnotism/ black magic thing with no regard for logic? It feels like such a reach - grasping at straws trying to manufacture a "hopeless" situation. It also doesn't help that the characters are pretty one-dimensionally crafted with nothing but them being victim to an unrealistically unfortunate situation being all they have going for. And then the climax, well, if you somehow thought the movie wasn't silly enough up to that point.

For all it's flaws however, the movie isn't really bad or unwatchable. It was engaging as much as it was silly and had enough stock to keep your attention. And if that's all the movie wanted to achieve, then good job I guess. Overall, it's just a "whatever" movie and that's about it.

Creature (III) (2022)

Deviates from traditional ballet, but to good effect

[8/10 · 15 March 2024]

I don't think I'm well-equipped to review a ballet based on its merits and technicalities, given that the medium of ballet is relatively new to me. This is only the sixth ballet performance I've watched, and I believe it will be years before I have anything substantive to say about it. Therefore, I'll approach this performance more akin to critiquing a movie, which seems reasonable considering how it diverges from what we traditionally understand to be a ballet production and aligns itself more with experimental cinema.

Akram Khan's "Creature" reminds me of Guillermo Del Toro's "The Shape of Water" from a few years ago, as it shares many common themes and narrative elements. Here, we have the eponymous Creature being experimented on by what appears to be an industrial space colonizing regime, and who eventually befriends Marie the maid after seeing her no different to himself; trapped in an uncaring world with only her dreams of breaking free her sole solace. Dealing with themes of isolation, connection, and freedom, the production compellingly advocates for empathy and humanity, contrasting them with the perversion of power and greed. Despite the absence of dialogue (of course, it's ballet), the production is remarkably stentorian and precise in its expression, conveying a profound sense of empathy within its eerie, otherworldly setting. This is greatly aided by the acting which is as exceptional as I've seen in any theatrical production, the choreography which feels so alien yet so sacramental, as well as the thoughtfully claustrophobic production design.

As much as I appreciated nearly everything about this production, there was one aspect that I feel compelled to critique: its over-the-top editing. Not only were there numerous bizarre editing choices that detracted from the film's impact by being excessive, but they also occasionally felt intrusive, which proved somewhat annoying. The film stood strong on its own with its technical prowess and didn't necessarily require post-production embellishments to underscore what had already been effectively conveyed. In my opinion, this was its single most significant flaw, albeit not a damning one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this production for its departure from the norm in ballet. With an experimental approach to cinema that I often find compelling, "Creature" positions itself at the intersection of both worlds. It's not something that I will ever be comfortable recommending to most audiences, given its somewhat inaccessible nature, but for the right audience, it's undoubtedly a worthwhile experience.

3 (I) (2012)

I finally watched it

[7/10 · 15 March 2024]

When the 'Kolaveri' song blew up in 2012, that was enough to make me not want to watch this movie. I didn't really like that song when it came out and when the whole movie seemed to be 'the Kolaveri song' movie upon release, that just put me off. And despite hearing good things about it, I was never really motivated to watch it... until now, thanks to its theatrical re-release.

Having watched it, I think it's decent. There are things about the movie I like; which is probably on par with things everyone likes about it; the great acting (surprisingly even from Shruti Haasan, who has always been a horrible actress), the charm, the suspense, and even the score (yes, I don't like Kolaveri, but the score is still iconic). The movie never felt like it was doing more than it should have, well, until... And this brings me to the things I dislike, the final act of the movie. I would blame it on amateur directing, where the movie which had handled itself with enough tact right up to that point, choses to overplay its hand, exhausting its overall appeal. And by the time the credits role, it seems like a cheap mental health PSA.

Nonetheless for all my complaining, it was a decent movie about love and mental health. I'm glad there was a re-release, because I never would have watched it otherwise, but now that I have, I don't think I'll want to watch it ever again. It was a one-time thing, and I'm good with that.

Guardian (2024)

I'm not exaggerating when I say this is one of the worst movies ever made

[1/10 · 11 March 2024]

"Guardian" starring Hansika Motwani, which as of me writing this review is sitting at a towering 9.7/10 on IMDB, is without a doubt one of the worst movies ever made, and that is including the short films your 13 year old nieces and nephews might have made with their friends.

It's rare seeing such brazen lack of talent on full exhibition, so much so that it's somewhat impressive. It's as if this movie was made on a dare, where the filmmakers try everything they could to insult the audience's intelligence. The dare hypothesis makes sense too given how absolutely cheap this movie looked. I'm not kidding when I say that it randomly has an ad for Ola cabs in the middle of the movie, as part of the movie, and with zero self awareness. That's the level of genius filmmaking you'll experience if you ever make the terrible mistake of wanting to check this movie out. A toddler could scribble gibberish on a wall and that would have more depth and sophistication than anything in this movie. I probably should go check myself for brain cancer after having sat through this shameless dumpster fire for more than two hours. Nuclear radiation is more healthy for you than sitting in a theater where this movie is playing.

What's worse is how they have so shamelessly botted their IMDB page up to a 9.7. How pathetic do you have to be to not only make a movie that is an embarrassment to 400,000 years of human evolution, but to then pay for bots to prop up your trash film trying to swindle people into thinking its somehow worth watching in cinemas. This is the kind of movie that needs to be ridiculed for its sheer stupidity and whose filmmakers should be allowed nowhere near a film set ever again.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Not quite as good as the first 3, but still a lot of fun

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

Keep your expectations in check going into this movie. Of course you can count on Jack Black's charismatic charm to not let you down, but that's mostly all it has going for it. Well, that and some really good animation, but that is to be expected. It also has Awkwafina being Awkwafina (unsurprisingly), and comedy that's at least smile-worthy, but its lack of a strong, compelling story unlike all its predecessors make it the weakest installment thus far. It also doesn't help that the villain here is insanely over-powered on paper, but is presented horribly, making her the weakest of the 4 Kung Fu Panda villains, and worse, the most boring.

For all its shortcomings however, it's still an eye-catching, high energy, swell time at the cinema. The best thing we can all hope for right now is that the series ends with this movie, because everything the Kung Fu Panda franchise could offer, it has to exhaustion, and they might as well end it on what is still a relatively high note.

Four Daughters (2023)

Independence, Society, and Radicalization

[10/10 · 7 March 2024]

One of the finest movies of the year, Kaouther Ben Hania's "Four Daughters" offers an illuminating exposé into family dynamics and generational trauma within a radically repressive society. Following a single mother and her two youngest daughters re-enacting their childhood with stand-in actors portraying the mother (for whenever she is overwhelmed playing herself) and her two oldest daughters who eventually went on to join the Islamic State, the movie brilliantly navigates the trauma and the bitterness of their tragic past without ever appearing distasteful.

With one of Tunisia's most talented contemporary directors at the helm, Kaouther Ben Hania presents an expertly crafted documentary that stresses the importance of independence, education, and societal deradicalization.