mitchell5954 Reviews

Civil War (2024)

Okay, but could've been much better

[6/10 · 27 April 2024]

Civil War is the latest film from director Alex Garland, who did Ex Machina and Annihilation. I haven't seen Ex machina, but really like Annihilation. Plus, the concept for this movie is quite interesting, especially in today's political climate. So, I was pretty excited for this movie. Does it live up to the hype? No, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained throughout most of it. The does the film does it does very well. It's what it doesn't do that's the problem.

From the trailer I thought this film was going to be primarily from the perspective of the military as they fight this war, but that's not the case at all. This is a road trip movie focusing on photojournalists of all people. I think that's the best thing about this movie. By it being from the perspective of journalist it gives not only the excuse of seeing much of the United States, and how they've all been affected by the war, but also you get to see how this has affected the common people. You see many war crimes being committed and human rights being trampled on everywhere, which happens in all wars.

Visually the film is great. It's well shot, it gives a good sense of scope. There aren't many battles, but the few that you do see are well done, particularly the fire fight at the end. The acting is good across the board. This might be the best I've ever seen Kirsten Dunst. I'm not usually a fan of hers. In fact, the only other movie I've liked her in is Kiki's Delivery Service as the voice of Kiki.

The major problem this film has lies in the worldbuilding or lack thereof. This film deals with a second American civil war. However, the only times we actually get meaningful exposition on the war itself is in the opening scene and a couple throwaway lines here or there. In those scenes they briefly state what factions are fighting in this war, but not why they are fighting. We never learn what started the war, how long it's been going, or why each faction is doing the things they do. Why did these states secede from the union in the first place. None of the characters talk about, or even have an opinion on the war itself, which is extremely odd.

Alex Garland seems to really love ambiguity, and he seems to really want to make his version of The Road. Here's the thing. In a horror movie like Annihilation, or a post-apocalyptic film like The Road, you can get away with not explaining everything to the audience, especially if they don't tie in with the core story. This is a dystopian about a second civil war that directly ties with the main narrative. Not giving the necessary exposition about what is going on in this case comes off as extremely lazy and makes some of what the characters do in certain scenes feel very odd.

The only other reason I can think of as to why this is, is because the director did not want to alienate anyone in the audience by leaning one way or another on a hot political subject. On one hand, I'm glad Garland chose to make a more straightforward and more grounded story about the horrors of war rather than a preachy left or rightwing propaganda piece. Movies today are too political as they are. One the other hand, there's a difference between being overly political and giving necessary details to know what is happening in this world.

Because we don't know much of anything about the war and why each side is fighting, the ending comes off as hollow. I honestly had no idea what I was supposed to be feeling at the very end. All I ended up feeling was confusion and bewilderment. The ending doesn't even make much sense really.

Overall, I still think the film is okay. I enjoyed myself for the first two-thirds of it. It's well-shot and I was with the characters enough to be invested. However, if Garland had actually bothered to actually flesh out the world and this conflict this could have been an amazing commentary film, if not an amazing one. As it is, it's a fine watch, but it feels hollow in the end.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Dumb Fun

[6/10 · 26 April 2024]

Godzilla x Kong is the latest film in the monster verse. It's weird to get two movies involving Godzilla coming out within several months of each other on completely sperate ends of the spectrum. You had Minus One, which is a serious war drama about a man seeking redemption. This film is an over-the-top dumb fun monster movie. I know many people have put this film down for being not like Minus One. However, it never set out to be. I have always believed that a movie should be judged on whether it succeeds at what it sets out to do. This film sets out to be an entertaining monster fighting movie. Does it succeed in that? More or less.

This film, like all the others, is breathtaking visually. The monster fights are good. This movie does deliver on the dumb action beats. When the movie focuses only on the monsters fighting or interacting it's at its best. I just wish Scar came off as more of a threat than he was. While the fights are still entertaining to watch, you never get the sense that Godzilla or Kong are in any real serious danger, like in past films. While I like the human characters more here than in the last two films, they still aren't that interesting, and bog the movie down by focusing on them so much.

That's the main flaw with all these films, aside from Skull Island. Like the Transformers movies, the writers and/or producers of these film think the audience needs the human characters to grasp what's going on and to have an emotional tether to the film, but they don't do that good of a job at making us care about most of them. The best character in these movies, by leaps and bounds, has been Kong. If they ever make any more of these films, they should set the next one in the distant past and have no humans at all. That'd be different.

My favorite movies of the monster verse are Kong Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong. I would put this film just below Godzilla vs. Kong. If you're a fan of those two films, you should enjoy this alright. I enjoy this more than both the Godzilla movies in this line. I did enjoy myself in the theater for the most part. Godzilla x Kong is dumb fun and there's nothing wrong with that. But, if want something on the level of Minus One or even Godzilla 2014 you're not going to get anything out of this.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

A Solid Addition to the Franchise

[7/10 · 16 March 2024]

Kung Fu Panda 4 is an unexpected sequel to the Kung Fu Panda trilogy eight years later. This kind of thing usually means lazy uninspired cash grab. Many reviewers think this movie is just that. For me, I actually enjoyed it. I've enjoyed every Kung Fu Panda movie, with the third movie being my favorite. I don't love these movies, but they're quite entertaining, and visually pleasing. The stories for these films are pretty straightforward and predictable. The villains are often fairly one-note, with a smidge of depth to them. However, the films make up for these things with fun characters, amazing action, and gorgeous visuals from the backgrounds to the character designs, especially regarding the villains. The movies also have good themes and messages that are poignant not just for kids but everyone.

Kung Fu Panda 4 delivers all of those things for me. I was admittedly hesitant about the film given its lukewarm reception and knowing that the Fearsome Five are barely in the film until the very end. That was a red flag, as was Awkwafina's character, Zhen. It was strange at first not having the Fearsome Five not there. Given Po's new personal dilemma in the film it did feel even stranger that they weren't included. However, as the movie progressed, I stopped caring that they weren't there, as the new side characters did a good job at picking up the slack. Po's father figures were also quite funny to watch.

Was this film needed? Not really. Part 3 wrapped up the story nicely. However, as far as unneeded sequels go, you can do a lot worse than this movie. I think the film does make a valiant case for its existence and it being the final film instead of part 3. The theme of the film is that nothing can stay the same forever, and that's okay. Po needs to let go of his current status so he can move to another stage in life and pass the torch on. Though, admittedly, it is a bit forced given that Po is still in the prime of his life. You also have Po going up against a villain who has all the powers of everyone he's fought previously. All those things make for a decent finale, assuming this is the final one. We'll see about that. This is Hollywood we're talking about.

I thought I would hate Zhen's character, especially after her introduction. With how a lot of movies have operated these past several years, I was expecting that she would be the real protagonist, while Po is rendered a second ringer, and make him look like a fool who hasn't learned anything from the past three movies. There were a few moments where it seemed to be going that way. However, they don't do that. While Zhen has a very important role, and has a significant arc, it's still primarily Po's story, and they respect the character.

The visuals are still amazing, and definitely worth seeing on the big screen. The fights are still on point as well. The villain is cool. The villain in part 3 is still my favorite, but The Chameleon was quite entertaining. I actually thought the humor was some of the best in these movies. The humor in the Kung Fu Panda movies have always been hot or miss for me, but here it was more hit than miss.

Overall, I think it's a solid addition to the franchise. Youn kids will certainly have a good time with it. I think it's worth seeing on the big screen, particularly if you have kids.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Amazing! Even Better than Part 1

[9/10 · 8 March 2024]

Dune Part 2 is the long awaited second part of the Dune saga, which hopefully gets a part 3. I've never read the books, but I've seen all the movies. I like the 80s Dune as a cheesy, fun B-movie. However, Part 1, and this movie are definitely the superior version overall. As much as I like Part 1, this one is even better. This isn't a surprise since Part 1 was mainly set up, this is the big climax of the story, whilst setting up future events to come.

Just like Part 1, the visuals, music, and acting are outstanding, awe-inspiring in places. In this we finally get to see the Fremen characters, which were barely in Part 1 get fleshed out, as well as learning more of the Femen culture. We finally get to see Paul Atreides come into his own.

If you like or love Part 1, you will like or love this. I know some book fans had some issues with this. I cannot speak to that as I haven't read the book. I just hope this movie is successful because it's amazing, and so we can finally get adaptations of the other five books in the series in one form or another. Between these two films, and the 80s movie, the first book has been done. I've heard the sequels are even better than the first book, so I hope we get to see them adapted. I hope Dennis Villeneuve gets to direct them too, as he's proven constantly to be one of the best directors working.

Argylle (2024)

Dumb Fun

[6/10 · 8 February 2024]

Argylle is a film I was excited for. It's directed by the same guy who directed Kingsman. I enjoyed the first Kingsman movie. It also has a stellar cast attached to it. I'm a big fan of Henry Cavill. The last big spy movies he did were the Man from Uncle and Mission Impossible Fallout, which are both films I enjoy. I will admit, while the film isn't as good as I wanted it to be, I certainly didn't hate it like many critics did.

The film has a great visual style. That's it's big saving grace. Which is to be expected from the director of Kingsman. The action is extremely ludicrous. The final climax especially is just nuts. But I remember the action in Kingsman being pretty over the top as well. Like I said the cast is really strong and everyone gives at least an entertaining performance. I will admit, there were a couple twists in here I genuinely didn't see coming.

Do I wish the tone would be less uneven? Yeah. Are the characters extremely strong? Not particularly. But I was still engaged with them. Do I wish Henry Cavill and Samuel L. Jackson got a bit more to do? Sure. I also think some of the CGI was pretty noticeable. I also think the film goes on a bit long and throws one too many twists at you.

Overall, I think Argylle is dumb fun. Is it one of the best spy movies out there? No. As far as Matthew Vaughn movies, I would put the first Kingsman movie over this. I would put Fallout and Man from Uncle above this too as far as good spy films with Henry Cavill in them. But I still had fun with the movie, so I can't hate it or even think it's that bad.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

A Must Watch For Any Godzilla Fan!

[9/10 · 18 December 2023]

Godzilla Minus One is the latest Godzilla film, marking the 70th anniversary of the character. I have to say, Japan pulled out all the stops for this one. I would say this is probably the best live action Godzilla movie I've seen, beating out Shin Godzilla for the title. Now, I won't label myself a die-hard Godzilla fan, as I've not seen every movie and TV series released over the course of Godzilla's 70-year history. But I have seen my fair share.

I grew up watching Godzilla movies. The first one I ever saw was the 1997 American version by Roland Emmerich (as well as the animated series). That film still has some fun nostalgic value for me, even though it's not that good of a film. The first Japanese Godzilla film I saw was Godzilla 2000, which I also enjoy. My favorite live action Godzilla movies I've seen would be that film, Shin Godzilla, the Final War, and now Minus One. My all-time favorite Godzilla films are the Planet Godzilla trilogy on Netflix. Those are easily the most underrated Godzilla films ever made, and I love them.

Minus One, in some ways, feels like a remake of the original Godzilla from 1954. It takes place in a post-war Japan. Godzilla truly feels like a menace, like in that film. Yes, this is not the vigilante Godzilla we're so used to seeing today. The Godzilla in Minus One is out for blood, preferably human blood. In that sense, this film feels like a better version of the original. Yes, I said it. While I respect the original Godzilla as a cultural milestone, it's never been one of my favorites in the franchise.

There are three ways to make a good, or at least entertaining Godzilla movie. One is to just have Godzilla (and some other monsters) wreaking havoc for most of it. Another is to have such a unique and insane premise that you cannot help but appreciate it. The Final War falls into this category. The last is to have actual interesting human characters. This is what Godzilla Minus One does.

Many Godzilla films have the titular character not appear that much, and have it mostly focused on the human drama. The problem is that most times the human characters aren't that engaging, and the drama feels phoned-in. This is the main problem with the Legendary Godzilla films. In this the human characters are the heart of the piece. It's a heartfelt tale of redemption and facing one's demons to finally find peace.

However, when Godzilla does show-up it's a spectacle. This is easily the best-looking Japanese Godzilla movie ever. I don't know If I'd go as far as to say this is the best-looking Godzilla movie period, because if there's one undeniably good thing I can say about the Legendary Monsterverse films is that they're gorgeous to look at. However, this film's visuals are more impressive given that this film has a fraction of the budget those movies had.

Overall, if you're a Godzilla fan in any capacity, you owe it to yourself to check out Minus One.

RWBY: Ice Queendom (2022)

Immense Wasted Potential!

[3/10 · 12 December 2023]

RWBY Ice Queendom is a RWBY spinoff, but this time done by an actual anime studio in Shaft. That means the show is actually good, right? Wrong! Despite being done by a studio known for masterpieces like Madoka Magica and the Monogatari Series, Ice Queendom might be the worst thing I've seen from this franchise. When RWBY volumes 1, 5, and 8 are all things I'd rather revisit than this there is a serious problem. Also, there will be some minor spoilers.

It sucks because this is a series I was looking forward to. I've been a fan of anime my entire life and have been a RWBY fan since 2016. I've often wondered what RWBY would be like as a tradition al anime. So, when this anime got announced I was excited. When the first promotional image of an evil Esdeath Weiss my mind went wild. I wondered if this would be an alternate timeline to the original timeline, like a RWBY version of Flashpoint. But no. Because that's an actually cool idea.

Instead, the first few episodes are a clumsy readaptation of volume 1. The last episode is a readaptation of the first episode of V2. And the remaining 8 episodes are the RWBY version of The Cell or Inception, which sounds a lot cooler than it is. Essentially, Weiss gets trapped inside her dreams by this new nightmare grim, and it's up to her team, and Team JNPR, to rescue her, whilst fighting an evil version of Weiss.

Now, does that sound like a plot that should last 8 episodes. This is the creators taking what should be a 1-2 episode arc (3 episodes at most) and extending it to 8. So, you can imagine how bad the pacing is in this. That's the biggest problem with Ice Queendom. It's incredibly boring, tedious, and pretentious. Admittedly, the dream world they're in can be inventive, but even that gets old really fast.

On top of that, it's just not animated that well. All the best animated bits are in the trailer. Overall, the animation ranges from average to subpar. That's bad because the action, especially in the early volumes, is one of RWBY's key strengths. Even the character designs weren't that great, in my opinion.

I don't think Shaft was the right choice for this. Yes, they've done great stuff before, but not much really super action driven, at least not like RWBY. After watching Lycoris Recoil, I think A-1 would've been a better choice. Or Trigger.

What really annoys me is that there are people in the RWBY fandom that defend this, saying it's good enough. But then in the same year you see something like Cyberpunk Edgerunners, which is also based on a divisive Western property, and how great that was. When you compare that to Ice Queendom the difference in quality is night and day.

That's why I hate Ice Queendom. Because this was their chance to bring in a new fan base. The greatest barrier RWBY has always had to attracting new fans has been its look. The animation, especially early on, is quite rough, and it puts many people off it. They had the chance to have a RWBY series in traditional animation to get those people onboard, and they squandered it with this garbage side story.

There was so much else that could have been done with a RWBY anime. This either should have been a complete alternate timeline, like I previously mentioned, or it should've been a straight-up readaptation. If this had been a straight-up readaptation of volumes 1&2 that would've been much better. This could've been an adaptation of the recent VIZ manga by Bunta Kinami. Also, they should've gone to a different studio like A-1.

RWBY is a franchise I've always thought had potential. I've always been fond of the world and characters of the series. It's why I've been a fan for so many years despite the series' myriad of problems. It deserves better than this. Imagine if RWBY got the same treatment as Cyberpunk did with its anime. That would've been truly amazing.

Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part Two (2023 Video)

Better than Part 1 but Still Lame

[5/10 · 12 December 2023]

So, I finally got around to watching RWBY X Justice League Part 2. I bought the film a while ago, but I took my time getting around to viewing it. Shockingly, the film isn't that good. I know that's such a hot take (sarcasm). I had no expectations for this film. Firstly, because a crossover between RWBY and the Justice League is a concept that always seemed awkward and forced to me. Of all the crossovers with RWBY I envisioned seeing over the years, one with the Justice Leage doesn't even crack the top ten. This is coming from someone who has been a fan of DC heroes his entire life and has been a fan of RWBY since 2016. Also, there'll be some minor spoilers in this review.

Also, I was not a fan of RWBY X Justice League Part 1. When I did my review on that film, I was kind to it. I gave it a 6 out of ten, I think. Looking back on it now, I would probably lower that score to a 4. The only thing that film had going for it was Jessica Cruz. I've never been a big Jessica Cruz fan. I stand by my opinion that Jessica Cruz in part 1 is my favorite version of that character. The rest of the movie sucks. So, is part 2 better? Yes, but that's not saying much. It's still mid at best.

Let's get the positive out of the way. The designs are better overall in this film. The Justice League have their classic designs back, and it's a lot better. Aside from Jessica Cruz (and maybe Vixen) their designs in part one were really lame. Batman here actually looks and acts like Batman instead of some emo poorly cosplaying as him. I like all of Team RWBY's new outfits as well, particularly Weiss's. I actually like them a lot better than their Volumes 7-9 attire. Blake's outfit here is better than her past two outfits in RWBY proper.

We also get appearances get appearances from Black Canary and some minor DC villains like Killer Croc and Weather Wizard. My favorite part of the whole movie was the few seconds we saw the Joker and Harley just chilling out, having drinks, as they watch Gotham getting decimated by grim. That made me laugh because it's something they would totally do.

Now on to the negative. Like with part 1, a lot of plot points don't make any sense. For example, when Team RWBY travel from Remnant to the DC Universe they immediately get their new outfits for some reason. They just come through with entirely different clothing. They also don't have their weapons or semblances. Instead, they get all new powers for some reason. Why do these things happen? No idea. It's never addressed and none of the characters ever question it. Blake doesn't have her cat ears either. Why? Because Faunuses are too fantastical? This is the DC Universe. Faunuses, grim, and semblances are not the weirdest things to be featured in DC by a long shot.

The villains are still lame. Killgore is still a terrible villain. It's nice to see Watts back, as he was always one of the better villains in RWBY. It was nice to see him actually interact with Team RWBY, which we never got in the canon. Which is quite sad when you think about it. But he's not given a lot to do, and the way he's defeated is rather lame, though still better than how he went out in volume 8.

Also, for a movie that's supposedly trying to bring in new fans, it seems to want its viewers to have significant knowledge of RWBY. Because they reference events of pat volumes quite frequently, particularly V8. They also reference a villain not even from the show but the game Grim Eclipse. Even I was confused at first when they brought that up having never played the game.

The action is serviceable, I guess. Like part 1, most of the action is against grim. Though, it is cool to see a couple new grim designs this time. But I wish there were more 1 vs 1 fights, because that's where RWBY action is at its best.

Overall, this is an improvement over part 1, but only marginally. Again, these are movies that really shouldn't have been made. They were clearly done to try to use the DC brand to bring new fans to RWBY, which is a dumb idea. For one, DC themselves aren't doing so hot recently. The comics have been in the red for years, and the movies aren't doing much better. Their animated movies have never been big moneymakers. The only time they do decent numbers is when they adapt well-known comic stories. Secondly, these two franchises just don't really jive together.

The only people who would pick this up are diehard fans like me who just want to support the franchise so we can get V10 greenlit, which defeats the whole purpose of these films. Imagine if the had spent all the money and resources that when into these two films on volumes 9 & 10. But apparently no one smart is in charge at WB or RT anymore.

Napoleon (2023)

Another Great Ridley Scott Historical Epic

[9/10 · 25 November 2023]

Napoleon is the latest film by Ridley Scott. Aside from Oppenheimer, this was the film I was most excited to see this year. Happily, just like Oppenheimer, the film did not disappoint. While I didn't think this film was as good as Oppenheimer, it still met my expectations.

I'm a long-time Ridley Scott fan. He's still one of the best directors who ever lived, and one of the best still working. Not all of his movies are high quality. Prometheus and Alien Covenant weren't that great, admittedly. But, he has far more hits than misses in my book. Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven are among my favorite movies of all-time. Alien is a classic. Black Hawk Down, Body of Lies, American Gangster, and the Martian are all good if not great. The Last Duel and House of Gucci are also really good, and I find pretty underrated by people. I don't even mind Exodus Gods and Kings or Robin Hood.

While I wouldn't say Napoleon is peak Ridley Scott, it's still a really good movie. It's a great-looking movie. Ridley Scott always delivers a visual spectacle in his pictures, even his lesser quality ones. The battles were also great. They're not the best I've seen in a Ridley Scott film, but they're fun and grand in scale.

Everyone turns in a great performance. I know people complain that almost no one in the film speaks French, or even attempts a French accent. But I can forgive something like that if the movie is working on the important levels. Joaquin Pheonix's performance through me off at first. He plays a more subdued Napoleon, for the most part, which I'm not used to seeing. I suppose that was how Napoleon truly was in life.

Another major complaint lodged at this film is how much focus the movie gave Napoleon's relationship with Josephine. Sure, some of those scenes were slow and sometimes unneeded, it didn't bother me that much. Aside from those scenes, I thought the movie went at a good pace. In fact, I wouldn't have minded if the film was a bit longer. Even if it was as long as Oppenheimer, I doubt I would've complained.

Overall, you should give this film a chance if you're a fan of historical epics or are just a fan of Ridley Scott. In a year of underwhelming blockbusters, it's both awesome and sad to see long-time filmmaking legends like Christopher Nolan Martin Scorsese, and Ridley Scott really keeping the industry afloat producing quality films and proving they still got it.

Thanksgiving (I) (2023)

A Nice Surprise

[7/10 · 22 November 2023]

Thanksgiving might be the biggest surprise for me this year. I wasn't even going to see this film at first. When I first saw the preview, I just thought it was going to be your typical bottom of the barrel horror film based on a holiday. Also, I'm not a big fan of Eli Roth. Up until now, his best film to me is Hostel, which I found to be just okay. After that would be the original Cabin Fever, which isn't that great, but sadly is better than most other things he's worked on.

However, some Internet personalities I follow liked the film, and it's getting actual good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently, this film is based off one of the fake trailers from Grindhouse, like Machete. It's been so long since I watched Grindhouse that I completely forgot that. So, I thought I'd give the film a chance. After seeing it, I would say this is probably Eli Roth's best work. I like it a bit more than Hostel. This might be the best original slasher film to come out since You're Next. It's definitely the best horror movie based around Thanksgiving. I think its only competition is the Thankskilling films, which are awful. This might be one of the best Thanksgiving movies in general, after Planes, Trains, and Automobiles of course.

Now, I'm not saying the film is great. This film is no game-changer, or anything. It's just a fun, straightforward slasher film, which we don't see much of anymore. Again, we don't get many original slasher films nowadays (that get into theaters anyway), let alone ones that are actually decent. Most are either connected to a beloved franchise, like Halloween, or they try to be deconstructions of the genre, like the Scream movies.

It does it well though. It knows exactly what it is and goes for it. It's a well-shot movie. Then the kills happen they're gruesome. If there's one thing Eli Roth knows how to do, it's make good gore scenes. The characters aren't amazing, but they're serviceable. There wasn't anyone in the cast I disliked, aside from the ones I was supposed to hate. The film does drag a little bit at the end, I'll admit.

Overall, as a modern slasher movie it does its job fairly well. If you're not into horror, especially slasher films, then this definitely isn't for you. But for people who are fans of this genre this is worth checking out. I can see this being a film many people, especially horror fans watch every Thanksgiving from here on.

Saw X (2023)

It's Another Saw Movie

[6/10 · 5 October 2023]

Saw X is, as the title suggests, the tenth entry in the Saw franchise. It feels like this movie was made for no other reason than to have that cool title. The best way to describe this film is that it's another Saw movie. I'm a fan of this franchise. I've seen (and own) all of the movies thus far. I'm a huge fan of horror. Saw is my favorite horror franchise ever. There are certainly horror films I like better, and Michael Myers is my favorite horror icon, the Saw films are my favorite horror franchise in that there hasn't been a single film in the series thus far (including this one) that I've outright hated.

The original Saw I would put in my list of favorite horror films. It has cemented itself as a horror classic like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and so on. I would recommend it to any fan of horror or thrillers. Saw II & III are also fairly good. While the sequels that followed don't measure up to those three, I can still enjoy them as fun entries. Parts 7 & 8 are definitely the low points in the franchise, but even those I don't hate. What's cool about the Saw movies (at least parts 1-7) is that they all connect with each other. When binged it feels like you're watching a season of television.

But even I can say that this franchise is beyond played out by now. This movie, while certainly not awful, proved me right on that. The reason I saw (pun intended) this in the theater is both because I am a fan and because I had never watched one of these films in theaters before. I always knew about the franchise but had never gotten into it until a few years ago.

The film also has a high score on Rotten Tomatoes, which really surprised me as critics have never been kind to the Saw movies, not even the first one. Some even say it's the best in the series. I definitely would not go that far. I would say Saw X is better than the Final Chapter (or Saw 3D) and Jigsaw, but certainly not better than the original. I would also put Saw II & III above this. I would say this is on par with Saw IV-VI.

I would put it on-par with Saw VI especially, as the two films have a similar plot. They're even directed by the same person I believe. That's one of the minor issues I have with Saw X is that it has a bit of "we've been here before" feeling. This film deals with corrupt doctors who take advantage of terminal cancer patients with a fake cure for money. Throughout the film you see them all get their comeuppance. It's similar to part 6 where you have corrupt health insurance agents that take advantage of their customers to save money.

However, this film takes a bit of a different approach to its storytelling. Aside from one token trap at the beginning there are no gore/death scenes in the first half. It's all build-up. It's one of the better-looking Saw movies with some nice location shots. It also focuses primarily on John Krammer for once. Tobin Bell as John Krammer has always been the best thing about this franchise, so it's cool to see him as the protagonist for once. It's also one of the longest Saw movies to date. I imagine all of this is why critics seemed to like this film more than previous entries. It doesn't feel as gratuitous and all about the violence like other films. But when the trap scenes happen, they're inventive and gory, like one would expect from these movies by now.

However, since this is a prequel, these things can make the film feel slow and boring in places for diehard fans like me, who have seen all the movies, since you know how it's ultimately going to play out. Also, the main cast looking quite a bit older here does take me out at times. They didn't even try to make Amanda look younger with makeup for this.

This film also falls into the trap (pun intended) many of the Saw sequels have, where the traps get a bit convoluted. It's hard to believe that Jigsaw could plan things so thoroughly, and nothing goes awry for him. This film isn't as bad as some of the others at this, but it's there.

Overall, if you're a diehard Saw fan there's no reason not to see this if you haven't already. I'm going to buy it on Blu-ray when it comes out for the collection. But if you've never been a fan of the franchise this probably won't change your mind. If you only like the first movie, but not any of the sequels for how gratuitous they become then don't bother with this either. It was nice to see Tobin Bell take the lead role once in these. This can work as a decent swan song for this franchise, assuming there will be no more.

But we all know there will be. Even though there is nowhere left to go for this series there will always be more as long as there is money to be made, as Hollywood has shown us over the last couple decades. This goes double for horror movies like this, as they don't cost much to make.

The Creator (2023)

A Welcome Surprise!

[9/10 · 30 September 2023]

The Creator is a film I was cautiously optimistic about going into it. The trailer really impressed me from a visual standpoint. However, the story and premise are something that certainly is not new to movies; humans versus A. I. Terminator, Blade Runner, I Robot, and so many other franchises have explored this concept in every vantagepoint. So, I wasn't sure this film could bring anything new to the table in that. Thankfully, whilst the movie doesn't really do much different with its concept, it makes up for it with a unique visual aesthetic, characters you can get behind, a good atmosphere, and a good heart to it.

Gareth Edwards, I think, is a very talented director, especially in the visual department. I liked Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It's the best Star Wars movie to come out of Star Wars under Disney. He also did the 2014 Godzilla movie, which I found to be a letdown when I first watched it. The film has grown on me a bit over the years, but I stand by my opinion that it definitely could have been better. But this has become my favorite film from him.

The film is well cast and acted. John David Washington is an actor I'm becoming more interested in. I've always been a fan of his father, Densel Washington. I've liked John's other movies (that I've seen). I thought Tenet was okay, albeit one of Christopher Nolan's lesser movies. Amsterdam, I felt, was one of the more underrated films of 2022. But this is his new standout movie.

The best thing about this movie is the visuals. The effects alone are worth seeing in the theater. The aesthetic of this film is like a combination of Blade Runner and Niell Blomkamp's visual style. The visuals here dwarf any blockbuster that has come out this year, some by a wide margin. Even Mission Impossible doesn't look as good as this. Which is crazy considering that this film had a production budget of $80 million. I almost refused to believe that when I looked it up. These days all major blockbusters of this scale have budgets in the hundreds of millions. Every other blockbuster this year falls into that category. Blockbuster films with mid-level budgets like this are pretty much dead.

Original blockbuster movies are also a dying breed. In a year/decade where the vast majority of blockbusters coming out that are tied to an established franchise, it's a refresher to see the rare original blockbuster coming out. Films like these need our support the most because they are so rare, and because it seems like many big movies are getting lazier and more forgettable.

So, if you're a fan of science fiction films, or just good movies, then give this one a chance. I think it's the best pure sci-fi film to come out since Blade Runner 2049. This makes me curious to see what this director will do next.

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

If You Liked Orient Express and Death on the Nile this won't disappoint

[8/10 · 16 September 2023]

A Haunting in Venice is the third film in the now Poirot trilogy directed and starring Kenneth Branagh. I'm a very casual Poirot viewer. My only exposure to the character is through these films and the British tv series, which I watched long ago and barely remember. As someone who has never read a Poirot novel, I personally liked the previous two films by Branagh, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. I know many Agatha Christie fans do not, and I can understand why given that these films are not extremely loyal to the source material from what I'm told, especially this film.

I haven't read the novel, A Halloween Party, but I'm told the only thing this film has in common with it is that it takes place on Halloween, and that there is a Halloween party in it. The culprit is the same in both, but the motivation and victims are entirely different. I'm guessing Branagh went with a far more obscure Poirot story this time, banking on the fact that not many have read and so they won't notice the many alterations made to it.

However, as someone who is only a casual fan, just like with the last two films, I'll be judging this solely as a standalone piece and not an adaptation. From that viewpoint, I think the movie is good. Like with the last two movies, the film looks great, is wonderfully shot. This one evokes a strong haunting, Halloween atmosphere. The acting is good by everyone involved, even the child actors.

The film is also significantly shorter than the previous two, though in some ways to the film's detriment. I felt Poirot solved the mystery a bit too quickly. The pacing is a bit rushed at the end, and I'm not entirely convinced of how Poirot comes to the conclusions he does.

Despite that, the film is a fun mystery/haunting story. A fun movie to watch, especially around Halloween. I would still say I still like Murder on the Orient Express the most. But I would put this film slightly above Death on the Nile. If you're someone who likes the previous to films in this series, there's no reason not to check this out.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

One of Nolan's Best Films! Possibly His Best?!

[10/10 · 29 July 2023]

Oppenheimer is the latest film by Christopher Nolan about the legendary J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb. Of all the films coming out this year, this was the one I was most hyped for by a wide margin. I've been hyped for this movie for a couple of years really. Mainly because it's by Christopher Nolan. I have to say, it was worth the wait and hype. I'd say this was Nolan's best film, at least since the Dark Knight.

I have to say, the films he's done in the past decade plus have not been stellar. Don't get me wrong, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenant are all fine enough, but they don't really measure up to his early work. Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Inception I'd say are his golden years (the Prestige was good too). I'm glad to say that this film ranks up there with those films. In fact, Oppenheimer might be my favorite movie he's done. I have to think about that, but right now it's between this and The Dark Knight as his best for me.

Like every Nolan production, the film looks and sounds stellar. The film is well-acted by everybody, especially Cillian Murphy. It's nice to see him finally getting a lead role in a Nolan production after being in so many of them already. Other standouts in the film are Robert Downey Jr. And Matt Damon. It's also nice to see Downey make a comeback after his last disaster of a film, Dolittle.

If you're a major Nolan fan like me, you need to see this on the big screen if able. However, this is not a film for everyone. This is not a blockbuster crowd pleaser, but a long, somber character biopic, with some explicit sexual content thrown in. One scene in particular sex scene did feel a bit unnecessary. I understand what Nolan was going for, but it just felt bizarre and took me out of the rest of the scene a bit. But it was just one little moment. Hardly enough to ruin anything for me, but it might make some uncomfortable.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The Beginning of the End

[7/10 · 22 July 2023]

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is the first part of the big finale of the franchise, supposedly. This is the second big franchise this year that has had a part one of their final story, with the first being Fast X. I guess after Infinity War and Endgame all big franchises got it in their head they need a two-part epic finale to finish things. Now, if you've followed this franchise (especially since it first came out) to now, and have enjoyed most, if not all, installments of it there's no reason not to see this. Like every entry, it's a beautiful looking movie, with some impressive action set pieces. Pretty much all of them are done practically.

The story is pretty simple, like all of them, even though they like to appear complex. In this one it boils down to Ethan Hun and his crew on the hunt for this special McGuffin device that will help them stop the main adversary from taking over the world. It's nothing really new, but people don't really see these movies for the storyline anyway.

Although, I'll say I wasn't a big fan of the main villain. I never liked the trope that so many franchises that try to have a big finale try to do. You introduce a new main villain out of nowhere that's somehow majorly connected with our hero, and who has somehow been lurking behind the scenes all this time. It often feels forced and retroactive because it is. It felt forced when Spectre did it. It's not handled much better here. With that said, I did like the main henchwoman named Paris. She really felt like a James Bond or John Wick type character in the best way.

While I've always liked James Bond more, I'm a long-time fan of this franchise. I own all the films and have seen most of them in theaters. There hasn't been an entry in the series that I've outright disliked, even M. I 2. I would say the franchise peaked with Ghost Protocol, though Rogue Nation is a close second. While M. I. 2 is technically the weakest, I would say Fallout is the one I enjoy the least. I would put this film on par with Fallout, though that opinion could easily change depending on how Part Two turns out.

What I always loved about the M. I. films are the tension-filled, elaborate infiltration sequences. My favorites are in Ghost Protocol when they infiltrated the Kremlin and when Ethan scaled that large tower. In Rogue Nation there's this amazing sequence where Ethan infiltrates this underwater facility. Plus, the ending or Rogue Nation I feel is the strongest in the franchise. Nothing in Fallout or this movie has matched those sequences. These last couple films have relied mostly on over-the top stunts, making them feel like regular action movies. They're all done well, but it's not anymore impressive than stunts in previous film, and there aren't as much of the cool spy scenes as earlier in the franchise.

It feels like there isn't much left to do with this franchise, which is why I'm glad it's coming to an end. I feel the same way about the fast franchise. Hopefully, Part Two can end things on a graceful note.

Overall, like I said, if you're a long-time fan there's no reason not to watch this. It's the beginning of the end. If you love entertaining action movies there's no reason not to see this, especially if you're tired of blockbusters that are over-reliant on CGI.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull All Over Again

[5/10 · 1 July 2023]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the long-awaited sequel this time not directed by Stephen Spielberg. It's Lucasfilm's first Indiana Jones movie since Disney bought the company out (and possibly the last). I wasn't really that excited for this film. Firstly, because Lucasfilm's track record with Star Wars has not been great. Secondly, the last Indiana Jones movie, that was made by Spielberg, wasn't that great either. I will say, the film wasn't as bad as it could have been. There are some good and fun things about it. Even so, it's still far below the first three movies for me. Is it worse than Crytal Skull? That's debatable.

I hate to say that because I'm a big fan of Indiana Jones. He's one of my childhood heroes. Raider of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade are among my favorite movies of all time. I enjoy Temple of Doom, even though there is much I could complain about it. Nostalgia plays a key role in my enjoyment of that film. Plus, it was Indie in his prime. I even watched the old Young Indiana Jones series from the 90s. If you're an Indiana Jones fan and haven't checked that show out, you should.

Then there's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I still remember my excitement when I first went to see it, as it was the first Indiana Jones movie I saw in theaters. I still remember being quite disappointed when it was over. After watching it again recently, I can say I don't hate it like I used to. I even found myself having fun throughout a lot of it. But there's still a whole lot wrong with it. Indie surviving a nuke in a fridge is still one of the biggest WTF moments in movie history.

There's nothing in this movie quite as stupid as that, though there are some dumb moments in this. For instance, there's a moment involving the main villain (who by the way is a pretty boring villain) in the opening action scene. It's something that's quite impossible to survive and yet he survives it.

On the positive side, it's a good-looking movie, like most Indiana Jones films. It has some exciting chase sequences. It still has a sense of adventure to it. I was dreading the de aging scene at the beginning with Harrison Ford before seeing this, but it turned out to be my favorite part of the movie. Another thing I was hoping wouldn't happen was that the main girl, Helena, would essentially be the real protagonist of the film and Indie would just be along for the ride. That wasn't really the case. This is still primarily Indie's movie.

On that note, I wasn't a big fan of the main girl. I'm one of the few people that actually liked Shia LaBeouf in the last film. I think it would've been better if they got him back. But Shia probably wants nothing to do with Indiana Jones, so I'm not surprised they didn't.

Plus, the film is a bit too long. All the other movies are just over two hours. This is two and a half hours. And like I thought, Indie doesn't get any fight scenes in this film past the first twenty minutes. I knew this would happen because of Harrison Ford's age. He was already getting too old to play the character in Crytal Skull FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. Indiana Jones is one of the few franchises where I would say a full reboot would work better if they wanted to keep making movies. Years ago, there was talk of Chris Pratt playing the character. That would've been a better choice in my opinion.

With those negatives against it, I would probably say I actually prefer Crystal Skull slightly over this one. That could change with further views, but that's my feelings right now. So, I will say, if you're someone who still hates or dislikes Crystal Skull then don't bother with this one. If you're someone who isn't picky and just wants to see another Indiana Jones in theaters, then by all means.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Solid Final Film By James Gunn

[7/10 · 27 May 2023]

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is supposedly the final GOTG movie. Does it end on a high note? For the most part yes. I never thought GOTG movies were ever amazing. Although, I would put the first movie in my top 10 favorite MCU films. It's a very fun space adventure with flawed but very enjoyable characters. It's the best Star Wars movie in over a decade (that and Infinity War). I don't care what anyone says. The second I like okay. It's certainly not bad, but it's a step down from the first. I would say I enjoy this movie more than the second, but not as much as the first. It still looks great, with some amazing action set pieces, and a great soundtrack. It made me feel old when the movie ended with a song from the 2000s.

It's certainly the darkest of the movies when it comes to Rocket and his backstory. This is essentially his movie. The darker tone is both a strength and weakness of this film. The darker tone makes much of the humorous scenes feel more out of place. I had this problem in the last film, but here it's more apparent in some places. Drax is still made to be a joke character, like in the second film. I get why Batista doesn't want to play the character anymore. It's also longer than it needed to be, especially during the climax. This easily could have been the same length as the first film.

The villain of this is better than he had any right to be, and that's all due to the actor. The character himself is your typical one-dimensional MCU villain bent on ruling the universe. However, the actor gave such an over-the-top performance that it elevated the material to being more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise.

I also like what they did with Gamora. I was afraid they were just going to pretend Infinity War never happened and the Gamora of their time never died because her alternate self would fill her shoes. But that wasn't the case. This Gamora is a very different character and introduced a new dynamic and tension to the team.

Overall, if you're a GOTG fan this is a solid final entry. There are parts of the film that are amazing. I would say that GOTG is probably the best trilogy in the MCU after Captain America, although the bar is not set that high in that regard.

Fast X (2023)

The Beginning of the End (Hopefully)

[7/10 · 27 May 2023]

Fast X is the latest in the Fast and Furious franchise. It is also the first in the franchise to end on a cliffhanger. This caught me off-guard in the theater. I had no idea this would be the first of a two-parter. In seems like they're going for a Marvel/Harry Potter sort of finale. Every entry in this franchise since Fast Five felt like it would be the last one, yet it wasn't. Here we might actually be entering the endgame, which I hope we are. These guys aren't getting any younger, and the franchise has been in danger of becoming stale for the last couple entries.

I've been a fan of this series since Fast Five. I like the first and fourth films okay, but it was the first one that really drew me in. Furious Six is actually my personal favorite. Seven and eight are okay, as well as Hobbs and Shaw. F9 I like, though not as much as some of the others, mainly due to the absence of The Rock.

At this point, you should know what you're in for with these movies. These movies are not high art. They're pure popcorn entertainment. There's a bit of character development to keep you invested, but mainly these films are about the spectacle. If you're a critic watching the tenth Fast move complaining it's not an Oscar caliber drama you need to get your priorities straight. They're about nice cars, fan service, the themes of family and honor, a catchy soundtrack, great effects and cinematography, nice locations, and of course fun, high-octane, ludicrous action set pieces (pun intended).

Fast X hits all of those beats. Although, none of the action ever reaches the same level of craziness as the previous film. That's another reason why I hope this franchise ends after the next film. We are now at the escalation problem. Each entry has continuously escalated the stakes and action. In the last film they went into space. Short of an alien invasion, there really isn't anywhere left for this franchise to go without becoming standard and stale. We've seen that happen with Marvel in these past few years. In my opinion, the last couple Mission Impossible film have felt that way.

There are also other staples of this franchise present that have annoyed me for years. The film, like all the rest, is longer than is needed, with too many subplots. The fact that everything is interconnected. Each antagonist is either directly related to Toretto or directly related to a past villain. Each time a past major antagonist becomes either a good guy or an anti-hero. Last but not least, people can't stay dead. Death means about as much in this franchise as it does in Dragon Ball. A character can supposedly die in one movie, but they return for nonsense reasons a couple film later. We see that yet again in this one. Despite the cliffhanger at the end, I have literally no fear for anyone's life in this. No one ever dies.

The best thing about this film for me, other than the action, is Jason Momoa as the villain. I will say, he's probably the best villain in the history of this franchise, which is mostly due to Momoa's natural charisma, much like The Rock has. I still miss The Rock, but Momoa's presence evens things out for me.

Overall, there is quite a bit to take issue with. But I still found the film fun. The film looks great, with amazing action, like all the past several Fast films. And I'm a bit excited for how this seemingly final story arc ends. If you're a fan of the franchise I think this is a must watch.

Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One (2023 Video)

An Okay Timewaster

[6/10 · 26 April 2023]

So, I finally saw this movie and I enjoyed it about as much as I expected. I certainly didn't hate it, but I didn't think it was great either. It was meh, just like the original RWBYxJustice League comic. Would I recommend this? To hardcore RWBY fans, sure. In fact, RWBY fans should watch and support this so we can hopefully get Volume 10. But I don't think DC fans will get much out of this, unless you're a big Jessica Cruz fan. Batman fans especially should stay away from this, as they do his character quite dirty here.

This crossover in and of itself I always questioned; "Why is this a thing?" Pairing RWBY with the JL always seemed like a weird idea to me. I'm a big DC fan, and I'm a fan of RWBY too, but the two never seemed compatible to me. I felt that about the comic, and even more so about this. When I think about what franchises would make cool crossovers with RWBY, I think Final Fantasy 7. The world of RWBY has always reminded me a lot of FF7, ad we already had a Yang vs. Tifa death battle way back. Other crossovers I wouldn't mind seeing are RWBYxDestiny or RWBYxHonkai Impact. Those would fit with RWBY more than this.

And if this film needed to happen, why couldn't they just adapt the comic they made. I didn't think the comic was great either, but I honestly prefer that over this. I liked the story more, and the comic had a better villain. I mean Starro isn't exactly an A-lister, but he's at least a somewhat iconic villain that I recognize. Here we have some villain I've never even heard of before, and I've watched & read a lot of DC stuff. Changing the story drastically from the comic also brings up a couple plot holes too. Batman having powers makes no sense in this movie the way it did in the comic. Though, there is one change I'm glad they made.

Easily the best thing about this movie is Jessica Cruz. I'll even go as far as to say this is my favorite version of this character. I love her design, and her arc was easily the best of the film. So, I'm grateful to this movie for that at least. As for the designs for the rest of the JL; I really like Vixen's look. The designs for Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and the Flash are...there. They're okay, I guess.

The designs for Batman and Superman are lame. They were lame in the comic, and they're lame here. What's more, this Batman does not feel like Batman at all. And the guy they got to voice him is just horrid. He sounds like he's phoning in his lines while drunk. As I said, hardcore Batman fans should stay away from this.

It was a bit cool seeing some of Vale/Beacon in the Maya engine, with RWBY in their original attire. I guess I don't mind Superman helping RWBY to have confidence as a leader. It fits since this does take place during the Atlas arc. Though, I wish Ruby had a bit more to do in the finale. Way to go writers. Way to keep with that RWBY tradition. Well, at least I have V9.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Solid Fun

[7/10 · 26 April 2023]

The Super Mario Brothers Movie (2023) is the second attempt by Hollywood and Nintendo to bring the Mario franchise to the big screen. Only this time with vastly greater success. Despite what many critics would say, this movie is pretty solid. It's not great, but it's pretty and really fun, and that's all I was looking for. Over the last decade video game adaptations in general have really taken a turn for the better. There's a lot of adaptations ranging from okay to good to even great like the Sonic movies, Castlevania, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Arcane, and The Last of Us. Like the Sonic movies, this one falls into the okay bracket, inching towards the good bracket.

Now, I've never been a big fan of Mario games (or Donkey Kong games). When I was growing up, I played a couple of early games for Nintendo occasionally. I also played some Mario Cart games with some friends periodically, as well as some Super Smash Bros. However, I was not at all in love with Mario games like some of my friends were. Plus, the first Mario live action movie from the 90s was horrid. Those factors made me not so hyped for this film when it was announced. However, the trailer definitely looked promising. It looked amazing. Chris Pratt as Mario certainly would not have been my first choice, but I do like him as an actor. The same goes for Jack Black as Bowser.

The good things about this film are definitely the visuals and music. It's a great looking movie, worthy of seeing in theaters. It's incredibly short, but I never felt it was rushed like many people complain it was. I like the use of old school Mario music. The way they looked and the way they utilized the environments, from the platforming to even a rainbow racetrack like the Mario Cart games. The voices are fine for the most part. Chris Pratt isn't bad. Again, he's not how I envision Mario sounding, but that doesn't make his performance bad.

Although Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach wasn't great for me. Honestly, I could take her or leave her. People complain that Peach is not a damsel in distress in this, and actually gets to do more stuff, and is made far more capable. Given the current PC era I'm not surprised by this update, and it's honestly one I'm all for. And it's not like she stole the show from the Mario brothers. It's still very much their movie.

Overall, this film is fine. It's not deep, complex, or overly character driven or anything, but it's not supposed to be. The games certainly aren't like that. Most fans of the games should enjoy this. Anyone, especially kids, looking for a short fun experience at the movies should have a good time as well.

Suzume (2022)

Shinkai's Best Film In A While

[8/10 · 15 April 2023]

Suzume is the latest Makoto Shinkai movie. This is the first one I was lucky enough to see in theaters, and it was well worth it. I consider myself a fan of Shinkai's work, even though I thought his last two entries were overrated. I do like Your Name, though I do think the film is overhyped. It's by no means a masterpiece, at least when it comes to the writing. But I thought the film was okay. I was not a fan of Weathering with You at all though. Ironically, I think some of his best works are his more obscure titles. 5 Centimeters Per Second is my all-time favorite of his. I really enjoy Children Who Chase Lost Voices and Garden of Words. I even like Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. So how does Suzume rank with all of those?

Well, like with all of Makoto Shinkai's films, the visuals and music are top tier. I don't think another anime director does background detail quite as good and real looking like Shinkai does. It looks even more impressive on the big screen. However, unlike the previous two films of his, I was much more into the story and characters here. I had no idea what this movie would be about going in, as the trailer kept everything vague and mysterious. But I found myself really liking the premise and the journey our main characters were on for the most part. I don't think there was any character in this I actively disliked either. With Your Name I found the lead characters great, but the writing and side characters were a mixed bag, especially in the third act. Other than looking and sounding amazing, like all Shinkai movies, I really liked nothing else about Weathering with You.

The main issue with the film is the romance, and by extension some of the padded scenes in the middle. I know supernatural romance stories are Shinkai's thing. Almost every film of his has a romance between the main leads. Sometimes the romance is done well like in Garden of Words and even Your Name. Here though it feels very rushed and forced because of just how many things are going on and just how many side characters introduced that Suzume interacts with. One of two things I feel needs to be changed here. Either cut down on all the subplots and side characters and focus more time on the two leads' relationship or just not have it be a romance. Like I said, I like all the side characters in this. But if Shinkai really wanted a romance between Suzume and the main male Souta, he really needed to focus more on developing that instead distracting from it with all these other B-plots. As it is, the two should have just been really good friends like the two leads in Children Who Chase Lost Voices were.

Overall, if you're a fan of Shinkai's work then this is a must watch. Even if you didn't care for his previous two films, you should still give this one a chance. It's not his best work in my opinion. I would still prefer Centimeters Per Second, Garden of Words, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices above this. Check those movies out too if you haven't. I'd give this one an 8 or 8.5 out of 10. That rating might go up or down depending on subsequent viewings. But right now, that's how I feel.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

More of the Same for Better or Worse

[7/10 · 22 December 2022]

Avatar The Way of Water is the long-awaited sequel to Avatar (2009), 13 years in the making. For a long time, I thought this movie would never come out since it's been delayed so many times. Now that it has, I can definitely say it's a sequel to Avatar in the sense that it's more of the same from before. That's not necessarily a bad thing depending on your opinion of the original. If you're someone who liked or loved the first Avatar, you'll really enjoy Way of Water. Even people who just thought Avatar was okay I would say give this a chance, because in many ways it's an improvement over the first. However, many of the issue with that film are present here. If you're someone who really didn't like Avatar then you shouldn't bother with this, as this won't change your mind.

Now, I'm someone who's a big fan of James Cameron's early work. The Terminator is great. Terminator 2 and Aliens are among my favorite movies of all time. I enjoy True Lies. The Abyss is okay. Those films prove that Cameron can write a great script and memorable characters if he wants to. Then we get to Titanic, which is a mixed bag for me. I enjoy the second half when the ship is sinking. However, the first half I find to be pretty slow, and I've seen better romances. The original Avatar is a movie I did not like at first. I never got into the immense hype the film had when it came out.

After watching it again recently, I can say it's definitely not a bad movie. I had more fun with it than I thought I would. It's a mediocre film elevated my amazing visuals. I still think the film was overhyped and did not deserve to be the highest grossing film ever. But this was when Cameron clearly stopped caring about storytelling as much, and focused everything on the visuals, which is a shame. This film follows suit on that for the most part.

The effects are still stunning, even more so than the original. What this film does better than the first is that it barely focused on the humans. Avatar gave half the focus to the Navi and half the focus on the human side, whilst Way of Water focuses primarily on Jake and his family on the Navi side. So, we get more exploration of Pandora in this one. I imagine someone who really got into the visuals and worldbuilding of the first film will probably enjoy this one even more. The action scenes are also impressive, as expected from a Cameron film.

I will even say the characters are improved in this film, if only slightly. Aside from Neytiri, there was no one I really cared about in the original that much. Here I actually like Jake. I got into his character arc of him being a soldier coming into conflict with him no being a father trying to keep his family safe. Even the main villain is more fun to watch in this. He as a bit of depth to him here, rather than just being a one note villain. It's not much, but it's at least something.

The biggest issues from the original have not gone away though. The film is extremely long. It's significantly longer than the first, which is already bloated. For such a simple story, there is no reason for the film to be as long as it is. I felt the length in places, particularly the third act. The final battle, while well-executed, does drag on too long. It's every bit as preachy and heavy-handed as the first.

It's the same story of Navi versus humans. I would have preferred there be no humans at all in this. I would have liked a movie where it's just Jake and his family exploring Pandora. The main threat should have been a rival tribe or a natural disaster. Nature can be just as destructive as humanity. The humans could have made a return in the third film. That's just me though. As it is, it's still enjoyable enough, as the humans are less of a focus in this.

Overall, like I said, if you go into the first Avatar then there's no reason not to check this out if you haven't already. I will say it is better than the first, despite being more bloated. I'd give the first film a 6 out of 10. This one I'd give a 6.5, rounded up to 7 for IMDB. I just hope that Cameron can channel his old self and make a great story, as well as a visual spectacle, in the inevitable third movie. I'm pretty sure Avatar 3 will happen even if this film doesn't do well, since Cameron supposedly filmed Avatar 2 & 3 (and possibly Avatar 4) all back-to-back.

Black Adam (2022)

Certainly Not Horrible, but not Memorable Either

[5/10 · 19 November 2022]

Black Adam is another movie from the DC umbrella. This is a film that, for a while, I thought I would never see. It's been so many years now since Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) was cast in the role of Black Adam. After many years of not hearing anything, I honestly the thought the movie was scrapped, until the trailers came out. This is also a film wasn't all that hyped about because Black Adam is a character I'm not super knowledgeable from the comics, and I was not a fan of the Shazam movie.

After seeing the movie, I can say I didn't hate it. The film looks good for the most part, and some the action scenes are fun. The best part of this movie is definitely the Rock as Black Adam. He's definitely one of the most charismatic actors out there. Any movie is made better with him in it. In comparison to other DC film in recent years, I can say I liked this more than Shazam, Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, and the theatrical cut of Justice League.

One the other hand, other than Black Adam, the only other character I actually cared that much about was Dr. Fate, which is mainly because Pierce Brosnan was playing him. This is a nitpick, but it annoyed me how the movie does tired trop of having Dr. Fate constantly remove his helmet for reason, because they want more facetime for the actor. That's always bothered in live action superhero films. It was cool to see the Justice Society finally in a live action movie, but other than Dr. Fate I didn't really care for any of them. Hawkman got a couple laughs from me, but I wasn't really into his character overall.

The humor is quite hit or miss as well. The villain sucked. While I didn't mind his design, from a characterization standpoint he was a nothing character. This feels very much like an MCU movie in those ways, along with an over bloated third act that went on too long. The first two-third of the film went at a pretty good pace, but it started to really drag by the end to me. It sucks because what I like about most DC films is that they don't feel like Marvel.

Overall, Black is a standard superhero movie, which I would've given more praise to ten years ago. But there's just been so many superhero movies now. We've seen the peak of what superhero movies are with the Dark Knight, Infinity War, and Endgame. Now, superhero movies are really starting to become stale, and I'm getting burnt out. Only a few superhero movies in the past few years have really impressed me. Everything else has been forgettable or just plain bad. Sadly, this leans more into the forgettable category.

Hellraiser (2022)

An Actual Solid Remake

[6/10 · 21 October 2022]

Hellraiser (2022) is eleventh Hellraiser movie we've gotten now. Do we need that many Hellraiser movies? No. But I will say this is the best entry we've gotten since part 5. For many people it's the best since the original Hellraiser. This movie gets a lot of praise from people. I personally just thought it was okay.

I'm a fan of the Hellraiser franchise. In fact, along with Michael Myers, Pinhead is my favorite horror icon. With that being said, I'm actually not big on the original Hellraiser. I respect it, but I did not find the film that enjoyable. I found it boring, and most of it revolved around two characters who were both uninteresting and unlikable. Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is when I really got into Hellraiser. It's probably the best in the franchise. I enjoy Hellraiser 3&4 as well. Those are the movies where Pinhead has the most time to shine. I don't even mind Hellraiser Inferno. Hellraiser 6-8 are pretty bad. Even then there're some aspects of them I find enjoyable. I haven't seen Revelations. Hellraiser Judgement is definitely my least favorite. It starts out okay, but quickly goes downhill. That film doesn't even have Doug Bradley as Pinhead.

Hellraiser (2022) doesn't have Doug Bradley in it either. Because of that I was not excited for this film at all. Based on the last several entries, and the fact that you don't have Bradley in it, I thought this film would be dead on arrival. However, that's not the case. This is certainly not my favorite Hellraiser movie. I prefer parts 2-5 over it. However, I would put this above parts 6-10, and even the original film.

The film looks amazing. This easily the best looking Hellraiser film to date. It has a good atmosphere to it. The Cenobites look great. I don't even mind the new Pinhead. No one is ever going to top Doug Bradley's performance. Just like Robert England is the one true Freddy Krueger, Bradley is the one true Pinhead. With that being said, I thought the actress Jamie Clayton did a good job. I like the look of this new Pinhead. This is definitely a better version of the character than the one in Judgement.

I did feel like the lead character felt a little bland. As a result, the first half felt a little boring and dragged out. This film is two hours, which I think makes it the longest Hellraiser film. All the other movies were an hour and a half or less. This one could've (and should've) been that length too. That would have helped the pacing. However, the second half is much more exciting. I like that this film is actually about Hell and the Cenobites, because many of the past entries weren't for most of it.

Overall, if you're a fan of the franchise there's no reason not to watch this. You probably already have. If you're not, I doubt this film will change your mind.

Barbarian (2022)

Overrated In My Opinion

[4/10 · 20 October 2022]

Barbarian is a film I've been curious about for a while. When I saw the trailer, it did not seem that interesting to me. However, when it came out and was getting praised by critics, including Youtube personalities I follow, I became quite interested. Plus, the film has some notable actors like Justin Long and Bill Skarsgard, whom I've liked it other things. After finally seeing the film, I have to say I'm disappointed. Now, this might be because of how hyped-up the film is. Maybe, after seeing it more times I'll warm up to it more. That's happened before. However, right now I can say I wasn't a big fan of the film.

It's not the worst or the most disappointing movie I've seen this year. Dr. Strange 2 was definitely the film I was disappointed most by. Halloween Ends is the worst film I saw this year. It's definitely the worst horror film I've seen. I can say Barbarian is better than that film. However, there are other horror movies I've seen that are better like the Black Phone and even the new Hellraiser film.

Now, the film does have some things going for it.

It's a good-looking movie. It has some creative and atmospheric environments and shots. The performances were all good. There are some good kill scenes. There isn't many of them, but when they happen you have some good effects. I also like how the film subverts expectations a little bit. It feels a little like Psycho in that regard. You think it's going to be one movie, but then it becomes something else later.

But I just found the film very boring throughout most of it's run. A slow burn like this can work if you're attached to the characters, but I just wasn't. I found the leads pretty boring or unlikable. So those things really brought the film down for me.

But I'm in the minority on that. Most people seem to really like this film, and that's fine. Right now, I'm not really one of them. If you want a horror movie that cleverly subverts your expectations, but is more fun (at least to me), watch Malignant by James Wan.