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Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Home Alone is a holiday classic from a simpler time. Back when cheesiness was normal and nauseating wholesomeness was all the rage, Home Alone excelled. The film's massive success is both obvious and perplexing because it is as safe as possible. Empty familial platitudes and buffoonish threats give the illusion of a journey without challenging audiences. It's warm, cozy, and topped off with cartoonish violence. What did Kevin and his family really learn? Will Kevin continue to be neglected? Did any character actually arc? Despite wanting to buy into the sentimentality, some viewers might find Home Alone hollow. These feelings extend to the actual filmmaking of Home Alone as well. The cinematography throws in some shadows, POVs, and framing, but the visuals are mostly rudimentary. The same goes for the editing, production, and sound, all of which rarely enhance the experience. The effects are memorable but fairly simple, and the direction is cohesive but generic. Undoubtedly, the music is the greatest strength of Home Alone because it carries all the emotional weight that the film is selling. Ultimately, Home Alone is an adequate movie that broke through as an icon. Writing: 6/10 Direction: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 6/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 7.0/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Gremlins is great family fun. Uniting creativity, excitement, humor and craft, it's a refined piece of 80s pop culture. First, the story is exactly what wide audiences desire. Gremlins has an original plot that merges enjoyable doses of comedy and suspense. The stakes balance audience investment with a lighthearted tone. Plus, the script nails a classic protagonist arc and touches on higher themes about irresponsible consumerism. Next, the designs of the gremlins are flawlessly executed. The mogwai are adorable, and their transformations are creepy yet believable. Undoubtedly, the creatures' looks are central to why Gremlins is so iconic. Gremlins is driven by its broad sentimental appeal, but it has key technical virtues as well. In particular, the effects, sound, and music contribute to the film's impact. Crucially, the use of puppets and animatronics gives the film a tangible feel that makes it timeless. Meanwhile, the sound drives home the cuteness of the mogwai and sinister gremlins, while also setting the cartoonish tone of the movie. Also, the score is dynamic and amplifies the emotional connection. Combined with a lack of clear weaknesses, Gremlins is an excellent mixture that highlights its strengths and lands as ideal entertainment. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 10/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 8.3/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites The 355 is modern commercialism. It has little to say and is painfully generic, but it plays up its female-centric cast, hoping to make up for its thin substance. Diverse representation is a positive, but when it’s solely a marketing gimmick for an underwhelming project, it’s tainted. In fact, The 355 is fairly insulting because female led movies often get these poor efforts. Specifically, the film is a collection of cliches. Stock characters, predictable heel turns, unrealistic MacGuffins, exaggerated stakes, and some deus ex machina for good measure. Plus, the acting is bland (outside of Nyong'o, who brings legitimate emotion). Technically, the camerawork is excessively shaky and the editing is overcut, fruitlessly compensating for dull action. The production design is uninspired and limited. The audio design is involved but sometimes misuses action sounds. The music is forgettable and the effects are overly sanitized. Lastly, the direction lacks unity, creating a mundane and inconsistent experience. None of this is necessarily terrible, but The 355 just isn't great. Overall, it feels like a halfhearted ploy that capitalizes on good-natured people who want to support minority empowerment. Unfortunately for those viewers, The 355 does very little for the female cause. Writing: 4/10 Direction: 4/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Acting: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 5/10 Production Design: 4/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 6/10 Overall Score: 5.2/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @foxredfilmreviews Oh boy... As a proud 20 year old fan of the Mario series, this film had naturally fascinated me for so long, and after @somegreatflicks gifted me the Blu-Ray for my birthday three months ago, I thought it was finally time to check it out. Super Mario Bros (1993) left me speechless. I was shocked at this abomination. The way it strays so far from the source material is infamous, and while it is of course a major problem with the film, the biggest crime it commits is being so incredibly BORING. Think about it, this is a damn Mario movie. Almost every Mario game in history has been the exact opposite of boring, yet this film takes the colourful imagery, unique character designs, memorable music and creative settings of the games and literally shoves it down the toilet. The film is both visually and narratively a mess. The pacing is horrible, characters just go from one place to another with no explanation and it even goes for a Back to the Future-style ending in attempting to set up a sequel, which failed on every level. The digital effects have aged well on a technical level but they are used so mindlessly that it just feels like yet another technical showcase for CGI from the early 90s. Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo take the roles of Mario and Luigi respectively and their chemistry is the only minor positive of the whole thing. Saying that, this is Mario and Luigi. You could cast Timothee Chalamet and Larry the Cable Guy in these roles and they would still be great together. Dennis Hopper as King Koopa (Bowser for those not in the loop) was disappointing and utterly forgettable, as was every other cast member. Super Mario Bros was the first ever film adaptation of a video game series, so you could cut it some slack as there was no template to work off, but I will not cut it that slack. This film is a middle finger to all things Mario and that is all it will ever be remembered as. Let's hope Chris Pratt and co. will give us a true big screen depiction of the greatest video game series of all time. Oh boy, Chris Pratt... By @foxredfilmreviews

Reviews by: @flix_n_dawn Genre: Drama/world cinema Director/Screenplay: Ram Introduction: I have seen this film as among my first five Indian movies and it is one of my favorites when it comes to acting performances. Peranbu was showcased at the 47th International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands, 21st Shanghai International Film Festival in China, 49th International Film Festival of India, Korean Indian Film Festival in South Korea, and 11th New Generations Independent Indian Film Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Story & Screenplay: The story is about a father who worked abroad but is compelled to come back as his wife abandoned their teenage daughter suffering from cerebral palsy. Being away for so long, Amudhavan (Mammootty) finds it difficult to connect with Paapa (Sadhana). The father and daughter struggle living as they face financial and social problems altogether. The movie is divided into chapters centering on the lives of the father and daughter. Sir Ram is so brave to travel the less traveled road in cinema - the nature of sexuality. His intricate screenplay depicts that sexuality is a natural thing and cannot be denied or locked behind bars. Many movies tackled sexuality but very few are about the sexual desire of a woman with a disability. He also uses Meera's character to show that even transgenders have their morality too. All the characters have flaws but Sir Ram made no one an antagonist. He makes his protagonist Amudhan to be a well-mannered man and does not judge anyone for their actions and lives. Another character playing in shadow is Nature itself. The mother abandoning her child, married women committing adultery, sex workers, and father allowing his son to be beaten are all just pawns of nature. Nature is the real antagonist here as one of the chapter's titles is "Nature is brutal." The narrative style is a slow burn. The flashbacks and foreshadowing are provided to solidify the plot. It is raw, realistic, unique, and riveting leading to a beautiful climax that will haunt your memories for a long time. The climax scene is quite a spectacle. The dark tone, a bit shaky camera, melancholic score, wide-angle shots, solid performances, and few but impactful dialogues will make even the stone-hearted person drench in tears. The ending scene is absolutely rewarding and perfect to conclude the film. Characters, & Performances: This is definitely among the best performances I've seen so far in Indian movies. It is my first encounter with sir Mammootty and his performance blows me away completely. With aesthetic close-up shots, he communicates his emotion to the audience. The scene when he closes the door after seeing Paapa and realizing she is already a woman is shattering. Sadhana nails her role as Paapa. It is a very challenging role and she does it effectively. Though there may be some time that I felt her performance is a bit exaggerating but overall it is phenomenal. Meera's (Anjali Ameer) pivotal character as a transgender sex worker deserves commendation too. She makes her every appearance memorable. Frames, Score and Direction: I love the time-lapse and aerial shots in multiple parts of the film. The mist enveloping and lifting off from the lake foreshadows the emotion of each chapter. The first half shows the natural beauty of the country, fauna and flora, the stillness of the lake, and the warmness of green fields perfect for the blossoming relationship of the father and daughter. The second half shows the ugliness of the city, with trash, cramped apartment, and pollution suited well with their struggling life. My favorite frames are when they ride the boat the first time they went to the lake house, Meera's face outside the window of Amundhavan's taxi, and the aerial shot towards the ending. Those depict different emotions and are all so moving. The close-up shots are perfection giving out the details of facial expressions that encapsulate emotions and character dynamics. Theni Edward deserves all the admiration for commendable visual storytelling. The music and songs by Yuvan Shankar Rajamusi are meditative in nature. They blend well with the emotions being depicted. The subtle background score sets the poignant vibe that makes the movie heart-wrenching. I highly respect and admire Sir Ram for putting up a very emotional coming-of-age family drama that may be shattering and disturbing but beautiful by showing that love knows no bound really. A hard-hitting commentary on sensitive issues presented with certitude. The movie makes the audience feel emphatic with the characters and at the same time makes them retrospect with their own lives as well. Conclusion: I have seen many father-child relationship theme movies but this is the rawest, realistic, moving, and magical yet poignant, hard-hitting, haunting, and depressing. We all have our own battle and struggle and sometimes feel that life hit us hard but after watching Peranbu we will realize that we are more than fortunate. How the flawed characters try to live their lives with dignity amidst the harsh and judging society is inspiring. Further, the movie is an eye-opener for all the parents that comparing one’s own children is unfair and brutal. And that we can never understand one’s suffering unless we experience it ourselves. Peranbu is a beautiful depiction of the unfathomable love of a father to her daughter. By @flix_n_dawn

Reviews by: @damoroso4 Console: Ps4, Xbox One Release: 2018 Picking up directly after the events of Kiwami 1, the sequel puts us back in the shoes of Kiryu Kazama; the legendary Dragon of Dojima, as he tries to rebuild an alliance between rivals the Tojo Clan and the Omi. Just like the original Kiwami, the game is a complete remake of the 2006 ps2 game. Rebuilt from the ground up, Kiwami 2 uses the new 'Dragon Engine' to greatly enhance user playing experience. The game is all in Japanese, with no dubbing available, just English subtitles. This actually helps keep the experience fresh and engaging. Events takes place across the fictional cities of Kamurocho and Sotenbori. These cities are packed to the brim of things to do and see. You can freely enter and exit various buildings without any loading screens, and short taxi rides can cut travel time down considerably, meaning the cities really are your playground. Both cities are full of ways to kill time. You can play various games in some of the buildings such as darts; golf, and a ton of arcade games including Virtua Fighter. These are mostly fun, enjoyable ways to spend some time between objectives. You can also dine in one of the multiple restaurants on offer. Doing so has a couple of benefits: - It restores some of your health (how expensive the meal is will determine how much of your health is restored). - You gain experience points every time you eat (again depending on the meal). So as you can tell; it's wise to eat different foods regularly. You do have a 'stomach' gauge though, and when this is filled you can't eat anymore until it starts to lower (nice touch Sega 🤣). You can even hit some of the bars and get drunk! Not only is this amusing; but it actually has some benefits in combat too. The upgrades and abilities system is beautifully simple. You gain experience from eating, fighting or completing missions, which you can then spend on upgrading whatever you like in any order. You can increase your health; your damage output, or unlock new moves. Efficient, no frills stuff. The core gameplay, like in most Yakuza games, consists of fighting various thugs and general bad guys in and around the city. Oh and also tigers. KIRYU FIGHTS TWO FREAKING TIGERS. Kiryu is a fearsome fighter at the very top of his game here. There are no different fighting styles to switch between like in some of the other games. He gets 1 style only; but its super effective. You still have options in terms of how to approach fights. You can parry, counter, block; throw or just punch and kick. All of these are nice and simple to execute. Most of the items you see around you can be picked up and used as weapons. Kiryu also has a 'heat' meter which fills by doing damage (it fills quicker while you're drunk- no, seriously🤣). Filling it allows you to use a devastating finishing move using either the environment around you, or a weapon if you're holding one. Kiryu also has the added luxury of being able to pick up weapons and store them for future use. Make no mistake, weapons make some tricky encounters MUCH simpler; so storing some for a rainy day is a very wise decision. The Dragon engine's impact on the gameplay is significant. Fights are extremely fluid, especially compared to Kiwami 1 or any of the older games in the series. Kiryu effortlessly dances round his enemies, dealing them severe damage, and it all looks beautiful. Overall, the combat is slick, fluid and thoroughly enjoyable. AND DID I MENTION KIRYU FIGHTS TWO FREAKING TIGERS! Visually Kamurocho has never looked better. Vibrant, sharp textures bring the City to life as well as the characters themselves. The story is gripping. It starts out relatively simply but gradually gets more complex as the game progresses. Kiryu, despite his best intentions, can't seem to escape the Yakuza lifestyle no matter what he does. The plot does dip a little in the middle of the roughly 16 hour campaign, but the strength of the characters, including returning favourite Majima Goro; pull it through. Speaking of the strength of the characters- this brings us nicely to the villain of the piece- Ryuji Goda. What an incredible villain he is. With bags of charisma; Goda cuts an extremely imposing figure throughout the game. He's portrayed with a real cold hearted menace- you'll find yourself hating him from the very first encounter. The biggest compliment I can pay Goda is that, despite his entire dialogue being in Japanese, his tone of voice and the way that he carries some words is so distinctive that I could almost get the jist of what he was saying, even if the subtitles had been turned off. He is more than a worthy adversary to Kiryu, and the final encounter is a fitting climax to their rivalry. As with the others in the series; one of the best things about the game is that you can ignore pretty much all side content and make a beeline for the main plot, its completely up to you. The side content varies in quality, as is usually the case; so whether you choose to put in the extra hours or not, it wont really affect your overall experience. 2 of the main pieces of side content are a cabaret club mini game where you need to use your staff strategically to keep the customers happy; and a top down, tower defense style strategy game where you command a small force of construction workers and have to defend against waves of attackers. Only Yakuza could get away with such crazy, unique content! The tower defense game is actually pretty fun. When you need to kill some time around the city, give it a shot. If you're a newcomer to the Yakuza series, I would actually recommend you do NOT start with this game. The reason? Because this game is SO good, it sets the bar SO high, that the older games that don't have the Dragon engine powering them will be a bit of a disappointment. Kiwami 2 is an excellently crafted game; with very few flaws. It tells a brilliant story using a range of well written; memorable characters, and pits Kiryu against his toughest opponent yet. There are hours of fun to be had here and I cannot recommend this game highly enough. Verdict: 9/10 By @damoroso4

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2021 12A director: Jonathan Butterell starring: Max Harwood, Lauren Patel, Sarah Lancashire, Shobna Gulati, Richard E Grant, Sharon Horgan, Samuel Bottomley, Ralph Ineson etc Jamie New is a 16-year-old who doesn't quite fit in. Instead of pursuing a traditional career, he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure, he's going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mother and amazing friends, Jamie overcomes discrimination and bullying to step out of the darkness and into the spotlight. I really enjoyed this film, but for me it didn’t reach its full potential. My first few positives would be the charming opening. Likeable characters, with great cinematography and soundtrack. As well as great representation and performances. I think the film had a charming opening that set the tone for the film well. It set up the grounded day to day storyworld, with the extravagant and Confident Jamie, and it was nice to see his daily routine. It set up more of a grounded tone before the musical numbers kicked in which was nice. I thought the cast was very likeable. Jamie was an outgoing, passionate and fear free character that wasn’t afraid to be himself. He stood up for himself and was a charming and great character. I also thought the supporting cast was very likeable, and Jamie’s mum was amazing as his number 1 fan, and she supported him through all his decisions. I loved the cinematography of the film; it balanced a more grounded feel with beautiful countryside locations. With some colourful and fun shots with the musical numbers that really stood out and transported you to a different place. The soundtrack was also excellent, all the songs were catchy, upbeat, and put a smile on my face. I also thought the representation here was fantastic. The LGTBQ+ representation was fantastic and the themes surrounding it were handled very well, I also really liked the unconventional friendships with the Jamie and his best friends. As its conflicting with religion. But I found it refreshing and was a great element to the film. The performances were very strong. Sarah Lancashire and Max Harwood delivered charming and passionate performances and really bought the film to life. Richard E Grant was a big standout as well. He stole every scene he was in. He was bold, delightfully campy and an amazing presence on screen. My first few negatives would be the generic conflict, corny dialogue and falling into genre tropes. As well as some unlikeable characters. For me the film followed a lot of genre tropes. Whether it was the generic conflict within the school, or the predictable plot it did feel sort of safe in terms of fitting into the genre and didn’t do too much to get out of that. I also found some of the dialogue to be very corny. Some of it was just not executed well and very cheesy. It was very on the nose and felt out of place within the particular scenes and it just had my eyes rolling occasionally. For me I found the film made some of the characters way to unlikeable. The teacher played by Sharon Horgan was cruel and just nasty. I think they should have toned down her character a lot and she didn’t fit in with the film. She was practically telling Jamie to not be himself and threatened him with way too much. It just felt unneeded and didn’t sit right with me. My next few positives would be the chemistry between the cast and the character background. As well as how upbeat and cheerful the film is, with some great humour. The cast all worked well together and had excellent chemistry. The relationships felt so authentic and genuine, and the relationship that Jamie had with his mum was incredibly heart-warming. I also really liked the character background for Jamie, this gave more of a focus for the craving of acceptance from his father and gave Jamie something to overcome and therefore his character had more depth. I also just loved how upbeat and cheerful the film was, it put a smile on my face. That made the generic elements still for the most part work because its heart was always in the right place and the film was just charming to watch, plus some of the humour was great. Some of the comebacks and the attitude from Jamie was brilliant, I also found Richard E grant hilarious, and he suited his role excellently. My final few negatives would be the lack of emotional connection to the film. As well as the underused characters with a lack of depth, and the unfocused direction. For me this film lacked an emotional core. It glazed over or rushed a lot of the more complex themes and relationships. They could have gone deeper into Richard E grants character and one montage about the aids crisis in the 80’s just didn’t add the emotional resonance needed. And I felt like the film didn’t include the father in the film enough so his relationship with Jamie just didn’t go anywhere which I thought was a missed opportunity at a lot more depth and emotion. I also thought there was a missed opportunity with a lot of characters and how underused they were, they teased more depth to certain characters especially Dean (Samuel Bottomley), but they never went anywhere with the characters. Finally, the films direction for me lacked focus. The film worked best when Jamie was discovering himself and exploring his love for drag, his relationship with Richard E grants character was great. But then the film switched directions completely and went away from that storyline and for me the film lacked one clear focus and through line, so it felt jumbled and messy. My final few positives would be the uplifting and deep themes, as well as the good character development and heart-warming final act. This film was full of heart with its themes on acceptance, rejection and family handled well and with loads of charm and in a good amount of depth. Despite its lack of emotional connection, it was certainly still heart-warming, and it still executed its themes well. I also thought the character development for Jamie was great. He really grew as a person and discovered who he really wanted to be, with the full support of people around him he became a better person. I also thought the final act was uplifting and well executed. The soundtrack was great, Jamie was accepted, and it was just sweet and charming to watch, it was a good kind of cheese that made me feel good. Overall, everybody’s talking about Jamie has an excellent cast and musical numbers. As well as an infectious charm that never dims, plus its heart is always in the right place. But its lack of focus and emotional core stops it from shining as much as it wants to. Overall rating 71/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augusytkellerwrites @michaels_movie_bay The Tragedy of MacBeth is a technical marvel. The film is truly high art because the cinematography is impeccable, the production design is captivating, and the audio design is chilling. Together, this creates a mesmerizing journey of light and sound. The tight aspect ratio, stark lighting, and precise framing combine with surreal set compositions to produce a dazzling stream of masterful imagery. Meanwhile, the sound is consistently symbolic and pulsing, evoking motifs of paranoia. All told, the technical aspects of The Tragedy of MacBeth are genuine craftsmanship and serve the spirit of the film in every way. What's more, The Tragedy of MacBeth is built around classic drama. Staying true to Shakespeare (aside from some savvy streamlining) is always a safe bet. The story captures haunting descents into madness, and the dialogue is hypnotically rhythmic. Denzel Washington is brooding with bursts of rage, and McDormand steals the show as she mentally unravels. Plus, the score is menacing, the transitions are smooth, and the effects are stylistic. From top to bottom, this is a detailed work of art. The Tragedy of MacBeth might not be popcorn entertainment for wide audiences, but it's a perfect storm of skill. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 9/10 Sound: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 10/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 9.5/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augusytkellerwrites 4/5 A retelling of the classic Shakespearean tragedy about a soldier who, when told of his future by three witches, doggedly pursues the promised outcome with murderous ferocity. The Tragedy of Macbeth is a mostly faithful adaptation of the famous play. The dialogue is delivered in signature Shakespearean English and for those willing to appreciate the Bard’s outdated prose, this film is a rewarding watch, featuring some stellar (and some not so stellar) performances and beautiful visuals. The play, originally performed in 1606, features a central conflict that resonates centuries later. And the themes that haunt the characters throughout the story—fate, control, and the end justifying the means—still challenge all humans every day. The lead characters make a series of decisions in their quest for glory which brutally illustrate the menace of elevating ambition above ethics. Despite my typically unfailing love for Denzel Washington, I struggled with his portrayal of the titular role. He is a complete mismatch, delivering weighty lines with his signature lilt—the only actor that makes no attempt at an accent. Frances McDormand suffers from the same problem (although to a lesser extent), bringing her own fame and performative baggage to the role which occasionally distracts. Corey Hawkins, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, and Harry Melling round out the rest of the cast and they each perform the material very well. Most notable in this adaptation are the stunning visuals which are stark, minimalist, and fiercely symmetrical. Joel Coen directs each scene with his signature mastery and the film is absolutely gorgeous to watch, from the panoramic vistas and beautiful forests to the disorienting Castle Inverness—with rooms that seem to stretch and shift within each scene. Overall, this is another solid Shakespearean adaptation that could have benefited from a bit more acting and a bit less celebrity. Hot take: Fair is foul and foul is fair, if you love Shakespeare, you should not despair. But if the Bard is not quite to your taste, watching this movie would be a huge waste. By @michaels_movie_bay

Reviews by: @the_nut_shell_horrorreviews 10/10 Dr Gordon and Adam wake up chained to walls in a strange decaying room, a man covered in blood lays in the centre. They find tapes which give them strange instructions revealing a lethal game designed for not all players to survive. Time starts to tick away for both men and the more information they revealed the more it seems the game will play out exactly as the game master intends. Absolutely incredible now classic premise, expertly executed. A superb amount of psychological and gory horror. All elements are so creepy. Performances work brilliantly to support the brutality of the Jigsaw killer. Lots of fear in this festival of horrors. Does the intense and upsetting moments extremely well. The set and prop design are out-of-this-world amazing. Cinematography and compilation are great especially in the montages. Something so organically watchable about a serial killer with a philosophy, and one an audience could even agree with. One of the greatest twist endings of all time! This is an absolute classic! Launching a huge franchise, its very obvious to see why. Gore ☠☠☠☠ Suspense ☠☠☠☠ Jump scare ☠☠☠ Dread ☠☠☠☠☠ By @the_nut_shell_horrorreviews

Reviews by: @augusytkellerwrites @tylersnerdy_review In true Aaron Sorkin fashion, Being the Ricardos is a rollercoaster of fascinating conversations. Almost every scene tackles multiple issues, yet Sorkin keeps it clear and concise. Gradually, the story builds, becoming rich in themes of home, prejudice, and ambition. Yet, Being the Ricardos ultimately focuses its attention on the world's discomfort with powerful women. Therefore, Nicole Kidman's fiery performance influences the entire production. She is sharp, assured, and, deep down, afraid of losing it all. Because Kidman is so convincingly layered and the supporting cast is equally dynamic, the acting drives the film as much as the whip-smart writing. Plus, the filmmaking of Being the Ricardos might not match its emotional backbone, but it is still technically proficient. The visuals provide cohesive color schemes, light camera movement, and occasionally aesthetic shots. The editing paces the film briskly, yet gives key beats time to breathe. The production design is detailed and sells the time period. Lastly, the direction balances the snappy humor and the painful dramatics into a potent tone of somber recognition. Overall, Sorkin's clever script and the excellent cast are supported by solid cinema, creating an effective experience. Assuredly, Being the Ricardos is worth a view. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.3/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augusytkellerwrites Continuing with the Oscars grind, I just finished Prime Video’s original movie Being the Ricardos. Nominated solely for acting this year we have; Javier Bardem for Best Lead Actor, Nicole Kidman for Best Lead Actress, and JK Simmons for Best Supporting Actor. I’ll be completely honest with all of you, I loved each of their performances in this movie, they’re really good. But having seen a handful of episodes of I Love Lucy to prepare for WandaVision last year, none of these actors look or sound anything like the people they’re meant to be playing. It was a very distracting issue that took me out of the movie multiple times. So while I think they all give great performances, I can’t honestly say any of them deserve the award. My only other big gripe with the movie was that there were three scandals coming through at once which made it hard to keep the timeline straight, I really feel like they didn’t do the best they could with how all of these events played together. Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Sawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Clark Gregg, and Nelson Franklin all do pretty good jobs with their roles of various different sizes. I love the back and forth mix of color and black and white, and the focus on Lucy is really great. I don’t know how much of this is true but they make her a badass and I loved it. I do know how big of a deal it was for her to be pregnant on the show, that was a huge deal in the 60’s. Many people may not understand that, or that they’re characters slept in separate beds, or how big a deal it was for a person to be accused of being a Communist then. This movie relies a lot on the history of the 50’s, so make sure to watch a video or read a chapter of an American history text book or something, but also watch a few episodes of I Love Lucy and you’ll really appreciate this movie. All of that being said, this is a really well put together movie that just got very miscast, but that cast does their very best with the movie. There’s a whole lot to like here, just a few issues that shadow over the things that are good. I’d suggest giving it a watch, it was an enjoyable two hours. I’m giving Being the Ricardos a pretty solid 8/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon @arproductions17 @thefilmobservatory @filmreviewwithlulu @silverscreencritiques 2021 18 director: Edgar Wright starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor Joy, Matt Smith, Dianna Rig, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlson, Terence Stamp etc Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker. What a fantastic and unique film this was. My first few positives would be the fantastic performances and chemistry between the cast. As well as the amazing cinematography and editing. As well as some interesting and unique elements. and a strongly connected plot. The Whole cast here did a fantastic job. Anya Taylor Joy is such a fantastic actress. She stole every scene she was in with her charm and charisma and delivered an intense and very likeable performance. Thomasin McKenzie also delivered a very strong performance. Also showing a lot of charisma and delivered an intense and unnerving performance. She held her own with the bigger stars. The whole cast also had brilliant chemistry with each other, and this just added to the enjoyment of the film and making it as unnerving as it was. This film had some of the strongest cinematography and Editing I have seen all year. The colour palette of the film was so beautiful and vibrant the film really stood out visually, it felt unique and different to anything I have seen particularly with the dream sequences. And I must applaud the editor of the film. The match cuts and graphic matches were stunning. And how they executed both Thomasin and Anya being in the same scene was incredibly creative and amazing to watch. There were also some really interesting and unique elements to the film. Having Eloise be able to communicate with the dead was a fascinating element to her character and connected it with being able to go back to the past really well. The film in general just felt unique. Whether it was visually, or stylistically this film managed to have a lot of originality to it. Finally, I thought the plot was so cleverly connected. Having Eloise be so influenced by the past and nostalgia and become obsessed with the past. The film cleverly increased the tension and uncomfortable atmosphere with the past slowly becoming a part of the present as Eloise morphed into Sandy and used the same time period as her influence. My next few positives would be the fantastic uncomfortable tone and themes. As well as the fantastic set pieces and bringing the 60’s to life. Whilst also having a fantastic script. The film managed to achieve an amazing uncomfortable tone mostly due to its dark but relevant themes on the mistreatment of women both in the past and the present. Eloise was a very shy and reserved character, so it was understandable that she was terrified of going to London by herself. How men mistreated her was very uncomfortable and then the reflection of this in the past and the correlation between her character and Sandy’s especially with the use of the ghosts made the film very unsettling. The films set locations were beautiful, Soho was such a fantastic and beautiful place to film in, and the locations of the 60’s and bringing that era to life was done excellently and It made me want to go back in time. I also thought the films script was fantastic. The subtle but impactful messages it had about the treatment of women will connect with a lot of people and it was so cleverly written. I only had one issue with the film. The final act was slightly messy with its themes and execution. I thought the final act was slightly messy with its themes and tone. The twist was excellent; however, the film took a very campy tone, which worked in some scenes and didn’t in others. And the film made it unclear who to align and sympathise with the ghosts or Sandy. So therefore, the impact of the films themes was lost slightly. My final few positives would be the fantastic Soundtrack and development to the plot. As well as the building of tension and use of gore. And finally, the fantastic plot twists. This film had one of the strongest soundtracks of the year. The inclusion of 60’s music and bringing that era to life was incredible, I also loved that the film put a modern twist on it with the creativity of the scenes and Anya Taylor Joy providing excellent vocals to downtown which was one of the highlights of the film. I also thought the development to the plot and mystery was excellent. The film built its mystery around Jack and Sandy and what truly happened in the past, as well as Eloise getting slowly taken over by everything was done so excellently and fluently, I was very impressed at how the film flowed so smoothly. I also thought the film-built tension really well, the sense of threat and danger slowly increased as Eloise slowly broke down and it was very uncomfortable and well executed as the themes and sense of danger increased. I also thought the use of gore with the insane plot twists was very good. I didn’t see the films plot twists coming at all, it was shocking, clever, and so well executed. I didn’t expect the intense gore and where and the film went in a very dark direction, and it was excellently crafted. Overall, despite the final act not fully matching the intensity of the first two thirds. Last night in Soho is a visually stunning, bold, and creative film. That stands out from the crowd with its visual style and messages. This is Edgar Wright at his most ambitious and creative. Overall score 93/100 By @ryan_the_nixon Last Night in Soho is a fantastic horror film in every way the screenplay is done beautifully, showing the skill and the vision of Edgar Wright. The film is set in London in a place called Soho and takes you back in time to the '60s. The main character of the film Eloise is a girl going to university to study art; played by Thomasin McKenzie as she starts to see the past life of a glamorous girl called Sandy played by Anya Taylor-Joy every time she falls asleep in the very room Sandy was in all those years ago. Life starts going downhill for Eloise as the visions start to affect her reality and cause her to suffer from schizophrenia. From what started as innocent and nostalgic music the story takes a turn as Jack played by Matt Smith becomes Sandys pimp and takes advantage of her. Quickly becoming something more of a horror genre, the story starts to come to light as Eloise does everything she can to figure out what happened to Sandy and the men taking control of her life. By @arproductions17 2.5/5 Horror/Thriller Aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) moves to London and starts taking solace in her dreams of another life as promising 1960s singer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), before her tragic story begins to unravel. If I was to be concise, Last Night in Soho is a movie and Edgar Wright has done better. With the major delays to this long-awaited film, expectations had been brewing for quite a while but I don’t even think that it’s fair to blame the pandemic for this one. The nicest thing I can say is that I was consistently entertained, as Wright would have to be sabotaging his own film to make one of his typically creative execution boring but, other than that, Last Night in Soho is pretty disappointing and a very mixed bag. It is essentially Edgar Wright’s first venture into horror (Shaun of the Dead was horror-comedy) and his style doesn’t appear to mesh well with it. The film demands you to take it seriously but there were points where I couldn’t prevent laughing, for a various manner of reasons. While there is quite a lot of brutal violence, it’s shown in a strange fashion that feels reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, which could have suitably tied into the prevalent theme of the 1960s if Wright was just sticking to his typical comedic style. Instead, the film begins to contradict itself, as we are presented with jarring juxtaposition between what’s meant to be a dark tone and the almost cartoonish violence put onscreen. Towards the end, Last Night in Soho becomes such a misconceived mess of unconvincing visuals and nonsensical logic that the only way to enjoy this film is as an accidental comedy. I find it baffling that Terence Stamp’s performance wasn’t actually meant to be funny, as his character unintentionally felt like he’d been taken from the tongue-in-cheek cult of the elderly residents of Sandford in Hot Fuzz. By contrast, part of what makes the Cornetto trilogy work so well is that Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost demonstrate an understanding of and can presumably connect to the standard, middle-class, 30s/early 40s British experience, so those films were grounded by just the right amount of relatability, while also being hilarious and fresh as genre hybrids. Without Pegg and Frost’s heart and wit, Wright shows little scriptwriting promise here, as Last Night fails to show an accurate understanding of its main character going through her teenage girlhood. That’s not to say that creatives can’t centre stories around protagonists of a race, gender, sex, age etc. that don’t directly relate to them, but this film displays a pretty incompetent representation of modern, young people. Eloise’s nasty flatmate Jocasta (Synnove Karlsen) comes off as a surface-level caricature, who seems like a supporting character from the 2004 film Mean Girls that mistakenly stumbled onto the set of this ‘horror-thriller’. I feel a little bad for Michael Ajao, who sweetly plays Eloise’s friend John but is given a cringe-inducing script, as McKenzie’s character is going crazy yet he continues to tag along with her through London and remind her that she can talk to him if something’s up, even though they hardly know each other and she’s showing major signs of being a potential danger to others and herself. As for Eloise, her adoration of 1960s lifestyle and culture is her primary character trait, which isn’t a particularly expansive or clever opportunity for exploration of the young protagonist. The film also seemed to be teetering on the edge of an emotionally rich subplot about Eloise’s traumatic past with her mother (Aimee Cassettari), as the memories initially seem to haunt our protagonist before she appeared relevant so sporadically that it gave the impression that the writers lazily assumed that simply addressing this storyline would be enough to solidify it as powerful. To balance out this review, I’ll take a break from my rant to say what I did like. Firstly, the lack of depth to Eloise doesn’t change how impressively McKenzie holds her own in this role that I can only imagine was gruelling for the 21-year-old actor. Putting lapses in logic aside, she effectively conveys the character’s rising anxiety and paranoia, as well as a looming, claustrophobic feeling of no escape from the horror. Despite the major flaws of this film, McKenzie’s performance managed to keep me engaged the whole time and admittedly carried it through some of the rougher edges. I won’t pretend that it’s a surprise that Anya Taylor-Joy, playing Sandie, excels, as the provenly talented actor continues to thrive in psychologically intense, cinematic environments (after The Witch and Split). Taylor-Joy also exercises some previously unheard vocal talent, during an audition scene, further demonstrating her range and role commitment. For about 45 minutes, Last Night in Soho introduces interesting ideas and seems well-directed. The 1960s sequences initially ooze of style, and Wright does some clever in-camera tricks that add a layer of authenticity to the film and his craft (e.g. when Sandie is dancing in the club and Eloise takes her place before going back again in a cycle, I read that there was only cut, with the actors literally moving around on the set to control whether they were in view of the camera, when switching around). This film also packs a classy soundtrack up to typical Edgar Wright standards, which continued the trend of positives that had me hopeful for the rest of the film. Wright also maintains his visual flair for the most part, and 1960s London vs. modern London each pack distinct and vibrant cinematography. However, Last Night in Soho begins to fail when you realise that the writers loved the time-jumping concept but left character and effective storytelling second. If you watch the trailer, you’ve already seen most of the things that work and the film simply doesn’t have much more to offer. Unfortunately, this is the point where I have to return to the significant negatives. At the beginning of her story, Taylor-Joy’s Sandie dazzlingly channels the characteristics of a star before she’s dragged down into a depressed state as she is constantly mistreated and manipulated by sleazy pimp Jack (a detestable Matt Smith). It’s here that Last Night in Soho hints at becoming an intriguing social commentary on how men in positions of power abused women in the 1960s, despite the main things remembered from that era consisting largely of Eloise’s superficial interests, such as those in music and fashion. Therefore, nostalgia is flipped on its head for Eloise and the audience, and Wright suggests that the film is about remembering the victims of the disgusting, wealthy white men of the time, for an overall message of female empowerment. However, Wright’s message later becomes grossly confused, as a victim turns into a victimiser with no significant repercussions or vilification, as they are instead presented to be tragically misunderstood. This is an extremely problematic way to idealise feminism, as beliefs of equality shouldn’t come down to anybody deciding that a person deserves to come to harm for whatever reason, and it also suggests the incorrect idea that the massively important, peaceful movement would settle for retribution to call justice. It also wrongly suggests that it’s acceptable for victims to project how they’ve been hurt onto someone else and cause more victims. I highly doubt that Wright considered the aforementioned victimiser to be in the right but the theme of female empowerment clearly wasn’t given enough attention, and the director should’ve realised that his trademark, hyperbolic violence didn’t fit with the sentiment at all. In comparison, Emerald Fennell’s razor-sharp directorial debut Promising Young Woman from earlier this year (in the UK, at least) presents a heady perspective on a woman seizing back agency after a horrifying case of abuse by men but perfectly walks the tightrope to avoid all of the mistakes that Last Night in Soho makes – though self-defence is unquestionably justified, breaking the cycle of violence and hurt is more important than revenge. A conglomeration of issues with the writing seriously lets this film down and undermines the limited positive elements present. I would say that the twist at the end is the only one, out of Wright’s whole career, that’s ineffective on pretty much every level (my specific thoughts on it are tied into the previous paragraph, if you want to know more about why). It doesn’t help that the writers signpost clues and then treat the viewer like they’re stupid, by acting as if certain events in the plot are actually surprising and smart. As alluded to earlier, the dialogue feels contrived and clunky, with most lines lacking depth and genuine importance, which kind of sum up the purpose that they’re intended for. Something that bugged me was that Eloise has blue and red neon lights flashing when she’s going to sleep (no, I have no idea why either) but the colours didn’t actually have any significance or rational reason to be there; it just seemed to be a cheap gimmick that Wright used to make scenes look stylish. After about halfway through, the story loses steam and clearly lacks direction so the film becomes tediously repetitive: Eloise begins to be tormented by strange supernatural or psychic forces, that are chasing after her in reality or in her head (I’m honestly not sure which), and that’s how we spend the next roughly 30 minutes of the film. Eloise may get away briefly but they’ll reappear, don’t you worry. And then she’ll escape again but they’ll reappear, and the cycle continues, as the surviving glimmers of a chance for a consistently intriguing plot fade into the background. What’s particularly frustrating is that, because Edgar Wright is a beloved, talented director, this lazy writing manages to be masked by decent visuals and disturbed performances that provoke many critics to praise ‘a constant sense of tension and inevitability, that could only be upheld by such a creative auteur’. Also, everything wraps up in an unrealistically neat and optimistic fashion that felt very tonally dissonant from the chaotic hellscape that Eloise metaphorically spent so much of the movie in. By the end, Eloise’s relationships with those closest to her have hardly changed, and she demonstrates no struggles with mental health and/or recovery (side note: there is no way that she wouldn’t be severely traumatised from the events in Soho), so I naturally began to question what the point of the film even was. Some of my criticisms may seem unnecessarily fastidious but these kinds of issues build up to harmfully detract from a film until you’re left with a pretty mediocre and empty experience… insert sigh. On a less rant-y note, it was nice to see Dame Diana Rigg in what I’m assuming was her final role. While it would be a grave understatement to say the writing doesn’t fail her character towards the end, she still carried a warm screen presence for most of the film, and continued to prove herself as a fantastic actor, even so late into her life. R.I.P. Diana Rigg and thank you for your impressive contributions to film and TV throughout your life. Overall, Last Night in Soho is mostly entertaining but massively flawed. Since this review involved so much Edgar Wright slander, I’d like to clarify that I genuinely love most of his other films, meaning that I’m being harsh on him because I know that he can do so much better, therefore leading to me being largely let down by this one. Fans of Edgar Wright may still find some enjoyment in Last Night in Soho but I’d recommend to general viewers to save your money by either giving this film a miss or catching it cheap on digital. Sadly, this latest Wright is a so-no. By @thefilmobservatory Wow. Once again, Edgar Wright with all of his outstanding cast and crew, including cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung, has amazed me with the carefully crafted scenes, effortless editing techniques and exquisite soundtrack! Wright’s idiosyncratic style and ability to explore every single genre you could imagine, allows you to experience the unexpected. Combined with the very energetic storyline, the film showcases a phenomenal use of colour, costume design, set design, and Edgar Wright’s classic rapid and comic dialogue which never fails to impress me. The choreography and music… This film will have you swimming in the desire to want to go back in time to the 60’s. You are bound to be singing Downtown by Petula Clark for days with Taylor-Joy delivering a haunting yet beautiful rendition of the piece. The original motion picture orchestration and score by Steven Price is what will make you sit on the edge of your cinema seat. This combined with Edgar Wright’s iconic use of camera, was the real showstopper for me. Anya-Taylor Joy and Thomasin McKenzie deliver a mesmerising performance, always leaving you wanting more. Matt Smith, Michael Ajao, Diana Rigg and Terrence Stamp were absolutely perfect, bringing their own particular charm to the film and taking it to the next level! To be honest, it did feel quite repetitive throughout the development and the main downfall for me was that the resolution was quite a shock in it’s calm nature, after a wild establishment and development, however I absolutely loved the playfulness in the final shot. Definitely a film I could re watch like all of Edgar Wright’s films. Please support films in cinemas! By @filmreviewwithlulu The film follows Ellie, a young girl who moves to London to study fashion at a college. She struggles to fit in and adjust to the new lifestyle. She also loves everything about the 1960s. Fashion, music, etc. Ellie experiences the 1960s first hand and has a great time with it for a bit, but things start to turn for the worse. She starts to see and/or experience some terrible things that happened. Last Night in Soho had me guessing which way it was going and what exactly it was trying to say. From what I can gather, this film explores the idolization of another time and the desire to live in a past generation. This film is similar to another film called "Midnight in Paris" but less pedantic. This film shows us that every generation has had it's own fair share of struggles and issues. Some of those issues still happen to this day. A lot of times whenever somebody thinks of the past, they tend to think of all the good things that that time period had. Like music, fashion, way of life, etc. A lot of the time, they don't think of or talk about the bad things that happened, so we tend to think that they didn't have hard times. Like Ellie, we tend to think they're great at first, but once we look a little closer, we begin to see all the errors and faults that occurred. And realize that some things never change. I'm not saying that liking or enjoying things from the past is a bad thing. I enjoy a lot of older things myself. I'm just saying that we shouldn't feel like we were born in the wrong generation. Desiring to live in another time can make you miss everything today, and is ultimately pointless. "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." We shouldn't only remember the good things of the past, but also the negative things, so we can learn from them and be better. By @silverscreencritiques

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @tylersnerdy_review @thefilmobservatory Belfast is a nostalgic look at a difficult era. The struggles are taken seriously, but Belfast looks beyond, to the innocence at the center of the turmoil. The film entertains themes of family, home, and community. However, it focuses on slice-of-life moments rather than digging too deep. This allows the actors to express themselves in heartfelt ways across the emotional spectrum. Caitriona Balfe stands out for nailing stirring scenes, but Jude Hill deserves credit for piloting the film at such a young age. Belfast may not provide a groundbreaking narrative, but its sincerity is a worthy supplement. Meanwhile, the filmmaking of Belfast is rock solid. The production design is convincing, the effects are impactful, and the editing has clever moments. Plus, the sound gets symbolic and silent at key points. Simultaneously, the music consistently elevates the film by capturing both the bittersweet mood and the classic time period. Lastly, the cinematography is the star of Belfast because its shots are composed with suggestion, symbolism, and beauty. Visual symmetry, configuration, and lighting are utilized masterfully to evoke significant emotion. Overall, Kenneth Branagh has directed a superb film that is both sentimental and poignant. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 9/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 8.5/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites I finally stopped procrastinating watching Belfast, one of the main front runners at the Oscars this year. With a total of seven nominations including; Best Picture, Kenneth Branagh for Best Director, Ciarán Hinds for Best Supporting Actor, Judi Dench for Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound, and “Down to Joy” for Best Original Song. I really think it stands a big chance at a lot of these. I really liked it but I don’t think it should win best picture, but I think it could win because the Academy likes stories about telling stories. I think Branagh stands a good chance for Director and screenplay, I really liked the work he did on this movie. You could tell so much of it was very personal and important to him. Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench are fantastic here as Pop and Granny and deliver the best performances of the film. They contributed to two of the three times I cried. The sound isn’t something I noticed much while watching and while “Down to Joy” is a good song I think there are much better songs this year. Jude Hill is truly phenomenal here and one of the best child actors I’ve ever seen, this kid has a great career ahead of him. Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan are so good as the Mom and Dad and deal with a lot of heavy choices for the safety of their kids. Also, I was beyond distracted by Dornan every time he was on screen, the man is so hot. I really liked the first transition from color to black and white and then the small mixes of color scattered around until the end are so well done. This period of strife is one I’m not familiar with and I wish I knew more about this time. No kid should ever have to live through something like that. Watching this right after The Eyes of Tammy Faye was very jarring. From the love some people put into the world in the name of god, to the pain people inflict on others in the name of god. It makes me sick that people of the same religion would do this to each other and put children in the middle of harms way. Belfast is a deeply moving image of a horrible time for the people of Ireland beautifully captured through amazing performances and directing. 9/10 from me, just a few pacing issues. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review 3/5 Drama/Coming-of-age Amidst the civil unrest of The Troubles, young schoolboy Buddy (Jude Hill) reflects on his life, as his family considers leaving their home of Belfast permanently. To sum Belfast up, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Oscar bait so shamelessly be Oscar bait, to quite this extent. Since the Academy Nominees have been released, I have had some very strong feelings about the categories that this film is questionably up for, most egregiously Best Director for Kenneth Branagh… a section that Denis Villeneuve is absent from?! I don’t think Belfast is bad and I don’t think it’s incredible either: it’s frustratingly middling yet has become an awards darling and it’s painfully clear why. Sir Kenneth Branagh is in the directing chair, it’s been hyped in interviews to be semi autobiographical and therefore tell a personal story, it’s filmed in black-and-white and it frames itself in the trailers to be tackling the issue of a major historical and social crisis. Unfortunately, there’s a persisting problem with all 4 of those aspects which make the film feel kind of well-meaning but a little pretentious, and this is an overall disappointingly surface-level experience. Starting with the good, the performances and the camerawork are both more than solid. Despite the writing leaving him as a fairly uninteresting protagonist, Jude Hill is commendable in the lead role, effectively channelling the emotional extremes and mannerisms of a child in his position, presenting a performance that comes off as poignant and genuine. As for the rest of the cast, I’d consider Caitríona Balfe the standout, playing the part of Buddy’s conflicted mother who’s torn about whether to stay, which would compromise their safety and wellbeing, or leave, which would mean abandoning their roots and home. It’s here that Belfast achieves its intention of presenting the tragic and unfair difficulties for the Irish, whose neighbourhoods became rife with violence, leaving them with one of the only options to be moving to England… the country which had arguably caused all the unrest with its complicated history of discriminative, dismissive and disrespectful treatment of the former. Jamie Dornan is fine but nothing special like some have hyped his supporting performance to be, and the same goes for the charming but underwhelming turn from Judi Dench, however, I did find Ciarán Hinds’s cheeky grandpa to Buddy to be quite a likeable scene-stealer. What I appreciated about Haris Zambarloukos’s cinematography is that it nicely complements the performances in a manner slightly evocative of Wes Anderson’s distinct style. The camera isn’t necessarily static but often takes its time with neat framing to allow the performances to be fleshed out and take the spotlight, almost like drawing a portrait of the characters. I also quite like the way that Belfast implements small bursts of colour at cinema showings and theatre performances, almost reversing the contrast of when a black-and-white picture is being watched in a scene from a film with regular colour. However, I really did not like the opening and ending shots, which might sound random but it ties into my first main criticism of Belfast: it’s a film with a deceptively surface- level and uninspired nature hidden by the self-proclaimed pretence of it being a ‘sublime’, ‘beautiful’ coming-of-age story that allows it to take extensive liberties with aspects such as structure. Essentially, this film opens on various shots of modern Belfast in colour before switching to black-and-white, making us think about how the city’s changed, a theme which is completely irrelevant to our main story set in the late 1960s. It’s one of the laziest ways that this film could’ve began, making it all the more frustrating when it ends on modern day Belfast, again in colour, acting as if the narrative was coherent enough for this returning idea to seem clever. To provide an example of a film where this works, Schindler’s List’s jump from the end of WW2 to the 1990s is gut-punching and poignant because the flash-forward is entirely justified by the fact that we are seeing these real-life people, who were played by actors as their younger versions in the Holocaust, still alive and remembering the countless victims who died to the Nazi regime. The effect is that it blurs the lines between a film dramatising a historical tragedy, and a documentary featuring the survivors and their memories, which starkly reminds the audience of how real all the horrors of the Holocaust were, while also bringing an immense layer of authenticity and respect for the Jewish people who made it. Therefore, Schindler’s List presents a direct link with the characters/people in their past and present forms, in one of the most unique and emotional ways I’ve ever seen put on film, entirely coherently. On the other hand, all Belfast offers us is some establishing shots of buildings straight out of a travel documentary advertising the city as the latest and greatest European holiday location, before cutting to the 1960s setting. I understand that this was meant to present a ‘jarring’ contrast between the grand and beautiful city today, and the troubled times that the Irish went through back then but there simply isn’t enough for this to carry any emotional potency or memorable significance, compared to the masterful and heart-wrenching effect that Steven Spielberg crafted with the end of Schindler’s List. So, what else makes Belfast not achieve its intentions and the potential of its base ideas other than annoying and drawn-out shots of architecture, you may wonder? Tonal issues aplenty is one answer but, before that, I must address another of my biggest qualms with this film that not many seem to have picked out: I kind of struggled to connect with the characters because we don’t get enough depth to work with, and the story is indecisive and messy in its structure. Belfast doesn’t really venture beyond the simple plot summary I gave at the beginning of this review, as Branagh trusts that a ‘slice of life’ of a young child in this time and place is interesting enough to sustain an entire film. It’s fortunate that it doesn’t scratch 100 minutes but even what they have is too long with such a lack of intricacies and nuances to the plot, as there was little going on to keep me hooked, beyond the tragic conflict and terrorism going on in this character’s home neighbourhood. Therefore, I was pretty disappointed to realise that this film isn’t really about the Troubles; we only get two major sequences of riots that feel weirdly disjunctive to the almost feel-good energy of the family setting, but, again, I’ll get back to the tonal problems later. Movies like Belfast, that stay ‘relaxed’ and aren’t massively plot-driven can work but they have to then make up for that by focusing on interesting characters and their dynamics, which this film doesn’t deliver on. I couldn’t figure out who was meant to be the ‘main character’, as it’s marketed to be the kid and I did understand that it was meant to be from his perspective, but he’s just a normal child, with little of interest to offer, e.g. he ‘cutely’ has a crush at primary school, he’s naïve talking to his sister about which names ‘are’ Catholic and which ‘are’ Protestant, he likes talking to his grandfather about anything and everything: it’s not bad stuff but it’s uninventive. It doesn’t help that we spend quite a lot of the runtime away from him, with other family members that I’m really not that bothered about because we don’t know who they are other than maybe one of their base beliefs about an event or circumstance that’s part of the plot, which is problematic as that kind of leaves them as just plot devices; they act as catalysts in how the narrative goes but don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. All this makes me wonder what happened with that 98-minute runtime for little character to have actually been presented and developed, and I retrospectively think that Belfast can feel like a lot of scenes cascading over one another with some of them having great stuff that I liked, however, this makes for an overall non-cohesive and uneven structure. It may be that Branagh intended for it to feel like the directionless ramblings of a child because life is messy, and the feelings arguably more-so for a kid, but it unfortunately didn’t work for me. For my final main point, I’d like to begin my quoting Independent’s review of Belfast, as they summed it up best: this is “A film about the Troubles that isn’t about the Troubles at all”. We open on a stark and terrifying sequence of violence, heavily marketed in at least the main trailer, that sets the film up to be a heart-breaking look at how civil unrest affects innocent people’s lives and safety. However, the film quickly shifts to less of a moving drama and more of a lighter, nostalgic set of memoirs from a past life (Branagh’s, from what he’s told the press), making it feel almost disrespectful to what was going on, as if Belfast was just using the appeal of tackling the heavy subject matter to trick viewers and critics into believing that it’s something emotional and important. For a film from someone who lived through it all, it’s quite jarring to watch it frequently shy away from the cold, difficult reality of what was going on at the time, and you really get the sense that Branagh has no idea of what he wants it to actually be. It feels as if he’s tactlessly trying to combine two separate movies, one a coming-of-age story about forging a connection to your hometown, the other occasionally a historical drama about violence in 1960s Ireland, and spoiler alert: they don’t gel together. By @thefilmobservatory

Reviews by: @matts_moviez A Gothic Romance, Masquerading as a Supernatural Thriller Marketing really undercut the beauty that Del Toro conveys in his 2015 gothic mystery. What was advertised as being a spooky spectral spectacle, was more in line with unnerving, macabre epics, to the annoyance of some horror buffs. But Del Toro is above run-of-the-mill horror, instead, plunging his audience into the creative depths of the true monsters that inhabitant all his films, the people. Ghosts are portrayed as wronged victims, longing for a sense of justice, which makes for an intriguing plot device, especially approaching climactic, snow-covered final twenty minutes. Del Toro's Underseen Gem Not too long ago, I fell under the guise that professional reviews were the "end all" way of critiquing a film. But low and behold, that's not the case, especially for a film as lovely as Crimson Peak. Del Toro eases you into the mood, tone, and beauty of his horrific hellscape, opting for traditional scares over overly indulgent jumpscares. The film also adheres to an insane amount of atmosphere, way before the unsettling imagery is on screen. Del Toro is truly a visionary among his peers, cultivating beauty among the macabre. The Visionary Prowess of Del Toro The visuals are truly phenomenal, encapsulating the essence of Reconstruction-era London and America. I can't get enough of this kind of filmmaking, especially IN CAMERA ghosts and practical effects. Del Toro wears all his influences on his sleeves, paying homage to the greats, while simultaneously, humanizing ghosts and monsters. Crimson Peak might not be his most nuanced film, but I will argue with anyone on its artistic merit. By @matts_moviez

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites The Unforgivable takes a cold, hard look at life after prison. The story gets more sensational than necessary, but the hardships of reformed felons remain loud and clear. Sandra Bullock is slightly one-note, but she convincingly displays immense pain buried beneath bottled anger. Bullock embodies tension and misery as she pieces together the scraps of her life. Her housing is chaotic, her job is demoralizing, and her personal life is isolated. Bullock's climb is where The Unforgivable thrives because it's eye-opening and inspirational. Viewers can't resist feeling sympathy for those crushed by the system, and moved by Bullock's rise. The filmmaking adds to this emotional connection with moody music, cold cinematography, calculated editing, and vivid sound. These aspects really ground the experience and allow buy-in for the more dramatic story elements. Overall, the direction has a stoic style that elevates the material in the best ways. This movie could've very easily come off like a soap opera that focused on its heightened thrills, but instead, it focuses on relatable emotions and is much more respectable. Therefore, The Unforgivable definitely has its flaws, but because it chooses to dig deeper, it lands as something fairly thoughtful. Writing: 7/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 6/10 Overall Score: 7.5/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Release: 2020 Reviews by: @damoroso4 Console: Xbox/ps4/5/Switch Immortals is a 3rd person open world action RPG which is built on very familiar ground. If Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild decided to shack up and have a baby; this game would undoubtedly be the result. Baring more than a slight resemblance to both, Immortals nevertheless does try to carve out it's own style and image, and for better or worse, I think it succeeds- even if it's not all smooth sailing. As Fenyx, you are tasked with restoring 4 of the famous Greek Gods to their former glory so that they can help you take down the monstrous Titan. The story is fun and easy to follow, and the writing and voice acting is surprisingly great. I especially like how it doesn't take itself too seriously, remaining humorous and light hearted throughout. The story is narrated by Zeus and Prometheus, and the banter between these 2 is constantly amusing to listen to. True to its open world nature, there is a hell of a lot to do and see here; it took me a good 25 hours and that's without doing absolutely everything on offer. All of the expected open world collectables and tasks are here, but some of them do genuinely try to make themselves different, such as composing a greek tune or rearranging a fresco painting. Nothing groundbreaking, but Ubisoft has clearly tried to keep the tasks as varied as possible here, and for the most part they succeeded. The gameplay and combat is fun and easy to get to grips with, while never being overly challenging. Assassins Creed's more modern combat system is drawn from heavily, with the shoulder buttons used to attack, but the blend of abilities and upgrades on offer help to keep combat fun for the duration of the game. The upgrade mechanics are handled really cleverly from a hub style area and they provide you with a range of options which you can approach in any order you like. Find a playstyle you like and go to town with the upgrades. All sounds great so far right? Until we get to the puzzles. In what I can only imagine to be an effort by Ubisoft to frustrate us; they have thrown in loads of puzzles- some of which you will need a nobel prize (or a YouTube guide?) to solve. A portion of these are mandatory and to be honest, by the time I got to the last one I was absolutely sick of them. They really ruined the pace of the game and were little to no fun whatsoever for me personally. This isn't to say they weren't well done. I just found them to be excrutiatingly long and damaging for the pace of the game. Truly a 'puzzling' decision by Ubisoft to lean so heavily on a mechanic that even Stephen Hawking would tire of before the first playthrough is done. That being said though, I would definitely recommend you give this a go if you enjoy Zelda or Assassins Creed games. You will be pleasantly surprised. Summary: Fun, light hearted open world experience drawing heavily from Zelda and AC Odyssey. Spoiled by over-reliance on annoying puzzles. Verdict: 7.5/10 By @damoroso4

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @michaels_movie_bay @kyle.watches.films The King's Man is an enjoyable ride of action and espionage, packaged with plenty of flavor. This film isn't necessarily outstanding, but it does have enough craft and style to leave viewers satisfied. Like its predecessors, The King's Man is energized by active camerawork, clever editing, potent sound, and abundant effects. Meanwhile, the story is rich with historical fiction, political intrigue, and central family drama. It's an unusual (and occasionally clunky) combination of hyper combat and hyper emotions, but each aspect is treated with care. Thus, The King's Man has a flashy appearance, built on a sturdy foundation. Specifically, The King's Man is well paced because it balances story elements and action in interesting doses. It is visually engaging because the camera moves with the action, mixes in various shots (overheads, extreme close-ups, and POVs), and utilizes lighting. The editing is quick during fights, slower during drama, and artistic during transitions. The music and production are stylish takes on the time period. The over-reliance on CGI does undercut the visceral vibe and rugged era, but that's forgivable. Overall, it probably isn't a wide favorite, but The King's Man is a well-rounded flick that's likely to please most audiences. Writing: 7/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 7.6/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites 2/5 An origin story about The Kingsman, an elite secret service agency that prioritizes honor almost as much as a well-tailored suit. Orlando Oxford (Fiennes), a pacifist, is forced into action after the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparks World War I. Hyper-violent, stylized, brash, envelope pushing, and wildly entertaining. These are all words that could easily describe 2014’s “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Inert, trivial, boring, and predictable are unfortunately the applicable adjectives for this misfire of a prequel. It is truly shocking that the same team that created one of the more original and fun film franchises of the past decade could spawn a story that is so unrelentingly dull and meaningless. Matthew Vaughn had been a consistently inventive voice in Hollywood—providing a subversive take on some big franchises like X-men while also presenting some sleeper hits like Kick-Ass, L4yer Cake, and Stardust. His vision was always unique and his stories were unexpected and gleefully unpredictable. And when the credits rolled after this slog of both visual and narrative mediocrity, I was genuinely surprised and disappointed to see Vaughn’s name attached as the writer and director. The story here is largely inert and nonsensical as it attempts to shoehorn Kingsman lore into real world events. This might have worked had more thought been put into the story, but the conceit fails—grossly trivializing WWI, European geopolitical conflicts, and the characters of Lenin and Hitler. There are no real surprises here save one truly unexpected moment which briefly reminded me of how good Vaughn can be when firing on all cylinders. Though it is advertised and billed as an action movie, it has shockingly few action scenes. The ones that do exist are tame, bloodless and generic, offering nothing new to the genre. Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, and Harris Dickinson give adequate performances but even their abundance of charisma and wit cannot save this joyless exercise in drudgery. Hot take: This movie doesn’t just fail in comparison to its predecessors, it fails because it’s a bad movie. By @michaels_movie_bay Writer-director Matthew Vaughn’s ‘The King’s Man’ is a prequel to its contemporary-set predecessors, depicting the founding of the eponymous private intelligence service amidst the turbulent setting of World War One. Over its 130 minutes we see Ralph Fiennes’ Duke of Oxford attempt to foil the machinations of the mysterious (and most Scottishly-Scottish) Shepherd. The quick-fire action scenes and sardonic humour that ensured ‘Kingsman: the Secret Service’ success is all present here, as are a collection of strong performances: Fiennes unsurprisingly pulls off the deadly aristocrat with charisma and verve, and Rhys Ifans as Rasputin is eerily good, if at times pushing the grotesque to the limit (I’ll never look at a Bakewell tart the same way again). Gemma Arterton stands out, however, as Polly, the northern Nanny with precision aim, and it’s a shame she isn’t given more to work with. On the flip side, Oxford’s son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) is bland, with unflinching motivations to join the war which become nonsensical in light of his experiences as the disorganised story progresses. Characters often contradict their words and actions from a couple of scenes prior to service the messy plot. Additionally, the historical revisionism on which the plot relies is taken to ridiculous extremes, pulling us out of the film altogether at times. Worst of all, the film just doesn’t seem to know where it stands on the hefty subjects it plays with. The overriding theme is clearly intended to be anti-war, but this message is confused throughout - Vaughn seems to want to both have his cake and eat it. The most egregious example of this is the use of Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, which is wilfully misattributed and misinterpreted in a manner which is nothing short of offensive. The ultimate result of all this is a story with no focus, propelled by a forgettable antagonist to an unsatisfactory conclusion. In short, if you’re after a couple of hours of relatively witty dialogue and snappy action scenes, but don’t mind shutting off some brain cells in the process, ‘The King’s Man’ might be for you. ⭐️⭐️ By @kyle.watches.films

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2021 director: Joe Carnahan starring: Frank Grillo, Gerard Butler, Alexis Louder, Toby Huss, Ryan o’nan, Kaiwi Lyman, etc On the run from a lethal assassin, a wily con artist devises a scheme to hide out inside small-town police station-but when the hitman turns up at the precinct, an unsuspecting rookie cop finds herself caught in the crosshairs. Despite some promising moments, Copshop was not good at all. My first few positives would be the cinematography, fun set up. Great performances and likeable characters with good chemistry. And a decent mystery. The film was visually inventive and stylistic. With some clever shots that bought humour and tension to the scenes. In particular the point of view shots and use of shadows. And the film especially in the final act had some creatively shot scenes with interesting use of colour. I also thought the set up was fun. Having Frank Grillo’s character get intentionally arrested was very funny and a unique set up that got me intrigued as to how the film would develop. I also found the characters to be very likeable. Gerard, Frank, and Alexis’s characters were all charming, didn’t take no crap and all the characters bounced off each other well, all three had fantastic chemistry with each other and were a great trio. With all three performances being very good. Gerard butler in particular did a great job, this was a darker role for him, but he did really well. The big standout for me would be Alexis Louder. Her lead performance was very promising. She showed a lot of charm and charisma and delivered a passionate and intense performance. I also thought the mystery of what Teddy (Frank Grillo) did and why he was targeted was interesting and created an intrigue about his character. However, my first few negatives would be the colour grading, pacing and unneeded conflict. As well as a lack of set up to the main plot point and tonal inconsistencies. A lot of the colour grading and lighting really bothered me in certain scenes. I could hardly see what was happening due to everything being so dark and it really bothered me when I could hardly see the characters face. The pacing of this film was painfully slow, 90% of the film was set in one location, and with such a lack of plot it was just the characters talking to each other most of the time it was bland and lacked consistent entertainment. A lot of the conflict also felt unneeded, a lot of the time the conflict wasn’t really explained so all the characters were doing was constantly shouting at each other and it gave me a headache. There was also a complete lack of set up to the main plot point, there should have been more plot to this movie. It was so thinly written because there was this big mystery around why Teddy was being targeted that hardly got answered at all, this was just lazy writing. The film was completely tonally inconsistent. At times it was trying to be serious and then it throwed loads of attempted jokes and this would often clash with what was happening in a lot of scenes, it just felt like the film didn’t know what it wanted to be. My final few positives would be the use of gore, good dialogue, and fun twists. as well as an entertaining final act. The use of gore within the action scenes was effective, it gave a lot of shock factor as so many characters were killed off and gave the film a needed edge to it. I thought the dialogue was strong for a lot of the film. It was cleverly written and played on genre tropes well and delivered some needed laughs thanks to the delivery from the actors involved. The twists in the film were solid. As the film revealed all the different parties that were targeting Teddy including dirty cops it kept the plot mostly entertaining and increased the stakes for the characters. Finally, the final act was very entertaining. They finally picked up the action and the last half an hour or so was thrilling and intense and got me questioning what was going to happen, so the film redeemed itself slightly and there were definitely some shocking moments I didn’t see coming. My final few negatives would be the lapses in the logic, dumb characters and predictable set up for scenes. As well as the lack of character depth and the humour falling flat. This film had so many unrealistic scenes where characters survived for way longer than what they should have and it got to a point in certain scenes where it just got ridiculous, or they would make it seem like a character was dead and then they suddenly weren’t, and it was just jarring. I also thought there was just dumb characters and predictable set up for scenes. These cops were dumb and it’s as simple as that, the scenes where they would die were painfully predictable and the script was lazily written and took the surprise out of their deaths. There was also a complete lack of character depth, the characters were extremely one dimensional and were type casted as one specific thing. There was so much time to add a lot more to the characters, but they just didn’t add anything to them, so it made it difficult to connect with them. Finally, the humour for the film was just bad. It was very awkward as the film was trying so hard but pretty much none of the jokes landed. Overall, Copshop has great performances and a promising lead with Alexis Louder. Good chemistry between the cast and a fun final act. But it doesn’t stop the film from being lazily written, poorly structured and tonally all over the place. And it was just bland and forgettable. Never taking advantage of its fun premise. Overall score 42/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @starwards1 @movies_produce_memories @brofilmcriticwnie Don't Look Up is blunt social commentary, which is both intentional and timely. Some might dislike the movie because it challenges their politics, but that is precisely why it is so hyperbolic. By exaggerating current events, it sheds glaring lights on systemic issues while maintaining a dark comedic tone. It's far from subtle, but its frankness is its charm. Films rarely provide so much food for thought, yet deliver it in such a digestible and humorous way. Plus, there is a surprising amount of heart in the end. For that alone, Don't Look Up is well worth its time. However, the film supplies more than its witty script. Clearly, the stellar cast is its selling point, and each A-lister has time to ham it up. DiCaprio and Lawrence inject the project with passionate vulnerability, while the supporting cast (namely Streep, Hill, Perry, and Blanchett) steals plenty of scenes. The sound and editing unite to evoke the information overload of our digital age, and juxtapose that with the tranquility of our natural roots. The production captures both small-town and limelight atmospheres, the effects are convincing, and the direction has real flavor. Overall, Don't Look Up is clever satire and solid filmmaking. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 9/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.0/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites Don’t Look Up was my first Adam Mckay movie so I didn’t have any real expectations or biases going in, I knew it was super divisive but I kept an open mind. Unfortunately I realized this is exactly the type of filmmaking I have come to despise, I think it’s awfully empty and honestly, an annoying film. I’ve heard people say that the satire was accurately over the top and that this film is a good and relevant representation of our world today, and sure, it’s one of the strengths of this movie but I can’t help feeling like it’s a tone deaf and mean spirited film that repeats itself too often and ends up as a hollow mess that does nothing more than condescendingly talk down to its audience and pats itself on the back for putting out the most obvious message out there and thinks it’s great because the film is practically ‘shouting’ said message. It lacks any sort of nuance and the people that this is directed at aren’t suddenly going to change their opinions after watching an “allegorical” tragicomedy. Obnoxious. Now look okay, I think climate change is quite real (damn so brave) but here’s the thing.. Who, or what, was this movie made for? The conspiracy theorists? The government? I mean, it’s a comedy that aims to satirize the ‘society we live in’ but it’s so smug and vapid that to me it did nothing more than mildly annoy me for 2 hours. It’s like the most on the nose political SNL skit ever, it’s harmless fun, sure, but it’s irritatingly self important and worse, it will soon be academy award nominated. And it’s not the worst thing in the world, there are a good couple of scenes in here, I appreciate what Jennifer Lawrence and Timothee Chalamet brought to the table. While I think even with a star studded cast, most of the performances were phoned in and peculiarly caricature-like, they were clearly trying. Jonah Hill delivers a couple of decent jokes and so does Cate Blanchett. The screenplay is not nearly as witty as it wishes it could be but there’s some well written scenes in there, especially towards the start. I particularly enjoyed the numerous meetings with the president. Meryl Streep is Meryl Streep of course so it’s not too hard to enjoy those. But that’s pretty much all that I can say positively about it. Don’t Look Up is also a filmmaking stumble from many aspects, the editing is just terrible. The last time I saw such noticeably bad editing was The 2016 Suicide Squad. It is just disorienting in the worst way possible. The cinematography is serviceable at best, it’s totally flat and bland. I literally cannot believe they used stock footage. And on top of that it has a very artificial quality overall. Nothing this movie does feels honest or ‘resonant’ but instead snide. And the biggest crime of this movie is that - It’s just not funny. By @starwards1 BBFC rating: 15 | MPAA rating: R Directed by: Adam McKay Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance and Timothee Chalamet Kate Dibiasky: “Unless you assholes are taking me to the Batcave, fuck you for putting this hood on me.” Don't Look Up is an American science fiction film that tells the story of two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization. The impact event is an allegory for climate change, and the film is a satire of government, political, and media indifference to the climate crisis. Don't Look Up set a new record for the most viewing hours in a single week on Netflix, and is currently the second most-watched film on Netflix within 28 days of release. (Wikipedia) Don’t Look Up really tickled me. There are many, many laugh of loud moments throughout. The satire is laid on so thick it’s ridiculous, but it’s a refreshingly honest look at our society. The film makes you laugh at the same time as making you wince. There are other tones throughout which was unexpected but welcomed. The characters are well written and performances are brill. By @movies_produce_memories Title: Don't Look Up Director: Adam McKay Year: 2021 Rating: 9/10 • • • One easy thing to say about this movie is that it's the best; most annoying movie I've ever watched. It's crazy how frustrated I got. The theme combinations of human ignorance and greed was massively topical to this generations stupidity, due to the carelessness and hindistic standpoint of this time. I loved the vast distinction of characters. Seriously though, the stupidity of the characters in this GOT ME SO ANGRY! Matched with their toxic positivity. Adam McKay (director) did a perfect job on making me despise these characters, and love and relate to the main character's frustration (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence). It just makes me want to be able to go into the screen and shout at them, saying that "positivity doesn't help! Fear is good sometimes! You need to be aware of it to change it!" I hated the president so much, that it was so satisfying when Diabsky spoke to her honestly and straight up, and when she got eaten by a Bronteroc. :) I loved the carefree idea of unrealism in this movie, it just wanted to get the point across of actually caring and taking action, and it did it perfectly. I also loved how Diabsky just didn't give a shit later, they reasoned that perfectly before. One thing I wish is that there was more satisfaction in the killing of the most annoying characters (emphasising it, showing more), that would be the President, the President's son (thank you Jonah Hill, for portraying the worst character ever), and Peter, with his freakishly strange teeth. It's safe to say it got me to the point where I wanted the bad thing to happen, the comet to destroy earth, because they all deserved it, and that, is completely amazing for a film creator to do. By @brofilmcriticwnie

Reviews by: @miscellaneous_media_reviews Abzu is an adventure game released in 2016 by Giant Squid Studios. This is a single player game that allows you to take control of a diver and explore the ocean. As the player explores the waters and interacts with the marine life the dark secrets of this underwater world begin to unfold. Abzu is a very short game that follows a linear structure and a focused narrative. The game is only around 2 hours in length, and I completed the main story in about an hour and a half. Abzu is very unique, and I can’t say I’ve ever played anything quite like it. It’s almost more of an interactive, immersive experience than a game. I hopped on, not looking to find anything mind blowing. I was just looking to pass the time, and play something relaxing. What I ended up doing was playing through an incredibly emotional and gorgeous game that completely blew me away. The gameplay of Abzu is very simple, and it works perfectly for the type of game that it is. This is a game focused on eliciting emotion, and making the player feel something in response to its story. The visuals, music, and story are the main focus. As a result the gameplay serves those elements and takes a bit of a backseat. That isn’t to say the actual gameplay itself is bad, it’s just nothing special. The diving controls work very well, and maneuvering around the water feels smooth and satisfying. Although, to get the diving controls just right I found that messing with the settings helped to make them much better. There are some simple puzzles and other parts of the environment you can interact with, but that’s about it aside from a few collectibles here and there. This is perfectly fine for the type of game this is. To enjoy it you just need to go in with the proper mindset. Don’t go in expecting this to be some incredibly dynamic and riveting gameplay experience. The gameplay is simple and fun, but again, nothing special. This may be a turn off for some who care less about the story and more about the gameplay itself, and that is perfectly fine. This game won’t necessarily be for everyone and that’s ok. The main focus of Abzu is it’s story, and it’s truly incredible. The diver you play as has no real character and is more or less a vessel for the player experiencing this world and story for the first time. The game also has no dialogue and features storytelling that is strictly visual. The visuals are of course aided by the phenomenal score composed by Austin Wintory. Many elements of the narrative and setting are left ambiguous. It’s up to the player to interpret these events and experiences and come away with answers as to what may have happened. While many aspects of the world and narrative are left a mystery the main story itself is simple but effective. It’s a beautiful narrative about the relationship between humanity and the ocean, as well as it’s creatures. The wordless storytelling aided by the gorgeous animation and music feels Pixar-esque. Once the story began to reveal itself I was completely hooked and invested. The story is a breathtaking journey that is insanely moving, sad, and uplifting. The ending to this story is one of the most satisfying I’ve experienced in any game, or any other piece of media. Abzu is almost like a wordless, interactive short film, and I adored the story it chose to tell. But of course the story wouldn’t be what it is without the visuals and the score. The graphics in the game are stunning, and the animation is breathtaking. The game has an artistic style that is like that of an animated movie. The designs are distinctly animated, very bold and colorful, but remain realistic. Abzu shows many different biomes within the ocean and all of them are astoundingly beautiful. From the bright and colorful coral reefs to the deep, dark, blue of the bottom of the ocean. This game does a phenomenal job showing the beauty and even some of the horrors of the ocean in marvelous ways. Some of the spectacles and set pieces the game put together genuinely floored me. Especially with how the game shows the impact of humanity and technology on the ocean itself. The visuals are able to convey so many thoughts and ideas through simple but effective visual storytelling. The gorgeous art style and effective visuals are a major component of Abzu. Working along with the visuals and story to create this emotional journey is the score. Abzu’s score is one of the best I’ve heard in any game, movie, or show. It puts the awe-inspiring visuals into musical form and acts as the voice of the ocean. It is incredibly grand, beautiful, and majestic. The orchestral sounds mix wonderfully with the angelic vocals to elicit incredible emotion. It works hand in hand with the visuals and the story to make the game impactful, captivating, and emotionally complex. The score perfectly illustrates the emotion created by the story and allows it to take different forms. When in the darkest depths of the ocean the score becomes more haunting, and the vastness of the sea is perfectly illustrated. It makes the ocean seem daunting, vast, magnificent, and alive. The score fully immerses you into an incredible new world. And when the score clicks along with the story and the visuals in it’s climax it’s indescribably amazing. Abzu is a beautiful game that I’m so glad I got to experience. I think my only criticism is that the gameplay loop in some of the earlier chapters is a bit too repetitive. Right before this becomes an issue the game manages to switch things up, and it doesn’t have this issue again. But regardless, it is present for a little bit early on. I think that while some may not be a fan of the type of game that it is, it’s perfect regardless. This is a very casual and relaxing game with so much more to it than what meets the eye. It features a magnificent story, and some of the best visuals and music I’ve ever seen in a game. Abzu is truly a transcendent experience. Objective Score: 9.5/10 Personal Score: 10/10 By @miscellaneous_media_review

Reviews by: @movieejunkiee Introduction I saw this film Sunday evening and I was overwhelmed by the art this film holds. I watched Amélie on YouTube in French with Portuguese subtitles (I watched it without English subs cause I speak fluent French. As for the Portuguese subs, they were there because it was on YouTube, pretty random). This film is the perfect balance between style and substance. The style is held within the colour pallet, the directing (quick zooms, wide angles, & symmetry), & the beautiful music. The substance is held within the brilliant script, the phenomenal acting, and the relatability within the characters and their actions. Directing & Editing The directing and editing in this film is simply unbelievable. Amélie portrays a true form of art through the directing style. Some of my favourite aspects of the directing are the wide angles, the quick zooms, and the symmetry. All of these aspects tie in to the whole feel of this outstanding movie. One of my favourite shots/moments in this movie is the letter making scene (shown behind). I was so blown away by the directing and editing during this scene that I had to rewind it to watch it again. The brilliant fast forwarding of this scene makes it so unbelievable. It's those tiny little things that make a movie so great. More Directing, Editing, Colour & VFX Another scene that I found fascinating was the final one where the two main characters are riding on the bicycle. It's so well directed and edited. It was a perfect satisfying end to a beautiful film. Also, I wanted to mention the perfectly crafted colour pallet. The green & orange colour pallet creates a beautiful contrast and adds to the art of this film. I also wanted to mention the VFX this film holds. I wasn't expecting to find moving paintings or a pig lamp that comes alive, but it worked so well and actually looked really good. It made you question what you were witnessing. Music The music in this film has to be one of the best things about Amélie. It's so fitting to the setting of Paris and it represents the French culture perfectly. The music is so soothing and gentle but at the same time it's simply iconic. Anybody could recognize the soundtrack immediately if it was playing somewhere. If you have never heard the music from this film please go listen to it on YouTube or Spotify right now. It is so easy and calming to listen to at any time of the day, any day of the week. Acting Audrey Tautou portrays the soul of Amélie Poulain perfectly. I found it fascinating to see that she didn't have much dialogue throughout the film compared to a normal main character, but still managed to capture a perfect performance. Simply in her facial expressions and smile alone she should have had an Oscar nomination. All the other actors did very well. I was surprised to see Mathieu Kassovitz in an acting role but he was actually pretty good. I also really like Jamel Debbouze as a comedian. Screenplay This screenplay is so well written and structured. It is so different to anything I've seen before. It adds so many more elements compared to a normal script, such as: relatability, weird but wonderful things humans like to do, perfectly written characters, and a fast paced story. I found this film relatable from start to finish. From the opening credits of things that we used to do as kids, to sticking your hand in a bag of grains, or skimming rocks along the water. This film isn't just relatable, it's satisfying. More Screenplay I found weird but wonderful things humans like to do throughout the film, especially in the two main characters. Amélie loves to meddle with people's lives, to improve their experiences of life. Nino liked to take pictures of people's feet in wet cement, but then translated his fascination for others by keeping unwanted pictures of people from photo booths. Now, all though this may sound creepy, I believe he finds this fascinating as he doesn't know the people personally, but yet he makes stories about who they are, and why they scrapped their photos. One of my favourite moments in the movie is when he finds out who one of the people in his album is. The happiness and realisation on his face made me so happy for him. Even More Screenplay This film has brilliant characters that anyone can relate to. I especially loved the two main characters. It's hard to put into words how well written they are, you should just watch the movie and you'll see what I'm talking about. Lastly, this film is very fast paced which I found to be an excellent choice of structure. It let's you take in everything at the same time with a full filling ending that brings all of the elements that you just witnessed together. Anyway, this film has an excellent script, and should have won Best Original Screenplay. Conclusion Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain is a beautiful film. Not only is it a film, it's a piece of art. This film beholds great acting, beautiful music, stunning directing, and a masterful script. I truly love this movie and I think I will grow to love it even more over time. This is most definitely one of my all time favourite French films. I really recommend you to watch this film if you haven't already. Anyway, that is today's review. I am sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. More regular posts coming soon and possibly a collaboration post . I hope you enjoyed my review, if so, let me know your thoughts on the movie and my review in the comments. By @movieejunkiee

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Although it's completely different from the original, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is solid. In fact, its departure is its strength and its obligation to the franchise is its biggest flaw. Fundamentally, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a family drama and a coming-of-age story, flavored with supernatural mystery. Had it been completely severed from Ghostbusters, it might've focused more on that light drama and used the supernatural more sparingly. The mystery might've been more compelling, the third act might've been in tune with the rest of the film, and there might've been fewer fan service distractions. However, despite its split personality, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is adequate because of craft in key areas. First, there is Mckenna Grace. She drives the film with a concrete character and strikes chemistry with all her costars. Next, the visuals are surprisingly thoughtful. The imagery has a distinct summer color pallet that supports the theme of self-discovery. Meanwhile, there is a good number of practical effects which grounds the film and tastefully harkens back to the original. Lastly, the measured sound design and score balance the quiet drama and the bombastic climax. All told, Ghostbusters: Afterlife has its problems but lands as sufficient entertainment. Writing: 5/10 Direction: 7/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 7.4/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Jingle All the Way is an infamous catastrophe. Its centerpiece blunder is the miscast Schwarzenegger. Arnold is not a skilled actor, but he excelled in roles consisting of few expressions that highlighted his physique. Jingle All the Way does the opposite, placing Arnold as an everyman whose relatable family struggles drive the film. Meanwhile, Jingle All the Way is a vapid and cliched story. It takes the tired trope of the workaholic father and magically resolves it without any justification. Even a corny resolution would have been better, but Arnold's character never actually makes things right with his neglected son. From a filmmaking perspective, Jingle All the Way is generic and careless. There are a couple of interesting shots and an adequately edited montage, but everything else is manufactured with apathetic indifference. The production design is cheap, the effects are pathetic, and the ADR dialogue is sloppy. Plus, the Christmas music is arbitrarily slapped on. Overall, the direction is to blame because the tone is erratic, the style is void, and everything falls flat. Clearly, no technical passion was present here. In the end, Jingle All the Way is an unusually pitiful disaster but not worth sitting through. Writing: 2/10 Direction: 1/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Acting: 2/10 Editing: 4/10 Sound: 3/10 Score/Soundtrack: 4/10 Production Design: 3/10 Casting: 3/10 Effects: 2/10 Overall Score: 2.8/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @ryan_the_nixon @darkkev95 Guillermo del Toro knows how to construct a superior movie. Nightmare Alley is well-crafted in every way. First, the visuals are striking because the lighting, colors, and framing are precise. The camerawork is controlled yet constantly engaged. Next, the sound design is noteworthy because clever J-cuts and voiceovers help strike a mood, plus a ticking watch sound becomes a motif. The production design is equally impressive as it not only sets the time period, but also the gloomy tone. Furthermore, the dynamic editing, evocative effects, and ominous music reinforce a truly atmospheric experience. Meanwhile, the cast of Nightmare Alley drives the film. Dafoe, Blanchett, Collette, Mara, and Perlman all deliver sturdy support, but it is Bradley Cooper who seals the deal. Cooper provides a layered performance that evolves naturally and expresses significant range. Cooper continues building on his character until the final scene, when all his layers erupt to the forefront. Additionally, the script aids this by carefully setting up the payoff of that finale in more ways than one. Ultimately, because the story is intriguing, the performances are igniting, and the filmmaking is engaging, Nightmare Alley is a trip worth taking. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 8.7/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites 2022 15 Director: Guillermo Del Toro Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Colette, Willem Defoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Pearlman, etc. An ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well chosen words. Hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous then he is. This movie for the most part was very strong. The cinematography, set design and lighting was truly spectacular and some of the strongest I have seen, definitely awards worthy within these categories, with such a distinct visual style and creative use of editing and camerawork. The use of gore was very shocking and effective. The uncomfortable and intense tone was executed very well. With a great sense of mystery throughout. The directing from Del Toro was fantastic. There was a lot of interesting elements surrounding circus performers and how they execute all of their tricks. The performances were very strong. Particularly from Rooney Mara and Toni Colette. Plus Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett were incredible here. The plot and character development was strong, and the final act was intense, shocking and had a powerful message, showcasing the worst parts of a person and highlighting how there are always consequences to someone's actions and a repeated cycle of destruction. I did have a few problems with the film though. There was some underdeveloped plot points, especially between the different characters relationships. There was some pacing issues, particularly in the first act, and there was for me a lack of character depth where I often had trouble connecting with the characters. Overall, Nightmare Alley isn't Del Toro's strongest work due to the lengthy runtime and occasionally slipping into style over substance with its characters. But is still a stylish, visually stunning and shocking experience of a film. With incredible performances, and insightful and interesting themes that are explored in a fascinating way. Overall Score 81/100. By @ryan_the_nixon N'ayant vu que les deux volets d'Hellboy, le deuxième volet de la trilogie Blade, Pacific Rim et sans oublier La Forme de l'eau qui a été le dernier film que j'ai vu fait par Guillermo Del Toro mais j'ai bien l'envie de creuser sur ces autres œuvres aimant ce qu'il fait et il a une patte qui rappelle Tim Burton pour son côté fantasy mais fait de manière plus dur et à une vision assez obscur du genre qu'il fait. Pour ce qui de Nightmare Alley dont j'ai bien aimé le film en lui-même et je suis pour l'instant satisfait des films que j'ai vu de ce réalisateur qui a vraiment de la volonté en matière de mise en scène et narration qui arrive à être efficace jusqu'au bout. J'ai vraiment trouvé le film intéressant ayant des thématiques qui sont certes du déjà vu mais il le fait en bien. Sans parler d'un Willem Dafoe qui aime surjoué malgré qu'il soit sage ne s'emballement pas comme il jouait le Green Goblin de la trilogie Spider-Man de Sam Raimi et sans parlé un Bradley Cooper dont son rôle est fait avec brillot et j'ai trouvé tout le casting au top avec une Cat Blanchett investie dans son rôle et de Ron Perlman qui fait souvent ce qu'il a fait connaître ayant joué Hellboy. Bref pour moi c'est un film riche en intrigue et en métaphore comme le fait souvent Guillermo Del Toro et on sent qu'il a voulut faire autre chose que ce qu'il a l'habitude de faire étant souvent concentré sur la fantasy. By @darkkev95

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Krampus is a unique tale, told with passion. Because the story is so unusual and the filmmaking is so engaging, Krampus is a punch of personality. First, the plot is an admirable blend of holidays and horror. The legend of Krampus is ancient, so the story is built on solid ground. Meanwhile, the holiday elements are the film's heart, building conflicts with relatable family drama. This all gives the horror components more bite because viewers are actually invested in the characters. Plus, because the ending is surprising yet earned, the entire script feels fresh. Next, the technical aspects of Krampus are cleverly crafted. The dramatic cinematography builds tension (Krampus' entrance is epically shot). The well-paced editing matches the energy of each scene. The music is a brilliant balance of festive and creepy (sometimes doubling as both). The sound design is excellent because it creates a haunting atmosphere of imposing weather, distant monsters, and looming destruction. However, the production design and special effects are the stars here, because Krampus is full of frightening monsters that are both tangible and unique. Collectively, this all makes Krampus a dynamic experience that will certainly leave an impression. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 8.3/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @kino_mit_alex @tylersnerdy_review Much like its protagonist, The Power of the Dog is not what it seems. Despite its gruff western appearance, it is, in fact, a complex drama. As is common for movies in this setting, toxic masculinity is a central theme. However, The Power of the Dog doesn't stop there. The film also explores the clash between untamed wilderness and refined domestication, embodied by brothers Phil (Cumberbatch) and George (Plemons). Beyond that, audiences will witness ideas of addiction, identity, and control. Undoubtedly, The Power of the Dog provides plenty of food for thought, yet does so delicately enough to feel natural and open to interpretation. Meanwhile, The Power of the Dog is beautifully shot, acted, and scored. Images of grand landscapes swallow the minute story, lending to themes of nature and dominance. Cumberbatch, Plemons, Dunst, and Smit-McPhee all ignite their characters with rich nonverbal cues. Finally, the music is an excellent combination of contextual and evocative. Collectively, this fosters an atmosphere of palpable tension and deep melancholy. Overall, The Power of the Dog is a rich experience presented with great subtly. Few films can achieve such impact while remaining so modest. Writing: 9/10 Direction: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.5/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites #FSK: 16 Jahre / #Laufzeit: ca. 128 Minuten #Streamingstart: 01. Dezember 2021 #Genre: #Drama, #Buchverfilmung, #Western, #Streaming, #Netflix Als George eine verwitwete Frau mit ihrem Sohn in die Familie Burbank heiratet, treibt das einen merklichen Keil zwischen ihm und seinen Bruder. Phil vermutet niedere Beweggründe hinter der Frau seines Bruders. Steckt etwas dahinter und wie werden die Parteien miteinander auskommen? Gerade weil sich Peter (der eingeheiratete Sohn) und Phil etwas näherkommen, scheint sich die Situation noch mehr anzuspannen als zu entspannen. #Zitate: „Ich wollte nur sagen, wie schön es ist nicht allein zu sein.“ „Lässt dich sein Ton erschaudern?“ „[…] auf den Wolf, der uns aufzog.“ ***ACHTUNG: BUCHVERFILMUNG*** Jegliche Beziehungen zwischen dem gleichnamigen Buch, seinem und Inhalt bzw. seinen Charakteren und Film werden hier nicht beachtet. Es wird NUR über den Film geschrieben. Es wird nicht analysiert, wie gut oder schlecht das Buch im Film umgesetzt wurde! Handlung: Die wohlhabenden Brüder George und Phil sind Inhaber einer Rinderranch Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts. Die beiden eher wortkargen Brüder betreiben die Farm selbst und kommen so viel durch die Gegend. Eines Abends treffen sie auf die verwitwete Inhaberin eines Gasthauses mit ihrem zurückgezogenen und stillen Sohn. Phil stoßen die beiden übel auf und lässt das die anderen auch spüren. Doch bei George sind andere Gefühle im Vordergrund. In den kommenden Wochen besucht er immer wieder das Gasthaus und nähert sich der Inhaberin an. Die beiden heiraten heimlich und George nimmt seine Rose mit auf die Ranch, die dafür ihr altes Leben vollständig hinter sich lässt. Bei Phil kommt diese Entwicklung nicht gut an. Er sieht in Rose eine hinterhältige Intrigantin, die nur auf das Geld der beiden aus ist. Unterstrichen wird dieser Verdacht dadurch, dass Roses Sohn Peter schon bald zur Uni gehen wird, um Medizin zu studieren. Womöglich finanziert von seinem neuen Stiefvater. Rose fühlt sich auf der Ranch nie wirklich willkommen. Phil unterstützt diesen Eindruck, wo er nur kann. Irgendwie Subtil, aber umso wirkungsvoller. Als George für einige Zeit in eine nahegelegene Stadt geht und Peter auf der Ranch lebt, beginnt für Rose eine sehr harte Zeit. Sie wendet sich – wie ihr verstorbener Mann – dem Alkohol zu und verfällt ihm mehr und mehr. So sehr, dass es auch irgendwann Auswirkungen auf ihr Auftreten und Handeln hat. Phil erkennt diesen Umstand sehr früh und versucht daher auf seine ganz eigene Art Kontakt zu Peter aufzubauen. Die beiden hatten keinen sehr angenehmen Start, doch mit der Zeit entspannt sich das Verhältnis zwischen den beiden hin zu einer Art Mentoren-Beziehung. Peter ist hin- und hergerissen. Er weiß um die langsam keimende Freundschaft mit Phil, bemerkt aber auch wie sehr seine Mutter genau deswegen leidet. Sie möchte nicht, dass sich ihr Junge mit dem ruppigen Rancher abgibt. Peter weiß, dass er diesen Gewissenskonflikt lösen muss – doch wie? Einschätzung: „The Power of the Dog“ ist beileibe kein einfacher Film – ganz im Gegenteil. Er ist auch kein Western aus dem Bilderbuch. Vielmehr ist er ein am Ende hoch emotionales Drama, an das man sich gewöhnen muss und dessen Erzählweise auch akzeptieren muss. Denn in seinen über zwei Stunden Laufzeit gelingt es dem Film zu jederzeit auf einen klassischen dramaturgischen Spannungsbogen zu verzichten. Vielmehr gleicht der Film einem gemütlichen Trab, als einem wilden Galopp. Eben jener Umstand erschwert somit jeglichen Aufbau einer Spannung oder Emotion – zumindest bis weit in das letzte Drittel hinein. Durch eine klare Aufteilung der Handlung in mehrere Kapitel bekommt der Film etwas Episodenhaftes. Ein weiterer Umstand, der der Wirkung nicht unbedingt gut tut. Es ist sogar so, dass ich diese Entscheidung als störend empfunden habe. Durch das „Abgehackte“ in den Bildern musste man sich immer wieder neu an das Szenario gewöhnen. Meist sind die Episoden an Zeitsprünge gebunden. Die orientieren sich meist an den Jahreszeiten, manchmal sind sie aber auch kürzer. Hätte man hier tatsächlich auf die dokumentierten Zeitsprünge, als (vermutlich) die Kapiteltrennung aus dem zugrundeliegenden Buch gesetzt, wäre der Film vielleicht etwas „runder“ geworden. Auf die Emotionalität hätte das aber auch keinen Einfluss gehabt, aber an genau dieser lässt sich am Ende der Erfolg oder Misserfolg des Films messen. „The Power of the Dog“ wartet bis zum letzten möglichen Moment zum einen mit der Aufklärung seiner Handlung und auch mit dem Zulassen von Emotionen. Es sind am Ende vor allem Schock und ein wenig Ekel, die die Eindrücke bestimmen. Denn anders als der komplette Film ist der ultimative Abschluss überraschend direkt und brutal – wenn auch nicht auf der visuellen Note oder in einer direkten Art und Weise. Die Charakteroffenbarung im letzten Drittel ist perfide und hässlich, passt aber hervorragend in das raue Setting des Western. Insgesamt nimmt sich der Film wenig von den Eigenschaften eines typischen Western. Der Grundaufhänger für den Film entlehnt sich dem Genre, doch das war es dann auch schon. Neben ein paar Szenen von Tierquälerei, Rassismus und Sexismus zeigt sich der Film nahezu jederzeit von seiner lieblichen und beinahe zerbrechlichen Seite. Die Charaktere werden trotz aller Ruppig- und Wortkargheit jederzeit zart gezeichnet und gerade Phil wird mit einem wunderschönen Geheimnis bedacht, dass sich dem Zuschauer nicht sofort erschließen muss. Somit schafft es „The Power of the Dog“ als einer der wenigen Filme nicht mit seinen gezeigten, sondern mit seinen angedeuteten Emotionen und vor allem Bildern zu begeistern. Die gesprochenen Texte stehen zu keinem Zeitpunkt im Mittelpunkt – von einem emotionalen Ausbruch Phils mal abgesehen. Das Wortkarge der beiden Hauptdarsteller wird herrlich auf den Film übertragen und verleiht ihm dadurch etwas Rustikales und doch Gefühlvolles. Technik und Besetzung: Wenn sich „The Power of the Dog“ nicht an den typischen Genreelementen des Western orientiert, warum gilt er dann als Western? Einer der Hauptgründe dafür ist sicherlich das Setting gemeinsam mit den Kostümen und Masken. Ich persönlich kann nicht allzu viel mit dem Genre anfangen, aber ich mag diese raue Verbundenheit zur Natur und der Einfachheit, die zur damaligen Zeit geherrscht haben. Eben jene Eigenschaften des Western, die von den Verantwortlichen des Films sehr ansprechend eingefangen und präsentiert wurden. Die Settings sind nicht sehr abwechslungsreich, bieten dafür aber den kompletten „Western-Charme“ und können alleine dadurch die volle Punktzahl einfahren. Ich mochte die Inszenierung des Films, in der die doch besonderen Charaktere wunderbar hineingepasst haben. Schaut man auf die bisherige Filmografie von Jane Campion (u.a. „Das Piano“), dann findet man dort vor allem emotionale (Beziehungs-)Dramen. Es überrascht daher nicht, das sich hinter dem Western „The Power of the Dog“ ein eben solches versteckt. Campion, die die erste Frau überhaupt war, die mit der goldenen Palme der Filmfestspiele in Cannes ausgezeichnet wurde, gelingt es hier ein zerbrechliches Bild vor allem eines Mannes im „Wilden Westen“ zu zeichnen. Sie schafft es diese verborgenen Seiten ihrer Charaktere mal offensichtlich, mal subtil und feinfühlig zu zeichnen und zu präsentieren. Ich mag ihre meist zurückhaltende Art, die durch das brutale und brachiale Finale des Films herrlich in Szene gesetzt wurde. Obwohl die Kompositionen von Jonny Greenwood (u.a. „Spencer“) nur sehr punktuell eingesetzt werden, weiß er mit diesen kurzen Auftritten dennoch zu überzeugen und zu berühren. Ich war fasziniert davon, wie oft der Film mit der Stille seiner Szenerien gearbeitet hat, nur um dann für wenige Sekunden auf eine der zumeist gefühlvollen und an das Western-Genre angelehnten Kompositionen zurückzugreifen. Niemals aufdringlich, wie die Persönlichkeiten der Charaktere, schmiegt sich die Musik meist an den Beginn einer Szene, um dann im weiteren Verlauf wieder zu verstummen, um der Bildwirkung nichts wegzunehmen. Bei den Darstellern ist es vor allem ein Quartett, von dem der Film getragen wird. Ich spreche von den Burbank-Brüdern Phil und George sowie der eingeheirateten Rose und ihren Sohn Peter. Alle vier schaffen es gemeinsam die komplette Dramaturgie des Films zu tragen und besonders Phil und Peter gelingt es auch die emotionale Wucht von „The Power of the Dog“ gekonnt in Szene zu setzen. Phil und George werden von Benedict Cumberbatch (u.a. „Doctor Strange“ in den Marvel-Produktionen) und Jesse Plemons (u.a. „Black Mass“, „I´m Thinking of Ending Things”) verkörpert. Auch oder gerade weil ich Plemons sehr für seine emotionalen und szenisch toll porträtierten Figuren mag, war ich hier ein wenig enttäuscht. Denn nicht nur, verschwindet er immer wieder im Aus der Handlung, er schafft es auch selten die Szenerie für sich zu nutzen. Insgesamt bleibt sein Auftritt sehr blass. Cumberbatch weiß das für ihn zugedachte Rampenlicht hier wesentlich besser zu nutzen. Obwohl auch er überraschend wortkarg und rhetorisch schwer zurückhaltend ist, gelingt es ihm das Leid und die tiefe Trauer seines Charakters außerordentlich gut zu transportieren. Rose wird im Film von Kirsten Dunst (u.a. „Hidden Figures“) verkörpert. Ihr gelingt es außerordentlich gut die Verletzlichkeit und die Einsamkeit ihrer Figur herauszuarbeiten. Man kann im Verlauf des Films fast beobachten, wie sehr ihr die belastende Situation auf der Ranch ihres Mannes zusetzt. Ungeliebt und nicht willkommen fristet sie zumeist ein sehr einsames Dasein, dass durch die immer subtilen Sticheleien von Phil nur noch verschlimmert wird. Auch der Verfall in die Alkoholsucht wird eindrucksvoll inszeniert. Ihr Filmsohn Peter wird von Kodi Smit-McPhee (u.a. „X-Men Apocalypse“) dargestellt. Für mich die geheimnisvollste und undurchschaubarste Figur in „The Power of the Dog“. Smit-McPhee gelingt es eindrucksvoll einen zurückhaltend-introvertierten Jungen zu einer Zeit zu verkörpern, in der es diese Eigenschaften für Männer nicht geben durfte. Die daraus resultierenden Beleidigungen nimmt er offenkundig und herzzerreißend direkt auf. Die spät aufkeimende Freundschaft zwischen ihm und Phil wird durch das brutale Finale gekonnt konterkariert. Fazit: „The Power of the Dog“ ist kein einfacher Film. „The Power of the Dog“ muss man nicht mögen. „The Power of the Dog“ will zu keinem Zeitpunkt gefallen. ABER: Lässt man sich vollkommen und ohne Ablenkung auf den Film, seine Figuren und deren Wirkung ein, dann hat man die Chance einen der vielleicht gefühlvollsten Western-Filme der letzten 20 Jahre zu erleben. Den Verantwortlichen rund um Regisseurin Jane Campion schaffen es einen Western ohne typische Westerninhalte zu erschaffen. Einzig im technischen und inszenatorischen Bereich erinnert der Film an typische Western-Produktionen. Stattdessen wird hier aber eine beinahe schon zerbrechlich wirkende Geschichte einer Familie erzählt. Wenngleich es die Charaktere schaffen Dialoge so gut wie nicht zustande kommen zu lassen und es sich meist auf einige Gesprächsfetzen beschränkt, so schaffen sie es doch mit ihrem Spiel eine Welt und ein Profil zu kreieren, das fasziniert. Sicherlich auch mit einiger Überzeugungsarbeit und Anstrengung verbunden, offenbart „The Power of the Dog“ für jeden, der es möchte eine anmutende und durch einen brachialen Abschluss gezeichnete Geschichte über das Leben und die Liebe. „The Power of the Dog“ wird nicht jeden überzeugen, auch ich habe eine gute Stunde dafür gebraucht. Doch gelingt es ihm, dann offenbart er seine ganz eigene Wirkung. Ein unbequemer Film über unbequeme Charaktere. By @kino_mit_alex Netflix’s original movie that dominated the nominations this year The Power of the Dog. This movie is nominated for twelve awards including; Best Picture, Jane Campion for Best Director, Benedict Cumberbatch for Best Lead Actor, both Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit McPhee for Best Supporting Actor, Kirsten Dunst for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Production Design. While I did end up really enjoying this movie, it took me a long time to get into it and figure out what the purpose was. This movie was the most excruciating two hours of my life, it is unbearably slow until the last thirty minutes or so. I really don’t think this deserves twelve nominations, it’s good but not that good. I don’t think it should win Best Picture but it very well might. The director did a great job but there are better options this year, and the cinematography was good in parts but again there are better options. Cumberbatch is good here but not best of the year good, I think the nomination was just to be nice. As much as I love Plemons I don’t think he should win, I really don’t even understand the nomination. He’s in so little of this movie and doesn’t leave much of an impact in what scenes he does have. McPhee however does have a legitimate claim to the award and I think it would be nice to see him take it. Dunst gives one of the best performances of her career and also stands a very good chance at taking home the award. I really think Dune should take the Adapted Screenplay award but I think this could win. The score should not have been nominated, it’s good but I never went, “wow, this is a good score”, Dune should take that. The other three; sound, editing, and production design also don’t make much sense to me. I think they were alright but there are far more deserving contenders this year. This movie is going to be incredibly inaccessible to a lot of people, with its graphic animal dissections, it’s very drawn out plot, and the insane amount of silence makes this a movie not everyone can get behind. 8/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Godzilla vs. Kong is maximum self-aware schlock. Over the top action and excessive CGI, held together by a ridiculous plot. Yes, the writing is nonsense, but it allows the battles to drive the show. It is a means to an end, and, in that regard, it does its job. This is a microcosm of the overall film. Godzilla vs. Kong is not conventionally good, but its attributes serve its blunt goal of monster fights. The pacing of the first act is too fast? Gotta get to the action. The scientific production design is illogically advanced? Gotta justify these fights. The acting is cheesy? Gotta lighten the tone of this mass destruction. Meanwhile, Godzilla vs. Kong does bring some filmmaking to the table. The cinematography is solid, using attractive lighting and color choices throughout. The sound design is detailed and occasionally abstract. The CGI is elaborate (despite being overused). The cast isn't amazing but decent, and the direction lacks a distinct voice but keeps the film focused on its energized tone. Overall, Godzilla vs. Kong is certainly aiming low but generally hits its mark. It's far from high art, but Godzilla vs. Kong is fine entertainment. Writing: 3/10 Direction: 5/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Acting: 4/10 Editing: 4/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 5/10 Production Design: 4/10 Casting: 6/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 5.2/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites

Reviews by: @the_nut_shell_horrorreviews 7/10 Sidney and her friends are terrorised by attacks from a masked killer. The town is in uproar with paranoia. People are being brutally killed left and right by the attacker. Its up to Sidney to find out the identity of this masked madman before their rampage of blood and guts reaches its gruesome conclusion. A classic slasher, created by a master of icon horror, a parody on another slasher classic. You really couldn't ask for more from your Friday night viewing. The characters are all well designed and portrayed, and the plot layout leading to the conclusion perfectly crafted! An ending very hard to predict. The kills are satisfyingly brutal and the opening mislead masterful. They say the slasher genre is a dying art, if so I'd say this was the absolute centre, with Psycho being its birth. But I doubt it, the genre will live and kick on. Lets face it, this was a scream! Gore ☠☠☠ Suspense ☠☠☠ Jump scare ☠☠ Dread ☠☠☠ By @the_nut_shell_horrorreviews

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @yacchi_to_movienglish Mean Girls is a modern classic because its strengths are significant. First, the cast is spectacular. They were hot at the time (Lohan), have blossomed since (McAdams and Seyfried), and transcend eras (Fey and Poehler). Meanwhile, lesser known actors (like Caplan and Surendra) excel in their roles. Next, the acting is superb. Everyone's comedic delivery is on point and Lohan's character evolution carries the plot. Cady's downfall and redemption could've come off unconvincing, but Lohan plays it perfectly. Mean Girls hinges on a delicate balance of cartoonish comedy and relatable drama, which the entire cast nails. Lastly, the writing drives Mean Girls. Superficially, it might seem like another teen comedy, but Mean Girls is special because it's extremely witty. There is an abundance of laugh out loud moments, quotable lines, and food for thought. Tina Fey is known for writing elite comedy with biting social commentary, and Mean Girls is a prime example. This film might not be particularly noticeable from a technical standpoint, but its strengths more than make up for that. A great script brought to life by an exceptional cast is everything a comedy needs, which is why Mean Girls is a standout of its generation. Writing: 9/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.0/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites ⌚97分 ジャンル:学園コメディ 〇英語の難易度 ★☆☆☆☆ やっぱり学園モノは英語がわかりやすい聞き取りやすい！日常会話しかないから真似しやすい！すごく勉強になります。 〇感想 @toras_movie さんと話してて また観たくなって観た💄💋 アメリカのティーンの女の子たち を思い浮かべてって言われたら、 たぶん1番最初に思い浮かぶ映画。 ピンクが溢れてて可愛いんだけど 反面、女子のドロドロした世界が すごくリアルに描かれてるのが 面白くて結構好きです笑 普通の女子高生を100倍エスカレート させるとこんな感じよね 誰でも悪口を言われたことがあるし 言ったことがある コンプレックスもある 自分の外見とか男の子のこととか ちっちゃいことに真剣になっちゃう まぁそれが楽しいってのもあるし これくらいの女子って 怖いんだか可愛いんだか…😅 中学高校時代を思い出しました。 中高生の男子がこれを観たら引くのかな笑 でもこれが女の子の実態です。 あと、この映画観ていつも思うのが 1日だけアメリカの一軍女子高生 になってみたい❤ あ、1日でいいの。 疲れちゃうから。笑 私あんなに電話できないもん💬 最後にNew PRASTICSが誕生 してたのはウケました🤣 By @yacchi_to_movienglish

Reviews by: @the_nut_shell_horrorreviews 8/10 An alien parasite visits earth desending upon Grant Grant. He becomes infected, merging with the alien entity. Spreading his love, the small town becomes rife with host seeking slugs, cattle mutilations, hive-mind zombies and one all controlling Grant Monster. His wife, town sheriff and survivors must try and save the world from this alien threat or die trying. This is classic James Gunn work complete with awesome soundtrack and plenty of comic relief. Still terrifying, scary gory body horror, blood and guts, slimey slugs, credible threats to the mains, and the incredibly amazing Brenda Ball. You can even feel sympathy for monster Grant. Who wasn't a bad guy really, just another victim. Great performances from Elizabeth Banks and Micheal Rooker. Its clear to see Gunn's rise from this flick. Clever execution, amazing composition! A-grade slimey slithering horror. Gore ☠☠☠☠ Suspense ☠☠ Jump scare ☠☠☠ Dread ☠☠ By @the_nut_shell_horrorreviews

Reviews by: @ryan_the_nixon 2021 PG director: Sarah Smith and Jean Phillipe Divine. starring: Jack Dylan Grazer, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Olivia Colman, Rob Delaney, Justice Smith, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado etc The story of Barney, an awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally connected device. Ron's malfunctions set against the backdrop of the social media age launch them on a journey to learn about true friendship. Ron’s gone wrong was ok and fine for what it was. My first few positives would be the strong animation and set up. As well as the great worldbuilding and interesting elements. Also, the likeable characters, humour, and interesting family dynamic. The film was visually stunning with a rich storyworld and aesthetically pleasing set locations, also with impressive animation for the characters that looked realistic but also unique to some other animations. I also thought the set-up of introducing the B bots and what their function were intrigued me and was a strong start to the film. The worldbuilding itself was also strong, with the film going into great amounts of details about the b bots and their function and building and expanding on the world with the character or Ron, it had layers to it and didn’t feel one dimensional so was always invested in the world the characters were in. I also thought the characters were very likeable. Barney had this loveable charm to him as a character and he was easy to sympathise and connect with and I feel like his character can be relatable to a lot of people watching. Especially younger kids who perhaps feel the same as his character. I also loved the family dynamic. Him losing his mother and never building the relationship with his dad gave some interesting themes and depth, and the comedic chemistry with the grandmother was always fun to watch. The films humour especially with the grandmother and the weird and wonderful situations Barney got into with Ron got some good laughs. My first few negatives are the generic plot elements. The repetitive humour and forced dialogue. As well as the pacing issues. The film recycled a lot of plot points and themes from other movies and this kind of movie has been done before and done better. A film like the Mitchell’s vs the machines comes to mind. I also thought not all the humour landed. The film was inconsistent and went very repetitive with some of the jokes. They lost their impact after a certain number of times and it became slightly tedious and annoying hearing the same joke multiple times. I also thought a lot of the dialogue felt very corny and forced. Particularly with a lot of the characters and how they interact with Barney. It just felt very unrealistic and generic with why the kids were being mean to him and the dialogue shined a light on this. I also thought the pacing was very messy. The film was too chaotic and was moving at such a fast pace but with a surprising lack of plot. So, it missed opportunities for more depth as it constantly wanted to move onto new things and just threw everything at you, so it lacked focus. My final few positives would be the strong themes and charming tone. As well as the chemistry between the characters and heart-warming moments. And the villain was strong with an entertaining and uplifting final act. I think the themes on friendship and family, as well as making relationships in the real world and not creating a fake version of yourself was strong and very important. This film also had a very charming tone, the chemistry and friendship between Ron and Barney was very sweet as they grew their friendship and they both learned from each other, and it was a heart-warming highlight of the film. They both had such a great chemistry with each other and as Ron learned more about Barney the more emotionally connected Barney felt to something as he grew to accept himself. I also thought the villain was strong, the themes that the villain helped highlight were strong. Highlighting the need for security and controlled screen time especially when they are kids, and how horrible the villain was with the invasion of the kid’s privacy helped to highlight this. Finally, I thought the final act was uplifting and entertaining. The final act was the strongest part of the film for me. It was heart-warming with Barney finally feeling accepted and his arc with his family was very touching and well done. It was entertaining and visually stunning and offered a great message that ended the film on a high note. My final few negatives would be the lack of development and stakes. As well as the odd character decisions. For me the film really lacked any plot or development for a good chunk of the run time. It felt like it was more of a series repetitive plot points that weren’t going anywhere. And with a lack of a strong villain until the second half, for a while the film just wasn’t going anywhere. This impacted the pacing and the quality of the writing. There was also just a complete lack of stakes, there was no real sense of danger for a large portion of the film, it felt like it wasn’t challenging itself or the characters enough, therefore limiting the amount of development the plot and characters could have. I also thought that there were some odd creative decisions with the characters. I found it very strange that the film spent so long having characters like Savannah and Rich bully Barney for so long, only for them to suddenly be friends with him, it just felt very odd and I found it hard to believe the characters would change their point of view on each other so quickly. Overall, Ron’s gone wrong has strong animation, A loveable lead duo. And raises some good themes, its heart was in the right place. But the thinly written and recycled plot as well as a general feeling of playing it too safe impacted my enjoyment considerably. It was serviceable and families will enjoy it, but I don’t think I will be watching it again. Overall rating 62/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @ryan_the_nixon @jii_nius_11 West Side Story is a love letter to classic filmmaking. The marriage of Spielberg's direction with a vintage musical is a match made in heaven because his unique elevation of motion and energy perfectly serves the extravagant dance numbers. The imagery is dense with movement and meaning, but never overcrowded. Also, the production design is detailed and gives an authentic sense of grandeur. And, of course, the music is a driving force because, among other things, it contributes heavily to the time period. Overall, West Side Story is a cinematic burst that will captivate viewers with its technical craft. On the flipside, however, West Side Story is emotionally flat. The writing deserves credit for its original music and important themes, but the core love story is, unfortunately, underdeveloped. Surprisingly, it is this centerpiece of the film that is its weakest link. Tony and Maria just aren't quite fleshed out enough as protagonists. Meanwhile, their romance is unbelievably accelerated, jumping from "introduction" to "love" to "risking it all" in just a few scenes together. Ultimately, the filmmaking and performances of West Side Story make this forgivable, but this fundamental limitation holds the film back from being unquestionably great. Writing: 7/10 Direction: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 9/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.1/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites 2021 12A Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Rita Moreno, Brian D'Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Mike Faist, Josh Andres Rivera, Iris Menas etc. An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. I was underwhelmed with this movie, but there was still some fantastic moments. The cinematography and set pieces were truly something special truly bringing the time period to life. The character conflict between the two different gangs was strong. The dance numbers and soundtrack were incredible and definitely the strongest element of the film. The performances were very strong. Particularly from Rachel Zegler and Mike Faist. But, for me the star making performance was from Ariana DeBose who was incredible. The directing from Steven Spielberg was incredible, with tremendous amounts of respect and love for the source material and it really showed on screen. The themes on culture, ethnicity and family were great. The chemistry between most of the cast was strong. Some of the humour was great, with amazing representation for the Puerto recan and trans community. The plot development was strong and the intensity of some scenes particularly with the character deaths was great. However, a lot of the characters relationships felt underdeveloped and for me there was a lack of chemistry between Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler because of this, but Rachel tried her best. There was a lot of illogical and unlikeable character decisions that yes were in the original but just not executed well here. The pacing, particularly in the final act was a big problem. Overall, West Side Story is fantastically directed by Stephen Spielberg. Who maintained a respect for the original source material. And has truly outstanding visuals and musical numbers. Plus, Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose offer star making performances. But the underdeveloped characters, and a dull and bland final act that didn't really seem to end cut this film short despite its impressive achievements. Overall score 77/100 By @ryan_the_nixon Wᴇꜱᴛ ꜱɪᴅᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ (2021) 웨스트 사이드 스토리 뮤지컬 로맨스 / 미국 / 156분 Steven Spielberg 스티븐 스필버그 감독 🌙_ 이 감독에게는 장르의 한계가 없다는 걸 다시 한번 느끼게 해준 영화. 배우들의 단체 씬들에는, 무대에서의 현장감은 없더라도 스크린에서 담을 수 있는 또 다른 화려함과 에너지로 가득했으며, 스크린 안의 모든 것들이 앙상블을 이루고 있는 모습을 볼 수 있었다. 그럼에도 불구하고 극의 후반부와 주연 배우의 에너지에 있어서는 조금 아쉬웠다. - 뮤지컬 작품, 그중에도 이렇게 클래식한 작품들은 자칫하면 관객들이 이질감을 느껴 몰입이 어려워지는데, 도시의 소음으로부터 시작되는 첫 장면은 관객들을 서서히 끌어당기는데에 성공했다고 본다. - 생각보다 마리아와 토니의 사랑 이야기보다도 인종차별, 그들 집단 간의 갈등이 더 많은 비중을 차지하는 듯하여 더 좋았다. - 현실주의에 가까운 요즘 사회의 정서 때문인지, 사실 이틀 정도 밖에 되지않는 기간동안 두 남녀가 보여준 뜨거운 사랑의 모습에는 공감이 가기보다는 그냥 하나의 동화 속 이야기를 보는 느낌에 가까웠다. - 두 주연보다 아니타, 베르나르도를 비롯한 수많은 앙상블들의 조화가 더 기억에 남는다. 특히 아니타의 에너지는 정말 누구보다도 눈에 띈다. - 'Gee, Officer Krupke' 넘버. 앞의 장면들과는 조금 다른, 청년들의 장난스럽고 해맑은 모습들이 함께 보여져서 좋았던 장면. 귀엽다는 생각과 동시에, 그들이 놓여진 사회에 폭력과 분열, 갈등이 가득하다는 점이 안타깝기도 했다. - 화려한 장면의 다양한 넘버들은 충분히 내 기대를 넘어설 정도로 에너지 넘쳤고 화려했고 즐거웠다. - 이쯤되니 스티븐 스필버그는 정말 그냥 '영화'를 잘 만드는 감독이구나 싶다. - 후반부에 딱 찝어 말할 수 없는 아쉬움. 주연 배우들의 에너지가 극을 마무리 하기에는 아직 충분하지 못했지 않았나 싶다. - 아쉬운 점도 있었지만 고전, 클래식한 매력을 좋아하는 나같은 사람들은 나름 재밌게 볼 수 있는 영화. 🎭 "Do you want to start World War Three?" "세계 3차 대전이라도 일으키고 싶은거야?" "You don't want to start maybe with, I'd like to take you out to coffee?" "그냥 이렇게 시작하는건 어때, 나랑 커피 한 잔 할래?" 👀더 많은& 상세한 리뷰는 프로필 상단👀 By @jii_nius_11

Reviews by: @mr.cinemaaa Project Details Director: Srinath Rajendran Story: Jithin K Jose Screenplay: Daniel Sayooj Nair & K S Aravind Produced By: Dulquer Salmaan & Akhil C Nair Production Houses: Wayfarer Films & M Star Entertainments Cinematography: Nimish Ravi Music Director: Sushin Shyam Edited By: Vivek Harshan Production Design: Banglan Art Director: Manoj Costumes: Praveen Varma Sound Design: Vicky Kishan ( Sapthaa) Makeup: Ronex Xavier Run Time: 2 Hours & 36 Minutes CBFC Rating: "U/A" Direction & Story The film is a biopic of the most celebrated criminal of Kerala - Sukumara Kurup. What kind of hurdles will the Kerala police face in tracking his whereabouts? Forms the main crux of the film. The story by Jithin K Jose is pretty decent. It narrates the real-life tale of India's longest-wanted fugitive with an ample dose of cinematic liberties. The screenplay is well written. Though the non-linear way of storytelling seemed messy in the first half, all the loose ends were connected well in the second half. But the only problem was the suspense-filled scenes and the connecting dots didn't have the high that was required and created a very dull effect overall. Director Srinath has done a passable job with the film. Though he showcased Dulquer and his character well, he could not get the desired effect which was there on paper on to the screen neatly in the second half. Lead Performances Dulquer Salmaan portrayed the role of a fugitive named Sukumara Kurup with utmost ease. Be it his body language or his electrifying screen presence, the talented actor pulled off the role in a perfect manner and comes up with a complete one-man show. Sobhita Dhulipala impresses yet again with her performance-oriented character as Kurup's wife Sharada. The family scenes between Dulquer and Sobhita are executed in a decent manner. Indrajith Sukumaran amazes with the exceptional underplay and is solid as the investigation officer. Anupama Parameswaran is utterly wasted in her limited cameo and her look also looked too odd. Shine Tom Chacko, Sunny Wayne, and Bharath Niwas are apt in their respective supporting roles. The rest of the cast are fine in their limited supporting roles. Detailed Analysis The narrative unfolds with a dead slow-paced first half that takes its own sweet time to establish the premise and characters. The first half is very boring and there is nothing much happening in the plot here. The interval point is the time where the pace picks up. The second half connects all the dots which are there in the first half. It gives all the points from others' perspectives & this part is handled well but it needed a racy narration &a high factor while the dots are joined. But sadly that never happens and gets bogged down. The biggest positive factor of Kurup is that it does not celebrate or glorify the absconded criminal. Overall, this film is going to be a bumpy ride for all the viewers who watch it expecting a masala entertainer with some 'mass' moments. But if you can sit through the first half, the latter half will give The hotel escape scene is fantastic. you an experience worth your time. Technical Team Direction: 3.5/5 Story: 3.5/5 Screenplay: 3.5/5 Dialogues (Tel): 2.5/5 Music: 3/5 Background Music: 4.5/5 Production Values: 5/5 Cinematography: 4.5/5 Editing: 2.5/5 Production Design: 4.5/5 Sound Design: 4/5 Costumes: 4.5/5 Make Up: 4/5 VFX/Graphics: 3.5/5 Plus Points Dulquer Salmaan's Performance Sobitha Dhulipala & Indrajit Sukumaran Rest All Supporting Cast Second Half Cinematography & Background Music Good Screenplay & Direction Few Thrilling Scene Towards The End Minus Points Slow Paced Narrative Boring First Half Ineffective Execution Of The Screenplay Editing & Run Time Cinematic Liberties Final Verdict A half-baked & slow-burn criminal biopic that needed better execution. P.S.: Can try it once for the second half & Dq ' s amazing screen presence. Recommended: 50-50 Mr.Cinema Rating: 2.5/5 0.5 - Unbearable 1.0 - Avoid 1.5 - Flop 2.0 - Below Average 2.5 - Average 3.0 - Watchable 3.5 - Hit 4.0- Super Hit 4.5 - Blockbuster 5.0 - Mega Hit By @mr.cinemaaa

Reviews by: @e.r.f.g_films Babyteeth is honestly one of my favourite films from 2019, if not my favourite. I cannot stress enough how gorgeous this movie is in every way. In the words of Essie Davis (who plays Anna) “it’s such a beautiful, funny, awkward, strange story”. The story follows 16 year old Milla (Eliza Scanlen) who is suffering from terminal cancer. We are then introduced to Moses (Toby Wallace), a semi-homeless drug addict. The two form an unlikely pair. Milla, perhaps being a little more rebellious than the average 16 year old, falls for Moses (7 years her senior). Moses, at first seeing an opportunity to get his hands on the drugs Milla possesses for medication. We are also joined by Milla’s parents, who struggle with the concept of having a 23 year old drug addict around their daughter. However because of their circumstance are allowing it albeit reluctantly, “This is the worst possible parenting I can imagine”(Anna). The script is fantastic, perfectly executed by the cast. The humour is spot on, it is subtle and dry. It lifts you up from the harder scenes of the movie. The characters are unique, they are whacky. Toby Wallace is phenomenal, just captivating in this role. Moses is a loveable gentle character, underneath the despiration of his addiction. Therefore he does questionable things, but the film does well not to villainise him. We see him struggle and make bad decisions, and we are allowed to be frustated on behalf of the other characters. But he is such a interesting character to watch. His redemption is good at shedding light on drug addition. Eliza Scanlen is an actress we will need to keep our eye out for. Already starring along side Amy Adams in “Sharp Objects” (2018), not to mention playing Beth in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” (2019). Milla is brought to life by Scanlen. She manages to balance the spectrum of emotion this character goes through so well. Such a wholesome cast, just perfect. Despite the theme of this film it is bright and uplifting. The colour scheme is so pleasing to watch. A pastel “poolside” pallet, mixed in with bird song and bugs in the background of certain scenes, makes for a very calming aesthetic. A gorgeous sound track, it’s whacky, semi-relaxing and slow paced, it matches the vibe of the movie and matches the characters. The choices the film maker has made for this movie really pay off. Take the family for example. They could have made Milla’s parents a serious grieving couple. They do grieve, don’t get me wrong, but they are also childish and funny. They make weird decisions and have funny backstories. It would have really transformed the movie I think, to have made Milla’s mum and dad a one-dimensional couple. Instead they add colour and life into the film with their unconventional parenting. You can see the love there and it makes it all the more heart-breaking. This is just one of those films that ticks all the boxes and is still its own. Films are supposed to bring emotion, make you laugh, be visually pleasing. This is a vulnerable tale of a dying girl, a whacky love story, a tale on drug addiction, a rebelious coming of age. The film makers were not scared to step outside of the box, resulting a stunning film. By @e.r.f.g_films

Reviews by: @silverscreencritiques The film follows Walter Mitty, an employee of Time Magazine who struggles with maladaptive daydreaming. The Magazine is issuing it's very last issue, and he must find the photo for the last cover of the magazine. Throughout most of the film, Walter Mitty has vivid and engaging day dreams, so much so that he zones out for minutes at a time, and it usually takes a hard wake up call from reality to bring him back. He dreams of love, excitement, and adventure. He dreams of his own life being that way, but he's not actively doing anything to make that a reality, life is passing him by. But then he sets out on a journey, and sees and experiences tons of new and different things. As he grows on this journey the cinematography also grows with him, the world gets bigger and more colorful. And his day dreams start happening less and less. There's saying that goes something like "We got so busy looking at the stars, we forgot about the flowers at our feet." I have been guilty of this, and I'm sure others have as well. We all have a desire things to be better in our lives, but we can't just dream about them. We have to be pro active in our desires and appreciation of life. Don't let life pass you by. Don't feel like you have to do big or crazy things. Just start doing things you've always wanted to do or try! By @silverscreencritiques

On a technical level, Spider-Man: Far From Home is quite similar to its predecessor. Because of the globetrotting element, the production design is slightly grander, but not enough to shift that grade. Also, the cast is debatably better but essentially equal. Furthermore, the music, editing, cinematography, and effects all follow the formulas established in Homecoming. Really, the only noticeable technical difference here is the lack of symbolic sound design. Simply put, the filmmaking of Far From Home is almost identical to that of Homecoming. However, Far From Home does have key emotional differences. First, this script has less heart because the personal conflict isn't as impactful. Yes, Parker struggles to balance his work/private life, but he never takes a step backwards with MJ. Compared to Homecoming (where Spider-Man's ascension is earned), this Parker/MJ arc feels soft. Meanwhile, this neutralized writing limits the dynamics of Holland's performance. Thankfully, Gyllenhaal's force cancels out that shortcoming. Conversely, because Far From Home nails some satisfying hallucination scenes, the direction deserves more praise. In sum, Far From Home parallels Homecoming and is another enjoyable piece of the Spider-Man web. Writing: 6/10 Direction: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 7.4/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews

Reviews by: @foxredfilmreviews Falling Down stars Michael Douglas as every white working class guy's guardian angel, a man who storms out of his car in a traffic jam. Oh and he does some other white guy fantasy stuff too. But seriously, Falling Down is a fantastically entertaining adventure as we see Douglas' character move from location to location upping the ante on his aggression as we learn more about his past through the police investigating him in something of a cat-and-mouse setup. The actors around him are decent, admittedly Robert Duvall leaves a little to be desired considering his reputation for being legendary, but Michael Douglas' central performance is the beating heart of this motion picture and he is brilliant. I also recently saw him in The Game and both of these performances are cementing him as one of my favourite actors and I would love to see more of his work. The project is helmed by the late legend Joel Schumacher and he does a solid job at communicating the anxiety caused by these situations. The methods of creating that shock ending are particularly admirable, I cannot stop thinking about those last few minutes, so simple yet so stirring. Schumacher was a great director, Phone Booth is a very underrated thriller in my opinion and I recommend it to anyone who likes Falling Down, making it a great shame how his legacy was somewhat tarnished by his Batman projects. Falling Down is great in most aspects, tied together in a neat package by Michael Douglas' Oscar-worthy performance. The 90s were arguably the greatest time period for crime thrillers and Falling Down is no exception. Highly creative and I will definitely revisit this one. By @foxredfilmreviews

Reviews by: @movieswithjosh_ @afcgaming @thefilmobservatory 8.5/10 Netflix, you sly dog. You’ve done it again! This is one of the best animated series I’ve ever seen. Now keep in mind, I’ve never played League of Legends, nor did I know anything about the game going in. I went in completely blind and I came out so damn impressed. The characters man… the characters were so freaking SICK! Powder is such a well written character and she was easily my favourite part of the show. I couldn’t and still can’t get enough of her. She’s like Harley Quinn, but better. What a fantastic character! I also really liked Vander, Vi, Jayce, Silco, Caitlyn and come on, Heimerdinger is just great. They all had wicked development and the voice cast was top notch across the board. This show had some of the craziest voice work🔥 What really takes Arcane to another level though is the animation. Dude… that sh#t was insane. The style, designs, use of colours/light, world building and editing was all flawless. I can say without a doubt that this show is a visual masterpiece. My god👏🏼 I also thought the music was really solid and it helped give the world it’s grungy yet calming feel and atmosphere. Here’s the thing; it’s pretty hard for a show to completely win me over. I’m just not a series guy🤷🏼‍♂️ I prefer stories that are told in a 2-3 hour format, so shows usually lose me pretty quick. I often find myself very invested in the first few episodes of whatever I’m watching, then become underwhelmed by the rest. When it comes to this show though, yes, I do think the second half was slightly weaker than the first but it never once lost me. I think that’s because the first 3-4 episodes had unbeatable storytelling, so the rest of it was overshadowed by that. There was still plenty to love in the second half but it didn’t quite hit like episodes 1 through 4. Yeah, I’d say that’s my only real complaint. In the end, I think Arcane is just a kickass and madly impressive show. Netflix has once again proven themselves as the streaming giant. I had a blast watching this and I really can’t wait for season 2. Bring it on😍 By @movieswithjosh_ Arcane is a 9 episode series available on Netflix and produced by Riot Games and Fortiche. Clearly most of the work was done by Fortiche, Riot can’t even balance champions, they could never do a work of art like this. If you’re a League of Legends fan, old or new, you probably wanted to learn a bit more about some characters besides reading some paragraphs of boring lore. This series got you covered. Jinx and Vi are the main characters, with big roles for Jayce, Viktor, Heimerdinger, Ekko and Singed. You’re probably wondering who the fuck am I talking about if you’re not a League fan, but fear not, this series is (almost) just as good for newcomers. Sure some references and cameos (like the little fucker Teemo) you won’t understand, but the story is the core here, and you’ll likely enjoy it. Also, Silco is a pretty good villain! An original character for the League of Legends universe. Props to Riot on one thing, the characters and worlds they create sure make for interesting stories. But a HUGE HUGE HUGE word of congratulations to Fortiche, the animation style they created is simply incredible. In fact, I can safely say that this is one of the best animation works of all time, a true work of art. From the beautiful vistas to the incredibly detailed characters (seriously, even nuanced movements of the eyes make for awesome immersion), the amazingly choreographed fight scenes to the use of different colours…it’s so good to look at, you just want to keep watching it. The action scenes rival some of the live action greatness from recent years! The story is, for the most part, great. A bit rushed here and there, but you know it’s good when you’re rooting for heroes and villains alike. The series also ends on a satisfying cliffhanger, which I don’t often see. It’s an awesome series, something everyone that likes good storytelling and animations should watch. With season 2 already confirmed and a promise from Riot to work with Fortiche more, there are so many great lanes that they can explore. Hopefully they don't drop the hexcore, like the idiot Yasuo in my team does everytime. 10/10 #arcane#leagueoflegends#lol#vi#jinx#silco#vander#jayce#singed By @afcgaming 5/5 Fantasy/Drama MINOR SPOILER WARNING Sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Mia Sinclair Jenness) find themselves divided on opposing sides, amidst rising tensions between the rich utopia of Piltover and the oppressed underworld of Zaun. Riot Games and Fortiche Studios took the streaming world by storm in November 2021 when the first season of Arcane released onto Netflix and I’m here to say that… I was about 2-3 months late to the party. However, I can now weigh in on why I, like many other viewers, consider this season of television a pure masterpiece. I absolutely did not expect to be here after 2021, explaining how and why the best TV from last year was an animated spin-off from a non-narrative PC game with a variable reputation, which meant that Arcane was a massively pleasant surprise for me. Quite frankly, little TV has had me so engaged in quite a while and it’s largely down to the phenomenal writing and impressive world building. Arcane could have easily become clunky and stumbled under the weight of introducing its lore and expansive cast of characters, however, the creators make the wise decision to treat the audience as if they know nothing about League of Legends, which sounds simple yet is an issue that many a videogame adaptation has been tainted by. Consequentially, we aren’t spoon-fed exposition but rather learn about the steampunk world and its inhabitants through the lenses and stories of the central protagonists and antagonists, which is done by prioritising character work and exploring their relationships, while small details about the world are sprinkled in, until we can eventually form an expansive understanding of the setting. It doesn’t feel like any of Arcane’s runtime is wasted on insignificant details, for example, in the opening scene, we see two young girls, presumably sisters, on a bridge while some armed characters in blue and gold uniforms, suggested to be police or guards, are in conflict with a lone human in regular attire, who seems to be the last alive after his companions have been murdered. We can infer that the sisters’ parents have just been killed by the police or guards and, since we will obviously sympathise with characters who have just experienced that tragedy because of the apathy of federal action, we quickly understand the pain and anger of the oppressed population of Zaun due to the ignorance of Piltover, a city controlled by those blinded by their wealth. However, this scene also introduces our two main characters and how important their dynamic is, as they suffer shared trauma by a cruel system and are suggested to be the only biological family they each have left. This tragic opening sets out Arcane’s dramatic yet human tone and displays the show’s visual flair, with the chillingly orange mist. Therefore, even the opening scene concisely offers a taste of the character, world-building, tone and animation that’s to come. From what I remember, there’s also hardly a word spoken in this scene, demonstrating how well this show can balance character and world-building, saying so much even without dialogue. This distinct opening immediately demands the viewer’s attention and is only a small example of how Arcane constructs its scenes but, from this point on, it stays mind-blowingly consistent, entirely devoid of any weak narrative links. While the fight scenes are kinetic and stunning, Arcane is more concerned with exploring its characters and their relationships amidst the tension and violence that surrounds them. Act 1 introduces Vi and Powder in their found family dynamic with father figure and protector of those vulnerable in the underworld Vander (JB Blanc), and friends/surrogate siblings Mylo (Yuri Lowenthal, who I’m happy to ‘vocally see’ again after his excellent take on Peter Parker in Insomniac’s Spider-Man) and Claggor (Roger Craig Smith). The show’s opening 3 episodes do a fantastic job of presenting the innocence of the young mischief-makers contrasted harshly by how unforgiving and unfair the world is, and part of what makes Arcane so insatiable is that it never pulls its punches, whether that’s in violent explosions or merciless stabbing. People die unexpectedly and horrifyingly and it’s not pretty or glamourised. It’s also not afraid to tackle complex mental health issues, such as in how genius but impatient scientists Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd) each find themselves considering taking their own lives. This show may take place in a distant steampunk setting but it consistently and impressively feels so real and raw, permeating in mine and many other viewers’ minds so much more than a lot of TV that takes place in our normal world. While Vi and Powder’s relationship sees moments of wholesomeness and wonder, like when they look out over the city discussing their plans to be respected someday, it’s equally contrasted by disturbing instances of trauma and tragedy, like the end of Act 1 which I don’t wish to spoil but, bloody hell, that is some disturbingly human s***. After an intense opening that sets the stage for the turmoil and stakes to come, Arcane doesn’t ever let up and continues its wonderful trick with presenting rounded out characters who we can sympathise with even at their worst, to the extent where I can’t think of a single one that the audience doesn’t get to know at least slightly beyond the surface. It’s always evident throughout the series that all its inhabitants have evolved from a complicated past that’s influenced who they are in the present but, perhaps more relevantly to the story, have plans for how they want to play the ‘game’ of prospering with wealth and power in Piltover or simply trying to survive the cutthroat undercity of Zaun, that’s been so beaten into submission by corrupt enforcers and merciless crime lords alike. The time that this show takes in ensuring that the audience knows the characters allows these components to build up a rich tapestry of conflicts driven for multitudes of different purposes and this allows the narrative to be so consistently thrilling. I would consider ruthless crime boss Silco (Jason Spisak) to be one of the most exemplary of just how effective the Arcane treatment of character is, as he’s the kind of supporting component who could have easily become an archetypal and unoriginal villain. However, he’s such an intriguing presence because of the fact that he’s not a moustache-twirling sadist, but rather a character with shades of good in his intentions who’s sadly overwhelmed by his flawed means of ‘achieving’ them. His tumultuous past with Vander shows this in how they both ultimately wanted and want the same thing (freedom and fair leadership for Zaun) but are on polar-opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the extents that they believe they can go in the name of ‘peace’ before it becomes tyranny. Silco’s storyline is obvious proof that the world of Arcane tragically doesn’t reward honour and benevolence, which makes it all the more interesting that, by the end of season 1, it’s clear to the audience that what’s most important to this brutal and cold murderer is his surrogate daughter, Jinx (Ella Purnell). Despite his shortcomings in mercy and often sympathy, through his deeply rooted relationship of Jinx, we see a pause in his manipulations where he shows a capacity for genuine love and care, a theme that recurs at other moments too when Silco reflects on some of his extreme decisions and questions whether they were the right thing to do, almost imploring judgment from the ghosts of the past. The narrative in the more entrepreneurial ‘topside’ is driven by the brilliant but problematic duo of Jayce and Viktor, bringing a story thematically imbued with some surprisingly hard-hitting and rich commentary on how humanity’s ambition so often leads to self-destructive ruin. To sum it up for any unknowledgeable readers, the two inventors form a perilous fixation on the potential to harness the power of ‘arcane magic’ via scientific means, a plan which temporarily runs smoothly but risks failure because of humans’ arguably innate inability to know when to stop pushing the bounds. This show is the opposite of surface-level in every manner and these tough realities that the pair faces are best summed up by Viktor’s memorable line, “In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good”. (On a brief sidenote, there’s no way that the latter character wasn’t named after Victor Frankenstein: both wish to break through the ‘natural order’ of the world, sink into mental illness when their pursuits are at a failing, and are driven by unchecked ambition that causes significant harm to at least one innocent who cares about them. I don’t want to dig into this comparison too deeply, as there are obvious differences, such as that Viktor averts Victor’s hamartia by being able to accept responsibility for his mistakes and consequently strive to fix them, however, I thought it was an interesting potential allusion to consider.) Jayce, in his political pursuits, provides an effective fish-out-of-water aspect to the Piltover storyline that allows the viewer to simultaneously learn about the intricacies of how the city is governed and how people compromise to stay in power. Quick-witted councilwoman Mel Medarda (Toks Olagundoye) and eccentric but kind-hearted mentor and staple of Piltovian (did I get it right?) history Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) are standouts, as plenty of depth is brought to the overall grey manner in which most noble political attempts by those in power are sadly overshadowed by their selfish failures, that often go on to instead harm the ‘lower classes’ populating Zaun. Plenty more interesting characters fill out the world, such as Katie Leung’s rookie enforcer Caitlyn, who forms a relationship with Vi going from begrudging toendearing in Acts 2-3 (without becoming cliché or unrealistic), and the two end up offering one of the most enjoyable dynamics in the show, through the contrast between the former’s naivety and the latter’s street-smarts. Caitlyn also serves as an effective foil to Vi in subtly bringing out the latter’s vulnerability, allowing for a deeper understanding of both characters’ mentalities and emotional states: it’s clear that the writers know what they’re doing. Confidently armed with bounds of courage and deadly gauntlets that serve almost as a mix of boxing gloves and knuckledusters, Vi makes her fights some of the most memorable, with highlights including a high-stakes punch-up on a bridge, near the beginning, and a climactic rematch with a particular rival, towards the end. Rebellious from Act 1 onwards, we see a constant conflict between her and Vander about the justification of violence to protect others or otherwise, and it’s almost difficult to root against Vi when her punch-ups are so satisfying. However, Vi’s ‘desire’ for violence if she believes the reasoning to be just links perfectly into the frustrations that her character experiences, as she’s surrounded by so much tragedy while nobody, even officials meant to ensure a safe and peaceful environment, does anything significant about it. I guess everybody’s got to take out their anger somehow… I may be a little biased as Vi is my favourite character of the show but, also, everything from the dark pink hair, tattoos and unrelenting wish to help those she cares about makes her stylish and sympathetic enough to be so memorable. (Also, Hailee Steinfeld is perfect at conveying Vi’s tough but endearing nature and it’s awesome to see her mini cinematic universe of roles in animation and popular franchises expand.) As for Jinx, who’s especially significant in Acts 2-3… I want to avoid spoilers here but I will say that the way Arcane captures the unhinged character’s mind is phenomenal and demonstrative of how Fortiche Studios uses animation creatively to enhance how psyches can be presented to an audience, therefore showing an efficient understanding of the unique capabilities of the medium. Stylistic crackles of ominous graffiti are contrasted by but also complement visualisations of ghosts from the past, representing her inner demons that she’s avoided facing for so long. Things don’t seem unclear or like a haze but there’s a constant sense that we’re following an unreliable narrator, and this helps increase the tension surrounding the legitimacy of aspects such as her paranoia. Jinx is a complicated character to tackle, as there are so many different ideas of guilt buried under hatred and emotional extremes raging on inside her. Part of what works so well about her is that her erratic status as a loose cannon of sorts makes her behaviour unpredictable but this contrasts with how the character is presented as a mastermind who’s always in control of the chaos in any given predicament. Nevertheless, Purnell brilliantly sells how Jinx is often a slave to her emotional changeability and serves as one of the most intriguing, sometimes mysterious presences on the show. On the animation front, from what I understand, Arcane employs a blend of 2-D and 3-D animation, which has this mystifying effect of making every shot seem like a gorgeous painting and genuine piece of art in itself, while also allowing for the perfect capture of human emotion from facial expressions, and subtle gestures and mannerisms, despite the lack of mo-cap. While I won’t linger over this for long as I’m far from an expert on the matter, it feels like watching a creation that could have been conceived in 2-D but has been considerably enhanced to bring a rich layer of authenticity to the world and characters that may have been betrayed if not for the 3-D adjustments. I don’t think it’s easy for animated series to possess what one would consider striking ‘cinematography’, but this show boasts some Roger Deakins-level visuals, through distinct colour palettes, carefully considered placement and deftly poetic imagery, such as in a pivotal fight between childhood friends across a dark bridge, where the scene is mirrored by a metaphorical game of paintball, a tragic commentary on the loss of innocence here, and how people can change so drastically when they grow up, for better or worse. In a similar way to how I loved the soundtrack for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse against all odds, as I’m generally not a fan of contemporary pop, hip-hop and rap, Arcane more than pleasantly surprised me with its music and I can confirm that I did not skip that intro once, thanks to Imagine Dragons’ main theme Enemy becoming a new hyper-fixation of mine (it’s cool to listen to on Spotify but that beat-drop when watching the actual intro, as the song accompanies depictions of the key characters dramatically in statue form hits different). Sting and Ray Chen’s What Could Have Been is a highlight of powerful and poignant proportions, while the rest are consistently stylish and fit surprisingly well with the tone and steampunk setting of the world, helping the show to form its own identity in marrying elements of past epic storytelling to newer conventions more pertinent to the direction that modern art seems to be evolving into. In summary, Arcane is an example of a simple base narrative told phenomenally well, as the steady pacing prevents any aspects feeling rushed or not sufficiently thought through. The characters are memorable and loveable, and the voice cast equally so, working in step with the intelligent script that packs a mature punch thematically and emotionally in addition to the sharp and engaging back-and- forths between protagonists. From the writing to the animation to the soundtrack, Arcane reaches above and beyond and, therefore, I cannot stress enough just how essential the viewing of this sublime steampunk character odyssey is. Also, it’s not another massive commitment for any busy viewers, as it only lasts 9 episodes of roughly 40 minutes each, so there are no excuses really. Overall, I would recommend Arcane to all, as the overwhelmingly positive audience (and critical) reception has shown it has a little something for everyone, and I hope that any people reading this who haven’t seen the show already may fall in love with it as quickly as I did: let’s hope season 2 doesn’t suck. By @thefilmobservatory

Reviews by: @a_weekend_watch •GENRE:FANTASY, MYSTERY, HORROR - STREAMING: NETFLIX (6 Episodes) - ✅THE GOOD: CHARMING! ✅Well thought-out Screenplay. It was so refreshing to see a horror show with "intelligent" writing and meaningful dialogues(especially when I was recovering from whatever shit that devil made me do..oops.. I mean The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) ✅Dark Humour that wasn't executed as shabby "comical relief" and was actually made to mesh seemlessly with all the horror sub-themes of the show. ✅The lead character Refaat Ismail. Wow, what a perfectly "flawed" character. It's commendable to see such complex character building and development, especially coming from a smaller cinema industry like Egypt. Kudos to Ahmed Amin for performing the subtle nuances of his character like his drab disposition and disturbed demeanour. ✅Finally, a horror mystery that gives realistic explanation for each turn and twist and leaves nothing to imagination. ❎THE BAD: LOW BUDGET!! ❎Mediocre CGI and special effects. However, I am glad that they kept both element to minimum and relied on story and editing instead. - 🚫THE UGLY:❌ - 📌VERDICT: PARANORMAL is based on best selling stories by Egyptian writer Ahmed Tawfik that are strongly reminiscent of Arabian Nights/One Thousand and One Nights! It is a beautiful retelling of Egyptian folklore and engages multiple delicious native myths and legends. I adored the way in which the richness of Egyptian culture and family values shine throughout the whole series. This ethnic charisma paired with surprisingly witty screenplay and hints of paranormal really made this show a rewardingly entertaining ride. Don't be fooled by the title and opening sequence, which is suggestive of a lot of impending jump scares; PARANORMAL is actually a fantasy based mystery and not a "true" horror. For anyone who is looking for a creative mystery horror, amid all the mumbo jumbo of "psychics, nuns, dolls, trolls, axes and saws", PARANORMAL is a delightful breath of fresh air that perfectly blends realism, myth, humour and fantasy. Horror fans, Do check this one out and thank me later. - ✍️Your thoughts? By @a_weekend_watch

Reviews by: @movieswithjosh_ 6/10 Well, this is what I ended up watching for Halloween! It’s definitely a cool movie but it’s also a pretty messy one. There was a lot of behind the scenes drama and tragedy to go along with the filming of “The Crow”, so I do understand why it has its flaws. Brandon Lee’s on set death was one of the most devastating accidents in Hollywood history and I felt like his final performance deserved my attention. He’s actually pretty awesome as the lead here. I wouldn’t consider it a ground breaking performance but I think he nails the darkness and energy of “Eric Draven”. He was so charismatic and fun on screen. It’s really sad we lost a talent like him. As far as the movie goes, it did have some wicked visuals and a sick ass tone. The aesthetic here was so freaking cool! I could’ve stayed in that grungy world for hours. I also thought the score was sweet, the action/dialogue was worthy and the writing was passable. The movies main issue was it’s editing and pacing. It’s kind of a mess when it comes to editing and execution (in the first half mostly). It didn’t ruin the movie for me but it unfortunately held it back. It was pretty disorientating and frustrating at times. I also thought some of the supporting acting was cheesy, the writing had some weaker points and the finale was a bit rushed. It’s got a decent amount of issues but I still found quite a bit of enjoyment in it. I will say, a reboot of this would go hard. A modern day “The Crow” movie could be something very special in my opinion. Well, it didn’t wow me by any means but I had fun with it🤷🏼‍♂️ It could’ve ended up being a throw-away movie with all the tragedy surrounding it but it managed to bring forward some alright entertainment. If you’re into grungy/gothic style movies, you should give it a shot. If not, atleast check it out for Brandon Lee👌🏼 By @movieswithjosh_

Reviews by: @casual_punditry Mise-en-scéne! Horrifying, Beautiful, Heart-Breaking, Despair, Hopeful, its all there. I definitely wasn’t in the right head space to watch this movie the first time as a kid, or mature enough to appreciate its themes. Having a better idea what I was getting myself into I decided to watch it again a decade later. I’m overwhelmed by how much this subverted my expectations. From the opening shot I was hooked and dragged through this journey of a film. The cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki immerses you into this despairing world you really don’t want to be in, yet you’re gonna have to deal with it like everyone else. Long-tracking shots have been over used in some films, often to impress and can come across as gimmicky and distracting. Here it used to perfection, trapping you in the same scenarios the characters are in with no escape, particularly Clive Owen’s Theo who serves as our eyes into this bleak, hopeless world. I felt every emotion while watching this film, and nearly cried from the shear awe of everything on the screen. Nothing is fluff, or not well-thought out when it comes to what is shown. Every little detail you catch when you let your eyes wander to the background or that side-table over there, or that run down building, provides subtext that grounds you in this world. A world that simultaneously feels lived-in and empty at the same time. Alfonso Cuarón expertly and artfully directs this masterpiece that keeps you on the edge of your seat never knowing what’s going to happen next. There’s so much more to say, but I’m not going to be able to say it as well as some others have already done. Go Watch This Movie. By @casual_punditry

Reviews by: @mariwatchingmovies @michaels_movie_bay @ls6_films @famillemanalese @silverscreencritiques PTA is my favorite working director today, and I was lucky enough to be able to see this one early in NYC while on holiday! Before I mention the unsurprisingly gorgeous cinematography shot on 35mm, PTA first and foremost created a truly immersive and enjoyable coming of age story. Both of the leads, played by Alana Haim (fantastic) and Cooper Hoffman (fantastic), create a wholesome magnetic friendship-to-lovers arc that piqued nostalgia. The age gap (10 years) between the protagonists was startling at first, and I understand the commotion surrounding a portrayal of young love between an adult and a minor. Can I chalk this up to context and the entirely wholesome character study of both Gary and Alana? Can I chalk it up to the chaos that was the 1970s? Who's to say - my consensus is that I trust PTA as a filmmaker of the modern times to carefully navigate taboo and create a story driven by uplifting, youthful memories. Top notch combination of natural, breezy visuals with dramatic lighting as well. Licorice Pizza is an absolute joy to watch, and I easily will be back in the theaters for a second viewing! A tip: nothing really that bad happens to any of the characters, so if you are an anxious viewer like me, just let yourself relax! Good vibes 😌 By @mariwatchingmovies An industrious teen (Hoffman) falls in love with an older girl in arrested development (Haim) as they navigate life in 1970s San Fernando Valley. Licorice Pizza has all the elements of a great coming of age story, elevated by the masterful direction of Paul Thomas Anderson and his visual, emotional, and cultural acuity. There are some heartbreaking and heartwarming moments and though the story seems to meander through its narrative and myriad subplots, the film maintains a laser-focus on deepening and developing its characters—main and supporting alike. Cooper Hoffman (son of the late great Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is dynamite in his debut role, perfectly capturing Gary’s blind optimism and immature naïveté. Similarly, Alana Haim absolutely shines as Alana, a girl struggling with her lack of direction, trying to find her place within her family and in the world. As the film progresses, it is Alana, not Gary, who faces the toughest choices and biggest decisions, ultimately becoming the focus of the film. And although she is acerbic and often mean, you still can’t help but root for her to succeed, a testament to Haim’s performance and Anderson’s great writing. Bradley Cooper leans into his unlikeable side and hilariously crushes his role as a dirtbag producer with an unhealthy affinity for women. Sean Penn also embodies the misogyny of 1970’s Hollywood celebrities and is smarmy to the max as Jack Holden. The film also features an interesting subplot about a political candidate which seems initially out of place, but ultimately brings the story crashing down in the third act, culminating in a satisfying conclusion. There are aspects of the story that are problematic, namely a ten-year age gap in the central romance and some casual racism that serves little purpose other than a cheap laugh. And while Anderson has notably never been too concerned about boundaries, these are elements that distract. Apart from a few small gripes, the film is a chaotic, giddy and ultimately sweet period romance. Hot take: PTA knows how to make a movie—and this one is a sweet mashup of Almost Famous and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—but it may not be as good as his apologists may want you to believe. By @michaels_movie_bay Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest picture is a stunning and hilarious coming-of age story set in 1970s LA. Focused around the relationship between Gary and Alana, two people who can’t seem to stay out of each other’s lives. The film is moving, uplifting and at its core is just so much fun. The way PTA produces such entertaining character focused movies I think is unmatched in Hollywood today and he nailed it with Licorice Pizza 🍕 The acting was brilliant with the two leads shining in their big screen debuts and the chemistry between the pair is beautiful. We only get short introductions to the other side-characters but each actor manages to grasp you in their few moments on screen - particularly Bradley Cooper who’s portrayal of the frantic and unhinged Jon Peters was hysterical The score was elegant and atmospheric, lending itself to the setting and the emotion so perfectly. Pacing was spot on and I left the cinema with a huge grin on my face. A beautiful feel-good movie that felt so unique and one that I’ll definitely be coming back to 🌤 JW - 9/10 By @ls6_films Années 1970. Gary Valentine habite le quartier d'Encino de Los Angeles. Enfant acteur profitant d'une certaine célébrité, l'adolescent de 15 ans possède du charisme à revendre. Lors d'un événement, il s'amourache d'Alana Kane, une photographe de 25 ans. Mon Avis : A l'occasion de la Saint Valentin, voici un incroyable film sur une histoire d'amour dans le vieux Los Angeles. L'une des plus grandes révélations de l'année. 3 nominations aux Oscars pour Anderson (meilleur film, meilleur réalisation, meilleur scénario original). L'un de mes chouchous pour la cérémonie de cette année. Une image, des couleurs et des plans magnifiques. Life On Mars de David Bowie, associé au film. D'un point de vue scénario, le découpage est bien ficelé malgré les éléments clichés des films romantiques adolescents. Néanmoins, je pense et surtout j'espère qu'il décrochera une statuette cette année. By @famillemanalese The film follows Alana and her relationship with Gary in the early 1970s, she is in her late 20s and Gary is a 15-year-old High School kid. There are a couple of controversies in this film, while there isn't really a valid excuse for the racism towards Asians, I don't believe the age gap or the relationship between the 2 lead characters. As the title suggests, I believe this is more of a tragedy of Alana's life. It shows her dealing with existentialism, she's trying to do something with her life but isn't making much progress. When I was watching this, I had the "Aha" moment very early in the film. It's when the two of them are sitting next to each other on the airplane, and both of them flirt with other people while sitting next to watch each other. That was when I figured out what type of film and relationship this was going to be, a doomed relationship. Thematically, this is a little similar to 500 days of Summer, but it's told from the girl's perspective rather than the boy's. Gary in Licorice Pizza and Tom from 500 days of Summer are very similar, the same type of character. That's about the only thing the films have in common. Tom in his film acts like the world revolves around him, Gary outright tells Alana that the world DOES revolve around him. Gary is a selfish kid who doesn't care about anyone but himself. Throughout the entire film, we see that these two should not be together, Alana even knows this. We're constantly seeing the contrast between her and the kids, and how odd it is. Towards the beginning of the film, she is talking to another girl in the restroom, and the girl comments about her being the new girl he's using and that she'll pass the baton to her. It is heavily implied that Gary is only using her for his own purposes and doesn't have real feelings for her. Another time, Alana is talking with her sister I believe, and she asks her "Is it weird that I hang out with Gary and his friends?" The sister answers no. Then Alana says she thinks it is weird. Then the sister says "It is whatever you think it is." Alana and Gary are constantly seeing other people, and when it doesn't work out, they go back to each other. I say this is a tragedy for Alana because she tries so hard to do and make something of her life, but they don't work out and she keeps going back to the person who has shown interest in her and helped her move forward in the past. And that person may not actually care for her. She's an adult who has adult cares, thoughts, and problems, but is surrounded by kids who know nothing and cant do anything. I find the ending of the film heartbreaking, Gary and Alana are running and looking for each other, they find each other, and decide to stay together. They run away together, and Alana says "I love you, Gary" and the film ends there. Gary doesn't say I love you back to her. They are framed to where Gary is in front and Alana is behind him. Their relationship is still doomed. Disclaimer, I do not share or support any of the acts or opinions the characters do or express in the film. I do hope I was able to explain my thoughts well enough for you to understand my point of view. Alana Haim's performance was wonderful and she definitely deserves the Oscar nomination By @silverscreencritiques

Reviews by: @damoroso4 Grand Theft Auto 3- Definitive Edition Release: November 11th 2021 Console: Ps4, Ps5; Xbox one, Series S, X, Switch, PC Rockstar's re-release of the legendary game that spawned an entire genre of open world clones was something fans have been clamouring for since the PS3 days. 2 console generations later, we finally got our wish. What's that famous saying- be careful what you wish for? It's tough to review this with a fresh, unbiased eye. Playing it in 2021, you can feel the weight of nostalgia weighing heavily on your shoulders. Whether you're just driving through the familiar streets of Liberty City (which I probably know my way round better than I do some real life cities!) , or listening to the radio and certain songs that come on, it's hard not to get swept up in the memories. Liberty City itself is the original open world sandbox. Returning to it's busy streets after 20 years feels incredible at first. Remembering where certain landmarks are, having that feeling of reuniting with old friends, it's every bit as fun as you expect. The story follows the mute protagonist Claude, as he escapes from prison and begins working for small time gangsters in Liberty City before working his way up to doing jobs for the big guys such as the Mafia and Yakuza. It's a brilliant story woven together by memorable characters; dialogue Tarantino would be proud of, and plot twists that keep you guessing. And the soundtrack? Wow. The soundtrack. Probably one of the greatest soundtracks in gaming history. Add in the witty and hilarious dialogue from the various DJ's and talk show hosts that plays between songs, and all of a sudden you'll find yourself taking the long way to missions JUST so you can finish the next song. So far, so good. Right? Then the missions start coming, thick and fast.....and so do the problems. Let's take a look at some of the main ones below. CHARACTER MODELS So in this 'definitive edition' remaster, fans would be forgiven for expecting a huge graphical overhaul, right? even for 2001's standards, the original game's visuals were hardly the strong point. While cars and the city itself were decent enough, some of the character models were downright awful. In the first of a couple of strange decisions though, Rockstar decided to 'kind of' polish these models without overhauling them entirely. This makes them seem almost half finished. It screams of laziness and is arguably worse than the original efforts. Either leave them as they were, or completely modernise them- not somewhere in between. CAR DAMAGE Of all the missions on offer, the bulk of them involve driving of some sort. Luckily the handling of cars is perfect- probably the highlight of the game in fact. Unluckily, however, the way they become damaged and catch on fire after a couple of scrapes or being hit by a few stray bullets, is both frustrating and ridiculous. Honestly, a push bike would offer more protection than some of these cars do. Whether cars exploded this easily in the original i'm not sure- but either way its a big issue and makes some missions infuriating. LACK OF CHECKPOINTS Speaking of infuriating, let's talk about the lack of checkpoints. In what I can only imagine is some kind of grand trolling scheme by Rockstar; getting arrested or killed no longer means you start in the hospital or police station, you now get given an option to restart the mission. Regardless of how far into the mission you are though (and some of them have several parts spanning the island), you start from scratch each time. So if there's this 1 bit of the mission that you're stuck on, you gotta restart the whole thing again every time you die. Not only inconvenient, but a monumental waste of time. This could be overlooked in 2001 when we were all so amazed at the game itself that we were willing to sweep things like this under Liberty City's giant rug. In 2021 though, this stands out like a sore thumb to the point where you will grow to hate some of the more complex missions. CONTROLS/ SHOOTING MECHANICS Arguably we saved the best til last. Claude himself handles poorly. Tapping X to sprint is tempremental- sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But Claude and his weird running isn't the biggest problem. The shooting in this game is absolutely awful. It was awful 20 years ago (but again we could overlook it then) and it's still awful now. Rockstar claim they have improved it. All that does though; is highlight just how bad it was before. Sure you can lock onto enemies and shoot....sometimes the bullets will hit, sometimes not. There's no cover system so if you can shoot them, they can shoot you. This makes gunfights pretty much a game of Russian roulette. You pump each other with led until one of you falls. Without body armour or the protection of a car (before it explodes of course), you can expect to be regularly mowed down by groups of enemies. For some guns, the camera switches to a first person perspective. This is actually so bad, that you can't help but laugh. The aiming is overly sensitive, to the point where accuracy pretty much goes out the window. You just have to tap fire as much as possible and hope you hit them. Of course while in this view, Claude is frozen on the spot, leaving him wide open to enemy gunfire too. Sound fun? If it does then I've described it wrong, because trust me; it's not. These issues become apparent not long after you start playing. They become more noticeable the more you play, and they make prolonged play sessions almost impossible. GTA 3: The Definitive Edition is the game that really made me realise that as powerful as nostalgia is, sometimes it's just not enough. This game was better kept in my memory. Playing it again now, with a new coat of paint and handful of marginal improvements, only serve to highlight just how poor some of it's mechanics were and still are today. While the original was undoubtedly one of the most important games of all time, this remaster has done it no favours whatsoever. I haven't even touched on the many glitches and crashes I encountered; as you have to believe that this is the one element that Rockstar can- and will- fix with further patches. Unfortunately though, that's not the part that needs fixing. Pro's - Invokes incredible nostalgia driving round Liberty City - Brilliant soundtrack - Cars handle well, driving is fun Con's - Clunky mechanics - Awful shooting - Car damage unbalanced - Awful character models - No mission checkpoints Verdict: 5/10 By @damoroso4

Reviews by: @theg_flash_reviews Hey everyone here's my rant of Fritz the Cat, aka Horny the Cat, WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE AHEAD! HOLY SH&$ everyone I got to say this after I saw this: WHAT THE F%&$ IS THIS F%&$ING SH$%??? Very nasty movie considering this is a cartoon very X-rated, I cringed the entire time even covered my mouth a lot, man I can't believe how awful this was, where do I even begin? Story was very stupid it makes no sense and I had no F#%&ING idea what it's even about; the animation was decent at least not my favorite animation but was acceptable; solid voice acting; all the characters are unlikable that I couldn't give two sh$%s what happens to them and I don't even remember a single one of them, AND I JUST FINISHED WATCHING IT; the lead Fritz himself has to the most unlikable dou$%&bag I've ever seen, this cat literally is a bastard who just touches this and that a lot; soundtrack I will say is decent enough with those 60s style music, though I can't remember a single track, but they fit fine I guess during the movie; this was also a big eye roller cause it was SO BORING, I was literally dozing off every 30 seconds cause it's such a chore to get through kept checking the progress bar to see how much more is left; humor was bleh I hardly laughed at all! Dialogue was f$%&ing awful it's all over the place sometimes characters just talk about random sh%& that doesn't connect to anything else in the film, now that I think about it I feel like this movie is very disjointed all the scenes felt like they don't belong and they're like individual short stories or some sh&%; many times feels like a really sh%&y TV show; super predictable twists I saw coming from a mile away; decisions that were so stupid it made me facepalm, and absolute f$%&ing sh%&%y ending that made me yell "F%&K THIS PIECE OF SH%&!" Overall I really hated this movie this has to be one of the worst movies I've seen I can't believe this was even made before I was even born! This one is literally Pink Flamingos levels of cringe. So do I recommend this? OH HELL F%&$ING NO! THIS MOVIE NEEDS TO F$%&ING DIE! It's a big stinkier pile of catsh%& in a litter box! F%&$ THIS MOVIE! I give Horny the Cat a whopping 0.1/10! By @theg_flash_reviews

Reviews by: @there_willbe_spoilers Absolutely stunning, totally mesmerising and utterly baffling. As is generally said about cinema, you only get out of it what you bring to it. And there's lots to draw out here, or maybe there isn't, such is the nature of Under the Skin. You need to meet it halfway. Bring an open mind to this one and you will be rewarded with one of the most unique sci-fi's out there. In it, Earth becomes a strange and alien place, full of bizarre creatures and natural obscurity. The story focuses on Scarlett Johansson luring men into her surreal lair of goopy doom to be consumed by some unknown entity, but the real story is of a woman discovering her identity in a World she can't possibly begin to understand. Like I say, if you bring an open mind then Under the Skin is about many things. There's a lot to chew on and it serves as a brilliant tool for people to share ideas with each other. Jonathan Glazer has crafted a truly disturbing yet beautiful sci-fi for the ages; I'll be talking about it for the rest of my life. By @there_willbe_spoilers

Reviews by: @theg_flash_reviews Hey everyone so I just re-watched The Greatest Showman and OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD! The story was very well written and interesting, the characters were very memorable, the acting was amazing especially from Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, as well as Rebecca Ferguson. The set pieces were great, but the most important factor in the movie is the music, the music in this film is fantastic, I almost liked every song of it, my favorite has to be "The Greatest Show" and "This is me", and let me point this out but OMG Keala Settle HAS AN AMAZING VOICE! So yeah the music really drew me into the film, and I feel like Hugh Jackman was perfect for this P.T. Barnum role, he was so charismatic and likable, so as well as the other characters, and THE DANCING PERFORMANCES WERE OUTSTANDING AS WELL! Overall as you can see I really liked this movie and it's probably one of my favorite musical films of all time, way better than that absolute awful terrifying looking Cats of course, and it's super entertaining, as well is I'm watching actual people performing, so I'm gonna give The Greatest Showman a 9.5/10! By @theg_flash_reviews

Reviews by: @mariwatchingmovies This sat in my watchlist for a loooong time, but i'm happy I waited to watch and got Snowpiercer out of the way because damn this was miles ahead of that abomination. I will continue ragging on Snowpiercer because this is my review page and I can do what I want. The 'race to the front of the train' plot device has been used frequently, but the 2016 Korean zombie drama-horror Train to Busan reimagines the sub-genre to create something both jolting and emotionally powerful. On a train to Busan, South Korea (obviously), a hedge fund manager takes his young daughter back to the home of his estranged wife, at the daughter's wish. Simultaneously, a sinister viral outbreak begins to wipe out urban populations, causing individuals to become infected with some zombie disease and enter into a blind violent rage. Chaos breaks out amidst the train cars as the survival rate drops, with those still alive beginning to turn on each other. One of my favorite features of most Korean movies I watch is the blurring of lines between genres. In both this one and others like it, action sequences and horror imagery is coupled with borderline melodramatic character development, and Train to Busan certainly did not shy away from including several tear-jerking moments. The central cast-members all had great chemistry with one another, with my favorite stars being Ma Dong-seok as Sang Hwa, the husband and almost father who knows how to fuck up a zombie, and Su-an Kim as the little girl (she acted circles around everyone else). But, everyone else was pretty good too, although there was a lot of B-plot to follow. Upon realizing that this viral zombie outbreak across Korea may be government-driven, the suspense certainly thickened and I don't think any of my burning storyline questions were quite answered. However, the sheer intensity and thrill of Train to Busan makes up for my short list of criticisms. This movie had just the right blend of thematic depth and anxiety-inducing zombie chase sequences to keep me and my friends entertained, and fulfilled my quota for train-based horror movies (at least for a little while). By @mariwatchingmovies

Reviews by: @damoroso4 Console: Xbox/ Playstation Release: 26th October 2021 Do you even remember life before online multiplayer games were a thing? Way back when the word 'Fortnite' simply meant '2 weeks', single player narrative driven- games were extremely common. Fast forward a decade or so, and the gaming landscape has changed considerably. Gaming is now arguably geared towards multiplayer experiences more than ever. MMO games, some of which are completely free to play, dominate the landscape. More and more developers are abandoning single player story driven games to focus on this huge cash cow, sacrificing story and character development for BIGGER GUNS AND BIGGER MAPS. When Guardians of the Galaxy was announced as a solely single player, heavily story driven game, then, eyebrows were raised. True to it's word though- that is exactly what we got. There isn't a trace of multiplayer anywhere to be seen here, and the only friends you'll be enjoying this one with are the other Guardians themselves. Playing as Peter Quill, AKA Star Lord, you'll traverse the Galaxy on a planet- hopping 3rd person adventure, in which choices and decisions you make will have consequences and determine some of the direction the story goes in (although the overarching story will be the same regardless, you can only influence smaller details). While it's mainly an action/ adventure game with combat and exploration, there are also puzzle segments and a couple of basic flight combat sections too (think of these sections as an extremely watered down Star Wars Rogue Squadron). Guardians is, first and foremost though; an interactive story, starring you. With thousands of lines of dialogue, not only including cutscenes but throughout the rest of the game too, each of the 5 guardians are brilliantly written and the voice acting is superb. They literally NEVER stop talking to each other and never repeat lines. Rocket, the anthropomorphic raccoon, in particular deserves special praise. The performance of the voice actor, coupled with the fantastic writing, ensure he strikes a perfect balance between loveable and hilarious; easily on a par with Bradley Cooper's portrayal in the big budget Marvel movies. Star Lord himself is also depicted well, although lovers of the movies will be disappointed not to see Chris Pratt's likeness or voice acting skills on display. The combat is a mixed bag. While it isn't the main focus of the game, with only around 30% of your time spent fighting, it is something that will delight and frustrate in equal measure. You can only directly control Star Lord, but have command over the other 4 Guardians and can instruct them to do special attacks. All of this while having to hold down the left shoulder button to maintain a lock-on, and hitting the right shoulder button to fire your guns. Releasing the left shoulder button will instantly break your lock on. You can also add elemental attacks to Quill's guns by hitting one of the directional buttons. Add in the combinations of choosing which of the Guardians attacks to use once you unlock more, and you are faced with a surprisingly complex mish mash of holding shoulder buttons, while hitting one of the face buttons twice, and hitting a directional button to change elementals as needed. Confused yet? There is also a 'Huddle' feature. When the 'special' gauge fills up after continued attacks, you pull all of the Guardians in to give them a motivational speech. It feels forced, kind of pointless and completely unnecessary. When it all comes together, the combat can be an exhilarating experience, as bullets zing past and the Guardians dance around you doing special attacks like you're in the front row at Disney on Ice. Get it wrong though and it can result in an overwhelming amount of things going on, all at the same time. Thankfully, none of the combat encounters are challenging enough for this to ever become too much of an issue. As is standard in any action game these days, you can of course upgrade your abilities and perks using points you earn from fighting, and components you find on the ground. Rocket will, somewhat begrudgingly, help you craft these at one of several workbenches located in each level. The exploration and puzzle segments are fun at first, and challenge you to utilise the other guardians' strengths in order to navigate some seemingly dead ends. The game cleverly evolves throughout the playthrough so that towards the end, you will no longer need to prompt the other guardians to help with environmental hazards- they will do it off their own backs. A smart little addition that shows how your relationship with the characters has blossomed over the course of the 15 hour campaign. The mini flight sections that are included are incredibly run of the mill and offer little more than a couple of minutes respite from the main game, with nothing too challenging or complex to get your teeth into. The adventure takes you to several different planets and environments, all of which look incredible, regardless of which console you play it on (the PS5 version is particularly stunning). All Guardians fans know the game wouldn't be complete without a stellar 80s soundtrack, and it duly delivers on that note, with some absolute classics included. It certainly gives GTA Vice City a run for its money in the music department! There's something equally bizarre and brilliant about engaging in a huge fight with Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' blasting in the background. Fans of Marvel will be pleased to hear there are lots of easter eggs to be found throughout the game, and the inclusion of a few unexpected characters will put a smile on fans' faces. The boss fights are varied, with some really dull encounters balanced by a couple of fun ones (one of the highlights being a huge dragon) including the chance to Duke it out with a certain Mad Titan who you may be familiar with if you've seen the Avengers movies! Without a doubt though the games strongest asset is the characters themselves. Seeing how they interact with each other with their constant bickering and jabbing is a real delight. By the end of the game you will certainly feel like you've gotten to know them all much better and you'll likely have a favourite (sorry Quill but Rocket steals the show for me!). Developers Eidos Montreal have really done the source material proud here, and their version of the Guardians of the Galaxy are formidable. They have crafted a well rounded game, that, while not without it's issues, provides players with a solid, memorable and thoroughly enjoyable single player experience- proving the multiplayer genre still has some competition! Pro's - incredible visuals - perfect voice acting and soundtrack - excellent character development - engaging story , true to source material Con's - combat is overly complex at times - tacked-on flight segments add little - 'huddle' ability is utterly pointless and detracts from the combat experience Verdict: 8/10 By @damoroso4

Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites @miscellaneous_media_reviews @movieswithjosh @cignomovie @kino_mit_alex @ryan_the_nixon Spider-Man: No Way Home is clever fan service. The usual MCU self-references are present, but No Way Home takes a step further, acknowledging previous Spider-Man eras as its central story. Turning references into legitimate plot points deserves credit. Furthermore, the cast is truly stunning and the main selling point here. The film successfully brings all these eras together and gives everyone time to shine. Naturally, this all helps the acting too because the excellent cast clearly enjoys their roles. Add in the patented MCU filmmaking baseline, and the result is a surefire hit. However, No Way Home's gimmicks do not make a masterpiece. On a technical level, the film is still basic MCU. Occasionally, there is abstract sound and visual craft, but those aspects are mostly standard. The same goes for the editing, music, and production, which all meet (but rarely elevate) the material. Lastly, the writing and direction both get lost in the massive shuffle. This is the most epic MCU Spider-Man, and, unfortunately, the least heartfelt. The tone isn't focused and the emotional beats aren't earned. The attempts are decent, but don't resonate amongst the excitement. Nevertheless, No Way Home is certainly everything the fanboys want. Writing: 6/10 Direction: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 7.5/10 For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews By @augustkellerwrites Spider-Man: No Way Home is an action/adventure movie directed by Jon Watts and released in 2021. This is the latest entry into the MCU’s catalogue and the third installment in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy. The movie directly follows Spider-Man: Far from Home and sees Peter Parker dealing with the aftermath of his identity being revealed to the world. When he tries to enlist Doctor Strange’s help a spell goes horribly wrong and the universe as they know it begins to fall apart. No Way Home has easily been one of the most highly anticipated and talked about movies in recent memory. With Avengers: Endgame levels of speculation, hype, and excitement No Way Home had massive expectations. That along with a flood of leaks and rumors, overwhelming critical acclaim, and tons of commercial success made this a must watch film for many. No Way Home has easily been my most anticipated film this year. Spider-Man is one of my favorite characters in all of fiction, and one of my favorite superheroes. The MCU’s Peter in particular is also my favorite live action Spider-Man. So needless to say, I was beyond excited to see this movie, but I did have my reservations. I went in worried that too much had been leaked or revealed, the comedy would be overbearing, and overall that it would be unable to live up to the insane hype. However, after seeing the movie I can say with certainty that No Way Home does indeed live up to the hype. I absolutely adored this movie, and it gave me everything I wanted and more. Technically speaking I think this is a good movie with both its pros and cons. The editing in the movie for example, does leave a bit to be desired. Some of the choices made with the framing of characters can feel a little awkward or sloppy, but it isn’t that big of an issue. The pacing of the film is great, and despite its 2 and a half hour runtime the movie never really dragged or felt slow. It remains compelling and engaging throughout. The cinematography in the film is good for the most part, but varies. While some sections of the movie are visually stunning and gorgeous there are moments that feel somewhat bland and are hurt by poor visual effects. One of my only real issues with the movie is the CGI. While mostly good some backdrops and character models looked rushed at times and didn’t feel very real. Luckily there are only a few moments in the movie where this issue really stuck out. The score by Michael Giacchino is easily one of the biggest highlights of the film. This score stuck out to me much more so than in Tom Holland’s previous movies. The music is incredibly dramatic and grand, which helps to enhance the film's high stakes, and create great tension. It’s also very diverse, incorporating pieces related to Doctor Strange and the returning villains. The addition of a more gothic and operatic sound helps to add to the intensity as well. Epic moments are scored perfectly and it creates heart pounding levels of emotion and tension. The score is also utilized perfectly. It knows when to be quiet and let the dialogue or story speak for itself, and when to add to all of that and amplify it. I think this is easily one of the best scores in any Marvel movie, and because of how beautifully it works in this movie it’s one of my favorite scores this year. The tone of this movie is another aspect of the film I was really happy with. Despite rumors of a darker tone I was still worried that the MCU’s overreliance on humor would hurt a darker tone. However, I am happy to say this movie nails the tone for the most part. While there are some scenes that had a few too many jokes it never really took me out of the movie or became distracting. The villains from previous Spider-Man movies adapt to the MCU’s brand of humor but they still felt like themselves. This new sense of humor added to them never hurt them in any serious way, and I was glad to see that they maintained their sense of identity from their respective movies. There are moments of great comedy and wholesome banter that lighten the mood but the sense of dread and tension never fully goes away. This movie is much more serious than the previous 2 Spider-Man movies and has much higher stakes. This really feels like a culmination of everything Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has been building towards, and as such presents his greatest challenges and deadliest threats. This movie is full of tragic scenes and legitimately heartbreaking moments. In terms of tension and suspense No Way Home is up there alongside Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. The darker tone is welcome and fits this movie and its story. It always feels natural and never becomes misplaced. I really enjoyed seeing the darker side of this Peter and watching him struggle like he never has before. Another highlight of the movie is its acting. It’s safe to say that there aren’t any bad or weak performances in this movie. Tom Holland is fantastic as Peter Parker and this is definitely the best he has been in the MCU. He has a much broader range of emotions, but it always feels true to his version of Spider-Man. He does a great job selling a rage and extreme sadness that we haven’t quite seen from this Spider-Man until now. Zendaya is great as MJ, and her relationship with Peter is fleshed out more. Their performances and chemistry make the relationship much more believable and made me much more invested. Benedict Cumberbatch also does a great job as Doctor Strange and J.K. Simmons is wonderful as J. Jonah Jameson. Alfred Molina is fantastic, reprising his role as Doctor Octopus and maintaining the tragic nature of his character from Spider-Man 2. He has great banter and dialogue with Tom Holland’s Peter that I really enjoyed. Willem Dafoe also returns to reprise his role as The Green Goblin from Spider-Man, and he completely steals the show. He remains true to the insane, over the top, Joker like version of the Goblin from Spider-Man 2002, but adds a new edge to the character. This Goblin really is Spider-Man's biggest threat both physically and mentally, and Dafoe shows that perfectly. He is legitimately fearsome and intimidating as this psychopathic madman. The action is one of my personal favorite aspects of the movie, and is another way this movie excels. This may be the most hard hitting and violent action in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, rivaling the likes of Eternals, Infinity War, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The frantic editing and shaky camera that often hurts Marvel’s action is completely gone in this movie. The fights are well choreographed and filmed to show them in all of their brutal glory. Spider-Man in particular is given perhaps the best fight scenes he has ever had on the big screen. His fights are filled with creative uses for his web shooters and powerful punches. The hits in this movie are harder than anywhere else in the MCU and you feel all of the damage being done. This is only elevated even more by the emotion behind all of the punches being thrown. This leads to some seriously intense sequences that go into a dark territory the MCU hardly ever reaches. Overall the action is an incredible spectacle with both brutal and fun sequences that makes use of all of the villains and Spider-Man to great effect. No Way Home’s story is easily the best part of the film to me. Unfortunately, I can’t cover it in depth due to spoilers, but I will say that it’s incredible. In terms of the narrative itself this is definitely one of the best in the MCU, and in any superhero movie. This story sees Peter really struggle with the consequences of his own actions and choices. While I do love both Far from Home and Homecoming, it’s still nice to see the final installment of this trilogy look at much more weighty and emotional material. In this movie Spider-Man is tested in ways that he hasn’t been before and is pushed to his breaking point. The story looks at the relationship between Peter and these classic villains, as well as what it means to be Spider-Man. The darker tone works perfectly and the high stakes and great tension make for a thrilling story. The narrative makes this movie feel like the final chapter for this version of Spider-Man’s origin story. It presents him with his final tests both physically and mentally to truly become the Spider-Man that we all know and love. The story is dark and very emotional with both exciting and tragic scenes. But in the end this is one of the most satisfying stories in any superhero movie. The emotion in the film is unmatched and fan service is used expertly. This is not a typical superhero story, but it is definitely a Spider-Man story. Spider-Man: No Way Home is easily one of my favorite movies released this year, and is now one of my favorite superhero movies. I haven’t been able to get it off of my mind since I first saw it. The tone, action, score, acting, and story come together to form a great movie with tons of emotional weight, and satisfying narrative choices. This movie is an incredible love letter to the character of Spider-Man in nearly every way. It’s a very satisfying and fitting end to this chapter in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man story. This movie managed to live up to insane expectations, and shows continuing improvement from Marvel Studios. It certainly has its flaws, and while it does have some of Marvel’s typical issues, I think they are massively outweighed by the good in this movie. I’m very excited to see where Peter’s story goes from here, and I can’t wait to see this movie again soon. Objective Score: 8.5/10 Personal Score: 10/10 By @miscellaneous_media_reviews Let me make this clear, I really wanted to love this movie. It’s not a bad movie, but it is one that left me a bit frustrated. Marvel, I think you’ve lost your touch. This was fun, but it was forced fun. There was some stuff I really liked about it though. It’s crazy just how good the first 1/4 of the film was compared to the other 3/4. The movies introduction was freaking awesome. I dug everything about the first 30 minutes and I thought the tone, execution and energy just worked so well. Even though the rest of the movie didn’t impress me as much, I thought the overall pacing of the movie was great. The acting was weird. I thought Tom H and a few others were really good here, but on the other hand, there was a lot of bad acting. Tom really stepped up his game though👌🏼 I also really enjoyed the Doctor Strange moments, the Easter eggs, some of the fan service, the score and the wicked ending. The last 10 minutes was super cool. This movie unfortunately tries too hard and it relies way too much on fan service/nostalgia. I like fan service to a certain extent, but a story this reliant on it is going to suffer. I thought the movie was so predictable because of that. I mean, a comic book movie is going to be somewhat predictable, but this was crazy predictable. The story just played it so safe and never did anything bold (besides the introduction and the last 10 minutes). This was a movie full of shoehorned villains, overused humour, cringey dialogue (messy back and forth moments), lame character motivations, forgettable action and laughable CGI. The visual effects remain the Holland movies biggest weakness. I hate the CGI in them🤢 I hate being such a hater, but I just think they could’ve done something way cooler with this movie (and the other Holland movies). This is the most mixed I’ve ever been about a superhero movie. To me, this movie was lazy creatively and it was undeniably gimmicky (felt like a money grab), but it was still pretty fun. It’s sadly the weakest of the Holland films, but a true Spidey fan is going to have a blast with it. It was okay🤷🏼‍♂️ By @movieswithjosh • 내가 영화 안보고 살기로는 상위 5%안에 들뻔했다가 10%안에 들게 된 것은 마블 시리즈 만큼은 꼬박 꼬박 보고 N차 관람까지 했었기 때문이다. ⠀ • 그럼에도 이번 스파이더맨 노 웨이 홈을 거의 끝물에 보게 된 이유는, 샹치때 긴가민가 하던 덕심이 양조위 땜에 겨우 누그러졌다가 이터널스에서 완전히 안드로메다로 날아가 탈덕할뻔 했기 때문. ⠀ • 그리고 난 파 프롬 홈도 재미없었다. ☹ ⠀ • 나중에 OTT로나 보려다가 급 변덕이 생겨 기대감 1도 없이 갔는데, 결론은 - ⠀ • 우어어어어어 진작 볼껄 흐엉엉엉엉 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ ⠀ • 내가 좋아하는 마블영화의 요소가 느껴져서 너무 좋았다. ⠀ • 개인적으론 닥터 스트레인지 분량 많은것도 좋았구요- ⠀ • (베네딕트 컴버배치는 닥터 스트레인지때의 헤어와 메이크업이 제일 멋있는것 같다.) ⠀ • 아래 내용은 별거 아니지만 소소한 스포거리가 될 수 있으니 영화를 안보신분은 읽지 않으시길 바랍니다! • 하여간 그놈에 입땜에 언젠간 사고칠줄 알았다. ⠀ • 맷 머독???????????? ⠀ • 나야 예전에 데어데블을 봤으니 갑자기 맷 머독이 튀어나와도 반갑고 그가 눈이 안보이는 변호사이며 특별한 능력이 있어서 날아오는 돌도 잡을 수 있다는걸 알지만, 데어데블을 보지 않은 사람들은 갑자기 빨간 안경을 낀 남자가 왜 등장했으며 돌을 잡았을때 피터가 왜 그렇게까지 놀라는지 이해를 못할것 같다. 마블이 점점 판을 키우는데 관객들이 따라가기 힘들지 않을까 싶기도. ⠀ • 웡 ㅠㅠ 전보다 쬐금 나이든 모습이 보여서 괜히 슬펐... 땡글땡글했던 웡이 아니야... ⠀ • 하여간 망할놈의 오지랖은 갖다버려야 한다. 피터 이노무색히 하는짓보고 조마조마해서 뛰쳐나갈뻔...예상대로 결국은 크나큰 비극이... ㅠㅠ ⠀ • 스파이더맨 시리즈의 주인공들이 모인다는건 스포아닌 스포로 인해 알고 있었지만, 막상 함께있는거 보니까 되게 뭉클했다. 과거의 영화들을 되짚어 마블 세계관으로 합류시킴과 동시에 팬들은 추억을 되새기고, 피터는 또 다른 나를 만나 서로 공감하고 응원하며 힘이 되어주는 - 엔드게임때도 이런 비슷한 부분들이 너무 좋았는데 ㅠㅠ ⠀ • '과거에 스파이더맨을 연기했던 각각 다른 배우들'에게 '현재 톰과 함께 다른차원에 존재하는 스파이더맨들'로 생명력이 불어넣어진 순간. 크. ⠀ • 토비 맥과이어도 세월의 흐름을 느끼게 해서 2차 슬픔 ㅠㅠ 워낙 옛날이었으니 당연하지만, 버스 승객들이 얼굴을 보고 놀랐던게 이해가 갈만큼 애기애기 했었는데. ⠀ • 피터 파커라는 인물이 똑똑해도 성격적으로는 학교에서 찐따의 위치에 있다고 봐야하는데, 셋이서 몸짓과 동선으로 그런 부분을 표현하는게 재밌었다. ⠀ • 군데군데 마블 특유의 찌질한 대화도 내 취향. ㅋㅋㅋ ⠀ • 셋이 정신차리고 다시 출동할 땐 너무 멋져서 눈물날뻔 했다. 😭 • 앤드류 가필드의 스파이더맨은 안봐서 잘 모르겠지만, 톰 대신 앤드류가 마블의 스파이더맨을 했어도 좋았을것 같다는 생각을 했...톰 미안해 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ ⠀ • 그래도 토니와 피터의 부자지간 같은 케미를 생각한다면 따발 옹알이 구사하는 아기거미 톰이 잘맞긴 하지! (수습) ⠀ • 앤드류 피터가 MJ 구했을때 나도 울뻔했다 ㅠㅠ 내내 사무쳤을 마음을 그렇게라도 위안받았다면 좋을텐데...맴찢. ⠀ • 극도로 악에 받친 톰은 섹시해보이기까지 했... 그런 눈빛은 처음이었죠잉. ⠀ • 캡틴의 방패위에서 싸우던것도 상징적이었고 ⠀ • 결국 그들은 그들의 방식대로 빌런들을 처리했다. 치료해서 두번째 기회를 준다는 - 상상할 수 없는 큰 마음으로. ⠀ • 토니가 수트에 대해 고뇌하고 토르가 묠니르와 아스가르드를 잃었던것 처럼 피터도 사랑했던 많은것들을 잃고 완전한 혼자가 되었다. 성장과정이라기엔 너무 가혹하지만, 자신의 힘에 대한 책임을 깨닫고 신념을 굳히며 히어로서의 삶에 한발짝 더 다가간다. ⠀ • 처음처럼. 첨단 기술로 만든 수트가 아닌 직접 만든 수트를 입고 위기에 처한 이웃들을 도우러. ⠀ • 베놈2 보기 싫은데 봐야합니까...하... ⠀ • 두번째 쿠키에 꽤 힘을 많이줬다. 거의 예고편 수준. 그래서 다음에 개봉할 '닥터 스트레인지: 대혼돈의 멀티버스'가 무지 기대된다. ⠀ • 암튼간에 팬덤 믿고 대충 만들지 마소!! By @cignomovie #FSK: 12 Jahre / #Laufzeit: ca. 158 #Kinostart: 15. Dezember 2021 #Genre: #Abenteuer, #Action, #Comicverfilmung, #Marvel, #MCU, #Sequel Was macht ein maskierter Superheld, der nicht enttarnt werden will, wenn genau das passiert? Im Falle von Peter Parker gibt es eine Option: Doctor Strange! Doch das soll mächtig schief gehen und das Ergebnis will „aufgeräumt“ werden. #Zitate: „Das sind keine Flüche, das sind Gaben.“ „Und aus großer Macht muss auch immer eine große Verantwortung folgen.“ „Der Staatsfeind Nummer 1.“ „Hör auf am Zauber rumzupfuschen.“ „[…] ist das Multiversum ein Konstrukt, über das wir erstaunlich wenig wissen.“ „Du versteckst dich vor dir selbst.“ „[…] diese Dunkelheit in dir überwindest.“ „Ich erwarte enttäuscht zu werden, weil man dann nie wirklich enttäuscht wird.“ ***ACHTUNG: COMICVERFILMUNG*** Jegliche Beziehungen zwischen dem gleichnamigen Comic, seinem Inhalt bzw. seinen Charakteren und Film werden hier nicht beachtet. Es wird NUR über den Film geschrieben. Es wird nicht analysiert, wie gut oder schlecht der Comic im Film umgesetzt wurde! ***ACHTUNG: FORTSETZUNG*** Bei diesem Film handelt es sich um die geschichtliche Fortsetzung der Geschehnisse. Daher können im nachfolgenden Text Spoiler aufgrund einer eventuellen Bezugnahme auf den Vorgänger möglich sein! Handlung: Bei seiner letzten Auseinandersetzung ist Peter Parker ein kleiner aber nicht unentscheidender taktischer Fehler unterlaufen. Noch bevor der Kampf gegen Mysterio beendet werden konnte, ist es diesem gelungen eine Nachricht an die Welt zu senden und diese hat Peter Parker als Spider-Man enthüllt. Seitdem kann sich Peter vor aggressiven Schaulustigen, Medien und Gegnern nicht mehr retten. Denn die Welt sieht ihn nicht mehr als die freundliche Spinne aus der Nachbarschaft, sondern vielmehr als den schlimmsten Feind den man sich vorstellen kann. Es ist daher ein Spießroutenlauf für Peter und alle, die ihm nahestehen. Das fängt bei der Medienpräsenz an und hört bei den Collegebewerbungen von Peter, MJ und Ned auf. Gerade weil Peter dadurch die Gegenwart und Zukunft seiner Lieben in Gefahr sieht, wendet er sich vor lauter Verzweiflung an Doctor Strange. Dieser soll mit einem Zauber die Offenbarung des Spider-Man vergessen machen. Doch so einfach ist das nicht, da ist sich Steven sicher. Er muss einen Zauber verwenden, der nicht ungefährlich ist. Als ihn Peter dann auch noch bei der Ausführung mehrfach stört kommt es zu einer Anomalie des Zaubers. Strange kann diese zwar noch eindämmen, ist sich aber nicht sicher, ob er Schäden verhindern konnte. Dass ihm das nicht gelungen ist, soll Peter schnell merken, denn er wird von Wesen angegriffen, die ihn als Spider-Man kennen, aber er sie nicht als seine Feinde: Dr. Octopus, Electro, Green Goblin, Lizard und Sandman! Gemeinsam mit Doctor Strange entwickelt Peter schnell einen Plan: Es gilt alle diese „Multiversumswandler“ einzusammeln, damit sie wieder in das für sie richtige Universum transportiert werden können. Doch während dieser Sammelaktion wird Peter auch mit den Schicksalen dieser Bösewichte konfrontiert und diese sehen allesamt nicht wirklich rosig aus. Es keimt (vor allem durch seine Tante May) der Gedanke, ob man sie nicht irgendwie retten oder befreien kann. Doch davon will Doctor Strange erst einmal überzeugt werden. Denn der hält wenig davon den Schicksalslauf von gleich mehreren Universen zu verändern. Was hätte das für Auswirkungen auf ihr Eigenes? Wer kann sich hier durchsetzen und wie möchte es Peter überhaupt anstellen gleich mehrere Superschurken alleine zu bekämpfen geschweige denn herausfinden, durch was und wie man sie denn von ihren „Flüchen“ heilen könnte? Und die entscheidende Frage: War das die einzige Auswirkung des missglückten Zaubers? Einschätzung: Ich habe lange überlegt, ob ich diese Review komplett spoilerfrei halten kann/will. Spätestens mit den beiden Abspannszenen ist mir dann klar geworden, dass das nicht machbar sein wird. Ich werde daher in einem eigenen Abschnitt „Multiverse here we come“ mit einer umfassenden Spoilerwarnung arbeiten, kann dadurch aber die bekannten Kategorien alle ohne Spoiler halten. „Spider-Man: No Way Home“ ist der 27. Film innerhalb des Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) und der vierte Film in der vierten Phase, die sich nach den Ereignissen des „Infinity War“ abspielt. Mit Blick auf die Handlung setzt der Film beinahe lückenlos an die Ereignisse aus dem 2019´er Film „Spider-Man: Far From Home“ an. Die Welt weiß von Peter Parker und man stellt sich bereits vor dem Film die Frage, wie er denn das Gewicht verlagern wird. Konzentriert man sich mehr auf diese Enttarnung oder mehr auf die Kooperation mit Doctor Strange und baut damit dessen nächsten Soloprojekt auf? Die Antwort ist hier klar und schnell gefunden: Zweiteres. Die Enttarnung dient mehr oder weniger ausschließlich dazu Peter Parker dazu bewegen die Dienste des Doctor zu aktivieren. Der Film verläuft daher relativ schnell in eine Richtung und wenn man andere Marvel-Produktionen kennt, möchte man an dieser Stelle meinen, dass man sich auch schnell der Monotonie nähern würde. Dem ist aber zumindest nicht ganz so. Denn durch den missglückten Zauber wird einiges durcheinander gewirbelt im Multiversum. Dessen sind sich aber weder Peter noch Steven Strange in vollem Umfang bewusst. Noch dazu hat Spider-Man durch das Auftauchen der interuniversellen Schurken alle Netze voll zu tun. Hier versteckt sich dann der zweite Kern der Handlung von „Spider-Man: No Way Home“. Die Jagd und der Gewissenskonflikt Peters hinsichtlich des Schicksals der Schurken soll für den Film die moralische und emotionale Reise darstellen. In ihr muss sich Peter dann schlussendlich auch mit seinem eigenen Charakter und seiner Rolle als Spider-Man identifizieren. Das passt innerhalb eines ansonsten gewohnt stark auf Humor aufgebautem Film dann eher so semi-gut. Im Gegensatz zum Infinity War wirken hier die teils stark emotionalisierten Parts aufgesetzt. Um sie besser wirken zu lassen, hätte man im Vorfeld wesentlich weniger auf die Humortube drücken dürfen. Besonders auffällig wird es dann, wenn man nach diesem emotionalen Höhepunkt wieder zurückfinden möchte in diese Humorspur – auch wenn das noch gar nicht angebracht ist. Das ist schade, denn dadurch vergibt das MCU vielleicht einen der emotionalsten Parts nach dem Finale des Infinity War. Lasst mich noch einen Gedanken kurz einbringen, bevor ich mich in die Spoiler-Umgebung wage. Denn ein Kernelement, das wir in dieser Spider-Man-Trilogie vorfinden ist ganz klar der Einschlag des „Coming of Age“-Genres. Man hat es hier mit einem sehr jungen Spider-Man zu tun und so ist es auch keine Überraschung, dass sich das Thema Liebe (wie in allen Spider-Man-Solofilmen) irgendwo eine Rolle spielt. Hier im dritten Teil der Reihe geht es jetzt tatsächlich um die Frage, was man aus Liebe für die andere Person machen würde. Sprich wie weit kann Liebe gehen und kann (eine junge) Liebe alle Hürden überstehen? Hier pendelt der Film zunächst sehr stark in die Teenie-Rom-Kom-Richtung, nur um dann ganz am Ende eine schon fast 180-Grad-Wendung hinzulegen und Peter quasi schlagartig „erwachsen“ werden zu lassen und ihn nochmal in einer hoch emotionalen Lage vielleicht sogar über sich hinauswachsen zu lassen. Ganz großer Moment – auch weil hier komplett ohne (Zwangs)blick auf den Humor! Multiverse here we come: Wie oben bereits angekündigt möchte ich an dieser Stelle eine AUSDRÜCKLICHE SPOILERWARNUNG aussprechen. Wer das nicht riskieren mag, wechselt bitte direkt in den Bereich „Technik und Besetzung“ ab dort geht es wieder gewohnt spoilerfrei weiter. Dass das Multiverse beschädigt wurde, das wird ja im Film relativ früh bekannt. Doch dass der Schaden so immens ist, wird erst zum Ende hin so richtig klar. Der einzige Weg das wieder hinzubekommen ist ein äußerst gravierender und wirft durchaus einige Fragen für die Zukunft der Spinne im Marvel-Filmkosmos auf. Denn Doctor Strange ist gezwungen Peter Parker und Spider-Man aus allen Köpfen dieser Welt zu löschen. Kein Mensch erinnert sich nach diesem Zauber, weder daran dass er Peter kannte, noch wer er ist. Das heißt Peter verliert ab diesem Zeitpunkt ALLES. Ob er dadurch jemals wieder in die Gilde der Avengers zurückkehren kann, bzw. ob er jemals wieder als Superheld gebraucht wird dürfte abzuwarten sein. Doch genau in diese Fragestellungen werfen sich die beiden Abspannszenen hinein und zumindest die erste deutet auf eine nächste Mission für die Spinne hin. Denn in ihr sehen wir niemand anderen als Eddie Brooks, der gerade am Strand entspannt und sich gemeinsam mit Venom über Spider-Man unterhält. Die beiden sind sich sicher, dass sie die Spinne treffen müssen. Was jedoch dann passiert ist seltsam. Ähnlich wie andere „Wandler des Multiverse“ werden sie in ein anderes Universum transportiert. Damit steht für mich fest, dass Venom nicht auf den „Tom Holland“-Spidey treffen kann, denn sonst wäre er ja im Universum geblieben. Auf welchen anderen Spider-Man er treffen könnte? Es ergeben sich für mich spontan nur zwei Optionen: Andrew Garfield erhält seinen dritten Film oder Venom zieht es in das animierte „Spider-Verse“. Beides wäre möglich, denn die Rechte liegen dort jeweils noch bei Sony, damit würde Disney um eine Integration Venoms in das MCU herumkommen. Doch ein kleiner Teil von Venom bleibt im „Holland“-Universum zurück – was das wohl für Auswirkungen hat. Die zweite Abspannszene hingegen beschäftigt sich dann mit dem nächsten großen Solofilm, der uns im nächsten Jahr erwarten wird. Darin wird sich Doctor Strange mit den weiteren Folgen des missglückten Zaubers beschäftigen: „Doctor Strange – In the Multiverse of Madness“ wird noch tiefer in die Idee des Multiversums eintauchen. Bei „Spider-Man: No Way Home“ ist dieser nämlich maximal angekratzt worden. Es wird hier auch deutlich, dass Wanda Maximoff aka „Scarlet Witch“ eine zentrale Rolle spielen wird. Zudem wird angedeutet, dass der Film nach den Ereignissen in „WandaVision“ (Serie auf Disney+) einsetzen wird. Wir können also weiterhin gespannt sein, was das MCU für uns und die freundliche (und jetzt jedem unbekannten) Spinne aus der Nachbarschaft noch so auf Lager hat. Technik und Besetzung: Sich bei einer Marvel-Produktion über Technik zu unterhalten, wirkt zwar auf der einen Seite immer wie ein nicht enden wollendes Loblied, aber ich bin auch der Meinung, dass man eine so konstant gute Leistung schlicht auch erwähnen muss. Denn auch in „Spider-Man: No Way Home“ geben sich die technischen Verantwortlichen im Bereich der Effekte überhaupt keine Blöße. Die Produktion ist einmal mehr auf einem technisch hohen Level und auch die Actionszenen sind „marvel-typisch“ dynamisch aber nicht unbedingt fein choreografiert. Es passt aber zum Gesamtkonzept. In der Regie findet sich einmal mehr der Name Jon Watts. Watts war auch bereits bei den beiden Vorgängerfilmen mit Tom Holland als Spider-Man für die Regie verantwortlich. Ich bin großer Fan davon, wenn eine Filmreihe von der gleichen Regie betreut wird, denn die unterschiedlichen Handschriften passen nicht immer zu einer Serie. Gerade bei Spider-Man oder generell diesem großen MCU tut ein wenig Beständigkeit unglaublich gut. Ich mag es wie Watts an seine Filme herangeht, denn er setzt großen Wert auf die charakterliche Tiefe – zumindest mit Blick auf Spider-Man – aber auch bei seinen Gegenspielern. Das hat er jetzt schon in zwei Filmen bewiesen und im dritten toppt er diesen Eindruck durch die Installation der Super-Schurken-Riege, bei der sich die meisten auch charakterlich weiterentwickeln sollen. Außerdem gelingt es ihm einen Traum eines jeden Spider-Man-Fans wahr werden zu lassen – welcher das ist, verrate ich an der Stelle aber nicht! Doch nicht nur in der Regie gilt die Beständigkeit. Auch die musikalische Inszenierung bleibt in den gleichen und erfahrenen Händen von Michael Giacchino (u.a. „Doctor Strange“, „Jurassic World“-Reihe“). Ich mag die durchaus epische aber (im Vergleich zu Alan Silvestri) etwas zurückhaltendere Herangehensweise. Die zumeist instrumentalen Stücke untermalen die Szenen gekonnt, wenn auch manchmal etwas arg verräterisch. Mit Blick auf den Cast gilt natürlich auch in gewisser Hinsicht Beständigkeit, dennoch möchte ich über ihn ein paar Worte verlieren. Allen voran natürlich über die Gegenspieler. Denn hier ist es den Verantwortlichen gelungen wirklich zwei Highlights zu Tage zu fördern. Von dieser „Superschurken-Riege“ stechen darstellerisch drei heraus. Das wäre zum ersten Jamie Foxx (u.a. „Annie“, „The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro”) als Electro. Er verkörpert diese Gier nach mehr Macht und Elektrizität auch hier ungeheuerlich gut – zudem wurde ihm ein wesentlich schickeres Kostüm verliehen. Ganz klar herausstechen können aber Alfred Molina (u.a. „Frida“, „Sakrileg“ ) als „Doctor Octopus“ und Willem Dafoe (u.a. „Der Leuchtturm“, „Aquaman“) als „Green Goblin“ respektive Norman Osborn. Ich liebe die Art und Weise wie beide ihre alten Rollen noch einmal aufleben lassen und mich zurückerinnern lassen an meine erste Begegnung mit Spider-Man – damals noch von Tobey Maguire verkörpert. Es sind tolle Momente, wenn man zwei herrlich befreit aufspielende Schauspielergrößen wie die beiden in einer solchen kultigen Rolle wiedersehen darf und sie sich dann auch nicht für den ein oder anderen Witz zu schade sind. Kleine Trivia am Rande: Willem Dafoe hat alle Stunts selbst gedreht – das soll sogar so vertraglich festgehalten sein, damit er für die Rolle zugesagt hat. Auf der eher freundlichen Seite finden wir dann natürlich wieder die Namen Jacob Batalon als Ned, Zendaya (u.a. „Dune“, „The Greatest Showman“) als MJ und natürlich Tom Holland (u.a. „In the Heart oft he Sea“, in Kürze: „Uncharted“) als Peter Parker. Während Batalon und Zendaya immer wieder mit der Tatsache einer Nebenrolle zu sein kämpfen müssen, um ihre wenigen großen Momente auch zu nutzen, kann vor allem ein Tom Holland vollkommen überzeugen. Er ist mehr als angekommen in seiner Rolle als Spider-Man – auch wenn er diese vielleicht am unkonventionellsten von allen bisherigen Spinnen auslebt. Aber genau dafür schätze ich ihn auch unglaublich. Seine etwas verpeilte und niemals zu schade, dass Wohl der anderen über das seine zu stellen interpretiert er die Rolle eines modernen Superhelden mit Bravour und beweist somit wie kein andere, dass man hinter der Maske nicht perfekt sein muss, um große Taten zu vollbringen. Fazit: Über die Jahre habe ich die Figur des Spider-Man sehr ins Herzen geschlossen und zähle sie zu einer meiner Lieblingsfiguren innerhalb des MCU. Daher ist es natürlich eine besondere Freude diesen Film zu sehen. Er beschließt nicht nur die „Home“-Trilogie rund um Tom Hollands Interpretation des Peter Parker, sondern er lässt sich auch viele interessante Möglichkeiten offen bzw. öffnen. Ich mochte die Inszenierung und die Entwicklung der Handlung hin zum nächsten großen Marvel-Projekt. Auch wenn man immer wieder mal dazwischen das etwas fade Gefühl hat, dass der Film nur als „Übergang“ herhalten muss, gelingt es ihm immer wieder außergewöhnliche Momente zu schaffen. Wer über die letzten Jahr 26 Marvel-Produktionen gesehen hat, der kennt irgendwann die inszenatorischen Kniffe, den Aufbau und den Ablauf eines solchen Filmes in und auswendig. Davon ist auch „Spider-Man: No Way Home“ sicherlich nicht gefeit, aber er schafft auf diesem Weg zu unterhalten und vor allem eben einen Traum von allen Spidey-Fans zu erfüllen. Für mich waren das Gänsehaut-Momente und genau wegen solcher Momente liebe ich nicht nur Filme, sondern vor allem auch das Kino. Das gemeinsame Erleben solcher Momente ist unbezahlbar. „Spider-Man: No Way Home“ ist so objektiv wie möglich betrachtet eine mehr als solide Fortsetzung der Ereignisse, die (wie alle Filme der vierten Phase) kein umfassendes Vorwissen benötigen. Auch wenn es dem Film sicherlich gut getan hätte, nicht allzu sehr auf die humorige Ausrichtung Wert zu legen, können die emotionalen Momente berühren, wirken aber immer etwas deplatziert. Und jetzt: Liegt es am Doctor die Dinge wieder gerade zu rücken. By @kino_mit_alex 2021 12A Director: Jon Watts Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei and a few other surprises. With Spider Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be spider man. Wow, this was everything I wanted it to be and more. The cinematography of this film was beautiful. It was hilarious with some brilliant comedy. The set up was strong with introducing all the different antagonists. With some fantastic plot development with Peter and his relationships with MJ, Ned and aunt May, plus the fallout from far from home. The cameos and guest appearances from all of the different generations of villains was just amazing to see. The chemistry between the cast was incredibly strong. There was a lot of interesting elements involving the multiverse and the villains with how they reacted to being in this new world that was well explored. The action was incredibly strong, and the character conflict was excellent. With some fantastic performances. This was Tom Hollands and Zendaya's strongest performances yet with these characters. I also have to praise Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molino who were all fantastic. With Green Goblin being the strongest villain, he was terrifying. The character development of Peter Parker was excellent, he grew so much and matured as he took on the responsibilities of his actions and accepted the consequences. This film has a lot of emotional weight and it was surprising with the amount of emotional beats it had. The fan service was just amazing, it was so nostalgic to have three generations of villains back. The final act was also particularly incredible, and both the end credit scenes are amazing. My only slight nit-pick would be that there was some pacing inconsistencies in the first half as they had to fit a lot of plot in such a short space of time. But overall, Spider Man No Way Home is a cinematic event. its visually stunning and emotionally satisfying. Packed full of strong action and amazing performances. And is truly a film for the fans, and top tier MCU, perhaps even in their top 3 strongest. Overall score 98/100 By @ryan_the_nixon

Reviews by: @a_weekend_watch •GENRE: MYSTERY, FANTASY, DRAMA STREAMING: NETFLIX (6 EPISODES) ✅THE GOOD: RIVETING!! ✅Perfectly (and rather bluntly)dissects the evolution of Religions, Religious zeal and multiple crimes that human beings have been committing for years, camouflaging them as RELIGIOUS DEVOTION. ✅CGI. As someone who can never take Monster/Creature genre seriously, I was blown away by how even an exuberantly excessive use of CGI didn't spoil the sombre and gruesome tone of the show. Totally spooky. ✅While the show still has many over-actors(unfortunately, similar to many other Korean Shows) but majority of performances are very realistic and polished, matching the gloomy tones of the show perfectly. ❎THE BAD: DULL! ❎The show could have used a little more action sequences between GOOD & BAD, instead of dragging on the violent actions of BAD, which gets a little repetitive after a while. 🚫THE UGLY: ❌ 📌VERDICT: HELLBOUND is the recent South Korean drama that has taken the world of Netflix by storm. Let's be honest, the show does sound and appear massively childish and shallow on surface. The foolishness of King-kong-ish and falsely-proclaimed angels, dismal prophesies and cruel death decrees may sound hard to believe and overtly preachy but hear me out, this show has a lot more to offer than what meets the eye. As someone who lives in a geographical location plagued by religious fanaticism and religious CULT crimes for centuries(not to imply that the rest of the first-world countries are any better with their Islamophobia), I can't relate more with the way HELLBOUND has managed to capture the perfect snapshot of this limping race called HUMANITY and its poor attempts at explaining things that it can't understand. If you are a fan of the gory, thrilling, and massively violent nature of Korean dramas and can appreciate the bitterness of religious intolerance, then HELLBOUND is an ever-relevant and neatly executed Tv Show that deserves your attention. ☠️TRIGGER WARNING: Involves violent, deeply disturbing and bleak apocalyptic content, so check your mental health first before indulging in this. By @a_weekend_watch

Reviews by: @therenzog A week ago I obtained the #PlatinumTrophy for #CastlevaniaRequiem and I wanted to share my thoughts about the awesome games in this collection. #Konami brought together two of the best games in the franchise, one represents the classic #Castlevania era in #RondoofBlood and, the other represents what would become the future of the series with #SymphonyoftheNight SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT: Castlevania's Literal Game-Changer. This game is no joke. It is a time-consuming undertaking if you go in blind, I was only able to get the PlatinumTrophy in less than 13 hours because I completed SoTN when first released on #PSX in 1997, and back then I played this game so much that to this day felt like riding a bike. I was my own walkthrough guide. Specifically, the first time I played SoTN was 20 years ago and after all this time still blows my mind. The gameplay still holds very well and it remains a Masterpiece. SoTN was the first time Castlevania introduce RPG elements and changed the main character to #Alucard and it sure paid off tremendously! SoTN set the tone for later entries in the series, encouraging the player to roam free through Dracula's Castle instead of linear side-scrolling levels. With an amazing soundtrack and challenging Boss fights, SoTN is definitely a must-play for any gamer. No doubt what really made this game a big deal was getting to what you thought was the ending and realizing you were only halfway because you still had to go through the more challenging and difficult Inverted Castle, the inverted colosseum sure gave me a headache during my first playthrough back in High School. However, even though more complex, SoTN is a game way easier than it's predecessors, which focused more on challenging platforms and surgeon-accurate aim. That said, it is a more fun experience rather than a maddening platform nightmare. RONDO OF BLOOD: The Merciful Castlevania. Thanks to the #CastlevaniaRequiem compilation released on PS4 I was able to play for the first time #RondoofBlood. It was great playing the game preceding SoTN and was very awesome facing Dracula at the end as Richter Belmont and realizing that's actually how SoTN begins! Seriously, the last minutes of Rondo of Blood are, frame by frame, the opening scene in Symphony of the Night. I appreciated the fact that Rondo of Blood allows you to choose the different stages, which made it considerably easier than most Castlevania games in the NES era with the unforgivable perma-death. Even though #RichterBelmont is not very fast, lacks a dash, and has no double jump, the game is very fun to play and provides quite a variety of difficult challenges. It is a hard game but in a good way hard, not impossible hard, more like a spicy sauce that actually enhances the taste of your food instead of killing helplessly your taste buds. By the way, if you want to finish #RondoofBlood fast, just rescue Maria Renard in stage 2 so you can start using her as a playable character. Once you rescue Maria, select her on the title screen and you will finish the game in no time because she is SO overpowered that it's ridiculous. Yes, I did that. Hopefully someday #Konami will stop being Konami and resumes in delivering more entries to the Castlevania series and other great IPs they own, like MGS and SilentHill but that's the subject of another post. Have you played any of these games? Did you complete the map in SoTN? Because if you don't know the "Wolf trick", those inverted Caverns can be a pain. If you read all these posts you must really like these games! Please, comment something below, because you are awesome and definitely one of my own. Let's talk #gaming P.S. Yes, I got the #PlatinumTrophy at 3:51 AM, that's the right time to go out hunting vampires... Or maybe... I'm a vampire myself. By @therenzog