Spartan_117

I'm not a Bond aficionado, I haven't seen anything from the old eras other than some clips, the oldest memories I have are of Pierce Brosnan's run with movies such as Die Another Day and The World Is Not Enough which my Dad used to enjoy and as a kid, I joined in sometimes but I hardly remember them and whenever I decide to check out the previous movies (not anytime soon), I'll have to rewatch those. I have, though, watched all of the recent ones and No Time To Die (2021) is the latest entry in the James Bond franchise and marks the end of the Daniel Craig era. An era if I look at it as a whole has certainly been entertaining but uneven, with some entries such as Casino Royale, my favourite Bond film so far, and Skyfall being awesome experiences. Now, Spectre, the one before this one, wasn't that good. It was well produced and directed but I didn't care for the story so I wasn't hyped or excited for this last one to the degree I normally would have been. After finishing No Time To Die, I can safely say it was a similar experience, albeit slightly better. From a production standpoint, it was a well-produced and directed affair, for the most part. Cary Joji **** was at the helm this time who is famous for directing Season 1 of True Detective and as far as the audiovisual experience goes, it was a solid spy action thriller. There was some CGI stuff that was a bit iffy and the stormtrooper aim could have been lessened but oh well. The runtime is long, clocking in at around 2 hours and 40 mins, yet it had a lot packed in it in terms of action scenes, plot beats, jumping around locations and characters, tieing in material from previous films, and because of that, it didn't get completely boring despite my lack of interest in the actual story. Also, simply by being a fan of Daniel Craig and his Bond, having a sendoff experience carries some weight. The performances were good which also helped attention retention, I have enjoyed the portrayal of Bond from Daniel Craig in every entry and this was no different with him being aged and a veteran at this point while showing vulnerability as he's looking for something more than the life he has. The supporting cast did their job well in whatever chunks of screentime they were given whether it's Ralph Fiennes as M, Lashana Lynch as the new 007, Ben Wishaw as Q, Lea Seydoux as the love interest Madeline, or Ana de Armas as the rookie agent Paloma who was not only absolutely stunning and lit up the screen with her presence, had she been in the entire movie and was the focus, I might have given this a 10/10. Since the story takes place a while after Spectre and is a direct continuation since from what I can gather this is the most serialized Bond run, the baggage from that movie is present here. I usually am not a fan of the "It was me all along" trope as most of the time the writing isn't strong enough to pull it off well and that was exactly the case with Christoph Waltz's antagonist in the previous movie that is tied into this one while also further exacerbating the problem by having an even bigger baddy trying to raise the stakes but then completely falling flat on its face when it comes to Rami Malek's character. Somehow, Safin was worse than Blofeld and it's such a shame since James Bond isn't the same without a strong villain. Also, what a waste **** actor. All of that combined with the love story that just isn't as strong as the movie would like you to believe, both in this and the previous one, and remembering how much better it was with Eva Green's Vesper and you now have a story that lacks the emotional connection, investment and intrigue that is required for a final outing to give you that tension, thrill, excitement and THE FEELS which would make the entire experience something to truly remember. Honestly, had they forgotten about Spectre and done their own thing and given Rami Malek more to work with (strong writing), this could have been good or even great. Overall, I can't say I was disappointed since I had low expectations but I would have still liked to be surprised. However, the fact that during the marketing campaign, there was a lot of commotion over this being woke and Bond would be treated poorly etc because of the noise of the fandom in retaliation to click-bait articles and misinterpretations from shoddy journalism that is sadly the norm now, I was surprised to find out that wasn't the case, so that was nice. It's not a bad movie, it certainly has some entertainment value, but the story isn't good and that bogs it down A LOT. If you have enjoyed Craig's era or are a Bond completionist, give it a try. If you are not a fan of Bond and don't want to watch all of the previous films, I'll recommend giving Casino Royale a try and moving on from there depending on how you feel. And if I were to rate this, I'd give it a 6/10.

I never watched Ghostbusters as a kid, didn't grow up with it, have no nostalgia for it from my childhood but I did eventually try it out several years back and loved it, such a fun time and a tight script. Also watched the sequel which was fine, as well as 2016 one, which was bad. So getting a new one that doesn't take into account the last one and acts as a proper sequel+successor set in a small town in the middle of nowhere with a younger cast and being directed by Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman who did the original, had me intrigued. After giving Ghostbusters: Afterlife a watch, it suffices to say the son did not disappoint. The story follows a single mom with two kids who move to a small town after the passing of her father and inheriting his house and land. As the kids investigate around, they start uncovering who their grandfather was and how the strange occurrences in the locality are linked. For the most part, I enjoyed the simple straightforward tale that pays homage and respect to what came before it while incorporating its own thing in the mix. The performances were, in general, good to great with Mckenna Grace stealing the show as the smart and curious kid, she was wonderful and funnily enough, did more as a strong female lead than the entire 2016 reboot with an all-female main cast. Paul Rudd was his usual fun wholesome self and that's never a bad thing even if I wish he was in the movie a bit more. Carrie Coon… well she's Carrie Coon, I have loved her ever since The Leftovers and she always delivers. Production wise, this was a great one. The sets, the props, the cinematography, the CGI, it all was solid especially considering it didn't have a humungous budget. The thing that surprised me was the sound effects had a strong punch and impact whether it was the equipment, the action scenes, the atmosphere etc, something I didn't expect in a movie like this to put as much care into but it did so props for that. What did bring down the movie a tad bit was that not all of the characters were utilized efficiently. Despite having a 2-hour runtime, the script wasn't as tight as I'd hoped it would be. Also, the final act could have had a bit more to it in terms of the antagonist, maybe expand upon the lore or add something to it that is concrete since it was familiar and full of nostalgia. All in all, considering the absolute nonsense Hollywood is up to with bringing back old franchises and running them to the ground by doing cheap and lazy cash grabs and hiring people who think they can do it a lot better than the original creators while not giving the property its due respect, it's so refreshing to see something that actually does not follow the trend. Jason Reitman I bet would have made his father proud. If you're a fan of Ghostbusters, this is a must-watch. If you are not, I'd suggest watching the original and then giving this one a try. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 7.8/10.

Don't Look Up (2021) is a satirical sci-fi drama about a group of scientists who discover that a Comet is on a direct collision course with Earth, their attempt to alert the Government before it's too late, and their utter dismay at how things turn out. Written and directed by Adam McKay who is no stranger to such movies with his previous outings such as The Big Short, a film about the 2008 housing crisis and economic crash, and VICE, a film about Dick Cheney's tenure, with both having a strong layer of satire embedded in the narrative and so I was excited to check this out. Another hit from the man. My enjoyment of this movie boils down to two main reasons: 1) Growing up, I was a huge fan of Disaster or end-of-the-world scenario movies regardless of what is bringing that end and two of my favourites from that time were Armageddon and Deep Impact, both dealing with a large Asteroid impact, so I was naturally giddy with excitement when a modern movie with a similar scenario came out and dealt with that subject matter in a satirical tone. A fresh experience of something I love. 2) The social commentary on the state of the modern world and several avenues in it as what would the world do if Humanity is faced with this extinction event whether it is politics, mainstream media, social media, big tech companies, science, the youth, family etc, and giving jabs to both sides of the political spectrum. Some of it is heavy-handed and too on the nose going to absurdism while some of it is subtle and that created a fun balance. It also can be horrifying as to how close to home it hits with all the nonsense that is happening nowadays. Of course, the movie wouldn't have been great without having a large and talented cast, all of whom gave good-great performances, enhancing your attachment or disdain for the characters according to the plot. My favourite was without a doubt, Leonardo DiCaprio. The dude's amazing in everything I've watched and this was no exception. Seeing him in a scientist role struggling to deal with the sheer stupidity at hand from the Govt. and the media made me frustrated as well, alongside the co-star Jennifer Lawrence, who was also great. I like that while it is a comedy, it walks the line between serious and absurd rather well. If it was all goofy and funny, it wouldn't have had the impact it wanted to have. Well directed, written and shot with erratic editing that works for a movie like this as it keeps the momentum going. Without giving anything away, I do, however, wish that we got to see a bit more towards the end. Also, I did miss Adam McKay's style of 4th wall breaks or the fake obvious wrap-ups but considering it is a fictional tale and not based on a historical event or personality, maybe it wouldn't have worked here. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, this was right up my alley. It is definitely amongst the best of 2021 for me. If you like satire or if the premise interests you, I'd recommend giving this a watch. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a solid 8/10.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) is a dumb campy sequel to the 2018 surprise box-office hit and it follows the protagonist Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom a while after the events of the first movie and they are having odd-couple issues… oh and there’s Cletus Kasady/Carnage who’s the bad guy. It’s a simple movie with a short runtime that flies by quickly and there is something to appreciate here for a superhero/comic-book flick in this day and age to just embrace its campiness and B-Movie feel. Doesn’t make it good, though, as that can only take the enjoyment to a certain degree before one start wishing there is a bit more substance in the script since it’s more dumb than fun. The same camp-style can be kept but be a bit more clever with it. Tom Hardy was good as Eddie Brock yet again and is easily the best part of the movie, I just wish he had a better script to work with. The odd-couple schtick was fun for a while but then it went on for far too long and the overemphasis on comedy in this sequel detracts more than it adds. The lack of focus on the villain and rushing that plot point to get to the big CGI fight finale also hurts the overall experience. Woody Harrelson was hamming it up in the role with what he was given and he was fun with a layer of cringe. There were some cool/entertaining action scenes, the finale fight was certainly better than the first one. The movie, however, once again reinforces the fact that Venom SORELY needs to be Rated-R which would have made Carnage’s carnage so much better. With the first one, I get that they had to make a safe play, but with the sequel, they should have embraced the violence. Not much else to say about this one. Kinda disappointed as I did like the first movie more which admittedly over time has fallen a bit in my eyes too. This character has a lot more potential than what we are being given and I hope whatever outing it gets next, it’s done better. If you enjoyed the first one, you might like the sequel but if you didn’t enjoy it, this won’t change your mind. And if I were to rate it, I’d give it a 5.5/10.

Eternals (2021) is the 26th entry in the MCU, a part of Phase 4 of the franchise and it is about a group of Alien beings who have been on Earth for thousands of years protecting mankind from another alien race called Deviants and they now have to reunite and face the ancient threat which has resurfaced. Similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, this is one of those Marvel properties that I had no prior knowledge of and the movie was my first foray into their story. Unlike Guardians of the Galaxy, though, it was not good. The movie has a lot of problems and it falls under the umbrella of those flicks where the more you think about it, the worse it gets, and if you don’t think about it, it’s middling at best, as elements and players introduced by the story and trying to squeeze them in an already expansive Universe lacks well thought out writing for proper cohesion and thus it comes off as lazy and stupid. Case in point: The Celestials, the true Godly Beings that have been shown a few times before in the MCU but this is the movie where you get a proper explanation about their existence and when the plot reveals details about the Prime Celestial Arishem’s design, it’s just dumb and saps whatever interest one might have had in that part of the story and worldbuilding. Since I have grown a bit apathetic towards this cinematic universe due to worldbuilding shenanigans that Phase 4 has shown so far, poor writing in that area alone wouldn’t have been a big issue (would still be an issue) had the characters been interesting but that turned out to be the biggest problem of this movie which stems from its own nature of being i.e there are ten Eternals, ten main new characters that are introduced in a single movie, and none of them is properly developed. As I write this review, I don’t even remember the names of many of them. On top of that, director Chloe Zao decided to have the cast give uninterested/boring and bland performances for so much of the runtime instead of being energetic and charismatic utilizing every bit of screen time they have to imbue personality to their roles. There was also lost potential of a plot point regarding Deviants, the movie just ends it in an anti-climatic fashion and throws it away. With all that being said, I did enjoy certain things. There were some beautiful visuals, particularly with the Celestials and their gargantuan scale, especially if you don’t think about the physics of it all. Some of the fights were entertaining even with the iffy CGI, the speedster Eternal especially was portrayed how I’d wish other movies to showcase their speed type characters and you get a fun meta pseudo Superman vs Flash throwdown. Despite having thin characterization, some Eternals I did end up liking such as Druig, Gilgamesh or even Icarus, and hell I even got interested in that one Deviant since that seemed important relative to most characters in the movie. I also do applaud the director for not filling the movie to the brim with the typical Marvel brand of humour which has been getting too annoying recently and I wish strong writing was present to complement the more serious tone. Plus, the movie had both Jon Snow and Robb Stark fall in love with Sersi which I found amusing. Overall, this is in the bottom tier of MCU movies for me. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst one, that title belongs to Black Widow for now. I don’t know how the events in Eternals will play out going forward in the MCU or whether it’ll have any impact or would be forgotten. This probably would have fared far better if it was a Disney+ series instead as that would have given it time to develop its characters at the very least even if at the loss of spectacle. Wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re an MCU fan and completionist. Anyway, if I were to rate it, I’d give it a 5/10.

Ah yes, The Matrix, one of the best and most influential sci-fi films of recent decades and one of my all-time favourite films. When it was announced that another sequel is coming, I was mostly indifferent about it because that is just Hollywood now, anything can be brought back. When the first full trailer dropped for The Matrix Resurrections, it piqued my interest a bit but I didn't get hyped or had high hopes even if some of the original cast is returning as well as one of the creators i.e Lana Wachowski because, in this day and age, it is more likely to be a letdown. And as it turns out, that was precisely the case. This is, without a doubt, the worst movie in the franchise. BUT I was pleasantly surprised that after seeing the negative reception from a lot of people it wasn't an outright terrible experience for me and I ended up enjoying several parts of it even if I wouldn't call the movie good but rather a middling to above-average experience owing to my predisposition and fanboy bias towards this world. Returning to the world of The Matrix after more than 20 years certainly carried a hefty dose of nostalgia and it was plainly enjoyable simply being thrust back into that realm. Seeing Keanu Reeves as Neo again lit up the fan in me. Having to deal with the matrix again and retreading events from the first one, despite being an obvious nostalgia bait, was entertaining especially when the movie was self-aware about it and had a meta-narrative going on. In fact, the time spent in the matrix during the first half was probably my favourite, especially when you view it from the machines or The Analyst's POV. It would have been wonderful to have Laurence Fishburn and Hugo Weaving reprising their roles but the replacement for Morpheus, Yahya Adul-Mateen II, wasn't bad. Felt like a hip version of Morpheus. Can't say the same for the new Agent Smith but he did bring some unintentional hilarity, so there's that. In fact, there was a lot of comedy relative to the previous parts, both intentional and unintentional. Some of it worked, a lot of it didn't with some scenes being pure cringe as was the case with a certain cameo. You get a new crew of characters but apart from Jessica Henwick's character Bugs, none of them were interesting or had any proper presence. The only connection I felt was that several of the actors were from Sense8, a series I happen to like. The performances were fine, including Neil Patrick Harris and Carrie-Anne Moss returning as Trinity. The second half of the movie deals more with the real world and at first, I was enjoying seeing how things have developed after Revolutions. There were intriguing tidbits and scarce info dumps as well as developments which I liked and I was wishing the movie would explore more but it was busy rushing on with its own clunky main plot. Maybe they are saving it for further sequels which I'm not sure they'll even get a greenlit on. To make matters worse, the movie, regrettably, leaned too heavily on the nostalgia baiting and dangling keychains instead of balancing it out. It was spread out throughout the runtime with the most egregious one being flashbacks of scenes from the previous movies which acted as a constant reminder that while you're back in this world, it's nowhere near as well-executed, a self-inflicted detrimental element. The element that actually disappointed me the most was the audiovisual experience, something I expected we would at least get in a strong manner even if all else fails. The action, while being fine-ish for a modern Hollywood big-budget movie, was way too poorly executed in comparison to the previous films. The trilogy was known for its Martial Arts and Gun action and you hardly get anything of the former while a flimsy toned down version of the latter with stormtrooper aim dialled up the highest level as if the operator has hacked the matrix and is purposely making the bad guys miss every shot. The biggest sin was having the now John Wick at your disposal and not giving him a gun throughout the movie or having any scene with Neo going all out and instead relegating him mostly to force push and pull. There was also no real tension or actual danger/threat in the movie. All in all, this was a clunky and messily executed amalgamation of some cool ideas and concepts, new and old, and a trip down memory lane which kept it from diving into the abyss further propelled a bit by my inner fan bias of this world. By no means a good movie and after pondering upon it for a while, I can certainly see where the hate is coming from. If you're a massive fan of the trilogy, you might enjoy it but if you only like/love the first one and didn't enjoy the sequels, chances are this won't bring your mind around. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 6/10.

I love Edgar Wright, he's one of my favourite contemporary creatives and some of his works rank amongst my top favourites such as Hot Fuzz and Spaced. Naturally, I was eager to check out his latest offering, something that's different from his normal body of work. Last Night in Soho (2021) is a Horror, Mystery, Drama about an enthusiastic aspiring designer from the countryside going to a prestigious London college of arts where she encounters the ability to visit the city in the 60s that starts wreaking havoc in her life after the glam and glimmer subsides. The film shines when it comes to the cinematography, editing, set designs, soundtrack, and costumes, where even with the restraint shown, justified for the story and tone, you still get that Edgar Wright style that makes his movies stand out. It can be gorgeous with some amazing camera work and long takes. I enjoyed the performances too. Thomasin McKenzie as the lead was able to carry the film on her shoulders quite well, for the most part. Accompanying her was the gorgeous Anya Taylor-Joy who, as in pretty much everything else I've seen her in, was great. The supporting cast does a good enough job. For the first half or so, you aren't exactly sure where the story is going and the mystery was enticing although, the themes weren't original nor were the social commentary and a lot of it was only superficially deep. Still, the horror elements intertwined with the tale plus the execution made it entertaining albeit not nearly as hard-hitting as I'd hoped it would be. However, when everything starts panning out around the final act, the story just fumbled and got all floompy. You can surely understand the tragic tale the film is going for but the writing leaves a lot to be desired. The entire finale was unsatisfactory which sadly brought down the whole experience for me. I always appreciate it when an artist tries to branch out into different genres from what they're known for and I do applaud Edgar Wright for doing that but this is, without a doubt, the weakest of his works I've experienced. I'd still recommend it giving it a try, you might enjoy it a lot more than me. But as it stands, this was a disappointing watch for me but there were still elements I appreciated and was also entertained for a lot of the runtime. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 6.5/10.

Red Notice (2021) is the latest outing from Netflix and is a comedy, action, heist, adventure blend which is about an FBI agent trying to bring down the world's greatest thief with the help of the second greatest after things go screwy apprehending the latter. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot, I got excited and gave it a watch. Sadly, it turned out to be a very middling experience. One would expect that there would be a great deal of charisma, enthusiasm and quality back-and-forth banter with the Actors (particularly the male duo) the movie has at its disposal but one would be wrong. It's not that there isn't any but what you get for the most part and for a lack of a better word, is pure MEH. It's not terrible, you can stomach it but there is nothing special here. Ryan Reynolds felt like he was doing most of the heavy work by being his usual self with some of the Deadpool persona bleeding in improvising in a not-so-good script still being my favourite part of the movie, whereas the Rock was oddly enough living up to his name, by being a rock, and for whatever reason, he or the director decided this would be the movie for it, against Deadpool... It's good to live up to your name but you still gotta choose an appropriate time and this was not it. Gal Gadot, while being gorgeous and someone who looked like she was having fun, also came with a heft dose of cringe in some of her scenes. Couple that with the goofy nature of the movie which, in a better-written film with interesting comradery between the characters could have been highly entertaining, with a plot that is easily forgettable with the propensity for "twists" without the wit to carry whatever level of self-awareness that movies try to present leaves you with a mishmash of elements taken from much better films where neither the sum of its parts nor the whole is as entertaining as it should have been. Again, it's MEH. Also, with a reported $200 Million budget, it has some pretty shoddy visuals at times while having some cool shots and sets otherwise. This is a repeated trend I've seen in big-budget movies lately where they'll have massive budgets but you don't see that reflected in the visuals/production properly. And if DUNE can look wonderful with a relatively lower budget, these other movies have no excuse with the level of CGI they end up using. Anyway, I was hoping for a lot more fun than I ended up experiencing. You get a massive sequel bait at the end and there are two more entries greenlit by Netflix, so we'll get more of this Trio. Not excited but who knows, they might end up being better. This is an average experience at best which I can't really recommend unless you have nothing else to watch and just want something to pass the time. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 5/10.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the first entry in MCU Phase 4 with a completely new superhero, an origin story, and is about Shang-Chi, son of a powerful man who has control of the ten rings as well as having an organization of the same name. Living a normal life, his world is turned upside down when the past he has left behind comes back to bite him. Not gonna lie, I wasn't hoping much from this movie considering how disappointing Phase 4 has been but to my surprise, this turned out to be the most entertaining entry in this Post-Infinity Saga so far, particularly because I didn't leave it filled with a layer of disappointment that gets worse the more you think about it. It's not groundbreaking or different from what the MCU has given us before, especially when it comes to origin stories. In fact, it feels very reminiscent of the earlier movies that came in this cinematic universe following a lot of the same formula, part of the reason I enjoyed it as it reminded me of the good ole days where I was genuinely hyped about the MCU and getting introduced to all these superheroes without having any solid comic-book reading history. It's the usual Marvel schtick with a different skin but with good enough execution in certain parts that you get a steady flow of entertainment and hardly any major frustrations, if at all, from the entire 130 mins runtime. What I enjoyed the most was the action sequences, which were predominantly hand-to-hand combat and weaponry based kung-fu. With good choreography and cinematography, fewer cuts, non-shaky cam, and the actors performing a lot of the combat themselves, it was thrilling. The accompanying soundtrack was nice too with a mix of modern and East Asian tracks that flowed well with the action. The story itself, while ending up with the usual end-of-the-world trope that so many superhero flicks have, wasn't bad either. It was cool to see this side of the world in this cinematic universe and not having a typical Human baddie was nice as well. However, the writing was still not particularly good as the movie sorely lacked urgency and stakes. There wasn't that OOOMPH that would have propelled this movie to higher tiers. It played safe and light with a lot of predictable elements so you just sorta experience the events which play out mostly how you'd expect. The dialogue could have been a lot better as well with the same story beats the movie employs and would have given characters a lot more depth where the emotional moments could have been hard-hitting. The titular character himself felt lacking in energy and charisma. I did like the overall ensemble and how it all came together in the end even if full of cliches. I was worried about Awkwafina's character Katie and that she'll be annoying for the rest of the movie but I was pleasantly surprised by her relationship with Shang-Chi played by Simu Lu, it was sweet. I'm glad the humour wasn't in your face throughout and took a backseat at certain points as MCU lately has developed a habit of injecting way too much of their brand of humour and it hasn't worked for me. Not saying the comedy here was great as some of it fell flat on its face but some of it did work. All in all, despite its problems, despite the movie playing it safe, despite it being predictable, I had fun. I do hope Simu Lu gives a stronger performance wherever his character shows up next because compared to other MCU heroes, Shang-Chi himself is among the lower end for me for now. If you like the MCU, then certainly give this a go. If nothing else, you'll probably enjoy the action. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 6.8/10.

Dune is a world that has been on my radar for years now but I never delved deep into it, mostly because I wanted to read the book first whenever that time comes. When Denis Villeneuve, one of my favourite contemporary directors, took the reigns of a new adaptation of it, and it finally got released recently, I knew it was time. The sci-fi story, without going into details and spoiler territory, is set in a possible future many 1000s of years from now and is centred around House Atreides, one of several great houses and the son of the duke, as they are tasked by the emperor to take charge of the desert planet Arrakis, where a crucial and rare mineral is extracted, in place of another house. Things don't go as planned when they get there. This is one of those rare occasions where I have read the source material and I was ecstatic to check out this film to see how that world is brought to the screen with the help of modern technology. To no surprise for me knowing Denis' previous filmography, the film is an audiovisual treat. I do hate the fact that I didn't have the luxury to check this out in cinemas, let alone IMAX. Still, watching it at home on my average Home Theater, I was enthralled by how the universe created by Frank Herbert was brought onto the screen in a sublime seamless fashion. Whether it is shots of landscapes, cityscapes, planets, massive futuristic vehicles, the sandworms, indoor spaces, all of it looked wonderful with top-notch CGI. The imagination at display from the source material was awe-inspiring and the love for it was shown in taking the time to let the visuals breathe instead of haphazardly throwing in stuff and rushing to the finish line. The word EPIC does get thrown around a lot but this is one of the few occasions where it aptly fits and then some. Accompanying the visuals are the top-tier sound effects that can give you an eargasm and a fittingly strong score by Hans Zimmer. Sure, you do get the usual BUWAAAMS but on a whole, I enjoyed the uniqueness/freshness of Zimmer on this one from his norm. Kinda liked how it felt for Interstellar, although not as amazing. There are a lot of characters and the casting for many of them was really good. I loved Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto, he fits that persona so well and I so wish there was more of him. Rebecca Furgeson as Lady Jessica was awesome and had one of the best performances in the film. Stellan Skarsgard as the Baron Harkonnen was a stroke of genius, so imposing and effective with the accompanying visuals. Havier Bardem as Stilgar was friggin amazing and I can't wait to see more of him in Part Two. Timothee Chalamet as the protagonist Paul Atreides was another strong one although when compared to veteran actors, he did stumble here and there but also had some GREAT moments. Plenty of well-casted actors for characters from the book. Unfortunately, even with the 2 and a half hour runtime, characterization was weak. So many characters didn't have enough screentime to be fleshed out properly and some got completely shafted, for example, Piter de Vries. Some story beats also suffered. Still, some of the writing was commendable that even with a lot of material to adapt, most of it went through quite well even if I was wishing they made the movie a full 3 hours long. The omissions made and sacrifices for the dialogue wouldn't have been an issue then. Now, it is not apparent from the promotional material but this is Part One of the experience that roughly covers 55% of the book, so keep that in mind as the film just sorta ends without any satisfying conclusion. I'm so glad that Part Two has been announced, so now we wait for that... it's gonna be excruciating. Overall, despite some issues, I loved it. It's a faithful adaptation from someone who genuinely cared for it. A grand-scale epic serious sci-fi adventure that you don't really get anymore. It's probably the best audiovisual treat I've gotten since Denis Villeneuve's last sci-fi outing i.e Blade Runner 2049 (absolutely love that film). Just goes to show how modern visual effects can be implemented in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing. Whether you've read the book or are new to this world, I'd highly recommend checking it out. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it an 8/10.

The Harder They Fall (2021) is a western film with a complete Black cast as the main characters portraying real people who existed back in the day in a fictional story. It's a tale of revenge split between the outlaw group whose leader is hunting the people that did him wrong and the outlaw group whose leader did the wrongdoing. As a whole in terms of story, it's nothing new, but where this movie shines and gives you a fresh experience is in its execution. From the getgo, you can tell that this is a passion project for Jeymes Samuel, the director and co-writer, who wanted to give a unique or different feel to a well-known genre. The madlad also did the soundtrack and worked tightly with the cinematographer and editor so that his clean and polished vision of westerns can be properly brought on to the screen. The film is oozing with style and slickness as all the technical elements synergize together properly and seamlessly flow. It looks great and sounds great, and the odd mix of hip-hop and classic western music works surprisingly well. The main attraction of the film, though, is the amazing cast. Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Lakeith Stanfield, Regina King, Zazzie Beats and the rest of them were on top of their game and since they were inhabiting colourful/interesting characters, it was an absolute blast watching them go at it. Couple that with fun and often interesting dialogue and I could watch these characters interact with each other for a long time. While not a full-blown action film, whatever thrilling scenes it did have were entertaining and bloody. The pacing can be slow for long stretches, though, as you go through the 140 mins runtime while things are being set up but it's not boring. I was enjoying the characters a great deal regardless of whether they are shooting each other or are just conversing. In fact, the first 40-50 mins or so were amazing. I was hooked and was loving the larger-than-life feel of some of the characters as well as the visuals and sounds accompanying it. It's a pleasure in a Home Theater. However, where the movie faltered for me was in the second half where it lost some of that steam and intrigue. The biggest issue for me was that the writing couldn't balance all the main characters well and some remained on the sidelines throughout as well as the expectations that get built up early on and not being delivered fully. There was also a lack of Idris Elba that kinda annoyed me and I was so wishing that the creators could somehow channel Tarantino to have long stretches of dialogue for key scenes. I kinda wish they focused a bit less on the romance and more on the smaller characters as well as the personal vendetta. Also, the final shootout, while thrilling and enjoyable, did ask for a lot of suspension of disbelief. The stormtrooper aim got ridiculous at points. And had the movie ended that way, I would have been disappointed but thankfully it had a trump card that was played wonderfully in the end and brought it home nicely even if I wish it was given a few mins more. All in all, this was a welcome surprise. I honestly wasn't expecting to get something fresh from a genre that has been done so many times but here we are. Sure the film has its faults that keep it from being a truly great experience for me but it is still damn good and I'd recommend it without a second thought. It's on Netflix, so you can easily access it. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 7.8/10.

Finch (2021) is an Apple TV+ film starring Tom Hanks as the titular character, a couple of robots, and a dog. Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, it is about Finch and his companions trying to survive while they set on a journey for a better location. I legitimately decided to watch it just because I saw a solo Tom Hanks with a Robot and a dog on the poster, thinking at worst it will be a middling watch. It turned out to be a heartwarming and somewhat original experience and I'm glad I made that jump. Tom Hanks, to no surprise, delivers a poignant performance as an old survivor in a desolate landscape desperate to find some way of safeguarding his only biological companion, particularly in his absence, a doggo named Goodyear played wonderfully by Seamus. He is also accompanied by a four-wheeled helping hand robot Dewey, and the best part of the film, Jeff, the humanoid bot with true artificial intelligence voice nicely by Caleb Landry Jones. Together, you set out on a journey with them that'll give make you laugh and give you the FEELS! Apart from the group, the thing I loved about this movie is that it sets itself apart from other films by focusing solely on the group and does not dive into what you'd normally expect from a post-apocalyptic setting. The meat of the experience is from small subtle things instead of having big thrilling set pieces or the typical Human conflicts. Seeing Jeff learning what it means to be Human from Finch and Goodyear in his newfound conscience had me smiling most of the film. I do wish the movie delve deeper into those Human elements and themes but I'm still satisfied with what I got. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who directed some of my favourite episodes from Game of Thrones, the movie is competently made. It can be a looker at times. Written by a duo of newbies when it comes to feature-length films, Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, I admired their venture into doing something different with a setting that could have been by the numbers story. Also, while understated, the musical score by Gustavo Santaolalla added a layer of poignancy to the entire experience, especially in key scenes. Now, it is almost 2 hours long, you hardly get any detours and instead just simmer in the experience, so the entire thing is slow-paced, which I can understand can be a turn off for a lot of people but for me, it just worked. I was enthralled by it and was enjoying the characters and their journey. So if you get bored by slow-paced stuff easily, I wouldn't recommend it. Otherwise, I'd suggest giving it a try, the movie might surprise you. You leave it feeling content. A slice of life experience in a post-apocalyptic world. Something original or different, at least for me. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a solid 8/10.

"Some things in life are bad They can really make you mad Other things just make you swear and curse When you're chewing on life's gristle Don't grumble, give a whistle And this'll help things turn out for the best And Always look on the bright side of life Always look on the light side of life" Monty Python and The Holy Grail was a blast to watch in all its low-budget absurd hilarity and I was in the mood for something similar so I decided to give their subsequent outing a shot and it turned out to be another hysterical watch of Biblical proportions. Monty Python's Life of Brian is about, well, the life of Brian. A fella born around the same night as Jesus where The Three Wise Men mistakenly enter his abode and thus start a whole series of events that will eventually make Brian the Messiah, much to his dismay. Set in Jerusalem under Roman rule, the movie pokes fun at whatever it can find in that setting in the usual Monty Python fashion and Religion is at the centre of it. Whether it's religious fanatics, mob mentality, self-proclaimed prophets, living under foreign rule, rebellious groups, politics, etc it's all thrown into a pot with a layer of cleverness, a dab of absurdness, and a thick dose of exaggerated comedic chops, resulting in a non-stop hilarious romp that will have you in stitches. One of my favourite scenes was the entire Biggus **** bit. You just turn into one of the soldiers who just can't hold it in. And of course, the wonderful closing of the film via the song "Always look on the bright side of life" being sung by the Crucifixion party... how can one not love it. Wonderful performances by the entire cast. If you can have an open mind and are not someone who gets easily offended, especially if you're the religious type, and have not watched this movie yet, I'd highly recommend it. It will certainly lighten up your day/night and your life a tad bit henceforth. Hard for me to say whether I enjoy this one more or The Holy Grail without having rewatched either of them so for now, they are equal in my eyes. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a solid 8/10.

The Spine of Night is an adult animated fantasy film and is a tale about a mysterious force, its influence over the ages and the ones who opposed it. Created in rotoscope style animation harkening back to classics such as The Lord of The Rings animated feature, I was both intrigued because of experiencing something different and worried because of the style of animation it is using as I'm not a fan but as it turns out, I don't mind it and got used to it fairly early on as the story and the world sank its teeth into me. At about only 90 mins long, there is a lot in the plot in terms of thematical material whether its spirituality, Gods, the infinite spiral of existence, Death, cycles of humanity, the pursuit of knowledge and the ego and pride that can arise, and such that can make you ruminate all seamlessly embued into the story that is being told by a shaman/witch/sorcerer and in an entertaining fashion. It also felt fresh, something original amongst the sea of sameness and is what made me love this film. Since it is an adult animated feature, it doesn't shy away from nudity and violence/gore, especially the latter of which there is an abundance, all well animated and gives a proper kick to the dark fantasy nature of the experience. Speaking of animation, the environment and objects were actually rendered beautifully and even though the character design and movement isn't something I'd considered attractive, it works and has its own fluid charm to it that comes with rotoscope animation. The film boasts a talented voice acting cast although I certainly did not realize any one of them whether it's Lucy Lawless or Patton Oswalt or Richard E. Grant etc during watching it. It's not amazing but it is apt for the tone and style of the film and does its job i.e it's still good. I'd wish it was slightly longer and delve a bit deeper into its characters since you hardly connect to most of them strongly as there isn't enough screentime for the majority, but still, overall, it was a great watch. Phillip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King along with the entire team did a wonderful job with this and I'd highly recommend it provided you're fine with the animation style and the adult nature of it. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it an 8/10.

Army of Thieves (2021) is an unexpected but welcome surprise. It's a prequel to Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead and focuses on the character of Ludwig Dieter, the genius safecracker, who is recruited by a group of thieves for his expertise on several high-level heists. Now, I did not like Army of the Dead so it's weird that the main actor i.e Matthias Schweighöfer himself directed this movie and it's a lot more competently made and enjoyable than what Zack Snyder did with a Vegas zombie movie... Anyway, the group of thieves is a cliched but entertaining lot as is a lot of elements in the movie. There is a good level of self-awareness that pokes fun at the heist genre and at itself while doing the said things it is poking fun at. Sure it's not consistent throughout nor is it well-executed all the time but it does work for a lot of the movie and that made it enjoyable. Ludwig Dieter was one of the few "characters" from Army of the Dead that I did like so getting to know A LOT more of him was genuinely interesting. Matthias Schweighöfer gave a fun and endearing performance that makes you care for him and while I'm not a genius nor am I socially awkward of that level, he was still oddly relatable. The mythology surrounding and involving the safes that were to be targeted and the appreciation for the craftmanship by Dieter was another thing that I quite enjoyed in the movie. Gave it an extra edge over typical heist movies as well as the fact that there are three instead of the usual one. The sacrifice had to be made for less meat on individual heists, though. The cinematography was dynamic and pretty good. The soundtrack was pleasing and had some great tracks that fitted the material of the movie well. Yeah, there are flaws and some stupid stuff, particularly in the third act but compared to Army of the Dead, it's nowhere near as bad that it ruins the movie. Overall, it was a fun time, much better than expected since I was going in with Army of the Dead level of expectations. The main character is engaging and the group is fun enough. Also, the Interpol side of things was stupid and hilarious and I loved it. Whether you liked Army of the Dead or not, I'd recommend giving this a watch, it's certainly better. Not an amazing movie by any means but gets the job done. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 6.5/10.

Reminiscence (2021) is a sci-fi noir thriller and is a directorial feature film debut of Lisa Joy, the co-creator of Westworld alongside her husband Jonathan Nolan. She also directed one of my favourite episodes from Season 2. It is set in a not-so-distant future Miami where the world has been subject to rising sea levels wreaking havoc. Memory tech is a craze where one can relive their cherished moments from the past and Hugh Jackman's character is running a business of it alongside his friend played by Thandiwe Newton. Things go awry when a customer, played by Rebecca Furgeson, goes missing and Hugh's character takes it upon himself to find her. I was curious to check this out and sadly it was disappointing. The movie is competently made for the most part i.e the sets, the production design, the CGI, sound effects and music, the pacing, the cinematography, the acting, are all executed well enough that you get the feeling of a proper good looking and sounding movie. It's in the writing and story department where it falters and drags the entire experience down from being a good or even great one to a middling one at best. The movie mixes in different ideas and concepts, none of them new, and while on their own they are cool, when blended together with the story you get, it doesn't work nearly as well as there is a lack of energy and urgency that you don't really get throughout. You are experiencing the story play out and it's kinda OK but it never goes beyond that. There is superficial depth to the themes and ideas where the movie thinks it is being deep and poignant but you don't really get that feeling. It's just sorta there. Not to mention the fact that the entire plot hinges on a romance that was hardly developed so you don't get that connection which should hook you. Take out the competency in other elements and high profile actors and this would be bad but since those things are present, it goes up a few notches, so props to Lisa Joy for that at least and hopefully her next outing will be better. Rebecca Furgeson's beauty alone kinda pushes it one point above for me not gonna lie, it is what it is. Simply put, it was just OK. Disappointed cause it could have been a lot more. Maybe if Jonathan Nolan was helping with the script, that would have been the case, who knows. Not recommended but hey, if you are curious, give it a shot. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a 6/10.

The Medium is a Thailand Horror movie taking place in the Isan region of the country and is centred around Shamanism and a family who is going through a possession ordeal. Didn't know anything other than that it is produced and co-written by Na Hong-Jin, a South Korean creative who wrote and directed two great films i.e The Chaser, and The Wailing, the latter of which if you've seen would give you an instant hype boost if one is looking for Horror as it's one of the best Horror films I've seen in recent memory. And thankfully, this movie turned out to be a great fear-inducing creepfest watch. Shot in a found-footage documentary style, the director Banjong Pisanthanakun used that style to its full effect, for the most part, drenching you in the locale and the mythology of shamans, which in it itself was engrossing and kept me hooked from the start and was also necessary since it is a slow burn horror. That style, though, did act as a double-edged sword sometimes as you did have to suspend your disbelief a bit more than usual and also the fact that sometimes the characters would just make questionable or stupid decisions while the filming crew is there with them, but nothing too damning or ruinous. Of course, this movie wouldn't have nearly as much draw and effectiveness if it weren't for its wonderful Thai cast where pretty much everyone gave a good-great performance. Legitimately felt like you're just diving in to their lives and watching them go through this nightmare. Special nod to Narilya Gulmongkolpech who plays Mink, one of the leads who they suspect is possessed. It's her first feature-length film role (from what I can tell) and she was absolutely fantastic and is going places. Now, the movie isn't wholly original when it comes to presenting you the Horror aspects as you'll definitely find cliches and tropes associated with this style of filmmaking but it didn't need to be either as the execution alongside a complete change of the area from usual horror films was enough for full immersion. It also hardly relies on jump scares but instead uses its slow-burn horror and local culture/mythology to slowly sear the experience into your skull. I can think of only one cheap jump scare which I knew was coming and it still got me. Easily one of the best Horror movies of the year and the best found-footage style ones I've seen in recent times. The final 30-minutes or so were just... DAMN! Highly recommended. Just know that, as mentioned above, it is a slow burn, so the pacing isn't fast for a good chunk of the movie but it is of the good kind, the type where tension and intrigue are slowly wound up to a high degree and then is given a proper release in the climax. And if I were to rate it, I'd give it a solid 8/10.