The next greatest sequel is here, and it will be talked about for a long time. It is warranted.
Spider-Man has always been a beloved character for me. I grew up with the Tobey Maguire films and it become a staple of my childhood, but it was until 2018’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did I feel like I had seen a perfect Spider-Man movie. It worked beyond just being an animated movie. It reached an audience made for kids and adults with the most impressive animated technology ever seen. While it may be too soon for me to say its sequel is better, you can certainly tell that the first film is no fluke.
Going into this, I’d say I did a good job of avoiding any spoilers, which added much more to the overall experience. The way the film sets itself up is very unexpected and ensures that this is going to be a different film than the last. Instead of focusing on Mile Morales, the attention focuses even more on Gwen Stacy this time around. This expands the themes explored, which I believe will relate to many others. The animation is great, and what I’d say stood out to me even more with this one is how they used style to reflect the emotion of certain scenes.
If I had to really be nit-picky about anything, I would say expectations compared to the first are quite different. This one does slow down and takes its time to develop its characters. I can see where people may argue about the long runtime due to this, but I think it actually takes care of its characters to make them feel more real beyond the animated medium.
Overall, this currently sits at the top of 2023 at the moment for me. These movies really shouldn’t work, and I don’t think I ever expected this series to be as successful as it is so far. I won’t get into much more to avoid any spoilers. I’m glad that the movie stuck the landing with its amazing cliffhanger and I am even more glad that we only have to wait until next year to see the finale.
More outrageous than it has any right to be. I came to support Mark Hamill, but I came out with a little bit more.
Bert Kreischer’s newest film “The Machine,” is based on the iconic & viral comedic skit of him talking about the time he visited Russia and they make it into a full-length feature! I am not much into stand-up comedy, but seeing the addition like Mark Hamill definitely peaked my interest as him joining indicated that he joined for good reason, and he certainly did.
The film starts off quite rocky. The script is perhaps the film’s weakest point. The beginning, which involves a birthday party, felt like the very first scene they shot. Characters felt awkward, having no motive other than to fulfill what the script said. It was rather difficult to really get into this story with characters that didn’t feel committed. I was even ready to check out at this point.
Once things locate over to Russia is where the film really does get better, in my opinion. Things become outrageous and deliver some of the film’s biggest and best laughs. There is enough shock value in these scenes that kept me entertained for the most part. The choreography of the action is also done quite well, which brings out some of the better elements of the film: the editing & cinematography.
From a technical perspective, I was quite impressed with what I saw. The editing is some of the best that I have seen from a comedy in a while. The cinematography coincides with the editing to deliver seamless cuts as the narrative cuts in and out of time, which brings me to one of the more negative aspects of this film: the runtime.
At 113 minutes, this film is quite frankly way too long. We get needless scenes that offer no development, such as the plane ride to Russia or even the wife & kids not worrying why they haven’t seen or heard from their dad in a few days. Instead we get needless exposition going back in time to further explain the events, even though it is clearly understood. It makes the movie much longer than needed and a good 20 minutes could have been cut.
Overall, this was a good surprise that I think I might even bump up in the future. More of these type of concepts please.
VERDICT: 3/5 (Good)
Between seeing Ric Roman Waugh’s 2020 feature, Greenland, and Gerard Butler’s improvement in involved projects, I was intrigued in seeing this. What is the greatest phenomenon is that it acts like Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant 2.0 without delivering on much other than its action – an aspect I am beginning to see it Waugh’s greatest strength as a director.
At 2 hours, the latter half of this movie works better than the first half. The first half throws you into a weird point where you have to catch up with knowing who is who. A good handful of them do absolutely nothing to push this film forward. Luckily, I was the only person sitting in the backrow of the theater so I could look at the synopsis on my phone again, because I was not understanding where this film was going. The exposition is confusing & goes by way too fast to even care enough with these characters.
As mentioned, the latter half is better to a certain extent, but it still has its issues. I was pleasantly surprised when things picked up. The pacing felt more in line with the type of story it wanted to tell. There was even an unique point using night-vision goggles. The problem here continues to be pointless, little moments to add to the drama. The main villain blows up cars for no reason, we get countless scenes of the villain riding his bike in the desert (because its cool), and while there are some cool shots here and there, I know they have been ripped off from other movies who have done it better.
And where I will leave the rest of my issues with this film is how it does not, any way, understand how to balance its characters. Characters come and go and are never introduced again, but the end has to remind us of what happened to give some sort of clarity. It also cuts back to shots of scenes we literally just saw. There is even one good moments where it attempts to develop the interpreter, but it is resolved almost instantaneously.
Overall, I think it is worth watching for the action alone, but just know, you are going to have to commit to an hour of exposition that feels like is going nowhere.
Disney’s newest live-action remake, The Little Mermaid, is better than it has any right to be. The film still has issues, but its pros certainly outweigh its cons.
Going into this, I had very low expectations, because quite frankly, this really didn’t seem like my kind of movie. Mix that with director Rob Marshall’s filmography, I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing it. Marshall’s filmography has been hit or miss, but it appears his stronger abilities fall into musicals, which is a genre that I am the most critical on. Honestly, I even forgot that this was a musical. To my surprise, the film worked as a musical. Even though it is not entirely a musical, it still works for the most part from beginning to end.
From the film’s opening shot, the cinematography appeared to be extraordinary, and it never stopped there. Every moment that the opportunity strikes, the cinematography is gorgeous and unlike any other Disney live-action remake I have seen. From POV shots to breathtaking exterior shots, I was blown away at how well this aspect was.
Moving on, the film’s other biggest standouts are with Halle Baily as Ariel, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Javier Bardem as King Triton. Bailey was truly wonderful in this role as Ariel. Not once did I ever feel cringed by her performance. Even when she has to act without talking while also serving as the main character has to be one of the most impressive feats that this film accomplished. Baily truly embodied and became Ariel. Diggs has to be my favorite in the film though, which is another impressive feat. To have an actor become a favorite through voice work alone is something that will help carry this film. Finally, Bardem stood out to me due to the detail of realism of him playing as a caring father. There is also a nice sentiment moment towards the end with him that honestly even got me a little emotional.
The action is quite impressive, and was not one that I would have taken away from seeing it. It’s exciting and fresh. The last action scene, without spoilers, felt like a nice throwback to the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Marshall was able to recreate this better than his work on the franchise’s fourth entry, one that I did not care for.
The other half of the supporting characters were not really my favorite though. It felt like the humans on land did not have enough attention to direction, resulting in cringey performances. The performances of Eric & his mother were the most unconvincing compared to the relationship between Ariel & King Triton. Even Sir Grimsby felt unrealistic, annoying, and his character changed way too often throughout the movie (take a shot every time he says sire). Melissa McCarty was fun to certain extent, but she didn’t really standout to me as much as the other characters.
The one issue that I can agree with what other people are saying is the fact that this film is way too long. Even at an hour in, I felt like the movie was finally getting the plot going. I appreciate the fact that the film was trying to be different compared to the original, but I can see where kids would start to zone out & become bored from time to time.
Finally, the CGI was noticeably bad at times. It’s not something that I believe was a weak point, but there were moments where I could notice it. It’s probably at its worst when humans are interacting with underwater creatures like the fish such as Flounder. Even more, the underwater scenes are not always great. It is clear that Bailey is interacting on a green screen, which did take me of the experience at times.
Overall, while the film is impressive and better than expected, it’s not something that I think is close to perfect. If you are looking to be transported to a fantasy world, I really do think the film really did a good job of doing that. The underwater scenes are at its best in terms of acting & action, while the land scenes are its best in terms of cinematography, so take that as you will. The people in my audience clapped, which might be a good indicator that it will please people.
A strong story. A compelling antagonist. A return to form.
For the most part.
I technically went to two theaters to go see this today. The first, to see in 4DX. Due to certain circumstances and feeling nauseous after 10 minutes of my seat shaking, I went to the AMC near me that is essentially my second home. And I think that was the best way to see this.
Unapologetically, I am a big F&F fan. The way the series intertwines its stories with character being it strongest element is what keeps me coming back time and time again. After 10 entries, of course they are retconning a previous favorite entry. It’s smart on paper to continue to get people in the theater. What’s better is that they actually pull it off! This gives Jason Momoa the opportunity to have a legit reason to be upset. Better yet, the way he portrays this as a sadistic villain is ultimately the highlight of this film. It is true when people compare him to the Joker and has become the best villain of this franchise. I didn’t ever think that anyone would be able to beat Owen Shaw from Fast & Furious 6.
The best way to explain the movie is that it is a greatest hits of all of the previous entries. This can make the overall movie quite enjoyable between callbacks and reusing some prior plot points, but remixing it to fit a different narrative, which honestly was something I was worried about. No spoilers, but the movie’s trailers definitely felt like it was going to reuse the same plots of 7 & 8. While they do, it does feel like a newer entry rather than a rehash of what came before, and I give credit to franchise director newcomer Louis Leterrier. He came in and give the franchise the new life it needed. While I think F9 was pretty good at best, Leterrier succeeded in making this entry feel more grounded. Between the way everything is shot & edited, and how certain characters have good character arcs, I feel confident with Leterrier bringing this franchise to the finish line.
Where the movie begins to feel like the gas is getting empty is within certain plot points. Things can feel very jumpy at times, especially when it cuts back to characters off doing something else. There were moments where I had to spend the time to remember how they got to where they are, which can make catching up with the overall movie a bit of a challenge. Too many characters are introduced to the point where I feel like were not necessary, and could have helped bring that production budget down. Finally, some character developments in the movie appear odd when looking back at it and I don’t think it will age well going forward.
Overall, this is a great addition to this franchise. The movie could have had wrapped its ending a bit better and there are certainly a little too many characters to follow, including new ones. In the end, I think fans will feel satisfied. I know I am going to be at the drawing board for the next 2 years until the next entry comes out trying to figure out how it will wrap up based on how this one ends.
The film actually starts off pretty well for about the 30 minutes, then it quickly become more and more unbearable all the way to the finish line. Given what is presented here though, I am really not that surprised.
Before getting into my own analysis, I do want to start off the bat by saying that this film is a great example of what Creative Cinematic Collection is all about. Even though bad films exist, and will continue to exist, it is important to still talk about it and present what could have made it better rather than making it into a debate of who is right or wrong. The point is that no one is either right or wrong. Film is subjective. By presenting film in that way and allowing it to be conversational can truly allow viewers to talk honestly about it and come together about how it impacted them.
Going forward, there is somewhat of a good movie here for the first 30 minutes. It takes a different approach than what I was expecting for its plot. The music was actually not bad and set the tone the movie was going for. Then, after the film’s set up, it’s clear what the film’s true intentions really are.
Jennifer Lopez is certainly capable of turning out good performances like 2019’s Hustlers. Unfortunately, the filmmaking behind this seems like everyone had the best of intentions. After a little while, everyone was ready to get it all over with. The script needed more time to be worked on. The script that came in hand in resulted in messy and cringe dialogue. The direction also resulted in some less than favorable performances.
I think if the film were to continue to be good past its first 30 minutes, it really needed better direction and a better script. The script makes it way too easy for the challenges that character that have to overcome. Personally, I think it would have been better if it attempted to focus on the character’s flaws and have them go through an actual journey. The editing is also very choppy, resulting in a film that tries to jump to the next scene too fast or cutting back and forth between shots for no reason, such as the ending. I don’t know if those aspects would have made it perfect, but I it could have resulted in a better outcome.
Overall, this is just not good. I am not surprised as it appeared unoriginal to me. The fact is that we have seen this movie far too many times, and to make it worse, the film jumps around way too much for it to even have something coherent or anything to care about in terms of plot or character. In the end, this is a mindless mess that will get loss amongst the endless library that Netflix has to offer.
A film that does right by the iconic Michael J. Fox, and will surely go down as one of the year’s best.
Much like others I am sure, Michael J. Fox was a staple in people’s upbringing, much like my own. From watching Spin City on cable in the morning before school to discovering the Back to the Future trilogy in my teenage years, Fox certainly had an impact in what I defined as good-quality filmmaking. He could make anything he was in worth watching and his charm easily appealed to a mass audience. Unfortunately, his Parkinson’s disease lead to a hole for many who still wanted to see more from him. What’s worse is him having to deal with it. But what is amazing is how he continues to be the best that he can be given the circumstances.
I am not surprised how good the quality of this documentary is. Apple TV+ is certainly a champion in this field and knows what their audience wants in terms of documentaries, so going into this, I had pretty high expectations. Clocking in a little less than 90 minutes, the film wastes no time at highlighting Fox and his life. His upbringing and what lead him to his career has some similarities to my own life, and I think it’s something that people will find relatable. He’s a regular guy who came from nothing and went for his dreams. Even though it’s devasting to see what he has to go through since his diagnosis, it is also inspiring how he continues to live and chooses to live.
On a filmmaking standpoint, this is very well made. The cinematography is immaculate and the editing is one of the film’s highlights. The way the film chooses to edit as the story is told gives a better idea as to how closely related Fox’ career was to his own life. I think my only small issue is within some of the technical choices between the music and the voiceover. The music can go on for too long at points and chooses to be a focal standpoint instead of just allowing the audience to listen and pay attention to what is being told.
Overall, whether you are familiar or not to Michael J. Fox, please see this if you have the opportunity. It’s difficult to find much wrong with it, and it’s something that I can see people mentioning for their top ten lists by the end of this year.
What an awesome surprise. I shouldn’t be too surprised with Guy Ritchie. The guy has been on an amazing streak of movies for about the last 5 years. He uses his strengths from his past work and applies it to this in order to make a war film unlike anything seen before.
Jake Gyllenhaal & Dar Salim essentially play opposites who want the same outcome for one another. Even though they come from different backgrounds & perspectives, they share a common objective. I know it may not amount to anything, but I am going to start manifesting that Salim gets nominated for his performance. It doesn’t matter if it is the Academy. I’d be happy with any more recognition that this guy can get. He was truly outstanding. It has truly been a while since I have felt that way for a supporting performance. Probably since Everything Everywhere All at Once. That’s not to say that Gyllenhaal was also great. He delivers a very committed performance. Furthermore, the bond between these two characters is relatable.
Furthermore, I really appreciate Ritchie’s efforts to continue making something new almost every time in the last 5 years as almost as a way to convince us that he did not direct 2019’s Aladdin. The unsettling orchestral score and use of one-take shots reminded me of Wrath of Man, while the editing reminded me of his earlier work. It is truly commendable for any filmmaker to switch genres and do it well. The way the cinematography works allows the viewer to be in on the action. Even the smaller supporting characters are well written, giving more reason to care about the story.
It is interesting how this film has gone about. With a budget of $55 million, the movie has only grossed about $15 million only over a span of a few weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if hit Prime Video soon as MGM is the film’s distributor. I know the film’s box office run is more than likely due to how much came out in April. With the summer blockbusters on the horizon, I really encourage people to go see this. It is truly worth it. If not, then I could see this becoming a big hit for Prime Video.
The only real setbacks this movie has is with how it decides to set up the movie. I really thought about this as I believe the rest of the movie is near-perfect. After some thought, I do think the set up could have been handled differently to flow into the bigger plot a little easier.
Overall, this is a tremendous war film unlike anything I have ever seen between the cinematography, the score, and the performances. Guy Ritchie has solidified himself as a top 10 director. The guy has plenty more work coming up, and I think his quality of work will at least stay the same, if not, get better. It is truly commendable for any filmmaker to switch genres and do it well like Ritchie has done.
At least Adam Driver is still not going anywhere after this.
I could see where Driver signed on for the project. It’s a killer concept and the script calls for an emotional performance as Driver’s character has to protect what is essentially his surrogate daughter… a second chance for him. The problem is that this was handled poorly, resulting in what appears to be more studio notes than any originality from the filmmakers.
I am not here to criticize the filmmakers though. I am sure the directors, Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, had the best of intentions. The problem that I see here is that the script feels barely finished against a rushed production. The amount of opening texts that appear at the beginning of the movie makes it seem like the studio was nervous that the audience wouldn’t understand what was going on. I mean, if no one ever said anything, it would have made for a really cool twist ending.
The amount of exposition mixed in with the dialogue further hinders the film. The opening scene once again feels like a studio note, resulting in underdeveloped characters, plots, and motives. It would have been so cool to explore this other planet that Driver’s character came from, but that’s not the point of this film.
When not including the credits, this film is really shy of 90 minutes. While the concept is cool, it feels too far and in between of one another. The dinosaur scenes only seem to occur to hit the needed plot points and doesn’t give the characters enough time to seem them as a real threat, then have the upper hand on them. Everything feels very sudden. I could also see plot points similar to A Quiet Place – a film the directors co-wrote. The way day turns into night and vice versa is so sudden, too. I am really not sure why 2 directors were needed on this. I think their script could have been really cool, but it does appear that the film wants to go into more directions than it should.
Nonetheless, the concept is still cool and I will give them that. Adam Driver is actually really good in this and maybe it would have been better with him by himself. The will to get back home to his family. Instead, we get something, once again very sudden, to put the plot in a different direction. I will keep it at that without getting into spoilers.
Overall, it is not the worst movie I have ever seen. For context, three people in my theater did leave the movie without finishing it. The opening feels tough to get through and the movie doesn’t always hit the landing it looks for, but there is some good quality in its concept and with its main lead, Adam Driver. If you find merit in this, then good for you.
I never really thought the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise could work beyond the first. The first was perfect, in my opinion, and if this story was going to continue, then something really unique was going to have to happen. On a recent rewatch, the sequel is even better than what I remember, and the other entries where the team is involved went further into depth. They were a band of misfits that formed into a family – an aspect most retable amongst viewers like myself. In order to conclude this story, it truly had to be done right.
There is a different tone in this final installment in the trilogy. Not only does it work, director James Gunn perfects it to set the tone for a gripping and emotional story unlike anything in the MCU.
From the film’s opening song, it is very clear that this isn’t going to be like the previous two entries in this trilogy. We get the same format that we are used to; however, it is more somber, which allows the film to set the stage for what is to come. We begin to see the pivot to where this story is going and it is one of the most heartbreaking ones told in the MCU.
One of the film’s strongest qualities is the ability to subvert expectations. Instead of telling another superhero story, it tells more of a human story that feels grounded and retable. Yes, the animal cruelty moments are tough, but they are warranted to tell the story it needs to tell. It also allows for some of the best acting I have seen in the MCU in quite a while, especially from the big bad, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. The film also manages to have top-notch action and well-earned humor.
I believe a second rewatch on this would be amazing and would allow me to catch more things. I see where Gunn went into depth on certain aspects of the film that gives these moments more meaning. The fact that the film has rewatch ability goes to show the film’s many strength’s. I was able to pick up on the cameo’s fairly quickly, so I am unsure if I would be able to gain more insight on the rewatch, but I could see where others might.
To be fair, I could see where people may come at this negatively. The plot does move quite fast, resulting in moments where you may have to catch up. I think that was the case for my viewing experience, but I think the film was all the better for it. It was unlike anything compared to the other entries and allowed me to jump into the action with the characters as they were figuring out new information just as much as I was.
There is also the matter of superhero fatigue. MCU’s previous entry did not do well, and many have already claimed that this might be MCU’s last great movie in a long time. Who knows. I never thought Guardians of the Galaxy would work beyond the first, yet here we are. If you are not wanting to see this because of that, then I can’t say I blame you. If you are a fan of these heroes and story, then I highly recommend seeing this.
Overall, it is quite difficult to find anything at fault here. At this time, it is currently at the top of my 2023 ranking. I cried numerous times – something that I think I may have only done once in this trilogy with the ending of the second entry. While the first is still my favorite, Gunn has managed to make a perfect third entry – something that feels rarely done.
In what feels like something of the director telling Willem Dafoe to be himself, not only do we get something similar of The Lighthouse, but something that feels real & personal.
Knowing that this was wrapped a few years ago, it is probably easy to assume that the pandemic played a part in the making of this, which is truly the film’s biggest compliment. What the film manages to do so well is to pull you into the madness of being trapped against your will in a place by yourself. I couldn’t help but to think that they were similarities to the Ryan Reynolds’ starring role, Buried, a film I belove very much.
Dafoe is truly tremendous in this role though. Like I said before – this does feel familiar to his role in The Lighthouse. The difference here being that he has to really do this on his own, with the exception of really only talking to people that he sees on the TV, but others don’t see him. Really reminds me of how we turned to film & TV during the pandemic. I know I keep mentioning the pandemic, but I am really glad that this movie plays into the severity of being trapped inside. Why it’s so important to get out. Why it’s important to be mindful of our actions, otherwise, our own entrapment can be our own doing. I also really appreciate the themes of how Dafoe’s character reminiscing on the past and what lead him to this place.
The first half is probably the strongest. After that, I begin to feel the redundancy and couldn’t help but to think that this may have been better as a short film. The last 15-20 minutes really save the movie and caps off the movie’s message. We, the audience, only see this area that Dafoe is trapped in, making it feel like we were right there with him. The cinematography plays into the action of what Dafoe does. From placing the camera on a moving table to focusing on certain imagery while the action is elsewhere, the film masters the art of making us be right there with the character.
Overall, I believe this would have worked even better as a short. There is a lot of great themes throughout this; however, due to its runtime, I am not sure if this will be for everyone, so I can’t help but to think that this could have played a little differently to appeal to bigger audience. Other than that, I think if you have the patience to get through this, then hopefully you will see the value that this movie has to offer.
The Creative Cinematic Collection 
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