moviemanmo973 Reviews

The Fall Guy (2024)

Poor execution of a good idea

[4/10 · 15 May 2024]

"The Fall Guy" is the perfect example of a poorly executed idea. What initially made this film interesting was the idea that the stuntman would ultimately become the action star by going on this mission to find the missing movie star. This was the perfect set up to allow the stuntman to do a bunch of crazy stunts that were entertaining while also paying homage to the stunt community. Instead, this film delivers the most generic action sequences ever shown in film and doesn't even make them look good. Guys fall through glass, cars crash, a few things blow up but there isn't anything captivating about the visuals.

Had this delivered on the action then the plot could have been forgiven. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the plot is revealed to be very weak. The central conflict that is supposed to drive the plot is very foolish which made the motives of the antagonist just the same. This resulted in the film having weak and undeveloped characters. The love story started off promising but quickly became very bland without any emotion to support it.

The humor is very mild with only some chuckles to be had. It would be difficult to classify this as a comedy when the biggest comedic element was the "twist" reveal which was comedic for its lack of surprise. Some scenes dragged on for too long and there were too many references made about other films.

The scenes which involved the movie making process were enjoyable. More of that behind-the-scenes insight would have made this film more interesting. It could have been an action film within an action film showcasing all that stunt people do. This could have been the ultimate action movie but instead it only has a good song to its credit (I was made for Lovin' You).

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

An okay beginning to the next chapter

[5/10 · 12 May 2024]

The CGI is hands down the best thing about this film. Every animal looks and moves in a realistic manner. The world itself is also visually stunning. The voice work from all of the actors is also great. As far as the characters are concerned there are some enjoyable ones.

Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) was a decent character. It was interesting how he used the idea and teachings of Caesar to manipulate the other apes. While he was the main antagonist motivated by his ideas of evolution, it was Sylva (Eka Darville) who felt the most threatening. Raka (Peter Macon) was another enjoyable character with his insight of the past and his love for the legend of Caesar.

Noa (Owen Teague) was a good protagonist for this film. His clan and their primitive ways gave insight into what the world was like for some of the apes during this time.

The human characters were the weaker characters of this film. William H. Macey (Trevathan) was a waste of a character. He didn't add any value to the story. Freya Allan (Mae) was just an okay character. Despite her motivations she wasn't very likeable. She was very one dimensional and didn't have much of a character build up.

This film does slow down immensely during the second act and was a bit too long for its own good. Too much time is spent exploring the importance of the vault and the characters trying to get it open. This should have only been a small portion of the movie instead it practically became the whole thing. The film makers stretched a small idea too thin when other ideas could have been explored. The idea of different ape clans would have been more interesting even if they were all fighting to conquer this area where the vault was.

In the end the film was just too long and the first half was more enjoyable than the second half.

Mars Express (2023)

A beautiful looking film, wish the ending was different

[7/10 · 9 May 2024]

While this might not be a genre bending film there is much to like about it. Starting with the beautiful animation style that is very fluid, colorful and detailed at every turn. The 2D art style meshes well with the story and its futuristic vibe. The music and sounds also compliment the overall feel of the film. The English dubbed version is well done with each voice suiting the characters perfectly. The dialogue is always purposeful providing context or aiding in the characters development. The characters however are not strong enough to be memorable. Even the villain is very stereotypical.

There are some funny moments but just enough to keep things light hearted. The pacing and structure allow for an easy viewing experience. There are some action and chase sequences which break up the exposition but nothing too over the top. The film was fine when it was a mystery thriller but when it changes course to try and be something with a deeper meaning it takes a plunge. Ultimately the ending was a letdown leading to a lower rating. This is still a good film but the ending was underwhelming.

Unsung Hero (2024)

An okay film with a good performance by Daisy Betts

[5/10 · 4 May 2024]

The trailer lends itself to that of "A star is Born". So, I decided to watch it without knowing anything about the people it is based on. This is a true story based on the life of Christian Singer Rebecca St. James before her rise to fame. The film begins by showing that her family didn't always struggle and were well off until one bad investment during a recession cost them everything. The rest of the runtime goes on to show their struggles to get back on their feet and how she got her break as a Christian Singer.

Joel Smallbone (David Smallbone) played a believable role as the father of this family struggling to keep them financially stable. Through his character he was able to show how much this father cared for his family and how much it hurt him to not be able to take care of them at times. Compared to other characters, he was given some depth which helped make him relatable.

The standout performance was that of Daisy Betts (Helen Smallbone). She stole every scene she was in as this mother who stayed strong for her family despite their hardships. Her acting ranged from subtle body language and facial expressions to full on dramatic moments. There wasn't a single emotion she didn't express.

Kirrilee Berger (Rebecca St. James) unfortunately wasn't given much to work with. She was a subdued character despite this film being inspired by her. For most of the time she was just the daughter with the good singing voice. She was easily forgotten in this story that overpowered her with the drama between her parents. She should have been more of the focus since this ultimately became her story even if it was the family's story.

The remaining family members weren't developed as characters. Only one of them was given somewhat of a personality the rest were just bodies to make this family appear large. The only thing that supports having such meaningless characters is the fact that they had to be in the film to represent the real family.

The music works well throughout complementing its emotional scenes. The singing was also enjoyable. The family drama was engaging enough to keep one invested in what it had to say. There were many positive messages and touching moments which accentuated the importance of family, hard work and having faith. However, the film is in no way heavy handed with its message of faith. There are scenes where the family is praying and going to church but it isn't preachy. It simply shows the family's beliefs. Many of the negative reviews stem from those who feel this film should have fully devoted itself to religious talks. If those are your expectations then do not watch this film.

The ending wasn't very pleasing as it rushes its conclusion on what's already a very predictable plot. The film needed to show more of the family's success instead of coming to a halt at the turn of their misfortune.

Challengers (2024)

Expected more drama but this was good

[8/10 · 29 April 2024]

This film is not for anyone expecting a traditional sports drama. This film isn't so much about tennis either although there is tennis in the film. It is more about the relationships between these characters which revolves around tennis. There is a love triangle involving the three main characters and this film slowly breaks down this love triangle throughout the film.

The acting in this film is well done as all of the actors played very believable roles. All of the three actors had great chemistry. While the acting was good there wasn't a single actor that stood out. There weren't any scene stealing performances or melodramatic dialogue except for perhaps one scene.

The characters themselves didn't have any redeeming qualities about them which didn't give the audience anyone to root for. While this is not necessarily a bad thing it did take away that element of a typical sports movie. Also, Art Donaldson (Mike Faust) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor) often had homosexual tendencies but the film failed to actually address that relationship between the characters. This made these scenes meaningless as they did not further develop the characters or the plot. The sexual scenes lasted longer than necessary and there was also unnecessary nudity from background characters.

The music was often distracting and didn't mesh well with the scenes. There was a techno beat that played randomly to set up tension but it was so off-putting. It only worked perhaps in one scene. Then there was another spanish church choir sample that was used for another two scenes that didn't fit well with what was going on either. It was supposed to aid in two sad moments in the film but it was just a weird use of music.

The non-linear timeline of this film could make for either a confusing or annoying experience. The reason being is that the story would often alternate between the past and the present. This form of storytelling did have its benefits as it allowed for revealing information to be had which further built the characters and the tension.

The tennis scenes were fun to watch with the varies camera angles and other techniques that further enhanced some of the film's visual appeal.

The ending did seem abrupt and a bit nonsensical because of the way the characters were portrayed in that final frame.

Overall, this was still enjoyable and a good film.

Abigail (2024)

An entertaining vampire flick

[6/10 · 27 April 2024]

The film wastes no time in setting up its premise and delivering what audiences came to see. The kidnappers are quickly introduced along with their motives. Abigail (Alisha Weir) is revealed to be a vampire and the pacing is full throttle until the end. Abigail as a character was fun with her ballerina movements and costume. Her teeth could have been more menacing which would have improved her vampire look. For the most part she looked like a normal girl which was a flaw in the character design. It was interesting how the film decided to give her more of a story oppose to just making her a simple monster.

I liked the manner in which Melissa Barrera (Joey) is used to introduce the kidnappers and give the audience an idea of each character. She is given just the right amount of backstory to add depth to her character. The same can be said about Dan Stevens (Frank). The screen time for Angus Cloud (Dean) and Giancarlo Esposito (Lambert) was a let down because I enjoyed what they brought to this film.

Unfortunately, this film did have some crappy characters. William Catlett (Rickles) was a weak character and provided nothing to this story. Kathryn Newton (Sammy) was terrible to watch.

Her performance was unenjoyable. The direction of her character would have been better if her performance was better.

Kevin Durand (Peter) as the comedic relief was inconsistent. There were times the humor worked and other times when the jokes were childish. This film has the same issue many horror films have with trying to add too much comedy. This is the fault of the writing more so than the actors as is evident in the lousy dialogue.

As far as the action is concerned, there were some gore filled scenes. For the most part, the deaths were decent but some of the deaths could have been better. The film didn't deviate or try to create anything new with the vampire rules fans are familiar with but it worked just fine.

Sometimes the characters weren't realistic in their reactions to what was going on. Specifically, when the first character is found dead.

Even with its flaws this film was still enjoyable and entertaining. I was engaged throughout and never bored. The film keeps things interesting up until the very end.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

A true story told in the most cartoonish way possible

[2/10 · 20 April 2024]

It sucks that this is the direction in which this true story is told. This is essentially an action comedy with no hints of drama during a time of war. Everything about this film is very generic, from the way the plot is laid out to the way the characters are introduced.

This film felt like a parody of what actually happened during this mission. At no point in the film was there any tension or the feeling that there were high-stakes. All of the characters seemed indestructible as they fought and shot their way to the ending of the film. The characters are not developed beyond the names and skill sets they were given in their two second intros. There wasn't any chemistry between any of the characters. There isn't much dialogue or exposition. There are some decent action sequences in this film but that's not enough to carry the story in any meaningful way. This film felt like a story written from the imagination of a child playing with their military action figures.

Road House (2024)

Blah House

[2/10 · 18 April 2024]

This movie was a joke from the moment it started. The CGI used during the Post Malone fight was horrible. I couldn't understand why a simple fight between two human characters needed CGI. There were other fight scenes that used CGI but the best use of it was during the final fight between Gyllenhaal and Mcgregor.

The dialogue was very cringy and laughable throughout the movie from all the characters but especially from that of Conor Mcgregor. I'm not sure why Jake Gyllenhaal decided to take on this role because this was such a weak and generic script. The UFC flash backs were minimal, there could have been more of that. The majority of the characters were just poorly written and weren't well developed. It's never explained exactly why Gyllenhaal went overboard and killed his friend in the ring. Not much is said or known about Mcgregor's character either.

I'm not a big fan of the original 1989 film but that one is much better than this one.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Good entertainment

[6/10 · 14 April 2024]

This film was very fun to watch. It's re-watchable for its pure entertainment value. The action begins as soon as the movie starts and it doesn't let up until the credits roll. It is by no means a perfect film. The human characters continue being the worst part about these films. The majority of the human characters are unnecessary. The humor from the human characters often felt forced and childish. Even the plot could have been pushed forward without the humans and made this more enjoyable.

The special affects are good throughout the majority of the film. Although, Kong does look a bit cartoony at the beginning of the film right before the title card. Godzilla is the best looking monster out of all the creatures but he unfortunately had the least amount of screen time. The story focuses mostly on Kong so don't expect too much from Godzilla.

Overall this was a good film to catch on the big screen and enjoy with the family.

Civil War (2024)

False Advertising,

[3/10 · 14 April 2024]

The trailers are misleading. This film is more about journalism than it is about a civil war. There is a civil war taking place during the film but its the vaguest civil war ever. Not once was there any mention of the reasons why the country was in a civil war. The whole time I was waiting to see what caused the country to split in such a dramatic fashion but the answers never came. There was only the mention of one group being referred to as the western forces (WF) throughout the film. As to who the other group were or their beliefs is still a mystery.

The plot of the journalist trying to make it into the danger zone was interesting. The film was able to depict how close and involved these journalist get to some of the craziest scenes imaginable.

There were some tense moments and the sounds of the gun fire were excellent and often startling. The trailers made it seem like this was going to be a war movie. Even the promotional poster shows military men taking cover on the Statue of Liberty and that wasn't even in the film. There were only a couple of scenes that involved actual combat and some explosions.

I enjoyed how the film captured and displayed the still shots of the photographers. The film's concept of showing the "war" through the camera lens of these journalist was interesting. However, this film just didn't have enough story, action or heart to execute the idea.

This would have been interesting had the film just delivered on what it promoted which was a "Purge" like civil war movie.

In the end this was a shallow story with forgettable characters. The only character that stood out was that of actor Jesse Plemons. He was in the film for about five minutes and stole the show. I would only recommend this film for that one scene but otherwise this is a streaming film.

The First Omen (2024)

an underwhelming prequel that failed to capitalize on its potential.

[2/10 · 10 April 2024]

What's great about the 1976 original is that it ends leaving audiences wanting to know more about Damien's origins. Part of that intrigue is in knowing who Damien's birth mother was as a person and her experiences prior to giving birth. This prequel created some interest as fans felt they would finally get those questions answered.

While this prequel does give audiences those answers it was not a satisfying film. The film focused too much on trying to tie in a twist ending that it failed at creating interesting characters. Sister Anjelica (Ishtar Currie-Wilson) was the only character that was actually creepy with an eerie look but her role was very minimal. Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) was another character that deserved more screen time. He was able to capture the essence of Father Brennan from the original film. Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) was not a character that demanded attention. She was a very boring character to follow, as was Carlita (Nicole Sorace).

There were references to the original which helped tie this film to that one.

There was even one scene that replicates a death from the 1976 film but it came off as lazy and unoriginal. There was however another death involving a car that was pleasing. The explanation for what is going on in the church was okay but it didn't deliver any excitement or thrills. In the end, this was an underwhelming prequel that failed to capitalize on its potential.

Monkey Man (2024)

More like regular man

[4/10 · 7 April 2024]

An effort wasn't made to make this film feel unique. This is a straight forward cliché revenge story with no imagination in storytelling. Dev Patel plays a character that is seeking revenge against those who murdered his mother. There isn't a plot to unfold as the film doesn't try to make it a mystery as to who is responsible. Dev Patel literally only has to infiltrate this one building in order to get his revenge. While a film like "The Raid" is successful with such a simple plot, it doesn't work in this film. The main reason it doesn't work is because the action just isn't as good.

There are decent fight scenes throughout but they are few and far in between because the majority of the fights are shot through a very shaky camera. The unsteady camera work made it difficult to focus on the action in the majority of the film. When the camera work was slowed down the action scenes worked much better. Even so there wasn't anything unique about the fighting styles or the weaponry.

The dialogue in this film is very minimal leading to one dimensional characters and performances. The film doesn't spend any time building its main character. Instead, it attempts to create an emotional attachment with the use of flashbacks. While the flashbacks aid in providing the details to his mother's murder, it fails at creating empathy. The audience needed to connect with this main character but it was hard to do so with so little information provided. The audience is left to speculate as to how this boy survived without his mother or how he learned to fight.

The filmmakers were unable to capitalize on their idea of the "monkey man". The story was simplified into a moral story of fighting for what is right. While that's a positive message and it did serve the story it just didn't use this idea of the monkey man enough. Dev Patel should have worn the mask more in the film or created a special fighting style for this character.

The villain is very cliché and boring. There were only small glimpses of the Indian lifestyle and culture when in fact this film should have had so much more.

Some of the cinematography was well done and the use of lights and colors aided in giving this film a bit of visual appeal but overall, this was just a very basic action film at best.

This is not something I would recommend people rush to watch. Perhaps wait until it streams.

One Life (2023)

An incredible story made into an average film.

[5/10 · 24 March 2024]

Walking out of the theater I was conflicted by what I would rate this film. I struggled with how I felt emotionally about this incredible story and how it didn't coincide with how I felt about its delivery.

I was touched most by Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of an older Nicky Winton. His ability to demonstrate the guilt of his character was very powerful. It was saddening to think about how a man could feel so much guilt despite doing so much good in his life. Aside from Anthony Hopkins, the rest of the characters were bland. By no means are the actors at fault. The characters were just very one dimensional. They were all written simply as people who complete a task and nothing more.

Personally, films and stories that deal with the mistreatment of children are always very impactful for me. I expected this film to exploit those emotions with some very dramatic scenes involving children but that was not the case. The scenes involving children were quite mild. The film failed to build any tension that would make one feel that the children were actually in any kind of danger. Despite the fact that we are made aware that German invasion is imminent there is never a sense of urgency. We are told rather than shown this lack of time.

I appreciated the films approach in showing what it took for the rescues to happen. But the impact on the families was made to seem like a subtle affair. The kids would get on the train and arrive in London seemingly happy to move on with their adopted families. The parents would just say goodbye but there weren't any true heartbreaking scenes while this was going on.

I liked that the film jumped back and forth between the events of the past and present day. But besides that, nothing else stood out from this film. There weren't any memorable shots or transitions. The dialogue was straight forward. The music and costumes were just okay.

In the end, there wasn't anything new or fresh about its approach to the telling of a story set during the holocaust.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

Entertaining character dynamics with a cliche conclusion

[6/10 · 23 March 2024]

The entire cast in this film had great chemistry due in part to the interesting character dynamics. Each character had a stake in this story that elevated the drama. The acting was well done and each character felt unique with their own personalities and concerns.

There were some stylistic decisions made in this film that felt out of place. For instance, the character Jackie (Katy O'Brian) is using steroids in the film and there are sequences that make it seem like she will transform into she-hulk at any minute. This often took away from the tone of the film giving it more of a comedic feel oppose to the serious nature that these scenes were conveying. It was really weird that this is how the film maker decided to show that she was dealing with roid rage. I enjoyed her performance but would have liked a deeper exploration into her character outside of being this nomadic body builder.

However, this simplicity worked much better for other characters such as JJ (Dave Franco), Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov) and Beth (Jena Malone). Ed Harris' character and that of Kristen Stewart were probably the most developed.

The involvement of the F. B. I. In this story was a bit shallow. More involvement from this agency could have made this crime film more interesting. Despite that the action and drama in this film did keep me interested despite the conclusion being rather predictable and cliche.

The graphic nudity in this film was very annoying as it was excessive and without true purpose.

The hyper-sexualization in films needs to stop as it often never adds anything of significance towards the plot. There are simpler ways to suggest these sexual acts are being had without making the audience feel uncomfortable.

These scenes felt forced into the story perhaps to demonstrate how attracted these characters were to each other. But what it actually accomplishes is in making this an unbelievable love story. More time should have been spent in building the bond between Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian.

Though this is not a perfect film it was still entertaining.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

An enjoyable film with an ending that might not please everyone

[7/10 · 22 March 2024]

The opening narration does a great job at setting the tone for the rest of the film. It gives off that creepy mystery documentary vibe and it draws you into the story right away. The narration provides us with a quick summary about Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) without spending too much time building up his character. Usually that would be a negative but it does it in such an interesting way that we are automatically intrigued by the character. The narration also sets up the story perfectly by letting us know that we will be witnessing an episode from this late night talk show that goes horribly wrong.

The episode begins and we are entranced into this 70's talk show. It does feel like we are watching this show at home. With each guest being interviewed and building upon this Halloween episode. The host makes jokes and interacts with the live audience members and even cuts to commercial breaks. But instead of commercials we get insight into the behind the scenes footage of this programing. All of this builds the story and is fun to watch.

David Dastmalchian delivers a very believable performance as a 70's late night talk show host. All of the cast does a great job and their chemistry helps to sell this story. The production design and the wardrobes are also well done.

Where the film fails is in its ending because the build up just didn't pay off. The ending feels rushed and the film could have benefited from a longer run time after it spent so much time building up this story. The ending isn't terrible but may seem confusing. Some might find the ending enjoyable but personally I thought the character Lily should have been explored more. The film seemed more terrifying when she was more of the focus. Instead the film downplays the horror elements and dishes out an overall theme of "the price of fame". Not to mention there are also some scenes with special effects that seem dated and diminished the films early efforts.

I would still recommend this film but I expect many not to enjoy the ending.

Cabrini (2024)

Expect many nominations for this film, A Must Watch

[10/10 · 21 March 2024]

I decided to watch this film because it was directed by Alejandro Monteverde who directed "Sound of Freedom", which is one of my favorite movies of 2023.

"Cabrini" grabs your attention from the moment it starts and continues to build upon itself until it's satisfying ending.

This film tells the story of an Italian nun who embarks on a mission to help Italian immigrant orphans in New York. Cristiana Dell'Anna plays the leading role of Francesca Cabrini. She is phenomenal in this film. She is able to express so much emotion with just her facial expressions and when that is not enough she delivers some great monologues. She commands attention in all of her scenes and truly gives a performance that helps justify why this story should be told.

All of the supporting cast are also great with notable actors like John Lithgow and David Morse playing small but integral roles. Each character is well written giving each one just enough character build up to give them purpose in this story. The dialogue is also very precise and to the point without feeling long winded and boring.

The music is amazing throughout the film building upon the emotions of each scene. And while the music is ever present throughout it never feels over done or repetitive.

This period piece is brought to life with its amazing sets and simple but effective costume designs. There are so many beautiful shots in this movie, some are dark and gritty while others are more vibrant.

Overall, this was a great theatrical experience. It's an effective drama that proves there doesn't need to be an elaborate or complex plot to tell a good story. I highly recommend this film and consider it a must watch.

Mea Culpa (2024)

Deserves a zero rating

[1/10 · 6 March 2024]

This film was horrible from beginning to end. The acting, dialogue and writing of this film were all comical and not in a good way. The only entertainment I got from this film was in watching how much worse it got with each minute.

Kelly Rowland's character was not believable as a lawyer at all. Her husband in the film had no chemistry with her. I know they were meant to have marital issues in the film but it just wasn't believable that he was her husband. The mother in law character was written to be the most annoying person.

The character of Zyair was so ridiculous that it was hard to believe this had been written by someone with experience in film making.

There are so many things to criticize in this film that it is not even worth having a break down. Don't watch this movie. Save your time and energy. Tyler Perry should be ashamed of this garbage movie. One would think this is his first film ever. Rated zero.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

A great sequel, better than the first part

[8/10 · 2 March 2024]

This film does a good job picking up right where the first part left off.

The story does feel like a continuation of the first film and not a separate story with the same characters. The beginning of this film continues the world building that it started in the first movie. This film is dialogue heavy but there is never a piece of dialogue that feels unnecessary. More characters are introduced which further expanded the plot and made the story more interesting than the first film.

I enjoyed all of the characters although sometimes Austin Butler's voice did sound a bit forced. The standout was Timothée Chalamet as he was able to use a range of emotions to further develop his character in the story.

The special affects were great and all of the action was entertaining. The music and the sounds were very effective. The colors and costumes are also nice to look at.

Although I really enjoyed this film I wasn't blown away by it. I wasn't bothered by the pacing of the film but did feel some parts could have been trimmed down.

Having never read the books and only seeing the first film this is turning out to be an interesting franchise. I enjoyed how the film ended and how it sets up the next part.

May December (2023)

An interesting story told in a unique way with an open ended ending

[8/10 · 19 February 2024]

This film does a great job at building its characters and giving this film an overall eerie feeling. While this is not a horror or mystery film it does feel like that for the majority of the film. The music felt off putting sometimes because it does make it seem like something will happen and then nothing happens. But after finishing the film I appreciated the music more for the overall feeling it left me with about these characters.

The acting from Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore was great. Charles Melton was also very good in the film. There were many moments of tension in the film and an uncertainty about the characters even after the credits roll. Julianne Moore was the stand out of the film, she brought a shock value to the character.

The story is just so interesting not only because its based on real people but how it goes about exploring these characters through Natalie Portman's character.

While we try to understand Gracie (Julianne Moore) through Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) there is more to be said about her during this whole film. Thats the part the really stands out in this movie and makes this film a must watch.

Nyad (2023)

Great acting by Annette Bening but its still just a typical sports movie

[6/10 · 19 February 2024]

Jodie Foster and Annette Bening were both very good in this film. Their chemistry was believable and they truly felt like they were their characters especially Annette Bening. The film does a great job at showing the type of person it takes to accomplish such a feat. The supporting actors were okay.

The problem with this film is that nothing truly stood out. It still felt like a regular sports movie where the ending is predictable. Even while her accomplishment is truly remarkable the film still felt like it was by the numbers. It is entertaining enough and a good way to tell this story but its still missing something to push it to that next level.

Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

This film fails to capture how grand Bob Marley is

[2/10 · 19 February 2024]

Kingsley Ben-Adir's performance as Bob Marley was an overall good experience. He did well with the accent as well as his mannerisms. Some of Bob Marleys's ideas were also portrayed in the film.

Lashana Lynch is a great actress and once again she does a great job with her role as Rita Marley in this film. Her chemistry with Kingsley felt organic especially in the more dramatic scenes.

Where the film fails is in its overall story and pacing. The film doesn't feel like it wants to tell a whole story only a part of it and that takes away from this bio-pic. There are parts that feel rushed and so the overall story wasn't as interesting as it should have been for someone who is considered an icon. The film fails to make Bob Marley feel inspirational.

The music was one of the strongest parts of the film which was probably the easiest part to incorporate into the story. The flashbacks in the film didn't work well especially the reoccurring scene of the man on the horse surrounded by fire. It just wasn't an effective use of flashbacks and became annoying and distracting seeing the same image played over and over.

While the acting was fine this is not a re-watchable or impactful film.

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Too much going on with little explanation

[3/10 · 4 February 2024]

The artistic style and the colors were beautiful to look at. The animation was fluid and truly remarkable to watch. The music was also very enjoyable. The english dubbed voices worked well. However, this film was boring and confusing.

The movie starts off with a boy who loses his mother and it's evident early on that grief will be a major theme. In some parts of the film this works well with flashbacks and with the use of fire. Later on the boy enters a tower and is able to talk to his uncle. The theme of legacy is then introduced and this didn't tie well with the existing theme of grief. This film tried too hard at being symbolic and in its effort left too many elements up for interpretation.

The story wasn't cohesive and created confusion. The roles of many of the characters weren't clear cut. I was often questioning the purpose of the characters and why certain scenes were taking place. While it was imaginative many of the elements felt pointless because none of it was explained. Things were just happening randomly for the sake of being artistic. Those parts took the film in another direction and made it seem like the writers were trying to cram too many ideas together.

The storytelling is what ruined my whole experience with this film. A bit of transparency would have went a long way but the overall cryptic nature of this film took away the enjoyment. I understand that art is subjective and that everyone doesn't always share the same experience or opinion. But it's one thing to be confused about what is happening and another to interpret what is happening differently than others.

Perhaps multiple viewing of this film would clear some things up but I doubt I would give this another try. It just wasn't interesting enough despite how great it was visually.

Alienoid: The Return to the Future (2024)

A poorly recycled version of the first film, ruined a good story

[2/10 · 27 January 2024]

The first film was intriguing and entertaining. The ending clearly indicated there would be a sequel and I was excited for it.

Unfortunately this is not a very good sequel.

It seems this sequel was made without any ideas as to how it would continue the story of the first film. There wasn't anything relatively new or fresh. There was only the addition of one new character. There were a couple of extra scenes to fit that character into the story but otherwise this was the same movie as the first. In addition, they attempted to give importance to a character from the first film that had no significance in that film. They developed her storyline and tied it with that of the new character and it wasn't interesting. She shouldn't have been part of this story. With the focus of the film trying to tie these stories to the already existing story it just made this story unnecessarily complex.

All of the characters from the previous film don't shine as they did before. The characters were pretty bland even the ones that were funny before.

The acting and special affects were on par with the first film. And that's mainly because they used the same special affects as the previous installment. This story lost the imagination it had. There weren't any new ideas, no new weapons or special skills.

This felt like an unnecessary sequel and made the ending to first film seem pointless. They tried to make the story come full circle but all they was give the first film a mediocre ending.

American Fiction (2023)

Social Commentary done right

[8/10 · 24 January 2024]

This was another film I decided to watch because of it's Oscar Nominations. Thankfully this one wasn't disappointing although I don't think it is a perfect film.

The plot for this story is great and the set up is done well. Jeffrey Wright plays the character "Monk", a black author who is fed up with how blacks are represented in the entertainment industry. He decides to write a book (using a pseudonym) that encapsulates the black stereotype in an effort to show how ridiculous it is. His book becomes a success and he must figure out what to do with this success since it is all based on a lie.

Jeffrey Wright gives a great performance by managing to be both funny and serious throughout the film. His character is well rounded and is shown to have a range of emotions. The character's thoughts and feelings are expressed well throughout the entire film. Even the supporting actors contribute to our understanding of his character.

The depth of his character is what stands out in this film because of how his character is used as the epitome of everything he despises in the entertainment industry.

There were many laughs to be had in this film even though the jokes were racially motivated. The humor was well incorporated into the story and used to explain the race relations between whites and blacks.

There weren't any bad performances in this film. However, there were unnecessary characters and that's why I don't believe this film is perfect.

Tracee Ellis Ross' character as Monk's sister was a complete waste of a role. She should have been eliminated entirely from the story or given more screen time.

I didn't see the point of having the mother's caretaker or her boyfriend in the film. The film could have done without them. I understand she was introduced as the mother's caretaker and later that responsibility would fall upon Monk after their mother got sick. However, that storyline about the mother getting sick could have been written without her involvement.

I'm not sure how Sterling K. Brown is getting a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for this performance. He was barely in the film and didn't do anything spectacular to earn a nomination. His character wasn't dynamic in any way and his performance was just okay. He's another character I felt was unnecessary to tell the story this film was trying to tell. His character did help a bit in giving insight to who Monk was but that could have been done better through the mother.

The rest of the supporting roles were the most cohesive and actually did a better job in aiding the story. Keith David and Okieriete Onaodowan's cameo was done very well and it was enjoyable. I would have liked seeing more of their characters. They brought Monk's book to life and further elaborated on some of the black stereotypes.

I have read that some have been critical about the ending of this film but it's actually the best part. The ending sums up this story and its ideas of how blacks are viewed in society and entertainment. The ending is satisfying for how it uses Monk's character to show how he still fell victim to everything he was so against at the beginning.

Despite the roles of some of the characters I still felt this was a great film that deals with social commentary.

Saltburn (2023)

What are people watching?, another hyped film that sucks

[1/10 · 20 January 2024]

I decided to watch this for all the buzz it was getting this award season. Once again I was let down by a film critics were raving about.

While the acting was fine, I wasn't blown away by any particular performance. I am genuinely confused as to how Rosamund Pike is getting so many nominations for her supportive role. Her character only had a few lines of dialogue sprinkled throughout the film and it's easy to forget she is in the film.

I knew where this film was headed the moment Oliver told Felix about his parents. This film fails to create any suspense and wasn't thrilling at all. This some how is also being considered a comedy but I can't even recall a moment that was humorous.

The characters are just so shallow and one is supposed to believe the relationships that have been fostered in such little time. The nudity didn't aid this story at all, people are just nude and being weird for the sake of it. Barry Keoghan's character needed to be more mysterious. He did have a few disturbing scenes but the vibe of his character still didn't feel menacing enough.