rockdude-68045 Reviews

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Breath of Fresh Air in Hollywood

[9/10 · 1 March 2024]

I saw this movie at the theatre today and I can honestly say it was good! From start to finish it delivered on expectations and truly continued and built a better movie & story from the first one. Without spoilers I can say that what someone would want out of this - you get.

It had dynamic progression with great acting and amazing cinematic shots & sounds. I think this movie was built for the theatre and really got delivered that cinematic feel that I think everyone desires.

The story was great and the while lengthy the pace of the movie rarely had me feeling like it dragged on or was too long. It was right within the balance but the dynamics to its story helped to prevent me from losing interest or checking the time often. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

I recommend watching and honestly this one might be better than the first. If anything it definitely delivered on what the first one set up. I'm already looking forward to the next movie and can say this one made me more of a fan and more devoted to the saga!

The Blind (I) (2023)

Great intentions good watch

[7/10 · 22 February 2024]

The movie performed better than I was expecting. I knew the story had substance and even if you aren't a dynasty follower/fan it would be something that could stand on its own and be entertaining. Which in my opinion it was!

The things I enjoyed about the movie was that it felt like a movie. Production, cinematography, acting, and dynamic plot helped put together a solid film start to finish. This film did a good job balancing the biopic - documentary and just inspired real life movie balancing act pretty well. In other words it didn't feel like a documentary but didn't feel like just a made up movie either.

I think the movie probably will appeal to certain audiences that most likely know what the movies already about but could be a nice find for people who happen upon it. I think this movie has decent rewatch ability and intends to have a good message.

For things I wasn't a fan of - well not too much to be honest. I guess it would be just the overall feel of the movie. It was above lifetime movie quality but in between blockbuster films. Nothing too bad but just something about either the acting or the ambience of the film just kept it more at the forefront than I'm used to that I was watching a movie and yes its one of those inspiring message typed movies. But again it wasn't anything terrible just something that others may not like or be more sensitive to.

Definitely a movie that would get played at church, bible study, homeschooled kids, or etc. But not in a bad way on the contrary for good reasons. I think it was again a interesting story and film. 7/10.

Saltburn (2023)

Quick reaction

[1/10 · 18 January 2024]

Wife started this movie up while folding laundry. I peaked about to see if I should watch later only to see a guy banging a gravesite. Needless to say I have no desire to watch it. My wife finished the movie because she had already committed to finishing it out and immediately downvoted it on Prime. I asked her thoughts and she said it was just a shock value movie with a lot of weird oversexualized scenes that made up majority of the film time because the plot was dull. She told me she wish she never watched it because it was disturbing and disgusting... well I believe her opinion since the only scenes I saw was a guy banging the grave and then oddly revealing his masterminded plan on the family which seemed completely anticlimatic.

Anyone But You (2023)

Romcom revival but lackluster

[4/10 · 18 January 2024]

Went and saw this movie in the theatre yesterday with little expectations for it. The movie wasn't a terrible watch but it wasn't memorable.

To be a Rom-Com style it really fell flat for most of its jokes that felt like they were being read from a script. Dialogue just in general was rough and the acting was okay at best. It felt like a B rated movie with Lifetime channel polished acting. However, the main guy pretty much did his best to deliver and carried this movie. Sweeney Todd or whatever her name just was not it. Her acting was bad and her voice a bit annoying. The whole movie basically just relied on her bags to bring any type of element to it because everything else just didn't deliver at all. Supporting cast was no shock woke-ish friendly which I didn't mind but when everyone is lgbtq+, multicultural, or specialized it just felt like a big diversity pool that wouldn't organically just exist the way it was being presented - to be fair could just be from bad acting of the supporting cast. Also the plot itself was just like a checkbox list for appeasing everyone. The story just felt flat and there really wasn't a lot of evolution or dynamic parts to this movie. I mean start to end the main people just basically are/remained exactly the same except happy ending for them.

I just don't feel like it was well written, produced, and acted. It needed a different female lead, better supporting cast, and much better jokes and dynamic storyline for it to have delivered a great movie in my opnion.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Plot topics more interesting than the movie

[5/10 · 14 December 2023]

No pre conceived notions of this film or what to expect from it. I just clicked it on and dove straight to full undivided attention for what seemed to be a never ending movie. In all honestly this wasn't a slow burner it was a dragging flick that wasted a lot of time.

For starters - there's a ton of random stills, motion shots that contribute practically nothing other than "cinematography" but in reality its filler visuals to break the boring dialogue. Think of all of it as curtain closes for changing acts except this movie does it by spinning the camera or some aerial shots.

Next up - the acting, pace, and plot! Well the acting in this movie is what you'd expect from modern hollywood aka hit or miss. It wasn't terrible but wasn't memorable. Now for the pace of the movie again SLOW and unnecessary wasted time. The reason it matters is it's directly tied to the plot of the movie. The plot was a bit jumbled and there's bits that could've been trimmed. It's almost like a jigsawed movie where ideas were post-script added in to fit to create more thrilling moments. It all became a bit anticlimatic and redundant. However the premise of the movie was interesting like a modern day Twilight Zone movie special which was it's only redeeming quality.

So to conclude - was it worth the watch? Yes and No! If you're not a fan of long strange movies with a weird ending then no. If you want to explore a new movie premise with modern day horrors that could be potentially realized at some point then yeah sorta but it's going to drag.

Additionally, there's a ton of plot holes and just randomness to this movie. The first half feels like a separate movie from the second half but together just feels like someone gave the director too much time and too much freedom. Also the whole animals/nature deal or the spanish lady or cruise line/airplanes and then the woods/cabin and the teslas are all examples of maybe overdoing it to try to press the plot along. My point is they could've done a lot more with a lot less and made a better movie because of it. So its an ehh kind of movie where rewatchability would be something like 1 and done or maybe once every very very very blue bored moon.

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Not much accomplished in it's duration

[3/10 · 10 November 2023]

The movie itself was kind of a backhanded showcasing of a family with free thinking that challenges norms and ideals of society. Things like living off the grid, hunting, primitive skills, and more combined with challenging philosophies that they would learn through extensive education. The plot shows how they live and the cause for it to be disrupted into sort of an hippie like odyssey that kind of jerks itself around until the end of the movie where they finally conclude all of it. I'm not saying it was horrible but it never felt like it knew what it wanted to be as a movie. Plus there was a lot of inclusion for controversial elements to this movie like showing child nudity multiple times, adult nudity implied and shown around children, and even multiple scenes taking up minuted to discuss sexual intercourse to children as well as a book about it. This to me was odd and unnecessary it even felt inappropriate. Besides that junk the movie would present something, challenge it, fold to it, then come back around and conclude it. My example is the funeral arrangements being a focal point that continues to elongate the movie where it didn't have to be. Honestly this just wasn't that great of a movie I'd pass on this one.

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Charming feel-good movie

[8/10 · 19 June 2023]

The movie draws more towards the indie style of cinema but in a great way. It felt more organic especially with the setting being more outdoorsy and real. I felt like the plot had a good message behind it and that its supposed to be taken more lightly rather than picked apart for perfection to detail. In essence it was kind of like a journey/adventure movie that through circumstantial forces creates character dynamism that plays off of each other. It even calls itself out with referencing Mark Twain which I think it aims to categorize itself into or to be likened to as a story. I think in general the movie is entertaining at the very least and has a good message to it. There was funny, serious, and even sad part in this movie. I think the actors did a great job and they felt believable for the characters they depicted. They felt committed to playing their parts.

The only real thing that took away from the movie was the wrestling match part. It was a bit unrealistic and just didn't fit the rest of the movie that I felt thrived off of the organic-realism approach to the story. Like doing the "impossible" did seem a bit corny or impossible. I feel like that could've been shot or handled differently and then it would've been better. Other than that I reallly enjoyed the film.

8/10 - a great movie with a great message.

Extraction II (2023)

A sequel for good action.

[6/10 · 19 June 2023]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first movie. It had the quick time almost john wick-ish style of action to it with a superficial plot that held it together to be entertaining to action junkies. This movie was basically the same in essence but it definitely carried that sequel issue some movies face.

The plot wasn't terrible but it was just a bit odd to me personally. Also the deeper layer of Chris H's characters backstory I think actually made this plotline more tangled than it should've been. Keep it simple like it was in the first movie.

The action was good but some of the sequences did end up a bit overplayed where by the end it became more predictable. Although there were some standout moments that I felt deserves to be recognized for helping to lift the action out of a repetitive staleness.

The cinematography had big beautifully sets or intricate shots like in the prison. However, there were a couple of action sequences that moved so quickly and simultaneously that it felt like a special effects advertisement commercial or like that movie cloverfield. It was at times way too much and felt like it could give someone motion sickness. It was overplayed the most during the prison setting. For some things it was cool but a bit overdone or overdramatic about how it was done.

Beyond all of that the acting was about the same as the first movie. Nothing spectacular but not terrible either just middle of the road between those categories. Like I said the movie does its best when its true to its nature of just being more of an action packed chaos entertainment and less of a "moving" or deeper message type of movie.

6/10 - Good action flick as a sequel but first one did it a bit better.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Don't know anything about Mario Bros

[7/10 · 19 May 2023]

So obviously I've heard about the brand, games, and know it's a huge deal. However, I never grew up playing any or interacting with the SuperMario and related media at all. My spouse however did and so I figured I'd surprise her with tickets to this movie and I'm glad I did.

The movie overall as a non-follower was ok. It wasn't special or amazing and it didn't have a strong storyline but it was entertaining and fun to watch. It's also a short movie so no real reason to get bored or distracted from it as its fast paced. For the following kind this movie was filled with nostalgia & easter eggs. My spouse really enjoyed the movie just for the fun of it. But together we feel the movie was good!

I think this movie is good for younger people and for those who follow the SuperMario brand. Neutral people like myself will probably enjoy the movie but it's not going to be some cinematic masterpiece or game changer. 7/10 - its fun.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Another solid GoG Film!

[9/10 · 13 May 2023]

I watched this in a theatre yesterday and I've enjoyed the previous movies but by no means am I a devoted fan of Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm just a casual fan that started off interested because of the mcu and I think this series has grown on me. The movies have always been different but entertaining to me and this movie continues that. I was engaged right away and genuinely was interested in the storyline progression of the film. The acting was great, the cinematic experiences were top tier production as expected from the mcu, and the movie had a unique focus to it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie and yes at parts it got a little somber but I think it helped dig a deeper level for the guardians franchise.

In all honesty this might be my favorite of all the three movies. I could definitely see myself rewatching this movie and of course could nitpick certian things but to be completely honest I'd kind of be searching for flaws at that point. I never felt disinterested or withdrawn from this movie. It felt like a solid film start to finish that didn't slow down or get boring or get weird like a lot of modern day movies do now. It's a good film!

The only criticism I have is for younger viewers parents should understand this was obviously made for mid-teens plus in age and there's more cussing then usual with some more graphic scenes dealing with animals, injuries, etc. But not like anything crazy bad just be educated and make your discretionary decision as parents. In my opinion I probably wouldn't let anyone non-teen come watch it but thats just my opinion. Outside of that nothing really to criticize.

9/10 Solid movie that dug deeper and for sure one of the best recent mcu films hand downs.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Mr. Wick delivers the action

[8/10 · 29 March 2023]

It's John and he's back for another babayaga action packed movie. From start to finish 80-95% of the movie is straight up action with the rest being scenes with dialogue. This movie delivers what you expect from a john wick film - which is the action packed assassin doing what he does best relentlessly. As a fan to the movies I left the theatres satisfied with my experience knowing that this would be a great ending to the journey (if it really is the last wick movie or not) and that it was worth every penny to see.

Pros:

• It john wick. Pure action with amazing choreography as he fights through the underground world of the high table.

• All supporting actors brought dynamics to the story & the action that went well with the franchise.

• You get to see different parts of the world & respectively how they operated in this underground empire.

• There is some of the full circle style storytelling
• Felt like a good ending (if it truly is one)

Cons:

• Beginning kind of jumps around trying to wrap up the left overs from the past movie (I'd recommend watching #3 before this one because I didn't and didn't refresh on it so maybe if I had it would have made a bit more sense)
• Movie was kind of long and I feel like there was a couple scenes or fights that could've been cut out (staircase scenes began to become a bit redundant or the german nightclub)
• Caine. I know a lot of people loved him, but for me the whole being blind but shooting people with pinpoint accuracy despite have to use doorbells in earlier scenes to know where people were was a bit inconsistent. For example, he needs doorbell alarms for people relatively near to him but then doesn't need anything to shoot people at a bigger distance during the staircase scenes. I just feel like if he was partially blind or like had one eye it would have been better. However, he did kick some a.. which was fun to watch & besides the nit picking was a nice addition.

• Mr. Nobody as a tracker made sense and at the end I get why he does what he does but at the end what was the point to dedicating so much time to him? He felt like his place in this movie was intentionally made for a potential spin-off as did with Caine & the daughter of the japan hotel.

Overall: John wick 4 was a great addition to the franchise and stay trued to the cinematography, feel, identity, and expectations anyone would have. It delivered and was a great action movie from start to finish. Having to rank the films in an order of preference you'd find this one closer to the top for me personally. I highly recommend watching if your an action fan, looking to see an action movie, or if you want to know the hype of john wick which is very real. 8/10 another wick film that's great!

Vengeance (II) (2022)

Dull and depressing

[2/10 · 25 March 2023]

Movie starts off with some comedy and almost immediately switches gears into a philosophical depression that takes aim to try and be some bigger meaning message. The twists in the plot aren't exactly surprising nor ended the movie on any note other than dark. It's like just a weird deviation of sequences that are sprinkled with comedy until it tries to be something more meaningful that just left an awkward execution of an overall conclusion. It's just another modern day Holly-wierd movie to me where by the end I'm either confused by why I wasted time on it or concerned at how low the bar has been set in the modern age of cinema. This would fit nicely into the old indie films that I would typically avoid. Additionally, there was a lot of jabs reflecting on-going social issues in the nation that never really resolved or made any real change so the point of including them ended up amounting to nothing... kind of like the whole movie. The whole thing was just another weird film that I will not be rewatching at any point and do not recommend watching to others.

2/10 - Dull and Depressing waste of time.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Over the top ironic comedy

[4/10 · 22 March 2023]

The movie clearly is not meant to be taken seriously at any real level. This is like a high production capitalization on the Nic Cage fandom & meme era of the internet. It's weird, confusing, comedic, and sometimes entertaining. For any normal person who hasn't kept up with everything this movie is a complete brain buster that will leave you so confused you'll probably end up cutting it off early and just get left with the strange feeling of what the heck did I just try to watch?! The rest will pick up that it is what it is and be able to understand the "deeper" layer of complexities that aren't as easy to pick up on.

Basically a satirical comedy about Nic cage, his life, subtle plays on the internet memes, and with a a whole different subcategory driving the plot that's basically like a comedy Taken with Pedro. It's wacky and sometimes jumbled so much you get lost in whats happening and honestly like frame by frame could just take a weird turn or spell you weren't prepared for.

To be honest.. I'm not sure what it is. I'm not even sure what I just committed to watching. At parts it was funny and others was just odd. Definitely a cult classic styled movie.. like one of the weird ones that has an acquired taste for. Definitely not your normal nightly entertainment or go-to cinema flick. I probably will never rewatch it but I can at least say I did. Just another weird hollywood movie I guess that was ment for the cage fans & internet fan groups.

The Last of Us (2023– )

Great adaptation that loses focus

[6/10 · 14 March 2023]

Let me start with saying this is one of the best video game adaptations. There's a lot to love in this series that thankfully stayed true to the game while creating space for the show to be it's own so that it wasn't just an exact copy paste. The production, acting, and everything included delivered like a big budget series. It was entertaining for majority of the series but it did have some issues.

The main issue I noticed was the inconsistency of the episodes. Each episode felt like it truly had a different feel to it. Unfortunately that didn't always work out for me. Isolating the series by each episode is what ultimately caused me to not rate it overall higher because there were some episodes that just felt flat.

In terms of casting and characters I felt that the decisions to switch it all up was actually part of what made this show separate from the game and allow it to be good on its own. Although, as much as I really wanted to like Bella Ramsey as Ellie I just for whatever the reason could not. She's really the only character from the show that for some reason didn't feel like the best fit. However, she did do a good job and my person preference/discrepancy aside was a different but good Ellie.

There's a couple episodes that I felt didn't really contribute towards the overall development of the show. They might have been entertaining or were meant to add to the complexities of the show but unfortunately most of the time whatever they were supposed to do ultimately was erased by the end of that episode. My main example would be bill & frank. It was a great storyline but if you removed it from the show and think of it all as a whole did it really make a difference if it was included or not to the main storyline? No not really. However, it would have been an amazing spin-off or could have been a better episode by having more investment into their stories with Joel. Instead he basically just showed up at the end and was like oh - well at least he left me his car with that battery I've been looking for and then cue episode ending.

Finally, the most important criticism of them all. The infected. Where were they? They were decently included for the first half of the series and then they basically disappeared in the second half of the series. It's starting to take some of the corner cutting of shows like the walking dead where the focus shifts away from the post-apocalyptic infected survivors facing them + bad people to just people wondering around until they inevitably find bad people and eventually overcome them. I'm not a fan of it. I think it's cheap and loses sight of the catalysts driving the narrative behind everything. I mean the game was mainly stealth because of how many infected there always was but in the show they just walk around openly no sweat about the infected but they were definitely worried about other people. To me that's an indicator that they lost a bit of focus for the show.

People will complain because they would rather watch a post-apocalyptic neighborhood/high school style tv show than what the content really is which is supposed to be a post-apocalyptic survivorship filled with drama already in it. Yes I'm aware not every second has to be a thrilling action packed show, but that doesn't mean you erase the main fabric of the show either. They will be upset because personally I feel there may have been better options for who played Ellie even though she did do a good job and I just didn't care for her specifically. People will be upset because I'm critical of episodes that are shielded by what they represented or the statement they were trying to convey through storytelling but as a critic of the show I noticed they weren't pivotal to the main storylines progression or could have been accomplished without an entire episode to do it.

People have a right to their own opinions and this is mine. I felt that this was one of the best video game adaptations that fortunately stayed very accurate to the games story while allowing it to develop its own identity. Unfortunately it also lost it's focus and struggled to establish a consistency in each episode & properly convey the main storyline without being sidetracked or ultimately rushed. I mean start to finish by the end it didn't have the same effect that the game did. There's a lot factoring into that but honestly it felt like the show played it a bit safe, conservative with infected, and underwhelmed the main plot by losing focus on it through out. I felt like I kept waiting for that moment where I went "YES!" and the whole series just took a leap into the right direction (like red wedding in GOT or similar) but it just never happened for me. 6/10 - Good not great but has potential to be so much better. I'm excited for the next season and I hope some of the criticisms and feedback will help to improve it.

The Last of Us: Left Behind (2023) Season 1, Episode 7

Missed opportunity

[3/10 · 2 March 2023]

Attempts another episode 3 style story telling but doesn't deliver in my opinion. Plenty of others will disagree and that's completely fine. Personally I just couldn't really get into this episode and regardless of the message/theme behind it I just wasn't very entertained by it. I felt they could've told this a bit differently and a lot better because it had potential. Just wasn't that great of an episode to me. I'll end up rewatching and revising my review if my opinion changes on it but as of my first impression it was just simply underwhelming and not very entertaining to me. I would say this was the weakest episode so far. Hoping next ones really deliver.

The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023) Season 1, Episode 3

Beautiful side story but..

[6/10 · 3 February 2023]

To start the story that was written for this episode was top tier! I think the actors and everything was very moving and should be applauded. However, with that being said I feel like it was interjected into the show without any real justification for the LENGTH it required during the episode. I have played the game so it was interesting to see the new story drawn from the source material being developed into something more powerful and meaningful. Yet it took away some of the the other memorable parts to game like the interactions between Bill and Ellie that I feel would have rounded out that episodes story arch better in the end and would've allowed offerman the chance to solidify Bill as a true bad a!!

With all that being said the episode wasn't bad but I feel wasn't exactly on target for the continuance of the show everyone tuned into to watch. A beautiful story emerged from within a show that would've been better developed over episodes and flashbacks or as a spinoff even? Basically out of the entire episode we really only got maybe 20 minutes worth of the Last Of Us story continuing and the rest was a side story that ultimately amounted to just them getting a car. I feel like less time could've been spent on Bill & Frank or it could've been spread out differently. Otherwise it does kind of have that filler effect whether it was a beautiful side story or not it barely attributed to the real storyline.

Imagine if their side story didn't deliver the performance it has for many. Would it all be ten stars or would you reasonably rate it while including its overall relevancy? All this aside I wish more could have come from Bill and Franks side story since so much time was invested into it I would've like it to mean more in the actual storyline than just showing up and getting a car for free basically.

6/10 - Beautiful side story that was moving but overall it didn't move much of the needle for the real storyline of focus everyone tuned in to see. For this I feel like it wasn't as progressive for the overall show and instead took some progression away from it by side stepping to something that really in the end didn't amount to much for the Last of Us (maybe it did outside of the show for some) but keep in mind I'm doing my best to objectively rate the show not necessarily it's messages.

The Winchesters (2022–2023)

Really want to like it but its just flat

[4/10 · 7 December 2022]

Everything is there to make this show live up to the supernatural name but it's missing something to make it do just that. It's literally like Sam & Dean 2.0 in the form of their parents with substance in the plot and immediate callbacks to the supernatural show. It obvious has a ton of potential as a show but right now it's just falling flat on the expectations I had for it. I hate to say it but the real achilles heel has been the acting so far for me. It feels like a B or C style movie/show and I try to be forgiving and invested but sometimes the acting actually takes me out of the show. I guess it just needs more time to settle in and develop but right now I'm struggling to stay committed to the show. Like I said it has potential and it's not always bad but it still has some work to do to really get things going and live up to its name. I'll change my ratings when or if that happens... until then I have to be honest and say 4/10. I find myself sometimes scrolling on my phone instead of glued to the tv like I was with the OG show.

Vikings (2013–2020)

A binge-able entertaining show

[8/10 · 7 December 2022]

The seasons of the show all would be ranked differently for stars out of ten but overall the show was good and I enjoyed it. It was entertaining enough for me to rewatch it a couple of times and refer it to others. The acting was good, the storyline was good (for awhile), and it felt like glimpsing into the viking era through the dramatic tv lense that's fun to get lost in!

Seasons 1-3 are the best. Hands down the strongest and most developed storylines with good character development and action. There's a couple characters that drag a little but end up having an arc making it worth while.

Seasons 4-5 start to slide down the slope a bit. It's where the real driving force behind the show goes off the path and ends up kind of a tangled mess that starts erasing some of the good from the prior seasons. It also starts the downward spiral in quality for storyline and characters especially marking the transition of focus for main characters.

Season 6 definitely struggles until everything starts coming full circle and starts wrapping up. Then it feels like the original three seasons get honored a bit and leaves the show on a much better note than if it failed to do this.

Overall the first couple seasons carried most of the rest and the pre-established connections from them are the lifeline to the rest. You could honestly stop watching after season 4 if you wanted. Everything after it is more like a spin-off / continuation storyline that kind of performs like an ok sequel to a great movie. Regardless it was still entertaining enough to finish through but it drops in quality and at times it even got a bit annoying or dull. The show itself from start to finish was entertaining and it's why I'd rewatch it or recommend giving it a chance to others. 8/10.

Black Adam (2022)

First half good second half ehh

[5/10 · 6 December 2022]

Black adam was alright at best. The movie started off with a pretty good storyline set-up but struggled to establish a great connection to its audience with some issues that only got worse with time. The first half of the movie was relatively good but carried a fast pace that felt like it was checking the boxes to a superhero plotline more than actually building a story besides Black Adams origin. The second half of the movie starts to get considerably darker and even faster. It was almost borderline rushing through the films plot just to get to some action scenes. Not to mention hollywood had to go big with all the demonic/devil imagery and stuff. That wasn't a vibe for me but it was part of the storyline so I'll side-step it because it probably won't bother anyone else. It was just weird. The whole movie honestly had sort of that Zack Snyder feel to it but it really just threw up characters and then pulled them all into proximity for scenes and the plot. I don't know maybe I'm being too critical of the film because there were some good action scenes and the backstory was super interesting. The "jokes" fell flat for me but thank goodness the movie had action in it, but take it with a grain of salt because most of it was all cgi.

Overall the movie was ok to me but for people who liked justice league, dc movies, more recent hollywood movies or netflix movies, and or Zack Snyder vibes you'll probably like this movie. If you're more like me (which isn't the biggest fans of that feel) then you could skip out on this one. If you choose to watch it don't go with crazy high expectations but you'll be entertained (for the most part). I rank it 5/10. Not amazing but not terrible just ok.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

A worthy stand alone that may outshine the previous movie

[8/10 · 5 November 2022]

First off I am not a huge fan of the original topgun movie. I liked the soundtrack and the nuances of the time but the story itself didn't hit any home runs for me. Basically the whole love story I felt took away instead of added to the original movie.

Well this one corrected all of the discrepancies and comments I had about the first. The love interest actually added a layer of dimension to Maverick in a way that fit well within the time and plot but didn't get lost in replacing it. There were definitely some call backs and a few easter egg like nostalgic things sprinkled through out this movie that actually fit and felt natural without being just an obvious nostalgic piece. That's why I would consider this a great stand alone movie as well. Take away the obvious callbacks and change the title and character names and this would be a great movie on its own! It has substance, a plot, character development, dynamic supporting plots, and it felt more fluid in it's delivery and purpose. I really enjoyed this movie and of course the little soundtrack throwbacks as well! It was way more than just a nostalgic cash grab, or follow-up sequel. It was a really solid movie that was entertaining to watch from start to finish. I would and probably will rewatch it again at some point. So I would recommend giving this a chance!

Easy 8/10 solid good movie!

House of the Dragon (2022– )

A worthy follow-up/prequel to GOT

[8/10 · 24 October 2022]

This show essentially captured the cinematic storytelling that Game of Thrones was able to create. The acting is pretty good and the characters by the end of the season are decently established alongside the storyline. It still earns the HBO mark and incorporated some of the adult themes and elements from GOT (nudity, gore, incest etc.) that brings the shock and taboo. There's still the web of lies, corruption, discussions, and moving bits among all of the people each vying for something or for the throne as before. Plenty of drama and a good amount of action to go along with everything else. There were some issues with the season from the excessive amounts of focus on miscarriages that were sometimes really graphic and almost unnecessary to get the point across. Additionally, the beginning dragged as it struggled to establish the storyline the characters and so on only for mid-way through to change them up after finally getting the audience connected to them. It was almost like searching for its own identity within the GOT world/lore while trying to stay true to the expectations everyone would have. I think by the end that was accomplished enough for season two to be primed for a really good season. There were also certian characters that were surprisingly good like King Viserys who ended up with a great key role in the storyline that acted very differently than most characters of GOT or even House Of Dragon that was almost a little relieving because of how human he was. A nice touch I thought of distinction and a new layer to add among the common GOT world tropes.

Overall the season dragged a little in the very beginning and struggled again mid-way through with the age jump but despite this created an entertaining storyline worthy of a GOT prequel/follow up that ends having prepared season two for what I would predict to be far greater now that this show has seemed to really find itself. I look forward to Season Two where I hope my predictions are right and this show really just soars.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

Good not great but a lot of room to be great!

[6/10 · 20 October 2022]

I waited until I finished the entire season one to rate & review this. I grew up loving LOTR through the Jackson movies, the cartoonish 70s movies, the video games, and as I got older some of the books.

This series took some liberties that I was slightly apprehensive to at first but warmed up to as time went on. I think they aimed to make something slightly different and in some ways it works and in others it doesn't for me.

The first half of the series was a little slow but I get that it was just trying to set up everything and introduce storylines. However it still could have moved a little faster in my opinion.

The second half of the series was better and almost corrected some of my critiques of the first half. It still was underwhelming to me and predictable for the storyline but hey I'll take what I can get from the lotr lore. It starting pulling together the storylines and priming for the finale.

The end was the best. The last episode set a great tone for the next season I think if they speed up the storyline and get things moving it'll be a great season two. I mean in all things this could've been a whole heck of a lot better! There is a ton of improvement needed in the upcoming seasons to keep me committed to watching. There were a few times I simply got bored which I never really found before in anything related to this content. The acting is pretty good overall but there's some characters that tbh I wouldn't mind being recasted or dying off. There's side stories that are taking way to long to get going and need some serious speeding up to stay relevant. There's a lot of the new age cinema theatrics in the show like the pointless landscape shots that take up a lot of filler time from the show. While they are gorgeous!! They really don't keep me all that interested when there just shot after shot of random scenery or people walking or doing nothing but staring off into space. I don't know maybe I just expected a lot more from this show. However I think based on the ending it has a ton of potential to correct and improve on all of my issues and hopefully it does! I really hope it comes out swinging and gets the storylines rolling! Otherwise it'll be a series I watch leisurely and after GOT's House of Dragon or something else..

6/10.

Bullet Train (2022)

Refreshingly good

[8/10 · 11 September 2022]

To be honest this is not typically a style of movie I enjoy especially the comedic components usually end up annoying me but this movie felt like it juggled everything pretty well! I did laugh at some of the jokes and enjoyed the twists and character and plot development. There were stories within stories that overlapped and intertwined among the luck, chaos, and series of events. Acting was really good and was filled with lots of decent actors & actresses. You could buy into their characters and storylines. Among all of it there was asian influence & scenery which made it more unique in a way. It was like kill bill, some elements of deadpool, murder on the orient express, and some john wickish hear no see no evil or thor comedy inspiration all came together in a hodge podge of entertaining fun! The trailer does not do justice to the movie and I do recommend giving this one a chance even if your like ehhh I dont know. It was refreshingly good for those types of movies for me and personally I'd rewatch it. 8/10.

The Gray Man (2022)

Almost good but just missed it

[5/10 · 10 August 2022]

The movie had a ton of potential and action wise it didn't suck. Ironically gosling may have given the performance of his life as an action star (since he didn't talk a whole lot in this movie) but it definitely felt like a netflix release. Chris evans was alright but honestly felt more like a joke or like he wanted desperately to shake his good boy captain american image but it didn't really work for me. The plot was alright, but honestly it was missing some real momentum to make it amazing!

Prey (I) (2022)

Surprisingly good! Revenant meets predator.

[7/10 · 9 August 2022]

Found this by accident since it's a hulu exclusive but was pleasantly surprised by the film. Not sure if it's just because I had no expectations when starting this film or the fact that it beats out the more recent iterations of the predator saga.

The revenant meets predator basically. There's a big bear, there's frontiersmen (that are bad), there's Native Americans, and there's injuries left and right. The difference is of course a predator and the focus on the lead who basically in a nutshell makes everyone around her turn into a martyr so that she can finally call herself a hunter by the end. That's the only ironically tragic part of it all but besides that the movie was good.

It had gore, it had death, it had a plot (although slower and more ironic) and it had a decent predator. The same formula as before where the lead learns innovative ways of out doing the predator as the story builds to the climatic point of who will win?! Basically it wasn't anything less or more than what I knew going into this movie from the last.

If you want a movie night with a decent interpretation of predator movies then this I would recommend.