Emergency Review

 

Emergency is a satirical thriller movie. It's produced by Temple Hill Productions and distributed by Amazon Studios. Emergency is written by KD Davila and directed by Carey Williams.

The story is two college students/friends named Sean and Kunle are planning to have the biggest party night of their lives. At first, they are accomplishing just that. With drinking, games, and being with attractive girls, but that soon takes an abrupt end when they soon find an unconscious girl in their apartment. Worrying that if they call the police they'll get the wrong idea, the two plan to take her back to her place, all while avoiding the girl's friends who are trying to find her, and anything else that'll make them look suspicious.

Initial Reaction

My main reason for seeing this was the premise sounded interesting enough, and I'm always willing to watch something that's an original idea, as supposed to a sequel, reboot, or etc.

Cons

One problem with the film and this is the biggest, comes from the writing. It's just not good. One of the issues with that comes from the decisions our characters make. For instance, instead of calling the police, they [Sean, Kunle, and their friend Carols] decided to take her to the hospital. Okay, that's actually a smart idea. But for no reason whatsoever they decided to drop her off at a campus. Which makes no sense, because they just had an argument earlier on, where they all agreed that that's a bad idea. Just because they changed the location, that still doesn't change the fact they all decided that was a bad idea. And a lot of stuff like that happens. Because of this, this not only makes it look like our main characters are their own worst enemies, because it's clear as day, the filmmakers keep doing this, because they had to fill out the runtime. My other issue comes from the tone. It started out as a pretty decent comedy, but then it switches to drama, then it's a thriller, then it's a drama with bits of comedy, then it's comedic, then at the end is being dramatic. Because of all of these constant changes in tone, viewers aren't gonna know what they're supposed to feel, and be confused on what type of movie this is supposed to be. Then we have the pacing. This movie clocks in at 1 hour and 45 minutes. Yet it felt longer than that. Almost like an extra 40 minutes was in there, somehow.

Middle Ground

I've got nothing. Let's move on.

Pros

Now despite not liking the overall movie, I'll will say the cast was great. Especially RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, and Sebastian Chacon. Those three together just did a fantastic. They brought some laughs, and their chemistry was great.

Much like the movie Kimi, I don't get why critics are praising this. The writing is bad, and that's clearly shown with our characters always making the worse decisions. The tone is all over the place, and the pacing was also really bad. But at least we had some good acting, especially from our three main stars.

My final rating is Bad.

That's going to do it for me. Come back on Thursday, Jun 2nd for my review of season two of The Boys. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.

Top Gun: Maverick Review

 

Top Gun: Maverick is an action drama film and the sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun. The movie is produced by Skydance Media and Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Top Gun: Maverick is written by Christopher McQuarrie, Eric Warren Singer, and Ehren Kruger and directed by Joseph Kosinski.

The story is it's been more than 30 years since the events of the last movie, and Maverick is where he wants to be. Because of his long track record he's soon assigned to teach a new group of pilots. Although it might not be as easy as Maverick hoped. He has own problems with not only an uncertain future, but the ghost of the past.

Initial Reaction

Having seen the first movie and absolutely loving it naturally I was excited for the sequel. And much like every other movie that was suppose to come out in 2020, I was bummed that it got pushed. Thankfully, after waiting for so long I was excited, and ready to go.

Cons

Nothing to for this section. So just move on.

Middle Ground

The only slight issue with the film is the pacing. For a majority of the movie the pacing is really good almost on par with the first movie. But going into the third act and nearing the end, it does get a bit slow. I was almost feeling like this was going on for too long, but thankfully before I was getting bored the credits rolled in.

Pros

Now for the pros! One of those being the character driven story. I bring this up as a big plus, because when though I was excited about the movie, I was worried they were gonna focus more on the action then the characters, unlike the first. Thankfully that wasn't the case. We actually get a really good story not only with Maverick all on his own, but we also got a good story with him and another pilot Rooster. Another fantastic thing about Top Gun: Maverick is Tom Cruise's performance. Now in the first movie, he was still really good, whether he was being charismatic or being more emotional during the more dramatic scenes. Here, he's great. There's this one great scene between him and Val Kilmer's Iceman, where Tom looks like he's trying to hold back tears. Like I said really great scene. What I also want to give credit to or who I want to give credit to is Joseph Kosinski. During the opening sequence, not only did it look like a perfect reenactment of the first, but afterwards, he directed such a well shot movie. Much like Tony Scott, he showcased beautiful locations, great reaction shots from the cast, and great jet flying and fighting. Which brings me to my final part and the thing we all went to see the jets. The action with those scenes, would've made Tony Scott give a big hand clap. But what also made them really good scenes, is not only the flying/dog fighting but, they were truly real with very little CGI. Which is such a big positive. Cause we really need more movies that have just as much practical effects as CGI. And I really hope that happens whether it's with this movie or any film in the future.

Top Gun: Maverick is a blockbuster you really need to see. Especially on the big screen. It's got a great character driven story, Tom Cruise gives a great performance, Kosinski directed it beautifully, and all of the scenes with the jets are awesome. Pacing could've used more work, but it's not a complete issue that'll take you out of the experience.

My final rating is Great.

Okay, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, May 30th for my review of the newest Amazon film, Emergency. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day, and go see Top Gun: Maverick.

A Look Back at Top Gun (1986)

 

Since Top Gun: Maverick is arriving tomorrow, that means it's time to look back at the film that started it all.

Top Gun is a 1986 action drama film, and was inspired by the California magazine article titled "Top Guns". The movie was produced by Don Simpsons/Jerry Bruckheimer Films and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Top Gun was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. and directed by Tony Scott.

The story is a Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Radar Intercept Officer Nick "Goose" Bradshaw have been sent to the Naval Fighter Weapons School known as TOPGUN. When they arrive Maverick learns he truly is going up against the best of the best. Now Maverick must not only have to prove himself, but he'll also have to learn to get along with these people, especially when a flock of predatory enemies are arriving.

• Negatives

There's nothing to say, let's move on.

• Mix

If there's anything I should put in this section, it's the romance between Maverick and Charlotte. It's pretty cheesy all things considered. Which some could see as more of a bad thing, but not me. If anything it kind of adds to the movie's charm, even though I wasn't fully on board.

• Positives

Now for the more positive aspects with one of those being the cinematography. This movie is without a doubt gorgeous. One of my favorite shots is whenever it's sunset, Maverick riding his motorcycle, and you see beautiful palm trees in the background.

What I also enjoy from Top Gun was the pacing. This film just goes by really quick, but not a the cost of the action, characters, and etc. I mean it, a hour and fifty minutes just flew by, and didn't realize that until it was over.

Then we have the music. And while the main theme [Top Gun Anthem] does deserve it's own praise and rightfully so, we all know the real theme is Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins. That song in and of itself has pretty much taken a life of its own. In matter of fact, I think I heard that song way before I even saw the movie.

One thing I was surprised by when I watched this was how character driven. Cause before I saw the movie, I was more aware of it's parodies. So I was expecting nothing but action, aviator sunglasses, and such. And sure I still got that, but I also got to know these characters. We get to know their personalities, their wants, what they joined TOPGUN, or Maverick's case trying to prove he truly belongs. It was quite honestly a welcoming surprise.

The last thing I'll give Top Gun credit for is of course the jets. Tony Scott gave us such amazing scenes. The jet's flying look gorgeous, and when we get to the dog fights they're even better. Even simply seeing the things start up look awesome. And to this day those scenes still hold up.

Top Gun is truly awesome! The cinematography is spectacular, the pacing is perfect, the music is great, it's a lot more character driven than I thought, and all of the jets whether it'd be flying or fighting lives up to the hype. Sure the romance is cheesy, but I feel like you should let that slide a bit.

My final rating is Great.

So that's going to do it for me. Due come back on Saturday, May 28th for my review of Top Gun: Maverick. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day, and do watch this movie before seeing the sequel.

Looking Back at the Films of 2021 Part 3 - Wrath of Man, Spiral, & A Quiet Place Part II

 

Yes folks, I'm back with this segment. Been awhile I know. Anyhow, enough of this intro, let's get to it.

Why Didn't I See Wrath of Man?

Now I truly wanted to see this, mainly because I love a lot of Guy Ritchie's work. So I was really looking forward to this one, especially after seeing The Gentlemen not too long ago. Sadly, there wasn't a showing at my theater. So a review for the movie had to be saved for later.

What is Wrath of Man?

Wrath of Man is an action heist thriller movie and loosely based on the 2004 film Cash Truck. The movie was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Miramax and distributed by Lionsgate and United Artists Releasing. Wrath of Man was written by Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, and Marn Davies and directed by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist didn't go as planned because Patrick "H" Hill stopped it all with an impressive set of skills. Everyone is wondering who he is and where did he come from. Meanwhile "H" is taking drastic measures to settle a score.

My Thoughts

 

The Good: One thing I'm giving the film credit for is Guy Ritchie's directing. Once again it feels great to see him go back to directing gritty crime films, and this one is no expectation. What also made the movie awesome is Jason Statham. He not only looked like a badass during the action scenes, but he did a great job at playing this character who's not only tough, but very mysterious. Since I brought up action, let's discuss that. The best way to describe it is unforgivably brutal. People just don't get shot, they pretty much get messed up. Brains are without a doubt getting splattered. What I also want to give credit to is the score. It not only sounds really great, but also gives off a very dangerous vibe to it. And given this movie, that fits.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: The only mix aspect of Wrath of Man was the pacing. It's fine for the most part, but when we get into the flashbacks and each story connects to each other, that's where the movie does slow down for a bit. Afterwards we are back with faster pace.

Final Verdict: Good.

Why Didn't I See Spiral?

The reason I didn't see Spiral is because the Saw franchise, the more and more it went on the more and more I just didn't care anymore. I really felt like this is a franchise that should've taken it's time when making a new movie. This was a time (2004 all the way to 2010) when we got a new Saw film. Sounds exciting right? Well sometimes no. A lot of times those movies just sucked. When when we had a seven year gap between Saw 3D and Jigsaw, there still wasn't anything really interesting. Especially since with Jigsaw, ya knew the twist and everything in that movie.

What is Spiral?

Spiral (aka Spiral: From The Book of Saw) is a horror film and the ninth installment of the Saw film series. The movie was produced by Twisted Pictures and distributed by Lionsgate. Spiral was written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. The story is detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks and his rookie partner have started to work a case into some grisly murders. Murders that seem to be linked to the city's past. Soon enough, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer's morbid game.

My Thoughts

The Good: I know a lot of people joke about it but I actually enjoyed Chris Rock's performance. No, I don't consider it the greatest of all time. But I thought he handled the more serious moments very well. But what I rea enjoyed was yes it's still a horror movie, but this time I also got sort of a crime thriller vibe from it. Cause one of my issues with a lot of the sequels, whether they range from okay to awful, was it was very clear that the filmmakers were focusing more on the gore and traps. But here, while the traps and gore are still present, it still felt like the filmmakers this time around, really wanted to tell a story.

The Bad: The only true issues I had with the film was the runtime. This one really needed/would've benefited from a longer runtime. Cause even though I don't view this as a bad movie, I still liked it, I still do have this nagging feeling that things still went a little too fast.

The Okay: There are two decent things regarding the whole movie, one of those are our characters. They're okay. We still do get something with them, like their backstory. But I still felt like there still could've been more to them. Which probably could've happened if that runtime was longer. The gray area is the mystery. It's also okay. You really do find out who the killer is during the second act. But you'll still wonder why they're doing this and that stuff, so there's still kind of a mystery there.

Final Verdict: Okay.

Why Didn't I See A Quiet Place Part II?

I pretty much already explained this, but to make a long story short, while my theater was opening back up soon given that everything with COVID was dying down, they [my local theater] still weren't sure WHEN they were opening back up. So, there couldn't be a viewing for me and in return, no review.

What is A Quiet Place Part II?

A Quiet Place Part II is a post-apocalyptic horror movie and the sequel to 2018's A Quiet Place. The movie was produced by Platinum Dunes and Sunday Night Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures. A Quiet Place Part II was written and directed by John Krasinski. The story is after the events of the first film, the Abbott family's house is completely destroyed, and the remaining members of the family must continue to survive. After venturing off the sand path, not only do they still have to fight the creatures that hunt by sound, but they must also fight off other unknown terrors.

My Thoughts

The Good: Much like the first movie were giving some great scares. Just like the first, the silence isn't relaxing it's terrifying. Cause if you do feel calm, you still have a feeling of dread, because you can't hear the monsters coming until, much like the characters it is or it's almost too late. What I also want too give credit for the focus on character, mainly with the newest Emmett. At the beginning while we don't see much of him, we are given the impression that he was just a typical ordinary family man. Then we meet up with later on, we see what kind of effect the invasion had him. Which brings me to the performances. Once again, Emily Blunt and the child actors did a fantastic job, but I really gotta give credit to Cillian Murphy. He was able to do so much with so little. Cause even if he's entire face is covered up, and all you can see is his eyes, we can still tell what kind of emotional state he's showing his character going through. The last thing I'll praise the movie for is John Krasinski. He already directed the first movie really well, but here he really stepped it up a notch. That Day 1 sequence alone he really showed he's got some talent when it comes to directing.

The Bad: I've got nothing.

The Okay: The thing that I thought was okay was the storyline between the mother and the son. The main reason why it's just okay is because while you're kinda interested in how they'll survive, it's just not as interesting as what the daughter and Emmett were doing.

Final Verdict: Great.

So that's all for me. Come back on Thursday, May 26th for my A Look Back at review of Top Gun. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) Review

 

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a live-action/animated action adventure comedy film based on the Disney characters Chip and Dale, and it's also a continuation of the animated series of the same name. The movie is produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films and distributed by Disney+. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand and directed by Akiva Schaffer.

The story is it's been thirty years since the show Rescue Rangers ended. Chip has moved from that part of his life and has become an insurance agent, while Dale works at the convention circuit in hopes are reliving the good old days. The two are later brought together when they find out some of their friends has gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Now the two must become the Rescue Rangers once again, and solve this mystery.

Initial Reaction

Now I'm gonna be honest, the trailers I thought were okay. I thought they did a decent job and grabbing my attention, but at the same time I can understand why a lot of people were put off by them. But none the less, I was still interested in seeing this movie, and hoped for the best.

Cons

The only problem I had with the movie was with Peter Pan. What made it really bad wasn't the fact of him not being good, it was how the writers handled his backstory. Cause if you look up what happened with the first Peter Pan actor that being Bobby Driscoll, and compare it to this, you'll see why this is a huge problem. Someone on Twitter (I forgot their account name) said how maybe this was the writers bringing up and criticizing Disney's more troublesome past, which is a good point. But he or she also mentioned how that due to the writing not being all that great, that doesn't mean the movie should get a free pass, which is also a good point. So yeah, kinda gotta detect points for that.

Middle Ground

Now the movie can be predictable in some places. Like for instance, the cops get involved and Chip and Dale think one of the officers is dirty. For that you can pretty much guess who it is. However, because the film does offer some good entertainment (minus the Peter Pan stuff), you can forgive it.

Pros

One good aspect of the movie was the humor (although once again, not from the Peter Pan side of this). Sure, not everything worked, but for the most part I was laughing. I especially liked one bit where they talk about the cops doing a raid on Nickelodeon Studios. That was a pretty dark bit of humor, but I dug it. What I also enjoyed was the animation. The animators really did a great job blending everything together. There was a lovely mix of 3-D, puppets, and I don't think it was truly clay animation, but they sure did make it seem like it was. So I really have to give props for the animators, and all of the hard work they. There was no way it was easy to juggle all of this. The last thing I'll give credit to is the acting. No, this isn't award winning, but everyone did do a good job. I was very surprised to hear Tress MacNeille reprise her role as Gadget, even though she's by no means in the movie that long. And John Mulaney and Andy Samberg have some decent chemistry between the two, and do keep you interested.

Overall I did like the movie. It's got good humor, great animation, and a good cast. It's predictable, but that can be forgiven. What can't be forgiven is the stuff with Peter Pan. The filmmakers really should've rethought this way before the film was even close to having any sort of marketing.

My final rating is Good.

So that's all for me. Come back on Monday, May 23rd, for part three of Looking Back at the Films of 2021. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at Stranger Things - Season 3

 

So, the long awaited fourth season of Stranger Things will be arriving soon. That means it's time to look back, and see how things were for the third season.

Stranger Things 3 is the third season of the beloved Netflix show Stranger Things. The show is both produced and distributed by Netflix. This season consisted on eight episodes. The show is created by The Duffer Brothers.

The story is it's 1985 and everyone is enjoying the newly built Starcourt Mall. Mike, Eleven and the rest of the gang are feeling great and can't wait to enjoy their summer vacation. But that soon comes crashing down when something odd is going on around their beloved town, and despite closing the portal to the Upside Down, the gang can't help but think they're still in some sort of danger from it.

• Negatives

This more of my own personal reasons, so feel free to ignore this, but I could not stand Lucas's sister Erica. I don't understand why this character got so much praise. She's not only rude, but extremely annoying! Every time she was on-screen she was either rude, obnoxious, full of herself, or like I said previously, annoying.

Now let's move on to a complaint I think you might agree with me more on, and that's there was far too much relationship drama going on with this season. There's relationship drama going on with Mike & Eleven, there's drama between Hopper & Joyce. On look there's probably something going on with Robin & Steve, oh there's also something with Mrs. Wheeler & Billy! Oh and Lucas & Max broke up! Just holy sh*t man! Why did we need so much on this? I thought this was Stranger Things not something from the CW. And what was also annoying about this was the stuff with Mrs. Wheeler & Billy and Lucas & Max could've easily been written out because by the end of the series, it served no purpose. They really should've toned it down with all this drama, and save some of those storylines for the latter season.

• Mix

I know I just went on a whole rant about the relationship drama, but I do have to give credit for them doing something when it came to the characters. Cause even with the eye rolling relationship issues, the writers still managed to give us other forms of character development and depth that didn't rely on what I complained about before. Still wish it didn't have to start off with the relationship nonsense, but at least we still got something.

My other mix bag with this season was the finale. Now it's still pretty good, but we knew exactly what was gonna happen to one character, and you probably know who I'm referring too. I think many of us might of believed it, had the crew and stuff didn't add an extra scene talking about the "American", right after we just saw the character "die".

• Positives

If there's one truly positive thing regrading this season it's the performances. Despite things been much weaker when compared to the last two seasons, the cast still managed to do an excellent job with the material they were given, and that did still kept me watching.

Stranger Things 3 wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The biggest issues being a very annoying character with Erica, but the biggest problem was the quality of the writing being brought down with all of the relationship drama. While character was still written pretty well, it sucked it started off because of all of the drama. And while the season finale still had something to it, they did bring the quality of that down by showing that a character definitely didn't die. But what really did help the season was the cast and their acting.

My final rating is Okay.

Let's hope season four is very much of an improvement. Anyways, that's all for me. Come back on Saturday, May 21st for my review on the newest Disney+ movie, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

 

With the Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie debuting soon, I do my usual thing of reviewing what came before.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers was an animated adventure comedy series based on the Disney characters of Chip and Dale. The show premiered on The Disney Channel on Mar 4th, 1989 and ended on Nov 19th, 1990. Giving the show a total of three seasons and sixty-five episodes. It was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Walt Disney Television and distributed by Buena Vista Television and Hit Entertainment. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers was created by Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove.

The story is two chipmunks named Chip and Dale along with their other friends have started a detective agency called Rescue Rangers. They handle jobs that are "too small" for the ordinary police to handle. And when they're not telling with those cases, the Rescue Rangers often time have to deal with their arch rivals, the mafia-styled Fat Cat and the mad scientist named Norton Nimnul.

• Negatives

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

• Mix

I've got nothing to say. So once again, let's move on.

• Positives

One of the best things about the show was the theme song. It's a very fun song and the chorus is not only set up well, but it's something I sometimes sing along too. It's a nicely done catchy theme.

What I also came to enjoy from the show was the characters. Chip and Dale during this time were given more personalities. Chip in this show is focused on his job that his friends think he doesn't know how to have fun, and Dale is...well Dale is still the more laid-back between the two, but that still doesn't stop him from being entertaining. But there were also characters such as Gadget, Monterey Jack, and Zipper. All of them in one way in or another are written to be very likable.

Now one thing I wasn't expecting was how funny this show could be. I really don't want to give too many of the jokes a way, just in case you want to watch for yourself. But there is this one bit where Gadget admits to building traps around her place, just so she can get rid of salesmen. That moment caught me completely off guard, and it was absolutely hilarious.

The last thing I'll give the show credit for is the writing. Wasn't expecting this is be written as well as it was. We not only get good bits of character, whether it be something about them, or some sort of development, but we also get some pretty crazy episodes. Like one about the real reason why dinosaurs went extinct, and let me tell you, it's really out there. Then there was an episode about a cult. And yes, not only is that episode real, but it's pretty bonkers.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a very good Disney animated series. It's got a great theme song, wonderful characters, very funny, and the writing is surprisingly well done.

My final rating is A Must Watch.

So that's all for me. Come back on Thursday, May 19th for another A Look Back at review. This time I'll be reviewing season three of Stranger Things. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Firestarter (2022) Review

 

Firestarter is a science fiction horror movie based on Stephen King's 1980 novel of the same name, as well as a remake of the 1984 movie that also goes by the same name. The movie is produced by Blumhouse Productions, Weed Road Pictures, BoulderLight Pictures, and Angry Adam Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. Firestarter is written by Scott Teems and directed by Keith Thomas.

The story is Charlene "Charlie" McGee seems like she's just your typical normal girl, but that's not really who she is. Carlene actually has pyrokinesis and a very powerful one at that. Because of this amazing ability she is hunted down by a secret government organization that want to capture and control her, now Charlie's father must do everything in his power to protect her no matter what.

Initial Reaction

My reason for wanting to see this was because I'm more than willing to give any sort of remake a fair chance. Especially since there are some good remakes. Such the remakes of Fright Night, The Woman in Black, The Fly, Dawn of the Dead, and we have good remakes that aren't horror films like Ocean's Eleven, The Departed, and True Grit.

Cons

One big issue with the film is it really needed to be longer. Cause there's so much story with the original book, that there's no way you could've possibly fit it all into a 90 minute runtime. Which is why I liked the IT movies so much. Instead of tiring to cram everything into a small amount of time, they broke the story apart. Which other than a longer runtime, should've happened with this. Or maybe they should've turned this into a miniseries. Either way, going down this way didn't work. What also sucked was the pacing. It started out fine enough, but once Charlie's cover was blown we go way too fast with the story. It's like the filmmakers didn't want to focus on the characters (which I'll get into soon enough) but instead wanted to do all of the fire burning and fugitive/on the run stuff instead. A internet critic by the name of Brad Jones (aka The Cinema Snob) said it best "Yeah it's paced differently than the other, but more like you're speed reading through the book". If you had to describe the remake's pacing in a nutshell, that really is the best way to go about it. Then we have our biggest problem and that's the characters. Really the only decent characters in the entire movie was Charlie's Mom and Dad. Other than everyone else was poorly written. The villains are best described as generic and/or bland. There really wasn't anything other than that to them. As for the other bad guy (John Rainbird), the story with him sucked. Especially the ending. There was no reason for Charlie to do what she did to him. Especially since he's the one who caused her the most pain in the entire movie. Speaking of Charlie, I don't know what the writer was going for with her. At one point we're suppose to sympathize with her and her struggles, then another point it almost felt like the filmmakers were setting her up to be the real villain of the story, then we're back to feeling sympathetic for her again.

Middle Ground

Really the only gray area is the performances. I didn't feel like anyone was truly bad, I just thought everyone was decent despite the really bad material.

Pros

The only thing to look forward to is the music. The score by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies was the only real highlight of the entire thing. If the movie was just the title and just the muisc I wouldn't have been disappointed. Sure that's basically something for a YouTube video, but it would've been better than what we got.

Firestarter is bad. I wanted to like it, but the quality of the movie was brought down by the story needing a longer runtime, bad pacing, and terribly written characters, especially on the villain's side. The performances were okay. Really the only good thing to come out of this was the score.

My final rating is Bad.

Well that was a let down. Anyways, come back on Monday, May 16th for my A Look Back at review of Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Review

 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a comic book movie based on the Marvel Comics' character Doctor Strange. It's also a sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange and the 28th film in the MCU. The movie is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is written by Michael Waldron and directed by Sam Raimi.

The story is it's been a few months since the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and at first nothing seems wrong, until Dr. Stephen Strange finds out there's something wrong within the multiverse. Now Dr. Strange, Wong, and other allies must put a stop to whatever the threat is or the multiverse is doomed.

Initial Reaction

Now, I've been looking forward to this film since the first movie. Got a little worried when Scott Dickerson was off of the movie, but I was very hopeful when I heard Sam Raimi was brought on board. The guy who gave us both the Evil Dead films and Spider-Man! I'm all in!

Cons

The only thing I hated was the post-credit scene. It was yet another one of those last minute jokes scenes. And it was was a surprise cameo who after gets a spell worn off shouts "It's over!" That was so bad that the audience I saw it with not only groaned in annoyance, but I heard one woman go "Seriously? THAT'S what we waited for?"

Middle Ground

One mix bag is the humor. There were some bits that actually got a chuckle out of me, other times me and the audience was dead silent. The other slight issue was the pacing. It's not too bad, for the most part it's just fine, but there does come a time when you get a tiny feeling of that 2 hour runtime.

Pros

Now let's get into the more positive stuff and it is what saved the movie, for the most part. One pro is the visual effects. Much like the first movie, the effects are just beautiful. I especially liked this one bit where Strange and Chavez was going through other universes and some bits where a little strange (no pun intended), but I liked that because it kept you interested, and it works for the movie. What I also want to give credit for is the villain. It's a pretty good baddie. It's not "Greatest of all time!" or top ten, but we do get a good motivate, and I'm thankful the writer didn't pull some sort of forgiveness or some crap like that. No happy ending for that character. Another good aspect of this is the performances. Cumberbatch once again nails it with Doctor Strange. I especially want to give praise to Elizabeth Olsen. She really showed a lot more range in this. She pulled off being motherly, intimidating, and etc. What was also good was how brutal this film. Sam Raimi was really pushing it with that PG-13 rating. I was actually surprised with how much was allowed in the movie. No, it's nothing crazy like Raimi's Evil Dead films. But it's still pretty graphic. Hell, one character's head blows off and there was no shying away from that. Now for the biggest compliment I can give this movie, and that is this is without a shadow of doubt, no debates about it, 100% a Sam Raimi film. I find it absolutely ridiculous that this is a criticism against the movie. One of the most common complaints I've seen about the MCU is nine times out of ten some of the movies look like they were directed by the same person. Which despite being a fan of this franchise, I can't argue against that. Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios need to ignore this criticism, and let their directors put their own personal style to these films as supposed to the save style they've been doing. That's why a lot of people like phase one as supposed to now. Cause during that phase, you could tell that different people were behind the camera. Believe it or not, an auteur isn't going to be a bad thing for the MCU. And Raimi proved that with this film.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness isn't perfect, but it can still be enjoyed. It's got great visual effects, a pretty good villain, really good performances, a lot more intense violence this time around, and it's definitely a Raimi film. The humor and especially the pacing was decent, but could've used more work. The only thing I couldn't stand was that stupid post-credit scene.

My final rating is Good.

Okay, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Saturday, May 14th for my review of the remake of Firestarter. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Constantine: The House of Mystery Review

 

Constantine: The House of Mystery is an animated short film based on the DC Comics' character John Constantine. The movie is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Constantine: The House of Mystery is written by Ernie Altbacker and directed by Matt Peters.

The story is John Constantine awakens in the House of Mystery with no memory of how he got there, and why his friends are not only demons, but are out to kill him. He soon finds out it's a punishment for what he during the Apokolips War. Now John must find a way of out this mess or be trapped in the house and be killed over and over again.

Initial Reaction

The reason why I wanted to see this even though I typically ignore the DC Showcase shorts, was because it would've told use something, or given us a glimpse of what happened after Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. So this was a case of curiosity.

Cons

The biggest downside and it's the one thing I was worried about, and it's the fact that the film raised more questions than answers. Cause by the end of the story, something big happens and it's not a satisfying ending. I don't give away spoilers, so the only thing I can say is there's been speculation, or I should say hope for an animated Crisis on Infinite Earths movie. I'd like to remind you, that's just fans hoping for something, there's not even a rumor going around about that. But it would offer some sort of closure to the DC Animated Movie Universe.

Middle Ground

Now I didn't mind the artstyle too much in this. A lot of characters in this look good. The slight issue is with Constantine's design. It does take awhile to get use to this look when compared to how the character looked in the previous films.

Pros

One of the two positives about Constantine: The House of Mystery is Matt Ryan. Once again he proves he's the absolutely best when it comes to playing Constantine. And I hope whether it be for animated movies, cartoons, or live-action he continues cause he is so good at. I also want to give credit to the twist. Like I said no spoilers are allowed here, but what I will say is the twist really showed that Constantine really is he's own worst enemy.

Overall Constantine: The House of Mystery is decent. Matt Ryan does another great job and the twist is very well done. The artstyle is well done with other characters, but it does take time with Constantine. The biggest issue and it's really what brought the film down is the fact we're left with more questions than answers.

My final rating is Okay.

So, that's all for me. Come back on Saturday, May 7th for my review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.