A Review of “All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)”

What interested me most about watching this film was that it was WWI, which we don’t see as much in films compared to WWII, and the fact it was from the German side instead.

What stands out the most is the amazing production value. The set design, the costumes and the setpieces are all phenomenal. They perfectly portray the horrific, dirty and brutal nature of the war. The actors are all great in their roles as well. Felix Kammerer plays the main character, Paul Bäumer, and he gives a terrific performance in showing Paul’s gradual loss of idealism throughout the movie. The cinematography by James Friend is oddly beautiful with some gorgeous wide shots that contrast the closeup shots of the War with its grimness. The music score by Volker Bertelmann is quite odd as well with its sudden thumping horns but they work in elevating the tension by foreboding what’s coming.

My only complaint is that the film is quite predictable. It goes through every trope you would expect from a ‘War is bad" movie and nothing in the plot surprised me whatsoever. It’s also a little difficult to care for the characters as we barely spend enough time with them apart from the main character and an older soldier called “Kat”.

Apart from that, it is quite a stellar war movie that still delivers on the cruelty of World War I.

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A “QUICK!” Review of “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)”

When I found out after watching, that this was based on a Manhua (Chinese Comic book), it started to make sense. Characters that feel straightforward, the action scenes that defy physics in every way, the power of friendship, straight-up superpowered abilities, and countless flashbacks. The film suffers from juggling too many things. We have this fish out of water, self-discovery story with our main character. We have this gang conflict between those in the Walled City and the Triads. We have a revenge plot. We have a man dealing with his past—the growing of bonds. Unfortunately, the story is all incredibly predictable and lacks real depth. The constant talk about the past conflict sounded more interesting than the main plot. The ending is lacklustre and the final fight is so weird with the unexplained superpowers. However, if you like martial arts movies then there is certainly fun to be had here.

A “QUICK!” Review of “Rebel Ridge (2024)”

Netflix marketed Rebel Ridge as a cool action movie. If you came in expecting that, you are going to be disappointed. Rebel Ridge is not an action movie. It has just one proper action set piece near the end. What Rebel Ridge really is, is a slow-burn thriller mystery. Aaron Pierre absolutely delivers as the main lead. He is calm, collected and incredibly charismatic. He totally sells on a character that is secretly a badass. I like the twist in that the character doesn’t kill, even if they are corrupt cops. This gives the very few action set pieces a unique element to it. The mystery itself is a little convoluted and the movie does go on for 10-15 minutes too long. The ending is quite rushed and unsatisfying as well. Still, this is a pretty interesting film and I do recommend people give it a chance.

A “QUICK!” Review of “The Prosecutor (2024)”

The Prosecutor is an interesting film, as it’s actually a legal-focused thriller first and foremost, with the martial arts action coming second. I found this blend of genres to work surprisingly well, and I give Donnie props for trying something different. The movie features a phenomenal opening action sequence and an incredible climactic one too. When it comes to the action scenes, you definitely won’t be disappointed. However, the legal aspect—which makes up the majority of the film—is unfortunately a bit lacklustre and predictable. I wish the courtroom scenes had explored more of the complexities of the justice system and delivered more intense drama. It didn’t help that the villain was incredibly one-dimensional. Still, it’s an entertaining action movie overall, and this film does show that Donnie knows how to handle action.

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