MovieRankingReviews

  The first half had so much promise. It features a kid who is already proficient in martial arts, unlike previous entries, and introduces a fresh storyline involving the training of a boxer. There’s even an awesome Jackie Chan inspired action scene. It was great! But then it threw all of that away and reverted to the same story we’ve already seen multiple times in this franchise, only this time, it was rushed and worse. Ralph Macchio is underutilized and seems to be included solely for crossover appeal. He contributes little to the plot. At least Ben Wang is fantastic, and I’d love to see more of him!

  A pretty fun, tense thriller-mystery with an intriguing concept. Meghann Fahy does a great job as the main character, she convincingly portrays her internal conflict and really gets us to root for her. Brandon Sklenar, who plays her date, is also wonderful and has great chemistry with Meghann. What surprised me most was how good the cinematography was. Despite taking place in a single location for most of the movie, there are plenty of great-looking shots and impressive camera work. Unfortunately, the movie’s final act is ridiculous and silly. All the twists and turns raise numerous questions about the overall story. You definitely need to suspend your disbelief, but if you do, it’s a pretty entertaining watch.

  Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is supposedly Tom Cruise’s final outing in the franchise. I absolutely adore the Mission: Impossible series, and in my opinion, there hasn’t been a truly “awful” entry. Even the second film has its charm, and while the previous installment, Dead Reckoning, had its issues, it was still a fun ride. So, does The Final Reckoning provide a satisfying conclusion to the franchise? Let’s start with the main reason you watch these movies: the action. The Final Reckoning continues to deliver top-tier action set pieces! The plane scene featured in all the posters and trailers is just as phenomenal as you’d expect. The tension is palpable, and the fact that Tom Cruise performed the stunt for real allows for some breathtaking shots and stunt work. Another standout set piece is the submarine sequence, which is completely different in tone and setting. It’s a 10–15 minute anxiety-inducing sequence where Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) navigates a...

  For a movie based on the iconic video game Minecraft, a game that thrives on creativity and imagination, this film is shockingly devoid of both. The story is painfully straightforward and predictable. The characters are one-dimensional, with little to no development, and the jokes fall flat. It’s essentially a collection of Minecraft references strung together without a coherent plot or structure. That said, Jack Black and Jason Momoa clearly seem to be having a good time, and they’re fairly entertaining to watch. If you’re just looking to see Jack Black sing and drop as many Minecraft terms as possible, you won’t be disappointed.

  An interesting movie, as it is based on a true war experience that the director had during the Iraq War. I think what makes the movie great is the phenomenal sound design and the grounded, realistic representation of war. There is no glorification of the soldiers or the war — it is dirty, frightening, and downright horrific. Most of the story revolves entirely around one house, as tension mounts throughout the film. The only problem is that there is no real understanding or exploration of any of the characters. However, I think that’s fine, because the film is more about the horror of war than anything else.

  The title Hurry Up Tomorrow is incredibly appropriate—because the entire time I was watching it, I just wanted it to hurry up and end. Calling this a “film” is generous; surviving it felt more like a cinematic endurance test. The plot is laughably shallow, padded with so much pointless fluff that the pacing is downright painful. Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd, essentially plays himself—and not well. His acting is so stiff, it’s almost impressive. Sharing scenes with Jenna Ortega only makes it worse; she effortlessly outshines him at every turn, making his performance look like a high school drama rehearsal. To make matters worse, the whole movie is drenched in ego. There’s a scene—I’m not making this up—where Jenna’s character actually analyzes the deep themes of his music. It tries to present itself as some kind of profound artistic statement, but really, it’s just a 100-minute commercial for his new album. Abel, please—stick to your day job.

  Yep, it’s another Jason Statham action movie. David Ayer directed the last Jason movie, The Beekeeper (2024), which was a fun time. A Working Man feels mostly the same, with Jason seemingly playing the same hidden badass character—again. It retains all the same problems as before: bad writing, dumb dialogue, forgettable characters, and overly cartoonish villains. David has certainly learned nothing from the previous movie. What makes this one worse, though, is that there are too many characters, too many villains, and the movie is just too long. It does have some fun action set pieces, but that’s really all it has.

  I’ve always appreciated when Marvel steps away from its usual roster to spotlight lesser-known heroes or teams. It doesn’t always work—Eternals being a prime example—but I respect the effort. Thunderbolts follows this tradition, focusing on a relatively obscure, morally ambiguous team. It’s Marvel’s closest equivalent to DC’s The Suicide Squad, composed mostly of villains or anti-heroes. After the letdown of Captain America: Brave New World, there’s a lot riding on this film with Avengers: Doomsday looming ahead. So, does Thunderbolts succeed, or is it another misfire? Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the story. While it echoes the familiar trope of a dysfunctional group learning to work together, it avoids being a direct copy of Suicide Squad. There are no bombs in necks or forced compliance. Instead, the film focuses on character-driven growth and survival under pressure. What really stood out was its thoughtful handling of themes like depression and mental illness...

  Havoc struggles to find its footing in the first half, weighed down by a convoluted plot and underdeveloped, unengaging characters. The CGI is noticeably poor—particularly in the car chases, which feel unnecessarily digital when practical effects would have served the scenes far better. Visually, the film suffers from flat cinematography and a muted color palette that saps energy from the screen. But once the film shifts gears in the second half, it delivers exactly what fans of The Raid: Redemption have been waiting for. The action kicks into high gear with explosive, pulse-pounding sequences that showcase the director’s flair for brutal, high-octane combat. It transforms into the kind of gloriously over-the-top action spectacle that makes the earlier missteps almost forgivable.