MovieRankingReviews

  Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man for a 4th film, the actor to do so! I thoroughly enjoyed the previous trilogy directed by Jon Watts and was curious where it would go next since Jon was done with it. Hiring the director of Shang-Chi and Wonder Man, Daniel Destin Cretton, two of some of the best post-Endgame Marvel content felt like a recipe for success! Is this a Brand New Day for Spider-Man or a dark day for Spider-Man? What amazes me after watching this film is just how this is the most comic-booky Spider-Man film we have got ever! The amount of shots and visuals that straight-up feel like a comic book panel brought to life is wonderful! Even the way the story is told feels like it with how he fights different type of criminals, interacts with different heroes and faces different challenges. The action scenes are also great with the way Spider-Man fights feeling like it was ripped straight out of the Insomniac Spider-Man games. The choreography during the fight a...

  Curry Barker does a phenomenal job in his directorial debut. The clever uses of lighting, the square 1.50:1 to create this sense of claustrophobia, the sound design, the sudden needle drops, the creepy dialogue all contribute to making Obsession scary without just being reliant on jump scares! Inde Navarrette’s performance deserves absolute praise with the way she moves and the delivery of her lines. She scared me more than any other horror movie monster! Obsession is a terrific film with a fascinating idea that is executed wonderfully to give a surprisingly layered psychological horror film!

  I had a lot of concerns when Daredevil was moved over to Disney. However, Born Again Season 1 ended up being better than expected. It was still definitely the weakest season of Daredevil , but considering the behind-the-scenes creative drama, the final product turned out surprisingly solid. With Season 2, though, the series was fully under the creative control of Dario Scardapane as showrunner. So, does Season 2 finally deliver a more promising follow-up? Yes, it does. The season is far more consistent visually, as well as in terms of quality and writing. It doesn’t suffer from the strange dips in quality or tonal shifts that Season 1 had. The story is much more focused and engaging, making it enjoyable to invest in Daredevil’s struggle and the resistance effort against Kingpin. Watching the characters slowly weaken Fisk’s forces, damage his credibility, and search for evidence makes for a far more entertaining season than the slower-paced nature of the first. There ...

  This is an incredibly weird, wacky, and wild film! It’s a roughly two-hour, entertaining joyride about an unlikely group taking on a powerful A.I. overlord. The film offers a very “on-the-nose” exploration of modern technology addiction and societal apathy, but it works well within the tone it’s going for. Sam Rockwell delivers a hilariously unhinged performance and absolutely steals every scene he’s in. Whether this film works for you depends on how much you can embrace the random shenanigans that unfold. If you can, then this is a whole lot of fun!

  Emma Stone delivers a great performance here as a cool, calculating CEO who has been kidnapped by Jesse Plemons’ character. The standout, however, is definitely Jesse, who gives a phenomenally sharp, unpredictable, and layered performance. He brings a level of instability and anger to his character, but also moments of kindness and vulnerability that really work. What carries this film is the tension and conflict between the two, making it a genuinely compelling watch. Additionally, the cinematography and visuals are wonderful, with colours that truly pop, complemented by a music score that heightens the tension. However, what ultimately brings the film down is that it doesn’t quite stick the landing. The ending is predictable and feels a bit too on the nose in delivering its message. Still, this is an enjoyable film that illustrates the dangers of unhealthy delusions and class conflict.

  I was worried when they announced a Zootopia sequel. Judy and Nick already felt like they had a complete character arc in the first film. Those concerns turned out to be unfounded, as the sequel really delivers on their relationship. Even though they had become a solid team and close friends by the end of the previous film, relationships always have bumps and cracks. Judy and Nick care about different things, which leads to meaningful conflict and growth between them. Additionally, the film continues its social commentary on race, introducing reptiles into the mix in a way that works very well within the Zootopia universe. An excellent sequel that feels like a natural evolution of the franchise!

  Certainly not what I was expecting. This film is more about a terrible person conning his way through life, similar to the director’s previous work, Uncut Gems. Ping-pong is very secondary and barely featured in the film. It’s hard to root for Marty, as he isn’t a great person, but Timothée Chalamet brings enough charm to make the character at least bearable. It’s a two-hour, anxiety-inducing ride as we watch every bad decision unfold. However, in the last 20 minutes, it suddenly decides it wants to be a sports film, delivering a “Rocky” style final act. The tonal shift feels a bit strange, but it makes for an exciting conclusion. If you’re looking for an entertaining sports film, this isn’t it. If you want a stressful, high-kinetic rollercoaster ride, though, it’s definitely worth a watch.

  Many people are always quick to question why Marvel makes shows about heroes that “no one cares about.” Yes, there can be misses like Eternals or Echo, but there can also be huge wins like Guardians of the Galaxy, and now, Wonder Man. This show is amazing. It’s an incredibly unique and well-written series about a man who just wants to land his dream acting role while secretly hiding his superpowers. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an absolute Wonder in the lead role and has excellent chemistry with Ben Kingsley, who reprises his MCU role as Trevor Slattery. It was great to see Trevor explored more deeply as a character and his relationship with the lead, Simon. The story is packed with engaging drama, strong writing, and a lot of heart. This is exactly the kind of creative risk I want to see Marvel take more often.

  The premise of a Battle Royale but with Samurais is an incredibly fun idea! The fight scenes are incredibly well-choreographed, bloody and a visual treat to watch! There is also some wonderful cinematography and it genuinely feels like they brought the Meiji era to life! The music score is also excellent. I found that all the actors did a terrific job and special praise has to go to Junichi Okada as the main character Shujiro Saga. He does a great job in bringing depth to the character and also performing the fight choreography. While the story sounds generic on paper, I do love how they explore conflict between the old Samurai era and the new one while also handling some of the politics in a digestible way. It does have a lot of generic tropes including the old broken down man, the young naive girl who can be quite annoying and overly silly bad guy. However, I enjoyed a lot of this show and it is a great start for Season 1. I am most definitely looking forward to w...

  28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the fourth entry in the 28 Days Later film series and the second in the 28 Years Later trilogy. I did enjoy aspects of the previous entry, 28 Years Later, but I admit that I came away feeling somewhat disappointed. With this next installment not being directed by Danny Boyle but instead by Nia DaCosta, I had some concerns. Were these worries unfounded, or is this a worthy sequel? There are two main plotlines: the Jimmy Gang and Dr. Ian’s research. The tonal-whiplash cliffhanger involving the “Jimmy Gang” from the previous film had me concerned, particularly with how ridiculous they initially appeared. However, this film succeeds in making the Jimmy Gang feel genuinely disturbing and threatening. There is a strong focus on one of the gang’s raids on a human settlement, and it results in a truly unsettling sequence of scenes. This contrasts sharply with Dr. Ian, who returns as a much more prominent character in this entry and anchors...

  Wake Up Dead Man is the third instalment in the Knives Out series. I absolutely adore murder mysteries, and this series has been consistently stellar. The first Knives Out was phenomenal, and while the second film Glass Onion was enjoyable, it was admittedly a bit of a step down from its predecessor. Because of that, I was incredibly excited going into this entry. Does the series continue to deliver, or is this a case not worth solving? Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, and once again, he delivers a terrific performance. A Sherlock can’t be without his Watson, and this time Blanc is accompanied by “Priest Jud,” played phenomenally by Josh O’Connor. Jud is easily the most layered partner character the series has had so far. He has a meaningful past and a compelling reason for becoming a priest. You truly understand why he wants to solve this case, and as an audience, we genuinely root for him to succeed. His dynamic with Blanc is also a lot of fun, as the two of...