MOVIE REVIEW- Captain Marvel
Firstly,
the cinema was full! Tickets sold out several times. It’s clear that
the cinematic superhero phenomenon is still in full swing.
It’s
refreshing to see yet another female central character gracing the big
screen after Wonder Woman. Co-directed and co-written by women too.
Brie
Larson plays Carol Danvers aka “Captain Marvel” an otherworldly
character who has little memory of her past on Earth. This absence gives
rise to an internal type of conflict, being unsure of who or what she
is. The film is set in the 1990s, and it feels that way too. Samuel L.
Jackson, plays a young, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Nicholas Fury who
discovers our female hero. The two work harmoniously together with cheap
and cheery banter between the serious moments as together they try to
stop an alien war heading for Earth.
A species of shapeshifters
called the Skrulls capture our hero in an attempt to probe through her
memories. The reason is discovered as an interesting twist in the film.
As
Carol begins to connect her past (a fighter pilot and Kree recruit) and
present (hero-warrior) this lifts her ability to draw on her power. And
she eventually does this in a fabulous visual display for us all.
The film hits all the right beats and within its formula is a subtle cultural and feminist pulse.
Four out of five stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MOVIE REVIEW- AQUAMAN: I feel like I want to say “Aquaman is the new underwater Star Wars with opposing forces characterised by battalions of soldiers riding armoured seahorses or sharks.” And who doesn’t like a seahorse that whinnies?
Yes, it sits nicely in the prosperous world of superhero films. This is Aquaman’s debut and Jason Mamoa @prideofgypsies measures up as the best fit to play the half-human, half-Atlantean prince. Generally, Arthur (Aquaman)is reluctant to be drawn into the role of a hero. His parents, a human father and a mother the Queen of Atlanta, Arthur is termed as mixed species (the term being used by many reviewers) but I would rather use the term biracial.
His character journey takes him from a beer drinking, grumpy man, abandoned by his mother for his own protection, loved by his father, to a trident-wielding hero. The cinema screen is filled with colourful visuals and there is a lot to look at. And there are loads to like. There are many explosions and fight scenes that fill the screen and at times this becomes overwhelming on the viewer I’m sure. We must remember the story rules no matter how much fury we want to inject. Okay, it takes some effort to unite armies and protect the human world. There were loads to fit into the story so it’s a big film in content and length.
Directed by James Wan @creepypuppet and in good hands here. There is a promise of more from Aquaman and I would like to see
Three and a half stars out of five from me. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
MOVIE REVIEW – COLD PURSUIT
This film is about revenge. Now
that’s out of the way; this film is one of those unusual and very
unpredicted choices for Liam Neeson to play. Not because it’s about
revenge but because it’s not your stock standard revenge film. Neeson
plays Colorado snowplow driver, Nels Coxman, who seeks revenge after his
son is killed. On a backdrop of breathtaking scenery, white and cold,
the film has a jigsaw puzzle feel about it, keeping us always on edge as
different characters pop in and then right out into the afterlife. Dead
I mean. Yes, the body count continues to climb as does the use of
fists, bullets, chicken wire and waterfalls.
The amusement factor is trickled through and comes in the form of quirky nicknames: Santa, The Eskimo, Baby Hawk, Wingman, Viking and White Bull. Neeson’s revenge sparks a turf war that erupts between the Denver drug lord Viking (Tom Bateman) and the American Indian White Bull (Tom Jackson, and what a great performance). The relationship dynamics between characters is one of the elements I liked the most.
There are awkward moments in the film with things going up and down that provide a time to pause and think WTF, a break from the dialogue and action. These strange inclusions may leave you either confused or feeling uncomfortable, and I like those moments.
It’s refreshing to see Neeson in a film that offers more than just revenge and death. While that’s all there, his softened composure and credibility in this character’s life path add to its appeal without it just being about a revengeful blood bath — three and a half stars out of five. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
MOVIE REVIEW- Overlord (R18+ Rating) Historical WWII horror chiller as some are calling it. Let’s start with the rating. Blood, gorge and cursing
Aside from the dramatic beginning the first half of this film spends time on character development and the second half moves into the mission and the nasty business of mysterious labs and horrible things. I have no doubt that some people will love the first half of the film and not like the last half or the other way around. I didn’t mind both, entertaining enough for a historical horror but no big surprises here. However, this film has an Australian director, Julius Avery (Son of a Gun), and he is making his big-budget Hollywood debut so it was one I wanted to see. 3 and a half stars out of five from me. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
MOVIE REVIEW: Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Unless you are a Dragon Ball Z fan or have watched the series you will find the plot to be somewhat confusing or complicated. Newcomers may find themselves trying to keep up with the storyline. I watched the television anime series with my young sons for years, so here I’ll try and summarise the plot for you. Planet Vegeta is destroyed, three Saiyans, Vegeta, Goku and Broly were scattered among the universe. Two found a home on Earth, and the third was raised on a hostile planet and driven by his father to seek vengeance and develop his fantastic power. Revenge comes when the three
This film takes us back to the three
This film will have a huge fan base, and the animation stays true to the original TV series which will please many and leave newcomers feeling confused at its somewhat dated animation format. But this franchise has decades of storytelling and re-enforces the fandom of these characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Three and a half stars out of five. ⭐️⭐️⭐💫
MOVIE REVIEW: ROBIN HOOD I wanted to love this film. Promised to be a new version of this memorable tale it captures the heart of the story of the underdog robbing from the rich to give to the poor, but it fails to convey heart and connection and becomes political in its portrayal. Which is probably what the writers and director set out to do, but the question must be asked, “will that resonate with the viewers?”Taron Egerton plays Robin of Locksley battling the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham played by Ben Mendelsohn. It is the Saracen Little John played by Jamie Foxx who brings some emotional class to the film, but he does not save it.
The modern aspects of the movie turns it into a new legend for contemporary audiences. While this will appeal to some audiences especially with the modern costumes including some of the cleanest looking custom-made leather jackets I have seen in a while and includes modern close quarter combats scenes, however, these aspects trade high energy for quality storytelling. Alongside this, is the stuttering handheld camerawork and choppy switching from scene to scene which doesn’t help its cause.
A really unfortunate try at a new adaptation, lacking a lot of things including, real romance, heartfelt virtue and real hopeful connection in a quest to right the wrongs in this medieval time. One star out of five from me. ⭐️
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So until next time… “Be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques”
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