Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Sicario (2015)

Theatrical Release Poster – Lionsgate – ‘Sicario’

The following is a review of ‘Sicario’, a Denis Villeneuve film.

I had a lot of expectations going into the theater to watch Sicario. The spectacular cast isn’t the only thing you should be excited about. Denis Villeneuve, the director, is one of the hottest new directors in the world. His last three films (Prisoners; Enemy; Incendies) have been some of my favorites in the years that they’ve been released, and Villeneuve is directing the hotly-anticipated Blade Runner sequel soon. In short, I expected Sicario to be one of the best films this year – I was not disappointed.

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Best Films of the Decade: 2000s

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The 2000s marked the beginning of the true golden age of comic book films but it was also the decade in which people started to depict the Iraq War. New techniques were used to make the very best films of the decade, and the Academy Awards chose to truly accept fantasy into their hearts.

Do note that this is my personal top 10 list of the 2000s. Your favorite film may be missing, and I may have loved that film, but, ultimately, this is just a top 10. These decade lists are the very hardest lists to write, for there are so many films that I had to leave out. If there are films on this list that you’ve never seen, then I would suggest that you check them out post-haste.

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CLASSIC REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Theatrical Release Poster – By Roger Kastel

The following is a classic review of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, a Irvin Kershner film. Expect spoilers.

The space opera fairytale that is Star Wars continued in May 1980. What met audiences was a very different film, which did not continue with the same mood that Lucas had ended A New Hope on. In many ways, The Empire Strikes Back is a completely different film than A New Hope, and, quite frankly, it is the film that made Star Wars a franchise. Continue reading “CLASSIC REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)” →

REVIEW: Beasts of No Nation (2015)

Netflix – Release Poster – Beasts of No Nation

The following is a review of the Netflix Original Film ‘Beasts of No Nation’, a Cary Joji Fukunaga Film.

In 2005, Uzodinma Iweala’s novel Beasts of No Nation was published. Now, ten years later, it has become the first major Netflix Original Film. Cinematically, this is Cary Joji Fukunaga’s baby. Fukunaga is best known for directing the first season of True Detective, but also wrote and directed Sin Nombre, a critically acclaimed immigration thriller from 2009. Similarly, Fukunaga took on more than one role in the creation of Beasts of No Nation – but he is not just the screenwriter and director, he also served as the cinematographer on the film. But how did this Netflix project turn out? It just so happens that this is one of the most powerful films of 2015. Continue reading “REVIEW: Beasts of No Nation (2015)” →

REVIEW: Crimson Peak (2015)

Universal Pictures – Theatrical Release Poster – Crimson Peak

The following is a review of ‘Crimson Peak’, a Guillermo Del Toro film.

Guillermo Del Toro is a fastidious filmmaker, and has been known to master the horrific and the gothic in both his writing and directing. Del Toro is also a visually focused director, and Del Toro is at his best when he is able to build his storytelling on the strength of a beautiful set. Why am I telling you this? Because it pleases me to say that Del Toro is back. Having now seen Crimson Peak, it pleases me to state that Guillermo Del Toro has not crafted a more beautiful world since his 2006 fantasy masterpiece, Pan’s Labyrinth. Continue reading “REVIEW: Crimson Peak (2015)” →

REVIEW: Midnight In Paris (2011)

Sony Pictures Classic – Theatrical Release Poster – Midnight in Paris

The following is a review of ‘Midnight in Paris’, a Woody Allen film.

Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris was one of the best films of 2011, and the first of two location-pieces from Allen in succession – with the second one being From Rome With Love in 2012. Today we take a look back at what probably should have won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th ceremony – the modern classic – Midnight in Paris. Continue reading “REVIEW: Midnight In Paris (2011)” →

REVIEW: The Martian (2015)

20th Century Fox – Theatrical Release Poster – The Martian

The following is a review of The Martian, a Ridley Scott film.

In 2011, Andy Weir self-published his first ever novel, The Martian. The Martian was envisioned as a very realistic science fiction novel, and it eventually became quite a hit. Then, in 2013, 20th Century Fox optioned the film rights, with Drew Goddard announced as the scriptwriter, and, later, Ridley Scott was announced as the director. One now hoped that Goddard’s talent and Scott’s experience could make The Martian a solid film. Thankfully, it is much more than that – The Martian is one of the best films of 2015. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Martian (2015)” →

REVIEW: The Walk (2015)

TriStar Pictures’ Theatrical Release Poster for The Walk (2015)

The following is a review of The Walk, a Robert Zemeckis film. The reviewed film was seen in IMAX 3D.

The Walk follows the street artist Philippe Petit (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and shows us how he evolved into a legendary high-wire artist. Along the way, he meets a lover, friends, and partners – and together they all embark on a mission to illegally perform a high-wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center back in 1974. Petit becomes particularly obsessed with these towers, and this obsession threatens to end the group. Their great coup changes all partners, for better or worse, and this coming-of-age coup ends up revealing what Petit’s obsession truly means to him. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Walk (2015)” →

CLASSIC REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

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You’ve heard of Star Wars, right? Good. Now, while Star Wars today is this gigantic franchise with its own convention, a library-size canon, and a toy line-up unlike any other, it all started with George Lucas writing and pitching Star Wars to United Artist and Universal Pictures with them both declining to produce, distribute, and make the film with Lucas.

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REVIEW: Inside Out (2015)

Disney & Pixar Theatrical Poster

The following is a review of Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out, a Pete Docter film.

I am a part of the Pixar-generation. You could say that I grew up with Andy from Toy Story, and thus Pixar has always been very important to me. In fact, Toy Story was the first animated feature film I ever gave a perfect score. Pixar don’t just make movies for kids, they make relatable animated feature films for people of all ages. And with Inside Out, Pixar have found some of the magic that made them special in the first place.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Inside Out (2015)” →