Tag: Film Review

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Teaser Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a review of Spider-Man: Homecoming – Directed by Jon Watts.

There is a great iconic comic book line that all movie lovers know these days. I am, of course, talking about the classic Uncle Ben quote: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” It is a line that was delivered well by Cliff Robertson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. However, it was also poorly paraphrased in the disappointing reboot — Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)” →

REVIEW: Okja (2017)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Okja – Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

In October 2015, the first Netflix ‘original’ movie was released. Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation was a great film for Netflix to champion as an example of how great their films can be. However, while Fukunaga’s film was recognized by the Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and the Hollywood Foreign Press, the Academy Awards completely ignored what was one of the best films of the year.

Then, at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Netflix’s newest original movie – Bong Joon-ho’s Okja – was met with boos as the festival elite rebelled against the Netflix way of distributing films. Nevertheless, the film itself overcame the harsh and unfair critique that its distributor was getting, and it is easy to see how and why, because Bong Joon-ho’s Okja is the best non-documentary Netflix original film yet. Continue reading “REVIEW: Okja (2017)” →

REVIEW: Baby Driver (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – TriStar Pictures

The following is a review of Baby Driver – Directed by Edgar Wright.

In Edgar Wright’s newest film – Baby Driver – one character remarks that “you don’t need a score to do a score,” a proposed fact that the talented writer-director refutes with one of the most entertaining films that I’ve seen in years. Continue reading “REVIEW: Baby Driver (2017)” →

REVIEW: Atomic Blonde (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Focus Features

The following is a quick review of Atomic Blonde – Directed by David Leitch.

Atomic Blonde is an action spy film set in the lead-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The film stars Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton, a top spy for the MI6, who has been sent to Berlin to investigate the murder of another agent (played by Sam Hargrave), as well as retrieve a list that contains information about a double agent known only as ‘Satchel.’ In Berlin, Broughton is backed up by David Percival (played by James McAvoy), in her search for the aforementioned list. Continue reading “REVIEW: Atomic Blonde (2017)” →

REVIEW: Wish Upon (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Broad Green Pictures and Orion Pictures

The following is a review of Wish Upon – Directed by John R. Leonetti.

Wish Upon follows Clare (played by Joey King), a young teenage girl, who is given a magic Chinese music box by her dumpster-diving father (played by Ryan Phillippe) that grants you seven wishes. However, once she gets halfway through the wishes, it becomes clear that whenever a wish is granted a life is taken, and that when she runs out of wishes her own life will be taken as well. Continue reading “REVIEW: Wish Upon (2017)” →

REVIEW: War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of War for the Planet of the Apes – Directed by Matt Reeves.

As I sat down to watch War for the Planet of the Apes last week, I was reminded of how overlooked this franchise and, indeed, this trilogy has been this decade. I remember how I expected nothing from the first film in this reboot trilogy – Rise of the Planet of the Apes – but also how much I was blown away by it.

When Rupert Wyatt was replaced by Matt Reeves, who had previously directed Cloverfield and the American remake of Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In, I began to worry about the state of the Apes-franchise yet again.

Yet Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was good enough to be considered for end of the year-top ten lists. War for the Planet of the Apes is no different. In fact, I think Reeves has outdone himself and made what will ultimately be one of the best films of the year.
Continue reading “REVIEW: War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)” →

REVIEW: It Comes At Night (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – A24

The following is a review of It Comes At Night – Directed by Trey Edward Shults.

Following the critical success of his feature film directorial debut Krisha, director Trey Edward Shults has teamed up with A24 again to release his second film It Comes At Night. A24 has a great reputation of releasing smart, interesting, and different films.

However, much like last year’s extremely popular A24 ‘horror film’ The Witch, It Comes At Night suffers from being marketed as a conventional horror film. Thus bringing in audiences that are unprepared for the type of film it, ultimately, is. Continue reading “REVIEW: It Comes At Night (2017)” →

REVIEW: The Mummy (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a review of The Mummy – Directed by Alex Kurtzman.

Back in 2014, Universal Pictures tried to make a new series of films featuring the classic Universal Monsters characters. The first film was Gary Shore’s Dracula Untold, but, after that film was both critically panned and financially unsuccessful, the ‘monsterverse’ was eventually cancelled.

Now Alex Kurtzman’s The Mummy is the first film in the new shared universe of Universal Monsters known as the Dark Universe. Unfortunately, while the film’s leading man is one of the biggest action movie stars in Hollywood, Kurtzman’s The Mummy is completely forgettable and quite dull. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Mummy (2017)” →

REVIEW: The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of The LEGO Batman Movie – Directed by Chris McKay.

Everything, indeed, was awesome about Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s fantastic The LEGO Movie. It was one of the biggest surprise hits of 2014, and so, obviously, we were going to get more big LEGO films. The first of these is a spin-off of The LEGO Movie, in which Will Arnett’s take on Batman was one of the highlights.

Now, with The LEGO Batman Movie, the Warner Bros. Animation Group has made sure that someone like me will be looking forward to each and every big LEGO film, because The LEGO Batman Movie is terrific. Continue reading “REVIEW: The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)” →

REVIEW: Baywatch (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Paramount Pictures

The following is a quick review of Baywatch – Directed by Seth Gordon.

Baywatch is a comedy film based on the series of the same name. It takes place in Emerald Bay, Florida, where Lt. Mitch Bucannon (played by Dwayne Johnson) is the head of the team of lifeguards known as the ‘Baywatch’ division. Continue reading “REVIEW: Baywatch (2017)” →