Tag: Harrison Ford

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | REVIEW

Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) hulking out in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD — PHOTO: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Directed by Julius Onah — Screenplay by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, Julius Onah, and Peter Glanz.

Despite the huge success of Deadpool & Wolverine last year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in an unsteady moment currently due to an inundation of Disney+ series, and several rushed and poorly received films. In the post-Avengers: Endgame era, Marvel Studios still needs to get back on track, and, unfortunately, Captain America: Brave New World isn’t the film to do that. Though it’s not the worst film in the connected universe of films, I believe that it is, however, a lower-tier MCU film that feels messy, tinkered with, and sometimes even soulless. This is despite the fact that certain elements and scenes are quite satisfying. Although Marvel die-hards will probably still have a decent-enough time with it, but outside of the massive Red Hulk sequence teased in the marketing, the film arguably fails to justify its existence on the big screen. 

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Top Ten TV-Shows of 2024

Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti in THE PENGUIN — PHOTO: Macall Polay/HBO.

I watched so many television (and/or streaming) shows this year. In my notes, I was trying to jot down all of the shows that I had seen and, given that I also watch a lot of movies every year, I was even a little bit shocked at how much time I spent watching entertainment (especially because I was very busy with other stuff this year). But, hey, I do love crashing and/or chilling in front of the television, watching a good show, and then jotting down my notes. And, you know, there were a lot of good shows this year. Some of the shows that it hurts to have to leave off the list this time around are Bad Sisters, Disclaimer, The English Teacher, Under the Bridge, The Boys, and Sugar (and I could, honestly, go on). But there can only be ten shows on this list, and let’s now have a look at what shows made it!

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2023 TV Catch-Up / Backlog: The Greats | Bite-Sized Reviews

(Clockwise L-R) Natasha Lyonne in POKER FACE (Peacock / SkyShowtime), Harrison Ford and Lukita Maxwell in SHRINKING (Apple TV+), Carla Gugino in THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (Netflix), FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV+), and THE BEAR (Disney+ / FX).

Just like with the previous edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, the point of this post is to function as a review compilation, if you will, of some notable 2023 television series that I’ve either just caught up with or which I never found the time to write about when they were released way back when. For this post, I have specifically highlighted five of the past year’s best shows. For quite a few of these, I had initially intended to write extensive, long reviews, but time flew by and now I just feel the need to get my thoughts out there on some of my favorite shows from 2023.

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‘The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,’ ‘The Burial,’ and More | Bite-Sized Reviews

(Clockwise from top left): The Burial (Amazon Prime Video); Merry Little Batman (Amazon Prime Video); Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford (Disney+); Underverden II (Nordisk Film); The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Republic Pictures).

For this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, I have highlighted five films that I saw in the past few months, these include a Danish action-crime sequel, a remake from a filmmaking master, a tribute to a big screen legend, a great animated comic book movie surprise, and, finally, an underseen courtroom drama with some really strong performances from Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.

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10th I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards – 2022 – Film Awards

I know exactly what you’re thinking — you’re right. This awards’ list is way too late. Like I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the first half of the year was really busy for me for a variety of reasons. Some might say life got in the way. It happens. But, hey, I guess better late than never, right? Today, I’ll go over my film award winners for 2022. So, if you’ve been wondering, for instance, who my best supporting actress winner for 2022 was? Well, then you’re in luck — you’ll find out today. I’ve also split my previous ‘best sequel, prequel, or remake’ into two categories, which I am excited about. Let’s get to it.

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) | REVIEW

A de-aged Harrison Ford in INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY — PHOTO: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Directed by James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) — Screenplay by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, and James Mangold.

When it was first announced that Steven Spielberg was not going to direct this fifth and supposedly final Indiana Jones big-screen adventure, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was filled with a feeling of trepidation. After all, even though Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — the fourth Indiana Jones film and the final of the bunch that was directed by Spielberg — was met with harsh criticism from vocal online parts of the fandom, it still occasionally has that infectious Spielbergian magic and bravura (and it isn’t as bad as its online reputation suggests). Lucasfilm instead lined up Logan and Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold to take over as director of a film that also wouldn’t have co-creator George Lucas as a credited screenwriter. So, these were definitely uncharted waters for Indiana Jones fans. It did feel wrong to see it go on without Spielberg and Lucas, but, based on his talent as a filmmaker and his excellent recent filmography, I honestly trusted James Mangold to be the steady hand this endeavor needed. Having now seen the film, I can say that while you definitely feel Spielberg’s absence, Mangold has managed to make a genuinely affecting action-adventure film. I really enjoyed it.

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Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones Films | REVIEWS

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones standing next to the Golden Idol in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK — PHOTO: Paramount Pictures.

Putting into words exactly how much Indiana Jones means to me is not an easy feat. What I can say is that it holds a special place in my heart, and had the film series not existed I can say that I would have been a different person. Without Indiana Jones, I would not have pursued an archaeology school internship when I was very young. without Indiana Jones, I would not have been as excited to pursue academia. I can trace so many of my interests back to these films. They mean a lot to me. But I had never previously sat down to watch them with a critical eye and with the purpose of reviewing them. So, as Indiana Jones was set to make his return to the big screen this week with James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, I decided to finally review the four Indiana Jones films that Steven Spielberg directed.

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A Good Day to Be a Danish Actor: Mads Mikkelsen & Pilou Asbæk Join Major Franchises

Mads Mikkelsen has landed his next big role in a major Hollywood franchise!

April 15th, 2021 was a good day to be a Danish actor. At least, it sure seemed that way. On this day, Deadline Hollywood revealed two ‘exclusive’ casting news articles. Now, why is that significant? It’s simple really. Two very popular Danish actors are joining two major Hollywood franchises in highly anticipated sequels, and, again, for some unknown (but somewhat amusing) reason these unrelated casting news articles were released on the very same day.

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REVIEW: The Call of the Wild (2020)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Studios

The following is a review of The Call of the Wild (2020) — Directed by Chris Sanders.

Chris Sanders’ The Call of the Wild is an adaptation of the Jack London short adventure novel of the same name from 1903, which, since 1923, has been made into several films. Set in the late 19th Century, the film follows Buck (motion-captured by Terry Notary), a large and excited St. Bernard-Collie dog. In the film’s opening, the oversized, eager, and excited dog from California is abducted, crated, and put on a ship headed for Yukon. In snowy Yukon, Buck is then swiftly sold to become a sled dog, which he struggles with. Over the course of the film, Buck experiences wilderness, he leads by example, and he encounters new masters and friends, including John Thornton (played by Harrison Ford), a grumpy and world-weary nomad, who learns to love man’s best friend. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Call of the Wild (2020)” →

REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Theatrical Release Poster – Disney / Lucasfilm

The following is a review of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker — Directed by J. J. Abrams.

Although the subtitle of this film suggests otherwise, Disney has been pretty adamant in saying that the Skywalker saga (i.e. the episodes) is coming to an end with this ninth episode, which thus ends Disney’s sequel trilogy. It has been a trilogy that has been bumpier than I expected it to be, which is largely due to Lucasfilm hirings and firings, as well as the return of a rabid, entitled, and toxic part of the Star Wars fandom, which has been determined to have their say on what can and cannot be appreciated about these films. This part of fandom has been absolutely infuriating, and it has robbed Star Wars fans of the happiness that one should get when you discuss something that you love. J. J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens was an undeniably satisfying and very rewatchable table-setter, and Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi was an ambitious, bold, and critically acclaimed exploration of legacy, legends, and failure. Now we have The Rise of Skywalker, J. J. Abrams’ curtain-closer. Though I did ultimately enjoy the film, I have to admit and acknowledge that this is definitely the sequel trilogy’s low-point, in part due to Abrams’ obvious attempt to appease parts of the fandom that could only be pacified by reversing decisions that were made in Rian Johnson’s film. Continue reading “REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)” →