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Reviews
Primal (2019)
A ridiculously fun action packed spectacle that transports you back to the 90s glory days of the genre.
Now bear in mind the film is absolutely outrageous and messy at times, but overall it's executed in a fashion that takes me back to the good old days of insane action with dangerous animals running amuck wreaking havoc. As far as I'm concerned there's no better option than one of the most intensely wacky actors for the last 30 years in Nicolas Cage to front this film. We all know that he is in about 20 movies a year and that maybe one out of those 20 or even watchable because they're usually low budget VOD drivel but the man does always bring some sense of excitement to his roles. Primal is a prime example of cage returning to his 1990s action roots . The film has its many clichés but it also has some decent character intrigue and a pretty interesting setting on this ship With certain circumstances. It moves pretty consistently with bits and pieces of intensity and decent creature feature type thrills . The plot is pretty straightforward and doesn't exactly blow you away but for what it is it works . Some of the CGI is pretty shoddy but for the low budget I can let it pass. It's definitely a worthy watch for action aficionados and anyone that wants to sink their teeth into a film that belongs to the 90s glory days of the genre.
Gemini Man (2019)
Gemini Man is an enjoyable run of the mill action spectacle, though itself a clone of other films of the past like Looper, and is overall a standard vehicle for Will Smith.
It seems almost every year we have some of the same looking action films from some of the same exact actors, with new names. Gemini Man is the epitome of a standard action film. There are some moments that visual director Ang Lee implements that provide it with excitement albeit insanely ridiculous, but overall it follows all too familiar plotting and formulaic writing that everyone has seen before. The biggest drawback is that it copies so much from Looper in the fact that it's a younger version of a protagonist going up against his older version only different because its not time travel, and it's a clone factor. The cgi for young will smith clone is impressive enough but seems a bit extravagant. There are some genuinely well executed action sequences but they're highly unbelievable, but it does serve as action eye candy. Will Smith is standard as usual and not much else. Clive Owen is somewhat interesting in this particular role and gives it some identity. There's just not much new to offer here but it is a fun film if you enjoy action and don't get too annoyed that its been conceived before.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Sandler proves his tremendously dynamic versatility once again in this gambling/heist drama and deserves oscar nomination.
I've been a fan of Adam since the early days and still go out of my way to watch any film he's in even if its an absolute embarrassment. We all know his brand of humor and i personally resonate with it a lot. On the other side of the comedic angle of this man is an incredibly emotional dramatic angle that emerges once in awhile from him to blow us away with an honest character portrayal. This film utilizes his acting variety brilliantly and does still have his signature brand of comedy in a more refined nature. At times the story, direction, and overall dialogue style does get a little too contrived but thrives for the most part with some intensity and sly grittiness. Overall this was a surprisingly solid film with a magnificent performance by Sandler that will rnak among his best.
Haunt (2019)
On the surface this looks like another run of the mill horror film, but it's actually a very relentless ride and the best haunted house film yet.
At first I thought this looked like hellfest or 31 except more of the haunted house theme, but it's a very solid horror film with some grimly clever subject matter. It's apparent the writers behind A Quiet Place and Eli Roth are behind this, as there are many moments of fantastic tension, ominous atmosphere, and sheer brutality. Some excellently weird and bizarre set pieces and utterly disturbing moments throughout keep this from being a standard release. There are also some plot twists that keep it intriguing. This will probably go under the radar at first but eventually people will definitely hold it as the go to haunted house horror film.