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Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Amazing
Film Review: Godzilla vs. Kong
Directed by Adam Wingard, this fourth film of the Monsterverse, after Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: Kong of the Monsters, is a film I've been waiting for ever since it was teased in Kong: Skull Island. This film has been in the making for nearly sixty years. The original version of this titanic battle was released in 1962, which is as old as my father to give perspective. I watched this film today with him and my mom, wearing my Godzilla vs. Kong shirt, which I bought from Amazon. If I had to sum up the film on one word, it would be: Amazing.
The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shan Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, and newcomer Kaylee Hottle, the film's synopsis is: "
The epic next chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse pits two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another-the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong-with humanity caught in the balance."
Its performances are compelling, with Skarsgård, Hall, Brown, Henry, Dennison, and Bichir all doing great, but it's newcomer Hottle who steals the show as Jia, a little deaf girl (with her actress coming from an all-deaf family) from Skull Island who has been able to communicate with Kong and became his greatest friend and ally.
The action is epic, being nonstop and heart-pounding. The battle scenes that take place in Hong Kong and the Hollow Earth, as well as on the Tasman Sea, are shot beautifully, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This is helped by the perfect nature of the visuals, with the CGI for Godzilla, Kong, and the other Titans, as well as other important aspects like machines and locations looking so real.
The score by Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) is awesome, fitting every scene so well. My favorite tracks, other than the main themes for both main characters, are: "A New Language," "The Throne," "Tasman Sea," "Mega," and "Hong Kong." For him to do both Zack Snyder's Justice League and this film, and for this film to be released so close to that one, allows me to listen to two of the best scores I've ever heard.
Finally, the direction by Wingard, the story, and the editing is extremely well-done. Without it being so good, the film would not be as great as it is. Thanks to all this, a perfect film has been created.
In conclusion, this film and Zack Snyder's Justice League alone are reasons to get one month of HBO Max. Godzilla vs. Kong is a thrill ride that does not let down. I love it immensely, with it now ranking as my top Monsterverse film, and I can't wait to watch it again!
Rating: 10/10.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
We Live in a Society Where This Is a Beloved Movie
I got a chance to see this film before most others thanks to the fact that I won the Heroes Among Us Sweepstakes by putting up a video of myself talking about how much I love my mom, and comparing her to Wonder Woman in the way that she is one of my heroes. So, last night, my family and I got the chance to sit down and watch all two-hundred-and-forty two minutes of this amazing film. The film is truly epic from beginning to end, and it did not let up in its action or its many twists and turns. The story is actually given time to be truly complex, going from character and revealing their current predicaments and feelings as the events unfold. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and even though it was a four-hour film, it went by so quickly. The cast helps this story greatly, with the performances of Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, and Ezra Miller as the main heroes being three-dimensional and emotional, and the rest of their cast, like Hinds as main antagonist Steppenwolf, Amy Adams and Diane Lane as Lois Lane and Martha Kent, respectively, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and Ray Porter as secondary antagonist Darkseid. The visuals have greatly improved over the theatrical version, where nearly ninety percent of the film was reshot after Snyder had to step away due to a family tragedy, and they are awe-inspiring, with characters like Cyborg, Steppenwolf, and Darkseid looking extremely real and as good or even better than some of Marvel's visuals. The score by Junkie XL (credited as Tom Holkenborg) is truly a Mount Everest of scores, as he described himself. It contains the epic moments, the emotional moments, the dark moments, and the happy moments, and improves each and every scene, with all the character themes and the "Foundation" themes being my favorites (more on that in the next few days). And finally, the direction is just great. Zack directed every scene with a well-thought plan, and it fits every scene, from the action to the tragic, exactly as it should be. In conclusion, after waiting nearly four years for Zack's true vision of the film, everything has worked in his favor, and this film is truly amazing. As hard it is to believe, this has surpassed Avengers: Endgame as my top comic book film, and I can't wait to watch it again once it hits HBO Max! Thank you, Zack Snyder, and everyone else who made this a reality! (Rating: 10/10) #SnyderCut.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Amazing Film
MOVIE REVIEW: Wonder Woman 1984
Directed by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman 1984 is a sequel to the 2017 film and is the ninth film in the DC Extended Universe. It picks up, as its title suggests, in 1984, where Diana (Wonder Woman; played by Gal Gadot in her fourth portrayal of the character) must deal with the suddenly powerful corrupt businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal, also known as the Mandalorian), who enacts a nefarious plan to become the most popowerful being on the planet, and the sudden resurrection of the love of her life Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). At the same time, Barbara Ann Minerva (Kristen Wiig) tries to adapt to a new power after wishing upon a mysterious stone to become like Wonder Woman.
The film features great acting performances, especially from Gadot, Pine, Pascal, and Wiig (in a surprisingly serious role that she pulls off off with ease), a complex story full of shocking twists and turns and some moments that could be tearjerkers to some, breathtaking visuals, an epic score from Hans Zimmer, my second-favorite composer of all-time (only behind John Williams), awesome action scenes that are plentiful without overtaking the story, and perfect direction from Jenkins, as well as one very special cameo located somewhere in the film (won't spoil whom or where).
All-in-all, my verdict is that this is truly an amazing film, and I am not ashamed to admit that I nearly shed a tear a few times. It has now overtaken Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as my favorite of the DCEU, and it was a perfect Christmas present for my mom, a fan of the character since Lynda Carter's version in the seventies. I suggest that everyone should watch it at least once to understand how amazing it is.
Rating: 10/10
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
Awesome
A great, underrated film. The cast, visuals, score by Tyler Bates, action sequences, and direction by Nispel are perfect, and while the story is flawed, I don't think it detracts from the film at all. Jason Momoa is awesome as Conan, Stephen Lang is menacing as a Khalar Zym, a villain who, while not as strong as Conan, is extremely smart, and Ron Perlman's Corin, the father of Conan, is rough but caring as a father, and even though he is only in the film for fifteen minutes, he conveys his brutality as a leader and love as a father flawlessly. I find the film to be truly underrated, and I just bought the DVD today!
Mulan (2020)
Perfect
I find it to be perfect, and I don't mind the changes whatsoever. The cast was perfect, the score was beautiful, the story complex and well-constructed, the visuals were stunning, and the score from Harry Gregson-Williams is just beautiful. I love it, and I'll blow my brains out before saying otherwise.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
A Great Adaptation
I read the book in anticipation for this film, and while I never saw it in theaters (choosing instead to see Justice League the week after, which was still very much worth it), I finally saw it thanks to Redbox. It is a great film, buoyed by Kenneth Branagh's direction and amazing performance as Hercule Poirot, as well as the performances of the supporting cast (especially Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Willem Dafoe, and Johnny Depp), the score by Patrick Doyle, visuals, and complex plot. All-in-all, this is a great adaptation.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
One Heck of a Ride for a First-Timer
This film was my first foray into the Underworld film franchise. I'd known about it for a long time, and I always wanted to get into it. However, it wasn't until last year (2016) that I really decided I wanted to give the series a go. I knew of how the critics weren't major fans and stuff like that, but I knew the films had a major fanbase. Now, believe it or not, the film that got me into this series was I, Frankenstein, the film based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grievoux, who stars as Raze in this film. Unlike many, I quite enjoyed I, Frankenstein, and I decided to try and obtain the Underworld films through my library. Knowing this one was a prequel, I began here, and boy was I not disappointed one bit. Everything, from the action scenes (especially during the big battle between the Vampires and Lycans) to the acting (mostly the performances by Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Kevin Grievoux, and Rhona Mitra), were great. There were some flaws, including a few of the special effects, but I'd rather not nitpick. I LOVED this film, and I can't wait to watch the rest of the films.
I, Frankenstein (2014)
Honestly, I Loved This Film
I cast much doubt upon this film when it first came out in January 2014 due to its greatly negative reviews. Since then, however, I have remembered it and always wondered just how bad it might be. I finally received the chance to watch it, and I have learned, yet again, you cannot trust the critics and their reviews. It seems that these critics thought too into the film, and some might have believed it was based upon the novel by Mary Shelley, which would cause much negativity due to its inspiration-only stance towards the novel. Based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux, who also stars in the film in a supporting role, the story follows Frankenstein's monster, who has lived to the present day over 200 years after his creation. When a great threat that could destroy all of humanity arises, he realizes he is the only one who can stop it. Now, as I watched the movie, and even before, I knew this film was not going to be on the same level as masterpieces such as The Shawshank Redemption or Young Frankenstein, nor would it be on the same level as films such as The Avengers or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I saw this as a monster film, which I find much different than most films, meaning that I don't look at the plot as much as I would those aforementioned films. While it is a factor, I also look at the action, visuals, and performances, which are what led me to love the film so much. The action is nonstop, like many movies of the last few years (such as Transformers), and the visuals accompany this factor, which help make the movie so amazing. Despite a $65 million budget (nowadays, many films are above $100 or even $200 million just for that), the CGI is well-done, and the creatures throughout the movie are completely passable. But the movie would not be complete without the great cast. Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Olympus/London Has Fallen), Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part One), Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, Batman: Bad Blood), Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), and Jai Courtney (Divergent, Jack Reacher, Suicide Squad) all give outstanding performances as Adam (Frankenstein's monster), Charles Wessex, Terra Wade, Leonore, and Gideon, and that is what helped make the whole movie for me. Finally, the score by Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil is a welcome addition to the film, and it helps the film become even more of a grand spectacle, because, as I believe, no film is truly complete without a great score to match, with few exceptions. In conclusion, though it is somewhat rushed near the middle and has some pacing issues, this film proved to me that one cannot simply trust the critics, and that it is better to go off your own opinion in the end. All in all, my final opinion is that I loved this movie. 'Nuff said.
The Shallows (2016)
Just Awesome
I was unfortunate to not see this in theaters, and I wish I had. It was an amazing thrill- ride of a film. I was not expecting it to be as good as it was. Blake Lively does amazing as the main protagonist, and she carries the film on her own. Now, I've seen some reviews saying the shark was being unrealistic by hunting everyone down the way it did, and for me, that was just fine. I grew up with Jaws, and Jaws was very much the same. In my opinion, this is the best shark movie since Jaws, and if you count the timeline of best shark movies, then this is the best since Deep Blue Sea. The shark was just amazing. I was not expecting many of the scenes from this film, especially the extra deaths (the drunk and the two surfers) and the scene on the buoy. Oh boy, that scene had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was unsure of what to expect during much of that whole part, such as when she shoots the flare at the oil and the ending. A must-see, and this is definitely going on my top films list for this year.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Love this film so much
Best movie I've ever seen. The main antagonist is my favorite villain so far in the MCU, and Ultron was made even better by the fact he was voiced by James Spader, an actor who didn't even change his voice for the role. This was a movie that kept you guessing, and not even I could prepare for the climax. No wonder this series keeps moving in the place of where others have failed. Iron Man remains the best Avenger, and Vision, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch are very welcome additions to the cast of characters. This is a must-see for those wanting a good movie (or one that leaves you on the edge of your seat), and one for those who love comic books.