Reviews

Oppenheimer is, to put it short, a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan has once again rubber-stamped that he is the greatest living director of our time.

From the incredible cinematography, story-telling and acting; to the incredible score that was, once again, comprised by Ludwig Göransson.

Oppenheimer follows the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, "the father of the atomic bomb"; the "Destroyer of Worlds"; the man who became "Death", during the events leading up to the end of America's fight with the Japanese during World War 2 and stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. And many others in this star-studded biopic.

At a run time of 3 hours and 9 seconds (Nolan's words, not mine) this film is full of intrigue, spectacle, tension and pure filmmaking brilliance. There's not a single character who did not feel important or integral to the film's plot, nor a single actor who felt out of place.

The common use of "time" in Nolan's films is used slightly differently compared to Nolan's previous work. Scenes are shown at different points in time simultaneously and are structured perfectly. It doesn't feel jarring, nor do you feel lost. It all blends together naturally and is paced out perfectly, which is what Tenet did suffer with at times. And I was a fan of Tenet, I still am as a matter of fact. But, with Tenet, I could easily see why some people would find that film overwhelming or jarring at times.

This movie also did away with the music above dialogue trait that Nolan's last few films have suffered with. The dialogue here actually felt important. Yes, this movie is LOUD (and there is a specific scene in this film that is EXTREMELY loud so be warned) but nothing felt drowned out.

This movie also hammers home the true devastation of nuclear weapons. Without going into spoilers, the American army and people see Oppenheimer as a hero towards the final act, but Oppenheimer is struggling to even comprehend what he has created and starts to see hallucinations and visions of the true devastation of the weapon he had manufactured. And it is horrifying, to say the very least. The use of this imagery was extremely unsettling - only Oppenheimer truly understood the impact he had on the world when creating the bomb and only he seemed to know just how awful it truly was. (Just in case, I will mark this review as containing spoilers. Just in case)

We also get a look into J. Robert Oppenheimer's and Lewis Strauss' strenuous relationship, which is a major theme throughout. By the end, again not spoiling anything, this film really hits home about the fact that nobody wins. Whether that's because of old feuds, or even in war. Especially when nuclear weapons of mass destruction are involved.

Oppenheimer is a beautiful piece of cinema in which I implore anyone and everyone who loves this industry to go and watch. We need more films like these and less cookie cutter MCU films and less remakes and sequels plaguing it.

Go support it and enjoy it.

Christopher Nolan, has once again, defied the film-making norm.

10/10.

I'll address the Elephant in the room.

Both the deaths of Luke and Rosita did nothing for me. Luke was missing for an entire season and, in terms of all the possible major character deaths we could have had, Rosita would not have been my first choice, nor would she have been my fifth.

In my opinion, the perfect character for this would have been Eziekiel. Would. Before they suddenly threw his cancer arc straight in the bin for no real reason. It would have been amazing to have had one last speech from Eziekiel, whether he be dying in bed like Rosita or going out in a blaze of glory because he knew he would be dead soon anyway. Massively missed opportunity.

Also, WHY Rosita? Just like TWD have done in the past, they've made the often mistake of making out that characters are bigger and more important to the show than they actually are.

The ending itself didn't really feel like "the end" but rather the end of this chapter and the start of another. Which is exactly what I felt it needed to be, given the fact that numerous spin-offs had been announced. It was also amazing to see Rick and Michonne back.

We all know it is difficult to end anything zombie related, especially when it deviates THIS much from the source material. And I will give props and kudos to everyone for making it feel as though it was satisfying enough to be considered "the end".

Great episode; great ending to a show that has been mediocre at best for a few years. Should this ending have come sooner? Yes. But Season 11, as a whole, gave a satisfying conclusion to one of the most iconic shows ever made.

I cannot say I will not miss it. But I sure am glad it has reached it's conclusion.

So, I just got home from seeing No Time to Die in cinemas and all I have to say is... wow.

Now, hear me out. Despite my score, it's not perfect. I'm more or less giving the score it's getting because it was a very fitting way to end a 15 year run of films with Daniel Craig, who is personally my favourite Bond. I will not lie when I say I got choked up at the end, which I will get into and explain why I think it's a perfect ending. I understand why some people are angry, but you cannot deny that the way they ended this was ballsy. And I'm going to sound even more controversial here... it's my favourite Daniel Craig movie. Not too far ahead of the likes of Skyfall and Casino Royale, but personally I liked this one a lot. The action was incredibly satisfying, the score was phenomenal; the plot was gritty (just like the rest of his other movies) and honestly super dark with it's premise and villain. Biochemical weapons... it's quite a scary thought.

Now Safin was not my favourite villain of these movies, that's still Silva from Skyfall. And a gripe I do have was that he wasn't in it a lot. You see tiny pieces of him here or there scattered throughout; I do wish there was more of him in this movie. But what you do see of him is phenomenal and Rami Malek deserves all the praise in the world for his performance; he was cold, he was calculated. The new "007" was a very intriguing character, who then does subsequently return the title back to James towards the end of the movie. Very fitting considering how this all ends. And speaking of said ending, let me get into that...

Now, I had the ending spoiled for me on TikTok. I knew coming into this movie, James Bond was going to die. But, to the people who record the scene with their phones on release day and put the words "JAMES BOND'S DEATH SCENE IN NO TIME TO DIE" in big letters on the video: you're utterly, utterly ignorant and selfish. Not everyone can see the movie at the same time as you. Don't be inconsiderate. And for God's sake, stop recording in a damn cinema! Anyhoo...

The ending itself, despite all that, still got me all choked up because I saw all the events leading up to it; the bond James had with all the characters in the movie. Yes, in case you don't already know, James Bond dies. That's why it's ballsy. But I feel as though it was the only way for Craig's Bond to go; sacrificing himself for millions who faced biochemical weapons. Had James not stayed behind and called in the airstrike, the world would have been doomed. It was emotional; it was ballsy; it was epic. And I know, a lot of people got angry at this - I get that. It makes sense. I think they knew it was going to be a polarising movie for that reason alone, but I for one loved it.

No, James Bond isn't over. My guess is another reboot will be on it's way - and that's okay.

One word: boring.

Carol plays Cooking Mama; beats the crap out of a wall; the rest is history. Pointless.

To say we waited 5-6 months for this finale, I hate to say it...

Disappointed.

While it has it's moments of excitement and tension, it ultimately falls short and lacks pay off. It proves my point that the Whisperers weren't really that big of a deal, as their send off felt unsatisfying and rather 'meh'. I've said it since day one, The Whisperers haven't felt threatening and their send off here just proves that. There was no feeling of "Yes, our heroes won!" by the end of it. In fact, I was rather empty when it happened.

The Whisperers are gone. Wait. They were here in the first place?

This episode sums up the season very well. Extremely Jekyll and Hyde. At times you have something amazing, other times? Nothing really worth watching. This episode had a mish-mash of both. (because despite me complaining, there are moments I thoroughly enjoyed, such as Maggie coming back and saving Gabriel from death; as well as Lydia saving Carol from suicide.)

For those praising the episode's ending, by the way, are most likely the same people trashing on 06x16's ending. We waited how many months for a cliffhanger ending? (For one episode, might I add! Not 8!) And now we have to wait even longer to actually see a continuation. Utterly ridiculous.

This episode also didn't feel like a finale. It felt like a regular episode, with a finale-esque ending.

Shame it couldn't have been so much more...

I understand some people have been left confused or disappointed with this movie. I'm not one of them.

Honestly? I had little idea what this movie was about going into it. All I really knew was that it was, and I quote, "Bond on Acid" and that it dealt with reversing time. That's really about it. However, there's much more to this movie than what meets the eye from the trailers.

Is it loud? Yes. Very loud. (In fact, I jumped out of my seat within the first few minutes). Does it require a second viewing? Most likely because of that fact alone. Even though I understood it, I still feel like there were things I missed. But that isn't so say my first viewing wasn't extraordinary. This movie had me on edge at times; I was incredibly invested. The action was loud, fast and intense throughout. "The Protagonist", while we're not given his name (marked for spoilers for that reason alone), was incredibly charismatic and pretty funny at times. The use of the "inversion" was incredibly clever and made for some awesome action sequences.

Typical Christopher Nolan, things tie into each other. Except with this movie, everything you see ties into each other. That is just incredible on it's own. Every event in this movie means something; everything that happens is an event that matters. Nothing is really just there to extend the runtime.

The performances are great. John David Washington is great; Robert Pattinson is definitely a great actor. Everyone in this movie delivers an awe-inspiring performance, with intense drama and action and witty comedy at times. And I love it!

The score, despite it not being Hans Zimmer (which is rare for Nolan nowadays), is incredible. Really sets the scene. And if my hearing is right, when the reverse portion of specific scenes are shown, the same score is played in reverse. Nice touch!

Last but not least, the climax of the movie is incredible. The cinematography throughout the movie is incredible, but here it is second to none. The use of effects, sound, shots, the lot. It's simply incredible.

Honestly, the only gripes I have with this movie are that the audio can be a bit too loud for it's own good in certain scenes. That or, depending on the scene, speech can seem a little muffled. On top of that, it's incredibly complex. Not confusing, but complex, so for some it probably won't be for them. But all in all? Fantastic cinematic masterpiece that requires your attention if you're willing to give it your time.

And to wrap this off. No. It is not "Bond on Acid". It's "Nolan on Acid".

Well done, Christopher Nolan. You've done it once again.

This episode was fantastic in many ways. It was. It was tense; it took many turns and kept me on edge. Especially with the near-death scenarios that Jerry had (though, I'm glad they didn't do my boi dirty. I would have given this even lower had they done that.)

But, I'm sorry. I surely cannot be the only one who thinks Carol is being utterly ruined. I get she's heartbroken over the loss of Henry and company. I get that. But she has been extremely dumb this entire season, in more ways than one. It's getting to the point now where scenes with Carol are just hard to watch. Not because she's struggling, but because you know she's going to do something stupid.

This episode could have easily been an 8, but once again The Walking Dead goes overboard with the characters and their struggles. And, while I can understand what Carol is going through, it's just not been paced very well. That's my main issue with it; she went from being a badass to being a clumsy, and I hate to say it, liability in so little time.

The "sex" scene between Negan and Alpha, while cringe, is not as bad as people make it out to be. It's more "lewd" than it is "sex". It didn't really take away from the episode.

As for the positives? The rest of the episode was great. It was very on the edge, unsure of what was going to happen next, anxiety inducing and thrilling. As mentioned before, the near-death scenarios with Jerry almost caused my heart to stop. And to say, at first, I didn't like him - he has grown to be one of my favourite characters, though I fear his death will come before the end of the season.

Season 4 has been absolutely fantastic, especially the last 10 or so episodes since the rescue mission began. The episode prior is still my favourite of the season, maybe the entire show, but this one is such a close second. It brought an incredibly satisfying and emotional conclusion to this arc with the successful rescue of Eri and the death of Nighteye...

I don't often cry at shows and movies, or games, but I came pretty close to doing so watching Nighteye on his deathbed. Even though he's not been in the show long at all, it felt like he'd been there from the start. That just shows how great this anime really is; it knows how to make every character feel important in their own ways.

Cannot wait for next week. This episode; this season... this show proves why this is a must watch Anime.

Before I even start my review; it is NOT the actress's fault. It's the writing of Judith that has let her down. I'll get that part out of the way first; Miss "If I see you again, I'll shoot" encounters Negan (completely on her own, mind you) in the middle of a lonely road. No one to protect her but Negan. And maybe that was what they were going for, but even then? Who would just allow a child to go out into the wilderness like that? Poor writing, in my opinion.

It, by this point, is evident that she is just a plot device and nothing else; the character of Judith means nothing to this show. She's just filling the boots Chandler Riggs would have done, but far too soon. Far too soon. The writers are trying to force this "New Carl" onto us as if Carl was never even a thing. But that's just my opinion.

So, mini rant over. What about the episode? Minus the Judith scenes, the episode was really well written. Daryl is likeable again, because of his ruthlessness; Negan has purpose once more, instead of being locked up. Jesus had a good send off. We also learnt more about the Whisperers, if you hadn't read the comics. Seeing Negan in leather once more felt right; and seeing him taking down walker by walker felt absolutely brilliant to see! As well as seeing him return to Sanctuary, gazing upon it's even-more-so ruined state.

Speaking of walkers, though; it's great to see they still remain a threat in the show. Seasons 7 and 8 lacked that kind of threat from them, but it's amazing how Season 9 has (so far) made them feel important again. Keep that up. This show is returning to it's roots and I'm a fan of that.

Overall: this episode was great and would have scored a 9, if the Judith scenes (once more) weren't poorly written. But I've had to dock points on that alone, so I'm giving this episode a 7/10.

I originally went to the midnight showing of this back in December. Only reviewing it now because, for whatever reason, I was unable to make a review for any title for the longest time.

I've not watched it since, so forgive me if any information I say is... inaccurate.

But this movie. Where to I begin? Well, I suppose I say it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Because it's not. There's something to enjoy here but, some sequences, make it incredibly hard to enjoy it the way it should be.

I'll say the cons first, because they are the most glaring.

I'll start off by saying the Canto Bight sequence was 100% pointless. It was unnecessary and slow. There was no substance in any of the scenes that showed Canto Bight. It felt like they were trying too hard to spread the "animal cruelty is very much real" message. I get it that they want to spread awareness, but don't make it glaringly obvious. Actually have it play an important role in the movie, rather than having it there for the sake of it.

Rose is an awful character, in my opinion. She is just there for diversity sake and nothing but. The actress, which I'll give credit, did a great job with what she was given but I felt like she was shoehorned into this movie.

Rey's training feels far too rushed. Before anyone says that Luke's Jedi training in Empire was rushed, I'll correct you by saying his training took up a good portion of the movie and even by the end he wasn't a full Jedi. He was a full Jedi in The Return of the Jedi. Awakens ended with Rey finding Luke; her training barely happened and all of a sudden she's able to use the force to move rocks out of the way as if she had been training for a long, long time.

Speaking of Rey, the whole "strong female role" feels forced. Again. I'm all for female roles being strong, I am. But don't make the male's almost irrelevant. Finn didn't really do that much in The Last Jedi. Yeah, he had a few scenes here and there, but he practically spent the entire film with Rose. Doing, let's be honest, very little.

Rose saves Finn. Okay, but if Finn is to be killed off in the next film, they've missed a great opportunity. It was a typical "here comes Disney" moment, ruining what would have been a great scene. Not saying I wanted Finn to die, but if they have plans to kill him off in the next one, I'd suggest they don't because they missed out on what could have been a great death scene.

Humour? Too much of it, but there are also pros around that too. So I won't say too much. And Ben Swolo. Why? Oh, and Phasma again falsely built up.

Oh, and last but not least. Luke. This film completely goes against what his character is about. He's meant to be this confident Jedi who always tries to find a way. In The Last Jedi? He's the opposite. He's pessimistic. He's not wanting to save anyone or anything. It's not Luke. And the promise about his screen time? Yeah, false. You probably know that though because you're reading a spoiler review.

Now onto the pros. There aren't many, but the stuff they get right, they do get right, hence my rating.

The effects, in my opinion, are great. They're not overly reliant on CGI. It's good to see that a majority of the aliens in the movie are puppets, but really detailed and realistic ones. It's good to know they've not used CGI for the sake of it like how it was with the prequels.

The acting is fantastic, in my opinion, for the most part. Yes, Rey's still a bit... whiny. But she's not as whiny as she was. She's much better than she was in Awakens.

The action sequences are very well shot and very well choreographed, with all the angles and such. I feel they did extremely well in that department. Really, really well. I enjoyed the sequences.

The humour, albeit overused, was funny in some places. So I could enjoy it in that respect.

Overall? It's not as bad as people say, but don't go out of your way to watch it. If you're a die hard Star Wars fan (like me) then. Go ahead, I guess. But don't go in with high expectations. Keep your expectations neutral and just go in with the "sequel mentality". Rule of thumb is: movie sequels don't tend to always be as good as their predecessors. (Unless your movie is Empire)

6/10

This episode. What more can I say? An absolute roller-coaster ride of an episode. And right from the off, it delivers. It carries straight on from the previous episode where Hank, Gomez, Jesse and Walt were involved in a shootout with Jack's men.

The episode opens up with a flashback, back to the beginning of Breaking Bad where Walt and Jesse are cooking in the desert and Walt makes his first lie to Skyler about his boss keeping him behind. After the flashback sequence is done, it flashes forward to the aftermath of the shootout. Steve Gomez is dead and Hank is helpless. Hank is soon killed by Jack, despite Walt's efforts to save him. Walt tells Jack where his $80 million is in his attempt to save Hank and then Jack steals his money. This scene set the whole tone for the episode.

The episode is intense from start to finish, disaster after disaster happening to every single character. Walter "Flynn" Jr finally finds out about Walt's (now crumbling) drug empire. Jesse is kidnapped by Jack's men and forced to cook meth for them, and in the process brutally tortured as indicated by his facial wounds.

The most heart pounding scene, despite all of the disasters happening around the characters was arguably the knife fight between Skyler and Walt. Walter Jr is forced to watch domestic abuse fold right before his eyes, after Skyler draws a knife on Walt and slices his hand. During this whole scene, Walter Jr was asking for his parents to stop before eventually tackling his dad off of his mother when it looked like he was going to eventually stab her. Walt soon kidnapped Holly, their daughter, and takes her away from Skyler.

The reason why this scene is so effective is because the whole series has been leading up to this. Years of tension and anticipation between Skyler and Walt is finally relieved with an intense, heart pounding knife fight.

The phone call scene shows how far Walt has fallen, and how Walter White is dead. Walter White is officially Heisenberg from this point on. The police listen in on the phone call, and Walt is very aware of this, claiming he killed Hank. Marie breaks down into tears once hearing that Hank is dead.

"He crossed me. You think about that. Family or no. You let that sink in." Walt warns Skyler that if she crosses him, he will kill her.

The episode ends with Walt getting picked up by the service Jesse was originally going to use, that Saul offered Jesse and also Walt. He goes and starts a new life as someone else.

The Phantom Menace is a perfect example what NOT to do when bringing back a beloved franchise, that earned MILLIONS of fans through its quality.

But is it as bad as everyone says? No. Not at all. Because, some things are done very well here. Like the final battle between Qui Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul and also the Pod Racing scene. But of course, the main thing done wrong was Jar Jar Binks, and he's the main reason why this movie is the worst Star Wars ever made. Why? Because he's the most unnecessary character to be added, and is also one of the most annoying. You could see Lucas was clearly trying to add some more comedic elements into the movie, but the humour here is bland. It's not funny. At all.

It also goes without saying, nobody cares about Anakin when he was a kid. Nobody. This was another unnecessary thing added to the movie. These movies were meant to be about his path to the dark side, not his life as a child. Nobody wanted this.

However, the good things in this movie were certainly the battle sequences. They were great. And the locations were very Star Wars-y too. They had a great feel to them. And also the Pod Racing, as mentioned before, was very fun to watch. I just wish there were more Pod Races in this movie, and battle sequences especially. But it feels so drawn out. Which is why the movie is rated as low as it is.

5/10 - ONLY JUST average.