Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

 

One thing that this film did and did well was make you feel incredibly small. Its story is grandiose and epic, making you feel like an insignificant little speck of dust. But that’s how you were supposed to feel. It wanted to make you look beyond yourself. It wanted you to consider that maybe, just maybe who you are doesn't really matter. It is who you were meant to be. How have our actions, no matter how small or large, change us in ways that we could never have imagined. Are we what we hope we are or do your actions make us who we are? This film did something special. It was one of the few times that a film actually made me think and one of the few films that I will be thinking of for months down the line.

But beyond all that philosophical baggage there was still a fun time to be had here. At first I was clueless. I had no clue what was going on or what was about to happen but as I strapped in for the ride I couldn’t help but hold my breath and enjoy it. The acting was phenomenal and the writing spot on. The fight scenes were epic and crazy and best of all, original. Yeah this was technically a “Kung Fu” movie but it felt like more than that. Yeah it was stylized and over the top but it was good and kept me invested in it.

The story, too, was insane! Twisting and turning like crazy. I never had any clue what was going to happen next. And it was this sense of mystery that kept me invested. The characters, too, fit their roles perfectly. They were made for those roles and I can’t imagine anybody else doing a better job. They were never stagnate. Their characters flowed and bent realistically. They evolved and changed in ways that were believable. These weren't just actors. They were real human beings and this film profited from that immensely.

In short: This is one of my favorite films of the year. It totally exceeded my expectations and truly blossomed into something beautiful. This is without a doubt one of the best films of the year and everyone needs to see this.

10 Out of 10

Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey (2023) Review

 

This is one of those films that I really wanted to like and, while it did have its faults, for the most part it was an enjoyable film. The concept was an interesting one. Turning the beloved books and cartoon into a Slasher/Horror film took guts and it really paid off in the end. Now the writing and acting definitely wasn’t the best but given the nature of this film it didn’t have to be. This isn’t one of those films you watch for the art. It is one of those films that you watch for fun and it definitely won on that side in the end.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call this film terrifying. In fact it didn’t even come close to that. However it definitely had a creep factor to it and there were times where I was really on the edge of my seat. The violence was rather intense and while the gore wasn’t too over the top it was definitely there. Most of the film was dark and left me wondering what was going to happen next. I never really knew for sure and it is that mystery that really made the film enjoyable.

This film is in some ways greater than the sum of its parts. If you take every aspect of this film individually it doesn’t add up to much but taken together it truly is something special. It’s not great but it is fun and in the end that is all that really matters.

8 Out of 10

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Review

 

I can summarize this film in one simple sentence: “This movie is an absolute blast to watch!” It had so much going for it and it exceeded in everything it tried to achieve. The story was great and had a real punch to it. The acting was fantastic and the writing was phenomenal. In fact I have very little to say about this film that is bad and in all honesty these minor complaints I wouldn’t really consider as problems.

Parts of this movie were a little predictable and had a few moments that were rather on the corny or cheesy side but even so it worked with the film well. The story has very little faults to it. It had a message to say about courage and friendship and it said it well. The effects were spot on and the fight scenes, while crazy and over the top, were awesome to watch. The acting, too, especially Jack Black was some of the best I’ve heard in an animated film in a while. He brought so much character to this role and nailed it. It was truly an epic experience.

This is one of those films that should be viewed by everyone and if you haven’t seen it yet, go see it now. I promise you’ll have loads of fun and won't regret it.

9.5 Out of 10

Mirrors (2008) Review

 

This is one of those films that is rather difficult to review. It had so much going for it and yet it felt as though it was missing something. Yes the acting was superb and the writing was top notch but what really brought this film together, the glue that kept it from coming apart was the scares. There were literal times where I almost jumped out of my seat. There were parts where I had trouble watching and yet I didn’t want to stop.  

The story, while entertaining and intriguing, did a good job of keeping you interested. Still, though, I felt as though other aspects of the film overshadowed the story and because of that it lost some of its edge.

This, however, is not a movie you watch for the story. It is one you watch for the scares and this film did not go easy on them. This was not a particularly violent film but there was gore aplenty. And as you watch it you end up falling deeper and deeper into the whole it is trying to create. A hole of despair and one of agony.

This film isn’t going to make history and is one of those films that you’re probably going to forget about as the days turn into weeks and months. However, this film is still worth a watch.

8.5 Out of 10

Resident Evil Death Island (2023) Review

 

The first thing you are going to notice about this film is that the writing and acting are not what I would call “Top Notch” and are, for the most part, rather mediocre. But that isn’t actually too bad of a thing as the movie was still fun to watch. However, even with that said I have to admit that while the fight scenes were in fact entertaining as a whole they came out more corny than anything else. Still, though, I had fun with it.

There was more of a story here than I was expecting and the characters, too, while staying in their respective tropes still came across as deep. It was fun to watch them interact with each other and to watch them grow together.

This was a CGI film and the effects were spectacular! They did not take the easy way out with these, either. They really put in the effort here and it really shows. Everything felt alive and the zombies and monsters looked amazing.

To summarize, this film isn’t great but if you’re looking for something that is just fun to watch then give this one a go. Just don’t go in expecting a masterpiece.

7.5 Out of 10

The Pope's Exorcist (2023) Review

 

When I first started up this film I honestly had no clue as to what I was getting myself into. I am a huge horror fan but I had very little experience in horror films of this theme. However, I was intrigued by it and really wanted to see what Russell Crowe could bring to this genre of film. In short, I was not disappointed.

This film is dark and gritty. It doesn’t hold back on its punches and attacks you full on. You never really knew what was going to be thrown at you next and because of that I spent the whole film right on that edge of terrified and entertained. I use the word “terrified” lightly, though. This film was not quite as frightening as I was hoping but I would be a liar if I said it didn’t have its creepy moments. During the whole film I was hoping to be scared out of my mind and even though that wasn’t the case with the entire film I do have to say it was still enjoyable.

The acting was spot on. Crowe fills his role as the Exorcist perfectly while the family dealing with the ordeal held their own. The writing, too, was spot on. The story, however, took a different turn than I was expecting. I had this thought on how it was going to end but I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

While I did have these preconceived notions on the film's direction I was still surprised by how it turned out. In short, this is one of the best Horror films of 2023 and is totally worth a watch.

8 Out of 10

Heart of Stone (2023) Review

 

I’m going to start this review by stating the obvious. The beginning of this film was extremely reminiscent of the many James Bond films. In fact, it did everything but scream it. However, as the film progressed it became something else. It created its own personality and identity. It became something truly unique to itself and told a story of violence and fear. What technology can do in the wrong hands and what mankind will do to remain in power.

The characters, although a little cliche at times, really held the torch for this film. As you would guess there is the stereotypical double cross and the hidden agents. But you never really see these coming. When the double cross actually happened my initial thought was that of shock but as the film continued I began to wonder why I didn’t see it coming.

The writing was amazing as was the acting, too. The actors fell into their roles like a glove. The film was also full of violence and action and the fight scenes and shoot outs were just a blast to watch.  To state a cliche, it was really an edge of your seat type of film.

There was very little that I would call bad or uninspired. The film told its story in a way that really brought up a sense of excitement. I never wanted it to end. All in all this is a must see and a movie that you're going to love.

9 Out of 10