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

65 (2023) Review

 

This is one of those films that truly terrified me. Not in your traditional “Horror Movie” way but in more of a subtle way. I spent the whole film on the edge of my seat. I literally had no clue or idea as to what was going to happen next or how it was going to end. This film surprised me beyond measure and it is one that I could watch again and again.

If I’m being honest it didn’t really have much of a story at all. It boiled down to just being about two people trying to evacuate a planet before it was hit by an asteroid. The relationship between them, however, was pure gold. Blocked by a language barrier their communication was limited but as they spent time together their understanding and bond only grew.  

The writing was simple but that is all this film required. The special effects, however, were top notch. Outside of the Jurassic Park films I have never seen anything like this before.

This film truly surprised me in a way that I will never forget. If you haven’t watched it yet then do yourself a favor and do it. While it isn’t the best film of all time, or even this year, it is still a damn good movie that everyone should experience.

9 out of 10

Tombstone (1993) Review

 

The movie “Tombstone” knows what it wants to be and follows the Western greats paths almost to the letter. The film itself is rather generic, though. It adds little to nothing new or unique to the genre, however what it does do it does well. You have your western staples, games of poker, working girls, guns and shootouts and how it handles these tropes often had me wondering what was going to happen next.

The writing and acting was perfect even though they mostly stuck to the western cliches. But in this case this turned out to be for the better. The acting itself was phenomenal and really had you believing the story of what was going on. The writing, too, breathed personality into the characters. They were all unique and brought something to the table. Yeah, a lot of times it was generic. The film mostly boiled down to Outlaws and Lawmen and rarely shifts from that but it still tells a good story.

Overall this film is a great Western that all should see. It doesn’t tell an epic story or, for that matter, have anything meaningful to say at all. It is just a fun film to watch. Is it the best Western? Not even close but it is one that you should see. Just don’t go into it expecting a masterpiece as you’re not going to get it.

8 Out of 10