BoBo_Goal32 Reviews

Boy Kills World (2023)

When "Hunger Games" meets "Guns Akimbo"

[7/10 · 1 June 2024]

It's the yellow color from "Kill Bill" and plot bases of "Hunger Games", which made love to "Guns Akimbo" madness and comedy bits and you just get this crazy and very very fun movie. If you look for any big-time actors except Bill Skarsgård, you will not find a lot, from the A-List.

The B-List provides some great names, though: Sharlto Copley and Famke Janssen are the biggest names in the cast and Yayan Ruhian (that is familiar from "The Raid" movies) is also a familiar face, but except them, it is a movie that is based heavily on Skarsgård's character. Jessica Rothe (from "Happy Death Day") comes also as one familiar face, but you can understand that it is a movie, that doesn't need big names, it has all within the creator's hands.

Moritz Mohr makes tremendous work with directing this genre mash-up of thriller, grotesque, gore and wild action in a movie that took its plot bases from the "Hunger games", its gory and bloody action principles from "Kill Bill" and took the comedy and madness from "Guns Akimbo", or at least this is how I saw it and those are the names that came up through the process of watching this movie.

It's a boy that lost his mother and sister to a ruthless ruler in a dystopian world, within a ceremony that takes place each year, which demands a sacrifice of several human beings that interfere the ruler with her jobs to rule and keep the streets clean. The boy is trained by a master, to become the ultimate warrior, with one target in his head... the leader of the city and on the day of the year, when she wants to harvest the innocent victims.

The plot stages are pretty well known, but the execution is something else and also the development takes different direction when the main characters is actually a deaf mute and one that talks to his dead sister memory-character. The twist and turns are a lot of fun and surprisingly well crafted + a bonus part with a macaron cookie.

It's a surprisingly well-made action gory movie, that mixes a lot of fun time and laughs with Disgusting moments, but the final result is a movie that you cannot and do not want to skip or miss. It was due to Jeremy Jahns' review, I was even aware to this movie and now it is the right time to really thank him, from the bottom of my heart.

The First Omen (2024)

It is an Omen for a good movie, surprisingly

[7/10 · 29 May 2024]

I saw "The Omen" that stared Gregory Pack. It was a long time ago, can't even remember when, but I liked it a lot. That is the reason why I didn't connect the dots between this movie and that old and one of the most influencing movies of the horror genre, that was created at one of horror's golden age.

Arkasha Stevenson, that directed some of "Legion" episodes is in charge of directing this movie and she does a hell of a job. She takes fine elements from classic horror movies, metaphors and signs to blend them into her movie and even gets the time to address matters like abortion and of course church vs. Non-religious people.

The way the church molds their flocks, that should run by fear is one of the biggest criticisms that this movie has to offer (maybe it was in the original movie, but...don't really remember any of it). It also has to offer a sublime acting performance buy Nell Tiger Free (which most of us maybe remember as Myrcella Baratheon).

This young woman, with this long and weird family name, just explodes on the screen with a fabulous acting performance. She's pious, terrified, happy, believing and confused. She can be even sexy, if needed and also demented. And towards the end she is also having a blast by taking her acting to the next level.

It is a prequel that holds impressively with the expectations that the original movie has built. The directing and acting are just amazing. The movie is not scary, and that's his weak spot, but I'm sure that if we will look now on the original, we won't be so frightened, as we seek to get.

It has its moments and they are well crafted by A skilled director, that is making her movie successful debut and makes it work on so many levels. One of the best horror films recently, though it feels so generic, it is distinguished from other due to the performance and especially the way of the director to separate it from others of the genre.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Sometimes, when you don't expect... there it comes

[7/10 · 28 May 2024]

Thought about Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, when I saw the poster. Without knowing anything about the plot, it was jumping into the cold water and get wet with high speed movie. The plot doesn't matter - it is pretty generic, with one big detail, that does matter - it is a tribute to stunt people, wherever they are.

The plot is like a training close, that reveals something shinier below. This movie has a magnificent rhythm and humor in it. It's a movie inside a movie about a stuntman that directs movie on a stuntman with an actor that made most of the stunts in the movie by himself.

There is a lot of love and jokes about and to the movie industry, for those that are part of it and those who wish to be a part of it. It has memorizing action sequences and light-headed texts, that shouldn't be an obstacle for you to enjoy this particular ride. It's silly and sometimes sticky, but it catches you just about right from the beginning.

Ryan Gosling is cool and funny-cool, as he is almost his whole carrier and Emily Blunt just mashes great with him. She's like Teflon, from the way that I see it; doesn't do anything to remember, but glides well on Gosling's character and doesn't ruing a single thins or any scene she's in.

A lot of fun time, really. Can't say a single bad thing on this movie, that is like a lot of others that just ask to turn of the brain while entering the movie theatre. You don't need to overthink it, but you are going to enjoy each and every bit of the movie, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson good performance and Hannah Waddingham's peak performance (when I was sure, all along, that she is Toni Collette, for some reason).

Several last praises for David Leitch, that getting his career on the right track. No crashes, so far for the Ex-Stuntman, that is singing praise songs to his former comrades. His directing is precise and so good. Just damn good work from a man that smelled those parts from the inside of the burned and crushed suite. Give us more of those and we will be grateful.

Full Time (2021)

Full time, all the time, without any time

[8/10 · 27 May 2024]

Oh my god...what a movie. I haven't seen it coming from a mile. I was so invested in this, as I wasn't for a long time. This movie was so under the radar and I am so happy that I got the chance to see it. It is so well written, shot and performed and the musical score is so perfect for it.

It's a classic story about the working-class single mom, that wants to give her children the best present and future she can and even more, until she is not giving them the real thing they actually need - their mom. But it is also a race, an unending race that each one of us experience, in his way.

I really related easily with this woman's character. So much feelings came and went away while she dominates the screen and space. She holds each and every feeling bottled up and though life didn't show her any grace lately, she doesn't break or crack. It's a short story, that contains a short, but significant period of time in Julie's life.

The colors, music and long scenes where nothing actually happens are the key of this movie, when the viewer captures Julie's soul and essence, to better understand what drives her and simultaneously also understand well what makes her dry and drained out of any powers to move forward.

She is a single mom who lives in the country, needs to ride a lot of time by train and busses, to get to her job as a hotel made. She looks for better job, but for now she works at the hotel, while her kids spend the day at an older nanny's home, for almost the whole day. When the public transportation goes to strike, Julie is one part of the collateral damage of the strike.

We see her slip at work, doesn't get to her children on time and loses it - generally. This movie is so well crafted and directed, like a thriller of life itself and Ain't nothing so real in Hollywood, even in a radius of several countries. Eric Gravel doesn't need his lead actress to cry, in order to let the viewers to get so involved with the main character's troubles.

Laure Calamy is just fantastic. Can't remember when lately I have seen such a powerful performance from such a small-time actress. She is so convincing and sells her part, from the get-go. Nothing grandiose at this movie, but life themselves, so just tag along as an anthropologist and see Julie's fight for survival in the day-to-day life.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

This is not an Inglorious Basterds Movie

[7/10 · 26 May 2024]

Guy Ritchie is such a mystery man. He did several of the best end-of-nineties beginning of the 2000's movies ever. From that moment on, he is saving his strength to some unknown history project that never left his writing and directing hands. Well, he made "RocknRolla", somewhere along the way, but since then, noting to write about or remember.

It's like "The Man from U. N. C. L. E." brought back on British style, with a true story-based plot and Henry Cavil as a charming man without any cape on his shoulders. It has a lot of interesting characters, but Ritchie doesn't think we need to get any background or depth for any of them. We need blasts and fast.

It's based on quite an amazing story about a special unit, that has participated in "Operation Postmaster" that is reminding the "Suicide Squad" or if need to be more precise - "The Inglorious Basters". But Ritchie is not Tarantino, well...he almost did, for several years and many and long time ago.

The Text is quite simple, the explosions are the main issue and the characters are like superheroes and doesn't remind us that real and actual people did this operation, for real. All is exaggerated for the sake of crowd pleasing and that's exactly where's Ritchie's career is at.

Crowd pleaser without trying to stretch the boundaries of the genre. It is like he isn't interested to stand out of other generic action movies directors and almost like he is not trying go out of the box with his ideas, but what he does, he still does with a lot of grace and skills.

The movie looks fantastic, some of the man characters has a lot of grace. The musical score is great and everything works so well. The bottom line remains the same, though, when you get a heartless and gorgeous movie - you don't feel a single thing, almost doesn't get any tension and seem like we got a cheep imitation of the masterpiece of Quentin Tarantino.

Challengers (2024)

Tennis? Not really. All others around Tennis? Yeah. Sure...

[8/10 · 22 May 2024]

I heard something about a romantic trio in a tennis movie. Nothing prepared me to this A-Game film by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). It's a movie about a lot of things; tennis is one of them. It is present and drives the whole story, but it is not the main theme and subject of the movie.

The main things are relationships from several kinds. Domination, friendship and a lot of sex in the air, without having any or show too much. The atmosphere of this movie is oozing with sex, but it feels like it is not the main issue. It feels like Guadagnino wanted us to take side, in this three sides romantic/friendly love/ jealousy story and roll with it until the end of his story.

The Narrative of this movie is inconsistent and you can tell that there is one force that drives the plot - Zendaya's force. She rules so much, while the male actors drool so much. Don't get me wrong; all of the characters are well performed, but Zendaya's Tashi is the heart and center of this movie. She is like a director, which can easily be manipulated, but still holds the rhythm of the plot and the whole movie so damn good.

The soundtrack is just addictive. Dreamy, pumping, gets into the veins and into the movie and most of all - contributes to the sexy atmosphere of the whole movie. Its been a while since I've heard such a good soundtrack that haven't been written by one of the epic movies' soundtrack creators.

The camera work is amazing and catches each and every character's state of mind, concerns, fears and manipulations. The camera's angles, while playing the game and hitting tennis balls into the viewers face are just remarkable. Add the angles for the characters looking at each other, from each and every direction and you get a Meticulous work of a pedantic director (and of course - camera man).

The shifting in the story, between each character and going back and forth in time are just mesmerizing and the clean cuts from tennis games from the past and then straight to the present time are most inspirational. There were some times that it seemed that Guadagnino inhaled some of Snyder's juice of slow motions, but he gets himself straight and fast. And comes up as the big winner of this film.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Now, that is how you do it

[8/10 · 21 May 2024]

I did myself a favor and watch "Godzilla X Kong" first. Just to have a good scale to appreciate this movie even more, because it had a lot on its shoulders. Movie critics, grades and even an Oscar award for special effects. All of those might lift the bar so high that this monster and its Japanese friends (or enemies, to be more accurate) could fall from a giant tower into the oblivion of expectations.

No fall has been seen on any stage of the movie and I even want to re-watch it again - colorless, or as it has been called on other forums - "Godzilla Minus one / Minus colors". It was still a large surprise for me, personally, as a viewer that isn't expecting anything from Godzilla movies - this time I expected and it didn't fail me, not for a second.

I haven't been a fan of Godzilla movies or raised into them. My childhood was minus Godzilla and as growing person I have seen it as part of Hollywood franchise, long side with Kong's movies and then watched them both collide. It wasn't my first or second choice, but I did it anyway - to mark V on the experience. I fed up with those type of movies pretty quickly.

Imagine the surprise when this movie Conquered any peak and I had a filling that this time It will Conquer me - for the first time. Every viewer that looks for a little more than raging monster, like a real story - cannot expect any of Hollywood's versions to provide any characters that are not plastic or has a depth of a glass of shot. This movie does it amazing.

This movie, with a small budget, returns to the roots of this Japanese Kaiju and uses it as a symbol to the fear of war, to the frustration from their admiration. This movie is taking a story about an unlikely family, that is so far from any family idol we know. This movie is also about friendship, fear of disappointing the environment and going against all what the government fed the civilians.

It is taking the power and unity to the people, against all odds and against what the government taught them for many years. Its about growth and understanding, about the difficulties to open up. Yes...all of that in a movie where Godzilla is taking a part, but not as the hero or anti-hero, but as a trigger to a lot of plot developments, that the guys which are in charge on this film, didn't want to call "War" - but to call Godzilla.

He is a guest. An intimidating one, but a one that is used as a McGuffin and also as the big antagonist of the movie. It is a movie that you don't care too much for the monster, but you really care about what it would do to the characters, that are written just in a way that makes you admire the writing. And the acting too.

It has some flows, it is not perfect but it is surely getting close, much closer than all "Godzilla" movies bind together. It is an experience that won't be forgotten and a movie to treasure and see one more time (or even more). Don't miss it - I am going to see it again; colorless. Can't wait for this experience.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

The Ghosts are so Busted...

[5/10 · 20 May 2024]

When "Ghostbusters: afterlife" broke out, I was very sceptic...very sceptic. It turned out pretty damn fine and Jason Reitman just did the whole trick with family ties for the movie series and for himself, personally and revived the cult trilogy for another magic touch, making it all special, for the perfect comeback.

But greedy Hollywood remains at it is and one magical touch didn't make it, so the lemon needed to be sneezed till it will be dry in a movie that presses all buttons together, to see what will come up better for several audiences. It has a mix that leans heavily on cameos from the original trilogy, turns to a new audience, talks about family, estrange kids and what not.

On this type of movie, you get a lot, but actually getting nothing. It starts fresh with a chase in New York and then starts spreading for several directions, like it trying to fish its audience with several story and theme directions. Ghosts? You got to be kidding me. Genre? Let's try a few and see what works.

Hollywood is at its peak of trying to reboot, restart of re-invent past success - this movie is a good example of how it is done - backwards. Like start wars revival with a great tribute in the first movie, that was a fan service, with a lot of respect for the past and then...well you know the rest of it. No one wants to touch this thing for another decade.

This movie and possible series of movies is and are redundant. Last act is so predictable, first act is so boring and the middle is just...well...a big nothing. Characters pops and goes, Finn Wolfhard is like a decoration and won't miss a sole, if wasn't there. The Oldtimers are coming to punch in and youngsters are not convincing or interesting.

Gil Kenan was promoted into the director this time and switched roles with Reitman. Probably for a good reason, from Reitman's side. The story is poorly told, there are too many characters with little bonding time and the whole thing looks taped from fragments of ideas.

The ghosts of the past are performing, for a small portion of time, on this movie, but they demonstrate that sometimes we need to lock them deep in the closet and don't let them get out, even for the price of a small success. Cult movies from that kind of type are very hard to reconstruct - better luck on the next time.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

How to make Zack Snyder stop?

[4/10 · 19 May 2024]

Yeah....... Zack Snyder has totally lost it. There will be another movie and no matter how much people will hate this one. Snyder at his best of worst directing performance, he does what he is used to do best, at his worst. Nothing will convince anyone that is not a child that something in this movie is worth watching.

Well. It is the second part of the copy-paste Star Wars from Ali Express and the characters remains almost funny, while they actually tell their story - one at the time and make another ferry to die and another viewer to fall asleep. Yeah.... he totally lost it. This is the stage at his career that he can allow himself to be out of tune, but not like that, never like that.

The plot doesn't exist. The characters are a joke and the Baddy...well...he tries to be fine, but its like a pile of crap covers everything, so even Ed Skrein gets buried under all of that. The super slow motions are just too much and demonstrate where Snyder's career stands, almost drowning in the depth of the mud.

Its like Snyder is expecting us to ignore each and every plot hole that exists in his movie and begs us to wait and stay to see the main movie headline - the Indiscriminate shooting of the good guys against the baddies. Ridiculous even for kids and just bad storytelling and none of the action long sequences will save this movie from getting trashed, as it deserves.

Once again, we have "Seven Samurais" meet "Star Wars", but If you want to go to a better place with that mix, you can easily find it at the next streaming giant - it is called "The Mandalorian" and it was damn good. No reason for the plot, no interest in the main characters and even in the special effects category (Super and Extras Slow motions don't cut it alone, anymore) - Snyder Losses. Please Make it stop and don't go to another one.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Turn off your brain and you might enjoy...or not

[5/10 · 18 May 2024]

Can't say that I even remember any of last titans film plot, not that it matters to anything. This is a movie that you can go and watch without knowing a single thing about a single plot detail. Sometimes it could be good, but as far as it goes with this mash up of Godzilla and Kong, it is not a good fact.

It is the classic film for the viewers to click on the button of ignoring large details of it and not pay attention to the amount of inventions that holds no grasp in the real world. Just come to see a bunch of monsters fighting each other and let your brain take a leave to a vacation of almost two hours.

The plot is not even a thing here. We are talking about a giant ape with a giant monster. An underworld, that is so beautiful and haven't been concurred by the human race (yet) and a lot of collateral damage that even several wars can cause to, that is being ignored for the sake of the film's plot.

The human characters are plastic and are for the sake of exposition, storytelling and narrative building. Nothing that they do is not contributing to our understanding or enjoyment from this film. It seems that this movie producers are not interested of harnessing their audience to anything but blows and crashes.

Regarding the "epic" and exhausting battles - I found myself sleeping and re-watching them several times; A fact that cannot serve well the movie, from my side. They looked unreal and were so repetitive, that it was starting to be boring, much more than exciting. It is nice service for monster films, but not a good movie to each and every actual movie fans.

Abigail (2024)

Isn't she's a cutie?

[7/10 · 16 May 2024]

Well... for this movie, do yourselves a favor and avoid trailers or reading anything about it, before watching it. The element of the first surprise will be absolutely delightful. If you can skip the genre labeling also, it will do you a great service and the enjoyment level will be higher, though somewhere, along the way and close to the end, you will feel you've seen this movie once, twice or even twenty times.

The guys that brought you the revival of "Scream" movies, bring you this movie also, with "Scream" movies main actress. The success is almost immediate and this movie is surprisingly good, and funny also. It's a perfect mash up between thriller, horror and light comedy, to deliver a great product, that will make you scared, it the right amount and also grin and smile, almost laugh, the other times.

It is not a spoiler to say it is a vampire movie, but it begins as a regular thriller. The twist follows after almost half of the movie and from that point, it dances a familiar and slightly funny dance between its main characters. It has some social elements, that you can take from "Saw" movies and a big daddy issue main theme, for one of the main characters.

It is well crafted and written and it has a surprising quality cast, with the right amount of talent, in order to draw the crowd but also at the right amount not to create high expectations from a movie that is so well aware to itself.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett didn't just revive the Scream franchise with an accurate and very live directing, they are also in charge of the wonderful and surprising "Ready or Not" movie, that made a great success and especially made a name for this directors duo.

This is another (successful) chapter for both of them, that is taking some great actors with the successful wave, as Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand and Giancarlo Esposito. Great and solid performances for all the cast and just a great movie for vampire-horror genre lovers. A surprisingly good achievement and execution to an idea that is very hard to re-invent.

Police Academy (1984)

Member Berries

[7/10 · 14 May 2024]

Wow! This movie probably cannot live in our universe now. Probably PC police would arrest some people to that might offend some communities. But this is a movie of an era, and probably will make eighties teenagers and adults to piss their pants, when they see it.

It is not hilarious as it used to be then, but still is very funny and even innocent and naïve, in its own charming and mischievous way. It won't last a minute in a world where the internet is going berserk about letters and offensive words, but it was a great time to remember and laugh a little bit.

It's a story about a police academy that welcomes all to try and be police officers and it is exactly as it sounds. Free spirit eighties movie, that doesn't hold back and play the naughtiest tricks, with the lowest jocks that just make it absolutely legendary and unforgettable. If you didn't grow up on it, probably not sure you should try, if you did...a re-watch is advised.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Had a great time, until now...and now...a little bit more

[6/10 · 14 May 2024]

I really can't remember that well the last movie's plot. Can't say that I remember the second movie's plot also, but the main idea is pretty rememberable. Po against all odds and then he prevails and manages to save the day and make us laugh, with a little bit help with Jack Black's voice.

This time his nemesis (voice of Viola Davis) is a little bit less powerful then the regular and his team doesn't get any screen time. Awkwafina, on the other hand, gets a lot of runtime and once again is dubbing a second character in an animated movie, until we are starting to get suspicious about what she has on Hollywood producers, that she keeps on getting so many parts on so many movies.

We get a side quest of Po's dads and a body-learning quest of Po and a new character, which is taking place in the big city, not such as the small village plot, we got until now. It's a short runtime movie, with a tight plot and less characters, though some of the regulars still get their small part.

It's a quest of going to the next level of the main character, which is demonstrating that growing up and learning never stops or getting old and you've got to move forward, even if you are doing the coolest job that you can possibly think about doing until the rest of your life.

And when you need to pass the torch and let go, it is definitely the time to let go and use as a consultant. Maybe the DreamWorks team can start thinking about fresh ideas that doesn't involve Kung Fu, Panda bear and same story line, with a slightly different story. It was a fun ride of 15 years, but it is the time to move along and forward to something new and exciting.

Cabrini (2024)

A Unique person of kindness, love and Willpower

[8/10 · 14 May 2024]

Noting is preparing any of the viewers for this movie. It is an epic story of a woman in a world of man, an immigrant in a hostile territory and numerous situations, where all odds are against you, and yet - you prevail.

Mother Cabrini is that person; who fought against each and every stake, that were against her, and managed to make a difference. It is a story about the human spirit, that just inspire. Nothing but kindness and will to help and make things better - no matter what will be the cost.

Cabrini says on several cases that she will start what she is planning to do and the means will follow and come after, and she is right each and every time. Sometimes it is what it is, even in our reality. When you need to get something done, you just need to do it and let the rest to get along.

With good will, intentions and a lot of heart Cabrini is getting along with a world of man - American man, that are not interested of watching a woman success to do what she came for; even if it is A noble cause, such as saving children from diseases and crime.

Alejandro Monteverde (Sound of Freedom) has done it once again and didn't screwed a good story by just telling it. He has made some of the men in the movie evil, but didn't forget to let some of them posses a noble heart. He is telling the story from the angle of Mother Cabrini and let her narrative to be heard.

The greatness of these films is just that they don't actually need that much. The story itself is solid and relevant for each and every era, as it seems, but the circumstances changed a little bit. This movie is coming to teach us, viewers, to send away our free love and kindness, with the special help of a great woman. And also, a great director and actress, that are Pouring meaning to this special story.

Sanctuary (I) (2022)

Two Can play this twisted love game

[7/10 · 9 May 2024]

Wherever I will meet Christopher Abbott, I will automatically join to watch. Add Margaret Qualley, which is some kind of fresh breeze of air in Hollywood and a diverse actress and you get of the chart chemistry and really great and all-over-the-place movie and plot. They are both going wild, Qualley especially.

It starts like a normal movie, but gets out of control very quickly until you cannot understand what is real and when are those two actors arrive to the plot itself or whether both still play a game for their own crazy purposes. Its like "Inception" of two characters that get a script in a script, within a script.

Both are very good at what they do and both are burning the screen on their own, separately and together. Its all about domination in relationships, in a fresh way of telling a story about couples and about any relationship type, when each takes the control and dictate the rules from his side, according to his strengths.

One cannot say too much, in order not to burn the plot details and spoil for others, but this specific one has enjoyed a focused movie with two main and only actors, that light up the screen with their energies and way of presenting each of both sides, at this endless game of man meets woman.

Fantastic and surprising, until it getting a little tiring. It had its good moments and it had moments when I though it wasn't an hour and a half movie, but longer. It was a small, unusual and rare jam, that is doing what it came to do and even does it quickly. Don't miss two brilliant actors go for it.

A Bag of Marbles (2017)

Another amazing survival story that should be kept forever in our minds

[7/10 · 6 May 2024]

I wandered between the channels and there it was, an emotional movie with another amazing holocaust survival story. Especially in these days we must remember how human beings can become animals and treat other humans with an un-human treatment. Remember and never forget that history is starting to repeat itself and do what ever we can not to get there once again.

It is a story that is based on true events, which occurred to Joseph Joffo, the writer and main character in this movie. It is a family story and especially brothers' special bond and connection between young Jo and his brother - Maurice. They are both finding themselves running from the Nazis rising in France and trying, time to time, to unite with the rest of their family.

The story is written and performed with "lite" way of telling it. A lot of funny bits, that makes the horrific era to get a little bit softer, then it is remembered through out history pages. As Roberto Benigni tried to make a comedy out of his story, Christian Duguay tries his luck also and makes a big drama with a lot of thrilling moments and most important, funny moments that would let the plot go smoother in the viewers throat.

Sometimes it feels that Duguay is trying to avoid the monstrosities, in order to stay at reasonable limits of drama, but the movie illustrates properly the difficulties and the horror the Jewish community was, at those times, that mustn't even show any way of returning back to us. Excellent movie that doesn't stand out at its genre, but does the job and keeps the viewer involve and fascinated through all of its runtime.

Shōgun (2024–2026)

After watching this one, we all need to perform Seppuku...

[9/10 · 4 May 2024]

For me, and before reading a lot of material about this series, this show was a way of reaching out (at the second time in a small period of time, after the end of "Blue Eye Samurai") to Japanese audience and a way to narrow the gaps with the rest of the world. From side, as a viewer - it's a big success. Without even starting to talk about the rest.

Exactly as "Anjin" Blackthorne discovers and understand, finally, the beauty and meaning of Japanese tradition - so do we, as an audience and as a fly in the woods. All of the viewers reacted with a big shock to each and every suggestion of performing self-suicide, that is named: Seppuku or Harakiri (which is not used or mentioned at all in the series), but as the time passes by, it didn't seem so weird or unreasonable, just frustrating, in a way we've managed to contain.

So many characters and such amazing and accurate development arcs for all the meaningful part of the cast. The main characters got us attached to them, like flies to crap, despite cultural differences. The main plot was branched into two main and major storylines, which built themselves from each and every side. Every episode and every detail were made with a strict eye, great care and notification for each and every small detail you can possibly imagine.

As I haven't read the book or seen any content that is related to it, from years before, this experience was pretty new and fresh. I understand that the series is minimizing the view of Blackthorne and the western point of view and gives the stage to the Japanese culture and customs, so it was much more appreciated for its authenticity and almost 80% of the occurrence in this series is in the Japanese Language.

Each and every custom gets magnified ten times then can be expected and the drill down to this unique and different culture gets its chunk of the series' runtime. It was an experience that got us to think and adapt to customs we are not familiar to, as was Blackthorne, with his stages of learning that he is not that smart, at the end of all things and the last episodes twists were silent and not bombastic, but surprising and sneaky - exactly as Yoshii Toranaga planned them to role.

This series revealed some not very familiar actors and actresses to the world. Names like Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai and especially Tadanobu Asano will never be able to get back to anonymity, as their performances were delightful. Hiroyuki Sanada was one of the little few that was recognized, but his performance enhanced his popularity and everything we've ever thought about him, as an actor for small and forgettable roles.

One can hope that this series will not continue to a second season, though the ending was pretty demanding a sequel. Good things need to know when to end, before they get to spoil due to fans service, as we've seen at other TV shows that didn't know when it is the time to wrap things up. It was one season almost perfect experience and one of the better things' TV medium has given to its audience.

The Idea of You (2024)

Amazon's Surprising Rom-Com

[7/10 · 3 May 2024]

Every fiber and muscle told me not to, but Anne Hathaway and my wife's fond to her told otherwise. Good thing I didn't listen to my instinct. Though we are talking of a movie that is not renewing anything, conceptually, it is still fresh and made with so much love and feelings, that you cannot treat it with cold manners.

It's the same old love story with age limitation and this time with a familiar twist of celebrity and common human being. It started pretty bad but squeezed some surprising laughter sighs from my side, that even my wife looked directly into my face to see if I'm not chocking.

The big and massive advantage of this movie, it is its heart and rhythm. The plot is predictable; non-surprises at the script side, even though it gets the chance for a salvation point, very near its exit point, story wise, but it totally misses it. So...not taking any chance to make a change, from the script side, what is this movie actually gives its viewers?

Anne Hathaway's charm is a maximum winner and the surprise, even big one; comes from the side of Nicholas Galitzine. Great and catchy tunes, heart warming performances and such a cute development, that sticks for almost straight two hours. There are several surprises from each and every side of the movie, that says somethings about several issues, but stays simple and likeable at each and every way.

The movie dives inside issues like Class differences, age differences and of course social media influence on everything that involves reaction that isn't requested or needed sometimes. Its moving, exciting and even pretty sexy. Did the job and proves, once again, that Anne Hathaway still got Midas's golden touch.

Sleeping Dogs (2024)

Don't mess with the Crowe

[6/10 · 30 April 2024]

Didn't sleep at all. Well...almost, but it wasn't Crowe's fault. Somehow, I don't know how, he keeps me focused with a movie that its end is almost too easy to predict and it is kind of a mashup between cheep version of "Memento" with a "whodunit" genre film and a sprinkle of Neo Noir above - you get Crowe and a fine cast keeping you hanging on.

A man with Alzheimer, which can't remember dick about his life or what to do in the morning, finds the strength and mind clearness in order that he will be able to run an old case from his past as a detective. A lot of the movie's logic doesn't add up, but somehow, this old school thriller gets you. Well he got me.

Russell Crowe is not making appearances on big caliber movies, but somehow, he is not crashing and burning in his mediocre movies and almost also gives a solid performance, like this one; this time he is wrapped with great actors, that gives him good support, though the script isn't consistent at its level.

Adam Cooper isn't a Hollywood big director name, but he manages to survive the scene and collaborate once again with Crowe (their previous time was at "Exodus: Gods and Kings") and almost justify the work with big names like: Crowe, Karen Gillan, Tommy Flanagan and even Marton Csokas.

The final result is a mystery thriller that keeps the viewers engaged, though at most of the time it seems that the end is pretty predictable and Cooper copy-pasted a lot of pf the plot development from larger scale movies, somehow he makes it all work in a pretty forgettable solid movie.

Asphalt City (2023)

Rough on the edges

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

I've seen the grade, then saw Sean Penn, then Tye Sheridan and then it was a done deal. Also read an interview with Sheridan, that talked about this film, how was it made and how was it to work with a massive actor as Penn. All got me and with this load I got started to watch this movie.

The beginning of it is characterized by many explorations and trying to reach the viewer and to insert him into the day-to-day life of two paramedics. One is young, the other had his mile and they are both struggling to save lives. Sometimes also with their environment.

The struggle is not just with the high pressure to arrive to the scene of action, the struggle is also to absorb what you see on a daily basis, regarding the impact of the cases has on the paramedics and sometimes the impact manifested by trying to be invulnerable to what the surrounding of the people that are getting the treatment and how they are treating their guardian angels.

It is a movie with a high pulse reaction of the viewer. It is speaking about a transparent people, that don't get their recognition. They say it multiple times, that they don't get a single "thank you", but a lot of other "wishes" and offensive words and behavior are flowing down the drain.

The movie Zigs and Zags between hard field cases and private area of the scarred people that live on each and every day with another, hard to watch of talk about, cases. At the final act the Zig and Zag will collide, in order to give the movie its meaning, but it seems that Sheridan and his company made a great job of learning the material from top to bottom.

The cast is top notch - except Sheridan and Penn, we've got a cameo performances of Mike Tyson and rising star - Kali Reis ["True Detective 4"] and a superb short supporting performance of Michael Pitt, that sometimes felt like Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden.

At last; Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's work is absolutely fantastic with a cold and rough dive into the very hard parts of New York City, from a different angle and perspective. It is well crafted director's work, that takes his camera man through the various angles of the city and emphasize its colors and especially those that he is treating them well through the whole movie.

Fantastic movie and it is great to sometimes not to believe the first grade you see to a movie - you might like it in the end, like me and a lot of others. Don't miss another Huge performance from Tye Sheridan and his deputy - Sean Penn. It's a powerful piece of work.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

No matter when, it is still one of the best

[8/10 · 24 April 2024]

Thanks Netflix... you still have some things to offer. Not an original piece, but a nostalgic one that makes my day (and night) so much better. I have seen this movie so many times as a kid, and now it was the time to pass it on to...my wife. Yeah... I know. It's probably never too late.

This laughter is just captivating. You cannot be indifferent to Eddie Murphy's performance; he has the magic that few actors had or has now, even he has lost it so many times during his long career. It is not the same for many years, but later on this year we will get another taste of that same magic. Hopefully it didn't get so old, as the actor that sprinkles it on his viewers.

It's a story of an investigation - a regular one with twist and turns, though the end is quite predicted. But it has the magic that not a lot of detective movies has - it got Eddie Murphy at his finest years and at his peak. Just charming and makes you laugh from the bottom of your heart.

His "partners" are perfectly written and performed ant it seems that each and every part and concept of this movie works so well. Probably wont work for the fourth time, but hell...we are going to totally work with it and even just to get a small taste of this eighties magic, Murphy brought us at his youth.

The baddies are totally bad (who didn't recognize the classic good-bad guy of "breaking Bad" as a young criminal?) and the good guys are just classic. The captain and commander of Axel Folly is mile stone for all others to come and Folly himself is an iconic character.

Martin Brest made a name for himself at the eighties and nineties with epic movies and vanished completely until killing his career finally with "Gigli". This movie, right here, was his big break and one of the most iconic ones, after that he made some more dreamy films and just disappeared into the oblivion.

Don't miss the chance Netflix gave you and just start watching this iconic Eddie Murphy's trilogy, just before it will crash down and burn with the revival experiment, that is doomed into maximum failure. We will delete it, once it will fail (as we did with fourth "Matrix" movie) and remember only the good experience. The first one is a good change to start.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Moving forward, toward the last parts, at the same great quality

[7/10 · 24 April 2024]

Another Harry potter chapter, that was divided into several watching episodes with my kids and wife.

It is marked as PG 14 and it is the scariest one until now. It has horror elements and the adventures jumps a level of maturity.

This one has one of the most hated characters of harry potter's movies - Dolores Umbridge. The plot is sometime weird and sometime not very coherent, but the final outcome remains the same.

A well-crafted growing up movie, for the main characters and their audience. Now it is much faster to binge grow up with harry potter's movies, but then it was so precise.

The cast remains full with enormous actors and actresses and the movie hangs on still with great music, action sequences and respected visual effects.

Moving forward to the next one and enjoying each one of them separately.

Dune (2021)

Back for the third time

[8/10 · 24 April 2024]

The first time I have seen this movie was when the movie debuted - world wide and on the biggest movie screen I found. The second time was when the second movie went out - to refresh. Now it was the third time, with my kid. I don't think that I remember a lot of movies that I watched more than once since I am (some kind of) a grown up.

This is one of those few movies that are instant classics. Epic and so well crafted, especially after all odds were against this movie. Lynch failed at the eighties, but Denis Villeneuve has succeed in every aspect. The soundtrack is legendary, most of the scenes are visually amazing and the movie stand so good, though its main theme is so worn down.

I bough the book and started to read it, while picturing scenes from the movie and it is still so good. Denis Villeneuve gets into such small details and builds each and every character with a promising and respected arc, that stays so close to the origin that it is just amazing to see, on this era and those terms, to be able to sweep and harvest such a success, for each and every kind of audience.

It is a world-wide global phenomenon. No less. Timothée Chalamet will be remembered for ever as Paul Atreides and it is a role that puts a lock of him being one of the greatest and most advanced young actors in field. He really made a lot in such a short time, that one can only see and applaud.

This movie's scenes are iconic and every one of them stands perfect for itself. Yeah...its too long, sometime you want to take a break to wake yourself up, but at the end of all, it is one part that made history, as a book - in the past and now, finally, as a deserving work of art in the medium of the big screen.

Now the legends begin to build itself as an epic movie master piece that fully respects the origin; book series and off course the 80's failure, that tried at first, made a name for itself but didn't made it with the test of time and also then, didn't make it as a successful try to build a legacy of movies.

Villeneuve's both movies are the real deal and the reason to get our asses out of the small screen and make the extra mile into the largest screen available, and then...take the second and third time to reflect about it in several extra views, to get excited from this movie phenomenal wonder. Don't miss it, for the next few times you can watch and be prepared to get addicted.

Damsel (2024)

The Damsel Ain't in distress no more...or is she?

[5/10 · 7 April 2024]

Until minute 35 (give or take) I was sure we are going for an adventure princess story and my wife was totally on board. Once the Dragon came and along side came the horror genre elements, the movie changed completely and my damsel got distressed and baled on me... leaving me alone, in order to complete the mission on my own.

Well...challenge accepted...or not completely. The day after she came back, learned that she is a cowered and completed almost all the rest of the film, that was...pretty stupid. Straight forward and almost shoved into each and every viewer's thought. Nothing new from this one or its genre.

An almost classis case, for PC era, of roles Reversal, that takes out men almost completely out of order and leaves women to take charge on all of leading roles of influence in the movie. We've got an evil queen mother, the damsel that got distressed and prevails, a female dragon and a whole bunch of men that are doing wrong or doing nothing to prevent all wrong stuff.

As I started to say, the first half of hour is kind of an exposition and it completes all genre rules to get the show started. After this time, it's a girl fleeing from a dragoness for each and every direction possible, just to get a second round with it / her. Nothing to be excited about or loose anyone's sleep over it (especially not my wife's).

Millie Bobby Brown never proved to be anything else but a pretty growing face in Hollywood and she does it(?) again this time also. We got several has been actors that just watching their name as part of the cast makes me goosebumps.

Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett and Robin Wright are absolutely wasted here, but did the job for an 80's kid like me, that will not settle for young Millie Bobby Brown only, in order to check out another collaboration, that she is marking with streaming faltering giant.

Oink (2022)

Okja did it bigger and better

[6/10 · 6 April 2024]

It was a sunny Saturday and nothing to watch with the kids, so we went to the movie theatre for a short date with a pig. And a girl and a grandfather. On the way to the movie the kids have already started complaining about the type of movies we go in the specific movie theatre and the weirdness of them.

I listened and waited for the actual response during and after the movie. Most of the reactions were expected (including my wife's), but some were not what I have expected and it did kind of changed my way of thinking about this particular stop-motion creation.

A short check about Mascha Halberstad, the director of this movie, shows that she was in charge (directed) the Prodigy's "Wild Frontier" music video clip, so kudos for that. The animation this time and generally, is not my cup of tea (and also the rest of my family members') but it is highly appreciated.

The movie is talking about vegan nine-year-old kid, that gets to know her grandfather from scratch, while she doesn't know anything about his past. Must say that that I've expected a different ending to the movie and a much more anticipated, but the small surprise was really fine by me.

The general message of the movie went pretty clear, but the way was pretty boring, though the movie wasn't so long. It was too much graphic with all the poop and farts and I think it just disrespected the kids' intelligence and even stopped being funny after too much from the same stuff, but hey...kids laughed, so OK.

You can see that the director is a "she". All male characters are lousy. Looser dad, cruel and unreliable grandfather and other man were also ridiculous. The boy got an important job with a view for a better future, but all the rest of important and good characters were the girl and women around her.

On the other hand, just a little bit and before the end of it, several kids were traumatized (including my youngest) and went out crying, so all of the sudden, it treated them as adults. The final verdict was it was OK, they didn't appreciate the animation style and were bored for some time, but somehow enjoyed a bit and not sure they will eat sausages anytime soon.