Shokani Reviews

The Lovely Bones (2009)

A Palpable Film Released To Headless Audiences

[9/10 · 25 May 2024]

I get it,some few "critics" desiring to stay relevant in whatever endeavor they are up to decide to arbitrary hate on this film without any justification and the rest just jump on that wagon to fulfill their own criteria for sticking in or being cool.

This film,and mind you,I have watched over hundreds of movies from every single country where films are produced of every possible genre and I tell you this ,this film has been one of the rare films I come across as of yet that evokes so much emotions,so much love,so much grief for a character on a screen.

Ignoring the glaring blue eyes of sussie salmon,the films usage of a kind of otherworldly glow on scenes depicting the murdered girl was surreal and genius given the fact that they were at liberty to choose any other color palette.

The narrating added a Palpable atmosphere to it and a sense that susei was our friend,and we knew her because we had access to her thoughts which begs the question, Do people become familiar with us or them with us if we had access to their thoughts and fears?

A full 2 hour passes and you wouldn't know because you are too engaged with it.

The ending which I wouldn't spoil for anyone that grants themselves this delight was poetic in the sense that he may have evaded being caught he still met his end.

The fantastical elements infused in the film showcase the visual aheadness,it was incredibly beautiful and profound in the sense that it managed to tie so many unrelated things into one giant combination,the in-between was beautifully executed.

The power that murder has,is throughly shown in ripping families apart and it's gruesome nature.

Susie salmon realized that her death may have been tragic but it brought her family together and her in a better place,you could die and people would move on which again begs the question If we will be forgotten in as a little as few weeks is what we are doing now worth it?

Knights of the Zodiac (2023)

A Very Bad Movie

[3/10 · 19 May 2024]

Everything about the movie sucked big time,it was rushed,the plot lines too loose,the character interaction genuinely bad and cringe,even the love story was so bad I had to shield my eyes,it was incredibly awkward and fake.

The only good thing about this movie was the fight sequence,that fight sequence portrayed reality and was flawlessly executed.

Apart for this,the whole movie was one giant mess,the guards were doing nothing,the plot was too predictable,the story so over used.

It's like a very bad version of blue beetle except even with resources the whole film was poorly written and didn't make any sense.

Memento (2000)

An Experimental Film.

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

Most people including I found it difficult to flow the non linear structure of the film but that's what made it stand out,I am sure most people expecting to have their minds blown by this movie prematurely thought that Natalie was the actual wife,none could prepare us for the true revelation.

Seeing how it was shot in 25 days,This was a very well done movie film that touches on memory, past,time and connections.

In one line when Leonard kills jimmy,he states he doesn't feel happy that is because he already achieved that happiness before hand as shown in the picture.

There were clues throughout the film to show us the revelation but they were incredibly subtle,I particularly liked the revelation of Sammy being Leo as it's a well documented case of otherizing and cope behavior.

It possible that leo wasn't even an Insurance broker but Sammy was and Leo replaced him in his mind.

In other words sometimes your own memory would be altered and you would have no idea.

Insulin overdose does actually kill because it causes your cells to absorb more glucose leaving low sugar levels.

Spaceman (I) (2024)

Feminists Dream Captured on camera

[5/10 · 28 April 2024]

As much as I love philosophical books and movies/series where the object to overcome is the protagonist himself,this really takes a more direct Method,the spider asks questions,reads his mind without his permission and finds out that he didn't prioritize his wife first and foremost according to an age old axiom,that his priorities were space explorations,you genuinely can't blame them,a large structure appeared on the plains near Jupiter and he wanted to see and was sent,6 months he was alone then he met a spider that was a space therapist.

I expected something profound not a love story,a place where pregnant women go and live there and play Kumbaya,that is how you know what a feminist dream this was,that doesn't happen in real life.

The movies color grading was exceptionally good the music was genuinely above average.

He left all space exploration for the sake of his wife but that had something with something his father did when he was young that led hom to think he had to find redemption and that this was in Jupiter.

A middle movie to watch absent mindedly.

Seven Pounds (2008)

Good for Thursday night vibes for when you feel a bit philosophical

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

Tragedy happens to man,man drives car,man looks at phone,man crashes car,man causes another crash,7 people killed,man wants to atone for the sin by changing the lives of 7 people while pretending to be collector,man finds woman,she has heart problems,man likes her,man sees she's the final person to do the last pound.

Man thinks long and hard,man sees woman struggling,man sees she's being beaten by her husband,man doesn't like that,man gives her his house.

Man gives his brother lungs,man also gives liver to failing woman,man gives eyes to blind man,man commits suicide,man does so via jellyfish,man's heart is used to revive woman,man is at a peace according to the movie.

This movie raises a profound question,did Ben Thomas do the good deeds to absolve him of sins?if so then according to many atheists,his actions are futile because he was motivated by external rewards,i.e,to absolve himself of sin and atone himself,rather than what atheists think,that is to do something because it's good and not expect anything.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

Spaceships running on coal

[4/10 · 28 April 2024]

I thought at first why the first movie sucked so bad was because Netflix butchered it to appeal to younger audience because of corporate greed however this one sucked so hard that black holes get jealous.

Seriously this looked like it was made by some very inexperienced teenagers small budget vibes and so predictable that I started betting with better chance of what they say.

The clothes looked meh,the planets were bad,the spaceships had medocire design, overall no self respecting person finds this interesting.

I only watched because I had time to kill and also had to do brain cells culling because knowledge and great intelligence is a curse.

Zack Snyder has to work in a Chinese gulag to redeem himself or perhaps in the waters of the mines of mandalore.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Just The Average

[5/10 · 21 April 2024]

Mission impossible 5 was seriously the best in the recent one following it,there was so much plot twists, mystery and Nobody knew who had what.

The AI plot was weak,the scenes where he just walks on and conducts a deal with the woman having the key was unrealistic,the car being hit by the train was expected,I don't know why he had to run on the roof,we get it man,you want everyone to know she doesn't limit you,cruise but this is a movie.

Some parts of the movie,it got from Pathan like the helicopter scene.

This one just fell flat,there wasn't good action, good story telling,just a bunch of adults running after some keys.

I missed the old ones,they hit different.

Fallout (2024– )

Arguably Good Writing From Trash Hollywood In Recent Years

[7/10 · 21 April 2024]

Everything ties together so nicely of present and past.

The characters are built just nicely, really good choice of songs,the juxtaposition of old songs with future world was humourous and ironic.

Excessive Capitalism is explored till the point of god like decisions being taken.

There was Instances of bad cgi but this was over taken by the good designs of the gulper,giant roaches,and the beautiful western accent of the ghoul.

An energy and resources control is still being waged by various factions vying for power.

The show was beautiful executed though we would love if more creaturess were shown,more of those giant machine suits being used and explanation for what powers them or where those ospreys wer getting their fuel from.

Each episode was an hour long, it's obvious lots of thought went to it,this is Loki style writing and we are all here for it.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Historical Inaccuracies With Cheap Tactics

[4/10 · 21 April 2024]

I genuinely wanted this film to be good, however the historical Inaccuracies were blaring everywhere, seriously a black doctor respected in Victorian London? They were not until just about 75-90 years ago.

And doing a blood transfusion without even knowing the blood types again in Victorian London?it wasn't about 1930 that different blood types were discovered to not be mixed.

The design of dracula was good I was honestly a bit surprised they went through with killing the kid, and in such a gruesome way, so points there.

The script was subpar even though the camera work and cinematography and color grading was good,the whole film fell flat.

A bad watch with some good parts.

Noah (2014)

Dope effects but still good

[6/10 · 1 April 2024]

Even though not accurate representation of what actually transpired,this film deserves in it's all right,its originality with a bit of historical truths to it.

The Choice was nuanced and hidden to test Noah in the film,this was the cherry of the cake because majority did not anticipate exactly why Noah was tryin so hard to kill children.

The cast gave decent acting,the plot was gradually climbing,the only bad side to it is,it didn't have depth in the sense that it could be built upon,and other characters introduced that would have given the entire film complex depth but it was still alright.

I finished the entire film in one go, something rare these days but nonetheless it was enjoyable and thought provoking,it was genuinely good in plot,from acting,in CGI or whatever it used to make the animals.

Obviously some atheists were pissed that this movie exists, though I am not Christian,it was a good film in its own right,a solid 7/10,don't let the biases of some atheists deter you from experiencing this film.

Not entirely accurate in terms of clothes,shoes and such but nonetheless an enjoyable film for a Friday night.

The Green Mile (1999)

The Movie That Promps Questions About Everything.,

[10/10 · 28 March 2024]

Paul edgecomb witness a miracle,he is healed from a bladder infection that fits the profile of a UTI,He had painful urination,hot burning sensation of the penile region,he couldn't walk properly and he was coming up with a fever,now because it was 1935,The first antibiotics wouldn't be discovered until 4 years later and UTIs are leading causes of death if not properly addressed and has a low chance of healing unless promptly solved holistically including prevention of future occurrences.

He is healed instantaneously by John Coffey,who later in heals a woman with brain cancer that metastasized and she only had little life left

Paul edgecomb sees this and reasons,a valid reasoning that John Coffey couldn't possibly have sexually assaulted and murdered 2 little girls as he was pure,he displayed fear of the dark even with certainty of death,he stated that some men he saw in the prison and interacted with were bad displayed compassion that most will fear or don't have. Paul sets up to prove his theory that John Coffey is an innocent man and he travels to talk with Coffey's lawyer Paul asks if John Coffey had prior history of violence or murder or anything that could establish his alleged crime His lawyer implies that he defended John for no other reason other than the fact that everyone is entitled to a defense and later on reveals that he believes John Coffey committed the crimes, accentuating his confirmation bias as well as his weakened defense of John Coffey since a man who believes something will not fight against that. When Paul insists John Coffey couldn't have done that in a vacuum,the lawyer equates him to the mongrel that all of his family loved and was good and the family good to him then suddenly one day attacked his son and took out his one of his eyes.

He compared John Coffey to a dog to explain away john commiting the murder and rape for the first time,which was plausible that it was his first time based on no reports of a man of his size being involved in any crime of such hideousness.

Thats a false equivalence,a dog and a human are 2 different things and one can't be used to explain the other,it doesn't take into consideration factors that lead the dog to viciousness and doesn't adequately explain why John Coffey could have done such a thing when he had no prior history of any crime nor it being the first time.

The only evidences presented as implied by the movie was the fact that John Coffey was holding the 2 girls in his arm and the evidences didn't include his crying at the 2 girls,he was indicted for murder without sufficient evidence and sentenced to execution without sufficient evidence that proved beyond any reasonable and conceivable doubt that John Coffey murdered and sexually assaulted the girls.

He was sentenced by a society that was already vehemently prejudiced against him and was corrupted as evidenced by one of the guards having "powerful friends" as is today with the US but takes different names such as lobbying.

Madame Web (2024)

Somewhat good movie

[5/10 · 18 March 2024]

It was actually a bit good contrary to all these people comparing it to morbuis.

The colour grading was very good and an eye candy.

The plot was intriguing though some loose ends ruined it a great deal, childishness was also present in the plot,to have a good movie tha actually appeals to many adults and children,it should have deep plot lines and dialogues.

Other than that,the editing was good, except in the last part on the building,there was fake CGI there.

Overall,it was an enjoyable movie,and the camera work was freaking good,seamless transitions was a job well done.

Overall,you should watch this movie because It was enjoyable,sure it had its many flaws but I promise you,the reviews are lying to you.

Code 8: Part II (2024)

I mean,It was alright.

[5/10 · 15 March 2024]

First movie was a concept, genuinely thought they wouldn't make another but they did, everything was predictable and we all knew what was going to go down.

Some parts were nice,it was well acted,the powers had good edits,truth is,this was a decent sequel and it had some good story to tell.

Bit unrealistic on some parts like the drug boss being shot at by his own partner,irony was also explored and the role of money on people.

They didn't adequately explore why the guy decided to take the girl in, character development wasn't as good as the first movie,overall this movie had a lot of potential and pitfalls ,it could be improved but Netflix gotta shake for the the green paper.

Anyone But You (2023)

The guys that wrote this film knew what they were doing

[4/10 · 15 March 2024]

Yep the script writers knew what they were doing,the film had rather good plot though it was very clichè, everyone knew what was going to happen,the only reason they got the guy naked is so they could justify Sydney showing some melons.

It's not a profound film but enough to play in the background,the comedy was absolute trash and I genuinely thought that the comedy was just mundane.

This film was very unrealistic with parents expectations,some scenes had very bad acting, people visibly cringed, luckily I had anti cringe spray.

It was very predictable and generally just what you would expect from a low budget production.

I also loved the part when thanos came,and Thanosed everywhere.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Average film that is not too bad

[5/10 · 6 February 2024]

The last part was completely and totally uncalled for, Atlantis should never have made it's presence known,what happened when Wakanda did that? Uncle Sam wanted Sum and was willing to get it illegally.

Really good to see that Mera had only a few scenes,she's a domestic abuser and Warner Bros should have fired her since she was convicted while Johnny was fired based on an allegation.

Vfx and CGI were insanely good,sound design was bit of screen,plot was too shallow and too predictable,It was like a 13 year old boy wrote it on break time.

Overall the movie does have good parts,and I don't know how inserting climate was essential given it's fiction nature.

The film could have been written well and short much better,they could have added nuance but money grabs ultimately led them to fully lose out.

DC and Marvel are sinking.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

Hyped yet disappointed

[5/10 · 25 December 2023]

Finished the entire movie last night and 1 thing became clear,Sofia boutella was not a good choice as the lead actress,the plot was too predictable,the lines were written by teenager,the other cast members tried to compensate,they tried hard but bad choice of lead actress+The thief was also a bad actor,too predictable.

The villain actors lines and actions were decent,the strange animals scenes were done perfectly,even though the movie was unrealistic because they were found immediately despite the mother world looking for them and they just by default join them,the resistance joins them just after being asked and are willing to take on huge risks,and finally they just let anyone in without any questions or anything

The CGI and the environments were done perfectly,sound design was not bad as well,but the fight scenes especially the first one where kora fights with the invading guys was faked and everyone could see it,too obvious.

The movie felt rushed,no emotional connection with any of the characters, this can't be a Zack Snyder film It could be improved upon,actors replaced,plot made too layered,more connection.

But this is part 1, perhaps part 2 would add even more depth and surprise us all.

Our Son (2023)

VERY Bad Over rated film

[1/10 · 21 December 2023]

I gave this movie a chance and it was not a good decision It was straightforward at more points than not,the acting was predictable and sometimes felt forced,the plot was literally so predictable that none dared to feign suprise

It was a forgetbale film you can forget just an hour after finishing,didn't leave that much of an impact The whole thing was boring and i wish I could get back the time I spent watching the film

Bad directing,trash plot,not convincing at all,wooden acting.

I encourage all to go watch something else rather than waste time on this,it not worth it

Coming from an objective viewpoints and removing Affective fallacy,the negatives on this film far outweigh the positives.

Bad movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Pleasant Surprise

[7/10 · 19 December 2023]

Though the whole movie moved fast and each part was shortened,it really had an intriguing plot so good riddance to the writers

The cast Esmeble delivered well,the only problem the movie had was it didn't give the characters the time to display different types of emotions to do what they did

Considering the fact that it was originally supposed to be a 2 part movie,time as well as costs made it into a single movie,the colour grading fit the narrative,the early rebels as well as the why President Snow became the way he did, despite not being given a chance for his character to fully become the man he did.

Really enjoyble film,reach the conclusions your own and don't let any film critic tell you a movie is bad,they can never be objective.

Shame (2011)

A movie misunderstood

[7/10 · 17 December 2023]

Brandon chooses to hire escorts to avoid the constraints and compromises inherent in traditional relationships aligns with his character's aversion to restrictions. The film does portray him as someone resistant to emotional entanglements and unwilling to conform to societal expectations.

He values his freedom and autonomy, which he perceives as compromised in conventional relationships.

He cries on the pavement because his lifestyle is out of control,he wants to stop and yet he can't because he knows he will be back to it again

His perversion reached new levels when he engaged in MSM with people he had no idea about

His sister,Sissy, is no exception,she was willing to cut her wrists in her brothers attempt to force him to be with her and Brandon knows about this,shown when he used vitopersory language on the couch with her, lamenting on her tactics when he said to her she trapped him.

But the fact that she was willing to go as far as to take her own life,well that suggests It suggests a profound desire for connection and a fear of losing the only significant bond she seems to have, even if it means resorting to drastic measures.

Perhaps this could be due to her upbringing and could be exacerbated when they moved to NYC when was in her teenagehood from Ireland when everything is different,bullying could be a source.

She wants to be seen,wants to be noticed,wants to be heard,maybe this is why she chose to be a singer,they did mention that they came from a large family and the isolation she feels celebrated in the west as "independence"is something she doesn't agree with but has to forcefully accept because her brother agrees with that sentiment.

Brandon comes to an isolated apartment with no family,If he got a wife,he would be forced to conform to western societal expectations,if he doesn't get,his apartment is empty and he has no release for his desires,self stimulation can only take him for so long,his need for emotional connection and his need for unrestrained physical connection contradict each other and he developed cognitive dissonance which he tries to solve but fails to so he loses himself

Shame 2011 is a movie that shows what isolation and unremitting attention can do do to someone in a society that encourages people to separate from their family siblings because they are "adults" and hence should have their own homes when in reality,there's no 1 way to live your life and nothing bad happens when you go against what western society has said.

Freelance (2023)

Really Good For A Small Studio

[8/10 · 14 December 2023]

I wasn't expecting much,just like the recent Jackie Chan,John Cena film but damn both surpassed all and we're freaking good

For the first time in any movie,the president of a foreign country is actually smart and doesn't bootlick for western powers begging them to come save him or his country,this is really realistic if such events unfolded in real life and besides some mistakes such as rockets hitting grass and there's no charred grass or any fires,it was surprisingly and honestly good and I am sure the bad reviewers here giving negative reviews of this movie are salty that a western backed foreign invasion failed in this movie

John Cena carried the movie and it's commendable that he stayed true to his wife,all 12 year old sigmas pledged allegiance to him upon seeing the film

The president of Paldonia is smart and well spoken and was doing all for the sake of his country though there's nothing wrong with staying In power so long you don't abuse such power

This was way better than ghosted 2023 and really good film anyone can enjoy,it really does make up it's shortcomings with comedy.

Ghosted (I) (2023)

Cheesy and cringey

[3/10 · 11 December 2023]

Yep,this is just too cheesy and there's just no depth to it,the bad acting is cringe even from Chris Evans,the plot is unrealistic and this is something that Chatgpt would write,the only funny part was that when the assassin's were killing themselves.

It was predictable and oddly for a romcom that came out in 2023,it was just,well,bad

I cringed so hard at some scenes and I advise anyone watching to take some anti cringe pills before watching

How can anyone shoot an mp5 with only 1 hand and feel no recoil? Greenscreen was visible in the road-pakistan scene It took me days to finish this because It was just boring

It was just the standard saving the world BS Also I am sure the CIA wrote the script to boost their image as the good guys 😂and give themselves super natural powers that they dream about

Some parts were good,most was bad and the only time to watch this is when you doing no 2.

The Creator (2023)

Good But Hurried

[5/10 · 9 December 2023]

The Plot was good,no doubt but it was hurried and there were too many loose ends that were not tied,so many things were happenkng and the plot holes were just too many(If NOMAD keeps bombing,you would think that it would have been condemned and so on)and it was also unrealistic,a nuclear bombed city and people are back within a decade??? C'mon now

They trusted the protagonist after his betrayal just from a single action,as I said,the movie had great potential that was sadly not utilized Perhaps if they approached it from the angle of intelligence where people discovered that maybe the nuclear weapons were detonated as a result of humans not ai and maybe if the goal was to take down NOMAD,they could have run parallel stories of both the human finding out about the nuclear incident and the NOMAD getting taken down

Fox studios wre after the cash and it costed them a movie that great potential that was hurried.

Money Talks (1997)

Chris Tucker Never Disappoints

[8/10 · 3 November 2023]

The high voice he has don't disappoint,the whole movie was surprisingly good for a comedy turned action,never expected them to get so much done especially in such a time

The facial expressions done by tucker get me everytime and I cant believe that he acted in this before rush hour

The whole script was well written and although I dismissed watching it before and decided to now finally commit to watching,it was well worth it

If you want a good laugh and some serious ways of thinking,this is the go to movie

Nobody can beat Chris Tucker when it comes to comedy,can't believe that hes no longer accepting roles.

Awesome to see him in fifth element as well just a year later.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

A Really Really Really Good Film

[8/10 · 24 October 2023]

"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" skillfully intertwines music and narration to underscore the multifaceted nature of love, challenging the conventional confines of monogamy. The narrative deftly explores the intricate dynamics of attraction and choice, subtly highlighting the idea that genuine connection transcends societal norms. The delicate portrayal of Vicky's refusal to yield to a conventional approach to love, coupled with the evocative guitar sequences, adds a layer of depth to the storyline. Furthermore, the film adeptly addresses the reality of marriages where individuals might prioritize companionship and material benefits over affection, presenting a thought-provoking reflection of human complexities within the realm of modern romance

Some say the script was written by a 5 year old but they are denying that love doesn't solely exist in the dimension of Monogamy alone and it's different for everybody and also,it also wears out,to deny this reality is tantamount to foolishness.

Transcendence (I) (2014)

We Can't Allow Finished Critics To Tear Apart Exceptional Sci-fi Films

[8/10 · 8 October 2023]

This movie is exactly how it would play out in life,if they Existed a person that got all the information and enhanced capabilities to undertake a multitude of tasks starting first with finding cures and then bio engineering humans to be more resilient.

The filter it used really made it seem as if it were something real,the organization behind trying to stop progress because it was immoral without justification was really touch on

This was and is the closest a movie could get to being a realistic sci Fi without any of the BS that other sci Fi movies have like humans heating up and not getting burnt and suffering.

Critics will always hate on any sci Fi because it's not "right" or because they hate someones race on the cast and take out their anger on it and then there's gullible individuals that genuinely believe that whatever a critic says is objectively true.

Watch and learn because this is a sure banger film that satrts kind of boring but really gets good.