Darryl_Lazakar01 Reviews

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Oh boy....

[5/10 · 2 November 2019]

Where do I have to start.... Um...

This movie is okay at best. Not great. Not terrible. As a "sequel" to T1 ans T2 though, it's bad, really really bad.

From the moment they killed off John Conner from the get go I know this is not going to be good, and sure enough it's not good.

Let's start with the positives though. Arnold Schwarzenegger is fantastic in this movie. He's once again the shining beacon of good in this sea of mediocrity. Linda Hamilton is great. Makenzie Davis though. Yeah, that girl from The Martian? She's great in this movie. Her looks isn't great though she looks like Justin Beiber if he's a woman. The new girl though, Dani Ramos, she's bad. In some scenes she's great, others she's unconvincing. The new Terminator is great, BUT it feels like the idea of TX from Terminator 3 but done "slightly" better. The music is meh too, feels very quiet and not much else. The CGI though.... It's very bad in some scenes. It took me out of the movie immediately.

The plot though... It feels like T1 and T2 put into a blender while adding unnecessary and uninspired stuff. That's this movie. Some scenes felt really like they just replicate the scene from T1 and T2. They add really nothing new to the story. You got your Terminator, you got your guardian, you got your first car chase, you got some slow character building moments, you got the big finale, you see the pattern already? Some scenes are also odd, unexplained and made no sense. Like, how could a Terminator can feel emotion? That already contradicted what Kyle Reese said in T1.

This is easily the most mediocre Terminator movie post T2 I've ever seen. At least T3, Salvation and Genisys had something new to offer. This one feels like T1 and T2 for the new generation, but we've seen this already. And it's sad.

To be frank, I'm actually prefer Genisys over this not gonna lie. Everyone hated that movie, but I still do love Genisys. At least it offered fresh new ideas rather than a rehash

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

The best Mission: Impossible yet

[10/10 · 1 August 2018]

Six. It's been six Mission: Impossible movies since it's first movie came in 1996. In Hollywood, usually, the series at this point will worn out and overstayed their welcome. A third movie in a franchise usually struggles to keep it's content fresh and exciting, let alone six. "Halloween: Curse of Michael Myers" and "Freddy's Dead" (aka "A Nightmare on Elm's Street 6") are among those horrible sixth movies, but movies such as "Fast and Furious 6" and "Harry Potter 6" (also known as Half Blood Prince), manages to break the mold and presents a solid sixth entry in their respective franchises.

And thankfully, and rightfully so, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" joins the likes of "Fast and Furious 6" and "Harry Potter 6" as one of the best sixth movie in a franchise. From director/writer Christopher McQuarrie, who also made "Rogue Nation", this is by far the most insane M:I movie yet, and might be the best M:I movie to date.

Pros:

• Cast

Tom Cruise... he's still got it. The good old Ethan Hunt is back, and Tom did such a great job portraying him. He's charming, he's nuts and he's got a great sense of humor. Henry Cavill is great as August Walker. He's menacing, he's dangerous and a great rival to Ethan (and oh boi his mustache...). Ving Rhames is back as the good old Luther Stickell, and he did a incredible job. He's witty, he's charismatic, and I just love his character. Simon Pegg did a fantastic job as fan-favorite Benji Dunn. He's incredibly funny and I like how he did alot more physical stuff in this movie. Rebecca Ferguson also did a great job as the mysterious Ilsa Faust. Alec Baldwin is also great as IMF Secretary Alan Hunley. Sean Harris also did a great job as the menacing Solomon Lane. Michelle Monaghan makes a return as Ethan's wife Julia, and she did a good job. Angela Bassett did a good job as T'challa's mo-I mean CIA Director Erika Sloane. Lastly, I liked Vanessa Kirby as White Widow. She had a great backstory and background, that I would love to explore more should a seventh movie is in production.

• Story

This is by far the most complex Mission: Impossible stories to date, but writer/director Christopher McQuarrie made the story very easy to digest and understand. It's also tied up to previous Mission: Impossible entries, and that's a nice touch. The fact that the movie takes time to flesh out some of the characters even more, in particular Ethan, is also a plus in my book.

• Action scenes

I swear, Tom Cruise is a real life Superman. Actors these days would do a stunt double for an action set piece this crazy, but Tom being Tom insisted that he does his own stunts, and it all payed off! The result is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled action, that's also real. No CGI nonsense, it's just Tom doing action scenes, on a real vehicle, doing real dangerous stunts. Just give him an honorary Oscar please. Major props also need to be given to Christopher McQuarrie. He knows how to make an action scene brutal, intense, and fun to watch. From the HALO jump sequence, to the bathroom fight scene, to a motorcycle chase, to a chase scene on foot, to the climatic helicopter fight scene, all of these were shot and directed beautifully.

• Music

The music is wonderful, intense and great. Lorne Balfe did a fantastic job for this movie. This is possibly the best MI soundtrack I've ever heard since Ghost Protocol. The MI theme in this movie might have beaten Michael Giachinno's MI theme in Ghost Protocol as my personal favorite MI theme of all time!

• Cinematography

Along with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, this is one of the best looking movies I've ever seen all year. Stunning wide shots, with great looking scenery. The action scenes were shot incredibly well, using wide shots, and zero shakey cams. The camerawork on the helicopter sequence is incredibly well done, with cameras inside and outside of the helicopter, to great effect.

• Pacing

The pacing in this movie is just perfect. They just go full throttle! There's no time to breath and relax, because the action scenes are coming one after another, like very fast. When you want to like take a break, the movie just kinda don't let you, it's like the movie tried to make you pass out due to the neverending tension.

Cons: Honestly, I've been thinking hard about what I hate about this movie, and honestly there's nothing wrong with this movie, there's nothing I hate in this movie, the entire movie is great. The pros outweighs the (almost non-existent) cons. If there's one thing I hate about this movie, it would be the lack of Jeremy Renner as William Brandt (I already missed that guy. Not appeared in Infinity War, and now this? Why?!), also I wish the movie could be longer (because boy time flies really fast). Oh, and in one particular scene it should be more impactful and sad, But since this is my personal preference, it wouldn't affect my rating whatsoever.

Other than my otherwise personal nitpick, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" is simply one of the best, if not the best action movie of this summer. With a great storyline, terrific acting and mind-blowing action scenes, this is easily one of the best movies of 2018 so far, and might be the one that finally took down "Ghost Protocol" as the best MI movie to date. If there's a seventh installment, I'll definitely on board.

Skyscraper (2018)

Die Hard 2018... kinda

[7/10 · 14 July 2018]

Die Hard movies are pretty influential for the action genre, that it spawned numerous movies inspired by it. I loved all four Die Hard movies (nope, never gonna admit the fifth one exists), and I enjoyed Die Hard inspired movies like Olympus Has Fallen, White House Down, etc. So when I found out that Skyscraper is literally 2018's Die Hard, I quickly became interested with the movie. And in some ways it does satisfy my desire of a new Die Hard movie. But if only they add more action, more humor and have a more compelling villain, it would be a much better movie.

Pros:

• Cast

Dwayne Johnson continues to prove that he's one of the most bankable, likable actor in Hollywood right now. His performance as Will Sawyer is great. He's likable, he's relatable, and he's a good character overall. Neve Campbell is great as Will's wife Sarah. I also liked how she's not your typical damsel-in-distress female character, in fact she kicks alot of a**! Chin Han is also great as Zhao. Lastly, Roland Møller did a good job as Kores.

• Action

The action, while it does look unrealistic and stupid at times, actually is great. All of the action scenes were shot and edited brilliantly. One of the action scene is a clear reference to/inspired by the Burj Khalifa scene in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and I love it. Another one might reference the final fight in John Wick 2, which in turn references the fight in Enter the Dragon. While not as mind-blowing, it's still a sight to behold.

• Music

Steve Jablonsky is always a win, nuff said. I mean sure you could hate the Transformers franchise, but one thing that they done right was the music by Steve Jablonsky, and this is yet another great music from him.

• Tension

This movie is actually intense at times, which I appreciate. Sure, not as pulse-pounding like Die Hard, but much appreciated nonetheless.

Cons:

• Surface level writing

Plot-wise: yup, it's Die Hard 2018, just without Bruce Willis in it (kinda wish he made a cameo on this on). In terms of writing, however, it's clear that it has none of the clever writing compared to Die Hard. The villain is forgettable and one-dimensional, the story is exposition heavy, there's no clear backstory of the villains, and I think they blew all of their budget on the 1st act, that they made the ending very anticlimactic to me.

• Too short

It's way too short! The movie has a runtime of around 1 and a half hours, which is disappointing. A movie like this should be 2+ hours long, allowing more character development, more action scenes and etc. It can be longer. It *should* be longer.

• Should be R rated

To be honest, and this is probably a nitpick, but honestly, if the movie is R rated, the movie would have been much better. More cuss words, more yippie-ki-yay moments, more blood, etc. Just add a bit of these, and the movie would probably be better.

Overall, you'll have a good time with this movie. While it does satisfy the crave for a new Die Hard movie, if the movie dared to go all in R rated, with longer runtime and more blood and cuss, I think It'll help the movie more. Grab your popcorns and soda drinks, sit tight, relax, and have fun with the movie.

Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)

Should have stayed straight-to-DVD...

[3/10 · 18 June 2018]

The first Escape Plan movie is simply fun, intense and a great call back to 90's action film, starring two of the biggest 90's action star: Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This one, nope! Confusing plot, bad direction, and overall, it's a snooze! Well, one might argue that this movie is straight-to-DVD, well I'll argue back that it has a theatrical release in my place so might as well rating it like an actual movie in an actual theater.

Yup, the movie still sucks.

Pros:

• Stallone, Bautista, and 50 Cent

Sylvester Stallone once again did a good job as Ray Breslin though he did just a quarter of what he did in the first Escape Plan. Dave Bautista although also didn't get much to do, did a good job as DeRosa. Lastly, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson did a good job as Hush the hacker.

• Production design/set pieces

The production design is great in this movie. All set pieces looked great for a straight-to-DVD movie. The lighting looks great. The neon futuristic look also looks good.

Cons:

• Characters

*sigh* where should I start... This movie is just a giant paycheck for everyone. Stallone isn't even the main character! He didn't do much in the movie until literally the 3rd act. Bautista is wasted in this movie, he doesn't even appear in the movie for more than 10 minutes. The "main character", which is Shu, played by Huang Xiaoming isn't as charismatic, nor as interesting as Ray. This movie felt like a "passing the torch" movie, and that kinda felt forced. The main baddie in the villain, had no motivation in this movie other than revenge, and he's really terrible! There's also this one lady who looks like cheap Margot Robbie knock-off. The supporting characters weren't even memorable, we don't even had a proper introduction to them! No names, no backstory, nothing! (other than Shu has a sibling and the banter between them, and that's it!)

• Plot

There's doesn't even a plot in this movie. It's confusing, it's dreadful and it's horrible. There's no depth in the story, it's just some corporation who wants this tech, and some revenge plan along with it! That's it! That's the movie! Some plot points also don't make sense, and some crucial scenes I believe were either cut from the movie, or just, y'know, too lazy to even filmed it.

• CGI

It looks like a low-budget fantasy drama on my local TV station. It's looks horrible, some were good, but overall it's bad. Even the explosions were CGI! C'mon, does Lionsgate afraid to shell out a couple hundred thousand dollars for a decent explosion?

• Cinematography

Some were stunning, the rest were bad. The fight scenes involves your usual vomit-inducing shakey cam and quick cuts. You even have a guy who clearly knows Wing Chun (Chinese martial arts), and clearly knows how to fight, so why there's still shakey cams?!

• Editing

The editors clearly doesn't know how to edit a movie. They could have just follow the plot in chronological order, but nope, they jumbled the scenes to make the already confusing movie even more confusing.

Overall, Escape Plan 2 is confused, unfocused and a horrible sequel to a perfectly fine action-thriller movie. This movie is clearly a simple cash grab. It doesn't deserve your money, it doesn't deserve your time, all you get from watching this movie, is a good 90 minutes long nap. What a shame.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Fun, thrilling, and actually scary! J. A. Bayona nailed it!

[8/10 · 16 June 2018]

Warning! MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!

After 2015's surprisingly good Jurassic World, I was pretty excited for Fallen Kingdom. With J. A. Bayona in the director's seat and Jeff Goldblum returning as Dr. Ian Malcolm, it seems to be a sure hit, and for the most part, it does. Though the film was bogged down with stereotypical villains, uninteresting side characters, and rehashed plotline, it's still a good movie nonetheless

Pros:

• Characters

Everyone is amazing in this movie (well, except one). Star Lor- I mean Chris Pratt is great as Owen Grady. Bryce Dallas Howard is also great as Claire Dearing. I also really liked Daniella Pineda as Zia Rodriguez. My favorite of the bunch is Isabella Sermon as Maisie. She really shines in this movie. Her screams are a bit annoying of course, but she's a great character that I hope will be explored in the future. B. D. Wong returns for brief performance as the "still mysterious" Henry Wu, and he did a good job. Rafe Spall and Tobey Jones were great as Eli and Gunnar, but I'll talk about them later. James Cromwell is amazing as Benjamin Lockwood, and lastly, Jeff Goldblum has a brief but great performance as Ian Malcolm.

• Cinematography

This is, hands down, one of the most well shot movie I've seen all year. Seriously, kudos to whoever shot this movie. The cinematography here is spectacular. I notice that there's no shakey cams in this movie (at least what I saw), which is a breath of fresh air.

• CGI

There are a brief moments of bad CGI, but for the most part, it looks incredible. The fact that they use a mix of animatronics and CGI instead of full CGI for the dinosaurs, deserves a praise.

• Dinosaurs

I love the dinosaurs in this movie. Blue the Raptor is back, and I love how he's essentially, a main character, and I love it. Rexy the T-rex is also back, and although he's taking the backseat in this movie, I can't help but smile whenever he's on screen. The Indoraptor is, however, the true star of the show. He's menacing, he's dangerous and for the most part, he's freaking scary! Oh, did I mention that some of these dinosaurs were unexpectedly cute and adorable?

• Pacing

J. A. Bayona surely knows how to make a good movie. The movie, though opens with slow, and uninteresting first act, quickly changes once it enters the second act and from there it just keeps going. From simply dumb fun, to actually intense and scary movie, to some really sad moments. I just love the change of pace in this movie and I love in particular, how they embrace the horror aspects in the movie and amplified it to 11. I jumped out of my seat several times because how surprising it is. Overall, it's fun, it's scary, it's funny, it's intense, and it's sad, all in one movie.

• Music

Michael Giacchino, you've done it again! The music is intense, eargasmic and just epic. The music during the third act is just amazing, and surely does help in making intense scenes even more intense.

Cons:

• The villains

The villain, Rafe Spall as Eli Mills, like many Hollywood movies before, stereotypical money-hungry baddie. You'll saw him being the bad guy from a mile away, and although he did his best, that doesn't mean he's a compelling villain. Toby Jones as Gunnar Eversol is also not a good villain, in fact I think Toby Jones is wasted in this movie. Ted Levine as Ken Wheatley, though a bit more interesting, doesn't mean he's a good villain. Like Tobey, he could have done so much more. The Indoraptor is also admittedly, not as menacing as it's predecessor, Indominus Rex.

• One annoying character

Justice Smith as Franklin Webb is, by far, the worst character in this movie. Totally uninteresting, useless in most part, and honestly, very annoying. He's screams like a girl, which though it's a natural response when you're face to face with a dinosaur trying to kill you, but c'mon, can't you just stop screaming and complain? Granted he did something useful in the end of the movie, but honestly, it's too late to redeem his character.

• Unresolved plot points

There are some plot points that were left unresolved, and that's disappointing. *MILD SPOILER* There's this one character who just disappears without a trace although the movie clearly seems to indicate that this character would return for someone else, but no, they just leave it unresolved. *END OF SPOILER*

Conclusion: Overall, this movie is a must watch for fans and average moviegoers. It's fun, it's exciting, it's intense, and overall, a great movie. Though, after you read my review, you'll probably thinking: that's this is essentially The Lost World all over again. I'll admit: It's a rehash of The Lost World, but I recommend you to go watch this movie with a open mind, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride. Oh, and try not to watch the trailers, because that kinda gives away most of the plot (lucky me, I guess?)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

A potentially good heist movie ruined by horrible pacing.

[6/10 · 2 June 2018]

*WARNING! MILD SPOILERS AHEAD*

So far, I enjoyed all of Disney's Star Wars movies. TFA is a great movie, TLJ is a pretty good, but admittedly a divisive movie, and Rogue One is very enjoyable to watch (keep in mind that I haven't watched SW Episode 1-6, but I do know some of the characters and their backgrounds).

Solo, however, is a misfire. It's not a bad movie overall, but rather a forgettable one.

Pros:

• Cast

Alden Ehrenreich does a good job as Han Solo, he totally fits the role. Emilia Clarke did a good job as Qi'ra. Donald Glover did a fantastic job as Lando Calrissian, and has the best performance among the cast. Woody Harrelson and Paul Bettany are great as Beckett and Dryden, but were totally wasted in this movie (I'll explain later). Jon Faverau did a brief but good job as Rio. Lastly, Thandie Newton did a good job as Val.

• Plotline

The best thing about the story is how the movie is centered around Han Solo and his first adventures with Chewbacca. I love how Han and Chewie first met and their interaction is great to look at. I also love the chemistry between Han and Qi'ra. The interaction between Han and Beckett (Woody Harrelson) is also nice.

• CGI

The CGI is, as always a feast to the eyes, though there are a couple shots that looked unrealistic.

Cons:

• Characters

The characters in this movie, however, have little development, as the result I don't really care anyone in this movie (except Lando, he's cool). Han Solo being Han Solo, nothing was added to his personality. Qi'ra is a great character, but greatly underutilized. Lando is great, but like Qi'ra, he could have done so much more. Beckett is... just there, nothing interesting other than he didn't trust anyone. Dryden is a stereotypical 1D villain who's evil, threatening, but no depth. Lastly, L3, played by Phobe Waller-Bridge is not a good droid character. She's super annoying with her "robot-rights" rant.

• Pacing

This is where the movie suffers. The movie is so inconsistent with what they're trying to do. On one point is a fun, fast paced heist movie, but later shifts to a slower, more serious movie. The 3rd act really suffers because of this, and it ends up anticlimactic, and boring. At one point I was into it, but then the movie screeched to a halt and I let out a couple of yawns at that point. It's that inconsistent.

• Story

The story didn't add anything new to the Star Wars lore, nor it adds to the main story. So even if you didn't watch this movie you'll be fine. There's nothing to worry about missing a plot detail in the original-prequel trilogies.

• Action

Surprisingly, there's not much action scenes in this movie. But when they do happen, it's pretty fun. The problem is that there's no wow factor in it. There's nothing mind-blowing about it, there's nothing that makes me jump in excitement, it's just fun, but only surface level of fun, with no lasting impact.

Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with Solo. It's not a bad movie, it's just very forgettable. I honestly felt that it could be better, it could be fun, but the pacing killed it for me. For casual moviegoers like me, you can watch this movie and have fun with it, but for Star Wars fans, I do feel that you'll be disappointed with this movie.

Final Score: 6/10

PS: Also, whoever's working at the Indonesian censorship department that edits this movie should be fired. I mean really? Censoring a kiss?! Twice?!!! And even the cuts were badly edited. Indonesian censorship in a nutshell indeed. -_-

Deadpool 2 (2018)

10 times bigger, with the same wit and charm we know and love

[9/10 · 19 May 2018]

It's rare to see a sequel that's bigger than the original, but retains the same wit and charm we love. Pacific Rim: Uprising, a movie that I'm excited for, that's bigger than the original, ultimately failed to deliver expectations and was hated by fans and critics alike, so instinctively, I was excited but also cautious for Deadpool 2.

Thankfully, with the help of the director who killed John Wick's dog, Deadpool 2 manages to be the sequel that's not only 10 times bigger, but also retains the same wit and charm we all love.

Characters: 8/10 I just love Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. He's just perfect for that role. I liked Josh Brolin as Cable. He's really good in this movie. Morena Baccarin once again did a good job as Vanessa despite having way less screentime. Karan Soni who plays Dopinder is my favorite in this movie. He had a lot more to do, and I love his portrayal. Zazie Beetz did a good job as Domino despite the controversy. Julian Dennison also did a good job as the mutant kid Russell. The X-Force team, consists of Terry Crews, Lewis Tan, Pennywise, and Rob Delaney did a good job as well. Stefan Kapicic (sorry can't spell his name correctly since IMDB has these odd limitations) did a good job as Colossus. I liked how Colossus has a bigger role in this film. Brianna Hildebrand and Shioli Kutsuna did a good job as Negasonic and Yukio respectively, but unfortunately, they got sidelined for Colossus, Domino and Cable (which is a shame since Negasonic is one of the best things about Deadpool 1, and Yukio is a pretty interesting character, that didn't got much time to shine). T.J. Miller didn't had much to do as Weasel, he's just there. Lastly, Leslie Uggams did a good, but brief performance as the lovable Blind Al.

Action: 10/10 I mean, it's directed by the guy who made the first John Wick, and it's female version last year, so I don't think we need to talk a lot here. Long story short: It's fast, it's fluid, not much shakey cams, and good uses of wide shots.

CGI: 8/10 The CGI is good, but gotten bad sometimes. Overall, I could compare the CGI to Black Panther, where sometimes it looked good, and sometimes looked bad.

Music: 9/10 Tyler Bates nailed the score for this movie. The song has opera-like instrumentals which is more prominent at the end of the movie. Songs such as A-ha's Take on Me, Skrillex's Bangarang (I think that's the title), and Celine Dion's new song Ashes just makes the movie even better. Oh, and the Deadpool rap from Teamheadkick is back too, which is the icing on the cake. Seriously, Ashes should won best OST at next year's Oscars.

Story: 8/10 The story is a lot more complicated than the last movie, but didn't get too complicated. Basic plotline involves Deadpool trying to protect a mutant kid from being assasinated by Cable. They did a good job balancing comedy and action, although the comedy got a bit too much. Surprisingly, there's an pretty emotional scene at the end of the movie, and I'll be honest, I never thought I got a bit teared up in an R-rated movie staring... A clown in a red mask.

Comedy: 7/10 The comedy is there, but this time some jokes got a bit stale and doesn't land. But there are moments where I can't stop laughing because how absurd it is. Overall, it's a pretty funny movie, but probably not as much as the first one.

Overall, Deadpool 2 is a rare case where it's sequel is as good as it's predecessor. David Leitch and team nailed what makes the first Deadpool loved and acclaimed by many fans and critics alike, and made a fun and entertaining movie. Though not as funny as before, it still embodies the spirit of the original, and ultimately, it didn't disapoint.

Final Score: 8/10

Note: There's a lot of hidden cameos in this movie, so keep your eyes peeled :)

Ready Player One (2018)

A pop culture reference heaven.

[9/10 · 31 March 2018]

<WARNING: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD>

Ready Player One is one of my most anticipated movie of 2018. I mean, King-Kong, T-rex from Jurassic Park, The DeLorean, and many more all in one movie? Sold. I was born in 2001. I'm 17 years old now. I wasn't supposed to know all these old references considering my age, so why I'm excited for a movie filled with mostly 80'-90's pop culture? It's because I grew up with them. I grew up with Mega Man, Street Fighter, and many more. I don't even watched The Iron Giant yet! (I'll watch it, I promise). But nevertheless, the hype is unbearable to me. The hype just get even better when I found out that the movie is directed by the one and only Steven Spielberg. This movie can't go wrong, right?

At last, the wait is finally over. Totally worth it.

For starters, the cast are great! Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke and Bel Mendelsohn really did a great job as Parzival/Wade, Art3mis/Samantha, and Nolan Sorrento respectively. The supporting cast did a great job as well. Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, and T.J. Miller stood out for me. They really did a good job as Ogden, James Halliday, and i-R0k (though I don't really buy the latter as a bad guy).

The visual effects are stunning! Everything looks stunning and mesmerizing. The action scenes were frantic and fast, yet we still be able to tag along. The music really stood out for me. Alan Silvestri's score is both loud and exciting, and makes all the action more intense and more impactful.

The pop-culture references... There's sooo many of them, so multiple screenings required for you easter-egg hunters. And these references, they all felt necessary to be there, and some of it actually took a big part of the story. I lost count of how many times I genuinely ecstatic to see some of the pop culture reference that I recognize appears on the screen. Chun-Li, and the Hadouken from Street Fighter, the Akira bike, Tracer from Overwatch, the Spartans from Halo, Chucky the Killer, etc. You name it, you got it. The best part? A player summoned a Gundam in Japanese during the big battle against Mechagodzilla (reminds me of Mako from Pacific Rim).

However, this movie isn't perfect. There are some issues I had with the movie. There's really a lot of exposition; people telling us the story, rather than moving along with the story. This happens a lot of times, and It bogged down the movie a bit. Some of the references were shoehorned in some scenes that I thought was unnecessary. And finally, the ending isn't satisfying in my opinion, needs something more than that.

Overall, I really enjoyed Ready Player One. It was worth the wait, and is currently one of my favorite movies this year. I do hope they make a sequel, but considering that the author of the book is currently writing the sequel, I don't think that we're gonna have one soon. Go watch this movie at a theater near you as soon as possible. 3D viewing is recommended for even more appreciation to all the work that's been made.

Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

A wasted pile of potentially good material.

[4/10 · 24 March 2018]

I really do love the first Pacific Rim movie. I thought it's one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, and a prime example of how to do a sci-fi movie with giant robots done right. Guillermo del Toro knows how to do it right, so when the new Pacific Rim movie was announced, but del Toro won't return to direct, I'm both cautious and excited for this movie. After all, we could trust the guy who's one of the showrunners of Netflix's highly successful Daredevil series, right? Right?

Well, the lesson: Never trust anyone except the original director

Pros first. John Boyega, amazing guy, amazing actor. Scott Eastwood once again successfully took another step forward to be as good as his father. Cailee Spaeny really took me by surprise, she's not just the kid in your typical sci-fi movie that needs to be saved, and she did a great job. Jing Tian once again impresses me ever since I saw her in "The Great Wall" last year, and she did a good job. Rinko Kikuchi once again delivered a good performance as fan favorite Mako Mori from the first movie (I was a bit disappointed that she no longer uses Japanese all of a sudden again, that's what makes her great). Charlie Day and Burn Gorman also returned from the first movie as scientist duo Newt and Hermann, and they did a great job too (though it leads me to one of the cons)

The plot for the movie, in my opinion, isn't as bad as most people says. I think the idea behind it is great. The action scenes were just as you thought it'll be: dumb, destructive, and most importantly, fun. The humor for the movie also worked pretty well. And for those you that are wondering: yes, the Pacific Rim theme is back and it's glorious.

And.... that's all about it's pros, because there's lots of things that are wrong about this movie. First, it lost all the charm of the first movie. The first movie had these dark, gritty, neon look on it, while here there's light, and more cartoony colors on it. The CGI is way more obvious than before. del Toro is smart, using dark environment and effects, like rain, to make the CGI less noticable. Here, it's all over the place and it's truly a disappointment. The producers made Charlie Cox's Newt a complete 180° personality (he's a villain now) and it bugs me despite it is explained in the movie (Damn Percursors...) There's a lot of things left unexplained in this movie (like why Kaiju blood is extremely reactive to Earth's "rare minerals" despite it's not explained in the first movie, or why the Kaiju's attack Mount Fuji, when there's definitely other volcanoes that's rich in "rare minerals", or what is this "rare mineral", and so on and so forth) I believe there's a lot of deleted scenes left in the editing room. The last scene in this movie clearly sets off a sequel ala Independence Day: Resurgence (does that really necessary?). And last, but not the least, WHY THE PRODUCERS DECIDE TO KILL OFF THE MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER IN THE FIRST PACIFIC RIM?!!!! I mean do you really need to go that far? RIP Mako Mori, it's nice to knowing you :-(

Overall, this movie kinda disappoints me. Sure the new cast are great, the characters are likable, and the action scenes were as great as the first one, but the movie lost all the charm that makes the first one so memorable. It's just a waste of potential. For those who just wants to see robots and monsters fight each other, this movie is a good choice to waste some time and have fun, but for fans of the first Pacific Rim like me, I think you'll be disappointed with this movie. Shame on you DeKnight...

Tomb Raider (2018)

A worthy successor to the Angelina Jolie films.

[7/10 · 10 March 2018]

Video game movies are most of the time, follows a pattern: The movie stars one of Hollywood's most bankable actor/actress, a decent, well made trailer that showed some potential, and some really good BTS footage that keeps fans hoping that the curse will finally be broken. But eventually everything went in vain as the movie crash and burn in the box office, complete with bad reviews and not-so-promising box office results. Assassin's Creed, despite I was pleasantly enjoyed the movie, proved that even Michael Fassbender can't break the video game curse.

Now with 2018's Tomb Raider, the reboot of Angelina Jolie's (surprisingly decently bad) movie series of the same name, now based on Square Enix/Crystal Dynamics 2013's game coming up this March, will Alicia Vikander could live up to it's predecessor, and probably break the curse? I'd say... Yes... and no.

First of all, Alicia Vikander successfully captures the Lara Croft persona. She's really good in this movie, and it really shows that she's really dedicated for this role. Dominic West as Lara's father Richard also did a great job. Walton Goggins (who I found disturbing here since his face resembles a skull, no offense) is also very good in this movie. Daniel Wu doesn't do much in this movie, but he did a good job as well.

The action scenes looked fluid, real and grounded. It's clear that Vikander really go hard on this one, doing her own stuntwork and got bruises here and there. The set pieces, the cinematography and the music by Junkie XL really captures the danger that our main leads are facing. The nods to the original Tomb Raider at the end of the movie is also a nice touch. Director Roar Uthaug really knows how to keep the action going, and the end result look fluid and great.

However despite have everything that set this movie to a great start, it was bogged down by a number of problems. The movie has some of the most noticable CGI this year has to offer. Every shot that involves CGI looks bad and fake. The plot has, as usual with many movies coming these days, a number of plot holes. The big bad guy is, as usual, evil guy who wants this thing nomatter the cost (y'know, Hollywood bas guy cliche). There's also a scene in the movie that (might) "blind" you due to bright shuttering lights. Also, the final "dramatic" reveal/twist clearly sets up a sequel (which I don't know whether or not they'll succeed because I don't think this movie will please everyone)

But nevertheless, I really had a good time with Tomb Raider. The CGI's bad, the bad guy's really bad, and plenty of plot holes and questions unanswered, but the performances and some great stuntwork really saves this movie from being a snoozefest. Does it lived up to the Angelina Jolie movies? Yes. Does it broke the video game curse?.... Maybe not, but it's certainly one step to the right direction.



Overall: 7/10 For acting and action sequences.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

A surprisingly good and enjoyable movie that captures the spirit of the original pretty well

[8/10 · 24 December 2017]

Wow, just when you thought this movie will bomb... When it was first announced, everyone has low expectations for the stand-alone sequel to the late Robin Williams's 1995 hit. Everyone believes it's going to be a massive failure..

Then BOOM! Defying everyone's expectations, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a surprisingly fun, enjoyable movie, that manages to stay true to the originals, while at the same time, might be one of the best video game movie so far.

For starters, Dwayne Johnson once again proves that he's likable in every role he recieves, and his role as Smolder Bravestone speaks for itself. Kevin Hart literally plays himself, and he did a great job as Franklin Finbar. Karen Gillan did a great job as Ruby Roundhouse, despite being in a uncomfortable (and controversial) outfit. Jack Black is also really good in his role as Oberon. Nick Jonas also did a good job as Seaplane. The teenagers (Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blain, Morgan Turner, and Madison Iseman, playing the real-life counterparts of Dwayne, Kevin, Karen, and Jack's characters respectively) did a great job as well.

One of the things that made this movie works really well, is the "fish-out-of-the-water" story. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, all play a role that's not familiar to them, and they really did a great job. The pacing is perfect, explaining the plot right off the bat, resulting in a more fleshed out and more interesting story. Also, as the game is essentially a video game movie, there were plenty of video game references that some people might don't get it, but for those who understands, I think that it's a great throwback and a cool easter egg as well. The humor in this movie, it works perfectly. There's surprisingly plenty of sex jokes that works, but also not overused. The fight scenes are also very entertaining and over the top too (again, it's a "video game" movie, real life physics don't apply).

Unfortunately, the movie does suffer from several aspects. The villain, played by Bobby Cannavale who btw did a good performance, like any other movie, is a simple, 1D character, who is simply evil. Though can be menacing, it doesn't change the fact that he's nothing more than some really evil guy who wants to rule everything and destroy anything stands in this way, etc. I also noticed that Kevin Hart's character is the only one of the main characters that is, seemingly not affected by the fish-out-of-the-water situation. I wish Kevin's performance were more out of his usual persona/fish-out-of-the-water performance, rather than playing as himself. Also, Dwayne Johnson and Karen Gillan has little to no chemistry whatsoever in their really odd awkward romance subplot, and the movie didn't take the more risky route, which is a shame since the final act is, personally, is kinda anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle proves that Hollywood actually can make a good sequel to the old classics that brings something new to the table, while at the same time stays true to the originals. Fans of the original movie, while could be dissatisfied by the change from the board game to a video game, should watch this movie and came out satisfied, because I believe Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle captures the spirit of the original very well, and I'm really happy that it's actually really good and not just a bad attempt at milking money.

Final Score: 8/10

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

What's wrong in this fanbase? So much hate....

[9/10 · 16 December 2017]

Wow, so much hate. What the hell.

Do you guys actually watch the same movie I just saw, because I'm pretty sure you watched the wrong one. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is easily my one of my favorite movies of 2017, and it's easily better than TFA.

Mark Hamill is amazing as Luke Skywalker. Carrie Fisher is also amazing as Leia (rest in peace, you'll be greatly missed.... ). Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega's performances are clearly improve compared to TFA, and they did a great job. Newcomer Kelly Marie Tran as Rose is a welcome addition to the saga, so does La 9ura Dern and Benicio del Toro. Adam Driver is a menace in this movie, there's a lot more depth on his character, and he did a great potrayal. And Andy Serkis once again proves that he's the king of motion capture, even without being a ape, with his potrayal as Supreme Leader Snoke.

The cinematography is just, Wow. There's plenty of money shots that just sold this movie. The music is also, amazing and intense. And the fight scenes are some of the most entertaining I've seen in a Star Wars movie. Director and Writer Rian Johnson just knocked it out of the park! The CGI also looks fantastic. Oh, and porks are just so adorable....

If I could point out a negative, that would be the subplot/romance(?) between Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). It just felt so out of place, and drags the movie a lot. But I do like the idea of the subplot, which gives a new perspective on the Star Wars storyline. Also, Gwendoline Christie as Phasma is once again underutilized, which is a shame since she has potential to be a great adversary. Beyond that, The Last Jedi easily delivers a story that's while does take some cues from The Empire Strikes Back, it is entirely a brand new story that fans of the original will definitely love it, although admittedly, some story elements may anger some diehard fans. It's definitely worth watching, and it's easily one of the best movies of 2017.

Oh, and about the incredibly large amount of 1 star ratings, resist it and walk away, because the movie is not as bad as they say! (All is as the Force wills it) Haters can choke! That's all I'm saying.

Final Score: 9/10 for story, acting, and superb action.

Geostorm (2017)

Enjoyable disaster movie that went way over-the-top (and it's a good thing)

[7/10 · 14 October 2017]

Written and Directed by Dean Devlin in his directorial debut, I personally question his ability to direct a movie, especially when it's about a space engineer trying to fix a weather-controlling satellite before a massive disaster, the Geostorm, ensues. With a pretty big budget for a newbie director, and a great cast, including the well-known guys like Gerald Butler, Ed Harris and Andy Garcia, there a 50-50 chance that it'll succeed, ...or fail. Ultimately, Geostorm is a solid enough movie, with good directing, great music, good acting, and possibly one of the craziest disaster movies out there.

Gerald Butler is great as the troubled Jake. The crew of the ISS is also great, particularly Alexandra Maria Lara as Commander Ute, Eugenio Derbez as Hernandez, and Amr Waked (who I at first thought it's Antonio Banderas) as Dussette. Ed Harris is amazing as Leonard Dekkom, and Andy Garcia is also very good as President Palma. Jim Sturgess as Max, however is wooden at times, so does Abbie Cornish as Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson, although she did got some badass moments which is great.

The movie pushed the boundaries of believability, and presents us with probably one of the most craziest, over-the-top doomsday scenario ever put on film. Frozen on the Afghanistan desert, extreme heat on Hong Kong, and massive tsunami in Dubai is just one of the examples of how over-the-top, but still enjoyable film. It's a solid mark on Devlin's directorial work, and we can expect to see him directing again soon. The story's focus about climate change actually helps in adding tension and kept us imagining what happened if these disasters happened in real life. The humor is also well executed, and worked, especially those who seems to came straight outta a meme("Marry Her!" - the president). The editing is also, very well done. Intense scenes felt very intense. Action scenes felt very exciting, and emotional scenes felt very impactful. They also tried at concealing the plot twist in the movie, and they did very well. The cinematography is good, and the music is also, very good, another remarkable work by Lorne Balfe. What does surprise me is it's political subplot, which actually, a great idea (but leads to one of my gripes with this movie).

However, this movie is plagued by a lot of problems. The dialogue is cheesy at times and some scenes felt very awkward. The movie is also filled with plenty of plot holes. Several plot points were mentioned and gone without resolution, and small problems appear, and then completed within like 5 minutes of screen time. The CGI is at times very unconvincing, with destruction physics felt very fake. And as aforementioned, the political subplot is a great idea on paper, but it suffers from Devlin's direction, which makes the subplot seems unnecessary and very out of place.

Nevertheless, Geostorm is insanity at it's finest. The over-the-top plot, along with great cast, good performance and an all-out spectacle of destruction makes it a enjoyable ride from start to finish, though the dialogue and unconvincing CGI ruins the movie a bit.

Final Score: 7/10

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Enjoyable, but lost the charm of the original

[7/10 · 23 September 2017]

Kingsman: The Secret Service is one of the surprise hit of 2015. It's unexpectedly good, with great humor, acting, action, and chemistry with other actors. So when director Matthew Vaughn decides to do a follow-up, I was pretty excited to see Eggsy and co. kicking ass once again. Being dubbed as a "proper" spy movie, the movie has since build a lot of excitement, but does it lived up to the hype?

The answer, is a simple no.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is indeed enjoyable, but it has plenty of flaws that makes the movie fail to deliver it's promise as a "proper" spy movie.

To start, everyone did very well in delivering their roles. Taron Egerton once again stole women's hearts as the likable Eggsy. Colin Firth returns as Harry Hart and his reintroduction is actually made sense imo, and he did a great job portraying him. Mark Strong did a great job as Merlin. Hally Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Pedro Pascal also did a great job, though I'll admit that Channing Tatum's character is just a simple plot device. Julianne Moore as Poppy, though not menacing, also did a very good job. The biggest surprise is Elton John. He's the "Joker" in the movie, and he did very well.

The action scenes were over-the-top, sometimes idiotic, but very enjoyable, though this brings to one of my cons. The cinematography is fantastic it's very well shot, though the action scenes has plenty of angle cuts, and the editing was also great.

But, as stated before, the flaws in the movie makes the movie fail to meet our expectations. Most of this is because the terrible marketing campaign, that reveals some of the twists and turns of the movie that should have worked (even Matthew Vaughn agrees). The CGI is mostly used to blend several cuts into seemingly one single shot, and despite it actually worked in the first movie, it failed here because the transition is so noticeable. The action scenes were also over- stylized, featuring more slow-fast- zoom camera-work that again, worked on the first, but failed here because it's overused. There's also a sex scene that I felt out of place, and it's most likely brings a lot of controversy. A character (nope, not Tatum's) in this movie is also very bad in terms of her character because it serves nothing but motivation for Eggsy to save the world again, and the worst part, is that this character is not even a important character in the first movie, but she has more screen time than some of the main characters from the first movie and even the new characters as well.

(SPOILER ALERT. not really, but if you think it was, there you go) Also, the movie takes a unnecessary and questionable move by killing not one, but TWO main characters from the first movie (three, if you include another memorable thing from the first movie), in which one felt very unnecessary, and the other felt like the character has to die.

Overall, the movie is entertaining, indeed. But the movie lost it's charm, and just nowhere near as good as the first one. For casual moviegoers, this is an enjoyable movie, but for a Kingsman fan like me, it's disappointing.

Final Score: 7/10

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

The Deadpool/Nick Fury crossover we've been waiting for

[8/10 · 19 August 2017]

In 2015's Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds has everyone wishes that a Deadpool movie with Nick Fury himself could become a reality.

2 years has passed, and look what we've got: An actual "buddy-cop" movie starring Deadpool and Nick Fury with more yelling, even more cursing, and proofs that sometimes the Avengers/X-men don't gives a s**t.

Pros: Ryan Reynolds as Michael Bryce is terrific. He has given one of his best performances, on par with The Merc with a Mouth himself. Samuel L. Jackson as Darius Kincaid is also great in this movie. The chemistry between Reynolds and Jackson worked very well, and it's one of the best bromance in recent years. Élodie Yung is also great as Bryce's ex- girlfriend. Salma Hayek took me off guard because she's so funny in this movie. And Gary Oldman is fantastic as the main baddie of the movie.

This movie is directed by Patrick Hughes, who also directed the somehow not-really-fun action movie: The Expendables 3. But thankfully, he has improved in this movie, proved by how he direct his action scenes. He now handles the action scenes really well, with great camera angles and some wide shots. This movie is easily one of the funniest movie I've seen all year. There's not a single dull moment in this movie (I mean, you can't go wrong when Deadpool and Jules Winnfield is in this movie). The flashbacks, explaining the character's past is also really well directed.

Cons (Not really): Although it is great, the movie has several flaws. Some CGI explosions are easily noticeable, but I'll just give it a pass (It's from Millennium Films, most of their movies will most likely had one or two bad CGI moments). The action scenes were also more aimed towards "comedy" rather than "tension". Nearly all action scenes would start and ends with comedy, complete with not-so- tenseful music, but that's just me nitpicking.

Cons (Now this is the real deal): I felt like the female characters were underused. *SPOILER ALERT* Salma Hayek's character literally doesn't do anything other than mocking and cursing in her cell, while Élodie Yung's character is the type where she just gives this guy a mission, sits back and relax until her arrival at Am******m, and cannot do anything until the final act of the movie *SPOILER ENDS HERE*. Come on Hollywood, give us more badass female will ya. Some of the fight scenes were hard to follow because of shaky cams. And Gary Oldman's over the top bad guy performance felt out of place, as if it's a different movie.

But overall, I had a ton of fun watching this movie. It's definitely worth your time, and it's easily the funniest movie I've seen all year. Just sit back, let the curse-fest begin and have some fun.

Final Score: 8/10, for Deadpool, Nick Fury's actual personality (?), and lots (I mean lots) of profanity

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

More "heart" than "war"

[9/10 · 30 July 2017]

When you hear the title: "War for the Planet of the Apes" (focus on the "War"), you may expect big fight scenes, destruction, lots of guns, and "ala-Michael-Bay" explosions. Well, this is absolutely not the movie for you.

Sure, this movie had them, but there's more "heart" than "war", and this is a good thing.

Andy Serkis once again nailed the role of Caesar. This is probably the best performance of his career. Woody Harrelson is amazing as the Colonel. He has a deep backstory that makes him relatable. Karin Konoval is great as Maurice. Amiah Miller as the mute Nova is, surprisingly great. She's probably one of the best child actors working right now, alongside Dafne Keen in Logan.

The story is definitely Oscar material. The story takes focus not on the "war", but the "heart". The movie takes a lot of time to build character, to makes us care about them, so that when a character dies, you care and feel the sadness because the movie takes time to build it. The "war" aspect, the action scenes were just the icing on the cake, and that makes the movie much more entertaining. The story telling is also Oscar worthy, as the story was told by the character's actions, not by the character's explanations. The cinematography is also top notch. The action scenes, though not as exiting as Dawn, were also well executed. The CGI is amazing. Everything looks convincing and real. The score is very haunting, and one of Michael Giacchino's best works. And the ending is one of the greatest endings in recent memory, what a perfect ending.

The movie has, virtually no flaws at all (although it has a few "very" minor plot holes), so the fact that there's a lot of 1 star rating in the first 3 pages of IMDb is mind- boggling. Are they drunk? Are they really watching the movie I saw? Or are they the fans of The Emoji Movie? Pretty sure all of the negative reviews got fallen asleep during the movie. This is actually not a war movie, this is more of a drama. If you watched Dawn you should already know what you'll get.

The title does slightly misleading, but I don't care, this is a really good conclusion to the Apes trilogy (though I haven't watched Rise, i thinking to watch it later) Does it deserve a new installment? No, the movie ends perfectly. It was meant to end the series so 20th Century Fox, you better respect that decision, but prequel or a side story in the trilogy might do. Now that Matt will work on Batman, I hope that he'll bring his magic from Apes to Batman.

Final Score: 9/10, for amazingly deep story, action scenes, more human story than war story, and realism

Baywatch (2017)

It's bad, but kinda "wanted" to be bad

[5/10 · 22 July 2017]

Baywatch... Based of the 1990s TV series starring David Hasselhoff, about lifeguards... with some bewbs in between... And now, it's a movie, starring The Rock... Now in theaters, in my country...

Everyone already knows when your source material is "this", it was a recipe for disaster, and oh boy, it IS bad (but they know it!)

Let's start with the acting. Literally all the main characters are great. Dwayne Johnson is likable as always. Zac Efron is also good in this movie. The bromance between The Rock and Efron is probably the best thing in this movie. Alexandra Daddario... from Percy Jackson to this, she really does improved and in this movie, she probably gave her best performance so far. What's surprising is the comic relief guy, played by Jon Bass. He's no annoying/trouble making guy, he's actually helping the team, which is great, well done writers. Kelly Rohrbach and Ilfenesh Hadera is also great as C.J. and Steph respectively (although C.J. was overly sexualized, but that's pretty normal in this movie, obviously). Priyanka Chopra is way to good for this movie. I mean she could took something else rather than this. The cameos from Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson were also great.

Everything else is... 70% garbage. The story is awful. So convoluted, so many plot holes. The pacing is uneven. The fight scenes were so disappointing. There so many quick​ cuts and close ups in the fight scenes, especially those involve The Rock. You don't need quick cuts and close ups for the fight scenes, you got a former wrestler in this movie! He definitely can fake fight scenes. The visual effects in this movie is a joke. There's not a single CGI looked convincing in this movie.Every scenes that should be intense is gone thanks to the easily noticeable CGI fires and CGI explosions. I was expecting more practical than CGI, but now I'm disappointed. (But again, they kinda know it! They know it's bad, so they kinda tried to be more bad that the original!)

Let's talk about the humor. It didn't work, like 80% of it. They tried so hard to make you laugh, but most of the time, you'll be like: "..." The recurring jokes also gets annoying the more you've heard it. There's​ a lot of penis and bewbs, and most of them were so unnecessary. There's a conversation between Daddario and Efron in which Daddario kinda "forced" to bounce her bewbs (personal opinion btw). I mean: WHAT. (-_-) You don't needs bouncing bewbs and big balls all the time! Just give me a good movie that has a good story that is based from a really bad source material and I give this movie a immediate 9/10 stars. Seriously, are the writers writing an actual script for Baywatch, or a fan- fiction version of Baywatch? Because I'm pretty sure every 90 seconds in this movie would involve bewbs, or penises.

Overall, this is definitely a bad movie that knows itself is a bad movie. It's the perfect disposable stupid fun movie. If you're a casual movie-goer like me, you'll have mixed feelings for this movie. For anyone else, skip this movie and watch Dunkirk or Apes 3 instead. But you'll probably enjoy this movie more if you're drunk (or if you dare, drunk while you're mind is "flying", then you'll woke up finding yourself leaving the world, or if not, you'll woke up in a rehab facility.)

Final Score: 5/10. The acting is the only saving grace of this movie. And slomo bouncing bewbs.

On a personal note: *SPOILER ALERT* How could a fat guy can get laid with a blonde sexy chick, while others don't? What logic is this? What kind of sorcery is this?

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The Spidey movie we all deserve

[9/10 · 8 July 2017]

The relationship between Sony and Marvel fans is a love-hate relationship. The Raimi trilogy is a love letter to all Marvel fans, but the Webb duo-logy is like a slap- in- your-face breakup scene mostly found in your typical romantic TV series.

Now with Spidey's coming home to MCU, and Sony now collaborating with Marvel Studios, seems like this movie is a apology letter to all Marvel fans. But after dozens of trailers that was said to "give away nearly everything" (thank goodness I avoided it), and many TV spots, does this movie deliver what it should be?

The answer: YES they delivered.

Spider-Man Homecoming is easily one of the best MCU movies to date, and the best Spiderman movie in a very long time. At last, finally, our friendly neighborhood superhero has received a good movie of his own, and he deserves it.

Tom Holland was born to be Spider- Man. He was very very good in this movie. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is also very good in this movie, he's like the Uncle Ben of the MCU. Also, he's not in every scene, probably had the least screen time of all the main stars in this movie (Nope, this is not Iron Man 4 ft. Spider-Man, it's the opposite). Marisa Tomei as Aunt May is also really good in this movie, and she's not acting sexy and anything, she's just a normal, everyday woman. The guy who play Ned is a great comic relief, and Liz who is Peter's crush is also really good in this movie. Michael Keaton as the Vulture is one of the best MCU villains so far (on par with The Winter Soldier). He has more depth than I thought. At battle he's merciless, ambitious guy, but when he's not the Vulture, he's a hardworking, normal, everyday guy, and that gives us more sympathy to him. The biggest surprise in this movie is Jon Favreau as Tony's bodyguard. His role is much more expanded in this movie and he did a great job. Pepper Potts is back, and despite brief it's such a great moment in this movie, and it's good to have her back, even for just a minute or so screen time. Chris Evans as Captain America is one of my favorites in this movie, and probably one of his best on screen appearance in a MCU movie so far.

The story of the movie is much more light-hearted than most MCU movies right now, plus the exploration about Spidey's journey when he's in high-school (not just glimpses when he's in high-school, a mistake in The Webb duo-logy) makes it more interesting, in fact almost all the scenes in this movie is school related, and that's great. The action scenes is not as explosive as most MCU finale acts, but that's okay considering the light-hearted tone. The twist in the end is amazingly executed. The editing is also amazing, it's funny when it tries to be funny, and tense when it tries to be tense. In fact there's a scene between Holland and Keaton where I had chills on my spine because how intense it is.

However, there's some things in this movie that bugged me. One, there's a lot of penis jokes and adult jokes in this movie. Is it too much? For this kind of movie it seems pretty inappropriate.

Two, The side characters are "useless", Ned in particular. He's mostly the thing that hinders Spider-Man for his goal in this movie, to capture this particular guy (Keaton). Most of the time he screw up Peter's attempt to hide his identity, and that became repetitive and that just won't work. Even times when he's shown to be useful, he's only useful for about 5 minutes. The screenwriters should add more to his character. It's not Spider-Man and his "useless" friends, Spidey is human, he still needs help from his friends. There's also this Michelle character who's just a stalker like character that's kinda creepy actually, and the bully guy who makes penis jokes makes me want to yell: enough already!

Three, there's no real tension in this movie. There's no life-or- death threat that many lives at stake thing. All this movie has is Spidey trying to capture Keaton's character, and that's it. There's no real danger for everyone in the city, and that disappoints me.

Four, I don't know if it's just me, but this movie has the worst credits sequences of all the MCU. In "The Winter Soldier", the credits sequence is visually pleasing along with an amazing soundtrack by Henry Jackman. How about in "Thor: The Dark World" where the credits sequence is a handmade painting-like sequences, with a amazing score by Brian Tyler. Or take a look at MCU's latest example: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2". That movie has a visually impressive opening scenes, along with fourth wall breaking, and a song that's actually really good. In this movie, despite it's visually pleasing, it is accompanied by a very bad, horrible music. It's just really bad to me. The movie seemed rushed so that they had no time to make the credits sequence more "tidy" IMO.

The last but not the least, is that's there's. so. much. product placements. Sony and Marvel probably working together with a condition that there will be no more Sony product placements, but Sony still wants to do it. So, who you gonna call? Audi! That's right! When Sony can no longer do it, let Audi do the work for you!! Yaaaayyy!!! (?)

But overall, this is the Spider-Man movie we all wanted to see, and Jon Watts and his crew delivered what's promised. It's not perfect, but it's definitely Sony's best attempt so far. Hands down, the best Spidey movie yet.

Now let's just hope Sony don't screw up Venom...

Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Quantity over quality

[7/10 · 24 June 2017]

The Transformers franchise is one of the rare bad movie franchise that continues to entertain and made a lot of cash. They are a type of movie where you throw your brain out of the window, be entertained and have some fun. The trailer for the fifth Transformer movie did give us the impression that this movie might be good, but is it really what the trailer show us?

Well, I've got the answer: It's both a very entertaining movie and a huge mess. This movie, in a typical Michael Bay fashion, is a very entertaining ride from start to finish, which is also a poorly constructed pieces of awesomeness that the movie itself cannot show it's potential to be a good movie (despite being the one with the most potential to be a good movie!)

Pros: The story is the most creative and the most entertaining out of the five. Idk why but this is the most "fun" Transformer story so far.

Mark Wahlberg is fine. Not great, just fine. Stanley Tucci, although brief, brings a good performance as Merlin. Laura Haddock who plays Vivian the professor, and Isabella Moner as (the lazily named) Izabella, both being the latest to be "Michael Bay-fied" also gives a good performance, in particular Isabella Moner. Anthony Hopkins is way to good for this movie, and he's one of the bright spots in this movie.

For the action scenes... You don't need a review for this (because it's Michael friggin Bay.) The visuals are amazing as usual, although there's nothing new to be seen. The cinematography is just fine. The Third Act is a mind-blowing, over the top action that will (obviously) blew your mind. The small cameo by Nicola Peltz and Shia LaBeouf is also well executed.

The post end credits scene (yes, there is one) is well executed (I guess), and the fact that the long typical​ styled​ credits is replaced by appear/disappear credits (that it's only purpose is to match the end of the song to the end of the credits) is a nice touch as well.

Cons: Despite being the most "fun" Transformer story, it is also a mess. The story is so convoluted that it's very hard to follow. There's so many plot holes, I mean a lot of plot holes that makes the movie less exciting. The first and the second act was so rushed and it felt like a large portion of the story there was missing. I can bet that there's a large portion of deleted scenes removed from there.

Ken Nolan, despite I have high hopes for you for the screenplay, but you're not as good as the other Nolan. The screenplay is littered by very bad and cheesy one liners and despite trying to be funny, it just don't land. Not to mention some awful characterization: Isabella Moner's character is just someone in the wrong place and in the wrong time, she's just there. The inventor guy is so annoying. Josh Duhamel as Lennox from the first three movies is, I don't know, "useless". Like Isabella Moner's character, he's just there. John Tuturro's Seymour Simmons is for me can be removed from the movie and made this movie 5 minutes shorter.

Despite being the shortest of the entire franchise, it feels like the longest. Also in the credits I see around 6-7 editors for the movie, but the movie is poorly edited, a downgrade from the previous installment (what the hell are you doing editors?!). When introducing the Deceptions, they went for the "Suicide Squad" style introduction, which is very unnecessary. I hate the constant change of aspect ratio in standard theaters. Does it even necessary to "force you to watch in IMAX 3D to see more"?. Also, is it just me, or the editors were lazy enough so that when they introducing the locations, they use the exact same font and effect from a better Michael Bay film: "13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi".

Overall this movie is both a entertaining, no brainier fun, but with over convoluted plot and bad editing, makes this movie not as entertaining as the previous installments. If you want some over the top, out of this world action scenes, go watch this movie and have some fun, otherwise don't watch this movie because it's definitely not for you. Just don't forget to bring some popcorns and drinks because it's going be a very long ride.

Final Score: 7/10 for action sequences, explosions and more explosions.

On a side note: Michael Bay, should you ever direct another Transformers movie, can you please prioritize story over visuals, cause I think that is the biggest flaw in every Transformer movie. Thank you.

Wonder Woman (2017)

DCEU is saved!

[9/10 · 3 June 2017]

After a good but later mediocre standoff that is BvS, and the disappointment that is Suicide Squad, many people believe that DCEU is doomed to fail...

Let's be honest: 2017 is DC's year, and yes, this is from a Marvel fan.

Directed by Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot in the title character, Wonder Woman is a sharp spear that finally, breaks the bad DCEU curse. In fact, it's the best superhero origin story since Iron Man. Even though Marvel has given us the masterpiece that is Logan (technically, it's Fox. but hey, it's still Marvel to me), the awesome mix that is GotG2, and maybe the unexpectedly great Thor: Ragnarok and Spiderman: Homecoming this year, You've gotta give at least a chance for DC to proof itself, and this year, they made it. DC won this year, period.

Pros: Gal Gadot owned the character! She's very good in this movie. I like how she's not comfortable during the city scene. She also brings a sense of humanity to the character, which is also a plus. Chris Pine is great as Steve Trevor. The rest of the cast also gives their best performances, especially the character of Charlie, Chief and the German general guy. The relationship between Diana and Steve, my god it's heartwarming.

The script is great. Not the best, but certainly not the worst. Zack Snyder proofs himself that he IS a good writer (as long as he's away from the typical somber/sad tone in literary every DC movie (execpt The Dark Knight trilogy)). It can be cheesy sometimes, but it doesn't matter, it don't affect the movie much. The script is, surprisingly hits a emotional tone as well. It's unbelievably sad and it's definitely a plus for the movie. Oh, and the movie's more lighthearted, much like Marvel, and that I definitely appreciate it.

The action scenes were great as usual. A mix of practical and CGI which blended perfectly. The final fight is a CGI fest, which is cheesy yet glorious at the same time. Thankfully, the producers realize their mistakes in BvS, and as the result, the fight didn't went as bad as BvS. Oh, and I already tell that the music is eargasmic?

Cons: A typical problem in every superhero movie: Plot holes, bad CGI, and a weak villain. Otherwise, I don't see a flaw in this movie

Overall, Wonder Woman exceeds all expectations, and proofing that DC can be as good as Marvel. Beautifully shot, well acted, great writing, awesome action sequences, and well directed, Wonder Woman is definitely worth your time, and it is DC's best since The Dark Knight.

Congratulations DCEU you've striked a homer. Sincrely, from a MCU fan

*did I also tell you that Gal Gadot is freakin beautiful?

The Fate of the Furious (2017)

It ain't ran out of gas!

[8/10 · 16 April 2017]

Fate of the Furious, the eight installment of the mindless, crazed up action flick has proved itself that the franchise never ran out of gas. There's over the top action scene, there's some mindless story, and there's Vin Diesel talking about family over and over again. Those things are what makes us coming back for more, and this is no exception.

The story follows Dom Toretto who betrays his family to work for Cipher, and his team's attempt to stop him. Vin Diesel has firmly stated that this movie "may earn a Oscar for it's acting", Maybe he's right because the acting is probably the best in the franchise. There were times where I'm surprised by Vin Diesel's acting. I also had a tear in my eye for no reason (damn those ninja cutting onions...) Charlize Theron is amazing as someone who's a menacing foe that you love to hate. The Rock, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludicrous, Tyrese, Kurt Russell, and Nathalie Emmanuel reprises their roles and they did a good job as well, especially The Rock, Statham and Michelle Rodriguez. Scott Eastwood and Helen Mirren are great and a welcome addition to the franchise. There's also some surprise appearances and they are great as well.

The story... you definitely need no explanation for this. As always: it's stupid, in a good way of course. The story ties into Fast & Furious 6, and Furious 7, so for newcomers to the franchise, you may get confused a bit. The film also uses plot twists, which were greatly executed. There were some well placed funny moments and there's also some depressing moments as well. The movie also serves as the first in the final trilogy of the franchise. How the story goes later, we'll just wait for the ninth installment, which definitely will arrive soon enough.

The action, needless to say, is as crazy as in Furious 7, or maybe more. Taking insanity to the next level, these action scenes is either get you pumped out for what happens next, or making you shake your head for it's absurdity. Just don't relate to science or the law of physics, because those things don't apply to this movie.

However, the movie somehow felt hollow. There's something that's missing from the movie that prevents me from fully enjoying the movie. The lack of Paul Walker in the movie probably causes this. Referencing Brian and Mia in the movie ain't help either. Plot holes were present in the movie as well. Someone dies in the movie, but their deaths don't do justice (he/she died, he/she avenge his/her death, and that's it). And there's some CGI noticeable throughout the movie (which is a shame).

Regardless, Fate of the Furious is a movie with a stupid story, ridiculous action sequences, and Vin Diesel talking about family, which were bad, in a good way. Don't expect a really good story, or some logical action scene, because you'll ended up disappointed by the end of this movie. And for those "fans" who said: "Remember when it's all about racing", face it, Fast & Furious ain't returning fully to it's roots. If you don't like the change then you'll definitely don't like this movie. For anyone else who like fast cars, mindless action fun, get a ticket, have a seat and enjoy the ride.

Miss Sloane (2016)

An absolute surprise

[8/10 · 8 April 2017]

I had to say, this movie came out of nowhere in my local cinema today (April 8). I personally wanted to watch this movie rather than Dreamworks's The Boss Baby simply because of the tagline.

And boy it delivers.

Jessica Chastain plays the title character: a lobbyists who is also a paranoid. She follows an act to against the gun lobby proposed by a senator, backed by her former firm. I have to say, I initially regretted from watching this movie. I even take a break from watching it and go straight to the toilet to wash my tired face, while at the same time asking myself: "What the heck am I watching right now?" or "What brings me into this boredom?" But I decided to return to the theater and... guess what? I was satisfied in the end, with a big grin on my face.

First of all, this is not a political propaganda movie. This is a well constructed political thriller with clever writing, amazing performances and great soundtrack, which happens to use gun policy as a main inspiration. All the cast members deliver a wonderful performance, but it's Jessica Chastain and Mark Strong that really got me. The dialogue in the movie is smart, very rare to be seen in movie these days. The cinematography is amazing, and the editing is one of the best I've seen. The movie cuts between flashbacks and present day, but they didn't disturb the pace, instead it helps progressing the story without it became an annoyance. There were a lot of complex terms that average moviegoer wouldn't understand, but it's forgivable for a movie like this. The movie may also bore average moviegoer for being so slow at the beginning, but it's okay for me. The biggest part for making the movie so satisfying is the plot twist that I've never seen it coming. Just when think it goes this way, the movie makes an unexpected move and goes to a way that you won't expect. And for those who sticking around from the beginning till the end, you will be rewarded with a very satisfying ending. One more thing is that the movie's focus isn't about gun policy, but the corruption that lies within the government. It's the power- hungry officials that drove Sloane into using abnormal ways, to the point where she breaks the rules of the government to reveal the crimes of the government itself. This movie somehow reflects the reality of the governments in present day nations, which is another plus for this underrated masterpiece.

I initially gave this movie a 7 for despite the movie being clever, the slow first act and the lack of Sloane's backstory is a letdown to me. But I give it an 8, just because the mind blowing TWIST. Easily to say, this is a movie that you definitely regret to watch at first, but later, when you're leaving the theater, you will definitely feel satisfied. Don't watch this movie if you already had a thought that this movie is a propaganda. Watch this movie, with an open mind, and you'll be rewarded by it.

Well played, Miss Sloane. Very well played.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

At last... Hollywood did what's should have been done a long time ago

[8/10 · 1 April 2017]

For someone who didn't grew up or watch the original GitS, I don't understand a thing about this whitewashing thing (HOWEVER, I do have some research about GitS, so whoever wanna down vote this for no reason [*cough*salty haters*cough*], think again). I do read a lot of bad reviews about this movie, but I don't believe it since I've been interested in this movie since the first trailer dropped.

Turns out it's better than what people say. The story is unique. I actually enjoyed the story even though I believe it is not a fully recreation of the original movie. What makes the story so unique is the theme: The movie makes focus of what it feels for a cyborg to have emotions. About identity and individuality. These themes are what GitS for me is special. Another thing that that makes GitS unique is that it blurs the line between good and evil. You don't know is he a good guy or is he a bad guy. This movie do blurs the line a bit, but not much (It does blur a bit more in the climax). It shows that even though they can't recreate exactly like the anime, but it shows that they actually care and don't want to fall down the exact hole that Dragonball Evolution did.

The characters and the acting are on point. Scarlett Johansson as the Major/Motoko Kusanagi/Mira Killian is great. Sure, she still played the kinda same character in Lucy, but I believe she did a good job as a emotionless cyborg. Beat Takeshi is awesome as Chief Amaraki. The guy who played Batou is great as well. Too bad Rila Fukushima who played Yukio in The Wolverine had a very small role in GitS.

The action scenes were great and some of them are recreations of the original (Trust me, I've seen comparisons. It matches so well). The final action scene is climatic and very well shot. The last scene in the movie is perfection and builds up the next installment, should this movie succeeds. The music is eargasmic! The composer deserved a two thumbs up for creating such a amazing soundtrack. They even add the original GitS theme in the end (I know it because I've seen the movie's shelling sequence, with this EXACT song. Thanks IGN!). Fans of the original definitely will be pleased by this.

Now let's talk the real "problem" for this movie. Seriously, whats the big deal about this whitewashing bullshit? I've read articles and wiki pages about GitS. It tells what I thought it would be: that the "Ghost" is Motoko (Japanese), but the "Shell" has undefined race. So what if a Japanese inside a American body (Shell), her actually self is still Japanese (Heck even Mamoru Oshii said the exact thing). These so-called "GitS" fan clearly don't understand a damn thing about this. Just because it's from Japan doesn't mean it must be played by a Japanese. Why these people question/complain about a CYBORG'S race??? Oh and one more thing, for so- called "GitS" fan who's looking for nipples in this movie, just give up, they won't be in it anyway.

Overall, the movie is enjoyable from start to finish. It may bore some average movie goer, but if you pay attention enough, you will definitely enjoy this movie. Congratulations Rupert Sanders, you managed to made the most faithful anime adaptation ever made. Your hard work has finally paid off.

It save to say that they have found the correct "Ghost", and made a great "Shell". I really wish this movie will be successful and begin a new era of Hollywood anime/manga adaptation that is faithful to the original and not downright awful.

Logan (2017)

Changing the superhero genre, forever...

[10/10 · 4 March 2017]

First of all, let's thank 20th Century Fox, and director James Mangold for giving us this MASTERPIECE, that changed the superhero genre, forever.

Logan follows, well, Logan, as he must protect Laura from her captors. The first minute the movie goes, you know this is not your average superhero movie, and it shows! Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, both in their final performance as Wolverine and Prof. X respectively delivers their best performances that people may not forget for a while. However, However, the big surprise is the new rising star, Dafne Keen as the titular Laura- aka X- 23. She awesome, her acting's on point, and easily steals the show. The rest of the performances is also memorable, especially the main villain, He's a villain the MCU might never replicate for a while.

Needless to say, the fights were savage, brutal and one of the best in the series. The movie also bring some of the most emotional scenes I've ever seen, and a Oscar-grade ending sequence, all was shot beautifully, and edited perfectly. There's also some great laughs, easter eggs, large amount of profanity (very rare in a superhero movie), a well-placed surprise, and lots of blood. Director James Mangold has crafted us his masterpiece, his own movie where he had the creative control, where he manages to create what arguably the best X-men movie in the franchise, as well raising up the standards for future superhero movies.

As the movie is flawless, the movie has nearly zero room for flaws. For the first time ever, I nearly can't find a flaw in the movie, which is of course great! *SPOILER ALERT* But I truly miss Stan Lee's cameo, I mean, I can't find him anywhere in the movie. Is he sick? Somebody should have a check on him! *SPOILER ENDS HERE*

Ultimately, this is the movie the world's been waiting for. Beautifully shot, flawlessly edited, and a impactful ending, it is absolutely the best movie in the franchise, raising the bar for future superhero movies, and a perfect farewell for Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as two of our favorites in the X-men franchise (Just, don't bring your kids for this will ya? It's not good for them)

Thank you, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, your performances as Wolvie and Professor X will be missed...

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

Definitely beats it's competitors... with a pencil.

[9/10 · 11 February 2017]

Il'l just get straight to the point.

This is one of the greatest action movie I've seen in recent years. The story is simple: Someone asked John to assassinate someone. He refuses, his house got blown up, and later goes out for a revenge after getting framed for it. The movie is not just your average popcorn flick, it's a action movie with intense gunfights, fast- paced choreography, and a lot of dead bodies. Obiously no one can replace Keanu Reeves as the 'Babayaga', because he is John Wick. Other cast members, especially Ian McShane, Common, Ruby Rose (She's on a frenzy! First is the new Triple X (XXX), then Resident Evil, now this!!!) delivers a fine performance as Winston, Cassian, and Ares respectively. Even the minor characters like the arms dealer with a classic British-like voice, the hotel guy, Jimmy the Cop (one of the smartest cops in movie history), and the tailor, all delivers a fine performance. Lawrence Fishburne, appears as The Bowery King and his scenes are definitely one of the best (talking about The Matrix reunion here...).

One of the best aspects in the movie is the world that the director Chad Stahelski is building. John Wick 1 gives us a glimpse of the unique world. This time, the movie takes us further into it, which is good since many people wants to know deeper about the lore. It's innovative, creative, and amazing to the point that make me think a what if scenario where this assassin world is actually real and exists. Another great aspects in this movie is the non-stop action that it delivers. The action goes is a larger scale, yet it don't loses the magic touch that makes the action in the first movie enjoyable. There's more blood and gore in this movie, and the movie takes brutal to a whole new level (all those head shots and pencil scene tho... ). The movie also builds up the events of the (possibly) upcoming Chapter 3, which makes me wonder how writer Derek Kolstad can make a great conclusion since John Wick is set to be a trilogy.

Sadly, the movie is somehow more inferior to it's predecessor. The pace is noticeably much more slower, and there's no music that could bring as much impact as the club scene in the first movie. I was also disappointed with the fact that some of the fight scenes, especially against characters like Cassian and Ares were short. Take Ares (Ruby Rose) as example: From what I see from her, she has a fighter style, hard to defeat character. However in this movie, she was defeated quite easily, which is kinda disappointing since I had expect a epic fight between them. The ending is also kinda rushed and anticlimactic, which is a disappointment.

Overall, this movie is a heaven to all action movie lovers. It has everything action lovers want, and definitely beats the competition, with a pencil.(calling It now, it will beat Fifty Shades of… Whatever). If you like John Wick 1, you definitely love this movie. If you are a crazy action lover, well.. this is your holy grail.