anthonywltrs Reviews

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Fascinating Movie

[8/10 · 5 August 2023]

I dont agree with the statement in which 2001: A Space Odyssey is the greatest movie of all time, I just dont. However, this is my first ever viewing and I do want to give it another rewatch somewhere down the road because there's a lot of interesting elements to A Space Odyssey that I have to truly comprehend. However, I do think it is one of the best movies ever made and it is single handedly the most important Sci-Fi movie ever made

Everything of the stage sets of the space stations, pods, ships and technology with the long wide shots for movie made in the 60s is highly impressive as well as breathtaking. In fact these space sets are way better than any other Sci Fi film Ive seen and that includes the Star Wars franchise

No question A Space Odyssey inspired not just George Lucas's Star Wars movies but a whole host of other Sci-Fi movies as a whole. I love some of the shots in space where characters are outside the ships in small pods or just outside in general, there is no sound in space and certainly no air to breathe

The themes I've picked up is Human Evolution, the dangers of A. I technology where they think for themselves and turn on us, life, death and rebirth, and dealing with the unknown lifeforms in Space with their Monolith technologies. Evolution is a very important factor where the start of movie its nothing more than apes in primitive fashion until one day they encounter a Monolith. The film shifts millions of years later to the human race and the advancement of technology to where it is theorized one of the main characters at the end is trapped in an Alien zoo where he dies and is reborn into something else entirely

We really don't know what's out there in Space whether it's Aliens themselves or strange artifacts and unknown technology. The evolution of our species becoming violent, controlling, destroying areas to colonize them, creating AI that could lead to our own downfall and so on

Im sure there's more to this movie I have missed or perhaps not fully understand or give more depth to my views of it and Im definitely going to be rewatching this maybe once or twice more. Great film that should be viewed at least once for a movie fan or Sci Fi movie fan in general.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

A film split in two

[8/10 · 29 July 2023]

The first half of the movie is really good and my favorite portion of Full Metal Jacket as we see what life is like, the routine structure that goes on in a boot camp setting lead by the abusive, strict and cruel Gunnery Sergeant Hartman as we see him lead the new comers. Although I think some of his methods are questionable like punching and choking some of his cadets, a hard man whose probably been through war himself and as changed his entire outlook on society and humanity as a whole

In this section we see Pyle receiving so much abuse from not just Hartman but also the rest of his comrades including main character " Joker" who sort of acts like a friend but also caretaker/mentor to Pyle, because he is intellectually slow and overweight. It gets to the point where Pyle loses his mind and takes his frustrations out on Hartman by killing him and then ends up killing himself in the process, thus ending the first half of the movie

The second half of the movie firmly puts us into the thick of things in the Vietnam War with Joker and the others, the horrors of what war is actually like seeing death pretty much every day, the questionable methods if America should have gotten involved or had any right in being in Vietnam, trying to find some semblance of humanity by not leaving their fallen comrades behind and even taking out an enemy sniper who at the end of the movie is revealed to be a child

Also we see some of the mentality of the soldiers not just their thoughts on the war, but even treating a Vietnam girl presented to them like an object, which I thought was disgusting but it is pretty realistic when you hear stories of some wars where soldiers go on to pillage and stuff like that

While this second half is still pretty interesting, ultimately I felt it lagged behind quite a bit and wasnt nearly as engaging or exciting as the first half of the story with Hartman and Pyle. Personally I would rather have an entire movie just be Hartman

Overall this movie is great, maybe not a personal favorite of Kubrick's from me but I liked it.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

An underrated masterpiece

[10/10 · 23 July 2023]

There is so much going on in this movie its not even funny, I know Im going to need to rewatch this a few more times to pick up on this I missed during my first ever watch earlier today. It may start off as slow in the first twenty to thirty minutes but the story immediately kicks into high gear soon afterwards leaving you hooked in and will never let you go, not even after it's end credits

There's definitely a lot of sexualized themes going on involving adulatory with Nicole Kidman's character fantasizing about cheating on her husband that being Tom Cruise's character with other men, cuckholding and some levels of Pedophilia especially in one scene where a costume store's owner literally pimps his under age daughter out to prominent men in society for I can only guess special favors

Im getting the whole devil tempting you with sin vibes going on in this movie, the devil being the one in the red cape and masked of that secretive societal group of masked elites engaging in all sorts of debauchery just as Hollywood and the real elites themselves probably do. This group and this party with the masks is reflection of the rothschild family and their bizarre parties with strange masks you can look for yourself online. It's all about lust and doing other awful things you can get away with, while getting away with them and disposing of those who dare to try and expose them

No doubt at least to me Stanley Kubrick is trying to expose these elites and illuminati group or trying to shed light and raise awareness in a time where there was so much secrecy of the evil deeds that went on in Hollywood or as the recent Epstein scandal with sexual trafficking. Could totally be wrong but with this group in particular I dont think so, there was special attention and the effect they have on society as whole suggests that Kubrick was trying to bring them into the light with this film

Tom Cruise in my opinion personally carries the film from start to finish with his character ' Bill', as although he is married to Alice who is Nicole Kidman's character, Bill goes through a psychological journey through a span of two nights throughout the film to discover who he really is. When he is told by his wife she had dreams of cheating on him, Bill goes out into the night for revenge with two chances of cheating on her but he doesnt and comes across this mysterious group who engage in orgy activities as well as who knows what else but is watched and threatened while those around him that are also in the group get killed in the process, he starts to realize that he doesnt want to cheat and wants to be a much better person than those masked people are for himself and his wife

I dont mean to get a bit religious here and perhaps on my second viewing I wont feel the same way anymore but with my first viewing, it definitely feels like the Devil and his demonic followers are constantly tempting us to turn away from God, saying its ok to sin and you will not be punished. Despite these opportunities Bill had to get revenge on his wife, he cannot bring himself to do that and give into sin, he instead is rewarded by not ending up dead or catching HIV from a hooker

Thats all I can say for now and Im sure as I rewatch the movie again I will pick up more things and further add to my understanding or perhaps change my perceptive. It's certainly like other Kubrick movies, You'd need to watch more than once. There is so much going on this film that its easy to miss. Overall though it is a very good film, very engaging, thought provoking, intense and amazing

I would be remiss if I didnt bring up the fact there is a 24 minute lost footage from this film and while people believe it doesnt exist, it clearly does. Towards the end when Bill discovers the truth as well as trying not to be manipulated by whom he thought was a friend who is also part of this secret group, there are hints Bill saw more than what the final cut of the movie showed which was just people having sex. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise both know about this lost footage, they know what it is but they arent telling. Very interesting.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Full of Surprises

[10/10 · 21 July 2023]

This movie, wow. Just wow. This was unlike anything I had expected going in to seeing Barbie earlier today. I figured by the trailers alone it was going to be a fun popcorn movie filled with adventure and eventual romance between Barbie and Ken with it ending with them getting together, beating bad guys when crossing into our world and living happily ever after

Boy was I wrong. Holy moly, Barbie hits deep and can be thought provoking, at least to me it was deep and thought provoking. I mean seriously, this isnt a typical fun popcorn movie. Yes it is still fun and pretty damn hilarious at times. But the themes it was showing throughout the story with it being the following - self identity, discovering who you are as a person and want to do in life. It is ok to be imperfect, to be weird, kooky, dark, it's ok to not live up to anyone's expectations in life or those around you. Just be you and only you. Self love. Willing to accept change even if you dont like it. There's also this indepth battle between patriarchy vs matriarchy with some feminism thrown into the mix

It's funny, heartwarming, filled with unexpected surprises and Im sure for all the hardcore Barbie fans who collect the dolls and merch it has all the easter eggs and classic accessible shown through this brilliant movie

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling did an exceptional job as Barbie and Ken giving us pretty complex and deep characters with them both growing and developing over time. Ryan Gosling as Ken especially is definitely one of the main highlights of the movie as you can tell he had fun in the role as Ken.

Once Were Warriors (1994)

Uncompromising

[10/10 · 28 June 2023]

This movie, this movie. Wow. Ive always heard how great this movie was while growing up in New Zealand and some of the violence that went along with it. My mate watched this movie and told me all about it, at the time I didnt want a bar of it it didnt sound like something Id be interested. However, this all changed last Saturday night when this movie was on TV and I was in bed. The acting. The acting was enough to get me to want to watch it. So, I gave in

I can finally say as a New Zealander I have now seen this movie from start to finish. Brutal, disturbing, powerful, compromising and hard to look away. It's domestic violence through and through which leads to the deterioration of already a troubled and broken family. It's also about embracing your inner roots and finding your inner strength

The iconic character of Jake The Muss is on full display. He is an alcoholic and a violent bully always resorting to his anger and violence to get what he wants or prove he is the toughest dog in the compound. Very unreliable and irresponsible as well because after spending his days drinking at the pub while on unemployement, he brings home strangers. Dangerous strangers for night parties that disturbs his children's sleep. Yet underneath there is a bit of complexity to his character, his struggle with his own demons but his actions and choices are still inexcusable. Im sure I would never want to come across him but man some of his anger facial features are quite comical, still.

The children? Well they are affected the most as seen in real life if they have parents where the mother is abused by the father or in the case both parents cant be bothered and dont want to look after their kids, it takes a huge mental toll on their children's psyche. Some join gangs to feel a sense of belonging, others? One was violated beyond repair by one of her father's so called mates then with already living in a toxic environment, the fear of following in her mother's cycle loses all hope and commits suicide

However, the eldest daughter's tragic suicide is a turning point for the mother where she finally stands up to her husband even after revealing to her husband that his friend had assaults' their daughter causing her to commit suicide and because of his own actions of being so violent and abusive while drinking which ended with the father beating his ex friend to a bloody pulp, the mother finally has the courage to leave and take her children with her leaving the husband all alone at the pup

This movie is very well made and wow Im still coming down from the emotions I had for Once Were Warriors it feels like you've been beaten, violated and a victim of Jake's violent actions. Incredible.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

One of the greatest movies I have ever seen

[10/10 · 22 June 2023]

I watched this movie earlier today and boy did it blow me away. Not even five minutes into the movie and already I was hooked in and it never let me go or manage to lose my interest. From start to interest I was captivated by the story of Jamal, the struggles he endured with his brother while growing up in poverty in India, the kindness and ever compassionate heart Jamal has especially towards the love of his life, Lakita to getting onto India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionare. Hell Jamal was accused of cheating his way through the questions and was tortured for it until the police finally believed him.

The story and relationship between Jamal and Lakita is probably my favorite romance love story that I have seen in any movies Ive watched and Im not too big on the romance side of things. It was beautiful, it was tragic, it was believable, it was gripping. These two went through so much adversity together, split apart twice and still....still they manage to find their way back together. Soulmates, anyone? Hell he didnt go on Who Wants To Be A Millionare to be rich. No. He wanted to go on because he knew somehow, someway Latika would be watching

I dont think there was one bad actor or character in this movie in terms of not acting very well. Every single cast member did a great job telling the story of Jamal, his turbulent relationship with his brother Salim who at times comes across like a very cheeky prick and an asshole but deep down he always cared about his brother, Lakita and so on.

This movie at times can be very violent and brutal but for the nature of the story, it is definitely needed because through all the trials and tribulations Jamal gone through by the end he gets everything he could have possibly wanted, Lakita and a whole lot of money to boot. It turns into a very feel good movie

Bravo to everyone involved. The story is excellent, the visuals, showcasing India, the soundtrack and cinematography. Highly recommended.

The Flash (I) (2023)

Spectacularly Amazing

[10/10 · 17 June 2023]

I have now officially seen this movie twice and really love it. It's not a masterpiece but it is certainly fun and one of the best superhero movies ever made. Despite all of his personal issues, Ezra is a really good Flash in my opinion and Im glad the movie was still able to focus mainly around him compared to the return of Michael Keaton as Batman and more on him in a little bit

I've never really read any comics with The Flash, just the movies that Ezra has been a part of and I liked it. He's funny, charming, witty, eccentric, tragic and multi layered. If you've seen Synder's Justice League with Flash wanting to prove his father's innocence in the murder of his mother, this story comes full circle in this movie with an ending

While we see Flash going on a crusade to save both his mother and father by going back in time and screwing everything up in the process, he learns the hardest thing all of us have to go through - letting go. We cant change what happened, it's done. No matter how much you want to or may try to prevent it, it's going to happen one way or another. Plus not letting your tragedy define who you are and I think both the story and Ezra did a great job conveying those themes and emotions

Now for Michael Keaton as Batman? He doesnt miss a beat and once again shows the entire world why he will always be the real Batman. He still has the moves and just shows how badass and far he has come since we last saw him in Batman Returns. It was truly a dream come true seeing him as Batman one more time after spending many years growing up watching his movies. He still embodies everything that Batman truly is 30+ years later

The CGI although not perfect I didnt let it ruin my viewing experience at all unlike some of the others that reviewed this, they are entitled to that but hey, there's more to a movie than just bad or average CGI. Some of the cameo surprises were really interesting including the one at the very end which included George Clooney now Batman in the DCEU instead of Affleck is so wild and yet Id love to see more of this, eventhough the original plan was to have Keaton fill that role.

If your looking for a more multi layered General Zod from Michael Shannon like in the masterpiece movie that is Man of Steel, your setting yourself up for disappointment. He wasnt given much to do in this film other than invading Earth and targeting Supergirl this time around but some of his dialogue and I think even acting on Shannon's part or just the direction he was told to go in showed he really wasnt the Zod we either loved or hated in Man of Steel. Still, no one forced Shannon to play Zod again though but I still enjoyed it none the less

Overall The Flash is a great film with some minor problems like CGI and Zod but it doesnt hamper the movie overall. Dont listen or by into the bad press and negative attention if you havent seen Flash. If you are interested in this movie and this review has somehow helped you despite some major spoilers, go watch the movie for yourself and make your own viewpoints and judgement.

Hogwarts Legacy (2023 Video Game)

The Ultimate Harry Potter Gaming Experience

[10/10 · 30 May 2023]

Despite the story taking a place a century before either Harry and Voldemort existed, it still managed to captured the magical world JK Rowling set up in both the Harry Potter books and movies. It feels lively as you can casts spells on objects and sadly only bad people whether they are poachers, goblins or dark wizards, as well as interacting with all the magical creatures in The Forbidden Forest as well as outside of The Forest in the surrounding areas

Exploring Hogwarts castle itself was so much fun as not only was it gigantic but felt like a maze as there so many places to explore including famous rooms and areas seen in the Harry Potter movies, you dont get lost at all as once you've explored much of the castle with the exception of locked off areas until you unlock the unlocking spell, it's very easy to find your way around in no time which also includes fast travel both in, out and the surrounding areas of the castle. You can even explore and roam around in Hogsmade which was also great

Sadly if your looking for the possibility of entering and roaming the Chamber of Secrets that is impossible to do in this game, you can only find the entrance in the bathroom but thats it. If your looking for the option to go full on evil during story mode and whether or not there's a morality system, there isnt any of those things. However there are some options that help deter your character towards the dark path with dialogue, the ablities to learn all the unforgiveable curses including ' Avada Kadavra' as well as the last option in the main story that involved harnessing and controlling ancient magic. Choose the bad option, you do get an evil ending. But throughout most of the main and side story, doesnt feel like your turning evil at all with no consequences from your actions

Exploring The Forbidden Forest was not only fun but very creepy for me especially when running into the big spiders. No. Aragog is not in this game but there are other huge spiders. Still though its worth seeing what lies within the Forest seeing Centaurs and other creatures

Most of the side missions are also fun to do when you dont just want to go through only the main missions for the main story. Trust me when I say that exploring areas outside of Hogwarts, Hogsmade and The Forbidden Forest is insanely huge. The map is incredible as you even get to explore ruins and caves. Yes, it is so much fun flying around on the broomstick

Overall it did had some issues that I just explained but I still give Hogwarts Legacy a 10/10 because it was an amazing game, free roaming and spell learning was excellent. The puzzles werent too bad either although some I had to look up online but mostly were fairly easy. Exploration is great and so was the stories. Plus this was my first time ever playing a Harry Potter game.

Escape from New York (1981)

This Is A Classic?

[4/10 · 27 May 2023]

Seriously though. People think this movie is a classic or a cult classic? I beg to differ, this was not only a huge disappointment for me but so damn boring. It's a shame because I loved the premise that NY is turned into a huge prison and walled off. Nobody ever escapes or gets out alive. That and a criminal being our main protagonist ' Snake' going in to save the president in exchange for his own freedom

Sadly though when you get past the premise and the awesome badass look of the Snake character, the entire story is so damn boring and lifeless. Every single character including Snake himself is boring, none of them really stand out or make their impact felt. The dialogue and acting is really bad as I mentioned earlier, it's not even cheesy fun. Just bland and very emotionless. The action is so damn awful and the kills along with it, it's not even funny

I definitely got Arkham City vibes from this movie and no doubt believe the game of Arkham City was inspired by this movie. No. I wasnt expecting this movie to be anything like Arkham City, far from it actually. But for goodness sake. Put some effort into it, make the criminals and psychos be interesting and stand out alongside Snake fighting through them

For a movie made in the 80s where that era produced so many classics and cult classics, Escape From New York in my book is not a classic or a cult classic. It is a really bad movie that did not age well at all. I wasnt expecting this to be a masterpiece but for the premise of this movie along with just wanting the movie to be good in general, it was a major let down.

Alien (1979)

Fearing The Unknown

[9/10 · 20 May 2023]

Wow this movie definitely deserves all the praise and prestige as one of the best movies and horror movies ever made. Ridley Scott did a masterful job building up the suspense and tension throughout the entire movie from start to finish. First starting off as a very slow build getting to know some of the characters to discovering an alien space ship and then the face hugger scene. Everything shifts, everything becomes uneasy and it just builds and builds until we see the Xenomorph fully grown terrorizing the spaceship killing most of the main characters

It really gives you the feeling you are there with the characters when they have the alien aboard their ship, their desperate attempt to locate and kill it, looking around every corner and inch of the ship hearing all bumps and noises just trying to pin point the location of this nightmarish thing

I loved the set pieces for the ship which to me is very Star Wars influenced giving it that very Sci Fi feel while mixing in the horror aspects, the design of the Xenomorph Alien mostly working in the shadows only seeing it briefly here and there until towards the end is brilliantly designed and very clever if I do say so myself

We always fear the unknown whatever that may be and in this case encounter an alien born out of the facehugger, not really knowing what the hell it is or where it is or where it is going to strike is quite terrifying. Plus for a very late 70s movie they did a great job with a twist involving a scientist character who turns out to be a robot and the design of the robot is very impressive and realistic

Incredibly well paced and acting from start to finish, great story, great cast especially from Sigourney Weaver as this was her first movie playing Ripley who seems to me is very badass. Well done everyone, great stuff.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Best movie of 2023 so far

[10/10 · 11 April 2023]

This movie is everything you could possibly want whether you're a hardcore Nintendo and Mario with a deep knowledge of the lore of Mario and his characters, a casual gamer that doesnt know too much or hasnt played a lot of Mario games like myself or just a movie fan in general. It is perfect

The animation is done really well perfectly blending not just the grand scape of an animation movie but as well as incorporating the platforming side of things for Super Mario Bros. Yes, they have you covered if you are wondering is there any platforming style to this movie. They nailed it with the different levels featured as the story goes on. It even adds a portion of Mario Kart into one scene which I thought was done really well

The story really good with the perfect messages of never giving up in the face of adversity not matter if your short, tall, fat, disabled or not. It doesnt matter. Long as you have heart and the will to give everything you got, it all that matters. Humor is on point and so is the music, the casting and the voice acting

It may not be some grand masterpiece or a deep character study, it's far from it. But that doesnt mean Super Mario Bros isnt a good movie because it is Indeed a great movie and quite frankly the best movie I have seen so far in 2023. Big big competition with the other movies including The Flash that Im interested in seeing this year

It definitely has the classic Mario lines you'd often hear in the games like " Yahoo", " Mama mia" and " It's a me". Dont listen to any critics like Rotten Tomatoes or anyone else that gives this movie a bad review. Go and see the movie for yourself if you havent already and make your own judgement and opinions

Im definitely looking forward to a potential sequel because this movie does include both a mid and end credits scenes and Im looking forward to the eventual DVD release so I can own a copy and watch this again whenever I feel like.

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

Why do people hate this movie?

[9/10 · 10 April 2023]

I never understood the hate for Monsters Unleashed and still dont understand why people hate the first movie either. It's like with my review on ' The Country Bears' movie. Do people seem to hate fun movies? Im starting to believe that is the case. While I do love the first Scooby Doo movie, I've come to believe Monster Unleashed is not only better than the first movie but is underrated

The CGI and special effects for the costumed monsters brought to life as their own entities has aged pretty darn well in my opinion. The story sort of de constructs ours heroes, pulling back the curtain and getting to why the characters of Fred, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby are the way they are and why we as the audience love them for who they are

For Fred he doesnt need to always be the macho cool sophisticated man who isnt afraid of anything or anyone. For Velma it's about following her heart instead of always relying on logic and facts for her beliefs and decisions instead of taking actual risks and doing what she wants. For Shaggy and Scooby they come to realize they arent screw ups or a joke, they are valuable to Mystery Inc as the rest of the gang. For Daphne she doesnt always have to be tough and reserved or not to fit herself as the so called damsel in distress

This great movie and the story is complimented with the editions of Seth Green, Peter Boyle and Alicia Silverstone who all help make the movie great and fun just like with our main cast. The music is great, humor is still spot on and man who doesn't love that clubhouse in the middle portion of the movie Mystery Inc made years ago.

Scooby-Doo (2002)

Still an Instant Classic

[8/10 · 10 April 2023]

Im not the biggest fan of Scooby Doo and the other characters, they are alright and just meh. But I do love this movie and the second movie with the characters, probably my favorite versions of them as well. I do find it funny though that eventhough Scooby Doo at least from observation is more garnered towards kids, this particular movie feels like it's more garnered not just to kids but to adults as well and teenagers due to it's mature themes and the story

Some scenes are quite dark even for kids but thats what makes Scooby Doo 1 an awesome movie. The whole demon monsters possessing people and with Scrappy Doo being behind it the entire time plotting his revenge on Mystery Inc is a nice touch. Definitely loved the whole ' Spooky Island' theme park thing as well which would actually make for an awesome real park

Everyone as well cast and did a great job, humor was great, it's witty and clever, cant understand the hate or why it has a low rating on this site but oh well. I keep forgetting Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean is in this movie which makes it even more awesome.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Not a fan of this movie

[5/10 · 9 April 2023]

Over the years I had often heard how great the movie ' Forrest Gump' really is or was and it's one of the best movies ever made. My mum on the other hand thought it was boring. Over the years I kept switching back and forth as to whether or not I really wanted to watch this movie because it didnt look appealing or something I'd be interested in other than iconic pop culture line of ' Life's like a box of chocolates" thing

Well I finally decided to watch this movie. How bad or good could it be, right? Well sad to say I didnt like this movie at all, it was boring and dragged on for too long throughout the story. I get what ' Forrest Gump' is trying to tell - appreciate the little things in life, what really means most to you and being the best that you can be even when life slaps you in the face. I get it

Im just not a fan of it and that's ok. A movie can have great meaningful lessons and themes to take a way especially if it really touched you but eh if the story is such a drag and so boring, then my interest or the movie's likeability is completely out the window

The character of ' Forrest Gump' is ok. He's wholesome, humble, simple minded, kind and not smart but means well. But eh didnt think he was all that interesting of a character. I dont know, this movie and the character itself didnt click well with me. If I had to say one good thing is the relationship between Forrest and Jenny, they both clearly loved each other but due to the traumas Jenny suffered as a child she felt unworthy and kept running away until finally overcoming her demons and accepting Forrest's love. The different paths they choose before that with Forrest somehow doing well and Jenny not so much was interesting

But overall this is not a movie I think I would want to watch again at all. Not a fan.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

Fantasy Can Become A Reality

[9/10 · 9 April 2023]

This movie is a classic that although appears to be a typical ' chick flick' but really it's a film anyone can enjoy no matter if your a man, a woman or a child. It's a classic family movie filled with meaningful themes and a great updated modern take on Cinderella as a whole

I've always liked Hilary Duff as an actress and seems like a great person too, she definitely did a great job as a modernized version of Cinderella so to speak whose been treated terribly and be made to use as a slave by her stepmom and step sisters, while working aimlessly to try and get into college to forge her own destiny of breaking free from her rotten family to which she eventually does in the end and meets the man of her dreams

Everyone was well casted, some you might be familar with like Jennifer Coolidge from the American Pie films and even Howard Wolowitz from Big Bang Theory who has two cool scenes where you can still make it out or choose to make it and believe that is still Wolowitz in high school

Great humor, great story and great themes of never being afraid to dream big, standing up for what you believe in, dont let anyone treat you terribly or hold you back. Dont be afraid. Dream big. Live big. Take risks and do what makes you happy.

Space Jam (1996)

It is still a classic

[8/10 · 9 April 2023]

It's not often I get to rewatch Space Jam in fact it's very few and far between but when I have the chance and the time I make sure I watch it. Even in the year of 2023 the animation of the Looney Tunes characters blending into our world has aged superbly especially since this movie came out in 1996 but looks as though it came out today. Scratch that, the animation of Space Jam in this movie still looks better than the animation and CGI of today which says something

The story is excellent which the whole family can still enjoy or if your by yourself at any age. It's funny, heartwarming, the typical 90s style movie with optimism and hope. Plus it has not only Michael Jordan but also and I cant believe I forgot he was in this movie - Newman from Seinfeld

Space Jam has aged liked fine wine over the years and will continue to do so for many more years to come in the future. Cant say the same for it's sequel which I have not and will never see, the trailer for the sequel was enough to put me off and believe it will be terrible.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

This is highly underrated

[9/10 · 8 April 2023]

I really dont see or understand the hate for Amazing Spider-Man 2, I really dont other than the fact at the time of this movie's release it was the first Spidery sequel since the legendary Spider-Man 2 by Sam Raimi and people were making comparisons with the two movies and never really giving Amazing Spider-Man a proper chance

I loved it when it first hit theatres and I still love it to this day. It's awesome, it's hard hitting, it's action packed, dark, gritty and just so good. Easily far superior to the first Amazing Spider-Man movie where there was never a dull moment

They did a great job with the opening scene by expanding more on Peter's parents as originally shown in the first movie, the corruption within Oscorp with one power hungry executive looking to take control of the company by framing Harry Osborn and Electro. Oh man, Jamie Foxx really surprised me the first time I saw this movie as Electro, he was so good in the roll I really enjoyed his performance

As for Harry Osborn/Green Goblin's role in Amazing Spider-Man 2 I loved it. It was good progression of him coming in, inheriting Oscorp then learns he is dying from the same illness that killed Normal, his struggle to find a cure and transformation into a monstrous Green Goblin. It was great but I do think harry should have been included in the first movie just to add a bit more depth to the friendship between him and Peter

It's a shame MJ was cut from this film but it was understandable as there was way too many characters and juggling their stories to begin with which by the way Amazing Spider-Man 2 did a great job in juggling them. It's a shame these movies will never continue and honestly I loved Andrew Garfield's Spidey since the beginning and not just when he returned in No Way Home. He was great

Only thing I disliked in Amazing Spider-Man 2 was Rhino and the Rhino suit. Easily should have scrapped Rhino because he really brought nothing to the table, only in the first and last scenes of this movie and the suit is trash. Not even the proper classic Rhino suit, just a robotic suit.

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

It's a good Batman movie but not great

[7/10 · 8 April 2023]

As the title says for The Lego Batman Movie it's a good movie and a good Batman movie but it's not great, amazing or spectacular, it's just above average in my book but that's just me anyway. I liked the story of Batman being a loner who feels like he doesnt need to count on anyone but himself, he's afraid to feel anything other than anger or vengeance but deep down he's lonely and wants friends and a new family so to speak

It sort of asks the question of does Gotham really need Batman. Has his influence really made an impact on the city? Who is Batman personally when he's not fighting bad guys? And then over the course of the movie you see Batman is needed and he overcomes his fears of losing another family or anyone he ever cared about. Really surprised me that they went with this for a lego movie which is mostly garnered towards kids. Dont get me wrong I loved the original Lego movie and still do. But even that story wasnt too deep or was a character study

There's a lot of really neat Easter eggs for all Batman fans if you seen the Burton, Nolan and West movies and series, loved the multiverse villains that included Voldemort and Sauron aiding Joker. As for Joker in this movie? Meh not great but not terrible either, just somewhere in the middle.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

A Bold New Direction

[8/10 · 7 April 2023]

I personally enjoyed this film when it first came out back in 2012 and didnt have any issues with it. Fast forward to 2023 and I still enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man it's not perfect or a masterpiece like Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man movie, Amazing Spider-Man is still great in of it's self

It's definitely a lot darker filled with mystery and intrigue . I like the fact this was the only Spider-Man movie to bring in Peter's biological parents and have them die in a plane crash and have this whole big mystery as to why they died in the first place. What were they investigating? Who was after them? It was a good choice I felt and in some ways this movie is sort of similar to Batman Begins. Peter and Bruce were both vengeful looking to punish those that killed their parents or in Pete's case his uncle. They both eventually overcome their vengeful pride to become better people and use their skills for the benefit of mankind

Dr Connors/ The Lizard in this movie was fairly decent not as memorable as Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Alfred Molina's Doc Ock or Jamie Fox's Electro but he was still good. Could have been developed a little more but it's fine

Loved the fact they used Gwen Stacy instead of doing what the Raimi films did and automatically go for MJ. I have nothing against MJ, she's good but Gwen was Peter's first true love before MJ in the comics so it made sense to bring her into this universe of Spider-Man first. Didnt really care for Gwen's father

Overall this movie was great it was setting the foundations for a cinematic universe that sadly never took off after the reviews of Amazing Spider-Man 2, the mystery and overarching story of what happened to Peter's parents, finding Uncle Ben's killer that never really got solved and the first to try and set up a future Sinister Six movie that also never happened.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

A Near Masterpiece

[10/10 · 2 April 2023]

Why do people hate this movie? I fail to understand or see the reason why Wonder Woman 84 is a really bad movie and one of the worst in the superhero genre. If anything Wonder Woman 84 is one of those rare sequels that far surpasses the very original film from the story to the characters to the acting and the cast a sequel has. My only gripe and problem I have with this movie is that it's meant to take place in early mid 80s but it doesn't really feel or look as though Wonder Woman 84 actually takes place in the 80s era. Sure it may have the props and some outfits of that time. But the aesthetic as though Wonder Woman and everyone else living in the 80s is not there at all. Just the name 80s splashed over a typical modern made movie

The story for Wonder Woman 84 is fantastic and gripping a great take on greed, envy, lies, heroism, lust and sacrifice. It is the human nature for all of us to want more in life. We want more than what the other person has or what we believe we should deserve. But it always comes at a cost. Our humanity. Our dignity, self respect and the depths we will stoop to achieve our goals no matter who could potentially get hurt along the way

The villains were fantastic in Wonder Woman 84 and were the real stars of this movie. Max Lord a greedy down on his luck business man who manages to find a stone which grants wishes and in turn makes himself have the ability to grant wishes to everyone at the cost of his health every time he grants them. Yet he always wants more from each wish he grants. He fails to realize he had something worthwhile and what was truly important to him for a long time and that is his son who he neglected for a very long time until towards the end where he redeems himself and renounces his ability to grant wishes and put an end to greed

The other villain, The Cheetah was another fantastic villain and a tragic one at that. Starting off as an outsider of society looking to be accepted and be let it but always rejected by society no matter how hard she tries but has very low self esteem and confidence just because she was shy at first. She's lonely until meeting Wonder Woman and coming across the stone that grants wishes before Max Lord takes it for his own. Suddenly the Cheetah becomes popular with her wish and super strong, she has confidence and self worth but it cost her humanity and ultimately her friendship with Wonder Woman

This movie is by far better than the original movie and I'll go as far as calling it a near masterpiece. It's definitely one of the best superhero movies along with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Zack Snyder's Justice League and Shazam one in the last decade. This is why I love DC films they always have social and political takes on our society that doesn't feel forced. It's a shame DCEU is being rebooted because I don't like James Gunn's vision because right now Id love a Wonder Woman 3 but oh well.

Batman Ninja (2018)

When Batman meets Anime

[1/10 · 2 April 2023]

This movie is full of WTF moments. A risky attempt to fuse Batman and his mythos from DC Comics with the Japanese Anime style into one movie was a really bad idea, at least in my opinion it is. I don't think it worked at all. The animation although not the worst animation I've ever seen, it's good but in the Anime style and with some random changes on and off throughout the movie was quite annoying, strange and just didn't work for me

The story? The story is there is no story other than slap stick and over the top performances where the characters are not in characters at all. They made Batman a complete and utter fool for being too trusting thinking he'll never be betrayed and yet he does by Gorilla Grodd or Joker changing his ways. Oh in the opening scene involving Batman trying to stop Grodd with his time machine at Arkham that puts them and Batman's villains - Joker, Harley, Penguin, Catwoman and Two Face into ancient Japan all having their own states and territories looking to change history by uniting Japan as one country, somehow included Alfred, Nightwing, Redhood and the other Robins in the time rift as well. Completely stupid

I mean kudos for trying to do something really different with Batman but I didn't enjoy it and not exactly the biggest fan of Anime. If you love Anime that's fine, this movie will be right up your alley as well as being a fan of Batman himself and mixing him into Anime. But for me? Nope. This is worse than Adam West's campy Batman 66 movie. The Batman 66 movie is fun, hilarious and has a good story. Batman Ninja? Let's throw everything at the wall and whatever sticks we'll go with it no matter how insane or nonsensical it is. I mean for goodness sake out of nowhere they even used makeshift Transformers characters from Transformers styled as their own.

Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)

This was actually pretty good

[8/10 · 1 April 2023]

I just not long finished watching Soul of The Dragon and didnt think I was going to enjoy it as much as I thought I would but no, I really liked it. Not in my top 10 or 5 Batman movies but it is still a good movie overall. The nice mix of the 70s era with James Bond esque with martial art movies and intergreating that with Batman himself and some supernatural demonic beings was a nice touch

The animation is great and so is the cast of characters, voice acting is top notch there wasnt anyone who was off beat and the story was great. I didnt really like or thought the Cobra cult villains or the demonic reptile God - Naga was very interesting, pretty bland and just meh, however, for a movie of this caliber and what it's trying to tell with the story it works very well

It was a very different Batman movie compared to the others, different setting mostly aside from those few moments in Gotham, focusing not just on the present but back when Bruce was still training in Martial Arts and his interactions with the other students at the Dojo he was at was fun and interesting to see. It also definitely feels like this very early on in Batman's career as a crime fighter so that's also cool.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (2020 Video Game)

What the hell were the game developers thinking?

[3/10 · 31 March 2023]

I've always been a big fan of Crash Bandicoot and the cast of characters. Granted Ive only played the original trilogy and outside of that a little of Crash Bash, CTR and Mind Over Mutant. They were great but cant beat the original trilogy for obvious reasons. They were fun and challenging with some really cool level designs. Also when it came to the difficulty for the original trilogy, they were tough but fair

Crash Bandicoot It's about time is sadly the worst Crash Bandicoot game ever made and worst one in the franchise, Im sorry. A lot of the level designs are beautiful and can tend to be quite fun at times. However when it comes to the difficulty it is off the charts. When I started playing this for the first time two weeks ago I was only 4 levels in and was already struggling. Like seriously? That's never happened to me when I played Crash 1, 2 or 3

But wait. It gets. As I progress through every level in every time rift world, the difficulty gets harder and harder until it goes from challenging to tedious. I hate everything that is tedious. When the difficulty of the game or anything else is tedious, it's not fun nor worth the effort in finishing. I was determined to beat the game and then throw it in the trash because it wasnt fun to play Crash 4 everytime I put the disc in, it was work and a real chore

Video games arent meant to be chore or work, they are meant to be fun. Yes games should definitely be challenging at times because otherwise every game would be boring and not worth playing. However when it came to Crash Bandicoot 1 the very original game as hard and difficult it was, it was still fair. But not Crash 4 It's about time. It's not fair at all or challenging, just tedious

I got to the second to the last level and after two weeks of raging and slowly no longer having fun and losing interest, I gave up and threw it in the trash. I already knew how the story ended anyway when I watched the gameplay from a Youtuber back in late 2020. The second to the last level was the last straw when it required you to balance and time every mask you use in it while avoiding lasers and trying to platform. To many lasers, TNT, Nitros and trying to change from mask to mask hoping you'll make it through trial and error was not worth it. This level Im talking about is Cortex Castle, look it up and see for yourself

Hell, I stopped caring about trying to get most of the boxes and look for gems by the time I got to the 5th time rift world and just wanted to beat the level through trial and error no matter how many times I died and I did. But Cortex Castle was the last straw for me. Never again

It's a shame because I liked the story for Crash 4 and where some of the levels you can play as Cortex, Dingodile or Tawna. Those were great. But the insane tedious difficulty that kept getting more and more ridiculous from the second world and up just killed and ruined it for me. Hey fair play and much respect to those that not only beat but also got every box and gems. Kudos.

Ghost Rider (2007)

The Devil's Rider

[8/10 · 26 March 2023]

This movie still rocks 16 years later, I loved it as a child and I still love it now as a grown ass adult at the age of 27. The CGI for Ghost Rider is still badass and amazing, I dont care what anyone says. Nic Cage as Johnny Blaze/ Ghost Rider is pretty decent. I liked his take on the character. In fact this movie introduced me to Ghost Rider in general

There are some problems I found with this movie one is being the relationship between Johnny and Roxanne, it was pretty boring and tame. It wasnt too tragic and felt like they could have done more to play of the tragedy of them breaking away as teenagers and although had a chance to be together as adults but Johnny chooses to accept his curse as being Ghost Rider in spite of Mephisto

The villains other than Mephisto were pretty lame in comparison. They were ok with Blackheart having the most potential to be threatening but eh they didnt come off too sinister or deadly in my opinion. Average at best. I still love this movie though despite some of it's problems

I like the aspect of Ghost Rider going around claiming souls with his ability to force his victims to suffer through the crimes they committed onto others until their eyes turned to ash and die. It was freaky seeing it as a kid and still freaky now. They did a good job with Mephisto being sort of a trickster making deals with his clients in exchange for their souls it is exactly how the Devil is in real life

Overall this movie is still great despite some of it's issues. Dont expect this movie to be a masterpiece or life changing, just go into it as nothing more than a comicbook movie because at the end of the day that's exactly what it is and an awesome comicbook movie. Great stuff.

The Last of Us (2023– )

Better Than The Walking Dead

[9/10 · 26 March 2023]

I wasnt sure at first when they announced they would adapt The Last of Us for a TV version because the first game is so beloved but I was going to give it a proper chance anyway. I didnt watch it straight away when the first episode dropped like everyone else, I waited until the full season was available. It's better that way because you can watch everything in one go

It is a great show and faithfully adapted everything from the first game. Although I have some issues with the series one namely being episode 3 because it focused too much on the relationship between Bill and Frank that made the episode boring, the game didnt touch on it too much. But whatever. Also episode 7 which was surprisingly an adaption from Ellie's DLC in the mall with her friend. Most part for episode 7, it still goes the same route with Ellie and her friend at the mall but fails to switch back to the present with Ellie on her own in a different mall gathering supplies and meds to nurse Joel back to full health. Just minor issues for me that doesnt ruin the series for me too much

It's as the title for this review says, it is indeed miles better than The Walking Dead. Game and TV adaption of The Last of Us is more interesting and gripping, the story, Joel and Ellie and of course the zombies. The producers here did a great job recreating the clickers for the TV version as they look exactly like they are in the game

Joel and Ellie? Not much needs to be said other than the fact they are great characters whose actors obviously carry the show from episode to episode. Fun facts for you guys. The actress who plays Ellie's mother in a flashback in the TV series the actress who voices Ellie in the Last of Us games. Also the actress who plays Kathleen is the same one who plays Rose ( Charlie's stalker) in Two and a Half Men

I now need to play the second Last of Us game as I havent played it yet and obviously season 2 will be adapting that game come 2025, luckily for me I still have plenty of time but after watching season 1 it's makes me want to replay the first game first and then go straight to playing the second game.