Change Your Image
fraserm74
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Religious Masterpiece
Religious wars, rebellion, and the desire for power all felt extremely well executed and grounded in reality here.
What I thought was going to be more of a simple rebellion in the sands for the freedom of Arrakis turned into a very real battle for hearts and minds of the Fremen who populate it's underground cities. Some twists and turns to keep you on your toes and an epic final battle wild enough to capture the attention of even the most stoic.
Dune Part Two delivers on a level most won't expect it to, and thats the most enjoyable part. Can't wait to see what the future has in store for this franchise!
The Fabelmans (2022)
A Film For Those Who Love Cinema
As I sat writing this review, there was a lot I wanted to say. Instead of a long detailed overview if my thoughts, I decided to keep it simple. Everything I wrote all had one common theme; this film makes you fall in love with Hollywood again.
With recent movies coming out, whether it be a Marvel or DC project, or another Netflix money grab, there hasnt been a lot of great films to sink your teeth into the past few years. However, Spielberg really delivered on that item with The Fablemans. Such a simple story yet so tastefully done. The casting was impecable, the set designs of the 50s and 60s were perfect, and the performances were out of this world.
The Fablemans now has my vote for Best Picture at The 2023 Academy Awards. This is a film that could be an instant classic because it has a lot of heart and a lot of laughs. If you find yourself turned away from Hollywood because of the current generation of movies, just watch this one again and be reminded of the power of cinema.
Hustle (2022)
Sandler at his finest
Adam Sandler is starting to feel like a fine wine, getting better with age. After putting out all of the childish movies in his career, some of them classics, yes, we finally get to see the serious side of him. Hustle has heart, laughs, motivation, and a star studded cast of NBA legends, current and past. I absolutely loved this film and I hope Sandler produces and stars in more like it. Most likely one of the best feature films Netflix has come out with!
CODA (2021)
Sacrifice vs Destiny
What would you sacrifice for your family? Would you give up on your destiny? Thats what this film challenges us to think about. Ruby, played by Emilia Jones, does a fantastic job at showing us the hardships of choosing between the life you were given and the life you want to make for yourself.
First lets discuss the amazing supporting cast. The brother played by Daniel Durant, the mother played by Marlee Martin, and the Farher played by Troy Kotsur. These three blew me away with the emotion they provided throughout the film while only being able to communicate through sign language. The struggles they endure as deaf family really puts things into perspective. No matter how hard they try to live an ordinary life, society can be rough for the hearing impaired. However, they handle these challenges with grace, and thankfully for the audience, with some comedic relief as well.
The best part of the film in my opinion is the relationship between Ruby and her teacher, Bernardo, played by Eugenio Derbez. He doesnt take it easy on her and it really teaches her that neither will the world. The way he challenges her sends a great message that you will need to make tough choices for yourself and your overall well being, and then you need to own those decisions whole heartedly.
Overall Coda was an incredible film with a whole cast that I wanted to spend more time with once the final credits rolled. I hope it wins the Oscar for Best Picture!
The Batman (2022)
Choreographed Chaos
For me, theres no comparing The Batman with The Dark Knight. Similar to The Joker, this movie creates its own identity and is a great addition to the caped crusaders story. Now I wanted to rate this at about a 7.8 so I decided to round up due to IMDb's whole number score policy.
The first half of this movie was absolutely incredible. The Gotham Matt Reeves portrayed was exactly what I was hoping for. Its dark, gritty, brutal, and on the verge of total chaos. Robert Pattinson's Batman is trying to make a difference in the crime infected city early on in his time as the hero/vigilante and he gets a little help from his good friend Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and his newer ally Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz).
My favorite parts of this film, without spoiling anything, is the writing for these complicated puzzles that the Riddler provides throughout. It gives a strong Zodiac killer vibe and pulls the actual detective skills out of Batman that we havent seen too much of before. The Penguin played by Colin Farrel is also an excellent character and provides great depth to the insanity of Gotham's crime underworld.
My biggest concerns with the film are the runtime and the final act. The build up is incredible so I slightly understand the lengthy 3 hours it needed but there were definitely scenes that could have been cut or edited appropriately for time. Finally, on the actual final act, I found it to be somewhat underwhelming. For everything they took us through leading up to it, it seemed as if the writing just got a little lazy towards the end.
Overall, this movie is a great addition the DC universe and I hope we will get to keep this version of Batman. Christian Bale is still my favorite Bruce Wayne, but Pattinson has definitely moved into the top spot as Batman for me. All fans of the caped crusader will love this film!
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Blast From The Past
Being a mid-90s baby, I was the perfect age when the first few Spiderman movies came out. To say I was obsessed could very well be an understatement. Ive always enjoyed the depth of the Peter Parker character as well as the supporting roles (villains) around him. This movie does extremely well in bringing back those villains I loved so much growing up.
Electro, Doc Oc, Sandman, The Lizard, and most importantly, Green Goblin all make appearences as shown in the trailer. Now first off, I want to say that Doc Oc is easily my favorite villain from those movies. However, Willem Dafoe shines the most in No Way Home as Norman Osborne/Green Goblin. 20 years has gone by, but he has proven that he is still the baddest of them all.
Aside from the awesome perfomances from the old villians, we also get a much better look into the growth of Tom Holland as Peter Parker. This is his best perfomance yet as the web-slinging superhero, and the writers show that by not pulling any punches against his character in this film.
You will laugh, you will cry, and you will cheer. Spiderman: No Way Home has given us a great look into the future of Marvel and what it means for our favorite Avengers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
No Time to Die (2021)
Best for Last
We finally get No Time to Die after several pandemic delays and it was well worth the wait. The story, the characters, the emotion, the comedy, and the magnificent score all coming together to give us a great final ride for Bond. One particular strongpoint is the cinematography, it deserves an Oscar on its own. Overall, No Time to Die is a film you wont want to miss in theaters. Thank you Daniel Craig for a tremendous 15 years as Bond!
The Suicide Squad (2021)
DC finally does it right!
For years, Warner Bros. Has been pushing out DC films to try and keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In all that time, theres was probably one good movie made in the original Wonder Woman. The rest of the films were tough to watch with horrible character development and even worse plot lines. Once Warner notcied that their DC universe was tanking, they needed to find a new strategy. So what did they do? They hired a successful Marvel director!
With that being said, James Gunn delivers an excellent take on this anti-hero group and gives us a violent, emotional, and entertaining film that will be called the best DC film so far. The one aspect that really stood out to me was the character development. We are introduced to several new characters that all have great meaning and depth in this story. Gunn wrote these characters perfectly, giving each of them a unique background with the weirdest super powers one could think of. I came out of this film hoping we will get to see more from a few of them!
In closing, I think Warner Bros. Has finally come to their senses and allowed a DC movie to be made with freedom and true creativity. This allowed Gunn to use the genius he showed us in Guardians of the Galaxy and apply it to an R-rated title that really delivers. In no way was this movie perfect, but I actually had a lot of fun watching a DC movie, and I could never say that before today.
No Sudden Move (2021)
Soderbergh Success
What I love most about Soderbergh's movies are the numbers of characters he has involved that all play a crucial role. There are very few directors these days that can master bringing so many people together and tell a story that both makes sense and is entertaining.
No Sudden Move isnt his best film, but it was a fantastic watch from start to finish. The set peices from 50s Detroit, the start-studded cast, and an excellent script made for one hell of a ride. Just make sure you pay close attention or you will miss things.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Snyder Surprises
I have to begin by saying I'm not a fan of the Snyder DC movies. I think that universe had so much potential and things were written and released too quickly by Warner Brothers in an attempt to keep up with Marvel. I feel as if Snyder does better with original stories that dont have too much fanfare or background already (300 and Watchmen).
That being said, Army of the Dead is good addition to the original Snyder collection. The story is a fresh take on the zombie apocolypse that keeps you interested all the way through. The characters do very well in this and the emotion is definitely there too. Im also happy we get to see a more serious Dave Bautista because he really carries the film.
To keep it short and sweet, this film was entertaining from start to finish and the ending was a bit of fun as well. Its not a perfect film by any means, but with it being a bit different than all other zombie movies, its definitely something that kept me very interested.
Wrath of Man (2021)
Wrath of Guy
Guy Ritchie gives us something fun and gripping with a plot that flows well while having its own original taste. Heist movies seem to be very similar to one another, but this take is a bit more fresh than the rest. It gives depth to both the protagonist and the antagonist which I think is a great mind game that a writer/director can play on the audience. My favorite part of the film is the darker toned score that plays behind a large majority of the scenes, adding a great amount of suspense. I know its a difficult thing to accomplish these days, but I would have given a higher score if it had a more of an original ending. Overall, its a great film that will keep you interested throughout its runtime.
Chef (2014)
Favreau brings the Flavor
Chef tells an amazing story of a father struggling to build a relationship with his son while working hard to keep his dreams alive as a famous chef. John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Scarlet Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., and Dustin Hoffman all deliver awesome performances here. However, the real incredible work comes from Favreau and Emjay Anthony, who plays his son in the film.
Favreau has a way of creating incredible dialouge that offers both depth and humor at the same time, creating a sense of trust with the audience. This movie made me laugh a lot but it also allowed me to dig deeper into these characters as the film progressed. I loved the simplicity of the story that also allowed it to actually be quite powerful in the end.
If you continue to follow what you love with who you love, you will be able to acheieve real success in your life. I'm not talking about wealth or power, Im talking about happiness. If you allow yourself to be controlled by the opinions of others, you will never be where you want. Chef was unique, fun, and heartwarming. Its a movie I believe everyone can enjoy.
Soul (2020)
A story with a Soul
I really can't wrap my head around Pixar and how every film they create has a poweful meaning hidden in such a beautiful story. With Soul, it seems as if Disney/Pixar created this for adults who are struggling with who they are or what they really want to do in life. In my view, the overall meaning to this film is that happiness can come from anywhere or anything if you have the right perspective.
How we choose to spend our time, how we want to treat the world, and how we plan to develop our own purpose is what really defines us in the end. The powerful messages in Soul could not have come at a better time after all that this world has been through in 2020. Learning how to appreciate the little things when all of the bigger events have been cancelled or postponed due to a global crisis is truly important for all of us right now. Soul helps you see that meaning in a very unique way. Please watch this movie with the whole family and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Collateral Beauty (2016)
Love, Time, and Death
Rarely does the world get a story this beautiful yet also unique. First off, Will Smith was incredible in this role. I know he doesnt do much in this film, but the actual emotion you can feel from his character is acted out incredibly well. Tragedy like this follows many unfortunate souls and tears them apart piece by piece. You see that here in every aspect of Will's character, Howard.
Then there are the 3 abstracts. Love, Time, and Death. These are the pieces of life that tie all of humanity together. The story of Love, Time, and Death are told in a real manner and give great depth to the story as the film moves on.
Im surprised it took me this long to finally see this amazing movie and Im glad I finally did. It tells a great story in just over an hour and a half. It will give you a better outlook on life, eapecially in 2020.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
DC figures it out
Wonder Woman delivers on many levels. It has heart, humor, a great story, and most of all, the incredible Gal Gadot. The one thing I have been waiting for DC to do since the Dark Knight trilogy is focus on the main antagonist being human instead of an invincible god like creature. When super hero films do this, it feels much more relatable, real, and convincing. The story in WW1984 presents this in a way that was unique and exciting. The build up throughout the movie is paced well and the character development is even better.
Theres an overall message youll feel in the final act that makes this film even more powerful. For me, this movie had everything I was looking for and a little more. Give it a watch at home or in the theater (safely) this holiday season, you wont regret it!
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Epic conclusion, with a few shortfalls
Like many others, I spent 11 years of my life with this universe. I remember the first time I saw Iron Man, right before I started high school. I have loved everything about these movies. Yes, some were rougher than others, but all in all, each film added to the overall Marvel story, and its the first time we got to see a universe built like this. I will forever be thankful for what Marvel has given us in these movies, but I do have some detailed thoughts on the final film, Avengers: Endgame. This will be a decently sized review, so get comfortable.
To start, I do want to get out there that this film was pretty great when it comes to a conclusion. I felt emotion time and time again for my favorite characters. I laughed, I got choked up, and I cheered very loudly. The dark tone that it starts with is amazing, and you can feel the deep sadness within some of the living characters so it really adds a great tone to the story. I originally wanted to keep this spoiler free, but to get my point across, larger spoilers will be below. If you havent seen the movie yet, go watch first, then come back and give this a read and Im sure you will agree with me.
SPOILERS BELOW:
Thor was saved in Ragnarok and Infinity War with his character development. He has lost almost everything. You feel his pain in Inifinity War when he talks to Rocket on their way to Nidavellir to create Stormbreaker. He fails at the end of Infinity War as well when he doesnt go for the head of Thanos, and you can see the feeling of regret right in his face after the snap. They did this beautifully to Thor, to give him some anger and vengence. It might be a darker plot point, but it served him well with everything he had lost already
At the beginning of Endgame, we see the Thor that we knew for quite some time. He's ready to find Thanos and end him once and for all. They find where Thanos is hiding by tracking the use of cosmic energy from the stones. After traveling to Thanos' hideout, Thor ends him once and for all after he realizes that the stones have been destroyed deliberately so that nothing can be undone. Then we get a time jump to 5 years in the future. This is where things get rocky.
After the time jump, we see things have changed. Some have decided to move on with the fate Thanos created, and others have barely let go of the memories of the fallen. When Ant Man returns and explains the quantum realm time dilemma, they want to develop time traveling capabilities so they can retrieve the stones from different points in time before Thanos is able to get his hands on them. After Tony rejects helping with this idea because he now has a daughter and a happy marraige with Pepper, they go to San Francisco to meet with Bruce, or should I say Professor Hulk.
Before I talk about Thor, Id like to talk about this giant Hulk issue. They ruined Hulk altogether for me. Hulk is now mixed with Bruce's mind and voice because he feels this is the best route to resolve his issue after the gamma radiation poisoning. But hes not the full size of Hulk either. Hes a half man, half Hulk that acts like the weak person Bruce is. With what happens in Inifinty War, why did the Russo brothers decide to go this route with the character? There was so much conflict between Bruce and Hulk, and they decided to just let that go and shift the characters in an entirely different direction. The only real purpose he serves all movie is helping with the science behind time travel once Tony changes his mind to develop the technology. There is also one scene where he uses the stones with Starks's gauntlet because hes the only one who can physically take it, but I mean thats it? Thats all you can give me after years of buiding up love for this character? A giant green, peacful man thats really smart and strong? I was incredibly disappointed by this. It ruined a large aspect of the movie for me. However, that wasnt even the biggest disappointment in this film. Now onto what I started this with.
They absolutely ruined Thor as well. After the time jump, Professor Hulk and Rocket go to a Nordic village thats called New Asgard. Whats left of the Asgardians are living here, and surviving peacefully it seems now. We get to first see Valkyrie who tells Hulk and Rocket that Thor wont agree to see them. So at this point, it would be safe to think Thor has gone into a dark place filled with regret and sorrow. What we actually get though is much, much worse. We get a drunk, fat, and comedic Thor. He has lost himself completely and all the character development went out the window. Again, I have no clue as to what the Russo brothers were thinking in doing this. It wasnt funny, it wasnt smart, it wasnt Thor. The rest of the time, Thor just keeps getting sad and emotional and then telling a joke to try and turn the mood around. This is not the Thor everyone loves, and not the Thor I even like one bit. Hes fat, with long dreads, and a beard full of crumbs. I was hoping they would serve Thor and Hulk justice in this movie, but you get absolutely none from them.
All in all, this is 100% Captain America's movie. They really should have just titled it Captain America: Endgame. Everything about him in this movie is awesome. Hes a true hero with the best leadership skills and Chris Evans performances as Cap will surely be missed. As for other characters, the development and emotion was great. The two biggest issues were just Hulk and Thor. Everything else worked well.
I wish I could write a seperate long ass goodbye letter to Tony Stark, but I dont want to get too carried away, this review is long enough already. All I have to say is thank you to Robert Downey Jr. for pioneering one of the greatest movie universes ever created. Tony Stark will go down as a hero and will be greatly loved and missed. Thank you again to everyone at Marvel who worked hard to give loving fans these 22 movies. You are the real life heros.
The Infiltrator (2016)
Finally, the American side of the Escobar story
Before buying my tickets for this film, I had mixed feelings on the plot and how suspenseful or emotionally gripping it would be. I thought maybe it would be something that was just dull and far fetched. Within the first 10 minutes, I was proved wrong. The entertainment hits you like a brick wall and the character build, is something truly remarkable. Now note that I've always been a fan of anything Bryan Cranston, but I tried my best to keep a level head and not get all excited just for him. I wanted to be able to take in all aspects without any bias, which I could successfully do because not only was Cranston amazing, but his supporting roles were also great, if not better.
John Leguizamo plays Emir, who is Robert Mazur's (Cranston) partner in crime....or should I say justice. These two put on a show together that really shines. The chemistry between them really adds great meaning to the story, and it really shows how strongly they had to depend on each other to work this case out. On the female side of the story, we have Juliet Aubrey, who plays the wife of Cranston, and does a great job at relaying the emotions of a scared and worried wife who is trying to deal with her husband's continuous second life while under cover. In the other corner we have the beautiful and talented Diane Kruger, who plays Cranston's fake fiancé who has to step in when Robert slips up under cover and says something he shouldn't have, endangering them both, and the entire investigation. Lo and behold, Kruger steps in and puts on a performance that is, in my opinion, the highlight of her career.
Now I gave this film an 8/10 because it has some imperfections. Mainly because Cranston and Leguizamo just happen to be the luckiest under cover agents in history. Also because the way it ended, didn't really feel satisfying. The action and the suspense was enough to keep me going for weeks, but the ending of the film just left me in a weird rut. However, besides the ending, and the crazy ways these agents avoid death, this movie really delivers and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. It worked so well because I could really feel the dirty drug filled lives these people were living. There were some shocking moments that left me speechless, and moments I could have done without, but overall, it was a wonderful, heart pounding film. I would definitely recommend for everyone to see this. You wont regret it!
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Sets the foundation for the future of the saga
I have never written a review on this site before, but I thought it best to share what I saw last night in the new chapter of Star Wars. Lets note first that I have been a Star Wars fan my entire life even though I wasn't around to watch the originals when they first came out. My father first showed me Star Wars in the worst way possible, with the prequels back in 2000. From an early age, I enjoyed those movies, simply, because I was a child. It wasn't until I was about 16 years old when I realized how ridiculous they were. Of course, the originals were always my favorite, and after brutally making it through Episodes 1 and 2, it was actually Episode 3 that saved my loved for Star Wars. Yes I know that sounds impossible, but the connection into the originals was brilliant and I really loved that. When I was about 10 or 11, after having watched episodes 4-6, my love for Star Wars grew enormously and I never would have thought they would bring it back, giving all us fans years of excitement and anticipation. Now enough about my love for Star Wars in general, let's get to the main topic of discussion. Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
To start, the movie opens with a pretty unique scene. In the Star Wars movies, something I've always payed attention to were the introduction scenes, and this one did not disappoint. From then on, you're thrown in to a pretty good adventure, with a few story point holes that are just never explained. That's what bothered me a good amount about this movie, but I won't spoil any of that for you here. You should see that for yourself. The character introductions are fast, but the progression felt pretty good for some reason, probably because I saw so much of them in interviews, and in trailers that I just felt like I knew them already, which was not a good thing to be honest from a filmmakers point of view. I wanted more real dialogue and less comedy or at least more time to get to know these characters. Another thing that bothered me and a lot of others in the theater, was that the comedy was just too much for a Star Wars film. Its like they tried to use comedic relief to fill the holes they left open in the plot. Some of the comedy was well placed, but most of it was unnecessary, and left me with a bit of frustration because Star Wars isn't meant to be hilarious. You're supposed to get a joke every now and then from Han or another sarcastic character, laugh real quick, and then forget about it and move right on with the rest of the story. Thats just really overdid it here and in my eyes, it brought down the true value of the film. Now lets put all these bad points put aside, and go over some of the brilliant aspects of the movie.
One of the main things I loved about this movie is the villain. Kylo Ren played by Adam Driver is absolutely amazing. I'm not sure if it is my enjoyment of Driver's career all together that made me like this character more, or the fact that I actually felt the sinister evil of the villain in a Star Wars movie for the first time, but something was really done right here. Darth Vader was always evil, yes, but no where near Kylo Ren evil, and boy, is it wonderful to watch. Another great aspect to this movie is, of course, Harrison Ford. No character in any movie, for me at least, beats Han Solo. The lovable smuggler who really just wants to stay away from the action and avoid all responsibility, which, unfortunately for him, is never the case. We get the same character in this movie, and you can sure see that Ford has progressed beautifully in his career to make Han Solo even more amazing in this movie. Also seeing Chewie and Han back together just brought great joy to my heart and a little water to my eyes.
Overall, this movie is wonderful, and J.J. did a great job with almost all of this film. Yes, there were a few things in this movie that I would have done differently, but all together, we get a pretty great Star Wars film that has really set the foundation for the upcoming episodes. From the amazing CGI mastered dog fights between the Rebels and the First Order, to the spectacular lightsaber battles, and to the awesome original shots that offer no effects at all, this movie gives life back to something we all feared passed away back in 2005 with the end of the prequels. Go watch this movie. Take your friends and family. See it, then see it again, and then go home smiling knowing that we are in for a good ride until 2019, when the saga finally comes to a close with Episode 9. You won't regret seeing this movie at all, but I'm sure you'll have your questions after leaving the theater, just like I did. Hopefully, all will be answered in time.