Congratulations, Top Gun Maverick well deserved win over Dr Strange(2022) to become the first movie to cross 1 billion box office this year. I predict it will end up at 1.5 billion.👏

It's James Cameron, if the next trailer delivers some next level filmmaking then there's a basis for hype train or super positive reviews like Top Gun when it premiered. Need a disruption to superhero movies dominance.

I think Avatar was VFX based . Maverick has slim chance to reach $2 billion, 1.5 billion already is optimistic figure from me, hahaha.

Elvis - OK you don't watch a Baz Luhrmann's biopic for accuracy. It's his dazzling production design and his energetic filmmaking. On that front it delivers but as a movie on a whole it falters. It's a rather straightforward as in any biopic about a Singer or Actor for that matter. The underdog breakout into stardom and fall from grace. I can't for the life of me why they cast Tom Hanks with over the top prosthetic makeup. He is the weakest link to the movie with his weird accent and cartoonish characterization. Holy Shit!!! Austin Butler is the glue that held this otherwise so-so movie. He embodies Elvis Presley physically and spiritually. The moment he pops on the screen you are suck in to his voice and of course the iconic Elvis moves. He is the frontrunner for an Oscar nod at this point. A star is born!

Hey, I like practical effects.... done properly...

Right now you have the Stuntman turned Film Director fad in Hollywood. Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, and Sam Hargreaves. At least the era of shaky cam and fast cuts closing a chapter.

Also Korean action filmmakers has yet to make their mark in the US market. They can blow up like the 00s Hong Kong invasion of Hollywood.

Special Delivery - Transporter meets Baby Driver. Simple premise of skillful heroine taking high risk transportation assignments. Car chase scene ok la nothing groundbreaking but enough thrill. It's more of how heroine reluctantly became guardian of the son of a client. The bonding relationship is watchable. A villain that weaselly evil than your usual ruthless criminal. OK to burn 2 hours.

Smile (2022)

Well, I admit, I was attracted to this movie by the trailer.

Some first years now, time writers or directors have been delivering good movies to us.

Especially horror movies.

If I remember correction, they directed movies like, Lights Out (2016, David F. Sandberg directorial debut)  and Don't Breath (2016, technically Fede Álvarez second feature film)

Director Parker Finn (in his feature directorial debut) also wrote this movie.

The premised is not original and have to add, the delivery is.

Great to see Kal Penn in the movies again.

Sosie Bacon plays a convincing Dr. Rose Cotter.

Out of the three acts, the first act was directed perfectly.

The whole movie rested on Sosie Bacon shoulder and her character gets more and more troubled, so sometimes it was hard to see "her point of view".

At least that was my take away.

The little boy's birthday scene was a highlight to me, though I guess the outcome.

After that the movie became a little more predictable so that may have been my reason for feeling a little let down with the movie.

Overall I did enjoy it.

We have not had a good scare in a while, and this one does have a few good scares.

If you like horror, give this a try.

You know you want to.



My Two Sen

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

Honestly, I did not expect me to say this walking into the cinema.

I had absolutely no expectation for the movie.

Zero.

Nada.

I LOVE this movie.

I absolutely love it to bits!

I have pets most of my life.

Do I anthropomorphize my pets>

You betcha.

Animations had done it for awhile now.

I am always of the school of thought, a good movie, starts with a good storyline.

Does this have a good storyline?

Yes. A simple story, true. Well told nevertheless.

Did they get the right cast?

Yes, yes they did! I don't know who Kate McKinnon is and have to add, her Lulu is simply deliciously devious!

The way the movie characterize the super heroes are hilarious!

Is this movie going to knock the Mavericks, the Jurassic and other big big budget movies off their pedestal?

Maybe not. I do think that if exhibitors are patient, this movie may have long legs in the theaters.

This movie has everything for every age group (well, maybe not the elderly).

I really enjoyed and laughed out loud throughout the movie.

I pleasantly submit to you, my two sen.

Dah...

Afraid I would cause a "riot" if I reviewed it here....

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Black Panther (2018) made money. It made alot money than even Disney expected. So it is not a surprise that a sequel was announced and the audience waited eagerly.

How can you talk about the sequel without touching on Chadwick Boseman  passing away in in the middle of 2020...

Even more surprise Marvel announced that the sequel would go on and that T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman role) will not be reprise. They would not even create a CGI version of the character!

Audiences were sad and yet curious about how Marvel will pull that off.

The wait is over. The sequel is upon us and it is...

I am getting ahead of myself.

Marvel wasted no time addressing the lost of T'Challa.

The main focus of this movie is Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Queen Ramon(Angela Bassett) wept as would the audience.

The movie than sprinted to the core storyline of the movie.

The director kept his promise, expanding the Black Panther world.

Plot threads from the first movie do get expanded on here.

New characters are introduced.

I can see how some would complained that this movie is "WOKE".

I on the other hand would argue that this movie is "woke" done correctly.

Focusing on the strength of the characters, rather than demanding everyone to respect the characters feminity...

I hope I am making sense.

Yes, on of the new character is Namor (Tenoch Huerta). I like the back story of this character and his world.

So, can Shuri hold up the whole movie on her slender shoulders.

Saying that this is a Shuri centric movie maybe a little misleading.

This movie is very much an assemble movie.

Almost every character has his/her moment to shine.

I do have two grumbles concerning this movie.

The last battle lack..... ooomph...

This movie is very very long... 2 hours 41 minutes!!!

Can scene could have definitely been summarised...

The above, like always, is just my two sen...

The Menu (2022)

Woah!

Calling this movie a black comedy is REAL understatement.

This is a dark DARK movie.

The cast is great.

The cinematography is immaculate.

It has been ages that I had seen Judith Light in anything. Though she is severely underused here.

Not surprising.

You have Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult & John Leguizamo (another underused character) all stealing their scenes.

We just came out from a pandemic.

Everyone is sick (mentally and physically) of being confined in one place.

There are some really decent movies released so far in 2022. From huge productions like the Marvel and DC films, to film from India (RRR anyone), to the pleasantly surprisingly good (Prey), to the missed opportunity (I am looking at you Nope!???), to the absolute bizarre (Everything Everywhere All at Once, what the...), to the bleak (The Northman, shame on you Shakespeare) and of course the crowd pleaser of the year (Tope Gun Maverick) that gives us a reason to goto the movies.

I seriously am hoping I am not misleading you by stating the other movies here. I am not sure is I would strongly urge you to go to this one.

Truth to be told, I and still processing this movie.

I still have not decided if it is brilliant or madness.

If I have not made it clear is is a very very bleak movie.

If this movie is to be believe, there really isn't good or bad people in the world.

I do wish some charaters are more fleash out. Or at the very least have their motivation made more apparent.

I really don't know if I can say anything more about the movie...

With the above, I present, my two sens....

I am cautiously optimistic about Avatar 2....