The Flash (2023)

The movie started with a bang.

It actually looked like a continuation of Zack Synder's Justice League.

The new Flash suit is great!

What stumbled me at the beginning was... Ron Livingston now plays Henry Allen (in Justice League, Billy Crudup played that role).

Just a small stumble mind you... moving on.

What was the main stumbling block for me was


How did Barry learn about the speed force etc?

It was never explained.

I blame the choppiness on the reshoots and I understand there were many...

Overall I do believe it was worth watching.

It is entertaining.

Watch this at the biggest screen you can find.

When the movie works, it works! There are flaws....

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jun 15 2023, 02:51 PM

So did I. Just posted today...

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

The first arch is 100% Indiana Jones.

It was entertaining!!!

When the second arch started, we are pulled back to reality... Indiana Jones is in his 80s... and it shows...

Harrison Ford had made a success of playing loveable scoundrels, namely in Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Also in the second arch, we are introduced to Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw.

The whole movie from this point is trying very hard to make the audience love her as a loveable scoundrels....

It is a hard sell....

The last and sad thing is, the MacGuffin in this is also a hard sell.

Long story short, this is slightly better then Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and have to add, it is not nearly as good and the first three...

On last thing I also learn in this movie that to never offend Steven Spielberg, you won't believe what happened to Mutt Williams...

My Two Sen

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

Director: Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson (who plays Josh Lambert) is directing this? Really? Can he direct?

We are getting ahead of ourselves.

Although this is the fifth movie in this movie series, it is actually a direct sequel to Insidious 1 & 2.

It does take place 10 years after Insidious 2.

All the kids are bigger

The first part of the movie really shows off Patrick Wilson as a director.

It is obvious that the movie had been storyboard (pre-viz) I cannot fault (personally I would have added an additional setup scene, but I ain't no director) the first act!



My, how Ty Simpkins had grown.

It is a shame we may not get to see him as the next Iron Man in MCU because it is now M-SHE-U...

The frst two acts were great.

I would have added a little to the third act



There are complains online about it being boring. I admit same parts of the second and third acts could have been trimmed and overall I thought the movie was a tad short!

If you like the first and second Insidious, chances are you will like this!!

I know I did!

That my friends is, My Two Sen

Ps: There is a pretty kickass cover of Shakespeare Sisters ~ Stay by Ghost (ft. Patrick Wilson) at the end of the movie.

Enjoy



This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 7 2023, 06:40 PM

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Now, this looks like a 300 million dollars production.

Kudos to Tom Cruise, for showing the industry how to spend close to 300 millions and having it show on screen!!

Tom Cruise seems to have conquer every movie genre, Action, Drama, RomCom.

The only genre he had fail to make an impact on it... Horror!!!

This movie is action pack.

Action pack to the gills.

Will four huge movies bombing at the Box Office (Little Mermaid, Elementals, The Flash and Indiana Jones 6) summer blockbusting looks, to borrow a term from the current generation seems.... meh!

Well based on what I had just watch, this movie may make 1 billion, worldwide. A true blue summer blockbuster!!!

It is NOT flawless.

The positives far exceeds the negatives.

I do not read up on movies I look forward to watch, so this movie had several surprises in stored for me.

There are two things that I may nitpick on, namely,

Tom Hollands recently lamented that why did the industry tout Tom Cruise's Top Gun 2 reviving cinema going, when his Uncharted brought in 400+ millionin the same year.

Kid, watch this movie. You still got ways to go...

That's it, that's My Two Sen.

Oppenheimer (2023)

I cannot talk about Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, without talking about Roy Orbison: Black and White Night (1988). This intimate concert of his had Tom Waits, Jennifer Warnes, J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison, T-Bone Burnett, Bonnie Raitt, Steven Soles, Bruce Springsteen, playing instruments and singing backup!!!

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer has Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. & Matt Damon as "leads" and have to add followed by Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Josh Hartnett, Alex Wolff, Josh Zuckerman, Florence Pugh, Dane DeHaan, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, Rami Malek and Casey Affleck (some in blick and you'll miss them) in small roles.

I don't think anyone else in Hollywood now would have the clout to attract such an assemble of talents to be in his/her movie!!!

Could Christopher Nolan has single handedly put Hollywood back to work?

I am getting ahead of myself.

First and foremost, get you head in the right frame of mind before heading into this movies.

This is a dialogue-ee and drama driven movie.

You have to have a rudimentary understanding of World War II, the aftermath of the nuclear bombing of Japan and the Red Scare in the States during the 50s. Otherwise, you will be

A) Bored
B) Lost
C) Both the above.

I honesty know more about Einstein and Stephen Hawkins compared with Oppenheimer.

Nolan seem to be geniunely want to unfold this persons story to the world as "honestly" as he possible can.

Every single actor brought their A game.

Robert Downey Jr. is flexing his acting muscle like nobody's business showing he can be more then a assholey-wiz billionaire.

Pushing practical effect to display a nuclear explosion (some fans speculated his actually detonated a really nuclear bomb for the shot ) is no easy feat!

I whole heartedly applaud him for this work.

My concern is, are there alot more people who would do the same?...

My Two Sen.

I wouldn't exactly call Barbie... Art House... Though the buzz it is getting is a phenomena...

Barbie (2023)

Never in a million years did I think I would watch this at the cinema...

I did.

You know what, I like it!

Like Scream that likes to quote it is Meta, Barbie IS Meta without saying it over and over again.

The courage of Greta Gerwig to pay homage to Stanley Kubrick at the beginning os the movie tickled me well.... pink!!

Margot Robbie plays Barbie perfectly.

Ryan Gosling has some cojones playing Ken.

The whole movie is just so... surreal and everyone did great!

Not seen America Ferrera in awhile and she probably has one of the best monlogue I have heard, in a long time.

Is it WOKE.

Yes and have to add woke done right.

Equality is just that. May the best person get the part/job etc. Regardless of gender.

One gender does not have to berated the other to oblivion for the other to thrive...

The cinema usher at the front of the cinema actually made sure that I know I am watching Barbie because I gave him a ticket for the movie Barbie!!!

So I have to reiterate, I went to see Barbie live action movie and like it.

My Two Sen.

Haunted Mansion (2023)

Do the hits continue?

LaKeith Stanfield leads this outing of Haunted Mansion (bear in mind Eddie Murphy did headline one in 2003) Others characters includes Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto(?).

Going back to the 2003, I don't remember liking it when I watched in way back then.

The premise of this latest interation seems more plausible.

What I like about the movie is the script, the script is decent.

The acting is great.

The last time I saw Danny Devito is probably in Jumanji 3. He is chaotically good here.

So casting is good.

The down side is that to make this PG13, Guillermo del Toro original script was drop and a new one was written. I would probably had like the one by Guillermo, more.

The reason it took so long to write this review was I actually re-watched the 2003 version before writing this, I actually preferred the "Ghost" effects more in the 2003 because it looks more organic (more practical effect).

I did find this latest offering entertaining.

My Two Sen

Dear all. I will not be watching The Meg 2 due to all the really nad reviews it is receiving. Will save up for the next best thing.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Well, 2023 summer blockbuster had be... a rollercoaster ride.

Many many BIG productions turns out to be duds...

DC this year is probably still riling from, how hard The Flash bomb after the reviewers calling it the greatest super heroes movie made!

It BOMB spectacularly... (I did not think it was that bad. The production cost was way too high and the lead... Just had too many bad reporting prior...)

Even before Blue Beetle had launched there are soundbites saying this would bomb even harder...

I would like to ask, how to you even have an opinion about something if you have not even seen it? Can clairvoyance be true??

I have watched this and I can tell you this is a GOOD superhero movie.

Is it Avengers Infinity War level good?

It took Marvels many a movies to build up to Avengers Infinity War, that is NOT EVEN A FAIR comparison...

Think more along the lines of watching Iron man for the first time. You don't know what to expect and you were taken for a grand ride.

I am not suggesting this gives you the same feeling.

How can it possibly do that with all the superheroes movie released since Iron Man.

I am saying that it is an origins movie and should be judge on it's own merit.

Xolo Maridueña (what a name) does good.

I will award him the "most embarrassing super hero moment" award!!


Susan Sarandon does a good meanie

And this movie really show Fast and Furious and Shazam what it means to be a family.

I really enjoyed this.

Give this a chance and who knows, maybe you will enjoy it too!

My Two Sen

The Nun II

Hello kiddies.

The seventh month (Chinese calendar has passed) and that has not stop the creepy ghouls from crawling out of the wood works and of course your local cinema for that matter.

After the release of The Nun 2018, there were criticism that it... lack scares.

I kinda like it.

I like how that movie "brought" the conjuring movies universe out of America

The setting was very spooky and have to add the story could have been scarier.

Fast forward to 2023, after a scary pandemic, can The Nun 2 conjure out more scares.

The short answer is YES!

Again the European setting after WWII is really "cinematic" the first kill is really BRUTAL!

The recall of Sister Irene is.... I lack tact... is really implausible. The only reason I can think if is her recall to the "case" is to have a fall "person" if the situation when south (eg Father Burke did not make it)...

Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) and Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet) and the main lead. With additional characters Debra (Storm Reid, whom I last saw in Invisible Man), Kate (Anna Popplewell, syes I am as surprise as you) and Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey).

The second death is .... also brutal but strange as in no one queried about it (a delivery person dies/go missing and the store she worked for did nothing???)!?!

Then again I have watched enough horror movies to insist on logical when none exist... (I should have known better).


The scares are will designed and executed.

Overall this is a much better horror movie compared with the first The Nun.

Just don't try to look for logic.

My Two Sen

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Honestly.... I have never read an Agatha Christie book.

Based on research, the script for this movie is based on her, Hallowe'en Party book.

They had changed the location of the book from the English countryside to.... Venice... hence the title....

I believe many a people maybe excited for this movie because our national pride Datuk Michelle Yeoh is in it.... and she is in it for like 5 minutes.... give or take.

Admittedly, the minutes she is in the movie, she did steal the scenes and for that I am grateful.

Tina Fey is actually great here too.

The first half of this movie is pure Kenneth Branagh, there is a "lightness" and "humor" to it.

The second half of the movie got heavy....

So many dark secrets.

Sooo many burdens.

The very last reveal, how does the person carry that....

Like the first two movies, there is a health dose of cynicism, and I have to add it still did not prepare me for this movies level of it...

If you like the first two movies, you will like this two!

My Two Sen

I apologies.... I am skipping Marvels....

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

2023 is a pretty weird year.

We had all kinds of expectations in movies and alot really did not pen out

There are few Gems, even when the gems are... unexpected.

I did not think I would like a movie call Barbie.

Even the ticket Ursher at the cinema made sure I knew I was going into a movie called Barbie.

And Enjoy that I did.

Right down to the power ballad, I'm Just Ken....

I did not think I would like a movie about, I have become death

A better example of a Docu-drama, you will not find.

Again, I enjoyed it.

Apart from another I did not see it coming original called, Tne Creator, which I also enjoyed, I did not think I would like anymore movies for 2023...

This movie came along. A prequel to Hunger Games.

I didn't think I will go watch it. I did and interestingly, I enjoyed it alot!

Tom Blyth is a great Coriolanus Snow. This drive. His motivation. His need to... thrive.

Rachel Zegler plays a good mysterious Lucy Gray Baird.

Then you have Viola Davis that playes the sadistic Dr. Volumnia Gauland Peter Dinklage playing a reluctant villian Dean Casca Highbottom.

This movie got alot of things right.

I just feel the last twist could have been done better...

If you love the first two Hinger Games, chances are you will love this too.

My Two Sen

Thanksgiving (2023)

Talk about blindsided.

This lovely horror movie came out of nowhere.

And it is a great one!

The only really recognizable actor is Patrick Dempsey and he is great in it!

Does it do anything new for a slasher horror movie, no.

The beats is unque enough it gives you the jolt you need.

The kill, oh my goodness, the kills.... Gore fest! I kid you not.

If you like slashers, run I do mean run to your nearest cinema showing this and enjoy before it leaves the theatre.

My Two Sen

Wonka (2023)

I needed this.

I needed this badly.

I am in a point in life where things are taken from me and very little is given.

Seeing Wonka full of optimism and positivity is... refreshing.

Is the movie predictable.

Yes.

Is it a safe movie.

Very.

With all the things happening, you may just want to escape into the wonderful world of Wonka, even if it only for 1 hours and 56 minutes.

Some critic were critical about Timothee singing capability. I found his Pure Imagination very... moving.

Hugh Grant steals every scene as Oomph Loomph.

I am a big fan of Matt Lucas and it is a shame he is in so little of the movie.

If you follow the British series Ghost, you will see alot of familiar faces.

I love this movie and it's fresh breath of air in this really uninspired year for movies.

If Warner's Aquaman 2 does well... it would seem Warner maybe a little ahead of Disney in terms of box office earning (though I doubt completely binging it to black).

I whole heartedly recommend this for everyone.

Young and Old.

My Two Sen.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

So, DCUE has officially ended.

So did it end with a bang or whimper....

Kinda in the middle actually.

There is obviously notes from the higher up to James Wan during production, especially at the beginning of the movie.

Supposedly to reduce Amber Heard's screen time, replacing it instead with more Nicole Kidman scenes.

It was a little clunky....

James Wan recently made an appearance in Malaysia to promote this movie and had gone on the record saying he is ready to return to smaller budget movies, namely horror.

He probably had a tough time making this movie because of notes from the higher up.

Going back to the movie, how did it come across?

A little bit of a mixed bag...

Some parts reminded me of John Carter.

Other parts believe it or not, a little of Bill and Ted Excellent Adventure.

For this movie to work, the chemistry between (believe it or not) Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson (brothers) had to sell.

The actors, just have a very different style of acting and personally I don't think they gelled....

This movie also introduced Atlantis Lost Kingdom...

So the continuity between the first and second is circumspect...

Like movie last few DCEU movies, this movie is reportedly having to reshoot alot of scenes because of notes from the top and that cause the ballooning cost of the movie.

Which is again concerning because that is a big factor of whether or not the movie makes money...

I am skeptical it will.

I will have to say, some action scenes in the movie are spectacles.

I just wish that DCEU highest earning movie, The Aquaman and this has a movie congruent story lines.

My two sen.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Dec 21 2023, 11:21 PM

And PW is now a director himself