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.

You should consider watching Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, even Thanksgiving.

Both surprisingly quite entertaining.

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, 11:20 PM