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Plane Review

Mike Angel
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Plane Review

“Plane” (2023) was a decent movie that left me with mixed feelings. While I expected a little more from the plot, the cast did a good job at their roles and kept me engaged throughout the film.

The story follows a group of passengers aboard a commercial flight that has an emergency landing and ends up getting kidnapped by a group of terrorists. The action scenes were well executed, and the tension built up nicely as the passengers fought back against their captors. However, the script lacked some depth and nuance, and the ending felt a bit rushed.

The cast, led by a solid performance from Gerard Butler, delivered convincing portrayals of their respective roles. The chemistry between Gerard Butler and Mike Colter was palpable, however, the supporting characters were underdeveloped.

As for a sequel, there hasn’t been any official announcement yet, but the movie definitely left room for a continuation of the story. I think a sequel would be a good idea, as there are still many unanswered questions and loose ends that could be explored in a follow-up film.

Overall, while “Plane” (2023) may not have been a groundbreaking film, it was still an enjoyable watch that showcased some impressive action scenes and solid performances from the cast.

[penci_review id=”2325″]

Violent Night Reviews

Mike Angel
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Violent Night Reviews

Violent Night is an instant Christmas classic!!! Directed by Tommy Wirkola & Staring David Harbour as Santa Claus. This movie is over the top with fun, thrills, and humor throughout.

The cast does a great job of having Santa Claus feel grounded and not cheesy at all, John Leguizamo shines as the leader of a mercenary group whose Christmas wish is to steal a family’s fortune. Santa gets caught up in the crossfire and pulled in to save the family.

The action is gritty and you can feel every devastating hit that is delivered, all while laughing throughout! The crowd at the theater I was screening the film, broke into applause several times. The direction was fantastic, I felt impressed with the use of long shots and wide shots on the violence, the film is not shy, it knows what it is and leans into it unapologetically.

This film deserves a huge audience and is best seen on a big screen, as it is a blast at the theater. The runtime Is a tad bit long however once it really gets going it never stops.

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[penci_review id=”1987″]

Halloween Ends Review

Mike Angel
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Halloween Ends Review

Halloween Ends is the final chapter in the bone-chilling saga between Laurie Strode and her “boogeyman” Michael Myers.

After a young man is accused of murdering a young child he must fight against the darkness within.

Jamie Lee Curtis exudes confidence and owns her role as an experienced survivor, However, Newcomer Rohan Campbell steals the show with charisma and Intrigue. The direction is on par with the previous entries as well as the acting and cinematography the story here is definitely an upgrade from the lackluster Halloween Kills however this entry does seem to elevate the 2nd outing’s existence.

[penci_review id=”1984″]

Black Adam Review

Mike Angel
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Black Adam Review

Black Adam is the first Anti-Hero film to hit the big screen from the comic book world and played it safe in telling his story.

Dwayne Johnson is finally in the comic book movie universe as Black Adam and it’s fun but suffers from using the same formula as all comic book origin storytelling.

The film starts in ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam (Johnson) was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Black Adam has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, “Black Adam” is one of the better DC superhero films in the DCEU. Screenwriters Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani present Black Adam with the cookie-cutter story and play it safe. Dwayne Johnson’s portrayal of one of DC supporting characters seems to not stretch his acting chops but appears to not be a concern.

The supporting cast does bring their game and the standouts of the film are the Justice Society: Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan’s Dr. Fate. Hodge and Brosnan’s relationship in this film feels real with their performance. You feel for these characters and the only negative is that we don’t get enough from Atom Smasher and Cyclone. That is something they can build on if Black Adam gets a sequel.

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Overall, it’s an enjoyable comic book movie. I want to see more of Black Adam in the future but hopefully with more risk.

[penci_review id=”1986″]

Nope Review

JohnNada
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Nope Review

Jordan Peele’s Nope is quite surprising and brings the feel of a summer blockbuster.

Nope is about two siblings who run a Hollywood horse ranch and discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above, while the owner of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon

Since this movie had so much hush-hush, I do not want to spoil any more details about the film.

Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) and Keke Palmer who play OJ and Emerald Haywood, the siblings that own the Haywood Hollywood ranch. Steven Yuen (AMC’s The Walking Dead) plays Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park, the owner of the nearby theme park. Their performances are top-notch to bring the suspense & horror to life in the film, and you can feel their presence when they are on screen.

Peele knew that to tell this story, he had to bring on Hoyte Van Hoytema (Dunkirk, Interstellar and Tenet) to be his cinematographer, as the scope of the picture is huge. The actual score of the film is well done by Michael Abels, who has previously worked with Peele on his prior films. The story is strong and feels like it’s Peele’s love letter to early Spielberg films like Jaws and Close Encounters of a Third Kind. This movie uses those films to provide a solid story and bring a heartfelt presence like Spielberg’s early work.

[penci_review id=”1983″]

Thor: Love and Thunder Review

Mike Angel
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Thor: Love and Thunder Review

Thor: Love and Thunder – Earth’s strongest avenger returns in his weakest outing to date.

It’s safe to say that Thor Love and Thunder probably has the most humor of any MCU film to date but lacks what the previous films had; a good and well-paced story. It’s hard to imagine that a film with this caliber of a cast and returning Director Taika Waititi could produce another swing-and-a-miss Marvel film post-Endgame. This time, our favorite space Viking attempting to find himself again in his fourth outing but come across Gorr The God Butcher (Christian Bale), who intends to make gods extinct. After the Guardians of the Galaxy agree to separate in their quest to protect the galaxy, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) for their help to stop Gorr.

The humor goes by so fast that there is very little if anything to digest and appears to suffer from it. Hemsworth, Thompson, and Waititi’s performances are typical for their characters with what they are given. However, Portman’s return as Jane Foster and Bale as Gorr are the highlights. Their performances chew up the screen and do everything in their power to hold this film together. Just like in Ragnarok, Waititi enlists a handful of actors to appear in this film with a majority of them as cameos.

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Overall, Love and Thunder feel like a tale of two films. On one hand, the film tries way too hard to be silly injecting humor into every second of runtime in the first act. The second and third acts are a slight improvement while trying to add emotion and gravity but unfortunately, it’s not strong enough to save the film. Waititi and company squander all of its potential with an amazing cast and set pieces on an underwhelming script compared to the previous films. The abundance of humor in the film goes by so fast that there is very little if anything to digest and appears to suffer from it.

[penci_review id=”1982″]

Elvis Review

Mike Angel
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Elvis Review

Baz Luhrmann’s visual, seductive take on “Elvis” will make this generation listen to his music and realize why they called him The King.

Dwayne Johnson is finally in the comic book movie universe as Black Adam and it’s fun but suffers from using the same formula as all comic book origin storytelling.

Elvis is a biopic about the legendary singer on his rise to fame and his untimely death through the eyes of his longtime business manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The story begins when the Colonel hears his record on the radio while managing a carnival. This is when the Colonel realized that what Elvis has is something special and his way to becoming a very rich and powerful manager.

Tom Hank’s performance as the Colonel is quite impressive under all that latex and being the villain when he’s trying to manipulate the audience that all his doing was for Elvis’s well-being. The star of the film is the breakout performance of Austin Butler as The King himself. His accent, moves, and signing will make you believe that he was Elvis reincarnated. I would be shocked if his name isn’t mentioned around award time. Baz Luhrmann directed this film with his vision in mind which is different from his previous films (Moulin Rouge & Romeo Juliet). The score for the film was intriguing as it uses the music of the era while mixing it with the music of today and I have to say, it worked. If there is one thing that hurts the film is the fast pace of telling his story in a razzle-dazzle form of this film as it highlights some of the world events that took place and does not indulge more in his personal life.

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What Elvis accomplished within around 20 years is probably the most impressive if you knew nothing about him. Seeing what his music did to his generation not only ended with him but lives on today. I was never an Elvis fan but after seeing this last week, it made me listen to his greatest hits. Elvis is a movie that all music lovers should see in the best theater possible.

[penci_review id=”1981″]

Jurassic World: Dominion Review

Mike Angel
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Jurassic World: Dominion Review

Dominion is the Epic Conclusion of the Jurassic saga. Biosyn attempts to combine the fragile ecosystems between humans and dinosaurs.

However, they may be involved in something far more sinister and destructive. This leads our protagonists to investigate.

Jurassic World Dominion is the 3 rd film in the Jurassic World franchise and the 6th entry in the entire Jurassic series. The film gives us the largest roster of dinosaurs as well as mixes past and present heroes. Beloved characters receive the redemptive arcs and closure that they deserve. Dominion is filled with action, laughs, and over-the-top ridiculousness. It leans into the absurd while also staying somewhat grounded.

The special effects are what you can expect blending CGI with practicality. The cinematography is beautiful offering wide shots and creative camera work. The acting and directing in the film are superb, tying up plot holes left in previous entries.

The first and second acts feel a bit bogged down trying to catch you up with the past four years in between films. However, the third act springs to life, offering nail-biting tension and relief through humor. The film is far from perfect yet combining the chemistry, nostalgia, and all-around love for the Jurassic story as a whole will leave you walking away satisfied with the conclusion.

My Personal Ranking of Jurassic Films is as follows:

  1. Jurassic Park
  2. Lost World
  3. Dominion
  4. Jurassic World
  5. Jurassic Park III
  6. Fallen Kingdom

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[penci_review id=”1980″]

Top Gun: Maverick Review

Mike Angel
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Top Gun: Maverick Review

You need to see this film in the largest and loudest theater possible. This is how you do a sequel.

Tom Cruise returns as Pete Maverick Mitchell, who is tasked with teaching the best of the best Top Gun graduates. One of the students, Rooster (Miles Teller), happens to be the son of his deceased wingman, Goose. Maverick has 3 weeks to prepare his students for an impossible mission that requires 2 miracles.

This film aces the perfect blueprint on how to respect legacy characters. The tone, music, action, and nostalgia are a symphony for the senses. Top Gun has intensity, human, hope, and will most definitely tug at your heartstrings giving you a whole new batch of characters to care about.

The only minor criticism is the romance between Penny (Jennifer Connelly) and Pete (Tom Cruise) which felt shoehorned in. However, chemistry more than made up for it. Their relationship added levity to intense action scenes.

The entirely new class of Top Gun showcased their strong yet endearing personalities. The casting is superb without a single-week performance. The action and special effects are thrilling and masterful, immersing you in the action and danger that the pilots are experiencing. The cinematography was stunning. Every inch of the IMAX screen was encapsulating.

[penci_review id=”1979″]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review

Mike Angel
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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review

When evil genius Dr. Robotnik returns to Earth with a new ally, Sonic, and Tails must stop them at all costs! Rings will fly and fun will ensue.

I absolutely believe this is the best family film we’ve been given in years. The casting is perfect, and the voice actors bring their BEST!!! The visual effects are top-notch, and the story is engaging. It’s quite difficult to find anything negative to say about it because even the weakest points aren’t worth mentioning.

Idris Alba’s take on knuckles is a standout and really works well playing off the other large personality such as Schwartz and Carrey, Shwartz and Carry work as if the roles of Sonic and Robotnik were tailored to them.

I really don’t want to go into any detail because I wouldn’t want to spoil any aspect of this film. In my opinion, this is not only the best video game adaptation, but easily the most fun I’ve had in the theater in a long time. It’s nostalgic not only in bringing beloved characters to life but nostalgic because it’s an all-around great time for all ages, and brings magic and awe back to the cinema’s.

[penci_review id=”1977″]

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