Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Elza Gonzalez, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the newest outing from director Michael Bay.
A marine veteran teams up with his adoptive brother to steal $32 million from a bank in the heart of Los Angeles. The immediately falls apart and the brothers are forced to escape via an Ambulance carrying a severely injured cop and an EMT. It’s a race against time and LA’s finest.
This film wastes no time getting into the action and the absurdity, the visual effects are what you can absolutely expect from Michael Bay with some quite good uses of practical effects. There is some definite inconsistency in the sound mixing which usually I wouldn’t bring up but it is very noticeable and can take you out of the experience.
The 3 leads do an exceptional job Yahya, and Elza steals the show while Gyllenhaal can feel just a touch over the top. It is a well-produced film with zero substance however if you can suspend all belief and just enjoy it as a fun rollercoaster you may be delighted since it serves as a blockbuster-type popcorn flick.
I think shortening the runtime to 90 mins would have gone a long way since there’s only so much white-knuckle drama you can extract from the situation in an ambulance, even Speed knew to eventually get you off the bus. the best way I could put it is it’s like a club song that has a beat that just keeps building and building with absolutely no drop.
The Batman is an exceptionally dark film both tonally and visually. A horror-inspired Noir film with Batman’s detective skills front and center.
Once the Riddler begins sadistically murdering Politicians and criminals alike, (which some could argue there is no difference in Gotham) Batman must rely on his detective skills to investigate how deep the corruption in Gotham really goes.
Let’s start with Batman. Robert Pattinson is most definitely in my top 3 live-action adaptations of this character. He is bruting and dominating, intimidating and mysterious, yet as for Bruce Wayne and the duality of the character, I found this extremely lacking and probably the worst portrayal of Bruce Wayne. Bruce is meant to be the mask while Batman is the real version of Mr. Wayne. The disguise is Bruce Wayne’s demeanor, how can a selfish playboy be The Batman?? This aspect is 100% missing from this version of Batman/Bruce Wayne in my opinion anyone who interacted with Bruce Wayne would immediately come to the realization that Bruce is in fact, Batman.
Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman/Selena Kyle also struggled with the duality portion of the character but to a much lesser degree, and still managed to be a believable portrayal of the antihero, also the twist on her backstory is fresh and welcomed. The chemistry between The Bat and the Cat is present and feels genuine.
Paul Dano absolutely fits into this world as the Riddler, sadistic and methodical, and always just one step ahead of his pursuers. He brings a fresh and darker take to this character, far closer to John Doe in se7en than the colorful rendition from Jim Carrey.
Gotham is a highlight as this film continues the tradition of making Gotham as much a character as the next. The atmosphere is dark and claustrophobic, and absolutely no place for the weak or timid.
The film does an amazing job of letting you feel like a spectator in the life of a Gothamite while taking you on a journey of twists and turns that never feel forced or condescending. The film lets you come to your own conclusion rather than spoon-feeding you what it thinks you SHOULD feel.
I have very few gripes regarding the film other than those listed above. I wish it did a better job of raising the stakes. There is a particular scene that I will not spoil but as soon as it took place in the film, I completely disregarded any stakes or tension they attempted to build.
This is not just a good batman movie, It is a great film it does a really great job of giving attention to those who deserve the attention, for instance, Collin Farrell as Oz/The Penguin is a massive stand-out and consumes the screen whenever he is on it. I was worried about the number of villains they added to this story, but they really did an amazing job of giving everyone their dues.
The Batman deserves for you to see it in the cinema on the most giant screen possible as it is full of spectacular cinematography and an outstanding score that had no right to be as good as it was.
In addition to seeing the film early, the City of Tampa was lucky enough to have The Batman Exhibit make a pit stop and Review Junkies was able to attend. The Batman Exhibit brought in one of the Batmobiles along with some costumes that were used in the film. The costumes displayed were Batman, Catwoman, The Riddler, and one of Oswald Cobblepot’s suits.
Written by Rafe Judkins and Directed by Ruben Fleischer is based on the widely popular PlayStation franchise of the same name.
Tom Holland stars as Nathan Drake, a wise-cracking treasure enthusiast who is recruited on a mission to find the notorious Magellan fortune, by Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg). The two are joined by Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) in a race to the treasure against Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) and Braddock (Tati Gabrielle).
The film jumps you right into the action only to immediately come to a screeching halt as far as pacing is concerned. Sometimes the film feels as if it doesn’t know if it wants to be like Indiana Jones or National Treasure as it jumps around abruptly tonally. The cast all do an outstanding job however I think the overall experience suffers from the decision to go with a completely younger cast, instead of the ages in the source material.
The film is entertaining, and the third act ramps up the action, and excitement however the clumsy first and second acts make it a chore to get to.
I am a fan of the video game franchise and I’m not entirely sure if that helps or hurts it since I feel like you would enjoy the film more, the less you know the source material.
All in all, the film deserves a viewing as it does feel as though the entire cast and crew had a love for the source material. I am a sucker for video game adaptations even though I have been more disappointed than not in past experiences this film is closer to the better adaptations than the worse attempts.
25 years after the events of the original scream Sidney Prescott returns to Woodsboro to face Ghostface once again.
Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette all return for the 5th installment of the classic horror satire film Scream, to pass the torch to a whole new generation of potential Ghostface victims.
Sam Carpenter is drawn back to Woodsboro after her sister Tara survives a Ghostface encounter very reminiscent of the original opening in 1996. Sam is haunted by dark secrets she’s kept buried since childhood that is now emerging.
The film tries its best to stick with what works while also upping the ante in regards to the kills and gore, however, falls flat in delivering a compelling “who done it” the twists and turns are quite predictable and somewhat disappointing as it feels more and more like a retread. Absolutely nothing wrong with the new batch of friends as all of them do a great job in their roles but similar to how Elizabeth Shaw was no Ellen Ripley Sam Carpenter is no Sydney Prescott. Speaking of the legacy characters it was a real treat to have them return as any moment they had screen felt as if the stakes were raised.
The directing from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett was an upside as the cinematography and direction felt very much like a Scream film in its claustrophobic atmosphere. The story just didn’t hold water for me and didn’t convince me enough that this return to Woodsboro was necessary, No matter how amazing it was to see Neve, Courtney, and David back.
It’s been 18 years since we received the underwhelming Matrix sequels (Revolution & Reloaded) and the audience tends to believe that there was no future for the series.
Well just like all other reboots, The Matrix Resurrections is probably the best sequel to the original.
The Matrix Resurrection returns to a world of two realities. One, is everyday normal life, and the other, is what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, Thomas Anderson, aka Neo, will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.
In the last 10 years, a majority of reboots pretty much use the same template as the original film (see Star Wars: The Force Awakens), this tends to lean on the original film in a way that I would say that I didn’t see coming. The on-screen chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss is still there while portraying Neo, aka The One with his love interest, Trinity. Since this is a new story in the series, we do have a few new characters that help guide Mr. Anderson on his decision to take the red or blue pill. Bugs (Jessica Henwick) and Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) her forcing the red pill while Thomas’s Psychiatrist (Neil Patrick Harries) and his boss, Mr. Smith (Jonathan Groff) is trying to keep him in the Matrix.
Lara Wachowski of the Wachowski’s is the only one returning to direct. Lara, David Mitchell, and Aleksandar Hermon put together the story of the 4th film. The visual effects are what we expect with The Matrix but nothing we have seen in the previous films. Some of them are just not that good which may hamper the film a bit. Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer bring their style to the score of the film.
The Matrix Resurrections should make the fans of the series feel good about having the story back on the big screen and maybe could lead to a new trilogy I feel that if there are no more films from this series, it ends with the sequel I’ve been wanting since the original.
House of Gucci provides a Godfather-type vibe but fails to hit on the same level as that legendary story.
This is the story of Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, who marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to crumble the Gucci legacy and triggers a spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately…murder. The film provides a high overview of the Gucci legacy but overall feels bloated with a running time of two and a half hours.
The story may have dragged and should have been shorter; the cast for the characters is actually good. Along for this ride is Adam Driver playing Maurizio Gucci, Patrizia’s husband whom she has killed. Jeremy Irons, Al Pacino, and Jared Leto round out the Gucci family. The cinematography, visual effects, and soundtrack transport you back to the late 70s through the mid-90s. The music that is present in the film provides guidance on where they are in the timeline of events of their lives.
While the film has its moments and is shockingly funny throughout, House of Gucci possibly would have worked better as a miniseries to provide more insight and further flesh out the story of the rise and fall of the Gucci Family.
Dune shows why Denis Villeneuve is the best director for Science Fiction today.
Ever since Denis Villeneuve was announced as director of the adaptation of the Epic Science Fiction novel by Frank Herbert, Dune is one of my favorite books and easily has been my most anticipated film. This movie is stunning, large, and breathtaking. Dune is a Sci-Fi Cinematic Masterpiece and one of the best films of 2021.
Dune is a story about Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who relocates to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As evil forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive. This movie presents Part 1 of the novel (as the title card reads on screen).
Critics and individuals that have not read the novel, compare Dune to Star Wars meets Game of Thrones. This novel spawns the creations of those movies and books. Not only does the adaptation of the novel feel surreal, but Villeneuve also brings this novel to life and gives you the sense that he filmed in another world. To tackle a novel as large and in-depth as it is, Villeneuve does not try to condense the book. The story is too large to fit into one film (see David Lynch’s Dune as a reference).
The supporting cast performance nails their roles. Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, the parents of Paul. Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, the weapon master of House Atreides along with Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, a sword master, and Paul’s mentor. Stellan Skarsgard as the Vladimier Harkonnen, Baron of House Harkonnen, the enemy of House Atreisdes, and formal steward of Arrakis. Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, nephew of Baron Harkonnen. Zendaya as Chani and Javier Bardem as Stilgar, are Fremen, locals that live on the Plant Arrakis.
Their character has a small role in Part 1 as their roles expand in Part 2 of the Novel. The cinematography (Greig Fraser), the epic score (by the great Hans Zimmer), and the story is the reason why films are made. Unfortunately, I and other critics experience the film in a small auditorium a week ago, we walked away saying we couldn’t wait to see it in IMAX or Dolby Amos to experience the scale of this film.
Denis Villeneuve wanted to film both parts back to back but Warner Brothers denied that request to wait and see the reception of the first one. With Covid 19 pushing the release date back and moviegoers struggling to get back to the theaters and HBO Max releasing the film on streaming, this could seriously affect Part 2. Movies like this deserve to be seen on the big screen.
If you are a fan of Star Wars or Game of Thrones or just a fan of Science Fiction, forgo watching Dune on HBOMax and go see this in the largest theater possible. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is a movie experience that is well worthy of you returning to the theaters.
Ubisoft has once again blessed fans with their chaotic, open-world game where you overthrow a mean tyrannical leader. If you enjoy that, you’ll enjoy Far Cry 6. For those a little more unsure about taking the plunge into another Far Cry, the newest installment has a plethora of things.
Bring on the revolution
We find ourselves on the fictional Caribbean island of Yara, ruled by dictator Antón Castillo. This time around, you’ll play as Dani Rojas, a guerrilla soldier fighting to return their fictional, Cuban-inspired nation of Yara to its former glory. As is seemingly tradition now in Ubisoft titles, you can select the gender of your Dani before gameplay begins.
Far Cry 6 brings back everything I love about Far Cry – a compelling yet charismatic villain, an exotic locale to explore, and chaotic free-form gameplay that gives me the freedom to play how I want. It’s a truly remarkable step up, but it’s not afraid to tinker with the tried-and-true formula too.
The most immediate and noticeable change is the complete removal of the skill tree. A staple in almost every open-world game of this ilk, Far Cry 6 instead, as you complete tasks, you’ll earn experience that allows the character to unlock new weapons and gear. Equipment can also be found in chests while exploring the world or completing treasure hunt missions that are spread throughout Yara.
Early on one of Dani’s mentors, former spymaster Juan Cortez, tells the hero that players must bring in the right tool for the job, and “Far Cry 6” is built around this concept. Missions will ask players to infiltrate a base or join an assault on a convoy. Each task requires different types of weapons, armor, and a specialized backpack called a Supremo which is a neat addition to your arsenal. It can be customized to unleash different devastating attacks on your enemies. It can be recharged by taking out multiple foes, so it’s a cool tool to have if things do heat up a little during battle. Additionally, you can also find Resolver Weaponry, which are pieces of literal junk slapped together to make a Frankenstein-type weapon like a CD launcher gun that plays the 90’s hit Macarena as it shoots out compact discs. Although they sound cool in the flavor text, in practice they are just more gimmicky than useful. It’s a more complicated system and one that requires players to constantly juggle their weapons and load-outs for scenarios. It’s cumbersome.
Verdict
Far Cry 6 is prepared to go well beyond the bounds of what would be considered normal behavior, which is utterly in keeping with its theme of fomenting a revolution when the alternative would be enslavement.
It is, by a long distance, the best Far Cry since the third game in the series, and in terms of its sheer scope and complexity – particularly in narrative terms – it even outshines Far Cry 3 in our opinion. Which, almost by definition, makes it a classic.
The Many Saints of Newark is the crime-filled film the fans wanted however leaving little focus on Tony Soprano himself.
The Many Saints of Newark, the prequel to the HBO hit series “The Sopranos” will appease the fans of the show while being it is slow, confusing, and spoiler-filled for the audience that never watched an episode.
The film follows Richard ‘Dickie’ Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), a gangster from the powerful DiMeo crime family that is struggling between his professional and personal lifestyle. When Johnny Soprano (Jon Bernthal) is sentenced to prison, his wife Livia (Vera Farmiga) asked Dickie to look after his young nephew, Anthony Sporano (Michael Gandolfini). At the same time, Dickie and his father, Aldo ‘Hollywood Dick’ Moltisanti’s (Ray Liotta) relationship takes a turn for the worst, which results in his downward spiral into the world surrounding him. The film takes place during troubling times in Newark while providing insight into Anthony and his journey into the all-powerful mob boss we will become: Tony Soprano.
The cast of the film nailed the characters they portrayed to give us a back-story of the most watched HBO series to date. The film also stars Corey Stall (Marvel’s Ant-Man) as Junior Soprano, Billy Magussen as Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualitieri, Samson Moeakiola as Salvatore ‘Big P***y’ Bonpensiero and John Magaro as Silvio Dante. The cinematography and visual effects provide a look back into the 1960s Newark. The music that is present in the film shows us the music that young Tony was listening to while slowly becoming who is in the show.
While the film is a prequel story of the series, The Many Saints of Newark felt truncated and possibly would have worked better as a miniseries, as it left me wanting to dive deeper into Soparno’s world. For the casual filmgoer, the film will make you ask questions while watching it. For the fans of the show, this will be satisfying and leave you wanting more of it.
Free Guy has all of the Ryan Reynolds humor and crazy action but feels the runtime.
Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds as Guy, a bank teller that discovers that he’s actually an NPC (Non-Player Character) inside a brutal, open-world video game. Due to a program developed by programmers Millie (Jodie Comer) and Keys (Joe Keery) inserted into Free City by the publisher Antwan (Taika Waititi); Guy becomes self-aware of his world being a video game and takes steps to make himself the hero. In doing so, he brings attention to himself and starts the triggering events that take place in the film.
Reynold is just being himself, and like in previous films, he is hilarious but with PG-13 profanity. The supporting cast was perfect for the film. Waititi is a standout alongside Reynolds. The visual effects really give you the true feeling of being in a game. While the concept and practical effects really stand out on the big screen. Unfortunately, the storyline is not the strong point of the file. Free Guy relies on the effects, the soundtrack, and the numerous cameos in the film. Word of advice keep your eyes peeled and ears opened. This movie will certainly appeal to the video game enthusiast as it is filled with video game tropes and benefits leaning into the ridiculous. The comedy and action fit well into the world established on the screen. While other similar films become uninteresting as the film progresses, this film is the perfect balance of the real and artificial world.
Overall, Free Guy is a barrel of fun on the big screen but could benefit from a shorter run time. Definitely worth checking out on the big screen as this film is not available on any streaming service at this time. Ryan Reynolds’s latest hits theaters today.
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