Red Sparrow – 2018

Score: 10/10

Wow, now this is what I call a spy movie! It is simply amazing, brutal, energizing, it offers you the distinct feeling of claustrophobia and the uneasiness that this genre was once famous for. Red Sparrow is a journey into a world of secrets, a world of violence, a world devoid of emotions, a world that you will never be able to fully comprehend. Backed up by amazing acting, especially from its lead, this is one of the best movies of the year so far and you should definitely watch it, especially given the current political context. Not as reality, but as a perfectly paced story that takes place in a universe that exists, no matter how much we wished it hadn’t!

The story is by far the best part of the movie. It’s convoluted, it is full of twist and turns and betrayals, agents change their allegiances in a split second. For a spy movie this is exactly what I wanted and I have to say I concentrated on every single scene in order to fully understand what was happening on screen. And despite that, the final twist really surprised me and I realized how many details I missed. It was like one of those tests to join the secret service in which every single detail matters and I fucking loved every second of it.

The characters are amazing, especially Dominique. Jennifer Lawrence can do no wrong and always knows how to adapt in order to bring her best performance to the screen. It is a perfectly acted movie, every character is realistic, you can understand their motivations and desires and you can empathize with every single one of them, even the torturers. An amazing performance from Lawrence and great performances from Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Ciarán Hinds, Joely Richardson, Bill Camp, Jeremy Irons and Thekla Reuten as supporting cast.

The movie was too coy in certain parts and this is why I hesitated a little before giving it a 10 out of 10. I mean there should have been so much more nudity here, it would have worked, especially given the subject matter. Alas, this is not the case and we only see some fleeting nudity on two occasions. A really missed opportunity for the movie to be truly shocking and send its message across. Why a 10 out of 10 then? Because the sex scenes that we do get, are done amazingly well and are realistic to the core. This film manages to show you how real people act in those circumstances instead of simply trying to glamour you in the usual Hollywood way.

The action here is not what you would expect from a spy thriller film, and that is actually refreshing from my point of view. There is not fighting, no absurd car chases, no explosions, no fireworks. This movie tries to take place in the real world, it tries to show us things that can and often do actually happen. The few fight scenes that are present are brutal and visceral to the core and you will discover that you will actually enjoy them more because they are so few in between. Overall, the action is done exactly right and it helps propel the story forward, which is actually the most important role it should serve.

In conclusion, Red Sparrow is a must see and Jennifer Lawrence is one of the best actresses of her generation. A beautiful movie from start to finish, and one of the few movies that are over 2 hours (140 minutes to be exact) and that left me wanting more. It ended too soon for me and that speaks a lot about the quality and the tension that you will find here. A great movie and one that you will definitely want to see again in order to understand fully. 10 out of 10, definitely a 10 out of 10. But seriously, how can sex between two top level spies last like less than 30 seconds? I mean Bond could go on for hours if you know what I mean… :)))

Blockers – 2018

Score: 9/10

Blockers is hands down one of the best comedies of the year and it will definitely make you laugh all the way to the end. It is a great movie, it is light and it manages to be realistic and to portrait every single of its characters as it should. The film doesn’t try to be more than it is and this makes the experience relaxing for the viewers. I had fun and I never had the impression that this one tried to be more than just a comedy. In the context of today’s world, in which movies are more and more interested in making statements, seeing a comedy interested only in making people laugh is a welcomed breath of fresh air!

The story is simple and yet it manages to fascinate the viewers. You recognize yourself, either as a horny teen or as a concerned parent and that makes you understand both perspectives. You are witnessing the processes on both sides and this makes it a revealing experience if you missed one of them in your real life. It is great, it is exactly how it needed to be to make room for the jokes and I can definitely say I want to see more movie like this!

The characters are great, believable and they interact and click very nicely. All the actors give their best and they manage to make you care about their experiences throughout the movie. You are invested into their stories and you want them to succeed in the end. It’s great, it’s enjoyable and I have to say kudos for this to Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon, Graham Phillips, Miles Robbins, Jimmy Bellinger, June Diane Raphael and Jake Picking.

The jokes work because they are based on reality. Many of the things that happen in the movie would also happen if real people would be in those situations, and this is where good humor comes from. If you can relate to the jokes that means the jokes are good. And because I didn’t give it a perfect score, I must say here that I wanted those jokes to go even further that they went and I also felt the need for at least a little bit of nudity to make the experience simply perfect. Alas, it’s good enough as it is.

Don’t listen to the idiots that talk about this movie from different political and social positions. They want to make it about feminism, about our society. And it is not anything like that. Don’t let the critics that see deep political issues into any scene ruin this for you. This movie has nothing to do with gender discussion, it has nothing to do with liberals or conservatives. It is just a film about parents worried that their children are going to have sex too soon. It happened to everybody and it will continue to happen to everybody. And it’s damn funny! So just enjoy it and stop looking for hidden meaning everywhere. Life is just funny sometimes!

In conclusion, Blockers is definitely a movie worth seeing. You will not regret it, you will enjoy every single moment of its 102 minutes runtime and you will discover many of the amazing things a parent is willing to do in order to protect their children. The subject the film tackles is interesting, the acting is great, it’s sexy, it’s funny, it has everything needed in order to make you feel good. This is the perfect movie if you just want to feel good and have a smile on your face. Watch it, enjoy it and always remember, Netflix and chill rules!

Monster Family – 2018

Score: 1/10

My God! I have never seen an animation that sucks so much as Monster Family. The main idea behind it is interesting and it actually had a lot of potential… But the execution is terrible, simply terrible, it has flaws in every single aspect and it actually managed to annoy me to no end, especially towards the finale. It is full of clichés, it is overacted, it is bland from a visual point of view, the jokes don’t work, the toilet humor is far too much for anybody’s taste, it’s just bad, bad to the core. It is one of the worst movies I have seen all year and it is definitely not worth your time, despite being only 96 minutes!

The story is the one thing that could have saved this movie. The premise is very interesting, it’s something I have never seen before and it actually catches your attention very fast. It is an interesting story that unfortunately ends up getting bogged down by one cliché after another, and towards the end, it becomes cheesy, so stupid and cheesy and predictable. This movie could have been a revelation if the idea that stands at its core had been exploited in a convincing and engaging fashion. Alas, it is miles away from that!

The characters are bland, boring, lacking any sort of spunk. You can’t identify with anyone because there is nothing to identify with. We talk about underdeveloped characters, well here they are not developed at all, I mean you know nothing, absolutely nothing about what drives them to do stuff. It is a tragedy from this point of view, and the voice acting only brings it down even more. A horrible performance from the cast, and Emily Watson, Nick Frost, Jessica Brown Findlay, Celia Imrie, Catherine Tate, Jason Isaacs, Ethan Rouse and Ewan Bailey should be ashamed by what they did here.

The jokes don’t work, they simply don’t work. The movie manages to tick all the boxes, every single one of them being a cliché that we have seen countless times before. Nothing is unique, nothing is even presented in a new way. You get moment after moment of sheer stupidity that leave you totally dumbfounded and wondering why are you wasting your time with this piece of crap! I was actually insulted by the director repeating some jokes that were never even good enough to start with. I laughed maybe one time the entire movie and that was because of the sudden appearances of Dracula’s servant. That is far too little for what is supposed to be a comedy film, far too little…

The movie tries to be like a fairy tale. I guess in order to aspire to children or I don’t know. Everything gets done by the book, there is nothing in between the extremes. You have good and evil and just that, there is no conflict inside the characters, nothing to actually make you care. And the ending, oh my God, the ending is simply copy pasted from any other film like this. Good triumphs, evil is vanquished and everybody dances away… I mean seriously, bleah, boring, stupid, idiotic and POINTLESS!

In conclusion, Monster Family sucks! It sucks ass and you should stay far far away from this movie! Anything is better than this, literally anything. If you don’t have other choices, stare at the sealing for 1 hour and a half and you would still be better off than watching this piece of crap. Horrible, not one redeeming quality. Its movies like this that ruin the fun for parents in the movie theater and we should say it loud and clear: IT SUCKS! Oh, and when will you understand movie makers that a happy ending has to be earned in order to mean something? When will you understand?

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – 2018

Score: 7,5/10

DC live action movies suck, everybody knows that by now. Ok, with the exception of Wonder Woman, DC live action movies suck! On the other hand, DC animation rules! It’s amazing and they almost always manage to deliver. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is no exception and if you are a fan of comic books and of superheroes, you will not be disappointing by watching this one. It is powerful, dark, it has interesting themes that leave you wondering about society and of course, as always, it has kick ass action from one of our most beloved superheroes. I grew up watching Batman and I enjoyed this one to the core.

The story is weird in a way, because this is part of the Elseworlds stories that takes characters and strips them away from their usual timelines. This is why, at first, you will be a little bit shocked and disturbed by the Victorian era narrative. But if you give it a chance, you will definitely discover interesting elements here and you will find out how Batman could function in a totally different world and society. It is interesting, it is novel, it is something we are definitely not used to and it works! Oh, and the plot twists and surprises are right up there and I can honestly say I was shocked by the reveal at the end. All in all, the story has all the ingredients needed to be one that stands out from the crowd.

The characters are those that we know and love. I have to say I wanted different casting choices here because I really think the voice acting could have been done better. But all in all, considering the subject and the overall story, the actors do just enough to keep this interesting and engaging all the way. Decent performances here from Bruce Greenwood, Jennifer Carpenter, Anthony Head, Chris Cox, John DiMaggio, David Forseth, Grey Griffin, Bob Joles, Yuri Lowenthal, Lincoln Melcher and Scott Patterson.

I liked the atmosphere, I liked that I finally got to see a superhero movie set in a world that is not politically correct. It was funny, engaging, especially how Batman leaves right in the middle of rousing speeches from characters. The movie tried to recreate the period and managed to do it well enough to make it feel different from other Batman movies, and that for me is a big plus. It is different, well animated as is the course with DC and it manages to make you want to see more of this world, which I did not expect at the start.

On the negative side, some of the scenes were dark, a little bit too dark for my taste. And I am talking here about the visuals and lighting, not the subject matter. The subject matter I enjoyed, because I like to see superheroes act in the real world, where tragedies do happen. Pitting Batman against Jack the Ripper makes for a great story and although many of the fights were underwhelming, overall this was a credible and engaging villain. Oh, and I have to highlight that I found much of the social commentary to be useless and annoying, especially the feminism that was artificially inserted here just because this is the current trend. This is why I am only giving this a 7,5 rating, because I am tired of superhero movies trying to insert social commentary just for the sake of doing it. Do it better or, even better, don’t do it at all!

In conclusion, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is a great animation and one that you should definitely watch if you like DC and Batman. It is short, powerful, it manages to keep you interested until the end and it offers a fresh take on many of the characters we have become accustomed to over time. It is definitely a must watch for any superhero fan. And I have to wonder if DC would do better by opening these animations in theaters instead of live action movies that fail time and time again… Come on DC, do better! Or just do animated stuff!

A Wrinkle in Time – 2018

Score: 2/10

This is a perfect example of how you can turn an amazing book into a crappy movie. A perfect example on how too much of everything can end up delivering nothing at all. A Wrinkle in Time is definitely one of the worst movies from Disney and one that hopefully will serve as a warning for future studios to stop with these adaptations that try to reach too far and end up failing at every single turn. It is bad from start to finish and the fact that it lost almost 100 million dollars should not surprise anybody.

The story is convoluted and yet nothing is defined and explained correctly. I mean seriously, I finished watching this and I still have no clue about what a tesseract actually is. It might be that thing from the Marvel Universe, but I have my doubts. The point I am trying to make here is that it is totally unacceptable to have a movie like this in which nothing gets explained, nothing gets even remotely relatable. You are lost here if you haven’t read the book and that does not make for a good film. You should never assume that your audience is familiar with the books if you want to really appeal to them. Especially in a movie marketed towards families! Kids don’t read anymore! Just accept that and cater to their needs!

The characters are bland, insulting at points in their stiffness and stupidity. Nothing is relatable, not even the kids are fun. With the exception of Charles Wallace who does bring some moments of levity, everything tries to be so serious and it ends up just plain clichéd and boring. This movie is boring as a whole and there is nothing worth waiting for. The cast is full of big names and yet there isn’t a character here that makes me want to recommend this movie. A shameful display from Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Peña, David Oyelowo and André Holland.

The special effects are the one thing this movie banked on, and yet for me, they failed miserably. Yes, the CGI might have quality in some parts, it might look beautiful even, but what’s the point? What’s the point of a world looking beautiful when there is nothing underneath the visuals? There is not emotion, no passion, nothing to make you want to explore it along with the characters. And considering the last 25 minutes are pitch black dark, I can’t say I enjoyed the overall visual experience of this movie at all.

The book was great, the book is a classic. But it came out in 1962. 1962! It’s 2018! Almost everything I saw in this movie is a cliché now, because there have been hundreds of other films focusing on subjects like this. It’s sad, I know, but it’s just boring and bland at this point. You can’t create such a movie while not bringing anything new to the table. The audiences will not bite, because they have seen it before, and done better. If you want to entertain people, do something new, bring something new to the table, offer us something we haven’t seen already a million times!

In conclusion, skip this one. It is convoluted, it is boring, it has nothing underneath the glossy polish. A Wrinkle in Time will not even be remembered as a wrinkle in time and that is truly a shame considering that the book was amazing. Maybe, some books are best left alone. Not everything works in a movie and this one is a perfect example. Skip it and you will not lose anything! Oh, and if somebody asks you to call them constantly by their full name, don’t do it, it’s annoying and stupid as hell! Do you hear me Charles Wallace, do you hear me? :))

Death Wish – 2018

Score: 5/10

Death Wish is a remake that works in many ways and yet still fails at making you excited about it. It has a very interesting premise, the story is trying very hard to make you invested, and yet something is missing. It might be the action scenes that seem to be copy pasted from a lot of other films, it might be the uninspiring performances from the actors, I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but something is definitely not right with this one. Nevertheless, it is still worth seeing and you will get something out of it, at least from an ideological point of view. The questions that this movie raises are interesting and worth analyzing further.

The story is nothing special despite trying very hard. We have seen it before in countless movies and it doesn’t manage to bring anything new to the table. It is a cliché and it does make you yawn when you realize that you can predict exactly what will happen after watching the first 10 minutes. Because of the source material and the fact that this is a remake, I don’t know what they could have done to make it more interesting, but they should have tried something. It’s just bland and it gets old very fast and that means that you just stop caring towards the end.

The characters are bland, boring, you don’t get attached to them, you don’t relate to them, and that is mainly because of the script. I can’t relate with two women who choose to attack 3 armed thugs instead of just letting them do whatever they want so they can still be alive afterwards. There is nobody you can relate to in this movie and everybody seems to be just going through the motions. Bad performances here from Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dean Norris, Kimberly Elise, Mike Epps, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Beau Knapp, Jack Kesy and Wendy Crewson.

The movie tackles some very sensitive issues and to my mind, it does a decent enough job in doing so. Vigilantism is a problem and although we might emotionally agree to what the main protagonist does here, rationally that is impossible. Yes, we all have to protect our families, but taking the law into your own hands can’t work out as a model for societies. This, coupled with the discussion about guns and how easy it is to procure them are the main talking points of the movie and they will most certainly leave you thinking.

The ending is satisfying and dangerous at the same time. I say satisfying because yes, I wanted him to get away with it, I wanted to cops to just know what he did and still let him go. But dangerous because that is not a message that we should be sending to people. The law is the law and it has a point, because if people can decide who did something wrong and who deserves to be punished, you will most surely end up having to deal with a lot of abuses of power. Rules are there for a point and while it might seem morally right to go over the rules when you are right, it can’t work in the long term.

In conclusion, Death Wish is definitely a movie worth seeing. It will make you think about the whole gun debate that has been the main focus of discussions in our society for years and it will make you understand the frustrations of people that are faced with tragedies. The script suffers, the acting is subpar, but overall, for the issues it raises, this one is worth it. Although, I have to say, Bruce Willis falls way way short of Liam Neeson… Which is something I would have never imagined me saying 20 years ago…

Rampage – 2018

Score: 9/10

It’s official! Dwayne Johnson is THE star of the moment. Everything that he does works and a movie that stars him is definitely going to be a huge box office hit! Rampage is no different, and I can honestly say it was one of the best monster films I have seen in the last years. It’s great from start to finish and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes is refreshing and relaxing. It is a popcorn movie yes, but it is done very well and it manages to engage you and too keep you interested for all of its duration. You can’t go wrong with this one and I highly recommend it to everyone.

The story is simple. It follows the original arcade game plot very loosely, and of course there are many changes, but overall, it is a very good adaptation. People usually tend to run away from video game based movies, but this one breaks that pattern. It works, it’s fun and it’s a nice throwback to a simpler time. The deep desire to just watch monsters smash things is engraved into all of us and this movie delivers exactly that. Don’t worry about anything else and just witness Chicago being destroyed… Again… There is something about that city and big blockbusters it seems…

The characters are interesting and engaging. There is almost no development and that means the movie is not over stuffed with pointless scenes. You get just enough to relate to them and you know what to expect right from the start. “Big meets bigger” is a perfect characterization for this movie and Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello, Marley Shelton, P. J. Byrne, Demetrius Grosse, Jack Quaid, Breanne Hill and Matt Gerald click well and offer good performances.

The CGI and special effects are nicely done. They seem realistic and they add a lot to the overall enjoyment of the movie. There is a blend here between pure CGI and motion capture and it definitely works. You can tell that there was a lot of talent involved into creating the effects and they are a highlight of the movie. This is a popcorn film through and through, it is over the top, fun, it doesn’t take itself seriously and if you can do that as well, you will definitely get your money’s worth!

Maybe it’s just Johnson, I don’t understand it exactly, but all the movies that he is in have a relaxed air about them, an air of fun above all else. This is the same, and you never feel pressured into anything. The action flows, everything clicks and there is an air of pure joy over all of it. It seems to make sense even though it is a science fiction movie and that makes it far easier for you to relate to everything that happens. I don’t know how to explain it better. It just works and you will be definitely laughing more than one time while watching it. And how can you not laugh when you see a huge gorilla showing the main character the middle finger. I mean how can you not love that…?

In conclusion, Rampage is definitely a must see. It is a good movie from start to finish. The only thing that makes it fall short of the perfect score is the lack of real tension in the final battle. You know everything will work out so there is nothing really surprising happening. But nevertheless, you are invested, you care about every single character. And I am sure they will fix the lack of tension in the sequel so I can honestly say this could go on to be a very interesting and engaging franchise. Oh, and don’t forget Brad Peyton, you promised to show us Larry the rat in the sequel… I am going to hold you to that 😛

Isle of Dogs – 2018

Score: 9/10

Isle of Dogs is a visual treat that will make you smile all the way to the end. It is a great movie, done by one of the most interesting directors of his generation. Wes Anderson has a certain style that might not be to everyone’s liking, but his movies are definitely special. We get the same atmosphere here, something different, something that we have not seen before and something that definitely works. You will laugh, you will care, you will marvel at the amazing animation style. Everything clicks and works and this is why you have to see this movie. It is one of the best animations of 2018 and will remain a classic.

The story is not anything to speak about. It is perfect for the movie, as in it is simple, direct and it makes it clear right from the start what will happen. There are no twists here, there is no complicated plot that leaves you wondering. No, everything is simple, everything happens naturally and you can identify with most of it. It is exactly what I wanted from this movie and it leaves room for the visuals and the overall atmosphere to amaze and impress you to the core… This is what a good story does…

The characters are simple, direct. We have evil, we have good and we have principles clashing. It is very simple and yet all of this has a lot of meaning. The Japanese culture offers an amazing background for the adventure and I have to say that the star studded cast did an amazing job at capturing its Asian feeling. Domo arigato to Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Yoko Ono, Tilda Swinton and Ken Watanabe.

The visual style is one of the most impactful characteristics of this film. Stop-motion animations are usually weird and this one is no exception. Everything seems funky, from the way the scenes play out to the color tones that make you think you are truly in a dystopian universe. The movie makes you question reality and you will watch its entire length with heightened senses. Every little detail matters, every single word scribbled on a piece of paper could be important. Wes Anderson has a very distinct way of filming and you can see that even in an animated movie. It is overall a complex and brilliant experience.

The one aspect that prevented me from giving this a perfect score is the absence of translation. I get why the Japanese is not translated, I get the visual impact that the director wanted to augment by this choice, and yet there were portions of the movie in which I really wanted to understand what some of the characters were saying. I was left frustrated about the lack of understanding, especially towards the end. I watched the movie without additional subtitles because I really wanted to experience it the way the director meant it, but seriously, I want to know what that haiku was all about… Grrrrr…

In conclusion, Isle of Dogs is an amazing movie, a different type of animation than you are used to. But nevertheless, it works, it works almost perfectly. You will fall in love with this film very fast and you will enjoy every second of it. It’s funky, it’s weird, but in a good way. Wes Anderson does it again and I can honestly say that his name has become in my mind a guarantee for a movie. Dogs are adorable and this film brings out the best in them. Watch it and be amazed… And never ever give up on your best friends…

The Death of Stalin – 2017

Score: 8/10

The Death of Stalin is funny, truly and epically funny. If you like politics and you like satire, this one is a must see. You will not regret watching this and you will discover that even the worse events in humanity’s history can be told in a funny and relaxed way. It is a great movie and although it goes a little bit overboard with the satire from time to time, the overall feeling works. You will discover a world totally different from our own and you will get engaged and entertained throughout its entire duration.

The story is based on real events, but it strays a lot from them, and that is what makes it funny. The reign of Stalin in the Soviet Union was marred by abuses and a lot of deaths, and yet this film manages to make everything seem funny. I really appreciated the overall atmosphere and the fact that while it deals with some very hard themes, it manages to do it in a way that is both engaging and interesting. You care about what happens and although you know the historical conclusion, you get attached to the characters. It’s a staple of a good political satirical film and I was very impressed by the flow of the narrative.

The characters are funny to the bone, they interact in an over the top way that makes every single scene memorable. I loved the casting choices, I loved the air of banality that surrounded every single murder and execution. It’s like a sketch that is transported in the middle of history and yet it still works. The casting is great and I have to praise every performance from Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Jeffrey Tambor, Adrian McLoughlin, Olga Kurylenko, Paul Whitehouse and Paul Chahidi.

The jokes hit home, they are not over the top and yet they work. At first, you are surprised, you are shocked and you can’t take things seriously, but after a while, you just get into the stride of the movie, you start to understand and accept that reality. And that is when everything just kicks in and you can appreciate the blending between serious and funny, that is when you understand that although the period is dark, the way you look at it can be sarcastic and self-depreciating. It is a great example of how you can tackle sensitive themes in a funny and easy to understand narrative…

This movie has been accused of not sticking to the historical fact and yes, it doesn’t. It changes a lot, it exaggerates. And while many of those exaggerations are made for comedic purposes, it does take something away from it when you add them all up together. This is why it’s getting only an 8, because in parts, it goes overboard with the humor and descends into absurdity. Those segments take you out of the story and it hurts the overall suspension of disbelief. Plus, I hated the way the movie gets suddenly very very serious towards the end. Don’t do that, stick to your style throughout and it will offer a better overall feeling.

In conclusion, The Death of Stalin is a hidden gem that you should not overlook. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it works, it makes you chuckle on more than one occasion and it manages to offer a lighthearted version of a dark part of history. Oh, and it’s not politically correct at all, so there, another breath of fresh air. Hopefully this trend continues. And always remember, if you have to live in a world that has killing lists, make sure you are the one making them… Trust me on that!