Batman Ninja – 2018

Score: 7/10

Batman Ninja is truly a weird one. It’s good and at the same time you feel at points that it is too much. I guess I should have expected it considering it’s a Japanese movie and those are usually like this, but still, it managed to be too much at times for me. Nevertheless, the overall experience is very interesting and I highly recommend you see it. It will shock you in many aspects, it will be something totally different than what you are used too, but that is actually the point. Get ready to immerse yourself into the world of feudal Japan at the side of your favorite villains and superheroes…

The story is amazing, the best thing about the movie by far. It works, it makes sense, it doesn’t seem forced, it flows easily without trying too hard to be serious. This movie is not serious and you should not try to watch it in a serious mode or you will ruin it. Watch it with a big smile on your face and accept some of the ridiculous things that happen on screen as just another part of the fun. Japanese movies have a certain appeal and you can definitely see that here, in full splendor… It’s fast and it will not make apologies… Just flow with it!

The characters are a very engaging part of this film. You get cool presentations, you get believable roles for each of them and they manage to gel very well. You discover known names that you have missed and having them all together in one movie is a blast. Also, I have to say that the daymo elements are fun as hell and putting the action into the middle of the warring kingdoms of Japan was a stroke of brilliance. In short, it works, it works very well and the performances (English version that is, couldn’t find the original Japanese voices) from Roger Craig Smith, Tony Hale, Grey Griffin, Tara Strong, Adam Croasdell, Fred Tatasciore, Yuri Lowenthal and Will Friedle are very good.

But seriously, did we need mechs? Did we seriously need robot palaces in a Batman movie? I get that it’s Japanese and they have a cultural fascination with things like that, but alas, I really felt that it completely took me out of the cultural setting. It is the biggest flaw of the movie by far and it really lowered its score. Why? Because it’s useless, it doesn’t make sense and it’s a pointless addition to what could have been a very fast paced animation. I mean honestly, why? Maybe someone can explain it to me because I sure as hell can’t explain it to myself…

The graphic style might take time to get used to, but in the end, I have to say I got into the groove. It’s very fast paced, very cartoonish and you get a lot of emotion from it. It is typical for Japanese films but a novelty truly for the DC universe. And I have to say that it works, it makes it more fun, it makes a movie from DC feel light and funny instead of the usual doom and gloom we get. I want more films like this in the future and I truly believe that this universe will be enlightened by more efforts like this…

In conclusion, Batman Ninja is definitely worth it, it’s an amazing animation that makes you remember fondly one of the favorite characters in history. Batman fits almost perfectly into that environment and this one is a rollercoaster from start to finish. You can’t go wrong watching this and you will enjoy its pumping adrenaline all the way. It’s engaging, it’s powerful and most importantly, it’s totally different than what you are used to from the characters. I mean seriously, how could you want to skip a movie that says “Battoman” so often? I mean come on… How awesome does “Battoman” sound?  :)))

Josie – 2018

Score: 4/10

Damn Josie is a little bit interesting and hugely disappointing at the same time. I swear that I would have given up on it after the first 30 minutes if it didn’t have Sophie Turner in it, I swear it. Because it’s boring to the core for the first hour, nothing happens and you get the distinct impression that nothing at all will ever happen. Then it gets interesting for like 10 minutes and that’s it. A huge disappointment for me and basically 87 minutes that I will never get back. Skip this one unless, like me, you just want to see Sophie Turner in a bathing suit 😛

The story has a nice and interesting ending, it becomes surprising and it manages to shock you big time. But unfortunately, up to that point, it is virtually non-existent. Nothing happens, all you get are forced attempts at character development that simply fall flat. It is a good concept that manages to make you almost want to break the screen because of the poor way it is presented. And that is really a shame and certainly the biggest problem of the movie!

The characters are polarized as hell. The main character is amazing, played very well and hugely engaging. The rest of them however suck, they seem forced, bland, they have nothing going for them. They are simply boring and that is a huge problem because you can’t get excited about any of the interactions. So here, I have to praise Sophie Turner for an amazing role that she carries out perfectly, while simultaneously I have to shame every other single cast member for their bad performances. Shame on you Dylan McDermott, Jack Kilmer, Kurt Fuller, Robin Bartlett, Daeg Faerch and Lombardo Boyar.

Sophie Turner’s performance and the way here character Josie are created are the two things that make this movie enjoyable. One, the actress is cute, hot, engaging and she showcases her huge talent. Not to mention she’s a fan favorite from GOT so that also works in her favor. And second, the character is exactly how it should be. Josie displays femininity, she behaves exactly as you would want a woman too, she knows how to push the guy’s buttons, she’s flirty, she’s fun and she really manages to get you involved in the film, in fact it is the only element that keeps you watching on.

I seriously don’t get this trend in movies to focus so much on the banality of life, on the stupid little things that we all do every day. I mean it’s happening more and more often and it’s just pointless and stupid and it’s making movies more tedious by the day. I get it, the characters are normal people that have the same problems as us, but you don’t have to bang me over the head with it, you don’t have to show them to me over and over and over… Stop doing this because you are turning your movies into boring representations of an even more boring reality. We don’t watch movies to see people doing the shit that we do every day… Get that through your thick skulls already!

In conclusion, Josie is not a great one… It has an interesting character and a nice twist at the end, but besides that, it doesn’t manage to entice you or to make you care about the characters and the story. I would not watch it again and I can honestly say I will forget about it completely by tomorrow. That is sad because it had potential, the cast was nice and the twist at the end could have made it amazing. But considering that you have to sit through 60 minutes of complete and utter useless boring shit to get there, I don’t believe many will do. It is one to watch only if you don’t have other better choices… But seriously, if you do need a reason to make yourself watch this, here it goes: Sansa is fucking HOT as hell! 😛

Annihilation – 2018

Score: 6/10

Annihilation is truly a weird one. It’s weird because of its subject and the visual style and everything that happens on screen and it’s also weird because it ended up losing money and being rejected by audiences despite high praises from critics. Personally, I found it to be an interesting one, powerful, engaging in parts and different from what I usually watch. But, and there is a big but here, the biggest problem I found in this one is the pacing. Everything happens so slow, basically it’s a festival of clichés and boring bumper stickers that come together and offer absolutely nothing in the end. Nothing happens, nothing worthwhile anyway, and you start and end in basically the exact same spot. And not even the best visuals in the world can save a movie that just goes around in circles…

The story is interesting as a concept, but poorly executed. The Shimmer could have been amazing, it could have been one of the best sci-fi concepts in a while. And yet it ends up just promising and promising and never delivering. You expect so many things to happen, you expect to understand why and how and yet you only get teaser after teaser. Don‘t get me wrong, I like teasers as much as the next guy, but all that teasing has to capitalize at some point or my liking will turn to disappointment. And that is what happens here, disappointment and an overall sense of pointlessness…

The characters are boring. There are a lot of good actors here that are simply not helped by the script. The movie tries so hard to make you care about them, it gives them all deep backstories, it makes them meditate about life and choices and what not. And yet everything seems just forced, shallow and most damaging, everything seems unrealistic. Considering the circumstances, the performances are okish, but still, I have to feel a little bit sorry for Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Oscar Isaac, Benedict Wong and Sonoya Mizuno.

The visuals are amazing! They are by far the best thing about this movie and they will make you really believe that you are visiting another world, something magical and complex and almost impossible to understand. Especially towards the end, the visuals manage to express very well something different, something that is truly impossible to understand for a human being. That is a great achievement and I have to say that from the visual point, this one was one of the most engaging sci-fi horrors I have ever seen…

The film was definitely too deep for its own good. Or let me say it better, the film tried to be too deep for its own good. And this is why it didn’t appeal to audiences, this is why it failed at the box office… Because it tries so hard to make you think about things, it tries so hard to make you wonder about humanity. I didn’t feel what the movie wanted me to feel and because it was so focused on that, it ended up taking all my fun away. I get what the directors wanted to achieve here, but that’s not how you do it…

In conclusion, Annihilation is definitely a movie you should check out, because it is weird, it is different, it is something you don’t get too see very often. But don’t expect it to be more than something weird, don’t expect it to be offer you real and palpable emotions. It has promise, it had the potential to be truly great, but unfortunately it fails to capitalize on its interesting premise. It is all about conceptualization of principles but without any actual consequences. Everything that happens seems to happen in vain and just for the sake of it… Oh, and governments all around the world, if you are sending teams after teams of people into a place and none return, than maybe, just maybe, you shouldn’t send any more? Just sayin…

A Quiet Place – 2018

Score: 8/10

A Quiet Place is a weird movie, because the idea behind it is brilliant, and the execution is also up to par, and yet, I don’t know how to say it, something is sort of missing. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this movie and it was refreshing to see a horror where you can actually see the monster, where you can actually understand what is going on. But something was missing, some context maybe, the answer to some very obvious questions that ended up really bothering me, especially towards the end. I gave it a high score because it is a good movie and I recommend it to any horror fan, but still, I wanted a little bit more.

The story is interesting, engaging and definitely the strongest point of the movie. The concept is new, it’s brutal and it really makes you think about yourself and about the things that are so important and yet you don’t even notice. I was shivering just at the thought of not being able to talk and I realized I simply could not do it. It is a strong and very scary movie and the idea behind it is mind-blowing. I know they are working on a sequel and considering what I have seen here, I am really looking forward to more adventures in this universe. This one can really be the birth of a good horror franchise.

The characters are powerful, engaging, well created, they have backstory. I know, it’s amazing, in a movie that has almost no words all of the characters are well developed and have backstories, engaging and in depth backstories. You might like them, you might hate them as I did, but still, you can’t say anything bad about how they are acted. Amazing performances here from Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward.

The one thing that made me almost cry in anger while seeing this is the stupidity of the main characters in conceiving a child under those circumstances. So let me get this straight, aliens attack the Earth, you discover and understand that they are blind and they can only hear you. Everybody in the world is dead for all you know and you are living alone in a ghost town with your wife and two children. You walk on sand in order to remain alive and your entire existence hangs on by a thread. And in that situation, in those circumstances, you seriously can’t put on a fucking condom? I mean come on, that is the single most infuriating and ridiculous part of this movie and the fact that it factors so much in the plot makes it even worse… It’s just unbearable!

One positive thing that stood out was the attention for detail. Everything has a purpose here, everything matters, you listen carefully for every little sound, every movement shocks you. This one manages to actually be scary as shit and I can’t remember the last horror movie that made me feel like this. Without jump scares, without all the usual tropes, this one manages to instill terror into your very being and for that I have to commend it and be willing to get over some little inadvertencies, like those people basically never sneezing or coughing or hell, farting… For the sake of this amazing concept, we’ll let those slide…

In conclusion, A Quiet Place is definitely worth seeing. It is the “Get Out” of 2018, a horror movie that manages to break all the patterns and impress everybody, critics and audiences alike. I am very pleased that this one did so amazingly well at the box office and I hope that this will teach Hollywood that yes, horror movies still work as long as the idea behind them is amazing and as long as they are done well. A great movie, one that we will all remember for a long time and one that will truly and utterly leave you… you guessed it, speechless… 😛

Hostiles – 2017

Score: 7,5/10

Hostiles is a very deep and powerful movie, right from the start, and I sincerely was surprised by this. I didn’t expect it to be such an interesting experience and I can honestly say it is one of the best modern westerns I’ve seen. I don’t like the genre very much and I can’t say I am actively searching for movies like this, but this had what it needed in order to make me think about things, in order to make me care about how it ended. It’s a tough one, difficult to see and difficult to enjoy, and yet, it has a certain appeal. I truly recommend this movie to anyone that wants more than just shooting and scalping from a Western.

The story is good, interesting, and it makes you care for the characters, especially the main one. I mean at the start, the first 30 minutes or so, the movie really annoyed me, because I hated the main character, he was acting like a total idiot. I hated it, I was thinking that I will abhor it in the end. And yet, as the movie goes on, there is growth, understanding, changes happen, and they happen naturally. It is amazing how the story evolves here, it is amazing how the characters grow and understand the world better and change their beliefs… It was refreshing to see and I really hope more movies learn that this is the right way to make audiences care about your protagonists…

The characters are powerful, interestingly created and they gel well together to propel the story forward. You care about their actions because you understand everyone’s motivations. It might sound like a boring cliché, but here, everybody behaves as normal people would and that is endearing. There are a couple of scenes where the quality of the actors shines, and altogether, the casting is on point. Great performances from Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Jesse Plemons, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Peter Mullan, Scott Wilson, Paul Anderson, Timothée Chalamet, Ben Foster, Jonathan Majors, John Benjamin Hickey and Stephen Lang.

For me, the most amazing aspect of this movie is the way in which the main character evolves throughout. It starts off with Bale being incredibly annoying, taking stupid decisions, shouting alone to the sky like an idiot and refusing to accept reality. And it ends with a matured character that has understood that good and evil don’t exist as absolutes and that every decision has consequences. It is refreshing, it is powerful and it transforms the entire narrative of the movie. A great process that we can all relate too.

As minuses, I have to point out many of the fight scenes, that were of course happening at night, which means impossible to see. It didn’t bother me so much since I was not interested in fighting here, but still, again, why do movies do this, I simply don’t get it… Also, many scenes are drawn out because Scott Cooper has this idea that drawing them out makes them seem more profound. He is wrong and it becomes very annoying towards the end. Also, the music is lacking and it seems to never be in tune with what is happening on screen. I was very disappointed by the score and I truly think it hurts the movie a lot.

In conclusion, Hostiles is definitely a movie worth checking out. You will be able to enjoy it even if you are not a big fan of the genre, because it manages to go beyond Indians versus white people and into the realm of psychology and understanding the human condition. It is a powerful movie that, despite of the grittiness and casual killings that happen almost nonstop, has a positive message. Not a politically correct bullshit of a message, but a realistic one that goes straight for your core. A good movie, one that I will remember and one that does justice to the period in which it is set. Oh, and seriously, I never thought I would see Batman in the Wild Wild West :)))

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!

Truth or Dare – 2018

Score: 7/10

Truth or Dare is actually a decent movie. It came as a surprise, because from the trailer it seemed like just another typical horror flick filled with clichés and jump scares. And yet, the actual movie is different. The story is interesting, it has twists, it has some decent scares and it offers you an engaging overall atmosphere. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect, but as a horror movie made on a tiny budget, it actually surprised the hell out of me. You can feel that the team behind it has experience and knows how to get audiences engaged. A nice experience and one that I recommend to all of you.

The story is the best element of the movie. It has ups and downs and it does flirt with logic from time to time, but overall, it is decent, it has an air of novelty about it and it manages to offer a decent premise. The game in itself is spooky as hell and you can’t watch this without wondering what you would do if you were there. The answers might not please everyone but this is exactly the point of this experiment. The movie makes you think about your own life and if you can learn anything from it, it should be that secrets are never worth it. Honesty always makes our lives better…

The characters are okish, nothing special but nothing annoying at the same time. You have here typical teens with typical problems, people like you or me who interact sometimes absurdly yes, but who most of the time act like typical human beings would in those situations. I found that refreshing and although the cast is virtually unknown, their performances are up to par. Kudos for that to Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Hayden Szeto, Landon Liboiron, Nolan Gerard Funk, Sophia Ali, Sam Lerner, Aurora Perrineau, Tom Choi and Gary Anthony Williams.

The scares are probably the most important part of a horror movie and while this does not have terrifying moments, it somehow works. I mean there are no jump scares, thank God for that, and there are no demons eviscerating people. And yet the movie is scary, because it plays with your head, it shows you what fear can do to us when we let it take over. It is all psychological and it manages to put you in a certain state of mind. I could see here the influence of producer Jason Blum and I can honestly say that we need more horror movies like this instead of the usual scare fest jams.

The one thing I hated about this movie are the rules of the game they are playing. Because those rules basically meant that the game couldn’t be won. They were doomed from the start and there was no way out, no chance for them to escape the demon, no chance for them to actually do something about that curse. And I find that cheap because it is a simple way to finish the movie and at the same time I find that it makes the whole experience seem pointless. If they can’t escape it means that all their actions ultimately mean absolutely nothing. And I am certainly not ok with that!

In conclusion, Truth or Dare is definitely a movie worth seeing. Especially if you are a horror fan, you should not miss this. It might not be as scary as other films, but it has a certain atmosphere that will leave you shivering when you really think about things. So see it and enjoy one of the most fun games in the world. Oh, and just a reminder, when you are in Mexico and a creepy guy invites you to play a game in the middle of some ruins, just tell him to get the fuck away from you… Trust me, it’s easier!

Tomb Raider – 2018

Score: 5/10

My God this score still seems to be too much. I mean seriously, I have never been more annoyed after watching a movie then I am after seeing Tomb Raider. The actors are great, the lead especially, the story is interesting, the twist work. But everything, and I mean everything is ruined, simply ruined by the last hour of total darkness you have to suffer through in order to reach the end. I mean seriously, I complain about this all the time, but this one just went over the line. I get that you have to set the action in a tomb considering that it’s a movie about exploring tombs, but fucking put some light in there. I don’t care if it doesn’t feel natural, I just want to be able to see what is happening in your action scenes movie.

The story is interesting, it’s a nice change of pace from the originals. They focus much more on the backstories of the characters, Lara is developed very nice, the actress is amazing. I have to stress this, it’s one of the best casting choices I have ever seen. She does a great job and I can honestly say I want this series to continue now, just because of her. Everything works in the story, you have meaning, you have a believable villain, you feel like you are playing the games again, which is always nice in a video game adaptation.

The characters are great. Lara Croft is back and she looks better than ever. You get backstory, you get emotion and you actually get motivations that you can believe and relate to. It might get overboard at times with the emotion, but overall, this is one of the best casted movies of 2018 and I have to praise Alicia Vikander, Maisy De Freitas, Emily Carey, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas, Derek Jacobi, Nick Frost, Jaime Winstone, Hannah John-Kamen and Antonio Aakeel for their performances.

The darkness, oh my God, the darkness ruined this movie. I would have easily gave it an 8 or even a 9 if the last hour would have been brighter. But you can’t see anything, starting with that ship scene that might have been great if only I could have realized what was going on. I know what they wanted to achieve but it just doesn’t happen and you will truly be pissed after a great first hour that you have to waste your time while watching silhouettes running around in pitch black dark doing stuff…

Overall, the movie had some nice moments, especially in the first part. The bike scene kept me glued to my seat and the way Lara smiled while riding was amazing. It has beautiful moments and it comes together well. You really start to get invested into her story and you care about what happens to her, which is much more than I ever felt towards the previous installations. It’s not that I don’t like Angelina Jolie, but I don’t know why, Alicia Vikander seems to be perfect for this role, she truly encompasses everything that I think Lara Croft should be.

In conclusion, Tomb Raider was a huge disappointment for me because you basically have an entire movie ruined by lighting. Yes, it is a bit too long and there are some pointless scenes that could have been eliminated, but I was willing to look past all that because of all the great elements. Unfortunately, the director didn’t want me to be able to actually see his movie so I can’t recommend it to anyone. Let’s hope they made enough money in order to have a sequel and let’s hope that a different director and cinematographer take charge on that. I mean come on, Lara just got the guns, come on, give us more… And better… And more…

Den of Thieves – 2018

Score: 7,5/10

Have you heard about the Grand Theft Auto series? Did you enjoy your time with those games? Did you wish for a movie to feature events from those games? Well, than you are in luck. Den of Thieves is exactly that, a mission from Grand Theft Auto 5. I am not joking, in its 140 minutes, this movie offers you scene after scene straight from the video game. And don’t get me wrong, this is not based on GTA. But the final heist from the game is done here step by step. It was actually creepy and amazing at the same time.

The story is as I said, a copy paste of a GTA game. You get everything here, from the shooting range to the car chases and armored car hijackings right up the Union Depository job and the strip joints. Oh, and I forgot to mention tattoos and drama involving children and wives. Overall, if you enjoy video games and you are a fan of the GTA franchise, you will love this movie and you will want to play those games again.

The characters are interesting, although the attempts at development fall flat. You don’t actually care about any of the backstories and that can ruin your experience if you are looking for something like that from this one. I wasn’t and so I can’t say I was annoyed by the lack of real depth to the characters. Nevertheless, the actors are all on their game and offer up great performances. Kudos to Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson Jr., 50 Cent, Evan Jones, Cooper Andrews, Maurice Compte, Dawn Olivieri, Jermaine Rivers, Matthew Cornwell and Eric Braeden.

The twists and turns of the action are a nice touch and you will end up actually surprised by the end. But at the same time, it does make the movie feel stuffed and difficult to enjoy, because you have to always be on your guard in order to understand the twists before they happen. I think they overdid it in part and I really hope the sequel will be a little bit more straightforward so we can actually enjoy the action parts more.

One amazing thing about this movie that I have to point out are the gun sounds. I have never seen a better representation of gun sounds in a movie. You actually feel that you are a part of a gun fight. Every weapon sounds real, everything clicks together and the lack of background music in some of the action scenes enhances that feeling. It is a treat to simply listen to this movie and I have to say it is truly a strong point.

Like so many heist films before it, this one is also unfortunately far too long. This is because the actual heist is a singular event that can’t be stretched out too much. And this is why they have to introduce back stories, they have to introduce families, children, wives and all the usual props. Unfortunately, here they simply do not matter and do not offer any important resolutions. We see the main character separating from his wife and yet this doesn’t factor at all in the conclusion of the movie. And it’s the same with all the other characters. We get too see their personal lives and you get the distinct impression that all those scenes are simply filler. Which in a movie that is almost 2 hours and a half is simply unacceptable.

Despite its shortcomings, Den of Thieves is actually a very enjoyable movie that I can highly recommend. You will be invested in the story, you will remember a lot of heist classics like Ocean’s Eleven or The Italian Job and you will actually relate with many of the characters. It is a good movie and one worth seeing more than once, especially after you will discover the huge twist at the end. A good effort from director Christian Gudegast and I can honestly say that I am excited by the announced sequel. I hope they will actually tell me who the bad guys really are in that one though… J And now I have to go and play GTA 5 again, so thank you for that movie, thank you for that… J))

Battle of the Sexes – 2017

Score: 9/10

Finally a good movie, finally! Battle of the Sexes is a truly refreshing film that manages to tackle some very deep and divisive themes without appearing to have an agenda. It is funny, it is well acted, it is well shot, it has everything it needs in order to appeal to people on both sides of the political spectrum. You can’t go wrong with this one and you are guaranteed to have a great and illuminating experience. This is the only way to talk about sexism, feminism and all the liberal concepts. Learn from this, learn how to do it right Hollywood!

The story is based on real events and although it might seem amazing at certain points, that is what actually happened. It is truly refreshing to see that this movie chose to present events as they were, without shying away from the racism and sexism that were the norm in that period. I love it when a historical movie does this, and doesn’t try to sugar coat anything. You get it all here, both sides of the debate, but both of them are historically accurate. The discussion about equality and about women rights and so on is done on the arguments of the 70’s, not on today’s arguments, and that makes the movie engaging and amazing to see.

The characters are great, brilliantly created and very relatable. You understand the motivations on both sides and you can feel the history oozing through their every pore. The cast is well chosen and they come together and click very well. There are big names here and you can feel that they were all very involved in the production and they also feel very strongly about the themes that are tackled here. A great effort and I have to give praise to Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, Natalie Morales, Eric Christian Olsen, Lewis Pullman, Jessica McNamee and James Mackay for their amazing performances.

This one is so refreshing, seriously, I know I’ve said already many times, but we get so few movies like this in today’s world. Nothing is forced down your throat, there is no virtue signaling here. It is just life, history, events unfolding. They don’t try to change what happened and, amazingly, both sides are presented as equal. Yes, the movie does finish on a very liberal tone, but that is only because that is what actually happened. The movie is racist, it is sexist and it is feminist all at the same time, and I can honestly say that was a very pleasant surprise for me.

This is how you do a movie about feminism, this is how you get your message across without it annoying people to death. I am usually very tired of feminism and social justice warriors and snowflakes and liberals, and I was expecting this movie to really piss me off. But it didn’t, I actually resonated with some of the messages here and I could identify with the main characters. It has LBTQ awareness, it has gender pay gap, it has all the hot topics coming together, but still, it manages to be funny and interesting. This is how you talk about these issues Hollywood, this is how you get your message across! Please, more movies like this!

In conclusion, Battle of the Sexes is an amazing movie and you should definitely see it. It doesn’t matter if you are a feminist or if you hate feminism with all your being, you will still enjoy this movie, you will enjoy it a lot. It is funny, fresh, historically accurate and, most importantly, it is interesting. You will not feel its 121 minutes because it is paced very well. The action flows, the story unfolds in a very natural way. You will relate to this movie whatever your beliefs are. A great one and one that you can’t afford to miss. And thank God she won right, I mean who doesn’t like to see girls in short dresses running around after balls…? :)))