Well, that a gut punch early on in the morning. Art imitating life. Ben Affleck is losing the cape and cowl for good and substituting it for a clip board. We all know about his own personal struggles with alcohol abuse and that’s why this movie has a real shot of being nothing short of spectacular, at least his performance.
Who would be Ben Affleck’s basketball comparison? What a question, because in The Way Back he was once a high school star and I haven’t stopped thinking about that. Ben re-teams with Gavin O’Connor director of Warrior and The Accountant, and you already know this will pack a serious emotional punch. Ben Affleck in a sports movie, love to see it. A mix between Coach Carter and Half Nelson perhaps, this overall just looks really good. The world hasn’t had a great quote on quote sports movie in a long time and hopefully this can break that streak.
You know this role probably means a lot to Affleck and him playing it close to his own chest, and I’m excited to see what he does with this material. It doesn’t look like just another cliche sports movie, because of the serious weight the trailer carries. It’s great to see Ben branching out and trying new things and more importantly being in a movie. He didn’t have a theatrical release in all of 2019.
It’s always great to have this man back in our lives, such a talent.
It might not make a whole lot of sense, but Alita: Battle Angel is one impressive feat. Visually stunning, some of the best visuals I’ve seen in recent memory. Must be seen on the biggest screen possible. This movie kind of kicks a ton of ass.
A deactivated female cyborg is revived, but cannot remember anything of her past life and goes on a quest to find out who she is.
When you walk into the movie theatre and two words flash on the screen, those two words can get any movie fan excited. James Cameron. He’s kind of a big deal when it comes to Hollywood, and creating some of the most spectacular films this world has ever seen. So when he was attached to Alita: Battle Angel, I became very interested. Not knowing anything about this property, like zero, and that’s kind of rare for me, I was worried I wouldn’t really be invested, but after seeing the movie, that wasn’t the case at all. With a strong female character, that you root for the entire time and get behind the moment you meet her. Themes about what it means to be human, the war that goes on between the rich and the poor, and female empowerment. There’s a lot to digest here, but there are moments of a pure adrenaline rush, and some of the best visuals I have ever seen. You really need to see this movie in IMAX, because I was blown away.
Now, all of these great aspects of the film aren’t completely beaten down by a god awful script and a love story that had no business being in a movie like this. This is the type of movie where every single person is talking in exposition, no one really has a normal, everyday conversation. It can get tiresome in moments, but sometimes the exposition is needed, to explain this complicated story of sorts. For someone who has no prior knowledge of any of this, it was nice to be caught up within the first 20 minutes or so. The film as a whole is so engaging because everything you’re looking at is beautiful, you’re immediately swallowed up by this world. Alita is also chalked full of legit movie stars. That’s why I’m shocked the script wasn’t worked on because when you get this kind of talent, you want to make the most of it. Alita who was played so wonderfully by Rosa Salazar, in a powerful role kind of blew me away. Christoph Waltz who plays her mentor/father-figure was his usual awesome self. They had great chemistry together, and it was the tent pole for the entire movie. Throw in Mahershala Ali, who plays the villain Vector. He doesn’t have a whole lot to do, but the guy is so charismatic and is just so damn good, he didn’t need much to do. Jennifer Connelly, who I feel like I haven’t seen her in any giant blockbuster in a long time. Then a bunch of terrific actors and actresses playing some kick-ass cyborgs.
The cyborgs are the best part of the entire film. They are sleek and a ton of fun to watch on the big screen. In this world, there is a sport called Motorball. It’s kind of like Rollerball, but way more violent and much more badass. When this incredible Motorball sequence gets underway, I was sucked in. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen and I didn’t want it to end. It’s sports mixed with cyborgs killing each other. They should honestly make a Motorball spin-off. I had no clue this whole aspect was even in the film, I had no clue what Alita was about, the trailers felt so vague, but I was intrigued. I feel like they could have marketed this movie so much better because it had a terrible first weekend at the box-office. I don’t understand the reviews either. It always blows my mind when movies kind of drop the ball when it comes to trailers and promoting their movies. This campaign could have been unbelievable and really showcased a ton more. They didn’t need to make the love story the focal point of the trailers, because that is the least compelling part of the entire film.
When you have James Cameron attached to your project, you know visually it will be stunning. The guy is the master of creating stunning visuals on the big screen. But this movie could have been so much more. I waited a few days to write this review because I wanted to really think about it. I want to see it again, and I almost didn’t see this movie at all. I think Robert Rodriguez is a very competent director, I loved Sin City, and this was right up his alley. This movie isn’t flawed because of its direction. But overall this movie does kick a ton of ass when it wants to, and it isn’t completely bogged down by the stupid love story. Alita is a warrior, and one of the cooler female characters we’ve gotten in a long time. I feel like no one was really talking about this before it came out, and I don’t know anyone who has seen it. Well, get your butts to the theatre and support this thing because I want a damn sequel.
Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – Alita: Battle Angel = 77/100
After a historic 2018, the largest box-office year ever, I would like to think I helped with that just a little bit. A record 62 trips to the cinema. Well, that record won’t stand for long as 2019 promises to be the biggest year in cinema-going this world has ever seen.
It’s always a treat to go back and read my list for 2018 and see where I was wrong and where I was right. It’s also crazy to see some of my favorite movies of the year not even make it onto the list. What a year in cinema we just had folks! After what I felt was an underwhelming 2017, these last 12 months proved to be quite special. From a decade worth of build up for Avengers: Infinity War, to watching Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga shine together in A Star is Born. We had the best love triangle since Twilight with Yorgos Lanthimos’ TheFavourite. We saw a 30-year reunion with Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago in CREED II, and we dove into the imagination of one of the greatest film-makers ever Steven Speilberg and his Ready Player One sensation. There was so much more to offer, including two massive culturally important flicks in Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians. It was like one giant movie pot-luck, something for everyone, no matter what your taste is cinema was. That’s the wonderful thing about the movies, on any given night there is something different to watch and another world to be transported to. Two years ago I did my 10 most anticipated movies, and last year I did 20. Well, once again, I’m upping the ante and I’m going for the 25 movies I can’t wait to see in 2019. So without further ado, here is number 25. Some of these flicks might not even have plots or release dates yet, so hold tight.
25.) The Last Thing He Wanted. Director/ Dee Rees. (2019)
“A journalist quits her newspaper job and becomes an arms dealer for a covert government agency”
Here’s to hoping this movie officially drops in 2019. Dee Rees coming off her critically acclaimed Mudbound in 2017, which was nominated for 4 Oscars, will star Ben Affleck and Anne Hathaway. I can already see all of the tweets, “look it’s Batman and Catwoman together.” Based on Joan Didion’s novel which shares the same name, it will be heading to Netflix sometime in 2019. Look you had me at Ben Affleck and Anne Hathaway. Two of the best working people in Hollywood today, and toss in the young and talented Dee Rees. Very little is known about the plot of the film, but it will center around Hathaway leaving her position at the Washington Post during the 1984 election and ultimately taking over her father’s mantle as an international arms dealer. You honestly can’t sleep on Netflix movies anymore, with ROMA in talks to win the best picture at this years Oscars, Netflix is somewhere you just don’t binge watch Friends anymore.
24.) The Tax Collector. Director/ David Ayer. (2019)
“The plot is unknown at this time”
You can’t look at this photo of Shia LaBeouf and not be just a little bit intrigued. I’m sorry but not only is Shia one of the most underrated talents out there, but he has also really cleaned up his act and has been in some truly impressive roles. Director David Ayer is the wildcard here, simply because of the fact that he is very capable of making a great film like End of Watch or Fury. Or he can make one big pile of crap like Bright or Suicide Squad. He makes hard-hitting films, he doesn’t shy away from violence on the big screen, and you can bet that Shia will be someone you don’t want to come across in this movie. I will always support my boy Shia, and I hope this doesn’t end up being one of the worst movies of 2019, a little part of me screams less than 10 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Five former Special Forces operatives reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers these unsung heroes…”
Could 2019 be Affleck’s comeback? Not appearing in a single movie in 2018, which is crazy to think. We all know that Ben has been battling some inner demons and he is getting better day-by-day, and everyone just wants him to be happy and most importantly be back behind the camera. Look at that, another Netflix original dropping in 2019 that has people talking. Joining Affleck is Issac, Hunnam, Pascal and Hedlund, all actors that I love watching and am really looking forward to seeing on the screen together. The trailer had the internet is a tissy when it dropped a few months back, and since then it been quiet. Again with this being a Netflix film, it leaves you a little nervous, and with all this star power, it’s crazy to think this shouldn’t be a theatrical release. This has a man for everyone, a ton of hunk to go around. That’s why I’m not fully on board with TripleFrontier and have it ranked to low on my list. I hope this kicks all sorts of ass, it’s a heist film starring a ton of people I would love to see die in a movie. Sometimes it’s cool to watch actors that never die in their movies finally bite the dust.
22.) Ford v. Ferrari. Director/ James Mangold. (28/6/19)
“The true story of the battle between Ford and Ferrari to win Le Mans in 1966.”
Vroom Vroom. Remember those old car commercials? Let me get this straight. We get James Mangold coming off his tremendous work with Logan. We also get Matt Damon and Christian Bale starring in a movie together? Something us moviegoers haven’t seen before, what a treat this will be in 2019. Seeing how this is so far out and not even a trailer has dropped, it’s obviously hard to get a read on this thing. Will it be sort of a cat and mouse type movie, where Ford and Ferrari are stealing one another’s ideas? Will it pit Damon and Bale against one another? I am so intrigued by this film and I don’t know a single thing about it. I trust the director and it has two of the biggest stars in the world. An intense sports drama, that should have its two leads behind the wheel of insanely fast race cars? A June release scares me a bit, this seems more of a summer blockbuster than a potential Oscar movie, but none the less, I’m in.
“Plot unknown. Described as a modern murder mystery in a classic whodunit style.”
This sounds like a party! I can only guess that this will be some sort of murder mystery party type thing. Maybe a new take on the game CLUE, who really knows. What I do know is Rian Johnson doesn’t let me down, The Last Jedi and Looper. The cast is a smorgasbord of talent. Daniel Craig, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, Chris Evans, and Jamie Lee Curtis. I’ve left out almost a half dozen names as well. Again, it’s so early into the new year, there is legit no information on the movie. What I know for a fact though is all this talent, we could have something really special on our hands, and I won’t be surprised if done correctly could be a really good time at the movies this year.
20.) Ad Astra. Director/ James Grey. (24/5/19)
“Astronaut Roy McBride travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet.”
It’s Brad Pitt in space, need I say more? I repeat it’s Brad Pitt in space. Serious question though, we all know Pitt is a big-time movie snacker, so how is he going to snack while he is wearing a giant space helmet? Going into space to find your lost father, so it’s going to be a father/son story that literally stretches the length of outer space, that’s some heavy stuff man. Who doesn’t love a good old fashion space movie, we had the fantastic First Man in 2018, and now it’s time for another Hollywood hunk to travel up into the great abyss. James Grey’s Lost City of Z went really unnoticed for being a great film, and now this being his follow-up makes it very intriguing. The reason why space movies are so damn cool is that we don’t know anything about space, and they are always so beautiful to look at. Really curious about this, we haven’t had a stellar Brad Pitt performance since Moneyball. He will have two attempts at that this year, more on that later though.
19.) Men In Black: International. Dir/ F. Gary Gray (14/6/19)
“The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.”
Here come the men in black, the galaxy defenders. Man, that song was an absolute banger. One of the first questions I have about the Men in Black spinoff is will we see either Tommy Lee Jones or Will Smith make a nice little cameo? After their success in Thor Ragnorok, Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth will be running the show from here on out. I love this idea, their chemistry together was undoubtedly the best part of the movie. Two of Hollywoods best young stars, this could lead to some serious box-office success. That will be the most important thing for this movie come June if it makes a shit load of money at the box-office. These movies have a decent track record making money, but sometimes the more franchise movies you pump out, the harder it becomes to make a profit. Tessa Thompson is my favorite young actress working today, she had one hell of a 2018. I would love to see Thompson and Smith together on screen, I believe they could shine with one another. I don’t know if she will potentially be related to Smith’s character, but the possibilities could be endless. F. Gary Gray also makes a great summer blockbuster, I expect this one to be a ton of fun.
“Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family”
It’s been 10 years, sheesh, about time. Zombieland one of the most enjoyable films of 2009. Back then Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone were mere pups in the world of Hollywood. Now, a whole decade later, we are getting a sequel to one of the best zombie movies ever made. Coming off the insanely his massive Venom success, Ruben Fleischer will have a whole lot of money to play with. Not only that, there are rumblings that a Ghostbusters reunion with Bill Murray who was in Zombieland and Dan Aykroyd is in the works, and that brings a smile to my face. Toss in the ever so pleasant Zoey Deutch who might be part of the rival family in the sequel, this cast was already stacked. I’m so curious to see how much has changed in these last 10 years for this universe, and they all had such terrific chemistry, it will be nice to get the band back together. The creativity and originality of Zombieland are what made it stand out, and I hope they bring a ton more of that flare this time around. It has been 10 years, so they should have a bunch of ideas in their think-tank. Watching people kill zombies is one of my favorite things to watch, and with the massive success of The Walking Dead, after Zombieland arrived in theatres, I can see this being a huge fall hit.
17.) Sonic The Hedgehog. Dir/ Jeff Fowler. (8/11/19)
“A cop in a rural town of Green Hills will help Sonic escape from the government who is looking to capture him.”
Nostalgia, it can be a very powerful thing. It means the pain of an old wound, and playing Sonic growing up did cause me a lot of pain and frustration. Call me crazy, but I’m actually excited about this thing. There is so much going against this film. The god-awful history with video game movies, the fact that this is a first time director. Especially this video game franchise, as much as I love the title character, Sonic is such a kooky, over the top cartoon. How this will translate onto the big screen is messing with my brain. One of the huge positives that come with a franchise like Sonic are the endless possibilities and tie-ins. He has such a great group of characters and friends, those future sequels could be a ton of fun. A while back, a potential casting list was leaked for the movie. Any leading man that is a little over 30 years old was tied to this thing or wanted for this project at some point in time. What we ended up with isn’t so bad. Jim Carry will be Doctor Robotnik and Ben Schwartz will be our voicing our leading man. I think he is going to have so much fun providing the voice of Sonic, I don’t see a more perfect fit. Who knows how loyal and faithful they will be to the games because they are so far out there, but I honestly want a crazy Sonic movie, I want to see Robotnik in some awesome mech suits, and I really want to see Super Sonic.
16.) Fast & Furious presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Dir/ David Leitch (2/8/19)
“A spinoff of The Fate of the Furious, focusing on Johnson’s US Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs forming an unlikely alliance with Statham’s Deckard Shaw.”
Such a bold move to be friends with the man who killed one of your own. But we all know that the relationship and friendship that was formed between Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Statham) in the last Fast & Furious entry was a highlight of the movie. Fans loved them so much, they are branching off and creating their own movie series, something no one could have imagined all those years ago when the first Fast & Furious came out. Expanding the universe is such a crazy thought, but if you were going to do it, there is no better leading man for the job than Dwayne Jonhson. Here’s the thing, this isn’t going to just be some low budget spin-off, this is going to kick so much ass. They got themselves an ensemble. Vanessa Kirby who will play Hattie Shaw, Eiza Gonzalez and Idris Elba who my guess will be playing the villains. If Idris and Eiza are the two main villains of this flick, my god, that is going to be just incredible. A ton of sex appeal here, and the director brought us Atomic Blonde and Deadpool so expect some fantastic action and hard-hitting fight scenes. Could this be the best in the franchise? Could that be the tipping point for Vin Diseal, who I’m sure will have his finger in this pie somehow because he can’t be left out? But I’m sure if this is a massive success, old Dom Torreto will feel a little salty and sour.
15.) Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. Dir/ Rob Letterman (10/5/19)
“In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective.”
The nostalgia tour rolls on! This time it’s something that was so near and dear to my heart, that when I watched this trailer I couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. The card game – which I was amazing at, the video games, and the cartoon, all played a role in my life. Pokemon is a cultural phenomenon. It’s a global success, everyone knows who Pikachu is. Perhaps this generation Who Framed Roger Rabbit, mixing live action with the Pokemon world. When it was first announced, it was such a weird idea, even more so with Ryan Reynolds being tied into the lead role. When the trailer arrived, it was a match made in heaven, him doing the voice for everyone’s favorite Pokemon. I’ve been out of the Pokemon game for so long, but I was surprised to see a bunch of my old favorites. I’m glad they are going with the older generation rather than a bunch of the newer Pokemon. This will be a grand slam, and I think it’s a shoo-in for the billion-dollar club. Could end up being China’s biggest movie ever. Even more so if this turns out to be well reviewed, which I have a feeling it will be. Need one more trailer to get the full experience on what we can expect. Pikachu just looks so darn cute, with all his fur and Reynolds is the cherry on top of the sundae. Just remember gotta catch em all. It will be so cool if Ash Catchem makes an appearance, that will be so so so sweet.
14.) Aladdin. Dir/ Guy Ritchie (24/5/19)
“A live-action retelling of the 1992 Disney film of the same name.”
Interesting, very interesting. One of the greatest animated stories ever told by Disney is getting the live-action treatment this year. In fact, this is one of two massive Disney hits getting that treatment, and this is without a doubt the more difficult one to pull off. First of all, no one in this universe can replace the great Robin Williams and the voice work he did as the zany Genie. In my opinion, I think they should have just used every line of dialogue from the original for this remake. But in comes Will Smith, who will bring his own brand of style and humor to the role, and it’s the most important thing for this movie. If he bombs this, the movie will be an absolute train wreck. New pictures came out, and we saw Will Smith in his “human form” for when he wants to blend in and talk to Aladdin in public. I didn’t mind the little teaser trailer we got, I just want to travel back to this magical land of Agrabah. The other three major players, Aladdin (Mena Massoud), Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and one of the best Disney baddies Jafar (Marwan Kanzari) are passable. Out of the three, I think the most pressure lands on Marwan and his portrayal of Jafar. Growing up all these Disney classics had tremendous villains and it’s what made them so special. Hammering down the villain should be the most important thing for this film, not making Will Smith and his Genie the focal point. Yes, he’s the biggest star in play here, but the movie needs a great performance from him, not making him the whole song and dance.
13.) John Wick: Chapter 3. Dir/ Chad Stahelski (17/5/19)
“The third installment of the ‘John Wick’ series.”
Pew Pew! This franchise took the world by storm in 2014. It kind of resurrected Keanu Reeves career. Not that he needed it, he’s one of the greatest action heroes ever. John Wick has been slaying bodies in masses and he’s not stopping. Coming off the spectacular sequel which not only upped the ante in dead bodies but in terms of box-office success and overall greatness. We haven’t seen much, just a few stills here and there, but we have John Wick riding on horses shooting bad guys in the head. That’s all you need to see in order to be fully on board with this film. Chad Stahelski has already come out and said that the third installment will have the highest body count yet, so don’t blink or you might miss a few kills. They added some serious female power with additions of Halle Berry and Anjelica Houston, in roles that are up in the air. I’m not sure if they will be hunting with or hunted by Wick. The always hilarious Jason Mantzoukas is playing “Tick Tock Man” and I’m praying we get to see a new side of this man. It could really push this movie over the edge if he can be a menacing villain because it will be a complete 180 of what we have grown accustomed to. They are 2-for-2 so far, and I have a great feeling this could be an all-time trilogy come May. It couldn’t crack my top ten, but it could end up being one of my favorite movies of the year. Keanu has such a special place in my heart.
12.) Spider-Man Far From Home. Dir/ Jon Watts (5/7/19)
“Peter Parker and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe, where Peter finds himself trying to save his friends against a villain known as Mysterio.”
From dusk to dawn, more like dust. I know that’s not the saying. Poor Peter, being blown away like a fart in the wind at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. For those who think he’s gone forever, well aren’t you a gullible bunch. He will be back and he will be getting plenty more solo flicks, starting with Far From Home this summer. After the financial and critical success of Spider-Man Homecoming, the third rendition of the character in just under 15 years, Marvel had finally found their friendly neighborhood web-slinger. There have been 6 stand-alone Spider-Man films, they are running out of villains to put in these things. Luckily they haven’t used up them all, because we are getting one of the more unique rouges in his gallery this time around. The all mighty Jake Gyllenhaal is suiting up in the MCU, which is a MASSIVE deal, as Quentin Beck also known as Mysterio. The disappearing act, known for his abilities of great illusions and more importantly known for wearing a giant fishbowl on his head. If anyone else was playing this man maybe I wouldn’t be excited, but this is Jake Gyllenhaal we are talking about. Marvel always knows how to pick em, and how to make their movies stand out. What fantastic casting and it really has people talking. With the whole MCU future uncertain, this will be the starting point, the launching pad for the brand new MCU after it’s all settled.
11.) Star Wars IX. Dir/ J.J Abrams (20/12/19)
“The monumental finale of the Skywalker Saga.”
I am excited about this, but I’m telling you, 2019 is such a stacked year. Star Wars, one of the greatest franchises ever, can’t even crack Nate’s top ten. Two years ago, Episode XIII was number 2 on my most anticipated list, crazy how times can change. The Last Jedi was one of the most polarizing blockbuster films ever made. Some say it ruined the Star Wars legacy and some fans wanted blood. I was on the other side of the fence and believe that it was the greatest Star Wars movie we have ever gotten. Now, this is it, don’t get scared now. The whole thing is coming to a close, 9 movies later. They are bringing back J.J Abrams to finish what he started all those years ago when he brought these characters back to the forefront of popular culture and geek fandom with The ForceAwakens. This is so secretive, nothing has come out yet, no trailer, no stills, not even a title for the movie. I’m still all in, I don’t need anything really, I know I will be there opening night wondering how one of the best stories in the history of cinema will unfold. Just give me plenty of Kylo Ren and I’m a happy guy, seeing how I think he’s been the best aspect of these two new movies, and I hope that he gets a happy ending. I just want Kylo to be a good guy, in the end, I think that is the perfect way to end is character arc. Just one of the four or five movies that will no doubt crack a billion dollars at the box-office.
10.) Toy Story 4. Dir/ Josh Cooley (21/6/19)
“When a new toy called “Forky” joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.”
TOY STORY IS MY JAM! This teaser trailer was exactly my reaction. It was the best teaser trailer in the year 2018. Adding the voices of Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele is the best addition to any existing movie franchise that I can think of. Their back and forth is so incredible and their voice work is even better. Now, I don’t expect them to be fully like this in the movie, and I’m guessing they won’t be in the film long, but my god, these two characters already need their own flick. Pixar loves playing with our heartstrings people, they want to make us cry, that’s their goal of every movie they pump out. You can’t sit there and tell me to my face that the incinerator scene in Toy Story 3 wasn’t one of the all-time gut punches you have ever felt. They gang is all back, I’m so curious to see where they take this story, and how they kind of “expand’ the Toy Story universe. By the looks of the trailer adding straws and other things to a plastic fork makes it a toy, and that whole concept is so compelling. No one in their right mind can say that this won’t be good, that Pixar won’t tell us another incredible tale, and that the second they walk out of this thing, they will be counting down the days until Toy Story 5.
9.) Shazam. Dir/ David F. Sandberg (5/4/19)
“We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam.”
FUN! That word is surely going to pop up more times than you can count when the reviews come pouring in for DC’s upcoming Superhero flick. Still licking their fingers from the sweet box-office success of Aquaman, the train just keeps on rolling for the DCEU. Paying clear homage to BIG and Elf, it’s a story of a kid who suddenly becomes an all-mighty Superhero. He looks just like Superman but has a 14-year-old kid living inside his head. Here’s the thing about Shazam, he is such an unknown commodity and he isn’t that well known to the general movie audience. Little do they know that he is awesome, and David Sandberg’s take looks up to par. When he got reintroduced into the New 52 Comics, it was met with the highest of praise. There’s a new trailer coming later this month and it will give us a better understanding of what we can expect, and hopefully, we see a little more action. Warner Brothers are about to have another hit on their hands, I think this will be met with critical praise and make a killing at the box-office. Zachary Levi is again perfect casting for DC, they have nailed all their Justice League members to a tee. Mark Strong in a villain role is always a great thing for any film, and Jack Dylan Grazer rounding out the cast, who is such a talented young actor. The world is about to find out just how powerful Shazam really is, and I can’t wait to watch it happen. SHAZAM!
8.) Joker. Dir/ Todd Phillips (4/10/19)
“A failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic murderer.”
“Why so serious?” “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” “I’m not going to kill ya, I’m just going to hurt you, really really bad.” Three different quotes, by three different Jokers. All respected in their own way, some more than others. Now we are getting our very own Joker origin story, involving one of the best actors of the 21st century. Joaquin Phoenix is set to play the Clown Prince of Crime, and by the looks of it, he’s going to smash it out of the park. Now, I’ve been so back and forth with this whole process. It feels like a movie that we do not need at all, but something I want to see so badly. Here’s the other thing, this movie will have no Batman or Bruce Wayne. I can’t decide how I truly feel about a Joker movie without him going toe-to-toe with his arch nemesis is oddly weird. Mr. J just needs to be punched in the face at least once by Batman, and we only got a small sample size with Leto and Affleck in Suicide Squad. I won’t sit here and say he can’t live up to Heath Ledger and all that jazz, because there is no point. This will be his own story, something so different, and I hate doing that. We are going to get a special performance out of Phoenix, I’m not worried about that. I’m more worried about the movie as a whole. Todd Phillips who has directed such films as; Oldschool, the Hangover trilogy and War Dogs, he doesn’t have a distinctive style to him, something that a Joker film should have. Hopefully, Joaquin, Robert De Niro, and Zazie Beetz can hold the fort down. Three exceptional performers that given the right material can make wonders occur. Maybe this will be 2019’s Venom, a hotly contested film, that makes a killing at the box-office, but it met with sub-par reviews. WB just wants financial success right now, the other stuff comes after.
7.) The Lion King. Dir/ Jon Favreau (19/7/19)
“CGI re-imagining of the 1994 Disney classic.”
The entire world is simply not ready to watch that asshole Scar toss Mufasa off that damn cliff. Just thinking about it gets me emotional. Children all around the globe are in for a rude awakening soon enough. Kids these days might not have witnessed the biggest animated blood bath to ever grace the Disney screen. Boy, are they in for a treat. Growing up it was between this and Aladdin for my favorite Disney movie, and both are being reimagined this up-coming year in the form of live action. If I had to choose one, The Lion King takes the cake. Sadly they can’t bring back Robin Williams for Aladdin, but they are bringing back James Earl Jones and his god-like voice. Here’s the thing, Disney are smart people. This voice cast is so insane, and it’s going to bring so many people to the theatres. It’s so diverse, and there is so much talent, they crushed it. Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner, Chitwetel Ejiofor, and lord have mercy Beyonce. I can only imagine what the musical numbers are going to be like with Glover and Beyonce, and just how high Timone and Pumba will be getting. They are remaking arguably the best Disney film ever made, how can you not be so excited. Jon Favreau’s TheJungle Book was mind-blowing. It exceeded all expectations and I think he’s the right man for the job. Just sing it with me, Oh, I just can’t wait to be King!
6.) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Dir/ Quentin Tarantino (9/8/19)
“In 1969 Los Angeles, around the time of the Charles Manson murders, a TV actor and his stunt double embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry.”
Charles Manson murders, that’s all you need to know. This movie needs no trailers, no set photos, nothing. All it needs is this photo above. Its got Leo and Brad, together at last. We will get all those things, but see what I’m saying? This movie is going to be bananas. Poor Margot Robbie, I can only imagine how she will be going out in this. Sharon Tate – do some research on the famous women Robbie will be playing, that shit will make your blood curdle. As per usual, this being a Quentin Tarantino film he’s put together quite the ensemble cast. There are too many darn people to name, but the stars will be aligning. We have waited 4 long years since his last outing and whenever he released a film it’s a spectacle. One of the most important filmmakers since I have been alive, all he does is turn out terrific films. Leo and Brad have played ICONIC characters for Quentin, some of his best ones, and now we get them together on screen as best friends? Brad Pitt has a massive 2019 on his hands, we haven’t seen Leo in a movie since 2015. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Saying that out loud makes it even crazier. This movie will bring all the girls to the yard, again when Leo makes a movie, it’s an event. Last time he did a movie he won an Oscar, his first Oscar, how is he going to follow that up? Reuniting with Margot Robbie also, I just want to see something from this. I wonder if this will have the usual Tarantino flare and all his blood and gore that comes with him. A mystery crime drama, that is a new frontier for Quentin, this has so many Oscars written all over it.
5.) Glass. Dir/ M. Night Shyamalan (18/1/19)
“Security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities.”
I don’t budge for anyone! This doesn’t drop for another week, but reviews have been pouring in and well, yikes. Regardless, I’m still more than excited to see how this trilogy will come to an end. Does it sadden me just a little bit that this movie didn’t burst out of the gate with great reviews? Yes, it does. Throughout his whole career, M. Night has felt the wrath of critics. He’s also been praised as a genius. So much work went into building this universe and you know how important all these characters are to him, it’s a shame he might have fallen flat on his face moments before the finish line. M. Night took the world by storm when The Sixth Sense blew all our minds. Ever since I feel like he has been chasing that same high, and the world won’t let him rest until he does. When you come out the swinging and get a first round knock out, it’s hard to fill those shoes. Bad reviews and all, this won’t discourage me at all, I don’t dislike Shyamalan whatsoever. Glass is the first popcorn flick of 2019, and I just hope it doesn’t bomb.
4.) Us. Dir/ Jordan Peele (22/3/19)
‘A mother and father take their kids to their beach house, expecting to enjoy time with friends, but their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some visitors arrive uninvited.”
Kind of ironic how I follow up Glass with Jordan Peele’s Us. Much like M. Night, Jordan Peele also took the world by storm, when the critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning, cultural phenomenon Get Out introduced all of us to a world filled with pure imagination. Of course, that imagination dealt with racial issues and all sorts of white folks getting murdered. Now only 2 years later, Jordan Peele is gracing us with what could be another phenomenon. That man must feel like he has the weight of the entire world on his shoulders, I can’t even describe how that must feel. He seems destined for greatness and we might have the next great horror director on our hands. Actors and actresses must have been flocking to the casting room for his next film, my god what a cast. Elizabeth Moss, in which will kind of be her big on-screen debut, she’s one of the most talented actresses working in TV today. Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Yayah Abdul-Mateen will kill or be killed very soon. Get Out was one of my favorite films in 2017, and the big question with Us – is this tied into the “Get Out Universe?” Fans have been scouring the trailer for clues that could weave these two movies together. I don’t know what I want. Everyone wants a big cinematic universe nowadays, and sometimes I just want an original story to be told. Would it be kind of cool for these to be tied together? Sure it would. I want it to happen organically and not cause disruption within his next movie. Clearly, Jordan Peele knows what he’s doing, and I don’t think he would sacrifice something special to please some fans, by tying these movies together.
3.) IT Chapter 2. Dir/ Andy Mushchietti (6/9/19)
“Twenty-seven years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.”
In was only two short years ago, I wrote my first ever blog post, and the first movie I ever wrote about was IT. My Top Ten Most Anticipated List of 2017 and IT came in at number 10. So much can change in a few short years. Now coming in at number 3 in one of the most stacked movie years ever. The success of Chapter 1 was monumental, grossing over 700 million dollars with a budget of only 35 million. Every actor over the age of 30 wanted a crack at being the in the sequel. Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader are the main stars they rounded up to fill three spots for the adult Losers Club. The rest of the Losers is nice, they even got the Old Spice guy Isaiah Mustafa. He will be an integral part, his character is what brings all the Losers back to Derry to take down Pennywise one last time. They are doing it! One of the most iconic scenes in Stephen King’s novel, the Paul Bunyan Statue is coming to life! This could end up being the scariest scene in the whole movie. Here’s the thing, Pennywise doesn’t need to go all out in order to scare some little kids, now the Losers are grown, adults. I want Muschietti to up the ante in scares, a task I think he is up too. The seven kids that stole our hearts will all return as well, and it will be very interesting to see how they handle the time jumps throughout the film. The reason why IT worked so well, the bond between the Losers. If the adults can bring that same energy and the same passion to their respected adult roles, this movie will be a massive success. I’m shocked we haven’t gotten any sort of marketing for this film yet, even a little teaser trailer. Bill Skarsgard returns as the dancing clown, which was a perfect match. This could have easily been number one on my list, I just haven’t seen anything yet, unlike the next two films, and by now, you should know exactly which movies they are. BEEP BEEP!
2.) Avengers: Endgame. Dir/ The Russo Brothers (26/4/19)
“The plot is unknown.”
This trailer above isn’t the real thing, but it’s an emotional journey that encapsulates what everyone will be feeling when we finally sit down to watch Endgame. So Infinity War did not disappoint, like at all. It left the entire world kind of shaken, watching all of our beloved heroes fade away. That Spider-Man scene still gets me every time, “I’m sorry.” Now, it’s all coming to an end, quite literally. So many answers, so little time. We are possibly looking at 3 hours run time. I still don’t think that will be enough time to wrap this whole thing up. It won’t be the end of the MCU, but this will be the official swan song for so many of our favorite heroes. Are we all really ready to say goodbye to these larger than life characters that we have been watching for over a decade now? Love or hate the MCU, what they have accomplished since Iron Man is one of the most ambitious and successful endeavors Hollywood has ever seen. Thanos lived up to all his hype and kicked so much Avengers ass, I can’t wait to see what he has in store for his encore. Captain Marvel who will be making her MCU debut in March is the key to all of this come Endgame. The next face of the Avengers and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, if she isn’t met with the highest appraise in her solo flick, Endgame could run into an early snag. Hoping to join Infinity War in the 2 billion dollar club, Endgame has some big financial shoes to fill. With all the crop dusting that went on at the end of Infinity War, it will be interesting to see the marketing strategy they use. They can’t possibly show any of the heroes that died, and they all won’t be gone for long. Endgame doesn’t need to throw up these big loud trailers, we all know that we will be there opening weekend.
1.) Godzilla: King of The Monsters. Dir/ Michael Doughetry (31/5/19)
“The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.”
The only thing bigger than the Avengers, is the King of the monsters himself, Godzilla. I can’t believe this is taking my top spot of 2019, but the two trailers that have been released for this movie are some of the best I’ve ever seen. When they rebooted Godzilla back in 2014, attached Bryan Cranston to the project, expectations were sky-high. I personally loved it, while others felt that they were a little let down with the amount of the monster shown. Well this time around, it’s an all-out slugfest. It’s a monster mash happening and I don’t think we are quite ready for something like this. It looks so damn beautiful, and the variety of monsters appearing on screen is enough to please anyone. With all these monsters you wouldn’t expect a star-studded cast. Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Sally Hawkins, O’Shea Jackson, Charles Dance, and good old Ken Watanabe. So much talent in a movie like this, it only gives me more hope that this will turn out to be one of the greatest monster movies ever made. A wide range of different people, a diverse cast, which will help drive people to the theatre. We all know that King Kong is next up in the fight for the most dominant species on the planet, but Godzilla will have his hands full with King Ghidorah, a monster I have waited my entire life to see on the big screen. Having most of these as toys growing up, I imagined huge battles, larger than life scale of destruction and my bedroom would turn into a blood bath. The same can be said for this movie, stakes will be very high. Michael Dougherty coming off Krampus, a movie in which I didn’t like at first but has grown on me considerably. I haven’t felt this way about an upcoming movie since Batman v. Superman, and that was a huge letdown. My expectations were too damn high and it backfired, but I have the best feeling towards Godzilla, I simply cannot wait.
If you just read all of this, thank you. If you skimmed it, thank you. I can’t wait to eat so much popcorn and sour patch kids, while drinking the biggest root beer the theatre can give me. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE ALL THESE MOVIES!!!!
Say what you want about Clint Eastwood. The man is 88 years old and directs a movie every year, that’s so impressive. The Mule won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
A 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran is caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Illinois for a Mexican drug cartel
Regrets. I feel like Clint Eastwood has a lot of them. After watching his latest flick, TheMule, it felt pretty apparent that there are some underlying tones between his character in this movie and the real-life Clint Eastwood. It was almost like he wanted to use this project to tell the world that maybe he wasn’t always the greatest father or the worlds best husband during his life. When you start peeling back all of the layers of this film, when you get to its core, it’s about a man dealing with his family and all the regrets he feels about them. Yes, he still is an old-cranky white racist man, but after living on this planet for almost a century, what can you expect. Also remember that these are just characters he plays, and there’s a fine line between real life Clint Eastwood and the man we see on the big screen. Clint keeps on making movies, he was born to do so, and whether you agree with the person he is, the matter of the fact is, he is an 88-year-old man, who makes a film every year. What will you be doing when you’re 90? What are most 90-year-old people doing? Certainly not this.
So Earl Stone (Eastwood) isn’t a family man, in the first few minutes of the film he misses his daughter’s wedding in order to attend a flower convention. Earl loves flowers more than his family, he’s an incredible gardener and he’s well respected in that community. He enjoys putting the time into these flowers and watch them blossom into something beautiful. Something his wife points out, that he would rather watch his flowers bloom into something beautiful, while he stands by and watches his family die. He feels more comfortable among those people than he does around his own family. One of the themes of The Mule definitely is that “Millenials” ruin everything. That they don’t know how to do much, whether its how to change a tire, or deal with simple day-to-day tasks. It comes up so much throughout the movie, they really beat you over the head with it. In fact, Earl says at the beginning of the movie which takes place in 2005 that, “the internet, who needs it.” Well, the internet ran his flower business out of town, when we meet up with Earl 12 years later. All he wanted to do was provide for his family, “the most important thing is family.” Something Earl doesn’t realize until much later in life. So when his grand-daughter Ginny (Taissa Farmiga) is getting married, he meets one of her friends who said, if he ever needs some cash to give this number a call. You see Earl is 90 and he’s never had a parking ticket in his life, in fact, his entire record is squeaky clean. So Earl gets thrown into the life of a drug mule. He’s pretty much the perfect cover, and when he starts doing a great job, Earl very quickly becomes the cartels best and most reliable mule. Again, this is all about family, Earl is taking a serious risk, being tracked by DEA agents Bates (Bradley Cooper) and his partner (Michael Pena), and having to deal with well, the cartel.
You are going on a road trip with Clint, you spend a ton of time with him in his car, listening to him sing a various sort of songs, and I actually enjoyed this aspect of the film. As he keeps making these “runs” he soon figures out that he has bitten off way more than he can chew. But when he is able to help his community by re-opening his favorutie bar and pay for the open-bar at his grand-daughters wedding, Earl feels like this new gig is helping those most important to him. I wish we found out a little bit more about his past and why he is so distant with his family, missing one wedding couldn’t be all that he had done. That was one aspect I wish the film touched on because if the whole movie is going to circulate around this theme and this idea, it would have been more enjoyable if we knew just a tad more. Because when things between his family ultimately get better due to unfortunate circumstances that moment doesn’t feel as powerful as it could have. Clint is top-notch throughout, he played such a gentle, kind old man, but who also won’t take any shit from anyone, and toss in a pinch of racism. He has this charm, where Mexican cartel thugs learn to love him almost instantly and become his friend. Watching them teach Earl how to use a cell phone and text is quite funny.
Performances are great across the board, you can really tell how much Bradley Cooper admires Clint Eastwood, some even say he would love to be this generation, Clint. I’m pretty sure Bradley even let his Jackson Maine (A Star is Born) accent slip in a few scenes. Since Clint does make a movie every year, he can be really hit or miss, but I thought The Mule was another notch on his good belt. It surprised me in certain areas and I honestly thought I knew the whole movie before I even saw it. Tonally I don’t think it matched the great trailer, but that’s the job of a trailer, to sell you on a movie. I could have used more emotional beats, especially in those scenes that I felt could have been much more emotionally charged. With all that being said, I had fun with The Mule, and it’s one of Eastwood’s best films in recent memory. He has a great connection and chemistry with Cooper and I hope they continue to make movies together because I think Eastwood is going to outlive me.
Yes. That’s an actual shot from the actual trailer that will actually be in the actual movie. Mouth full ain’t it? Sweet lord, what a follow up to the best trailer of 2018. The hype is certainly real with the next installment into the Godzilla franchise. I was waiting all week for this puppy to drop and let me tell you something, it didn’t disappoint. After the release of the first trailer I knew it would be hard to top it. After watching this new one about 20 times already, I can safely say that it’s a tie! I feel like the music from the first one elevated the trailer so much, that it could have been a man watching paint dry and I still would have found it beautiful. But the actual footage in the newest trailer is so damn good, this is now my most anticipated movie of 2019.
Once again they really don’t need to show much in order to have people awe struck. It’s very very large monsters literally kick the shit out of one another. I will have your largest popcorn and soda pop please and thank you. For something that is so incredibly vast in scale, these monsters or titans as the trailer is putting it, looks rather breath-taking if you ask me. It’s so clean and cut and you can actually tell what the hell is going on. I don’t know how they pull this off or even begin to create something like this. All the monsters look so glorious and the King himself Godzilla is a forefront and he looks awesome.
Just an insane cast of stellar actors and actresses, that this promises to be one of the best films of 2019 (hopefully). Everything up to this point is pointing in the direction of this being a home run, and we haven’t even really seen all that much. Just imagine when King Kong shows up. God I love movies.
The only bad thing about Widows was the three guys sitting behind me shuffling their bags of popcorn after every handful.
Heist movies, they are a tale as old as time. We see them every so often, it’s a fantastic genre of movie. I’ve seen plenty of them in my life and some have even reached the upper echelon of my favorite films. What makes this genre so unique is when a talented filmmaker decides to add a little flavor of their own and tries not to reinvent the wheel, but rather create something we as film lovers have not seen before. Steve McQueen the wonderfully talent director of 12 Years A Slave,Hunger and Shame steps into new territory with Widows and I must say, he knocked it out of the park. He managed to take something I love and breathes new life into it, making for a thrilling, pulse-pounding, an emotionally charged entertaining heist film.
Widows certainly has shades of other great heist films, PointBreak, and TheTown both come to mind. McQueen takes from those great films and is able to add layers into what can at times, be described as a cut-and-dry genre. Walking out I thought to myself, if you took a blender and added a little MeanGirls, PointBreak and TheTown and blended them all flawlessly together, the end product would be Widows. I think that’s the highest regard I can give this movie. All three films I love and that’s just what it reminded of. We all know that in these types of movies there are usually men doing bad things for most of the time good reasons. To provide for their families, maybe it’s to start over, begin a new life. But what McQueen manages to do, is peel back the curtain and we examine what happens after a job goes bad. These men have families, they had lives outside the world of crime. So when they die, what happens to the things and the people they leave behind? This is the forefront of Widows, and I really loved this idea, as generic as it may seem, McQueen gets you invested in these women and you find yourself rooting for them the entire way. The reviews were pouring in, and for the most part, it was being met with the highest of praise, but some film reviewers I trust, didn’t see it that way. So I was curious to see which side of the fence I would land on. I can tell you that this is not only one of the best films of the year, but it also happens to be one of my favorites.
Losing a loved one is never easy, in fact, it’s one of the toughest hardships to deal with in life. But what happens when that loved one is dead and they owe 2 million dollars to some crazy, badass, terrifying people. Well, that is the rundown here, Veronica (Viola Davis) owes some bad people a lot of money. Her husband Harry (Liam Neeson) the head of the crew dies and she is left to pay his debt. The rest of his crew Florek (Shane Bernthal), Carlos (Manuel-Garcia Rulfo) and Jimmy (Coburn Goss) all perish with him in a heist gone horribly wrong. All four of these men had wives and a family, so when Veronica gets in contact with the other ladies to tell them that their lives are in danger, they take it upon themselves to pull their late husband’s final job and get out of this mess. Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and an outsider Belle (Cynthia Erivo) all decide that in order to protect not only themselves by the one a closest to them, but they must also band together and pull off this heist. On the other end of the spectrum, the ones trying to collect what’s rightfully theirs, we have the worst Manning brothers since Peyton and Eli. Jamal (Brian Tyree Henry) and Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya). Jamal is running for city council and wants to become the first African American in history to win his Ward, while Jatemme serves as his ruthless muscle (more on Kaluuya later). Standing in their way is Jack Mulligan (Colon Ferrel) whose family has been in politics for generations, and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. The political aspect of the movie was fine, it hits hard on some important issues and problems that America is dealing with today. But at the heart of Widows is a truly great heist film.
Like most heist films their are certain twists and turns along the way, one in particular that even had me say “NO WAY,” and in a time where you can kind of sense and feel out most movies, that one actually took me by surprise. Widows keeps you on your feet and keep you guessing until the very end. From the opening shot of the film you are invested and kind of all in on what is taking place. The story is great, but what makes Widows truly special are the performances. Viola Davis, as usual, is a juggernaut giving just a phenomenal emotional raw performance. She continues to be one of the best leading actresses Hollywood has to offer. We get to see her in a new light as well, she even had a Sarah Conner and Ripley look going on, rocking a white beater. Widows makes Davis look like a kickass action star. It should come as no shock that she’s fantastic and she does a great job carrying the emotional weight of this film. Elizabeth Debicki I thought was just wonderful and was going toe-to-toe with Davis in some pretty powerful scenes. But the man of the hour, Mr. Get Out himself, Daniel Kaluuya. My god, that man is a freight train from hell. I heard he was terrifying going in and he gave a goosebumps level performance, but you really have to see it, to believe it. He can do so much with his facial expressions. He does just that here because he is a man of very few words, but his actions jump off the screen. You’re on edge because you don’t know what he’s about to do, one moment he’s smiling, the next, you’re dead. It’s a chilling performance and one to remember in 2018. There’s a scene that takes place in a bowling alley and I legit had my hands over my mouth because it was about to hit the floor, he’s that damn good in Widows. His calm demeanor yet his ruthlessness meshed so incredibly well together, I want him for the next James Bond villain. The cast is obviously stacked and full of talent, but one thing was missing. Steve McQueen has worked with Michael Fassbender for every movie, but he sits this one out. The weakest part of Widows, although Liam Neeson is a terrific actor, I couldn’t see him in this role. I dunno, something was off and those scenes where’s he’s acting next to Viola Davis, he’s getting his ass kicked. I think that’s where Fassbender can elevate his game and I think he would have made the movie perfect. But that’s such a small nitpick because Neeson is wonderful, but I thought about that all during the movie.
Overall, Widows is full of powerful performances and a smart clever story. I was entertained the entire time and I was invested in our heroines the whole way through. Come Oscar season this may pop up here and there for certain categories, especially Viola Davis for best actress. If you enjoy heist flicks this will be right up your alley, I can’t recommend this movie enough. It’s not performing well at the box-office right now, which is crazy to me. Go support this movie, because we need more movies like Widows in our cinemas.
We are all about to be Billy Madison. Sitting around with a bunch of children. This generations Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
When news broke that Ryan Reynolds would be voicing the legend that is Pikachu, the world and myself really didn’t know how to react. But after watching the trailer and looking at this adorable picture, I can’t help but say I’m totally on board. Growing up Pokémon was a big part of my life, at one point in time I was one of the worlds best card players – probably, and I really fell in love with these characters. I can’t believe it’s taken this long to have a live adaptation of these beloved creatures.
I’m getting a vibe of Who Framed Roger Rabbit here, probably a little bit less dark, but they honestly couldn’t have picked a better person to voice Pikachu then good old Ryan Reynolds. But I’m so used to him playing Deadpool that I thought he was going to drop an F-bomb. This is going to be massive at the box-office. And if it turns out the movie is actually quite good as well, this could turn out to be a juggernaut. It looks like a lot of fun, and it was great seeing some of my old favourites again, mixing in some great jokes.
I will always have a soft spot for Pokémon, I’m sure a lot of people my age do. It was some what resurrected with Pokémon Go a few years ago, but this trailer just put a smile on my face maybe it’s because Reynolds was voicing the title character. I will for sure be there opening weekend, like I said this movie is going to be MASSIVE.
This is a dark atmospheric journey, that will mess with your mind, body and soul. Suspiria drags you to the depths of hell.
As darkness swirls at the centre of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.
But any who, Suspiria is a remake of the 1977 classic that was really genre defining when it was released. If you go back and watch the original you will notice the use of bright and vibrant colours and the use of colour is so highly regarded for that film, that going into the new version I expected the same. This movie is not at all like its predecessor when it comes to the colour scheme, rather I found the movie to be mostly dull. A lot of grey and beige, I guess it makes sense as this is 1970’s West Germany, but still to go from one extreme to another, probably through off a lot of fans in the process. I went into Suspiria with a open mind, I usually don’t go see movies like this, this is an art house film, with a ton of layers, symbolism and metaphors that are thrown into your face. After sleeping on it and really thinking hard about it today, I enjoyed Suspiria for what it is and if you don’t mind the run time of just over 2 hours and 30 minutes and enjoy the horror genre, I would recommend this movie for you.
I won’t go to deep into the plot or details of it because I don’t want to spoil anything, but like the original, it’s about a dance company that doubles as a breeding ground for Witches. We have Susie (Dakota Johnson) the new girl from Ohio, who sweeps the studio off their feet within seconds of her audition. Mainly her teacher Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton), who is a world renowned dancer and someone the girls at the company greatly respect. They immediately form a close and unique bond, and just in a few short days, Susie is dancing in the lead role for the company. Now I mentioned that this dance company is run by witches, so when I mean dance, they are secretly performing rituals, because these witches need the perfect sacrifice in order to resurrect their master. So Susie befriends a few of the girls in her class, one girl in particular Sara (Mia Goth) who over time becomes suspicious to her surroundings and what might be going on behind the scenes. You see one girl has “gone missing” Patricia (Chole Grace Moretz) who has found compassion and friendship in an 80 year old psychotherapist Josef (Tilda Swinton). Throughout the movie I knew something was up with this old man, he didn’t look right, it wasn’t until after the movie I found out that Tilda plays the role. She’s playing two parts here. It really just threw me off because something didn’t look right. Whether it was the makeup or the mask she was wearing, it didn’t look great and it was taking me out of the movie completely. So when Patricia goes missing, Josef takes it upon himself to investigate which ultimately leads him to Sara. They discuss the possibility of the Madame’s being witches.
Speaking of witches and witchcraft. This is a horror movie and there is some extreme graphic nature throughout. Without giving it away, there’s a scene which involves a room full of mirrors and some torture that well is the energize bunny because it just keeps going and going. Remember that Simpson’s episode, “Stop! Stop it! He’s already dead!” – yeah this is the equivalent to that. After about 30 seconds I was like this poor girl has had enough, 3 minutes later, I was telling myself – WHY IS THIS STILL HAPPENING? Without doubt the scene that will be stuck in my head for a long time and it’s the scene you will remember most when walking away from this movie. That was the highlight of the film for me, because the rest of the movie is so overstuffed and filled with fluff. It was hard to keep track of what was really going on, who was who and what these witches were even doing in West Germany to begin with. There is zero and I mean zero backstory or even acknowledgment of where they came from or how long they have been here, and I found that to be annoying. This movie is so long, and the fact they didn’t even decide to address that tells me the director Luca Guadagnino who is coming off Call Me By Your Name maybe bit off more than he could chew with Suspiria. It’s just so congested and at times confusing and I just think a few seconds to explain itself could have done wonders for the overall product.
I haven’t been the biggest fan of Dakota Johnson, but I must say, she impressed me here. I throughly enjoyed her overall performance in Suspiria, and I almost feel like she was the perfect choice for this role. Her quiet demeanour, and the way she moves and her body language really spoke volumes to me. She honestly kind of saved the movie from being a complete and utter train wreck. Her chemistry with Tilda Swinton is also great, she is another standout among the cast. Although I found it totally unnecessary that she play the role of Josef, for the reasons I mentioned above. The performances are certainly not the downfall to Suspiria. Pacing issues, bloated-ness and overall a lack of structure in the film making are the reasons this movie just isn’t as a whole, very good. Yes, there are some great moments of horror and fear to be had, some intense and gruesome deaths, but I expect that in a horror movie. What I want and what needs to happen in order for that genre to be successful is a well put together film. That isn’t achieved here with Suspiria, and I found myself lost for the most part.
All things considered, I’m happy I saw it. I went outside my comfort zone with this one and I believe some people will love it. But for the average movie-goer, this will not be their cup of tea. There’s also one witch that looks identical to Tina from Bobs Burgers, so maybe this is some sort of prequel or something, I dunno.
Bradley Cooper delivers the best performances of his career and lets the world know that he is a force to be reckoned with behind the director’s chair.
A musician helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral
So Bradley Cooper can really sing. They let you know this from the very opening moments of this film. Not only can this man sing, but he can also direct and he can act. Is there anything that this man cannot do? Going into A Star Is Born, the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper expectations were high. Reviews had been pouring in and everyone was declaring this a sensation and one of the best films of 2018. When it appeared at TIFF word of mouth was spreading fast, and this instantly shot up the ranks of my most anticipated movies to see before the end of the year.
Imagine a chance meeting, that is almost like a fairy tale playing out in reality. One of the biggest rock stars in the world, drunk off his ass, stumbles into the drag bar where you are performing. Well, when Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) does just that and is mesmerized by Ally (Lady Gaga) the moment he hears her open her mouth and sings, you know these two are destined for greatness together. So when Jackson asks her to have a drink with her, he wants to get to know this mysterious singer/songwriter. See Jackson might be a bonafide rock star, but he is battling inner demons. He has massive alcohol and drug issues, and he is looking for motivation and a new spark in his life. Jack is also losing his hearing from an issue he’s been dealing with his entire life. When Ally agrees to go to one of his shows, he drags her on stage to perform one of her songs together, and the crowd goes wild. In just a matter of minutes, Ally’s life is completely turned upside down, and she is thrust into this lifestyle of the rich and famous. From there we go on this rollercoaster emotional journey, that is filled with heartfelt love songs, the ups, and downs of being famous and the battle with the bottle. A Star Is Born is really everything I wanted it to be and more.
First things first, the music is incredible. I knew that Bradley Cooper could sing, but I didn’t know I would be blown away like I was. The concert scenes feel so authentic and real, I thought I was just watching a live taping of a band performing in concert. You get emotionally invested in these people because of the performances they are giving. Lady Gaga is phenomenal here. She isn’t the first singer to crossover into acting and gives an outstanding performance. Madonna and Jennifer Hudson both come to mind, but Lady Gaga sheds her usual over the top fashion look and transforms into another person completely. Their chemistry is great, and in a movie like this, that is either going to carry the film into great heights, or it will inevitably be its downfall. I believed that they were in love and that they fell for one another, which means that they probably spent some time together before filming.
It was interesting to watch Ally’s rise to fame while watching Jack battle his demons, all while trying to show her ropes of the business. One is flying high, while the other is battling each and every day with something that he doesn’t always want to share with those closest. His older brother Bobby (Sam Elliot) is the last family he’s got, and they have an intense and personal relationship. All three of them should be nominated come Oscar season, I can see big nominations for this. Bradley will not only get nominated for acting, but he should get a nomination for directing and this will be nominated for best picture. It’s a spectacle, and Bradley Cooper deserves so much credit for everything he has accomplished. Even Lady Gaga shocked me. She became so real, at times, I forgot just how overzealous she is in real life, I almost like this version of her better.
When you’re in love, you will do whatever it takes to make that person feel special. This is quite the love story. It’s a story about taking a chance on someone, even if they are from a different world. Alcoholism is a scary disease and I thought Cooper did an excellent job depicting addiction and how it not only affects those around you but how it ultimately runs your entire life. Addiction can consume you, no matter how much love and support you have in your life. Jack deals with it his entire life until it catches up with him, and he needs to go to rehab. This is an emotional film, with powerful performances, and it leaves you wondering if this is what life is truly like for world-famous rock stars.
Overall I thought the soundtrack and performances carried this movie really well. Bradley kind of sucks you in straight away and his performance is almost hypnotic. When you haven’t seen a certain actor do something like sing, you can really become invested in their role. The ending is soul crushing and it kind of leaves you wanting a little bit more. I know I’ll be pumping the soundtrack for the next few weeks.
Check ya later
Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – A Star Is Born = 91/100
The best Spike Lee movie since Inside Man, which came out over a decade ago. To say Spike is back is an understatement.
Remember the name Ron Stallworth. So this is based off some historical reference, making the story seem even more bizarre. Spike makes sure to mention this in the beginning moments of his newest film, because well, this whole story is kind of bat shit crazy.
It’s 1972 and the world is a different place, well actually it’s not that much different, as Spike comments on numerous times throughout the film. Stallworth (David John Washington) wants to be the first African-American police officer in Colorado. From the very get-go you get the sense that even the police themselves don’t know how to handle this situation and they are unsure of how to use Ron properly. He’s literally the first of his kind, there has never been an African-American police officer in his town. So when a Black Power activist holds a rally, they send Ron in undercover. There he meets Patrica (Laura Harrier) head of the black student union at the local university. Just like in Spider-Man Homecoming, Laura proves to be a great and up and coming actress. She is the one responsible for putting this rally together. We meet Kwame Ture played by Corey Hawkins, who comes is so hot. He’s pitching 100 miles per hour, he’s only in one scene, but it could have been one of my favourite scenes of the movie. He’s electric, and I just thought he did an unbelievable job for the little screen time he gets. Local police are worried about the black community protesting and causing trouble and they even believe there could be a civil war on the horizon. Ron suggests otherwise and that Kwame was just trying to get a rise out of the crowd and that they are harmless.
After a successful undercover job, Ron gets promoted to the intelligence unit. That’s where this story takes a weird but altogether incredible journey. There he meets Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) his soon to be “white counterpart.” Ron feeling good about himself sees an ad in the local paper about joining the KKK. Inclined, he calls the phone number listed and talks to the director of the Colorado section Walter (Ryan Eggold). The two hit it off on the phone, so Ron obviously wants to peruse things further. That will prove to be difficult, because, well…..he’s black. So that’s where Flip comes into play. He goes undercover as Ron and together they infiltrate the KKK. Ron, as he describes is fluid in both “white man” and “jive” and that’s how he is able to talk to these white KKK members. Because as they love to mention, “they can always tell when they aren’t talking to a white man on the phone.” The back and forth on the phone is hysterical, and Washington has some tremendous comedic chops. This really is a star making performance by the man. Couldn’t be happier for him, he’s about to be on the rise.
Topher Grace pops up and plays David Duke, and it was really nice to see Topher back working on a great project. He delivers quite the performance here, and obviously a lot of his language used throughout the movie is just god awful. A few of the Klan members, sorry, “organization” members are interesting characters themselves. Some you just need to see for yourselves. I said organization because they didn’t want to go by the Klan I guess, and it’s funny to hear them correct people throughout the film about this little mistake. I bet making a movie like this can serve to be a little difficult. I mentioned the language, which a movie about the KKK, there is going to be extremely strong offensive language used by everyone. But I recently listened to a podcast with Washington, who said that on set, Spike is so great with the entire cast and crew and makes everyone feel comfortable and relaxed, that it makes the whole process that much easier. Those are the tall tale signs of a mature, veteran film-maker, and Spike happens to be all of that.
Spike is really on his game here, the film is shot beautifully, and there’s even a classic floating dolly sequence that Spike has become known for. This is a powerful movie. It feels powerful from the very opening moments of it. Yes there is a ton of comedic moments, but thats because the premise of it is so unbelievable. Spike wants to get a message across, and by the end of it, the message is pretty damn clear. Powerful message, powerful performances, and once the film is over, they bring it all back to present day America. This was the hardest hitting part of the movie, because this thing takes place in 1972, and in present day America, things don’t seem that much different. This should be nominated come awards season, well it better be. I’m ecstatic for everyone who was involved. Adam Driver once again proves he can do anything, Overall, one of 2018’s best films to date, with a strong message behind it, made by the right man. Again it’s a smaller film that scores big from me, not another sequel or generic summer blockbuster. Go see this movie! Support smaller movies!
Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – BlacKKKlansMan = 95/100
