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The Wild Robot (2024)
Heartfelt story with a gorgeous art style!
This is easily the best-animated movie of 2024.
The story and message are incredibly heartfelt and wonderfully done. The theme of family, communities coming together and accepting being different have been done hundreds of times before but The Wild Robot still executes this in such a masterful way that it will still be incredibly touching.
The animation and art style are beautiful with many stunning shots. It is hard to believe that this film had a $78 million budget, especially when compared to the $200 million budget of Inside Out 2. Every voice actor does a phenomenal job as well and it doesn't feel phoned in.
This is a must watch film and I hope Dreamwork continues to give more of this and less of Kung Fu Panda 4.
Shogun (2024)
One of the best TV shows in recent history
This is an excellent drama set in 1600s Japan. The plot is incredibly engaging, and it exceptional explores political tension, religion, and Japanese culture.
Hiroyuki Sanada gives a phenomenal performance as Lord Toranaga, and Anna Sawai is a surprising standout as Mariko. Cosmo Jarvis plays the white man outcast John Blackthorn, and he can come off a bit stiff in his performance, but I think overall, he does a great job as an outsider. My only gripe is the final episode, with the series not portraying what it built up in a more impactful way.
Nevertheless, this is still one of the best TV shows in recent history, and I highly recommend it!
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
One Mediocre Dance
It is genuinely impressive that Sony managed to make the most mediocre trilogy ever with such an iconic character.
In terms of enjoyment, Eddie and Venom continue to be a delightfully fun duo. In this 3rd movie, they are basically on a road trip and that was relatively entertaining for the most part. The final act of the movie was also a pretty enjoyable CGI action fest with some emotional scenes.
However, the story and script are still as flat as ever. The narrative feels very half baked with it feeling like a chain of things just randomly happening. Pointless characters that don't add much. Jokes being thrown at you just to see which land. Rhys Ifans and Chiwetel Ejiofor characters could have been played by anyone but feels purposely done because they knew fans recognised them from other Marvel projects. The villain Knull looks cool but is just there to be teased for future projects.
Overall, it is better than the second film but just on par with the first. It is a mediocre final entry. Sony continues to disappoint with their universe and We all know Venom is coming back somehow. I do worry for Spiderman 4 and hope Sony don't mess that movie in anyway.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Flipping the horror genre on its head
An incredibly clever and meta take on the horror comedy genre. It is both a love letter and a criticism on the cliches and tropes used in horror movies. What makes this film unique is how it uses the tropes for its narrative purpose.
I personally, would move or remove some of the scenes in the first act to give the movie a sense of mystery. There is a lot of scenes with a certain duo that I feel would have been better introduced in the second act. That way the first act feels more like a cliche horror movie because it gets completely flipped on its head in the second act. Apart from that, I find this to be a throughly enjoyable film!
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
The Joke was truly on me for watching this
It is an incredibly poor courtroom drama, an incredibly dull romance, an incredibly abysmal drama and thriller, and a terrible musical.
While this movie does have outstanding cinematography and visuals, with a continually great performance from Joaquin, it is just so terrible in every other aspect. The story feels like a complete waste of time and adds nothing while also destroying everything about the first movie. Fans of the first are going to hate this, and it certainly isn't going to bring in anyone new, either.
So it just raises the question of who exactly is this movie for?
This movie was an absolute joke.
Wolfs (2024)
2 huge stars in a generic and not-very-memorable movie
Seeing George Clooney and Brad Pitt reunite in a movie was a genuine delight. They both play professional fixers forced to work together despite being lone wolves. Both of them continue to have wonderful chemistry, which leads to a relatively entertaining buddy cop sort of movie.
However, the story is very straightforward and has all the expected tropes in these types of stories. The comedy isn't laugh-out-loud funny but can give you a slight smile. When there are action scenes, in which there is very little off, it is serviceable at most.
It is a bit of a shame that with 2 huge stars, all they made was a generic and not-very-memorable movie. Nevertheless, it was still quite enjoyable to watch for a streaming movie.
Hai Phuong (2019)
A big step in Vietnam action movies!
A great martial art, action movie from Vietnam. What surprised me most though was the excellent production. The film has excellent lighting and cinematography with its lovely use of colours. Veronica Ngo is amazing as the main lead and she gives a strong performance, especially during emotional moments.
The plot is very straightforward with another "child gets taken" plot seen in many movies before. The problem is that it teases some criminal underground stuff and gangster backstory of our main lead but doesn't explore it enough. You never really truly get to know our main lead.
Still, I enjoyed it a lot and it certainly feels like a big step in Vietnamese Cinema.
Gekijôban Spy x Family Code: White (2023)
two hours of Spy X Family goodness
This movie is two hours of Spy X Family goodness! Everything you love from the show is in here: the fun family slice-of-life dynamic, the ridiculously fun comedy with wacky goofiness from lovable daughter Anya, the suave spy action from Loid, and badass fight action set pieces from Yor. The animation is mostly similar to the show, but there are moments in the final act where the animation is glorious!
However, the story isn't really much to write home about and the villain is very "underbaked" (pun intended).
Overall, this is a very fun movie set in the Spy X Family universe. If you love the show, you'll love the movie.
Trap (2024)
Another dud from M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan has been on another recent surge of just disappointing movies. Glass (2019) was a disappointing sequel, Old (2021) had some of the worst written dialogue ever and Knock at the Cabin (2023) was incredibly bland. All of them had extremely great concepts but was pulled down by the story. Trap (2024) is another great concept with a serial killer trying to escape a concert surrounded by cops. Is this finally a hit or another to add in his disappointing entries?
Firstly, Josh Harnett is phenomenal as the main lead. He manages to convey layers of depth to his character from his performance alone. Josh is absolutely convincing as a serial killer but also a loving man who cares about his family. Not only that, but he can deliver the expected poorly written lines from Shyamalan with such charisma that it actually feels natural. This actor alone was carrying the movie!
I would also say the first half of this movie was very engaging. The cat and mouse games as he plans ways of escaping was such of the most enjoyable moments. There were some very tension-filled scenes that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat as you felt like he was on the verge of getting caught. Shyamalan also continues to give great cinematic shots with some terrific cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom with his use of lighting in the concert.
However, the second half of this movie takes a huge nosedive in quality. The movie starts to lose a lot of its charm and starts to become insanely stupid. Characters start doing things that no humans would ever do. Things start happening that would make no sense when you think about it logically. All the tension-filled and fun is just completely gone in the second half and the movie just isn't enjoyable anymore.
I was also annoyed by the blatant nepotism from the director. His daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, plays the singer in this film and she is given way too much screen time. There are so many scenes where it is just her singing for 2 minutes straight and just padding the movie for no reason. This would be mildly acceptable but then he starts giving her a bigger role in the second half and she just isn't a great actress. The movie has some pacing issues with scenes dragging too long and it definitely overstays its welcome in the final act. Could easily cut this movie by 10 minutes.
Overall, it is an improvement over his previous film Knock at the Cabin (2023) but again, not by much. I still appreciate him as one of the few directors who still deliver original and unique movies. However, he needs to execute these better because Trap (2024) continues to be another dud from him.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
fun movie even if it feels like a less interesting Inglorious Basterds
The ensemble cast is terrific. Henry Cavill is incredibly charismatic, Alan Ritchson is funny and badass while Eiza Gonzales is surprisingly very charming. It was clear that a lot of the cast was having a lot of fun. The action scenes are also stunning and I especially love the hand-to-hand combat. Alan Ritchson even goes full Rambo with the bow and arrow in one of them.
Unfortunately, there isn't much depth to any of the characters and you will barely remember any of their names. The second act and parts of the final act are incredibly dull and the pacing is just too slow. The movie could easily cut out 10-20 minutes of runtime to improve the pacing.
Overall, it was a fun movie from Guy Ritchie even if it feels like a less interesting Inglorious Basterds.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
'You made a lot of mistakes, a lot. And you will make a lot more in the future.'
Inside Out 2 is a solid sequel and a great return to form from Pixar. The story feels like a natural evolution from the first with Riley now dealing with puberty and new emotions; Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui.
Anxiety is the big focus in this sequel and it makes for a great conflict with the original emotions from the first film. There is a great message and a very sincere storytelling, just like in the first entry. My only gripe is that the story focuses a lot on the main "do well at hockey camp" story and doesn't go fully into all the puberty stuff. It also doesn't have a satisfying conclusion to the "fitting in with new friends" subplot which makes the ending not as satisfying as the first.
Nevertheless, this is a terrific sequel and I think there is a chance for a great 3rd film in the future!
Kill (2023)
The Raid for Indian Cinema!
I came into this expecting a generic action movie but surprisingly got something that feels like The Raid for Indian cinema!
I love the action choreography and how they don't simply make the main character an invincible beast. He gets hurt a lot during the many fight scenes and he also gradually gets tired as the fight goes on for longer. I also appreciate how they incorporate the claustrophobic setting of the train into the action set pieces. The action in general is very gritty, bloody and brutal which I absolutely adore!
The story is a simple revenge story and doesn't really go beyond that. The main character and the love interest aren't explored in depth either. The movie does surprisingly give a fair amount of depth and principles to the villains which I liked.
Overall, this movie is a blast! I'm not remotely surprised that Hollywood is now trying to do an American adaptation of this.
Twisters (2024)
A fun over-the-top summer blockbuster
Twisters is a standalone sequel to Twister (1996). It being standalone, is actually quite a blessing as we don't get the blatant fan service you would expect from these legacy sequels. This movie knows exactly what it is meant to be, a fun over-the-top summer blockbuster and it succeeds at it.
The main leads played by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell who have a fun chemistry. Glen Powell's character is the douche archetype at the beginning but gets a surprising amount of depth. The actual tornado scenes are exciting to watch and are decent visually. Unfortunately, The plot is very predictable and none of the other characters are remotely interesting. However, the movie is still fun to watch and I enjoyed it.
Borderlands (2024)
They don't care, so why should you?
Directed by a guy who don't care about the game, miscast by a casting director who don't care about the games, containing actors who don't care about the games, written by a person who don't care about the games and produced by a studio that don't care about the games.
They don't care, so why should you?
In an era where we were starting to finally get a bunch of great video game adaptations, they had to give us this stinker. It boggles my mind that they managed to make every single wrong choice while making this movie. Why on Earth this is PG13 when the games were VERY R rated is beyond me...
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Alien Isolation vibes
Crazy to think that the first Alien movie came out in 1979 and is one of the most pivotal science fiction movies in history. It also managed to get a sequel in 1986 that managed to be even better and become another pivotal movie in Sci-fi. Sadly, every other entry in this franchise has not been remotely as good. Is Alien Romulus the first actual good Alien movie since 1986?
The story itself is straightforward but what makes this entry great is the main core of the story, the brother and sister relationship between our main characters. Rain played by Cailee Spaeny is the heroine of this movie. She does a great job and her character is very likeable. It is also a joy to see her not be one of those characters who make dumb decisions which you see in many horror movies. Her brother Andy played by David Jonsson who does a terrific job in the role. Both David and Cailee have great chemistry and you root for their survival throughout the whole of the movie. This entry goes back to the horror roots of the original Alien and it is done very effectively in Romulus. There are some genuinely tension-inducing scenes including one that pays homage to the game 'Alien: Isolation' that is terrific. Fede is well known for body horror and he continues to deliver disgusting scenes here as well.
I appreciate how they bring back the gritty and dark look from the older Alien entries for this one. The world and the ship look dirty and dark which further elevates the creepiness. The practical sets are phenomenal with lovely practical effects for some of the Facehuggers and Xenomorph scenes. CGI is still used a fair amount but they look good for the most part. The cinematography is great with how it conveys the unsettling and claustrophobic nature of the ship. The sound design and the score are amazing in the way they help make the scenes feel incredibly tense.
The movie isn't perfect though. The rest of the crew apart from the main characters are very forgettable. The movie doesn't fully delve into any of the other characters apart from 1 or 2 lines about them. Instead of rooting for their survival, you just know they are fodder and want to see how they die. The iconic Xenomorphs don't start to appear until halfway and even then, they don't appear much. The major threat is really the Facehuggers but they start to appear too much to the point that you want to see something else now. The final act might also be a bit divisive to people. The first two acts are homages to the previous Alien movies but the final act is something else entirely. It is insanely weird and you're going to either love it or hate it. They also bring back an actor from the dead using current tech and it sounds as bad as you think. The CGI is very obvious.
Overall, it is nice to finally have a proper enjoyable Alien movie in such a long time. It does make me wonder where they can go with this franchise though. It will be extremely overdone if we keep getting another survivors who are attacked by Aliens on a ship or planet story again. What made Aliens great was that it did something drastically different from the first. Hopefully, with the success of Romulus, we can get a bolder Alien movie in the future.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)
Fine Popcorn fun but very predictable plot
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence continue to have great chemistry as the Bad Boys. This entry does put a new spin on the franchise by having Mike (Will Smith) be the scared one and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) be the chilled calm one which makes for some great comedy and tension. Mike finally has a family and that means something to lose. Martin continues to deliver on the humour and many moments with him got a chuckle out of me.
Unfortunately, the plot is incredibly predictable. The so-called "twist" is not even remotely surprising and every character arc is very generic. The action scenes are fine but lack the octane energy of the first 2 movies. There is one great action set piece but it is not from Will Smith or Martin's character.
Still, it is fun popcorn entertainment and I had a good time with it.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Deadpool is Marvel Jesus
Deadpool 1 and 2 were some of the best things to come out of Fox. When Disney brought Fox, I hoped that Ryan Reynolds would remain as Deadpool. Thankfully this is the case but they also brought back Hugh Jackman as Wolverine despite the perfect send-off in Logan. Does Deadpool continue to entertain or is this a tainting of Ryan and Hugh Jackman's legacy?
Let's get the obvious out of the way, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are still phenomenal as their Deadpool and Wolverine respectively. Both of them have excellent antagonistic chemistry. The contrast between Jackman's serious performance and Reynolds's jokey performance is incredibly fun to watch. What made previous Deadpool movies great is that while it was primarily a comedy, it had a lot of heart too. This is still the case here. Deadpool's love for Vanessa and his friends is still here and despite his stupid antics, it is very clear he is serious about them. Wolverine has immense guilt and Jackman's excellent performance conveys the pain perfectly. Both have great character arcs that are honestly very heart-warming and satisfying.
On that note, the comedy continues to be hilarious! You still get the crude and dirty jokes, the fun meta ones, the downright silly ones. All of which got a chuckle out of me. What I appreciate most though is that the movie doesn't shy away from jokes that point fun at Disney or the current state of the MCU. The movie being part of the multiverse saga did worry me about it being a cameo fest. There are definitely moments with short appearances of individuals but there are also some proper appearances. Some of these "cameos" feel more like a supporting character. The movie also has a killer soundtrack that is used very effectively. There is a great sequence with Madonna and NSYNC that still stick in my mind. There are also some very entertaining action sequences that are well-choreographed. There is an excellent one in the intro and a unique one involving a car.
Yet, for some reason, one of the action sequences in the beginning of the 3rd act is just weirdly bad. This one particular action set piece had such awful cuts and shaky camera that it was nearly impossible to tell what was going on. It is weird as every action set piece before was terrific and even the one after is amazing. None of them had shaky camera, except that one particular one. The Deadpool movies have had a lot of jokes that feel like you would need a bit of knowledge of things that occurred in the real world to understand. In this entry, there are definitely a lot more of these types of jokes. I understood all of it which is why it made me laugh but I was watching the movie with someone else and the jokes flew over their head. It's not a big problem but it is something to note, especially if you plan on watching this with another person.
One of the weakest aspects of this movie compared to previous entries is the story. The stakes are higher than it ever has been with the whole universe of Deadpool being at stake. The problem is that we don't ever really feel it. There is no tension, suspense or urgency to the oncoming doom. Deadpool and Wolverine don't ever feel like they're in any rush. The multiverse setting also results in what feels like nothing is truly ever at stake. Characters could die but it never really feels like their death means anything. It also introduces more rules to the multiverse and it just raises so many questions. Despite this being a Deadpool movie in the MCU, the story is very inconsequential and doesn't really add anything. I also find the villain, Cassandra Nova, to be quite dull. They have cool powers and Emma Corrin gives a lively performance as the character. However, the villain's motive is very weak and they are not given enough depth for us to care one bit about them.
Overall, Deadpool is Marvel Jesus. After a lot of stinkers from MCU movies, we finally get a genuinely great one. It doesn't taint the legacy left behind by Fox X-Men movies. If anything, Deadpool & Wolverine is a celebration of those past movies. It respectfully honours our nostalgia while also giving us hope for the future of MCU movies. I can't wait to see where Deadpool will turn up next!
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Apes together, continue to be strong!
The Andy Serkis Planet of the Apes prequel/reboot was one of the most surprisingly enjoyable modern trilogies. The second movie in particular, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, is phenomenal! It was a great conclusion and didn't need more but when has that stopped Hollywood? The 4th entry no longer has Andy Serkis or director Matt Reeves. It is a whole new beginning of a new trilogy. Does it live up to what was done before?
Firstly, the film is visually remarkable! In an era where it feels common to see bad CGI, it is just lovely to see a movie where the CG is amazing. It also has great cinematography with a lot of gorgeous-looking shots. The movie being set 300 years after War of the Planet of the Apes, results in some great-looking world design. Seeing these old human landscapes covered in green in the background really showcases the time skip. It is also fun to see as well, such as a Baseball Stadium or shopping mall as places the characters go through. I also appreciate that they don't acknowledge it because why would they know what a shopping mall is? These locations are for us the audience to appreciate.
It was also difficult to make a great new protagonist after the amazing Caesar but I find Noa a good new protagonist. He is incredibly likeable and relatable, which is why it was easy to root for him on his quest. Proximus was also a solid villain despite only coming into play in the second half of the movie. He is basically a cult leader who is very charismatic yet menacing. There is also a great supporting character in Raja, an Orangutan that Noa meets. He is a fun character for Noa to bounce off. The actors all do a phenomenal job with special praise to Kevin Durand as Proximus. The first half with the adventure between Noa and Raja is the most fun and engaging part of the film.
Unfortunately, the second half is just not as good. Once the story has the character stuck in one location is when it starts to become kind of dull. There are many scenes where the characters are just sitting around and talking while the plot barely moves. The movie ends up feeling too long when it could easily shave off 10 minutes to improve the pacing. The music score is also very underwhelming. Michael Giacchino sadly doesn't return to compose and is instead replaced by John Paesano. However, he didn't do a great job as I didn't feel like there was a memorable soundtrack that elevated any of the scenes.
One of the strong elements of the Caesar trilogy is the strong human character to balance out with the Apes. Rise with Franco, Dawn with Jason and Gary Oldman, and War with Woody Harrelson. Kingdom has Mae played by Freya Allan but her character is just not that strong. Her story is very vague as it feels like they are leaving that for the sequel. It leads to her not being that likeable or interesting. It gets annoying in the second half when it starts to feel like she is taking the main character role away from Noa.
Overall, Kingdom is not as good as the Caesar trilogy. However, it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. There is a lot of charm in this movie and it is an engaging coming-of-age story. The ending is also intriguing enough that I would love to see where the sequel would take the story.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
You must WITNESS IT!
This is still one of the best action movies I've ever seen!
2 hours of exhilarating action and practical stunts with phenomenal performances from everyone. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are both phenomenal as the main leads. The supporting actresses for the wives are great. I love how the wives all have distinct personalities despite the limited screentime. Nicholas Hoult is charming as Nux the Warboy.
I am glad that there isn't so much explanation about everything. The movie throws you straight into the insane world and you just understand it from the get-go. The story has a surprising amount of weight as well.
You must WITNESS IT!
Civil War (2024)
Sadly doesn't do more with its premise
Civil War has such an interesting and even insane concept. The American states are becoming divided because of a fascist president and are now split into multiple factions. You think they will explore how it got to this, all the ideals of the differing factions and how on Earth would Texas and California be willing to team up.
Sadly, this movie doesn't go into depth about any of the political stuff and keeps it vague. Civil War is actually more of an exploration of war photography than the war itself. The characters are all one-dimensional archetypes with the jaded main character, the old wise teacher figure, the cool drunk guy and the newbie. It never goes beyond with the story.
Nevertheless, the action set pieces are incredible. The visuals and soundtrack are also terrific but if you wanted something bold then this is sadly not it.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
A Quiet Place: The Quest for Pizza
A Quiet Place has been one of the few great horror movies in modern cinema. However, the first 2 movies were set over a year after the apocalyptic event that caused everyone to be quiet. So to no one's surprise, a prequel was bound to happen. Does it live up to the previous movies in the franchise?
Firstly, Lupita Nyong'o is amazing as the main lead. She plays a terminally ill cancer patient who is just so sick and tired of being near death all the time. Due to this, her character can come off as quite mean. However, Lupita's great performance manages to make her still come off as very likeable and a character that you will still root for. Joseph Quinn plays the other main character who is quite the opposite, he is absolutely frightened of death. Praise to the director/writer as his character could easily be annoying but due to how he is written and Joseph's confident performance, he ends up being a very enjoyable character. Both the actors have great chemistry and the bonding of both characters is incredibly heartfelt.
The supporting characters are also pretty good. Djimon Hounsou returns as the unnamed character from part 2 but this time has a name! He continues to deliver a terrific performance, no matter how small his screen time. Likewise, I also like Alex Wolff's character and his fun interactions with Lupita's character. The best supporting character though is the Cat and yes you will want this Cat to live no matter what. I also appreciate that they used a real Cat and rarely ever used CGI for it. The set pieces are also incredibly tense and very exciting to watch. There are some great ones such as dozens of aliens chasing our characters into a building which is seen in the trailers or the subway one. It also helps that the music composed for the movie is utilised effectively and never feels like it is too much. The movie is also visually great. Nevertheless, the best moments are the downtime moments where characters are just interacting with one another. It has a very strong final act as well.
However, I do have some gripes. For some reason, this entry has a fair amount of jump scares. I would be fine with it if it was done in a way that it is built up but there are some very cheap and even one nonsensical jump scare. I am also a little disappointed that the prequel concept is not utilised in a meaningful way. We don't get much information on how the government is fighting back against the aliens or how they are figuring out anything about the aliens. It also annoys me that we don't have the characters naturally discover things about the aliens. For example, the characters realise that the aliens can't swim, not because they saw an Alien fail to do it but because military Helicopters told them so. I am also annoyed at Djimon Honsou again having a small role. Apart from getting his name now, we still barely know anything about his character. It is also weird how the Cat doesn't ever make any noise. It also gets weirdly forced into set pieces. There are also some cool scenes in the trailers that are not in the movie for some reason.
Overall, if you liked the first two movies then Day One is more or less the same as that. It being a prequel doesn't feel that relevant but it is still a fun time and I look forward to more in this franchise.
Boy Kills World (2023)
Bill Skarsgard in an action movie? Yes Please!
The story is a generic revenge flick with an interesting concept of a mute and deaf protagonist. The main character has an inner voice which is voiced by H. Jon Benjamin of Archer and Bob's Burger fame. This sounds interesting on paper but the problem is that the lines are so obnoxious and there are too many. It is always some kind of stupid quip or stating an obvious. It has a lot of comedy but most didn't land for me.
However, you are here for the action and it delivers on those. It has a lot of gore, gunplay, martial arts and over-the-top set pieces. It really shines in the 3rd act in both the story and the action. The final fight is a top-tier choreographed fight.
In the end, Boy Kills World knows what it is and gives you exactly that. A bloody, fun action comedy!
Kokoro ga sakebitagatterunda. (2015)
3rd act and ending kind of let this down
I like a lot of Mari Okada's work including Anohana, Maquia and O Maidens in Your Savage Season. However, I came out of "The Anthem of the Heart" with very mixed feelings.
It is a high school drama that feels a bit half-baked. The drama mostly revolves around the main girl, Jun Naruse, who cannot speak because of an event that occurred in the past. This is an interesting premise but the problem is that this is not the main focus as much as it should. Instead, we have a lot of romance subplots with other supporting characters that just aren't developed enough. The third act and even the ending felt incredibly forced as well. I do give props for not being predictable and being a decent message but the execution is kind of poor. This premise feels like it would be better as an anime series than a movie. That way, the supporting characters and even the romance could be more developed.
The movie does have great animation, character design and music. Unfortunately, if you wanted a good high school drama or romance, this is not it.
Challengers (2024)
Quite a challenge to watch but there is some enjoyment here
This is a personal preference but I find it difficult to love a movie when all the main characters are just terrible human beings. Despite Challengers being exactly that, I ended up liking this one.
An engaging love triangle story with tons of drama. Great cinematography and unique camera work. An electrifying soundtrack and terrific performances from everyone. The characters are unfortunately all very unlikeable and this can be a problem to enjoying this. It's a shame how Zendaya's character might actually be one of the worst human being out of the 3 of them. However, if you can get past that or accept this then there is a pretty entertaining Tennis movie here.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
An enjoyable movie but it doesn't quite live up to Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies ever made. I have been craving for another Tom Hardy sequel for years! I understand that because of the lawsuit with WB is the reason why the sequel still hasn't happened. For now, we have a prequel concerning Charlize Theron's character, Furiosa, from Fury Road. Is this a worthy entry in the Mad Max saga?
One enjoyable thing about the Mad Max films is that they all feel very different. Furiosa is no exception. It is a very gang-driven, political and revenge-filled story. We get a lot of world-building on how the Wasteland is operating with all its factions. Seeing the political tension between the previous villain Immortan Joe and the new villain Dementus is very engaging. It is also interesting to see a calmer and smarter Immortan Joe. I also like that we get to see what "The Green Place" looked like as we only got tiny mentions before. The prequel story also successfully expands more on how Furiosa is where she is by the time of Fury Road. By the end, I do sympathise with her more.
On that note, Anna Taylor Joy does a good job as a younger Furiosa. She doesn't have much dialogue but she does great through facial and body performance alone. Chris Hemsworth is the highlight of this film though as the villain Dementus. He is clearly having a lot of fun and does a great job of hamming it up. His villainous speeches are thoroughly entertaining! The rest of the supporting cast do a wonderful job as well but special praise to Lachy Hulme as a younger Immortan Joe. He does a terrific job living up to the previous actor Hugh Keays-Byrne. One of the most important things of a Mad Max film is the action and there is certainly a lot of it. Every action set piece is a marvellous spectacle with its over-the-top violence and incredibly well-made wasteland vehicles.
Unfortunately, the action scenes here just aren't as great to look at as it was in Fury Road. This is because the CGI and colour grading are just not that well done in Furiosa. Fury Road did a majority of the action practically while CGI was used subtly to enhance the movie. Furiosa has a fair amount of action scenes that are not done practically. We have action set pieces that are entirely CGI or scenes that contain lots of green screens. These CGI are very noticeable and can pull you out of the movie. The colour grading is just orangey for the most part and looks way too clean for an apocalyptic movie. Visually, Furiosa just doesn't look as nice and the cinematography never quite mesmerises me.
Junkie XL returns to compose the music for Furiosa. His score for Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the most amazing things ever. However, his music score is so incredibly underwhelming in Furiosa. It doesn't help that the action scenes are oddly silent when they would greatly benefit from an epic soundtrack. Junkie XL feels wasted this time. The movie also lacks the kinetic and fast-paced editing that you would expect from director George Miller but here it just feels generic. The movie is also 148 minutes long (28 minutes longer than Fury Road) and you definitely feel it. There are a fair amount of moments where the pace is quite slow and the last 20 minutes of the movie does drag a bit.
Overall, Furiosa is still an enjoyable movie but it doesn't quite live up to Fury Road. Still, it is impressive that George Miller was able to make this when he was nearing 80 years old. I am still looking forward to a Tom Hardy Mad Max sequel that will blow me away again because Furiosa doesn't quite do that.