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Posts Tagged ‘New Movie reviews’

Wonder Woman 1984 Movie Review

Posted in Comic Book Movies, Fantasy literature, New Movie reviews, Reviews, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

by LaTaeya Lane

New Wonder Woman 1984 poster is totally '80s

Wonder Woman 1984, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot and Kristen Wiig is the second installment in the Wonder Woman Film Franchise. This film focuses on how Diana tries to deal with the devesting loss of her one true love, Steve Trevor, while she attempts to find balance in other aspects of her life. As Diana faces her grief, she encounters a darkness that is unleashed upon the world that threatens humanity’s survival. Diana’s choices and the choices that others make around her have a domino effect upon Diana.

Warning: Spoilers Below:

 I must say that Gal Gadot is an amazing actress and I love her in her role as Wonder Woman. Kristen Wiig, as Barbara Minerva, did a fantastic job playing the female antagonist.  Both women were great in this film. They had a lot of great scenes together and had great chemistry.

The main problem with this film was the overall storyline and score: The writing was so disconnected from the time, and the story did not cohesively connect to Diana. The opening scene takes place in a Mall, and I felt like Wonder Woman taking on a mall robbery was more appropriate for Spiderman (excuse the Universe crossover) but Wonder Woman in a mall saving people is beneath her and her abilities.)

The whole concept centered around Max Lord could have been done in a more creative and balanced manner. I liked Pedro Pascal as the villain, but the idea of him consuming the powers of an ancient stone could have turned into one of the greatest superhero good versus evil concepts ever written. The movie fell so flat on so many levels with the writing aspect. I also felt that the directing was a bit disconnected. When people watch this film, or at least when I anticipated watching this film, I came in with the same high expectations that the first Wonder Women film and the Justice League films created and delivered.

I must admit that I was disappointed.

If you are going to put a year in the title of a film, then you better be prepared to present aspects of score and cinematography in a way that transports your audience to that time. The mall scene looked like a mall from the ’80s but I can’t recall any other important components that would bring me to that time. As an 80’s kid, I wanted to feel those happy feelings and see those sights that would bring me back there. This film missed the mark big time, especially with the music. The music in a movie is responsible for the entire mood of a movie. It brings emotions, magic, connections; it is the last puzzle that connects all the other pieces together and unfortunately WW84 did not deliver that.

I have mixed feelings about the fashion. Gal and Kristen’s costumes were amazing! I loved everything that was presented in the film with those two. Even Steven Trevor’s costumes looked good, (they did try too hard with his wardrobe changes. I even loved Diana’s armor. I just had a problem with the fact that Diana should have had that armor when she and her Justice League colleagues battled Steppenwolf. The use of the armor did not seem to fit the situation she was in.

Overall, I gave this movie three stars for my loyalty to Gal and the Wonder Woman Franchise. It’s worth watching since WW3 is in the works, as well as additional Justice League Franchise films. I just hope that they upgrade their writing team for the future.

L.L.

Check out the trailer below:

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Bill and Ted Face the Music Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 1, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Warning Spoilers Below:

Bill and Ted Face the Music, directed by Dean Parisot and starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, picks up over twenty years after the events that took place during the Battle of Bands. Bill and Ted, married with adult children, still find themselves struggling to make their musical dreams come true while still hanging on to their unfilled destiny to save the world with a song that is intended to realign the Universe. As they try to fulfill their destiny and attempt to save their marriages, Bill and Ted are recruited by Rufus’ Daughter, played by Kristen Schaal, to come up with the Universe saving song in just a few hours.  Bill and Ted accept the mission and quickly head off in their iconic Phone Booth time machine to travel into the future to get the song they wrote. Meanwhile, Bill and Ted’s daughters set off on their own adventure to help gather important historical figures to create a brand-new band for their fathers.

Overall, Bill and Ted Face the Music is a great movie. The flow and tone of the film had a sweet familiarity that fans will appreciate and love. The reprisal of the original cast was refreshing to see; characters such as Missy, Deacon, Death, and Sargent Logan. The addition of Bill and Ted’s daughters added a refreshing take to the franchise while giving them their own special moments to share. (I got the feeling that Bill and Ted were passing the torch.)  Most of all, it was amazing to see the Holographic Image of Rufus played by the late and talented George Carlin. The emotions flowed when he came across the screen, and Bill and Ted acknowledged him tenderly.

The story was presented fluidly, while it answered some questions and tied some storyline loose ends. Some new characters were introduced, and the addition of Robot, played by Anthony Carrigan, brought the concept of “feel-good comedy” into the film. The scenes and visual effects brought the movie franchise into the 21st century, and Alex and Keanu’s performances were classic and magical. My only disappointment was the music within the film. I felt like there weren’t any staple musical performances within the soundtrack that added to the elegance that the first two Bill and Ted movies brought. I know that music plays a significant role in films, especially with Bill and Ted, but it is not a total loss. Just seeing Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter on screen together is worth it. Their on-screen chemistry displayed a connection as if the adventures of Bill and Ted never stopped. This movie will add to their legendary status.

I really liked this film and gave it four stars for good theatrical fun.

Check out the trailer below.

L.L

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Joker 2019 (Movie Review)

Posted in Comic Book Movies, Fantasy literature, New Movie reviews, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 26, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Joker starring  Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro and directed by Todd Phillips, tells the story of a Gotham City man Arthur Fleck as he attempts to achieve his dreams of becoming a standup comic while battling mental illness and struggling to find his place within a society that does not treat or accept him fairly.

I saw this movie opening weekend in October 2019, and then 5 more times after that. With so many things going on with work and grad school, I just did not have the time to review this film. This by far, I think is the best Joaquin Phoenix movie I have seen, in addition to one of the best movies of all time. There is something extremely deep about this film and the story behind it. There is such an odd connection that moviegoers have with the lead character Arthur. We see that he does his best to live a life that mainstream society may call, “normal”. Arthur works as an entertainer, trying to make ends meet, he takes care of his sick mother, and he is even receiving treatment and attempting to live with his inner struggles, by dealing with his mental illness, to the best of his ability. The character tries to deal with his issues as he displays independence and even attempts to have a relationship with a neighbor that appears to understand him, but overall the movie is not quite what it seems to be, at least through the main character’s eyes.

Arthur, as portrayed by Joaquin, is completely transformed into this the dark and complex character that we all thought we knew just through our background knowledge of the Batman comic book and film franchise but as we all know now, this film is a standalone movie but still artistically connects the historical relationship between the Wayne family and Arthur aka the Joker in a way that makes the two storylines blend together very well.

All the elements of this film are massive ingredients for a film success on so many levels. The visual representations were creative and authentic.  We were brought into the character’s world and underwent a journey of emotional experiences that enveloped a multitude of highs and lows, as well as revels shocking moments and moments of happiness and potential hope. This film has won several awards including a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama and an Academy Award for Best Actor as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The Score took me to that place where emotions dwell deep within, where questions about the structure of how our society appropriately and inappropriately deals with mental illness, bullying, and the differences among people. Joaquin Phoenix in conjunction with  Robert De Niro and the supporting cast all created a world where the moviegoer sees the world of mental illness, poverty and the other complexities of life including the horrors of child abuse and enabling as ongoing issues that need to be exposed and changed for the better to improve the quality of human life.

Overall, I gave this movie 5 stars

Joker is a great film.

L.L

Check out the trailer below…

Check out the Amazing Bathroom Dance song that received an award for Best Score.

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It Chapter 2 Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »

IT Chapter Two directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Bill Skarsgard, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader follows a group of friends 27 years later as they returned to their childhood home to battle an ancient entity known as Pennywise The Clown. Based on Stephen King’s original novel and adapted film, IT chapter 2 was the horror movie that I’ve been waiting for the past two years. This particular film answered a lot of questions for those who are familiar with the franchise, closed many gaps and connected the historical elements that the original film brought horror fans. It delves into the history of Pennywise as well as provided a deeper back story within the Losers Club characters.

Overall this was a very good movie; and all of the elements connected extremely well. The writing provided a sense of closure and final reality which crossed over into the elements of horror, romance, and comedy. The casting choices were amazing and each adult cast member brought their own uniqueness to the story while still being true to the story and the nature of the characters themselves. The blending of the past and the present was done very tastefully and with concise elegance and commitment. The special effects were interesting at times and well done with the goal of getting audience members scared. There were times when some of the special effects drew on the amazing historical connections of classic horror movie magic. I saw elements of a Nightmare on Elm St., The Shinning, and Evil Dead; all of which contributed to my love for the genre. My only critique would be that I just wished that this movie was released during the official Halloween season which would have added to the eeriness and scare tactics of what horror brings during the fall.

I think that Bill Skarsgard should be extremely proud of himself and the work that he did to create a character that was intensely scary. He can now join the elite club of iconic horror movie monsters with great honor.
This is a great movie to see again and I’m looking forward to adding it to my modern classic collection.

I gave this film five stars,

L.L.

Check out the trailer below:

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Us Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Us directed and written by Jordan Peele and starring Lupita Nyong’o is a supernatural horror that tells the story of a family’s encounter of doppelgangers. A family vacation at the beach becomes horrifying as Adelaide Wilson’s past portrayed by Lupita Nyong’o come to resurface with deadly vengeance. This movie had me at every turn. The opening scene in conjunction with a strong and mysterious score set a very intriguing tone for this film. The process of storytelling was done extremely well and the fact that I have never seen or heard of a horror film concept such as this made this movie so fresh and new. Lupita did a wonderful job holding her own in displaying a vulnerable inner and outer character strength. The children played by Joseph and Alex were very believable and shared a great presence with Nyong’o. My only reservation was the character of Gabe Winston portrayed by Winston Duke, the character appears to be a little out balance for me, but, the overall family dynamic and chemistry was blended well. There were some elements of light comedy that added to the authenticity of the film.

The dark aura that the film carried was a sheer genius and it gave me more reasons to question how deep is our reality. It was a fun thrill ride with unbelievable twists. This movie is an example of bringing horror to a whole new level of thinking and realization. The effects were good, just the perfect balance of visual representation through a lens. This movie is worth seeing twice.

I gave this film 5 stars.

L.L

Check out the trailer below.

 

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Venom Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 11, 2018| Leave a Comment »

 Marvel’s Venom, starring Tom Hardy and directed by Ruben Fleischer tells the story about an investigative journalist named Eddie Brock who is on the verge of exposing some dangerous and incriminating information about a company lead by Carlton Drake. In the process, Brock is exposed to a powerful extraterrestrial substance, which transforms him into a powerful creature known as  Venom. Venom/Brock, who is also known as a symbiote wrecks havoc upon the city as he tries to protect himself from the very people that claim to want to help others. Brock’s life is turned upside down as he tries to make sense of what is happening to him.  In the process of him trying to protect himself and the one he loves he loses everything that he has worked so hard to gain.

Venom is a great movie. The storyline works well, but I think it does conflict with the past knowledge of the fact that Spiderman and Venom are enemies. This stand-alone film eventually portrays Venom as one of the good guys, so I am assuming that Marvel must have another Spiderman movie in works that will go back and fill in the gaps among these two characters. The special effects were great, and the character design was really vivid and creative. The character transition between Brock and Venom was multidimensional and done in a very unique way that showcased the individualism between the two. Hardy did a wonderful job portraying the double role and bringing both characters to life in such a self-defining manner. Everything with this movie fell into place, the score, supporting actors and the visual representation worked well. I’m looking forward to seeing Hardy reprise this role in the near future. I want to know more about Venom.

Overall this movie is a must-see, a new villain is introduced which will be portrayed by the great Woody Harrelson (Cletus Kasady). The complexity and depth that he puts into his acting will be much anticipated in the Venom sequel.

I gave this movie 5 stars!

Check out the trailer below.

L.L.

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Dr. Strange “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

dr-strange-poster

Dr. Strange Movie Review

Marvel’s Dr. Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton was directed by Scott Derrickson. This was a thrilling adventure that was absolutely sensational.  The story follows a very successful neurosurgeon Steven Strange as he suffers from a horrific car accident. His body is left broken and spirit shattered as he tries to pick up the pieces of a life that will never be the same again. Strange receives word from an occupational therapist that a man he knew was in a similar situation and found an alternative way to heal his body and spirt in the process.

Strange seeks answers across the world, with the hope that he will be able to heal and become the surgeon that he once was. He meets two people on his journey Mordo and the Ancient One. They expose Dr. Strange to a world of infinite possibilities by opening the doors to a wider consciousness and teaching Dr. Strange the rules of magic that dwell within the realms of multiple dimensions. Strange opens himself up and allows his belief in medicine fuel his drive to see this world and the worlds beyond differently. In the process he is faced with many challenges and an enemy that poses a threat that could end humanity. Strange takes on the threat and becomes an entity that’s strength is built on his knowledge and increasing magical abilities. Throughout the film Strange is constantly evolving and becoming better than his previous self. He ends up becoming the guardian of New York City.

Dr. Strange came out on top and was one of the best superhero movies I’ve seen since the Avengers. There were references to the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, so I am excited to see how this whole story is going to unfold. The special effects were amazing and had a strong Inception feel to it. I would love to see what the storyboards look like frame by frame for each scene. Hopefully the DVD will have bonus features like that in it.  The storyline was great and I actually felt like there were also many Swept into the Darkness references made throughout the film as well. The dark dimensions and the ability to manipulate time within the cosmos, are major elements in the book and movie. Swept into the Darkness is about the battle between Good and Evil among Heaven and Earth and Sydney London, the main character must travel within the dimensions and use her angelic powers to defeat the evil.  Swept into the Darkness is available on Amazon.com and written by yours truly.

Benedict Cumberbatch was a great casting choice and I felt that the whole cast was awesome in contributing to the story-telling process. I rarely see movies a second time in the theater but this movie is worth the money and a second trip. I saw it in 3D which added to the overall experience. If you have not seen this movie yet please go see it.

I give Dr. Strange 5 stars for being just outright awesome and giving meaning to what a cool movie can look like.

L.L.

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Magnificent Seven 2016 Review 

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »


​The Magnificent Seven, directed by Antone Fuqua, and starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt, follows a bounty hunter (Chisolm) and six members of aquaintances as they help to protect a local western town from a rich industrial tycoon.

This movie was a lot of fun to see. It was well executed and the overall production was presented and delivered in a very authentic manner. The multicultural cast was just perfect and the on screen chemistry gave off a natural vibe as the movie goer watched the story unfold. The score was engaging and the mood of film was pure and reflected a feeling of old school adventure, something that most remakes lack. I thought that the movie was well done and exciting. It was a nice change from all the horror and drama that has been on the silver screen lately.  It was refreshing to see a cross of classic 90’s Hollywood actors like Denzel and Ethan, work with modern Hollywood actors like Chris Pratt. For those people who are not familiar with the 1960’s version, you will not feel like you missed out when watching this version. The movie had a great blend of modern film aesthetics while still staying true to the naturalness that the time period represents. The effects were not overwhelming but was done in a way that sharpened the story-telling process. Before the movie was over, I was hoping that a sequel could be possible, but I think this was a stand alone film.

This is a must see, if you are looking to have fun and be taken away to the past. I give this movie 5 stars. 

L.L 

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Lucy “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lucy poster

Lucy directed by Luc Besson and starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman tells an interesting story about a young woman living in Japan that gets swept up into an international drug trade.

The film opens with a so-called friend Richard, trying to convince Lucy to take a mysterious briefcase to someone that she doesn’t even know. Very reluctant to do this favor, Lucy denies his request and she is forced to put herself in a situation that will eventually change her life forever.
Lucy enters the dark world of the unknown as she encounters a group of Japanese Mob men that basically plays Russian Roulette with here life.

She is attacked and forced to smuggle drugs back into the US with an implanted bag of a synthetic pregnancy hormone.
Lucy tries to rebel against her captors and is attacked once again. The bag explodes inside her, and the drug is released into her bloodstream as it opens up a whole new world of abilities that her brain unlocks.

Lucy escapes the prison that she is being held in and soon reeks havoc upon everyone that was responsible for her pain and suffering.
Lucy’s brain functioning is evolving by the minute. She seeks the help of Professor Norman, a Brain Scholar (played by Morgan Freeman, as she tries to cope with her new found intelligence.
One by One she picks off the Japanese Mob crew. Her crusade to put an end to their plan starts a war between her and the Boss. He will stop at nothing to see her die and does everything in his power to make that happen.

In the end Lucy meets allies on her journey for revenge and leaves the legacy of her intelligence behind for the professor.

I thought the overall concept for this film was awesome and I could see the future makings of a great superhero film.
I really enjoyed the special effects, but felt as though there were some unnecessary scene flashes such as the animals running in the beginning,it seemed out of place. The movie was too short, but I felt that the imagery was Sci Fi driven and the action scenes were engaging.
I gave this movie 3 stars.
L.L.

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Dawn of the planet of the apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Andy Serkis was an outstanding film that has all the elements that make a blockbuster.

The movie takes place ten years after the Apes emerged to claim their freedom. The world is plagued with a virus that has wiped out most of the human race. Led by Ceaser and portrayed by Andy Serkis, the apes build a world where they thrive as they band together to protect their home. A group of human survivors led by Malcolm and played by Jason Clark encounter the apes in their search to bring electricity back to the city, so they can begin to restore the life they had before the virus.

Caesar struggles with trust issues with the humans as Malcolm tries to convince him to come into their territory so they can restore power. Ceaser agrees but on the condition that the group of humans enter without weapons. Some of the people in the group battle with their own issues with the apes, in fear that they will be attacked. They betray the trust that is established and Caesar questions their true intentions.

Koba—one of Caesar’s lieutenants, who was rescued from the Genesis research facility in the first film holds an unforgiving grudge against the humans and will stop at nothing to break the peace among the two species.

Ceaser sets an example by teaching non violence, community and morels to his fellow apes, but despite his efforts to spare the lives of humans and the apes—a fight between the two is inevitable.
Initiated by Koba, a war breaks out as the two groups fight for freedom. Ceaser almost meets his death as Koba betrays him in the worse way. After his home is destroyed in the forest and he is left for dead, Caesar is saved by Malcom. They seek a safe haven away from all the destruction as Caesar returns to his old home with Malcom and his family to recuperate from a gunshot wound. While on the mend, Caesar makes a connection with Malcolm and reconigizes his genuine nature as demonstrated with his past relationship with Wil Rodman, played by James Franco in the first film.

Meanwhile Koba kills his kind as he makes an attempt to intimidate the other apes to follow him. The apes invade the community of humans and capture them. Koba’s intention is to inflict the same pain on the humans that he endured within the facility.

The final battle between Koba and Caesar is an intense one, filled with lots of action and high energy sequences. The power and emotion behind these scenes are adrenaline driven and will leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time. In the end, power was restored within the city, Caesar killed Koba, re-claimed leadership among the apes and was reunited with his family.

The 20th Century Fox film is an experience that movie goers must see to believe. The visual presentation, special effects ,score and the emotions behind the CG characters bring the story to life in way that demonstrates a creative craft that is absolutely impeccable. Even the language of the apes was impressive, the sign language blending with English and the dialect of the apes fit the tone of the film and was delivered in a manner that made you appreciate what this film represents.

Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Caesar was astounding. If the Academy does not nominate Serkis for an Oscar then they really need to re-evaluate their whole nomination process. This movie grossed big at the box office and the marketing plan was strong in their efforts to draw in movie goers, so why are most films nominated that people have never even heard of, seen and or released in a limited capacity? I’m looking forward to Andy being acknowledged in the Oscar Realm. He deserves it.

Dawn of the Planet of Apes has become an instant modern classic and was masterpiece in every way shape and form that a film can be.
A must see on your summer movie list. I gave this movie 5 Stars!!
L.L.

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