TV – Game of Thrones Season 8 Review (Spoilers)

Let me preface this article by stating that Game of Thrones is my favorite show of all time. I started watching the show just before the season 6 ending, and I completely fell in love with the characters, storylines, etc. Even though there have been ups and downs, the show has constantly ~~entertained~~ wowed me and I’m really going to miss it.

Ah, what will my life look like, now that the Infinity Saga and Game of Thrones have concluded?

This meme is painfully true…

Positives

Technical-ly speaking, this season is the definition of perfection. The cinematography, visual effects, and acting were simply spectacular. Even the lackluster episodes had so many gorgeous scenes, coupled with some wallpaper-worthy shots in every episode. The visual effects were arguably better than that of most big-budget movies, especially the look of the dragons. They looked like ‘real’ creatures that you can reach out and touch, which really added to the feeling of realism. The dialogue was extremely well-written, especially during episode 2 when the characters were simply practicing a “sedentary” lifestyle and confabulating. In addition, the actors all deliver fantastic performances, especially Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion. Dinklage once again flexed his acting chops and delivered another Emmy-worthy performance with such relative ease. There are so many Tyrion-related highlights, especially his conversations with Jamie (ep 5), Jon (ep 6), etc.

With all the technical jargon aside, let’s talk about the actual story lines. One story line that definitely left many viewers irate was the Night King story line, with the threat being resolved in just an episode. However, I predicted that and was ultimately glad about the way that story transpired. This show isn’t called ‘Game of Life and Death’ or ‘Game of Ice Zombies.’ It’s called ‘Game of Thrones.’ The whole show has always (for better or worse) been about the Iron Throne, and the Night King story line has always been relegated to a secondary role. So, it was fitting that the white walker story line would be resolved by the midpoint of the season.

Unfortunately, the remaining, major story lines simply did not impress me, and even though this season had some outstanding moments, it’s fair to say that season 8 was the most disappointing season of the series.

Negatives

I am extremely bemused by the strange decision to reduce the last 2 seasons to just 13 episodes total. Just, why? As a result, the events of the final 2 seasons often felt rushed and contrived. Dany gets the Iron Throne for a single episode before she receives her (timely) death. At least, giving her a couple of episodes to rule what remained of King’s Landing, with Jon wrestling with his decision to kill her, would have made more sense and been more satisfying. Speaking of, Jon’s “only” lines in season 8 were “You’re my queen” and “I don’t want [the throne].” What a waste of a great character!

In addition, I absolutely hated some of the out-of-character decisions that the characters make. Dany burning King’s Landing would have worked a lot better if we actually had more time with her “transitioning” into the ‘Mad Queen.’ However, it felt so out-of-character for her to suddenly massacre innocent civilians, including women and children. In the previous seasons, she literally tells Jorah to make sure that women and children weren’t harmed. The show also had a great arc with Jaime and Brienne which is thrown out the window when Jamie went back to her sister/lover. So, what was the point of the Jamie/Brienne story if it would be abandoned so shamelessly? Their eventual romance was easily the most believable relationship out of any couple on the show but was ultimately unnecessary.

Lastly, why did the characters make such a big deal about Jon’s heritage if it was never even brought up during the discussion scene in the finale? Did the characters suddenly forget that Jon is a Targaryen? And, didn’t Bran tell Tyrion earlier in the season that the throne didn’t interest him? Why did he accept it then in the end? Oh, and do not me started about Arya killing the Night King… Until that moment, Jon Snow was the only character who’s entire goal was to defeat the army of the dead. Arya, on the other hand, had far less to do with the white walker story line than she did with removing the people on her list. So, why did Arya end up dealing the final blow to the Night King? It was extremely unsatisfying. I really don’t want to sound like a curmudgeon but various story lines were resolved so carelessly this season, which simply left me disappointed.

Rating

Game of Thrones season 8 is filled with stunning cinematography, fantastic visuals, and excellent performances. However, the season suffers from lackluster writing, outrageous character decisions and a rushed feeling permeating the entire season. 2.7/5.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Mild Spoilers)

The John Wick franchise is one of my favorite franchises of all time. John Wick 1, one of my favorite films, was such a pleasant surprise, with some amazing action sequences. John Wick 2, albeit not as good as the first one, had some great world-building and the action was once again top-notch. Now, the third chapter of this Keanu-led action-heavy franchise is back! Even though I won’t spoil the events of Parabellum, I have to give a SPOILER WARNING for the ending of the previous movies. You have been warned!

This movie picks up just minutes after the shocking end of the second film. Because he conducted business on the Continental ground by killing Santiago, Wick now has exactly one hour before he becomes excommunicado, meaning the services of the Continental will soon cease for him. In addition, there is now a $14 million bounty on him and all the assassins in New York want a piece of that. Wick has to do #WhateverItTakes (sorry I had to) to survive.

Positives – Ok, we really can’t talk about anything else before first showering praise on the fight sequences in the film! There are so many visceral, heart-pounding action scenes, with excellent choreography and gorgeous set-pieces. In the first 20 minutes alone, Wick finds different ways to kill assassins, including a wonderful-yet-gruesome knife scene. Altogether, the current estimates of the body count land around 160-170 people… just insane! Keanu Reeves, often proclaimed to be the ‘nicest man in Hollywood’, is once again great as John Wick and is willing to go the extra mile to actually do his gun-fu scenes to make them feel more authentic. Halle Berry, who plays Sofia, is also really good and brings a lot to the physicality of the role. There is one fight scene in Casablanca with both Wick and Sofia fighting side-by-side with her (dangerous and fierce) K9 dogs, and oh boy, they kill over 50-60 people in that scene alone. The supporting characters from the first movie, like Winston and Charon, have a little more to do this time around and do get a couple of scene-stealing moments. Even though it’s quite shallow, the movie does attempt to raise a dilemma for its titular character – “what are you fighting for?”

Negatives – Even though the fight scenes are extremely well-choreographed and intense, I was a little fatigued after a point. Some of the fight scenes, like the Casablanca one, drag on for quite a while with no end in sight. An action scene, devoid of any emotions or drama, is simply “visual noise.” What made the first movie so good is that you were emotionally invested in the character and the fight scenes were “emotionally-charged.” In the (still-enjoyable) sequels, however, there are fight scenes for the sake of having a cool fight scene. Once again, there is quite of world-building and we learn more about the High Table. However, the intrigue of this clandestine organization is starting to wear off on me. Without delving into spoilers, there is a choice that Wick makes in the third act, which renders the entire High Table-focused second act pointless. In addition, the character of John Wick is slowly starting to feel like a superhuman, especially during the third act. Yes, he is the ~~Baba Yaga~~ “man you send to kill the boogeyman” and he does get hurt a lot, but he survives a heck of a lot.

Rating – In summary, John Wick 3 delivers on its promise – non-stop action with stellar choreography and beautiful set-pieces. However, the filmmakers should add some more emotional beats in the inevitable fourth chapter, to avoid the audience feeling franchise-fatigued. 4/5.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Review (No Spoilers)

Even though I grew up watching the Pokemon cartoons and collecting all the Pokemon cards, I kinda grew out of it during my middle-school years and honestly, didn’t even bother playing the Pokemon Go game. Not to mention, I forgot most of the Pokemon characters and their names. So, even though this movie was a little nostalgic, it’s safe to say that I went in with a pretty clean slate.

Positives – Before I go any further, I just have to say – Pikachu is so adorable. I can literally watch this gif all day and who’s to say, I haven’t already!

Cuteness aside, after watching the first trailer, I was a little apprehensive about Ryan Reynolds’ casting as Pikachu because Pikachu “sounded” a lot like a PG-version of Deadpool. I understand that is unfair, but Reynolds is now synonymous with the merc with the mouth. However, I am so happy to report that, for this version of Pikachu, Reynolds casting is brilliant. His casting and voice performance makes this movie work. Yes, the character does sound like a lot like a watered down version of Deadpool but this movie is better for it. The main human lead Tim, played by Justice Smith, is a semi-decent character but shines, even more, when he is interacting with the adorable, caffeine-addicted detective. There are some hilarious moments in this movie, especially one scene involving Mr. Mime. Even though we don’t get a lot of action scenes with Pikachu, when it did happen, I was giddy with excitement! Another great aspect of the movie is that it focuses on world-building rather than setting up future movies, which I can appreciate as a viewer.

Negatives -Despite some entertaining sequences, this movie suffers from narrative issues and some really bland human characters. The main female lead, played by Kathryn Newton, could have been an interesting character but is often relegated to the background. Not to mention, Newton’s performance along with many other actors’ performances, often felt cartoony. In addition, if you were hoping to see some Pokemon battles like the ones in the cartoon, prepare to be disappointed. Hell, we only see the Pokeball a couple of times. The main characters also have a lot of plot armor and boy, they survive a lot of crazy death-defying sequences. Another aspect of the movie that doesn’t work is that many scenes served no purpose, aside from getting the hardcore fans to exclaim “Hey, that’s *so and so Pokemon*.” Most of those references went over my head, as I am sure they will for the average moviegoer too. Also, the movie has a reveal at the end, which doesn’t make much sense upon looking back.

Rating – Overall, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a semi-entertaining film with good humor and an adorable, well-written Pikachu as the lead. However, it has a mediocre story, one-dimensional human characters, and some very over-the-top performances. Still, I think there is some fun to be had, both for the hardcore and average movie-fan alike. 3/5

Avengers: Endgame Review (SPOILERS)

Just curious, have any of you heard of this little, independent, low-budget flick called Avengers: Endgame? No? Thought so. I doubt this movie is going to make much at the box office. It’ll probably just fly under-the-radar. While that might be true in an alternate reality, it’s very much the opposite on ours. Endgame is currently the second-highest grossing film worldwide and now has its eyes set on the big prize – Avatar. All that being said, I apologize for not putting up my non-spoilery review earlier. I’ve simply been too busy with college and personal life and had very little time to post a review. No matter, I am here now and in case you didn’t read the title, this article will contain SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame! So, be warned!

What Marvel Studios has done is completely unprecedented. Creating the first shared cinematic universe under the leadership of Kevin Feige, Marvel has produced quality movies that have been received well by the critics (RT critic percentage score), the audience (CinemScore) and made ungodly amounts of money. After 22 films, Marvel Studios finally gave us Avengers: Endgame, which is such a satisfying conclusion to the Infinity Saga. Even though the movie has a lot going on, the Russo brothers are able to juggle the story, a multitude of characters, action and somehow deliver a cohesive narrative. They also resolve the major teases and set-ups from the previous movies into this concoction of awesomeness. Being a special movie, I am also going to make this review a little different. Rather than listing the pros and cons, I will talk about the movie and the performers, list the 9 most important call-backs, rank my top 5 scenes in the movie, and some questions I had.

Performances/Character Arcs

I don’t think Marvel Studios gets enough credit for their superhero castings. Most of the big Marvel stars are Oscar-nominated/ winners and have had an illustrious career. Because Endgame is the swansong for most of the OG actors, it’s only fitting that they go out with a bang and, arguably end up giving their best performances to date.

Robert Downey Jr. has done such a remarkable job as Tony Stark/Iron Man, but he saves his best for the last. From scenes like leaving his “dying” message to Pepper on the Benatar to making the ultimate sacrifice by uttering his iconic phrase “I am Iron Man,” he made the character of Tony Stark a household name and left such a mark on the character that we can’t see anyone else playing the “genius, billionaire playboy, philanthropist.”

The first Avenger himself, Captain America, played by Chris Evans, has delivered some excellent performances in Gifted or Snowpiercer, but also saves his best performance in Endgame. My favorite non-action scene from Evans is when he is leading the support group. Even though Steve tries his best to convince others to move on, it’s clear that he is unable to and reminisces of the life he could have had with Peggy. Rather than going “all-out” in that particular scene, Evans delivered a more subdued performance, which was perfectly in-line with the character.

Chris Hemsworth, as Thor Odinson, gives the most underrated performance in this movie and it’s an absolute shame that people aren’t talking about it as much. Even though this version of the God of Thunder is more broken, depressed and has a ‘beer belly,’ he’s probably the most “human” we’ve seen from Thor. Ever since Thor Ragnarok, Thor has had such an interesting character arc. After losing all the loved ones in his third flick, he suffered another loss with Loki in Infinity War and almost avenged his brother’s death if he actually went for Thanos’ head. But the thing is, even after he did chop the mad Titan’s head off, it was ultimately futile, and Thor finally succumbed to the depression and just lost his will to do anything, hence his physique. Yes, you had the comedy with his belly but the scene represented Thor’s depression and I respect the Russos for giving this incarnation of Thor.

Mark Ruffalo has always shown to be a terrific dramatic actor and even though we don’t really see Ruffalo as Ruffalo, he’s still really good as the Professor Hulk, who is the perfect mix of Banner’s brain and the Hulk’s strength. However, it is a little jarring to see this version of the Hulk right away. After all, we saw Banner struggle to bring out the Hulk in Infinity War, but the duo apparently worked out their problems off-screen.

Jeremy Renner, as Hawkeye, is no one’s favorite Avenger and people often complain about Hawkeye’s purpose because of his lack of superpowers but that is it. Not every character needs to have extraordinary abilities and one thing Clint has over the other Avengers is a– family. When you see his family turn to dust, you can’t help but feel sorry for the archer and Renner plays those scenes extremely well.

Scarlett Johansson, the sixth and final OG Avenger, gives my favorite performance in the movie and the best scene where she really demonstrates her acting chops is the scene after the 5-year jump. She learns about Clint’s murderous actions and is just so overwhelmed with emotions that she breaks down in tears. And oh man, the scene where she sacrifices herself by assuring Clint that “it’s ok. let me go,” left me lachrymose. This movie showcased these performers at their very best and it’s extremely emotional to have been a part of their journeys.

Call-Backs

Being the culmination of the Infinity Saga, Endgame has a lot of call-backs to the previous films. To avoid making this article longer than it already is, I will mention the 9 most important ones, in no particular order.

The cheeseburger reference is a reference to the fast-food Tony ordered after returning from his cave ordeal in Afghanistan (Iron Man 1).
“I am Iron Man” is the iconic line Tony uttered at the end of Iron Man 1, revealing his superhero identity to the public. It’s extremely fitting that those also be his last words before he snapped his fingers and reduced Thanos and his army to dust. Ha, puns!
“Suit of armor around the world” – After returning to Earth in Endgame, a physically damaged Tony reminds Steve of his plan to build “a suit of armor around the world” as the first line of defense against potential alien threats. This is a reference to his creation – Ultron. In Age of Ultron, he wanted to create Ultron to protect the Earth, but as Steve rightfully reminds him, that didn’t turn out so well.
Cap lifting Mjolnir – Even though Steve budged Thor’s hammer in Age of Ultron, we never thought we would actually see Cap lift the hammer because it was destroyed in Thor: Ragnarok. However, once the present-day Thor summoned the hammer during the time-travel scene, the possibility of Cap wielding Mjolnir went up drastically. Thankfully, Marvel finally fulfilled our collective wishes to see Captain America lift and use Mjolnir and boy, was it awesome.
“Hail Hydra” – In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we learn that Hydra, the secret NAZI organization, infiltrated SHIELD and planned to eliminate their opponents using the 3 Helicarriers. In one of the many memorable scenes from that movie, Cap had an intense fight with Hydra agents in an elevator. In Endgame, Cap is confronted with the same Hydra agents (coincidence?) in an elevator but this time, he simply utters “Hail Hydra,” which is also similar to a recent comic book arc. Later in the same scene in Endgame, we also get a cameo from Robert Redford, who played the SHIELD-masquerading as HYDRA head – Alexander Pierce.
“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back” – In Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky was recruited to fight in the war while a then-skinny Steve wasn’t. Before he left though, Bucky tells Steve to not do anything stupid, which Steve retorts with “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” In the present day, there is a nice line-reversal. Before Steve goes back in time to put the infinity stones back where they belonged, Steve is now the one to tell Bucky to not do anything stupid, with Bucky reminding Steve of taking “all the stupid.” It’s not only a nice callback but also a great farewell moment between the two.
“On your left” – It seems as if most of the important call-backs in Endgame came from Tony and Steve’s history, which makes sense as Endgame is the culmination to their stories. This line is great call-back to the opening scene in the Winter Soldier, where we see Steve outrunning Sam and saying “on your left,” to Sam Wilson’s competitive chagrin. In Endgame, however, Falcon gets to utter the phrase before all the dusted heroes return!
Steve-Peggy Dance – At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve, and Peggy don’t have their dance because of Steve’s “sacrifice.” After being constantly reminded by everyone to get a life and after completing his mission, Steve decides to stay with Peggy and dance with his one true love.
1 in 14,000,605 chances – In Infinity War, Dr. Strange gives up the time stone to save Tony’s life, a direct contrast to his line earlier in the movie where he swore he would let Tony die to protect the stone. Fast forward to Endgame, as the Avengers are battling out with Thanos and his army, Tony asks Strange if this is that 1 future where they win, to which Strange replies, “If I tell you what happens, it won’t happen.” As the battle progresses and Thanos once again gets all 6 stones, Strange lifts one finger, reminding Tony of that 1 future where they win.

Top 5 Scenes

Avengers Assemble – Ever since the first Avengers, we’ve been waiting for Captain America to say his iconic battle-rally cry “Avengers Assemble!” He almost said it in Avengers: Age of Ultron but not quite. In this movie, however, he finally says it! After Dr. Strange and Wong open portals to bring all the heroes in the MCU, including the dusted heroes, Asgardians, the Ravagers (from GOTG vol 2), Wakandans, Cap finally utters the phrase! And then, we get the money-shot with all the heroes charging into battle! Just take all my money and give me that poster!
Funeral – After Tony sacrifices himself to snap away Thanos’ and his entire army, we get a beautiful scene with all the remaining heroes attending the funeral of their fallen Avenger. As the camera moves around, we see all the different groups of people Tony impacted. What a legacy!
Time-heist planning session – I know the big battles in Endgame will be talked about for years to come, but I actually think that the time-heist planning session was one of the best scenes in the movie. The reason we love the MCU so much is because of the characters and the different character interactions. Even though there is no action in this scene, the dialogue makes this scene so riveting to watch.
Tony and Steve in the 1970 Camp – Even though this scene exists for Tony to get the space stone and for Steve to get additional Pym particles, it was a lot more than that. We finally get closure with Tony and his tumultuous relationship with his dad and a subtle foreshadowing for Steve’s actions at the end of the movie. Again, this was a beautifully executed scene with the two main Avengers getting their moments to shine
Cap, Thor and Iron Man’s stand against Thanos – After completely razing the Avengers headquarters, Thanos sits patiently, waiting for the heroes to fight him. Once the trio realizes that Thanos was again after the gauntlet but didn’t have it yet, they decide to make their final stand against him. In a nerdgasm moment, Thor double wields Stormbreaker and Mjolnir and the Marvel’s trinity charge at the Mad Titan.

Questions

Doesn’t Steve staying in the past at the end completely change the timeline and create a old new timeline?
Does the Loki Disney+ series pick up after he used the space stone to escape, during the alternate Battle of New York scene?
How is Vision coming back? After all, Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Vision have their own Disney+ show coming.
Is the main focus of (As)Guardians of the Galaxy 3 finding the 2014 -version Gamora?
If a past version of Gamora can come back in present-day, can’t the Avengers bring back a pre-Vormir Black Widow using time-travel?
Speaking of, is the Black Widow movie a prequel?

Rating – Overall, Avengers: Endgame is an extremely poignant yet entertaining film! Aside from some pacing issues in the first hour, time-travel mumbo jumbo, this is the film of the year! 4.7/5

Shazam Review (No Spoilers)

Shazam! Shazam!! Shazaaaam!!! Dammit, I’m still — just me. One easy way to describe Shazam to your friends is ‘Big meets Superman with magic.’ If you guys haven’t seen or even heard of Big, it’s a wish-fulfillment movie starring Tom Hanks playing a character who wishes to be ‘big’ and magically wakes up the next day in the body of an adult with the mind of a child. And, if you haven’t seen or heard of Superman, you’re probably a — Skrull…

Fun fact – Shazam was actually called ‘Captain Marvel’ for a long time in the comics before DC changed their Captain Marvel’s name to Shazam. It’s so cool how we ‘technically’ got 2 Captain Marvel movies within the span of a month.

Positives – Zachary Levi!! Maybe it is a little too early but I firmly believe that we should add his casting to the Mt. Rushmore of superhero castings (RDJ as Iron Man, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.) He is absolutely born to play Shazam!! His energy is completely infectious and brings such a delight to a superhero. In one of the featurettes, Levi said “Shazam is one of those heroes that just enjoys being a superhero” and he is so right. Unlike most superheroes that want to save the world because they have to (“with great power comes great responsibility), Shazam just wants to save the world because it’s fun! His alter ego, Billy Batson, played wonderfully by Asher Angel, has the emotional heavy-lifting in the movie and that’s where most of the heart of the movie comes from. Speaking of, one thing that especially differentiates this film from other DCEU and superhero movies, in general, is with the heart. This movie has a ton of heart and is just such an enjoyable movie from start to finish. Jack Dylan Grazer, who played Eddie in IT, steals every scene he’s in. He is the foster brother to Billy and is a huge fanboy of the Justice League characters and naturally ends up as the “guy in the chair” to Billy. My favorite sequence of the movie is immediately after Billy gets his powers and shows this new super-powered persona to Freddie. We get a convenience store robbery scene and a montage of Billy discovering his powers and boy, was I laughing hard! This movie shows you just the joy of being a superhero. If a teenager suddenly had the ability to become an adult, he/she would naturally try to, for example, make money showing off their powers or buying beer and this joy is simply missing from superhero movies these days! If you’re just looking for a movie with good characters, emotions, and laughs, this is totally that movie. This movie also explores the themes of family and choosing your own family, which absolutely worked. Billy and his mom were separated at a carnival when he was very young and he later learns why. These scenes are powerful and I responded to that. Lastly, Billy’s foster parents are just such nice adults and it’s refreshing seeing foster parents in movies not being dirtbags.

Negatives – After the amazing f(l)ight sequences in Man of Steel, the f(l)ight scenes in Shazam were subpar and could have been crafted differently to differentiate from Superman’s. The CGI is also quite poor and noticeable, especially the physical looks of the 7 different sins. Speaking of the 7 sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth), which played a big role in the movie Seven, ended up being quite underwhelming. I wish they had unique abilities that the hero has to overcome from a way different than just using his superpowers on. If your movie involves sins like greed or sloth, have Billy/Shazam defeat and conquer each and every one of the sins differently. Like the last couple of DCEU movies, the villain is given a good amount of screen time but his motivations are quite generic and ultimately are just ‘meh.’ Maybe I am just spoiled by how excellent Marvel’s last couple of villains have been, especially Thanos…

Rating – Shazam is everything people have been waiting for from DC. It’s funny, has terrific performances, heart, and is not afraid of showing us a superhero that just loves being a superhero. 3.8/5

My rankings of the DCEU (from best to worst) – Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Shazam, Aquaman, Batman v Superman, Justice League and Suicide Squad.

US Review (No Spoilers)

After his directorial debut with Academy Award winning film Get Out, Jordan Peele returns to the horror genre with another film – US. Like Get Out, there are many surprises in US that I want you to experience yourself and I will try (extra hard) to not give away any spoilers. I also recommend you avoid any trailers because, upon re-watching them after watching the movie, they frankly spoil a few key moments.

Positives – Technical-ly speaking, this movie is a masterpiece. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and every shot in this movie is well-thought and meticulous. Throughout the movie, Peele sprinkles in little clues that upon multiple viewings, no doubt will become more noticeable. The score is eerie yet wonderful at the same time. The tension, especially in the house invasion scene(s) with the doppelgängers, was palpable and really frightening at times. The performances were solid throughout, but man, really have to praise Lupita Nyong’o. She is easily one of the best thespians working today and her performance is arguably as good as Toni Collette’s (Oscar snubbed) performance in Hereditary. She effortlessly plays a vulnerable mother/wife and a menacing, scissor-wielding individual. This movie is brimming with symbolism and metaphors and without going into any detail, it does have a lot of political and social commentary.

Negatives – If you’re expecting a straightforward horror movie, you might leave disappointed because this is definitely more than your average horror fare. It requires you to devote your full attention and even then, it’ll (probably) leave you confused and scratching your heads by the end. In other words, you might have to see this movie at least a couple of times to fully understand Peele’s message, which will leave people frustrated. This is definitely less “satisfying” than Get Out and lets us interpret the movie more than spoon-feeding us with answers, which will bug some people. Even though the comedy definitely landed, it did feel contrived at times and there is a tad bit too much humor in this otherwise scary flick. Once Peele starts revealing the surprises, there is quite a bit of logical inconsistencies that you have to get over for the sake of the narrative.

Rating – Jordan Peele’s sophomore outing is definitely a very unique movie with a lot to say about society. While it’s not quite as good as Get Out, it’s still a solid movie buoyed by excellent performances, especially from the lead Lupita Nyong’o, and shows once again that Peele is an auteur. 4/5

Captain Marvel Review (No Spoilers)

After weeks of vigorously defending the casting of Academy Award-winning actress, Brie Larson, and her alleged comments about “hating white men,” I finally got to actually see the movie. Before I go any further in my review, let me say right off the bat – Brie Larson NEVER said she didn’t want white men to review her movie. If you continue arguing she did, that’s your prerogative but you would be rightfully deemed “ignorant.” Wanting more diversity from women and people of color in her press tour is not tantamount to “not wanting white people to see her movie.” And then, Larson, unnecessarily if I may, clarified her comments by stating “What I’m looking for is to bring more seats up to the table. No one is getting their chair taken away. There’s not less seats at the table, there’s just more seats at the table.” It’s disturbing that a huge chunk of the online film fan community is unable to look at the facts and continue displaying ignorance by pushing their erroneous, sexist agendas.

Positives – When the movie had Carol interacting with her best friend, Maria, and Nick Fury, it was a lot more enjoyable because we actually got to see some personality from Danvers. Throughout the movie, Larson’s Danvers is extremely stoic but having scenes with other actors like Sam Jackson or Lashana Lynch made her more likable. The supporting actors all do a solid job for the material they were given but Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos stole the movie for me. He was much more than your average MCU baddie and at the end of the day, I really dug what they did with his arc. The story was great and this movie is also a great connective tissue with the rest of the MCU, while also giving a tease to the future of Captain Marvel character. The humor also worked a lot more for me than it has in some of the latest MCU flicks and there was just an appropriate amount of it. The visual effects were solid, for the most part, and the action sequences were super fun to watch, especially the train sequence and beginning fight with the Skrulls.

Negatives – The biggest problem with the movie is with the characterization, or lack thereof, of the titular character – Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel). Despite being an origin story, we don’t really learn much about her or her vulnerabilities. All we get are glimpses to her past and other characters telling us about Carol rather than us actually learning about her. It also doesn’t help that Captain Marvel is so freaking powerful, which reduced the stakes and made the tension less palpable. Even Superman, considered the most powerful superhero, faced challenges in movies like Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, but the filmmakers probably thought that to show a strong female character, they have to make her so vastly overpowered. As mentioned before, Brie Larson is an Academy Award-winning actress but there were so many moments where her delivery was wooden. That being said, it’s just possible that the direction wasn’t that good and seeing her in Endgame will get us onboard with the character. We also learn how Fury loses one of his eyes in the movie and what was supposed to be a serious moment is played for laughs. It also makes me question Fury’s line in Captain America: The Winter Soldier “Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye.” Another aspect of the movie they could have improved on is the style. What I mean by that is the last couple of MCU movies (sans Ant-man and the Wasp) all had distinct styles and brought something unique. This movie felt like a very generic sci-fi movie with a template we’ve seen before.

Rating – Even though Captain Marvel is definitely a fun movie to watch and undeniably an important movie for representation, it still felt like a generic MCU movie (think the likes of Guardians 2 or Ant-man 2) that had a bland titular character. Here’s hoping she receives the same treatment in Endgame that Dr. Strange received in Infinity War, which made him an awesome character. 3.3/5

Alita Battle Angel Review (No Spoilers)

Alita Battle Angel, based on a popular manga, is a movie James Cameron has been wanting to do for years now. However, with him currently filming a gazillion (okay just 4) Avatar sequels, he simply chose to write and produce this movie, giving Robert Rodriguez the directorial reigns.

Positives – Rosa Salazar is great as Alita and the character of Alita is a total badass. Salazar brings a childlike innocence or naiveté to the titular character and beautifully captures the emotions of the character using performance-capture. If her character wasn’t likable, this movie would have fallen flat from the beginning. The visual effects are incredible, especially on Alita herself. She actually looked like a real character and the Iron City felt very much lived-in, as opposed to a very unrealistically clean city. With many of the city’s inhabitants having various cybernetic body parts, it could have gotten muddled easily and would have been hard for us to recognize ‘who is who’ but every cybernetic character had a unique design. You also got to give credit to Cameron and Rodriguez for the world-building. The fight sequences were intense and really fun to watch, at times. The most entertaining sequences in the movie were the “Motorball” scenes and a good way to describe ‘Motorball’ is that it’s a mix of Quidditch (from Harry Potter), roller skating, and car racing. And apparently, killing another participant is ok? Lastly, this is the kind of movie that needs to be seen on the biggest possible screen and if I might, I would recommend watching it in Imax 3d. I have always found 3d to be a gimmick and dislike it as much as the next person, but this movie really benefits from the 3d viewing experience.

Negatives – This movie is plagued with narrative issues. The filmmakers really try to do a lot – Alita and Hugo’s romance, Alita remembering her past etc. As a result, major storylines are resolved very quickly and haphazardly. The stakes are also quite low in the movie because even though Alita is a badass character, she is essentially invincible. Except for one fight scene, all the fight scenes easily end with Alita defeating her cybernetic opponents, and watching those scenes felt tiresome after a point. The supporting cast includes Academy Award winners like Christopher Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali, but Connelly and Ali are mostly sidelined and don’t have much characterizations. They are set up as the primary antagonists but far too often, Ali’s character is “taken over” by another mysterious villain called Nova, which made Ali’s character feel irrelevant. This movie also suffers from pacing issues and is 15-20 minutes too long. I thought the movie was coming to an end at least twice, but instead it drags on and on…

Rating – While Alita Battle Angel suffers from narrative and pacing issues, it does a great job with the titular character and the incredible visual effects and actually ends up being a fun movie. 3/5

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Review (No Spoilers)

“Everything is awesome!” – the song that you only remember a couple of phrases of but just put a smile on your face when you listened to it. This time, Phil Lord and Chris Miller aren’t directing the Lego sequel but are producing it as they just did with Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. The first Lego movie is my personal favorite animated flick of all time and I was absolutely flabbergasted when it did not even get a Best Animated Movie nomination at the Oscars when we all thought it was going to easily win it. Now, here we are… I like the sequel, but just didn’t think it was anywhere as good as its predecessor.

Positives – Emmett and Lucy (Wyldstyle) are just such likable characters and no matter the situation, seeing Emmett and Lucy interact is wonderful. Both Chris Pratt, who voices Emmett and Rex, and Elizabeth Banks are great and seeing Emmett’s endless optimism “clash” with Lucy’s tough exterior made for some emotional moments. Batman, once again voiced terrifically by Will Arnett, has a bit more to do in this movie than he did in the first movie and more self-aware than ever before. There is one song about ‘Gotham men’ which really cracked me up. Speaking of the DC hero, we once again get cameos from the other Justice League-related characters, which I really enjoyed. The animation is great and the movie has some really adult themes like growing up and “closing” your heart in the process, which I particularly responded with. Oh, and the subtitles on Rex’s raptors was a brilliant idea and those moments were funny!

Negatives – The first movie had a novelty to it, and as expected, the novelty kinda wears off in the sequel. Also, the first movie had a great balance of humor that both adults and kids can laugh at, but this movie doubles down on the latter, which is understandable since these are literally Legos. However, it wasn’t nearly as funny (for me) as the first movie. Another aspect of the movie I didn’t find particularly engaging was the (over)-usage of songs. The musical numbers from the villainous Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi (voiced by Tiffany Haddish) just came off as annoying than anything else. Side note – am I the only one getting tired of Haddish’ shtick? Since Girl’s Trip, she has appeared in so many movies essentially playing the same type of character, but I digress. Another criticism I have with the second chapter is with the lackluster “real world” scenes between the siblings. The first movie had a brilliant twist which was that the events of that movie were the creation of a young boy in the real world. And, this movie gives more scenes in the real world, which were fine, but ultimately weren’t as emotionally resonant as the father-son dynamic in the first movie.

Rating – While the Lego Movie 2 is an enjoyable sequel with more adventures with Lucy and Emmett, ultimately, it’s kinda forgettable. It wasn’t nearly as funny as the first movie and the story gets unnecessarily complicated. 3.5/5

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Review (No Spoilers)

After 2 critically and fan-beloved films, Dean DeBlois returns to helm the final chapter in the saga – How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Having just recently watched How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2 and liking/loving both of them, I was looking forward to the Hidden World especially since the screenings were 3 weeks early, which generally signify a lot of confidence from the studio.

Positives – One simply cannot talk about these movies without lauding the animation style and once again, the filmmakers pull it off. The movie is so gorgeous to look at, especially the scene where Hiccup and Astrid first visit the Hidden World. That really was a jaw-dropping moment. One of the best aspects of this franchise is the growing “relationship” between Hiccup and Toothless and in this movie, Hiccup has to learn to let Toothless go once his lovable dragon finds a female of his own kind. The emotions were palpable and tear-inducing at times. After his father’s untimely death in the second film, Hiccup must learn to be a chief, a clear progression arc from the first movie. The third and final relationship was between Astrid and Hiccup and while it felt a bit rushed in the first movie, the filmmakers took time to flesh out their budding romance in the second movie and in this movie, there is a clear resolution to that. The score is once again composed by John Powell and it’s simply wonderful.

Negatives – What I am about to say might seem contradictory at first but just follow me for a second, will ya? The villain in the last movie was really generic and wanted to kill the dragons, and this is more or less the same in the third flick. The villain, Grimmel, wants to kill all the Night Furies and is opposed to the whole human-dragon “alliance.” Here comes the contradictory part though – this franchise works the best when it focuses on Hiccup and his relationships with Toothless, his dad and Astrid. So, even though the villain’s arc is a little hackneyed, I am willing to be more forgiving because the movie really succeeds with the main story. The movie also gives quite a bit of screen time to the ancillary characters, who are indeed quiet inept and obnoxious. Lastly, Berk becomes home to like 100’s of dragons on top of all the humans, which begs the question as to how was it able to sustain all that life despite overcrowding and limited resources? If only there was a Thanos in this world…

Rating – While the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy is not one of my favorites, it’s definitely one of the better ones, with each installment being a solid, heartfelt movie with spectacular animation style. 3.8/5.