Tag Archives: 2022

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Slash/Back (2022)

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Slash/Back is a low-budget horror movie that you should at least consider supporting. The acting isn’t great, and the special effects are cheesy, but it tells an important story from an under-represented perspective. I had enough fun with this movie that I feel comfortable recommending it, but I understand it is not for everyone.

In a remote arctic village in Canada, a group of teens lives their lives in their under-resourced community wishing for something exciting to happen. Unfortunately, this dream comes true when aliens start terrorizing their little town. Now it is up to them to save the town and possibly the world.

Slash/Back deals with a lot of important issues that are often overlooked in modern and popular cinema. You have a group of capable female protagonists who struggle with the clashing of their native culture and the invasive culture of colonization. This is a story of an underfunded community dealing with the symptoms of poverty: substance abuse, racism, and feeling trapped and bound by the lack of opportunities. It is a story that is very relatable to me, and one I appreciate seeing every time. I love how this movie blends the monster film genre with Inuit folklore while it makes important social commentary. More importantly, it was cool to see that the actors in this movie are from the represented community and not a random assortment of brown people like they have in movies like Apocalypto.

The biggest issue with this movie is its acting. The story follows a group of teenage girls who don’t have much acting experience. It is fine for the most part, but the effects are clear. There are tense or suspenseful movies that aren’t do not land because the acting range isn’t there. You couple the lack of acting talent with cheesy special effects, and this isn’t the scary movie it wants to be. It doesn’t ruin the movie, I know for a fact that there are worse movies out there, but I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the film’s flaws. It is not unwatchable, but something to keep in mind.

You should watch and support this movie because there need to be more diverse voices in cinema. Flaws aside, this movie is fine that deserves your support. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Man From Toronto (2022)

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I am fairly certain that Netflix is struggling and desperate to create content that will retain and grow its fleeting subscribers. All of the recent Netflix originals I have watched have been these uninspired half-baked films where the main draw is a story written around a named brand actor or group of actors. The Man From Toronto is no different. Kevin Hart plays the same character as always, in a film you’ve seen done slightly better elsewhere.

In possibly the dumbest mix-up in movie history, the world believes Kevin Hart to be the infamous Man from Toronto, a highly-skilled gun for hire. Kevin Hart, an average Joe, must take on the Façade and save the world.  Can he talk his way out of a difficult situation, learn to be more serious, and become the man worthy of his wife’s love? Yes he does, and it is terribly unfunny.

This unoriginal movie moves from story beat to story beat, throwing the easiest jokes available at the audience hoping one of them will land. They don’t, and instead you are left with the disappointment that the talent in this movie was wasted. Woody Harrelson steals every scene he is in, but he doesn’t have much competition. Kevin Hart does not have the charisma or acting talent to make this movie work.

I can’t recommend this movie because it isn’t funny. If you are a Kevin Heart fan, he does this exact movie better elsewhere. It is a lazy and uninspired movie that isn’t worth anyone’s time. You can watch it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t bother.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Senior Year (2022)

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This movie is fine. The cast is charming and funny enough to make this movie work, but it isn’t anything transcending and I doubt this movie’s lasting power. This will not be your favorite comedy. That said, the acting is fine, the jokes are funny enough, and the story is decent. There are worse ways to spend two hours.

The movie focuses on a girl’s goal to achieve her dream life in high school. She wants to be popular, cheer captain, have the hottest boyfriend, and live in the nicest house. Her goals are complicated when an accident puts her in a coma for 20 years. Now, she must attempt to achieve all her goals as a 38 year old with the mind of an 18 year old. Will she achieve everything she always wanted, or will modern life ruin any of her chances? Think of this as the Kickin’ it Old skool reboot no one asked for.

This movie is very much a Rebel Wilson movie as it leans heavily into her style of comedy. If you are not a fan of her characters or her style of comedy, you will not find this movie funny. I wasn’t impressed with the work, but I didn’t hate watching it. I don’t see myself ever rewatching this film because a lot of the jokes won’t land the second time around. The second act of this movie slows almost to a halt as it becomes increasingly preachy about priorities, expectations, and growing up. There is a moment where this movie stops to monologue about the themes and message of the movie as if it weren’t already blatantly obvious. This movie makes  a lot of lazy obvious jokes about the current generation that you have seen done better elsewhere.

There are worse comedies out there, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this one either. You can find this on this movie on Netflix.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Spiderhead (2022)

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I wanted to like Spiderhead, but unfortunately, this movie is an utter disappointment. Chris Hemsworth is a fantastic villain, but unfortunately, his efforts are wasted on a film with a severe identity crisis. This movie struggles as it tries to decide whether it wants to be horror, action thriller, or dark comedy. The result is something that feels like three different movies awkwardly stitched together and posted as a cheap way to generate views. There are about 30 minutes of salvageable film, but the disappointment is too overwhelming to merit a recommendation.

Spiderhead is a prison facility run by a shady pharmaceutical company. They use the facility to test highly experimental drugs on its inmates. All the inmates are here by choice, but as the side effects begin to get severe, it becomes harder to justify volunteering. The movie focuses on a protagonist with a dark past that you uncover as the tests continue. Will he continue to subject himself to the experiments, or will his questions prompt a release from the program? Or worse?

The movie starts as another prison game narrative. The movie does a great job of setting up how isolated the facility is. It also provides the audience with a taste of the type of tests involved. What sets this movie apart is the very charismatic Chris Hemsworth who uses his charisma to manipulate the prisoners into always cooperating with the testing. It is fun to see Steve (Chris Hemsworth) turn every conversation in his favor. The problem is that none of the other actors add this same level of energy and it hurts the film. When the movie shifts its focus from Hemsworth to the true protagonist, the movie loses its momentum, and I, in turn, lost my interest. The movie becomes this lazy, cartoonish The Warriors ripoff no one asks for full of ex-Machina and poorly delivered drama. I don’t like this movie because of how badly I was let down by the ending.

If you want something to throw in the background, sure. Chris Hemsworth’s performance is fantastic. There are a lot of bits in this movie where nothing happens, making it not worth your full attention. You can find this movie on Netflix, but there are a lot of other media that do this same story better elsewhere.

This part will have spoilers, do not read if you care about spoilers. This is one of those movies where I wish the villain won. It would have been such a better story if at the end of the movie, after all the effort of trying to escape, the protagonist finds he is still a part of the test. Anything would have been better than how it ends.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Siege of Robin Hood (2022)

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The Siege of Robin Hood is a cheesy, low-budget fantasy movie you have not heard of for good reason. This film feels like a very well-funded LARP, unfortunately, it makes for a terrible movie. 

The Sheriff Of Nottingham is a tyrant who rules the land cruelly. The citizens have had enough but are unable to break away from his rule. It is up to Robin Hood and his band of misfits to storm the castle and give the land its peace and freedom. Do they have what it takes, or will they be another failed rebellion? 

This was exceptionally boring to watch. The costumes and the setting are the best things about this movie. They spent a lot of money on cool pieces of armor and weapons, but they ran out of money for the actors and sound. There are a couple of fun fights, but they are too few for this movie to be worth the trouble. Overall, this film’s greatest weakness lies in its actors. There are no actors in this movie, and a lot of this movie consists of a poorly written script performed terribly. Getting through this movie was hard work, work I hope you never have to do. 

The biggest issue with this movie is its lack of urgency. Nothing in this movie matters because there isn’t a threat or challenge for Robin Hood and his gang. The henchmen will die at the mere sight of the group, and Robin Hood will ex Machina his way out of everything. The villain in this movie is horribly written. The Sheriff Of Nottingham is evil for the sake of being evil. He rapes and pillages because he has to be the bad guy and that’s boring. A good villain needs clear motivation with competent henchmen so that the hero’s struggle is exciting and fun to watch. There is no weight to this villain and I was left waiting for Robin Hood to awkwardly stroll to the final disappointing battle. It is a shame because there are a couple of well-choreographed fights that leave me more disappointed in this movie. Why couldn’t the movie be full of well-choreographed and fun fights if they were going to skimp on actors and narrative? 

This movie is a complete waste of time. I like cheesy movies, but this takes it to an unwatchable level. If you like to watch bad movies to make fun of them, don’t bother with this one because it isn’t as fun as you might think. I don’t know who funded this LARP, but it wasn’t worth it. You aren’t the target audience. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Choose or Die (2022)

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I’ve seen enough of these curse game movies to have low expectations of the genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Choose or Die. While it may not leave a lasting impression, it isn’t the worst way to spend two hours. I honestly believe it to be one of the better films in the genre. 

Choose or Die is about a girl Thea who is really good at computers. As she is desperately trying to find ways to make some extra money, she stumbles onto a text-based RPG that promises a healthy payout. While the game seems innocent, it comes with some deadly consequences. Now she is trapped in the game of her life. Will she win it all, or die trying?

Choose or Die does enough to keep it from being another bad entry to the genre, but it is far from perfect. The acting is solid, and some games are creative, but the narrative is lacking. Thea is a solid protagonist. Usually, movies like this feature a bland misrepresented character that is inexplicably perfect when the plot needs her to be. Thea on the other hand is shown early on to be a capable computer engineer. It isn’t random or unbelievable when she plays the game competently or when she overcomes obstacles. She is also likable enough, although there is some bad writing that keeps her from being better. 

The games Thea is forced to play are fun and creative for the most part. This movie does a decent job converting text-based RPG elements into a realistic and suspenseful challenge that Thea must overcome. Most importantly, these games are winnable. In some of the Saw movies or that dumb Escape Room movie, the games aren’t winnable. Instead of the suspenseful ride of watching someone trying to win their life, you get torture porn. While there is nothing wrong with that type of genre, it isn’t horror. You don’t see much torture in Choose or Die instead it becomes a very intense puzzle where the choices are difficult, but not impossible. Unfortunately, not all of the games are created equal. This will hurt this movie’s rewatchability.

My only complaint is with the writing. There are a few very cheesy moments that destroy the tension. Terrible one-liners, cheesy outcomes, and the pointless scenes with the drug dealer kind of slow the movie down and distract from the more creative bits. There is also a lot of buildup to a very disappointing ending that almost ruins the experience. 

You can watch this movie on Netflix. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, it’s not bad if you have nothing else to do.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Northman (2022)

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I was not expecting a fantasy adventure from The Northman, but I am not one to complain as I have been starving for a good fantasy. From the trailers, this seemed like another revenge action movie only with a Viking skin, but I was surprised that there was a bit more depth to it. The Northman is essentially Hamlet adapted to Nordic mythology, and it works beautifully. A bit of warning, this is a bloody and violent movie, but so was the original tragedy.

The Northman follows a young boy on his quest for revenge. Amleth’s uncle has slain his father and taken over his clan. Amleth vows to avenge his father, save his mother, and restore his honor. His destiny guides his journey, and his journey is an excellent way to spend two hours. 

I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would because of how much attention to detail there was. I am not sure about the historical accuracy of the movie, but a lot of the lore and the references to Hamlet were spot on. This movie is well-acted, and beautifully shot, and the story is fantastic. I loved how action scenes that were long single takes. They are very creative and not the jarring million-cut action scenes we’ve become accustomed to in modern action movies. There are also a lot of long wide shots of the beautiful Icelandic landscape that are simply breathtaking. My only complaint is that some of the scenes take a bit too long, but it doesn’t make this movie unwatchable. 

If you love Vikings and revenge, you probably already saw this movie. For everyone, this movie is worth the experience. This is the Hamlet adaptation you didn’t know you need it. You can watch The Northman on Peacock.

Series Reviews

Series Review: Barry (2018)

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With the third season of Barry coming to a close, if you haven’t started watching this series, now is the perfect time to start. Season three is unfolding into the most insane and frustrating journey put on a reel, and I absolutely love every minute of it. For those of you who don’t know, Barry is a dark comedy about a hitman who no longer wants to kill people. Barry is one of the best in the business, but his life is unfulfilled. This all changes when a job has him stumble into the acting class that will change his life. He believes he’s found his true calling in acting despite not being very good at it. It is a fantastic journey of struggle, disappointment, depression, and acting.

This show makes an uncharismatic murderer lovable and that in itself should be enough reason for you to watch this show. This show is well shot, directed, acted, and written. It is full of characters you will hate because you are supposed to, those you will love because they ooze charisma and nail-biting tense moments that will have you ripping your hair out. I love the contrast between the acting scene and the dark underworld that Barry can’t ever shake. The harder Barry tries to have a normal life, the harder it becomes to keep his lives seperate. It is this duality that makes this show so special. All Barry wants in life is to have a purpose, but can he find purpose outside of murder? You will have to watch to find out. 

Watch this show on HBO. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Morbius (2022)

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I had completely forgotten about this movie, and after watching this movie, I understand why. This unimpressive addition to the MCU should have been left as an uninspired pitch on the story board. This movie fails to set itself apart from any generic bargain bin action movie despite its fancy packaging. While the acting might set it apart from complete mediocrity, its narrative fails to inspire the least bit of intrigue. 

The movie follows a sickly doctor who is obsessed with finding a cure for his life-threatening ailment. His desperation for a cure leads his research to unethical avenues. His obsession finally pays off when he finds the cure. Unfortunately, the cure transforms him into a monster with an uncontrollable thirst for blood. Now he must find a way to quell his hunger without succumbing to his monstrous desires. 

Do not let the aesthetics of this movie blind you to the fact that at its core, this movie is a shallow addition to the MCU. The story is bland, the villain is boring, and the love interest is unnecessary. I believe a more appropriate term for this movie would be forgettable. I find it near impossible to remember what happened in this movie despite having just seen it.  Do yourself a favor, watch one of the better MCU movies.  

I found this movie free on YouTube, but even as free content I felt it was a waste of time. I’ve seen enough movies to know that this is one of those lazy plots that gets reskinned every year in an attempt to make a quick buck. It is frustrating, but it is the nature of the business. It is better forget about the existence of this  unremarkable movie than to have to sit through even a minute of it.  

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Movie Review: The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022)

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The Bob’s Burgers Movie is a delightful and wholesome experience that I recommend to everyone. It is full of singing, dancing, and laughter, and it is a much-appreciated addition to the series. While I don’t believe the theater experience is necessary, I am glad to have seen it in theaters.

Bob’s Burgers is one of my favorite animated series. I have re-watched this show more times than I would like to admit. I was rightfully excited when I learned about this movie and my excitement has been properly reciprocated. I was skeptical about this movie, fearing that there would be changes made in order to capture a more general audience. I am relieved that the animators worked tirelessly to create a story that is not only true to the spirit of the series but expands on it as well.

This cute little murder mystery is one of the better ones to be released recently. Although you might figure out who the killer is early on, it won’t matter because of how much fun this movie is. The singing, dancing, and pageantry all work in conjunction with a very fun and interesting narrative. While the singing and animation aren’t on par with something you expect from Disney, it is fantastic in its own way. There are a lot of laughs to be had in this movie, and if you are a fan, even more so. I hope that this movie is canonical because there are some important moments of character growth that as a long-time fan left me teary-eyed with joy.

If you are a fan, you probably already watched it. It is full of Easter eggs and nods that will make you appreciate the attention to detail put into this film. Do not be discouraged if you have never seen the show before. Although you will miss out on some of the nuances and jokes, the story works well enough on its own that you will understand what is going on. You will still laugh, you will still cry, and you will even want to start watching a show you should already be watching.

This is a fantastic movie that truly captures what has made the Belcher family a staple in American pop culture. If you are a long-time fan, it will provide some very important insight into the Belcher family. Go watch this in theaters!