Churape's Dungeon and Stuff

Or find some sweet deals on Groupon

Check out AVG Anti Virus

You can always buy stuff from Amazon with my Affiliate links:

The Roku TV is almost 1/2 off. Or buy a sound bar.

Try Amazon Prime Free

You can always just buy me coffee

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Lou (2022)

September 24, 2022 josechurape Leave a comment

Image by Thanks for your recognition • Donations ♡ welcome from Pixabay

As far as cheap and generic action movies go, Lou fairs a little better, but I still can’t recommend it. I am sure there is an audience for these types of movies, but they haven’t found any in my home.

Lou is about a recluse who lives in the woods and hunts for her food. The movie starts as she is about to commit suicide, but her attempt is interrupted by her one and only neighbor. Her neighbor’s daughter has been kidnapped, and Lou takes it upon herself to track down the kidnappers and save the little girl. The problem is, there is a storm shaking the island, and her arthritis is flaring up. Will she be able to save the little girl before the arteritis takes her hands?

This movie was average at best but never worth your time. The acting is average, with Lou being the best actor. The other characters try their hardest, but the writing doesn’t do much to help them. The plot is simple and linear, and the action isn’t fun or exciting.

I am not sure how I feel about this trend of older action heroes. I am glad that actors are no longer type-casted into the grandparent role, but I don’t think they’ve figured out the formula to make them work. Granted, these movies aren’t made for me, but it is still a valid opinion. At least this one was more realistic. It makes me nervous for the final Halloween movie seeing how the last movie was over-the-top ridiculous. I have nothing against Jamie Lee Curtis, but she had Micheal Meyers level of resilience to knife wounds; that is a hard truth to accept.

It is hard to say anything more about this movie because it just exists without leaving much of an impression. When there isn’t any action, I was trapped watching two women hiking through the woods, bonding due to circumstances. It may not be the worst action movie, but it is forgettable. You can stream it on Netflix.

Please consider supporting what I do by checking out my affiliate links. You might find some sweet deals:

Or find some sweet deals on Groupon

Check out AVG Anti Virus

You can always buy stuff from Amazon with my Affiliate links:

Buy an Apple TV or Fire TV to Stream this one, or try Amazon Prime Free

Or you can always just buy me coffee

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Woman King (2022)

September 17, 2022 josechurape 12 Comments

Image Source

I am blown away by the high level of production that went into the making of The Woman King. I am elated that we are finally moving away from the problematic representation of the noble savage toward a more true and respectful one. The costumes, traditions, combat, and acting all come together to make this movie a beautifully epic experience. If you are considering watching this movie, buy the tickets and enjoy its glory. This is a movie you need to watch in theaters.

The Woman King is a historical representation of the Agojie, an all-female warrior unit tasked with protecting the African nation of Dahomey. While the movie does focus on the geopolitical conflicts between warring tribes and slavers, the movie is also an important narrative about womanhood. The movie focuses on Nawi as she trains to become an Agojie during her nation’s wartime. The film focuses on training while also highlighting some of the nation’s traditions. As Nawi learns to become a warrior, war is brewing in the backdrop until it boils over into some of the most epic battles in modern cinema. This is truly a fascinating itnroduction into one of the many cultures that are often misrepresented in the media.

The Woman King is an important film that needs to be supported. The film is an inspiring narrative of womanhood that challenges the traditional values that have been dominant in media for so long. I can’t forget to mention the important representation and commentary about slavery that can’t be overlooked. Unfortunately, it is becoming a modern trend in America to forget and overlook these kinds of stories. While they may be able to whitewash the curriculum, they cannot censor the cinema. I can only hope that this is the start of a growing trend to represent cultures that have often been vilified or forgotten due to racism.

Aside from its cultural commentary, this film has a fantastic narrative. Watching Nawi raise up through her training and building lasting bonds with her sisters was both inspiring and heartwarming. These actresses gave it their all to such an epic story to life. There was a lot of love and dedication put into this movie, and it clearly paid off. It is truly refreshing to see women, especially women of color take on such active and heroic roles in cinema.

The Woman King is an action movie done correctly. The narrative, the action, and the characters all kept me at the edge of my seat. The only complaint I have about this movie is that the theater was so empty. I don’t think the movie has caught on to the public yet, but it should. This is one of the best movies I have seen this year, and I will die on this hill. If you are considering watching this movie, or haven’t heard of it, buy the tickets and thank me later. You can watch it in theaters as of the writing of this review.

Please consider supporting what I do by checking out my affiliate links. You might find some sweet deals:

Or find some sweet deals on Groupon

Check out AVG Anti Virus

You can always buy stuff from Amazon with my Affiliate links:

Regal Giftcards, AMC Giftcards, or try out Amazon Prime

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Prey (2022)

August 7, 2022 josechurape 10 Comments

If you like what I do and want to show your support, please consider buying me a coffee

I love Predator. It is one of my favorite movies. I will watch everything that features the Yautja, no matter how bad they are. I have known disappointment so many times that my hope for the series is fleeting. When I heard about Prey, there was the bittersweet sensation of cautious excitement because the trailer looked cool, but I wasn’t ready to be hurt again. This movie has restored my faith in the series and has become one of my favorites. If you are thinking about watching this film, watch it now!

This prequel focuses on Naru, a young female Comanche warrior who is constantly trying to prove herself to the men of the tribe. The Yautja has landed on earth, searching for worthy prey to hunt. The Yautja begins to hunt the Comanche warriors. Now Naru must protect her tribe against this strange and powerful hunter.

This movie is fantastic. The action is fun, the story is great, and the acting is fantastic. Watching the Yautja hunt is tense and exciting. The film does a great job of making the fights balanced and exciting. The only complaint I have about this movie is that some of the special effects are bad. Some deaths and fights are cartoonishly bad, but not bad enough to ruin the movie. This is one of the better stories set in the predator universe. It has well-built tension that builds to one of the most satisfying conclusions. The acting is phenomenal. It goes without saying, this movie has one of the best female leads in the genre. She is cool and smart, and I believed she was capable of hunting the Yautja. I can only hope there are more movies of this caliber for the genre and the predator universe.

It cannot be understated, you need to watch Prey. It is available in English and a Numunuu dubbing. I wish the whole movie was done in Numunuu, and we got an English dubbing after; but we might not be there as a society yet

Prey poster image source

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Love and Monsters (2020)

July 22, 2022 josechurape 3 Comments

Love and Monsters is a lighthearted movie about surviving the end of the world. If you haven’t seen it or are thinking about it, think no more. Go watch it! This cheesy fun movie is a delight and you can watch it on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.

Humans are once again the catalyst for the world ending events that drive the narrative of this film. Animals have mutated because of the radiation, killing off most of the human population. The survivors now live scattered across the globe in small colonies. The movie focuses on Joel, an average guy who is incapable of taking action. Joel freezes at the sight of danger and as a result is left to cook and repair stuff for the colony he lives in. Joel is done waiting around and decides to venture out into the monster infested world to find his long lost girlfriend. Will Joel find the strength and courage to survive in a post apocalyptic California, or will the monsters make a meal of him?

Love and Monsters is a lot of fun, especially if you are a fan of Zombieland. It shares a similar style, but not as edgy. It is light hearted and cute, but there are real dangers lurking around the landscape. I loved the monster design, and each monster encounter was thrilling despite the overall tone of the movie.

Joel is played by a fantastic actor who brings this movie to life with his quirky nervousness. It is fun to see his character develop as he faces and overcomes adversities. He is also has some amazing chemistry with every actor he interacts with, including the dog. Joels charisma and chemistry with his costars create the tone necessary to make this movie work. With narratives like this, you need a lead with enough charisma to drive the plot and make the audience care.

As far as stories go, its fine. You’ve seen movies like this before but it’s done well. It is a little cheesy but the cheese gives this movie its charm.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The 355 (2022)

July 11, 2022 josechurape 4 Comments

As far as spy thrillers go, The 355 is just okay. I didn’t hate this movie, but it also didn’t leave much of an impression. I will forget what this movie is about tomorrow, and so will you. This movie doesn’t do enough to earn a recommendation.

A drug cartel has made a device that allows the user to hack anything. The race is on to get the device before it falls into the wrong hand. This world-ending device brings together a group of unlikely characters who must work together to retrieve the device and save the world. Will they be able to save the world? Of course they do, this isn’t a deep movie.

The movie has a great cast whose talents are wasted. The biggest problem I have with this movie is with its plot, it is slow and dry. If you are going to have good actors in your movie, make sure the story takes advantage of their strengths. As far as action movies go, this movie is limited by its actors’ abilities. There are a few interesting sequences, but a lot of it is awkward. If you aren’t going to have a good story, at least make the action fun and exciting. The movie suffers as it slows down for pointless backstory, and meaningless tech babble, and it tops it all off with obvious twists. If you watch this movie, you will skip a few scenes.

You can watch this movie on Amazon with your prime membership. While it is not the worst movie out there, I wouldn’t rush out to see it.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Reviews: Top Gun: Maverick(2022)

May 28, 2022 josechurape 18 Comments

This is a fantastic movie that you need to see in theaters. While I believed that this film was going to be another shameless attempt at cashing in on our nostalgia, I was properly impressed by an experience that I can only describe as breathtaking. This is not a vanity project by a self-absorbed actor, but a passion project by a man who revitalized my faith in reboots. Top Gun: Maverick earns its ticket price, and if you aren’t watching it in theaters, you are doing it wrong.

Top Gun: Maverick is set after the events of the first movie. Maverick has been reassigned to train a new class of pilots for an impossible mission. Maverick is the only pilot for the job, but he must learn to overcome the demons of his past or risk the lives of the pilots he has in his hands.

This movie is as pro-America as you expect. Every scene is dripping in American flags, but it is an aesthetic fitting of the narrative. There is also plenty of references to the first movie expertly woven throughout this film, but they only serve as nods to the fans of the first movie. You do not need to see the first movie to understand this movie, they do a fantastic job at catching up the audience. The weakest part of this movie is the romantic plot, but it isn’t enough to ruin the movie. Jennifer Connelly sort of just exists in this movie, but her presence is very much appreciated. I wish they had done more with her character, but then it would take away from all the cool airplane stuff.

The best part of the movie has to be everything involving the jets. The dog fights will have you clutching at your seat, ripping away at the material. The flight scenes will have your heart racing, as you watch airplanes do seemingly impossible feats. Watching this movie in theaters is mandatory. Watching the planes on the big screen while feeling the vibrations of the engines make it a powerful experience.

I particularly liked the evolution of Maverick’s character. While still plays by his own rules, age and experience have changed him. While some of it may be self-serving, it is nice to see a hero that isn’t stoic and emotionless. I enjoyed watching him work through his demons and grow as a character. It makes his character interesting, and it gives the movie a depth I didn’t expect from an action movie.

You need to watch this movie, and it has to be in theaters!

Image Source

If you want to support what I do, check out my affiliate links: