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"Dracula: The Last Voyage of the Demeter" (2023) is a chilling masterpiece that sets a new standard for your run of the mill monster or creature horror films. If you love horror, or creature features - or anything like classics such as Alien, Predator or The Thing, you should love this. No spoilers, but I hope this review does it justice, so strap in!

From the moment the eerie voyage begins, the movie delivers an unparalleled sense of unease that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The carefully crafted tension and suspense are nothing short of remarkable, making it a truly terrifying experience. Øvredal directs the you know what out of this film. Every aspect; cinematography, music, performances, dialogue, pacing, effects but practical and digital, set design and overall quality are close to or bang on A class quality.

What sets this film apart is its refreshing take on the Dracula legend. By focusing on the harrowing journey aboard the Demeter, the filmmakers breathe new life into a well-known tale. Taking a snippet of a larger story (think The Clone Wars or Rogue One in Star Wars terms), this unique perspective adds depth and intrigue, leaving the audience captivated and intrigued as the horror unfolds.

Without being copy cat or derivative, this film seemingly takes heavy inspiration from aspects of films such as Alien, The Thing, Predator and even Jurassic Park 3 (no spoilers, but that scene in the mist...think the Pterandon bird cage scene from JP 3).

The atmosphere is undeniably one of the film's strongest assets, and probably my favourite. The film is brutal, gnarly and gothic - yet human. You care for the characters - and they all have their moment, but just as in those mentioned movies, they get picked off one by one aus the crew dwindles. The hauntingly atmospheric visuals and haunting score work in tandem to create an immersive and unsettling environment. Every scene drips with a palpable sense of dread, immersing viewers in a world where danger lurks at every corner of the ship. The way they set up the film, the first act - the superstitions, the dead live stock, the shadows, the folk lore - it's perfect.

The acting in The Last Voyage of the Demeter is nothing short of brilliant. Many would appear as new faces or unknowns, but they all seek their part. Corey Hawkins was terrific as the lead, and Mr Clemens is one of my favourite horror leads in a long time. The great Liam Cunningham is excellent as usual, and David Dastmalchian - who is known for his ratty and squirming like characters (think Dark Knight, Dune, Prisoners, Blade Runner, or Suicide Squad) - is so different here, and is excellent as the eternal optimist and disbelieving First Mate. Aisling Franciosi and Woody Norman also bring a nice humanity and innocence. As I said, everyone gets their moment.

The cast's performances are authentic and convincing, allowing you to connect emotionally with the characters and feel their fear. Their reactions to the escalating horrors on board are portrayed so realistically that it's impossible not to be drawn into their terror.

Cinematography plays a pivotal role in enhancing the film's impact. The expertly composed shots and clever camera work effectively amplify the tension and contribute to the overall sense of unease. The use of lighting and shadows adds depth and complexity to the scenes, creating a visual feast that's as haunting as it is beautiful. Check your room corners before you go to bed!

Finally, but most importantly: *practical effects* take center stage in bringing the horror to life. The meticulous attention to detail in crafting the gruesome and spine-chilling moments is truly commendable. The visceral and realistic portrayal of Dracula's presence onboard is a testament to the filmmakers' dedication to creating an authentic and terrifying experience. This film is brutal and grotseque at times - and the titular character has a horrifying presence.

No spoilers, but the ending. Wow. On one hand I want a bunch more movies, a whole franchise! On the other, it's kinda perfect as is. The ending allows for more stories or a continued one - yet also makes for a great ending full stop. I am worried this film won't make too much box office wise (hopefully I am wrong), and haven't seen any reviews for a consensus, but please Universal give us a sequel or if not, something similar to this!

This is undoubtedly one of the best horror films of 2023. Its expertly constructed scares, refreshing narrative approach, and impeccable atmosphere combine with exceptional acting, cinematography, and practical effects to create a cinematic masterpiece that will haunt your nightmares for years to come. This is a must-watch for horror enthusiasts and creature feature lovers!

In all my years of using IMDb, I've hardly written any reviews, but I wanted to do this justice and support this film. This is the Predator or Alien film I have wanted for years! I'll take more horror from Øvredal, more creature features, and more Universal classic monsters!

9.5/10.

I am just going to start this review off by stating this film is getting beyond too much hate. In fact a huge amount of the critiques are unfounded, inaccurate or hyprocritical. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it great? Maybe not. Is it bad or terrible, or as offensive as these 1/10 reviews would have you believe? No. It's good. Sure it has flaws, it definitely ain't perfect.

However from a die hard super fan, who's seen all the films countless times, and the original Jurassic Park being my all time favourite, what I can say is that it was not anywhere close to what the critics or reviews would have you believe.

Before I get into the rest, let me state this. The Rise of Skywalker has lines like "They fly now!" and somehow Palpatine has returned! IMDb rating? 6.5/10. Furious 7 has Dwayne Johnson rip a minigun off a drone and use it manually after driving a ambulance off a bridge to crash it. Paul Walker also drives a car through three sky scrapers. IMDB rating? 7.3/10. Black Panther, Shang Chi and numerous other MCU films have legit PS2 level CGI...did anyone see the opening sequence to Doctor Strange 2? Yep, 7.3/10, 7.4/10 & 7.3/10 respectively for those films.

This film is currently sitting at 6/10 with only 10k votes, and IMDb tends to see things only drop. So my point is, does this film deserve all this hate, especially when you compare it to other films rated here? Well, no, it quite frankly is just unfair how many vague, brainless and cynical 1/10, 2/10 and 3/10 reviews are here. You don't have to like the film, but review fairly. This film, is at worst, mediocre. But I believe it's far more than that, both as a JP fan but also just as a crafted film.

No Way Home, let's use that for comparison. Decent acting? Check. A long run time, fairly messy, yet fun script and story? Check. Some humor? Check. References and callbacks? Check. Return of some iconic characters, fan service and world building? Check. A decent score that probably uses a lot of old tracks from prior films? Check. Good cinematography? Check. Good CGI and practical effects?

No, I'd say NWH is lacking there. And you know what? Dominion is near identical in every single category! Yet...NWH has 8.3/10 and Dominion has 6/10. You see the pattern here? This film is copping ridiculous amounts of hate. You don't have to be an award winning classic, an indie film or a Comic Book movie to be good.

Jurassic World Dominion is completely faithful and respectful to the legacy of all the films, the franchise itself and Michael Critchon's work.

It has beautiful cinematography, amazing CGI and awesome use of practical effects. It builds on the world and lore, and Giacchion's score is awesome as always. Grant feels like Grant. Ellie feels like Ellie. Malcolm feels like Malcolm. Owen and Claire are better than they've been, and Maisie (clone girl) is handled really well. The discourse around human cloning and the locust are straight out of Michael Critchon's work - Timeline, Micro, Westworld, Jurassic Park. Man playing god, manipulating nature and corporate greed.

Dominion puts the dinosaurs back a seat and focuses on the humans - yet people complain? Everyone praises the minimal use of the dinosaurs in the original, and states it's about man's misuse of technology and character arcs, whether it be Alan or Hammond. This film does the same. Heck they even got Dogdson back, just like the novels!

Does this film feature some wonky dialogue, some cheesy moments and plot conveniance? Sure. But it's not pure garbage.

It's staggering how many people use the word "dumb". Yet...where is this film dumb? Like where, seriously? I LOVE the other films, but they for sure have dumb moments or moments where logic gone. But this film surprisingly doesn't! Every decision, whether it be by Owen, or Claire or Grant or whoever, is the logical choice. There's not even any suspend your belief stunts or plot armor. The characters just genuinely navigate the locations well. No dumb dino prices, no militarised hybrids, no stupid decisions leading to chaos.

Heck people said they want less trained raptors and Blue, less "Fast & Furious over the top action", less Rexy saving the day, and more human content/character work.

Well guess what? They gave us that. It's funny we have people saying too much dinosaurs then people saying not enough dinosaurs.

What happened to being able to enjoy a summer block buster? This film is fun, enjoyable, nostalgic and true to it's roots. Half the negative reviews here don't even state any examples or evidence, they're just the typical "Hollywood bad" or "sequel bad". Don't get me wrong, I've hated plenty of films, but this film surely isn't any bit close to the current rating.

My only real major gripes is despite the long run time and a huge cast, there weren't enough casualties (even for side characters) and that the prologue should've been kept to open the film.

So in conclusion, please rate fairly, please don't be discouraged by reviews, and please form your own opinion. Love it? Great! Meh? Great! Hate it? Great! But don't just jump on the band wagon and don't straight up lie or pretend there's issues without evidence.

My final score is, as a fan 9/10, as a film 7.5/10.

This is a film I had high expectations for, purely based off the trailers, early word of mouth and the reviews. It was a brilliantly crafted film, with almost all element being perfect. There were a few flaws however that stopped it from being perfect, ultimately still not surpassing The Dark Knight (nor Begins or Rises in my eyes).

Whilst that's not exactly a bad thing, as it's one of the greatest trilogies ever, some would argue the greatest. Yet, the praise did make it seem like it was on par, even surpassed TDK.

For the positives, there's not much to say. It was an all round nice combination: performances, writing, set pieces. The music and cinematography were brilliant. Robert Pattenson was excellent and one of the best Batman's yet. Matt Reeves direction was bold and original, bravo.

• Pattenson was a great, emotionally deep Batman. His voice was perfect and the suit quickly grew on me. He felt scary and like a true force to criminals. The opening moment with the dark alleys were perfect.

• The cast and characters were all great. I especially liked Gordon, who managed to impress me and hold his own (Oldman's portrayal in TDK trilogy being a favourite element of the films personally). Farrell as the Penguin was bloody awesome!

• the aesthetic of the film - the neo-nor rain soaked, dark, neon lit clubs, etc locations were perfect.

• The score was a classic Batman style theme. Loved it. Whilst there are many great Batman tracks, TDK's trilogy Zimmer score is iconic and perfect, yet feels very isolated and exclusive to that Batman. This score and main theme however felt like the perfect definitive and universal Batman theme. Bravo Giacchino.

• The story and writing (I have a few issues, later), was for the most part awesome. I loved the detective work. I love that it felt realistic and slow and like an actual journey. An actual case to be cracked.

• I loved the world and backstories. The atmosphere was perfect but the sought of history they added, crime, politics, legacy etc really worked well.

I'll summarise my scrambled thoughts on the cons in more detail, as that's a bit more specific and it's more interesting (and you'll see the specific praises in most other reviews - and rightfully so!).

• The soundtrack, whilst brilliant and one of the highlights, I do feel was *overused*. There was near no moments of silence or peace or breathing room.

• Furthermore, the use of "Something In the Way" whilst awesome for the trailer, and ultimately still very cool, I personally didn't really think it fit Batman. Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, etc. CB films can use "songs" well, but I feel Batman is one where it just doesn't suit and should stick to the OST.

• The length. I LOVE long films. I love slow burns. I love detective films. I loved the first 2/3's. But this film dragged. Not in a way that "I'm bored", it was still very entertaining. Yet I felt from story point it dragged and should've concluded much sooner.

• The third act. What happened hear? The action, the combat etc was all great. But the stakes dropped and so did the intruige. Multiple Riddlers/goons or copycats? It just felt like the end of Joker rehashed. People rising up against the rich and being bitter so resorting to violence. The stakes and intruige just dropped. It was more of "how long till he clears out these faceless goons" rather than anything interesting. Not too mention Riddler sought of devolved into a manbaby like child and lost all mystery and threat.

• The Batman lore/mythology. For all the talk of this being strictly to it's comic roots - which it did well mostly, it was not entirely true. Not to say it didn't but the critiques to all prior Batman films apply here. He literally aims a gun that shoots a goon the same way Batman does in BVS. He could've given up on Penguin yet didn't and ultimately they had a full truck and car pile up in which multiple innocents died...and nothing is ever said or mentioned of that again? No different Batman in TDK using the Tumbler to crush that truck (which mind you at least had a criminal in it, not an innocent).

• The film is a slow burn, brilliantly written and executed, yet the let down is it urges patience and attention...for little pay off. I mean the Falcolne twist was nice but not mind shattering and for all the riddles the film was fairly, I'm not sure on the word, basic? They largely spoon fed all the information and nothing was exactly subtle. The third act could've really used a twist (other than the mass goon following, which was lacklustre and unoriginal). The film just felt a little frustrating. It could've ended with the arrest of the Riddler and it'd have been great. It dragged for no real reason. Batman is shot...and recovers! Batman is electrocuted and dramatically falls...and recovers! It was just a little anti-climatic.

• The whole plot was nice, the script was awesome. But the plot point of "rich bad" is a bit overdone and not at all interesting.

• The Batman "token" elements weren't there. Some will praise this, but it felt very jarring for me personally. Alfred was wasted, we hardly saw any Bruce Wayne moments despite the huge run time. He was basically Batman the whole time. We hardly saw his manor/house, they really used Arkham in an anti-climatic way, the batcave was lifeless.

• Also the narration was odd. It came and just...disappeared? Like it was a refreshing take. The journal was interesting but ultimatelty, like a lot of things, managed to feel wasted in a near 3 hour run time.

Overall, the film was AWESOME. The review may seem negative, but that's just me trying to be brutally honest and not to get caught up in the hype. I loved the detective element, the Se7en style inspiration and Pattenson (and the cast) was awesome. The cinematography was amazing, as was the score. I look forward to more from this franchise. Matt Reeves has done brilliantly. That said, a few elements stop it from being a full on masterpiece. That said, it's only the first entry, it could get way, way better!

Final Score: 8.5/10 Favourite Performance: Robert Pattenson Favourite Set Piece: opening introduction of Batman Favourite Quote: "It's not just a signal, it's a warning." Recommended?: Yes!

In short, is this a masterpiece? No. Is it groundbreaking? No. But what it is, is entertaining and fun. As some critics have pointed out, it feels very 90's. Which I believe works.

It has a great cast, cool yet admittedly wack concept, fun set pieces and a nice soundtrack. However, what is of course the best part of the film and it's main selling point: killer aliens and Chris Pratt. The aliens have a nice design, and are perfect for the summer blockbuster style.

Pratt is excellent and continues prove to be an actor who feels like he's in the wrong era, the perfect 80's and 90's leading man.

The story isn't all that deep or thorough, and the characters could use work. But Pratt delivers and the cast is still fun.

Perhaps one or two too many jokes, and again the writing is far from great, but the film does acknowledge what it is whilst still providing some emotional stakes.

J. K. Simmons is also excellent as always.

All in all, a decent and fun alien/monster adventure film. I feel it could've bettered from a non-PG-13 rating.

Biggest issue was the overuse of CGI. But sadly that's the ways movies seem to go these days.

That said, with all the garbage Hollywood releases, and with all the comic book and franchise films, and of course you award winners, it is nice to have a film that doesn't necessarily feel those categories. In short, a fun film. Shame it released on streaming, would've been better in the cinema.

Don't buy into the overly positive or aggressively negative reviews. This film ain't that bad or that amazing (objectively) but is exactly what you want from a sci-fi summer blockbuster.

As always decide for yourself, but if you're reading this and need some swaying: I recommend The Tomorrow War. 7.5/10.