blackbanter

A very short, very original little anime that I thoroughly enjoyed.

"Godzilla" (2014) is an amazing experience. It is directed beautifully, full of astonishing shots and insane visuals that truly make you feel the size of the creatures portrayed.

But more than that, it is also a heartfelt story, with memorable characters and great acting.

Do not miss it!

A-

"Assassin's Creed" (2016) is not bad. Don't get me wrong it is by no means a masterpiece or even a great movie, it is just an enjoyable experience that doesn't really try anything new or experimental. It's an action flick based on a video game series and it's actually really great compared to most other video game film adaptations.

The acting is fairly good, with such stars as Michael Fassbender being pretty charismatic and enjoyable on-screen. The action is going to be hit or miss for most people, you either love it or you hate it because it's edited in a very fast way, not letting people really know what is happening and the story, even though it was very criticised, I found enjoyable and involving.

All in all this is a decent film that I think most video game or action fans should watch... just don't expect "The Godfather"!

C+

This show is basically what one would call "big sad". What I mean by this is that the minute you start to care about the brilliantly written complex characters, the show kills them off in incredibly gruesome ways.

Seriously though, the show is insanely gory, going into it I thought it was just going to be a kid friendly fantasy anime, but in truth it's an incredibly deep and involving show that I binged in a day because I was so into it.

From the first episode I was hooked, wanting to find any and everything I could, no matter how small, about this amazing world. The twists and turn it takes are nothing short of truly amazing and definitely worth sticking around for.

I can only hope that there will eventually be a Season 2 that continues this underrated masterpiece!

A+

Definitely one of my favourites so far, this episode deals with philosophical questions I have never seen animation tackle this well!

A+

WOW! This is by far the best episode of this show to date, the life-like CGI, the awesome sci-fi feel, the writing. It all just blends together to create an amazing episode!

A+

I was afraid that this art style was going to be awful but I was couldn't have been more wrong. This is a beautifully animated episode that, unfortunately, never crosses the boundaries of just that, beautiful. It never makes you wonder, feel or anything else, and I think a couple more minutes would have done the trick.

C+

The story of sentient yogurt taking over the earth is, surprisingly, a very interesting one.

Strong comedic writing and great animation makes this episode a must watch, I just wish it was longer!

A-

Fantastic episode. Short and sweet, no filler and very funny!

A+

Wow! I mean WOW! How did I let this movie pass me by when it first released, because I can wholeheartedly say that "Whiplash" is a modern masterpiece. Never in my 16 years on this earth have I ever been as captivated by a movie as I have with this one, and I'm not even a musician. But yet, this movie managed to pull me into the screen, preventing me from ever taking my eyes off of it, and letting me be sucked into this world.

I mean, what else can I say, this film is just amazing. J.K. Simmons has perhaps one of the best performances I have ever seen. He is so real, you feel for Miles Teller's character because what transpires between them doesn't feel like something that was written and performed. It doesn't feel like acting. It feels real and that is also due to the script and the direction these amazing actors had.

This is also an incredibly funny movie. Seriously, everytime J.K. Simmons opens his mouth, it's usually to insult someone in an hilariously crude way.

Also, this film has one of the best 3rd acts of any movie I have ever seen, with a finale so climactic that I litteraly didn't avert my gaze for a second, in fear of losing even the smallest detail.

There is only really one very minor criticism I have for this masterpiece, and that is the romance subplot between Miles Teller's and Melissa Benoist's characters. It just felt to me like it didn't go anywhere and didn't bring much to either character, but I'm just grasping at straws here.

Perfection is not easily achieved, but I'm very confident in saying that in "Whiplash", perfection was achieved in every way possible!

A+

"The Witcher" is a really good, maybe even great, new TV show. Starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia this show is a joy to watch, from the insanely good choreography to the perfect acting, this definitely hits all the right spots for fantasy/action.

CGI is also a big plus, since it is common for shows to mess that up but, Netflix continues to prove that it can do computer effects right, before with "Lucifer" and now with "The Witcher".

It is not perfect however, things like the Nilfgaardian armour and the fact that the show doesn't make it clear what is a flashback and what isn't, with episodes where a character is in the present and another in a flashback that ties in to the overarching story.

Despite this, "The Witcher" still managed to captivate me and I personally cannot wait for Season 2 and the continuation of Geralt and Ciri's story!

A

This show has been well and truly revived by Netflix. I mean, Season 3 was such a disappointment to me (except the last 2 episodes), it was full of filler episodes and awful characters and motives but Season 4, now that is filled with fantastic characters, great writing, significantly better CGI than the previous Seasons and is shorter, which makes it devoid of filler content.

I would also like to add that the acting seems to be getting progressively better, with Tom Ellis consistently proving that he is an extremely talented actor.

Overall: Worth the wait until Season 4

A

Let me just start by saying that this movie is tons and tons of fun. It's extremely gory and absurd in the best way possible and, although this can, at points make it's story convoluted, it's, for the most part, nothing that takes you out of the movie.

The acting in "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is amazing, from Keanu Reeves's gripping fear to Gary Oldman's fantastic facial expressions, this movie is riddled with great performances.

The makeup and set designs are also a plus in this feature, being fully believable (although the CGI really doesn't hold up)

The only real downside to this otherwise great film is that the story feels at points rushed, making it really difficult to understand what's happening at points. Also, the overall story didn't really interest me too much and feels very cheesy to me.

Verdict: Definite must watch for horror fans.

B

"Siberia" (2018) is a strange one, I left it knowing about as much as I did going in to it. Keanu Reeves is diamond seller, I don't know if what he does is illegal or not because the movie doesn't explain it. Anyways, he goes to S. Petersburg to sell some diamonds but his friend screws him over (I think) and he's forced to go to Siberia to get his diamonds back.

That's a very condensed explanation of what happens in this movie but that's about as much as one needs to know going in to it... and that's about as much as I know now.

This movie has so much potential it's crazy, first of all, it has Keanu Reeves in it so that's already a plus, and the storyline is genuinely interesting until the "romance" subplot comes in. I'm putting "romance" in quotes because it is so bad I almost threw up. Seriously, the lines are so bad and the sex scenes... oh dear God the sex scenes. I was perplexed at them, why are they there. WHY? ARE? THEY? THERE?!

It would have been so much better if the female love interest would have just been cut from the movie because, without her there is a genuinely good movie here.

Basically, this movie is an enjoyable waste of time, with some great scenes splashed in there and a great ending sequence, but, in the long run, the romance and the fact that the movie doesn't give answers to the questions it poses makes this movie a tremendous waste of potential.

D+

Tell me, what do you expect, is it "The Godfather"? Or maybe it's "The Dark Knight"? Because that's obviously not what you are going to get. But some people seem to not really understand that and come in to this movie wanting and already expecting to hate it and that, from my point of view, is a scummy thing to do.

It doesn't matter if you have nostalgia for the older movies or if you hate the premise or even if you just hate action flicks in general, all movies deserve a chance, and, if you give "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2014) one, I think you will find there is much to like in it. It is by no means a perfect movie. No, not even close, it is flawed in many ways, it's plagued with childish humour and bad exposition scenes, but deep down, there are definitely things that work and are actually very competent.

For one, some of the humour that sticks is great. I am not ashamed to say that I laughed very hard at some of the jokes, although not all.

The CGI is also very good, and whilst it might be too much in your face in some scenes with the amount of explosions happening, it doesn't go for the awful trope that is shaky cam action.

I did wish the movie focused more on the turtles and less on April though, I really wanted to see more of them, and even though I loved the first scene with her, she ended up being the weakest part of the film, along with the kinda of romance plot that's mashed in.

Overall, please don't hate this movie just because and actually watch it to form an opinion. Thanks.

C

I had a blast with "Sleepy Hollow", it is a super fun ride from start to finish, and, although flawed and ridden with goofs, it manages to be entertaining all the way through. One of the main positives I have are the actors and their performances, Johnny Depp was fantastic, along with many other notable figures. "Sleepy Hollow" is extremely atmospheric and really manages to capture the feel of a creepy town plagued by a monstrous headless horseman. Although it has many positives, it also has some negatives, like Crane's reason for going to Sleepy Hollow feeling rushed, the romance not being at all captivating and the editing towards the last part getting pretty bad for a bit.

Overall a very enjoyable Halloween experience.

B-

Whatever you may think of Quentin Tarantino, it is undeniable that the man can make a damn fun movie, and that's exactly what "Kill Bill Vol.1" is, a fun, extremely violent, blood flailing everywhere extravaganza that entices you to want to find out more about this world through the characters and, like most of Tarantino's films, shows that he loves the art form that is cinema.

This movie is a masterpiece, from the acting (which is top notch) to the cinematography and to the choreography it is absolutely amazing and something that NEEDS to be seen.

A+

"John Wick" one of the best action movies I have ever seen. That's it, that could be all I said and it would be enough. I mean really, this movie is so great, when it ended I was searching for something that wasn't right and I really struggled to find a scene or moment I didn't enjoy.

Let's get the minuscule negatives I have with this masterpiece out of the way. For one I didn't enjoy the last scene and thought it was forced. I also didn't really like what led to the 3rd act of the film and thought it was one of those things that had to happen to continue the movie. That's it. That's all the negative points I have to say about this movie because frankly, the rest is awesome.

Keane Reeves is amazing in this movie and so is everyone else, but his role in this cannot be understated, he gave it his all and it shows. The action is at points orgasmic and has such fluidity to it I found myself jaw-dropped at points.

The story is also pretty good, making us totally understand why John Wick decides to do what he does and while it's not revolutionary, it doesn't need to be because, in the end, this is an action movie with some of the greatest action I have ever ever seen, incredibly interesting characters and dynamics, superb comedy at points and that's all I wanted.

Basically flawless!

A

"Oz: The Great and Powerful" is the prequel to 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" that I was frankly not at all surprised by.

The story is about a circus magician named Oz (James Franco) who, through the fantastic opening segment, we as the audience are told is a con-man earning a living fooling people. From that we follow the typical Disney storyline that, while it is oh so predictable, it is also extremely enjoyable (at least to me).

The cast did a decent job, although I have to say James Franco knocked it out of the park, delivering a breathtaking performace that really made me care for his character.

For the most part this movie looks astonishing, utilizing a lot of CGI to create this mystical and magical world, and, though it is noticeable at points, I was never really unimmersed from what was going on.

Sam Raimi directed this movie and it shows, I really enjoyed it's look, albeit some strange cuts here and there.

What really let's this movie down is it's script, being clearly aimed at children. This doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it because there's definitely enjoyment to be had but it does mean there will be some eye rolls from time to time.

Overall "Oz: The Great and Powerful" is a fun experience that I look forward to seeing again and, if you have kids, definitely watch this one with them. Trust me, you'll enjoy it!

B-

"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" is an actually really enjoyable experience that left me wanting so much more and although it also left feeling disappointed I was amazed at the visual effects. From deserted beaches with strange creatures to a market that looked straight out of "Star Wars" this movie does not disappoint in the looks department.

Utilizing some fantastic CGI makes this for sure the movie to use in the "CGI is better than practical effects" debate.

Unfortunately I can't say the same about it's story, being extremely predictable and at points lazy. It also suffers from some very back-handed exposition scenes that really take you out of the movie.

The acting for the most part is good, with the two main protagonists (portrayed by Dane Dehaan and Cara Delevingne) being the best.

I would say you should give "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" a watch if you haven't, if not for it's story then for it's visuals.

C+

For the life of me I cannot understand why David Lynch hates this movie. From the minute it started I was enthralled by the strange world it set up and was eager to discover more about it. Thankfully, Lynch delivered a concise experience that manages to be fantastic all the way through.

One of the only criticisms I would point out is the 1st-ish act, where you don't really know who anyone is and nothing is explained to you (other than some starting narration), but that quickly fades, becoming a sci-fi classic with some great visuals that still hold up, an interesting plot and well written characters.

B+

Let me just start this by saying that I've never watched the original 1941's "The Wolfman" so I came into this 2010 remake completely blind. This of course meant I didn't quite understand why some plot points where practically skipped over with how fast they were laid out.

But nevermind that, because this movie most definitely has an identity of it's own. For one the acting is pretty good, with Benicio Del Toro doing the best work out of anyone in the movie (not that the other actors didn't do a good job). But I mean, the selling point for this movie, at least for me, was definitely the use of practical effects, because they are stunning, I just wished they were used more, because the GCI looks a bit outdated and sometimes silly.

All in all 2010's "The Wolfman" has its flaws and it's less than great moment, a.k.a. jumpscares, but it manages to be a memorable and enjoyable film.

B-

Let me just say that no, the praise everyone has heard about this before it released was not the usual overhyping of a movie from critics at festivals, it was 100% deserved, I completely understand why it got an 8 minute standing ovation at Venice and yes, I did clap when this movie ended, and so did the packed audience at the theatre I went to.

I mean, can you blame me? From the minute "Joker" starts you are glued to the screen, I literally did not avert my gaze for a second. Joaquin Phoenix gives probably the best performance of his life (and that's saying something) and definitely deserves an Oscar nomination.

The story, even though a tad predictable, is amazingly written, full of great moments, both funny and dramatic and really shows us why Arthur Fleck decides to turn into the homicidal maniac that is the Joker.

Overall this is probably my favourite comic-book movie of all time, if not just my favourite movie of all time, the way Todd Philips directed his feature is astonishing, I mean this movie looks sooooo good and I, for one, cannot wait to see what he does in the future.

A+