Tag Archives: 2022

Movies or shows released in 2022.

Movie Reviews

Moonfall (2022) Review – Moonfail

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Holy shit. One does not expect much from a film called Moonfall. You might be surprised, but I expected a fun disaster movie where, not such a spoiler alert, Moon is falling towards the Earth. And as long as you make it campy yet fun, I was on the board. Except this film decided on two things, first it will be over two hours long (why?!) and second, let’s take ourselves way too seriously. And those were definitely… choices.

Moonfall is yet another creation of Roland Emmerich, the master of disaster. Maybe it hurts me more than usual because I tend to find ways to have fun with his films. Most of his movies I like, some I even love more than your average film person. For example, I might be one of only a few people who unironically loved his film 2012 (2009) because it is just loud, dumb fun with unhinged characters who are fun to be around. In more than one way, 2012 and Moonfall are similar; both are about something that is total bullshit, both rely on CGI too much, and both are more than two hours long and feel grand. The one major difference is the fun aspect – I was able to have fun with 2012 because no matter what you think of that film, it takes itself seriously, but never too much. The movie lets you in and allows you to have fun while watching it. Moonfall does not.

And this is where the cookie crumbled for me the lack of levity in this film. Sure, we have the KC character here, portrayed by John Bradley. But since he is the only one who is allowed to have any fun (given the fact he is this film’s comic relief character) and the rest of the story and characters around him are playing it so straight, it feels like he is in a very different movie. And this is something I don’t get. Roland has made his name making spectacular disaster films full of levity and humour, and for some reason, he decided to go straight. Why? It is not like this specific story demanded it. It was hard taking this film seriously, given how some elements unfold, for the movie to play it straight almost at all times.

Another thing that dragged the film down was the runtime which is 130 minutes. Yes, Moonfall is a disaster film made by Emmerich that takes itself way too seriously and is over two hours long. Those three things should never be in the same sentence one has to go. But with the runtime, it would be easier (than ever before) to establish what should have been cut – everything related to their families getting to safety. I could not care less about either of those characters. If we were to cut them out from the film, suddenly the movie becomes 40 minutes shorter, at least. I am not saying that would save everything, but it would definitely help.

How would cutting them out of the film help, you might ask? Well, I am glad you asked. The last big issue this film has is it takes too long to, you know, Moonfall. It takes more than an hour before we start with the CGI spectacle we all came in for. And by cutting the unnecessary weight out of this film, we get to the action sooner. That would 100% help, and maybe this film would have been accepted more by not just the critics but movie fans too.

The only redeeming quality Moonfall has to offer is the decent CGI and Halle Berry, whose character might seem like she is in a different film, but at least it is still Halle Berry. What can I say; I have a weakness for this ageless beauty, and she is one of those that light up the screen for me, no matter how bad the film is. But everything around her is just awful and dumb. I am usually one of the biggest proponents of big dumb movies, and I have defended many of those because they have a place in cinemas. But with Moonfall, I can’t think of anything else I haven’t mentioned already. The movie is just that bad.

Overall, Moonfall is a misfire of gigantic proportions. I don’t know whose idea it was to make a movie about the moon falling and make it into a “message” movie (technology might turn against us!) that takes itself way too seriously. Whoever that person was, he; or she shouldn’t have a say in any movie ideas for at least a couple of years because Jesus, man. This film could have been a big, dumb, fun movie. And to give Moonfall some credit, it managed to be two out of those three. The only problem was that the “fun” was supposed to be the largest element of this movie. And without that element, everything fell apart quicker than this film at the box office. Yes, on the presumed budget of $150 million, this film made $44 million WORLDWIDE. Talk about a failure bigger than… the moon?

Rating: 1 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Kimi (2022) Review – ‘Rear Window’, COVID and Zoë

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Kimi must have been the first “big” film from 2022 I heard of. When it came out, most movie fans I follow saw it almost instantly, and the response was very middling. However, it is still Steven Soderbergh‘s film, and he is one of those directors I admire even though his movies are very hit or miss for me. Kimi also has Zoë Kravitz in the leading role, and honestly, that was my biggest draw to this film as I really liked her in The Batman (2022, my review here), and I vowed to watch more of her movies. I am glad I did so because she was amazing in this film, and I just wished the movie would “catch up” with Zoë.

I am not going to say that Kimi is a bad film. No, not by any means. I will say it is one of the most average films I have ever seen, and the only thing lifting it up above to slightly below-average territory is Zoë’s performance. Her character emotes so much and gives you a lot without any talking; we didn’t really need her backstory “spelt out”. Zoë does her very best to convey what her character is about, and I “got it” long before she explains why she behaved the way she was. And that’s because of her choices and being so “precise” with every single tiny thing. Her character has many “ticks” and quirks she does, so everybody within 10/15 minutes of runtime will understand her.

Kimi is one of the first movies to not only be shot during the pandemic (at least partially) but also address the pandemic while making it part of the story. I know we have many, many, MANY more films coming our way about what we’ve been (and still partially are) through, but I liked how this film not only incorporated this into the story, it was a huge character trait for Zoë’s character and part of the reason of why her journey throughout this film was so challenging. So far, I was pleased with this movie.

Another element I was happy with was the direction, at least regarding the film’s tempo. Mainly the first 30 minutes of Kimi are dynamic, the film flows well, and even though the Rear Window (1954, my review here) parallel is obvious, I thought it was well done. Steven managed to take the best elements from that immortal classic and incorporate them into Kimi, blending the past with the present. The “only” issue, and to be honest, the biggest problem I had with this movie, was the story. It was unbelievably predictable. And I don’t mean “I have seen thousands of movies, so I understand what is coming” predictable. What I mean is I would try to guess what happens next, and I guarantee you that is what happens.

The problem with getting your inspiration from classics such as Rear Window is that those classics tend to be old; otherwise, they would not be considered classics in the first place. So, you must modernize them and put some spin on them. Unfortunately, if your definition of modernizing a movie is setting it in the present, referencing the pandemic and making the main protagonist an agoraphobic tech worker, you have failed. Because the beats of the story matter too. And if you modernize the details but don’t care about the overall story, you will end up with a film like this one. Again, I can’t say Kimi is a bad movie because it is shot well, and Zoë delivers a powerful performance, but it is a shame those elements aren’t serving a better, more complex story. Think about it like this – let’s say you have a car that is 30 years old, and you want to upgrade it. So, you go in, replace the seats, and now, you have better leather seats with heating, redo the electronics, and maybe even change the engine to something more powerful. But then you forget to change the chassis and overall car body, resulting in you having great shiny new parts of your car, but when you take it out for a spin, it might not be able to support the new, more powerful engine. As you can tell, I know little to nothing about cars.

What I am trying to say is; that it is not enough to take Rear Window, throw a pandemic and a character with a tech job in it and call it a day with the most generic, predictable story there is. It almost felt like this film uses the pandemic as a shield to say: “Hey, we wanted to make a more compelling story, but his pandemic didn’t allow us to do that, so here you go.” To which I would reply, bullshit. Take one of the most minimalistic films ever made, Malcolm & Marie (2021, my review here). It literally starred only two people, took place in one location, was shot during the pandemic too, and was about one really complicated relationship. That story wasn’t anything new, yet that movie felt fresh and dynamic, and it had something to say. Not a perfect film, mind you (at least in my view) and yet I would rather re-watch that one than Kimi, purely based on the story alone. I believe it’s fair to compare these movies. Sure they have different plots, but both were made during the same circumstances. The other difference would be how these films tackled the lack of resources and limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a clear winner here.

Overall, Kimi is a perfectly fine, average film that almost doesn’t deserve somebody as talented as Zoë to be in the leading role. She is the only memorable aspect of this otherwise forgettable movie that could have been way better. Had they tried and came up with some new twists on this Rear Window-esque approach, or if, at the very least, this film wasn’t as predictable, it might have been something truly great. As it stands, Kimi is an ok film I might recommend for one of those days where you want to put something on that will not surprise you in any way, or you are a massive Zoë fan. Everybody else might skip this one.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Prey (2022) Review – That’s How You Make a Prequel!

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The Predator franchise has been a disappointing one for me. Everything they came up with since the original Predator (1987) has been average at best, even though it was the same story. They had great people attached; trailers looked awesome, and then the film came out and mostly disappointed all fans. Whether it’s Predators (2010) or The Predator (2018), they are alright movies when you watch them but so forgettable you might forget that you have even seen them. And this isn’t a joke, I literally forgot The Predator, and it came out in 2018! And then, Prey comes along and gets almost universal praise from most film fans and no theatrical release. I know it must have been part of some sort of “post-COVID” deal where the studio gets some films straight onto the streaming platform. But it is a shame for this film because we finally get a Predator film that can go toe-to-toe against the original, and we can’t even enjoy it on the big screen.

Let’s get one thing straight – the original Predator is an untouchable staple of the action 80s cinema. It’s hardly a flawless movie, but it’s so enjoyable and straight-to-point, no-nonsense film it captured fans all over the world. And this is where the filmmakers behind Prey learned the lesson, making this film simpler. Don’t overcomplicate stuff, don’t try to build a franchise; just go back to the roots of having this alien creature who haunts for sport and make your protagonist smart and kick-ass enough to go toe-to-toe with him. And you can’t get much more simplistic than go back to the 17th century. Yes, for the first time ever, we see Predator go up against someone with no modern weapons or technology. It’s also the first time our protagonist is a woman. Both are excellent choices.

Let’s talk more about the setting of the film. Not only are we in the 17th century, but we also spend the vast majority of the movie with a Comanche tribe. I was in from the first minute, finally something we don’t see all the time. Because of that, it becomes clear you are about to watch something that is either extremely smart or extremely dumb as for them to defeat Predator without any modern weapons; it really is one of those options. But as soon as you start to get familiar with Naru (a brilliant performance by Amber Midthunder!), you realise you are in good hands, and it will not get extremely dumb.

The main thing I admired about Prey was her character and Amber’s performance as she shines. She shined because her character struggled for most of the film. I know what you are saying: “Wait, what?” Let me explain. It became such a tedious storytelling device to have a flawless and strong character because… reasons. In many movies nowadays, we often watch our protagonists who kick ass and rarely stumble. But in Prey, it’s more realistic. We can tell Naru is capable enough, but when we meet her for the first time, she isn’t “there” yet to lead or to fight. We see her train, and most importantly, we see her think and learn from her mistakes or situations she ended up in by no fault of her own. It seems like such a tiny detail, but it mattered to me as when she goes for the “final fight” against Predator, we see her as the warrior she became in front of our eyes. We saw her journey, progress and most importantly, her ingenuity and how smart she was. Had she been “the ultimate warrior” from the beginning, we wouldn’t have been as invested. I must compliment the script and Amber’s performance; I honestly hope she will blow up and get more acting opportunities.

The only nitpick regarding this film has to do with the setting. But to discuss this freely, I need to go into spoilers; even though it’s not exactly a spoiler, it might ruin your experience as I wasn’t expecting it.

Beware, SPOILERS are coming!

I understand that historically this might have been accurate, and it gave us probably the coolest scene in the film (yes, the fight in the fog/mist), but I wish we would have stayed with the tribe rather than introducing “The French” two-thirds into the film. I don’t think the movie needed them, definitely not in the capacity they used them (read: too much). It’s almost like the writers thought Naru would have had such an easy journey battling Predator they had to throw one more opponent her way, The French! And look, I wouldn’t mind them being part of this film, but maybe at the very end? Think about it; how awesome would it be when she defeats the Predator using her brain and his weapons against him if she were to stumble upon them while returning to her tribe? Now, due to what she’s been through, she avoids them and rushes to her tribe to warn them. That’s right, the ending of this film wouldn’t change at all; she would have still returned victoriously as a leader and told her tribe they needed to move as soon as possible.

Another reason this French storyline bothered me was that I was already invested in the tribe and Naru; by the time they showed up. Her character is almost at the point where she understands the danger Predator represents, and she is already thinking about how to kill him. So this french connection feels more to pad a runtime because, without it, the movie would have been 20 minutes shorter. But for me, it would have been flawless then. Remove them, focus on the tribe and the obstacles Naru has to go through to not only become a leader of the tribe but to defeat Predator; make it 80 minutes, and you have a flawless movie in my eyes.

But as stated prior, this is only a tiny gripe. The french storyline doesn’t “destroy” the film by any means, mainly because they all die quickly, which (again) might be the coolest scene in the movie. Other than that, Prey is an outstanding film that proves a few things – simple is always better, Amber rules and Dan Trachtenberg should be given more movies to make. He was also behind 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), and honestly? Dan should be part of the discussion regarding the best “new” directors because he’s done two films so far, and both are excellent in my book. I will watch anything he makes next.

Overall, Prey is almost a flawless movie experience and easily the best thing in the Predator franchise since the original movie in 1987. Going back in time helped this film to do something new with Predator; focusing on the Comanche tribe almost exclusively also worked, and casting Amber Midthunder was a jackpot. Even if you aren’t the biggest horror fan, I would still recommend Prey because it is more of an action/thriller film rather than anything else. No unnecessary jump scares, just good old-fashioned character build-up where you see our protagonist evolve into a kick-ass leader who can take down Predator with nothing but her brain. Had the film only focused on the tribe versus Predator thing, it would have been perfect, but even that is just a tiny gripe. Please see it as soon as you can.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) Review – What ‘Space Jam 2’ Should Have Been

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I think I speak for almost everyone born in the 1990s that Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1988 – 1990) was the shit. I still remember waking up early on Saturdays and Sundays just to catch two episodes of this show, back to back (at least that is how they aired it in the Czech Republic). You need to understand that back then, there was no Internet, no instant recording/replay, and definitely no smart TVs. If you missed it, you would have to wait possibly months before the TV would repeat those episodes. Anyway, the point is, I, like many, have grown up watching Chip and Dale. And therefore I was quite nervous when I saw this film coming out, as these live-action films of known properties from the past don’t turn out that great. To my surprise, almost all early reviews were somehow positive…? And after watching it, I can confirm that I understand why, as this movie is delightfully funny.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is definitely more than a nostalgia-based film. It is a movie that, in 20 years, might just define this era of comedies and this “meta”, fast-paced humour we all still like…? Well, at least, that is what studios think, so we get movies jammed with meta humour. And some of it works, and some do not. Luckily for this film, it balances everything well enough. And I think that is this movie’s biggest strength.

The movie never goes overboard with anything, and it “dips its toes” in nostalgia, meta humour, and current pop culture, but smartly, it never goes “too deep” in one direction. There was never too much nostalgia, so you don’t have to watch the original TV show to get it. There was never too much meta humour, so if you don’t get some jokes, it’s fine; because the movie quickly moves along to something else. And I hate to compare or mention other films while talking about this film, but this is what Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) was going for and failed horribly.

If you saw Space Jam: A New Legacy, first of all, I feel you. I saw it too, and it is, without any shadow of a doubt, one of the worst films of 2021. But more importantly, it was crowded with so many pop-culture references and IP jokes (aka look at what we own and therefore can put into our movie) that they forgot to tell any story. And sure, even the first Space Jam (1996) wasn’t a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but that movie knew how to own itself and not take itself too seriously. This one felt like it drank its kool-aid a bit too much. And this is where we need to leave this horrible sequel and go back to Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

You could tell everybody behind that film loved the TV show and possibly would have made this film for free. Because no matter how crazy some jokes got, the movie was always focused on the story first, any jokes, meta humour or pop-culture references second. And this is the reason A New Legacy failed, and this movie, no matter how similar it might look on paper, succeeded. It’s all about the execution, reigning your film in, and making sure it never derails from its tracks.

Is Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers a flawless film? No. At times, the film manages to feel a bit long, and I think some jokes will age badly. Not that there would be something inappropriate, but some meta humour came from “what’s hip right now”, so how relevant will “Ugly Sonic” be in 20 years and will kids or even adults watching it in 2042 understand what that joke means? I don’t think so, but who knows? Maybe they will because of this film. That would be my only negative against this film; if you delve into meta humour and pop culture, chances are some jokes will be dated sooner than you think.

Overall, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers surprised me, and that might be an understatement of the year. What could have been another “soulless cash grab using nostalgia to milk more money out of us” turned into a decent detective story with characters we knew and loved. It also (hopefully) re-introduced this awesome TV show to today’s kids. And that might be the biggest win for this film. If you used to watch the show as a kid, you might enjoy it going back into this world, even though it’s changed. And if you have never seen the show at all, it might tempt you to check it out. There are worse ways to kill 99 minutes of your time.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) Movie Review – Surprising on Many Levels

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From the moment I saw the first trailers for this film, I had a feeling this might be one of the most divisive MCU films to date. Why? I think there are obvious reasons, such as fans having expectations of what this movie is about and then being disappointed when it’s just a “silly” film is one of them. But I also have a theory – with his previous Thor Ragnarok (2017), Taika Waititi brought his quirky sense of humour into the MCU. And ever since then, most MCU films and TV shows have tried to “replicate” it, so now, five years later, the unexpected became “tiresome” for many as it’s no longer a shock to see Thor being more comedic rather than “serious” film. The novelty wore off for many fans, and others expected something different altogether. I had a blast.

Is Thor: Love and Thunder a perfect film? No. It is not. But is it a funny, over-the-top blockbuster that has two screaming goats piloting a chariot with several gods on them, riding to meet Zeus, played by Russell Crowe, who has a Greek (?) accent and is more interested in orgies than helping the mortals who worship him? Yes, it is that kind of film. And it’s up to your taste to decide whether it is for better or worse.

Let’s start with the positives, as those heavily outweigh the negatives. And first things first, Christian Bale nailed his role, as expected. You knew the moment he got involved that his villain would be in the TOP 5 of MCU villains easily (and to be fair, that’s not that impressive feat to achieve), and yes, he is. His Gorr is menacing, dark (well, grey-ish), and most importantly, is one of those “villains” who you could argue has a good point. And until he starts killing innocent people, you might even agree with where he is coming from. I liked how the movie started with him; we didn’t even see the Marvel logo until his Gorr got established. Nice touch, Taika.

Another thing I appreciated about this film was the return of Jodie Foster, I mean Jane Fonda, I mean Jane Foster aka Natalie Portman. And this is where I encountered surprise number one. From the promotional materials and posters, you might think her return to MCU might be something epic, something like a “handing over the torch” kind of deal, but no. I won’t go into spoilers, but every choice they made about her character surprised me, and I liked that. I know this is a “small victory”, but in this world, where stuff gets leaked all the time and trailers often give away the entire film, it’s nice to know some movies still won’t do the expected.

I also liked what they have done with the Guardians (and no, this isn’t a spoiler as they were featured heavily in all trailers). I hoped they would be there only for a tiny bit, and the rest will be a Thor movie, and that’s what happened. It was great to see them back for a bit; they made some jokes and disappeared before overstaying their welcome.

The most surprising thing about this film is that Chris Hemsworth might be one of the funniest comedic actors of our generation…? Even the jokes that fell flat for me (and there were a few, I won’t lie); I could somehow get behind because you can see in Chris’ eyes (and those fucking muscles) how much fun was he having. Chris is too distractingly buff and handsome to be this funny. I feel like because he’s the “stereotypical” muscle guy (and let’s face it, Thor is all about having those arms), many might not realise how great Chris actually is. And in the last two films (and some other non-MCU films), Chris proved to be a great comedic actor. And no, before you point out the obvious, Men in Black: International (2019, my review here) was an awful movie, but he was not the issue with that film. You can tell he loves Thor and was all in, no matter what craziness was happening on the screen. I wish somebody would write a great comedy for him because he is (at least in this department) still criminally underrated.

A few issues I had with Thor: Love and Thunder – as mentioned above, some jokes fell flat. And for a movie that seemed to have “pause for laughter” scenes included, it occasionally felt a bit awkward watching it in the cinema where nobody was laughing at them. What I also thought was a bit disappointing; was the ending and how Gorr reached his conclusion. Without giving anything away, let’s say I thought the movie was heading towards a surprise ending. Where you think the main villain is after one thing, only to discover he is after something else completely, but it wasn’t until Thor “put him on the right track” that the movie went with that ending. I thought it would have been slightly more poignant if Gorr ended up where he would have, but because of his decision, as that was his ultimate goal, not because of Thor’s speech.

But other than that, I enjoyed this balls-to-the-walls blockbuster more than I thought. And I don’t know why. Thor was never one of my favourites, yet something in this film clicked for me. Maybe it was the fact except for a few tiny things, Thor: Love and Thunder is a standalone movie. You don’t need to watch every MCU film/show to understand what is happening. Sure, it helps at times, but I could imagine even an occasional MCU watcher wouldn’t get lost watching it. As the film has a clear beginning, middle and end that is as self-contained as a franchise spanning almost 30 movies and several TV shows can be at this point.

Overall, Thor: Love and Thunder was a delightful surprise. I went in expecting nothing except to laugh and have a good time. And that is (more or less) exactly what I got. Bale is amazingly menacing, the film is beautifully quirky (if you told me they consumed many different hallucinogenic drugs on the set, I would have believed you), and most importantly, I was entertained for the entire runtime. If you go into this film expecting to understand where the MCU is headed, you will be disappointed. This film is just a good old-fashioned (almost) no-stakes fun. Sometimes, it’s not enough, but in this instance, I liked it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

TV Show Reviews

Obi-Wan Kenobi Review (Season One) – Hello There!

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Obi-Wan Kenobi seemed to have everything going for it. Obi-Wan is one of the most favourite characters in the Star Wars universe Ewan McGregor has always been “on board” to reprise this role as he loved the character of Obi-Wan, so all it took was to come up with a story to support his return. Luckily, this is where the Disney+ streaming service came in and allowed Disney to make it into a show (or limited series, if you wish) instead of a movie. And no matter what you expected, you will still be surprised. And your level of enjoyment will be directly linked with how much you can separate any expectations you might have had for this show and what we have actually gotten.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a bridge between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005, my review here) and the original Star Wars (AKA Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope 1977, my review here). We knew that going into this show, it would take place roughly ten years before the events of the original Star Wars. We also knew it would not take place “just on Tatooine” (thank Space Jesus for that) and that there will be one epic showdown between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. That is all the knowledge most of us, including me, had when going into this show. And they weren’t lying because they delivered on all these promises. But from what I have read online, most people thought the way they were going about it was just… boring. That’s the very first thing we need to address, the argument this could have and should have been a movie rather than a TV show. The thing about that is, people seem to forget that it should have been originally a film. However, the spectacular failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018, my review here) caused Obi-Wan Kenobi to be delayed as Disney doubted their plans, effectively scrapping everything Star Wars except for the “main” story. And it might have been the success of The Mandalorian (2019 – ?, my review here) that convinced Disney to “resurrect” this project and make it into a TV show instead. Because I agree, I think this would have played slightly better as a two, two and a half hour movie, and I am saying that as somebody who enjoyed this show.

Before we proceed any further, we need to address something rotten that’s been part of the Star Wars “fandom” for a while; and it is the toxicity towards women and minorities. It’s unfortunate, stupid and idiotic, yet it has grown “arms and legs” now where even Ewan felt he had to address it when the first two episodes dropped. I will keep it brief because talking about dumb people who bully others simply because they “dare” to exist, let alone star in Star Wars, is just the kind of attention they want. So, most sincerely, get fucked. Look, do you have to enjoy Moses Ingram‘s performance? No. Can you critique her if you don’t like her character? Sure. Should you send her racist comments, and/or death threats because of it? Absolutely fucking not. Honestly, I am a massive Star Wars fan, and it’s been my happy place for about 20 years now, but it sincerely saddens me to see that some (and I genuinely hope it is the tiniest of minorities) portion of the “fans” would be so despicable. Hopefully, you have noticed I am putting “fans” or “fandom” in quotes because there is a reason for that; as Ewan said in the linked video above: “You are no Star Wars fan”. Because they truly aren’t. I will never understand how these people can watch something as majestic as Star Wars and see countless different alien races but can’t comprehend when minorities and women are involved…? So dumb.

Since I had to mention her name, let’s talk about Moses Ingram and her performance. I won’t lie; I wasn’t sure about her character in the beginning as they deliberately won’t give us anything about her backstory. The creators were drip-feeding us information, and when we finally learned her entire back story and what her “deal” was, I thought she did a great job to the point I would love for her to come back in some shape or form (maybe even in some future PC games?) But, given what she’s been through, I couldn’t blame her if she was done with this franchise, although I hope that’s not the case, and she won’t let the trolls win.

You can tell Ewan was enjoying being Obi-Wan again, and he made the role his own. It seems obvious now, but remember, he had the uneasy task of filling out some massive shoes after Alec Guinness shined as Obi-Wan. Nevertheless, he succeeded, and he is Obi-Wan to me. I couldn’t be happier to see him back, but somebody else might have stolen the show even from him. And I won’t flag this as a spoiler, but in the next paragraph, I will discuss somebody; who I had no idea would be in this show. So if “spoilers” mean you name-dropping some characters, you might want to stop reading.

I thought Vivien Lyra Blair stole the show, portraying young Leia. And I don’t mean acting-wise, as we need to measure child actors through a slightly different, more forgiving lens. No, the reason; I loved her performance was the unexpected factor and, more importantly, how she nailed the sassiness and mannerism of the late (I still can’t believe I have to write this) Carrie Fisher. She wasn’t mimicking her as much as she seemed to be her. I can’t help but think that had Carrie been still with us, she would have adored Vivien and would have been delighted with her portrayal. Obviously, we won’t know as she is no longer with us, however, she kind of was here through Vivien. Talk about filling out some shoes; I would be shitting myself, having to play such an iconic role as Leia and Vivien nailed it.

I thought the show overall definitely had its flaws, and at a time, the pacing could have been improved. But the “highs” from especially last two episodes have swayed me. Yes, I am a Star Wars fan, and I am pretty easy to satisfy, at least regarding Star Wars. 😉 I liked how I thought this show would be one thing, and then it turned out to be something else entirely; I loved the final Obi-Wan vs Darth Vader duel and enjoyed the overall theme of this show – moving on and realising things happen. Sometimes, unfair things happen to you, and the only thing you can control is your response to those things. It was also about guilt, forgiveness and how much responsibility you can carry for others (the dialogue between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader).

Overall, Obi-Wan Kenobi was a strange show to watch. The “highs” were spectacular, but the “lows” were also noticeable. And as much as I can ignore those and focus on the positives because of my love for Star Wars, I can understand the general response, where it was… let’s say lukewarm, at best. But I believe those who actually waited for this show to finish got rewarded as that last episode was pure perfection in my eyes. Would I recommend Obi-Wan Kenobi? I would say yes if you are a die-hard fan of everything Star Wars, but that would mean you must have seen it by now. For the rest of your “general audience”, I would cautiously recommend it. Please, just make sure you go into this show with an open mind and get ready for some pacing issues and Obi-Wan cosplaying as Vincent Adultman from BoJack Horseman (2014 – 2020) in one “key” scene. 🙂

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Bob’s Burgers: The Movie (2022) Review – Belchers Are Love, Belchers Are Life

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I have already talked/written about my love for Bob’s Burgers (2011 – ?, my review here), and I still believe it is one of the best, if not THE best, animated family-oriented shows currently on air. I don’t want to get too much into why I think so, as I have already talked about it in the review above, but the main gist is the family element. So when we had the announcement of Bob’s Burgers: The Movie, I was equally excited and nervous. Because as is the case with many animated TV shows, they work well enough within 20 minutes episodes, but, often, their film might feel like a couple of episodes glued together. Luckily, this film doesn’t feel like that. Not only did they foreshadow one of the details in this film (you can see a couple of times in season 12 some people outside of their restaurant tripping because of the ground that is about to burst in this movie), but the creators managed to keep everything that makes this show so magical. The humour, the songs and most importantly, the family element.

Bob’s Burgers: The Movie (also known as The Bob’s Burgers Movie) has several storylines that tie so well together, which might not sound that surprising, but what if I told you one of those storylines is a murder mystery…? Yep, in this crazy, wacky, but mostly positive world, the murder mystery is one of the most noteworthy plot points of the film, and surprisingly, it works. Because they never go too dark with it, they always keep it light, or as light as you can with, you know, murder. This film is not “just” about that murder, hence another reason why the film works – the other storyline is about the Belchers needing to get more money to pay for their mortgage. Yep, that simple yet relatable stuff. Nothing big, fancy, no “giant” adventure just because they are in the film. That is something that hit me while watching this in the cinema and the reason this film and, ultimately, this TV show still works for me, twelve seasons in – unlike other animated families, this shows stays grounded.

There are no celebrity cameos. Don’t get me wrong, celebrities often do voicework on this show, but they are never “themselves”. They always play some character within the show. That is one way to keep your show about a family who struggles to pay their bills most of the time grounded. The other way is never to forget they are your “typical” middle-class family. Unlike other animated TV shows, they don’t suddenly have episodes travelling to Brazil, Europe etc., because that would not make sense. If they go on trips, it’s usually in their beat-up car, somewhere fairly close, and the same applies in this film. They could have easily made up a storyline for this film about how they suddenly came into more money they could have travelled and possibly, in the end, somehow lost the money just to make a “fancier” adventure, for the film to be “fit for the big screen”. But no, the creators never lose their way, neither in this film nor throughout the show. I think there is something delightfully charming about that decision, always keep things on the low, casual. It’s also clever as had the creators decided to “go big”, and then at the end of this film; we would watch them lose their money, it would be a significant cheat as that would make the movie pretty much pointless like it doesn’t matter for the show. But knowing Bob’s Burgers, there will be references to this film in the next season.

My only “complaint”, and I can’t believe I am saying that, would be the song numbers. I thought there were one too many song numbers in this film. And I am saying this as somebody who adores Gene’s ability to be himself and compose all kinds of weird, funky music. I don’t even think there was a song that wouldn’t work for me, but especially in the second half, when they broke into yet another song, it was the only time my mind wondered how much time was left. For full disclosure, I watched Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022, my review here) for a second time just before this movie, so I might have been simply “overstimulated” as that movie is pure perfection. I will 100% watch Bob’s Burgers: The Movie again at home to see whether this one complaint I have is valid or not.

Another thing that is worth mentioning is how self-contained this movie is. What I mean by that is it works for us, the fans of this show, because we get many inside jokes and callbacks to previous seasons/episodes. But I think if you have never seen a single episode of Bob’s Burgers, you would still have a blast because there isn’t any “baggage”, and many “inside jokes” still work on their own. Your knowledge of the show only enhances your experience but isn’t required. The creative people behind this film understand who Belchers are and how down-to-earth they are, and that understanding worked beautifully for this reason too. This film isn’t “nostalgia, the movie” or “for true fans only”, no. I can imagine a person who has never seen the show watching this film, understanding who everybody was, their relations to each other and being intrigued enough to go back and start this show from the first season. I would love to hear from somebody who had never seen the show yet somehow ended up watching this film whether they enjoyed themselves and were intrigued to go back and give this show a go.

Overall, Bob’s Burgers: The Movie was a delightful time at the cinema. The film takes the characters we know and love and polishes everything just a tiny bit more for those nice shiny colours to pop up more on the big screen, but it never goes into the “we need to have a bigger adventure because this is a film!” territory. I think for any fan of this funny, quirky and delightful show, this film is a must-see event, and for everybody else, I think you might have a great time with it too. I can’t wait for season 13 to start, and I am curious how will they reference this movie in it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Review – How to Make a Blockbuster, 101

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I believe Top Gun: Maverick will one day be used to teach future generations about marketing and how, no matter how hard you try, you can’t predict some things. On paper, everything was going against this film – it’s one of those “30+ something years later sequels”, meaning an entire generation of people was born and grew up watching/consuming a new type of entertainment. Not to mention, some aspects of the original Top Gun only worked because of that era. After all, the original movie can be viewed as one of THE examples of what 1980s films used to be. And many films from that era don’t play well in today’s day and age. And of course, if we are talking about “everything going against the film”, we need to mention Tom Cruise. Look, I like the guy, and you can make the case he is one of the last “proper” movie stars – people who can draw fans to watch his films in the cinema (as this film proved again). Would I prefer if he wasn’t a Scientologist? You bet. But no person is a monolith, so we need to take the good with the bad. Also, let’s try to separate the art from the artists. Because the reason I like him is what he is doing for the cinema, how he cares about every detail of his films, and he wants to make sure his audience has the best time watching his movies. And he achieved that with Top Gun: Maverick.

I heard exceptional things about this film since the first reviews came out. And then people I trust also “reported” back, saying it’s a great blockbuster. Therefore, with this level of hype around it, not rewatching the original movie for ages, I went into the cinema and expected a lot. And somehow, this film blew my expectations out of the water, or the sky, in this instance and surpassed them on every level.

When people say Top Gun: Maverick is a return of “good old-fashioned blockbusters”, it might sound weird. After all, it’s not like we have ever stopped having anything but blockbusters? Everything from the MCU to DCEU to the Fast franchise – we were never “short” of big dumb action movies playing, mainly over the summer period. Where this film stands out is its “universality”. It’s not part of any comic book franchise, so you don’t need to know any “lore” about that “world” going in no requirements of watching 20+ films and some TV shows, just for you to understand all the jokes; cameos or references. Yes, technically, it is a sequel; hence one can argue it is a part of a franchise but is it…? Again, I have not seen the first Top Gun in years and loved this film because you don’t really need to see it. Everything that might be important from that film is incorporated into the story of this one, effectively rendering the previous movie almost pointless. Sure, part of it is the story of the first movie (and let’s face it, this movie too) couldn’t be any simpler. But I believe that played a massive part in this movie’s success. I am willing to bet good money that many people who went to see this film have either never seen the first movie or weren’t such huge fans of it in the first place. So why this film? Why did it click with many, and how come it made all the money?! Side note: when writing this review, Top Gun: Maverick made just over one billion dollars worldwide and hasn’t been out for longer than two weeks.

I honestly believe the reason for this film’s success is the realness factor, and Tom Cruise is… Tom Cruise. It’s no secret Cruise loves to do his own stunts. And with this film, he was yet again able to do some of the flighting himself. That’s right, most scenes here are as real as it gets – people were actually in the jets, and IMAX cameras were strapped into those jets. And you can feel it. There is something honest about it. Yes, a “dumb” movie that effectively served as another “hey, join the army, become a pilot” (exactly like the original Top Gun then) felt honest, at least to me. Because, unlike the original film, this one played (quite smartly) into it being just a “dumb” blockbuster.

It almost felt, at times, like it wore its heart on its sleeve for everyone to see. You can see every single turn and twist coming from a mile away, yet the movie sucks you in so well that you don’t care. That’s a mark of a great blockbuster to me, where you can spot the clichés (and this film is riddled with them, let’s be honest) and still enjoy the movie for what it is because it feels there are some stakes. What also helped in my enjoyment were the fight scenes.

I was never one of those kids who would dream of becoming a pilot. So many “flight fight scenes” didn’t do much for me; even the original Top Gun didn’t stand out in any significant way. But in this film, something clicked, and I was enjoying myself. The action sequences were shot well, they weren’t cut to death, and you could always tell where everybody was, and that, I can only applaud. There is no such a thing as an easy fight scene, but if you put planes in the mix, you are introducing a very expensive and dangerous variable. And it paid off here.

As far as the acting goes, Tom Cruise plays another “Tom Cruise-like” character, full of charm, smiles and guts to do what others can’t. Jennifer Connelly ages better than all the wines in the world combined, and her part, albeit not as big, was fun to watch. Miles Teller was a surprisingly great counterpart to Tom’s character, and those two worked exceptionally well as the “I hate you, but I will end up respecting you by the end of this film” characters. And it was sweet to see Val Kilmer back, even if it was more of a glorified cameo (but given his current health state, I understand this was the best possible outcome).

Overall, Top Gun: Maverick was a film that was supposed to fail. It was pushed back many times (sure, mainly due to the pandemic but still); it was a sequel to a movie that, over the years, became a punchline, and most importantly, nobody seemed to be asking for it. And yet, something, somewhere aligned, and the talent behind in front of and behind the camera lifted this film up someplace extraordinary. We were also reminded about one important lesson – never underestimate Tom Cruise. Yes, there will come a time his charm wears off (probably?), but it hasn’t happened yet. And many have made the case that he might be one of the last remaining “movie stars” we have left. If you haven’t seen Top Gun: Maverick yet, please watch it on the largest screen possible.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke