Posts tonen met het label Brie Larson. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label Brie Larson. Alle posts tonen

zaterdag 10 juni 2023

Movie Review - Fast X

Director:
Louis Letterier
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Adventure
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Natalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Scott Eastwood, Brie Larson
 
Description: Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family are targeted by the vengeful son (Jason Momoa) of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes.

Review: Let’s just start by saying that I’ve never been a fan of the “Fast & Furious” series. Cars are not something I’m particularly interested in, the characters I don’t care about and the action gets more and more ridiculous. Can “Fast X” change my mind? NOPE!

Movies that rely on elaborate special effects or 3D experiences are best viewed in a movie theater. The same goes for this film, because visually this movie is stunning. And lots of non-stop action. But that’s as far as I can go with the positives. I truly hated this movie.

In this already tenth installment of the series, Dante Reyes wants revenge on Dom Toretto and his family, for killing his father. He sets up a trap to get them all together and tries to kill them. But Dom fights back.  
The first film was okay, I don’t dislike that, it was about street racing. A cop versus a street racer and they became friends. But as this series has continued, the street races turned into stunt shows, with one car stunt even more ridiculous and over-the-top as the next. It’s like they are trying to make each movie even more implausible than the previous one.

This film series has almost every modern-day action star in it, from Vin Diesel to now Jason Momoa. Call me old school, but I do prefer the Schwarzeneggers and Stallones of this world when it comes to mindless, fun action flicks. An although Vin Diesel is the heart and soul of this franchise, and it’s very clear he puts everything in his role, the rest of the cast I couldn’t care less about (I barely remember the names of these characters, that’s how invested I am).

Jason Momoa is the newest addition to this series, as the villain Dante Reyes. He was the only reason I was a tiny bit excited to see “Fast X”. But even that was ruined. Momoa’s take on his villain role is pretty silly. He feels like a Joker-like villain, a cheerful psychopath. But he made it cartoonish. It kind of felt like a Roadrunner versus Wil E. Coyote cartoon, the way he was going after Dom and his family.
I also got a little tired of those let’s-bring-back-every-character-that-was-ever-in-this-franchise reveals, as some clever surprise that nobody would ever expect.  

I know these movies aren’t supposed to be taken too seriously, they are self-aware and that I can at least appreciate. But overall, “Fast X” is just not a good movie. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s crap, but I honestly can’t take another ‘Fast & Furious” movie. There will be more, for sure. Maybe next they will go to space!

Rating: 2/ 5

vrijdag 15 mei 2020

10s Movie Review - Captain Marvel

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Djimon Hounsou, Gemma Chan, Lee Pace

Description: Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.

Review: In 2017 there was “Wonder Woman” and we finally got a good movie starring a female superhero. And it was directed by a woman. It was an easy watch without being too feminist. But this was DC. Marvel has been overshadowing DC for years now, but here DC beat them. But Marvel has an answer, in the form of “Captain Marvel”.
We know her as Miss Marvel in the comics, but was promoted to Captain Marvel (which is a man in the comics). Born as Carol Danvers, we see her as a member of an intergalactic taskforce fighting against the Skrulls, a shape-shifting rase who is at war with her people, the Kree. When Carol crashes on Planet Earth in the mid-90s, she has to fight the Skrulls on her own. Carol meets S.H.I.E.L.D.-agent Nick Fury, who she teams up with.
Having Fury in this film is a big win. Played by Samuel L. Jackson in several other Marvel films, he finally gets a more substantial part in one. And I love him in “Captain Marvel”. He also has great chemistry and interaction with Brie Larson, who plays the titular character very well.
The film has a great 90s vibe, and not only due to the setting, clothes and music. Also when you look at the action scenes.
I’m a little late to the party, seeing “Captain Marvel” just now. I expected something completely different, but was pleasantly surprised. I highly enjoyed “Captain Marvel”.

Rating: 4/ 5

maandag 19 november 2018

10s Movie Review - Free Fire

Director: Ben Wheatley
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Coperly, Jack Reynor

Description: Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.

Review: The cultural influence of director Quentin Tarantino is clearly present in Ben Wheatley’s “Free Fire”. It’s filled with action and morbide humor and is basically set in one location. But Wheatley doesn’t manage to succeed completely.
In an abandoned warehouse in Boston, a group of criminals come together to close a weapons deal. The group with the money: IRA-member Chris, Justine, old Frank and hitmen Stevo and Bernie. The group with the weapons: South African Vernon, ‘failed’ Black Panther member Martin and Gordon and Harry. Chaperon is the bearded Ord.
It’s clear from the start that they don’t want to have anything to do with each other. It doesn’t help that Harry and Stevo had an argument the day before. Tensions get high and it soon escalates. Bullets flying all over the place, people hiding and getting hurt and not knowing who is on which side.
“Free Fire” has two basic elements: humor and action. The shootings are filmed in all kinds of ways, to keep it interesting, but even with almost 90 minutes runtime the film drags a bit sometimes. It’s all a bit too chaotic to stay interesting constantly. You’re actually waiting for something to happen.
The humor takes some time, but eventually it’s strong and it has a macabre touch. This is the strong point of the film. “Free Fire” is an entertaining film, but doesn’t stay interesting the entire runtime. It’s saved by the good humor.

Rating: 3/ 5

woensdag 29 maart 2017

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 44 - Kong: Skull Island

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann, Richard Jenkins

Description: A team of scientists explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

Review: The iconic King Kong has had a full life. In 1933 he started building the Empire State Building. In 1976 there was the first official remake, although the story was different. And Peter Jackson did another try in 2005, with an amazing looking remake that was closer to the original story, but had a lot of extra elements. “Kong: Skull Island” has nothing to do with the original story. it’s a complete new story and has a stunning cast.
“Kong: Skull Island” has a lot of elements for a big blockbuster. It’s action packed, entertaining and it has big monsters. And Kong is who we want to see. But for monster movies, it’s always more exciting and scary if you don’t know what’s lurking in the woods. Kong is shown way to soon, completely. The element of surprise is gone. And in the first half of the film, the makers try to put way too much into the film. All sorts of creatures turn up and they eventually don’t have any purpose, beside just showing us a big ass creature.
The second half of the film is much better. The focus is more on Kong, his battle against the so called Skull Crawlers and how he wants to protect his land.
The characters are disposable. Besides John C. Reilly, who is the only one with any substance and a backstory, is the showstealer. Tom Hiddleston (who looks incredibly hot in this film BTW), Brie Larson and John Goodman are amazing actors, but they really don’t have anything to do. That’s due to the writing, not to their performances. Samuel L. Jackson’s character is also interesting, even though he is one of the most unlikeable characters ever. But he does have substance.
“Kong: Skull Island” is a bit disappointing. It was one of my most anticipating films of 2017, but I wasn’t satisfied at the end. The first half was messy, the second half made up for that a bit. It leaves you with mixed feelings at the end. Is “Kong: Skull Island” a bad movie? No. Could it have been better? A lot!

Rating: 3/ 5

woensdag 2 maart 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 29: Room

Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, Matt Gordon

Description: After five-year-old Jack(Jacob Tremblay) and his mother (Brie Larson) escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery.

Review: “Room” is based on the book by Emma Donoghue, who was inspired by the real life story of Austrian Josef Fritzl. He locked his own daughter up in a basement, for 24 years. Director Lenny Abrahamson turned it into a movie and Donoghue was asked to write the script.
Room is a shed where young Jack and his mother Joy live. For Joy it’s a prison, but for her five year old son it’s the only world he knows. Joy tries to make their life as normal as possible. She teaches him to read, they cook together, she tells him stories. At night Jack sleeps in a closet, while Joy has to please her abductor who they call Old Nick. Now that Jack is five, Joy thinks it’s the right time to tell him about the world outside Room, but Jack doesn’t believe her.
Although “Room” is inspired by true stories about abducted women who were kept captive, the abduction and captivity is not the main focus. More than a thriller, “Room” is a heartbreaking drama about the power of motherly love and the possibility to find light in the most darkest situations. The fantastic element about “Room” is that we see it through the eyes of Jack, how he sees Room and how he sees the world.
The strong acting is also the movie’s strength. Brie Larson won an Academy Award for her role and she very well deserved it. But also young Jacob Tremblay, what a promising talent. Their interaction is so convincing.
Although there is not as much time to tell the story as you get while reading the book, “Room” managed to do this very well. A movie that grabs you and doesn’t let go. Already a favorite of this year!

Rating: 5/ 5

maandag 18 januari 2016

Oscar Prediction 2016

I'm going to give it a shot again. The nominees for the 88th annual Academy Awards were announced and I've been predicting the winners for a couple of years now. So this year is no different. Some really great nominees this year, but as usual I don't agree with every all the winners. So, here are my prediction on who will win and who I think should win the awards.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Should Win: "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Would Win: "Spotlight"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Revenant"
Would Win: Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Revenant"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Brie Larson for "Room"
Would Win: Brie Larson for "Room"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Sylvester Stallone for “Creed”
Would Win: Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Rachel McAdams for “Spotlight”
Would Win: Kate Winslet for “Steve Jobs”

Best Achievement in Directing
Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu for “The Revenant”
Would Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu for “The Revenant”

donderdag 12 november 2015

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 146: Short Term 12

Director: Destin Cretton
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Stephanie Bearitz, Rami Malek, Alex Calloway, Kevin Hernandez, Lydia Du Veaux, Keith Stanfield, Frantz Turner, Diana Maria Riva, Harold Cannon, Silvia Curiel, Melora Walters, Bran’dee Allen, Danny Roper, Elyssa Gutierrez, Garryson Zamora, Michael Marto, Patricia Barrett, Tanya Marie A. Bitanga, Zoe Wilkens, Angel Amaral

Description: A 20-something supervising staff member (Brie Larson)of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker and longtime boyfriend (John Gallagher Jr.).

Review: Grace (Brie Larson) works in a shelter for teens. Short Term 12, which is the name of the shelter, is a safe haven for the teens as well as for Grace. Grace lives for the young adults and takes care of them with enthusiasm and heart. But she is also haunted by an awful past. When Grace finds out she is pregnant and a new girl enters the shelter, it brings her back to her own past. Like the teens, Grace has to face it.
“Short Term 12” feels so real. The characters are realistic and in a short period of time director Destin Cretton lets us get to know the main characters very well. The acting is very natural and convincing, both the adults as the teens.
It’s amazing that this is the directorial debut for Cretton and actress Brie Larson is on her way up. “Short Term 12” is an overlooked film and it should get more praise. For a small Indie film, “Short Term 12” can easily outshine many big blockbusters. I loved this movie!

Rating: 5/ 5

dinsdag 15 september 2015

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 120: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Director: Edgar Wright
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Romance/ Fantasy
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2010
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Alison Pill, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Mae Whitman, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson

Description: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must defeat his new girlfriend's (mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven evil exes in order to win her heart.

Review: When you manage to debut with “Shaun of the Dead” and then come with “Hot Fuzz” as your follow up, the pressure is big for a third film. With “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” director Edgar Wright showed again his comedic talent, but this time combined with fantasy. The first time a big budget film and he succeeds.
It’s a setting where comic books, videogames and guitar music rule. It’s all very surrealistic and the playful setting are a real treat. It’s not your standard comic book adaptation.
Scott meets Ramona, a girl he saw in his dreams. He wants to win her over, but first has to beat her seven evil exes. They can literally appear everywhere and this gives us some real great action fighting scenes. All very original and a great style.
The movie is filled with references, to videogames, music, movies and television shows. It will especially speak to teenagers and twenty somethings. You sometimes do feel that towards the end it’s a bit rushed, because so much goes on in the film.
“Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” is entertaining and it looks amazing. Edgar Wright succeeds in his first American production.

Rating: 4/ 5

vrijdag 21 augustus 2015

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 100: Trainwreck

Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, LeBron James, Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Bayer, John Cena, Ezra Miller, Daniel Radcliffe, Marisa Tomei, Method Man

Description: Having thought that monogamy was never possible, commitment-phobic career woman Amy (Amy Schumer) may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.

Review: Amy is a writer for a popular magazine. She drinks a lot and sleeps with lots of men, because she doesn’t believe in monogamy. Amy takes care of her father who has MS and is close to her younger sister. When Amy has to write a big article about sports doctor Aaron, she realizes she is falling for him. Can Amy have an actual relationship or not?
Amy Schumer is a very popular comedian and has her own sketch show, “Inside Amy Schumer”. With her friendly face she messes with everyone and makes jokes about booze, sex and especially herself. Schumer writes the show herself and director Judd Apatow noticed that. Schumer wrote “Trainwreck” and Apatow directs. And the story is partially based on Amy’s real life. Besides sharing the name, she is close to her sister and has a dad with MS. The movie version is a younger and more enhanced version of herself.
Schumer does fine in her lead role. Besides the jokes she obviously succeeds in, she is also convincing in the more serious scenes. Bill Hader is a good choice for the love interest. Hader, who is also most known for his comedic performances, creates a very likeable character. Although I do prefer him as the funny guy. Surprising is the role by LeBron James, who plays himself, who is really funny. And also Tilda Swinton, who plays the boss from hell. She is normally a very serious ‘ice queen’, she was seriously hilarious n “Trainwreck”.
Amy Schumer is known for her humor and that it might cross some boundaries. She plays the role that normally a man would play in a movie like this. In “Trainwreck” there are a lot of lines crossed, jokes about sex, tampons, monogamy, penises. The plot is standard and there are lots of conventional romcom clichés present. But Amy Schumer’s character makes it all original, that’s why you’re never bothered by it. Two hours is a bit long for a movie like this though.
“Trainwreck” is a fresh romantic comedy with rising star Amy Schumer. The harsh humor and sometimes improvisation, make this movie to a success.

Rating: 3,5/ 5