20s Movie Review - Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 197 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis,  CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Jermaine Clement, David Thewlis

Description: Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief, encountering a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Ash people, who are led by the fiery Varang (Oona Chaplin), as the conflict of Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.

Review: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is the third installment in the “Avatar” franchise. Director James Camerom proves that Pandora is far from revealing all its secret. Whereas its predecessor immersed us in  the serene beauty of the oceans, this third film confronts us with the raw, destructive, and paradoxically beautiful power of fire.

It almost goes without saying, but the CGI is once again groundbreaking. The introduction of the Ash People – a Na’vi clan that lives in volcanic areas – provides a completely new color palette. The contrast between the glowing lava and the ash-gray skin of this new tribe is visually stunning. The action scenes, especially the confrontations in the ash clouds, are so fluid and detailed that you forget you are watching an animation.

We see that not all Na’vi are “good”. The Ash People, led by Varang, bring a much-needed nuance to the story. Their anger and thirst for revenge mirror humanity, blurring the line between hero and villain. This gives the film an emotional depth and a sense of menace that we haven’t felt to this extent before.

The core of the film remains the family. The dynamic between Jake, Neytiri and their children has matured. The consequences of their earlier losses weigh heavily, and the film takes time for mourning and internal conflicts. Zoe Saldaña’s acting is heartbreaking; her anger is almost palpable.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is more than a technological masterpiece; it’s an epic drama that dares to play with darkness and moral ambiguity. With a running time of over three hours, not a minute feels wasted. The middle section is a bit predictable, but the explosive finale more than makes up for it. I believe there is still two more movies in the making, and I’m in up for it.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - That Thing You Do!

Director: Tom Hanks
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Jonathan Schaech, Ethan Embry, Steve Zahn, Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, Giovanni Ribisi, Bill Cobbs, Kevin Pollack, Rita Wilson, Chris Isaak

Description: A local Pennsylvania band scores a one-hit wonder in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as they can, with lots of help from their manager (Tom Hanks)

Review: “That Thing You Do” follows a young, ambitious group of young men, in the 1960s, that love music. They start a band. When their drummer breaks his arm, right before an important show, they hire Guy Patterson. He has a different view on music and tries something more up-tempo. This works well and it turns their band, “The Wonders”, into a rock ‘n roll sensation.

It’s the directorial debut of star actor Tom Hanks, who also wrote the script. Hanks also has a role as the manager, but wanted young actors to steal the show. Jonathan Schaech plays lead singer Jimmy, who is very ambitious and talented, but the stardom changes him. Steve Zahn is always excellent at playing the funny supporting characters and does that very well in this movie. Liv Tyler, as Jimmy’s very supportive girlfriend Faye, is lovely as ever. But the real star is Tom Everett Scott, as Guy Patterson. This was his first movie he starred in. Tom Hanks first didn’t want him to star, because he resembles a young Hanks. His wife Rita Wilson, who also has a small role in the movie, finally convinced him. And it was the right choice, because Tom Everett Scott steals every scene he is in.

“That Thing You Do” is one of those fun comedies you can watch over and over again, and you never get tired of it. Even when the song, titled ‘That Thing You Do’, is played so many times. Because you hear it a lot! It’s the perfect movie for a night you don’t want to think too much and just enjoy a fun film.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - Lost in Translation

Director: Sofia Coppola
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris

Description: A faded movie star (Bill Murray) and a neglected young woman (Scarlett Johansson) form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.

Review: Bob Harris and Charlotte are two Americans stranded in a luxurious hotel in Tokyo. Bob Harris is a faded movie star in his fifties, who came to Japan for a whiskey commercial and to take a break from his marriage. Charlotte is a recently graduated twenty something woman who followed her photographer husband. Both Bob and Charlotte can’t sleep and meet each other in the bar. What starts with an innocent smile grows out into an unlikely friendship between an older man and a young woman.
The story was written by Sofia Coppola and she also directed the film. Coppola has always been known as ‘the daughter of’ Francis Ford Coppola, director of “The Godfather” series and “Apocalypse Now”. Her earlier film “The Virgin Suicides” was already praised, but “Lost in Translation” was her big break as a director.
Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are both fantastic in “Lost in Translation”. Especially Murray, with his subtleness in his body language and the melancholy his character has. And Johansson is great too as a young woman who doesn’t know what to do with her life yet. Together they form a very sympathetic duo. It’s such a breath of fresh air, to finally see a couple that doesn’t immediately go into romance mode or have sex. It’s a subtle relationship, connection, bond.
“Lost in Translation” has a lot of melancholy, but is never melodramatic. The movie has many funny moments as well, but again very subtle.
“Lost in Translation” is a movie that is beautiful because of its simplicity. A movie that’s in my top five of all-time favorite movies.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Saving Private Ryan

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama/ Action
Runtime: 170 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Paul Giamatti, Ted Danson, Dennis Farina

Description: Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper (Matt Damon) whose brothers have been killed in action.

Review: Director Steven Spielberg proofs again why he is one of the best directors in Hollywood, with this strong war movie. When three brothers of the Ryan family have died in battle, it’s decided that the fourth brother can go home. Problem is that this soldier is somewhere in France. To find Ryan, Captain John Miller is the person to find him, together with a team of eight men.
The movie is divided in three parts: the first part is the landing of the American troops on Omaha Beach on june 6th 1944, D-Day. The second part is the search for private Ryan. The third part is what the soldiers do when they have actually found Ryan.
Especially that opening scene is very violent and shocking and it’s definitely one of the best opening scenes in movie history. Not only that first scene makes this movie good. The screenplay is intelligent and the camera work is fantastic. And also the acting. Tom Hanks does exactly what we expect from him: an excellent job! The interaction between him and his team and later also with Damon’s characters is impressive and believable. Smaller roles by Dennis Farina, Vin Diesel, Ted Danson and Paul Giamatti are also worth mentioning.
The movie won several Academy Awards, one being best director. Totally deserved. It’s a fact that “Saving Private Ryan” is one of Spielberg’s best, and he already made so many great ones.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Lost Highway

Director: David Lynch
Genre: Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Blake, Richard Pryor, Henry Rollins, Giovanni Ribisi, Gary Busey, Robert Loggia

Description: After a bizarre encounter at a party, a jazz saxophonist (Bill Pullman) is framed for the murder of his wife (Patricia Arquette) and sent to prison, where he inexplicably morphs into a young mechanic and begins leading a new life.

Review: Fred Madison is leading a happy life with his wife Renee. One day they find a videotape on their doorstep, with shots of their house on it. A day later, they find another tape, but this time with shots from inside the house and even with Fred and David sleeping. They call the police, but they can’t do anything since there is no proof of a break-in. the tapes keep coming. On the last tape, Fred sees how his wife is being killed and later he is arrested for the murder of his wife. When he is rotting away in his cell, Fred turns into Peter Dayton. Since he isn’t the man who killed Renee, he is released.
“Lost Highway” is a post-modern film noir. And it’s a film with so much imagination, bizarre imagery, it’s vague cinema. And David Lynch is the man for it. It’s a little easier to follow then “Mulholland Dr.”, but I still wonder what goes on inside Lynch’s head.
There a people that call his work pretentious crap, but I do not agree at all. It’s cinematographic art. the atmosphere is dark and absurd and very violent. The acting is strong and the soundtrack is chilling.
“Lost Highway” is one of those films that gets you thinking and it starts conversations, like almost all of David Lynch’s movies. Everyone has a different theory and you never know what is really going on.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 19: Selma

Director: Ava DuVernay
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Tom Wilkinson, Giovanni Ribisi, Dylan Baker, Tim Roth, Alessandro Nivola, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Description: A chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

Review: Racism is an issue that will always be a part of our society, even in a civilized world. And that’s why the Martin Luther King biopic “Selma” is still relevant, to this day. There will always be a certain inequality between people of a different race or religion. In “Selma” we meet Martin Luther King two years after his “I had a dream” speech.
“Selma” centers around the Alabama town Selma. Together the people wanted to fight for equal rights and the right to vote, for everyone. Formally the black people were allowed to vote. But in reality it was a lot more complex. We see this in one of the first scenes of the movie. Where a woman has to get through an impossible test to proof she has the right to vote.
Director Ava DuVernays shows with her script many situations with injustice. This is something you just can’t ignore. But the most interesting part is how she portrayed her leading character. King is a loyal idealist. But along the way we see his imperfections. Very well done and King is well portrayed by David Oyelowo.
“Selma” is a great picture based on one of the most inspiring men in American history.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 156: Ted 2

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 115 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Barth, Patrick Warburton, John Slattery, Morgan Freeman, Sam Jones, Giovanni Ribisi, John Carroll Lynch, Liam Neeson

Description: Newlywed couple Ted (Seth MacFarlane) and Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth) want to have a baby, but in order to qualify to be a parent, Ted will have to prove he's a person in a court of law.

Review: “Ted” was a great comedy and although I loved it I wasn’t excited about a sequel. Comedy sequels don’t have a great reputation. “Ted 2” is no exception.

“Ted 2” brings back Seth MacFarlane and his cursing, drug using teddy bear. This time ted has to proof in a court of law that he is a person and not an object. Together with his best friend John they work their way to a happy ending.

There is still a lot of chemistry between Mark Wahlberg and the animated bear and there are jokes. But it’s more of the same and it’s never as funny as the first film. Mila Kunis has been replaced by Amanda Seyfried, who I can appreciate for her self-mockery in “Ted 2”. The movie also has some awesome cameos.

“Ted 2” is still a fun comedy, but the movie is way too long and it offers us nothing new.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 86: A Million Ways to Die int the West

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 116 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman

Description: As cowardly farmer Albert (Seth MacFarlane) begins to fall for the mysterious new woman Anna (Charlize Theron) in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband (Liam Neeson), a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival.

Review: The authentic letters and music of the opening credits tell us immediately that “A Million Ways to Die in the West” is a western. Director Seth MacFarlane obviously likes the genre and gives it his own twist. He mixes up western with the genre he knows best: comedy. It gives us some great jokes, but also some mediocre ones centered around farts, sex and poop.

The wild west of 1882 isn’t without danger, that’s what somewhat clumsy sheepherder Albert Stark knows. Decease, rivalry, Indians, all possible causes of death. When Albert is then also stood up by his girlfriend Louise, his life as a frontier is over. Until he meets Anna, a mysterious woman who makes Albert win back his courage and confidence. But what he doesn’t know is that Anna is married to the most vicious gunslinger of the west.

The plot isn’t that surprising and it kicks in a lot of open doors. But it’s more about the humor here. “A Million Ways to Die” succeeds, but not entirely. The jokes where they are mocking the genre are the best, which makes it a bit like a parody. This works. And MacFarlane also knows how to set the audience in the opposite direction, which makes it surprising at times. The actors are seemingly having a great time. But sometimes the jokes are a bit juvenile or badly timed.

Seth MacFarlane is still one of the funniest guys out there, but he still has a lot to learn as an actor and director. “A Million Ways in the West” wasn’t as hilarious as I hoped it would be, but it had some great jokes, an amazing cameo and I really enjoyed this western parody.

Rating: 3/ 5

In the Picture: The Characters from "Lost in Translation"

Because this (amazing) movie only has two major characters, it gives me the room to really analyse them. As fantastic as they both are, here are the characters from one of my favorite films "Lost in Translation".

Bob Harris
Played by: Bill Murray
Bob Harris is an aging American movie star. He arrives in Tokyo where he is filming an advertisement for Suntory Whiskey. Although he will receive 2 million dollars for it, he's not enjoying working there or staying in this busy city. When he meets Charlotte in the hotel bar, he finally finds some fun. Bob is a kind man with humor and he's also very thoughtful. He has a wife and kids, but doesn't really seem to miss them when he's staying in Tokyo.

Charlotte
Played by: Scarlett Johansson
Charlotte traveled to Tokyo with her husband, who is a celebrity photographer. Although Tokyo is a busy city, Charlotte feels alone and her husband is so busy that they can't even spend time together. She is trying to kill the time in her hotelroom, but decides to go to the bar instead, where she meets Bob. A meeting she will never forget. Together they explore the nightlife of Tokyo. Charlotte finds a new friend in him. Charlotte is a calm, nice and faithful woman and sees the beauty in little things.

John
Played by: Giovanni Ribisi
John is Charlotte's husband. He brought her along on his trip to Tokyo, but has to leave her alone for his work. John is a hardworking man an passionate about his job, but doesn't really see what he's got.

Kelly
Played by: Anna Faris
Kelly is an old friend of John's and a Hollywood actress. She isn't very smart, naive and extremely superficial. Charlotte doesn't say it out loud, but she doesn't like Kelly.

Favorite Character: Bob Harris

Movie Tip #21 - Lost in Translation

Director: Sofia Coppola

Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris

Description: Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American film actor, far past his prime. He visits Tokyo to appear in commercials, and he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the young wife of a visiting photographer. Bored and weary, Bob and Charlotte make ideal if improbable traveling companions. Charlotte is looking for "her place in life," and Bob is tolerating a mediocre stateside marriage. Both separately and together, they live the experience of the American in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte suffer both confusion and hilarity due to the cultural and language differences between themselves and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they come to the realization that their visits to Japan, and one another, must soon end. Or must they?

Review: Sometimes the most simple stories make the best films. This movie is the example. However Bob and Charlotte are in the bussiest city on the planet, they feel alone. An uncommon but beautiful friendship arises from their meeting. One reason why I love this movie is because it's so realistic. The characters are so real and it's easy to identify yourself with them. Another thing was the acting. Bill Murray at his best and Scarlett Johansson has won over my heart with this film. The movie is not cliché or sentimentel, it's just honest. I can watch it over and over again!