Movie Review - Masters of the Universe

Director: Travis Knight
Genre: Fantasy/ Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Jared Leto
 
Description: A young man (Nicholas Galitzine) on Earth discovers a fabulous secret legacy as the prince of an alien planet, and must recover a magic sword and return home to protect his kingdom.
 
Review: “Masters of the Universe”, a movie that every 80s (and early 90s) kid was looking forward too. And it has turned out to be a wonderfully nostalgic movie that the people who grew up with the cartoon will appreciate to the fullest, because it’s a love letter to the show.

It’s abundantly clear that director Travis Knight is a fan himself. He consciously chooses to take the mythology surrounding Eternia and He-Man seriously, rather than reducing it to a cynical parody. The iconic characters, the colorful costumes, and the epic Sword of Power have been brought to the live-action screen with immense love. I did miss some characters, because the TV show has so many iconic characters. And most side characters that were in this film, don’t get enough time to really shine.

This movie was made for the fans and probably not for today’s youth. Although the action scenes are spectacular, this isn’t a movie that will win over everyone. The film relies heavily on nostalgia. People who didn’t grow up with the original animated series from the 80s, may find the specific tone, the wacky creatures and the campy humor a bit harder to appreciate. To them it might sometimes feel like a somewhat absurd action movie. But for the children of the era, it’s a wonderful, emotional reunion.

The cast is really good. Nicholas Galtzine is a convincing He-Man, Camila Mendes shines as Teela and Alison Brie is delightfully overacting as Evil-Lyn. But all points go to Jared Leto as Skeletor.

What is probably the strongest part of the film, is its soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton and Brian may. It transforms this film from an entertaining trip down memory lane into an epic spectacle. It combines bombastic orchestrations with thick 80s synths and Queen-like melodies. With Brian May on the guitar, who co-wrote the score and weaves his iconic guitar solos throughout. The result is strongly reminiscent of the legendary sound of “Flash Gordon”, but with a modern, powerful dynamic. The music elevates the action scenes to a much higher level and guaranteed to give you goosebumps. I think this soundtrack is an absolute highlight of 2026

“Masters of the Universe”  is not a perfect movie for the average moviegoer, but definitely the ultimate dream for anyone who used to shout “I have the power!”

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - Fight Club

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 139 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto

Description: An insomniac office worker (Edward Norton), looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker (Brad Pitt), forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more...

Review: “Fight Club” is a movie whose opinion vary widely. Fans of the movie praise it, opponents are very negative. It doesn’t happen that the opinions are so different, but the makers of “Fight Club” seem to be proud of it.
Director David Fincher has a very recognizable style. In movies like “Se7en”, “The Game” and “Panic Room” you can clearly see it. Beautiful shot, like the movement through keyholes in “Panic Room”, not showing you something important but knowing what it’s about like the climactic scene in “Se7en”. It’s all classic Fincher. The lather is used a couple of times in “Fight Club”.
The message that the movie wants to give you is clear within the first ten minutes. The worls is messed up, because of commercialization. Edward Norton’s characters, who is addicted to support groups, fits this world perfectly. He feels like something is missing. After meeting his complete opposite Tyler, he joins ‘Fight Club’.
The absurd activities of the two characters are told so convincingly, which makes this movie interesting from beginning till end. There is a certain tension throughout the entire movie and the climax is the highlight of the film. This also makes you want to watch the movie again, because with foreknowledge you go into this film completely different. And this makes you realize how brilliant “Fight Club” actually is.
Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are both fantastic, but also Helena Bonham Carter is great. Meat Loaf is also surprisingly good.
“Fight Club” is original, disturbing and extraordinary, a film you should see (at least twice).

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - The Little Things

Director: John Lee Hancock
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

Description: Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence-gathered assignment. Instead, he becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city.

Review: The films has a more than interesting main theme, but director John Lee Hancock doesn’t succeed in giving enough space to the obsessive background of especially Denzel Washington’s character. With three Oscar-winning actors, Denzel Washington, Jared Leto and Rami Malek, the expectations are high, but surely not met.
The film opens with a girl being chased in her car and in the dark by an almost classic highway-killer. She just managed to get away, and immediately after that we are introduced to Joe Deacon, a deputy who performs his duties in a small desert town. When his boss orders him to pick up some evidence in Los Angeles, he plans a short day trip to this metropolis a little further west. Once there, everyone seems to know him, although police chief Farris is apparently not so happy about the reunion. After all, Deacon turns out to have been pretty hard-headed years ago, even though he was he most promised detective of Los Angeles before that.
Now that role is for Jim Baxter. Although his search for a serial killer is not as successful as he would’ve wanted. He asks Deacon to come along, when yet another body is found. Because Deacon’s evidence-gathering mission is delayed anyway, he decides to tag along. When at the crime scene Deacon immediately assumes his mysterious profiler posture, then we as viewers already know enough: that Deacon was once a really good cop. But give all those dreams and flashbacks to a previous case, we also know that this case might bring back too many bad memories for him.
The film is okay, but it seems they could have perfected it more. The obsessiveness of Deacon isn’t explored to the fullest and Baxter’s perfectionism and arrogance could’ve been more present. This way, the story also would have made a better impression. Now it all feels half-finished, too many things are missing. Without these three top-notch actors, the film would me mediocre. It’s thanks to Washington, Malek an Leto that this film rises above that.
“The Little Things” feels like a David Fincher movie, without it being one. I think Fincher would have made a very different film with the same actors and story. In terms of atmosphere and cinematography, this film is really strong. But the way this film turned out, was a bit of a disappointment in the end. Such a shame, because for a good portion of the film, the tension definitely grabbed me.

Rating: 3 / 5

00s Movie Review - Panic Room

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 41: A MOVIE MADE BY DAVID FINCHER

Description: A divorced woman (Jodie Foster) and her diabetic daughter (Kristen Stewart) take refuge in their newly-purchased house’s panic room, when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.

Review: Meg Altman, recently divorced from the rich Stephen, moves into a new house with her daughter Sarah. It is a beautiful building; three floors, hardwood floors, an elevator and… a very special room. The previous owner was a paranoid rich guy who had a shelter build, a so-called panic room. This room has concrete walls with thick steel plates, its own telephone circuit, an intercom system with security cameras and enough supplies to survive a small war. On their first night in the house, Meg and Sarah go to sleep quietly while a big thunderstorm rages outside. They don’t realize that three burglars are accessing their house. The intruders didn’t expect anyone to have inhabited the house, so they are just as surprised. Just in the nick of time Meg and Sarah manage to escape into the panic room, closing themselves in. Meg did forget to connect the separate phone line, which means they are safe from the burglars, but also trapped like rats. Because what the men are looking for, is in that room.  
“Panic Room” is a very exciting thriller. Most outstanding is the flawless camerawork, which looks amazing. But also the editing and directing, combined with an atmospheric soundtrack. From the smoot and beautiful computer-enhanced camera movement through the house, to the oppressive dark cinematography, everything has been done to maximize the tension.
Jodie Foster shows what and excellent actress she is. And so does a very young Kristen Stewart. Forest Whitaker shines as the sympathetic bad guy.
What makes the film so exciting is the interaction between the two ‘camps’ of Meg and Sarah versus the burglars. They keep outsmarting each other and that creates an unprecedented tension. Unfortunately, director David Fincher has not received the praise he deserves with this film. And although movies like “Se7en” and “Fight Club” are of course better and are now modern classics, “Panic Room” is an exciting thriller and an underestimated work of a director in his element.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Blade Runner 2049

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 163 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista

Description: A young blade runner's (Ryan Gosling) discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who's been missing for thirty years.

Review: In 1982 director Ridley Scott brought us “Blade Runner”, a film loosely based on “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. After “Alien” he took another big step in the sci-fi genre. The film was, because of the combination of film noir and a philosophical take, not for everyone. Even critics weren’t agreeing at the time.
In 2017, the opinions about the sequel, are extremely positive. Some even call it an instant classic and a masterpiece. “Blade Runner 2049” will still not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I do agree with the positive responses. And I even think it’s better then the film from 1982.
Ridley Scott passed the directorial position over to Denis Villeneuve, a talented director that yet has to make his first mistake (let’s hope not off course). After “Arrival”, from 2016, Villeneuve showed the audience he knows his way around science fiction. But “Blade Runner 2049” is so very different.
Villeneuve asked all the journalists not to talk about the plot to much in their reviews. He wanted all the moviegoers to experience this film to the fullest and give them the same experience as he critics.
“Blade Runner 2049” is a film filled with emotion, beautiful shots, deeper layers and fascinating characters. So I will not share any plot details with you either, you really have to see for yourself. I do think it’s a shame that I didn’t get to see it in theaters at the time. Literally no one around was talking about this film and I simply missed it. And now, I don’t understand why and how.
Villeneuve often manages to make your jaw drop. And that’s also happening here. The images of misty cities filled with big in-your-face billboard commercials, immense garbage piles and abandoned factories. But also the ochre colored field with giant statues of women.
The role of K, was written for Ryan Gosling. He gives his role depth and he proofs again that he chooses his projects wisely. Harrison Ford’s role isn’t as big, but noteworthy, just like in the first film.
Like I stated before, “Blade Runner 2049” is not for everyone, just like the first film. The slow sci-fi by Denis Villeneuve is not to everybody’s taste. The film is hard to grab and its unpredictability could trouble the average moviegoer. All those things are just why I love “Blade Runner 2049”. Besides the gorgeous images and great performances, it’s very pleasant to see a sequel this good and this surprising. Better then “Blade Runner”, mission accomplished!

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 75: Mr. Nobody

Director: Jaco van Dormael
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Jared Leto, Diane Kruger, Sarah Polley, Rhys Ifans, Juno Temple

Description: A boy stands on a station platform as a train is about to leave. Should he go with his mother or stay with his father? Infinite possibilities arise from this decision. As long as he doesn't choose, anything is possible.

Review: What if you made a different decision? Your life would be different right now. With every choice you make, and alternative is lost. So if you count all the choices you have made in your life, your could have had a thousand different lives. “Mr. Nobody” uses this concept. A 120 year old man looks back at all those lives he could have lived. How different the lives are, they all end in death and all you need is love.
The result is a big mish mash of scenes, which switches constantly in timelines. It’s an intelligent film, with an original and promising concept. But it’s also a big mess and the film takes forever. I can see where the director wanted to go with this, but it’s all over the place.
It’s not the actors, the performances are good. And I do like the idea and the risk that was taken to make this film. But it’s not coherent and it never grabbed me.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 112: Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Crime
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jay Hernandez, Adam Beach, Scott Eastwood, Ben Affleck

Description: A secret government agency recruits a group of imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency, which inevitably leads to chaos.

Review: DC Comics got a crazy follow up for “Batman V. Superman”, which was a big and epic film, but was way too long and didn’t meet our big expectations. “Suicide Squad” is a daring film with fun characters, but it’s a bit messy.
“Suicide Squad” is set right after the happenings in “Batman V. Superman”. Amanda Waller decides to fight fire with fire, in the crime filled world they live in now. She assembles a groups of criminals that are all messed up in their own way. She wants them to fight the evil in the world and finally do something good. If they don’t cooperate, they will be killed.
The start of the film is an introduction to the characters. That’s a big part of the opening, but the film is very fast paced and holds that tempo the entire film. But some of the members of the suicide squad get more attention than others. Especially Deadshot and Harley Quinn get more focus, but they are also the most interesting characters of the bunch. Both Will Smith and Margot Robbie do a fantastic job portraying them.
Jared Leto plays the Joker and he does it in his own way. His interpretation is okay, but he doesn’t succeed as well as Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did with their performances of the same character. And the Joker isn’t in the film that much either. Cara Delevinge as Enchantress is just strange. I didn’t like her and her character never gets interesting. And I hated that weird voice she had.
The editing of the film is the biggest problem. It’s very messy and it sometimes looks like scenes were cut and it was all edited without giving it the proper attention.
“Suicide Squad” has enough entertainment and is very fast paced to keep my attention the entire runtime. Overall the film is messy, but Will Smith and Margot Robbie make up for a lot. It has action and humor, but it’s not DC’s big comeback.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 129: Dallas Buyers Club

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 117 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, Denis O’Hare, Dallas Roberts, Kevin Rankin, Steffie Grote, Griffin Dune, Jeanine Hill, Jane McNeill, Juliet Reeves, Michael O’Neill, James DuMont, J.D. Evermore, Heather Ashley Boyd, Douglas M. Griffin, Deneen Tyler

Description: In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.

Review: Matthew McConaughey in a biopic about a Texan electrician with HIV; the end result is just as astounding as the concept. It took director Jean-Marc Valée 20 years before he could start filming. He did it in 25 days.

The American Ron Woodroof fought against a medical system in the eighties. The pharmaceutical industry had control and produced medication to fight the aids crisis. It turned out to be harmful medication. Woodroof, diagnosed with HIV, took matters into his own hands. He started an illegal ‘Buyers Club’, where people could get life extending medication.

In 1992 Craig Borten wrote the first script with the help from interviews. Woodroof died that same year. After twenty years Jean-Marc Vallée got a budget of 3 million and gave Matthew McConaughey the lead role. A daring choice? Indeed. The wrong choice? Definitely not. His famous charmes are gone and he lost around 40 pound fort his role. McConaughey, born in Texas, gives his all. It’s his attitude that make his role so moving. You get a lot of sympathy for his character.

The second performance that really impressed was by Jared Leto. Transformed into transsexual Rayon, he starved himself, waxed his legs, shaved his eyebrows and in thedays of shooting never stepped out of character.

The result is a beautiful montage, with pace. The ending could be a bit more powerful, because that never really sticks. “Dallas Buyers Club” is an energetic film, with a great cast. A definite must-see.

Rating: 4/ 5

Pic Spam: Academy Awards 2014

I saw the Academy Awards last night and I Always love to watch this glitter & glamour evening. This is the only night that I allow myself to feel a bit of hedonism. It's been a while since I've done a pic spam (december!) and I decided to do something new. So I'm going to share some pictures from last night's Academy Awards. My favorite stars, moments, shots, you name it.

Oscar Predictions 2014

I'm going to predict the winners for this years Oscars again. I have no idea! I'm super excited about Ellen Degeneres hosting, she amakes me laugh. Here is my list of who should and would win.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Should Win: "12 Years a Slave"
Would Win: "American Hustle"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: Bruce Dern for "Nebraska" (actually Tom Hanks for "Captain Phillips", but no nomination!
Would Win: Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Amy Adams for "American Hustle"
Would Win: Cate Blanchett for "Blue Jasmin"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Michael Fassbender for "12 Years a Slave"
Would Win: Jared Leto for "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Lupita Nyong'o for "12 Years a Slave"
Would Win: Lupita Nyong'o for "12 Years a Slave"

Best Achievement in Directing
Should Win: Alexander Payne for "Nebraska"
Would Win: Alfonso Cuarón for "Gravity"