20s Movie Review - The Life of Chuck

Director: Mike Flanagan
Genre: Drama/ Fantasy
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill, Jacob Tremblay, Matthew Lillard, Annalise Basso, Kate Siegel, Samanta Sloyan

Description: A life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man names Charles Krantz.

Review: With “The Life of Chuck”, director Mike Flanagan proves that he can do more than horror. He is an absolute master of portraying the human soul. Based on the short story by Stephen King, that I just finished reading, this is a deeply moving celebration of life, told in reverse chronological order.

The film begins at the end of the world and works backward to the childhood of Chuck. It’s a darling structure that works perfectly; as the world around the characters literally falls apart, we discover the small, seemingly insignificant moments that give a life meaning. The iconic dance scene on the street is already a classic. It was my favorite scene in the book and is the best part of the movie as well. It’s pure, infectious, and a symbol of indestructible joie de vivre.

Flanagan embraces the sentiment without ever becoming sentimental. He is very faithful to Stephen King’s story, which I can only applaud. He reminds us that every human being carries a whole universe withing them. “The Life of Chuck” is a visually stunning and emotionally overwhelming tribute to the fact that we exist. Tom Hiddleston is absolutely brilliant in it. The film is an absolute triumph and a new favorite film.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Director: James Gunn
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Comedy
Runtime: 150 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Uwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki
 
Description: Still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoek Saldana), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own, a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.  

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 19: A SEQUEL
 
Review: The first film from 2014 was considered by Marvel to be a risk, with a small change of success. Who knew that an ensemble film about a group of misfits, including a foul-mouthed CGI raccoon and a verbally limited tree could lead to such success. It has been visible from the start that director and writer James Gunn believed in this team of misfits and has heart for them, because, in my opinion, this is the best series within the MCU. And he ends this trilogy with a bang. Just to be clear, I loved this movie and the review might not be subjective.   

The Guardians have settled on Knowhere, trying to give their lives shape after the loss of Gamora. That is going relatively well, until priestess Ayesha (whom we met in volume 2) comes for revenge and sends her perfect fighting machine Adam Warlock. In a fight, Rocket is seriously injured and to save his life, the Guardians must find out how the genetically engineered raccoon was ‘created’. To do so, they must delve into his past. And I’m telling you, it’s the saddest story you will ever see in a Marvel film.
Rocket, or experiment 89P13, turns out to be a creation of the High Evolutionary; a scientist who has set himself the goal of creating the perfect race and the perfect society. In the process, the self-appointed Messiah makes a lot of victims, lots of innocent victims. And with that he is by far the most evil Marvel villain yet. And I will add him to my list of most hated movie characters ever. The antagonist, strongly portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuju, holds the key to Rocket’s recovery.

The film clearly takes a darker path than its predecessors. The opening tune illustrates this perfectly. No upbeat song as usual, but an acoustic version of Radiohead’s melancholy “Creep”. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is definitely still a funny sci-fi action comedy, but the emotional depth and somewhat heavier subject matter make it a more mature film. The caption on the poster says it all: “once more with feeling”. And I felt all the feels.

The plot consists of two storylines that converge at the end in a blistering finale. In the main story, which has all the action and humor, we follow the Guardians on their crazy and beautifully designed space adventure, in which, among other things, they take on a copy of Earth and a completely organic space station against the genetically engineered misfits of the high Evolutionary. The subplot serves as an emotional counterpoint, telling the equally wry and touching, but also sad story of Rocket’s genesis. Rocket has always been my favorite of the Guardians, but he most definitely is my favorite Marvel character of all-time as well. This one hit me hard.

James Gunn shifts incredibly cleverly between the two well-written storylines, alternating dramatic seriousness with humor, and CGI action spectacle with story and character development. With a well-balanced phasing, he keeps attention firmly from beginning to end, and with his once again phenomenally compiled playlist, he adds an awful lot of color to the film.

The highlight of the film are the perfectly cast, imperfect characters. All Guardians have their flaws and this is precisely what makes them so interesting. Their noble actions are partly motivated by a desire for redemption from an often dark past. This provides the team of misfits with an approachable humanity.

Nebula, meanwhile, is a full-fledged fun-loving Guardian and finally begins to thaw out, while Gamora, returned from the past and remembering nothing, takes her place as the pessimist of the group. It is a stroke of genius to have the sisters switch roles because with the new group dynamic, Gunn avoids a repetition of moves. Peter Quill’s character steps a bit to the background this time, Groot is in the prime of his life and the ever-dry Drax along with Mantis, provide the film’s comedic highlights. But Rocket is everything to me in this film.

I’m giving “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” a perfect rating, purely out of emotion, because to me this trilogy is the perfect one and it’s very near and dear to my heart. The series had a perfect conclusion with this emotional rollercoaster. I literally cannot fault it.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special

Director: James Gunn
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Adventure/ Comedy
Runtime: 41 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementiff, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, Kevin Bacon
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 51: A CHRISTMAS MOVIE
 
Description: The Guardians of the Galaxy engage in some spirited shenanigans in an all-new original Holiday special.

Review: Marvel’s first special came out on Hallowee, being “Werewolf by Night”, an ode to classic monster movies from the 1930s. I loved that one. And we didn’t have to wait that long for another special, this time for Christmas. The Guardians of the Galaxy come together again for their own Christmas special.

Both “Guradians of the Galaxy” film are amongst my favorite Marvel film ever. So I couldn’t wait to see this short film, set during the holidays. The focus is on Mantis and Drax, who are trying to find the perfect gift for Peter, to give him an unforgettable Christmas. The film is hilarious, as we are used to from the previous movies.  But director James Gunn managed to add some sentiment in it as well.

“The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special” is a small package with a big heart. Loved it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - The Bubble

Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Karen Gillan, Leslie Mann, David Duchovny Pedro Pascal, Keagan-Michael Key, Iris Apatow, Peter Serafinowicz, Kate McKinnon, Fred Armisen
 
Description: A group of actors and actresses tuck inside a pandemic bubble at a hotel attempts to complete a film.

Review: Judd Apatow directs a film, which can be streamed on Netflix now. A group of actors is stuck in a lockdown situation in a hotel, while trying to finish the movie “Cliff Beasts 6”. The trailer looked fun and Judd Apatow is one of the better comedy directors.

Unfortunately the film wasn’t well-received, by both critics and the audience. And I can actually agree with them and saying this is one of Apatow’s worst movies ever made.

Apatow was inspired by the evets of the filming of the movie “Jurassic World: Dominion” in which the entire cast was stuck for months in the heavy lockdown in Britain, filmind had to be stopped each time die to positive tests and the actors were given a stick up their nose daily.

So too in this comedy, with the fun-loving Karen Gillan playing the female lead. About the movie business, the film can be quite funny at times. But the overall films is just very unfunny. Moreover, the film runs a half hour too lone, and three are fewer and fewer laughs toward the very mediocre finale.

Rating: 2/ 5

10s Movie Review - Jumanji: The Next Level

Director: Jake Kasdan
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 123 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Awkwafina, Nick Jonas, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Rhys Darby, Colin Hanks, Rory McCann, Marin Hinkle, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blain

Description: The gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Review: After their adventure in the world of Jumanji, the students Spencer, Martha, Bethany and Fridge try to pick up their lives again. However, Spencer is struggling with his life as a student in new York and longs for a new adventure in which he can take on the form of the tough professor Bravestone. When Spencer goes missing, his friends soon know what happened. Especially when they discover that Spencer has never thrown away the videogame Jumanji. All they can do to save their friend is venture into the world of Jumanji again. But this time, not only the students get sucked in, also Spencer’s grandfather and his elderly friend join the adventure, and Bethany is left behind. Once again, they have to join forces as their old avatars in order to return from the world of Jumanji.
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” was one of the biggest surprises. A movie I thought I would hate, but actually came to love. So to repeat that success, Sony Pictures (of course) created a sequel. And although it’s much of the same, “Jumanji: The Next Level” still offers a lot of fun-filled and action packed scenes.
With the same game, the same avatars and the same students its more of the same. But the creators made a few adjustments to make it a bit fresher. Danny DeVito and Danny Glover are added and they end up in the avatars that Dwayne Johnson and Kevin hart embody. I’m not the world’s biggest Kevin Hart fan and he was my least favorite in the first film. Because he was being his loud an annoying self, instead of another character. Here his character is taken over by an elderly, slow-talking man that over-explains things. And I loved that! He actually outshines Dwayne Johnson for once.
“Jumanji: The Next Level” is not a necessary sequel, but a welcome one. Because I had tons of fun watching it. Even though it was much of the same, I enjoyed this film.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - The Big Short

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Melissa Leo, Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez, Karen Gillan, Finn Wittrock, John Magaro, Hamish Linklater, Jay Jablonski

Description: In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the US motgage market. In their research they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.

Review: “The Big Short” is based on the true story of fraud within American banks, right before the financial crisis. Four outsiders try to expose these banks and want to make money from it at the same time. Dr. Michael Burry starts this, when he discovers that most mortgages aren’t as safe and secure as they seem. Most banks think he is crazy and there are only a few others that believe him.
The cast of “The Big Short” is one to be proud of. They are all big names in Hollywood and are all seemingly enjoying the roles they’re playing. Christian Bale portrays the eccentric Dr. Michael Burry, Steve Carell is the loud Mark Baum, Ryan Gosling is the slick Jared Vennett and Brad Pitt plays the reluctant Ben Rickert. All characters are well-developed and the performances are fantastic.
And that’s where I’m going to stop with the positive, because aside from this, I hated this movie. And it’s not the director or the style it is filmed in. It’s simply the theme and story. Adam McKay tried so hard to create an intense and interesting film with the somewhat dry material he had. But in my opinion he didn’t manage to do that. At least not for me.
The film is too long and it drags. I think 90 percent of the dialogue and story didn’t interest me at all and sometimes I had no idea what they were talking about. This movie made me feel dumb, but then again I don’t know much about the financial world nor am I interested in it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad movie. Because it’s well-made and all performances are great. Most critics praise this movie and it’s a typical film for the Academy Awards. “The Big Short” simply didn’t do it for me because of the theme it was dealing with. And if a movie’s theme doesn’t appeal to me and I can’t sympathize with any of the characters, you lose me as a viewer.
A movie not for everyone, and I’m sadly one of the haters. And I don’t often share the more unpopular opinion.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Avengers: Endgame

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 181 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin, Tessa Thompson, Evangeline Lilly, Pom Klementieff, Tom Holland, Jon Favreau, Elizabeth Olsen, Dave Bautista, Sebastian Stan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katherine Langford, Tilda Swinton, Letitia Wright, Kerry Condon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chadwick Boseman, Winston Duke, Frank Grillo, Ty Simpkins, Sean Gunn, Emma Fuhrmann, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong

Description: After the devastating events, the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe.

Review: “Avengers: Endgame” isn’t only the finale to last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War”, it’s also the end of the journey that film studio Marvel started eleven years ago together with its many fans. “Avengers: Endgame” is supposed to be a tribute to all the experiences and memories we have from the past years in this universe.
Thanos left a dystopian world behind with the snap of his fingers. The titan completed his mission, perfectly balanced out life and the Avengers have been defeated for the first time. And it paid its toll, because the superheroes have obviously suffered from it. They are broken, damaged. Nonetheless the team is determined to defeat their nemesis once and for all, after a new sign of hope.
The Marvel universe grew over the years, but “Avengers: Endgame” focuses on the six original Avengers. They don’t need any introduction and are the praised characters it all started with. The playing field is known and the returning directing Russo brothers don’t pay a lot of attention on background stories. This film is simply for the fans.
“Avengers: Endgame” is a true Marvel film. Humor, sharp dialogues, extravaganza, spectacle. And it has sky high ambitions. Somehow some elements feel uninspired. No introduction to Captain Marvel and Tony and Nebula’s return feel unsatisfying. And some developments don’t live up to our expectations or rules of logic.
I didn’t like what they did to Bruce Banner/ Hulk. It felt weird and I really don’t understand the choice for this. I did like the sacrifice one character made. Thinking it was going to be the other one, it was a cool twist that it eventually turned around. And Scott Lang’s role in the story was pretty cool.
During the end fight, they go all out. It’s a fantastic moment and the definite highlight of the film. The moment where Captain America says ‘Avengers assemble’, that just gave me goosebumps. An epic fight, a great finale.
In “Avengers: Infinity War” the focus was on Thanos, but here the attention had to be divided over several characters. Some protentional plot points have been sacrificed because of that. The end of the film is really strong and it feels like a perfect ending. And it is one final tribute to the Marvel universe. But from the last minutes of the film, you can also conclude that Marvel is not done with new stories yet. So it’s not really the end, but a new beginning.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Circle

Director: James Ponsoldt
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, John Boyega, Patton Oswalt, Glenne Headly

Description: Mae Holland (Emma Watson) lands a dream job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, only to uncover an agenda that will affect the lives of all of humanity.

Review: In 2013, author Dave Eggers finished “The Circle”, a dystopian novel that was compared to George Orwell’s “1984”. It was a popular book and it’s a surprise it took four years to be turned into a film. But does a praised book always need a movie adaptation? Well, for “The Circle” it’s a no.
Mae Holland’s life is about to change, when she is invited for a job interview at ‘the Circle’. You see the big difference between the dusty and old school call center Mae works at, to the ultra-modern and complex 'the Circle'. For Mae, ‘the Circle’ is the place to be. She ends up at the ‘customer experience’ department. We also meet CEO Eamon Bailey, who presents an advanced camera system. It’s clear that ‘the Circle’ is a company that sees the invasion of privacy as a device to reach political goals.
Everyone listening to Bailey believes in ‘the Circle’, Mae is one of them. And it doesn’t take her very long to become one if the icons of the company. Emma Watson is a fantastic actress, but her talent is underused. And it feels like Tom Hanks, my all-time favorite, is out of place. Both do a solid job, but if you have these fantastic performers, give them something to work with.
Bailey and his neurotic followers can’t be taken seriously. And when they present a program called SoulSearch, that’s the ultimate low. And the creators of this system, never see that it’s a dangerous tool? Not very credible.
The story criticizes society and there it’s crucial to be believable. And it never feels like that. It’s rushed and it loses the actual focus of Eggers’ novel: the danger of digital independence.
The story and concept of “The Circle” are really good, the book was great. I think it would have been better as a mini-series.

Rating: 2 / 5

10s Movie Review - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Director: Jake Kasdan
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Colin Hanks

Description: Four teenagers are sucked into a magical video game, and the only way they can escape is to work together to finish the game.

Review: It could have been another useless reboot or nostalgia trip; with Jake Kasdan as a director you expect nothing more than a cliché film. But “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” was surprisingly fun and not bad at all. A movie that actually uses the talent of its cast, a beautiful setting and believable characters. What a surprise!
The first minute are a nod to the original board game from the first film. Somehow the game is changed into a videogame. Four high school students that are in detention, find this game and decided to play it. They pick their characters and instead of the game entering our world, the kids are sucked into the game. Becoming their characters and having to save Jumanji.
The nerdy Spencer becomes the buff and brave Dr. Bravestone. Wallflower Martha turns into man killer Ruby Roundhouse. Jock Fridge now has to deal with a much shorter self, who is a zoologist. And popular and self-loving Bethany, becomes a middle aged man who specializes in reading maps, archeology and paleontology.
At first, the body switch gives a simple and predictable jokes. But the concept stays interesting throughout the whole film, without become lame and juvenile. Dwayne Johnson, who is now the embodiment of a shy and nerdy kid, does this very convincing. And Karen Gillan really does a great job awkwardly dealing with her body language. Jack Black was probably my favorite, a teenage girl trapped inside a middle aged man’s body. Kevin Hart is the least convincing of the four, because he plays himself instead of the character trapped inside of him.
It’s very clever to turn the Jumanji game into a videogame and this makes for a fun and entertaining setting. The characters have strengths and weaknesses and there are clear rules. And the whole décor is fantastic!
Although I love the original “Jumanji” movie, this film isn’t timeless. The special effects of this film are a bit outdated, but overall I still love it. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” really surprised me and I really liked it. A lot!

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 45: Oculus

Director: Mike Flanagan

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane, Annalise Basso, Garrett Ryan, James Lafferty, Miguel Sandoval, Kate Siegel, Scott Graham, Michael J. Fourticq, Kate Parker, Justin Gordon, Bob Gebert

 

Description: Kaylie (Karen Gillian) tries to exonerate her brother Tim (Brenton Thwaites), who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.

 

Review: People used to think mirrors could capture your soul. After a death, they covered them up, afraid that the soul of the dead dragged the souls of the living into the afterlife. The mirror in “Oculus” takes lives by showing hallucinations. When leading character Kaylie is eating an apple, it’s actually a light bulb. Or is it? A scary image, a mouth full of blood, but the tension is there. And that’s why “Oculus” works.

The story starts with Tim Russell, who is being discharged from a psychiatric institution where he has been since he was 10. His father Alan tortured and killed Tim’s mom, and little Tim shot his dad. Tim’s older sister Kaylie remembers this differently. According to her an antique mirror drove Alan crazy. She has a plan to proof that the mirror has supernatural powers, but she needs her brother’s help.

“Oculus” is based on a short film “Oculus – Chapter 3: The Man with the Plan”, by director Mie Flanagan. Here a man is confronted with a demonic mirror. The short film was received well and Flanagan was asked to create a full length movie. He introduces two parallel story lines. One is set in the here and now, the other in the past. While Kaylie and Tim go back to their elderly house, you also see what happened all those years ago in the Russell family. This set up works very well. Although it sounds confusing, it really isn’t. it’s very easy to follow.

“Oculus” has some scenes that might shock you visually, but it’s more the threat then the gore that scare you. Because of the hallucinations, it’s sometimes hard for the audience to separate reality from hallucination. Both Brenton Thwaites and Karen Gillan, as Tim and Kaylie, do a great job. Rory Cochrane is also impressive, but it’s Katee Sackhoff that shines. Her role is not that big, but a memorable performance.

“Oculus” is definitely a horror movie worth watching!

Rating: 4/ 5