Movie Review - The Odyssey

Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 173 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o
 
Description: After the Trojan War, Odysseus (Matt Damon) faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens and Calypso (Charlize Theron) along the way
 
Review: With the latest adaptation of “The Odyssey”, director Christopher Nolan proves that classical Greek mythology can still be relevant, and , above all, spectacular. The film has become a visual and narrative masterpiece that relentlessly draws the viewer into an emotional battle of attrition for almost 3 hours. The end result is a grand cinematic experience that balances human drama with mythological action.

“The Odyssey” follows the heroic yet disastrous journey of the Greek king Odysseus, who, after the fall of Troy, tries to find his way back home. While his faithful wife Penelope fights off intrusive suitors at home, Odysseus braves deadly monsters, divine curses, and psychological trials on the raging seas to save his kingdom.

The film excels in its cinematography and set design. The wild, unpredictable seas and the terrifying encounters with mythical creatures are brought to life with a perfect balance of practical effect and CGI. Nolan modernizes Homer’s source material without losing the epic’s authentic, tragic atmosphere.
The prominent American accents of the main cast feels quite out of place in a historical Greet setting at the beginning. The dialect distracted me and felt weird. Fortunately, this was short-lived, after a while it didn’t bother me as much. The performances are so intense and believable that the accent quickly fades into the background.

With this star-studded cast, there is a lot to look for. The performances are very strong and Matt Damon has the difficult task to lead them in this epic adventure film. But he succeeds. But it is Anne Hathaway and Samantha Morton in particular who elevate this film by carrying the emotional core. While the visual spectacle dominates the action, these two actresses provide the much-needed psychological depth and humanity. Anne Hathaway shines thanks to her phenomenal transformation. She commands all the attention with her intense gaze and emotional range. She strikes the perfect balance between royal dignity and the raw, fragile despair of a character tormented by fate. Samantha Morton steals the show with her rock-solid, understated presence. Without resorting to melodrama, she brings a layered gravitas to the screen, in only a single scene. This all shows that “The Odyssey is not just another blockbuster, but also a memorable character-driven drama.

The second part of the film was the strongest. Is focusses more on the character’s internal struggles and the bitter reality of returning home. The cinematography becomes grimmer, the soundtrack gains depth, and the film builds at a perfect pace toward a breathtaking and emotional climax. “The Odyssey” is thus not only a visual spectacle but also a profoundly human epic that leaves an indelible impression.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

Director: J.J. Abrams
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Ian McDiarmid, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Billy Dee Williams, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Daniels, Greg Grunberg, Dominic Monaghan, Keri Russell

Description: The surviving members of the resistance face the First Order again, and the legendary conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its peaks bringing the Skywalker saga to its end.

Review: The resurrected Emperor Palpatine recruits Kylo Ren to restore his empire. Jedi-apprentice Rey and her rebel friends are the only ones tat can stop them.
In 2015 director J.J. Abrams had a challenge. He had the tough task to bring new life to the Star Wars franchise. And he managed with “Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens”. And in my opinion the second film in this trilogy, directed by Rian Johnson, was also good and I really liked it (I know this is an unpopular opinion).
For the finale, Abrams returns, but “Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” is not as sleek as its predecessors. The story goes by so fast and important plot development hardly have any time to settle in.
A lot that happens isn’t that new or original, “Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” stays in its comfort zone. The story plays a lot with family bonds and many elements are expected and predictable.
But the heart of the series hasn’t gone and I did enjoy this film. The emotional connection between Rey and Kylo Ren is strong and the moments where Abrams decided to focus on his characters are the best. And the film again looks fantastic, visually it’s great.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Movie Review - Us

Director: Jordan Peele
Genre: Thriller/ Horror
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon, Madison Curry

Description: A family's serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them.

Review: With the psychological thriller “Get Out”, comedian Jordan Peele made one of the most praised directorial debuts ever. But it’s not always a guarantee for a great second film. The expectations were sky high and over-ambitious plots have ruined directors before. But not Jordan Peele. “Us” is another fantastic film.
“Us” focusses on the Wilson family, who are terrorized by a group of doppelgängers during their summer vacation in Santa Cruz. They don’t only look the same, but also think the same. And they want to end the Wilsons. Peele doesn’t only bring an original twist to the standard home invasion story. But it’s best to view this film without too much information.
It’s tempting to compare “Us” to “Get Out”, but they definitely have one thing in common: originality. Peele does have other ambitions then for his debut and chooses a different approach. The biggest difference is that “Us” is pure horror. It circles around the terror and chaos the Wilson go through. The story is less structured and the viewer is constantly being scared.
But this is exactly where Peele shines. He is a visually skilled director and his writing is excellent. It’s all about suspense here. Peele manages to create uncomfortable tension. He learned a lot from John Carpenter and Alfred Hitchcock.
Peele didn’t completely let his roots go, because he used his comedic talent as well. “Us” has humor and it’s mostly Winston Duke that lets us laugh. He plays dad Drew and manages to not overdo it with the comedy and keep it perfectly balanced. And the entire Winston family does a fantastic job. Because they all have to play two roles, who are very different from each other. But the real star is Lupita Nyong’o, without a doubt. She is mother Adelaide, but also the leader of the creepy doppelgängers. Nyong’o is intense, touching, tough and it’s a phenomenal performance.
“Us” maybe not as subtle as “Get Out”, but overall it’s just as good. And the climax is really strong and unexpected. Just like I wanted it. I hope that Jordan Peele can keep up this level and keeps on making strong, original horror films like this. Because originality is very rare in Hollywood these days.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Black Panther

Director: Ryan Coogler
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurai, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis

Description: T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the King of Wakanda, rises to the throne in the isolated, technologically advanced African nation, but his claim is challenged by a vengeful outsider who was a childhood victim of T'Challa's father's mistake.

Review: In “Captain America: Civil War” we saw how the king of Wakanda dies, due to a bombing. Wakanda is a country, secluded from the rest of the world. Son T’Challa is the rightful heir to the throne, but there are people that think otherwise. Because of this battle, Wakanda’s well-hidden secrets could be out in the open.
Wakanda looks like a normal third world country, but when you dig deeper you step inside a hidden world. Wakanda is far ahead when it comes to technology and it’s a very advanced nation. Their country is build on land filled with Vibranium (which is also the metal where Captain America’s shield is made of).
Gangster Klaue is one of the only outsiders that ever managed to enter Wakanda, which is also protected by the Black Panther. The second role the Wakanda king has.
Most Marvel film have loads of humor, which works for the most part. “Black Panther” doesn’t use it and that’s a good thing. It wouldn’t fit here. It’s basically limited to T’Challa’s siter Shuri and tribe head M’Baku, who steal the show comedy wise.
Chadwick Boseman fills in his role as Black Panther very well. “Black Panther” is the last piece of the puzzle, before “Avengers”Infinity War”.

Rating: 4 / 5

Top 5 Thursday: Supporting Females in Drama Films

We always focus on the main man or woman in a film, but today I’m putting the supporting characters in the spotlight. Females in drama films to be exact.

5. Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”)
A very smart woman standing strong doing a man’s job. Joan Clarke believes in Alan Turing and his ideas, she holds the team together.

4. Pam (Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler”)
Pam is the highlight in Randy Robinson’s day. A mother by day, a stripper by night. But there is more to her than meets the eye.

3. Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams in “Spotlight”)
Sacha Pfeiffer was one of the people that revealed shocking news about the catholic church. She is working with men, faces people who share with her very disturbing stories. But Sacha stays strong and only wants one thing: to let people know what really happened.

2. Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave”)
Patsey is a brave woman. She has to go through so much and still manages to keep smiling. And she keeps doing her job as no other, better than the men doing the same job.

1. Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain in “The Help”)
Celia Foote is an outcast, but her enthusiasm, good heart, naïve look at the world and kind intentions should brighten everyone’s day. She is the only woman (besides Skeeter) that really appreciates the help she gets.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander in “The Danish Girl”), Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams in “The Fighter”), Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer in “The Help”), Iris (Jodie Foster in “Taxi Driver”), Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”), Lynn Margareth Bracken (Kim Basinger in “L.A. Confidential”)

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 59: The Jungle Book

Director: Jon Favreau
Genre: Adventure/ Drama/ Fantasy
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling, Giancarlo Esposito

Description: The man-cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi) flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba). Guided by Bagheera the panther (Ben Kingsley) and the bear Baloo (Bill Murray), Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.

Review: Director Jon Favreau believed that an animated classic could profit from the modern film techniques. And he was right. With “The Jungle Book” he made one of the most technological advanced remakes.
People were afraid that the animals would sound too human, but it doesn’t. Where the original Disney animation mixed the animals with human stereotypes, this version shows a much more realistic perspective. Elephants are seen as mighty creatures and all the animals kept their animalistic behavior. Fire, tools and people are seen as unnatural, which brings Shere Khan to hunting down Mowgli. The way Shere Khan, Kaa or King Louie respond to humanity, you don’t just see an animal that can talk. You seen actual characters.
The film has a very adult feel to it. The moments where Baloo and Bagheera collide as worried guardians, with complete different ideologies, are the best. Both life lessons aren’t forced. And along the way there are more animals that are trying to influence Mowgli.
The cast is perfect. Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken have fun supporting roles. Both impressive. Ben Kingsley voices Bagheera, who is perfect as the wise panther. But the best roles are for Bill Murray and Idris Elba. The tiger Shere Khan doesn’t only impress because of his calmth and arrogance, but his motivation and temper are also understandable. Bill Murray is the exact opposite as the somewhat laid back and nobel bear Baloo. These two character keep the film balanced.
The only human in the film is Mowgli, played by Neel Sethy. It’s his debut and he does a very good job.
If I were a kid and saw this version of “The Jungle Book”, I wouldn’t stop talking about it. But I’m an adult and I feel exactly the same. This is the best adaptation of the story I ever saw, even better then the animation. Jon Favreau managed to make it a perfect family film, without being to childish or to scary for kids. And it was great from beginning to end, it didn’t have a dull moment. I loved “The Jungle Book”!

Rating: 5/ 5