Movie Review - Black Bag

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Pierce Brosnan, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela,
 
Description: When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse (Cate Blanchett) is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband (Michael Fassbender) – also a legendary agent - faces the ultimate test whether to be loyal to his marriage, or his country.
 
I WATCHED THIS FILM FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 42: A FILM WITH MICHAEL FASSBENDER
 
Review: We follow secret agent George Woodhouse, who must find out which of his fellow spies has betrayed the country. His wife Kathryn is at the top of the list of suspects.
“Black Bag” is spy thriller by Steven Soderbergh. It’s a clever and intimate thriller with a mix of suspense and psychological drama.

The cast is strong, Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are great as ever and have excellent chemistry. The style and atmosphere is elegant, stylish and mysterious. But that’s where the positivity ends for me.

For the genre that it is, the great cast it has and the interesting and intriguing plot, “Black Bag” is boring. And the story is unnecessarily complex, incoherent and complicated. And this way it’s really difficult to stay engaged. The pace is very slow, the film mostly consists of conversations. And there is nothing wrong with that, some of my favorite films are very heavy on dialogue. But for this movie it works to its disadvantage.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the year.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Genre: Fantasy/ Adventure/ Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page

Description: A charming thief (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they tun afoul of the wrong people.

Review: After a theft that went wrong, Edgin and Holga try to get their lives back on track. This is harder than expected, as one of their friends seems to have betrayed them. To set things right and prove himself to his daughter, Edgin joins Holga and other magical misfits on an epic adventure full of bizarre monsters and plans that don’t always go according to plan.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a blockbuster the way we know them: special effects, action spectacle, funny main characters and an okay story. Yet the film distinguishes itself by cleverly making fun of both the game on which it is based on and the fantasy genre. The simplicity of the story and characters are also a definite plus.

Although a wide audience can enjoy this film, fans of the original game are rearded. Many typical things from the game occur: spells, failed plans and unnecessarily long backstories give the film a fairly authentic tone. But the writers took some creative liberties and this worked really well.

The magical side of the world where the story takes place is used in the craziest way. It gives the film a refreshing quirkiness. Aside from the CGI, there are also lots of practical effects and remarkable costumes.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” makes for a great viewing experience, which I now wished I had seen in the cinema. A strong cast portraying fun characters, and enjoyable world and setting with an entertaining story. A movie I will definitely rewatch at some point.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - The Gray Man

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Regé-Jean Page
 
Description: When the CIA’s most skilled operative (Ryan Gosling), whose true identity is known to none, accidentally uncovers dark agency secrets, a psychopathic former colleague (Chris Evans) puts a bounty on his head, setting off a global manhunt by international assassins.

Review: Ryan Gosling is a prisoner, nameless, talking to shady CIA chief Fitzroy recruits him for a team that operates even more secretively than the CIA already does. Under the name Six he manages in a few decades to work his way up to one of the most feared hit men, until he goes a bit over his head during an attack. His new boss Carmichael is not all that happy with his somewhat old-fashioned tactics.

All that remains is for him to gon on the run, where he gets help from the also discredited Dani. Six and Dani flee from Prague to Vienna from Berlin to Croatia, and so on. Meanwhile, Carmichael has enlisted the psychopathic Lloyd to take out Six.

“The Gray ma” is a delightful no-brainer action film with rather standard Bond-elements, but with a wonderful cast. The action especially is very good in this film. And I’m glad it looks good, since it’s one of the most expensive Netflix films ever made. The scenario was a bit predictable and not all that special, but nonetheless it was a very entertaining and enjoyable film.

Ryan Gosling’s character in “The Gray Man” resembles the one he played in “Drive”: nameless, stoic and ruthless. Ana de Armas, who was in the latest Bond-movie, had a bigger role in this film. The one she should have gotten as Bond-girl. I especially really like Chris Evans in his villainous role, quite different from the heroic Captain America.

“The Gray Man” gets a lot of hate, which I don’t fully understand. Because it’s a great time. I get that, for that big of a budget, you expect a more surprising and less standard action flick. But aside from that budget, it’s a fun action movie, though very forgettable.

Rating: 3/ 5