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Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review:

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review:

Well what I’m about to say will no doubt irritate a lot of hard core star wars fans but here goes. For me, The Rise of Skywalker is currently (may change after a second viewing) the best star wars film to date. While the pacing of the first hour feels like you’ve been dropped into an intense fight sequence, it throws a lot of exposition at the audience which sets the rest of the film up. With this being the final chapter in the “Skywalker” saga it does a really good job of connecting to the previous films. It feels like JJ Abrams was handed the task of correcting the slightly strayed off course Last Jedi plot lines that were setup which unfortunately you can tell instantly.

Now I’m not saying I liked everything about the film, I mean some of it was just straight up stupid. You have to wonder why they did certain plot points the way they did just to undo it literally 10 seconds later for no other reason than to make the audience feel a certain way. Some characters were given less screen time this time around and some were given more. It was a necessary step when you’re only dealing with one main plot point throughout the film. The main plot points/beats I did like and also the direction in which they took the story.

For the conclusion of the 9 part saga that has been built up the cinematography did not disappoint. Beautifully shot sequences that combined surroundings that we’ve never seen in a Star Wars film before.

While a lot of Star Wars fans are really not going to like the direction in which they took with this film, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe after a second viewing my opinion may change on it.

Overall rating: 9/10.

The Invisible Man Review

Considering I’m not a massive horror fan this film was fantastic. The suspense and buildup was done incredibly well without overindulging on the jump scares.

A realistic concept makes the story actually believable and some shocking and not expected moments throughout the film.

Lead actress nailed the role of playing a previously controlled and manipulated women whose life seems to get better until things start happening to her.

Overall a breath of fresh air in the horror film market and a solid film.
8/10, would definitely recommend!

Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

Not my favourite MCU film or Spider-Man film but a very decent upgrade on Homecoming. Mysterio is a fantastic character and is well portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.

Spider-Man is pushed to his limits once again and does great at redeeming mistakes that he causes. Although the film had great action pieces, the first half of the film was a bore fest with only some of it needed.

One action piece in particular was really special and I wanted more. The CGI was a significant upgrade on Homecoming but the lighting & cinematography was a letdown with no specific identity, something which nearly all MCU films fall victim to.

Overall an okay film which some great mid/post credit scenes 7.7/10.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix Review

The end of a long and painful series of average films comes to a close. X-Men: Dark Phoenix is the last film before the inevitable reboot into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot is similar to the previous film X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) with Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) fighting with her newfound powers.

The highlight of the film was definitely the cinematic action pieces and music score to accompany it. The use of the camera and slow motion is the best in the whole franchise. Even though it was great action pieces the story development and progression was awful.

The characters had no real motives while the villain was practically useless. The final confrontation felt rushed which left me wondering were the rest of it was.

Overall the franchise goes out with a whimper. I wouldn’t recommend watching it 👎🏻 4.5/10.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Review

The first instalment in the Pokemon live action world and it delivers. My initial surprise when it was announced that Ryan Reynolds would voice Pikachu made me sceptical but thankfully he does a fantastic job.

The Pokemon world is only slightly touched upon as the main storyline takes the centre stage which you’d expect from the first film in this new and rich universe.

The chemistry between the two main protagonists is really what makes this film work. Both bouncing off each other to make great interactions throughout the film.

For me the only downside is that the big “plot twist” could be figured out before the film even started due to the trailers giving too much away.

Other than that I’d say it’s a very solid film that expands the Pokemon world past games and cards.

I’m certainly looking forward to the future films.

Overall a 7.3/10. Would definitely recommend.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Review

After seeing the trailers I was expecting visually stunning battle sequences with the story to accompany the monsters. Unfortunately we got none of those things.

At the best of times the action was slow with no consistency and you really couldn’t grasp what you were seeing. That on top of one of the worst plots I’ve seen recently makes for a really poor film. Not to mention the absolute absurd revelations throughout the film which are just completely unbelievable and unjustified.

The characters motives are incredibly one dimensional that offer nothing to move the story forward. Especially Millie Bobby Browns character. She could’ve been cut out of the entire film and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Rubbish film that I won’t be watching again and don’t recommend watching. 3.5/10.

Avengers: Endgame Review

Avengers: Endgame review.

Where do I even begin? The culmination of 11 years and 21 films later and the Endgame is upon us. I went into this film with a faint idea of what to expect but I was very surprised in the direction the film went. Tonally a very different film from Infinity War with surprising character arcs that I would’ve never thought of.

A unique story with absolutely mind blowing fight scenes which are built upon deep emotional character beats make for one of the best films around. A perfectly paced film that ensures the three hour runtime feels like 30 minutes.

This is a film you do not want to get spoiled at all. A truly defining moment of the MCU and a fantastic send off to some characters.

I’d strongly recommend watching this without getting spoiled! 10/10

Captain Marvel review

Captain Marvel begins with a confused Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). Her view of the ongoing war between the Skrulls & Kree are somewhat disjointed with memory’s of her past life clouded. With this, she begins her journey of understanding who she really is and her place in the war.

While doing so, secrets are uncovered and the story becomes clearer. While the story is good it could have been utilised better to delve deeper into the characters.

Some of the fight scenes were so heavily edited that could you tell a stunt double was doing the movements which took you out of the scene. That, joined with very shaky camera work, wasn’t very nice to watch. The overall flow of the film felt disjointed. More time in the editing process to rearrange scenes would’ve given the film a massive boost.

Carol Danvers doesn’t really click for me. Her development was extremely thin, almost of a supporting character. This makes me concerned how they’re going to develop the character further.

If anything, having her in Avengers: Endgame might be what the character and actress needs to bring the best out of themselves.

Overall an above average film, 6.8/10.

Alita: Battle Angel Review

After watching the trailers I expected this film to be either a big hit or a big miss. Thankfully it’s a very big hit and actually surprised me at how good it was.

Personally I would have toned down the cybernetic elements and focused on the main characters rather than lots of sub characters as it got fairly confusing at times.

The characters were thrown away as soon as their screen time was done while some characters were underused which was disappointing.

The story was quite confusing in parts and very sloppy with leaving plot holes and not explaining elements but the chemistry between the main characters makes up for it. If you look past the plot holes and obvious mistakes there is a very emotional and intriguing story to be told which they did well.

The CGI was great, especially blending the real elements of Rosa Salazar’s character with the CGI features of her face.

Overall an okay ending sets up future films which I am very much looking forward to. 8.3/10.

Bumblebee Film Review

The film that revives the Transformers franchise from certain doom: Bumblebee. Everything that lacked in the originals are front and centre which makes this film so good. The characters have actual emotional beats intertwined with the overarching plot. The action pieces were great and given in perfect amounts rather than having action just for the sake of having it. Action driven by story is why it works in this film.

The director, Travis Knight, did an excellent job of bringing Bumblebee to life and having his interactions work so well with the other cast members, notably the main protagonist, Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld).

While the character interactions were great, I felt in some places the dialogue scenes dragged on for too long. The film as a whole would have benefited from cutting 15-20 minutes out of the dialogue to keep the rhythm and pacing right.

While I’m not going to rush to see this film again it’s certainly an enjoyable film – 7/10.