I've been thinking about how the Doomsday movie feels like walking a tightrope for Marvel right now. With barely any hype or buildup, it's hard to imagine how they can introduce so many characters properly without stumbling, let alone deliver a compelling storyline. The writers of Doomsday and Secret Wars must be feeling the pressure, like they're about to lose balance and fall off the wire at any moment.
That got me thinking that an Avengers vs.
Fantastic Four: First Steps is a self-contained story that anyone can watch without any prior knowledge of Marvel comics or movies. It certainly reminded me of Superman with how it just instantly throws you into the story, which I believe was a misstep for both films, as audiences could not fully form a strong emotional connection with these freshly introduced characters. The story is simple and straightforward, perhaps overly so; too simple, in a way.
Karate Kids Legends is one of the most disappointing and frustrating movies I've watched recently. Not because it's unwatchable, but because of the huge untapped potential that got wasted on this project. How could they fumble this so hard?!!
The film has a fantastic cast, impressive choreography, and solid premises, but it suffers from a weak script and some of the worst filmmaking I’ve seen in a martial arts movie. Despite having actors capable of incredible stunts, they are so underutilized it’s criminal.
This sincere and kind-hearted tone suits Superman so well, I'm glad they finally got that right; he now truly embodies a symbol of hope. The story is very fast-paced and plot-driven, which might feel a bit too packed. This is just my opinion, but I would have preferred a character-driven narrative to introduce a new universe like this. Nonetheless, it's a well-crafted action-hero film. The score is amazing. The production is excellent.
Jurassic World: Rebirth surprisingly arrives as a new sequel following the last trilogy, set five years after Jurassic World: Dominion. This movie marks a return to the franchise's roots, emphasizing suspense and survival horror rather than simply dinosaurs running around and fighting each other off. While the previous trilogy had taken a somewhat comical turn, Rebirth refocuses on genuine tension, incorporating elements of horror and mystery instead of relying solely on CGI-driven action sequences.
Is the story predictable? Sure. But it's so goddamn exhilarating that I don't even care. With its stunning cinematography, immersive sound design, and powerful score—though Hans Zimmer feels slightly out of his element here—F1 The Movie is a crowd-pleaser you can't help but enjoy.
The car racing scenes are spectacular. Unfortunately, the storyline outside the races feels fairly average. For a narrative centered on taking risks and trusting the driver, the storytelling often pulls back into the pits instead of letting these fantastic characters take the wheel and make decisions on their own.
“I just want to belong somewhere.”
Elio is a welcoming surprise. Initially, I had low expectations for this movie after watching the trailer. But after I saw the initial reception, which was quite positive, I became curious to see it for myself. So, I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.
While this movie is clearly aimed more at children than adults, it still tells a touching story.
28 Years Later is part of the 28 Days Later series. This time, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland came back to work on this movie. If you’re looking for a full-on zombie movie, this might disappoint you, as it leans more toward a post-apocalyptic world after civilization falls and how people live in this new normal with a quarantined life while the rest of the world still carries on.
This movie has fewer jump scares and action, and more blood and gore, but it focuses even more on a slow buildup and creating a frightening, intense atmosphere.
The opening sequence in 28 Weeks Later was absolutely incredible—intense and chaotic in the best way. But unfortunately, things quickly went downhill, like a plane crashing straight through the center of the earth. If the first movie explored the cruelty of people, this one seems to focus on their sheer stupidity! Good grief! The characters' mind-numbing decisions made my blood boil. I even had to pause the film just to vent before continuing.
I admit that I watched this movie solely in preparation for "28 Years Later," as I'm eager to see Jodie Comer's performance. LOL
Although the movie is over 20 years old, it holds up so well for a (technically not) zombie film. I suppose it marks the beginning of the 'zombies running around are terrifying, but people are worse' genre.
I was pleasantly surprised by the film's script, which exceeded my expectations.
"Holy Night, Demon Hunters"—What a letdown!
This movie couldn't seem to decide if it wanted to be action or horror. Rather than merging these genres in a way that made sense, it felt like two separate things awkwardly came together.
The attempts at horror, featuring ghostly and demonic encounters, fell short of delivering genuine scares. The jump scares and supposedly spine-chilling moments lacked the tension necessary to be effective. Meanwhile, the action sequences suffered from unimaginative choreography and lackluster fight scenes.
First off, exploiting (neurodivergent) kids for free labor to carry out clever—but clearly illegal—activities left a bad taste in my mouth. Additionally, The Accountant 2 glosses over the complexities of being neurodivergent, even more so than the first one. While I understand that the movie wasn't meant to be profound, these underlying issues are troubling.
The crime subplot in this movie is also quite lackluster, feeling forced and unnecessary. This is especially evident as the main characters doesn't seem to have a significant role in the investigation.
Watching the live-action adaptation of "How to Train Your Dragon," one of my all-time favorite animated movies, is a deeply nostalgic moment.
Although the adaptation remains faithful to the original—something fans of the animated version will likely appreciate—it follows the source material perhaps too closely. It's a bit disappointing that the adaptation missed opportunities to leverage the live-action format to deepen character dynamics with real actors.
While the adaptation is great overall, it could have been even better if it had expanded on human interactions and relationships instead of merely recreating scenes from the original.
Initially, I was quite skeptical. The concept of taking side characters from various movies and TV series and elevating them to main roles seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, against all odds, it turned out to be surprisingly good. What could have been a flaw--the ordinariness of these characters—became the film's greatest strength. Perhaps it's precisely because these characters face the same struggles as we do that makes them more relatable, memorable, and somehow heroic.
I had an absolute blast watching Final Destination: Bloodlines. It was my first experience with the Final Destination franchise, and I only knew a little about the premise. I found it quite entertaining, so much so that I am considering going back to watch all the Final Destination movies.
The opening sequence immediately hooked me, leaving me on the edge of my seat with a sense of suspense and anticipation The tension builds brilliantly, and the execution is impeccable—creating a sense of impending dread.
The movie Ballerina took me by surprise, far exceeding my expectations. I can confidently say that I enjoyed it more than John Wick 4. While John Wick 4 felt like watching a video game—an endless series of action sequences devoid of real stakes—Ballerina offered a compelling narrative infused with emotional depth and genuine struggle. I truly appreciated witnessing the protagonist's journey full of battles and growth. Her transformation from an innocent child to a hardened, cold killer, and eventually into someone capable—though not fully embracing—of experiencing emotions beyond mere hatred and vengeance, was captivating.
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning marks the end of an era for the beloved series. As they bid farewell, it seems the movie tries too hard to evoke nostalgia and showcase stunts, which hinders the storytelling. It's disappointing that the film glosses over The Entity mastermind's plan, causing the audience to miss out on what could have been a thrilling game of cat and mouse, where both sides attempt to outsmart each other.
Watching this with fresh eyes—without any preconceived notions or biases, as I had never seen the animated version before—I found myself enjoying it tremendously. The movie is irresistibly charming, easily one of the most adorable and heartfelt films I've encountered in recent years.
This charm is primarily due to its narrative unfolding from a child's perspective. However, I can’t help but imagine that viewing the story from the sister's perspective would transform it into a horror tale: your little sister brings an alien into your home, and keeps wrecking your life.
Despite being a sequel, it stands strong on its own, even for those who have not seen the first installment. (I haven’t watched the first one either; I just watched the summary of the first movie.)
The trilogy primarily focuses on a colossal battle between gods, humans, and demons that spans across three movies. This film brings enough story progression and some closure to character arcs to satisfy us as we await the series finale.
On my second watch, I realized just how much this movie relies on visual storytelling. The filmmakers didn’t resort to hand-holding the audience with dialogues, which means some subtle details could easily be missed with just the blink of an eye. However, these visuals were even more impressive the second time around, especially the Rock DJ sequences.
From watching the trailer of Sinners, I anticipated an exploration of the horror of America’s racial history, shedding light on the rich and complex past of Black people. What took me by surprise was how the film not only centered on that theme but also gracefully paid homage to blues music—an aspect I particularly loved. It captured the spirit of the blues exceptionally well, making it one of the remarkable sound and music experiences I've ever had in a cinema.
As a fan of Rami Malek, I was quite excited to watch this film. I had hoped it would lean more towards the geeky side, with an emphasis on coding and hacking. However, it still proves to be an enjoyable action thriller.
One aspect that felt somewhat jarring, besides the plot holes along the way, was the character development. The protagonist transitions from a seemingly cowardly and fearful individual to a stone-cold killer who has conquered all his fears, which seems rushed.
If you're a fan of Jason Statham as an action star, you would likely enjoy this movie. However, from a screenplay perspective, the plot and story are quite weak. The first act is great, but then it goes off the rails, becoming merely average. Though it offers a few satisfying fight scenes, they’re not particularly memorable. This is a movie you can enjoy in the background, have fun with, and not overthink.
I believe the story could have explored the characters and the storylines more, but, sometimes, all we want is just some sweet and cute story filled with hope and joy like this. This movie certainly has great cast members that bounce off each other very well, making it wholesome and enjoyable.
Movies are often made to entertain, but occasionally they also serve as powerful political statements and forms of activism. The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by Muhammad Rasuloff, is one such film. It not only shed light on systemic violence, oppression, and resistance within Iran's regime but also weaves these elements into a compelling narrative.
This is the movie that I hope will define the year— a work where filmmaking is both emotional and profound, making a statement while capturing hearts.
"In his memoirs, he described his designs as machines with no superfluous parts, that at their best, at his best, possessed an immoveable core; a "Hard Core of Beauty." A way of directing their inhabitant's perception to the world as it is. The inherent laws of concrete things such as mountains and rock define them. They indicate nothing. They tell nothing. They simply are."
Brutalist is an impressive film with a captivating storyline.
Do not confuse fame with love. Fame will not hold you at night; it only pulls you into the spotlight, parading you around until you forget the feeling of a restful night. The warmth of the spotlight can never replace the warmth of someone's embrace.
Better Man is one of the best biographical musical films I have ever watched. I love Rocketman, but Better Man is equally impressive, if not more so in some aspects.
The Red Envelope is an adaptation of a Taiwanese film, Marry My Dead Body, into a Thai movie. While I am not sure of the specific differences between the two versions, I find this adaptation humorous and filled with heartfelt moments. The storyline, though deserving of more depth and nuance, successfully delivers delightful comedy.
Its charm primarily lies in the chemistry between the actors. The natural rapport between the leads, who have collaborated for over a decade, is undeniable.
Once again, welcome to my personal analysis of my favorite movies which I like to call My Own Oscar Award. After watching most of the nominations and beyond, I couldn’t help but compare these films to each other. My personal picks focused not on the names, prestige, or past work of the filmmakers, but rather on the impact these films had on me in each category.
Each category features nominations that truly sparked something within me.