Category: Reviews

Just when you thought the X-Men franchise is dead, here comes a new and unexpected chapter in Dark Phoenix, the twelfth installment in the X-Men franchise, and maybe the re-birth of a whole new generation of the beloved characters.

Phoenix (aka Jean Grey) lives in 1992, where she interacts with younger versions of the better-known X-Men characters like Mystique, Cyclops and Storm. Then comes a freak accident that makes her into Dark Phoenix, the most powerful and unstoppable X-Men, to the point that (the younger) Charles Xavier proclaims her to be “too powerful”.

And like the original series, this movie too features an all-star cast of who’s who, that potentially can venture into their own movies. From our heroin portrayed by Sophie Turner (from the Game of Thrones fame) through Oscar winner, Jennifer Lawrence, Golden Globe nominee, James McAvoy, Oscar nominee, Michael Fassbender, Oscar nominee, Jessica Chastain and Critics Choice nominee, Tye Sheridan.

Simon Kinberg, wrote and directed this movie that either will stand as a beginning of something new or the end of something beloved. And (as we now have come to expect from Marvel movies) this movie is also two-hours-long. Dark Phoenix has caught me completely off guard and I actually really liked it, which gives me a pleasure to give it a Thumbs Up!

Whereas the successful The Secret Live of Pets gave us an inside look of what our pets do when we are not around, the sequel goes a step forward to show us what our pets do when we take them with us on a vacation to an out of town trip.

Even though a few years have past in the story, the narrative is as heart trickily, tugged, cuddly and energetic as the first Illumination Studios flick was in 2016, plus a great add for the sequel, the very authoritative voice of Harrison Ford as “Rooster”.

The plot is funny and gives you plenty of heartwarming “ahh” moments with a more insight into the uncharted life of pets. Yet when you exit the theater there truly is not been a single moment that stays with you, and I want to clearly state here that I am a sucker for talking dogs movies! The script feels, at times, a bit rushed to get to the screen before the young audience that made the original such a big hit just before they will graduate into superheroes genre.

Let’s say this was not what I would have had in mind for the much anticipated sequel to the The Secret Life of Pets, yet it is still a great lovable and bubbly movie for an outing with the kids. All in all its still is deserving of a Thumbs Ups!

When Octavia Spencer, one of only 11 actresses in the history to win the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, BAFTA Awards, and the Academy Awards, decides to do the most unlikely move and act in a formula horror flick, that means there must be more to the movie then beats the eye.

Of course, there is the one little thing that the director of The Help, Tate Taylor, who helped her win an Oscar, also directed this flick.

Ma can be seen as a teen-flick variation of many horror greats, put one Glen Close in “Fatal Attraction,” add a Sissy Spacek in “Carrie” with some Cathy Bates in “Misery” stir well with some other revenge-of-the-nerd stalker thrillers and viola… you get a Ma.

What makes Spencer so much creepier in Ma is that at so many stages in the movie she comes across as reliable and humane that you have to ask yourself: really? Her friendly on the outside yet insane on the inside chill you to your bone. Her crazy mode swings just emphasize what an amazing chameleon of an actress she is. This is an Octavia Spencer vehicle from the beginning to the end, the rest of the cast are there just to support her narrative.

Octavia Spencer is the only reason to go see this flick and it’s a damn good reason. Undoubtedly a Thumbs Up from me.

Rocketman markets itself as the Elton John biopic, yet if you are looking for a docu-like reenactment of the superstars life, this is not that movie. It has taken way too many liberties to change life events to fit the narrative of the movie. None the less, this bigger than life musical production includes Elton John’s timeless tunes to help tell the story of one Reginald Dwight who with all the tormented childhood suffering from his ruthless mom, grows up to become one of the worlds most loved singer-songwriter.

The flick was scribed by genius Billie Elliot screenwriter, Lee Hall, who created a perfect framework for the movie around the singers’ group therapy sessions, which allows John to become the narrator of his own story. Another Billie Elliott connection in Rocketman is Billie Elliot himself, Jamie Bell, who portrays Elton’s partner, Bernie Taupin, the angel to Elton John’s devil.

The movie’s director, Dexter Fletcher, who was the savior of Bohemian Rhapsody, after director, Bryan Singer, was fired over the alleged sexual misconduct allegations, made Rocketman into a near-masterpiece in its genre. Now everyone compares between the two flicks although they really are very different from each other. The only thing that both have in common, is a great casting of a lead to portray the title character. Just like (the now Oscar winner), Rami Malik nailed it in his portrayal of Freddy Mercury, so does Matthew Illesley, with Elton John, interestingly enough both actors are not really a spitting image of the real-life person they portray.

This movie will move you in many ways, both in your heart and your…. seat… defiantly a Thumbs Up!

I am sure that many of you, like me, did not envision Guy Ritchie, the man who brought us such movies as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch or even Sherlock Holmes, as the first choice to direct a Disney live-action remake of Aladdin. Yet Disney’s daring move paid off, as Ritchie delivered a very rewarding remake to the animated classic.

Probably the most daunting of tasks of making the 2019 version of Aladdin must have been how to recreate the iconic Robin Williams portrayed character of Genie. In the pantheon of memorable Disney characters, Genie probably stands out as unforgettable. Rather than casting another Caucasian Comedian in the role, Ritchie made a 180 and transformed Genie in his movie into an African-American contemporary character portrayed by Will Smith.

Honestly, there would not have been any logical reason for Disney to touch its classic animated treasure, if not for the fact that those live-action remakes have made a gazillion dollars in the box office. And from the looks of it, Aladdin is definitely headed in that direction too.

Being the original movie came out 27 years ago, contemporary adaptations to the plot had to be implemented, especially to the character of Jasmine. In the original, she was but a beautiful princess to be had, in the current version she actually has a voice and a purpose: she wants to fulfill her destiny in succeeding her father to become the new ruler of Agrabah.

I doubt the 2019 version of Aladdin will be as timeless as the 1992 one. Yet it is adapted close enough to the original where it still makes it a lot of fun to watch. I give it a Thumbs Up!