me-998-978033 Reviews

Wonder Woman (2017)

It's about time!

[8/10 · 30 May 2017]

Wonder Woman had a lot of pressure, as it's the first Live Action Film Debut for the 75 year old character & for a lot of fans & movie goers last chance for the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU).

Wonder Woman tells the story of an Amazonian Princess & her adventures in man's world. It sounds bland & generic, but it's executed perfectly.

Gal Gadot portrays Wonder Woman in a way that makes her human. Gadot & Patty Jenkins (Director) bring out every scene, from the blood pumping action to the emotional & heart breaking.

Chris Pine's comedic timing & the chemistry between him & Gadot made us feel their relationship wasn't added because there's a female lead & it's a superhero film.

Every scene in the trailer that made your eyes open & smile like a child was just as jaw dropping as you want it to be on the big screen.

The cinematography was beautiful, the music is a big part of every superhero film.

Rupert Gregson-Williams, Composer, made a big part of the film. The already, almost, overwhelming scenes made the scenes explode with life & power. Every gun shot & missile explosion made the scene explode. The locations' had different scenes, from Themyscira to London, the atmosphere was felt almost immediately.

With Wonder Woman being set 100 years ago, this is the first "proper" standalone corner stone for the DCCU, there are hardly any tie-ins with other DC properties. It had humour, well-paced storytelling, not an overwhelming number of characters so we could get to know them, strong willed characters, both female & male. Beautiful sets from Themyscira, London & the War sets.

Wonder Woman is engaging, heartfelt, fun, powerful & exactly what DC & Wonder Woman fans need.

The Impossible (2012)

Great film. Pictures the terror, the horror & hope of the Tsunami

[10/10 · 19 December 2016]

In film & TV history, the "based on a true story" handle has been played to death, but the Impossible, did, well, the impossible.

It follows the events of a family who were caught in the 2004 Tsunami, killing countless, stranded & injuring even more.

Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor & Tom Holland carried the film, not just during & after the Tsunami, but before, when we're getting to know the family. You feel like your part of the family before everything flips upside down. The littlest things that most films overlook are shown & demonstrated. They weren't their perfect family, they were dealing with uncertainty about employment, oldest sibling stubbornness (I'm the eldest sibling, so I can talk from personal experience).

Even with a PG rating, it doesn't shy away from the terrifying natural disaster. There's blood, bodies faced down in the water, injuries are real! I have not been this terrified & gut-wrenched for a film in a long time. But the part that was very different to larger films, there was no big lead up to the tsunami, no weather warning, no experts, no news casters saying get ready. Nothing. Just a few seconds before & they were subtle.

Watts' performance as the scared, struggling to survive & protective mother, Maria, was incredible, the scenes with Holland's Lucas, I don't think there was a moment in the film where I could speak or had a dry eye. Ewan McGregor's Henry showed a terrified father & husband as he looks for his wife & eldest son. I felt & saw his desperation to reunite with his love & children.

I want to forget this film so I can re-watch it with the same admiration. The eye to detail made this film have an edge to other disaster films.

I totally recommend to everyone.

*Spoilers: During the tsunami sequence, there's a moment where Maria & Lucas try to swim to each other when they see a car get pulled to sea, it seems empty, until we hear a baby crying out. It changed the way I saw the car, it had a baby inside before another tsunami hit.

Central Intelligence (2016)

Great Action, Good Chemistry, Weird Storytelling

[6/10 · 26 July 2016]

This movie had quite a bit going for it, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, they're known for decent films, but this movie had too many cons, but let's start with the good side:

1. The action scenes were a good balance between funny, action packed & borderline ridiculous, Hart's lines during the action sequences made up for some of the ridiculousness. 2. Johnson's & Hart's chemistry is good, it's not amazing, it's just good. They bounced off each other, they're lines, some of which were improv, didn't totally fall flat, but some did.

The Cons: 1. The writers were trying too hard to make the viewers expect something, but throw us completely off guard it makes either, no sense, or makes the characters seem too dumb. 2. A lot of the references to pop culture fell flat & were too outdated. Everything from old online videos that weren't incredible back then & now are just obscure to reference now. 3. Johnson's character is just too weird, if you've seen the trailer, that's basically who the character is, he's too dumb & weird, it could almost be insulting to some people. 4. The Trailer Showed The Whole Film! They tried to make it so it's not the obvious answer, but it's the trailer & I quickly got bored of it.

But my biggest problem with Central Intelligence is: The Bloopers Are The Best Part! During the credits, they show bloopers from the film & they were genuinely funnier than the rest.

You'll enjoy it if you're a 15 year old boy, but it's more of a last resort to waste time.

Young Justice (2010–2023)

Gone too Soon

[9/10 · 26 July 2016]

Young Justice, it could have been a pathetic attempt at a kids show with superheroes, but it became an icon for everyone from 10 to mid 30s.

The show tackles difficult boundaries not just young love, but identity, morality & many more.

Young Justice follows the story of the sidekicks of the Justice League, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Speedy, Miss Martian, Artemis & a whole lot more.

The show doesn't just deal with fighting the bad guys & saving the day, there's also their "normal" lives they have to traverse through.

With 2 spectacular & heartbreaking seasons, fans are still waiting & petitioning for a 3rd & rightly so. Young Justice did something, no other show, superhero or not, at such a short amount of time, they made you care for the characters, both hero, villain & anti hero.

If you're a fan of good storytelling, great characters & don't mind getting a little misty eyed, you'll love Young Justice.

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

As my mother puts it, "A good fluff"

[5/10 · 10 July 2016]

This movie was a cluster of clichés, boring characters, the same old thing you've seen in the past 12 months, clearly rushed, not thought out, not even a fun movie to watch. Just a cluster of clichés, disappointing disappointing cash grab.

(*deep breath) Okay, the characters were "meh". You've got the hot Hemsworth who's rebellious, the president's (former president's) daughter, the righteous son who has famous parents, the crazy scientist, the weird Goldblum character (who may think he's still in 1996). THAT'S JUST A HANDFUL OF CHARACTERS.

Returning characters, what I liked about the returning characters, is that they've had repurcussions from the first film, Goldblum stayed as Goldblum, but the Former President Whitmore, he's not the same man who made that roaring speech, the crazy doctor was funny sometimes, not always, but sometimes.

I went to the bathroom, in the middle of a quiet moment & realised I missed nothing, I knew what I missed, I picked that moment because it was obvious & dull & there was a failed heart to heart.

But while the film wasn't the best ever, it was full of clichés, failed attempts at characters & storytelling, the movie is fun to watch, it won't ruin your day, unless your a die-hard fan of the franchise.

Finding Dory (2016)

Nostalgia+ brilliant writing & plot + great cast= Brilliance.

[9/10 · 10 July 2016]

I have a "rule/guideline" when it comes to movies, if they make me cry, then I like it. Finding Dory had me in tears in 5 minutes. 5 Minutes!

The movie had the nostalgia, which makes either a movie great or suck beyond belief, thankfully, the film falls in the first category.

The cast are brilliant. With Ellen Degeneres returning as our favourite forgetful fish, we feel for Dory, she's not some side character who gets her own movie after 13 years. Dory has layers, she wants to belong, Degeneres & the writers gave her the exact lines & the performance in a lot of the scenes will pull at your heartstrings & give you a bad case of the feels.

The storytelling is top notch, the new characters don't feel tagged on, or 2 Dimensional, they have feelings & goals in life too!

There are some hilarious scenes in the movie too that will make you laugh & cry at the same time.

It's a movie both kids & grown ups will love. Bring a box of tissues & some water so you won't be too dehydrated from the tears.

If you have to only watch one movie this Summer/Winter, Finding Dory is the movie, hands down. You won't forget it!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Good competition movie for Captain America: Civil War

[8/10 · 28 March 2016]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The action and fight scenes are well choreographed and makes a little nerd's dream come true. Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman had basically the next step up from a glorified cameo, with 19 line (yes I counted), but she played the part well, introducing her past in man-kind's history.

The casting for the film has been under a lot of hate from Ben Affleck to Jesse Eisenberg to Gal Gadot. Ben Affleck's portrayal of an older Bruce Wayne/Batman is exactly what you'd expect for a man who's been fighting as Batman for 20 years, grumpy, gritty, dark and not taking any chances. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, is an off choice. If you're expecting a Lex Luthor from Smallville, you'll be disappointed. This Lex Luthor is much more from the 1970s with the hair to match. The returning cast were great and felt real and that the events of "Man of Steel" actually made an impact on the DCCU.

Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)

Fairytale Avengers

[8/10 · 11 March 2016]

Once Upon A Time is a show I was very sceptical about, fairy tales in the real world, come on? But I could not have been more wrong.

The show follows the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming saving the rest of Storybrooke.

The show depicts the princesses not as damsels in distress but as kick ass female leads who can take on giants and fight their way to victory. The creators also created a little series called LOST and with the brilliant story telling, they make villains or anti heroes likable, and love interests you want to succeed.

But if that doesn't sound interesting to you, the fact that you see real life versions of Disney characters like Maleficent, Cruella De Vil, Little Mermaid, Merida, Mulan, Captain Hook and Peter Pan, Elsa and Anna and tons more.

Jessica Jones (2015–2019)

Not your ordinary superhero show

[10/10 · 11 March 2016]

Jessica Jones is a dark psychological thriller with drugs, sex, swearing and violence.

It hits all the subjects normal shows, especially superhero Marvel products, try to shy away from. There's a LGBQ characters and relationships, drinking and drugs, PTSD has a big part of the show and the titular character.

Jessica Jones has PTSD and has been struggling with her day to day life as a Personal Investigator, she has dark humour, but you root for her. The villain is terrifying and twisted, causes pain and doesn't care for his victims.

If you don't like superhero shows, ignore the big MARVEL stamp on the front, give the first episode a go. This isn't a show for everyone, but don't cold turkey it without giving it a go. You will not be disappointed.

Deadpool (2016)

The Real Deadpool!

[10/10 · 8 March 2016]

Okay, everyone knows of the god awful "film that shall not be named" that sealed the Merc with the Mouth's mouth, right?

Well, Deadpool destroys that movie's Deadpool to kingdom come!

Deadpool is a crazy, deadly, hilarious, crazy, 4th wall breaking, dirty talking, crazy, mercenary who kicks bad (and sometimes good guys) to get what he wants. And that's exactly what we got!

Ryan Reynolds is as much Deadpool as Hugh Jackman is the Wolverine, Robert Downey Junior is Iron Man. Reynolds and the rest of the cast had brilliant and hilarious moments.

Not to mention the marketing team did an amazing job purely showing what Deadpool would do if he was in the world.

If you have a friend/wife/sister/aunt/grandma (okay maybe not grandma) and they're girls, tell her Ryan Reynolds is in it, women, including me, love this movie.

Note: Don't take kids under 12, they'll say "don't worry, it's just a Marvel movie", it's rated MA in Australia and R for the rest of the world.

Agent Carter (2015–2016)

A show you don't have to be a superhero fan to love.

[9/10 · 7 March 2016]

With so many superhero films in general with the same recipe, protagonist gets bullied, powers are thrust among him/her, uses their power to go up the food chain only to lose somebody or people close to them, gets their head in the game, stops the bad guy and gets the girl. Agent Carter is not like that.

Agent Carter follows the life of Peggy Carter after Captain America: The First Avenger, New York 1942. Peggy is at a disadvantage being a female spy working for the SSR, which she learns to use at an advantage when finding the real culprit and help a friend and ally, Howard Stark, with the help of Stark's butler Edwin Jarvis.

Hayley Atwell portrays a more relate able Peggy Carter rather than in Captain America she was more just as the love interest. Edwin Jarvis is a very straightforward man with some very funny lines and moments which shows his "goofy sidekick" side played by the fantastic James D'Arcy.

I was discussing the show with some family friends and they love watching the show with their 12, 15 and 10 year old.

If you're looking for a show for the whole family, but generally dislike Marvel films, Agent Carter will surprise you and keep you rooting for Peggy and her team. If you're a fan of Marvel, then stop waiting for the men filled Phase 3 and binge Agent Carter.