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steveneli
Reviews
Secret Invasion (2023)
Lost Opportunity
The "Secret Invasion" comic event is one of Marvel's best and my personal favorite. Marvel Studios really wasted an opportunity with the approach they went with. Samuel L Jackson's performance is great but the writing tears down Fury's character built up over the last decade plus. The decision to make Rhodey a skrull feels forced, like he's the biggest named Avengers actor they could get to be in the show. It also creates huge plot holes for past projects on when he became a skrull. The finale feels so rushed and lacks any suspense. Immediately once Fury goes into radiation with no protection you know it's G'iah because Jackson is already confirmed for "The Marvels" so isn't dying so the reveal that it's her and not him brings no excitement. The final battle creates even more plot holes with the DNA that was in the harvest as a lot of the characters listed and whose powers were used were not in Endgame when the DNA was supposedly gathered. Gravik's death just feels like a huge disservice to how the character was built up as well. The show was marketed as "Winter Soldier" like and it only has that vibe for moments and in pure Disney fashion they force race discussions into it that just aren't needed. It should have been an Avengers movie and not a show. I'm a huge MCU fan but honestly the shows need to stop and they need to go back to focusing full efforts on the movies or make shows that are completely separate from the movies. Since the shows started it's very clear talent and ideas are spread too thinly and we are getting poorly written storylines because of it.
The Flash (2023)
Cringe
DC and WB just can't seem to get it right. I was hyped for this movie because I thought this was the one for them finally. It's hard to watch. Ezra Miller is really hard to like in real life with their personal drama but they're somehow even more unlikable on screen. Their jokes or attempts to be humorous are not funny and with a 2 1/2 hour movie they just get annoying and their cursing just served no purpose so when it keeps happening it's just frustrating. The CGI is shockingly bad. Some scenes are like watching a PS2 cut scene. Affleck kills it in his very brief appearance and it just makes you further upset with how Warner Bros just wasted his talent all these years. The cameos are kinda fun, the ones that aren't CGI at least, but the story just drags on in my opinion and parts don't really make sense. They could have stuck to The Flashpoint Paradox but choose a different path to almost create their own version of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and it feels forced. The action sequences could have been great but they just get ruined by how bad the CGI is. I know the director said they're suppose to be bad but that just can't be true or if it is true it's because they were given no resources to make it better. Overall I didn't enjoy it and my son who loves anything DC fell asleep so not a ringing endorsement of anything attention grabbing.
Fast X (2023)
It's What You Want
It's what you want in a Fast and Furious movie. Two hours of turn your brain off and enjoy. Significantly better than 8 or 9 in my opinion and Jason Momoa gives a phenomenal performance. The complaints that the stunts are unrealistic are from people that just should not watch any of them because of course they're unrealistic. The absolute nonsense is part of the fun and so long as they don't go to space again I'm good with it. The cameos and call backs were fun and much better than some of the forced and just bad cameos they did in the past. Ultimately I think they listened to fans and learned from the mistakes made in the last two installments to give us the movie we want and enjoy. Excited for the next one.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Just Wow
I compare the feeling to after watching "Top Gun: Maverick". You go into the theater knowing you'll probably enjoy the movie because you enjoyed the first ones but you leave utterly shocked by how great the film actually is. It's hands down the best film of the series and it's arguably, in my opinion, one of the greatest action films ever made. The fight scenes, especially the duration of the fight scenes, are just so impressive. The story is great and keeps you engaged despite the longer run time. The world they've created is interesting and original when nothing else is right now. Donnie Yen brings humor to the movie when needed and Keanu Reeves is exactly what you expect and want. A must see!
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
I Don't Know How To Feel
I don't know how I feel about the movie after leaving the theater. Some of the visuals are absolutely amazing but some look like a video game cut scene and it gets distracting. The plot is essentially the same as the first film with no additional story and too many characters to really get attached to anyone. It's too long in my opinion, a lot could have been cut from the middle of the film. It's a 3+ hour film and almost 2 hours of it feels like a documentary and just doesn't have the same entertainment factor the first film had. I didn't hate it but I also probably won't watch it again at any point.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
I Don't Know How To Feel
I don't know how I feel about the movie after leaving the theater. Some of the visuals are absolutely amazing but some look like a video game cut scene and it gets distracting. The plot is essentially the same as the first film with no additional story and too many characters to really get attached to anyone. It's too long in my opinion, a lot could have been cut from the middle of the film. It's a 3+ hour film and almost 2 hours of it feels like a documentary and just doesn't have the same entertainment factor the first film had. I didn't hate it but I also probably won't watch it again at any point.
Resident Evil (2022)
Horrible
I'm a huge fan of the Resident Evil games and the original movies were a guilty pleasure. No the original movies weren't good but they are Oscar winners compared to this show. I'm honestly shocked how something so bad gets made. They screened this for their bosses and their bosses said "ready to go!". Huge L for Netflix given their current subscriber situation but hey only 2-3 more years until Stranger Things season 5, I'm sure people will pay $20 a month until that comes out.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
A Good Time
It's not winning an Oscar but it's a good time! Great action sequences, funny moments throughout, good performances from the entire cast and THE BEST post credit scene in quite some time!
The Terminal List (2022)
Rambo + Jason Bourne
It's mix of Rambo and Jason Bourne and how can you hate that? Chris Pratt and Constance Wu give amazing performances. Taylor Kitsch and Jai Courtney are used sparingly but both play their roles perfectly.
Dexter: New Blood: Sins of the Father (2022)
Ignore The Hate
People that hate the ending would hate any ending. Dexter changed his code to save himself just like he did in the original series time and again. Shows that he's human and when he's cornered fight or flight takes over. This ending gives closure to the series that the original ending didn't and shows that while we glorified what Dexter did it was still wrong what he did. He didn't just put an end to evil but he too was evil and he realized he needed to put an end to his evil as well. It also shows he was right to leave in the original series because he couldn't be in Harrison's life without sending him down the same dark path and the only way for Harrison to live his life is without his father. Angela lets Harrison go because she doesn't want his youth to be stolen away from him by evil like Kurt's victims who she dedicated her life to find. I thought is was a very worthy reboot, a great series and a much better ending than we got before.
Dexter: New Blood: Sins of the Father (2022)
Ignore The Hate
People that hate the ending would hate any ending. Dexter changed his code to save himself just like he did in the original series time and again. Shows that he's human and when he's cornered fight or flight takes over. This ending gives closure to the series that the original ending didn't and shows that while we glorified what Dexter did it was still wrong what he did. He didn't just put an end to evil but he too was evil and he realized he needed to put an end to his evil as well. It also shows he was right to leave in the original series because he couldn't be in Harrison's life without sending him down the same dark path and the only way for Harrison to live his life is without his father. Angela lets Harrison go because she doesn't want his youth to be stolen away from him by evil like Kurt's victims who she dedicated her life to find. I thought is was a very worthy reboot, a great series and a much better ending than we got before.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Good but not Great
Visually stunning and the concept for why it's been so long is interesting. The story however doesn't keep your attention at times and there is little character development for the new characters, which is unfortunate because Jessica Henwick (Bugs) gives a great performance. I just didn't feel the same sense of enjoyment watching the film as I did the previous installments.
Red Notice (2021)
Loved it!
Really shocks me this movie is getting bad reviews. I loved it. Ryan Reynolds is hilarious. The action and story is great. The CGI isn't the best but for a Netflix movie I didn't expect it to be. I'll for sure watch it again and I hope they make a sequel.
Finch (2021)
"Cast Away" but Wilson is a robot
Think "Cast Away" but Wilson is a robot. Tom Hanks gives a great performance as always. Jeff the robot has some very comedic moments. The idea is a great post apocalyptic concept with a heartfelt story of a man trying to protect man's best friend. A very enjoyable film.
Eternals (2021)
Don't Believe The Bad Reviews!
An excellent film that Marvel fans will love! Really enjoy all the characters and fight sequences. The story is really well written and moves at a good pace for being a longer film.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
Really Bad
Henry Golding gives a good performance but the story is so terrible that it's hard to stay interested. The rest of the acting is really poor. The camera work will almost make you sick at some points. All the action scenes were in the trailer and while they aren't bad there are too few of them and the camera work makes them hard to watch. I would say the "GI Joe" franchise has finally rolled Snake Eyes.
The Addams Family 2 (2021)
It's a kid's movie. Why are adults reviewing it?
It's a kid's a movie and my son loved it. We don't need the two cents of every adult that watched the movie. It wasn't for us, it was for our children.
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Not a bad movie but not what I expected.
Not a bad movie but not what I thought it would be. Didn't really feel like I was watching a Sopranos story. The characters were part of what made The Sopranos great and we get only small doses of the characters I wanted to see. Cory Stoll and Vera Farmiga did portray Junior and Livia perfectly but I'm torn if John Magaro did an amazing or horrible job portraying Sil.
Beckett (2021)
Meh
John David Washington is one of the best actors in Hollywood right now but the idea of putting him in a foreign film, filmed like it was being made in 60s or 70s, probably was a poor casting choice. While Washington gives a good performance "Beckett" drags on too slowly to keep your attention.
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Pirates of the Caribbean but with The Rock
Pirates of the Caribbean but with The Rock. My 8 year old son and I both really enjoyed the movie. Great acting, story and probably the best movie I've seen in 3D effects wise. I normally choose not to see films in 3D but I highly recommend seeing this movie in 3D.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
For Our Kids, Not For Us
The bad reviews are from adults expecting a follow up to the original Space Jam. This movie is for kids, not for adults. We already had our Space Jam, this is theirs and my son absolutely loved it.
Black Widow (2021)
Marvel Can Do No Wrong!
I should start by saying "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is my favorite MCU film and maybe that's why I enjoyed "Black Widow" so much. It very much has a "Winter Soldier" vibe to it and gives a political thriller type origin story for Natasha. The entire cast gives a great performance and the film gives us some of the best action scenes in the MCU to date. Towards the third act it becomes less Natasha's story and more setting up the possible future Black Widow character arc. It's a stand alone film that doesn't provide a huge amount of fan service like previous MCU films. I personally would have liked to see more flashbacks about Budapest or more storytelling connecting the Black Widow and Winter Soldier programs. The film succeeds without diving too much into either besides short mentions. My only complaint is the use of Taskmaster feels like the use of The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Taskmaster is an iconic comic book character that deserves better and I hope Marvel better uses the character in future installments. It be very easy for someone else to get their hands on the suit and redeem the character. It's a great film and the post credit scene sets us up nicely for the upcoming Hawkeye series. Keep up the great work Marvel!
F9 (2021)
Okay....
Like any Fast and Furious movie it's entertaining but the unrealistic stunts/scenarios, that once were fun, get completely out of hand in this installment and it hurts the overall feel of the film. The acting was also really bad in some scenes, especially in the flashback scenes that just feel drug out in a movie that's too long to begin with. The characters could have been digitally de-aged considering they were still adults in the flashbacks and they take place about 10 years before the first film. Everyone should win an Oscar compared to Cardi B's cameo though (It wasn't cool, it was cringy). It's the worst film of the series for sure but I'll still go see the next one and just hope they reel things back in to finish off the franchise we all love.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Entertaining
Pointing out plot holes in a zombie movie is liking pointing out the stripper may not be a virgin. Just shut up and enjoy. If you went in think it would be an Oscar contender that's a you problem. It's 2 1/2 hours or entertainment.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Very Disappointing
An awful story that spans over 2 1/2 hours. The CGI was shockingly bad for such a big movie and the film didn't focus on the Wonder Woman character like the first film. It's a Maxwell Lord movie feat Wonder Woman with a pinch of Cheetah and too much Chris Pine for some unknown forced reason. There isn't a ton of action for a comic book film and the acting was comedically bad in some cases. I think we'll hear stories in the coming months about how Warner Bros did what they do and messed with the process which is a shame because Gal Gadot is a great Wonder Woman and Patty Jenkins is great director even though this film doesn't show it.