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Reviews
Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022)
An okay departure for the 13th Doctor
A 6/10 might be a little generous. I loved seeing familiar faces, but I feel like that's distracted many people from how mediocre the episode truly is. The story had a good setup but a terrible resolution. Ace, Tegan, Kate, Graham and Ashad were wasted. Dan and Yaz's goodbyes were terrible and had no buildup or emotional impact. The Doctor's regeneration didn't have any proper buildup either, though I did like how peaceful it was by the sunrise. The episode was visually stunning and entertaining, and it's music was good too. It was a mediocre end to a terrible era, I will miss Whittaker though.
The Batman (2022)
It's a Masterpiece
The Batman was a masterpiece. Robert Pattinson is the best on-screen Batman I've ever watched, Paul Dano was a pure psychopath as the Riddler, calculating and cunning. I was concerned that he was going to be a total rip-off of the Zodiac Killer, but while there were certainly similarities, he brought out the Riddler's theatricality and unstableness. Zoë Kravitz showed us a true Catwoman, a survivor, an antihero, and her chemistry with Robert Pattinson was pretty good. I loved the depiction of Gordon, Jeffrey Wright nails the dry wit of the character along with his authority and his loyalty to Batman himself. Andy Serkis, while only having a small role in the movie, certainly made an impression and perfectly captured the relationship that him and Bruce Wayne have in what little time he has on-screen. Colin Farrell was one of the most memorable aspects of the movie, he was unrecognizable in his makeup, he didn't come across as just a generic gangster, he brought out the showmanship of the Penguin in this movie, and we'll be seeing more of him in that TV show. Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne was someone who was dead inside, cut off from everyone and someone who was angry, but he was not invincible. Batman is a human being and in this movie, that was made very clear. Matt Reeves' direction and script were absolutely superb, the themes of fear and vengeance were handled brilliantly, Michael Giacchino's score truly brought out the haunting atmosphere that Batman brings with him wherever he goes, Greig Fraser's cinematography was like a comic-book brought to life. This movie is a true detective noir feature, Batman is also known as the world's greatest detective and this movie shows us exactly why he is given that name, he truly earns it in this movie. This is a Batman who is not the hero that we know him to be, he still has a lot of growing to do, and we see plenty of it in this movie, all thanks to the Riddler. This was perfect, and I mean that, I'll give this a 10/10, this is a very rare rating from me.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Pretty Good
Jim Caviezel was excellent as Jesus Christ and there are times where I thought it was really Him that I was watching. I think perhaps he should've been considered for an Oscar. Mel Gibson's visuals and direction along with John Debney's score and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography were very compelling and brought the biblical world that we've read many times into a brutal and dark reality exploring the sinfulness of humanity and what it cost the Lord that loves us in order to bring us to Heaven and save us from our sins. Many Christian movies are very tame when they portray the crucifixion of Jesus, but this movie dares to push it to the limit and show us what Jesus really went through, and it was brutal. This is not a movie for your kids to watch, and if you have a weak stomach, you may not want to watch it. Ultimately, this was a very well made movie and was emotional too, I felt horrible as a Christian for what I've put Jesus through and I can also really appreciate this movie as an actor myself. Most Christian movies out there sacrifice story and character in preaching the message, but this movie doesn't do that. We explore the humanity of Jesus as well. That doesn't mean it's a perfect movie, I believe they could've done more character work too as if you've never heard of Jesus Christ or Christianity (and I seriously doubt that you haven't), then we wouldn't know too much about them. There are some scenes that aren't necessarily biblical, not that they contradict the values of Christianity, but that they add more to the character of Jesus and what He had to do for us. The demonic baby was like a mirror image of baby Jesus, only sin had infected Him. Satan was never in the Garden of Gethsemane but I loved the symbolism behind it, especially with Jesus stepping on the snake to symbolize that He succeeded where Adam had failed, and how evil can be seductive while goodness dreadful given that Jesus (who is goodness itself) is crying, sweating, on the ground in dirty, disheveled clothes while Satan is the complete opposite. I've seen people accusing the movie of being anti-Semitic. I guess they kind of have a point. It's important to remember that Jesus forgave the Jews, and that's included in the movie too, Jesus asked the Father to forgive the Jews and the Romans for crucifying Him as they did not know what they were doing. I think that perhaps the movie should've emphasized the fact that it wasn't just the Jews behind the death of Jesus but the Romans too. Anyways, it was a pretty good movie and it deserves every bit of praise that it gets.
Capone (2020)
Empty shell of a movie.
Tom Hardy was fantastic but the movie and its characters were boring, it lacked direction and I don't see what they were trying to do.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Very good, the first one is slightly better.
I liked the '80s setting. Gal Gadot gave a very good performance, Diana is strong character but is also sweet, I loved the parts where she rescued the children, Chris Pine was good too, I like what he brings to the role. Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig (she shows off her talent as an actress with the transition in awkwardness and confidence that Barbara exhibits after getting her wish) were very good villains, well written, you can really feel for both of them. It indulges in the '80s aspect. It's a very pretty film, it's got good cinematography, action and humor. The CGI is good, but I found the lasso effects in the opening to be a little dodgy. The movie has a very good message and it was sad what happened with Steve and Diana when she has to let him go. In comparison to the performances given in the previous film, MoS and BvS, I found the performances of Pascal and side characters to be over the top whereas the ones in the aforementioned films, I found to be more realistic. I would've liked to see a few more connections to other DC films, like a Wayne Enterprises sign etc. Simon Stagg was featured, and there should be more expanding and building for the DC Universe. It felt lonely with Diana in the movie and it was better when Steve came along, but maybe that was the idea because Diana lives a lonely existence as those around her die and she keeps a low profile, and that connects with Barbara. Hans Zimmer gives a great score, I really liked how "A Beautiful Lie" was included in the sequence when Max renounces his wish. The first one is slightly better as I said in the title, but both movies are well written and put together. This one isn't exactly a sequel to the first one, I would've liked if they delved more into Diana keeping a low profile, keeps that connection to BvS, and why she's doing it, then again I may need to watch the movie again for that part so take that criticism with a grain of salt. This movie isn't Oscar-worthy but it's worth a watch, I love the movie's message. Give it a watch.
8/10