rioksane-02950 Reviews

The Fall Guy (2024)

Fun, action-packed romcom

[8/10 · 16 May 2024]

The Fall Guy manages to be somewhat refreshing breeze of air in Hollywood amongst superhero movies and scifi/fantasy genre. Its an old-fashioned romantic comedy with charismatic leads and well, great action.

Ryan Gosling is just so likeable, and unlike the other likeable Ryan, his character is written to be not so good with words. Which is refreshing too. Emily Blunt shines as well, their chemistry is great and its easy to root for their characters.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson makes a fun counterpart for Gosling, Hannah Waddingham does good job too.

But the main thing about this movie is the action and stunts. After a somewhat slow start, action gets going and its well coordinated, directed and cut. And you can see the stuntmen and -women thrown about.

The plot is interesting enough, but maybe cutting some 10-15 mins from the movie the end result could have been even better. Some jokes land, others do not and the whole romantic problem could have been avoided with a few simple words in the beginning. But as it is, it is already a perfect date movie for everyone with great soundtrack.

Marvel's Midnight Suns (2022 Video Game)

Perfection, if you love Marvel, Mass Effect and XCOM

[10/10 · 8 July 2023]

I grew up with Marvel comics. Then fell in love with Bioware style RPG games, like Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. And finally found XCOM 2 with its top notch turn based gameplay.

For me, Midnight Suns is pure bliss because it masterfully combines the best aspects of those three.

Gameplay consists of basically two main sections: interacting with iconic (and some less known) Marvel characters in the main hub called the Abbey and then missions, where you fight Hydra agents, demons, vampyres, and Marvel villains. Fights are very strategic, and its so satisfying to find 1000+ damage combo with heroes like Iron Man and Captain America or Wolverine and Storm.

After the fights you get to build your relationship with many classic characters. This is where this game brings something unique to the table: how often can you get to play video games with Wolverine or go fishing with Doctor Strange? This gameplay loop is very fun, and even after 60+ hours I still cannot get enough of it.

The actual story is very epic and contains massive amount of cinematics and twists. Voice acting is great, for me the best voices go to Iron Man, Magic, Hunter (female), Deadpool and almost every othe character too. All characters are well written and really resemble their comic counterparts.

Graphics are fine - partly great (like hero combo animations), partly just ok (like Captain America's t-shirt). Sound effects and music are fantastic.

The main hero Hunter is amazing: up there with Commander Shepard from Mass effect. They are right at home with younger cast members (Midnight Suns) and on par with legends like the Avengers or X-Men.

Really hoping the game finds its players in slow burn and Firaxis will make a sequel some day.

Extraction II (2023)

Inspiring action on the first half - pretty ok action on the second

[7/10 · 25 June 2023]

Extraction II is worth the admission price for one redeeming quality - the spectacular, long "single shot" scene on the first half of the movie. Man, it was great! After that the action is still good overall, but not so original.

In spite of really trying (pretty good acting from all cast members, given the script) all characters are bland and forgettable, including even main character Tyler Rake, played by Thor Hemsworth. Gruff supersoldier with traumatic past and ex-wife and vocabulary that goes from "hrmh" to "fu** off". Well, they try to create some humanity into the character.

The bad guys were evil East Europeans from Latveria or similar country. Some fun looking goons but nothing unforgettable there. Annoying product placement on the car department.

After watching John Wick 4, other action films just feel lesser, even though director Sam Hargrave does really good action and the film has good production values.

Constantine (2005)

Interesting story, cool action and rich lore with lots of details

[9/10 · 20 March 2023]

I finally got around to watch Constantine, and glad I did. It felt so refreshing to watch a "superhero movie" that didn't use all it's runtime to tell the protagonist's backstory. Here we are thrust straight into John Constantine's daily life with deep, deep lore behind every detail and character.

Constantine himself is portrayed as chain smoking demo-specialist with dry humour, who is not too nice about new people (even if they are hot like Rachel Weisz's character). He has some very intersting allies, like the alcoholic priest, nerdy tech-wizard and "morpheus" in the club basement. The antagonist's are all well presented and interesting, each have scenes to shine.

Second thing I liked was the plot. So much story and details and twists. A murder-mystery with saving the world. In the era of run-off-the-mill superhero movies, Constantine had so much going on in each scene both in front of the camera and in the background.

The details and lore behind every object and character also kept each scene interesting. Why does John have tons of water canisters in his apartment. Why there are windows each direction? What is the library where they visited Gabriel, the techno-club with more hidden secrets or the cool gadgets John gets to use? After the movie I really want to read the original comics to learn more about the world of John Constantine.

John Constantine himself was cool as hell (pun intended), with John Wick style costume (although a very loose tie), witty oneliners and the ability to solve problems without using (traditional) guns.

Considering the movie was made in 2005, the CGI and practical effects hold up very well. The movie also looks good all the time, and even if they live in sunny California LA, each scene looks gritty and dark and rainy. That suits the story.

Highly recommended for any fantasy/scifi/action/adventure/Keanu fan out there.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

A solid, somewhat fun action film from the nineties

[6/10 · 6 February 2023]

Yeah, this is not going to be a classic in any way. Despite the talented cast and director, nothing here is something that you haven't seen a million times before.

We have a special ops team tasked to find and return a mystery box. We have the James Bond / Ethan Hunt figure, the smart hacker, the muscle and the brains behind the operation. Mix in some Eastern European mafia, few eccentric millionaires, fast cars and goofy regular guy.

The real locations are nice, action looks mostly real, but that's about it. Dialogue is supposed to be funny, but its not. In a somewhat full theatre not many were even chuckling.

Jason Statham plays Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza plays Aubrey Plaza. Hartnett and Malone are forgettable. That said, Hugh Grant does inject some curious originality to his character. And Cary Elves just has this inherent comedic presence, which is always delight to watch.

Some of the action sequences are plain bad. Remember the laugh out loud slow biker gang scooter chase from Book of Boba Fett? We have one here, just slower and with only one scooter.

Hand to hand combat sequences reminded me of Steven Seagal movies. The recent ones. The action had no stakes at all, our heroes didn't take one hit in the whole movie.

Opening scene is kind of cool, and music is well used.

Sisu (2022)

Tarantino meets Rambo meets Nazis in Lapland - Sisu

[9/10 · 30 January 2023]

This was a pleasant surprise! We have Tarantino-inspired bloody action, silent and very charismatic protagonist, beautiful imaginery from actual locations in Lapland, really good soundtrack and some innovative fighting and survival scenes, and of course Finnish Sisu.

Jorma Tommila as the leading man does a phenomenal job. He has only one line in the whole movie (an instant classic), but he is acting very well just by using his face and body.

"He is not immortal, he just refuses to die."

Congratulations for the writer/director Jalmari Helander, the movie looks really good, flows forward easily and is overall very cool and original, despite the overused tropes of evil nazis and action. With just 6 million budget this looks much bigger.

Some nitpicks: the nazis speak English, even when talking with each other, which is kind of weird. But it makes sense for scenes with some Finns.

I really hope this gets much views all over the world.

Don't take the movie or events too seriously, just enjoy the ride :)

House of the Dragon: The Lord of the Tides (2022) Season 1, Episode 8

I must freely quote Black Panther here: "Give this man his Emmy!"

[10/10 · 22 October 2022]

If Paddy Considine does not get an Emmy for his performance as King Viserys, everything (not just many things) is wrong in this world. That was a performance of a lifetime! By the name of the Seven, what a powerful presence.

Until this point I was entertained by the show, but not moved or awed. Now everything changed, when Considine/Viserys dragged himself to the throne and gave that heartfelt speech at the dinner afterwards. I was choking throughout the episode, and could not move from the couch for a while after watching. Old man, wanting nothing but peace and good for the realm and not endless fighting between close families.

Beautiful moment was when prince Daemon came to his brother's aid and helped him to the throne.

Other highlights of the episode was Ewan Mitchell as one-eyed prince Aemond. His cold stare could kill, and most likely will in the future. Also Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy keep doing a good job.

Music, directing, writing, costumes and cinematography all earn the highest marks in this episode. The tension was there all the time.

One minor gripe with the time jumps. Some characters seem to stay forever "young": Otto Hightower, Ser Harrold and Ser Criston, whereas the Targaryens gain age.

But overall. Paddy Considine. 10/10.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Partings (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Amazing episode with many plotlines, cool character moments and outstanding sound and visuals

[9/10 · 25 September 2022]

"Partings" might be the best episode so far after the premieres. It advances every plotline, lets every character do something and even introduces (if just briefly) something new. Adar seems interesting, Harfoots and the Stranger keep going, Arondir teaches some tricks, Galadriel has a cool action scene, Halbrand makes a choise, so does Elrond and so on. Elves have a meeting around an interesting table and share some stories of old. And of couse Durin steals the show every time.

The show looks so freaking amazing that its hard to understand. In addition to top notch cgi, there are real locations and sets, seemingly infinite amount of different costumes and props and cinematography, that mixes it nicely together. There is storytelling in the visuals.

I like the dialogue, people speak in riddles and each have different tone in their talk. Acting is overall solid.

And oh boy the soundtrack is fire. The Wondering Way song and the Numenor score at the end, so uplifting and epic.

So far I have liked every episode and loved the most. But I understand why some people don't like it. Its just like Jack Black, he's either funny for you or not. But for me this show has been such a wonderful surprise, and I eagerly await every friday.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: A Shadow of the Past (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

You have not seeen what I have seen!

[10/10 · 2 September 2022]

To all the people who are disliking the show before watching it - don't let hate succumb you to the deep depths of the Sundering Seas.

I have read LOTR many times, read Silmarillion once and love the original trilogy as the best cinematic creation of all time. But this premiere episode of Rings of Power was simply put fantastic.

First of all, the visuals. Every single scene was beautifully created. Every singe frame is a piece of art. Yes, its heavy on CGI, but there is also tons of actual scenery, clothes, armor, items, and locations that all tell a different tale.

Second, the music. Bear McCreary (with Howard Shore) has created new tunes that can be compared to the iconic themes from the trilogy. The main theme, Galadriels theme, harfoots, dwarwes, you name it. I have listened the OST non-stop since its release two weeks ago.

What surprised me the most, was the quality of dialogue. The elves do not just say "Sun is shining", no, they say "let the light of a thousand stars lighten your way". The infamous "You have not seeen what I have seen!" is the lowest moment of all dialogue in the episode and even it serves a purpose. I love how some woRds are pRonounced, woRds like MoRgoth, GaladRiel and SauRon. It makes it familiar, but unique.

When it comes to performances, I cannot praise Morfydd Clark enough. She is a force of nature, as Lady Galadriel should be. Another good one is Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir, the elf soldier. The harfoot hobbits come around as lighthearted and curious folk too.

I had to check who directed the episodes, since the usage of closeups, wide vistas and imaginery images was interesting. J. A Bayona does a fantastic job with making it all work together.

The premiere presents an interesting premise for things to come.

What a delightful start to the show, hoping that they can keep the quality high!

Prey (I) (2022)

Pretty good Predator movie with great lead performances

[7/10 · 16 August 2022]

This was a nice surprise. Wasn't expecting much, but was entertained for almost the whole 100 minutes or so. Prey starts with some action, ends with even more action, has easy to follow plot and good amount for details that all come together when defeating the baddie. Predator does bad ass Predator things with some new gadgets, but humans can fight back.

Amber Midthunder as Naru plays a great role, there's just something captivating about her presence. Star potential definitely.

Also Dakota Beavers was a believable hunter and showed both fighting skills and some humane side as a brother. Plus thumbs up Dane DiLiegro under the Predator mask and suit.

The movies starts looking like a home video with some kids cosplaying in the back forest, but gets million time better when Naru goes to hunt the baddie. The cinematography is beautiful, with vast landscapes from somewhere in North America.

Special effects also get better as the movie goes on. Practical effects too. There's tons of blood and skewering, which is good for a Predator movie. Yay, Disney, thanks.

Will get a sequel, I believe.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

When Matrix meets Monty Python meets Crouching Tiger - and sausages!

[10/10 · 13 May 2022]

This is a masterpiece. Definitely the most interesting, entertaining, and mind-bending piece of movie magic in recent years. You'll laugh, cringe, watch in awe and definitely feel something.

You have seen a thousand movies? You think you have seen everything? Well, think again. Everything Everywhere All at Once of course takes ideas and inspiration from other movies and books, but it mixes such a refreshing blend of mind-boggling entertaiment for your heart and soul, that it's hard not to walk out of the theater with a smile on your face after the movie (if you belong to the 99% of people that will enjoy this one).

Michelle Yeoh plays the part she has been practising for the last 40 years. This is her movie. Such a powerful performance and it contains everything, every emotion, every move, every combination of interesting Chinese-English mix of words. And often time everything at once, everywhere on the screen.

And then Ke Huy Quan - where have you been for all these years? Short Round from Indiana Jones is back, with a sweet vengeance! Amazing action scenes, and such a warm presence on the screen on the quieter scenes, and definitely some humour sprinkled in.

Stephanie Hsu and James Wong and Jamie Lee Curtis are equally as good, and rest of the ever reacurring cast also do well, everyone gets opportunities to shine.

Then the action, cinematography, set desing, music, outfit design, writing, directing - all comes together in such a satisfying way that this has to be Oscar winner in many categories next year.

There are so many clever camera tricks, such well edited and original action scenes, so many weird costumes and the whole multiverse thingie is so clearly presented without it being just exposition.

And the humour - you either love it or not, but me and my friends and the whole audience did. I could go on and on about details, but see for yourself :)

And finally, the heart. In the center of it all is family, and love, to yourself and the world around you. That is the message we need in this decade.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Amazing and spectacular, but still the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man

[10/10 · 21 December 2021]

If you like movies and are not Martin Scorsese, do yourself a favor: GO SEE THIS MOVIE NOW! Don't get spoiled by social media, news articles or your so called friends, or by reading reviews like this one, but see and experience this one as soon as possible. DO IT!

Because this is the best Spider-Man movie of all time, and it amazingly can be compared to such massive MCU classics like Infinity War and Endgame, and it definitely is the best 4th phase MCU movie/series. Let me tell you why (contains spoilers).

"I am all the Jedi", said someone in one of the other popular franchises. Well, here, they bring together all the Spider-Men from 2000's cinema. And boy, oh boy do they deliver. Tobey is back, Andrew is back, and they both are ridiculously good and are given ridiculously good lines and action. Andy G rather surprisingly(?) steals the show the most. So much mushy love around the three spideys, that you will need tissues or cybernetic retinal not to weep your eyes out.

The old villains are back, with a vengeance, and better that ever. Doc Oc, Electro, Sandman, Lizard and Green Goblin. Especially the Willem Dafoe chews every scene he is in.

If the old cast shines, so does Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Cumberbatch. Holland has to use all of his range of emotions, and does it very well. Holland's Peter Parker finally has to go through his Uncle Ben -moment and rise again to become a real Spider-Man.

The amount of fan service in No Way Home is uncountable. It's so full of easter eggs that I fear the next Easter is cancelled, because Feige and co. Used them all. But thanks!

Cinematically Jon Watts gives us the most beautifully shot and staged Marvel-show thus far. Even if most of the vistas presented are probably generated in a nerdy basement, the composition and use of angles and camera is masterful both in quieter and action-full scenes.

The movie makes you laugh, gasp, cheer, weep and just watch in awe. What an achievement, after numerous superhero movies they can still pull this off. And its not Stark and MCU they rely on, its Spider-Man lore where this movie finds its strenghts.

And yeah, stay for the two end-credit scenes.

Squid Game (2021– )

Best new show of the current decade

[10/10 · 22 October 2021]

Few TV shows episodes have had the same effect for me as Squid Game's first episode, especially when the game starts, for real. Shocking, in every way. On par with GoT premiere and some 9th episodes.

Another highlight is episode 6, Ggangu. It left me in tears, gasping for breath.

And the finale wraps things up in an unexpected way. Bravo!

I try to sum up some of the great stuff of the show:

• Lovable main character - such a refreshing contrast to hollywood heroes
• Great, multifaceted characters overall, whether they are bad or good.

• Characters don't look like supermodels, but like average people. Well, except one, but she is phenomenal too
• Great acting, and overacting - but fun, and touching
• Colours, details - everything pops out in a 4k glory
• 4k gory, did I say. It makes your stomach churn.

• Cinematics - beautifully shot, awesome visuals.

• Practical sets and special effects, which are fantastic.

• The clothes, masks, hoods - where can I buy those?

• Music. Haunting score, memorable tunes.

• Writing, plot, excitement.

• Cliffhanger endings on episodes.

• There are messages about the modern world, makes you think about humanity

Its not a kids' show. But grown ups, go for it.

No Time to Die (2021)

No Time to Die, But Time to Drink!

[10/10 · 9 October 2021]

A confession: I've watched most of the mainstream blockbusters during the years, but somehow managed to miss all the Craig Bond movies. And even without any previous connection to these characters, I was blown away by this film (no pun intended). A magnificent action spectacle, without any superheroes with superpowers, but with lots of real emotion and great story.

I will rate this as a full 10/10, even if it has its flaws. Some (many) of the jokes fall flat, the tone of the movie switches from very serious to almost slapstick parody of agent movies, its (rightfully so) very long, it tells stories worth of two movies, but could have benefited for little cutting here and there. The henchmen shoot worse than Stormtroopers, and its weirdly toned down in violence, with little or no blood. Rami Malek's villain has maybe too little screen time to justify the world domination plans.

But all these aside, its wonderfully shot, with great action setpieces, and offers interesting, beautiful imaginery through various locations in this world we live in. Every character is believable, memorable, and well acted. Its a real Bond movie with great gadgets, fast cars, product placement, and beautiful girls.

I always thought that Craig's Bond was serious and more like Jason Bourne, but this reminded me of Roger Moore's portrayal of Bond. In a good way, even though many of the onliner and jokes were not that ingenious (yet in the full theater, someone always laughed).

I also didn't know, that Bond was so much into beer and especially whiskey in addition to Martinis. Every other second, even during gunfights, he had time to sip some more whiskey. So did M, but he's an office dude after all.

I could go on complementing evert actor, director, composer (Hanz Zimmer y'all!), special effects deparment and writer, but what struck me most was the emotional core of this movie. I was deeply moved in many occasions, and really felt for the characters.

Highly recommended, watch it in the biggest screen possible.

Dune (2021)

Cinematic delight, great sci-fi, but lacks some emotion

[9/10 · 22 September 2021]

First off, I really liked the movie and definitely recommend it to anyone. It will take you to another time and place for 2.5+ hours and its totally worth the ticket. And I am looking for the sequel, which will probably raise this movie's value and rating even further.

Secondly - its an audiovisual masterpiece. Every frame is filled with great composition and details. Hans Zimmer's score stays humming in your head after the movie. Great audio editing - there are very quiet moments too. The special effects were really special - everything look outworldishly real.

However, one might get bored to the lack of color - everything is brown, gray, black or white. Which is of course justified in desert planet.

Set design and especially costume design is perfect. So many different, alien-looking costumes. Where can I buy one of the long jackets Paul Atreides was using in the beginning?

Thirdly - every actor does a really good job. Especially Chalamet and Ferguson, though they do have the most screen time too. And Zendaya is beautiful. Even Anakin Skywalker would like the sand she walks on.

And to some weird haters out there - its not the Rock who is "ruining the movie" - you're probably mixing him up with Dave Bautista. He does well in his small Evil Drax -role.

But one thing making this not so perfect is the absence of real emotion, or that's how I felt it. Its hard to root for some outworldish, rich royal military opressors, as the Atreides are presented. There is warmth and loyalty and family, but nothing like in LOTR, for example. Dune lacks any humour too (both jokes were presented in the trailer) - being accustomed to (Marvel) movies in the last 5 years, it feels like no fun. Like Batman in space. But yeah. Some people will love it because of that..

It's intelligent, modern yet traditional, really well made sci-fi spectacle that should be seen on the big screen with great audio. Looking forward to the sequel(s).

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

A solid Terminator movie, don't believe the whining herd

[8/10 · 13 September 2021]

Even as a long time Terminator fan, I postponed watching this for too long, partly because of the bad reviews. Happy I finally saw it. It is a solid, action packed Terminator story, with all the cool things from previous movies returning one last time (I guess..). The trailers didn't reveal everything, so there's plenty to see after the plane scene.

New Terminator is menacing and has some nice tricks. Diego Luna does well with his silent killer figure. Natalia Reyes is solid as a sassy latina girl who learns to stand her ground. Mackenzie Davis is great as Grace, enhanced protector of the girl.

Then there is older Arnold, who is back. He effortlessly slips back onto the endoskeleton of T800. There are various callbacks to the original two movies, and some humour too. And he does put some punch into his action scenes (well mostly CGI probably, but anyway).

But its Linda Hamilton, who steals the show. She is Sarah Connor once more, even almost 30 years later. Tough as hell, she kicks ass like never before.

The story is somewhat familiar, with some nice twists. But nothing extraordinary there. Action scenes get bigger and bolder all along the ride, with great CGI and setpieces.

Its not as groundbreaking as Terminator, or nowhere near the level of Terminator 2 (one of the best (if not the best) movies ever made), but after all these years the concept still works, especially with these two old stars reprising their roles.

8/10.

Black Widow (2021)

Great cast, well directed, good Marvel-entertainment!

[9/10 · 13 July 2021]

What a nice surprise this one was. From the first moments, the story gets going and it doesn't let go. Something about the cinematography and directing makes this one pop out, every scene looks very good, from the quiet moments to ever growing action set pieces.

Scarlett is more Natasha (Or White Widow) than Black Widow in this, and she does well. But its the great supporting cast that elevates the movie higher than perhaps expected. David Harbour transforms into an iconic dadbod-hero, with tales of glory of his past and great one-liners. Rachel Weisz is beautiful, smart and funny. But its Florence Pugh who shoots the ball out of the park, and far. She is generally very, very funny and basically steals every scene. This felt like a buddycop-movie at times, and in a good way. Not often female heroes are presented and performed in such a way. Also Pugh plays effortlessly the quieter, sad parts too. Would love to see more of her character in the future.

Music, special effects are top notch, as expected, but even the action rates high compared to other movies. Great choreography, bold stunts, well shot overall. I have to compliment the direction (Cate Shortland) in this, movie looks and feels original, and even mundane things are made look great with nice camera angles and special shots.

Highly recommended!

Army of the Dead (2021)

You should have gone for the head - brainless fun!

[8/10 · 7 June 2021]

Let's get this straight: this is a piece of action fiction, focused on killing zombies with headshots, while robbing a zombie-tiger protected casino, before they nuke the city. So you shouldn't expect much realism here, or deep drama with fleshed out characters. Well, some of the characters were "fleshed out", zombie-style.

The plot is ripped from Aliens, even with some very direct nods to that story and characters there. But Aliens is a good reference to build on.

The characters are two-dimensional, but easy enough to separate one from another. One carries Bose headphones and chainsaw, another is a German "nerd", while there's also the dry-humored pilot, bad-ass latina-women, funny haircut-dude, and the necessary evil company guy. You even grow to care most of them.

The zombies, luckily, are not scary at all. The tiger looks creepy, but the others look like professional dancers with makeup. They even come up somewhat symphatetic occasionally.

Bautista does well as the main protagonist, even though he is written as the worst team leader ever. His daughter in the film causes more problems than the zombies combined. Oh well.

Snyder gets the visuals always right and the soundtrack is great. And there's also lots of social commentary about money running things and separating people to different levels.

There clearly is a bigger idea behind this universe, with a joke about "endless time loops". Its evident that the key-necklase one character wears, is the same that one of the corpses had. Hoping to get more of this in the future sequels/prequels.

Summary: Was it visually and audibly pleasing? Yes.

Was there deep social message about money running everything - actually yes.

Was it brainless - yes, well, mostly!

Was it fun? Yes!

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

The best John Wick so far!

[9/10 · 9 March 2021]

This one was good! I especially liked how the expanded the lore so much, and then at some point realized that "ok, this is not an ending to a trilogy, its a beginning for a new one". So many new characters, some even left alive.

Keanu Reeves is just amazing.The way he walks, talks and of course fights. I loved his aswer to question "What do you need?" A fun callback to his legendary role.

All cast members did well too, from the old ones to all new ones. Especially Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator managed to be quite menacing, also Mark Dacascos as Zero was both fun and a really good fighter, those high kicks and the speed of movement, wow. Halle Berry, in her small role, did the action very well. Laurence Fishburne was chewing the scenes as an all-knowing "Morpheus".

But the highest praise goes to the director, the stunt team, the fight choreographers and the people lighting and staging the scenes. I was kind of waiting to get bored of the endless shooting and hitting, but they managed to keep it thoroughly entertaining and visually stunning. So many memorable fights in here.

One minor gripe about the direction though - in the static scenes they could have used more close up pictures, and maybe slightly different camera angles. The Casablanca scene with "Bronn" was kind of bland.

The call centers with tattooed women and old Commodore 64 computers and such were a fun detail in the lore.

Looking forward to John Wick 4 and 5!

The Mandalorian: Chapter 16: The Rescue (2020) Season 2, Episode 8

This is the w... AY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

[10/10 · 21 December 2020]

Speechless. Thankful. Just wow. Filoni, Favreau and all the rest. Thank you.

This is the way... to make Star Wars fans happy.

Cara Dune, sarcastically: "One X-wing? Great. We're saved."

One X-wing? Not those two from the ice planet frog lady episode? Okay...

Could it be..? No way.. A Jedi..? Ahsoka? No, one lightsaber. A GREEN lightsaber...!

Dark troopers were Terminator level scary, well done.

But Luke Skywalker, a Jedi master, slicing his way through the troopers - holy Krayt dragon egg, that was epic!

Yeah, Mando, his girl crew and Grogu were there too. Helmet removal well justified.

Also a Boba Fett post-credit scene, along with a massive reveal. Sweet.

Remember the Titans (2000)

No matter if you're black or white, watch this and enjoy

[9/10 · 19 December 2020]

Just watched the movie for the first time. Donald Faison has been puffing it so long in his Scrubs-podcast with Zach Braff. Daaamn I am glad I did!

The movie takes place in 2020 USA. No, wait, its the 70's? Oh well, seems pretty timeless anyway. Which is too bad. Everyone should watch this movie right now.

Remember the Titans is very entertaining, moves fast from one obstacle to overcoming it to the next one. It's fun, it has heart, the characters are memorable and the action on the football field is frantic.

The cast is phenomenal. Everyone does a great job, but I would higlight Hayden Panettiere, Donald Faison, Ethan Suplee, Ryan Hurst and of course Will Patton and Denzel himself. Especially Hayden steals every scene she's in.

Wonder why the director Boaz Yakin hasn't done any more hit movies, but here he pulls it off. Also writer Gregory Allen Howard only has couple of movie credits. Anyway, good work.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

A (Jedi) Master Piece

[10/10 · 18 December 2020]

I've watched The Last Jedi 3 times and going through fourth, and I definitely won't stop there. It just gets me every time. I either laugh, or cry or watch in awe to the sight and sound that's laid before my eyes.

From the opening battle, the comedy of Poe taunting Hux, to the sad sacrifice of Rose's sister and to Rey handing Luke's lightsaber back, then him tossing it over his shoulder, everything (well, maybe not Casino Royale, I mean Canto Blight) just works.

Comedy. Rian Johnson or whoever wrote this stuff, thank you. The comedy just works. This is one of the funniest movies in 2000's, and everything is "they are laughing with me, Michael" type of jokes. Chevie eating porgs, every scene with porgs, Mark Hamill, naked leaking Finn, golden bathrobe Snoke, Maz, Hux, Yoda slaying Luke with verbal acrobatics etc. Oh man.

Visuals. The Last Jedi contains some (many) of the most iconic scenes in the whole Star Wars history. Holdo destroing the ship. Red room fight, Luke's fade, Crayt, final fight with Luke and Kylo Ren. Leia floating back to the ship.

Original trilogy characters. Leia, Luke, C-3PO, RD-D2, Chewbacca. Everyone has a meaningful part here and they are fantastic.

Also "new" characters Rey, Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren each have a meaningful story arc here.

Music. John Williams.

And last (but not least), the Last Jedi of them all , Mark Hamill.

He. Just. Owns. Every. Scene.

Lightsaber toss. Pole vaulting and fishing. Milking the cows and drinking green milk. Who are you? Training montage. Kylo Ren reminiscing. Falcon, Chewie, R2-D2, Yoda, him and Leia, and then the final battle and fade to light.

The Force will be with you, always.

Bright (I) (2017)

Are you kidding me? Bright was literally a blast, looking forward to sequels!

[9/10 · 20 September 2020]

I postponed watching this for years, based on the negative critics and the premise that didn't look so interesting in the trailer. Reluctantly agreed to watch this with my son, not expecting much.

Oh boy, I was wrong. As are majority of the critics. This movie is awesome!

First of all, the world building, vast mythos, original ideas mixed with fantasy tropes and the whole story that just began to unfold in this (hopefully) first movie of many, is mind boggling. Its not just about orcs and men and cop stuff - there is a whole magical world to unravel. A world, where you can put a silhuette of a dragon flying on a night sky over Los Angeles, without any additional detail. A world where you can have centaur cops roaming the streets for a few seconds. Elves, dwarves, fairies, orcs, men and all the 9 races were mentioned, but not fully explained. Because this was just a beginning.

Will Smith plays regular Will Smith archetype, fast-mouthed cop, but he is always convincing. Joel Edgerton steals the show as orc Nick Jacoby. All the elves are so cool, so well dressed, so deadly. Mexican gangs, orc gangs, shooting, explosions. Who wouldn't want to listen to orc heavy metal?

Throw in propehecies of the one, magic wands with ability to grant wishes, Dark Lord rising, rivalling siblings, 2000 year old legacies, orc wars in Russia and Magical Task Force feds with mystical rebel group called Shield fo Light. Combine that with buddy-cop -movie, fast action, witty dialogue, great music and good special effects. There is so much going on all the time that you will be entertained. Orc gang leader's son named just Mike? Elves driving around in city centre in sports cars, running businesses. Bad cops with heavy moustache. Whats not to like?

The New Mutants (2020)

Worth watching - charming cast, interesting tale, some surprises

[8/10 · 6 September 2020]

This is not your average superhero movie. Its not about saving the city or saving the world or bunch of people from huge monsters or killer robots. Its just about saving yourself and the few kids around you by finding who you really are and what your powers are.

The New Mutants is first and foremost a drama. Secondly, it has some horror elements, but only so, that it wont make you loose sleep. Thirdly, there is some action and nice special effects.

The cast was mostly great: the whole movie has less actors in it than Castaway, but they are well - casted. Blu Hunt is perfect Dani Moonstar, Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect Illyana and Maisie Williams fits perfectly as Rahne Sinclair. The guys, however, are little too old and manly to play teenagers.

I've read New Mutants in the nineties (like the Asgard Saga), and although Josh Boone's vision has little resemblance with the epic adventures this little group has in the comics, there were a lot of nice details here and there. Most of them were related to Illyana/Magik, her lovely pet dragon and beautiful shiny sword :)

The movie might have benefited from couple of extra scenes to flesh out some aspects, but this way it was ok enough.

I'm saddened by the fact that after postponing this so much, they finally publish it at the same time as Christopher Nolan movie. Oh well. Go see it, if you know the source material.

Scrubs (2001–2010)

One of the best TV shows of all time - revisiting Scrubs after 15 years

[10/10 · 16 August 2020]

I watched Scrubs when it first aired and managed to acquire all the 8/9 seasons on DVD. I've watched every episode at least 3 times back then, but started my latest run through just recently, because of the phenomenal podcast by Zach Braff and Donald Faison. I loved the series when it was new, but I am constantly blown away how funny and heartfelt the show still is. It's even better that I remembered! Not only am I laughing my ass off, but also - oh yeah - crying too. Man up, Newbie!

Right from the first scene of the pilot the show catches its goofy fire and never lets go (Well, you can argue about the spin-off/sequel 9th season). There are so many funny moments in every episode, the writing is always top notch and the cast shines altogether. Not just the main characters, but numerous quest stars too and minor character also. You can feel the real life camraderie that these people had through 9 years (and still do).

Zach Braff is the perfect nerdy main character J.D with wild imagination. His best friend in the series Turk (Donald Faison) is his best friend in real life. They share such bromance, unparalled to none in TV/movies. Guy love, indeed. Look for the musical episode.

Sarah Chalke and Judy Reyes play the main female parts, Sarah's Elliot being neurotic and goofy on/off love interest to J.D throughout the series. She has so many funny moments and boy does she look lovely all the time. Carla (by Judy) carries much of the dramatic weight in the show and she packs so much sassy energy to the character.

John C. McGinley plays iconic Dr. Cox - the gruff doctor who cares about his patients more than you would guess in the beginning. A rant, maybe? Help me to help you, Barbie.

Ken Jenkins as Bob Kelso, chief of medicine, transforms his character from all out evil and grumpy company man to a multi-faceted and caring old time doctor.

The Janitor (Neil Flynn) - started as a minor character, but was so funny that from season 2 onward he was one of the main cast. Many of his lines are improvised to the viewers' delight.

And who could forget Rob Machio as macho surgeon Todd with his high fives or Sam Lloyd as Ted the lawyer, or fabulous Christa Miller as spicy Jordan? No one.

Wide array of phenomenal quest stars include such names as Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Banks, Scott Foley, Heather Graham and Locklear and in smaller parts Ryan Reynolds, Michael J. Fox and Courteney Cox, plus many, many more.

The show packs so much heart and drama in, that it really sets it apart from other comedies. One moment you will be laughing, the other, holding your tears back. Wonderful. And even with the far out fantasy scenes, the show was always praised by its medical accuracy and how it portrayed doctors and nurses in their work.

Maybe the highest praise goes to show creator Bill Lawrence. Kudos to you, sir, well done.

I highly recommend this series and after (or while) watching it, check out Fake Doctors, Real Friends -podcast to get even more out of these fantastic people.

Thank you all.