Sonic the Hedgehog 2 embraces the nostalgia of Sega Genesis and the essence of the 90s with a film that is fun for absolutely everyone of all ages. Audiences will adore the new characters, the action is a memorable throwback to what we loved about the games the films are based on, and the special effects are top notch. Even with its flaws, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the best video game adaptation ever.
Full review: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-2-Review-2022-The-Master-Emerald-of-Family-Friendly-Entertainment

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"Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a vastly superior sequel to the first adaptation.
Jeff Fowler works with his screenwriting team to fix some of the issues with the original flick, successfully managing to create a much less corporate work, more focused on Sonic and, this time, also Tails and Knuckles, in addition to putting humans aside in a subplot that, even so, still bothered more than it should.
Taking advantage of phenomenal voice acting from the cast, as well as an already iconic performance by Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, entertainment levels soar tremendously as the action-adventure sequences amaze viewers with praiseworthy animation and visual effects, as well as an engaging main narrative that expands on the origin of the hedgehogs while simultaneously developing the same characters.
Fun for kids and adults alike."
Rating: B

Never saw the first one, nor played any of the games - but I still quite enjoyed this animated adventure. "Sonic" is determined to use his powers to be a crime fighting hero, but frequently causes more havoc than the criminals! When the dastardly "Robotnik" manages to escape from his prison in a galaxy far, far, way and returns with the echidna from hell ("Knuckles") though, our blue pal finds himself and his family in considerable peril. Luckily, help is on hand from the twin-tailed "Tails" and battle lines are drawn Who can find the giant emerald first? The story is pretty derivative - bits of "Indiana Jones"; "National Treasure" and even "Guardians of the Galaxy" all seem to have influenced the story, which I have to say is a little predictably thin. That said, it is well placed with plenty in the script for the grown ups amongst the audience. "Sonic" makes for quite a likeable rodent and Jim Carrey"s engagingly hammy, moustachioed, megalomanic works well. The star? Well that's Natasha Rothwell's no-nonsense, would-be bride "Rachel" (a part of the storyline that doesn't work so well, but she is definitely not to be messed with). The visual effects are impressive and though maybe fifteen minutes too long, I still found it very much better than I had expected.

**Pixar discovered anime and is looking to conquer the eastern box office.**
I had some expectations regarding this film. I don't know exactly what I expected, but I think everyone will understand if I say that the film is signed by Disney and Pixar, two studios with an enviable track record of successes. However, as soon as the film ended, I felt that I wasn't exactly the target audience for this film: male, over thirty, European, with little connection with pop culture or the anime world.
The film follows a young teenager, daughter of Chinese parents, in a somewhat cathartic experience in which she transforms into a friendly red panda. The film focuses on this transformation and turns it into a metaphor for a transformation called puberty, a discovery of one's own individuality and autonomy, particularly with regard to the relationship with one's parents.
The film is good, but the theme is… complicated. If it is absolutely true that most teenage girls will see themselves in some of the adventures that Mei experiences, it is no less true that many parents and guardians will face the topic with discomfort and raise some objections regarding a certain “apology of rebellion” that the film suggests. On a positive note, it was the first time I saw an animated film aimed at young audiences that addressed menstruation bluntly. The dialogues continue to insist, however, on that stereotype of the panicking teenager and the mother disturbed by the moment and insisting that, now, her daughter is a woman. This is stupid and conveys inaccurate ideas: a woman is a woman from before birth, from a biological point of view, and becomes a woman from a psychological and social point of view long after her first menstruation, when she begins to be old enough and mature enough to make their own decisions (the same applies to men, with the necessary reservations). In addition to these problems, the plot seems a little incipient to me, following paths that are quite obvious, opting for predictable solutions and creating basic characters. I could even talk about the amount of stereotypes about Chinese and Orientals present in this film… but do I need to talk about that?
The best thing about the film is the animations and the extraordinary quality of the drawings and effects. Pixar does not miss the opportunity to defend its credits and reputation in digital animation and offers us a feast for the eyes, with a realism and attention to detail that is difficult to overcome and that makes us think about the way technology has evolved in just a few years: “Toy Story” isn’t even thirty years old yet, and it already seems a little dated! Just one problem: I'm not a fan of anime at all. I think it's a very stylized, excessive, exaggerated type of animation. Unfortunately, this film adopts too many elements that are imported from the anime. Look at the eyes, the exaggeratedly large mouths, the sudden changes in the characters' poses or attitudes... you can't have one foot in two worlds at the same time.

A beautifully animated movie that touches on real issues like parental pressure, coming of age, friendships, and most importantly...learning who you truly are and accepting all of you. The good and the bad.

Animation that makes me feel alive!! Right up there with Monsters Inc. for the funniest Pixar movie. It balances its tone well, the characters and world it builds are so much fun while still managing to hit emotional beats with ease. Films exploring generational trauma and emotional/personal repression are apparently my jam? Top-tier.

It is great!!

This has quite a fun premiss but I guess I'm just the wrong demographic because I really struggled to get through it. "Meilin" is a thirteen year old girl going through the usual teenage angst sort of stuff - only, when she gets agitated she morphs into a giant panda. A red one. Her mother "Ming" is a bit over-protective and when her daughter announces that she wants to go and see a boy-band concert with her friends, a war of wills ensues. It soon turns out that these transformation skills run in the family, and huge great angry pandas are not to be messed with. The animation is fine and Eilish/O'Connell have written some fitting, if hardly their most memorable, numbers, but it is just too long and the theme recycles itself once too often for my old eyes. Colourful enough, but for me it just re-emphasised why I am very, very, glad I am no longer 13! (or even 31!)

Really going to put people on blast for somehow not being able to relate to a movie with themes of controlling parents, puberty emotions, and body image just because it’s in the coat of 13 year old tween Asian angst, shouldn’t the fact that it’s more specific actually be more relatable if you have empathy?
Broke down at the theme of "never being good enough for parents", them having their ideas of my future vs. my own. Great music, best animation from Pixar in a while, super expressive.

Full Analysis at Spotamovie.com - **Intro** - Pixar’s movies usually have great insights, and even with Turning Red, they provided us with meaningful messages to help our children and us grow our personalities and mindset. - **The Story** - Meilin is an energetic teenager ready to walk into the grown-up world. However, she needs to wear a mask when she is with her parents and another one when she is at school and with her friends. The risk to disappoint her family is too big for Meilin. But something unexpected will happen. Meilin’s life will change drastically because of a secret that lives within her family. When Meilin can’t control her emotions, a new version of herself will appear. But can you hold your feelings? - **Full Analysis and Explanation at** https://www.spotamovie.com/turning-red-review-and-explanation-critic-post-movie-disney-movie-2022

Kinda boring

Well worth a watch, this.
'Turning Red' is a very good flick from Disney/Pixar. It's different in a way, I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out based on the first few minutes but by the end it provides the required and expected amount of entertainment and meaning.
The voice cast are excellent, I have no faults with them. Rosalie Chiang gives a performance full of energy in the lead role, while Sandra Oh puts in a strong display alongside Chiang. The rest of them are good too, as I also recognised James Hong and Lori Tan Chinn. Us UK viewers also have the bonus of a small role for Anne-Marie.

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"Turning Red is undoubtedly the riskiest, possibly the most divisive work in Pixar history. Without any remorse or restraint, Domee Shi and Julia Cho unapologetically approach the sensitive topic of (female) puberty in a quite shocking, positively impactful manner.
A narrative that unquestionably explores the hormonal, emotional, and sexual developments of its characters, conveying a message of self-acceptance and understanding of human evolution through its metaphors loaded with youthful excitement.
With the well-known technical attributes from the successful studio, this film will serve as an essential companion for all pre-teens who will deal with or are going through this inevitable and "inconvenient" phase of life.
One of the best movies of the year until this day."
Rating: A-

The digital animation geniuses at Pixar are back with “Turning Red” and it marks a departure for the studio known for the “Toy Story” and “Cars”, franchises.
Set in 1990s Toronto, the film centers around 8th grader Mei (Rosalie Chiang), who considers herself an adult at 13 and eagerly applies herself to school when she is not helping her family tour business at a local Temple or hanging with her friends.
Life comes crashing to a halt when after a traumatic day of embarrassment; Mei awakens in the form of a large Red Panda. In a panic, Mei attempts to hide her situation which causes her over-protective mother to assume it is Puberty related and that her hormones are kicking in.
Mei desperately wants to get her life back to normal and learns that as long as she is calm her Panda is under control. However, this proves to be harder than expected and soon Mei learns that the Panda is the result of a family bloodline but there is a way to end it during a Lunar ceremony in a couple of weeks.
Chaos soon follows as Mei struggles with her situation and must find a way to cope with the changes that are going on and make some very important decisions about her life and her future.
The film is a difficult one to review for me as never having been a teenage girl dealing with puberty, raging estrogen, and the issues that go with it. That being said the film struggles to find a balance as it tacks on the capers of Mei in Panda form without being overly funny or charming and keeps the focus on Teen Angst, puberty-related issues and becoming an adult.
The film lacks the interesting characters, charm, and appeal that have set the foundation for so many Pixar films and it is surprising that a company that can elicit a range of emotions in an animated short fail to really connect with their latest feature. There were some amusing parts but the film as a whole was rather dull and lacked much in the way of humor and was very predictable.
The decision to put the film directly on Disney+ as the studio’s recent “Soul” and “Luca” was raised some controversy but in the end, I do believe it was the right decision as “Turning Red” is not likely to be a film that draws people to the cinema beyond the opening weekend.
It is a film that is a bold step for the company, but one that lacks the charm and humor of previous films as not everyone is going to want to sit through a feature-length film on teenage angst and dealing with changing bodies and the emotional turmoil that follows. However, the target audience is likely to connect with the characters and it will be interesting to see what the reaction to the film is long-term.
3 stars out of 5
“Turning Red” will debut on Disney+ on March 11th

**A childish scenario that prevented me from participating in determining who the killer was?**
The first part was dazzling and surprising for those who watched the movie and the fans of movie type of: Who is the killer? The first part presented a group of well-known stars in a different format than the roles they played in previous acting works.
In the second part, I face many challenges: Will the second part be better than the first part, or at least equal to it? Secondly, yes it presents us with a group of stars with beautiful charisma on the screen.
This time, the events of the film take place during the pandemic. This time, the main investigator, the hero of the story, is facing deadly boredom due to him staying at home all the time due to the pandemic and the lockdown. This is what drives him, without hesitation, to participate in one of the games organized by a rich person. This game is to solve a crime, hypothetically a crime that didn't happen in reality. This invitation reaches the investigator and some close friends of this rich person, but during their arrival to the place of the invitation, we begin to discover many mysterious things.
The first is how the friends get to know each other. Each character is completely different from the other character, a rich person, a YouTuber model, a scientist, in addition to a political figure and an investigator. We begin to discover, by starting the conversation from the beginning, that there is a suspicious or unhealthy past for each character, but the most important thing is that it is far from the game and the hypothetical investigation. We begin to discover real crimes in the place of Al-Daghwa, and now everyone is a suspect, and through the story we will learn who the culprit is.
Yes, I am almost certain that the characters of the second part will continue on the same path as the movie of the first part. What I did not like about this movie. Yes, they showed us the motives and reasons, but I could not get behind any motive in them, and in these types of stories, the most beautiful thing is that it shows that you made a mistake about who the murderer is, not Only in deceiving you, but showing you that your deductions were wrong, makes you doubt one or two or three people, and in the end you discover that all your doubts were wrong. In this part, I was not able to doubt anyone.
Yes, it is true, there are many good plots in the scenario, and there is good manipulation, but I cannot be certain that I doubt any character, as if I was waiting and seeing the events for the vision to appear. I could not participate in the game, which is very important in this type of movie. In addition to clarifying things, there were many coincidences to the point of being so ridiculous. The only reason some mysteries and some indicators were discovered is that the character, for some reason, was present at the right time and the right place without any actual intelligence to find the information.
I don't know. I feel that my feelings were confused towards the end of the movie. I would almost describe it as childish ending. the actions of some characters led to the flattening of this movie. The first part was so amazing that it cannot be described.

There's nothing spectacularly brilliant about the film, except that the mystery is a pure pleasure to watch. The cast and technical aspects are great. And while the film is dedicated, for one, to Angela Lansbury (author of long-running Murder She Wrote) the detective here is clearly Dame Agatha Christie's. The closing credits also say that it's dedicated to Stephen Sondheim whose connection escapes me, other than he died just before the film was made, and perhaps too, that his music is typically complicated layers - like onions.

“Glass Onion: A Knives out Mystery” is a thoroughly entertaining, well crafted, thrilling step up from its predecessor “ Knives Out”
Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ) returns as the World Famous detective who unintentionally has been invited to a private island by the host of a murder mystery party, Myles Bronn ( Edward Norton) There is palpable tension within the select group of party guests well before proceedings begin, but after a real murder Benoit Blanc is called upon to solve the case.
Without giving anything away, “Glass Onion” twists and turns as it builds to both a fascinating and hilarious whodunnit while exploring themes of class and privilege. Daniel Craig gives an hilarious performance as The detective with Edward Norton giving an equally strong performance as the manipulative Elon Musk esc character.
“Glass Onion” provides surprises, suspense and laughs in equal measure, delivering a fast paced comic mystery. With a well known cast and a few notable cameos, including the late Angela Lansbury as one of Benoit Blanc’s zoom quiz friends group , “Glass Onion” delivers everything anyone could desire from a film like this.

Almost everything is already told and you know who the killer is.
Moreover: I hate when they put Covid into movies. We already lived two years full of stupid restrictions, and this film is like if it's trying to say:"ehy, be a good ship and do as it's told you to do", all this topped off with Google and Apple advertising.

What's great about this is that within the first minute or so of meeting every cast member you are told who they are and what their motivation is...
... so it leaves out the tedious who done it guess work of murder mysteries.
And you are told almost from the start who the killer is and what his motivation is..
... so you don't have the tedious guess work there either.
But to keep you on your toes scenes are conveniently rewritten several ways to make it seem like a mystery even though the mystery aspect has been conveniently taken out for today's low IQ audiences.
The viewer conveniently doesn't have to uncover anything, nor try to determine any motivation, and all the clues are obvious and handed to you by virtue of Bond stumbling onto them in a way that leaves the viewer in no doubt despite already knowing who the killer is and what his motivation was.
But it's Johnson so people can pretend to be intelligent by claiming that he diverted expectations of a murder mystery by taking all the thought and mystery out of it and leaving you with the obvious that has been obviously stated for today's modern audience.
But, it does hit all the political check boxes... the ones that literally every other title hits per mandate of cancel culture... So the faux intellectuals can further proclaim how smart and original it is while having it nicely fit into the same box as everything else.

As with the first Knives Out movie, I found the plot to be clever and intricate and the story very well told. There were a few interesting plot twists and, even though the dialogue could have been more witty, it was intelligent and realistic.
I did find that the Renoir character reminded me of an Agatha Christie character, in that he reeled off suppositions he’d made based on information we hadn’t been given full access to. Also, he owed some of his success to a character who he asked to take a snoop around, and she proceeded to be in several spots just in time to hear critical details. Pretty lucky. Then again. I write novels in my spare time and the subtitle of one of them is “The Consequences of Coincidences.” And it features a few of them, so I guess I shouldn’t begrudge a few juicy coincidences in someone else’s work.
Ultimately the movie was enjoyable and smart, and that is the most important thing.

Brilliant!
My first film of 2023, which has started with a bang! I adore the original film from 2019 so was expecting big things from this sequel and I'm glad to note that it didn't disappoint - it's a cracker. I did, admittedly, predict the general gist of what was going to happen, though (in this case, minor) predictability doesn't always equel badness - like here, I was thoroughly entertained no matter what.
The cast from the first film are better, though those that star in this 2022 release are excellent. Daniel Craig is, of course, superb as Benoit Blanc once again, every single moment with him is terrific. Janelle Monáe also gives a fantastic performance, I predominantly know of her from music but with this, and 'Hidden Figures', she can certainly act too.
Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista and Edward Norton are the best of the others, though even the likes of Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Madelyn Cline are good value as well. Like its predecessor, it's very astutely cast.
The film is put together in high quality fashion, Rian Johnson & Co. did a great job - particularly with the framing of certain shots, as well as the music which is real neat. As you'd expect for a film of this sort, there are some nice little details spread across the well utilised run time. Like 'Knives Out', I know I'll be revisiting 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' when possible.
It sounds like Johnson and Craig are up for making more of these, and to that I say bring it on!

MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2022-edition/
"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery would never disappoint. Rian Johnson succeeds, once again, with his clever, witty humor and continuous entertainment throughout just over two hours of yet another whodunnit classic with tremendous replay value.
The central mystery holds countless twists and turns, almost always captivating and amusing. Exceptional performances from a shockingly talented cast - Daniel Craig and Janelle Monáe are the standouts - elevate a screenplay slightly lacking in character depth as well as better control over its clear yet repetitive message concerning opportunism, vanity, and hypocrisy.
Original remains supreme, but this sequel deserved a worldwide premiere on the big screen."
Rating: B+

**Glass Onion lives up to the expectations and spirit established by Knives Out but doesn't bring anything new to a growing franchise.**
Glass Onion is a fun follow-up to Knives Out that captures all the character and energy of its predecessor. While I enjoyed the original more, Glass Onion was still very entertaining. The powerhouse cast ensured that every character exploded to life through the excellent portrayals of Glass Onion's brilliantly chosen stars. Each role felt tailor-made to the actor cast for it. The group of entitled celebrities felt more wild and uncontrollable than the frustrated family of Knives Out, which raised Glass Onion's peril and unpredictability. Glass Onion brilliantly hid clues throughout the film that reveal the murderer if the audience is paying attention. It's a great whodunit, but I would like more development of Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc. His character didn't get much more backstory or growth over the last film and even felt sidelined for the movie's second half. I wanted just a little more for Blanc, but I look forward to the next installment of this fantasy franchise.

Daniel Craig rather engagingly reprises his role as the "Poirot"-esque "Benoit Blanc" in this fairly unashamed rip-off of all things Agatha Christie. He finds himself an unexpected guest of billionaire "Bron" (Edward Norton) on his beautiful Greek island, amongst a slew of other notables who - of course - each have an axe to grind with this outwardly affable host. The purpose of the get-together is a traditional murder mystery, and after an hearty dinner, it will fall on the other guests to discover who has murdered "Bron". Well, that's the plan anyway - but of course it doesn't take long for all of that to be derailed and for us to become embroiled in lots of concentric plots and tales of betrayal and duplicity that will truly test the mettle of our sleuth and the audience. The assembled cast provide for a myriad of characterisations and as we discover, an equally fertile source for suspicion and comedy. Kate Hudson is good fun as the nice-but-dim "Birdie"; Dave Bautista keeps more than you'd think is his budgie-smugglers and Jackie Hoffman steals the show in the very few scenes she graces as his non-nonsense mother. The writing delivers a multi-layered feast - some of it basic and bawdy, some more sophisticated as the story gradually progresses towards a conclusion that navigates the red herrings before a denouement that wasn't quite what I was expecting. It looks really good, and it takes a swing at just about everything from corporate greed, vanity, vacuousness and stupidity - but it does it in a satisfyingly subtle fashion. Though rather slow to get off the ground, once it gets up and running it's a good watch.

_Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery_ is a lighthearted murder mystery filled with effective comedy, fantastic performances, and a somewhat predictable plot.
Overall, I had a great time with this film and the theater experience was one of my favorites of the year. The plot is somewhat similar to the first, a murder happens and Benolt Blanc is there to solve it. It hits all the familiar beats but does not work quite as well as its predecessor, this is mainly due to the characters. The performances were great and they work well in isolation from the overarching story, but all of them are such over-the-top caricatures that are hard to believe their connections or motivations to kill. Their banter with each other is charming and funny and helps carry this movie forward.
The first quarter of this movie was pretty poorly done. A lot of the setup had pandemic references and humor that felt really out of place in 2022. So many movies before this have touched on those topics that it felt overdone and boring. Really interesting choice for this type of film, but once the characters get to the island all of that awkward setup is left on the mainland and the movie starts to find its footing.
From this point forward, I had a great time. Daniel Craig was fantastic as Benolt Blanc and it was quite funny to see him as a fish out of water surrounded by corporate elites. The majority of the lines I laughed at were delivered by him with a dry pan sense of delivery. It was organic and played well on screen. Edward Norton was a fantastic addition and the majority of the cast did excellently. They were really funny and delivered the stereotyped character performances well.
Much like the beginning of the movie, the last ten minutes did not work tremendously well for me. It was quite corny, over the top, and unrealistic. It diminishes the greatness of the middle of the film.
Even though this movie fails to reach the heights of the original, it does enough to deliver a very entertaining mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a shame that Netflix is only having a limited release for this film because it is best in a crowded theater on the silver screen.
**Score:** _77%_ |
**Verdict:** _Great_

While the first **Knives Out** is undoubtedly more eerie and traditional when viewed alongside other murder mysteries, the modernity (both politically, and just through the characters and humour) is what makes this so dynamic, and so, so, great.
Despite the already immense cast in the first production, this time around it still manages to feel so much grander. When actors like Ethan Hawke, Natasha Lyonne and Hugh Grant make mere cameos throughout, it just puts even more excitement into an already electrifying crowd. And each member of that crowd is amazing. The highlighting performances unsurprisingly include Daniel Craig, but Janelle Monet very well might take the cake. She completely surprised me and ended up bringing more to the film than anyone else, way more exuberant than I have ever seen her. Additionally, Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista were both so much fun, Norton was hilarious, and despite not having the largest role Madelyn Cline was really excellent too. The only two that I can't say I was the biggest fan of were Leslie Odom Jr. and Kathryn Hahn. Neither were exceptionally bad or anything, rather just a bit boring with the fact that they were two pretty large roles and not a lot of energy came from either of them.
Even though the cast is the main attraction, the editing is also fantastic. Great use of split screens, timeline jumps, and just overall creativity too.
All in all, it's one of the most entertaining mysteries in a while, and a new highlight of the year for sure. I am not usually fond of franchises but when Johnson announced during the Q&A that he had the intention on making countless more of these I became quite excited. See this as soon as you can because it is actually brilliant.

**Uncharted overdid the action, cheesy performances, and selfish betrayals while leaving the story behind.**
Uncharted mixes National Treasure, Tomb Raider, and The Other Guys into a disappointing cocktail that leaves a bland taste. Several sequences and setpieces were lifted directly from the games, which is a fabulous treat for fans of the series, but that is about where the similarities end. Although a fantastic actor, Holland was a younger choice than many expected for the role, making Uncharted Nathan Drake's origin story. Unfortunately, this was less origin and more Mary Sue, as Drake already had all the knowledge and skills to navigate this outrageous movie. The CGI was obvious, and the stunts and action were so unbelievable for a character that started the movie as a bartender that it made it difficult to enjoy. All the characters were so unlikeable and duplicitous, with almost every interaction ending in another "surprising" betrayal. Mark Wahlberg's performance didn't fit in the movie either. He felt like he was just playing himself with goofy quips and fast-talking rather than trying to play a character in this universe. I was hoping for so much more, but this franchise-launching film was dead on arrival.

_Uncharted_ was perfectly predictable. I had a general idea of what to expect going into the film and got most of everything I wanted. While it is not groundbreaking cinema, it does offer so very great action set pieces that are pulled straight from the games I grew up loving. The story is very reminiscent of an adventure Nathan Drake would take during the games and the environments were diverse and engaging. My one big critique is the performances. While they were fine, I did not really think the casting was done in terms of the characters themselves but more for the star power. Tom Holland plays a character that is an edgier Peter Parker, he still has the charisma of Nathan Drake but there is something about him that still feels naïve and less sure of himself. I understand this is early in Nathan Drake's career, but it still felt to overly Spider-Man for me. There is really not much to say for Mark Wahlberg either, he plays pretty much the same character as every one of his other films. Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas all do a fine enough job in their roles but never do anything that make their performances stand out. Overall, this movie is fun if you sit back, relax and enjoy some great action and exploration. It is not great, but it definitely passes the time and is good time.
**Score**: _68%_ | **Verdict:** _Good_

Fun, but flat!
Neat adaptation of the games, the character of Nathan feels distinct enough that I wasn’t bothered by a lot of the world-building choices and changes. Both the story and scene structures are a bit odd at times, but it stays pretty light throughout. Criminal waste of Antonio Banderas though.

This movie was pretty much what I expected or rather hoped for. It was a fun adventure/action rollercoaster plain and simple. This is one of those, rare nowadays, movies that are meant to entertain plain and simple. Two hours of adventure, action and twists barely held together by a rudimentary story and no woke rubbish or bullshit preaching. The latter is probably what rendered it a 40% rotten “critics” score on woke tomatoes while the audience gave it a 90% fresh score. As almost always a rotten score on woke tomatoes is an indication that it is a movie worthwhile watching.
The story, as can be seen from the movie blurb, is a treasure hunt a la Indiana Jones. It starts off by introducing the main character, Nathan, in a few brief scenes where Nathan bungles up a heist being perpetrated by his brother after which they are involuntarily separated.
Quick forward to present time and the main story takes off with Nathan being persuaded by Sullivan to embark on a hunt for an immeasurable treasure. Not exactly the newest or freshest of stories but if it works don’t fix it.
Pretty much everyone in this movie is a self-centered scoundrel with little to no care for anyone except themselves. Thus the action and treasure hunting is regularly interrupted by twists and betrayals. No one will claim that this movie has an elaborate and intelligent story. It does not have to. It is just meant to hold the action together.
I quite liked the main actors. Sullivan did a good job of being the blasé, self-centered scoundrel, Nathan of being the somewhat naive wannabe treasure hunter and Braddock was quite cool, and sexy (hey, I’m a guy), as the baddie. Antonio Banderas was Antonio Banderas although I was saddened by his premature exit from the hunt.
Overall the action was nice although the scenes in, and out of, the airplane was the usual unrealistic Hollywood action. Although that was overshadowed with the ship carrying helicopter scenes towards the end which was taking unrealism to new levels. But I didn’t really care because it was fun silliness. The moment they started to carry those ships away I started to hope that the writer would go for the silly and obvious stunt involving black powder. Yes unrealistic but there is no denying the coolness factor.
As far as I am concerned this was two hours well spent. The ending scene clearly suggested that the producers hoped to make a sequel. I would definitely watch it but with all the people lamenting the fact that someone dared to make a movie simply for entertainment without a profound (and boring) story or bullshit preaching in it that might not happen. It did make about four times its budget at the box office though so maybe.