To be fair, Waititi has some really funny material in _Love and Thunder_. Everyone in the extremely talented cast looks to be having a ton of fun and the villain is out of this world good. The events of the film feel kind of pointless, especially with repeat viewings. Phase four of the MCU has this aimless direction that is heading towards a ton of projects that no one is really all that excited for. After Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home, it honestly feels like the MCU has reached its peak. _Thor: Love and Thunder_ is mostly just a brightly colored filler episode that will likely be forgotten about like most of the _Thor_ franchise.
**Full review:** https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Thor-Love-and-Thunder-2022-Review-Taika-Waititi-Overload

This was my favourite of the Marvel franchises, but boy have we now plumbed the depths. Taika Waititi presents us here with a mess of a film that dumps just about all of the original exciting Norse mythology and legend, and substitutes it with something little better than a cartoon. Chris Hemsworth does try quite hard, and nobody could ever doubt Christian Bale's commitment to his roles - he must have lost half his bodyweight as he portrays the emaciated "Gorr". This poor fellow loses his daughter but has hopes that his local god will step in. Nope, as Jordan Peele might have said, and as the evil necro-sword mysteriously appears in his hand, he duly dispatches this thoughtless immortal and thereby vows to do the same for all the rest. When several Asgardian children are kidnapped and taken to the shadowland, it falls to Thor, "King Valkyrie" (Tessa Thompson) and the newly empowered - but terminally ill - "Jane" (Natalie Portman) to thwart this plan. Along the way, they try to recruit some other gods from different pantheons - notably Zeus (a hammily absurd Russell Crowe) but ultimately it's all down to these three to save the day. There is a bit of humour at the start - and maybe Jane Fonda would have been an useful addition, but for the most part this film is neither one thing nor another with too much romance - a serious illness that just didn't belong in a light-heated fantasy film that treats death as an occupational hazard for the characters; and the need to generate and sustain the supporting characters reduced the impact of Thor to little more than a team player in a red cape. The ending is weak, but frankly no more so than most of the rest of this truly disappointing feature. If you stick right to the end of the credits, you will see that perhaps Hercules is to be the next topic for this character - I can only hope Sir Kenneth Branagh is available. Looks great on a big screen, superb visual effects etc., but Marvel have lost their way with this...

**Thor: Love and Thunder** is a sequel to the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok. It is written and directed by Taika Waititi and based on, of course, the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster / Mighty Thor, and Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.
And the story? The gods are in danger! The God Butcher is coming for them! And only the mightiest of them all can stop him: Thor. But Thor is in bad shape. He's lost his hammer, his friends, and his confidence. He'll need all the help he can get to save the day. He'll have to relearn what it means to be a hero, and Jane Foster will have to become the Mighty Thor.
I was looking forward to this movie. I loved Taika Waititi's direction in Ragnarok, and the cast is amazing. I was hoping for another fun, fast-paced, and humorous film like its predecessor. But unfortunately, Thor: Love and Thunder falls flat. The story is convoluted and slow-moving, and there are too many characters for any of them to get enough development. The humour is forced, and it frequently fails. And the ending is just...Stranger things have happened, I suppose.
I was disappointed in **Thor: Love and Thunder**. If you're a die-hard Marvel fan, you might enjoy it, but if you're looking for another fun and exciting Thor film, I think you'll be disappointed, too.

After a rocky start, _Thor Love and Thunder_ is able to find its footing during delivering a fun and despondent Thor adventure filled with a tremendous amount of heart.
It is no surprise that this film is far from perfect, and that is not more evident than the beginning of the film. The entire first act feels so disjointed and rushed. You get thrown plot point after plot point and get whipped from planet to planet which results in the viewer not being able to lock in on the story. I really enjoyed the scenes we got from Gorr and Jane during this act, but they felt a little underdeveloped and rushed. The comedy was a little thick during this section, some jokes completely missed, but it was nothing that was overbearing that it hurt the experience. Once the movie enters the second act and begins focusing on Jane the entire gets much better. It is here where you can really see the balance that Taika Waititi brought during Ragnarök with some moments rivaling the best from that film. The ending of this film has some really great action and cinematography, some may argue it's among the best in the MCU. As the movie credits rolled, I was very satisfied to the conclusion of this film and am ready for more Thor action in the future.
The acting all around was excellent in this film, I found the dynamic between Jane and Thor worked much better than in previous films. They had real chemistry on screen, and you could feel the love the two previously shared unearth with each additional scene. There are some really great conversations that dive into their relationship that were done fantastically. Christian Bale was menacing as Gorr, his demeanor was sinister and completely unhinged as he delivered crazy laughs while delivering his villain manifesto. It gave me serious flashbacks to Heath Ledger’s Joker. I just wish we got to see more of him in the film, but the bit we did see was top tier villainy in the MCU.
The music in this film blends with the scenes very well. When the Guns N' Roses guitar starts playing you know it is about to go down and I could not help but smile. While the beginning of this film was bad, I can admit, the ending was so great that it averaged out the movie and made it a very enjoyable experience.
**Verdict:** _Good_
**Score:** _7/10_

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/thor-love-and-thunder-spoiler-free-review
"Thor: Love and Thunder boasts a bittersweet story about finding peace and love in suffering and pain, without forgetting the necessary thunderous action that reaches its best level in a long sequence surrounded by a breathtaking black-and-white color palette.
Christian Bale stands out with a terrifying performance as one of MCU's best villains in recent years, while Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman share excellent chemistry. Visually distinct and with a unique soundtrack, the formulaic screenplay benefits immensely when focusing on the complex arcs of each character.
Still, the continuous comedy bits - far from the hilarious creativity of the past - deny further exploration, removing emotional value from the third act. The action featuring generic CGI shadow monsters holds predictable issues, and an irrelevant plot deviation only serves as a teaser for future content.
Overall, Taika Waititi succeeds yet again, but this time, he fails to reach the full potential of the premise."
Rating: B+

The God of Thunder returns in Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” and audiences find that Thor (Chris Hemsworth), has been doing missions with the Guardians of the Galaxy while he works himself back into shape and looks to find a new purpose in life.
Thor has been taking the spotlight in many of the missions and when multiple calls for help arise, Thor opts to go off on his own to address a particular call for help while the Guardians head on their way to help others.
It is learned that a being named Gorr (Christian Bale) has been killing Gods and Thor is eager to put a stop to him before he can do more damage. His mission soon puts him on a collision course with Gorr and The Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman) who being his ex and wielding his former weapon causes more than a few funny and awkward moments.
In a race to save captured children, rally the gods, and defeat Gorr, Thor, and Jane along with Korr (Taika Waititi) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), embark on an epic adventure in a race against time.
While audiences have come to expect Marvel films to be epic cinematic events, this film is less on the over-the-top action sequences in favor of establishing new circumstances and challenges for the characters going forward.
While there are indeed action sequences and plenty of VFX, it does not have the action or intensity of several of the past films. What it does offer is a good mix of action and humor with enjoyable characters old and new and establishes scenarios for the MCU going forward.
Bale is very good as Gorr and you understand his motivations clearly as while evil, he has a degree of sympathy towards his character which makes his creepy performance all the more compelling.
The cast works very well with one another and there are two scenes in the credits which open up all kinds of possibilities for the future as we are told Thor will return before the credits even begin to roll.
The film also has considerable music and I joked to myself that Guns and Roses are going to be getting a big check due to their music being used frequently during the film as well as that of other artists which helps make the film an enjoyable outing from start to finish which should delight fans as we wait to see for the next cinematic offering from Marvel.
4 stars out of 5

One of the best MCU up to date. Gorr is my favourite villain so far. Chris Hemsworth is amazing as always. The story is truly awesome, the visuals are stunning. Another Taika banger

Pretty good ngl. Something new i enjoyed it

"Evan" (Ashton Kutcher) has had a troubled existence thus far in his young life, and is prone to blackouts. These seem to take chunks of his day away from him as he comes back to a consciousness unaware of what has just taken place, or even where he is! He tries to fill in the gaps by writing in his journal what could have happened then miraculously finds himself back at that exact time and place. It's almost as if these memory lapses were just missing pieces of his jigsaw puzzle that he must go and relive, retrospectively, and infill. The thing is, though, he doesn't readily consider the impact that these additional experiences may have on future events. Basically his actions could change the course of history. It's really his beloved "Kayleigh" (Amy Smart) he is determined to keep safe - and that's quite a task as their childhood antics have frequently caused quite a few tragic events and his attempts to reverse these merely seem to create others... Can he square the circle? This is quite a cleverly constructed story that allows Kutcher to prove he's not just a pretty lad. His characterisation of "Evan" gradually develops from someone lost in a sea of confusion to a man whose realisation of his predicament is becoming a little more enabling. The nature of the story allows the film to adopt a loosely linked portmanteau style to it - with each episode in is life introducing different characters and scenarios which, so long as he can access his journal, he can escape from should the dangers (and there are quite a few) threaten to overwhelm him. It's not an easy watch - there's violence and bullying a-plenty, but it's a quirkily presented look at the domino effects of human behaviour that does merit a watch.

You can't change who people are without destroying who they were.
The Butterfly Effect - Directors Cut
The Butterfly Effect is directed by Eric Bress and Bress co-writes the screenplay with J. Mackye Gruber. It stars Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters, Amy Smart, Elden Henson, William Lee Scott, Eric Stoltz and Ethan Suplee. Music is by Michael Suby and cinematography by Matthew F. Leonetti.
The title refers to the butterfly effect, the chaos theory of a popular hypothetical situation that illustrates how small initial differences may lead to large unforeseen consequences over time. The plot pitches Kutcher as Evan Treborn who suffers blackouts during critical mments in his life. When older he finds that through reading the journals he has written since a child, that he can go back in time to the significant events and change what happens. Unfortunately each time he does it comes at a great cost...
It was mercilessly kicked by the pro critics upon release, not helped by coming at a time when Kucher was something of a kicking post to critics. To compound the misery for the makers, they released a theatrical cut that featured a quite apalling ending. Inspite of these trevails at the time of release, the pic made a pot load of cash at the box office. Once the Directors Cut surfaced, with a key scene added to cement the different - quality - ending, time has seen the stock of the pic rise considerably. So much so that it currently sits at a 7.6 rating on IMDb and a 75% rating on TMDB, wile there are some critics who have come out and admitted they were too quick to judge the first release back in 2004.
What we have is a time travelling corkscrew narrative that is immensely sombre in telling how ones actions can have far-reaching consequences. It's a compelling and often thrilling picture, one that can spark hearty debate about the thematics at work - notably we the audience being forced to contemplate our own actions in life. The pic demands the utmost attention, switching off for a few minutes is a definite no no. Some scenes linger long in the memory as we trawl through the evil that kids and men do, right up to the unforgettable finale.
There's plot and logic holes, that are small irritants, and even though this definitely could have been better cast with more senior actors, none of the youthful cast members hurt the picture. It packs a punch, that is on proviso you only see the directors cut. 7.5/10

Great world, great action, great miscast
Dane de Haan sounds like a teenager trying to sound like a grown-up ordering porn from the video store with dad's credit card. He's not the bratty guy that gets on Cara's nerves and into her heart.
That would be Ryan Goslin, Chris Evans or Chris Pratt, but I reckon they had their schedules full. Since much of the movie depends on the banter between Cara and Dane, you can see Cara is trying and rescues a bunch of scenes, but it just doesn't work. It's a real shame. On top of that, he misses the hero charm and charisma that's needed to pull off a believable "invaluable resource".
So enjoy the good parts (the word building, the action scenes and Rihanna's performance) and try to gloss over the bad.

I'm conflicted by this film.
The good is really great. I think the settings are some of the best in any sci-fi movie I've watched. Luc Besson's style shines through ala Fifth Element. The visual and special effects combine with the settings to make this just spectacular to watch. The plot and action provide solid support.
But the bad is truly awful. The selection of Dane DeHaan in the lead is one of the worst casting mistakes I've come across. He is completely unbelievable in the role and nothing like the character in the source material. Cara Delevingne scrapes by but the two of them struggle to deliver their roles and have zero chemistry. Even Clive and Ethan aren't at their best, with Rihanna being one of the best performances. They aren't helped by some very poorly written dialog. With so many good actors and writers out there these two big mistakes should never have happened.
Unfortunately those mistakes turned what should have been a sci-fi gem closer to painful mediocrity.

A disorrienting but somewhat delightful run through all manner of sci-fi imaginations. The acting was not good, and the storyline was sometimes incoherent, yet I have this strange urge to rewatch this thing. It's harmless, fascinating fun, in ways like the original starwars experience (though much more visually spectacular, and much less narratively coherent).

I like this Movie very much. It reminds a bit about Avatar & John Carter. I can not Understand why it did Not make it to the Australian Cinemas. For this type of High Budget it would be worth watching in 3D Cinemas.
I gave it 10/10 **********

I guess I am going to disagree both with the critics, wich of course is not at all unusual, as well as with a lot of the actual viewers of this movie by saying that I really liked this movie.
I guess that I can to some extent understand that some viewers are disappointed. That would be the viewers that have read the comics that the movie is based on. Unfortunately someone in the production team decided to take bits and pieces from several comic books and mash them together as well as change some key elements. It is really annoying when that is done. It is usually an indication that somewhere some dumbass who did not understand, and certainly did not respect, the source material had way too much influence on the production. It is really a shame since the comic book from wich the core of the of the story seems to be taken is certainly more than good enough to stand on its own.
Well luckily the mashup that they produced is actually bloody good. Something wich in my experience is quite rare. The Valerian comics lends themselves very well as a base for some spectacular sci-fi with plenty of weird creatures and spectacular scenery. Add Luc Besson to the mix and you have to spell spectacular in all caps.
This is definitely a Luc Besson movie. Plenty of action, spectacular (yes I repeat myself but this movie deserves it) scenery, a fair amount of weirdness. In short a lot of stuff this particular viewer likes.
The mashed up story is not too bad. It is predictable as hell of course, even though it is not following the comics, but it is making a decent job of tying together all the action and FX and the action and FX is really the main reason to watch this movie after all.
I have to say that I think most of the characters were pretty okay. It seems that the performance of the two main characters where generally not so well received by a lot of people. I guess I can somewhat understand that but I still cannot refrain from saying: Read the fucking comics! Okay it is a French comic and there are probably few people outside of France (or at least outside of Europe) that have read them. Me being one of the few of course. Anyway, Valerian and Laureline are supposed to be somewhat weird, silly and a little bit childish. Personally I think they did a fair job of interpreting the comic book characters the way they should be. We probably have Luc Besson to thank for not getting a some Hollywood, thirteen on a dozen, characters.
I do miss some bits of the real comics though. The transmutation animal played a much more visible role in the comic and so did the three information peddlers wich gave a much more professional impression in the comic book by the way. I also think it was a shame that they changed the story of the Muh so much. Their role in the comic book was much more impressive to me.
Still, most of the bits and pieces that is taken from the different comic books and mashed together are quite faithfully reproduced, at least visually and the results turned out really really good as far as I am concerned.
To wrap it up, to me, this movie was a fun, spectacular, action filled sci-fi extravaganza. A typical Luc Besson movie and I mean that in a good way.

Well, the scenes start comin' and they don't stop comin'. Aaaand that's basically the whole movie.
No, honestly by the end of it I was actually pretty on board. It took me a lot to get to that point though. The ham-fisted romance subplot they kept awkwardly grinding the movie to a standstill for was chief amongst the swill I felt I had to wade through to get to that point of enjoyment. The primary alien race being the most poorly animated was another. But somewhere between the Rhianna actually being bearable in this, and the Ethan Hawke character I want to see 500 more times, I did actually somewhat enjoy _Valerian_... Somewhat.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

It's a fun movie, but it's not what I would call a sci fi classic. It's all spectacle, with eye popping visuals. It creates some really interesting side characters and alien worlds. The drawback is the two leads. They seem rather bland and one dimensional. Their romantic bantering is quite boring. The supporting characters are more colorful and interesting. If you are a fan of Luc Besson's The Fifth Element, you will probably enjoy this. Just don't expect anything too deep from this movie.

A spectacular spectacle of a movie that faithfully adapts a French 1970s sci-fi comic book. If you think you might see it some day, you owe it to yourself to catch it in 3D on a big screen now. In a world of paint-by-numbers blockbusters, this is an invigorating slap to the eyeballs.
The flick would benefit from more focus and deliberation; often, story beats are glancing blows instead of precision hits. The biggest flaws, however, are found in the dialogue, which is at best serviceable and at times painful, probably owing to its transition through times, languages, and mediums.
Valerian isn't perfect, it's a bit clunky, but the sheer unusualness, whimsy, and wonder overpowers the movie's faults, making it well worth watching.

watch it at like 11yo.. ngl I had some scoobie-doo nightmare for a while (iykyk) but I otherwise enjoyed the movie a lot ! was scarred it would be the same stuff over and over but the in depth flashbacks doesn't allow this

I can certainly appreciate the lengths that those involved in _127 Hours_ went to. Being that the movie is 90% bottle-episode, wherein the lead doesn't even have the luxury of something as simple as being allowed to pace about, it's not unfair to say that _127 Hours_ doesn't have a whole lot going on. To try and inject a bit of life into it, director Danny Boyle throws in a number of unique filming styles, and I'll absolutely give props to him for that outside-the-box sort of thinking, but it doesn't actually change the fact that there's still not a whole lot going on. Franco is not a bad actor, but it's a big ask of someone to run something like this solo, and it ends up being a bigger one than he can fully manage. _127 Hours_ is not something I ever found fully engaging. Oft-intense, and kind of gross, but not fully engaging.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

It was the borring movie I ever watch.
And I will not recomend anyone go see this.

127 Hours depicts the true story of a guy named Aron Ralston, who went canyoneering in Utah in April 2003. Through a pretty serious event of misfortune, he gets trapped in a canyon by a boulder that pulverises his arm against the canyon wall; literally between a rock and a hard place. And, the desperate measures he resorts to in order to free himself. From a Hollywood perspective, this sounds like it could be turned into a wildly spectacular action film with a bold, heroic protagonist, hysterical relatives and "Where is my son? PLEASE FIND MY SON!!" (*intense sobbing*) - type of dialogue. Yes? No. Boy, am I glad this was directed by Danny Boyle... The man we all know for his raw, authentic film style. Instead of aforementioned blockbuster drama, he opted for an incredibly realistic, documentary-like film. 127 Hours starts off with no form of introduction whatsoever. We do not get to 'meet' Aron or any of his relatives. However, any such introduction quickly proves to be redundant as, over the fast-paced opening credits, we see Aron enthusiastically preparing for and taking off on a hiking trip (ignoring his mother's phone call in the process...), and there you have it: this is a 'too cool for school', overconfident adrenaline junkie, and that's all we need to know. This overconfidence gradually proves to be the source of pretty much all his problems, as it is later on revealed that Aron neglected to tell anyone where he was going... Oops.
Like I said, this film looks and feels very much like a documentary, like National Geographic made a big budget reconstruction of the event. The film makers' choice to cast James Franco was a very good one. He is simply amazing. Mind you – he is alone in this film for about 95% of the time. This requires an actor with the guts and skill to carry an entire film, and I must admit, Franco probably wouldn't have been my first choice. But – to my pleasant surprise – he pulls it off, and is actually very worthy indeed of his Oscar nomination. He displays an impressively wide range of emotions, all equally convincing. Panic, disbelief, despair, delusion, hurt and hallucinations. But even confidence, coolness, exhilaration and rationality; it's all there. Aron Ralston, as a character, starts off as a seemingly quite cocky, confident, care-free dude who just wants to enjoy himself and do what he loves most: exploring nature. Without telling his family. But as the film progresses, and Aron realises just what kind of mess he's in, you can slowly see a change occurring in him. And the fact that, after a while you greatly start to sympathize with him and even admire him, despite his obvious stupidity before, is all due to James Franco. He has really proved himself to be a very fine character actor with the capability of moving his audience. There is one scene in particular which I found really captivating. During the 'Tuesday' scene, Aron records himself on his camcorder, acting like he's on a talk show, answering his own questions. This scene is top-notch, acting wise, and this is where you really start to feel for him.
Throughout Aron's ordeal, we are shown various flashbacks of his childhood, friends, family and loves. This might seem like a cliché, but honestly, what else are you supposed to think about when you're stuck in a canyon for five days? Some people have suggested they think Aron to be a superficial person for not having some kind of spiritual enlightenment while he was trapped, but honestly, I don't think it's anybody's business to judge what Aron thought and felt throughout his ordeal. We all deal with hardship in our own personal way, and talking to God is not necessarily an option for everyone. Some of us simply draw support from family and love and good memories. I know that's what I'd do.
Now, back to technical talk. The sense of realism of 127 Hours comes greatly from the grainy, unsteady camera work and graphic depiction of everything. Which is a note that comes with a warning: this film is not for the faint of heart. What surprised me is that the scene where Aron 'releases' himself is visually very graphic. I won't go into detail, but you really shouldn't watch this if you don't have the stomach.
There were only a few minor things which bothered me during this film. It has a few moments which, inevitably are a teeny bit boring. But then again, even that seems to fit into the story, so perhaps it makes sense. And I personally think the music wasn't always very well chosen, some of it didn't really fit somehow. But none of this is really any bother.
127 Hours may not be as profound as Into the Wild, but it's certainly a very well-crafted film which deserves respect on its own merits. Also, the photography of the film is really beautiful and some of the scenery of the canyons is truly breathtaking. I would recommend it for the pretty pictures alone. Anyhow, if you're interested in a really good episode of "I shouldn't be alive", this is the film for you.
_(September 2011)_

Franco provides a nice performance but the movie is not that hooking and Boyle repeats his visual techniques once and again.

**Pixels is another dumb, fun Adam Sandler film that doesn’t deserve all the hate. If you like Sandler movies, this is a good one.**
I have seen this movie on so many “Worst of all time” lists, and it does not belong there. It’s an Adam Sandler movie, so that should give you an idea of what to expect - a goofy comedy with some absurd characters doing something ridiculous. And I’m here for it! I enjoy Sandler movies, and I really enjoyed this one. The characters were funny. The plot entertained. The effects worked with the 80s video game idea. Sandler and James are always a fun duo, and adding Gad and Dinklage cranked up the laughs. Michelle Monaghan was a good fit and knew how to play with the boys in this outrageous film. I’m not saying Pixels should win an Oscar, but it’s fun to watch and laugh with the family, especially if you’re a fan of other Sandler films.

> I enjoyed it because it reminded me my childhood.
There are plenty of movies related to the video games. The 80s movie 'Tron' was one of those first I have seen, followed by many. But the recent one 'Wreck-it Ralph' was the game changer in the modern animation/CGI which led to another similar flick, 'The Lego Movie'. Lego and 'Toy Story' are the toys, not the video games, but very close to this theme and I'm very happy that Hollywood made this film for the guys like me who grew up playing them.
The film had a very simple story with the great visuals. Sometimes simple is very good rather going for hi-tech. Especially those who played these games in their middle-age back in the 80s could be now very old and they might suffer to understand the film due to the technology/terms/phrase gap, if it matched to the todays hi-tech hi-resolution video games. But the youngsters of the present era didn't understand that who are the backbone of any movie's success and that's why this movie sunk in the ocean of criticism.
My childhood and teenage was the late 90s and early 00s respectively, So 8bit games are on the edge of revolution. My favourites were the races and brick games, especially 'Duck Hunt', because I get a gun, not joystick. So this movie really brought me those sweet memories. A decade ago I used those unique sounds and music for message alerts in my 2G mobile phone(s).
I know recently Sandler had hit the rock bottom in his acting career, but, he's kind of lifted after the decent film 'The Cobbler' and excellent multistarrer 'Men, Women & Children'. This is not a massive comeback to what he's known for, comedies. But, sailing on average or above in better than falling downward in the career graph. To me this film was a better one, an above average, obviously not a masterpiece.
Guest appearances were unexpected, but was not that effective, except Ashley Benson, who was so hot in her 2-3 odd minutes. This film is not for everyone. Youngsters and oldsters never understand it. If you were born in the 70s and 80s, then probably you will know what to expect. Even it does not deliver to your expectation, definitely gives satisfaction for bringing those lost memories of our childhood.
7/10

Nostalgia can be something to revisit as a decent form of escapism from one’s current worries. It feels so refreshing to turn back the hands of time and recall all the wonderful memories and perks of our younger days and, what is not to consider about the days gone by when reminiscing about certain trends in music, fashion, entertainment or past relationships? For this particular theme regarding director Chris Columbus’s tepid comedy ‘Pixels’, the focus pays homage to the old school pastime of video games. Sure, ‘Pixels’ tries to recapture the glory days of 80s video game mania and wrap it into an off-kilter disaster comedy that awkwardly borrows heavily from another 80s iconic big screen laugher we affectionately recognize as ‘Ghostbusters’. Instead, the clunky ‘Pixels’ is nothing more than an updated poor man’s version of the aforementioned ‘Ghostbusters’ with little distinctive spark or imagination to accompany the empty zaniness. This latest lame and recycled Adam Sandler-led vehicle should come with the familiar message that is flashed at every conclusion of a video game: Game Over!
Every formulaic bone in the body of ‘Pixels’ is fragile because the movie really does not strive for anything sensational outside of its ambitious special effects wizardly. One can somewhat appreciate the few outlandish moments that garner a chuckle here and there but for the most part ‘Pixels’ suffers from transparent character developments that take a backseat to the incidental mayhem that persists.
The good news is that ‘Pixels’ is one of the few Sandler-branded films that one could actually stomach without resorting to the usual eye-rolling exasperation. Still, that is not saying very much nor is this what one might call a glowing endorsement neither. Screenwriters Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling manage to adequately stuff enough throwback reminders to the heyday of 80s-era frivolity regarding video game fever and the baby-boomers (and strangely enough youngsters and young adults) will probably relish the reminiscent goofiness of the period. The need to mesh the sentimental fixation of video games with the reliable foundation of disaster flicks that still reign supreme in today’s popcorn cinema scene is challenging yet ‘Pixels’ just does not have the convincing giddy-minded gumption to pull off such a free-wheeling stunt.
As many may proudly admit their hours-long odyssey into video arcades where brain cells were bombarded by exceptional gaming skills, we come across a selection of a former (and some may even say current) ‘nerd herd’ of gifted gamers that were resourceful back in the day when their fierce video game acumen was something not to mess with at all. Leading the pack of players that were previously involved in the 1982 World Videogame Championship competition is Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), a slacker that has done nothing productive with his adult life since the notable achievement of being a runner-up at the WVC competition as a child. The champ, whose title was earned at Sam’s expense, is Eddie ‘The Fire Blaster’ Plant (Peter Dinklage). Rounding out the trio is game-playing expert and conspiracy-seeking ace Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad). Oh yeah…let’s not forget their mutual friend Will Cooper (Sandler’s comedy best buddy Kevin James) who just happens to be the President of the United States. How convenient, huh?
Well, the expertise of the video-playing ‘fearsome threesome’ will come into being handy when a misinterpreted recording of a video game competition recovered in space by perturbed aliens sets off the threatening agenda for these space invaders to conquer the arrogant earthlings. After all, the taped recording ruffled the feathers of the aliens so the planet Earth needs to be challenged for the rights to claim planetary property. So the question remains: can the uninspired electronics-installing Sam, the cocky-minded Eddie and paranoid puss Ludlow defend our world and use their gaming prowess to outwit, outplay and outlast the aliens as a high stakes game is proposed for ownership of the planet?
Some may dismiss ‘Pixels’ as a serviceable, quirky comedy that has a unique spirit onto its own. It does have its inserted nuttiness at various spurts. However, the overall presentation feels utterly choppy and the whole premise about these past gaming misfits returning to their childhood glory to rescue mankind through their glorified hobby comes off as manufactured, clumsy-minded campiness. There is nothing about ‘Pixels’ that screams originality besides being a faceless ‘Ghostbusters’ knock-off but with familiar video game branding (the gigantic Pac Man-eating creature comes to mind as he tries to swallow the entire metropolitan region). This frenzy-minded fable seems strained for canned laughs.
Sandler, although not as nearly obnoxious and grating on the nerves as he is in some of his other monotonous vehicles, seems to be sleep-walking in his role as the redemptive Sam looking for that second chance to come out as victorious to undermine his otherwise mundane existence. The breath-taking Michelle Monaghan, playing Sam’s shapely military protocol pop tart of a girlfriend Violet van Patten, is on hand to remind us that even labelled ‘losers’ that like to push gaming buttons on a console can get the last laugh in coming out feeling lucky. Monaghan’s Violet being Sam’s glamorous galpal and James’s Cooper as Sam’s Commander-in-Chief pal is probably the most outlandish and funny element about ‘Pixels’ to legitimately digest at this point. Gad is a mixed bag as the oafish Ludlow often opining for his indifferent pixel princess Lady Lisa (Ashley Benson). Dinklage steals the show as Eddie, a diminutive dynamo that is big on showy confidence within his small frame.
It is safe to say that the insanely amusing Bill Murray and his crew of ghost-busting goof-offs need not to lose any sleep over over the perfunctory put-on that is Sandler and company in the slight and forgettable silliness of ‘Pixels’. One might want to save their roll of quarters and wash a load of dirty laundry as opposed to playing a do-or-die game of ‘Donkey Kong’ with these video game vagabonds.
Pixels (2015)
Sony Pictures
1 hr. 45 mins.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Kevin James, Brian Cox, Matt Linz and Sean Bean
Directed by: Chris Columbus
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Video Game Action & Adventure
Critic’s Rating: * 1/2 stars (out of 4 stars)

I was not sure what to expect from this movie that I found on Netflix a while ago while browsing through the catalog. The movie poster makes it look like a hard-boiled police action movie but reading the reviews it became clear that it was more of a comedy. I had not heard of the movie before but it generally got good reviews so the other evening me and the boys sat down to watch it.
This is a fun movie. A good, old-fashioned British comedy. The core story could very well have been a serious crime story but the way it is implemented makes it so incredibly silly in a fun way. It starts off pretty much right away when PC Angel is told that he will be promoted but moved, because he makes the rest if the bunch of the dimwits at the precinct look bad, to a small British town where the most fun you can have is to watch the grass grow or get drunk and from there it goes downhill for Angel.
His new colleagues are somewhat weird not to mention more or less useless when it comes to police work. The by-the-book Angel is getting more and more frustrated and his only friend is the son of his new boss, whom he arrested on the first day by the way. When the grizzly “accidents” starts to happen the movie, in particular the explanations as to why they are “accidents” and not crimes, become more and more absurd. The special effects guys seems to have learned a trick or two from the Monty Python gang when it comes to over the top gory blood splattered scenes by the way.
In the final showdown between Angel and the totally whacko gang that keeps the town “clean” by deadly serious methods is short references to great many action movies. The amount of shots fired and the ratio of misses versus actual hits is nothing short of ludicrous. It was just so absurdly funny that it is difficult to describe.
If you are in the mood for some good solid British comedy then I can recommend this one. It is a very well done comedy and a lot more enjoyable than the get drunk and/or fall on your arse and/or and puke all over the place “comedies” that comes thirteen to the dozen today.

Homage or parody, Hot Fuzz is the best of modern British comedy.
Police Constable Nicholas Angel is the pride of the London Service, trouble is is that he is making everybody else look bad, so much so his superiors promote him to Sergeant in the sleepy village of Sandford, Gloucestershire. Yet all is not right with Sandford as the locals start meeting grizzly deaths, thus thrusting Angel into his biggest case so far.
The biggest question on most film goers lips was could the pairing of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg triumphantly follow the monster cult success of Shaun Of The Dead? Well the plot premise for Hot Fuzz hardly leaps out as something to grab the attention span of many, but they have crafted a tremendously funny film that winks at the action genre with genuine love and admiration.
Simon Pegg and his trusty sidekick, Nick Frost, clearly have an earthbound appeal that many (even outside of Britain) can warm too, not pretty or over svelt, these guys are fans of movies making movies purely for the fans, and it shows. Neither Pegg or Frost try to steal scenes from each other, both men after over a decade of working together are clearly comfortable with their coupling and thus manage to fine tune their working chemistry.
Once Angel (Pegg) lands at Sandford Village we are introduced to a ream of British Village stereotypes (archetypes actually), all characters ripe for hilarious scenarios that our fish out water (big city cop) Sergeant struggles to comprehend. We observe as he is dumb struck at the ineptitude of the Village Police Force (erm service actually) and is then forced to work alongside dough eyed Constable Butterman (a film stealing Frost). Angel's exasperation at where he finds himself is mirthful joy to us the viewers. The dialogue is priceless, one liners and hat tipping nods to the action genre come thick and fast, in fact you can watch Hot Fuzz repeatedly and play spot the homage each time. I mean come on people, we got both James Bond (a delicious turn from Timothy Dalton) and Belloq in here strutting their stuff. The action set pieces are not found wanting either, director Wright having the time of his life with the crash bang wallop that flows in the final third.
The test of a great comedy is how it stands up to repeat viewings, to me Hot Fuzz delivers no matter how many times it is viewed. For even when you know what is coming up next, the smile on your face is already there before the event, wonderful, wonderful film made by guys who love movies as much as ourselves. 10/10

This is a cracking depiction of the infiltration of the KKK by the courageous (and the first) black Colorado Springs police officer Ron Stallworth (John David Washington). Initially assigned some fairly mundane tasks in the records room, his boss decides that his skills might better be used working with the "radical" black student group - led by Patrice Dumas. Dumas has invited civil rights leader Kwame Ture to come and speak to them, and it falls to this undercover cop to ensure that this all goes off with as few hitches as possible. Meantime, he also answers an ad in the local press and pretty easily his voice is able to infiltrate the local KKK operation. An obviously problematic face-to-face meeting is required, and for that purpose he is soon allied with colleague Flip Zimmerman, a Jew not unfamiliar with racial slurs himself. It is the latter man who impersonates Stallworth and his initiation amongst these profoundly violent and suspicious individuals proves pretty perilous. Spike Lee now takes us on a dangerous, quite frequently edge-of-the-seat, journey as these men become more and more subsumed into cultures that they both begin to understand and increasingly loathe in equal measure. The pace of this film is superb, with the degree of menace increasing as the narrative develops. The pair in the lead are great character actors and are well supported by Laura Harrier (Dumas); by the truly odious David Duke - the KKK supremo (Topher Grace) and Corey Hawkins (Kwame Ture). The levels of ignorance and bigotry displayed here are eye watering and 2½ hours just flies by.

I think the last film of Lee's watched and enjoyed was his Malcolm X biopic... but to be honest I don't think I really enjoyed the film so much as I did Denzel's performance. I mean, isn't it nice to see Denzel Washington playing something other than the smart law enforcement officer and actually bring his all to a film?
I guess I should be fair and say that it's not as horribly bad as Son of Sam was... but it's bad in a way that Nicholas Cage is had to watch in all of his movies... almost all of his movies. He actually has a few good ones.
I guess Lee's approach to this was to tell all of his actors to over-act as much as humanely possible for even the smallest roles. There is not a line that isn't over done, not a part that isn't over-acted. There is nothing naturalistic about this and it makes it so very hard to watch.
The result is a serious subject that could have been a compelling biopic, that was turned into a cartoonish mess.