Diehard fans of horror films have often complained that releases in this genre don’t get the kind of respect they deserve, almost as if they’re the Rodney Dangerfield of moviemaking. Unfortunately, it’s a reputation that’s frequently deserved given that many of these offerings are formulaic, predictable, tedious and needlessly gratuitous. The emergence of “smart” horror films has helped to offset this somewhat, imbuing these pictures with a degree of maturity and respectability that has long been sought but lacking. But, if these films truly want to earn the kind of esteem that their followers crave, these productions have to get better at doing what they do, yet the efforts that go into yielding such results all too often come up short, as is the case in this latest project from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. In all honesty, this attempt at creating an elevated version of a prototypical haunted house story leaves much to be desired. When a family of four moves into their new suburban home, strange happenings begin to occur, nearly all of which affect Chloe (Callina Liang), a troubled teen who recently lost her best friend under mysterious circumstances. But she’s not alone in her troubles – her parents, Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan), are having marital problems and her older brother, Tyler (Eddy Maday), is wrestling with behavioral and attitude issues. It’s unclear what’s really going on with everybody, but then that’s where the problem lies with this largely unfocused snooze, one that does little justice to its label as a horror film. For starters, much of it is boring and slow, especially at the outset, taking its own sweet time to get off the ground (almost half of the movie in fact). Then there’s the lame and often-cryptic dialogue, which fails miserably at encouraging viewer engagement or moving the narrative along. And, perhaps most egregiously, the picture drops the ball when it comes to what movies in this genre are supposed to do – provide the audience with good frights. In fact, there’s precious little in this film that can be considered “scary”; it’s more suspenseful, if anything, but even that is significantly watered down. Finally, when “the big reveal” comes, it’s not so much frightful as it is implausible and of questionable taste – wholly inappropriate for and not particularly in the spirit of what should constitute a good haunted house story. The result is a huge cinematic disappointment, one that makes viewers wonder what the point of it all is supposed to be. Admittedly, the film features some intriguing camera work, but it ultimately does little to shed meaningful light on the narrative, particularly in “depicting” the mysterious presence responsible for all of the supernatural goings-on and its relevance to the characters or the intent behind this story. I must confess to being somewhat baffled by the filmmaker’s involvement in this project as its quality is a far cry from that of most of his previous efforts. Even more so, though, “Presence” does little to move the needle in bolstering the reputation of a genre looking to make a better name for itself. I’ve seen scarier and more compelling TV commercials than this woefully anemic offering, and, because of that, it’s done little to change my opinion of movies of this ilk.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/presence-review-the-first-great-film-of-the-year/
"Presence challenges narrative conventions and leaves an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape of 2025.
Steven Soderbergh's bold choice to tell the story entirely through the perspective of the supernatural entity proves to be a risk that pays off, delivering an immersive, unique approach that captivates the audience until the very end while intensifying the emotional connection to the complex family.
The authenticity of the performances and the fascinating exploration of themes like grief, loneliness, and redemption outweigh the repetitive editing and minor unnecessary subplots, without undermining the overall impact and brilliance of the finale.
It's the first truly great film of the year."
Rating: A-

A family move into a new home - now I did like the meandering corridors and design of this spacious plot, but quickly we discover that it's a paper thin façade for four people who are struggling to get over a trauma. Nope, nothing new so far and, indeed nothing new to come either as daughter "Chloe" (Callina Lang) falls for the rakish "Ryan" (West Mulholland) who is the new best friend of her hunky, charm free and brain dead brother "Tyler" (Eddy Maday). Pretty swiftly, they are at it but simultaneously she starts to feel that she is being watched. Things move about on their own, her brother's room gets trashed and even the woman they bring in to do the "Madame Arcati" thing thinks something isn't right with the place and it's old silver nitrate mirror. Next thing... Well you'll have to watch it and see, but for me the opening couple of minutes of hand-held POV photography really put me off - especially it's use of the fish-eye, scene-stretching, lenses which people don't actually possess. It made me feel slightly seasick and I couldn't decide if it was a drone cam or a very sure-footed person gliding silently about the place giving us a repetitive third party perspective into the family's lives. Mum (Lucy Liu) rarely puts her laptop down; dad (Chris Sullivan) sort of lumbers around rudderless; the brother is a bit of an attention seeking idiot and finally, the daughter is a moody and uninteresting teenager trying to deal with some baggage about which we learn more, later. The parents come across as a couple who would never in a million years have chosen each other in the first place. At least the production doesn't try to hoodwink us with repetitive visual effects, but what we are left with here is a dialogue heavy story that ends all too abruptly as if the short story it's adapted from just ran out of ideas. Disappointing, sorry.

'Presence' holds uniqueness in regards to how it is filmed, which is very effective, though its story does end up being quite straightforward - and more teen drama-ry than anticipated. All the same, I did enjoy myself whilst watching it unfold across 85mins, pleasantly.
The cast are also a strong point of this film. Lucy Liu and Eddy Maday are decent, though Callina Liang and Chris Sullivan are the definitive standouts - both t'rific. West Mulholland is solid in his role, even if I'm not absolutely sold on everything that goes on with his character.
Interesting that this closely follows the release (at least in the UK) of Robert Zemeckis' 'Here' - two films shot in original perspectives. This Steven Soderbergh picture isn't quite as high class as that one, but all in all is worthy of a watch; especially with such a short run time.
Thanks to the aforementioned, I was able to watch this at the cinema shortly after finishing Mel Gibson's 'Flight Risk'. You could say both do have a feel of being made-for-streaming (this feels Welcome to the Blumhouse-esque), but I will never moan about the ability to watch movies on the big screen.

Mark Wahlberg crashes a CIA helicopter into an aeroplane then beats up some Koreans. Masterpiece.

With the boss of the "Moretti" crime family about to go on trial, his accountant "Winston" (Topher Grace) thought it better to skedaddle to the Alaskan wilderness. Unluckily for him, determined deputy marshal "Madolyn" (Michelle Dockery) tracks him down and engages the pilot of a single-prop aircraft to fly him back to New York to turn state's evidence. The pilot (Mark Wahlberg) is one of those annoyingly chirpy guys and off they set. It's gonna be a bumpy ride, but after she notices a few scars on this man, it proves to be a great deal bumpier as their tiny little cockpit becomes the scene for quite a power struggle. It's that claustrophobic environment and quite an engaging effort from Wahlberg that deliver here as this airborne game of cat and mouse hots up. Sure, it does repeat itself once too often and the story is really all quite predictably weak, but the scenario does work well enough and with Grace's wise-cracking and a competent performance from Dockery it's actually not a bad watch for ninety minutes.

'Flight Risk' is a film that I'm not totally convinced by, though in the end I think I like it. On the one hand, it has inconsistent suspense, has dodgy humour and doesn't truly entertain like an action thriller ought to. On the other hand, the performances are good, the exterior plane shots are convincing and the twisty nature makes it watchable.
Mark Wahlberg (amusing accent), Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace are actors that I enjoyed watching here, Grace manages to overcome some cringey dialogue that was (hopefully, for his sake) written for him; the banter isn't great, the more serious stuff he is solid at. Monib Abhat also has iffy comedy, though does make it work more; a mostly voice role helps.
Overall, a fine time at the movies. Like last week, I was fortunately able to watch it as part of a double header on the big screen - this time with Steven Soderbergh's 'Presence'. Back-to-back 90 minutes, I'm cool with long run times but sometimes its nice to have films of such a length. For what it's worth, that other flick is the better.

We first meet "Iris" (Sophie Thatcher) and boyfriend "Josh" (Jack Quaid) as they take his self-drive car into the wilderness to meet with some of his friends at the home of millionaire "Sergey" (a delightfully over-the-top Rupert Friend). She's not at all keen on his pals. She thinks they look down on her. He tries to reassure her and when they arrive we are introduced to "Kat" (Megan Suri) and to loved-up "Eli" (Harvey Guillén) and "Patrick" (Lukas Gage). She was right, they don't much like her and at this point (for me, anyway) the penny started to drop. The married "Sergey" is supposed to be dating "Kat" but he's obviously a bit of a Lothario who tries it on with "Iris" and, well let's just say he probably wished he hadn't. Thing is, though, there's an whole load of manipulation going on here and it doesn't take "Iris", or us, long to realise that nothing is really as it seems. There's a fun chemistry on display here between Thatcher and Quaid and auteur Drew Hancock has crafted an entertaining scenario that avoids the standard cabin-in-the-woods style horror feature. This is a darkly comedic "careful what you've wished for" style of drama that has some decent menace intermingled with a few shades of Dan Stevens in "Cuckoo" from last year, too. For me, though, it's the dentally perfect Gage who steals the show proving the very point that true love isn't just skin deep and not everyone keeps their brains in their head! Amidst a tired and formulaic genre, this offers a refreshing change well worth a watch.

'Companion' is great! I was actually spoiled on the general gist of this due to the trailers, which I didn't even seek out but despite ignoring them pre-other flicks I still managed to catch what this was about. Happily, it didn't matter as the film lets the cat out fairly quickly.
I thought the aforementioned was going to be an issue, even though it is only a 90 minute movie I didn't think at that moment that it was going to have enough in the tank to make the overall movie enjoyable. I was wrong! It's a blast all the way through, there's a pleasant pace to it all.
Sophie Thatcher is brilliant, her showing is impressive and very convincing. That blood-soaked look is class. The rest of the cast aren't on Thatcher's level but are still positive parts of this film, namely Jack Quaid and Lukas Gage. Thanks to the short run time, this does fly by. Top film!
I saw it on the big screen as part of a double bill of sorts with 'Hard Truths'. This was the second one and it's a barrel of laughs compared to that Mike Leigh picture. Two films that I would highly recommend, all the same.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/companion-review/
"Companion may not reinvent the wheel within its genre, but the way Drew Hancock takes a familiar concept and infuses it with a personal touch and technically impressive execution results in an incredibly captivating viewing - especially for those who manage to avoid the criminally revealing trailers.
The blend of tones, the unsettling atmosphere, and the exploration of complex themes like abuse, love, and control elevate this horror flick beyond cheap jump scares, leaving a lasting emotional and narrative impact that lingers well past the credits. With a powerhouse performance from Sophie Thatcher anchoring it all, this psychological thriller - sprinkled with comedy, romance, and even sci-fi elements - stands out as one of the year's first big surprises.
I highly recommend watching it in theaters, as blind as possible."
Rating: B

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/wolf-man-review-a-hollow-howl-in-the-dark/
"Wolf Man turns out to be a missed opportunity for Leigh Whannell, who fails to replicate the technical and narrative success of The Invisible Man.
While it features solid performances, particularly from Julia Garner, and some technically impressive moments, the movie suffers from a shockingly superficial script, a shocking lack of emotional impact, and incomprehensible levels of darkness. It feels fragmented and hollow, failing to explore its thematic potential or create a meaningful connection with its audience.
Praise is due to the makeup, sound design, and practical effects teams, but unfortunately, they aren't enough to overcome the bleak letdown."
Rating: C-

Well give him his due, Leigh Whannell made sure his name appears on screen often enough, but sadly what's he striven to churn out here is nothing remotely innovative. It's all about "Blake" (Christopher Abbott) who's been estranged from his rather militaristic dad for as long as he's been an adult. He lives, albeit increasingly distantly, with his wife "Charlotte" (Julia Garner) and daughter "Ginger" (Matilda Firth) in the big city but when his father is declared legally dead, decides it's a great opportunity to visit the wilderness of Oregon to sort through his belongings. Off they set through the forest driving a removals van, in the dark, with no real idea where they are going. By pure fluke, they encounter "Derek" (Benedict Hardie) who remembers "Blake" as a child and offers to guide them. Next thing there's an apparition, then loads of broken branches before a scene reminiscent of "Jurassic Park" (1993) with their van precariously perched half way up (or down) a tree. There's something menacing out there and they have to make it to the safety of the house. Easier said than done, though, as en route poor old "Blake" gets himself scratched. Once in the house, they hope to sit it out - but is their enemy inside this iron-bar clad house, or...? At times it is quite tensely directed using the forest, the darkness and cracking-branch audio to decent effect, but the dialogue is inane and it suffers from a common flaw amongst horror films of late. The characters make the most ridiculous of decisions. Nobody in their right mind would go a-wandering through the woods at night at the best of times. I know they are both supposed to be writers, so unlikely to be overly tapped into popular culture, but surely one of them would have watched an horror movie in their lives and realised the stupidity of that and virtually all of their other courses of action. On that front, it's "Charlotte" who gets the gong for being the daftest of the daft. The make-up, prosthetics and visual effects folks deserve some plaudits here on their well crafted work as the film advances, but as for the remainder. Well it's a just another log cabin in the woods style of short story that struggles to sustain itself into a feature length movie we haven't seen dozens of times before.

Following Leigh Whannell’s reimagining of The Invisible Man, he returns for Wolf Man. Originally intended to be part of Universal Pictures Dark Universe, which was scrapped after Tom Cruise’s The Mummy failed to meet expectations at the box office, reinterpretations of Universal monster movies are still planned, but as individual stories on a much smaller scale.
In Wolf Man, we’re introduced to a young boy who goes hunting with his father. Their relationship is strained, mostly due to the father’s intimidating parenting. They encounter something on their hunt—not fully animal but not quite man—and nearly succumb to the creature’s bloodlust.
30 years later, that boy is now a man named Blake (Christopher Abbott) who now lives in New York City with his journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). Blake is notified that his father has passed away and has to return to the family farm in Oregon to retrieve his belongings.
Once in Oregon, Blake and his family are attacked and run off the road by a similar creature. While his family makes it to his father’s farm, Blake is wounded and starts to get sick, but his sickness becomes dangerous and inhuman while his family is suddenly no longer safe around him.
Leigh Whannell is no stranger to the genre with Saw and Insidious being other horror franchises he helped shape since their inception. Wolf Man is not what you expect it to be as this isn’t a werewolf film. Most werewolf lore like being affected by the full moon, silver bullets being a weakness, and the typical all-over wolf-like transformation are tossed out the window here.
Written by Whannell and his wife Corbett Tuck, Wolf Man’s first draft was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically being isolated from the rest of the world. This isn’t a monstrous transformation that goes away when the sun comes up, it’s a sickness. The film describes the sickness as a fever with the face of a wolf. Whannell was inspired by David Cronenberg’s The Fly and it shows. Blake’s horrid transition into this rabid, hairy Neanderthal is brutal and disgusting at times.
The most impressive part of the creature design is that it was done practically, but it’s ugly to look at otherwise. Think Jack Nicholson in Wolf, but with less hair and more protruding flesh. Wolf Man is generally more effective when the creature isn’t shown. The opening of Blake with his father hiding in the treehouse in the forest while it rains is so masterfully done. You hear the creature snarling as it claws at the wood paneling and you see its breath to signify just how close it is to jumping on its prey.
If you see Wolf Man, see it either in theaters or somewhere with incredible surround sound. The sound design of the film is a big part of its charm. Not only is this because of the creature, but the forest of the farm in Oregon has a life of its own with crackling thunder, the sound of rain falling all around you, and trees creaking.
Wolf Man essentially stalls after Blake becomes this creature. The story gets him back to Oregon easily enough, but the screenplay can’t decide if Blake still recognizes his family or not. He has this weird wolf vision that allows him to see things in the dark and he suddenly can’t understand English like everything sounds like Charlie Brown gibberish. Blake has a deep connection with his daughter and Wolf Man builds up this, “I love you 3000,” moment between them, but when that moment inevitably comes it falls flat and it's washed away with a disgruntled groan.
One minute Blake is saving his family and the next he’s trying to kill them. It’s supposed to illustrate that he’s losing himself to the sickness and he’s becoming less and less like himself the more he has it. The disappointment from the film is more of how the film is written because the actors are quite good. Julia Garner emotionally carries the film and Christopher Abbott portrays so much with his eyes in his performance underneath the mounds of prosthetics.
Even the finale abruptly stops without much of a conclusion. It’s likely hinting at an open direction for the surviving characters, but a pan out from behind as they look up at the night sky is a little lame.
Wolf Man features some incredible performances from its cast with a heart-racing score that pays tribute to the werewolf films it was inspired by. But even with the film boasting its practical effects, the creature design is ultimately underwhelming and the story runs around aimlessly in the woods because there’s nowhere else for the film to go.

Guardians of the Galaxy has solidified itself as an incredible franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Volume 1: The creation of these characters injected suspense, excitement, and a generous dose of over-the-top comedy into the MCU. Chris Pratt's portrayal of Star-Lord was a fantastic choice, and the characters like Rocket and Groot became instant fan favorites, with merchandise flying off the shelves. While Nebula's transformation from antihero to hero was well-received, Gamora felt underutilized. Drax provided comic relief, but off-screen controversies involving the actor can affect viewers' perception of the character. Overall, the movie is enjoyable and worth watching.
Volume 2: While some may prefer the first installment, Volume 2 offers a deeper dive into the characters and more excitement. The film is wonderfully executed, providing a fantastic adventure that is highly recommended for its magical space journey and character development.
Volume 3: This installment returns to the original concept of Marvel, seamlessly connecting with other films in the MCU. The movie offers fantastic character development, ensuring each character shines without overshadowing the others. Star-Lord and Gamora remain central, but the film also explores Rocket's origin story exceptionally well. The ensemble cast, including Mantis, Nebula, Groot, and Drax, deliver standout performances. New additions like Cosmo and Blurp add charm, while Adam Warlock's portrayal, though slightly disappointing, is explained within the storyline. The film is emotional, with impactful end credit scenes, making it a must-watch in theaters.
Holiday Special: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is an exciting and enjoyable addition to the franchise, offering a fun and engaging viewing experience. The special presentation is a delightful continuation of the characters' stories, making them more relatable and adding an extra layer of excitement to the Marvel universe. This special is a testament to the franchise's creativity and is a welcome addition to the MCU continuity.

An excellent way to conclude 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.
'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' is my favourite of the trilogy, it's easily top ten from the MCU as a whole too. There's a ridiculous amount of heart placed in throughout, none more so than with a certain Rocket Racoon; those early scenes are so well done visually. Plenty of seriousness doesn't stop the humour though, of which there is - as one would expect - plenty... that carrot face gag actually got me most.
The cast/characters are such a ragtag team, on paper I don't actually think they all fit together perfectly but in actuality it is a great bunch to follow. As for newcomers elsewhere in the film, Chukwudi Iwuji puts in a strong showing; I enjoyed him in 'Peacemaker' so good to see him further here.
All round, a thoroughly entertaining movie and a fitting wrap up... to this set of Guardians, at least.

I did indeed enjoy this movie but I have to say that I would have enjoyed it even more if it had not been such a comedy superhero movie.
It is full of silly, cringeworthy and, as usual with Hollywood nowadays, not very intelligent attempts at humor. Slapstick at best and mostly just annoying. Certainly not very funny a lot of the time. Sure occasionally I did laugh but that was about one out of three times.
And do not get me started about Quill. He’s a stupid, unfunny jerk. He so drags down these movies.
The movie does deliver when it comes to one very important aspect of superhero movies though and this is of course the action and special effects. I really liked them and most of my enjoyment of this movie came from this.
The story is actually quite okay though and it was kind of cool to get the story about Rocket.
The bad guy, well, he is really one of the best parts of this movie. Finally they managed to put together a real bonafide, megalomaniac, psychopathic and genocidal bad guy with lots of (bad) charisma.
Even if he, despite being a genius in creating all kinds of biological creations, including new species, could not fix his own face instead of wearing a silly latex mask. Seriously? That just the usual dumbass Hollywood script writing.
Overall though, this was a fun, special effects loaded, action roller coaster and, surprisingly enough when it comes to Marvel, not loaded with woke preaching.
And it was cool to see Sylvester Stallone again even if it was just briefly.
If they had toned down the silliness, or gotten someone intelligent to write the jokes, it would have gotten another star from me.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-is-a-satisfying-conclusion-to-gunns-trilogy/
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an emotionally powerful, tear-inducing "farewell" to James Gunn and his Guardians. Rocket's bittersweet storyline is the soul, heart, and engine running the best MCU film since Spider-Man: No Way Home. It's visually stunning, with exceptional VFX work. The score and soundtrack couldn't be more perfectly matched. Superb performances from the compelling protagonists and even the fun cameos. A better comedy-drama balance than its predecessor, while still offering tons of entertaining sequences. A few minor issues hold it back from standing out as "one of the greats", but it was hard to deliver a more satisfying conclusion to this much-beloved trilogy. And also – a final warning to all animal lovers who may find the cruelty displayed on the screen too much for them to enjoy the movie."
Rating: A-

What a disappointment! The first one was great fun, the second almost as good , but this film is just a poor cousin that really struggles from a weak storyline that never really gets going. The megalomaniacal "High Evolutionary" (Chikwudi Iwuji) has set his sights on retrieving "Rocket" after having discovered that our feisty raccoon is a product of sophisticated genetic engineering - and that has enabled him to think and grow as a being; a skill that is hugely valuable to this global-scale cloner. Snag is, "Rocket" has been laid low after a rather violent visit from "Warlock" (Will Poulter) who is working with his mother to apprehend our ursine pal. "Quill" (Chris Pratt) and the others have determined to save him, though, and are soon on the trail of his origins and of a special pass key that could reset him and get him back to fighting fitness. Can the "Guardians" put aside their petty differences and unite before it's all too late? This is far too long and it also tries to involve all of the characters in such a fashion as to leave the whole thing with a rather superficial feel to it. Pratt actually features quite sparingly, and that robbed this of much of it's humour and punchiness. The visual effects are great, but that's nothing remarkable with Marvel - they are vivid and colourful but that's no substitute for a well written and characterful narrative that this film simply lacks. It does quite feature quite an engagingly eclectic soundtrack, but the rest of this is terribly unremarkable fayre that I found my self struggling to stay interested in as it meandered more into a realm of sci-fi sentimentality that ensured a minimum of jeopardy in a denouement that featured a fair degree of ham - especially from Iwuji. If this is to be the final instalment, then I fear it will not be one that I will ever bother to watch again. Pity.

**A heartfelt & entrancing closure to our favourite band of misfits from marvel **
GOTG Vol 3 is a fantastic, emotionally immersive product from Marvel which not only made me delighted with the experience but also revived my faith in Marvel Studios. With the vibrant music from the past, hillarious chemistry between the leads , striking action set pieces packaged with an emotive backstory this one is bound to be loved and cherished to glory by all the loyal marvel fanatics. After a long time, Marvel delivers a beautiful and wholesome experience. While everyone from the cast gets their due share of high moments but this film belongs to Rocket. The true MVP of the film. The High Evolutionary's character was unforgiving and brilliant in the context of the story. The screenplay never dissapoints and keeps you engaged even with its long runtime of 150mins. An delightful film by James Gunn who finishes things off at Marvel to focus on DC's future. Overall, GOTG3 is an uproarious, emotional and probably the best marvel flicks after endgame which leaves you with smile in the end.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the perfect farewell to this quirky group of rogues we never expected to love so much.
Our faith in the Marvel Cinematic Universe waned throughout Phase 4 with films that felt hollow, rushed, and insincere. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 rekindled my hope as James Gunn and the cast’s love and passion for these characters shined in every moment of this beautiful, heartfelt send-off. Gunn reminded us of the magic of comic book movies when the storyteller cares more about the characters than the box office. Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, and the rest of the cast pour themselves into entertaining and genuine performances. This film is surprisingly emotional and had me wondering how they convinced me to care so deeply about such a zany group of goofballs, but that they did. Vol. 3 is one of the best conclusions to a film trilogy that had me leave the theater full of satisfaction and nostalgia. While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is wonderful in nearly every way, if I had a complaint, it would be the soundtrack felt forced at times rather than complimenting strong moments in the first film. The villain wasn’t exceptional but was better than the average Marvel villain, and honestly, Vol. 3 wasn’t about the villain or battles as much as it was a farewell to a family of heroes we have all come to love. This movie is well worth your time, and the fantastic effects and cinematography warrant a trip to the cinema to enjoy it to its fullest! MCU doubters need to set aside their skepticism and enjoy saying goodbye to these beloved characters with this outstanding film.

“It’s like if The Raid met Into The Spiderverse”

Incredible non stop action movie

I don’t have that much to say about “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, the sequel to the equally terrific 2018 Oscar winning film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” except that it’s easily one of the best films of the year. It’s the type of achievement in animation that’s not only artistically skilled but also wildly entertaining. This is one of the most perfect pieces of animated cinema in years and even better, it’s aimed squarely at more sophisticated audiences of older kids, teens, and adults.
Miles Morales (voice of Shameik Moore) is back for part two, and he’s happily fulfilling his duties as Brooklyn’s friendly neighborhood superhero. Miles finds himself joining forces with Gwen Stacy (voice of Hailee Steinfeld) and a new team of elite Spider heroes (featuring the voices of Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Issa Rae, and others) from across the multiverse as they work together to fight off a powerful villain.
The plot is complex, but the story is terrific. The parallel universes at play don’t feel like a gimmick, and there are real stakes for every character. There are strong messages about teamwork, friendship, power, and responsibility, and it’s nice to see more female representation in a film that prides itself on diversity and inclusion. The story is a little slow at the start, but things pick up ones Miles enters the picture. His relationship with Gwen is developed extensively here, and they’re a great onscreen duo.
The film is computer-animated, and the visuals are nothing short of masterful. The animation is vibrant, skillfully executed, and absolutely stunning. This is the type of visual art that leaves your eyes begging for more. From the attention to detail to the choice of hues, there isn’t one misstep to be found.
The story, however, has a few stumbles, and most of that stems from the overly long run time (2 hours, 20 minutes), the too-insider Easter egg references for diehard comic fans, and the irritating cliffhanger ending that is so obnoxious that it almost ruins everything that came before. Thank goodness the rest of the movie is so much fun.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the type of film that proves animation isn’t just for kids, and it’s certainly not a throwaway medium that deserves to be dismissed. It’s an action-packed, visually dazzling, frentic, and outrageously fun piece of cinema. Go see it.
By: Louisa Moore

Rating: 9.5
Overall, another groundbreaking film in the franchise that only builds on everything they created in the previous film as the brilliant animation and incredible writing is used to show the audience a well-rounded story about a Spider-Man who is trying to find his place in the world, with the only major drawback of the movie being that it suffers from the flaws of it being one of two parts.

I don't know, but in my humble opinion, the punk Spider-Man really needed to look like Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, someone from the Sex Pistols. He sort of screamed them in the way he was depicted, right down to the multi-media used around him.
They really missed an opportunity for if not a great pop culture reference, but at least an in-joke for the punk community. I mean, throw us a bone here. He spent half his time mocking us anyway (in a pretty hysterical way) at least give us the laugh when they do the face reveal.
Anyway, it's not bad. Miles is less... boring in this cartoon than he is in the comics where he's developed the moniker "Mild Morales." He actually has more depth of character here and is forced to face some serious choices and turning points (Hey Marvel, you could learn a lesson here).
But he also took a bit of a back seat to Stacey, who seemed to be the star of the show until there was an abrupt switch... which irritated me. It sort of screamed ensemble cast, but really it just shifter from one lead to the other a bit abruptly. As far as complaints go, that's pretty bare bones.
It also gave Spidey 2099 a sort of bad spin despite being the most beloved of the 2099 line and the coolest costume design of any spider. So for us Gen-Xers, it sort of burned. At least I'm old enough to have been looking forward to his inclusion only to be a little disappointed.
And I am still very upset over how Peter is portrayed, but they are slowly redeeming his character.
Over-all though, it's not bad. It's better than just about all of the current Super-Hero movies and, honestly, it's probably the only cape franchise that people are still interested in... because it isn't totally political BS.

And perhaps _Beyond the Spider-Verse_ will retroactively make Across’ story more enjoyable, but for now, the franchise’s flashy visuals are fully in controls of its web-shooters.
As a stand alone feature, _Across the Spider-Verse_ is groundbreaking with its half-a-dozen animation styles and plethora of Spider-Men. The Spot is an insanely cool villain, Spider-Man 2099 is an anti-hero teetering on the verge of becoming a full-time villain, and Spider-Punk oozes overall awesomeness.
But with the film sitting at 162 minutes and a sequel on the way in less than a year, the story ultimately feels like it’s stretched beyond its means.
**Full review:** https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/06/07/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-review-a-stunning-labyrinthine-benchmark-for-animation/

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-is-an-animated-work-of-art/
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the epitome of incredibly detailed, gorgeously unique, undeniably epic animation within its medium. Separately from enjoying this movie or not, any or all cinephiles should bow to the ridiculously talented artists and animators behind this pure work of art.
That said, the attributes and issues are more or less the same as the original. The various animation styles are overwhelmingly stunning, but also to the point of creating confusing moments. Gwen Stacy stands out from the rest of the pack – both the character and Hailee Steinfeld's voice performance – but everyone on screen is impressively captivating. The voice cast is superb all-around.
An unfinished story – remember, this is the first of two parts – about what it really means to be a hero. The 140-minute runtime isn't exactly heavy, but the necessity to resort to exposition scenes is more frequent than in the previous flick, even though the narrative complexity ends up justifying this.
A must-see movie in the cinema! Go support animation."
Rating: A-

Sad night tonight. After 80-odd years, this was the last film to show in my local cinema before it closed down. Doubly sad because it’s also not actually very good. The conceptualisation behind the hybrid styles of animation is spectacular and executed in an highly polished fashion - as you’d expect. The story is all over the pace though, and the proliferation of Spidey’s seemed designed more to allow the narrative to become more culturally inclusive (and bankable) rather than to develop any meaningful characterisations. What personas there are spend their time wallowing in a mire of unrequited and/or confused familial love, or teenage angst more suitable in a soap. The dialogue has it’s moments - assuming you can catch it - and there’s a bit of humour to be found but I found the audio mix made following all that was said became a bit wearisome after a first hour that really does depend on your having watched (and remembering) the first - in my view far better - instalment. This whole “multiverse” theme can keep on recycling itself ad nauseam but if the writing remains at this unremarkable level then I’m not sure I’ll be bothering with the next set of repetitively set-piece adventures for “Miles” and his parents, love interest and fellow Spider-folk.

Life as a teenager is never easy and when you are gifted with the superhuman abilities of a spider and lead a double life as a student and crime fighter; life gets even harder.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is finding it even harder to hide his secret from his family who has grown concerned that his erratic behavior is more than the usual teenage angst.
In another earth, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) deals with her Police officer father desperately hunting down her alter-ego believing that she is a killer which drives a wedge between them as Gwen desperately tries to find her way forward.
In “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse audiences learn that what one perceives as reality is often just the corner of a much larger picture and when Miles confronts what he dismisses as a “Villain of the Week” in a quirky enemy known as The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), starts a campaign against Spider-Man, he soon finds that the threat is much larger than he expected and secretly follows a visiting Gwen into an another Earth where his actions soon draw the attention of a larger temporal Spider squad.
Motivated by his feelings for Gwen and a desire to do good, Miles looks to undo the damage that the Spot is causing across various Earths and learns that each one has its own version of Spider-man or Woman to protect it.
At this point the film goes into overdrive as Miles learns more about his past and how he became Spider-Man but also learns more about the cost that his powers enact on his life and those around him. There are plenty of special moments and guest appearances that follow from the more obscure to the mainstream and the range of emotions from the audience at the press screening as they reacted to the film showed they were deeply engaged and loving it.
The film does take a darker turn and does end in a cliffhanger which sets up the next film very well but also may be a bit darker than younger viewers might want. That being said; I enjoyed this film far more than I did the prior film. I found the animation style a bit off-putting as the jerky way the characters moved was a bit much over the length of a feature film. This time around there is a mix of animation styles throughout and at times in the same frame which may be a bit hard for some as the film does come at the viewer with waves of flashing lights, sounds, and animations that very cleverly mimic reading a comic complete with small boxes to define various characters from time to time.
The film runs nearly two and a half hours and did seem to go on a bit long at times but thanks to the great voice-acting and strong cast as well as engaging storyline I found myself eagerly looking forward to the next film.
I first saw a rough cut of a scene at Cinemacon in 2022 and it was amazing seeing the final scene near the opening of the film as it was a rare instance of a film surpassing expectations and delivers the storyline and action with a good dose of solid characters that fans will love.
4.5 stars out of 5

#MovieReview #BarbieMovie #TheBarbieMovie #Barbie
In my opinion, this movie was well-executed, striking a balance between fantasy and reality. "Barbie" takes viewers on an exhilarating journey, bringing the beloved doll and cartoon character to life in a spectacular live-action adaptation.
Margot Robbie shines in her role as Barbie, delivering a fantastic performance alongside a talented cast. While there were a few questionable choices in terms of casting, such as introducing a transgender Barbie character, it did not detract from the overall appeal of the film. While it may have caused some confusion among viewers, the movie's charm remained intact.
America Ferrera delivers a powerful and empowering monologue in the film, showcasing her incredible talent and versatility as an actress. Her transition from "Ugly Betty" to this role is commendable, and she truly stands out in the movie.
"Barbie" is a fun and quirky film that may not be suitable for very young children or those who prefer to shield their kids from certain themes in movies. It offers an over-the-top experience that may not be everyone's cup of tea.
The movie's main villain may not be a surprise, but the handling of the character is well-executed. Although some may find Ryan Gosling a bit too mature to play Ken, his performance adds an interesting twist to the film.