Ryan Lozano

Summary: Has all the necessary things for an AMAZING movie. Except that Nicolas Cage was cast. Therefore, it sucks. Absolutely SUCKS. This movie has an amazing plot and is beautifully shot. The way the story unfolds combined with the great camera work really winds you up and creates this tense feeling. There are also some twists that keep you engaged - it's not always predictable. I will admit that I don't agree with some of the critiques I read from other cinephiles. Some of the things that people think are plot holes are actually explainable, if you have a pitch-black sense of humor. Exhibit A, the cat scene (left ambiguous intentionally as to not ruin it). Some other examples, too, but I don't feel I can include them without ruining the scene or movie as a whole. Maika absolutely kills her part, as always. She is the best modern Scream Queen, hands down. Her character is also likeable, which is not something you always get from movies like this. She is the only reason I can give this movie a second star - otherwise just a 1-star rating. Nic Cage's character is despicable and horrifying to think about in anything outside of fiction. However Nic's acting is such trash that you can't even take the character seriously. I just can't wrap my mind around what the reason could possibly be to include him on this project. It could have been a truly amazing movie that would've kept children, mothers, and even Johnny Bravo up late and scared to turn the light off. But the movie they made is now a literal comedy with more laughs than scares. Except they didn't plan for the laughs.

Summary: Poor casting, slower pace than the original, and inaccurate as a remake. Probably better for viewers who did not see or did not like the original. Disclaimer: spoiler in 2nd paragraph The bad: SO... My gf and I are huge fans of the Crow. It is dark and gritty from the first seen, to the tiny details of Eric's band name - The Hangman's Joke, and all the way to Brandon Lee's unfortunate passing during filming. Compare that to the lackluster attempt at grit from this film and you come up empty handed. It's more about drugs and a crude love interest, with less of an innocent portrayal of Shelly Webster. We both thought this tacky, and in poor taste. Webster's casting was dreadful. No acting skills, poorly written character traits, and honestly just that kind of character casting that reminds you its all fake. You can't really get lost in a movie or a story when it feels fake like that. The biggest problem I personally had with this film is the soul trading. Whether you believe in God and Heaven IRL or not, the idea of Hell is permanent, right? Like a second feels like an eternity and that changes you forever. The fact that this new movie involves trading places with someone who the protagonist literally admits to not loving the same anymore is just idiotic. I'm so happy I was convinced to rent and not purchase this movie... THE GOOD: The music was good in this movie, as were some of the action scenes. Bill Skarsgard was a great Draven. I think he's challenged himself with the wide breadth of characters he's able to play accurately and with excellence. I give 1 star for the music and action, and another for Skarsgards performance.

My hope with watching any film is to feel the emotion the writer, director, and actors intend as though it's truly happening - and that is what you get with Knox Goes Away. This movie was fantastic. Keaton of course delivers another impeccable performance with a story that is absolutely riveting. This film touches home as we have experienced our loved ones developing dementia and what that decline looks like over time. Keaton's portrayal of Knox and the situations that are complicated by his character's mental state evoke those emotions I remember experiencing first hand. I was enthralled from start to finish and absolutely recommend you watch this film.

My girlfriend and I were SO excited to watch a fun, carefree children's movie about Barbie, a doll she grew up playing with. Instead we watched a full-length feature pitting the sexes against each other. As if this hasn't been done before, Barbie brings to the stage strong opinions many people hold about social/economic power that varies based on gender. The adventurous, talented Barbie takes a backseat and Battle of the Sexes takes the wheel from the second scene to the very last. We honestly couldn't make it through the entire movie without Alix pausing the movie to express her disappointment and anger. Without agreeing or disagreeing to the obvious feelings and beliefs the director holds, both of us felt like a Barbie movie was the incorrect setting for them to be expressed. But, she made the film, and we were not forced to watch it.... ANYWAY. There were definitely funny moments, like John Cena's cameo as a mermaid, a Michael Cera fight scene, and even a nod to Margot Robbie and Emma Mackey looking so similar. But these few comedic frames are placed so sparsely you may miss them if you blink. In short, Barbie didn't land on the moon, own a corporation, tame a wild horse, or solve any world problems. Instead she lived a party-girl lifestyle (initially similar to Babylon in ways), had a casual heterosexual relationship in which she was emotionally abusive, and solved the problem of a male-dominated society through emotional manipulation (as opposed to intellect, philosophy - or even full-fledged battle).

In one line: It had all the right components but didn't properly execute on any of them. The parts you don't want expanded upon are expanded upon, and the parts that probably need more details or longer duration are really short. It also didn't feel as real as what we hoped: bullet holes don't show in vehicles, blood doesn't pour from grievous wounds, etc. I really wanted this to be a gritty shoot-em-up and it's not. It's a simplified, oddly dramatized, generalized version of a great idea that could have been beautiful.

I feel that this is Bloom's best performance in his career. I mean he is absolutely masterful in this film. The word acting doesn't describe how he makes you believe his character and forget that it's just a movie. It feels real. The entire time you watch you will be torn between rage and sorrow as you see Malky's anguish ripple through time and across every facet of his life. His relationships are built with the best intentions, but because he can't cope with his issues, those he loves can't either. This speaks volumes of what it's like to experience trauma and how one may try and deal with the issue without ever truly facing it. I also feel that this shines a light on how difficult it is for men to be honest with themselves and others about emotional issues.

Oh, my dear lord this was good. Alexander Skarsgard and Anna Taylor-Joy had absolutely spectacular performances in this film. I felt like this movie stayed true to Norse culture as the protagonist dove head-first into what the fates had planned for him. The ultimate tale of vengeance and bloodshed with hopes to die valiantly in battle with iron in hand and be worthy of dining with the Allfather until Ragnarok. Part of me wished for larger battle scenes, but the other part of me thought that the events followed logically with the protagonist's pursuits. I mean I wished for different things to happen, but I felt like the story was "pure," if that makes sense. Like, some movies you watch and think, why would THIS character do THAT? But Amleth's actions stay true to his character. Overall I thought the film was brilliantly shot, beautifully scored, and the right actors were chosen for each part. This is one of those films in which you actually forget it's a movie, you fall into the story and experience the emotions of the characters like they're yours. Watch it!! The edited portion of this: I read through some of the poor reviews since I was shocked there were so many. I don't expect many 1-star reviewers really read the synopsis on this film before watching it. While watching The Northman, think it's important to keep in mind what someone from this culture and era would want, ya know, since that's what the film is about. What those characters' goals would be, traits they carry - as well as motives for performing a certain action to someone they hate - as examples. The goals and mentality of these characters are not that of 21st century men or women, and they SHOULD NOT BE. This makes the film more accurate and provides that feeling of authenticity. If you change all that then sure, it aligns with your belief system just like all the other "blockbuster" movies where the gorgeously tanned hero rides a dragon into the sunset with some skinny super-model and the world is saved. But if you're watching this movie, then I hope you're doing it because you love Old Norse/Viking culture and want to lose yourself in the story of a young man who lives in that society. WHICH, if you know anything about Old Norse religion/culture, then you know that nobody was looking to ride off into the sunset on a shiny dragon with a super-model. C'mon! - End Ranty-Edit

I've been a Batman fan since I was a kid. I've got all kinds of memorabilia that I've collected over the years. That being said, I was NOT excited about watching this film. This was a great story that was skillfully shot with a beautiful score. But the choice of Robert Pattinson for Batman was the biggest mistake in Batmen. I honestly can't believe his acting career survived past Twilight. The voice was horrible, not the right batsuit - nothing about him was right. Honestly, Christian Bale was the peak of Batmen. But I truly don't understand the recent choices of Affleck or Pattinson. People will say they were great, but it's the MONEY put into these films that made them what people enjoy, not the Batman actor. If this is the way hero movies are going to go, why watch them at all? The edit I want to make - I feel like I completely disregarded Paul Dano's performance. This guy NAILED IT. I mean one hammer strike drove that nail in fully. Incredible performance and an example of perfectly chosen actor who became the character instead of pretending to be him (cough cough - Pattinson - cough). If any award is given for this film, it should be to Paul Dano who flexed that acting muscle in every part of his performance.

SO GOOD! Talk about choosing the perfect actor for a role. This movie walks you through the height of all the emotions - mirth, anger, sorrow. The action scenes are amazing and the mystery of some scenes leaves you asking questions, doing research and anxiously waiting for what is next. I highly recommend seeing this

This movie is pure genius. I had to pause this movie probably 5 times because I was laughing so hard and long I was missing whole scenes! It's also a feel-good movie, so if you're someone who can only watch happy films, this flick is for you.