R Atlas

Alien Romulus brings subtle nods to the prequels and earlier films while trying to carve its own path. The movie shines at times with its unique approach, but falls short occasionally. Fede Alvarez's atmospheric sets deliver a gritty and horrific experience. Best enjoyed in theaters, it's an entertaining film. The intense third act showcases Alvarez's full creative potential. Despite some shortcomings, it stands as one of the better entries for fans of Alvarez and the Alien franchise.

Reminiscent of Kung Fu Hustle meets The Raid. The action sequences never ceased. The plot is as expected for a film like this but nevertheless it offers enough of those who crave the popcorn filled action and gravity defying scenes. Didn't expect much from the trailers and wasn't expecting any less. The film doesn't disappoint and I'm glad I viewed it in Cantonese as it was meant too be as I heard it was dubbed in mandarin elsewhere.

Recently, I rewatched this film as I was perusing the library of titles through streaming services. I have not watched this movie since 2009. There were some talks and reviews that were quite polarised when it was first released back in 2008. In my first initial viewing, I didn't rate or felt the message the film was trying to convey. Perhaps I wasn't mature enough to acknowledge the unequivocal sentiment that this film deserved. Will Smith's performance was powerful and grounded. Perhaps as worthy as his character, Christopher Garner in The Pursuit of Happyness that came out a year earlier in 2007. Over the last few years with all the events around the world and things occurring in my personal life, this film is sharing a poignant story to the current climate. This second time round, it felt cathodic and overwhelming at times as the film unfolds itself. It healed so much of the residue of the pain and stress which the world endured. Somehow 'Seven Pounds' gave the film a sense of purpose and its story was more relatable. It's definitely a slow burn and requires the avid viewer patience as the story unfolds. There are parallels to events in the past couple of years to the fractured nature of Ben's (Smith) character and motives. Smith's acting is near perfect and the nuances envelopes you as it guides you through a highly charged as well as an emotional arc that toggles with Ben's struggles with anger through to acceptance. Please bunker down and view this forgotten and underrated masterpiece from director, Gabriele Muccino. This was actually his second collaboration with Smith after The Pursuit of Happyness. The amazing supporting casts does well to play off Smith. There a stable of actors that you may recognise and struggle to identify from other films that appear and scatter throughout this film. The weight of seven pounds would be worth the 2 hours viewing. You will appreciate the gravity of the story and it could possibly answer a few questions that has been lingering. There are no lesser films, just films that are lesser known.