Ashley Stott

I really wanted to give this movie 5 stars, because in reality, the cinematography and acting was exquisite. I've never even been a fan of Margot Robbie but her character as Elizabeth l was right on. Both queens in this film were astoundingly powerful, beautiful, and witty, which of course any woman during that time period would have to be in order to remain in their position in a man's world. My only complaint was that there were too many historical inaccuracies in terms of black actors being casted in powerful positions - such as the royal council, which back in that time would have never happened. It was too hard for me to even look past that when these characters had significant screen time and it was a constant reminder that this film was trying to incorporate woke ideology rather than historical accuracy. In fact, I would even say this move on the producer's part was almost offensive to black people and their struggles throughout history in England, completely rewriting history to fit a picture perfect narrative that unfortunately, at that time, just did not exist. Not only were there mixed races in positions that just didn't make sense for the Era, there was even an attempt to include a transgender character who had a lot of influence on Queen Mary, which again, is something that for its time would have never happened. It's sad because I really believe this film deserved 5 stars, but when I'm looking for historically accurate movies to enjoy and maybe even learn from, I just can't turn a blind eye to what the producer was blatantly trying to do with this film. These mishaps though, are not enough grounds to completely knock a good film down to a 1 star review. ***EDIT: If you're looking for a true, historical movie that empowers black people, then I HIGHLY suggest the movie "Harriet". By far one of the best films I have seen all year and it really shows just how incredible Harriet Tubman was, especially as a black female when the odds were stacked so high against her. Mary, Queen of Scots just doesn't do justice.

This is the best movie I have seen in at least a year. It's so good, in fact, that I saw this movie about a month ago and I just can't get it out of my head. What made this movie amazing was the cinematography and actors chosen for their roles. This film was historically accurate (with the exception of a few additional tweaks in order to make the movie more captivating), and it showed just how strong, brave and intelligent Harriet Tubman really was, especially when the odds were already stacked so high against her as a black woman. Harriet made the ultimate sacrifice of leaving behind her friends and family in order to find freedom in a predominantly racist, sexist country at the time. Not only did she make it to freedom, she continued to risk her own life by repeatedly traveling hundreds of miles on her own to free over 700 others. Not only did she lead hundreds of slaves to freedom, she became a spy and military leader for the Union Army, being one of the only black women in world history to have such power over an armed force.

I'm going to start off with what I DIDN'T like about this film before I get into why I left a 4 star review. There will be spoilers ahead... I had my expectations pretty low for this movie, as DC seems to always fail at executing a movie that aligns with the comics. I especially don't care for Robert Pattinson, and I still don't think he was the best fit for this movie just because his Bruce Wayne character came off as a frail and weak emo teenager. The suit was literally designed to give a false impression of Robert's lack of physical build, which was nerve grating to say the least. He was selected to play the batman, and refused to get into physical shape for the role he was selected to play. The biggest thing that bothered me was the way he treated the catwoman. He came off as very possessive and controlling of her, and it was borderline abusive. It was absolutely disgusting. Catwoman does not depend on the Batman to protect her, in fact, that is why she makes a great team player to the Batman himself. She's quite capable on her own. Another thing that was mind blowing was the seemingly pointless car chase where (because of the Batman and Penguine's carelessness) many civilians would meet there sudden demise while driving on the road. The Batman is more of an antagonist throughout the entire film, rather than a hero. NOW, what made this movie worth the rating I gave it, was because of the Riddler. It's about time that they made a movie that didn't focus on the Joker or Harley Quinn. The Riddler has always been a very intelligent and scary villian throughout the DC universe, and in this movie, the Riddler really played the part. He had a way of manipulating the entire city of Gotham, all from what seemed to be the comfort of his own home. He had a way of getting under everyone's skin and keeping them on their toes, not knowing who the next victim would be. To the world, he looked like a normal person without much status, and he was able to go about his daily life without anyone suspecting him. Not even the Batman himself. Also, in the beginning of the movie, it was almost anti military and police themed. But as the movie progressed, it did a great job of showing how there are good and bad people in every profession, and went on to patch the public's perspective of law enforcement and military personnel in a POSITIVE light. I went back and forth with my feelings throughout the movie, but ultimately in the end, I felt that it was a movie that I enjoyed.

I really don't understand what the obsession is with Tom Holland, let alone this terrible, cringe worthy film. Ever since I was a child, I had a major obsession with Spiderman and I binge watched every single film and TV show produced with Spiderman in it. Tom Holland's acting as Spiderman genuinely bothers me because his version of Peter Parker is an annoying, whiney, almost privileged teenage boy that shouldn't be wearing a superhero suit in the first place. You can literally thank Doctor Strange and Tony Stark for Peter Parker's success, at least with Tom Holland's Spiderman. The thing is, Peter Parker is supposed to be kind of a nerd with a dark past which has forced him to grow up much quicker and take responsibility for HIMSELF. Ever since Disney bought out Marvel's rights, however, Spiderman has become a joke. I continue to be disappointed every single time a new Marvel movie comes out now days, and at this point, I don't even know why I torture myself. I will give credit where it's due, however, to Doctor Octavius, Doctor Strange and the green goblin's character representations.