Month: June 2023

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Movie Review

Door Mouse (2022) Movie Review

Door Mouse – Movie Review

Door Mouse

Director: Avan Jogia

Writer: Avan Jogia (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A comic-book creator working at a burlesque club enlists the help of a colleague to figure out what’s behind the disappearances of young women in their circle in this oddball neo-noir.

Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Door Mouse starts when we meet comic-book creator Mouse (Law) who moonlights as a burlesque dancer. She has a routine to follow giving her a chance to focus on her comic books. Meanwhile, at the club, Mama (Janssen) keeps the troublemakers in line.

When one of the dancers Doe-Eyes (Do) doesn’t turn up for work, Mouse and Ugly (Powers) start to investigate what happened. Mouse continues her investigation, taking her through the underworld of the area. Now, she is leading a battle to solve what is going on before her friends are all taken.

Verdict on Door Mouse

Door Mouse is a mystery thriller following a comic-book creator and burlesque dancer that goes in search of answers. Her friends have started going missing and she wants to track down who was behind the disappearances. It takes her on a journey to an underground world she wasn’t prepared to enter.

This is a movie that has its own style thrown on it. One of the best examples of a neo-noir movie with its own stamp would be Brick, and this follows in those footsteps. It follows the outsider trying to keep everything together while making sure her friends are safe. The mystery keeps us wondering where things will go next and blends the comic book into the mystery unfolding.

Hayley Law is excellent in the leading role of the movie. While the supporting cast brings their characters to life to make us feel like we are in a colourful world. This unique style keeps everything feeling fresh and entertaining.

Door Mouse will be available on Digital Download from 10th July.

Final Thoughts – Door Mouse is a slick, stylish and unique spin on a neo-noir tale.

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Movie Review

The In-Law Gang! (2023) Movie Review

The In-Law Gang! – Movie Review

In-Law Gang

Director: J Jesses Smith

Writer: Jessie Jalee (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Seeking Revenge on In Laws

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The In-Law Gang starts when John Jr (Kearse) secretly marries Cassie (Jalee) a woman his mother disapproves of. With the added pressure put on Cassie, it starts to see the early cracks in the marriage, as John can’t always fight his own family.

John and Cassie see themselves tested as they look to overcome the problems. This leads to the search for a way to get revenge on the in-laws making their lives so difficult. Which leads to them taking a drastic decision.

Verdict on The In-Law Gang!

The In-Law Gang is an action comedy following a new wife who gets sick of her new in-laws. It follows her taking a drastic step to stop them from ruining her new marriage and getting her life back. All while leading to a string of comical mistakes along the way.

This is an action comedy that shows us how difficult in-laws can be. However, things get taken to the extreme causing bigger problems. The comedy comes from what Cassie does to try and figure out a solution. However, the movie does have a lot of added drama and gives us a host of characters you wouldn’t trust in any relationship. It puts more effort into making us dislike what is going on in the bigger picture than what is going on between friends and family.

Final Thoughts – The In-Law Gang is a wacky action comedy dealing with a difficult family.

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Discussion Piece

7 Essential Tips to Writing a Captivating Movie Review

7 Essential Tips to Writing a Captivating Movie Review

When it comes to writing a captivating movie review, there are certain tips and techniques that can help you craft a compelling and engaging piece of writing. Whether you’re sharing your thoughts on the latest blockbuster or a hidden gem, these essential tips will guide you in capturing the essence of the movie and captivating your readers with your review.

1.  Watch the Movie with a Critical Eye: Before diving into writing your review, immerse yourself in the film, paying close attention to its storytelling techniques, character development, visual aesthetics, and overall impact. Take detailed notes, highlighting key moments and aspects that stood out to you, to ensure a thorough and insightful analysis.

2.  Provide a Brief Summary: Begin your review with a concise summary of the movie’s plot, introducing the main characters and their motivations. Give readers a clear understanding of the film’s premise and setup without revealing any major spoilers, setting the stage for your subsequent analysis.

3.  Analyze Key Elements: Evaluate various aspects of the movie, including the screenplay, direction, cinematography, acting, and soundtrack. Examine how these elements contribute to the overall effectiveness of the film and share your observations with specific examples. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses, highlighting standout performances, impressive visuals, or any noteworthy technical achievements.

4.  Share Your Interpretation: Delve deeper into the movie’s themes, symbolism, or underlying messages. Offer your interpretation of the film’s deeper meaning, discussing how it resonated with you and exploring different layers of significance. Encourage readers to think critically and engage with the ideas presented in the film, fostering a deeper appreciation for its artistic and intellectual value.

5.   Include Relevant Promotional Photos: Enhance your movie review by incorporating relevant promotional photos that visually represent key scenes, characters, or moods. Choose images that capture the essence of the film and evoke curiosity in readers. If necessary, crop or resize the photos to align with your review’s focus and aesthetics, ensuring they complement your written analysis.

You can learn how to crop a picture on your Mac using helpful guides like the one provided by Setapp:https://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-crop-a-picture-on-mac. Including visually appealing and properly cropped promotional photos in your movie review not only adds visual appeal but also enhances the overall reading experience, making your review more engaging and impactful for your audience.

6.  Incorporate Personal Reflection: Infuse your review with personal reflections on how the film impacted you emotionally or intellectually. Share your genuine reactions and experiences, whether it made you laugh, cry, reflect, or question. Connect with readers on an emotional level, allowing them to relate to your personal perspective and creating a more engaging and relatable review.

7.  Craft a Strong Conclusion: Wrap up your review by summarizing your main points and offering a final verdict or recommendation based on your assessment. Reflect on the overall impact of the film and its potential audience appeal. Leave readers with a memorable concluding statement that lingers in their minds, sparking their curiosity and compelling them to watch the movie or engage in further discussion.

Conclusion

By incorporating these seven essential tips into your movie reviews, you can elevate your writing and create captivating reviews that resonate with your readers. Remember to provide a concise yet informative summary, offer insightful analysis, support your opinions with evidence, and engage your readers with your unique perspective. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to writing movie reviews that inform, entertain, and leave a lasting impact.

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Movie Review

Shin Ultraman (2022) Movie Review

Shin Ultraman – Movie Review

Shin Ultraman

Director: Shinji Higuchi

Writer: Hideaki Anno (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: As the threat of giant unidentified lifeforms known as “S-Class Species” worsens in Japan, a silver giant appears from beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Runtime: 1 Hour 58 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Shin Ultraman starts when Japan finds itself being attacked by giant unidentified lifeforms. They leave paths of destruction that see things getting worse with each attack. When the latest attack is going on a silver giant appears to help fight back against the giant lifeform.

However, with Ultramans appearance, comes another threat. Another alien lifeform arrives on Earth to prove Ultraman is dangerous. This leads to the Japanese government needs to decide what to do with their new protector after attacks by the false version of him.

Verdict on Shin Ultraman

Shin Ultraman is an action sci-fi film following the adventures of Ultraman as he looks to protect Japan from a new threat. However, once he gets involved, he finds himself dealing with threats from his own world and our own. He is left to continue his plan to remain neutral in protecting the Earth.

This movie gets to feel like a throwback to the classic Godzilla movies. Then you get to mix it with what we know as the Power Rangers. We get a cheesy wacky movie following the giant defender of Earth fighting a host of creatures. This is the type of movie you know exactly what you are getting going into it. It is one you can sit back and enjoy because it holds up to the same styled movie it is trying to represent.

Final Thoughts – Shin Ultraman is a throwback bonkers over-the-top movie.

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Movie Review

Nimona (2023) Movie Review

Nimona – Movie Review

Nimona

Director: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane

Writer: Robert L Baird, Lloyd Taylor (Screenplay)

Writer: Nate Stevenson (Graphic Novel)

Cast (Voice Talents)

Plot: When a knight in a futuristic medieval world is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona — a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature he’s sworn to destroy.

Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Nimona starts when an outsider Ballister Boldheart is about to be knighted. However, his weapon assassinates the Queen, seeing the whole futuristic world hunting him down. Meanwhile, mischievous teen Nimona looks to help him. The two must put their differences aside to figure out how to get Ballister out of the city.

However, Nimona sees it as a chance to cause chaos. She uses her shapeshifting ability to get the two out of difficult situations. All while leading to them learning the truth about the kingdom.

Verdict on Nimona

Nimona is an animated action movie following two outsiders, one within the kingdom, and the other from the outside. They must work together after the knight gets framed for the Queen’s death. However, it ends up unleashing a bigger problem for both sides to battle against.

This movie does create a unique setting of a modernised medieval kingdom. One where people never leave the kingdom but have the technology to create anything. This movie gets to have a lot of fun with the shapeshifting creatures Nimona brings to life. All while bringing the stronger message about treating people equally, no matter their backgrounds. We have seen plenty of unlikely partnerships in movies and this brings us another one that is entertaining to watch. This ends up being an enjoyable story with fun characters.

Where to Watch: Nimona is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts –Nimona is a big enjoyable movie with tons of heart.

Categories
Movie Review

Bad Girl Boogey (2022) Movie Review

Bad Girl Boogey – Movie Review

Bad Girl Boogey

Director: Alice Maio Mackay

Writer: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Halloween blood is shed by the wearer of a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Angel’s friend is killed by person wearing the same mask. They must overcome their struggles, fight, fear, and find the killer before he slaughters everyone.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes  

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bad Girl Boogey starts when a couple of murders occur when people put on a mysterious mask. The mask turns the host into a bigot that targets anyone it wants for a hate crime. Elsewhere, Angel (Fanto) and her friends including Dario (Mcerlean) and Lila head out for a party night. Although the night will end in tragedy when one of their friends is murdered.

Angel and Dario team up to try and uncover the truth. It sees them investigating the legacy of the mask and why it targets the LGBTQ community. However, the truth is even more disturbing for the friends.

Verdict on Bad Girl Boogey

Bad Girl Boogey is a horror movie following a group of friends that find themselves targeted by a masked killer. They must work together to solve the murders and figure out why they have been targeted.

This is a slasher movie that uses homophobic hate as the motivation behind the mask’s killing. It shows the community that has been placed in fear. While the slasher elements involved work well, with the mask adding plenty of mystery to the movie. It does look to show the problems a community of people go through even without the slasher killer involved. The performances are great from the whole cast too. There is one moment that feels like we are in the Terrifier universe of how graphic the sequence is.

Final Thoughts – Bad Girl Boogey is a great slasher movie.

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Discussion Piece

The Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

The Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

On the 21st of July Barbie and Oppenheimer are both getting released and it has caused a divide among movie fans as to what to see. Today I am going to look at the honest reality of the two releases. There are no spoilers in the movie, as I haven’t seen either of them.


Here is the Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

Barbie Will Make Most Money
Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

Barbie has a major advantage in the ‘battle’, it is a family film getting released right on the eve of the summer holidays. Much like how Super Mario Bros was released over the Easter Holiday, it will bring families together to attend the cinema. The movie is also an hour shorter meaning it can get more showings each day.

Barbie’s Box Office Isn’t the Most Important Thing

Usually when a movie gets released on the big screen, the money the movie makes is the most important thing. However, Barbie is different, if the toy industry sees a major increase in sales. That will be considered a major success. The marketing for Barbie is all about how many dolls, toys and merchandise they can sell.

Oppenheimer Will Receive the Most Critical Praise
Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer will have the critics falling over backwards to praise the movie. While Barbie will receive a strong score, there will be a select group that will look down on the movie, giving it a lower score than Oppenheimer. The critics love Nolan and anything he makes because he has the desire to make movies the old fashion way.

There is More Pressure on Greta Gerwig than on Christopher Nolan

This one is a harsh reality of Hollywood. Whatever happens with the movies, Christopher Nolan will get another massive budget movie that he can make whatever he wants. Greta Gerwig will need this to be a success and that might not even mean she gets another $100 Million budget movie outside of any Barbie sequels.

YOU can enjoy both movies.

As an audience member, you can easily go and enjoy both movies. There is no need to have sides when it comes to deciding which is better or worse. They are offering something different, which is the key factor. Oppenheimer is going to be a technical masterpiece. Barbie is going to be a fun movie that is going to be better than anyone’s expectations.

People Are Going to Call One Movie A Flop

People like to make headlines and you can already see people branding one of these movies a flop or a bomb. This term needs to stop because a movie’s financial return should be the measuring stick for how successful it can be.

The Award Seasons Will Love Both Movies
Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

After previously questioning why people only judge finances. Both movies can go on to be popular in the award season. They can both dominate different areas, and this could be one of the first weekends when two blockbusters compete at the box office and later on the award front.

People Will Complain about the Sound in Oppenheimer

It has become a big factor in Christopher Nolan movies, people struggle to hear the dialogue over back noise and music. While I personally have never experienced this problem. Others have, and it will still be a major factor upon this release.

The IMax Decision Will Cost Oppenheimer
Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan shot the movie to be viewed in IMax form. However, here in the UK, there are only a very limited number of screens. This means the audience can’t witness the movie how the director wishes, meaning most won’t get to experience his full vision.

That is the Honest Reality of Barbie versus Oppenheimer

Categories
Movie Review

Call Her King (2023) Movie Review

Call Her King – Movie Review

Call her King

Director: Wes Miller

Writer: Wes Miller (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After the courthouse is hijacked by Black Caesar, brother of Sean Samuels, who has just been sentenced, Judge Jaeda King must rely on her strength and skills to find a way to end the standoff, save the hostages, and make her escape.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Call Her King starts when Judge King (Naughton) has sentenced Sean Samuels (Mitchell) to death in her biggest trial to date. However, his brother Black Caesar (Gross) has decided to break his brother out of the courthouse before he gets sent to jail.

As Caesar takes the courtroom, Judge King, Sean and the lawyers get trapped in a secure room. They get to listen on as Caesar looks to conduct his own retrial with force. However, Judge King decides to lead the fight back and clean up the problem in her courtroom.

Verdict on Call Her King

Call Her King is an action thriller following a Judge who steps up to defend her courtroom from a criminal gang. It follows her getting to know the person they are trying to break out with and learning about the bigger event going on.

This starts out like an interesting heist-like movie, following the crew trying to get a re-trial. Seeing how this unfolds is interesting because it challenges the justice found in a way that puts plenty of questions up in the air. However, once we get into the action side of the movie. It becomes a weird hybrid of Die Hard in a courtroom, without having as slick action.

Naturi Naughton is fun in the leading role, while Jason Mitchell and Lance Gross round off the cast well. This is an entertaining movie and has plenty to work with along the way. We could easily have dived into more material, but from what we get, we are highly entertained.

Final Thoughts – Call Her King is an entertaining action thriller that keeps us on edge.

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Movie Review

Alien Planet (2023) Movie Review

Alien Planet – Movie Review

Alien Planet

Director: Alan Maxson

Writer: Alan Maxson (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Two alien species with a history of hatred for each other are forced to work together and survive a hostile planet, to save their own.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Alien Planet starts when two alien races head to a remote planet. Lock (Bokova) and her race find themselves battling against Brocheet (Smith) and his. However, when they face a new threat, they must try to understand why they are enemies in the first place.

Once they put aside their differences. They must work together to escape. Although, that isn’t going to be as easy as they had imagined due to the centuries of hate between the races.

Verdict on Alien Planet

Alien Planet is a sci-fi movie that follows two alien races that battle for resources that both find themselves stranded on a planet with a larger threat. It follows a member of each side starting to learn about the other and the struggles that they have been through.

This is a movie that has an interesting message about following what is being taught. Over knowing the people/race that is different. It shows that the two sides have blindly been fighting for generations and now they could learn more about their differences and see a brighter future. On the downside, there is more focus on the two races trying to understand their differences. This can leave the monster that is overpowering them feeling a little bit more left out of the main events of the movie.

One factor that must be remembered going into this movie is the low budget. However, that doesn’t stop the team from putting together a movie that makes us feel like we are in the same environment as the characters.

Final Thoughts – Alien Planet is a movie with a strong social message mixed with an alien battle.