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Movie Review

Vendetta (2022) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Catch Up 2022 – V – Vendetta – Movie Review

Vendetta Poster

Director: Jared Cohn (Wishing for a Dream)

Writer: Jared Cohn (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: When his daughter is brutally murdered and legal justice looks unlikely, William Duncan takes the law into his own hands. Setting out on a quest for retribution. After killing the street thug who was directly responsible for her death. He finds himself in the middle of a war with the thug’s brother, Rory Fetter, and his gang. Who are equally hell-bent on getting even for their fallen member. What ensues is a tense back-and-forth game of one man’s thirst for vengeance over another’s. William comes to find that the quest for revenge always has the same ending

Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Vendetta starts when the Fetter gang force the youngest member Danny (Basden) into an incitation murder. The victim is teenager Kat Duncan (Nichols), randomly selected, shot in cold blood. With no evidence, he is set to walk free.

Enraged by this decision Kat’s father William (Standen) decides to take the law into his own hands, killing Danny. Consequently, causing a war against the family, with Danny’s brother Rory (Rossi) leading the charge against him. This forces William into returning to his military ways.

Verdict on Vendetta

Vendetta is a revenge-filled action thriller. Centre around one man that goes on a one-man rampage to get vengeance for his daughter’s murder. It does create a war between the two sides, as William shows his military background, while Rory shows his sadistic nature.

In a similar vein to many revenge movies, we see how everything spirals out of control quickly. Showing how the lone fighter will overcome the numbers in their battle against the bigger family. The story won’t hold back in how everything unfolds. highlighting the brutality of the gang and the war created.

This movie is another case of slapping the big names on the poster, with Bruce Willis, Thomas Jane and Mike Tyson getting the headline billing. Only for the film to be led by Clive Standen, who is great as the ruthless grieving father. The sadistic Theo Rossi, brings us the crazed eldest member of the family, doing everything to show his character as the loose cannon. When it comes to the action, we tend to go through a string of shootouts that have plenty of missed bullets, which don’t offer any intensity.

Final Thoughts – Vendetta is a brutal action movie, that doesn’t hold back.

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Movie Review

Faith Based (2020) Movie Review

Faith Based – Movie Review

Faith Based

Director: Vincent Masciale

Writer: Luke Barnett, Vincent Masciale, Tanner Thomason (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Luke Barnett (Coffin)
  • Tanner Thomason (Super Sportlets)
  • Lance Reddick (John Wick)
  • Jason Alexander (Pretty Woman)
  • David Koechner (Krampus)

Plot: When two friends realize all “faith based” films make buckets of cash, they set out on a mission to make one of their own.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Faith Based starts when two best friends, Luke (Barnett) and Tanner (Thomason), decide to make a faith-based movie. They learn that the profit from them is massive and set about putting together their movie.

However, they must find a sort of famous celebrity who is also religious to join the movie. They look toward their favourite action star Butch Savage (Koechner). However, things don’t go as planned and their own friendship is the thing that gets tested the most.

Verdict on Faith Based

Faith Based is a comedy following two friends trying to make a faith-based movie to make quick money. It goes into how the pair must work together to make a movie showing the problems that come with it. Putting their own friendship to the test while making it.

This is a typical get-rich-quick comedy, that brings in a bigger idea to make something happen. It doesn’t get the laughs it wants to and ends up feeling more awkward than anything else. There could have been a lot more fun about making a movie, like ‘BE Kind Rewind’ did. There is no doubting the leading pair Luke Barnett and Tanner Thomason work well together showing their chemistry throughout the film.

Final Thoughts – Faith Based is a bland comedy about trying to get rich quick.

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Movie Review

Umma (2022) Movie Review

Umma – ABC Film Challenge – Catch-Up 2022 – U – Umma – Movie Review

Umma

Director: Iris K Shim

Writer: Iris K Shim (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Sandra Oh (Sideways)
  • Fivel Stewart (American Satan)
  • Dermot Mulroney (August: Osage County)
  • Odeya Rush (Lady Bird)
  • MeeWha Alana Lee (Awkwafina is Nora from Queens)

Plot: Amanda and her daughter live a quiet life on an American farm, but when the remains of her estranged mother arrive from Korea, Amanda becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her own mother.

Runtime: 1 Hour 23 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Umma starts as Amanda (Oh) created a new life with her daughter Chris (Stewart) in America. They live a quiet life away from the modern technologies of the world. When the remains of Amanda’s mother arrive on their farm, Amanda starts to become haunted by her past once again.

As Chris starts to plan to leave and attend college, she learns of the controlling nature that runs through their family. Can Amanda shake the demons of her mother before she loses her relationship with her own daughter? Or is there something more sinister attached to the family?

Verdict on Umma

Umma is a mystery horror that follows a mother-daughter relationship. It follows a mother that tried to set up a new life away from her Korean roots to escape an abusive mother. When her mother dies, she finds herself transforming into her own mother while dealing with her own daughter getting to college age.

This is a horror that feels like it falls very short. It is clear that there is meant to be some metaphor for a mother letting her child go. Only it gets caught up with plenty of uncertainty going on. When it comes to horror there doesn’t seem to be any real scares. Only giving us a few odd moments that are strange more than scary. The movie fails to utilise the talent of Sandra Oh to bring anything to the picture.

Final Thoughts – Umma is a flat horror that never really gets going.

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Movie Review

Saint Omer (2022) Movie Review

Saint Omer – Movie Review

Saint Omer

Director: Alice Diop

Writer: Amrita David, Alice Diop, Marie N’Diaye (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Kayije Kagame
  • Guslagie Malanda (Mon amie Victoria)
  • Valerie Dreville (Armorican Suite)
  • Aurelia Petit (Personal Shopper)
  • Xavier Maly (A Vert Long Engagement)

Plot: Follows Rama, a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court to use her story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but things don’t go as expected.

Runtime: 2 Hours 2 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Saint Omer starts as novelist Rama (Kagame) attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Malanda). Laurence is accused of murdering her 15-month baby but claims she has no memory of the event. Rama gets to sit in on the trial, learning the harrowing truth about the incident, believing it could be connected to the ancient myth of Medea.

As the case roles on Rama gets broken up about hearing the truth, showing it to be too disturbing for her to handle. Rama is left to question whether to go forward with her latest novel, or not, leading her down a path she wasn’t expecting.

Verdict on Saint Omer

Saint Omer is a courtroom drama following a novelist that attends a murder trial. She believes it has a connection to a myth she has been studying but isn’t prepared for what the truth holds.

This movie does an excellent job of grabbing your attention through the trial. The scenes are long, but you want to hear every single word behind the case. It is almost like we have been placed in the eyes of Rama sitting in the courtroom with her. While the court case is the most interesting part of the film, the more personal journey from Rama tends to take a step back. It seems to focus on how the case affects her, despite it having a much more realistic outcome in the courtroom.

The performances from Kayije Kagame and Guslagie Malanda are both brilliant. They both demand to be the centre of the scene as everything unfolds.

Where to Watch: SAINT OMER RELEASES IN UK CINEMAS ON FRIDAY 03 FEBRUARY.

Final Thoughts – Saint Omer is a powerful drama with brilliant performances.

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Movie Review

Bank of Dave (2023) Movie Review

Bank of Dave – Movie Review

Bank of Dave

Director: Chris Foggin

Writer: Piers Ashworth (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Based on the true-life experiences of Dave Fishwick; ‘Bank of Dave’ tells the story of how a working-class Burnley man and self-made millionaire fought to set up a community bank.

Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bank of Dave starts when lawyer Hugh (Fry) gets sent from London to Burnley. In Burnley, self-made millionaire David Fishwick (Kinnear) wants to open up a new community bank. He has been helping his community for years now, giving back to the community to create opportunities established banks refuse money to.

When Hugh learns the good nature of Dave’s plan, he goes forward with the idea of setting up the bank. However, Sir Charles (Bonneville) doesn’t want to let a new bank step on the multi-billionaire business. Hugh must use his own skills as a lawyer to help make this a possibility.

Verdict on Bank of Dave

Characters

Hugh is a lawyer from London assigned to assist in Burnley as a businessman who wants to open a bank. He must use his neutral status to advise him on the best course of action and prepare him for what he might face. Hugh isn’t used to going that North and sees a different point of view on life, getting attached to the small town.

Dave Fishwick is a self-made millionaire operating in Burnley. He has always used his money to help the community, creating jobs and helping improve the finances in the area. Dave wants to challenge the establishment by creating his own bank, so he can help more people who get rejected by the big banks in the country. He is one of the nicest, friendliest people you would ever meet.

Elsewhere, in the supporting characters we have Sir Charles who is against the Bank of Dave. Using his power to make sure it doesn’t happen. Alexandra, Dave’s niece whom Hugh takes a shine to with her own vision of what Dave wants to offer.

Performances

Joel Fry is excellent in the leading role, being the outsider in the world he isn’t used to. Showing nervous traits at times, despite knowing he is skilled enough to get the job done. Rory Kinnear is the star of the show, he brings out an outstanding character. One that is so welcoming in everything he does, confident and a character you root for from the first moment you meet him. There is also an excellent supporting cast that gets plenty of laughs along the way.

Story

The story follows an ambitious self-made millionaire that wants to open a bank for his local community. We follow a lawyer who is assigned to advise him, only for him to understand and respect the idea. This leads to the battle against the banking system to let the bank open.

Bank of Dave is based on the real story behind the establishment of the country’s smallest bank in Burnley. It highlights how big businesses have become distant from their customers. Showing that banks don’t do enough to support smaller communities in the country. While the fight to make it happens feels rather generic, it is told in a fun enjoyable way. One that quickly establishes Dave as an all-around nice guy you want to support.

Where to Watch: Bank of Dave is available on Netflix.

Final Thoughts – Bank of Dave is a brilliant, enjoyable, and heartfelt movie.

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Movie Review

Mission Majnu (2023) Movie Review

Mission Majnu – Movie Review

Mission Majnu

Director: Shantanu Bagchi

Writer: Parveez Sheikh, Aseem Arrora, Sumit Batheja (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Sidharth Malhotra
  • Rashmika Mandanna
  • Parmeet Sethi
  • Sharib Hashmi
  • Mir Sarwar

Plot: The untold story of India’s most audacious and daring covert operation in the heart of Pakistan.

Runtime: 2 Hours 9 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Mission Majnu starts as we meet Tariq Ali (Malhotra) an Indian spy operating in Pakistan. He meets Nasreen (Mandanna) a blind woman and gets married to maintain his cover. Tariq’s mission is to learn whether Pakistan is also making Nuclear weapons after India presents their own to the world.

Once the government is overthrown, Tariq must speed up his process to learn the location of the nuclear test before it is too late. However, his cover is at risk, as he has really fallen in love, breaking the rules of his operation.

Verdict on Mission Majnu

Mission Majnu is an action history movie following the intense mission to uncover nuclear potential in Pakistan. It sees an Indian spy going undercover in Pakistan, falling in love along the way, and trying to prevent a deadly war.

This is a movie that shows us a behind-the-scenes operation to stop a very real threat in the 1970s. The potential for nuclear conflict had never been so high in the aftermath of World War II and two warring neighbouring countries could cause a global disaster. Seeing the operation unfold is interesting and shows how spies completed a mission.

The love story does feel like it is added to try and bring the countries together in the world of the spy. This also makes it hard to see which parts of the story are real or changed to make the movie more entertaining. In the performances, Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna are both great. As Sidharth handles more of the action-heavy moments throughout the film.

Where to Watch: Mission Majnu is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Mission Majnu is a slick action thriller based on a historical secret mission.

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Movie Review

The Tiger Rising (2022) Movie Review

The Tiger Rising – ABC Film Challenge – Catch-Up 2022 – T – Tiger Rising – Movie Review

Tiger Rising

Director: Ray Giarratana

Writer: Ray Giarratana (Screenplay)

Writer: Kate DiCamillo (Book)

Cast

  • Christan Convery (Playing with Fire)
  • Sam Trammell (The Fault in Our Stars)
  • Madalen Mills (Jingle Jangle)
  • Queen Latifah (End of the Road)
  • Dennis Quaid (Frequency)

Plot: A young boy discovers a caged tiger in the woods near his home.

Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Tiger Rising starts as lonely school boy Rob (Convery) discovers a tiger caged in the local woods. Rob gets bullied at school while making friends with the new girl Sistine (Mills). He wants to show off his secret and the school tells him to stay away because of an infection in his legs.

Rob learns that his father’s boss Beauchamp (Quaid) owns the tiger. This leads him to get a plan with Sistine to release the tiger. Giving the children a chance to deal with their own problems in life. Rob faces the reality his mother has passed away and Sistine that her parents split up.

Verdict on The Tiger Rising

The Tiger Rising is a drama that sees two children facing the unpleasant reality that finding friendship by saving a tiger. It shows how the pair both have problems and have controlling adults in their lives.

This hits the coming-of-age tropes very well. Showing how Rob needs to face his own reality, one he has been hiding from. It shows that children can become silent victims if an adult can’t open up about their own feelings.

The movie does have strong performances from the two young stars Christian Convery and Madalen Mills. While Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid bring the more adult performances on either side of the spectrum.

Final Thoughts – The Tiger Rising is a beautiful coming-of-age tale, wonderfully acted by everyone involved.

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Movie Review

Jung_E (2023) Movie Review

Jung_E – Movie Review

Jung_E

Director: Sang-ho Yeon

Writer: Sang-ho Yeon (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: On an uninhabitable 22nd-century Earth, the outcome of a civil war hinges on cloning the brain of an elite soldier to create a robot mercenary.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Jung_E starts as we learn about the deadly war that raged over the Earth, making it uninhabitable. Sang-Hoon (Kyung-soo) has been running an experiment using Seohyun (Soo-yeon) skills. This sees them trying to create an elite soldier Jung_E (Hyun-joo) a fallen soldier to fight back against the robotic army.

The problems start appearing when the robot can’t get past a certain part of the simulation. As Sang-Hoon pushes for improvement, he pushes the project beyond anything it has managed before. However, when the truth comes out about what the company wants with the project, Seohyun has her own plans for it.

Verdict on Jung_E

Jung_E is a sci-fi action movie following a project being put together to create an elite robotic soldier. We are taken to a futuristic world where people live on an uninhabitable Earth. Following the moral discussions about whether to continue pushing for results using a human mind.

The world created for this story is interesting, even if we don’t dive as deep as we could into it. Our snippet into what has happened in the future shows us how far people will go to solve a conflict. Even if deep down, this becomes a movie about the relationship between a mother and daughter.

There is also a discussion about how much humans should rely on A.I. Showing how businesses will always have their own ideas for what is being produced. This ends up being an enjoyable movie, with brilliant special effects to create the world we are sucked into. The performances in the film are strong too. Kim Hyun-joo gets to bring combat skills, while Ryu Kyung-Soo brings a business psychotic to life.

Where to Watch: Jung_E is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Jung_E is a great futuristic experience.

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Movie Review

Bezos (2023) Movie Review

Bezos the Beginning – Movie Review

Bezos

Director: Khoa Le

Writer: Allison Burnett, R.V. Romero (Screenplay)

Writer: Tashena Ebanks (Book)

Cast

  • Armando Gutierrez (Walt Before Mickey)
  • Kevin Sorbo (Let There Be Light)
  • Eliana Ghen (Cobra Kai)
  • Emilio Estefan Jr
  • Alex Mitchell (Candy)

Plot: Bezos chronicles the true-life story of Jeff Bezos-a humble yet awkward entrepreneur on his mission to create Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce company, and turning himself into the richest man in the world.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bezos the Beginning starts as we meet successful businessman Jeff Bezos (Gutierrez). He has built a reputation as one of the youngest successes on Wall Street but doesn’t feel satisfied. Jeff comes up with the idea of using the growing internet to build a book-selling website.

He is joined by his wife MacKenzie (Mitchell) as the pair start searching for investment. This dream doesn’t seem as easy when Jeff starts meeting obstacles along the way. However, he does become one of the richest men in the world.

Verdict on Bezos the Beginning

Bezos the Beginning is a drama that explores the early days of Jeff Bezos’s world-changing business Amazon. It shows how he had a visionary idea for an online business after seeing the massive increase in internet activity.

This is a movie that wants to grab ‘The Social Network’ ability to show the birth of a massive website. However, the film ends up feeling more like a drama set around a documentary. There is no flare moment that makes it stand out. It doesn’t feel like the big moments mean much and portrays Jeff Bezos as more of a reckless figure. This is one movie that sells itself on only being the beginning, which isn’t the most interesting part of the bigger story.

Final Thoughts – Bezos the Beginning misses all the exciting parts of a much bigger story.