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Movie Review

The Unholy Trinity (2024) Movie Review

The Unholy Trinity – Movie Review

The Unholy Trinity is an engaging western featuring a young man's quest for truth amid town chaos and shifting allegiances.

First Reaction – The Unholy Trinity is an entertaining western with plenty going on.

Where to Watch

The Unholy Trinity is available on Digital Platforms 7 July and DVD 21 July. Distributed by Signature Entertainment

Director: Richard Gray

Writer: Lee Zachariah (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Buried secrets of an 1870s Montana town spark violence when a young man returns to reclaim his legacy and is caught between a sheriff determined to maintain order and a mysterious stranger hell-bent on destroying it.

Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Unholy Trinity starts when Henry Broadway (Lessard) investigates the death of his father. His father was executed for a crime he claims he never committed. Henry targets the local sheriff, only to discover his target has moved on, and Sheriff Gabriel Dove (Brosnan) runs the town.

It doesn’t take long before Henry gets caught up in trouble in the town, as St Christopher (Jackson) takes notice of him. Meanwhile, the local gang run by Gideon (Capaldi) continues to try and take over the town. However, Henry is left torn between whom to trust.

Verdict on The Unholy Trinity

Recap

The movie follows a young man who returns to the town where he was born. He wants to find the person who framed his father, but finds himself in a battle between a gang and a sheriff trying to keep the peace.

Best Parts

The mystery about whom Henry can trust is the highlight of the movie. We get plenty of people interested in him and what he knows, which could help them. We have strong performances throughout, with Samuel L Jackson and Pierce Brosnan bringing the star power too.

Worst Parts

Sometimes the movie feels too busy, while things do get connected, it has a lot going on without enough focus on the main story presented to us revolving around Henry.

Final Thoughts –The Unholy Trinity is a twist-filled western.

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Movie Review

DC Down (2023) Movie Review

DC Down – Movie Review

Read the review of DC Down, a disaster movie set in Washington, D.C. Experience the suspense and action as the Army Corps fights against a sinister plot.

ABC Film Challenge – Disaster Movies – D

Director: Geoff Meed

Writer: Geoff Meed (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After an earthquake rocks Washington, D.C., the Army Corps races against the clock to rescue the president, who is trapped under the rubble, while a sinister plot aims to capitalise on the disaster.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: DC Down starts when an earthquake hits Washington, and President Powell (Young) is trapped in the rubble. Lance Cushing (Pearson) and Katherine Greene (Fields) lead the rescue attempts. However, a series of aftershocks causes more destruction, and Katherine discovers a far more dangerous situation.

Lance and Katherine race to prevent more disasters. Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Terry Wilder (Roberts) prepares to calm the country. However, a more sinister plan is unleashed, as somebody sees it as a chance to gain power in the country.

Verdict on DC Down

DC Down is an action thriller following the aftermath of an earthquake that traps the President. It begins as a rescue mission before turning into an attempted coup to take control of America. We follow the former soldier leading the fight to prevent disaster and an assassination attempt.

This movie brings the basics of a big disaster movie and adds the peril the leader of a state is in danger, in this case, the President. It uses minor destruction moments that are all CGI and the President never looks like she is in danger. The rescue team does what they need to with a lot of science talk and the illusion of a greater panic is created. However, it never feels like we are in a disaster zone or that anything outside has happened. Sure, you can watch this one night and have a good time, but it isn’t as convincing as it believes it should be.

Where to Watch

DC Down is available on Tubi.

Final Thoughts – DC Down is a basic late-night action movie.

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Movie Review

Heads of State (2025) Movie Review

Heads of State – Movie Review

"Heads of State combines humor, action, and chemistry as two leaders must collaborate to fend off a terrorist threat."

First Reaction – Heads of State has laughs, action and great chemistry.

Director: Ilya Naishuller

Writer: Josh Appelbaum, Andrew Nemec, Harrison Query (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Idris Elba (Beast)
  • John Cena (The Marine)
  • Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Baywatch)
  • Paddy Considine (Dead Man’s Shoes)
  • Carla Gugino (Gerald’s Game)

Plot: When the UK Prime Minister and US President become the targets of a foreign adversary, they’re forced to rely on one another to thwart a global conspiracy.

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Heads of State starts when a UK and US mission goes wrong with agent Noel Bisset (Jonas) going missing. Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Elba) and President Will Derringer (Cena) must work together to resolve the situation. However, the pair dislike each other, as Sam worked hard to become Prime Minister and Will is an actor stepping into politics.

The pair must reluctantly put their difference aside and track down the terrorist Viktor Gradov (Considine) who escaped capture. Will invites Sam to join him on their journey on Air Force One. However, they come under attack crash landing and leaving them to fend for themselves and deal with terrorist wanting to make sure they are dead.

Verdict on Heads of State

Recap

The movie follows the British Prime Minister and US President who must put their differences aside to survive a terrorist attack. A ruthless terrorist has targeted them to expose the truth. However, they must learn the truth before the world turns into chaos.

Best Parts

The bigger picture is entertaining to watch, two politicians who don’t get along needing to work together. It plays into the wildly outlandish idea in the similar vein as the Has Fallen series, with a little bit of bickering comedy. Elba and Cena work very well together and Jonas is the cherry on top.

Worst Parts

The action is a bit too set piece, rather than a more nature attack containment style. It struggles to create the suspense of them being in trouble when a large part of the movie is left. The how did they get here scenes are dreadful though, just green screen nonsense.

Final Thoughts –Heads of State is an entertaining action comedy.

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Movie Review

If I Could Ride Again (2025) Movie Review

If I Could Ride Again – Movie Review

"If I Could Ride Again" is a heartfelt film about overcoming struggles, featuring a former equestrian champion and her supportive loved ones.

First Reaction – If I Could Ride Again has a moving story about overcome problems.

Where to Watch

If I Could Ride Again – July 8, 2025.

Director: Nick Pinelli

Writer: Don Miller, Nick Pinelli (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A former equestrian champion finds that her best friend is taking her place. As the tension mounts, they learn to lean on each other, and their love of horses and race cars, to find strength and hope.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: If I Could Ride Again starts when a former equestrian champion finds her life turned upside down. Her family must sell her horse to clean out their debts. Elsewhere, Jimmy (Vera) battles his demons as his past comes back to visit him.

The two face difficult moments and support from unexpected locations. However, it becomes more about whether they will listen to them or spiral down a darker path.

Verdict on If I Could Ride Again

Recap

The movie follows a former equestrian champion and a horse trainer who confront demons from their past. They both struggled to overcome the problems and began pushing people away. However, their loved ones continue to support them and hope to help them recover.

Best Parts

The movie uses the personal tragedies the two characters have faced to drive their decisions. It shows how difficult they find life and refuse to accept help. However, it proved that loved ones refuse to back off and will be there whenever you need support. This side of the story comes through strong and with great performances, keeping us wanting to support them too.

Worst Parts

It is a nice story, but it doesn’t feel like anything we haven’t seen before and in some case with a bigger emotional pull. However, it is also better than a lot that try to do the same ideas.

Final Thoughts –If I Could Ride Again is a nice, moving story.

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Movie Review

Crystal Skulls (2014) Movie Review

Crystal Skulls – Movie Review

Discover the thrilling movie review of Crystal Skulls: a disaster film with a race against time to save the world from catastrophic events.

ABC Film Challenge – Disaster Movies – C

Director: Todor Chapkanov

Writer: Denise Poole, Rafael Jordan (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: It is 2020 and the apocalypse is inevitable. 12 of 13 Crystal skulls are united causing catastrophic events. Only the 13th Skull can theoretically restore order before the Earth is destroyed from within by their power.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Crystal Skulls starts when Professor John Winston (Burgi) is recruited to help solve the mystery of potential catastrophic event. It has seen a group collect crystal skulls that unlock a power which could destroy the planet. People have released it wanting its power for something else, now things have gone wrong.

Mr Hadden (Rintoul) has kept things secret and turned to John to solve the problem. However, they clash on what is wanted from the power and a race against time to stop a disaster.

Verdict on Crystal Skulls

Crystal Skulls is an action adventure movie following a group of scientists who must race to stop the end of the world. They have to locate an item, that could unlock great power, as the world starts falling apart around them.

This movie plays into the myths, legend and superstitions about the end of the world. It uses this to show the threat which could come humanities way and how they must rush to stop it. The action is tame and doesn’t bring anything new to the table, in fact it holds back from seeing the destruction happening. When it comes to the mission, it seems to simple to get it straight away, but very little investigation is involved.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Crystal Skulls is the typical low-budget, late-night action movie.

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Movie Review

The Old Guard 2 (2025) Movie Review

The Old Guard 2 – Movie Review

The Old Guard 2 resembles a returning series, featuring immortal warriors facing new threats while struggling with character depth and narrative cohesion.

First Reaction – The Old Guard 2 feels more like a returning television series than a movie.

The Old Guard 2 is available on Netflix now.

Director: Victoria Mahoney

Writer: Greg Rucka, Sarah L Walker (Screenplay)

Writer: Leandro Fernandez, Greg Rucka (Graphic Novel)

Cast

Plot: Andy leads immortal warriors against a powerful enemy threatening their group. They grapple with the resurfacing of a long-lost immortal, complicating their mission to safeguard humanity.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Old Guard 2 starts when Andy (Theron) works with CIA agent Copley (Ejiofor) to remind us how good her team is. Nile (Layne), the newest member is still adapting to the team with Nicky (Marinelli) and Joe (Kenzari) as the team of immortals conduct business and take out criminals. Elsewhere, Discord (Thurman) has located another immortal Quynh (Ngo).

Andy becomes drawn to Quynh and her connection to their previous life. However, Quynh has waited centuries to be discovered and wants to hear the story behind the life Andy has lived. Meanwhile, the bigger threat is approaching, and Andy must deal with being mortal after centuries of being immortal.

Verdict on The Old Guard

Recap

The movie follows Andy and her team of immortal warriors facing a new threat. A stranger has located Andy’s oldest friend and returned them to the present day. However, Andy battles her reality of being mortal leaving the team to face off against the person trying to take their powers.

Best Parts

The movie builds on the bigger story around the immortals and shows the bigger mystery surrounding them. We get some flashy action sequences, even if they feel more routine than anything else.

Worst Parts

Everything feels more like a returning television series, introducing a new threat, who doesn’t seem to do anything other than talk. It has a returning friend whose past could bring more to the bigger picture. However, that isn’t how a movie should be operating, we needed a more rounded story and not a build for the next movie.

Final Thoughts –The Old Guard 2 struggles to get going and focuses more on the next chapter.

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Movie Review

Watch the Skies (2022) Movie Review

Watch the Skies – Movie Review

"Watch the Skies" follows a teenager seeking answers about her father's disappearance, joining a UFO club amidst a government cover-up.

First Reaction – Watch the Skies creates a great mystery about the unknown connections in the world.

Where to Watch

Watch The Skies will be available exclusively at Showcase Cinemas from 11th July.

Director: Victor Danell

Writer: Victor Danell, Jimmy Nivren Olsson (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A rebellious teenager who believes her missing father was abducted by aliens joins forces with a quirky UFO club of endearing misfits. They embark on a high-stakes adventure that defies the law and challenges the very fabric of reality.

Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Watch the Skies starts when rebellious teenager Denise (Torhaug) searches for answers about her father’s death. She believes there is something more unexplainable and turns to Lennart (Barkselius) for more support. While he doesn’t believe in everything Denise is putting together, he is willing to listen.

However, their investigation discovers Kicki (Melander) running a secret facility deep in the forest. They make a shocking discovery which would prove Denise’s father’s work as credible and set out to prove it once and for all.

Verdict on Watch the Skies

Recap

The movie follows a determined teenager who wants answers about her father’s death. She joins forces with a UFO research team that could provide connections to what happened. However, the government are looking to keep things quiet and will do anything to make sure it happens.

Best Parts

The movie does a great job of showing the divide between people who know the truth and want to keep secrets and people stuck living with the unknown. However, deep down, it is more about discovering what could be out there and what could be visiting. It is interesting seeing the earlier, calmer study into the unexplainable events.

Worst Parts

Some of the side characters are questionable and don’t fit the positions they are in. They don’t believe their causes, making them dangerous for no reason to everyone else around them.

Final Thoughts –Watch the Skies is a great dive into the possibilities.

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Movie Review

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) Movie Review

Jurassic World: Rebirth – Movie Review

Jurassic World: Rebirth features mercenaries extracting dinosaur DNA but suffers from predictable plot and underdeveloped characters.

First Reaction – Jurassic World: Rebirth brings more of the horrors behind dinosaurs to life.

Director: Gareth Edwards

Writer: David Koepp (Screenplay)

Writer: Michael Crichton (Novel)

Cast

Plot: Five years post-Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

Runtime: 2 Hours 14 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Jurassic World: Rebirth starts when pharmaceutical representative Martin Krebs (Friend) recruits mercenary Zora (Johansson). He needs her to lead a team with expert Dr Henry Loomis (Bailey) to extract DNA from the biggest dinosaurs left behind.

Zora puts a team together with the help of Duncan Kincaid (Ali) and they head off on their mission. However, on route, they receive a May Day call from Reuben (Garcia-Ruflo) and his family. The two must travel to the island to collect the DNA and find safety, but what does the island hold for them?

Verdict on Jurassic World: Rebirth

Recap

The movie follows a group of mercenaries recruited by a pharmaceutical representative to collect dinosaur DNA. They set off on their mission and rescued a family in danger. However, the island is filled with the biggest and deadliest dinosaur to date.

Best Parts

There is an interesting message which has run through all the Jurassic World movies about humans losing interest in dinosaurs if they came back. It was a massive part of the genetic engineering of dinosaurs in the first movie. This continues here and puts us in the position of people wanting to make money on them before they become extinct again. When it comes to the dinosaurs, it is great to see the creations come to life, whether it be a peaceful or an attacking situation.

Worst Parts

Sadly, the trailer gives away too many moments from the dinosaurs, and for the most part, you will have seen each sequence. The human characters are a bit plain and feel like cheaper versions of previous ones we have seen. There is a little bit of character development, but none of them are as interesting as previous figures. Whether it be the dinosaur expert, the mercenaries or the representative. There also isn’t too much made of the expert being an expert when it comes to the different interactions. Elsewhere, the subplot with the family feels more forced than anything else.

Final Thoughts –Jurassic World: Rebirth has great dinosaur shots, but a by-the-book story.

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Movie Review

Black Wake (2018) Movie Review

Black Wake – Movie Review

Dive into the suspenseful world of Black Wake, a disaster movie that will leave you breathless. Follow the scientists as they uncover a parasitic threat and unravel the ancient mystery behind the deaths.

ABC Film Challenge – Disaster Movies – B

Director: Jeremiah Kipp

Writer: CK Fernandez, Jerry Janda, Jeremiah Kipp (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Specialists gather in a top-secret facility to investigate a series of strange deaths on beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. One of the team’s scientists examines video evidence to uncover a possible parasitic explanation for the fatalities. But when a determined detective sends her the crazed writings of a mysterious homeless man, the scientist slowly learns that the actual threat may be more dangerous — and far older — than anyone ever imagined.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Black Wake starts when an unknown virus has spread worldwide. Dr Luiza Moreira (Gouvea) works with American intelligence to understand what is happening. However, they are following her with a connection to what might be happening. Meanwhile, Dr Frank’s (Roberts) team are working through footage following the spread.

Luiza believes something is coming from the water and must convince the team of the threat. However, it has started spreading too fast and they must search for the source to find a cure.

Verdict on Black Wake

Black Wake is a horror thriller following a scientist trying to understand a deadly outbreak. However, the government know more than they are letting on and she slowly breaks down after learning more stories.

This sci-fi action thriller uses the spread of something from the unknown invading. It uses the concept of the slow spread and a series of short clips to borrow from the concept behind the World War Z book. These chapters help give more simple stories of the spread, rather than a constant run to escape the problem. However, despite the strong concept, it struggles to make as big of an impact as it could. It holds too much back from what has been happening but also doesn’t hold back from a massive threat. The movie struggles with performance, which doesn’t feel convincing in any way.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Black Wake is a typical late-night creature feature.