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Movie Review

Bad Man (2025) Movie Review

Bad Man – Movie Review

Bad Man offers an entertaining take on small-town crime, showcasing Seann William Scott's performance amid a meth epidemic and undercover tensions.

First Reaction – Bad Man gives us an entertaining journey into small town crime, where Seann William Scott shines.

Where to Watch

Bad Man will be available on Digital Download from 22nd September.

Director: Michael Diliberti

Writer: Michael Diliberti, JJ Nelson (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: In Colt Lake Tennessee, Sam Evans tackles a meth epidemic. He is sidelined on arrival of Bobby Gaines an undercover agent. Despite Evans local ties, Gaines is hailed as hero. Suspicions arise on Gaines which unravels a complex narrative.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bad Man starts when undercover special agent Bobby Gaines (Scott) arrives in a small town facing a drug war. Local officers Sam Evans (Simmons) and DJ (Perdomo) are trying to deal with the case, but discover it is bigger than expected.

The three have differences but must work together to end the drug war. However, Sam clashes with Bobby and his methods, leading to a tension between them, pushing the case into a dangerous area on whether it would be solved or not.

Verdict on Bad Man

Recap

The movie follows an undercover special agent who arrives in a small town to deal with a drug war. However, he clashes with the locals in the search for answers, which takes them down an unusual path.

Best Parts

This brings a fresh style to the small town drug war, with Seann William Scott bringing a fresh ruthless character to life. He continues to bring the rawer style characters to life in an entertaining style. It has a light humour to certain things happening, despite the more serious subject matter in discussion.

Worst Parts

The country characters feel very generic outside of Bobby. They don’t seem to step out of the screen like his character who is larger than life in this world. Elsewhere, the action is drawn back to the basics, as more focus is on the character changes.

Final Thoughts –Bad Man is an entertaining journey into small town crime.

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Movie Review

Warfare (2025) Movie Review

Warfare – Movie Review

Warfare is an intense military film showcasing a Navy SEAL platoon navigating danger and brotherhood during a mission in Iraq.

First Reaction – Warfare is an intense military movie.

Watch Warfare on Prime Now.

Director: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Writer: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A platoon of Navy SEALs embark on a dangerous mission in Ramadi, Iraq, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Warfare starts when a Navy SEAL platoon, including Ray (Woon-A-Tai), Erik (Poulter), Elliot (Jarvis), Sam (Quinn) and others, are collecting recon in Iraq. They have been locked down for a while now. However, the location has been exposed, and they must escape without causing a conflict.

We follow the platoon using their experience to escape, working with another platoon sent to assist them. However, they underestimated the enemies they are facing.

Verdict on Warfare

Recap

The movie follows an American military platoon trapped in an Iraqi town. They come under fire and must use their experience to escape without causing too much firepower. It becomes a race against time to escape before it is too late.

Best Parts

The movie does an excellent job of showing the platoon using their knowledge, skills and experience to deal with a threat. Nobody feels like a main character, which is important, giving the movie a real feeling about everything we are facing. The military action is intense from start to finish, and the film thrives on the runtime.

Worst Parts

While the story is intense, it does fall into the bracket of Americans saving the day.

Final Thoughts – Warfare is an intense, non-stop military operation.

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Movie Review

The Arbiter (2025) FrightFest 2025 Movie Review

The Arbiter – FrightFest 2025 Movie Review

The Arbiter—a negotiator with a reputation for delivering order in chaos… one smashed face at a time

First Reaction – The Arbiter is a big chaotic and bloody movie.

Director: Marc Price

Writer: (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: The city is a battlefield with gangs ruling the night, and with the bloodiest one of all making a murderous push, not stopping until every rival mob is erased. In a desperate bid to avoid being wiped out, the remaining gang leaders gather for an unprecedented summit. Their only hope? The Arbiter—a negotiator with a reputation for delivering order in chaos… one smashed face at a time

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Arbiter starts in a world where gang warfare leads to a battlefield on the streets. Verril (Russel) leads the calm between them, forcing the gangs to come together to face the deadliest threat The Nightcrawlers.

When a secret meeting between the leaders gets interrupted by the Nightcrawlers, the leaders must put their difference aside. However, their history has caused tension between them as they wonder who they can trust to survive the onslaught.

Verdict on The Arbiter

Recap

The movie follows a gang war exploding in the streets and one man assigned to end the bloodshed. He brings the leaders together for a meeting to take out the biggest threat. However, it leads to them become the target for gang to take advantage of the blood war.

Best Parts

The gangs are created to be full of life feel individual and have levels of humour which makes larger than life. It helps make this engaging throughout as The Raid, Dredd blends come together nicely. The chaos is big and some great fighting sequences. We get great performances too, which bring the colourful characters to life.

Worst Parts

The movie is violent and that could be seen as over the top in places. This is more what people are prepared for, as it could be too much for some people.

Final Thoughts – The Arbiter is big chaotic colourful action movie.

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Movie Review

Gold Rush Gang (2025) Movie Review

Gold Rush Gang – Movie Review

Gold Rush Gang is a light-hearted heist film set post-World War II, featuring laughs, bandits, and adventure.

First Reaction – Gold Rush Gang is an enjoyable heist movie, with a few laughs and fun characters.

Watch Gold Rush Gang on Netflix now.

Director: Wisit Sasanatieng

Writer: Weeravat Chayochaikon, Pipat Jomkoh, Wisit Sasanatieng (Screenplay)

Writer: Petchtai Wongkamlao (Story)

Cast

  • Petchtai Wongkamlao
  • Thiti Mahayotaruk
  • Chingduang Duijkers
  • Ophaphoom Chitapn
  • Nachat Juntapun

Plot: At the tail end of World War II, a bandit leader and his crew go up against his sworn enemy and the Japanese army to rob a train full of gold.

Runtime: 1 Hour 59 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Gold Rush Gang starts in the aftermath of World War II, when a bandit leads his crew against his sworn enemy. His plan is to get close to the family to perform his latest heist. Elsewhere, a member of the gang accidently gets close to the daughter of the target.

When the bandits put their final plan together, they face past conflicts and present chances to solve the problems. Can they complete their mission and take back what was taken from them, or will they go out in a blaze of glory?

Verdict on Gold Rush Gang

Recap

The movie follows a group of bandits trying to get revenge on the man who took everything from them. However, their plan gets complicated when the paths are crossed and the plans comes together.

Best Parts

The plan before the heist is interesting and offers a detailed battle between the two sides. It shows old enemies are always going to be going after each other, no matter what has been happening. The style keeps thing more light-hearted and the bickering between the bandits adds a few laughs. We get solid performances, who manage to bring the comedy to life in most place.

Worst Parts

Some of the comedy doesn’t land and is often left to feel awkward. Elsewhere, the special effects are not great with the final sequence being the bigger standout for this.

Final Thoughts – Gold Rush Gang is a fun little heist movie.

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Movie Review

When the Sky Falls (2015) Movie Review

When the Sky Falls – Movie Review

"When the Sky Falls" features a fractured family battling a lightning storm, emphasizing personal issues amid disaster themes.

First Reaction – When the Sky Falls is an easy to watch late-night disaster movie.

Director: John L’Ecuyer

Writer: Renee St Cyr (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A fractured family, caught in a deadly lightning storm, is forced to come together to save their lives.

Runtime: 1 Hour 24 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: When the Sky Falls starts when fractured family Jamie (Dopud) and Charlotte (Huffman) look to follow a family tradition. Their children Liam (Mags) and Kylie (Whitzman) are growing out of the tradition, while Jamie brings his new girlfriend Megan (Bridges) on the trip.

Meanwhile, a deadly lightening storm sweeps across the country. With the family separated, they must reunite to survive the storm and prevent it from causing more damage to the rest of the country.

Verdict on When the Sky Falls

Recap

The movie follows a fractured family trying to follow a tradition. However, a deadly storm causes problems with their plans and they must put their differences aside to try and stop it spreading.

Best Parts

For a big disaster movie, we get a much calmer series of events, it puts more focus on the family and their problems. This works on certain levels because it doesn’t over complicate the reunion. The idea of the lightening causing the problems it does is interesting too.

Worst Parts

The opening sequence loses its shock factor by back tracking into previous events. Elsewhere, we fall into the typical family dynamic problems which don’t do enough for the story. While it is nice in some places for a calmer story situation. It could have had a few extra moments throughout the film.

Final Thoughts –When the Sky Falls is a typical late-night disaster movie.

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Movie Review

Mars Attacks! (1996) Movie Review

Mars Attacks! – Movie Review

Get ready for a sci-fi extravaganza with Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! A humorous and action-packed movie with an all-star cast.

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – M

Director: Tim Burton

Writer: Jonathan Gems (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Earth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor.

Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Mars Attacks! Starts when Martians surround the Earth and President James Dale (Nicholson) is left with the decision on whether to welcome them or not. He listens to his aides including Professor Donald Kessler (Brosnan), General Decker (Steiger) and General Casey (Winfield).

However, when the Martians arrive, they launch an attack on the welcoming party. President Dale is left to prepare the fight back as the Martians have plans for world domination. However, an unlikely location holds the defence against the invasion.

Verdict on Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks! Is a sci-fi comedy following an invasion from Martians. It follows the President and leaves America leading the fight back to save the world from the invasion. However, the battle is a lot more destructive than anyone imagined.

This movie is based on the Topps series and parodies the invasion movies. It plays into the idea that Americans believe they are the heroes of the world. There is a lot of humour involved and the brutally comedic kills play into the laughs. Not to mention the massive cast of A-Listers having a blast throughout the movie.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Mars Attacks! Is a laugh-out-loud blast.

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Movie Review

The Lost Continent (1968) Movie Review

The Lost Continent – Movie Review

Embark on a thrilling adventure in The Lost Continent. Join the captain and crew as they face mutiny, monsters, and a mysterious land full of danger and secrets.

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – L

Director: Michael Carreras, Leslie Norman

Writer: Michael Carreras, Dennis Wheatley (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: The captain, crew, and passengers of an old freighter-all of them with dark secrets to keep-find themselves adrift in a mysterious land full of monsters, conquistadors, and killer seaweed.

Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Lost Continent starts when Captain Lansen (Porter) leads a ship into dangerous waters and faces a mutiny from his crew. They have become scared of an incoming storm after learning about the explosives on board. After the crew abandon the ship, Lansen turns to the passengers to help with the ship.

However, they are forced to abandon the ship themselves. Captain Lansen must lead the survivors including Eva Peters (Knef), Unity Webster (Leigh) and Harry Tyler (Beckley) to safety. However, they find a strange land filled with monsters and conquistadors and must battle to escape and survive.

Verdict on The Lost Continent

The Lost Continent is an adventure sci-fi movie following a crew of a ship that stumbles upon a lost land. They become stranded and must fight against a host of different enemies to return to the life they were aiming for.

This movie uses the idea that the open ocean has many mysteries around it. It goes in a direction you wouldn’t expect, as we deal with a host of threats, from killer seaweed to Conquistadors forgotten in time. This fills the era of paranoia about the ocean and shows what could be out in the unknown. It is a bit cheesy but gets what it needs to out of the wacky discoveries made.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – The Lost Continent is a wacky journey into the unknown.

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Movie Review

Cleaner (2025) Movie Review

Cleaner – Movie Review

Cleaner is an engaging action movie about a window cleaner, former soldier Joey, who must rescue hostages during a terrorist takeover.

First Reaction – Cleaner is a solid late-night action movie.

Director: Martin Campbell

Writer: Simon Uttley, Paul Andrew Williams, Matthew Orton (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Criminal activists hijack a gala, taking 300 hostages. One extremist plans mass murder as a message to the world. An Ex-soldier turned window cleaner now works to rescue the hostages.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Cleaner starts when former soldier turned skyscraper window cleaner Joey (Ridley) faces a tough day. Her autistic brother, Michael (Tuck) is thrown out of the latest care home, and her boss is becoming challenging.

However, an elite gala gets hijacked by Marcus (Owen), demanding that company bosses reveal their darkest secrets. Joey decides to use her military skills to rescue the hostages and save her brother.

Verdict on Cleaner

Recap

The movie follows a former soldier turned window cleaner who gets caught in the middle hostage situation. She finds herself needing to save hostages and her brother, while the terrorist has bigger demands from the people they see as enemies.

Best Parts

The movie uses the contained high-rise building well, with Joey spending a large amount of the movie trapped outside of the building. It has a villain with strong motives that could see you support their cause, not their methods. The action is solid enough once it is unleashed.

Worst Parts

The movie tries too hard to shock early, which takes away an interesting side to the villain’s story. It falls into more of a preachy story that doesn’t deliver the way it wants to.

Final Thoughts –Cleaner is an easy-to-watch late-night-action movie.

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Movie Review

The Rescue (2020) Movie Review

The Rescue – Movie Review

Get insights into the disaster movie 'The Rescue'. Join a Chinese Coast Guard unit on a dangerous rescue mission fueled by personal sacrifices.

ABC Film Challenge – Disaster Movies – Y (Yanlin Wang)

Director: Dante Lam

Writer: Maria Wong, Tan Yuli, Yaqing Zhi (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A rescue unit within the Chinese Coast Guard are forced to overcome their personal differences to resolve a crisis.

Runtime: 2 Hours 19 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Rescue starts as we follow a daring rescue attempt led by Gao Qian (Peng). However, the mission has consequences, members of his team quit due to extreme measures. Captain Zhao Cheng (Wang) joins the team and questions his methods and why he risks his team on the missions.

As the team complete a range of daring rescues, saving countless lives, they must deal with the consequences of this lifestyle. Gao Qian must make a big decision about his future, knowing he is a single father, but he knows how many people he can save.

Verdict on The Rescue

The Rescue is an action-adventure movie following the Chinese Coast Guard going through different daring rescues. It follows the hotshot lead rescuer and a new captain demanding a safety improvement. However, they must put their differences to complete their jobs and save lives.

This movie is a big look at the rescue teams dealing with a host of different disastrous events. It shows their unity to save lives and how much they must risk achieving this. Away from the incidents, we follow their personal lives and what happens to their loved ones left behind on the missions. There is a string of massive disasters, each one offers different threats for the team to overcome. They are the highlights of the movie, as they show us how quickly things spiral out of control. The movie does an excellent job balancing the big action and emotional impact on the team.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts –The Rescue is a big disaster movie with a massive emotional impact.