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Movie Review

The True Adventures of Wolfboy (2019) Movie Review

The True Adventures of Wolfboy is a fun little adventure movie, with deeper meanings.

The True Adventures of Wolfboy Poster

Director: Martin Krejci

Writer: Olivia Dufault (Screenplay)

Starring: Eve Hewson, Chloe Sevigny, John Turturro, Chris Messina, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jaeden Martell, Sophie Giannamore

Plot: Follows a young boy who runs away from home in the search of his estranged mother.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The True Adventures of Wolfboy starts as a teenage boy who has grown up with hair all over his body Paul (Martell). Deciding to run away from home after his father Denny (Messina) won’t give him more answers about his mother.

On his escape, Paul joins a carnival with Mr Silk (Turturro) looking to make money of him. Before he finds Aristiana (Giannamore) a teenage girl with her own problems, taking him on an adventure to meet his mother.

Thoughts on The True Adventures of Wolfboy

Thoughts on The True Adventures of Wolfboy

The True Adventures of Wolfboy is a coming-of-age adventure for a teenage boy who has always wondered where he fits in life. After being left with a difference to him, where he constantly gets bullied by the people in his life. The adventure will give the boy a chance to learn more about the world. Letting him learn to embrace who he is to the world. Meeting other people that are seen as outsiders, enjoying themselves in life. Not letting people get them down.

The movie wants to bring the big message about treating people equal. Not letting people take advantage of the difference between people. The performances in the film are strong which will turn to the newcomers Jaeden Martell, Eve Hewson and Sophie Giannamore taking centre stage.

The True Adventures of Wolfboy Rating
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Movie Review

The Adventures of Maid Marian (2022) Movie Review ‘Fun Adventure’

The Adventures of Maid Marian – Fun Adventure

 

Director: Bill Thomas

Writer: Bill Thomas (Screenplay)

Starring: Sophie Craig, Bob Cryer, Jennifer Matter, Lainy Boyle, Dominic Andersen, James Groom

Plot: After three years of hiding in a remote priory, news reaches Marian that King Richard the Lionheart is dead. Her lover Robin Hood is returning from the wars. Leaving her sanctuary she hurries to meet him but they discover all is not as it seems. William De Wendenal, the disgraced Sheriff of Nottingham, has returned from exile and is out for revenge. Ambushed, Marian and Robin fight for their lives and escape, but Robin is badly injured. Deep in the forest and miles from help and hounded by ruthless mercenaries, Marian must use all the skills at her disposal to keep Robin alive and get him to safety.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Adventures of Maid Marian starts in the aftermath of Robin Hood (Andersen) Marian (Craig) seeing The Sheriff of Nottingham (Cryer) defeat, with Robin heading to war and Marian remaining behind in hiding.

When the war is over Marian can come out of hiding, in hopes of finding Robin again, only for them to find themselves facing up against a vengeful Sheriff who wants to make them pay for taking his life, leading the mercenaries down to hunt them down.

Thoughts on The Adventures of Maid Marian

Characters & Performances – Marian has been in hiding while King Richard leads the war in France, living in a monastery among the nuns, sneaking out to keep her fight together, helping the needy where she can. With Robin returning, she can come out of hiding, taking over the fight after Robin becomes injured, against an enemy. Marian takes centre stage for one of the first times in the Robin Hood stories, made to be just as skilled as he is, never being the damsel in distress, many other versions can paint her out to be. The Sheriff of Nottingham has been waiting for his chance to get revenge on Robin and anyone who helped him, being fuelled by vengeance over anything else before. Robin Hood does return from war, fighting with King Richard, looking to start a fresh life with Marian, he still has the connections in Nottingham, but his return has seen the Sheriff come back for more, despite him getting injured, he will trust the people around him to do the right thing. We do meet other familiar names in the stories of Robin Hood, with their own versions of the characters. The performances in the film are good with Sophie Craig in the role of Marian making her character standout, as the strongest character in the film.

Story – The story here will bring another spin on the legacy of the Robin Hood stories, this time making Maid Marian the focus of the adventure, being the one that needs to do the most fighting back against a familiar enemy. When it comes to the Robin Hood stories, we seem to get a different idea behind them every year, this one does feel fresher by focusing on Marian, showing her double life, as well as taking everything back into the forest for the adventures. It will play out like you imagine, with the small group needing to fight back a larger group who want to use their power to take advantage of the less fortunate in life.

Themes – The Adventures of Maid Marian is an adventure movie that will include plenty of sword swinging, arrow fizzing and traps as the two sides battle to stay ahead of each other, using the forest for the main location, showing how people can find hiding spots in this environment.

Signature Entertainment present The Adventures of Maid Marian on Digital Platforms 9th May.

Final Thoughts – The Adventures of Maid Marian is a fun adventure showing Maid Marian to be just as much of a fighter as Robin Hood.

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Movie Review

The Northman (2022) Movie Review ‘Brutally Savage’

The Northman – Brutally Savage

 

Director: Robert Eggers

Writer: Robert Eggers, Sjon (Screenplay)

Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Willem Dafoe, Elliott Rose

Plot: From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder.


Tagline – Conquer Your Fate

Runtime: 2 Hours 16 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Northman starts when a young Viking prince Amleth starts learning the way of Vikings from his father King Aurvandil War-Raven (Hawke) before he is betrayed by his brother Fjolnir the Brotherless (Bang), escaping, swearing revenge and to save his mother Queen Gudrun (Kidman).

Years later Amleth (Skarsgard) has become a fierce warrior, joining destruction of villages, before he finally learns about Fjolnir, setting him on his fight to revenge to complete his fate.

Thoughts on The Northman

Characters & Performances – Amleth is a Viking prince that saw his father murdered and his future crown taken, escaping before they get their hands on him. Amleth becomes one of the warriors fighting for the Vikings destroying village, being one of the most savage in the army. He decides to leave the army after learning about the man who killed his father, sending him to the new kingdom where he can come face to face with the man, waiting for his chance. He is patient in his ways, waiting for the right chance to make this happen, being driven for this moment. Fjolnir the Brotherless is the man that turned on King Aurvandil, taking his crown and his wife, to make his own Queen. Fjolnir might not have got the reign he was expecting, but still ruling over people, not in the same light Amleth remember him as. Queen Gudrun is the mother of Amleth, taken to be Fjolnir queen after the murder of his husband, she is the motivation for Amleth’s journey, to save her from her captor. Olga of the Birch Forest is one of the women sent to be a slave that Amleth joins, she helps him see a better life, a life he never saw before.

The Northman has a fantastic cast, with Alexander Skarsgard bringing this Viking to life in a ferocious manner in combat, but a calming figure when he is planning. Claes Bang gives an amazing performance as a character that can be seen in many different lights. Anya Taylor-Joy continues to be a star you will watch in anything, reteaming with Robert Eggers for another great performance. The whole cast give us great performances, right down to the smallest roles within the film.

Story – The story in The Northman will follow a fallen Viking Prince that will wait for his chance to get revenge on the man who killed his father and took his mother, leaving him to learn the savage ways of the Vikings, as he searches for his opening against the man. In the core of this story, we do get a revenge thriller, with a son wanting to avenge his father’s death. When we look deeper with certain revelations within the story, we get a story that will make you think a lot more about who could be in the right. The story will show just how barbaric the Vikings were, never holding back on the brutal, savage attacks they did on villages.

Themes – The Northman is a violent action adventure that will dive into the mythology in the Nordic Viking behaviour. The action is brutal, using a single pan shot to follow the action when it comes to attacks on villages. The locations used are beautiful and breath taking, with different weather figures into different moments in the film. When the film will dive into the fantasy special effects, we are thrown into nightmare like situations, which will make you want to watch, even if they are filled with the biggest horror moments.

Final Thoughts – The Northman is one of the most brutal movies you will see this year.

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Movie Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) Movie Review ‘Enjoyable, Fun Sequel’

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Movie Review

The Lost City (2022) Movie Review ‘Absolute Blast’

The Lost City – Absolute Blast

 

Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee

Writer: Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee (Screenplay) Seth Gordon (Story)

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt, Oscar Nunez

Plot: A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.


Tagline – The adventure is real. The heroes are not.

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Lost City starts as Loretta Sage (Bullock) a successful adventure romance author, has been struggling to inspiration on her latest novel after the death of her husband, but her die hard fans will accept anything she rights for her characters latest adventure. When her latest book tour starts Loretta reluctantly agrees to work with the cover model Alan (Tatum) who has embraced the lead character Dash.

Eccentric billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Radcliffe) wants to use Loretta to help him translate an ancient text that would lead him to a treasure she has written about, kidnapping her, leading to Alan wanting to prove himself and his love for her, by rescuing her from the jungle island.

Thoughts on The Lost City

Characters & Performances – Loretta Sage has become a reclusive author, lacking any inspiration in her writing after her husband’s death. She knows her latest book isn’t her best work, but wants the character done with so she can head out of the spotlight. After agreeing to the book tour, she isn’t thrilled with Alan being there, as the fans are only interested in him, over her work. She gets kidnapped after refusing to help Fairfax, but gets caught up in the wanting to learn the truth herself, going on an adventure for the first time in years and finally learning the importance of her character. Alan is the cover model for Loretta’s novels, he has embraced the character Dash in everyday life and wants to prove himself to Loretta by leading a rescue for her, despite having no experience in the field, he will risk his life to save her, even if he doesn’t have a plan. The pair play out like opposites on the adventure, but will have the first chance to properly get to know each other on the adventure. Abigail Fairfax is one of the children of a billionaire, fuelled with jealousy of his sibling’s success, he wants to find lost treasure which nobody has ever found, using his power and money to get everyone working for him in his search. Beth is the publicist for Loretta who has put everything into this latest book, while being patient with her author, she will lead the one woman search for her author once she goes missing. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in the leading roles are excellent, showing amazing chemistry and getting plenty of laughs along the way. In the supporting roles Daniel Radcliffe is entertaining as the eccentric villain, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph steals every scene she is in.

Story – The story here will follow a reclusive author that finds herself kidnapped and taken to jungle where her cover model will look to rescue her, as they find themselves on an adventure of a lifetime. This is a story that will bring us an original idea that is inspired by the action-adventure movies we have seen in the past, bringing together two unlikely characters in a world where neither are prepared for as they look for a chance to escape the jungle. It will have a serious side with the two getting to show the people behind who they believe they are, while having a villain who is only after treasure. The story is a lot of fun with how everything unfolds, even if a lot of the story is kept relatively simple with how it unfolds.

Themes – The Lost City is an action-adventure comedy romance movie that will give two different people thrown into an adventure they weren’t ready for in the jungle setting, putting them through a string of problems they wouldn’t face on everyday life. The comedy will be the reactions to the events they go through, along with the banter between the pair. This will offer everything that is on the poster, crazy over the top action, funny moments and hilarious situations the pair find themselves in.

Final Thoughts – The Lost City is a laugh out loud adventure comedy, that brings a fresh movie to the adventure world.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – T -Tremors: Skrieker Island (2020) Movie Review

Tremors: Shrieker Island – Fun Sequel

 

Director: Don Michael Paul

Writer: Don Michael Paul, Brian Brightly (Screenplay) Brian Brightly (Story)

Starring: Michael Gross, Jon Heder, Richard Brake, Caroline Langrishe, Jackie Cruz, Cassie Clare

Plot: When a group of hunters genetically modify Graboid eggs, they face an all-out war against the larger, terrifyingly intelligent Graboids, and the swiftly multiplying Shriekers.


Tagline – Another day in paradise

Runtime: 1 Hour 43 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Tremors: Shrieker Island starts when a researching team led by Jas Welker (Langrishe) with her team including Jimmy (Heder), Freddie (Cruz) and the locals discover her boss Bill (Brake) has genetically modified Graboids placing them on a remote island for a glorified hunting weekend for the rich.

When one of Jas’s team is eaten, she sends for Burt Gummer (Gross) her ex who will need to come to the island to help with the fight back against Graboids before they become a real threat to the local ecosystem.

Thoughts on Tremors: Shrieker Island

Characters & Performances – Burt Gummer is forced out of his world of isolation to help his ex-girlfriend fight against modified graboids, showing off his ability to adapt to different terrain and be prepared to fight with whatever weapons he is left with. He never backs down, has cheesy one-liners and weird stories, but he will do the right thing to make sure the world is safe. Michael Gross has built his career around this character, he has always committed to the role, which is why the franchise has such a following. Jimmy is one of the research team that is leading his own team, he is a bit of a slacker with his actions but becomes the one that will need to work with Burt even if he isn’t as strong in conflict. This character is more of a replacement for Travis who didn’t return this time around. Jon Heder does well in the role without being one of the more memorable sidekick characters in the franchise. Where this film struggles with characters is with the strong female characters, Jas, Freddie and Anna, who are all the brains or smarts and deadliest with weapons, who just seem to get side-lined for the biggest action sequences through the film. The actors behind these characters all do well through the film too, which is why we could have seen so much more from them.

Story – The story here follows Burt Gummer as he must return to action fighting Graboids after a billionaire decides to modify them for a trophy hunt, leading to him needing to go down memory lane to save the day once again. When it comes to the Tremors franchise, we have now seen them hit nearly every continent and environment through the franchise, with this one looking at putting them in a world where they wouldn’t naturally be, this plays into the story to show the danger they could bring to the environment as well as showing how science can always make things worse. When it comes to the fighting back, this is everything we would expect without needing to bring much new to the table, the characters fit the world, getting to learn a little bit more about Burt’s past is added in here too.

Themes – Tremors: Shrieker Island is the 7th part of the action adventure comedy franchise which will see the giant worm like creatures and their evolutions attack a different area after being released on a tropical island. The new location does help this film out a lot, much like the last two, we go somewhere completely different to get a different story that will play into the environmental location rather than just desert area again. The graboids and shriekers look good in the battles which is nice, only it might have been nice to see some of the other additions to the world we got in other franchises, or even a complete fresh version that will be jungle based.

Final Thoughts – Tremors: Shrieker Island is a nice addition to the franchise, another easy watch to keep us entertained in B-movie fashion.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – N – National Treasure (2004) Movie Review

National Treasure – Fun Adventure Film

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Writer: Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley (Screenplay) Jim Kouf, Oren Aviv, Charles Segars (Story)

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Plummer

Plot: A historian races to find the legendary Templar Treasure before a team of mercenaries.

Runtime: 2 Hours 11 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: National Treasure starts as Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) has finally located the latest clue in the location of a lost Templar treasure, a treasure generations of his family have searched for, his partner Ian Howe (Bean) has other plans and wants to eliminate Ben from the process, leading to the double cross.

Benjamin teams up with Riley Poole (Bartha) his tech expert to steal the Declaration of Independence which has a secret map to the treasure before Ian, getting expert Abigail Chase (Kruger) involved in the capture of the legendary map.

Thoughts on National Treasure

Characters & Performances – Benjamin Franklin Gates learnt about the treasures of the Templar as a child and has spent his career searching for clues about the treasure and finally, he has got closer than before, he now needs to steal the Declaration of Independence in a race against time to complete his family’s legacy. He must use his intelligence to stay ahead of another man trying to get the treasure for his own good profit. Nicolas Cage is great in this role, where he gets to bring us a fresh new treasure hunter figure like we have seen before. Abigail Chase works as the curator of archives watching over the Declaration, she isn’t convinced by the story Ben gives her, only to find herself caught up in the middle of the chase to unlock the clues. She ends up enjoying the search and being part of the team. Diane Kruger plays this role well, working wonderfully with Cage throughout the film. Riley Poole is the tech partner of Benjamin, just joining him on the mission, he gets the smart lines that will give us the laughs throughout the film. Justin Bartha gives the lighter note to the film, which is required to take away from the serious side behind the treasure hunt. Ian Howe is the man that is financing the treasure hunt, but he is getting tired of searching with clues and will turn to the more criminal ways to get the treasure, trying to outplay Benjamin through the adventure. Sean Bean as the villainous figure is always going to be good in any film he steps into the role. We do also have the FBI chasing down Benjamin and his father Patrick that has always pushed him to give up the hunt for the treasure.

Story – The story here follows a treasure hunter that has been searching for his family’s legacy which has seen his name tarnished, but now he has found the biggest clue to date, which will see him needing to race to the treasure before a man that just wants it for his own profit. When it comes to the treasure hunting films, we have always had the Indiana Jones movies, National Treasure turns everything in a different direction, which will focus more on the history of the treasure, which will give us a mystery that is revolves around the different famous locations in America. The chemistry between the three in the hunt is good and everything comes off very smooth throughout the story.

Themes – National Treasure is an adventure movie that could be seen as a modern Indiana Jones, with how the clues lead Benjamin to the next location, each clue means something to history, the locations are important, as they will give us the different locations that include the history filled with clues.

National Treasure is a truly enjoyable adventure film, filled with history and Nicolas Cage on top of his game.

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Movie Review

Uncharted (2022) Movie Review ‘Safe Start to the Franchise’

Uncharted – Safe Start for the Franchise

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Writer: Art Marcum, Matt Holloway (Screenplay) Rafe Judkins (Story)

Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Antonio Banderas

Plot: Street-smart Nathan Drake is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan and lost 500 years ago by the House of Moncada.

Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Uncharted starts as we meet a young pick pocket Nathan Drake (Holland) working in New York, when he gets approached by Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan (Wahlberg) to join him in the search for a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan, something Nathan’s brother did too.

Nathan and Sully are not the only ones looking for the treasure, as the descendant to the Moncada family Santiago (Banderas) and Braddock (Gabrielle) using deadlier methods.

Thoughts on Uncharted

Characters & Performances – Nathan Drake is the streetwise pick pocket living in New York, wondering whatever happened to his older brother, he gets recruited to search for a lost treasure that his brother helped search for before, learning the tricks of the trade in the treasure hunting business, never knowing who to trust in this world. He will use his knowledge to make his way through the hunt, learning fast, using his quick wits to survive. Tom Holland is good at all the stunt side of things in this film, his one-liners work, but he just doesn’t look the character people would know from the games. Victor Sullivan is the expert that recruits Nathan to help him get treasure, only along the way we meet the people he has had connection with, who are warning Nathan about his reputation. Mark Wahlberg does have good chemistry with Tom Holland, which will help with their bickering through the film. Santiago Moncada is the last remaining descendant of the family that bankrolled the original journey, he wants to the gold they found to continue his family’s fortune, recruiting Braddock to secure the deal. Antonio Banderas does everything he needs to as a villainous figure in the film. Chloe Frazer is a connection Sully has, someone who gets caught in the middle to the search for the treasure, one that helps warn Nathan about Sully more. Braddock is the mercenary treasure hunter helping Santiago, she will kill for what she wants, which will see her getting into controlling positions more often than not. Sophia Ali and Tatia Gabrielle do get their moments to shine, with Tati Gabrielle being the more memorable member of the villainous side of the film.

Story – The story here will bring Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan first meet and become a team searching for treasure across the globe, as they meet other people in the world that can be a friend or foe. Uncharted the movie is the first video game movie that I have played before watching the movie, so I would be expect certain things to happen. Uncharted does have the fun chemistry between the pair, but it does lack a certain aspect the games had, become just a flashy action spectacle, over creating the world we are used to seeing Nathan in.

Themes – Uncharted will have jaw-dropping action sequences going on, which do feel like they have been pulled right out of the video games, this is one of the biggest, if not the best part of the film. When it comes to the locations, everything works for the film, we search through a big city and have the jungle area, though not used enough. We will get some references to the video games, but overall, they feel like they aren’t enough to help the story.

Final Thoughts – Uncharted is a safe start, lacking the bigger punch for what we could have had.

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Movie Review

The Lost Treasure (2022) Movie Review ‘Fun Adventure Film’

The Lost Treasure – Fun Adventure Film

Director: Stella Tinucci

Writer: Stella Tinucci (Screenplay)

Starring: Josh Margulies, Angelica Quinn, Dezmond Gilla, Stella Tinucci, Terry Bookhart, Kava Jones

Plot: Eddie Fox, a hustling treasure hunter, finds himself forced to embark on a journey into the jungle to prevent a power hungry egomaniac from finding an ancient weapon that could destroy the island.

Runtime: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Lost Treasure starts as Eddie Fox (Margulies) a famed treasure hunter located on a small jungle island, where he finds himself needing to work with his newly found team of Tanya (Tinucci) and Maleko (Roehl) as they must stop Charles Wellington (Gilla) and his hench people, Leilani (Bookhart) and Kainoa (Jones) who are after an ancient weapon.

As Eddie learns more about the stakes that will come from Charles getting possession of the weapon, he must use his connection to the island to save the island.

Thoughts on The Lost Treasure

Characters & Performances – Eddie Fox is the treasure hunter on a small island, he has always found a way to locate the treasure and built connections on the island and now he finds himself in the middle of one of the biggest hunts of his career, against a man who wants power, rather than discovery. Eddie as a character does feel like they could have their series of films, with different adventures in each story. Josh Margulies gives us a fun character, one that remains calm and puts the treasure hunting ahead of the conflict abilities. Charles Wellington is the eccentric man that will do anything to get the item, using money to get what he wants, and if that is refused, he will use manipulation or force. Dezmond Gilla makes for an entertaining villain, one that will be the figure you want to see what he will do next. In the supporting characters we have the plucky Tanya, working with Eddie, along with his long term partner in crime Maleko, while Charles is helped by the imposing figure of Kainoa and the fiery Leilani.

Story – The story here follows a treasure hunter that must stop an eccentric man from uncovering a powerful ancient weapon which could be used for evil, while understanding more about his ancestor’s involvement in keeping it safe. This is a story that could easily be seen as an introduction to the character of Eddie Fox, with the idea that he will or has many more adventures to have or to tell. This one does feel like a routine story, but one that is easy to watch and enjoy the ride with the characters involved.

Themes – The Lost Treasure is an adventure movie that focuses on the treasure hunting ways of Eddie Fox, as his small jungle island becomes the key location for a missing artefact. Everywhere we are taken, is what we expect to see in a treasure hunting movie.

Final Thoughts – The Lost Treasure is an enjoyable and easy to watch adventure movie.