1st Reviews

               Elvis highlights the two decades that Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) managed him. The film is narrated by Parker and it is truly the only way they could have done it. The only one close enough to Presley was Parker, and we get to see that relationship. Presley was this wholesome American boy who suffered from stage fright before walking out on that stage. Parker knew he had it in him, and once he saw him on that stage, he knew exactly what he needed to do to rise to fame. If you know Luhrmann, his style is pretty distinct. Viscerally, there’s so much flashy camerawork within the first fifteen minutes of this movie. And Luhrmann set the tone of how extravagant Parker made Presley. There is no one else who could have made this biopic because of the amount of excess and flare he brought to it, to tell the King’s story. This is possibly one of Luhrmann’s most polished and tame films that he has made. His signature style was all over thi...

               Naturally, when we think of Buzz Lightyear, we think of Tim Allen. But now, hearing Chris Evans voice the original character that the toy is based on, it’s impossible to hear anyone else. Evans has always wanted to be in a Pixar movie and having him play one of the most iconic Pixar characters is perfect casting. Voice acting can be difficult because of the line delivery, but Evans made it seem effortless. It’s almost like you could see him saying the lines as we saw Buzz on screen. He was so expressive and just so wonderful as Lightyear. This works because Evans is such a likable actor and Buzz is an iconic character, so it feels like a comforting combination. Similar to Evans, Keke Palmer was a joy to watch as Izzy and she matched Evans’s energy. Having both of them on two different journeys with one common connection made for an interesting dynamic. Lightyear has stunning animation that will take you into space with Buzz Lightyea...

               The one thing about Spiderhead is that even though it was a bit awkward and slow at times, this cast gave solid performances. Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett) both have done horrible things and they think the trials help them process their pain. In a way, when someone does something by accident, it haunts them for the rest of their lives, and the film poses the question: what truly makes a person bad? Jeff and Lizzy think they deserve all the pain in the world for what they did, and they are compliant with the trials no matter what. But once the trials get a bit more intense, Jeff questions the real reason Abnesti went into pharmaceuticals. There are moments where Teller, Smollett and Hemsworth had to show a wide range of emotions within seconds, which can be fun, but also challenging. It was impressive to see the switch when the different drugs entered their system and changed their emotions. Spiderhead has a very in...

               Three different storylines carry the lengthy two-hour and twenty-seven-minute runtime and none of them work. Normally the conversation around the genetic cross-mutation of the dinosaurs isn’t that difficult to grasp, but for some reason, they added another layer to the madness. They added a corporation called Biosyn and Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott) plans to regain some control. Then there are people trying to kidnap Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) because of her genes. And a black market ring that keeps the dinosaurs around to do whatever they please. On top of that, the original cast comes back and takes up the entire storyline with Biosyn. What movie were they trying to make, exactly? If people can’t explain what happens in the movie and there weren’t even dinosaurs fighting each other, then what are people watching this for? Jurassic World Dominion is a failed attempt in wrapping up its trilogy while incorporating nostalgia w...