1st Reviews

  Having penned some of the best episodes of The Office, it’s surprising that BJ Novak waited this long to make his feature film debut. Vengeance occasionally bears the markings of a first time filmmaker, but a sharp script filled with excellent dialogue demonstrates Novak’s maturity and experience as a screenwriter. Blending mystery, drama and comedy, the movie has a tricky balancing act to maintain, and does so quite well. The fusion of genres doesn’t always mix smoothly, but the writing is so versatile it holds everything together. The commentary on the disconnectedness of new media goes beyond just being clever. It offers up insightful observations on the subject, more profound than the ones we often hear. Like the climate of the small Texas town where the movie takes place, most of the comedy is quite dry. The smaller, subtle humour is when the movie is at its funniest. Even when the jokes don’t land, they’re played off in such a low-key way that it’s barely noticeable. The my...

               With only two movies under his belt, Jordan Peele cemented himself as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. The combination of horror and sharp social commentary gave his films a unique voice that elevated them above standard horror fare. Peele is back with his biggest and most ambitious movie yet, but one that also feels a little safer than his previous works.  Nope takes a more traditional stab at the science fiction and horror genres, and ends up being a lot of fun because of it. Initially, I was disappointed this movie lacked the deeper themes of Get Out and Us, but I realized that wasn’t a fair judgement. Peele wanted to make a more straightforward sci-fi spectacle infused with horror elements, and delivered a damn good movie in the process. There’s still some clever commentary to be found regarding mankind’s exploitation of animals and nature, but otherwise this movie is exactly as it appears on the surface....

                As a fan of time travel films, ‘Timecrimes’ has been on my radar for a long while. I am upset that I’ve put off watching it for so long, but I finally found some time to watch it and it did not disappoint This Spanish time travel movie from 2007 is a story about a man named Hector, who lives with his wife in a rather large home that is surrounded by a forest. After noticing some strange things happening along his property line, everything starts to go downhill from there. He ends up being hunted by a man for unknown reasons and in an effort to escape the man, discovers a laboratory not far from the house. This series of events sends him on a wild journey to save himself and his wife, all while finding out who is hunting him.  This movie doesn’t have a flashy budget and only takes place in three major settings. We also really don’t follow many characters so it is a very difficult movie style to keep viewers engaged, however it ...

               Hot off their ultra successful run of Marvel movies, the Russo Brothers delivered their first post-MCU project with the critically panned Cherry. It showcased the technical craftsmanship of an experienced directing duo, but was otherwise a tonal and narrative mess. The Gray Man sees the Russos returning to a genre within their wheelhouse, albeit with mixed results. It’s a bit like a poor man’s version of a Bourne or Mission: Impossible flick. It plays to a lot of similar story beats, and does so relatively well. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, after all. The cookie-cutter plot is definitely the weakest link here. It borders on generic, and doesn’t pull any new tricks out of the bag, but it’s a serviceable vehicle to showcase some exhilarating action. And damn, does the action ever pack a punch! From the gorgeously shot opening sequence set in Bangkok, The Gray Man is packed full of exciting set piece moments. While the ac...

               Instead of labelling this as a supernatural thriller, this can also be seen as a coming-of-age film for young Finney. He has been bullied his entire life and is very timid. He tries his best to stay out of trouble and he can control his anger. On the other side of this, his little sister Gwen is an outspoken spitfire that defends her brother and expresses herself with her words. McGraw stole the spotlight because of her lines of dialogue and she made the movie better. Once Finney is captured by The Grabber and the phone starts ringing, the second half of this film just drags on. The way the other lost children helped Finney escape from The Grabber was fine, but it just felt overly long and a bit convenient. There were tools placed in the room that are placed there to help him escape. The Black Phone looked promising but the way the story was executed wasn’t engaging. Ethan Hawke had some great moments, but he was ultimately wasted i...

               With Ragnarok, Taika Waititi captured lightning in a bottle (pun intended). He took an MCU solo series that was struggling after two lacklustre entries, and infused it with just enough of his own unique style, giving us one of the very best Marvel movies. Here we are 5 years later with a sequel that doubles down on everything Ragnarok did right, although maybe doubling down wasn’t the best idea. How you approach Thor: Love and Thunder will make a big difference in how you feel leaving the theatre afterwards. Go in expecting an important chapter in the MCU’s Phase 4, and you may leave disappointed. Go in expecting a quirky, fun Taika Waititi movie, and you’ll likely have a great time. This entry is packed with Waititi’s recognizable brand of offbeat humour, but the plot doesn’t feel fully formed this time around. It’s not that the movie is uneventful, but considering the villain is called “The God Butcher”, the stakes never feel very...

                After the last resident evil movie, I was worried about this series reboot but I was pleasantly surprised. I have been a fan of large franchises moving to longer episodic format as it gives an opportunity to flesh out characters and develop the story as opposed to a two-hour action movie and it really worked in Resident Evil's favor. Some hardcore fans might not like many of the changes but I feel the franchise needed it. The story is split into two main time periods, the present story taking place in 2022 follows Dr. Albert Wesker (played by Lance Reddick) and his two fourteen-year-old daughters, Billie and Jade (played by Siena Agudong and Tamara Smart). Wesker is the lead behind a potential game-changing pill named joy that can cure depression and anxiety but any fan of resident evil knows that the umbrella Corporation is anything but a joyful and happy place to work. Like any great corporation, they only care about potentially ...

               The Long Rider is a documentary about the incredible story of Man and Horse against the world. After moving to Calgary with his family at the age of nine, Filipe Masetti Leite dreamt of traveling back to his home in Brazil on Horseback. Felipe was inspired by “Tschiffely’s Ride,” the true story of Swiss author/adventurer Aimé Félix Tschiffely, who in the 1920s rode from Argentina to New York with two beloved horses. After many years of training and preparation, Felipe set out on the 16,000 km journey in 2012 and has since extended his travel on horseback to over 25,000 km. As Felipe journey's through beautiful scenic views, he discovers along the way that something as simple and innocent as traveling on horseback comes with many setbacks that are far from beautiful that no amount of preparation could prepare him for. His journey comes with many hardships through rugged terrain, drought, the cartel, and difficult border crossings but...

               Season 1 of Stranger Things was a spectacular throwback to 80’s sci-fi, and a surprise mega-hit for Netflix. Naturally, it spawned a second season, which pulled from the same bag of tricks we’d already seen, often relying too heavily on nostalgia. Season three saw a big improvement in storytelling, but still felt like it was using its retro setting as a narrative crutch. After a lengthy hiatus, the show is back with it biggest season yet, but does bigger equal better? In most ways, the answer is a resounding yes. With a $30 million per episode budget, Stranger Things has never looked better. The production value is through the roof, leaving us with something that feels far more cinematic than you’d expect from a TV show. It’s evolved beyond the nostalgia gimmick, into a genuinely great sci-fi series that happens to be set during the 80’s. There’s certainly still plenty of nostalgia to be found, but it acts as more of a compliment to...

               It would be easy to dismiss The Sea Beast as yet another run-of-the-mill animated feature built for the direct to streaming market. However, this family friendly pirate tale makes enough of a splash to land a recommendation. Narratively speaking, The Sea Beast is about as conventional as it gets. You’ll see every story beat coming from miles away, especially since it borrows heavily from other movies - namely How to Train Your Dragon. It’s familiar territory, yes, but there’s a level of comfort in the simplicity of the story. The themes aren’t exactly challenging, but they’re effective and impactful, especially for younger audiences. Despite the lack of originality, the movie benefits from confident direction by an experienced filmmaker. Chris Williams’ filmography includes movies like Big Hero 6 and Moana, giving him a strong grasp on the animation genre. The Sea Beast comes from a smaller studio on a fraction of the budget, so nat...