Everything Everywhere All At Once is a masterpiece that will leave you stunned!

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is what happens when you are absolutely committed to your craft in this case film. In 2016 Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert shocked tons of people with Swiss Army Man a film with an absolutely bizarre premise with a quite meaningful message as well, Everything Everywhere All At Once manages to be even more bizarre in several different ways. For starters the performances here are phenomenal Michelle Yeoh gives such a strangely raw and fascinating performance that at times really moves you to tears, Ke Huy Quan gives one of my favorite performances of the year. The absolute insanity his performance gives off is mind blowing between the action scenes he’s involved in to the dialogue it’s truly incredible. Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis and James Hong are also really strong as well each of which giving some of the best and most fun performances so far this year. The film itself is a multiverse film but that’s just scratching the surface, the film goes very in depth with the premise and lands into some very emotional moments and themes. Such as moving on, not wanting to let go, wishing you could have made other choices and so on. Each of these themes is handled with absolute care and completely makes this film into something special, the editing combined with the action scenes are truly some of the best I’ve seen in a film. It’s very fast paced and keeps the scenes fresh and interesting, they have their own unique style to them as well that make you want to see even more of these scenes. The direction from the Daniels is just masterful in every sense of the word, this is the very definition of balancing humor, action and emotional moments each of them don’t outweigh the others. They all play a very important part to the story and all compliment each other very well, there’s so many scenes that really capture what it feels like to think about how you wanted something different and also learning to let go and move on. These are real situations people often struggle with and the way the film portrayed them feels incredibly raw despite being a multiverse film. I’m going to end the review here mostly due to the film being hard to talk about with spoiling which I don’t want to do. Overall Everything Everywhere All At Once is truly a masterpiece, everything you have heard about this film is absolutely right! It’s by far not only one of my favorites of the year but one of my favorites of the decade (so far). Be sure to check this one out it’s absolutely worth the experience!

Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently in theaters!

10/10 A+

Spiritwalker is a interesting take on the Groundhog Day type movie genre!

Unable to remember anything about his life, a man begins regaining consciousness in a new body every 12 hours. Now, he must piece together his identity, all while evading attacks from pursuing agents and dangerous criminals alike.

Spiritwalker is a really neat little movie that like Edge Of Tomorrow and Freaky is an interesting approach to the Groundhog Day like premise as well as combining body swapping elements. The action is really neat with a handful of camera shots that really give the film a stylized look to it, the direction from Yoo Jae-Keun is really strong here and gives the film it’s own identity plus he really knows how to balance action scenes with sci-fi elements as well. There’s a handful of action scenes here that really remind me of John Wick, mainly because of how well filmed they really are. Lastly the film itself is just a huge entertaining ride from beginning to end, it’s a neat little film that is bound to make you entertained from beginning to end!

Spiritwalker will be released tomorrow on all VOD Platforms.

7/10 B

Ambulance is a surprising fun ride that has some great character moments!

Needing money to cover his wife’s medical bills, a decorated veteran teams up with his adoptive brother to steal $32 million from a Los Angeles bank. However, when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate thieves hijack an ambulance that’s carrying a severely wounded cop and an EMT worker. Caught in a high-speed chase, the two siblings must figure out a way to outrun the law while keeping their hostages alive.

Ambulance was a huge surprise, Michael Bay has always been a director that isn’t one of my favorites but he’s directed some films that I enjoyed (The Rock, Bad Boys 1 and 2 ect), Ambulance feels like Michael Bay is going back to his roots and making those said roots even stronger. Ambulance is based on the Danish film of the same name by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen, so for starters the cast is really quite great Jake Gyllenhaal gives a really strong performance that’s very entertaining. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II really delivers as well and at times gives an emotional performance, Eiza González also does a fantastic job and gives a genuine performance that is actually quite effective. The movie itself is simple enough a huge chase of cops and robbers but under all of that Michael Bay actually gives the characters some emotional moments, there’s a surprising amount of character development for (Danny (Gyllenhaal), Cam (González) and Will (Mateen II) more than most of Michael Bay’s films and I must give credit where credit is due. The drone shots are quite stunning as well, there’s some genuinely neat camerawork here that really makes Ambulance more than it really is in a good way. The writing does have it’s flaws that do have that usual Michael Bay type of humor that doesn’t always work, but that’s largely absent in this one. Instead we get some touching moments that add to the characters. The action is really neat and just a huge blast, it’s not as completely over the top as some of Bay’s other films but it most definitely works, it’s the type of action thriller that really stands out due to how well paced, crafted and done the characters are. I have no shame In saying that this is my favorite of Michael Bay’s work, if this is the direction Bay decides to go with his career than I’m all ears!! Definitely be sure to check this one out, one of the most entertaining of the year!

Ambulance is available in theaters!

8/10 B+

All The Old Knives is a movie ruined by facepalm worthy twists.

When the CIA discovers one of its agents leaked information that cost more than 100 people their lives, veteran operative Henry Pelham is assigned to root out the mole with his former lover and colleague Celia Harrison.

I feel like I’m in a time loop, The Contractor starring Chris Pine released last week and was a very nothing special about action thriller, now this week we have All The Old Knives another thriller (minus the action) starring Chris Pine which again is another nothing special about it thriller. To be absolutely fair All The Old Knives is better than The Contractor, mostly due to the first and act of All The Old Knives at least being somewhat interesting. The chemistry between Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton was surprisingly pretty decent both of which give solid performances and Lawrence Fishburne was decent as well. What hurts this movie is the 3rd act with twists that lead to some very ridiculous moments that don’t fit the movie at all, it’s one of those situations where the twists had no reason to be there but the writers put them in there because they wanted to. it’s a prime example of a movie that could have been overall pretty decent hadn’t been for some nonsensical decision making.

All The Old Knives is available on Amazon Prime Video!

5/10 C

Metal Lords is a half baked coming of age movie.

For teenage misfits Hunter and Kevin, the path to glory is clear: Devote themselves to metal. Win Battle of the Bands. And be Worshipped like gods.

As far as tackling the theme of the metal music genre, Metal Lords feels like it’s written by people who know the bare minimum of the genre and just go off of stereotypes. As a coming of age movie it’s fine enough as there are a few genuinely good moments but the characters are on the weak side and really don’t add much to the genre, the acting is actually quite okay and I do think the movie has some interesting ideas it wants to tackle. But the movie itself isn’t interested in getting into more detail about them, I’m not going to deny that teenagers like Hunter don’t exist and act like their music is the best. But a lot of this movie feels way too cartoonish for it’s own good, the cameos of famous musicians are enjoyable but really only amount to “oh hey I recognize that guy!” moments and quickly wear off as the movie goes on. Metal Lords is a harmless movie and isn’t as bad as some of Netflix’s other movies, but it’s very forgettable and does not have a lot to offer.

Metal Lords is available on Netflix!

5/10 C

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is a lighting fast ride that’s a satisfying step up from the first film.

After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove that he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of a mystical emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since the first Sonic The Hedgehog film released in theaters, for what the first movie was and considering the circumstances of changing things up (Sonic’s design) the team did a very solid job. There was definitely room for improvement such as including a lot more elements from the video games, tone it done with the memes just to name a few. Luckily Sonic The Hedgehog 2 takes a lot of what the first movie did wrong and corrects them very well. For starters let’s talk about the cast and characters, because this time around both are a lot stronger! First you have Ben Schwartz voicing Sonic which of course does a fantastic job, I would argue he’s even better in this film mostly due to having more breathing room with the script. Jim Carey as Doctor Eggman is once again fantastic, like with Schwartz there’s a lot more breathing room so the writing allows Jim Carey to take full advantage of the role. But the two absolute standouts are Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails (who has been voicing Tails since 2014) and Idris Elba as Knuckles, the film does such a fantastic job of introducing both these characters and giving them the character development they deserve. Idris Elba as Knuckles is quite honestly a brilliant casting choice, he takes a very interesting approach to the character and really makes it work. The action scenes combined with the special effects are a huge blast as well, there’s a lot of call back to some of the 3D Sonic games such as Sonic Heroes, the action scenes are fast (as they should be) sure not every single action scene is a winner but they really stay true to the source material and are just a blast to watch, the main criticisms I do have with Sonic The Hedgehog 2 are the jokes don’t always land (although there is this one particular joke that I laughed quite a lot at). But I will give credit where credit is due, they toned it down with the memes from the first movie so that’s a plus, the other main criticism is the subplot felt a little out of place, which is Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter) go on a trip to Hawaii for Maddie’s sister Rachel’s (Natasha Rothwell) wedding, granted the movie doesn’t focus on the human characters (outside of Eggman which is a good thing) plus Marsden and Sumpter give the film points for delivering some admittedly heartwarming lines that are actually very touching. That also give some development for Sonic, lastly there’s the writing which is better than you would expect. As I’ve been hinting at the film uses a lot more elements from the video games and the writing really compliments that very well. Overall Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is a very worthy sequel and is one of the rare cases (especially when it comes to video game adaptions) where the sequel takes far more advantage than it’s predecessor, fans will absolutely love this movie and if you haven’t played a Sonic game but liked the first movie you will also really like this one! Be sure to give this one a watch!

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 releases tomorrow in theaters!

8/10 B+

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is a masterclass of storytelling and narration.

A man narrates stories of his life as a 10-year-old boy in 1969 Houston, weaving tales of nostalgia with a fantastical account of a journey to the moon.

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Childhood is a prime example of investing and beautiful storytelling, the film is about a man narrating stories of his life when he was 10 years old living in 1969 Houston and talks about how nostalgic he was and his journey to land on the moon. Right off the bat the animation is quite beautiful it has this style to it that strangely feels nostalgic which is a huge theme of the film, so it matches quite perfectly here. The film is a coming of age story that’s also a look at the daily lives of the people living in Houston during the time, this is a type of element that I absolutely love when films do and this is no exception. The film gives the characters a very grounded feel that’s probably due to the film actually being loosely based on the childhood of Richard Linklater (the film’s director, writer and producer.) which I found just absolutely fascinating, what of the strongest parts about the film is Jack Black’s narration especially combined with the nostalgia feel, I was not expecting to feel so relaxed by this film but the narration did just that. It’s the type of narration where you could sit and listen to it for hours on end and never get sick of it, the narration feels like you are actually having a conversation with adult Stanley and he’s sharing his experiences with you. Lastly there’s Richard Linklater’s direction and writing which is the cherry on top, it’s truly some of the most grounded and beautifully done writing so far this year, it really blends all of the film’s elements together to create something absolutely spectacular. It captures the feel of the time of the moon landing and it captures time passing in general, it’s truly well done film from beginning to end!

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is available on Netflix!

10/10 A+

Better Nate Than Ever is harmless but doesn’t offer anything new.

Thirteen year old Nate Foster fantasizes about becoming a Broadway star. However, he struggles to even get roles in his high school play. When Nate’s parents leave for the weekend, he and his friends decide to make Nate a star.

Better Nate Than Ever is another case of a Disney Channel original movie disguised as a Disney+ Original. While it’s definitely not bad and overall pretty harmless, the plot is just way too generic and plays out exactly how you think it’s going to. The cast is at least decent giving some pretty entertaining performances as well as Rueby Wood’s singing which is honestly not bad, but do not go in expecting a musical. There’s only about 4 songs all of which are pretty solid in their own right, it’s just calling this a musical is a bit of a stretch. The main criticism comes down to the plot being really nothing special as well as some of the jokes, there’s a few jokes that might get a chuckle out of you. However there’s a ton of jokes that really make you question “who thought this was a good idea?” As far as the plot it’s very basic family movie stuff that feels a bit too familiar. Better Nate Than Ever is definitely better than expected but it’s not something I would recommend watching.

Better Nate Than Ever is available on Disney+

5/10 C

Barbarians is half a good movie.

Four friends come together for a celebratory dinner party at a country house. However, as the night progresses, dark secrets emerge and unsettling events begin to unfold around them.

Barbarians has an intriguing premise that unfortunately doesn’t live up to what it’s building up and is your traditional home invasion movie, it takes elements from Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation but fails to make those elements work. The acting is at least decent and actually a bit better than a lot of other home invasion films, plus the atmosphere and setting work well together. The first half of the movie is an awkward dinner between friends and then the home invasion parts kicking in with the last half, which unfortunately is what holds the movie back. The home invasion parts are very generic and almost feel out of place, the awkward dinner felt a lot more grounded and was far more investing. It feels like nobody could agree on what they wanted this movie to be so they just decided to combine two movies into one, which is unfortunate because this could have been a solid movie.

Barbarians is available on all VOD Platforms.

5/10 C

The Contractor is a bland action thriller that could have been more.

Involuntarily discharged from the Army, a special forces sergeant lands a contract with a private underground military force. When his very first assignment goes awry, the elite soldier finds himself hunted and on the run, caught in a dangerous conspiracy and fighting to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him.

The Contractor is pretty much any given action thriller movie that’s been released in the last 10 years, particularly the ones that go straight to DVD except The Contractor has a bigger budget to work with. The positives are mostly the acting, particularly from Chris Pine and Ben Foster who both do a really decent job of carrying the movie. There’s a few entertaining action scenes that mostly work due to Chris Pine just being such an entertaining actor to watch, what hits this movie hard is mainly the writing. There’s absolutely no substance to it at all and just follows the path a lot of unsuccessful action thriller movies do, there’s some messaging about army veterans about what happens after they leave the army, how they feel, what they go through and so on. However that messaging gets caught in between of very bland storytelling that doesn’t expand on any ideas. We get a little bit towards the end as it does get a tad better but too little too late by that point. If The Contractor had a stronger writing team and moved away from being way too familiar I think this could have been a decent little action thriller.

The Contractor is available on all VOD Platforms.

4/10 D+