The new Spike Lee joint dropped on Netflix yesterday and me, loving Blackkklansman, just had to check it out. This is my review of Netflix’s Da 5 Bloods.
The Good
First of all, I have to compliment the cinematography. Those fantastic wide shots of Vietnam. The beautiful surroundings and colour schemes. It was an explosion of wonderful colours that made you wonder if these were real places because of how beautiful they are.
Delroy Lindo’s character Paul is fantastic. He plays the part of a broken, traumatised veteran so well you can’t believe it’s scripted. I think he needs to be nominated at the Oscars this year. If he isn’t, it will be a massive snub like Christian Bale in Ford vs Ferrari last year.
The plot is amazing and realistic. When I heard that it was a post-war war movie I thought “How are they gonna pull this off?” I have no idea how, but they did. It was a plot that sounds terrible on paper, but they executed it perfectly on screen.
The Middle
The score was pretty weak in the first half of the movie, but as the movie progresses, the score gets better. While I can’t quite say the score is always great, when it is great, it’s amazing, and suits the moment perfectly.
The entertainment value isn’t the best as it drags on for 30 minutes in the 2nd act of the movie. but if those 30 minutes weren’t as boring as they were, it would be in ‘The Good’ section
The Bad
There were no issues that were awful enough to be put into ‘The Bad’
The Verdict
Overall, I think Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is an amazing movie, with a wonderful plot. It’s got an Oscar worthy performance from Delroy Lindo, and fantastic cinematography. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a Netflix subscription – especially during times like these.
I would recommend this movie for ages 14+
8/10 – Great
Watch out for my The King of Staten Island review tomorrow!
Thanks for reading! If you liked this please follow. It really means a lot. Keep watching movies. Until next time, Ryan, out.
Artemis Fowl, the long awaited movie based on the classic novel, dropped on Disney Plus today. I watched it and I’ll review it for your sake, so you know if it’s worth watching or not.
I am reviewing it based how it is presented as a movie. I have not read the books, but intend to.
The Good
First of all I’ve got to say the special effects in this movie are excellent. I really like the troll’s design. I also really liked the set of Fowl Manor and Haven City. They both look awesome. If I’m being honest, Haven City reminds me of the city in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
I also have to say that it has a well thought out plot. I think it’s clever and dragged me in from beginning to end. It does a good job at executing the plot which is rare to see in children’s films.
The Middle
The score and cinematography weren’t good at all. In fact, they were non-existent. I can’t think of a single moment when I heard or saw the score or cinematography and I thought “That was pretty good”
The Bad
I think Ferdia Shaw’s performance of Artemis is very weak at times. Other times I thought he nailed the sarcastic criminal genius, but overall I thought he was terrible in this role.
The Verdict
Overall I think Artemis Fowl is a great movie for the family. It’s not a movie critic’s dream, but it will entertain most children. Although it may not be the best movie Disney’s ever produced, it’s good fun during these hard times.
I think this film is for Ages 9+
Rating: 7 – Good
Thanks for reading! If you liked this article be sure to follow me for more. It really means a lot to me. Keep watching movies! Until next time, Ryan, out.
P.S – Watch out for my Da 5 Bloods review coming tomorrow and my The King of Staten Island review coming on Sunday 14th.
Rick and MortySeason 4 just finished, with a hilarious, and heart breaking finale.
Should you watch Season 4 of the hit TV show, or give it a miss? That’s what I’m here to tell you!
SPOILERS FOR RICK AND MORTY BEYOND THIS MESSAGE!
The Good
This season of Adult Swim’s original series definitely had it’s moments whether it was learning Rick ‘f***ed a planet’ or Jerry dropping his gun in the finale, or just seeing the chemistry between Rick and Morty.
It was a really funny season with a lot of good episodes. In fact I think it might be the funniest season yet. Not the best, but the funniest. I think the whole, Clone Beth, plot during the finale was a great way to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, wanting to know who was real or who was the clone. Personally I think Space Beth is the real Beth.
The Best Episodes Are:
S4 E5 – ‘Rattlestar Ricklactica’
S4 E8 – ‘The Vat of Acid Episode’
S4 E9 – ‘Childrick of Mort’
S4 E10 – Star Mort: Rickturn of the Jerri
The Middle
I think that The Twin Towers joke was offensive. I’m not American, but I know what a tragedy it was. I wasn’t inclined to boycott the show because of it though, but that’s just my personal stand.
The Bad
I think some of the earlier episodes are quite hard to get into, they often lacked comedic value, or a good plot. But the show definitely picks up after the first few episodes.
I also find Jerry really annoying in this season. I don’t know why but anytime he’s on screen I have the sudden urge to punch him. Apart from in the last episode of the season, I think he becomes a funnier, and better character than he was at the start.
The Verdict
Rick and Morty Season 4 gets off to a slow start, and is hard to get into, but after a few episodes it skyrockets and shows how funny it can get. It also delves deeper into the characters, and gives us a connection to them. It’s amazing how dark the show can get because ‘they’re just cartoon characters and don’t have feelings’.
When Jason Bourne took a massive jump from page to screen back in 2002, the world went wild. Critics hailed it, bookworms loved it and cinephiles adored it. It’s unique sense of style, and action sequences truly tell you, you’re watching a Bourne film. Today I’ll break down, and rank the Bourne films from worst to best.
5. Jason Bourne
I didn’t like this one. It didn’t feel like a Jason Bourne movie. It felt like an average Matt Damon action movie.
When it comes to it, you’re only really watching to see how Bourne’s story ends. After all, he’s been on our screen for over a decade. If you weren’t interested in seeing how Bourne’s story ends, then there’s a high chance you turned it off, or walked out the cinema when you were watching it.
4. The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Supremacy is a takeaway movie. Nothing more, in my opinion. Sure, you might think it has a good plot, characters, and scenes when you’re watching, but when it’s all over, and you think back over the movie, you realise that it’s an average film.
Less than 5 hours after I watched it, I could barely remember a single thing about this movie. All I could remember was that the action scenes were badass, he killed three people with a magazine, and his girlfriend died. That was it. Funny how I developed Jason Bourne’s amnesia just by watching one of his films.
3. The Bourne Identity
By no means is The Bourne Identity a bad movie. I think it is a really good espionage movie. Matt Damon is charming, clever, and deadly in his debut . I just had one issue with this movie that made me like it less.
Judging by how they describe, and market The Bourne Identity it makes you think you’re seeing an action movie. That’s what it did for me. I was waiting for an action movie, with lots of fighting and combat. When it turns out to be an espionage movie, (albeit a great one) you’re sorely disappointed. The last fight scene, however, is fantastic.
2. The Bourne Legacy
The Bourne Legacy really made fans scratch their head and wonder why they were still making Bourne films. This movie answers that question. The Bourne Legacy left fans divided after its release in 2012. I was on the side of the divide who thought this was an awesome addition.
I thought it was a very well done movie. I like the plot and it’s executed surprisingly well. Even though the first 35 minutes start off slow, the rest of the movie makes up for it. Every action scene is awesome, and Jeremy Renner takes the lead role very seriously, and nails it. The two stories intertwine perfectly.
1. The Bourne Ultimatum
When it comes down to deciding what is the best Jason Bourne movie, The Bourne Ultimatum is the only right answer for me. Everything is what you expect in a Bourne movie. Damon’s clever, and skilled performance, the action scenes, the plot, and the goddamn ending. Everything is perfect.
This is the best Bourne movie mostly due to it being the culmination of the original Bourne films. Everything starts to fall into place as you realise who Bourne is, and who he was working with, and for. The part that really got me though, was the ending. It was a good ending to a good trilogy.
That was my ranking of the Jason Bourne films. What is yours? Tell me in the comments below. If you liked this article, please like, and follow! It means a lot. Until next time – keep watching movies. Ryan, out.
After the failures that were The Wolfman (2010), Dracula Untold (2014) and The Mummy (2017) people weren’t ever sure if ‘The Dark Universe’ could ever make a comeback. After all, they had produced three horrible movies, one after another. But in 2020, that all changed when Leigh Wahnnell’s The Invisible Man made a bang in cinema’s around the world, leaving fans to wonder, “What’s next for The Dark Universe?”
Well apparently, this. A remake of The Wolfman starring Ryan Gosling as the title character.
What’s It About?
The plot is said to see Gosling play an anchorman who is bitten by a wolf. Not much else is known about the plot but it sounds interesting to me!
Who’s Involved?
Well, Ryan Gosling’s involved. The film will come from two writers from the award winning Netflix original TV show, Orange is the New Black. The movie is reportedly aiming for a Nightcrawler tone.
My Thoughts?
I think this movie has real potential. It will be interesting to see Gosling’s character deal with the pressure of fame, while trying not to lash out at everyone. Gosling always brings a memorable performance to his roles, and a Nightcrawler theme is gonna be awesome. I think ‘The Dark Universe’ is taking a massive step up after being on the ground for too long. All we need now is the director announcement.
Please remember to like, and follow if you liked this article. It really means a lot to me! Until next time – keep watching movies. Ryan, out.
While in an interview with French publication, Premiere, Quentin Tarantino, director of some movies that defined cinema, has announced his favourite film of the decade is the biopic about Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook. When asked about his favourite film of he said:
It’s The Social Network, hands down (…) It is number 1 because it’s the best, that’s all! It crushes all the competition
He also said back in January on The Rewatchables Podcast that Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk was his second favourite movie of the 2010’s
So I found myself watching a bunch of stuff a second time or a third time, that I hadn’t watched in years and really pitting the movies against each other. Watching things I just missed. I’d always heard they were good and it was in watching Dunkirk a third time making my Top 10 list, that I think I had it preliminary placed at seven, and it jumped up to Number 2
So after learning this valuable piece of information, I’m gonna do what any Cinephile would do and tell you my thoughts on these movies.
The Social Network
I saw The Social Network for the first time in November, and personally, I didn’t think it was all that great. I thought it got boring at times and it moved very slowly. I didn’t think the cinematography was good, in my opinion it was quite bleak and dreary. The score was amazing, I really liked the context and scenes it was used in.
I think Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield were wonderful in their respected roles. I think the scenes in the present with the lawyers are interesting. Other than that I didn’t really like it. I’ll have to re-watch it if Quentin Tarantino says it’s the best of the 2010’s though.
My rating: 5/10
Dunkirk
I loved Dunkirk. For me it’s a Top 3 war film. Behind Inglourious Basterds. It also has one of my favourite shots in cinematic history. That shot being the one above. I think it’s a beautiful goddamn shot, and the cinematography in general, is amazing. I also love the shot where our soldiers are being bombed by the Nazis, and we see Tommy on the ground, hands over his head for cover with the black smoke behind him, and sand falling on top of him.
Aside from that I think Nolan’s style of directing is amazing. The sound editing is perfect as well and I’m not surprised it won the Oscar for it. I also love the performances, even though a lot of them are dull, I think it’s symbolic the way they’re so lifeless. It’s representing how each soldier was killed inhumanely, and throughout this war, lost their humanity. These are also reasons why I’m excited for Tenet. Christopher Nolan is a genius.
My rating: 9/10
There you have it! Those are my thoughts on The Social Network and Dunkirk. I hope you liked this article. If you did please follow and like it really does mean a lot! Until next time – keep watching movies! Ryan, out.
Detectives Murtaugh and Riggs are, without a doubt, two of the funniest and most iconic film characters in history. Glover and Gibson’s electrifying chemistry takes charge and makes every ‘Lethal Weapon’ movie a fun adventure. While all of them are great in their own way, how do they stack up against each other?Read on for my ranking of the ‘Lethal Weapon’ movies.
4. Lethal Weapon 4
Oh ‘Lethal Weapon 4’, where do I begin? The fourth addition in the ‘Lethal Weapon’ movies is by far the worst. It doesn’t hold up well. At all. The plot is not stable, and that’s mainly because Murtaugh is now legitimately “Too old for this s**”, and Riggs is on his way there too.
The film feels too young for the actors. Glover and Gibson starring back in the 80’s was awesome, because they were both younger, and it made sense for them to be running all over L.A., causing mayhem and saving the day. Glover and Gibson acting in this instalment is worse than bad, in my opinion, because they’re not plausible in those roles anymore now that they’re …well, ageing. In addition to that, the villain isn’t menacing, and doesn’t really have anything to do until the end of the second act, and most of the time the jokes don’t land right. However the third act in this movie is better than any of the other third acts of the series.
3. Lethal Weapon 3
‘Lethal Weapon 3’ is a film that isn’t necessarily as good as the others, but you watch it as most of your favourite characters are returning, and you want to see how it plays out. In my opinion this movie refuses to be anything other than a takeaway movie. A takeaway movie is a film that’s bad, but you don’t realise how bad it is because you’re enjoying it so much.
In terms of plot and character development, it’s alright. It’s not particularly special in any way. It does have a cool new addition of Lorna Cole played by Rene Russo. She was extremely well done and a fascinating new character addition to the series. That’s all I have to say about ‘Lethal Weapon 3’.
2. Lethal Weapon 2
In my opinion, ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ is a great sequel. Not once did it lose my attention, or make a single crappy joke. In this movie I think Glover is at his peak portraying Murtaugh, he portrays him better in this instalment than he does in any of the other movies.
Joe Pesci’s addition to the series as Leo is great, and gives the franchise a new, interesting character. His chemistry with Gibson and Glover simply cannot be ignored because of how noticeably good it is. This is the only ‘Lethal Weapon’ movie I can compliment on it’s great cinematography. The colours and lighting blend together perfectly, making this a visually stunning addition to the franchise.
1. Lethal Weapon
‘Lethal Weapon’ is the best in the entire series. Like how ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ is peak Murtaugh performance for Danny Glover, ‘Lethal Weapon’ is peak Riggs performance for Mel Gibson.
The dialogue in the original film is hilarious, and not a single joke falls flat. The plot is extremely well done and knows what it’s doing. I think that ‘Lethal Weapon’ is not only one of my favourite comedies ever but one of my favourite movies ever. While not all it’s sequels are good, ‘Lethal Weapon’ comes as a great entry to a good series.
How would you rank the ‘Lethal Weapon’ movies? Tell me in the comments! Don’t forget to follow and like, it really means a lot to me. Until next time – Keep watching movies. Ryan, out.
For decades John McClane has been saving the day in the loud and violent action series ‘Die Hard’. He has become one of the most iconic characters in all of cinema. Join me as I separate the best from the worst and find out which one is the ultimate ‘Die Hard’ film. Yipee-ki-yay Motherf***er!
5. A Good Day To Die Hard
I don’t really think we need an explanation as to why this is the worst film in the ‘Die Hard’ franchise. There are multiple problems with this movie, and I could be here for hours naming them, but the ones that stood out were god awful and tarnished Die Hard’s legacy forever more.
The biggest issue I had with this film was the fact that they made McClane a superhero. If that’s what I wanted from a Bruce Willis movie, I’d watch Unbreakable. He was hit by a car, was in a car crash and smacked around the face with a gun, yet the entire time he shed no blood. The villain is a complete joke. He didn’t feel intimidating nor make me fear for the hero characters lives. The only thing he made me fear for was the legacy of the Die Hard films.
When it comes to films, one of the big things the audience is looking for is a plausible plot. What you’re trying to do, when you make any film, is engulf people in your story, and leave them fascinated for years to come. If I’m being honest, I could not tell you what this movie was about at all. Sure there’s Willis and Courtney’s chemistry, and I had a lot of fun seeing them on screen together, but even that’s not enough to save ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’
4. Die Hard 2
Is Die Hard 2 a good movie? Yes, of course it is. But the reason I’ve put it at fourth place on my list is because, not only does it feel like a rehash of ‘Die Hard’, but it also has some boring side plots and characters too. The movie does have great action sequences though, and the luggage room scene at the beginning is one of my favourite fights in the ‘Die Hard’ series.
But, lets be honest, Did we really need to see Holly in the sky doing her thing? Absolutely not. I couldn’t care less about what Holly is doing. I came to see John kick ass, not Holly walk around an aeroplane talking to flight attendants and that news reporter.
3. Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard is so underrated. I mean look at it, great action sequences and plot, fun and relative new additions, and a genuinely menacing villain. The only thing that keeps people from seeing it’s true worth is the PG-13 rating. Personally I don’t have a problem with the PG-13 rating. Sure the age restriction means it couldn’t get as dark as past instalments, but you don’t need an R rating to tell a good Die Hard story.
When you’re making a movie you picture all the scenes in your head, it doesn’t matter the age rating, as you could take out the severe blood and gore and tell the same story to a younger audience. It’s that simple. Personally I thought ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ was a good addition to the ‘Die Hard’ franchise and if you look past the PG-13 rating you’ll see it too.
2. Die Hard: With A Vengeance
There is so much to say about ‘Die Hard: With A Vengeance’. Everything is on point. The movie is mostly a success due to the electric chemistry between Willis and Jackson. The movie manages to tackle funny and serious at the same time and can easily switch between the two. Zeus is a great addition to the ‘Die Hard’ series and is easily the best part of the film.
The whole goose-chase aspect of things where John and Zeus had to go do something before a certain time was great, and added an amount of anxiety to the film. Everything about the film is awesome, and it even came close to being my favourite ‘Die Hard’ film, but unfortunately it didn’t take the crown.
1. Die Hard
Coming in at first place is the original ‘Die Hard’, as you’ve probably guessed. It’s a classic in the action movie genre, and without it we wouldn’t have seen the sequels, not to mention all the other action movies that took inspiration from it. The movie is based around a cop trying to do his best to save the Nakatomi Building, and take out the terrorists. That’s what I like about it. He’s a normal guy who, by the end of the movie, has taken serious injuries, and is weakened as a result, unlike ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’
Everything is perfect. Alan Rickman as Gruber, and Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennero. The action sequences, and Bruce Willis’ performance was a perfect bow on top of the well wrapped gift. Ha ha…see what I did there? Almost like it’s a Christmas movie….That’s a controversial conversation for another day!
Thanks for reading, and please follow. It really would mean a lot! Until next time – Keep watching movies! Ryan, out.
Square Eyes for the Movie Guy 