Just a quick 4…
The inside scoop about Ballerina is that the movie was finished by Lens Wiseman more than a year ago, but Chad Stahelski took one look at the cut and realised he was watching a franchise ender. He then did a reshoot of some scenes, added a couple of new characters and action scenes, which all in all, looks like a legitimate John Wick-verse action movie that doesn’t look out of place with the other 4 John Wick movies.
I had a great time at the cinema and Ana de Arms as Eve is riveting to look at. Going in I tempered my expectations and my only requirement was “please let the action be cool” and it delivered in this aspect. John Wick appears in a couple of pivotal scenes which is always welcomed but frankly even without Wick the movie still works. However, plot-wise this is as threadbare as they come. Girl sees her dad gets gunned down, gets recruited into Ruska Roma, learns the skills to become a killer, chances upon the people who killed her dad and revenge.
The look and vibe of the movie feel like a page taken out of the John Wick movies, and the action is as sleek and painful as they come. There are some uber cool action sequences. Most notably the flamethrower one which is worth the price of admission alone. I also dug the kitchen fight and the one with loads of grenades. Most people will say it is over the top and I would say precisely, this being a Wick-verse movie. The world of John Wick gets expanded a bit and this is probably the last time we get to see Lance Reddick.
Where the movie feels weak is with the straight arrow linear narrative. There is simply no guile with the storytelling with one event leading into another. There is a kind of a-ha revelation at one point but that idea never gains any traction and that thread gets curtailed within 3 minutes after the revelation. I was bewildered – what’s the point? The movie is also not interested in giving answers to nagging questions – what’s the deal with the cult? What do they do? Why is the Ruska Roma so afraid of them? That said, in terms of cool action, the movie delivers and Ana de Armas brought her A game. (3.5/5)
Thelma was so fun to watch. I threw the blu-ray in not knowing what to expect and it kept making me laugh till my tears rolled and at some point it really moved me.
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
The comedy never steps into farce area and it is rooted in what old folks are physically capable of. June Squibb and Richard Roundtree are a stupendous duo force and they are testament that great actors can still be amazing late in their careers. The movie also has something to say about aging gracefully and the relationships between the young and old. You will want to watch this with your grandma or grandpa. (4/5)
Terrifier 3, depending on what you can stomach can be a wholotta fun. I am made of sterner stuff and I watched this while having lunch at home by my lonesome. Seeing Art the Clown wrap entrails around the Christmas tree while I munched on a chicken is delightful.
Five years after surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and Jonathan are still struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they’re safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.
Some of the gory scenes are mini-masterpieces. The sick humour blends in with the uber gory scenes like a glove on a hand. I was counting the dead bodies but after 12 I gave up and some of the death scenes are so sick. This is not for the faint-hearted but if you are like me this can be pretty awesome. (3.5/5)
I am a huge fan of The Bear but S3 completely missed the bullseye. Shifting the focus to many of the secondary characters undermines the core narrative and it got so indulgent after a while.
The look and vibe of the show continue to be a class act and the acting is always top tier. But I felt this season’s writing jumped the shark. The dialogue feels so flippant and I don’t need 10 minutes of non-stop talking when I know the point of it in 1 minute. It feels like the writers just gave the actors some pointers on what to achieve in the conversation and just told the actors to ad-lib and it got so repetitive after a while. I have never fast forward any show I have watched but I did for one episode here – the one with Natalie and her mom going non-stop at the parking lot. It really got on my nerves. I don’t know man… this season feels so pointless with little growth for many characters. In previous seasons style never encroached into the main narrative, only serving to enhance it, but this season is style over substance from the get-go. I am not ready to give this up yet and I am praying that on the 25th of June when S4 drops it will get better. (3/5)