I felt like this was missing something and didn't live up to the full potential it could've. Maybe it was the title, "Multiverse of Madness", maybe it was all the trailers that did a great job misleading us while also spoiling all the best parts of the movie, or maybe I just didn't like how two dimensional they made Wanda after she spent an entire show already learning how her power can hurt people and exposing everyone to her grief. How many times did Wanda need to indirectly quote Thanos before we got the point? "I call that mercy", "They'll never know..." etc.
Overall this has kind of cut down my excitement for phase 4 a bit, and coming from someone who LOVED the infinity saga that hurts and worries me to say. I feel like the movie tries to over simplify things and these were characters that aren't simple. This needed to be deeper. I feel like we needed to see Kang here, even if just for a moment or two. I feel like we needed Loki too. The only trouble with opening the multiverse can of worms is now it REALLY doesn't matter when some of these heroes are getting killed, "Oh that's just Mr Fantastic from 818, this is 6 1 whatever".
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really good either, and with how much hype they put on it I'm let down. This needed a real villain. It's not that Scarlet Witch didn't make a good villain, it's that I didn't want to see her be one after the journey we've gone on with her, and her doing the right thing in the end doesn't excuse her murdering like a hundred people no matter what universes they were in and her logic was flawed from the start.
And where the F is "real" Mordo?
The last minutes of the episode was mind blowing everything was perfect after the shots the reaction on finding Kima shot and unconscious from the others was excellent acting and chopper scene was great touch and Cedric face expression and reaction when he heard the gun shots was more than perfect, I couldn't blink Bravoo
This is in many ways the exact movie that The Lego Batman Movie made fun of.
So, I can totally understand if this film reads like self-parody to some (I'll admit, the gravely film noir detective voice over was a bit much, it's been parodied to death at this point), but I'd argue that it's overall a refreshing take on the character in a well thought out story that includes some excellent performances. Paul Dano, Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz all nail their roles.
It's a typical Matt Reeves blockbuster in every sense. It's grounded, serious, and there's a strong emphasis on drama/tension, and less on action. The production and style of this thing are phenomenal. Excellent cinematography, which should be Oscar nominated (but probably won't), music, production value, costumes, directing, etcetera. It's grim, it's dark, it's gritty, but it doesn't feel like it's directed by a 16 year old edgelord either. I love how the colour palette of this film is restricted to black, grey, orange and red. It's perfect, taking clear influences from David Fincher films, neo noir detectives and '70s paranoia thrillers (maybe a hint of Marvel Netflix as well). I hope it reinvents the wheel for many blockbusters to come.
Its biggest problem are the pacing and the characters. I'm fine with defending longer films, but this isn't a smooth 3 hour ride. It holds its cards very close to the chest during the first half, to the point where it's hard to engage with and can get kinda boring. It's a lot of set-up, mood and atmosphere, and not much else. It doesn't really hook you with its characters or the dramatic intrigue of the story, as I didn't find this slow moving mystery compelling enough by itself (partially because it doesn't really engage the audience; you can't solve it by yourself). There's not even that much action to compensate, besides a few quick beats here and there.
It also relies too much on the cultural iconography of Batman and Catwoman that already exists in our current zeitgeist, and while I might know those characters as cultural icons, I don't know this Batman, or this Catwoman. It eventually gets there though, as The Riddler and Catwoman get a lot more interesting in their own right as the film goes along, but it takes a long time. I love that this Riddler is essentially re-imagined to be a radicalized 4 Chan incel , which feels very relevant for today. Still, we know very little about Batman by the end of it (besides his brooding indie rockstar behavior), which is mostly due to the general lack of Bruce Wayne in the film. Batman cannot be interesting without a good Bruce Wayne accompanying him. That's nothing against Robert Pattinson, he's very good in it, but the writing for his character is very one note. As a film, it would've benefitted a lot from a deeper dive into his psyche, because the emotional arc of his character doesn't feel earned by the end.
Still, these issues could easily be fixed in a sequel, it's a good enough foundation for a series of great Batman films.
7/10
A potentially great film being held hostage by its PG-13 rating and its messy, all over the places screenwriting.
By PG-13 I don't simply mean its visuals/goriness, but most importantly its dialogues, themes, and storytelling it tries to raise. Let me explain.
First, the dialogues.
The film opens with murder and Batman narrating the city's anxious mood. We get a glimpse of noir in this scene, but it soon falls flat due to a very uninteresting, plain, forgettable choice of words Batman used in his narration. Mind you, this is not a jab at Pattinson - Pattinson delivered it nicely. But there is no emotion in his line of words - there is no adjectives, there is no strong feelings about how he regards the city full of its criminals.
Here's a line from the opening scene. "Two years of night has turned me to a nocturnal animal. I must choose my targets carefully. It's a big city. I can't be everywhere. But they don't know where I am. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning to them. Fear... is a tool. They think I am hiding in the shadows. Watching. Waiting to strike. I am the shadows." Okay? Cool. But sounds like something from a cartoon. What does that tell us about you, Batman?
Compare this to a similar scene uttered by Rorschach in Watchmen. "The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood. And when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. All those liberals and intellectuals, smooth talkers... Beneath me, this awful city, it screams like an abattoir full of retarded children, and the night reeks of fornication and bad consciences." You can say that Rorschach is extremely edgy (he is), but from that line alone we can tell his hatred towards the city, and even more so: his perspective, his philosophy that guides him to conduct his life and do what he does.
Rorschach's choice of words is sometimes verbose, but he is always expletive and at times graphic, making it clear to the audience what kind of person he is. Batman in this film does not. His words are always very safe, very carefully chosen, which strikes as an odd contrast to Pattinson's tortured portrayal of Batman as someone with a seemingly pent up anger. His choice of words is very PG-13 so that the kids can understand what Batman is trying to convey.
And this is not only in the opening scene. Throughout the film, the dialogues are written very plainly forgettable. It almost feels like the characters are having those conversations just to move the plot forward. Like that one encounter between Batman and Catwoman/Selina when she broke into the house to steal the passport or when Selina asked to finish off the "rat". They flow very oddly unnatural, as if those conversations are written to make them "trailer-able" (and the scenes indeed do appear on the trailer).
Almost in all crucial plot points the writers feel the need to have the characters to describe what has happened, or to explictly say what they are feeling - like almost every Gordon's scene in crime scene, or Selina's scene when she's speaking to Batman. It feels like the writers feel that the actors' expression just can't cut it and the audience has to be spoonfed with dialogues; almost like they're writing for kids.
Second, the storytelling.
Despite being a film about vengeance-fueled Batman (I actually like that cool "I'm vengeance" line) we don't get to see him actually being in full "vengeance" mode. Still in the opening we see Batman punching some thugs around. That looks a little bit painful but then the thugs seem to be fit enough to run away and Batman let them be. Then in the middle of the film we see Batman does something similar to mafias. Same, he just knocked them down but there's nothing really overboard with that. Then eventually in the car chase scene with the Penguin, Batman seem to be on "full rage mode", but over... what? He was just talking to Penguin a moment ago. The car chase scene itself is a bit pointless if not only to show off the Batmobile. And Batman did nothing to the Penguin after, just a normal questioning, not even harsher than Bale's Batman did to Heath's Joker in The Dark Knight - not in "'batshit insane' cop" mode as Penguin put it.
Batman's actions look very much apprehensive and controlled. Nothing too outrageous. Again, at odds with Pattinson's portrayal that seem to be full of anger; he's supposed to be really angry but somehow he still does not let his anger take the best of him. The only one time he went a bit overboard that shocked other characters is when he kept punching a villain near the end of the film. But even then it's not because his anger; it's because he injected some kind of drug (I guess some adrenaline shot). A very safe way to drop a parent-friendly message that "drug is bad, it can change you" in a PG-13 film.
And all that supposed anger... we don't get to see why he is angry and where his anger is directed at. Compare this to Arthur Fleck in Joker where it is clear as sky why Arthur would behave the way the does in the film. I mean we know his parents' death troubled him, but it's barely even discussed, not even in brief moments with Alfred (except in one that supposedly "shocking" moment). So... where's your vengeance, Mr. Vengeance? And what the hell are you vengeancing on?
Speaking of "shocking" moment... this is about the supposed Wayne family's involvement in the city's criminal affairs that has been teased early in the film. Its revelation was very anticlimactic: the supposed motive and the way it ended up the way it is, all very childish. If the film wanted the Wayne to be a "bad person", there's a lot of bads that a billionaire can do: tax evasion, blood diamond, funding illegal arms trade, fending off unions, hell, they can even do it the way the Waynes in Joker did it: hints of sexual abuses. But no, it has to be some bloody murder again, and all for a very trivial reason of "publicity". As if the film has to make it clear to the kids: "hey this guy's bad because he killed someone!" Which COULD work if the film puts makes taking someone's life has a very serious consequence. But it just pales to the serial killing The Riddler has done.
Even more anticlimactic considering how Bruce Wayne attempted to find a resolve in this matter only takes less than a 5 minute scene! It all involves only a bit of dialogues which boils down to how Thomas Wayne has a good reason to do so. Bruce somehow is convinced with that and has a change of heart instantly, making him looks very gullible.
And of course the ending is very weak and disappointing. First, Riddler's final show directly contradicts his initial goal to expose and destroy the corrupt elites. What he did instead is making the lives of the poor more difficult, very oxymoron for someone supposed to be as smart as him.
Second, the way Batman just ended up being "vengeance brings nothing and I should save people more than hurting people" does not get enough development to have him to say that in the end. Again - where's your vengeance? And how did you come to such character development if nothing is being developed on? And let's not get to how it's a very safe take against crime and corruption that closely resembles Disney's moralistic pandering in Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
Last, the visuals.
I'm not strictly speaking about gore, though that also factors in the discussion. The film sets this up as a film about hunting down a serial killer. But the film barely shows how cruel The Riddler can be to his victims. Again, back to the opening scene: we get it, Riddler killed the guy, but it does not look painful at all as it looks Riddler just knocked him twice. The sound design is very lacking that it does not seem what The Riddler done was conducted very painfully. Riddler then threw away his murder weapon, but we barely see blood. Yet when Gordon arrived to the crime scene, he described the victim as being struck multiple times with blood all over. What?
Similarly, when Riddler forced another victim to wear a bomb in his neck. The situation got pretty tense, but when the bomb eventually blow off, we just got some very small explosion like a small barrel just exploded, not a human being! I mean I'm not saying we need a gory explosion with head chopped off like in The Boys, but it does not look like what would happen if someone's head got blown off. Similarly when another character got almost blown off by a bomb - there's no burnt scar at all.
Why the hell are they setting up those possibly gory deaths and scars if they're not going to show how severe and painful these are? At least not the result - we don't need to see blood splattered everywhere - just how painful the process is. Sound design and acting of the actors (incl. twitching, for example) would've helped a lot even we don't see the gore, like what James Franco did in The 127 Hours or Hugh Jackman in Logan. In this film there's almost no tense at all resulting from those.
I'm not saying this film is terrible.
The acting, given the limited script they had, is excellent. Pattinson did his best, so did Paul Dano (always likes him as a villain), Zoe Kravitz, and the rest. Cinematography is fantastic; the lighting, angle, everything here is very great that makes a couple of very good trailers - perhaps one could even say that the whole film trades off coherency for making the scenes "trailer-able". The music is iconic, although with an almost decent music directing. And I guess this detective Batman is a fresh breath of air.
But all that does not make the movie good as in the end it's still all over the places and very PG-13.
Especially not with the 3 hours runtime where many scenes feel like a The Walking Dead filler episode.
If you're expecting a Batman film with similar gritty, tone to The Dark Knight trilogy or Joker, this film is not for you. But if you only want a live-action cartoon like pre-Nolan Batmans or The Long Halloween detective-style film, well, I guess you can be satisfied with this one.
All those great audio clips from Marvel movies and from history… and they just had to add Greta Thunberg.. why?
It was pretty nice but I just can’t stand that they solved the timeline chaos (Ep.2 devastating finale) just like that, in the blink of an eye without explaining anything. Why did Sylvie even do that bombing, after years of planning?! I just hope they’ll explain more.
If you missed the after credits go back and watch them !
Started out alright, a bit different from usual Marvel movies. Continued to be alright, though definitely had its issues, but then the third act turned into a generic, uninspiring superhero movie. I liked Florence Pugh as Yelena, and I think she'll be good in the MCU going forwards. I was never particularly a fan of the Black Widow character, and I always felt that she was a bit out of place in the main Avengers line-up (same with Hawkeye). I'll feel the same if Yelena is put into that role, but at least she seems to have a bit more charm/sass to her that I think I'd rather have. I had mixed feelings about David Harbour's character. On one hand, I quite liked him, and I found him amusing. But I was annoyed that he was only ever used as comic relief and never really got a moment to shine. A lot of the action in this movie feels quite silly, and the main characters have really ridiculous plot armour, surviving horrible car wreck after car wreck. It makes sense when someone like Captain America survives these situations, but when a regular woman with literally zero super powers or physical enhancements survives, it's downright annoying. It's a superhero movie, I get it, it's not supposed to be over the top realistic. But this was just too much.
Overall, the movie wasn't a bad way to spend two hours. It was alright, and it's nice to see the Black Window character get her own movie as a sendoff. Just don't expect anything more than a generic action flick.
Am I the only one who is sad we didn't get a flashback to Budapesh with Hawkeye? Really a missed opportunity Marvel!! Also thought it would be more of an origin story than what it actually turned to be. The action was nice and everything but still I'm disappointed
Because Natasha is always described as this awesome super spy, I really thought this movie would be kind of an over-the-top James Bond movie. I mean, you've got a Soviet Big Bad Guy with an evil lair and evil plan, like in the old school Bond films. I was very happy early on in the movie, with the Soviet agents couple undercover in Ohio, and then when Nat tries to lay low after Civil War. But then it switched from a potentially cool spy movie (and original for a Marvel) to a classic super hero movie.
So instead we got an over-the-top Agents of SHIELD episode. Every hero is sub-par, except Taskmaster, which doesn't even get that much screen time. The second most powerful hero, Red Guardian, is ridiculed all the time and doesn't really have an opportunity to shine. I thought the prison escape would be that. I mean, Netflix did a crazy good prison fight scene in The Punisher, but Marvel couldn't even remotely top that in a huge production? Very disappointed by all the missed opportunities.
In Captain Marvel, I didn’t like the main character, but I thought the movie around her was quite solid.
Black Widow is the exact opposite: I quite liked the two leads, but the movie surrounding them doesn’t really work.
Pros:
- Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh are easily the most entertaining part of the film.
- I liked the first act. It feels like Cate Shortland is trying to do an impression of a Jason Bourne movie. It’s fairly humourless, the cinematography is bleak, and the score is intense. It has a tone that no other MCU film has.
- The action (minus the final battle) is fairly well done. As per usual, less editing would’ve made it better, but at least it feels weighty.
Cons:
- The story itself isn’t that interesting. The themes and main mcguffin are oddly similar to Captain Marvel, though it’s not executed as well. The villains also fail to make an impression.
- This movie really loses its identity as it goes along, to the point where it turns more into a generic Marvel movie as it goes on, and eventually a generic action blockbuster by the third act. Everything gets way too big and bloated for its own good.
- Not a fan of the Russian accents, they sound very tacky. Just let everyone speak with a normal American accent, I can look past the fact they’re Russians. Besides, they even had a story based reason to ditch the Russian accents entirely.
- I found David Harbour quite cringeworthy in this.
- The main characters are protected by strong plot armour. Most characters should’ve been killed 3-4 times based on the things that happen during the action scenes. This isn’t even a ‘suspend your disbelief, it’s an action movie’ situation, it gets really ridiculous, to the point where it’s almost Fast and Furious level.
- The pacing is a bit inconsistent, you really feel it slowing down during the second act.
Finally, I want to address that I already find the use of Nirvana songs in movies like these quite distasteful, but the cover that's used during the credits literally sucked all the life out of the song.
4.5/10
Better than all the others. This was great, a lil bit of fan service and Easter eggs but its a common almost a must nowadays. Nothing felt ridiculous or out of place, this is a great reboot. I hope the next installments just get better.
probably my favourite episode so far! Kathryn Hahn was amazing and it was so cool getting a look into wanda's past. Now I'm in lockdown watching wanda vision on fridays has become the highlight of my week. Another after credit scene as well, it's just all so cool, can't wait for next week!
I knew he’d show up but not that version!
For the love if shit, people. Without the first 3 episodes we wouldn't have this episode. Without the first 3 episodes this one wouldn't be as impactful. It's storytelling and all part of a larger whole. Stop saying, "finally we're getting somewhere," or "this is what the show should have been from the start." Its a journey. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Holy shit.
I see that some people say the ending is actually happy and that everything seemed to work out at the end! But i find that's not true!
We can clearly see at the ending that Ki-woo is still poor and dreaming of making his message to his father comes true
but did it actually happene or not? we don't know for sure!
And i guess it didn't happen and that was because the reference back then when they lost their house, when the father told Kim Ki-woo that plans don't always success and that dreams never come true, so it actually does make sense.
The only thing i don't like that how did actually Kim Ki-woo survive?:D
I mean he has been hit twice by a huge rock in his head!!
And the funny thing that the woman who hit her head by falling over the stairs is the one who died :D!
After watching the first 2 episodes, i can confidently say this is a worthy addition to the star wars franchise.
Very very Star Warsy and sometimes not so. And i mean that as a compliment.
I have spoken.
All show, no tell - the way it should be (at times). This show is extremely refreshing so far, can't wait to see what's next.
The first 10 minutes was spectacular! No dialogue, just pure visual storytelling at it's finest. Also, Baby Yoda is too freaking cute.
I really enjoyed this. Pascal does a great job beneath the mask and makes an impression with body language and demeanor that deserve a gold star. Dave Filoni knows Star Wars to the core, and it shows in how he frames scenes and stages the action. The texture and tone are so damn good, with everything having a lived-in feel and appropriately spaghetti western vibe. And there's a "show don't tell" quality to this pilot, letting the audience get a feel for the world and the story without holding the viewer's hand, that I really appreciate.
I particularly like that in how the show establishes The Mandalorian himself. The things we learn about him here: that he was a "foundling," that he has an instinctive dislike for droids, that he is almost desultorily effective at his job, make him an interesting protagonist to follow. And the little touches for diehard fans, like references to Life Day, the tuning fork gun, and Salacious Crumb on a spit roast, all really pleased me.
Overall, this is a great start to the new series, and one that's promising for Lucasfilm's first venture into live action television.
Great first episode. This feels much more like a Star Wars movie than the current trilogy.
Where is the class? Bond is usually about spectacle but it's also about the escapism provided by it's character's charm, poise and elegance. The director didn't get the memo and just filled the movie with action sequences sometimes too fast to enjoy. And Gemma Arterton's character just seems to have phoned in because Bond has to have sex with someone! What other purpose did she serve?! Vesper's allusions grow tiresome because they sound like an annoying reminder to an inner conflict that Bond needed to have in order for the movie not to seem a straightforward action movie. But it is. In short, a person who watched this as the very first 007 would ask: "What's so special about James Bond? This is just another generic action/spectacle movie...". Sadly, that person would be right...
Not only is Endgame the most ambitious movie Marvel has made, but it also is the grandest. Even more so than Infinity War. No other movie can utilise the emotional ties that have been embedded within our hearts over the build of 11 years. And boy does it use them well. Stringing together scene after scene of nothing but impactful tension in the third act. But this doesn't leave the other two boring or bland. It allows these parts to build off of the aftermath of Infinity War. Never once was I bored, or felt like I was sitting there for three hours. For the action is no letdown, lovely dynamics are interwoven for a fantastic spectacle.
I don't want to say much, but it is hands down the best Marvel can offer. It is not Infinity War, Part II. It's something much better, the true culmination of everything and I do mean everything. The fan service here is through the roof and done so damn creatively. Not one thing feels hammered into the story. Even some major elements in its plot stem from the smallest details of previous movies I would have never seen coming. Taking even lesser liked fragments and stringing them into a more meaningful poetic story than the original movie would have ever told.
Using style and grace to tell this bold epic is strong with this movie. Gone are the golds and purples of Infinity War. And in comes a bleak atmosphere with hope lingering yet far. Visual storytelling is a bit lacking, but that is not what you come here to expect. You have been supported with all the exposition you need in previous movies. Since this is the case, it must be judged as a singular part of a series.
The themes in this movie are unity, utilisation, and more importantly; revelation. Kevin Feige has given this movie a lot to work with through these themes and has finally made his magnum opus.
Yes, there are a few hiccups. But that's to be expected. Captain Marvel was not given her full potential again sadly. But worked well with what was given. There is an amazing moment within the third act that truly gives her and a certain cast of characters time to shine. Plus the time it takes to leave out is a bit jarring. Not to mention, that to me Thanos seemed less threatening than in Infinity War because of something that happens. Still great impact by Josh Brolin of course.
Everyone will cry. Everyone will laugh. Everyone will leave sad yet satisfied with this amazing conclusion to the MCU so far. It's no Dark Knight, but then again, that was more drama than superhero epic. But this is modern hero gold. Here is the Holy Grail of superhero cinema.
9.6/10
8/10 After second viewing - Hype obviously had its hands around my neck I admit. Review doesn't meet my current thoughts about the film
Check here for my rankings on the MCU:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/my-mcu-rankings?sort=rank,ascCheck here for my 2019 movie rankings that I've seen:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/best-to-worst-2019-movies-so-far?sort=rank,asc
The flaws of the previous sequel are more readily apparent here as the focus shifts to the “real” world which is populated largely with uninteresting characters that were poorly developed in the previous film. As before, the film is stronger when it focuses on what is going on in the Matrix and Neo’s own struggle to understand his role and the fallout from his discoveries. It is a shame then that most of the plot centers around a large scale assault on Zion that quickly becomes tiresome as characters who we care little about face off against an overload of CGI machines that really needed cutting down. That the film grinds to a halt in its biggest action sequence says a lot about how badly thought through this part of the film was and without the juxtaposition of scenes within the Matrix that made the “real” world sequences bearable in the last film, it never really recovers from it, even if it does improve slightly as it shifts its focus back to Neo. It doesn’t help that whereas in the last film plots elements from the “real” world were rushed, here it’s the elements related to the development of the Matrix that feel rushed and forgotten about for large parts of the film which make the final sequence difficult to care about. It’s not unwatchable by any means, but as the culmination of a trilogy it can’t help but disappoint.
The strongest of the sequel films, this builds on the mythology of the original and the plot develops in interesting ways. Its strengths lie in developing the world of the Matrix itself, as Neo looks to understand his role and issues of fate and free will are again front and centre. The film also continues to develop the action that the original was known for, culminating with a sustained action sequence that moves across different locations and takes in fights, chases and gun battles that are brilliantly choreographed and edited. It’s a shame then that for all the positives of developing the world of the Matrix, the less said about the world of Zion and the “real” world the better. It is here where the film’s pacing becomes problematic and the characters introduced are barely realized and largely uninteresting. Plot beats in this world are rushed and it becomes difficult to care about anyone outside the core trio of Trinity, Neo and Morpheus. It’s a flaw that becomes even more problematic in the next film, but here with the focus on the Matrix itself, these flaws don’t quite negate the films strengths.
Although still a very good movie, it suffers a bit from the usual problems of sequels. By that I mean that more of the same does not automatically translate into a better movie. The action sequences / fights are too long. It is mainly a show of what was technically possible. The length of these sequences does not contribute to the progress of the story. It was great to watch, but at some point I wanted to continue the story.
Since the second and third movies are essentially a long one, I wonder if the tempo would have been better in a three-hour movie than in a couple two-hour ones.
Living up to the first was always going to be an uphill struggle but I enjoy this sequel.
I like the characters so it’s fun to see them again whilst the universe is expanded in an interesting way.
My main criticism would be the CGI in the Neo vs Agent Smith scene but it’s not as bad as I remember,
The freeway chase sequence is completely bonkers, in a good way.
The ending to a trilogy that needn't be a trilogy at all.
Maybe it's because I saw all three in succession this time but I really grew tired of the whole story. At the end I felt rather exausted in making sense of a story I thought I had figured out at the conclusion of the first part. And again it was CGI overkill. Where is the point, in having tens of thousands objects on the screen, when you can't make out details? It's just one blurry mess. It was always said that it was written as a trilogy but I really think they could have done the whole of the second and third in one 150 min hour movie. And in the end that movie might have been more satisfactory.
The way I see it the Wachowski (then) Brothers had a great idea but got carried away during the process of filmmaking by a more-more-more fanboy attitude.
As a sequel to the Matrix, it didn't live up to the original, not by far.
It has become pretentious instead of interesting, and the gradually developing user-friendly philosophical approach of the first Matrix has made way for straightforward philosophical speeches (e.g. from Morpheus, the Merovingian and the Architect) that could have come from my lecturer. It's a good thing I'm a bit of a nerd and appreciate the references, but the philosophical presentation was not entertaining.
However, purely as a visual action spectacle it is incredible. The highway chase is incredible, the visual style is beautiful, the costumes are great, the fighting scenes are amazing (except for the 1 against 100 cgi fight). Also the new characters are interesting, as long as they're not having philosophical monologues.
Basically: as a standalone action movie with a standard lousy story, it is an amazing visual feast and serves as a great popcorn flick!
I just stepped out of the theatre and I'm ready to write this review for you all. So, let me start off by saying, this movie is nothing like the other Star Wars movies. I was expecting something like Rogue One, but as soon as they started making jokes I knew it was going to be something different. I liked it though, I did. It was action packed, quite funny and a bit romantic. I dig it. The action scenes were probably my favourite thing about this movie, those were very well done.
Alden Ehrenreich did Han Solo proud. I didn't really know the actor before this, but he's good! Sometimes it almost felt like I was listening to Harrison Ford. It was great to see him and Chewbacca together en find out how their relationship started in the first place. I really enjoyed seeing them bonding and all that. Woody Harrelson never ceases to amaze me, to be honest. He is a brilliant actor if you ask me. I felt like his character stayed a bit in the background throughout the movie but I think Tobias Beckett sure made an impact on Han. Talking about making an impact, let talk about Qi'Ra (probably the coolest way to write Kyra). First off, I adore Emilia Clarke. I think she's a great actress and she's absolutely gorgeous. I had to get used to the idea of her in a space movie but she did very well. Her character is still a bit of a blur, to be honest, but I think Qi'Ra could be an interesting character to explore further. Donald Glover as Lando is perfectly cast. They truly did a great job. My brother said, "I thought he was the son of the original Lando". I think when people say that, you've done a pretty great job. I liked L3 as well, she was a bit much sometimes but she brought some humour to the movie.
Overall it sure was a fun movie to watch. It all looked very beautiful and the special effects were great. The only thing that bothered me was some of the creatures they created. I think they could've been "more real". I don't know if that makes sense, but maybe you notice it too when you're watching the movie. It could also just be me, I don't know, it confuses me a bit. I really liked getting a glimpse of Chewbacca's story and a closer look at the Millenium Falcon. That's one great ship with way too many buttons, isn't it?
I enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story and I'm going to rate it with a solid 7. I'm pretty sure there's more where this movie came from so I will be waiting patiently till then.
