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Not that MCU is good, but this film feels like a weaker DCEU version of Thor: Dark World (with Orm siding with Arthur - they even throw a shade at Loki) and Black Panther (with Atlantis opening up to the world and Arthur preaching about kindness and technology to solve... climate change, lol).

The film has no stake at all. Throughout the film you'll see some supposed tense between the characters, but every instances of supposed betrayal or any semblance of conflict is a cop out or played out as a joke. People get hurt, they are burned or stabbed badly, but they recover minutes later. The emotional hook is supposed to be Arthur's failure to manage his kingdom but this never got developed further. Instead we see some council lecturing Arthur in one scene and Orm's motivational speech about believing in yourself in the next. The Thor-Loki-like reluctant brotherly dynamics of Arthur-Orm is mostly about a competition of delivering funnier banters.

The film is a jumble of one action scene to another, but even if you count this as an action film, the action sequences are super underdeveloped. Most action scenes literally happened off-screen, and while the camera moves swiftly to deliver some speed when there is an actual action, it lacks the punch and impact when our heroes and villains exchange blows. The penultimate showdown with Black Manta is super short, and the centuries-slumbering monster-king of the titular The Lost Kingdom is vanquished in one trident blow.

I like the visual and some world-building of Atlantis though. Flashy CGI, beautiful flowing hair. The scenes in the bar, the underworld, and daily lives of Atlantean makes me feel like it's an aquatic version of Star Wars galactic life. Much potential here, but I don't know if it's something that the directors will tap into further in the next films.

For a final send-off to DCEU before James Gunn's takeover, The Lost Kingdom delivers its job as a popcorn flick Christmas blockbuster albeit with too much forgettable substandard story and action sequences.

The concept is intriguing. The theme of local wisdom set in Saranjana, a mythical city beneath the waters of South Kalimantan, is captivating. Unfortunately, the execution is embarrassingly poor.

The film aims to blend horror, drama, and science fiction, but fails entirely. The storyline is incredibly flat—while this might work for a horror film, the execution here is so poor that the film lacks any grounding whatsoever.

The film starts without any clear direction, featuring a band concert somewhere, followed by a petty drama among the band members leading to the vocalist's disappearance. There's a hint of horror initially, but it abruptly intensifies when the vocalist seems possessed and wanders off to Saranjana (we find out after 15 mins that the film actually takes place in South Kalimantan). The band embarks on a quest before the film transitions into a horror segment as they try to find their way to Saranjana. Once the mythical city is revealed, a science fiction element is introduced, closing with a return to drama.

The horror is subpar, the drama fails to evoke any emotion, and the science fiction lacks imagination.

Let's discuss the horror first. The film markets itself as a "horror" film, but it merely throws various supernatural entities without any horror tension. Pocong appears, a supernatural baby emerges, the spirit of a dancer appears, but everything comes off as absurd. The scene with the pocong is particularly ridiculous. It seems the director hoped to induce horror through quantity—every appearance of a pocong involves a multitude (sometimes a dozen), yet there's no buildup whatsoever. The characters rely solely on screaming in fear without taking any meaningful action.

There's one absurd scene where the character floats down a river full of pocongs. Suddenly, one pocong emerges from the river (among a dozen others just watching from a distance), and the character just hysterically screams in fear, and the pocong does nothing but stare blankly. Suddenly, their boat starts moving again after they stop screaming. Another foolish scene shows a character trance-dancing due to possession, and another character suddenly becomes possessed as well when approaching. The solution for the character still in control? Get close to them and shake their body to bring them back to consciousness, even though a moment before they realized that being close might lead to possession. Strangely, only the main character avoids possession with no reason explained.

Now, onto the science fiction part. Saranjana, the unseen city with an advanced civilization. Our protagonists, after a bloody and sweaty struggle, finally steps into Saranjana (this isn't a spoiler as it's in the trailer, which is also a dumb decision). However, this mystical city turns out to be just like Dubai. The portrayal of Wakanda, which I still think lacks imagination, is miles better. Here in Saranjana the supposedly futuristic city consisting only of skyscrapers with Arabic writing (basically Dubai). The streets are paved. The cars are Toyota Avanza, the motorcycles are scoopy. It's genuinely sad and utterly lacking in imagination from the concept artist.

Whether it's a budget issue or a vision problem, I don't know. There are futuristic gadgets in the story, but they're reduced to simple smartwatches with 3D holograms to be easily comprehensible for the audience. The effects are also terrible. Despite the city supposedly having advanced surveillance, the surveillance cameras are Xiaomi brand (yes, the white ones). The police guarding the city don't use any vehicles to chase criminals; instead, they run barefoot. People wearing traditional Banjar clothing seem to be directly transplanted: in this supposedly super futuristic city, their traditional attire remains unchanged.

The irony is that there should be a contrast between the high-tech city and the low-tech traditional clothing. However, because the depiction of the city is incredibly low-tech and trashy, I don't feel anything. It's quite amusing.

Finally, the drama.

The director should have hired a screenwriter instead of writing the script themselves. The dialogues are incredibly cringeworthy. The main character has a talk-no-jutsu like Naruto that can change people's minds just by rambling and getting angry. Whoever was responsible for editing should be fired because every drama scene feels rushed. In one scene, a character is determined, and in the next scene, they suddenly cry and change their mind.

I heard that the budget for this film wasn't large. But they managed to fly the film crew to South Kalimantan and shoot on location? Instead of spending the money on shooting on location, it should have been used to hire a more skilled concept artist and an experienced screenwriter. No one cares if the film shot in a city forest in front of a housing complex or on the actual location, as long as it looks authentic. Authenticity is achieved through adept film production, not by jetting off to a set location.

The only positive thing about this film is the theme music. The Saranjana theme is mesmerizing, very ethnic. The acting is standard for Indonesian film standards. Everything else is truly... a headache to watch.

E for Effort though. Hopefully the director learned a lot from the process and someone (or the director in the future) will pick up this fascinating myth with a better project.

Let's be clear: this episode is like a slightly less charming version of Call Me By Your Name. That's why it feels rather slow and uninteresting in its first half. The performances between the two female leads could have been stronger, although I can see Mackenzie Davis trying her best.

The second half however swiftly hits you like a truck once the sci-fi element kicks in. Suddenly, all the clinging, drama, and attachment in the first half make sense (although it's still not an excuse for the slow burn - they could've made it for 10 minutes less). The moment when Yorkie and Kelly eventually meet is trademark Black Mirror, delivering heartbreaking, bitter reality in the show's fashion, and the episode maintains this emotional tone until a few minutes before the end.

In an unusual turn, the episode concludes with a more light-hearted, upbeat tone. Initially, I felt like it sidelined the heavy burden of the question between life and death, as Kelly aptly put it, "why didn't she have the chance?" But after some pondering, I realized the episode wants to present a more optimistic view of the inevitable end we all face. In the end, it's about how we choose to spend "the rest of it," as Kelly decided in the end. It's a more bright take on Blade Runner's pondering: if it feels real, then it's real.

Bandersnatch stands out as the most Twilight Zone-esque and perhaps the best episode of Black Mirror to date, thanks not only to its innovative and gimmicky presentation, but also its ultimate secret ending.

A slight nod to other comments: when following a straightforward path, Bandersnatch can feel somewhat bland and slightly uninteresting. Even though the various choices may lead to very meta and/or interesting schizophrenic endings, this isn't the main appeal of the episode.

The true gem of Bandersnatch lies in the culmination of all choices you make and the different endings or dead-ends you encounter. As Colin Ritman puts it, what matters is the choices that led you to a particular path, rather than the specific fate you experience in one lifetime.

Here's a hint: when faced with a dead-end, don't hit rewind and choose another option; instead, select from the options the episode provides. It remembers your choices and will open up alternative routes you can explore.

Only after going through those multiple dreaming sequences, RPG/visual novel playthroughs, and exhaustively exploring Bandersnatch's depth, do you truly appreciate its richness. Just like Stefan, who finally exhausts his options through the experiences of hallucinogens and brutal murders, you'll encounter a bittersweet moment when the episode reveals a secret ending that, to me, feels like the canon conclusion.

At the core of Stefan's obsession with "multiple choices" adventures is one pivotal moment when he wishes he could revert to be with his mom, accompanying her through her eventual demise, regardless of his prior knowledge about it. As "O Superman" by Laurie Anderson plays, the episode takes us back to the first sequence of the episode, and both Stefan and the audience finally find a sense of peace after the Jacob's Ladder-esque nightmare - asking if, after all, it is the lack of acceptance that burdens us when we grieves ourself into the deep hole of what ifs.

Two hours and half have past by the time the credits roll; Bandersnatch asked me if I want to give another go. I closed my eyes and put it to rest.

A welcome return to the exaggerated action swagger post-Fast V, Fast X: Part One delivers a thrilling over-the-top action flick.

The film shares a similar issue with Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1: it attempts thoroughly to set the stage for the grand finale in Part 2, connecting everything to past films and reuniting the entire cast, even if only briefly. This effort to showcase familial bonds between characters sometimes leads to overdrawn comedy and drama sequences. Several sequences, like the Roman vs Tej fistfight or Letty vs. Cipher brawl, feel like padding to extend the 2.5-hour runtime. And there are character deaths... but as the credits rolled I've accepted that it might not really mean anything. As that one obtuse now-Disney-franchise told us, "No one's ever really gone" in Fast.

Despite this, Fast X manages to maintain a relatively well-paced tone. The film is cognizant that dialogue is never its strong suit and it avoids getting bogged down in overtly serious drama with weak lines, as seen in F9. It also steers clear of relying heavily on exposition to create tension and drama, a trap Dead Reckoning Part 1 fell into. The film effectively brings back the best formula from previous Fast movies, featuring thrilling speed car sequences and gadgety/car gimmicks, while discarding elements that didn't quite work. Jason Momoa's portrayal of Dante is a refreshing departure from the usual tough guy typecast, and the tie-ins to previous Fast films work better here than in Dead Reckoning Part 1,

Although the all-star cast doesn't allow every character to shine (this is, after all, Dom's film), Fast X remains an enjoyable ride from start to finish. Looking forward to the Part 2.

This installment fell short for me, and I didn't particularly enjoy Fallout either, so it's not a matter of comparing campy action movies from the 1990s vs the stylish Nolan-esque action in the 2010s, as Jordy mentioned in another comment.

My biggest issue lies in the film feeling like a setup for Cruise's Ethan Hunt's sendoff in Part 2 and the rebuilding of the IMF team for future films. As a sendoff preparation, it tries hard to tie back to the first MIssion Impossible, bringing back Kittridge and connecting the main antagonist, Gabriel, and the righteous agent, Briggs, to Ethan's past. As a setup for sequels, it incorporates all the MCU-esque sequel-building elements: character pep talks, recruiting new team members, bonding moments, and hints of seemingly dead characters but not-that-dead. It only lacks the typical post-credits scene.

The film, unfortunately, tends to drag in certain sequences to accomplish these two points. Scenes with Luther and Benji at the airport, proclaiming their friendship and teamwork, or the aftermath scene with Ilsa as Grace is about to join the team, feel overly explicit in driving home the theme of being alone vs being with friends. The dialogues come across as unnaturally flowing, as if the characters were reciting lines to evoke emotions, humor, or impact. Dialogue, indeed, is not the film's strongest suit, especially when compared to Ghost Protocol.

The convoluted AI plot is another drawback. While I don't mind a yet-another-Skynet storyline or campy 90s action, the long musings on AI's world domination during the party scene with Vanessa Kirby's White Widow/Alana are cringe-worthy. The stakes seem unclear, and the repeated lines about fates being written and rewritten become tiresome, especially given the dialogue-heavy sequences. There are too many expositions on how the AI is threatening yet we barely see it does anything except that one sequence where it pretends to be Benji. The film's dialogue, once again, hinders the enjoyment of these scenes.

To its credit, Dead Reckoning Part 1 does have impressive stunts (Cruise's mountain jump and train sequences need not another applause) and enjoyable choreography. When the action delivers, it truly shines. The film also starts on a strong note, with the submarine opening instilling a sense of lurking danger of a potential mysterious enemy despite ended up falling into typical Skynet tropes. The portrayal of Gabriel almost reminds me of Chigurh from No Country for Old Men, if Gabriel was given better writing. Still, the action suffers from tonally inconsistent pacing and certain action sequences that drag, such as the car chase in Italy or the awkward fight with the charming la femme Pom Klementieff's Paris in the alleyway.

To conclude, if you have ample spare time, perhaps it's still worth giving the movie a shot. Although not the best MIssion Impossible in the recent years, the setups presented in the film leave me hopeful for a promising payoff in Part 2.

A drama-thriller superhero film, Chronicle is Brightburn if it was more competent and spent its time to develop the characters. The pace can be quite slow in the first half, but its slowness is crafted in such a way that you can't help but sympathize with the confusion, exhilaration, satisfaction, disappointment, and anger the group feels throughout the film - especially Andrew. It takes you to the time when high school was full of possibilities and, at the same time, full of disappointment.

The use of "found footage", despite the at times erratic angle, helps with connecting to the guys in the film, as if you're part of the group witnessing the event unfolds. I like that the film uses different cameras (surveillance camera, others' phones, etc) to convey scenes where Andrew's footage would not make sense.

When the climax eventually hits it feels quite painful as you've seen the group's ups and downs, and you'd find yourself believing under different circumstances they would've been something else. That being said, the final showdown lacks a little bit of oomph from the hectic and chaos it caused. Perhaps the only sequences where the found footage angle could use better work.

Not the greatest film, but still worth watching.

The Flash proves to be a competent superhero film. Not the best, but a breath of fresh air amidst the hot mess that has flooded the genre in recent years. It stands on its own, requiring only a basic understanding of past character portrayals, unlike the convoluted soap opera often seen in DCEU and MCU lines.

Despite its ensemble of superheroes and characters, the film manages to strike enough of the right chords.

It balances humor without overdoing it like Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Black Adam, or any Marvel Cinematic Universe films in the last 10 years. The fanservice of Keaton's Batman is tastefully done, providing memorable lines and explosive gimmicks without overstaying his welcome. The action sequences are well-choreographed, particularly those involving Affleck's and Keaton's Batman, although the initial speedster scene falls somewhat short as Days of Future Past already sets the bar high. The most important, the film possesses a straight enough plotline to propels the story forward, but still offers moments of intrigue and uncertainty where you would ask the direction the film will be taking.

The film however stumbles in Kara/Supergirl's parts. The plot revolving around General Zod and Kara's arrival and departure feels clumsy. It underplays the significance established in Man of Steel regarding Clark's purpose on Earth, not to mention the spandex that Kara somehow brought everywhere makes her feels comical. Sasha Calle seems unable to pull a good Kara impression; her attempt to embody a complex yet tough character feels like forced, relying on screaming and unnerving facial expressions, and her decisions throughout the films appear abrupt. Her bitterness leaves more to be desired as it seems to be quickly resolved. The grand battle feels tonally inconsistent with some rock music, Keaton's soundtrack, and Kara's theme blasting over each other. Although Michael Shannon delivers a menacing performance as Zod, the thin plot he walks on undermines his presence.

Fortunately, The Flash remains true to its scale.

While the film introduces multiverses, at its heart is Barry's personal desire to save his mother. Barry isn't driven by a grand mission to save the multiverse; he's a reluctant hero who finally acts when met a seemingly dead end. One might say that the resolution offered by the film presents a fatalistic view of history, unlike the practically optimistic tone of Avengers: Endgame, but the strength of the film is not to have the final say of all of these actually work: as the climax unfolds, both Barry and the audience are left wondering where the breaking point lies in history that must remain untouched. The film avoids drowning the audience in pseudoscience for explaining the multiverse, opting for Keaton's short and humorous spaghetti metaphor. The most compelling aspect is the film's ability to maintain a personal scale despite the high stakes, leaving the audience emotionally moved with effective lines in the resolution that in the first 15 minutes of the film seemed clichéd. The ending provides a pleasant surprise, setting the stage for a fresh start in the DC Universe.

Without boasting the concept of multiverses like Doctor Strange: Multiverses of Madness, The Flash is an enjoyable soft-reboot multiversal superhero film that leaves quite an impression. Not the best superhero film certainly, but perhaps still ranking among the better ones in the multiverse/time-reversing subgenre of superhero films, possibly trailing only a few steps behind Days of Future Past.