Avengers: Endgame (2019) – Review

Avengers Endgame review
After my wedding last week and short honeymoon, Avengers: Endgame was the next big event on the calendar (I have to admit that I, only for a moment, thought about heading to the press screening a day after the wedding, but decided that would probably be a bad idea). A film that isn’t only the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, but also a title that Marvel has been working towards for the past eleven years. A sort of end to an era, just as film lovers felt about Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and other franchises. Although it is not the last Marvel film, it does largely feel like the last chapter in a series. After more than twenty films in this series, the fans have come to know and love these characters and Endgame takes them almost literally through the entire MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Is it one of the best superhero films? Continue reading

Love, Death & Robots (2019) – Review

Love Death & Robots review
Although a load of new content appears on Netflix every week, I generally take the time to watch what interests me. I add it to my viewing list when it is announced and I often see it a few weeks after it has been released. However, last week was a week in which I could not wait until the releases of Triple Frontier (review will follow), season 2 of The OA and this series, Love, Death & Robots. With Tim Miller (director of Deadpool) and David Fincher as executive producers and a science fiction approach, I was very curious. I had not seen the trailer and I was totally unprepared for what I would experience, but when I started watching, I couldn’t get enough of it. Continue reading

Alita: Battle Angel (2019) – Review

Review Alita Battle Angel
When I think of director Robert Rodriguez, I do not immediately feel that I should see every project he does. His first film El Mariachi was good, I have been able to enjoy the Spy Kids films for what they are and Sin City is perhaps his best, but the feeling of Grindhouse-like films that he has done a lot (eg. the Machete titles) prevails. I did not really have any expectations about Alita: Battle Angel, but the fact that this is a project that James Cameron wanted to make for nearly twenty years, besides Avatar, and he was also involved in developing this Rodriguez version, could result in something interesting. I decided to watch the film the best way possible, in a Dolby Cinema. Is Alita: Battle Angel worth it? Continue reading

Venom (2018) – Review

Review Venom
The chance that during one year two movies are released, which are both about a man whose relationship comes to an end, where his body is taken over by an intelligent entity and the main characters both look like Tom Hardy (and one actually is Tom Hardy), is extremely small. But it happened this year. After the fantastic Upgrade was released earlier this year, Venom is the one after. The big enemy of Spider-Man, who now has his own standalone movie where there’s no sight of Peter Parker. Continue reading

Aquaman (2018) – Review

Review Aquaman

You only have one time to make a first impression and when DC, inspired by the success of Marvel and their “shared universe” of films, tried the same thing, it was not really successful. Batman vs. Superman disappointed and the same was true for Justice League. Where the Marvel films were mainly light-hearted and entertaining, that was not the case in the DC universe. That does not have to be a problem, as the Batman films of Christopher Nolan have proven that a realistic, dark atmosphere can work, but the general public doesn’t seem to look forward to the films of the studio as much. Wonder Woman might have been the exception, but that also succeeded because it had a different tone. Aquaman was introduced in the In Justice League film and Jason Mamoa gave the character both a serious as a lighthearted feel by for example joking about Batman. Now the character gets his own movie. Is this another disappointing DC movie or has the company finally found the right balance? Continue reading

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Review

Recensie Spiderman into the Spiderverse
The number of reboots the Spider-Man movies have had during the last 16 years is 3. The amazing thing is that even being so close together, the makers still thought it was necessary to tell the story again about how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. Any superhero or moviefan knows the story, so you could ask why they’d do it. You might be surprised that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also tells the origin story (several times actually), but now from the perspective of different characters and a lot of humor, diverting expectations and making sure you won’t be annoyed. And that original approach is a property the whole movie possesses, which makes this not only different from you average superhero movie, but also a superhero film which you should have watched before making your list of favorite 2018 movies. Continue reading

Final Score (2018) – Review

Review Final Score
It’s really easy to imagine the elevator pitch for Final Score: “It’s just like Die Hard…but in a soccer stadium!”. The man listening to the pitch takes a moment to think and asks “Great idea, but how are we going to sell this?”. He hears that it’s easy, because you just need to have a well known action hero actor in the main role. Unfortunately Dwayne Johnson isn’t available, Schwarzenegger and Stallone are too old to do what is necessary. Then they think of Dave Bautista, “he’s just like Dwayne Johnson, a former wrestler who started acting. Plus he has been really popular since his role in Guardians of the Galaxy”. The idea is finalized and Final Score is the result. But was this really a good idea? Continue reading

Mandy (2018) – Review

Review Mandy

Watching a movie starring Nicolas Cage has been a gamble for years. At the start of his career he seemed to think about the the roles he played, but those days have long gone. As a result he’s starred in many bad films, which you might still watch hoping that he will go “full Cage”. A quick search of YouTube will show you videos celebrating those type of moments. For every Joe or The Trust you can name at least five bad films. Mandy had quite a buzz before its release, so is this one worth watching? Continue reading