Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Devyn Nekoda. © 2023 Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Media Group, Project X Entertainment, Radio Silence Productions. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
The Slashing Continues In The Big Apple.
Quick Review: Horror films are on an uprising this decade and this latest entry is amazing. This franchise is never heating down and they keep ramping up the violence while trying out new things to keep every film fresh. This film is bloody and it's insane until the end. I had a good time with this film and this cast made the horror much more fun. I feel like this movie was more of an action-horror film rather than a slasher but it still had some horror in it. The story is very good and the plot is still unique like in every entry. There are moments that are changed to make the suspense even more gripping and the opening is by far the best in the sequel. It subverts your expectations and makes you think even more about what's to come. The meta-commentary on horror films is very funny and smart. I love how they make fun of film bros and Gen Z filmmakers. Scream's social commentary keeps the series strong and their new interpretation worked here well. The cast is very great as always. Jenna Ortega gets more of a spotlight and I loved Melissa Barrera's character even more. The new cast of characters is also very good and it's nice to see the legacy characters back in this franchise. While we don't see Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) back, it's nice that we hear a mention of her character. The plot is very interesting. There are a lot of unexpected moments that will leave you questioning who's going to live or die. However, there are a bunch of plot holes that make the plot deform in the final act. The reveal was unexpected but I was half-sold on the motivations since we have seen it done before and it was kind of predictable. However, the ending was satisfying. The cinematography is a step up from the latest entry and the pacing of this film was pretty great. Overall, this film is a great entry into the franchise. While I believe last year's entry is still the best sequel in the series, this one was unique. More bloodier kills and more fun! That is what the Scream franchise is and the steam won't end. Now Playing Only in Theaters Vizeit Score: "A-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
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Chris Pratt, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Anya Taylor-Joy. © 2023 Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Watched it in IMAX @ AMC Theaters
One of The Most Iconic Characters in Video Game History Returns on the Big Screen! In today's film market, everyone is heading for big franchises just to squeeze out money including video game franchises. However recently, there are video game films that prove that they are worthy on the film/tv medium including Sonic The Hedgehog, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, and The Last of Us. After almost 30 years since the live-action Mario film, Nintendo is back to try again once again to make a movie about Mario and what's the result? Well, they finally did justice and it was worth the long wait since my birth. Illumination is stepping up its game recently for the past two years and they are proving that it can entertain audiences while giving us a good story. Join me in the mushroom kingdom and fight against Jack Bla- oh wait, I mean Bowser and save the kingdom! Story: After Mario and Luigi got separated by a magic pipe in Brooklyn, with help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world. The biggest carry of this film is the animation and it's very faithful to the video games. It has that pop-animation style that Illumination is known for but it's turned up to the max. It's fast, colorful, and also uncanny for a bit. Obviously, there are certain costumes and textures that look very real but for this to translate in movie form, it's done very well. Even one Mario game that used some realistic textures like Super Mario Odyssey was also uncanny but mixed well. The one thing I was worried about when they announced that Illumination was producing this film, I thought they would go the Despicable Me route of human animation. However, that wasn't the case when they released their first teaser poster and from there, I trusted them on creating a faithful adaptation of the Mario franchise. The animation took me into the film and the two worlds of the film within their style are just beautiful and faithful. The human world which is in the city of Brooklyn is so cartoonish yet normal. The human characters look human but very cartoonish like the 80s 2D animation type but into 3D. When Mario and Luigi travel to the Mushroom Kingdom, it's night and day. Very colorful with cartoonish elements and it feels lived in. It feels like an open-world video game and from there, I was sold on the animation. This is Illumination's best visually animated film in their studio and they should be proud. It's colorful, vibrant, stylized, cartoonish, and most importantly, faithful. DreamWorks could also pull this off but I feel like Illumination was the right choice. That's just the animation side and the story side is an interesting side of this film. The story is very simple and straight to the point. The Mario games weren't praised for their narrative storytelling but there are certain Mario games like Super Mario Galaxy mixed in well with story and platforming. The film falls into the same territory but is simpler and aimed at kids. However, there are plot elements that diehard Mario fans who are now adults or teenagers will appreciate more. I love that we get time to be with Mario and Luigi's family in Brooklyn and expand their personal life before we get to the main central story. The plot is predictable until the third act. That's where my expectations go in a complete direction and that's where the plot starts to get very spicy. No spoilers but the final act is the best part of the film. All come in a full circle and the story ends perfectly while opening up to a potential sequel (in which case they are since it made a crap ton of money). The pacing of this film was right for this film. It didn't waste any time and I was hooked on every scene. The characters in this film are great for this adaptation. Mario and Luigi are great but Luigi had less screen time which bumped me. However, Bowser was the highlight out of all the characters due to Jack Black's voice performance and he gets a lot of screen time. Huge props to the directors for making Bowser a centric villain and making him what he really is, while sympathizing with him. The voice cast in this film is pretty great and Mario's voice from Chris Pratt isn't that bad. I got used to it and it's pretty good. Toad's voice performance by Keegan-Michael Key was unrecognizable and he wasn't annoying thank god. The cameos were sweet and I'm happy they had Charles Martinet in not just one cameo but has a role in the film which I won't spoil. Overall, the cast is pretty great and the story was simple and easy to follow.
There are a bunch of easter eggs which contain spoilers but I will only mention some that are non-spoilers. We get to see Yoshi Island for a bit within a travel montage scene which was pretty nice. The power-ups are pretty cool including the tiny mushroom and I love how they made fun of those power-ups. While the film is colorful and harmless, there are some dark humor or dark references that adults will catch. A lot of "deaths" which is normal for an Illumination film but not a Nintendo movie. On Twitter, someone mentioned that one of the Koopas was a suicide bomber, and looking back, oh boy. That was pretty dark. There are a bunch of easter eggs that I want to discuss but that will make the review a little bit longer. However, there are fan service moments that worked nicely into the story and I'm glad it didn't shove it right to the audience. A lot of great easter eggs throughout and it made me pay much attention to every detail in the film. All of this shows the dedication the directors really truly cared about this film. The passion behind this film on making a fun entertaining film that all ages will love from new fans to diehard fans. These directors really did a great job on the camera movements, shot choices, and especially the final act of creating an emotional resolution that brings everything full circle. I loved every second of this film but I have some critiques that many people will agree with.
The film's plot is very straightforward but it's a plot that we have seen a lot in films and if you expected this to be The Godfather, well, you will be disappointed. The film strays away from Luigi a lot which sucks since Luigi is an important character in the story. I felt like a chunk of the movie was missing and there weren't enough moments of true character development or even a moment of a sit-down. The tree scene could've been longer to establish an emotional connection with peach and toad. Even though Mario isn't famous for its narrative, I wished they could've improved more of its character development and added more screen time while keeping the same original pacing. One thing I will definitely agree with is the weirdly placed use of 80s music. It's so Illumination and it kind of took me out for a bit. However, the score of the film was really great and I loved the mix of modern and classic Mario music while making it cinematically. I wouldn't say this film is a video game masterpiece, but if you go into this film with normal expectations, you will be having fun. I feel like critics are being harsh with this film and it shows what are the problems now with critics these days. Have an open mind with this film or expect a fun movie with the whole family! This was definitely a fun time at the movie theaters and I'm definitely going back for a re-watch. It's fun, colorful, funny, and nostalgic. It's the perfect movie that we need in 2023 right now and I'm happy they brought this adaptation to justice. It's what I have been waiting for since I played my first Mario game on the Nintendo DS. I loved this film so much that I will recommend watching it on the biggest screen possible and buying it on Blu-ray. Go watch this film and you will have a fun time! Now Playing Only in Theaters in IMAX and 3D. Vizeit Score: "A-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Ben Affleck. © 2023 Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Artists Equity, and Mandalay Pictures. Directed by Ben Affleck.
Early Screening at AMC Theaters
Some Icons Are Meant to Fly. Nike is the biggest shoemaker in the world but without one person, they couldn't fly high. However, it's not who think it is. It's just an employee at Nike who is about to save and innovate the shoe world once again. This film flies high with a great cast and directing that we have been waiting for since Argo. Sports movies are back on the market and with the latest film AIR, legacy can be still living if done right and AIR does complete justice. Join me back to 1984 where we explore the beginning of a legacy and the rise of the modern shoe era. Story: Sonny Vaccaro and Nike pursue basketball rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionizes the world of sports and contemporary culture. Sonny teams up and gets help from Phil Knight, Rob Strasser, and George Raveling on reaching this deal to save the company. One thing that caught my attention right away, was when this film was announced, it was going to be directed by Ben Affleck and his directing here is great! It's his best work in terms of directing since Argo. He makes every scene enjoyable and engaging with humor and drama. Affleck is at his best when there's tension in a scene that will lead up to the big scene of the act. It's very well done and he keeps the film engaging while making the story easy to follow with great performances. The cast is strong in this film and it's nice to see Chris Tucker back on screen! It's also weird to see Marlon Wayans in a dramatic film. However, his role is fitted well and I liked his performance. Matt Damon is always excellent in every role and his chemistry with Jason Bateman is the strongest. Obviously, Ben Affleck is also starring in the film and he was great in his supporting role. I thought Viola Davis wouldn't get a lot of screen time but she had the right amount and she was great. The cast overall is excellent and the story itself is pretty straightforward. The screenplay is very slick and it gets right to the point. Easy to follow and the pacing of this film doesn't drag. It keeps you at the moment and makes you care about these real-life characters. The cinematography is very solid and there are a lot of shots in this film that surprises me for this type of sports film. The production design is very great and I loved the 80s vibe and company aesthetics presented. It feels cheesy but done right. This film has energy and it succeeds in what sports film should do. It's hilarious with its edgy language humor and the speech scene was heartwarming and emotional. It's a simple sports film that delivers what it is and the execution is done right. However, when flying, not everything will land.
I would say the editing on this film was pretty mixed. A lot of fucking cuts but I can't lie that it kept the pacing well. I was disappointed that they didn't show Michael Jordan himself but I respect Affleck's choice not to show him. I still feel like Viola Davis's character was a little bit underused, however, the runtime was justified. It's your typical sports story and you know which direction is going to take, but this story was still enjoyable from start to finish.
I really enjoyed this film due to the cast performances, great directing, and solid pacing that kept me engaged with the film. Sports films aren't that big anymore unless you bring energy and care to the project. This film has the potential to bring back sports film into the spotlight. AIR was such a fun time at the theaters and it's definitely a crowd-pleaser. Please more films directed by Ben Affleck, please!? Only in Theaters April 5. Vizeit Score: "A-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Keri Russell. © 2023 Universal Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, Brownstone Productions, and Jurassic Party Productions. Directed by Elizabeth Banks.
Watched it at AMC Theaters
Get Ready To Get High AF! Quick Review: This film was high as fuck and it was entertaining. This is the type of B-movie you would see on a Walmart five-dollar basket bin but made by a big ass studio. That's the type of dedication I want to see more of big studios now in this current film market and that's good. If the plot doesn't interest you, it's in the fucking name. A bear on cocaine. How crazy can you get? The pure insanity at the one-hour mark is bloody brutal. It's entertainment at its best and I like it. The first 30 minutes are slow but it gets into the main characters' storylines. I can't lie that the beginning was weak. It felt too formulaic with some weird editing. I wanted to see the bear fuck up some people. That took around 30 minutes into the film and I got what I wanted. The cast isn't that bad. The kids aren't annoying because both of the child actors are talented. The adult characters are good. I liked Alden Ehrenreich's performance and it's nice to see O'Shea Jackson Jr. back on the silver screen. Ray Liotta was carrying the final act of the film and it hits differently after his sudden real-life death. Rest in Peace Liotta. The bear in the film however is cute and deadly. The CGI isn't that bad and it blends in very well with the dark environments. Also, the film is pretty bloody and it can be a little bit gory sometimes. It's dumb fun and there are several moments that will question the story structure. However, the biggest credit to Elizabeth Banks is that all the characters were balanced and while there were too many characters, it didn't over-jumble the film. I would say that there are characters that could've been cut out but their deaths were satisfying. While the plot was weak, did I mind it? Nah, I just wanted to see a bear do dumb shit. This was totally a dumb fun film to enjoy with friends and did I get what I wanted? Yes, and I had a good time. This is ain't The Godfather of B-movies but it might be if they do a hilarious sequel. Entertaining, dumb, and fun! Try not to watch it while being high. Now Playing in Theaters and on VOD. Vizeit Score: "C+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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