The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Review

Mario, one of the most iconic characters in gaming if not THE most iconic. Mere mention of the name Mario evokes imagery of the plumber with a mustache donning a red and blue outfit with a red hat containing the letter M. And for those who played the games other aspects such as jumping, mushrooms, coins, stars, pipes, the question mark blocks and the need to repeat levels have become elements intertwined with the existence of Mario. Elements that now help define the direction of the 2023 film. In addition, the core characters introduced across the Mario games encapsulates the identity of this film. With each of those characters representing an anchoring point during the story’s progression. And when you bring into play the history of Mario and Nintendo, you get the embodiment of the journey. In short, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is very representative of Nintendo and gaming as a whole – joyful, fun and entertaining.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Review

John Wick 4 was beautifully enrapturing. It literally brought a tear to my eye in the theater and not because of anything overwhelmingly emotional happening in the story at that moment but due to the sheer passion and quality instilled in John Wick to craft it into such a breathtaking franchise. Witnessing the conclusion of this film series erupt into the spectacle that John Wick 4 is, I couldn’t help but be motioned by the pleasure and gratitude of being a spectator to such an experience filling me up.

Prey (2022) Review

Prey is a complete film that smartly used its setting, pacing and characters to craft an experience that embodied a “hunt” and a journey which evolved from the “hunted” becoming the “hunter”. Out of all the Predator films that came before, Prey has now become my most favourite entry within the franchise and if I am being totally honest, I found it superior than many blockbuster films released this year.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Review

Viewing Top Gun: Maverick in the theaters was an intense and enthralling experience. I absolutely loved it. One of the best Tom Cruise movies I have seen and my current favorite film of the year (have yet to see Everything Everywhere All At Once). It was unbelievably good. Not only was it enjoyably satisfying but it was emotionally compelling. I was spellbound for the whole runtime.

Top Gun: Maverick enhances everything from the first film and builds off the events taking place decades later to construct a story that concludes the narrative surrounding the legacy characters in a gratifying manner. 36 years have passed since the first Top Gun was released and that sense of time is felt intimately within Top Gun: Maverick. Even the tragedy within the first film was further elevated emotionally and thematically in Maverick.

John Wick Chapter 2 (2017) Review

The man. The myth. The legend.

One of the biggest challenges successful films face is crafting a sequel that encapsulates all that made the original so memorable and exciting and delivering all that in a follow-up installment filled with freshness and novelty. John Wick Chapter 2 not only does that but it exceeds the expectations set by the fanbase and presents a film that delivers on both the sophisticated John Wick action we all hungered for since 2014 and on the world of Assassins that became such a point of intrigue in the first film, including the organisation known as the Continental. It pushes the boundaries of cinematic action and action-driven story telling into a work of art and what an art piece John Wick is to subject your time and attention into.

Colossal (2017) Review

What an unexpectedly enjoyable film that twist the conventional approach to ‘monster destruction’

Disguised in the clothing of a Kaiju film, Colossal draws you in with its mystery surrounding the massive monster threatening Seoul and the connection those events have on the main character currently residing within the USA. As you get deeper into the film, it becomes clear that the film belies its initial form and utilises the genre to push forward a totally different story. Yet at the same time, it keeps the “monster” theme central to the identity of the film. As each twist leaves you re-examining your perception of the story and it’s characters, you find yourself becoming engrossed by how such a genre can be distorted into one conveying themes filled with relevance, meaning and depth. Colossal is undeniably a colossal film that utilises its elements creatively to convey a powerful message.

Alien: Covenant (2017) Review

The result of man’s curiosity

Creation, a gift bestowed upon life to pursue the stream of existence yet within that pursuit, the perception of divinity and the desire for perfection taints the stream, distorting the gift towards understanding into a curse beckoning death. It is that perversion and ignorance of consequence that led to creation of the Xenomorph and its variants that we’ve come to know, fear and strangely love.

Logan (2017) Review

It starts with an encounter.

This isn’t a story about super heroes, it is a story about humans who come to terms with themselves, their actions, their past, and the decisions they make relevant to the future they have a part in creating. It isn’t a story about good overcoming evil, but one where both qualities are questioned and reflected in each individual. A story where blame is shared with everyone having their respective demons. The message tied within the grim desperation surrounding the events is that of accepting both the good and bad inside you to make the steps necessary to move forward. Logan is a story of liberation, life and humanity.

Doctor Strange (2016) Review

The possibilities are endless

One aspect I love about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is how each film tries to differentiate itself from what came before and how each film pushes forward a different theme/genre within the universe ultimately expanding on what we know so far. Sure there is a formulaic approach underlying the MCU but the surrounding material that fills the variables does its best to characterise the film as unique with a distinct personality. Doctor Strange introduces the relevance of magic (and the multiverse) within the MCU and the dark forces present eager to sink their darkness within the Earth and its populace.

Doctor Strange is a story about a genius surgeon who loses the use of his hands after an accident. Out of options and possibilities within medical science, he finds hope within a similar case that leads him to Kathmandu. There he meets the Ancient One and learns that what he knows about the world is just a fraction of actuality.

Train To Busan (2016 Film)

What would you do?

If America has World War Z, Britain 28 Days Later, Australia Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, then South Korea has Train to Busan. A powerful character driven film with the zombie apocalypse in its outbreak stage that reveals not only the dark and depressing nature of human beings but the contrasting elements of belief, determination and sacrifice. Emotional, tense, exciting and tragic, Train to Busan is an inspiring and compelling take on the zombie-genre.