All posts by Tarek Fayoumi…The Paterson of his Craft!

I am someone who strives to become a professional critic. I watch and review many movies. I view the eyes of movies as something as an art form. I have followed many critics over the years, but once I was thirteen I knew writing film reviews was going to be my passion. I learned from watching multiple episodes of Ebert And Roeper in my teen years, and then in middle school I began writing film reviews for a newspaper club. I am also an avid fan of the arts of Chicago including Theatre, Comedy, and music. Films, however, are my primary focus.
Film reviews, Sony, Spider-man

Spider-Man (2002) Fathom Entertainment

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Spider-Man, a Chance to Go Back:

From Sony Entertainment, and Fathom Entertainment, Spider-Man is swinging back into cinemas for a limited run. The 2002 sensation will bring audiences back to the golden days of Peter Parker/Spiderman, and the foundation to what created a franchise of memories. It is such a joyful rollercoaster ride. Tobey Maguire (Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules) is Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Kirsten Dunst (Jumanji, Little Women) is Mary Jane.  For both actors, Spider-Man was a golden entry on their pathway to fame. With the superhero and comic book genre well established in the 23 years after the release of Sam Raimi’s original web-slinging adventure , there are a lot of fun featurettes as part of the Fathom Entertainment live event screening.

Fathom Entertainment Features:

Before the movie, audiences will have the chance to get a glimpse on how spider science was utilized in the making of the movie. They will have the idea of what writing was in place to make the true powers of Spider-Man come alive. What is also included are featurettes with Maguire and Raimi in which the veteran director works with the young Maguire regarding the framing of his character’s mindset. Since Maguire fits the personality of playing someone as shy, Raimi talks about how he got Maguire in tune to think fast (Spider-man). All those spidey senses tingling, all those shy guy personalities, there is a deeper sense of purpose in the featurettes shared prior to the main presentation. 

Worth the time?

For all the nostalgia, and the many moments that feel  surreal, the web slinging moments feel like a  meaningful  revisit. Spider-Man   still holds a great deal of meaning to many fans  around the world. And with a universe that has greatly expanded, this is one that feels both historic and classic.  Audiences have one last chance to revisit Spider-Man with Fathom Entertainment October 3. They will also have the chance to revisit Spider-Man 2.1 (the extended sequel) on October 3rd and Spider-Man 3 on October 5th. Tickets can be purchased in the link below. It is certainly worth refueling the webs of nostalgia and securing  spidey tickets today.

Fathomentertainment.com. 

Review also available at MovieArcher.com! Link below!

https://www.moviearcher.com/movie-archer/classic-targets-in-4k/spider-man-2002

Film reviews

The Smashing Machine Review

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When I look at Dwayne Johnson, I always think back to his days as The Rock in pro wrestling. Seeing him play an athlete going through struggles with addiction on his way to heightened fame represents a whole different level of achievement. Written and directed by Benny Safdie, this is The Smashing Machine, a true story that includes many knockouts and rounds of difficult trials and errors. Johnson delivers a stunning performance playing Mark Kerr. Emily Blunt is also outstanding. Her emotions are hard to dismiss in her role as Dawn Staples. The Smashing Machine is story about athleticism and the pursuit of a goal which involves components of physicality and drug abuse which lead to a hard fall.

The film is about Kerr’s life and his road to success and fame. His physique plays a key role as does the way he incorporates many types of injections to make sure his body stays in tune. Inthe martial arts competitions he competes in, he finds himself frustrated with new rules. He relies so much on drugs to thrive. Dawn recognizes that he is an addict. Despite his athletic success, she calls him out repeatedly. The realism related to shame, addiction, and guilt is no joke in The Smashing Machine. The title even speaks for itself because the film feels like a “smashing machine.”

The film’s vibrant display of hurdles faced along the way is compelling. Kerr feels there is no easy way out. His body takes a toll and the story guides viewers through the harrowing approach to redemption. To clarify, the harsh steps to get sober are presented in a vivid and spellbinding way. Safdie’s directing incorporates stressful displays of lighting and accompanying characterizations that make audiences’ hearts pound. This movie is almost as stressful as Uncut Gems, which he co-wrote and directed with his brother Josh Safdie. However, The Smashing Machine is Benny’s project. The writing leads to rapid heart rates which come from Benny’s ability to create unforgettable vibes in The Smashing Machine. Throwing in athleticism, dishonesty, and disconnection which all combine to bring self-aggravation and personal destruction, makes this film hard to dismiss. The Smashing Machine paints an honest portrait that proves that even in the darkest places there is still light.

The highlight of this film lies within the performances of Johnson and Blunt. They are an unmissable power couple that truly take the cake. This biopic of actual events hits many detrimental bumps along the way to get the message right. The Smashing Machine delivers the important message to never give up. I believe it is one of the best films of 2025. Also, it may be one of the best Johnson has delivered. He has come a long way since his wrestling days.

Getting out of patterns is not easy. Finding trust is what the story explores. The Smashing Machine shows how important it is to have a foundation for success. It is one-of-a-kind movie and atrue story that is meant to be seen. Four out four stars.

 

Film reviews

Him Review

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It is the start of the football season, and Justin Tipping (Kicks, Get Black Monday) decides to step-up his directing game with a sports thriller. Him is a  psychological thriller with a wild and crazy imagination. On one hand, the film is about  fame, and on  the other, survival. The two lines run parallel  in  Him. Being a pro football player is presented as a dream, and \ Tipping creates one’s dream to be an irreparable nightmare. The presentation continues to fall into a psychological  pattern. As egos topple over suspenseful situations  that become an athletic training film  like no other.

Him focuses on Cameron Cade and he is played by Tyriq Withers (Atlanta, Tell Me Lies). Cade, a rookie quarterback  is  given the opportunity to train with champion and veteran quarterback Isaiah White, played by  Marlon Wayans (On the Rocks, Air). With Cameron focused on becoming a  pro player, he feels this is his dream is close to coming true. However, once he steps foot into Isaiah’s home, there are haunting aspects that may be more disturbing than Cameron has anticipated. His head may be in the game to learn from his mentor, but he does not realize how dangerous the football camp is.

For Tipping, he oversteps the boundaries of sports and mayhem. It is exhilarating in some moments, but in others Him devolves into an  overwhelming slog of strobe-like effects. While I did expect technology of that nature in Him, its use prevents the film from ever feeling like anything more than mesmerizing.  Tipping provides the enemies a form of ambience of purpose. Competition with violence and desperation for success do not tango well with Him. It is presented in the setting of a cult that is disturbing. There are many trial and error moments, leaving Tipping’s film feeling like a blur. Him relies a lot more on star power than it does  suspense to engage its audiences. This is a thriller where there is more  enjoyment found in the  twisted fun of watching events unfold than in Him than any actual emotional responses like shock or mortification..

Him keeps up its craziness with football legend vibes going boldly. That is because the star powered dynamics are all around wild throughout the whole film. But the writing is a mess. The direction to become an all-star with life or death scenarios has a strange direction. Ultimately, so much of it relies on the presence of Marlon Wayans as the emperor, and Tyriq Withers as his apprentice. A duo that needs improvement in characterizations. Two out of four stars.