Wrath of Man starts with the approach like it is going to be a bank robbing thriller. The main character goes through training to work in a cash truck company of Los Angeles. He falls into some shady situations and handles them (those moments are predictable especially with Jason Statham). He is the character that many do not know what he is truly capable of. For Guy Ritchie, Wrath of Man has the premise like an Oliver stone or Michael Mann thriller, but the approach for the directing is out of focus a generous number of times. Some may expect humor with the action like his recent film The Gentlemen (2020). Do not expect much laughing humor from Wrath of Man.

Jason Statham is H. He is the most dangerous man from a group of former soldiers who had a mission that goes awry. H is someone trying to cover his tracks and work a normal job in the cash truck company, but when an unexpected heist gets out of hand, H’s son is killed. This makes H turn to returning to being the big dog of his crime representation and find the man that killed his son. The film starts off like he is just someone who is skilled to work in a cash truck company. However, the film (quickly) transitions to a different storyline midway through the film.

The movie is attention-grabbing with its violent moments, but it is unexplained. Many of the characters introduced in the beginning start to become part of the heists and evil plans that H starts to build for redemption of his son. The problem is Wrath of Man does not give the audience an understanding explanation of how some of the characters are part of the assassination of his son. The film becomes a free for all to add to its moments of trying to be a blockbuster. Sadly, it was not working for me as well I was anticipating. I am trying to remain positive with this review, but it is not coming easy. Not with the amount of redundancy in the film. The film has the same type of heists, same scenarios, and objectives that are repeated many times to heighten its story. I understand that some want to be a memorable thriller, but the redundancy is where what can be amazing becomes boring.

This one I had some fun moments with this Ritchie thriller, but it did not hold up for me as well as I would have liked it to. With that in mind, I am giving Wrath of Man two and a half stars. For those who are a fan of Statham, it may be worth the time. Do not expect a film like The Gentlemen with laughing moments. This is not the Guy Ritchiefilm many expect.

The Kid Detective (as I like to define) is Nancy Drew, but with a male detective. Adam Brody is Abe Applebaum, and he has got a brilliant mind, a quiet personality, and is a detective that can put puzzles together to help him solve many cases. The Kid Detective I found relatively entertaining. Spy and detective films appeal to me, but this one was different from many of the spy thrillers I love. Many spy and detective films make the main detective look like they live the lavish lifestyle. Not in The Kid Detective.

Abe Applebaum is a detective in a small town. He is one who has become a detective at a young age. That is because he has helped his community throughout the years to solve cases and conflicts. He becomes one who the town knows as the lead detective of the community. He starts with a treehouse for his investigation appointments, and then the town gives him his own office space for his business and his detective consulting. He is one that solves cases like small crimes, fraud, or suspicious activity. He has solved a few murders, but not many. Abe’s life starts to face a challenge for him as a detective when a girl Caroline (played by Sophie Nelisse) seeks Abe’s detective help to solve the murder of her boyfriend. Abe is up for the challenge, but with mainly doing trivial mysteries, this one overwhelms him.

When I mentioned that The Kid Detective is not one’s typical setup where most detectives or spy workers have a lavish lifestyle, Abe truly does not. He shares a house with a roommate, is not popular, does his work, but outside he has no social life. What appealed to me was how Brody’s performance is a detective who has never had serious cases. And has made his entertaining life solving small cases and making his income out of that for ages. Abe is just an introverted detective who likes to solve cases, get his pay, and call it a day. I found the film had me to be curious when Abe takes on the job to solve a murder. I wondered if his mellow mood could handle the tension of a murder case. The film has unexpected surprises that are both funny, dark, and clever, and they come around at the unexpected times.

The Kid Detective is a spy film that is done different in the right way. It uses its small-town setting to make the cases seem predictable (but is the opposite). I found myself wondering how much anxiety is there for Abe take on a small-town with a dangerous murder scenario, when he has only solved minor crimes and few murder cases. Brody’s performance is witty, and his reactions are just funny and ambiguous. The Kid Detective is a fun mystery with some dark elements. But it keeps the laughing moments. Three stars.

Eleven years ago, now (this year is celebrating the ten-year anniversary due to the pandemic and cinemas being closed last year), Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World hit cinemas and had many fans in obsession with its brilliance of technology and captivation among the world with its fans of video games. I saw Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World again in the cinema, but this time in Dolby Digital (a premium format usually at AMC locations). In Dolby Digital, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World felt my experience from many years ago took me to a whole new world of the works of Edgar Wright. With the cinema and videogame like feeling, many pulsating moments of action, and I felt like I was playing a video game with the immersion of the film. I also felt I was experiencing a videogame being played in front of me. The experience was pure adrenaline!

To recap the plot, the film takes place in Toronto, Canada, and gears on Scott Pilgrim (played by Michael Cera), an introverted and shy guitar player who has a nerd group of friends, and he lives with his roommate Wallace (played by Kieran Culkin). Scott always struggles to overcome his shyness and that is why he sticks with his nerd friends who are obsessed with video games and music. Many times, his sister Stacy (played by Anna Kendrick) always finds she needs to give him insight on how to move forward with his socially awkward attitude that he carries with him every day. His life starts to see some light when he meets the women of his dreams. That women Ramona Flowers (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Once Scott starts to get to know her, he realizes he has got a small issue he has to deal with. Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends come around and put him up to battle for Ramona. Scott now must use his powers and charisma to defeat them and win Ramona.

From re-experiencing Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, I come to realize the films technological elements is where the film’s continuation of the different evil ex-boyfriends is where the film only becomes more awesome as it progresses. In the fighting moments lines of the sound effects are thrown in. It is like a comic book and videogame combined. The scenes are setup like it is a new level. The world of Wright’s film is glorious with making its audience feel in the moment. I was not wanting the film to end. Also, the entertaining dialogue between Scott his friends, Ramona, and the evil ex-boyfriends add to the laughter and entertainment.

For fans of the films of Edgar Wright and that love Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, this is one not to be experienced again in Dolby Digital. I feel it being in Dolby Digital is where these videogame adaptation movies are the format it is made for. Fly through the fighting moments in the mountains of Toronto, follow Scott in his storyline of taking apart the exes to win the women of his dreams, and do not even think about missing this opportunity. After a weird year of movies and experiences coming back, this is one that is worth it! Four stars!