4DX, Back to the Future, Capsule Reviews, Film reviews

Back to the Future in 4DX

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Back to the Future, an Immersive Experience:

It has been forty years since the first Back to the Future was released in cinemas, and many cinemas around the world have turned back the clock by releasing it  once again. This time in IMAX and 4DX. I saw Back to the Future in 4DX, and I will say I felt like I was back on the ride that was once at Universal Studios. Despite the ride sadly coming to a close, the 4DX experience felt like a much longer and innovative experience that I never wanted to end. It felt exhilarating to revisit the days of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown. Michael J. Fox (Midnight Madness, Class of 1984) is Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Goin’ South) is Dr. Emmett Brown. The relationship of a young teen and a scientist traveling back in time is a gem that sparks many unforgettable moments. The 4DX upgrade is like a touch of physical joy for its audiences to feel like they are in the Delorean.

4DX Features:

4DX has many blends of moments with fog, rocking chairs, and loud sound effects. So much that it feels like an invigorating ride of suspense turbulence. With Back to the Future, audiences will experience an icy mist on their faces as the Delorean comes back from the cold temperatures. As there is the suspense to go back in time, they will feel their seats rock, jolt, and halt. Also, as there are the confrontational moments with antagonist Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), the seats will stomp or wiggle. The oomphs of feeling part of the movie does not hold back the fun with Back to the Future in 4DX. The experience is so immersive that it feels like seatbelts and helmets should be worn. The nostalgic  fun is hard to dismiss.

Worth the time?

Back to the Future in 4DX is definitely well worth the time and the energy. Especially for those who have kids and want to take their children to see it in a cinema for the first time. I will say though, that if choosing 4DX, to mentally prepare children for the fact that the seats will be moving around throughout the duration of the film. The fun aspect about that though, is the fact that parents can tell their kids they are going back in time with Marty and Doc Brown. That is how I felt with the 4DX moments of Back to the Future. I felt all the moments I loved were just rushing back to me to the max. This was a surreal blast from the past. 

Review is also available on MovieArcher at the link below!

https://www.moviearcher.com/movie-archer/classic-targets-in-4k/back-to-the-future-1985

Film reviews

Bugonia Review

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Yorgos Lanthimos always has a mind for the blinds and this time it is in terms of an alien scenario. His film, Bugonia, revolves around two misfit men and one girl. One of the most artistic and over-the-top films from Lanthimos where limits are pushed–more on the sides of graphic violence than his other works.Emma Stone once played a character from a Frankenstein perspective in Poor Things, and transitions well into a role of an alien on Earth. The question of who trust is critical.

The film focuses two men, Teddy (Jesse Plemmons) and Don (Aidan Delbis) that are obsessed with conspiracies. They live around the rural areas of Georgia and Teddy is solely focused on his crazy ideas. Don has some social issues. They both kidnap a high-profile CEO named Michelle, because they believe she is an alien with a mission to destroy all life on Earth. Going forward, the film becomes a ride of crazy and confused scenarios, while also remaining genius in  following its clever storyline. Lanthimos knows the path of creating crazy and silly while combining it with politics and science. Bugonia had me thinking in circles.

There are moments in the film where Teddy and Don visit Michelle in a locked basement. She tries to convince them that she can make life better. Teddy has problems of his own, and with that Lanthimos creates introductions to other characterizations of conflict. Bugonia does not only focus on the sci-fi individual, but also the conflicts of the others involved. This creates unique and scientific approach that is genius. Overall, the chemistry between Stone and Plemmons is the gem, because there are beliefs that are true on one end and not true on the other hand. The performance of Stone brings out a ravenous monster of surprises that is both subtle and invigorating. There is also a blend of dark comedy in the mix which audiences must be ready to stomach.

The setup around two men holding a woman hostage under the assumption she is an alien is where my mind kept boggling back and forth. It did so in a positive light, because the approach of Lanthimos was not in a predictable track, it kept continuing down the path of blindsided notions. This has been what I am used to seeing from him, especially with the many twists and bizarre scenarios I have seen from his other projects. There is always an array of aspects that will lead to the unexpected. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Bugonia.

Film reviews

Ballad of a Small Player Review

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Director Edward Berger switches up the tension from religion to gambling. After the success of Conclave, his direction takes on a new anxiety-provoking approach. At the same time, the layers in this story tend to crumble in matters that do not feel successful. Ballad of a Small Player explores addiction fueled by getting byand takes place in Macau. It is adrenaline-fueled with numerous conflicts, yet the film’s writing repeatedly falls out of focus. While there are elements of dark comedy which fuel suspense, they don’t always work with the subject of poker in the film. If viewers are expecting a thriller to feel like Casino or 21, Ballad of a Small Player is several notches below.

The film’s main character is Lord Doyle, played by Colin Farrell. He narrates the beginning of the film and talks about his experiences playing poker. He has gambled his life away…no matter the cost, his brain is always wired to win. Despite the negative consequences, he still feels success awaits him. Eventually, casinos and hotels start to inform him of invoices and piling debts that must be repaid. This leads Lord Doyle to gamble more and seek out bigger competitions in hopes thestakes are higher which will allow him to pay off his debts.

Lord Doyle finds a lifeline from a mysterious individual named Dao Ming, played by Fala Chen. There may be hope for Lord Doyle to have a Plan B and put his bad karma behind him. However, it is not that simple for Lord Doyle due to a detective on his tail. The private investigator is named Cynthia Blithe and is played by Tilda Swinton. Lord Doyle’s drinking, gambling, and pursuing various solutions creates a bipolar rollercoaster ride that feels like mayhem with intermittent layers of boredom. I found the scenes of Farrell waking up hungover boring. The film relies too much on addiction scenes over ones focused on solutions.

The help of Dao offers some hope for Lord Doyle. Unfortunately, Lord Doyle’s assorted conflicts are a trainwreck. I appreciated the film’s tone, but the melancholy aspect feels like a flowing volcano due to the sheer madness of drowning in a bad state of mind. Overall, this is Berger’s film in which trying to blend substance abuse with comedy is ultimately not very successful.

The theme of gambling is where the tone of the film carries a political aspect with a purpose for Lord Doyle. Many of his debts are ones that can go on record which create interesting dilemmas and outstanding conflicts for the audience to think about. Berger’s direction lays out a vast landscape of choices leading down rabbit holes involving multiple consequences. The dynamics between Farrell and Swinton are like a comedicversion of Catch Me If You Can, but with a low B rating. Their roles are somewhat silly, but the film itself is quite clever. There are simply too many of the conflicts which get wrapped up too easily. Therefore, I give this film two out of four stars.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!