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Film reviews

Masters of the Universe Review

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This is a superhero adaptation with a surrounding of nostalgia and a presence of gold written all over it, as a sword becomes the symbol of the hero. I loved the superhero He-Man growing up, so I felt I was in for a ride that would be bumpy and adventurous. I had a feeling that I would not be able to take some of the characters seriously, primarily because the cheesiness of Masters of the Universe keeps the cheese shredding with moments of brilliance that can simply fade into blurs. This is one where the silliness gets topped off and it can be a little too much.

Masters of the Universe is not horrid, but its plot is seemingly lackluster. The film’s premise surrounds a kingdom called Eternia with the villain Skeletor dwelling in this land. He is played by Jared Leto. The man who must save the army of darkness is Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine. However, in the beginning he feels no one will believe his path is to be a hero. That is until he grabs the sword and becomes He-Man. He must fight to save Eternia, before Skeletor takes over. Not only Skeletor rules, as he has an assistant named Evil-Lyn, played by Alison Brie. The life of Adam becoming a hero is not something he expected. He rises fast though when his childhood friend Teela, played by Camila Mendes, comes in to assist.

The kingdom in shambles and a man questioning his fate make the execution of Masters of the Universe to have more moments to laugh at than to take seriously. I could not take Jared Leto or Alison Brie very seriously at all, because the persona of evil within their characters flies below the radar. Leto is already sketchy with characteristics of strange acting methods, and Brie is just too sweet and innocent to present as evil.  The fighting, however, is what stands out the most, as it rises above all the plots.

The question that comes around in the film is, “Have you seen this sword?” The moment this question is asked is where the wheels fall off and things begin to feel disastrous. It creates so much CGI and too much predictability between good guys and bad guys. Disappointingly, the technology speak louder than the storyline of the film. The sword does not spin with cinematic wonders as much as I had expected.

Quirky and almost predictable, this is an average superhero adaptation with more to come. I do give this credit for forming somewhat of a franchise foundation, but I feel that I will just go back to cartoon series of He-Man for any sort of true fulfillment.The animation classic had more meaning than this presentation, as the cheesiness of the actors in this adaptation did not make the film feel like it was flowing well. Fun with all the action and extremely witty, but so predictable. Two out of four stars for Masters of the Universe.

 

 

 

Film reviews

The Sheep Detectives Review

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With flocks of sheep and a mystery surrounding, this is one that is family-friendly with many moments of joyfulness. There are also spy flick elements that continuously float in a humorous matter. The Sheep Detectives, directed by Kyle Balda, is quite stellar and I found myself intrigued. The involvement of talking animals and trying to solve a mystery lent an enthusiastic vibe tocreate a film that can only be described as a ride of joy. 

 

The man in charge of the sheep is George Hardy, played by Hugh Jackman. The sheep are Cloud (voiced by Regina Hall), Sir Ritchfield (voiced by Patrick Stewart), Zora (voiced by Bella Ramsey), Sebastian (voiced by Bryan Cranston), and Lily (voiced by Julia Dreyfus). There are more sheep, but these are the main ones that grasped my attention the most. George reads novels to his sheep every night until there comes a day when he goes missing. The sheep put on their police hats and go into search party mode. There is also an actual officer handling the case–Officer Tim Derry, played by Nicholas Braun. With George gone there is an amount of suspicion. The sheep do anything in their power to find him and the clues.

 

The ability of this film to encompass family values is extraordinary. It knows how to be in tune with what is going on and the type of audience to whom it is it is speaking. There are moments of confusion—primarily with the missing owner. Overall, though, there are wits and tricks from the sheep and the humans. There are also powers of authority to mix things up, including a greedy journalist named Elliot Matthews, played by Nicholas Galitzine. There is also a woman  named Lydia Harbottle, played by Emma Thompson. These two may havesomething to do with the vanishing of George. The sheep and Officer Tim feel they have mischievous aspects to the case as well. The writing lays out the storyline, but the sheep cross thatline to makes it enticing and highly entertaining.

 

The vastness of value is where The Sheep Detectives feels surreal. It is a film that creates a new era of talking animals in films. It incorporates the buddy side with lots of horn banging to go along with it. An authentic new direction from the mind ofBalda, as he delivers to his audience these sheep going into Sherlock Holmes territory. They do the best they can to play the detectives with some being ridiculous and others being smarter than their peers. Regardless, their actions get a response. Jackman is not in the film much, but his presence is of importance and matters to the story. Deep down, the talking sheep and Braun are the ones who are wonderful. They steal this film.

 

Joyful and remarkable, this is a movie not just for families. There are bits of mature humor, but overall it is a fun and unforgettable watch. The mystery of a disappearance brings more clarity and interactive feels with talking sheep. I admire The Sheep Detectives. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

Project Hail Mary Review

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A breathtaking space adventure that will blow the audience’s minds. An audacious book adaptation that feels like a new world of spectacular elements. Project Hail Mary is glorious with vibrant motions and beautiful colors. The experience is best had in IMAX. Based on the novel written by Andy Weir, the film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. They put theirminds together and succeeded in making space look captivating. There are many themes that are hard to dismiss in Project Hail Mary. Especially given the focus on astronauts, the world in space is clearly different than the world below. In the end, the film comes down to science and persistence.

Project Hail Mary is aimed at a science teacher named Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling. He wakes up in a space shuttle many miles away from home after being in a coma for years.His mission is to find a substance that is a threat to the sun. The threat is also a danger to the earth. Throughout the spacecraft he utilizes every inch of scientific resources. His life as a teacher is one of solitude filled with diverse challenges.

For Ryland, going home will take time. The direction of Project Hail Mary creates the sense that the space shuttle is the central environment. The cinematography and lighting have angles that make the atmosphere seem real. This film has the brightest and most shining space artistry that I have seen in a long time. The story and the subject of disconnect blended with science reinforces the realism of the film. The primary message in Project Hail Mary is to never lose hope. Faith does emerge in the adventures experienced in the story.

With scientific issues and other complex aspects being thrown into the mix, there is an unexpected element of surprise. Ryland befriends an alien-type creature who he gives the name Rocky. Actor Jamie Ortiz gives voice to Rocky. Ryland and Rocky work together to get home.  Their special friendship sold me. Finding a friend in space to travel with over many miles while creating memories was heart-warming. The confidence to make it home showcases the power of a wonderful friendship in Project Hail Mary.

Gosling is the king of space in this movie. He has a dramatic acting style which enables him to  play someone unprepared who is able to execute what looks to be impossible. Failure is not an option for Ryland in Project Hail Mary as he struggles through extreme hardships. Overall, this movie is a winner in terms of writing, science, and technology. The way it is presented makes the experience feel real. It is an incredibly audacious and vivid film that made me feel like I was floating into a new world of voyeurism. The IMAX experience enhanced the scenes in space and transported me to new world where I forgot everything else, but what was happening on the big screen. The vivid landscape was simply out of this world. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Project Hail Mary.