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Film reviews

Final Destination: Bloodlines Review

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The plot of cheating death with a background full of layers of investigation spirals ferociously in Final Destination: Bloodlines. This film is one of the most adventurous, yet predictable thrillers in this franchise. Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein who have mastered the craft of looping in family ties. I enjoyed Final Destination: Bloodlines more than I did the previous films. This time around, the focus on the objectives of XYZ adds an intriguing presence. Final Destination: Bloodlines succeeds in testing fate. 

With this being the sixth film in the franchise, I reflected on which other ones had me the most sold. The determined that I liked Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5 best, because those films had tension that made audiences feel the terror at new levels. In Final Destination 3and 4, I felt there was too much redundancy due to writing which covered the other films and caused those films to feel less eerie. In Final Destination 5, however, I felt the terrors and scares went up a level again. In my book, Final Destination: Bloodlines is on the same level as and up to par with Final Destination 5.

The plot of the film begins with an individual’s nightmare. Her name is Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger). Iris survived a horrific incident many ages before in a glass sky tower. Years later, her grand daughter, Stefanie Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) is having nightmares about her grandma’s horrific nightmare. The cycle in Stefanie’s head swirls. The moving parts make sense in her head, but it is just a matter of time before fatalities start happening out of the blue. Actions as simple as the press of a button, an item falling, or overheating temperatures are a significant reason this franchise continues to be horrifically invigorating.

My fascination is Final Destination: Bloodlines is its contextual pattern which is like karma toppling karma. When one death happens it spirals in sync with others who are close or related. This is why Stefanie is the character of importance. She is the one with visions and is trying to understand the truth behind why certain events happened. The limiting factor is the timeline to prevent tragedies. Final Destination: Bloodlines boils the pot of suspense. 

The movie is invigorating yet still a bit redundant with too much repetition and correlation with the previous films. Stefanie’s dreams have depth and purpose but are not enough to stop all of what comes falling. There is a saying in the film that goes, “Cheated death and survived.” The presence of tragedy awaiting a fatality lingers perilously in Final Destination: Bloodlines. It is one of the most built-up, psychological and spellbinding films in the franchise. Hiding behind doors or the truth is not the answer and only leads to avoidance not piecing together the puzzle. It is too late to stop what has already begun. Be ready for a ride of terror that begins thousands of stories high and then swirls in all sorts of dangerous directions. Three out of four stars for Final Destination: Bloodlines.

Film reviews

Sinners Review

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This is a film in which segregation and vampires contend for a new maker. From the visionary mind of Ryan Coogler, he brings his audience on a journey where power comes first and then an all-around battle leads to the climax. Moments of the film may be silly, quirky, or odd—still, Sinners is a stellar adventure. A vast ensemble of actors takes the cake. Michael B. Jordan plays twins plays Smoke and Stack. They are in uncharted, daring territory that Coogler explores dramatically in Sinners.

The uniqueness of Sinners is visionary right from the start. It is shot in 70 MM projection. However, with many cinemas’ digital elements, in some parts the screen shrinks and grows. The shrinking occurs in low-shot moments and the growing in high-end moments. These elements fuel the film with enticing components right from the start. With the setting in the early 1930s, the themes of racism and inequality throw intense punches in Sinners.

The film focuses on the twins Smoke and Stack, two competitive and greedy characters vying for power. They are both trying to start a new life in their hometown in Mississippi and put behind tensions that have left them out of the picture. Coogler writes about vindictiveness in this film and much of the conversation deals with class issues. Many evil deeds come from Smoke and Stack. Jordan is relentless in his handling of the two-sided characterization. Smoke and Stack have other friends joining their clan, ranging from Delta Slim (played by Delroy Lindo), Pearline (played by Jayme Lawson), Grace Chow (played by Li Jun Li), and Mary (played by Hailee Steinfeld).

Smoke and Stack have old friends and old enemies who join their side. The twists in their personalities are golden in this movie, because wrongdoing leads to bigger things. Their egos are on full display, especially during conversations when they display the attitude that everything belongs to them. The world is one creepy place in Sinners which makes the film so intriguing. makes it so invigorating. The issues of racism and inequality lead to more competition involving money and trash talk, but all of this can only go on for so long. 

Greed and racism fueling the fire is what makes Sinners immersive. The film’s writing establishes a context that strives for power. At the same time, the audience knows its an era where no one can do right, and no one can do wrong—unless authorities come in and take it seriously. The outrage created from the competition between the twins is crazy. However, they have no idea what they are truly in for. 

There is also rivalry with Remmick (played by Jake O’Connell), and some tension related to culture and land. The downside is that the twins have power, but also there is a hidden power that they did not plan for. Remmick has a vampire side to him. This opens a door to new wonders in an era where racism and inequality already cause major hurdles. The additional hurdle of a vampire causes things to really boil in Sinners. The rivalry is somewhat like two HBO series, Deadwood and True Blood, combined. That writing is creative and daring. I was spellbound given the crazy scenarios.

There is no going back once vindictiveness has been unleashed and terror has come to life. I felt like I was watching a dark period piece and at the same time my mind boggled with intense excitement. Egos and empires are elements that have always captivated me. The terror layered on top made my head spin even more. This film succeeds by adding fuel to the fire as anew monster challenges all forms of authority. Jordan sells the film as the king of evil that is upon him. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Sinners.

Film reviews

A Minecraft Movie

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From the mind of Jared Hess, there is classiness and silliness that tango in fruitful directions. For those who are fans of Napoleon Dynamite, the dynamics of A Minecraft Movie have characterizations that feel similar. People with the level of nerdiness (like Napoleon Dynamite) in the world of video games.  A Minecraft Movie is astounding with its introduction of video games and pixels to drive the film’s continuity on a level that all ages can connect with. Once the film began, I felt tingling moments of laughter running through my head. Primarily because of how it swiftly begins with Jack Black’s voice. Then going forward, it continues to be a landscape of an ambience filled with twists, turns, good guys, bad guys, and a lot of gaming galore combined with a plot.

In A Minecraft Movie the audience is introduced to Black’s performance as Steve. Steve has his own struggles and finds inspiration and escape in the world of the “Minecraft” game. He lays out the foundation. Another character is Garrett, and he is played by Jason Momoa. Garrett is an individual who had a life of fame based on his gaming talents and is now in deficits, facing foreclosures on his entertainment store. Finally, there are Natalie and Henry. Natalie is played by Emma Meyers and Henry is played by Sebastian Hansen. They are a brother and sister having their own life of turmoil. With a foundation of hardship, these four individuals all find themselves teaming-up entering into “The Overworld.” The place is filled with magical tricks, and many cubes that come to life in comedic tones and creations. While all have talents with arts and crafts, they must come together to use them as if it were their last chance.

A Minecraft Movie fuels its storyline with the foundation of characters with personalities connecting. Black and Momoa together make for cinematic and classic jam comedy for all ages. The journey taking place in a game is one with many portals to new missions and adventures. It takes the audience a level of depth that is mind-boggling yet enticing. Some moments are hit or miss, but the class of humor does not lose its touch in A Minecraft Movie.

With the missions going back and forth and the many new dimensions of realizations, the fun goes full throttle. It is not amazing, but its characters are top-notch and memorable. From Hess’s direction, I was able to sense his Napoleon Dynamite side in the direction—because the outcomes have moments that are surprises to the audience. This comes around a lot with the blockades occurring in the video game world. It truly shines though with Black and Momoa as they are reminiscent of Napoleon and Pedro set up in the world of a video game. 

There are two lines of dialogue that spoke to me clearly with this one-of-a-kind film. The first line is, “Creativity in this world is key to survival.” That quote thrives positively through the hurdles of all the dimensions and endless possibilities. The other quote is, “LET’S MINECRAFT!” There is a whole lot of that and key moments that I was vibing with immensely. Even though I do not view A Minecraft Movie as amazing, it caters to its audience of all ages in an authentic style of directing and creating key points to add value. Three out of four stars for A Minecraft Movie.