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I'm not going to pretend to be the biggest anime fan but I use to watch back in the days, when it comes to this TV series I'm just another passenger on this trail. Parasite The Grey offers a new take on the old parasitic invasion story line that will keep you hooked, at least I can tell you is that good. Watching through the six episodes all on the same day I found myself sucked into this South Korean adaptation that is quite able to stand on its own while paying homage to the original manga. Same as I'm not familiar with the original story I'm way less with the actors so have me patience, I had to look up most of their information online, first we met with Jeong Su in played by Jeon So-nee, who does a fantastic job at the character, her life is almost ended or put to a halt by the presence of a parasite called Heidi that she becomes host to, resulting in two consciousnesses sharing one body.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21874396/
• Platform: NETFLIX

Rottentomatoes Rating

Similar to the recent movie "Quiet Place Day One", these mysterious alien parasites dropping from the sky in shell like pods, and some opening scenes that really set the tone for what is next to come in terms of an invasion to Earth. I love that this adaptation gets away from being another body snatcher story and slides into deeper themes of coexistence and survival. The effects are great too, particularly during the transformation sequences when parasites reveal their real forms, which are some real solid effect moments, at the limit of science fiction horror.

This series is the product of director Yeon Sang-ho, who is best known for Train to Busan a movie that I recently review and his trademark style of delivering scenes full of action, but also characters who are full of passion and feelings, its almost the case during K Drama, different from Western productions there is more feelings put into them despite the genre. One of the ways the show really stick and puts all the puzzle pieces together is showing off Su-in and Heidi’s relationship, as the only time they really get to talk is when one of them is asleep, and they do so through written messages, a very simple but at the same time unique way to have them interact with each other, practical relationship but you still get the sense that this is not what she wanted for sure but through time their growing understanding of each other feels more earned, trying to make the best out of who they are now.

Choi Jun-kyung play the role of Lee Juhengyun, becomes one of the leading story lines on he series, she is part of a specialized unit whose only mission is to hunt parasites, this time around humans still have a chance but those already with a host are not willing to give up, for the rest of the parasite its full on take over the Earth and are ruthless violent creatures but with Su-in and hers is a bit different with a more symbiotic relationship, are well full on Venom cyrcle?. The show does a good job of describing and showing off the various factions that are active, whether it's parasites trying to worm their way into human society through religious institutions or humans trying to hang onto a world going to hell in a hand basket.

If we see the story through Su-in and the parasites she is one with now, the series touch on themes like identity, survival, and what it really means to be human, after all you can only appreciate things when you are about to loose them most of the time, sadly that's how we most humans are. While some of the detective work and decision making by Team Grey might be consider very meh predictable work, this task force hunting down parasites has a big impact in the story, with some morally ambiguous approach, its the case of Choi Jun-kyung, the team leader who kept her infected husband captive and used him as her personal parasite detector or hunter, this piece right here tells how how they cross the line of been in favor or not of humans same goes for parasite, other people might consider this war and everything goes.

Unfortunately Netflix recently mention that this show would be consider a limited series, sadly closing up with a lot more to explain and the door open to keep going, towards the end of "season one", Su in and Team Grey are able to beat Pastor Hyuk joo's parasite which took control of Won seok's body after an intense showdown. Su‐in becomes someone who can also use her unique condition and powers to protect humanity rather than do any damage, her relationship with Heidi, the parasite that shares her body, becomes more unique and they share a respect for one another, where she chooses to protect not just Su-in but all of mankind, because she's impressed with the dedication of a host to doing good.

The surviving theme gets stronger as there are certain characters like Kangwoo, a man who use to life in the opposite side of the law and order, a former gang member decides to turn things around and go with Team Grey to go help track down parasites in other areas. As the series is inconclusive there are characters that are not fully develop, its the case of Shinichi Izumi played by Masaki Suda, who towards the end comes to Team Grey office with information about where to find other parasites, Shinichi Izumi similar to Su-in is not fully merge or controlled by his parasite named Migi, it failed to take over his brain and this gave the chance to Shinichi Izumi to have some other powers. Sadly this becomes just a cameo that link the show to the broader Parasite World, but it also opens up many interesting stories for the future that will never be develop at least not on the Netflix series. The last shot is of Shinichi's right hand, where his parasite Migi lived, but it's important to note that Migi was in hibernation at the end of the original story. Initially Jun-kyung, leader of Team Grey, saw all parasites as the undesired that had to be terminated, but Su-in's actions during the series won her trust, and even freedom or pardon?, this idea comes to her mind that as long as every situation is different, perhaps the parasite and host can each learn to live with the other.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #parasyte, #netflix, #horror, #alien, #kdrama, #adaptation, #survival, #humanity, #heidi, #suin, #symbiosis, #transformation, #identity, #coexistence, #shinichi, #parasite, #grey, #korea, #monsters, #invasion, #action, #supernatural, #drama, #friendship, #community, #flixfinder

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Back to Black, the 2024 Amy Winehouse biopic that has been out for some time now. I'm not the biggest Amy Winehouse fan out there but my wife knows and likes her music so she have been bugging me to watch it for months already jajaja and she is into sharing content with me when ever we have time, its just that I watch way more content than her but we finally sat down on past Monday night and looked at it since I was in this marathon of watching content, it was a holiday and we decided to stay home, and I have to say it was an interesting experience, personally I cant say more than that so it was Ok. Biopics are a tricky beast and this is something I have mention multiple times, so let me start by saying that...again. They aren’t easy to get right and they often leave die hard fans feeling a bit let down, so I went into this one with an open mind, with the idea of learning a bit more about Winehouse's life story, and I was entertain to be honest.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21261712/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

The movie begins when Amy was a young, ambitious singer in North London, dreaming of becoming a star, with her singing in her bedroom, writing her lyrics, be a typical teenager with extraordinary talent to then straight up into the journey of her rise to fame, her tumultuous relationship with Blake Fielder Civil and her battle with addiction. The first thing that hit me was how fast the movie was, felt really rush and this is a key aspects with Biopics, knowing what is important and whats not to keep the viewers entertain but not rushing through the pace of the movie, it’s like we go from Amy being an unknown to a chart topping superstar, one minute she is singing in local pubs and the next she is winning Grammys, I can understand that they had a lot to cover and it did move a bit fast at times.

Her romantic relationship was describe as a mess, it went zero to a hundred real quick!, they meet, fall head over heels, break up, get back together, get married and basically destroy each other. The problem is that it's intense stuff and you can't help but feel for Amy, as she spirals deeper and deeper into addiction and heartbreak.

Marisa Abela play the role of Amy, kills it, nail it to the wall, not knowing she even does her own singing, she's got the look and the flow, almost like a clone of Amy, well I might be exaggerating as I don't know much about Amy but I love Marisa acting. After watching the movie my wife had me listen to "Rehab" and Marisa's voice was very close although not carbon copy, but it is very impressive nonetheless. I remember one scene where she’s writing the song Back to Black in her bedroom and it is a raw and powerful scene, there were times you could feel the pain that drove her music, reasons why I feel that as a movie to mainly entertain its a good one, but then Biopic right?!.

Jack O'Connell plays the role of Blake and he does a decent job of making you like him but mostly hate him, you have to feel for Amy, you can see why Amy was attracted to him, charismatic guy and charming I would say, but there are times you want to shake some sense into both of them to just STOP the madness.

Latter on one aspect my wife mention to me is that they never really got into some of her darkest part of her life, for example she had bulimia, but it's not really brought up and I told her that the movie is mostly about her music and romantic life, we already know it was a destructive relationship and that to keep things in the entertaining side of things, negative aspects of the character might be left out. We see her drinking and doing drugs but still in that margin of not trying to shame the character for her decisions although like the classic "dont do drug kids" look at what can happen, so I do understand they probably didn't want to make it too heavy, but to fans who knew this dark times of her life might be shocking the movie starts to paint Amy picture way different than it was, to be honest this movie also could be just a PR move to keep her music alive, after all its entertainment and from time to time there are dead artist who still push out records, not saying this is the case, but what if?!, just saying. After all I ended up getting into Amy's story, it is so tragically beautiful to see this incredibly talented woman pour her heart and soul into her music as her personal life is coming to an end, the scenes in which she performs are really powerful, you can really feel the emotion in her songs.

Close to the end, Amy says goodbye to her dad and moves into a new house, at least in the movie. Sober and divorced from Blake, she seems to be doing better, but its like the damage to her image is already done with too much controversy, everything in life has consequences, she gets bombarded by paparazzi asking questions about Blake having a baby with someone else as she leaves, probably a gut punch and I could see and image how awkward and probably painful that could be when you just want to move on and have the nightmare to be over.

In the final scene Amy goes back inside, grabs a bottle of alcohol, and sings "Tears Dry on Their Own" as she walks up the stairs to her empty room. Knowing what we know of what would happen to her, it's a devastating moment. I like that the movie doesn’t show her death, which I think was a good call, but it ends with some text stating that she died at 27 from alcohol poisoning, I could only imagine how much you have to drink for this to happen and painful the process must be, at some point in life no matter who you are you will feel your body degrading down as every day you keep drinking organs start to get hammer down.

The ending does captures the loneliness and the struggle of addiction and how temptation still is around the corner even when things are a bit brighter. For someone like Amy, who lived her life in the public eye and had no escape from the constant scrutiny and pressure, it was constant haunting.

I thought that overall 'Back to Black' was a solid, if sanitized look at Amy Winehouse's life, very well tame down to stay in the commercial side of the business. It’s not perfect by any means and I can see how part of the audience is going to have some issues with it. If you're going in with, literally, no background on Amy's story, I found that engaging and emotionally impactful. Important key aspect is that the movie does make justice to her talent in music and her burning desire and passion that moves her, but at the same time I kind of felt like there should have been more to Amy’s story that we weren’t seeing. It also seems like a missed opportunity to really see her friendships, or her relationship with her band members.

The concert scenes were well done and the recreation of early 2000 London felt very British as they should. Obviously, the soundtrack is killer, so even if you're not a big fan of Amy Winehouse it's hard not to be sucked into the strength of her music. Would I recommend "Back to Black? Yeah, I think I would, its a movie that bring out lots of emotions and that's big part of been entertain, it’s not a perfect movie and you’re certainly not going to get a deep dive into the nitty gritty details of Amy’s life. In my opinion this is a solid 7 out of 10, it’s not going to blow your mind, but it’s well acted, emotionally engaging and you’ll probably want to listen to some Amy Winehouse albums afterwards and as I mention before, probably the main point of this movie, keep her music alive.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #winehouse, #biopic, #addiction, #music, #london, #jazz, #drugs, #blake, #alcohol, #singer, #grammys, #tragedy, #celebrity, #voice, #tattoos, #camden, #beehive, #relationships, #paparazzi, #family, #songwriting, #performances, #fame, #rehab, #tabloids, #flixfinder

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Episode 4 of Silo season 2 finally unfold the disaster that is when the lather of order and control starts to fall apart in a society underground that is build and kept on secrets, even gives us a hint of why the syndrome happens. In this episode titled "The Harmonium" we learn more about the power struggle between the Mechanical section and the upper floors, its Mechanical against everyone, always blame Mechanical, as well as the secrets from Solo's past in Silo 17 and the truth behind older rebellions that created their underground world.

The story moves between two main locations with Juliette and Solo continue working a way home in Silo 17, and Silo 18 where Bernard’s grip on power reaches its greatest test yet, funny enough by the hand of Judge Meadows. This contrast between the two scenarios is an interesting back and forward situation, one in which we find the isolation and mystery of abandoned halls of Silo 17 that has been dead even before Medadows became Bernard shadow, contrasted with the increasing chaos of the supposedly orderly society of Silo 18, one still full of life and the other just probably try to resuscitate with the little life still in it, been Solo.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14688458/
• Platform: AppleTV+

We have seen the series trying to rely on flashbacks for the most time on season two and they did just that again although this time around its more interesting because its about things that we didn't know yet, for example Bernarnd and Meadows past relationship. We also learn through Knox's discovery of the wall of names in the Deep Down that rebellions have been a thing in Silo 18 every generation or so. This revelation makes for a more complex picture of the current conflict, not just an isolated uprising but a cycle that could have been going on for hundreds of years. The way in which this information is revealed through Knox and Shirley’s investigation all of the sudden open their eyes like no other rebellion in the past, this might be different this time around or they might just end up like Silo 17, all dead.

When it comes to this episode climax it has always been control and preservation of the Silo’s system , that is the reason Bernard decides to kill Meadows, this was the breaking point in their relationship, when Meadows told Bernard she wanted to leave the Silo, using the same heat tape method that helped Juliette live. Bernard had a romantic history with her, but as much as he couldn’t let her actions disrupt and corrupt the order he’s trying to establish, he felt there was no other choice, for me the poisoning during dinner was expected and very predictable but I still enjoy the scene very much.

One of the mayor triggers for her to be dealt with is that she knew about a coded letter from Salvador Quinn, the former Mayor during the rebellion 140 years ago, this episode gives us a more clear idea of how long the Silo has been running for and how many times a Mayor had to put down his foot and obey The Order. Whatever Meadows found in that letter she wouldn't tell Bernard; it was obvious whatever it was she knew it would be pointlessness against the rules and the system of the Silo, but she kept pushing Bernard's button to go out and I think for a couple of scenes he was trying just to buy some time, he didn't want to force his hand into taking care of her.

The murder was cold and calculated, Meadows was lured to dinner and there Bernard would giver her his Suit but just modified to fit her, but after all he said he had to obey the Order no matter what, so he poisoned her food. And his last act of mercy was to show her images from 2018 of a biological reserve in Costa Rica on a VR headset, letting her see the world that was lost.

Bernard didn’t just kill Meadows to shut her up, she became the perfect trap for Knox and Shirley from Mechanical, were used by him as part of his divide and conquer strategy, he used her death to frame them for her murder, always blame Mechanical. This one was a perfect way to start conflict between the upper levels and Mechanical, as all rebellions start in Mechanical. Bernard point these groups against one another in order to ensure no one unifies and kill whoever he once cared about or even himself who is in charge, he would probably let them kill each other for some time, waiting to emerge as the savior and peach keeper when the times come.

Back with Silo 18 neighbors, at Silo 17, with Juliette in the abandoned classroom, Solo's behavior raise some interesting questions as to his past, how he talks about a student named Lapis and then suddenly backtracks when Juliette points out the timeline inconsistency makes me think that there’s more to his story than we realize, he is lying about something, he is also reject to discuss his different colored eyes makes me wonder if he was much younger when whatever disaster struck Silo 17 occurred, would be a good explanation of his trauma and how he manage to stay alone for so long inside the Vault, probably when he was put in there he was so little he didn't know better and because something normal for him to stay lock down.

Knox's discovery in the Deep Down on Silo 18 reveals a pattern no one knew existed, but what he found wasn't just a memorial to the founders, but a record of those who died during many rebellions throughout the Silo's history, questions is why nobody knows about it, did the previous Mayor eradicate everyone and every memory of it?. But what is interesting is that these uprisings always seem to occur about every generation and Mechanical is always the root, center and front of it. Mayor Salvador Quinn was the last to document a rebellion but the wall means there could have been ten or more rebellions since the Silo was built in 2052. According to Knox's findings, the upper levels consistently use the same strategy "Always Blame Mechanical" turn the other levels on them and crush any hope of unity, probably because Mechanical is the heart of the Silo and the ones who are more unite as they risk their life every day to keep the Silo running. It makes sense because the flywheels give Mechanical the power to shut the whole Silo down, so both of them are powerful and a dangerous threat to those in control on the upper levels. And it's ironic that the Silo celebrates Freedom Day, as it turns out, is just a celebration of squashing one of these past rebellions which is really how deep the history manipulation goes in their underground society.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #silo, #bernard, #juliette, #rebellion, #mechanical, #meadows, #solo, #conspiracy, #rebellion, #underground, #control, #murder, #politics, #survival, #power, #secrets, #manipulation, #justice, #authority, #resistance, #freedom, #revolution, #society, #tension, #truth, #flixfinder

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I can't say Dune Prophecy has been a disappointment although based on the movies success, I don't feel its at the same level, the quality is there bit its just there story, a bit similar to Part 1 but after watching Episode 4 it's clear that the show is getting its more traction and delivering a solid mix of political intrigue and mystical stuff that's what makes the Dune universe so unique and attractive. The episode, titled Twice Born, brings together a number of storylines that have been building ever since the series began and it's nice to see how everything starts to make sense and tie up every cliff hanger from the first three episodes. We pick up at the Sisterhood compound with some serious action going on, both there and in the Imperial capital of Salusa Secundus, where the political games are becoming more and more dangerous by the minute. Desmond Hart is currently strengthening his position with the Emperor, but his mysterious powers seem to be a physical cost that's starting to show, while Valya Harkonnen, who got kicked out of the Imperial Palace is trying to work her way back into power through some clever maneuvering with her family, but everything back fires at the end.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29890526/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

That was what really stood out to me, how the episode wove all the various plot threads and didn’t make them feel over extended or complicated, sometimes that's an issues with this conspiracy theory series, that is probably what Dune Prophecy is, a constant conspiracy plot series that keeps spinning after each of the characters makes their move like on a chess game. The Sisterhood's Acolytes are having shared nightmares about sand worms and mysterious blue eyes who seem to use the Voice on them and that's just frightening enough to mix things up in the political drama. Tula Harkonnen faces their own set of challenges, including depending from using forbidden technology to save Lila, whose spice eyes at the episode’s end developing those unique baby blue background. Since day one I have been thinking that there has to be someone close to the Sisterhood compound who is attacking them, I doubt that Desmond can kill someone from one planet to another, in this case have all the Acolytes dream and command them through the voice from such a distant planet, yet they are all attacked by this entity.

Since the movies it has been talk about the "Great Houses", at first I thought it was just a few like eight but damn they are a lot and each house use their own Truth Sayer, we watch them all come together in Landsraad gathering, a meeting where all houses present themself to the Emperor for gathering, talk and take decisions that concern them all, at the same time become the perfect hot spot for all the different factions to play their hand. Valya's plan to use the rebellion's attack as an opportunity to regain favor with the Emperor is a smart play but what's really interesting is how Desmond Hart keeps one step ahead of everyone else, many of them sit so confident to make their move during this vital meeting, they don’t know that they might all be wasting their time, specially the Harkonnen.

On Episode 4 I really enjoy how it develops the tension at the moment the Acolytes shared visions, how the situation keeps escalating from Tula thinking she had control of them to the point she panics and had no clue what to do, imagine loosing them all at once, the risk to see them getting fried like Kasha, it makes the whole thing incredibly creepy and really brings out the supernatural aspects of the story. The Landsraad chamber design I thought would be way bigger, consider in other shows like GOT we got this massive halls for meetings, and the Emperor Palace is huge so why having them meeting on such small room?, but at least in a way felt that is taking place on another planet far away based on the structure design, always so rounded and full of that sand color.

The topic of studying other's power and the price of ambition keeps the series going and not becoming boring, specially the case when in addition to Valya's willingness to exploit her family for her own political gain, Desmond's physical suffering as a direct consequence of having the ability and the Emperor wrestling with how to assert control all point to themes about power's price, they all trying to gain some sort of power and advantage against everyone else but never with a solid but only temporary victory and still at what cost? that's the Desmond case. There is an explosive revelation that I did not quite understood until I look it up, having no clue who the "creature" at the end of the episode was, it was Sister Theodosia, she seem to be a Face Dancer or more commonly known as a shapeshifter, adds way more complexity to Valyas plan, again like always having an answer for every situation and keeping the grip of control over the rest.

Desmond's intervention at the Landsraad works out both shocking and satisfying, showing just how far Desmond's influence is and how much that takes out of him, every time he use his powers his back starts to get rip apart making him bleed but I guess this is new since he says before he was reborn from sand he did not have this powers,there is also Lila waking up with blue eyes in the same scene as Theodosia revealing herself as a Face Dancer is the perfect cliffhanger, and you know you want more of it. All of this suggests that the show is leading up to something bigger, Theodosia becoming a pawn to go for an undercover mission and even kill someone in public to blame someone specific, it has to be big because it was part of her agreement to become a Sister, to never use her powers again and she reminds Valya of this during the episode.

To be honest, I was particularly satisfied with this episode at the way the different character motivations are handled in this episode, its so interesting when everyone is working against each other, everyone's actions make sense within their own agenda but the funny thing is that almost no one have an advantage over each other, so when is this cat and mouse game going to stop?. Desmond’s way of outmaneuvering both the rebels and Valya felt such a lucky shot and going along with Tula and her growing frustration at the Lila situation shows how even the most strict and controlled characters start to crack, even Valya look desperate at some situations but still keeps her cool intact. I’m giving the episode a solid 7.5 out of 10 purely because it is able to progress the plot and keep its unique story development and world building around this huge political conspiracy.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #dune, #prophecy, #valya, #desmond, #tula, #sisterhood, #landsraad, #emperor, #harkonnen, #sandworm, #rebellion, #spice, #politics, #visions, #powers, #empire, #conspiracy, #acolytes, #imperial, #melange, #assassin, #intrigue, #technology, #machines, #prophecies, #flixfinder

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So I finally sat down to watch Jeanne du Barry, and I gotta say, I was surprised how good it was not the most impressive movie of the year but my expectations were low, Johnny Depp return to the big screen had me wondering about this French period story I knew nothing about, I'm not a reader so had no clue about who is Jeanne du Barry? until I watched the movie, I didn’t know she was actually a character back in the 1700s, the movie mostly develops around her journey from just a regular girl to being the king’s favorite mistress, which does sound like another common drama from the period, it was a common thing for the King to have a mistress and often move from one to another, most of the time even unnoticed, but there’s actually more than that during the movie. The movie puts us right in the middle of 18th century France, where we meet Jeanne who was born very poor but she uses her beauty and brains to rise up the social ladder, how in the world does she get herself educated in a time when most common low social class men and women hardly even read, how does she discover these spicy books that teach her how to use her charm to get what she wants from men and she really puts that knowledge to good use, she ends up catching the eye of King Louis XV himself which was pretty impressive.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17277414/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Rottentomatoes  Rating

The fact that this movie is set hundreds of years ago and yet I can not be bored and some how relate to it because it doesn't take itself too seriously, I realized I love when historical dramas make fun of all the ridiculous rules and customs of the French court back in the days, nothing against their culture its just that some things were extremely ridiculous considering the outfit but mostly women hair how extravagant it would be just to get notice, between others such as walking backwards when leaving the King’s presence, or even not allowing you to look him in the eye, these are the sort of details that make the history more interesting and more relatable.

Jeanne life paints the picture perfectly during the movie, from her humble beginnings as a servant to her rise in French society as she helps her mother as a servant, she becomes very popular with rich men and finally meets the Count Guillaume du Barry who introduces her to court life, once up there on this exclusive social circle we can say you already make it but staying up there is the hard part, as anything else in life is staying relevant, but the real story begins when she met King Louis XV played by Johnny Depp. Their relationship being the heart of the movie even though everyone at Versailles is scandalized, especially King's daughters who really can't stand her.

The movie gets really interesting at this point because Jeanne doesn't play by their rules, she wears her hair down when she's not supposed to and basically does whatever she wants which of course drives the nobles crazy but the King loves it because she brings some life to the world that he's trapped in, a rebel within the society they living in, its like that saying "King can marry a servant but a Queen cant" , the King had all the power to allow all her "extravagant" or lets say different behavior but everything in live has a limit, after all is pretty cool to watch how she manages to be herself in a place where everyone is expected to follow strict rules and protocols. Before watching this movie I was honestly just curious to see how Depp would do in his comeback after all that drama with his ex wife, but he actually step up and deliver a solid performance as Louis XV, he doesn't say much because his character is supposed to be this powerful figure that don't need to say much mostly because all the rules and protocols in place that favors him in any possible way, there's this sadness in his eyes and it really fits in the character of a king who's kind of tired of all the royal stuff, reason why he connect so well with Jeanne.

Maiwenn brings this energy to the character, she makes Jeanne feel real and so natural, after there is nothing magic or fantasy about her character, all she need to do was look raw and different between the rest of the court, not just some historical figure of a textbook but with Jeanne’s determination to be who she wants to be, even when everyone is trying to make her play the rules, this could be consider pretty inspiring by women who feel the same, the chemistry between her and Depp really work out, the romance between them has to stay kinda tame down because they are in such a courtly royalish relationship. Everything from the costumes to the set design to the movie really nails the feel of Versailles in the 1770s, they shot in actual historical locations, something I didn't know until after the movie decided to look up more about Jeanne, this gives a great touch of authenticity you can't really fake, watching all these scenes in candlelight makes it feel more real and intimate, I wouldn't say like you are actually there but there is some immersion effect to it.

The ending of the movie hits pretty hard, we see Louis XV getting sick with smallpox and it’s interesting how they handle this part instead of rushing through it and kill the man, they take their time showing how his illness affects everyone especially Jeanne. There is one really powerful scene where they keep a lamp lit on his balcony to show he’s still alive, which is such a strange but curious historical detail, when he finally dies, Jeanne’s world basically falls apart and the movie doesn’t shy away from showing what happens to her after Louis XV’s death, this is the classic mistress story when they are put aside or in this case the King dies, most of the time many of them had no tittle and were 100% dependent from him so it was just obvious whats going to happen once he dies. Jeanne ends up getting caught up in the French Revolution, which is kind of ironic considering how hard she fought to get free from social rules, and Zamor a young guy she treated like a son ends up turning against her during the revolution and the movie kind of cover up over the fact that she eventually got executed, but maybe that's because they wanted to focus more on her life than her death and not over extend it to the point to create cliff hangers.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #france, #romance, #versailles, #depp, #maiwenn, #history, #royalty, #mistress, #period, #scandal, #drama, #comeback, #french, #costume, #louis, #jeanne, #court, #rebellion, #love, #performance, #biopic, #king, #smallpox, #revolution, #aristocracy, #flixfinder

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The Strangers is one of those movies that causes me to go back and forth with my thoughts, Chapter 1 (2024) is a reboot attempting to recapture the essence of the 2008 original film, but ultimately ends up being more of a trip down nostalgia lane, and that's not a bad thing but I could tell how much people were expecting something new, a lot has change since then and so has the horror genre, cheap tricks and scare jumps are less effective. This movie I decided to watch with little expectations knowing very well that reboots can be hit or miss and the horror genre has seen endless attempts to bring back classic stories with mixed results and while this one doesn't quite reinvent the wheel it kept me interested enough to want to see where the story goes with its next two chapters, its like I might not fully enjoy it but I'm still curious where is thins going considering there are two more movies to happen next.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22050754/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

Director Renny Harlin tries to bring back these masked killers and while the movie gets very close to the original movie formula from 2008, there is something interesting about seeing this story take place in today horror genre 16 years latter. The statistics about violent crimes in America that open the movie set the tone for what is about to happen and make you think about how random acts of violence can happen to anyone at any time, which is probably one of the scariest aspects of the whole concept, to be hones there is not much reasoning behind it, it just happens simply because they were there.

This version is trying to be different been part one of three movies that were shot back to back, and I hope that means there’s a bigger story to be told but so far it just look like a copy from the original, reason why so many people online feel disappointment, imagine going to the cinema and pay a ticket to watch the same movie or even a worst version on top of that inconclusive, that the recipe for piss off. Sure, many will roll their eyes at yet another horror franchise stretched out, but I'm genuinely curious to see how they're going to expand on the story of these mysterious killers, even though one of the things that made the original so terrifying was that we knew nothing about them.

Maya and Ryan are happy couple driving cross country to Portland so Maya can get that big job interview, when they make a pit stop in Venus Oregon a small town that seems froze up that kind of places where nothing really happens and you ask yourself how this people get entertained?!, it look like there are mostly unfriendly locals who let them know they are not welcome. Things get interesting when their car breaks down, very convenient for the story right?, cliche everywhere, this even makes them to stay at an Airbnb in the middle of nowhere. Anyone who saw the original will recognize the setup, with the knock on the door and someone asking for Tamara, but it’s the way the tension builds from there that keeps you interested, at least in my case even though things were very predictable, sometimes even when its a copy of the story just watching others going through the same experience makes it interesting enough.

Director Renny Harlin decides to play the killers usual cat and mouse game, toying with their victims before going in for the kill and while some might find the predictability of it all a bit boring, there's something effective about how Harlin handles these scenes. I think the movie isn’t trying to win an Oscar on the home invasion sub genre, it’s just trying to build a sense of suspense and deliver some truly scary moments although its just too predictable. The lead role of Maya is played by Madeleine Petsch, who has a different energy to Liv Tyler’s character in the original, some of Maya's reactions to the strange things happening around her might have you wondering why she's not reacting more sensibly but Petsch manages to make Maya feel like a real person caught in this nightmare. What’s most important about this type of horror movie is that you buy into their relationship and care about what happens to them that is the most important aspect of the story, and her chemistry with Froy Gutierrez who plays Ryan, feels natural enough that you do buy into their situation. The killers themselves is also big part of making the narrative work, and having them not saying much opens the opportunity to create three anonymous character interesting enough, just moving around and positioning themselves in scenes in a way that has this theatrical quality makes the performance terrifying enough, just like turning something as simple as a smile into creepy. The movie does a great job at taking advantage of well crafted shots taking advantage of the space, sound and lighting to build tension, with those knocks on the door and footsteps in the distance really create that horror film vibe when you're watching the story unfold.

The ending of The Strangers Chapter 1, might be a little frustrating for anyone who is searching for a more definitive resolution but lets take in consideration its a trilogy and a very similar vague ending as Dune Part 1. The Strangers Chapter 1 sets up what is to come in an interesting way. Maya survives a brutal confrontation that leaves Ryan fate up in the air, and ends up in the hospital beaten but alive. Of course, the movie isn’t over yet and it has a mid credits scene, where the Masked Man watches Maya in the hospital room, almost insinuating that these killers are far from done with Maya, the question is BUT WHY?!! and the answer is BECAUSE!!! no real answer just that he is not done, done means done. It is good and bad that this setup reveals that Maya will be our protagonist from here on probably for the next two movies. Petsch performance was good enough to carry the story forward, but bad because it kind of takes away some of the tension of the next one because we can kind of guess she is going to survive that one too? is that the entire trick around this three movies, not sure.

Probably the most interesting thing about this reboot is the decision to make this a trilogy although that does not mean its going to be a good one, after Chapter 1 all we can hope the next two are better and even gives more context of why they go through this entire situation. The original The Strangers was a stand alone movie and that minimalist approach and lack of explanation of the violence worked perfectly, but this new version feels like it’s building toward something bigger. The small town setting and suspicious locals also insinuate something larger in the works, could it be a cult thing?, even if that doesn’t fit with the formula that made the original so good, but the killers' motivation hasn't changed so far, they just say they picked on Maya and Ryan because "they were there" and that terrifying randomness that made the original so powerful if feel like its not enough anymore.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #strangers, #horror, #reboot, #slasher, #trilogy, #airbnb, #killers, #masks, #lionsgate, #harlin, #petsch, #gutierrez, #violence, #oregon, #survival, #tension, #remake, #suspense, #ending, #chapter1, #atmosphere, #dread, #stalking, #invasion, #trauma, #flixfinder

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Hola, querido hiver.

Hace dos meses que emprendí este viaje al mundo de fantasía de Juego de Tronos. Me parece increíble todo lo que he vivido junto a sus personajes. Con ellos he sentido el espectro completo de emociones y pasiones. Hoy tengo que decir adiós a estas reseñas pero lo hago con la alegría de haber disfrutado cada minuto salvo raras excepciones.

Este es mi último...

Aviso de spoiler

Sigo desvelando lo que pasa en la serie. Si continúas leyendo es bajo tu responsabilidad.

La temporada arranca con la llegada a Invernalia de Jon Nieve y Danaerys con su ejército. Allí descubren que los Caminantes Blancos han conseguido atravesar el Muro.

Samwell le cuenta a Jon Nieve cual es su verdadero origen, lo que le convierte en el verdadero heredero legítimo del Trono de Hierro. A partir de ese momento su relación con Daenerys cambia y ella sospecha que algo ocurre.

Mientras tanto, Cersei se refuerza con la Compañía Dorada y se queda a la espera de lo que sucede en el Norte sin intervenir.

Poco a poco van llegando a Invernalia todos los aliados. Los más sorprendentes son, por un lado, Theon Greyjoy, que acude tras rescatar a su hermana secuestrada por su tío. Por otro, Jaime Lannister que ha dejado atrás a Cersei.

Se preparan para el combate contra el Ejército de los Muertos sabiendo que su número es mucho mayor. La noche es el escenario de bonitos reencuentros, perdones, nombramiento de caballeros y de relaciones sexuales. Cada uno la pasa como mejor puede sabiendo que puede ser la última.

La batalla se lleva por delante a unos cuantos personajes principales que mueren defendiendo a otros. Sorprende la intervención de la sacerdotisa Melissandre, que llega justo en el momento de inicio y que una vez cumplido su cometido muere sola.

Cuando el Rey de la Noche es atravesado por la daga de acero valyrio, el Ejército de los Muertos se desintegra y todo termina.

Después de quemar a los muertos y celebrar la victoria es momento de marchar sobre Desembarco del Rey. Danenerys exige la rendición a Cersei pero esta se niega, enrocándose en la Fortaleza Roja y usando al pueblo desvalido como escudo.

Aparece Daenerys con su dragón y destruye la Flota de Hierro y la Compañía Dorada. Las tropas de la ciudad se rinden, pero Daenerys presa de la furia quema todo lo que encuentra, sin distinción.

Una vez conseguida la victoria, Daenerys anuncia que liberará el mundo entero. Jon se da cuenta de que no parará hasta conseguirlo, a costa de lo que sea. Ella le ofrece cumplir ese sueño juntos.

¿Se unirá a ella?

Dejo la reseña aquí para no desvelar el final, por si acaso no la has visto. Merece la pena mantener la intriga. Al menos a mí me sorprendió incluso sabiendo de antemano quién se queda con el Trono de Hierro.

Los capítulos de esta última temporada son más largos, están más cerca de una película que de una serie de televisión. Sin embargo, se pasan igual de rápidos que los anteriores, ya que la acción y la intriga te mantienen en vilo.

Igual que me quejé de lo pesado que se me hizo el intento de conquista de los salvajes al Muro, debo destacar como positivo el tratamiento que se les da a las batallas de Invernalia contra el Ejército de los Muertos y a la conquista de Desembarco del Rey. La acción trepidante permite respiros alternándose con escenas lentas, algo que agradecí y me permitió seguir las escenas sin cansarme.

El final no es el que me hubiera gustado ver, pero entiendo que se cierran todas las tramas de forma satisfactoria y con sentido. Cada personaje que ha aparecido en la pantalla durante la serie tenía un por qué y un destino necesario.

Puedo afirmar que es una de las series que más me han gustado hasta la fecha. Los numerosos premios que cosechó fueron bien merecidos y no me extraña que supusiera un antes y un después en el consumo de este tipo de contenidos.

Créditos: Diseño de la portada en Canva. Todas las imágenes de la película obtenidas de IMDb. Trailer oficial obtenido de YouTube

Hasta la próxima publicación. Mientras tanto, ¡cuídate!

Reseñas de las temporadas anteriores Temporada 1: Ganas o mueres Temporada 2: Cinco reyes. Un trono. Temporada 3: Todos los hombres deben servir Temporada 4: Todos los hombres deben morir Temporada 5: Las guerras venideras Temporada 6: Vientos de invierno Temporada 7: El juego al descubierto

Herramientas: Cámara iPhone 13 Pro, editor de fotos Mac. Mis publicaciones en Worldmappin pinchando aquí Si te gusta lo que publico, únete a mi Fanbase pinchando aquí

©️Copyright 2024 Paloma Peña Pérez. Todos los derechos reservados.

Hi, dear hiver.

It's been two months since I embarked on this journey into the fantasy world of Game of Thrones. It seems incredible to me how much I have experienced with the characters. With them I have felt the full spectrum of emotions and passions. Today I have to say goodbye to these reviews but I do it with the joy of having enjoyed every minute of it with rare exceptions.

This is my last...

Spoiler warning

I keep giving away what happens in the series. If you continue reading it is at your own risk.

The season opens with Jon Snow and Danaerys arriving at Winterfell with their army. There they discover that the White Walkers have made it through the Wall.

Samwell tells Jon Snow of his true origin, which makes him the true heir to the Iron Throne. From that moment on his relationship with Daenerys changes and she suspects something is up.

Meanwhile, Cersei reinforces herself with the Golden Company and waits to see what happens in the North without intervening.

Little by little, all the allies arrive at Winterfell. The most surprising are, on the one hand, Theon Greyjoy, who comes after rescuing his sister kidnapped by his uncle. On the other, Jaime Lannister, who has left Cersei behind.

They prepare for combat against the Army of the Dead knowing that their numbers are far greater. The night is the scene of beautiful reunions, forgiveness, knighting and sex. Everyone spends it as best they can knowing that it may be their last.

The battle takes a few main characters who die defending others. The intervention of the priestess Melissandre, who arrives just at the start of the battle and dies alone once her task is done, is surprising.

When the Night King is pierced by the Valyrian steel dagger, the Army of the Dead disintegrates and it is all over.

After burning the dead and celebrating victory it is time to march on King's Landing. Danenerys demands Cersei's surrender but Cersei refuses, entrenching herself in the Red Keep and using the helpless people as a shield.

Daenerys appears with her dragon and destroys the Iron Fleet and the Golden Company. The city's troops surrender, but Daenerys in a fury burns everything in sight, without distinction.

Having won the victory, Daenerys announces that she will free the whole world. Jon realises that she will not stop until she does, no matter what it takes. She offers to fulfil his dream together.

Will he join her?

I'm leaving the review here so as not to give away the ending, in case you haven't seen it. It's worth keeping the intrigue going. At least I was surprised even knowing beforehand who gets the Iron Throne.

The episodes of this last season are longer, closer to a movie than to a TV series. However, they go by just as quickly as the previous ones, as the action and intrigue keep you on your toes.

Just as I complained about how heavy-handed I found the Wildlings' attempted conquest of the Wall, I must highlight as a positive the treatment given to the battles of Winterfell against the Army of the Dead and the conquest of King's Landing. The fast-paced action allows for breaths of fresh air alternating with slow scenes, which I appreciated and allowed me to follow the scenes without getting tired.

The ending is not what I would have liked to see, but I understand that it brings all the plots to a satisfying and meaningful close. Every character that has appeared on screen during the series had a why and a necessary destiny.

I can say that it is one of my favourite series to date. The numerous awards it won were well deserved and I am not surprised that it marked a before and after in the consumption of this type of content.

Credits: Cover design in Canva. All images from the film obtained from IMDb. Official trailer obtained from YouTube

See you next time. In the meantime, take care!

Reviews of previous seasons Season 1: You win or you die Season 2: Five kings. One throne. Season 3: All men must serve Season 4: All men must die Season 5: The wars to come Season 6: Winter winds Season 7: The game uncovered

Tools: iPhone 13 Pro camera, Mac photo editor. Translated with DeepL My publications in Worldmappin by clicking here If you like my content, join my Fanbase clicking here

©️Copyright 2024 Paloma Peña Pérez. All rights reserved.

El cine indonesio de acción y terror irrumpió de una manera sorprendente por lo extremo, crudo y violento de sus producciones; en su momento se sintió fresco y con mucha libertad lo cual en muchas ocasiones no se observa en películas hollywoodenses y eso me motivó a seguir tanto a actores como directores que son parte de estas entretenidas y divertidas películas y por eso cuando el director y guionista, Timo Tjahjanto, quien ha dirigido sorprendentes films de ambos géneros, decidió regresar al de la acción, inmediatamente "The Shadows Strays" se convirtió en una de las películas que más quería ver en este año.

Indonesian action and horror films burst in a surprising way because of the extreme, crude and violent nature of their productions; At the time it felt fresh and with a lot of freedom which is often not seen in Hollywood films and that made me follow actors and directors who are part of these entertaining and fun films and so when the director and screenwriter, Timo Tjahjanto, who has directed amazing films of both genres, decided to return to action, immediately "The Shadows Strays" became one of the films I most wanted to see this year.

Este film original de Netflix sé estrenó el pasado mes de octubre y relata la historia de una adolescente de 17 años que recibe el nombre de "13"; ella es parte de un extenso y secreto grupo de asesinos los cuales son llamados "Shadows"; justamente después de una casi fallida misión junto a su instructora "Umbra", se decide que 13 debe regresar a las secretas instalaciones y realizar ciertos estudios, pero una inesperada misión separará a maestra y alumna, lo cual será el comienzo de una serie de inconvenientes para una adolescente quien deberá lidiar con un grupo de viles y sádicos asesinos quienes dominan una gran ciudad; tales hechos afectarán a una joven mujer que deberá usar sus habilidades para acabar con peligrosos criminales y enfrentar a su organización por las consecuencias de sus actos.

This Netflix original film was released last October and tells the story of a 17 year old teenager who goes by the name of "13"; she is part of a large and secret group of assassins who are called "Shadows"; Just after an almost failed mission with her instructor "Umbra", it is decided that 13 must return to the secret facilities and perform certain studies, but an unexpected mission will separate teacher and student, which will be the beginning of a series of problems for a teenager who must deal with a group of vile and sadistic killers who dominate a big city; such events will affect a young woman who must use her skills to kill dangerous criminals and face her organization for the consequences of their actions.

Refiriéndome al género de acción y a pesar de que Timo Tjahjanto en solitario ha dirigido tres películas (próximamente cuatro), creo que tiene la capacidad de entender como usar su punto de vista al filmar escenas de peleas y de enfrentamientos con armas de fuego; en esta oportunidad las escenas dependiendo del momento y las secuencias de acción pueden ser caóticas o más estéticas, también dependen del protagonista de dichas escenas, ya que pueden ser muy pasionales o más calculadas, pero lo importante es que sea cual sea el estilo, cada una de esas escenas están muy bien hechas, todas son impresionantes.

El guion es lo que encontré que menos le ha gustado a cierto público por supuestamente ser repetitivo; en mi caso puedo decir que la historia es perfecta y sé completamente muy bien con las escenas de acción sea por el comportamiento de la protagonista así como la de los principales antagonistas; en mi opinión este es el relato de un coming-of-age bastante violento, esto lo digo porque a pesar de lo letal y poco humilde del comportamiento de "13" por sus habilidades en combate, es notorio que en su camino hacia la adultez siente curiosidad por una vida diferente y es que ella no supera un trauma de su niñez lo cual le hace tener simpatía o preocupación por los débiles, ya que ella se siente óptima para protegerles, justamente eso hace que en esta historia se explote el tema de la maternidad, de la protección lo cual es sumamente importante para esta historia y posiblemente en el futuro; todo lo antes escrito es fundamental para el comportamiento de una protagonista la cual no tiene la guía necesaria para lidiar con incógnitas de su pasado y del presente y eso hace que su manera de pelear sea tan pasional y letal; con eso, dejo claro que para mí, el guion es fantástico.

Referring to the action genre and despite the fact that Timo Tjahjanto alone has directed three films (soon to be four), I think he has the ability to understand how to use his point of view when filming fight scenes and confrontations with firearms; in this opportunity the scenes depending on the moment and the action sequences can be chaotic or more aesthetic, also depend on the protagonist of those scenes, as they can be very passionate or more calculated, but the important thing is that whatever the style, each of those scenes are very well done, all are impressive.

The script is what I found that certain audiences have liked the least for supposedly being repetitive; in my case I can say that the story is perfect and I know completely very well with the action scenes either by the behavior of the protagonist as well as that of the main antagonists; in my opinion this is the story of a rather violent coming-of-age, I say this because despite the lethal and not very humble behavior of "13" for her combat skills, it is notorious that on her way to adulthood she is curious about a different life and is that she does not overcome a trauma of her childhood which makes her have sympathy or concern for the weak, This is precisely what makes this story exploit the theme of motherhood, of protection, which is extremely important for this story and possibly in the future; all of the above is fundamental to the behavior of a protagonist who does not have the necessary guidance to deal with unknowns of her past and present and that makes her way of fighting so passionate and lethal; with that, I make it clear that for me, the script is fantastic.

Las actrices Aurora Ribero y Hana Malasan antes de participar en este film, no habían realizado ninguna secuencia de acción en su carrera actoral; su interpretación como "13" y "Umbra" tiene relevancia al ser ellas mismas las que participan en cada pelea lo cual demuestra un alto nivel de compromiso, ya que cada escena de acción es muy dinámica, con coreografías muy bien realizadas, tanto en el combate cuerpo a cuerpo, así como el uso de espadas y armas de fuego; ahora si debo decidir o nombrar cuál de las dos actrices tiene un mejor desempeño en la actuación, por supuesto nombro a Aurora quien es perfecta para el rol porque sabe como expresar esa profunda tristeza que padece, ese vacío que no sabe como llenar y eso le causa la rabia que siente y que expresa al momento de pelear; Ribero es muy buena protagonista porque cumple en las escenas de acción y las emotivas.

The actresses Aurora Ribero and Hana Malasan before participating in this film, had not performed any action sequence in their acting career; their performance as "13" and "Umbra" has relevance as they are themselves the ones who participate in each fight which shows a high level of commitment, since each action scene is very dynamic, with very well performed choreographies, both in hand to hand combat, as well as the use of swords and firearms; now if I must decide or name which of the two actresses has a better acting performance, of course I name Aurora who is perfect for the role because she knows how to express that deep sadness she suffers, that emptiness she does not know how to fill and that causes the rage she feels and expresses when fighting; Ribero is a very good protagonist because she fulfills in the action and emotional scenes.

Posiblemente, mi única crítica negativa sobre este film sea al tiempo de metraje, pero después de verla en una segunda oportunidad, aprecio el desarrollo que se da no solo a la historia de 13, sino también lo que debe experimentar Umbra, eso con respecto a como sus caminos se separaran para unirse en el tercer y final acto; esa es otro acierto del guion escrito por Timo, lo cual da posibilidad para la expansión de esta historia, sea en una precuela o en necesarias secuelas y espero que en esta oportunidad, Netflix pueda brindar todo el apoyo para que The Shadow Strays puede ser una fructífera franquicia dentro de esa plataforma y no pase lo que sucedió con The Night Comes for Us (2018); recomiendo que vean este violento, impactante relato de una joven mujer quien usa sus habilidades mortales para lidiar con traumas y violentos asesinos.

Possibly, my only negative criticism about this film is the running time, but after watching it a second time, I appreciate the development that is given not only to the story of 13, but also what Umbra must experience, that with respect to how their paths will separate to unite in the third and final act; that is another success of the script written by Timo, which gives possibility for the expansion of this story, either in a prequel or in necessary sequels and I hope that in this opportunity, Netflix can provide all the support so that The Shadow Strays can be a fruitful franchise within that platform and not happen what happened with The Night Comes for Us (2018); I recommend watching this violent, shocking tale of a young woman who uses her deadly abilities to deal with traumas and violent killers.

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

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Last night after I got from work I sit down to finally watch The Fall Guy, I usually leave comedy for latter so this past two days I'm back to back with Dungeons & Dragons and now The Fall Guy and I find The Fall Guy better, although both are really funny, its just my personal take. I had no idea what to expect as it’s based on an old TV show from the 80s that I never watched, but director David Leitch has managed to make something that feels fresh; not necessary new, and entertaining with a quite unique concept of how it makes you feel about the point of view where you watching the movie. It’s a sweet romance, a funny action movie and it takes us behind the scenes of film making, but it’s the less famous heroes of action movies who this time take the glory, the stunt man.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1684562/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt lead the way on this action comedy, and I have to admin that their performance nail it, their chemistry really jumps off the screen and every scene they are in is special, feels special for them, its a romance story after all, but what really stood out to me was how it manages to show us the movie magic that’s taking place in front of the camera as well as all the chaos that’s going on behind it. It seems like mostly practical effects instead of CGI, the stunts scenes are pretty good close to incredible in some of them.

The story centers on Colt Seavers played by Gosling, a veteran stuntman who is the go to double for megastar Tom Ryder. Colt does not return to Hollywood until after a terrible accident puts him out of action, and when he does, he gets an unexpected call to work on a new movie. Surprise for him, this movie is being directed by his ex girlfriend Jody Moreno played by the gorgeous Emily Blunt, he hasn't spoken to since the break up, but of course things get complicated when the movie star Tom Ryder goes missing and Colt finds himself investigating his disappearance while trying to win back Jody’s heart.

It’s got a nice little plot, with a few different story lines mix with each other to keep you interested the whole way through. Gail Meyer played by Hannah Waddingham is producer of Colt, she is the one who actually completely tricked Colt into going to Sydney under the expectations that Jody specifically ask for him when it was not the case but her real agenda was for Colt to find Tom Ryder. It also paves the way for some really awkward but hilarious moments between Jody and Colt, they work together while trying to get over their unresolved feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Colt's stunt skills are put to the test in real world situations, most of them includes a lot of comedy making it exciting and you will laugh a lot, its during the process of trying to find Tom Ryder, Colt figures out that he cant perform this stunts on real life, reminds me the Disney movie Bolt where an acting dog goes through the same experience, funny stuff.

Colt Seavers is so well played by Ryan Gosling, absolutely nailing it as he did in Barbie, but with his own spin on this character. Colt is likeable, funny guy who sells himself, a kind of Ryan Renolds but way less dark humor, even when he's doing over the top stunts. But it’s the way he reads his lines, especially the way he quotes famous action movies to his friend Dan played by Winston Duke, most of the time the comedy aspects hits timing correctly. Emily Blunt playing Jody, matches Colt energy perfectly, providing us with a character who is at once proving herself as a first time director and having to reconcile the return of the man who broke her heart, like two opposite poles who eventually flip and attract each other, specially with their scenes together have this great push and pull dynamic, you want them to work it out, just do it jajaja.

I also want to special mention Aaron Taylor Johnson as Tom Ryder, he plays the egotistical actor perfectly, without going completely over the top, he is just fixed on he fact that he MUST do all his own stunts, which becomes a running gag that comes into its own. There is one character I think needed to be develop a bit more and more screen time considering her influence during the story and that's Gail Meyer played by Hannah Waddingham but she still does a great job as part of the support cast.

The Fall Guy ends with a banger, that's is another aspect of the movie, it does a great job a closing the story. After finding out that Tom and Gail have been working together on a frame for Colt of various crimes, our heroes come up with the perfect plan to expose them, sorry for the spoiler but not sorry, this movie has been out for quite some time. Jody's entire stunt team in his movie, Metalstorm, come together to help catch Tom in a trap, particularly his insistence that he do his own stunts, they use his own ego against him to get him to confess to his crimes, the stunt sequence that leads to the confession scene puts Tom in real danger, just as he endangered Colt at the beginning of the movie.

The Fall Guy was really entertaining during the entire time, as both an action movie and a romantic comedy, it is not rare achievement although not one so easy to hit specially keeping the romance part as relevant as the action side, and one to which very few filmmakers achieve this. The movie does a good job of explaining how much hard work goes into making action movies, without taking the film too seriously. Colt and Jody’s romance is believable and the journey back to each other is believable, despite all the crazy action that’s going on around them.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #fallguy, #stunts, #romance, #action, #comedy, #hollywood, #gosling, #blunt, #director, #filmmaking, #sydney, #explosions, #metalstorm, #producer, #backstage, #chemistry, #stuntman, #movie, #actor, #cinematography, #blockbuster, #entertainment, #filming, #practical, #comedy, #flixfinder

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Welcome 💖 Bienvenidos

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I'm not a player but do remember watching the animated series when I was a kid during the 90s, I’ve been waiting for a good Dungeons & Dragons movie and I was really excited to see this one, had to put it aside due to lack of time to watch, and I can say it delivered. The movie does a perfect job of balancing action, comedy and adventure so well that you are glued to the screen wanting to know what happens next, never feels rush or too predictable, very entertaining. I was worried coming from someone who’s never played D&D, I’d somehow get lost in all the fantasy elements and game references but the movie does an amazing job of making everything easy to follow, while still keeping that magical fantasy world feeling alive through the entire movie.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2906216/
• Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rottentomatoes Rating

This is a journey of dragons, magic and mythical creatures, but what sets the movie apart and makes it so special is how it keeps it grounded with its characters. It’s all a bit very MCU comedy atmosphere like Thor but set in medieval times and it’s surprisingly effective. What makes it work so well is that directors really understood what they were doing here, making an entertaining movie and not a straight forward D&D adaptation, taking this approach would cover them in case they get too far off the tracks with the franchise but lucky it seem never happen since I didn't notice any backlash when looking up the directors and comments online.

The fact I'm going straight up and I gave this movie a solid 7/10 and most of those points are for how it handles its comedy and character interactions, many might think its a low score to be excited about but I really enjoy the movie although been a comedy I cant say its a 10/10 since other factors like action and drama are not at 10/10 levels. The movie knows what it wants to be and doesn't try and be something else. It's not trying to go for the Oscars, just an entertaining adventure that just happens to be in this rich fantasy world.

The movie follows the story of Edgin Darvis played Chris Pine, a former member of this spy group, called the Harpers who became a thief following the death of his wife, been in prison and are trying to get back to Edgin's daughter Kira, who he is doing time with his partner Holga, played by Michelle Rodriguez. Once out of prison they find their old friend Forge played by Hugh Grant, has become Lord of Neverwinter and has Kira under his spell, this starts their quest to get her back, stealing a special tablet that can bring people back from the dead.

But as you might expect, along the way they put up together this misfit team, Justice Smith as Simon, a not so confident wizard who can’t even cast his magic well enough to deserve the title of Wizard; Sophia Lillis as Doric, who can change into different animals and Rege Jean Page as Xenk, a super serious paladin who takes everything literally too serious. The group travels through all sorts of adventures looking for special magical items they need, fighting dragons, un dead soldiers of all sorts of fantasy creature as they try and stop this evil Red Wizard, Sofina from executing her evil plan to enslave the people of Neverwinter but she also needed The Tablet of Reawakening same Edgin wanted so their path cross each other.

Chris Pine is a real shining star as Edgin; classic Chris Pine got all the charm and humor needed to make him instantly likable. Pine plays him well, not your average hero, more like a dad trying to do the right thing after making so many mistake. Michelle Rodriguez as Holga is just awesome, she has this tough exterior and a great contrast to Pine personality, but with a soft heart underneath which works really well with Pine's more talkative character. Justice Smith makes Simon’s insecurity seem real without being annoying and his character growth throughout the movie is earned, I have to mention he might be the best comeback actor in 2024 after the disaster of "The American Society of Magical Negroes. Hugh Grant is just having the time of his life playing Forge, because he’s got this perfect mix of charm and sleaziness that you just want to hate him so much. Without having to tell the entire story and its characters as you can tell everyone is very likable and fun through the movie without it been forced or over the top.

All the practical effects for the different creatures, the dragons look amazing both fierce and funny, who ever got the idea of making the fat dragon nail it, making not only funny but very unexpected for everyone. This one action sequence where Doric goes from animal to animal to escape is really well done, and it’s just done in one continuous shot that’s just an incredible thing to watch, I had to look this up but they did film it on a single shot.

This movie ends in a really satisfying way with Edgin having this huge choice after getting the Tablet of Reawakening, bring back his dead wife just like he has been planning all along or saving Holga gets killed in the final battle. It was really emotional moment for Edgin to finally realize that he has to let go of the past and move on to the present, and to save Holga is the right choice, after all his wife has been death already for some time so coming back would not guarantee that things going to get better. Not only has he grown in the movie, but this decision allows him to heal his relationship with his daughter and also provides some closure to the story.

When Simon finally overcomes his self doubt in the final battle he is finally able to use his magic properly and beat Sofina, saving Neverwinter from becoming a city of slaves and our heroes are finally recognized for saving everyone. As I was looking up information about the movie and ratings I notice a few comments on a possible sequel but I feel the movie is just fine as it is, there was no official announcement I could find about it, some things that end well are better to left alone at their peak performance. Looking the movie really does what it sets out to achieve and does not try to be is the most epic fantasy movie ever made, it simply wants to be entertaining and fun and with a story that has heart. Although the plot may not be the most original thing ever, it works thanks to how well everything else comes together and the chemistry between the cast is fantastic, and the comedy is so effective to cut up through the tension or action scenes to make the audience relax again.

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