Ant-Man: Quantum Mania – Movie

I saw this movie recently with some friends. I have seen a few Marvel movies (mainly the ones featuring all of the Avengers, such as Infinity War). I made sure to watch the movies leading up to Quantum Mania. I wouldn’t say that you absolutely NEED to watch the previous 2 movies to understand the movie, but it definitely provides you with background, and some basis for character relationships.

I thought that the movie was really good. I saw it in 3D, with a seat closer to the front. The action and plot starts quickly, with Scott’s family getting sucked into the Quantum Realm. They are scattered throughout different parts of the Quantum Realm, experiencing different parts and personalities of the realm. Some come face to face with survivors of the dictatorship that is ruling over the Quantum Realm. The goal is to group back together, then figure out a way to get out of the Quantum Realm. The plot expands from here, with the different characters exploring the Realm.

We flip between different storylines, so we are able to make our own connections and opinions. Some characters from previous movies are introduced. Watching these previous movies was important in this instance, as it provided some vital backstory and character relationships. I enjoyed the characters’ various personalities. We see Scott’s daughter Cassidy growing into a teenager, who is very compassionate.

The movie is very action packed for the most part, you think it is finally dying down, and then a twist comes and the viewer is surprised with something new. The movie manages to keep you on the edge of your seat for a majority. We of course stayed for the post-credits scene. Both were extremely interesting. They feature the main villain of the movie, and foreshadow a big fight coming, similar to Infinity War and Endgame. I thought it was very interesting.

Overall I really enjoyed this movie, and I would definitely recommend other people go see it. If possible, watch the other movies first, to get a better understanding of character relationships and backstory.

I would rate this movie a 9/10.

Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash was released in 2014 and is often praised as director Damian Chazelle’s best work.

It follows Andrew Neiman, who joins a band run by instructor Terrence Fletcher, known for his ruthlessness. Neiman focuses more and more of his life to perfecting his craft and trying to satisfy Fletcher.

Whiplash is a movie that isn’t really about music, but rather power dynamics and obsession. The movie communicates this effectively well, leaving the viewer inspired to do something great yet cautioned to not let it consume every aspect of your life.

The acting in the movie is incredibly consistent, with great performances all around, but who really knows it out of the park is J.K. Simmons as Fletcher, who commands every scene he is in through sheer terror. His unpredictability and range makes him one of my favorite antagonists in recent memory.

The story itself is also fantastic, showing us Andrew’s journey of being broken down time and time again, making the incredible ending that much more of a pleasure to watch unfold. This story about obsession is one many can relate with, and for the rest Whiplash is simultaneously a warning and incredibly inspirational, as mentioned earlier.

Whiplash is an intense, gripping look at the effects of obsession.

10/10

 

Honest Review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Before I start I’d just like to say that this film gave the upmost and much deserved respect of the late Chadwick Boseman, may he rest in piece.

First of all, this movie was so amazing it’s hard not to spoil anything. I’m still in awe of the emotional impact of the movie, an impact so large it actually made me cry. It was fantastic. Not only did it surpass and remain in line with the original movie, but the imagery and characters were an absolute experience in this movie.

With the introduction of Namor, and how his character is done in the movie, I believe that this is the turning point for comic-accurate portrayals of characters in live-action. I think not only did this movie do the main protagonists justice, but they also did the antagonist justice.

This movie kept me on the edge of my seat and felt like a legitimate experience. It felt like everything a Marvel Movie should be and that’s why I highly recommend it. It’s a beautiful movie. It’s just so good. I makes you feel so many emotions and it allows it’s audience to understand the characters.

My overall rating: 10/10

Honest review of Black Adam

I’m not gonna lie, this kept me on the edge of my seat, not through all of the film but for lots of it. It’s always an odd experience when a studio takes more of a villain style character and makes them into an anti-hero for a solo-film, but in this case it was definitely a welcome one.

I think in terms of characters, they did a very nice job with not only the portrayals and acting, but also the designs and overall writing. I’d say the only case where this doesn’t 100% hold up is the villain in terms of motives but that doesn’t make it bad at all.

Since this is a spoiler-free review I’m not going to give away anything but it had a very interesting ending. Either way, it’s quite a solid movie and I suggest watching it. It’s great for a Friday night or just a movie to go out and see, that’s why I suggest it. It’s a movie that is worth seeing. As always, The Rock did an amazing job playing his role, and I love this take on the character.

It’s really solid for the most part. I feel like there’s something missing and it’s not like it completely or really blew me away but it was still good.

My final review: 8.5/10

Hamilton

Overview

Hamilton is a historical broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton. You can see Hamilton in theaters, or see the filmed version on Disney+. I will be referring to the filmed version.

The Cast

• Alexander Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Eliza Schuyler: Phillipa Soo
• Angelica Schuyler: Renée Elise Goldsberry
• Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds: Jasmine Cephas Jones
• King George lll: Jonathan Groff
• George Washington: Christopher Jackson
•  Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson: Daveed Diggs
• Aaron Burr: Leslie Odom Jr.
• Hercules Mulligan and James Madison: Okieriete Onaodowan
• John Laurens and Philip Hamilton: Anthony Ramos
• Philip Schuyler, James Reynolds, and doctor: Sydney James Harcourt
• Samuel Seabury: Thayne Jasperson
• Charles Lee: Jon Rua
• George Eacker: Ephraim Sykes
• Ensemble: Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sasha Hutchings, Elizabeth Judd, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart, Sydney James Harcourt, Thayne Jasperson, Jon Rua, and Ephraim Sykes

The Plot

First, we discover that Hamilton is sailing to New York from the island where he was born. He gets into Kings College, then finds some friends who agree with his many ideas.

Next, Hamilton joins the movement of the American Revolution. He eventually joins the fighting and became George Washington’s aide-de-camp.

Then, after the war Hamilton studies law and gets chosen for the Continental Convention. Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison write the Federalist papers, to support the new Constitution.

After that, George Washington is elected president and chooses Hamilton to be the first Secretary of the Treasury.

Next, Hamilton’s wife and children go to upstate New York, while Hamilton has a secret affair with Maria Reynolds.

Then, Hamilton confesses his affair to the public via the Reynolds Pamphlet. Philip Hamilton (Hamilton’s son) gets shot in a duel defending his father’s honor. Philip dies.

After that, Hamilton stops Aaron Burr from being President, and Burr shoots Hamilton in a duel. Alexander Hamilton dies.

Lastly, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton continues the Hamilton legacy.

The Hero

Since the play is called “Hamilton”, you would think that Alexander Hamilton is the hero of the story, right? This is up for debate but I don’t believe that. The final song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”, is sung by Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. Her strong vocals, and stronger words tell us what she did after Alexander’s death. Eliza did everything in her power to keep the Hamilton legacy alive. She and Angelica Schuyler (while Angelica was alive) started the first private orphanage in New York City, interviewed Revolutionary War veterans, raised funds for the Washington Monument, and spoke out against slavery. I believe that this reveals that Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton is the true story of “Hamilton”.

Do I Recommend?

I definitely recommend seeing “Hamilton”, whether in the theater or on Disney+. I have seen both the theater and the Disney+ versions, but I can’t say that one was better than the other. On Disney+, you get a first row view, and can pause it, and adjust the volume. In person, I felt like I could hear the effort in the music, and the theater atmosphere was enjoyable.

I hope you enjoyed this recount of “Hamilton” by Lin Manuel Miranda. Thanks for reading!

Honest Review of Morbius

Before I get into this I’d just like to say that when it comes to super hero movies, it mostly comes up to personal opinion, that being said…

It’s bad, really bad. It’s not bad in an unbearable way, but it is bad in a laughable way. First of all, out of all the characters Sony decides to make of that is a comic book villain, why Morbius? Morbius was practically on the same level of infamy as stilts man. It mostly just strikes as a decision that either came from some form of algorithm or out of spite. The movie itself is not only cliche, but the scenes seem disconnected due to the fact that there isn’t much of explanation of how one thing went to the next exactly. The only honest to god actor in this movie was Matt Smith. The rest either felt forced or simply lacked any form of emotions. Although the special effects will certainly catch your eye, and this has some implied connection to some other movies, at the end of the day it’s just not good movie.

I give it a rating of 3.4/10

The Darkest Minds (Movie)

The movie, The Darkest Minds, is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, it stars Amandla Stenberg as Ruby. The movie is set in the dystopian world caused by a disease that killed 90% of children. The other 10% of children were shipped off to camps, where their powers can be contained, and the children are made to work. There are 3 different “colors” that the children are separated into; green: the super smart, blue: telekinesis, and yellow: the ability to control electricity/interfere with electronics. However, there are two more colors that are considered too dangerous to be kept in camps: Orange and Red. These colors are very rare, and were terminated as soon as doctors found you. However, one managed to escape: Ruby. By hiding her powers and pretending she was a Green. However, she was discovered by doctors and was set to be killed, until she is saved by a doctor. She runs away from the doctor and bands together with three other runaways: Chubs, Liam and Zu., who are Green, Blue, and Yellow respectively. These four band together in search of the “Slip Kid”, a legendary kid who has escaped camps 4 times, and is supposedly running a safe camp somewhere along the East River.

          I really liked this movie, although I wish that towards the middle and end of the movie, it didn’t focus as much on the relationship between Ruby and Liam. However, even with that, I would say that this is one of my favorite movies I have ever watched. I like the mix of dystopian elements. I also enjoyed how you got a wide variety of different characters and personalities, even between the 4 main characters. I thought that the directors and actors did a really good job on expanding on Ruby and Liam’s personalities especially. I do wish that I had learned more about Liam, Chubs and Zu’s backstories, and their life at their camp.

          Even with somewhat of a lack of background on some characters, I thought that they did really well in portraying the characters, even the eviler characters that we are introduced to later in the movie. I think that both the directors and actors did a really good job, especially with the ending. I also liked that they made the choice to separate characters, rather than trying to continue the romantic relationship, even if it was sad.

          Overall, I would really recommend this movie to anybody who likes action, romance, and especially dystopian movies. It was a really fun watch, and I enjoyed watching all of the adventures unfold.

          I would give this movie a 9.5/10.

Review: Rise

The movie Rise was released in 2022, and was based of a true story. This movie tells the story of the Antetokounmpo brothers and their family. And of how the Antetokounmpo brother went on to become NBA champions. I think that this was a very good movie, there was a lot to take a away from it. Another reason I enjoyed this movie was because I myself play basketball and this movie motivated me when I played. One quote from this movie which I find very inspiring is

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.”

This advice was given to Giannis and Thanasis by their father when they started playing basketball. This quote shows the importance of working hard and believing in order to achieve your goals. Which in the brothers’ case was getting better and more skilled at basketball. This movie shows the hardships the Antetokounmpo family had to go through. The family had to move from country to country. They moved from Nigeria to Turkey, then went to Athens Greece, and then eventually to America for the brothers to play in the NBA. The family was unfortunately not able to obtain Greek citizenship in Greece which did not make things easy for them. But regardless the brothers where still very successful.

The first brother to get drafted in the NBA was Giannis. He was the 15th pick in the 2013 draft and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. In 2014, Thanasis Antetokounmpo was also drafted, then he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Kostas Antetokounmpo, who was their younger brother was drafted in 2018 by the Philadelphia 76ers. But, had his draft rights then traded to the Dallas Mavericks and after won the 2020 NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. Alex Antetokounmpo is the youngest of the Antetokounmpo brothers and played in the Milwaukee Bucks G league after not being drafted in 2021, he also played with the Raptors 905. The Antetokounmpo also had and elder brother named Francis but he did not live with them in Greece because he was left behind when their parents left Nigeria. But in the end when their family was reunited in America they did get to meet Francis.

Some other things shown in this movie about the family’s life in Greece are that their family did struggle with money because their parents did not have Greek citizenship., which made it hard to work. Also in Greece there was lots of prejudice and racism shown to the family because of their race. Something I like about this movie is that it showed Giannis’ commitment to the sport of basketball. Some nights he would sleep at the gym so he could get up right away and start training so he would lose any training time. Also in the beginning of the movie when Thanasis and Giannis, started playing basketball they lived very far from where the team practiced but they still when there and played everyday after school. All in all, I think this is a very good inspirational movie with a lot to take away from. And I would recommend it to anyone who likes basketball or sports movies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Royal Treatment

The Royal Treatment is a movie available on Netflix, directed by Rick Jacobson, that I watched recently. It starts off with a hairdresser named Izzy played by Laura Marano (Ally in Austin & Ally) and Prince Thomas played by Mena Massoud (Aladdin in the live action Aladdin). The Prince is in New York and desperately needs a haircut. The butler mistakenly calls Izzy’s salon thinking it was a different expensive one and has her come to privately cut the Prince’s hair. However, Izzy storms out when she witnesses how the Prince ignores his servants’ mistreatment. Thomas comes back to Izzy’s salon later, to apologize, fix his hair, and to invite her, and her two stylist friends, to his country to style his bride’s hair for his upcoming wedding. The movie goes off from here in typical Hallmark type progression. They fall in love and eventually are together.

          I have watched many Christmas Hallmark movies, so I have seen every type of plot they can possibly think up (which really isn’t that many). While this movie is not technically a Hallmark movie, it follows a very similar path in terms of romance. Izzy loves children, and visits orphanages, the Prince is engaged and soon to be wed, Izzy runs away at the last second, etc.

          I thought this movie overall was cute, but there were some things I did not like. Firstly and in my opinion most noticeably, the horribly fake New York accents. Izzy and her two ditzy friends all sport New York accents but on steroids. It takes away from the movie as a whole, because I found myself laughing at how bad the accents were. After mentioning her friends, I have to comment on them too. They are the very typical comical relief, however I didn’t really find them very funny. I thought they were overall pretty annoying. They acted extremely out of place everywhere they went, and went over the top to act as girly and excited as they could about everything, I thought they were too much.

          Izzy and her family have been in the hairdressing business for a long time, her grandmother and mother both work at the same salon. The mother was extremely overprotective and controlling. She wanted Izzy to carry on the family tradition and was very forceful about it. She didn’t even want Izzy going with the Prince to help him. I really did not like the mother.

          Prince Thomas’s fiance was better than I expected. I usually expect the fiance to be these very mean girls, who treat everyone horribly and are extremely spoiled. However, she was honestly pretty nice, and ended up being happy with not marrying the Prince. Her parents on the other hand were on the opposite end of the spectrum. They attempted to expose Izzy and Thomas, even going so far as to get Izzy fired and sent back to New York. However I didn’t really understand why this family specifically was marrying into the royal family. The fiance’s family was from Texas and were rich. However that was where their benefits ended. The royal family was in need of money, but I feel like they could have found some other family that could have served some purpose in terms of allies and protection for the country. That was just something I found confusing.

          Overall, if you’re looking for a cute, stereotypical romance movie, this might interest you. However, I wouldn’t really recommend it for anything past that. I’d give this movie a 4.5/10.

Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (movie)

The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie was released in 2010. The main character is a middle schooler named Greg. He has a best friend named Rowley who is also starting middle school. And two brothers Rodrick (who is older) and Manny (who is younger). In middle school, Greg wants to be liked and popular. He ranks people by popularity and thinks that he is more popular/likeably than his friend Rowley. Because of this he and Rowley sign up for wrestling to be popular, but it doesn’t end well for Greg. I think that this is a really good movie and shows the ups and downs of middle school and the importance of friendship. In the movie Greg and Rowley stop being friends after Greg lies and gets him in trouble. This makes Rowley realize that Greg is actually not a good friend. For part of the movie Greg and Rowley are not friends anymore but they make up and become friends again by the end of the movie. A big part of this movie is “the cheese touch”. Basically at Greg’s school there is a piece of old moldy swiss cheese on the blacktop. Nobody knows how it got there or who’s it was, but it just stayed there and nobody went near it. Except one day this kid touched it, and nobody wanted to go near him because he had the “cheese touch”. The only way to get rid of it was by passing it to someone else. The kid who touched it passed it to someone, and then everyone was tagging each other to get rid of the cheese touch if they had it and it was big deal. But, one day a foreign exchange student got the cheese touch, he did not pass it to anyone else and he moved away. Because, of this the cheese touch was no longer a very big deal at Greg’s school because no one had it. One day when Greg was in gym class with Rowley outside he went to the blacktop and almost touched the cheese but he didn’t which was good. The cheese touch is mentioned again at the end of the movie when Rowley is forced to take a bite of the cheese by teenagers who harass Greg and Rowley. When everyone sees the slice a cheese with a bite mark in it and Rowley standing in front of it they think Rowley bit the cheese. But, Greg takes the blame and says he ate the cheese. This makes everyone want to not be near Greg because they think he has the cheese touch. But, Greg and Rowley are friends again, they also have another friend named Angie who is in seventh grade. Something about this movie that I find interesting and funny is that the school has tryouts for a school cartoonist after the school new paper cartoonist gets sick. Greg and Rowley get in an argument about comics/cartoons. And for the tryouts Greg and Rowley both give separate and different entries. When the winner is being announced Greg is very confident that he will win. But, then Rowley’s name is announced. When Rowley’s name was announced Greg was disappointed and not even happy for Rowley like a good friend would be. This situation was pretty ironic for Greg. Also, as I explained earlier that Rowley was forced by teenagers to eat the cheese. The reason these teenagers didn’t like Greg and Rowley was because of something that happened on Halloween. On Halloween when Greg and Rowley were trick or treating, they went to the north side of the neighborhood. This was somewhere they were not suppose to go but still did. On Halloween Rodrick tells them about the “devil worshiper woods”, which are the woods near the north side. When trick or treating the teenagers make fun of Rowley’s costume and Greg threatens to call the cops. After this the teenagers start chasing Greg and Rowley and they run into Greg’s grandmother’s house to get away. Except Greg’s grandmother is not home, and when the teenagers figure this out they wait outside for Greg and Rowley to come out of the house. Greg and Rowley know that they have to come out sometime. So, they come out of the garage (instead of front door), holding a leaf blower and grass trimmer. Greg losses control of the grass trimmer and accidentally scrapes some of the paint off the teenagers’ car with it. This makes the teenagers furious, and they threaten Greg and Rowley. This makes Greg and Rowley scared and they run away. The teenagers chase them and since Greg and Rowley are very scared they run into this place called the devil worshipper woods that Rodrick told them about. When the teenagers see them run into the woods they stop and leave them because they are also scared of the devil worshiper woods. This is how Greg and Rowley get away from the teenagers. When they are in the woods they see their classmate Fregley and then they run away and go home. This part of the movie was really fun to watch because Rowley Greg had a really hectic night on Halloween. In conclusion, I really like this movie and think it is a good movie for someone in middle school or going into middle school to watch.