Zombieland: Double Tap (Film Review)

This is a treat.

The Dead Don't Die or: Jim Jarmusch Tackles the Zombie Genre (Film Analysis)

See, here's the problem.

Zombieland is Great (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 3: Zombieland is Wonderfully Surprising

Zombieland is Wonderfully Surprising (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 2: Zombieland is Hilarious

Zombieland is Hilarious (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1: Zombieland is Influential

Zombieland is Influential (Film Analysis)

What if I told you that Zombieland is one of the key pieces that turned me into a film buff?

This is the End Revisited or: A Trifecta of Good Aspects that Make for a Great Comedy (Film Analysis)

Note: This is my second review of This is the End. Here's my original review from 2013, written back when the film first released.

There’s a simple story that comes with my first viewing of This is the End.  I went into the theaters in a particularly sour mood and came out with the biggest smile on my face.  A film that can get rid of a bad attitude is automatically a success, but This is the End goes a few steps above your typical Seth Rogan stoner film.  I originally referred to such elevation as a trifecta of good cast, comedy, and heart.  Revisiting the film, however, has given me better clarity as to This is the End’s true trifecta and why it so effectively resonates with me.

Avengers: End Game (Film Review)

What can I say about the “finale” of an over twenty-part film series to an over decade-long franchise?  There’s a lot I have to say about End Game, and most of it has already been said by other reviewers.  Nonetheless, I figure I’ll give my own two cents on the film, yet with a slight twist to the usual formula.  Here are one-hundred thoughts, over the course of the summer, of the strengths, weaknesses, surprises, interactions, and nods to the comics I saw from by multiple viewings of Avengers: End Game.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD:

1. The opening sequence featuring Hawkeye is a chillingly effective way to start Endgame, in addition to being a great way of bringing Hawkeye into the final film.

2. There’s so much Nebula greatness in Endgame.  I've never cared much for her character before, yet here she goes from zero to the film’s MVP when it comes to characterization.

3. The scene where Nebula and Tony are playing paper football is so charmingly adorable. Who would have guessed these two would have such surprisingly effective chemistry (I also love how Tony refers to her as the blue meanie and that she's only a “little sadistic”)?

4. I love the little extra touches where Nebula declines the extra oxygen so that Tony can have it, and when she caringly picks him up from the floor and into a chair during their seemingly last moments.  It really shows how far she's come from the sadistic killer she was in Guardians of the Galaxy.

5. Tony and Rocket’s humorous first interaction: 

• Rocket: Yeah, he's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but there's a lot of that's goin' around, ain't there? 
• Tony: Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear. 
• Rocket: Maybe I am.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Film Review)

Okay so, my opinion on Pokémon Detective Pikachu times four.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (Film Review)

Director(s): John R. Leonetti

Release Date: November 21, 1997

The 1990s video game film adaptations had a habit of ending in a similar way.  The good guys save the day and everything is at peace, yet a looming threat threatens to disrupt such harmony on their next adventure.  Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, and Street Fighter all end this way, setting up for a theatrical sequel that would never see the light of day.  Mortal Kombat follows the same trend, ending with its victorious protagonists preparing (aka posing) for a sudden new threat.

The only difference here is Mortal Kombat got its sequel.

Micro Review #27: The Cloverfield Paradox & Open House (Micro Reviews)

The Cloverfield Paradox:

Avengers: Infinity War (Film Review)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe astounds me.

A Quiet Place (Film Review)

Shhh…be vewy quiet, they’re hunting humans.

Double Dragon (Film Review)

Director(s): James Yukich
Date Released: November 4, 1994

So, what do you get when you take every 80s to early 90s film craze and cram them into a poorly made adaptation of a beat em’ up video game?

You get a film called Double Dragon.

Super Mario Bros. (Film Review)

Director(s): Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel
Date Released: May 28, 1993

The Super Mario Bros. film…isn’t that bad.

FRJ's Top 10 Films of 2017 (Film List)

It has been a much better year.

10 Hidden Gem Films: 2017 Edition (Film List)

You there!  Tired of seeing the same old genericism within mainstream Hollywood?  Desiring films that take risks, are creative and distinct?  Well, look no further, for you’ve found what you are looking for!

FRJ's Top 5 Superhero Films of 2017 (Film List)

It’s staggering how far superhero films have come.

Defective (Link Review)

Here's a link to a review I wrote on a sci-fi film called Defective.  I wrote the review on the website The Nerd Mentality.  Defective recently released on video on demand.

...And that's all I've got, go give my review a read if you're interested.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Film Review)

And so ends The Maze Runner series, a series that began rather lackluster, had an unexpectedly delightful middle installment and ended on what I consider a satisfactory finale.  May I add how much I appreciate Maze Runner: The Death Cure not being separated into two parts like every other Young Adult franchise.  Director Wes Ball has come a long way since the first installment.  He’s figured out how to effectively integrate comedic relief and character interactions into the story—and while The Death Cure is not the same adrenaline-pumping, fast-paced thrill ride as The Scorch Trials, it certainly contains enough engaging entertainment to deliver without disappointment.