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Avengers : Infinity War

Published

5 years ago

August 14, 2018

Smile.
For even in death, you have become Children of Thanos.

Me and superheroes. We have a kind of love-hate relationship. One moment I’m really enjoying the character or the story. At that time jealousy bubbles up and I wished I had those specific powers in my daily life. And sometimes I have absolutely no feelings about the superhero or I find the story not so fascinating. I surely can enjoy a Hulk movie because of the devastating power this superhero possesses. From “Spiderman“, I like that youthful enthusiasm that Peter Parker radiates when discovering his new power. And in “The Guardians of the Galaxy“, I appreciated the humor. Finally, “Deadpool” and “Ant-man” were refreshing. But when I watched “Thor: Ragnarok“, I simply fell asleep. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” I found so terribly confusing. After 20 minutes I no longer understood what it was about. And the whole “X-men” universe left me indifferent because of the lack of affinity I have with this club. It will be due to my not so great interest in superheroism. And every time, I come to the conclusion that all those superheroes are connected in one way or another, which makes it look like a web of facts and events.

One superhero? Hell no, let’s use them all.

But “Avengers: Infinity war” was entertaining. First of all, because a large part of the Marvel clan appears in it. It’s like a grand finale of all Marvel heroes. Together they try to join forces to prevent Thanos (Josh Brolin) from grabbing the six Infinity stones, so he can destroy half of the population in the universe with the snap of a finger. A simplistic idea of this super-villain to make life more pleasant on overcrowded planets. A purple environmental activist. He quickly gets hold of the first stones. However, the other two remaining stones are on Earth and require a little more effort from Thanos because they are surrounded by the remaining superheroes. What follows are sometimes hallucinating-looking battles and superhuman confrontations. As we are used to from the Marvel clan.

Does it look like a defeat? No worries. They’ll fix it anyway.

I have to admit it. I was able to follow the story without difficulties (and that might have something to do with my age). Usually, the story isn’t so clear for someone without much knowledge about this world of superheroes. You could even call the film exciting. That’s no self-evident fact when it concerns unbeatable superheroes with unprecedented forces who seldom fear to be defeated. And you know they are going to use the well-known trick of resurrecting the seemingly defeated hero. Even though the situation seems hopeless, you can be sure that one of the heroes will put his butt on an intergalactic toilet where, after the necessary superhero-pushing, he’ll produce some super weapon with which they shrink the bad guy to the size of a smurf, such that the universe is again saved from a catastrophe.

Some fun conversations.

To keep things simple, they’ve split the whole into a number of different storylines in different locations where a group of heroes each has their own fish to fry. This ensures a pleasant change and amusing interactions. Personally, I thought the conversations between Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.) at times quite hilarious. Even the inner battle of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) with his character Hulk caused me to chuckle. Only occasionally the coincidence is really laughable. But isn’t this characteristic of such a superhero flick? For example, Hulk is catapulted from an Asgardian spaceship and flies several light years through the universe, after which he lands with an immense smack on earth. And where? Through the roof of Dr. Strange’s house. What a coincidence.

Bring on the sequel. For once.

When you think there’s an oversupply of movies with superheroes in a latex suit and that the point of saturation had already been reached, then you can call this film an orgasmic highlight. And hats off to the makers for transforming this heterogeneous mixture of characters into a colorful whole. Certainly not a simple task. And even though I’m not a big supporter of sequels and I’m allergic to anything that smells like serials, I still look forward to the second part of this epic story. I wonder what one has to come up with in order to exceed this. That will be an impossible task. Even for superheroes.

My rating 7/10
Links: IMDB

FILM RATING

Related Topics:Action Adventure Fantasy MARVEL REVIEWS

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Official Trailer

Arthur must enlist the help of his half-brother Orm in order to protect Atlantis against Black Manta, who has unleashed a devastating weapon in his obsessive quest to avenge his father’s death.

Published

1 week ago

September 14, 2023

Staff

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom [credit: Warner Bros. / DC]

Genre:

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Release Date:

December 20, 2023

Director:

James Wan

Cast:

Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Plot Summary:

Arthur must enlist the help of his half-brother Orm in order to protect Atlantis against Black Manta, who has unleashed a devastating weapon in his obsessive quest to avenge his father’s death.

FILM RATING

Action

Retribution Movie Review: Mildly Explosive

Published

2 weeks ago

September 6, 2023

Jacques van Zyl

Lionsgate Films

The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie, Retribution, being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Plot

When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under Matt Turner’s car seat, he begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.

*Liam Neeson as Matt Turner (Lionsgate Films)*

Did You Know?

This movie is the third remake of the movie titled Retribution.

In 2015, a Spanish-language adaptation, The Stranger (El desconocido) was released. This was the first Retribution movie. A dishonest banker pays the ultimate price for his wrongdoings when he is held hostage in his own speeding car by a bomb-making extortionist.

In 2018, a German-language adaptation, Don’t. Get. Out! (Steig. Nicht. Aus!) was released in Germany. A loving father and husband is extorted by an unknown guy and he is about to lose his life, his money and his family

In 2021, a Korean version, Hard Hit (Balsinjehan) was released. On his way to work, a bank manager receives an anonymous call claiming there’s a bomb under his car seat, and if anyone exits the car, it will explode unless he can pay a ransom.

Movie Review

Liam Neeson plays the role of Matt Turner, and is literally in the ‘hot seat’ throughout most of the movie. The movie eases you into the drama and the suspense keeps building as the time passes. No time is wasted to bring A small cast brought an intense situation to life in Retribution, and I need to compliment, especially Liam Neeson, Jack Champion and Lilly Aspell, who played the parts of Matt Turner, Zach Turner and Emily Turner respectively for playing the part in the car to perfection. A plot twist is delivered at the end, but the ending is not as explosive as the bomb in the car.

Overall my rating is 3 out of 5 for the Retribution. There is no post-credits scene, so no need to wait till the end. The trailer doesn’t spoil too much of the movie and serves as a great appetizer for Retribution.

Catch the trailer, and watch Retribution at a cinema near you.

FILM RATING

Action

Sound of Freedom Movie Review: A Movie That Moves

Published

1 month ago

August 22, 2023

Jacques van Zyl

Sound of Freedom (Angel Studios)

Plot

Based on the gripping true story of a man’s mission to rescue children from the darkest corners of the world. This action-packed drama shines a light on the harrowing reality of sex trafficking and the valiant efforts of those who work tirelessly to combat it. After rescuing a boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent, Tim Ballard, learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.

More About Tim Ballard

Tim Ballard spent more than a decade working as a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security, where he was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and deployed as an undercover operative for the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team.

He has worked in that role and has seen every type of case in the fight to dismantle child trafficking rings. He’s worked in the United States and in multiple foreign countries to infiltrate child trafficking organizations. He has successfully dismantled dozens of these organizations and rescued children from slavery and exploitation.

While working for the government, Ballard saw how much more is needed in the fight against child trafficking and exploitation across the world. In 2013, he and a team of former government operatives left the security of their careers to accomplish the work of rescuing children as a private foundation – Operation Underground Railroad.

Read more about the work Operation Underground Railroad is doing in the fight against sex trafficking.

Movie Review

The movie starts off immediately with a scene depicting a potential scenario in how human traffickers lure unsuspecting victims into their hold, through job interviews and modelling auditions. The first savior moment is short-lived as the protagonist learns there are more victims, with the focus being on the sister. The story keeps you glued to the screen. Just as you think that the big moment is now, you realize there are so more hurdles, making this more than just a movie, but making it real for so many viewers. A special message was shared in the mid-credits as well as a photo of Tim Ballard.

The movie really hits home with the message of child trafficking. You could feel every emotion in this movie, every tear was felt, the fear and anxiety shared amongst fellow moviegoers and the message was delivered in a way to inspire and give hope to others to join the fight against a crime that is taking place worldwide.

Jim Caviezel plays the part of Tim Ballard and his performance was truly spectacular. I really want to applaud the cast of Sound of Freedom and Angel Studios for bringing this masterpiece to life.

I rate this movie a 5 out of 5. The movie delivers a message that is powerful, eye-opening and a life-changer. I left the cinemas in tears, not just of sadness but of hope as well. I hope this movie reaches everyone and touches the hearts of many. I also want to thank the donors who are making it possible for others to watch this movie. Share the link of Angel Studios with your family and friends and invite them to access a movie ticket or to pay it forward so that more people can watch Sound of Freedom.

In closing, I hope you get to experience Sound of Freedom on the big screen. God’s children are not for sale, and I encourage you to join the fight to end child trafficking.

Catch the trailer, and watch Sound of Freedom at a cinema near you.