Boy Kills World (2023)

Boy Kills World (2023)

7/10

Starring          

Bill Skarsgård

Jessica Rothe

Michelle Dockery

Brett Gelman

Isaiah Mustafa

 

Directed by Moritz Mohr

 

Boy Kills World is a funny action-comedy film about a boy who goes against the city leaders where he lives. Boy (the main character, referred to throughout the movie as Boy) is deaf and mute in this dystopian city. The city is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, and Boy's mother was a rebel. His little sister, Mina, was also a rebel and a hero to him. The head of the Van Der Koy family is Hilda, who selects twelve people yearly for "the culling," where they are killed on live TV. Boy, Mina, and his mother were selected. Boy witnessed his mother and sister being killed, but somehow survived, though left deaf and mute. He was saved by a Shaman, who trained Boy in martial arts, using hallucinogens to strengthen his mind and erase his past, making him strong enough to avenge his mother and sister.

The appeal of this movie isn’t just the premise but how it is executed. The comedy emerges in unexpected places. Boy communicates with viewers through the voice in his head, narrating the movie. Mina, his sister, appears in his hallucinations, talking to him and complicating his journey.

The acting, as expected from Bill Skarsgård (Boy), is top-notch. However, the dystopian setting lacks detail, which is not a major plot point in the movie. It can be understandable as the movie’s budget likely didn’t prioritize the scenery over the story. Because when watching, the movie’s backdrop resembles what you will see in our present world.

With that said, this plays into Boy’s engagement with his surroundings during fights and chases. The "one man against an army" trope recalls ’90s action films, where the hero never misses, but the villains always do.

The standout moment is a twist that shifts everything we know about Boy, his identity, and his origins. Like every revenge film, there’s a twist but this one caught me off guard, making me love the movie even more.

This is one of those movies that nobody has heard of made only 3.3 million in the box office and tells me many have missed out on this masterpiece. So, if you have not seen this movie, you should take the time to see it, you will love it. It is not a big studio project, so as I said, in the above review, do not expect much when it comes to the scenery or backdrop.

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

5/10

 

Starring the voices of

Steve Carell

Kristen Wiig

Pierre Coffin

Joey King

Miranda Cosgrove

Sofía Vergara

Steve Coogan

 

Directed by Chris Renaud

 

It felt so much like I was watching a rip-off of Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004). The story was not as good as the first two Despicable Me animations from 2010 and 2013. It felt a lot like the third—a movie that didn’t need to be made but was done anyway.

This is the fourth animated movie in the Despicable Me series following Gru, and it serves as a sequel to Despicable Me 3 (2017). However, it is the sixth movie in the Despicable Me franchise, following the prequel Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022). The movie's animation and voice cast are not the problem here—they are on par with the ones we have loved before. The issue lies in how the new story is executed and the weakness of the material used.

The problem with this animation was how much time was wasted in the second act—when Gru needed to be relocated for safety and his new hiding place was discovered. The first act was also underdeveloped, leaving the antagonist Maxime without enough time to evolve. In fact, none of the new characters introduced received any meaningful development. With good writing, one hour and thirty minutes can be used effectively, but this movie felt rushed and overcrowded with characters, focusing too heavily on the second act.

The plot is as follows: Gru, working undercover with the AVL (Anti-Villain League), attends his high school reunion to capture a villain named Maxime. Maxime has a personal feud with Gru, which you’ll need to watch the movie to understand. Maxime developed a syndrome that enhanced his strength, allowing him to pursue world domination. Gru, with the help of AVL agents, manages to capture Maxime.

Maxime later escapes from prison and vows revenge on Gru. To protect Gru and his family, the AVL is relocating them to a safe house with new names and jobs.

Meanwhile, Maxime schemes to find Gru and kidnap his baby, intending to raise the child as his own to exact revenge. Gru and his family struggle to adapt to their new life and roles. To make matters worse, someone in their new town discovers Gru’s true identity and blackmails him into helping with a heist.

Everything this movie could have learned from Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004) which it was obviously copying, it did not. It copied the whole idea and failed in the execution or didn’t even care. It seemed more like, they wanted to milk the IP than they wanted to entertain the viewer.

If you’re looking to entertain children with an animated movie, this one might suffice. However, as an adult and a fan of the franchise, I felt this installment wasn’t well thought through.

 

The Bachelor (1999)

The Bachelor (1999)

 

3/10

Starring

Chris O’Donnell

Renée Zellweger

Hal Holbrook

James Cromwell

 

Directed by Gary Sinyor

 

You get to see a man willing to do anything to claim the inheritance his grandfather left for him. The condition? He must get married and stay married for a decade to secure the $100 million estate. Nothing screams cliché like this 90s movie, and honestly, how is this even meant to be romantic?

Renée Zellweger was the main show in this movie, everyone else acted like the money is the reason they are here.

Jimmie (Chris O'Donnell), the man set to inherit the fortune, is willing to marry anyone to keep the money, except commit to Annie (Renée Zellweger), the one person he truly loves. It’s baffling how this movie attempts to position itself as romantic. You will enjoy seeing all the cameos from various female actresses, comedians, and musicians. They take center stage as Jimmie scrambles to find a bride, only for all of them to turn him down.

No wonder this movie has a terrible Rotten Tomatoes rating. The writing is awful, the premise is unrealistic, and Jimmie’s choices border on outright stupidity.

The movie revolves around Jimmie and his love for Annie. He craves bachelorhood and never wants to settle down. His determination grows stronger when his friends get married, leaving him single and isolated. Eventually, he proposes to Annie in the most romantic spot in town—but with a botched, thoughtless proposal, Annie says no and begins reconsidering their relationship. Soon after, Jimmie’s grandfather dies, leaving him the estate, contingent on the marriage condition.

From there, Jimmie races against time to find a bride. With a looming deadline, the woman he loves rejecting him, and his inheritance and business at stake, he reaches out to women from his past, hoping one will say yes.

The movie's ending only worsens the absurdity: Jimmie runs through the streets, chased by hundreds of women in wedding dresses, all eager to marry him for his money. Yet, as romantic comedies go, the writers find a way to spin this chaos into a happy ending. Annie returns, delivering one of the most ridiculous speeches to claim her man.

I saw this movie back in the 90s and always wondered why I never revisited it or why I couldn’t remember much about it. Watching it again now, I understand. Some movies are best left as memories. Trying to uncover why my brain blocked out so much of this film has officially ruined my morning and the idea that I had of this movie. It was a waste of time to see it again, and I beg anyone who thinks this is a good movie to see, should find something else to do.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

 

5/10

Starring

Eddie Murphy

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Taylour Paige

Judge Reinhold

John Ashton

Kevin Bacon

Directed by Mark Molloy

 

Contains Spoilers

It was nice seeing the character Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) again, to see what he has been up to, since it has been thirty years since the last film in the franchise. This fourth Beverly Cop film, well, it is boring at times, but I can tell you it is better than the sequel Beverly Hills Cop two and three, and that is not saying much.

It is on Netflix, and I had to take a break to finish watching it, because I did not want to sleep off before seeing it through.

I think the main problem of the film for me is that the story seemed to be underdeveloped. I had issues with when Foley found out that Grant (Kevin Bacon) was the film’s main antagonist. He found this out when he went to an exclusive club and saw Grant with the people who he met in Billy’s flat and attacked him. Now, I do not expect him to do something at that moment, but this is Beverly Hills Cop, nothing ever goes according to common sense. As long as it makes sense for Axel Foley to do it, then it is ok in the Beverly Hills cop world.

The action in the film was welcoming, but they were too far apart, and we had to deal with too much talk. The trying to create a bond back that was broken between Foley and his daughter reminded me so much of Die Hard 4.

As you know if you have seen the older Beverly Hills cop movies, Axel always finds a way to get himself back to Beverly Hills to cause havoc. This time it was because his daughter’s life was being threatened. She took on a case and was threatened to drop the case. So, Axel jumped on a plane to Beverly Hills to help. The problem is, he and his daughter are estranged, and he was informed of the threat to her life, by his friend Billy, who asked him to come assist. Billy put her life in danger by asking her to represent a criminal who has been framed for murder.

Axel gets to Beverly Hills, and then we discover that Billy has been missing for some days. He meets up with his daughter and tries to rekindle their relationship, as they dig into this case to see how deep it goes, and to try and find Billy as it seems he knows more about this case than anyone else.

For me, the film lacked the needed spice to make it a film I will want to see again, but what I can tell you is, it stands better than the two previous sequels before it. Still, I can’t help but feel the movie missed a golden opportunity to bring the franchise back to life.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

 

6/10

 

Starring

Anya Taylor-Joy

Chris Hemsworth

Tom Burke

Alyla Browne

 

Directed by George Miller

 

There comes a point where I believe a franchise has had its time, and for Mad Max, I think that time is long gone. George Miller seems to have pushed this series to its limits. While Mad Max: Fury Road was fun to watch, this prequel lacked the same spark, it had too much fluff. The film dragged the story for too long, just dancing around the main plot without hitting the nail on the head.

I found myself trying hard to stay alert and had to stretch occasionally just to stay awake. Some scenes felt entirely unnecessary, and the conversations in some scenes were not needed and it would have been best if it were summarized. I felt Miller is too much in his own head about this franchise and thinks everyone is just as hooked in the long talks and wasted scenes as he is when he is building his franchise. Despite solid performances from the leads, the plot was a letdown, and the makeup and props, especially the one on Chris Hemsworth, was glaringly off. You will be able to spot that he had a fake nose.

The action sequences were decent, though they didn’t measure up to the visual brilliance in the previous movie, Mad Max: Fury Road. My main biff with this movie is, why did the plot take so long to converge on the warlords’ plan to eliminate Dementus?

This prequel explores Furiosa’s backstory, revealing how she came to be in the Citadel with Immortan Joe and why she has a deep hatred for him. The story begins with Furiosa’s capture by Dementus’ men from a green haven, unlike the surrounding wasteland. Her mother went after her to save her from her captures but failed and was killed, but not without first killing everyone who knew where this place was. Furiosa after seeing the death of her mother, refused to divulge the location of her home to protect its people.

Dementus, a deranged warlord leading the Biker Horde, forces Furiosa into his fold, hoping she’ll eventually disclose her origins, but Furiosa was mostly quiet. When Dementus targets the Citadel but failed in capturing it. He then captured the town where gas is mined and cuts off the supply to the Citadel. He then sets up a treaty where he is the one who supplies Immortan Joe. It’s during this treaty that Furiosa ends up at the Citadel.

As for how she lost her hand, escaped, and became a relentless force against Dementus well, that’s for you to discover in this two-hour-plus film.

Inside Out 2 (2024)

Inside Out 2 (2024)

9/10

Starring

Amy Poehler

Maya Hawke

Kensington Tallman

Liza Lapira

Tony Hale

 

Directed by Kelsey Mann

 

Inside Out 2 comes nine years after the original, Inside Out (2015). This sequel reflects a conscious decision by Disney to return to its roots of what made their animations amazing. I have to be honest, in recent years, Disney’s storytelling had taken a backseat to messaging. Their animations now have plots designed to appeal to specific groups, and side lining the rest of us. This resulted in weak plots and thankfully bad box office returns. So, Inside Out 2 signals the needed shift back to masterful storytelling and thoughtful world building, over messaging. The movie is well-directed, making it easy to transition from the mindset of the first film while also adding context for new viewers. The original voice cast returns, and the addition of new voices is strong enough to do more than just make the movie flow.

We are back again in Riley's mind, and seeing how her emotions deal with the new stage in Riley's life, the chaos that is puberty. In the first animation we met the original emotions of her childhood: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. These emotions worked together to create Riley’s sense of self, this sequel flips the narrative. You see, Riley turns thirteen, and along with this new age comes new emotions. We now have Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment. These emotions quickly take over the control center in her mind, side lining the original team. Anxiety, in particular, takes control of Riley’s actions in a bid to prepare her for the uncertainties of adolescence.

With Anxiety in control, you can imagine what follows. Try and thinking of the bad decisions you make when you allow anxiety to be the driving force of your decisions, which I found relatable. We see how Riley struggles to fit in, and, choosing to distance herself from her old friends which she went to the hockey camp with, and reshaping herself to match what she perceives as "cool" and fit in with her new friends. She starts to pretend to like what they like, and lie about who she really is, so that she can fit in.

Anxiety becomes the dominant force, steering Riley into choices that threaten her sense of identity.

Meanwhile, the sidelined emotions from the first animation embarked on a journey through Riley’s streams of consciousness to return to the control center. They face numerous challenges in the maze-like terrain of her mind, many of which are signs of what to expect if there is an Inside Out 3.

The film’s ability to depict the psychological and emotional upheaval of adolescence is where it truly shines. It captures how anxiety can magnify insecurities, driving us to conform and suppress our authentic selves.

Visually, for me, Inside Out 2 continues Pixar’s tradition of stunning animation, with the mind’s landscapes brought to life in vivid detail. The film’s exploration of Riley’s psyche is both imaginative and emotionally grounded, enhancing the storytelling.

The success of Inside Out 2 at the box office is a testament to its quality and how much viewers can relate to it. The movie feels like a turning point for Disney, a reminder of the studio’s ability to craft timeless stories that balance humor, heart, and innovation.

Instead of trying to please the few, they should focus on compelling narratives and memorable characters, returning to the magic of classic storytelling that stands the test of time.

Hit Man (2023)

Hit Man (2023)

 

6/10

Starring

Glen Powell

Adria Arjona

Austin Amelio

Retta

 

Directed by Richard Linklater

 

I have to be honest, this film has some twists I didn’t see coming. The lead, Gary (Glen Powell), becomes deeply entangled in one of his cases, which unexpectedly escalates into a murder. The complexity of his involvement and the warped relationship dynamics are captivating, albeit baffling. The film operates on a modest budget, but the performances by the cast, especially Powell, compensate for this limitation.

Adapted from Skip Hollandsworth’s book of the same name, the story follows a professor who collaborates with the police to catch individuals seeking to hire hitmen. The narrative emphasizes that there isn’t a long queue of people ready to kill for money; instead, it’s about catching those who think they can hire someone to do it.

Gary is thrust into the role of an undercover hitman after the suspension of a police officer originally tasked with the job. Powell’s performance as the hesitant yet determined civilian stepping into such a dangerous role stands out. Although the premise of a civilian taking on such responsibilities stretches believability, the screenplay by Powell and Richard Linklater ensures the story remains engaging.

Initially nervous, Gary quickly adapts to his undercover persona. He was so convincing in this new persona that he was more productive in capturing people trying to hire hitmen than the officer he was replacing.

However, everything changes when he meets someone he’s meant to incriminate. As you would expect, he meets a woman he likes and then he decided to sacrifice it all to save her. There was a form of instant connection between him and her, and he wanted so much to save her from her circumstances that he was ready to fling his life away.

Their connection made him to act like a counsellor who wants to help her turn her life around than he wanted to help her achieve the idea of killing the person she wanted dead. The police are suspecting this double cross, and now we are left to see how he is going to manage this situation.

The office he is replacing is also on his case, and he also must live a double life not letting the lady know that he is working for the police and not let the police know he is working to save the lady from them.

This is a fun Netflix watch, as long as you’re willing to suspend disbelief and embrace the whimsical narrative.