Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
Putting aside whatever grievances you'd have with Snyder in terms of his treatment of story and characters, you have to admit that the man has a strong sense for visuals.
The Marvels
There’s nothing really too serious about The Marvels, which is really about three different but special women bonding during a silly space adventure. Their power sets are also a joy to watch even if they don’t make a lick of sense.
The Conjuring
I like how the movie plays like a procedural and actually opens with a B case, in which they will quickly resolve before the end of the opening sequence.
A Haunting in Venice
This is a very traditional whodunnit, with the usual suspects of affluent family members, their acquaintances and the help all trapped in a building while the great detective slowly grills each person until the reveal of the murderer(s?) is done in a grandstanding fashion.
The Equalizer 3
It’s not the most original of stories, with many of the action movie cliches we’re very much accustomed to, but I always felt that it’s the execution that matters in this genre, and the movie delivers in spades on that.
Invaders from Mars
To be frank, War of the Worlds is the better movie by far. Invader from Mars has a much smaller budget, and it painfully shows at times, unfortunately.
Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is a spy thriller (more Bourne than Bond) that looks like one, even feels like one, but isn’t in any way as clever as it wants you to think it is.
Oppenheimer
An above-average, streaming-budget-looking courtroom drama that they tried to pass off as a cinematic event for the ages, and I’m just simply miffed that I actually paid IMAX prices to watch it.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
It manages to bring back the glee and excitement of the Indiana Jones of old that the last one didn’t. The opening sequence alone is already something I see myself revisiting a lot, and the movie did an apt job in making an appropriate close to the Indiana Jones series, although I would have preferred a more upbeat one.
The Mandalorian, Season 3 (Disney+ Series)
The greatest Star Wars anything ever. There, I said it. Fight me!
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I’m not sure if the movie has satisfied the expectations of D&D fans, but for me this is a welcomed return to the kind of comedy that I thought Hollywood has forgotten how to make.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Another surprise of the year, especially with all the dire warnings from critics that this was going to be godawful. It’s not even close. I didn’t just like the film - I loved it! But there’s a catch.
John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick films are highly influenced by Hong Kong action movies, with its elaborately choreographed action sequences and martial arts battles, and painful-looking stunt sequences. If you like what you’ve been reading so far, then you’re going to love all the Wick movies, including Chapter 4.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
If you’re expecting more of the same from Shazam 2, you’re not going to be disappointed.
Cocaine Bear
I felt guilty for not defending M3GAN when people were deriding it for being silly and dumb. At least M3GAN had something to say, and that “audition” scene with the board of directors was absolutely riveting. Cocaine Bear had none of those.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Despite some story directions that didn’t work and some other quality issues, I think it did the job, and there are a few but enough of the good stuff here to at least warrant a watch.
Avatar: The Way of Water
I don’t know if it will have longevity in the physical media format, or that its breathtaking spectacles would translate well on the small screen, but Avatar: The Way of Water is a sight to behold on IMAX 3D.