(trailer review) - Rebel Moon: Part 2 - The Scargiver

Blimey, where do I start? Zack is an incredible director and out of the (possibly) 15 movies he has directed (maybe a little more), I have seen 13 of them and really enjoyed 12. It is really like that for me. I truly enjoy a Zack Snyder movie but part 1 of Rebel Moon, while I will not say it is trash, it is very hollow. A chopped-up and rushed movie that does not get anywhere with lots of exposition, stagnant dialogue and weightless characters with a protagonist with the charisma of a grape. In my review, I also stated the film felt like a part 1 as opposed to other movies which were a part 1 that came out that year AND maybe part 2 will be better. This trailer does look really good!

First of all, what are you doing with a blue glowing sword thingy with someone heading towards you, shooting, fighting and messing up all your troops and you are simply walking backwards with your sword in hand not trying to attack? Are you not attacking because you do not want to hurt your fellow troops or are you simply waiting to be tagged in? It's a stylish sideways "hallway fight" that seemed a little silly or choreographed in a way you could see the problems with the fight and scene. Secondly, where are the characters? Did all the other characters die in the first movie after she recruited them? I just cannot remember. I just do not know. I am not sold but, I am going to watch it because I enjoyed the first part even with its problems. I am sold on the visuals (it's Zack Snyder, but of course I am), sold on the robot fighting and I think the best bit in this trailer, is the sliding down diagonally and fighting at the same time. I really feel like I have not seen that in a movie before. Falling and fighting, yes, but sliding down and fighting, I do not think so. Anyway, let's just hope this part two heightens and lifts up part 1 like Dune part 2 did for Dune part 1. 

(trailer review) - The Crow

The Crow is a remake of an old film from the 90's where the lead actor died on set in a freak-accident where a real bullet was used to kill Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee. The film was loved and became a cult hit among fans, but for a very long time since, they have been trying to get this franchise up and running again. They call it 'development hell' when they cannot seem to get a project to go ahead and it is ridiculed with set backs after set backs. At one point, Jason Mamoa was set to be the lead and I think that is where I last knew where we were with this project, until now. Bill "The 'IT' Clown is the lead and this looks really good.

I never saw the 90's film and I think there was a time I saw parts of it or wanted to, but in all honesty, I think I was caught up on the "curse" of the Lee family more than wanting to watch this movie, but with that said, a man out for revenge to avenge his slain wife, but he was also slain too but comes from the dead to seek his revenge, I love the idea of that. Max Payne without Max Payne dying, and I LOVE Max Payne, but not the Max Payne film. This trailer shows us the love between man and woman, them both being killed and the lore about crows and death. After that, all the gruesome and some stylish kills. It looks very violent, but hopefully it will not be over the top with the violence and kills. As I think about violence and kills, I'm thinking of the prison scene in season two of Daredevil, right up my street. That shot where he shoots himself in the body to kill the man behind him is excellent. Let's just hope this is done well because Bill is a great actor, maybe he can make a franchise out of this.

(film review) - Dune: Part 2

I wanted to watch this movie for a third time before I started to review it. Why? Well, because I wanted to watch the movie in IMAX and the second time I watched this movie, I did not get to watch it in IMAX but I've decided to review the movie anyway. If I am going to be brutally honest, if I did not see the beautiful cinematography whilst sitting in a super screen and listened to the excellent music accompanying the movie in my viewing experience, I am likely to fail to understand and appreciate that experience times 'x' number of times in an IMAX screening. I have taken onboard that this movie is best viewed on an IMAX screen (and I really believe it is), but this movie is best watched in the cinema full stop. An IMAX screen is only going to heighten the experience. Whilst I'd love my experience to be heightened for this movie, I have to say, superscreen is just as good and that is because, the movie is simply, JUST THAT GOOD! I'll explain.

The movie picks up where part one left off. Paul Atreides and his mother Jessica is with the Fremin to learn about their culture and as his father Leto Atreides mentioned in the first movie, to harness desert power. However, Leto was killed by the Harkonens set up by the Emperor and Paul is being viewed as the prophet from the stories the Fremin were told as children. With the inconsistent visions of death and other, through leadership over the fremin, Paul must find a way to make sense of his visions and learn the Fremin way.

A lot of people are throwing the word 'Masterpiece' around and on my first viewing, I noticed the time (clock-watching) more than I did in the first movie but I feel that was due to me being apprehensive of what was to come next and eagerly interested in what was going to happen next. When I left the cinema, I went home, put netflix on and proceeded to watch part 1 again, like immediately. I fell asleep because it was after 12am, but I watched it the following day. On the second viewing, I had the confirmation I needed. Thoughts I had but could not confirm or any discrepancies I had, were ironed out. I will not say this movie is a sci-fi masterpiece like some but I will say, although Denis has stated he is working on Dune Messiah (Dune Messiah) and I am not sure if you would call that a part 3 or the sequel to a two-parter as these two movies are truly amazing and once Messiah is completed and is as good or better than this movie, we might be looking at the greatest Sci-Fi masterpiece and or "trilogy" in cinema.

Upon watching part 1 after watching part 2, part 2 feeds and elevates part 1 in ways you could not foresee without watching it. And part one feeds into (naturally) part 2 as the story is foretold or alluded to at the beginning of each movie. Crazy. And you will only notice this on the rewatch. The film is soo cleverly directed, it helps to watch the movie two or three times so when this third movie is due out, I am defintely going to rewatch part 1 and 2 again.

I really enjoyed this movie and I really do believe I will watch this movie again and again and not get bored of it. The score, incredible. It hits you, especially at some moments in the movie at particular scenes. You feel like you are actually in the movie with the characters. The acting, great! You get more from Zendeya this time around and more from Xavier Bardem. He is actually the best character in the movie and possibly the franchise at this point. I can only imagine in the third movie, he will die for the cause, especially as his character is very strongly devoted. As it was written. The story of Paul changes from the first movie and the transformation and acting from Timothee is great. Especially the last few scenes. He is a force at this point and his acting demonstrates this.

There is no much more I can say about this film other than, if you like sci-fi you are more than likely going to like this. There are a lot of religious undertones that may rub you up the wrong way or other, but I would be lying if I said the movie did not make me think about religion and how stories are told whether true or not. For Paul it is also a difficult one because he feels he is not the person they all think he is, but then everything he ends up doing pushes him into the person they all think he is, purposefulness or by manipulation. It will be real interesting to see where things go from here, but as a sequel to Dune part 1. This sequel is great and a definite must see!