Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Count of Monte Cristo is kind of the ur-text for the modern adventure story. Published in 1844, it has it all: treachery, sword-fighting, injustice, long cons, false identities requiring elaborate disguises, secret children, hidden treasure, beautiful ladies, villains becoming heroes, heroes becoming villains, and revenge served …
The Acolyte is the latest Star Wars show to arrive on the back of something of a mixed reception for the franchise of late, with underwhelming ventures for Ahsoka and the latest season of The Mandalorian, but with stellar outings for Andor. Thankfully, The Acolyte is more in the Andor …
2024 has been characterized by a scarcity of animated releases, but with a good standard of quality thus far. From the rich, complex Orion and the Dark to the fun, touching IF, I’ve enjoyed most animated flicks – whether hybrid or full – up to this point. Despite growing up …
In 2015, veteran filmmaker George Miller charmed the world with Mad Max: Fury Road. Many people were skeptical about the movie and felt that Miller might not be able to pull it off. However, he proved everyone wrong and gave us one of the finest movies of this generation. Since …
For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard that artificial intelligence would one day rule the world. As technology advances at an exponential rate, the fear that stems from that sentiment seems to be increasing as well. Will one day machines and A.I. completely take over our world, resulting …
Netflix has a reputation. There’s no getting around it at this point. They make three things: a bunch of good-to-great TV shows, one or two prestige movies every year, and a boatload of cheap-looking action movies made up of bits and pieces from other, better movies that somehow star A-list actors. Atlas belongs in …
In the horrible post-apocalyptic future depicted in the Mad Max movies, where people have names like The Octoboss and Toast the Knowing, it was downright revolutionary of Mad Max’s mother to name him Max. In Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, two of the evil sidekicks are named Rictus Erectus (Nathan Jones) and, what …
Mark Twain once said that, “History does not repeat itself. It rhymes.” The Planet of the Apes series, now on its tenth installment, embodies this. The original 1968 Charlton Heston vehicle ended with his character Taylor in a state of despair at realizing the world of ‘damn dirty apes’ that he crash-landed on was …
Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a largely thrilling although imperfect continuation of the franchise. The Planet of the Apes franchise has become a staple in cinematic history. Starting with the 1968 film of the same name, audiences were swept away to another world. That film transported viewers …
The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan is a 2023 action-adventure film, serving as the opening installment of a two-part series inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel, The Three Musketeers. This French adaptation directed by Martin Bourboulon and written by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière chronicles the journey of D’Artagnan (François Civil), a …
Everybody loves a good monster movie. From the dawn of cinema, the unknown creatures of the underwater realm, dark woods, forests, and otherwise uncharted areas that might care to pay us a visit in the nighttime hours have long been the source of many a child’s lost hours of sleep. …
Every so often, a movie comes along that is so unique, original, and sometimes wildly bizarre that they’re almost indescribable; there’s not much out there to compare them to. For instance, trying to explain to someone what A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once is like or even the Noah Baumbach film White Noise on Netflix, they’re …
La Chimera is a complicated film to describe, and not necessarily because the story itself is confounding, but because the occupation of our protagonist, Arthur (Josh O’Connor), bewilders all expectations. We meet him as he is recently released from prison and reunite with Sister Flora (Isabella Rossellini) as they await his …
Since 2014, the MonsterVerse has been intertwining iconic monsters with humanity’s struggle for survival. Every project in the franchise has been built upon this rich universe of lore, exploring the breathtaking battles between these gigantic beings while diving deeper into the consequences for mankind. The primary focus of the MonsterVerse …
The beginning of the MonsterVerse with the 2014 movie Godzilla made viewers realize that the franchise might turn out to be very dark and serious. That’s one of the reasons why the original Godzilla (1954) was so successful and is still considered one of the finest movies of all time. However, the makers soon …
Legendary’s MonsterVerse has made it to the fifth film in its franchise, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is a big accomplishment. Following the events of the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong film, our title characters are living their own lives on separate levels of the Earth; Kong lives in Hollow …
Ghostbusters could be considered one of the 1980s most iconic films. It holds a place of nostalgia for many, thanks to the cast involved. Putting actors like Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson together proved to be a recipe for success. The combination resulted in a film that has stood the test …
Well, here we are. After being delayed over five months because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two (and its infamous popcorn bucket) has hit theaters worldwide. This second film, an adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, follows immediately after Dune (2021) and continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée …
Enter the film community, and you’ll see jeers of derision at new movies; “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” scream those factions of the internet. There’s merit to the anecdote; practical effects taking backseat to digital, a rubbery grey aesthetic taking precedence over vibrancy and such, but ultimately …
Mark Wahlberg, the star of Arthur The King, had numerous peaks and valleys throughout his career. These include highlight performances in films like The Departed (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award) and The Fighter. On the flip side, he has also had many cinematic misfires like Max Payne, The Happening, and some films in the Transformers franchise. In the …