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IR Film Review: THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE [Lionsgate]
The aspect of making history both entertaining but also prevalent in character is a balance, especially when it involves action and comedy. With "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare", director Guy Ritchie uses his approach to again make something off-the-cuff.
IR Film Review: CIVIL WAR [A24]
The contradiction of perspective sometimes offers a different perception in certain ways. With the film "Civil War", writer/director Alex Garland again seeks to stir the pot philosphically while using real world perspectives to engage ideas of conpiracy, hurt and misdirection.
IR Film Review: MONKEY MAN [Universal]
"Monkey Man" in certain ways wants to be the second coming of "John Wick" but from an Indian point of view. While what star/director Dev Patel does is admirable and his heart is fully in it, the movie doesn't truly hit its stride until the last 1/4 of the film.
IR Film Review: THE FIRST OMEN [20th Century Studios]
The aspect of a horror film needs to create dread while also being acary psychologically and not just in a gore context. "The First Omen", despite treading some of the same ground as "Immaculate", accomplishes this admirably creating a sense of old school with its shooting style and tone (while being set in the early 70s in Rome) while also not pulling back and making the characters unbelievable.
IR Film Review: GODZILLA X KONG - THE NEW EMPIRE [Legendary/Warner Bros]
The trajectory of a film franchise like Kong depends on the angle needed and what it is trying to accomplish. With its latest entry: "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" all sense of scale and reality seemingly go out the window but the film and its tone lean into it. This is not dark and brooding and yet there is plenty of destruction.
IR Film Review: GHOSTBUSTERS - FROZEN EMPIRE [Sony]
The essence of the "Ghostbusters" is about blending horror and comedy. In many ways, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" does this better than any film since the first one back in 1984. This might be aided by the return of many of the original cast but also the difference in tone a director like Gil Kenan brings versus Jason Reitman.
IR Film Review: DAMSEL [Netflix]
The essence of a fantasy and, by expansion, a damsel is an interesting concept of lore in today's society. The crux of "Damsel" from Netflix is wanting the romance but understanding the individuality needed. Millie Bobbie Brown, as a character, persona and performer, is bringing an interesting balance to the table in being able to bridge girlishness but with a sense of power without losing femininity as a matter of course. "Damsel" knows this inherently.
IR Film Review: DUNE - PART II [Warner Bros]
The progression of a story depends on knowing where it is going in an overall sense. With "Dune - Part II", director Denis Villenueve understands and motivates on the context of what Part I promised. He delivers but there are different cracks and jumps that inherently lift but also restrict the film in certain ways.
IR Film Review: STOPMOTION [IFC Films/Shudder]
"Stopmotion" wants to exist in Lynchian world where all paths lead to either realization of ruin. The context of the journey follows a young woman who seems to searchng for something but comes to conflict with something she can't control. The beginning is wrapped in an idea of an overbearing mother who seems to exert a sense of intent with her daughter to make a animated stopmotion film which seems to fuel her psychosis.