Now this is how you make an adventure movie!

It takes me back to Tomb Raider, and reminds me a bit of Red Notice at the same time. It's like they bridged franchises, and made a homage to the game at the same time. I was both impressed and disappointed with the initial airtime scene - some movements didn't seem all realistic there, but when it's all said and done this was one bad-ass movie.

It's a trip, all the way, and a tale of bonding and friendship as much as it is one of adventure and gold.

Feels like they have Wahlberg in the perfect role here too. One where he comes across both as the somewhat one-sided and possibly untrustworthy person he seems to be sometimes, but with a passion that shines through; a trueness they eventually build to. And Antonio Banderas! Sophia Ali!

I liked the girl immediately, but both she and Drake (Tom Holland) do grow on me even more as the movie goes, and Drake's child-like counterpart was just like him! Props Rudy Pankow. The transition's perfect.

Great choice of actors for both the little and the big role.

And all characters have a level of charisma like they might as well have been taken from a game - the black Asian lady too. Only Antonio Bandera unfortunately comes across a little sub-par in his villain roles lately.

It was the same in Red Notice. Sometimes he shines but... at the same time it seems like he's grown old, and lost his edge somehow. Not sure if he really has... maybe that's exactly the kind of person he's attempting to portray here too. Maybe he's perfect for the part after all.

If so the villain could've just been done better IMO.

A note on soundtrack: It's so perfect. I love the mellow guitar as much as I love the crazy club music when they burst into Infernum. And when Drake reaches that ship. It's all just... flawless.

This is so close to a full five. I don't know why I'm not giving it that. Is it still a little superficial? Cliché? Typical Hollywood action adventure comedy blockbuster of the time?

Feels like I need to see it again to judge properly. Like there may be certain flaws here I just don't pick up; like some things might just be too simple; like maybe the special effects weren't all perfect with the ship ride either...

But when they're good they are GOOD. This movie was GOOD. Helicopter shot like Sahara (1995) too, and that was another adventurous, charismatic; bad-ass movie.

Hope they're planning a sequel too.

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome

I saw this one at the movies, and I really wasn't expecting something like this! Most of all I didn't realize Angelina Jolie was one of the characters, and Ajak Salma Hayek! Athena the warrior - is that maybe a play on Xena the warrior princess?

The celestials are massive, the emotions are massive, the ups and downs and skips through time and integrations with the present too.

It's amazing how well they manage. Druig's mind control moments are captivating - only downside to him is his pronunciation sometimes, I barely caught the 'good luck something' bit at the end. And everyone has a power to match. Everyone fits in just perfectly.

Wouldn't have sat wrong with me if they skipped the gay kiss close-up, but of course I just say that because I'm not gay. Power to y'all. Phastos was an awesome character too.

There have been a lot of IMHO sub-par Marvel movies lately, but with the recent Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings and this it feels like they might be back on track again. Might be building something on par with the originals again. Thanos, somehow even he seems to bleaken in the face of the Celestials... though maybe that's just as memory fades.

I loved everything about this one though.

Sprite too. Such an old mind in a young body - incredibly well-acted. And the movie plays with Gods and purpose and existential themes I did not expect or think they'd dare consider. It truly was something new.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome

Here's a feelgood film about orphan kids, and a soul-searching one in particular who winds up in the realm of wizards and becomes a superhero.

Hope no kids start jumping off roofs after this one!

They have a short homage to the piano scene in Big - a Tom Hanks movie that definitely left a mark if you saw it as a kid! Respect. Feels like this was made with a similar audience in mind too. It's a little more... for the little.

The showdown was a little disappointing, but they had a great villain otherwise. The office scene was unexpected. The start was straight up dark. And in stark contrast the family get-togethers were refreshingly uplifting.

This was nice to see, after all. A step away from the stereotypical superhero movie, though that guy at the end... wonder how they sorted that copyright! Or wait maybe Shazam isn't Marvel? DC after all?!

Should've known. It makes sense then...

It's maybe not the best superhero movie out there, but it's a new take on the genre for sure. And it felt wholesome. Great watch.

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome

On its maiden run, the world's fastest bullet train is rigged with a bomb that will explode if it dips below 200 mph.

Here's a B-Movie riding the blockbuster Bullet Train title wave, with some Olympus Down name inspiration maybe, and the Speed plot on train, from the studio that's famous for making similar sub-par action movies piggybacking on big names.

It has a surprisingly good intro - props on the strangle scene and everyone involved there, but after that...

The rest of the movie's filmed on a train - or what's meant to look like a train - though it seems as overly CGI from the outside as it looks like a fake box-like interior from within.

We have cabins with veiled windows - clearly just a room more so than a train - where occasionally they switch the camera to a scenery shot and suddenly the windows are framed by curtains instead of shutters.

We have action scenes where the camera shakes and people scream to bring in a false sense of intensity, and we have CGI explosions, and real and fake shots mixed together, and a miniature train sliding along the track at one point...

They have some beautiful panorama sights of cities initially, but on-location the effects budget seems restricted, prop budget restricted, cast restricted, thus the sense of immersion unfortunately restricted too.

Overall it's just not that good.

They did manage a pretty good cast though.

The main character, boss and villains in particular aren't bad. The FBI guy has a bit too much of a slur though and doesn't really command the respect he's meant to, and the passengers seem of little importance.

They're a varied bunch, and they're not bad, but they get little spotlight, and in the end you're not sure they really mattered at all.

For all the bad and subpar scripting though it actually did keep me engaged all the way, so I shan't criticize it unnecessarily. Just know that... it's NOT like Bullet Train.

Nor like Speed or Olympus Down.

It's okay. It gets no crown.

 rated 2/5: decent

I don't want to start over, I want to keep going.

There's a lot of overacting, and overly clumsy villains, overly messy action sequences - even if it was cool to see some actual martial artists in the mix (thought Jeeja Yanin was one of them - she was somebody else apparently) - but overall it was surprisingly solid!

It ends with a message too, and the sights are good, and explosions too. It's got moments. Though running in a stiff wedding dress... skip that slow-mo.

J-Lo's still otherworldly otherwise.

They had good cast too, even if some get on my nerves at first.

By the afterparty credit scene it's all good. Which btw reminds me a bit of The Hangover ending scenes. The better ones...

Also Lenny Kravitz as the main villain! Didn't expect that. In the end they portrayed him as a pretty good dude too. Or at least not the worst one. Seems like they redeem a little, and give him one hell of a way to go. Creative blow.

Pancho Cardena also dope. And others. Cheech Marin! Hell yeah.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

I remember watching the first Pineapple Express years ago - the crazy marijuana-fueled action farce starring such suitable greats as Seth Rogen, James Franco, Bobby Lee, Bill Hader and Danny McBride, and what a blast that was then. Feels like it paved the way for plenty of other similarly skewed and drug-fueled coinages and comedies that sometimes took you way out of your comfort zone, like Sausage Party, or The Interview - often starring similar pieces of the original Pineapple cast.

At least Seth and James then. The central duo. The genesis of all films that seem to take things the ways you just never thought you'd see a mainstream Hollywood movie go.

They kickstarted a new age of comedy almost. Revolutionized the genre. Modernized, more so?

I wonder if they really did; wonder if their style is simply a reflection of society becoming all the more unbounded, or if it really was a trend they pioneered... either way it feels like they found their formula.

It's always crazy. The characters always get real uncomfortable. It works!

Anyway, it sure took me a while to find out about the sequel, just in time for the ten year anniversary thereof! But I'm here for it. Had fond memories of the first, and this one does not disappoint - though it's surprising they never made a third.

Maybe the visual effects were a bit over the top? Maybe there's a bit much nudity? Make some people took offense...?

If you thought the first one was crazy just wait till you see this one... not only do you get the original cast and a barrage of similar shenanigans, but also (the also very suitably great) Woody Harrelson, as the unfortunate victim of a hit the trio of old are now planning, to make amends for a drug deal gone wrong.

And so they embark in their van and set out, doubting strong...

Shan't spoil it further. :) If you enjoyed the last one you probably will this time too. It's in part just the same story all over but in part... pretty new.

They definitely raised the budget too. Solid views; solid crew. Solid due:

 rated 5/5: friggin awesome