Michael's Movie Reviews

just getting started with movie reviews. I am very inexperienced in this, but am very passionate about film. any points or bits of advice would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to MoFo! If you're passionate about film, then that's all you need to review movies!

Tips? Let's see, don't spoil the movie or the plot without giving a forewarning. Write what you truly feel about the movie and don't worry about pissing people off with your reviews! I do that all the time Just be true to yourself! I look forward to reading your reviews.

John Wick Review:

John Wick is a 2014 action film starring Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane and Willem Dafoe. The film was directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, the two are well known Hollywood stuntmen who have worked on films such as ‘V for Vendetta’ and ‘The Bourne Legacy’.

The film is about a legendary, but now retired assassin known as John Wick (Keanu Reeves). Wick’s home is broken into by a bunch of mobsters who beat him and steal his car, but the truly unforgivable mistake on their behalf’s was killing Wick’s dog, who was a final gift from his recently deceased wife. Wick then vows revenge on them, and goes on a one man killing spree to avenge his dog.

The film realizes what it is. A fun B-movie action romp. Knowing this is but one of the films many strengths. It combines this with truly amazing fight choreography, an interesting crime world, memorable characters and a catchy soundtrack. The film leaves itself open to a sequel (Which is being released February 10th 2017) but the movie also tells a standalone story that is a satisfying conclusion to the character and his journey.

The action in this film is truly something to behold. There is a perfect balance between hand to hand combat and gun combat. Reeves did his stunts as well which makes it even more impressive as he had to go through extensive hand to hand fighting and gun handling training to learn how his character would “carry” himself in fights. The action is shown in this film in such a way that it genuinely feels plausible that it could be done in real life, which adds to the movies believability. Wick is shown to be this force of nature that can’t be stopped, yet he is not invincible. Throughout the film he does sustain injuries and there is a legitimate threat at times that he may not be able to succeed, this always keeps the action interesting.

Most of the cast give decent performances. Nobody stands out as being exceptional but nobody holds the film back. Reeves is an actor that is often criticized for having the acting abilities of “a wooden plank”, however he does prove to be quite capable of showing genuine emotions in this film. Whatever woodenness he does have also lends itself to the character of John Wick, as he is meant to be a widely feared assassin (at one point a character refers to him as “The person you send to kill the ****ing Boogeyman”), who should be showing little to no emotion.

The pacing in the film is ok. It does admittedly start of somewhat slow and dull. However this is perfectly fine as the film uses this time to drop hints here and there as to exactly why people know not to mess with John Wick. This then builds up the suspense leading towards the first action scene wherein we are shown just how dangerous Wick truly is.

The plot as previously mentioned is nothing special. It is refreshing to see the motivations for the protagonists actions being the loss of a pet, rather than a shoehorned in love interest. However that doesn’t change the fact that this movie still has a very standard B-movie plot.

Overall I enjoy this movie quite a lot and find it very re-watchable. There is some humor to be found and it usually gets a laugh. The action is definitely the highlight of the film and is some of the best I have seen in recent action films. I highly recommend this movie to anybody that just wishes to have a good time, and isn’t looking for a film that requires much thought to truly enjoy.

Score: 7.5/10

That was a well written review, good job. I haven't seen the film myself, but you made it sound interesting. I know alot of people really liked it.

You might want to check other reviews here on the same movie, just to see how other reviews covered it.

John Wick reviews at MoFo

Nice review but not a great fan of the movie

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Buddha

Good review – the best thing is I actually quite fancy watching the film after reading it.

I can think of a couple of films with the loss or maltreatment of a pet being at least part of the reason for revenge. I won't mention the first but 'Meathead' being beaten up doesn't do anything for Harry Callahan's temper in Sudden Impact .

Most sport films follow a very clear formula wherein the underdog(s) will somehow manage to overcome both their personal issues and the much tougher antagonist person or sporting team. ‘Warrior’ follows this in some respects, however it also manages to avoid a lot of clichés associated with that genre. The film came out in 2011 and starred Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte. It was directed by Gavin O’Connor. The film is a tense rollercoaster that pits brother against brother in a battle as brutal emotionally as it is physically.

Two brothers face the fight of a lifetime, within the brutal, high-stakes world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Haunted by his tragic past, Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) returns to his home in Pittsburgh and enlists his father Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte), an ex-alcoholic and his old coach, to train him for an MMA tournament awarding the largest prize money in the history of the sport. As Tommy blazes a violent path towards the title prize, his brother, Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), a former MMA fighter unable to make ends meet as a school teacher, returns to the amateur ring during the nights to provide for his family. Even though years have passed, blames and past betrayals keep Brendan bitterly estranged from both Tommy and his father. But when Brendan's unlikely rise as an underdog sets him on a collision course with Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront the forces that tore them apart, all the while waging the most intense, winner-takes-all battle of their lives.

The film is brilliant in that it makes the audience genuinely divided as to which brother they side with. Tommy is an Ex-Marine in the U.S. Army, who will donate all of his winnings to the family of one of his fallen comrades, an honourable and selfless decision. Meanwhile Brendan needs the money to prevent his family from being evicted from their home. Both brothers have a genuine and valid reason for entering the competition. This means that neither of them are technically the protagonist or the antagonist of the film, which means that on repeat viewings you can side with a different brother and have a whole different experience.

The fighting in the film is also quite amazing. Both Hardy and Edgerton received actual training for 3 months prior to filming, and did the majority of their stunts. The choreography is great and you will feel every single punch Brendan and Tommy receive throughout the film. Fans of MMA may be able to pick some holes in the fighting but most of it holds up to criticism as it was designed by actual fighters. The fights never get boring and even though you know who will inevitably have to win, there is always that doubt in the back of your mind.

The acting in this film is solid. Tommy is supposed to be a traumatised and tragic figure, and Hardy is able to showcase this perfectly. Edgerton as Brendan is fantastic, he has great chemistry with his family and the students he teaches. At times I forgot that he was an actor because of how genuine he felt. Nolte however is truly amazing in this film. He has to play a father who due to his own mistakes has been estranged from both sons, and now that they have both re-entered his life, he must witness them clawing away at each other knowing that he is completely helpless to stop it all. It truly is heartbreaking and he couldn’t possibly have been any better.

The film is an amazing sports movie. There is so much going on to keep people interested. It lends itself to repeat viewings, and it has genuine tension and stakes. You will at times find yourself afraid that your chosen brother will lose their next fight, your palms will be sweaty and you’ll be on the edge of your seat.
Score 8.5/10

Really enjoyed reading your review of this film...I will be adding it to my watchlist.

thank you! I promise you won't regret that decision.

Warrior is brilliant, nice job on the reviews!

Thanks, and yes it is.

Few actors are capable of carrying a film on their own. Actors such as Tom Hanks, Ryan Reynolds, James Franco and Tom Hardy have all done this to varying levels of success. Now Matt Damon has joined the ranks of actors who have done it successfully. The Martian is a 2015 sci-fi film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon, Sean Bean and Jessica Chastain.

When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meagre amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring rescue mission.

While Damon is not the only Actor in the film (there are many) the vast majority of the film and almost all of his scenes are him all by himself, stranded on Mars fighting for his life. The other actors all give solid performances but Damon’s performance as Mark Watney is superb. There is never a moment in the film where I grew bored of him. Damon gave an entertaining performance full of sarcasm, jokes, charisma, insanity, desperation and hope when there should have been none.

The film looks magnificent. The Mars scenes were all filmed in the Middle Eastern desert of Wadi Rum, Jordan. You believe completely that they are actually on a different planet. The landscape is beautiful, yet harsh and unforgiving.

The film prides itself on how scientifically accurate and plausible it actually is, with several professionals in various areas all giving advice on how to make the film more realistic. Many people would call into question things such as Watney’s food intake being sufficient, him growing food on Mars’ soil and the amount of time he spent on Mars given the supplies he had available. However all of the conditions and scenes in the film are technically possible. With the most unrealistic thing being the storm that forced the other members of Watney’s crew to abandon him.

The film is very faithful to the book it was adapted from, lifting several lines straight from the book. The film benefits greatly from this as Watney’s dialogue in particular is simply amazing, particularly when he’s doing vlogs, and you can see how he’s trying to remain optimistic and upbeat about his situation “Hell yeah! I’m a botanist. Fear my botany powers!”

Overall this is a film that I highly recommend to anybody. It has elements of comedy to lighten the depressing situation that Watney is in. the writing and acting is solid and the story is great. Definitely watch this film.
Score: 8.5/10

It is very rare to see a movie as touching and full of heart as ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’, a 2016 independent New Zealand film starring Sam Neil and Julian Dennison, directed by Taika Waititi. This film is loaded full of things for everybody to enjoy, such as beautiful cinematography, touching performances and an abundance of great jokes.

After being raised on hip-hop and foster care houses, the self-proclaimed ‘gangster’ city kid Ricky Baker gets given a clean slate and final chance in the New Zealand countryside. He soon finds himself in a home with his new foster family: the loving and outgoing Aunt Bella, the cold and reclusive Uncle Hec, and dogs Tupac and Zag. When a tragedy arises that threatens to ship Ricky off to Juvenile Prison, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt soon follows, the newly branded ‘outlaws’ must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family.

This film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The colors, angles, locations and settings all work together to create a luscious view of the New Zealand bush. At one stage there is even a joke comparing the films journey to that of ‘Lord of the Rings’, a joke that works both because they are walking their way slowly through the bush trying to stay ahead of danger, but also because both films were filmed in New Zealand.

All throughout the film the relationship between Ricky and Uncle Hec is built. It begins as a mutual dislike for one another. Then as circumstances would have it, the two must rely on each other for survival. Eventually the two find mutual interests, build trust and begin to genuinely care for each other. By the end of the film Hec becomes like the father Ricky never had, just as Ricky becomes the son Hec never had. This relationship is truly one of the most touching I’ve seen in a while.

The film is not a comedy and actually has some truly sad moments. However, there is still plenty of humor to be found. Some of the jokes are relevant to the situation the two are in. however some are also quite Meta and equally as funny. There is a scene wherein the antagonist confronts Ricky and compares the two to the Terminator and Sarah Conner (but the Terminator 1 Sarah Conner who couldn’t do chin-ups). As a film buff jokes like these always put a smile on my face, so I thoroughly enjoy this movie for that.

Overall this is by far one of the most touching films I have ever seen, certainly the most touching I’ve seen in 2016. The film has strong performances, great jokes and is quite visually pleasing. This is a movie that everybody must see at some stage.

Score: 10/10