MovieWarfare

  Jungle Cruise (2021) is another attempt at making a movie franchise based on one of their rides at their theme parks. The only real success so far has been Pirates of the Caribbean. Most of the time it is Tomorrowland (2015) or The Haunted Mansion (2003). The premise is “Dr Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a discovery that will change the future of medicine”. So is this more close to Pirates of the Caribbean or Tomorrowland? Firstly, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt truly carry this film. Dwayne’s scoundrel and charismatic performance surprisingly works well with Emily’s posh and outgoing performance. Both have great chemistry together and when they are both bantering with one another, it is enjoyable to watch. The majority of the movie is about the characters on the boat which is ...

  You know a movie is good when, despite knowing what is going to happen, it still punches you in the feels.

  GI Joe was never my thing when I was growing up. My only experience with this IP was the two big blockbuster GI Joe movies and they were terrible. Snake Eye was the best aspect of those terrible movies though as he was a badass mute ninja. I was a little surprised and intrigued when it was announced that there would be a prequel/reboot focused on him before he was mute.  The premise is “An ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage welcomes tenacious loner Snake Eyes after he saves the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach him the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing him something he’s been longing for: a home. However, when secrets from Snake Eyes’ past are revealed, his honour and allegiance get tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him”. So is the Snake Eye origin a story worth telling or is it just another bad attempt at the GI Joe franchise? Firstly, Henry Golding is good as the titu...

  I love the Arthurian legend but most stories concerning it in TV and film is mostly about the titular King Arthur. However, The Green Knight is focused on one of the knights instead, Sir Gawain. The premise is “King Arthur’s headstrong nephew embarks on a daring quest to confront the Green Knight, a mysterious giant who appears at Camelot. Risking his head, he sets off on an epic adventure to prove himself before his family and court”. So is Sir Gawain’s story worth telling or should we just go back to King Arthur? Firstly, this movie is visually stunning. The cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo is gorgeous and very magical. Almost every single shot in this film is like a painting and that alone makes it feel very fantastical. The lighting is also something to admire. At the beginning of the journey is a dreary, gloomy colour of the towns but it then goes to the green and grey forest that feels haunting yet beautiful. As the movie progress, it starts to become mo...

  Rurouni Kenshin live action movies are a prime example on how to adapt the manga to live action. Since the live action movies have concluded, I thought it would be great to rank them. 5 - Rurouni Kenshin: The Final My Rurouni Kenshin: The Final Review Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is a satisfying conclusion for our group of characters, even though technically it ain't the final film in the franchise. It has an amazing final fight and the rest of the fight scenes are good too. The problem is that the rest of the fights are just "good" but not insanely memorable. It also has a pacing problem and constant flashback problem including an flashback that spoils the prequel that comes out after completely to the point of ruining it. 4 - Rurouni Kenshin Part 1: Origins My Rurouni Kenshin Part 1: Origins Review This is how you start a franchise! The movie manage to successfully cover all the important aspect that happened in the source material and cram into 2 hours. It ...

  Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is the 4th entry in the franchise, but not the final entry despite its name. I was genuinely surprised when they announced they would be making 2 more in the franchise and it would be the final ones. I was very stoked about it as I love the franchise as they are one of the few live-action manga movies that deliver. The premise is “In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who have vowed to take their revenge”. So does Rurouni Kenshin: The Final stick the landing or should it have just remained a trilogy? Firstly, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final continues to deliver on the authentic and beautiful set design with sumptuous costuming. Naoki Sato also returns to score the movie with him bringing a more sombre theme for both Kenshin and the main antagonist that is very effective. The cinematography by Takuro Ishizaka is visually stunning at times with some shots that ...

  Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is the 5th and final film, despite its name, in the franchise. It is a prequel focusing on Kenshin’s past as the assassin Hitokiri Battōsai during the final years of the Bakumatsu. The premise “Before he was a protector, Kenshin was a fearsome assassin known as Battosai. But when he meets the gentle Tomoe Yukishiro, his story begins to change”. So is this a wonderful final outing or a story not worth watching? Firstly, a lot of what makes Rurouni Kenshin great is still here. The actors are all phenomenal including the new cast in this entry, the set design is as authentic as ever, the costumes are all great, the score by Naoki Satō who returns from previous films is still wonderful, the cinematography by Takuro Ishizaka is still as gorgeous as ever, the story is still really engaging even if it is slightly predictable. I’m not going to rinse and repeat my reviews from previous entries in the franchise, but they are all still here and ...

  The Suicide Squad is a sequel/semi-reboot to the critically panned Suicide Squad (2016). The 2016 movie tried to replicate James Gunn’s Guardian of the Galaxy but failed miserably. So for the second Suicide Squad movie, why not just hired James Gunn himself? The premise is “The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world – Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and others – to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave”. So is this a failed mission or is it one to remember? Firstly, The Suicide Squad is an absolute blast to watch as it contains all of James Gunn’s iconic charm from GoTG. There are the characters with their vibrant and distinct personalities, even for characters of limited screen time. The visu...

  It’s a dumb sci fi movie but it knows that and has fun with it. It has an interesting concept too but don’t think too much about the entire logic of it as it doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s a fun action movie and that’s okay.