This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
This was a delight. Been a while since I've seen such an entertaining indie film, but if anybody is gonna deliver, its Sean Baker. The guy knows how to cast talent that are so undeniably human and realistic, unafraid and unapologetic in their honesty and revealing of the flaws and imperfections that make the subjects so interesting and relatable. Mikey Madison has been a performer to watch, ever since she made an impression on me in Once Upon a Time...In…
I liked it a lot. Awesome debut feature length film for director Drew Hancock. It was a lot funnier than I was expecting. The core cast is really strong, I mean Jack Quaid isn't exactly playing against type at this point, but he played his part so well. Sophie Thatcher has been a very strong performer in both of the recent films I've seen her in: this and Heretic. Lukas Gage as Patrick brought an unsettling energy that was part…
I used to think I was just being nitpicky, and precious about the nostalgia I have for the original...but watching it now there are definitely some changes they make that actually weaken the plot for me. The movie still scratches all those underdog, sports movie itches that arise, and has plenty of good performances and moments, I just think it could have been stronger if they had not worried about connecting it to the "Karate Kid" franchise and just kept some of the story beats, dropped all dialogue references, and just made "The Kung-Fu Kid."
It's family-friendly Saving Private Ryan, but with more horse.
Spielberg definitely hasn't lost his touch when it comes to telling sentimental stories, with plenty of impressive set pieces and an infectious idealism. I particularly liked the through-line about what it means to be "brave," and this cast is stacked with so many outstanding British actors, its practically an ensemble piece, because everybody comes to the table with compelling, fully realized characters. I thought the movie itself, while well told and definitely impactful in all the right ways, it was still a little slow, and the predictability made it a bit less satisfying.
Absolutely breathtaking cinematography and production design. The movie is definitely a feast for the eyes. I was not expecting it to be as cerebral and unsettling, but I welcomed the experience. I was skeptical about how good Kristen Stewart would be in the role of Diana, but she blew me away. She sometimes gets bogged down in bad acting habit's but overall she really approached the role with a love and a depth that we don't always get to see…
This is my kind of superhero movie. Plenty of gritty, stylized action, high stakes adventure, grounded character development...and they don't skimp on the humor and the brain matter. I had a blast with these characters (John Cena was actually REALLY good) and James Gunn knows how to deliver innovative ways of capturing action and he knows how to balance the comedy and the drama. If DC had any good sense they would ditch Zack Snyder, put James Gunn in charge…
