The Thing (1982)

The Thing (1982)

7/10

Starring

Kurt Russell

Directed by John Carpenter

I wouldn’t tag this movie as horror because, from my perspective, there’s nothing particularly horrific about it—it’s more of a thrilling ride. The acting and directing are top-notch, and the movie delivers on a script based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr.

What I liked most about the movie is the confusion and the ending. Instead of neatly solving the problem, it leaves your brain working overtime to figure out what you’d do in such a dire situation. It’s an intense mental ride that keeps you engaged, much like the characters’ own struggle.

The plot follows a team working in Antarctica who come face-to-face with an alien that has the terrifying ability to mimic and absorb any living creature. Once it’s absorbed a creature, it can act, speak, and behave just like it. Every single cell of this alien is coded for survival and has the same horrifying abilities.

Now, imagine the chaos when a team of men unknowingly lets this alien into their midst. The confusion is so intense that you’re left wondering who to trust and what you’d do if you were in their shoes.

It all starts with a Norwegian helicopter chasing and shooting at a sled dog. The dog runs until it reaches the American research station, also located in Antarctica. One of the Norwegians exits the helicopter, accidentally blows it up—killing the pilot—and then starts shooting at the Americans, who have come out to see what’s happening. Clearly unhinged, the Norwegian is eventually killed by one of the Americans.

The Americans let the dog into their station and allow it to roam freely. Later, they visit the Norwegian station, where they find all the men dead—some in grotesque, unnatural ways. On the grounds, they discover a massive, block-shaped excavation site and a bizarre, mangled humanoid body. They take both the body and the Norwegians’ log back to their station.

That night, the dog is locked in the kennel with the other dogs. Suddenly, they hear loud barking and rush to find the sled dog transforming into a horrifying, monstrous creature, attacking the other dogs. They manage to kill the creature, but when they go through the Norwegians’ log, they learn just how dangerous this alien is. The creature is incredibly difficult to kill, and any part of it—no matter how small—can mimic a whole human.

Now comes the real terror: the sled dog had already spent time alone with many of them. How can they tell who’s human and who isn’t?

It’s a fantastic movie, and you’d better be ready for a thrill when you watch it!

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

7/10

Starring

Eddie Murphy

Keegan-Michael Key

Mike Epps

Craig Robinson

Directed by Craig Brewer

Dolemite Is My Name is a beautiful film. That’s just the best way to describe it. It’s a biography, drama, and comedy all rolled into one, and while watching, you keep asking yourself, “Where did Rudy get this courage to always bet on himself?”

This movie is about a man named Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy), who created a persona called Dolemite and made a name for himself with it. It was a hard road for him, and this movie is all about that journey to achieve the fame he wanted. The explicit nature of the movie might make you think it has nothing more to offer than cursing and silly stuff, but that’s exactly what the character Dolemite is all about.

The movie starts with Rudy trying to get a DJ on a radio show to play any of his songs. The DJ works at a radio station that broadcasts from a record store where Rudy also works. Rudy also works part-time at a comedy club as an MC, but his material isn’t hitting the mark.

One day, a homeless man who regularly comes into the store starts rhyming. He tells the tale of a man named Dolemite and his wild adventures, using explicit rhymes. While hanging out with his friends, Rudy gets the idea that the Dolemite character could be a great persona for his comedy. He goes to the homeless man and his friends, records their rhymes, and takes them home to refine the material, making it funnier and sharper.

He tries it out at the comedy club where he works, and it’s a hit. Night after night, he sells out. He then records a comedy album and sells it from his car to anyone who wants to hear Dolemite rhyme.

One day, while taking his friends to the movies, Rudy gets the idea to make a movie about his Dolemite character, and that’s where the story really takes off.

The movie’s production is captivating, and the way the script develops keeps you glued. The film is almost two hours long, but I wished it went on longer. The comedy really kicks in once the production of the movie within the movie begins.

Every actor in this film delivers, and huge kudos to Eddie Murphy—he went above and beyond. Wesley Snipes also outdid himself in his role as D'Urville Martin.

Dolemite Is My Name is a movie I can’t wait to see again, just to watch a man put everything on the line to get the boost he needed to go the distance.

Repo Man (1984)

Repo Man (1984)

3/10

Starring

Harry Dean Stanton

Emilio Estevez

Directed by Alex Cox

After I finished watching the film, I had one of those moments. I couldn’t find anything good to say about it, even though it’s a cult classic and was met with critical acclaim upon release. Not everyone will like every movie that receives universal praise, and today, with this movie, I’m part of that "everyone." The movie felt disjointed. Even though it introduced an alien sci-fi vibe early on, the connection between that and everything else felt like plain silly writing. I felt the directing needed work, and it was way too obvious that someone with little to no idea of how to pull something like this off was in the driver’s seat. The movie was written and directed by Alex Cox.

Our lead is a young man from the ’80s with a punk rock vibe. He’s a dropout who wants to coast through life without putting in much effort. His character was hard for me to digest—maybe because I wasn’t a teenager at the time. He just lost his job as a store clerk and his girlfriend to a friend.

After seeing his girl with his friend, Otto is walking down the street when a man offers him money to drive a car and follow him. The man lies to Otto, who believes him, but the moment Otto starts the car to drive off, he’s attacked by another man. He manages to escape with the car and follows the first man to a garage of some sort. Otto realizes then that the man is a repo man and is offered a job, which he turns down.

He goes home to his parents, who look like hippies, only to find out they’ve given money promised to him to a televangelist. So, he takes the repo man job he was offered earlier.

Before we meet Otto (played by Emilio Estevez), we see a man driving fast who is stopped by a cop. The cop asks him to open the trunk of his car. When the trunk is opened, a bright light shines out, and the cop is killed—or, more accurately, vaporized, with only his shoes left behind.

The car the man was driving is also wanted, and Otto and his fellow repo men are after it. But remember, there’s something alien in the trunk. As the movie develops, we learn more about the contents of the car and why the man was driving with it.

Regardless of how the plot sounds, the movie just didn’t do it for me. Alex Cox did a follow-up comic and another movie to this, called Repo Chick.

Badlands (1973)

Badlands (1973)

6/10

Martin Sheen

Sissy Spacek

Ramon Bieri

Warren Oates

Directed by Terrence Malick

If you’re down for a movie about an insane couple going on a killing spree, then Badlands is the movie for you. Although, to be fair, it’s more like an insane couple where the man is the one doing the killings. Filled with a nice performance from Martin Sheen and directed by someone who clearly had their work mapped out well, the movie keeps you watching even though the two leads don’t have enough chemistry to be interesting when they’re by themselves on screen. I found the movie average, regardless of its critical acclaim. It’s also easy to spot that the production budget was low.

The movie was written, produced, and directed by Terrence Malick. As mentioned, the plot is about a couple on a killing spree, which becomes their go-to behavior when cornered or in need of something. Kit (Martin Sheen) is the unstable character who does the killings, and his partner is Holly, a fifteen-year-old girl whom Kit, at twenty-five, has fallen in love with.

Holly’s mother died when she was young, and she has a strained relationship with her father. Kit, on the other hand, is a Korean War veteran struggling to adjust to life after returning home. He finds it hard to keep a job and moves from one manual labor job to another.

After they meet and start having secret meetings behind Holly’s father’s back, they’re eventually found out. Holly’s father forbids the relationship, and Kit can’t understand why he can’t be with Holly. He goes to her house to pack her things, but when confronted by her father, Kit kills him—with Holly present. Even though Holly didn’t wish her father harm, she doesn’t feel much remorse after his death. Kit burns down the house and runs off with Holly.

They start their new life living off the land until they’re discovered, and after one killing too many, everyone is on their case. Even Kit’s friend isn’t immune to what now seems like an uncontrollable union.

How it all ends for these two is something you’ll have to see if you’re already intrigued by the synopsis. The movie is considered significant and has been nominated for numerous American Film Institute lists for being very good. While I personally don’t agree with the claim that this movie is a classic, you as the viewer can come to your own conclusion when you take the time to watch it.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

8/10

Starring

Walter Matthau

Robert Shaw

Directed by Joseph Sargent

I have to say, this movie is more intense and more thrilling than the 2009 Denzel Washington and John Travolta remake. The screenplay was adapted from a 1973 novel of the same name written by Morton Freedgood. The film itself was a critical and financial success and was tagged as one of 1974's finest films. The movie’s strength lies in its suspense—even if, like me, you saw the 2009 version first, you’ll still be surprised by what happens.

The movie shows us four men boarding a train. Each of these men seems to be positioning themselves. The moment the train reaches a particular stop, one of the men, Mr. Blue, pulls a gun on the train’s driver, telling him it’s a hijacking. Meanwhile, Mr. Green takes control of the train’s lever and starts driving. Another man, Mr. Brown, pulls a gun on the conductor, ordering him to close all the doors. The last one, Mr. Grey, positions himself at the other end of the train. Together, Mr. Brown, Mr. Blue, and Mr. Grey pull out machine guns and hold everyone on the train hostage.

A call is made to central by Mr. Blue, who speaks with Lt. Garber. He tells him the train has been hijacked and demands the city pay a million dollars, or he’ll kill all the hostages. Garber is now the man who has to talk to Blue, keep him calm, and try to get the money to them.

How they plan to get away with the money through the tunnel is something you have to see for yourself. And unlike its 2009 counterpart, this hijacking has nothing to do with the stock market—the hijackers just want the money.

I was amazed by the production of this movie. In comparison to its 2009 counterpart, if this is a ten, that was a two. If you look at the actors in this 1974 adaptation, you have to show respect—everyone was so dedicated, from the ones who died to the ones trying to keep them alive. The 2009 version, on the other hand, failed to deliver any performance worth acknowledging, which is strange considering the money spent and the talent at their disposal.

One other great thing I enjoyed about the movie is the thrilling tension you feel when the focus is on the train. The movie is packed with tension everywhere—from the control room to the train, everyone involved is getting under each other’s skin. You watch this movie and just hope the people don’t turn on each other before it ends.

This is a fine movie, one you should see.

The Illusionist (2006)

The Illusionist (2006)

7/10

Starring

Edward Norton

Jessica Biel

Paul Giamatti

Directed by Niel Burger

The Illusionist is another movie from 2006 about life as a magician trying to get by—or, in this case, trying to be with the woman he loves. 2006 was the year we saw both this movie and The Prestige give us a backstage pass into the lives of magicians. The Illusionist was more financially successful, and unlike The Prestige, which features rival magicians, this one focuses on two people in love.

The movie’s plot takes place in Vienna and is set in 1889. A young man named Eisenheim (Edward Norton), who would later become a magician, falls in love with a girl named Sophie (Jessica Biel). Eisenheim’s father was a cabinet maker, while Sophie was a Duchess, so their relationship was forbidden due to their social status.

Their love for each other was stronger than the repercussions of their union, so they continued to meet in secret—until they were caught. Knowing he might never see her again, Eisenheim dives fully into the study of magic and travels the world, eventually becoming somewhat wealthy himself.

Fifteen years later, he returns to Vienna and meets an adult Sophie, only to learn that she is engaged to marry the Crown Prince. It’s rumored that the prince has no respect for women and is cruel to them. Eisenheim conducts a private show for the prince and humiliates him in the process, leading to his ban from performing in Vienna again.

Eisenheim asks Sophie to run away with him so they can be happy together, but Sophie is afraid. She explains that they’ll be hunted down and killed if they try. Later, Sophie attempts to end her engagement with the Crown Prince, but he refuses. He chases her into the stables with a sword, in front of his servants. The next morning, Sophie’s dead body is discovered.

Eisenheim is devastated. In his grief, he buys a theater and begins performing a new magic show, this time practicing necromancy. Everything seems fine until, in front of his audience, he summons Sophie’s spirit from the dead. The spirit reveals that someone in attendance at the show was responsible for her death. This revelation causes a lot of trouble for Eisenheim, and the rest of the movie revolves around the fallout.

Edward Norton and Jessica Biel deliver fantastic performances. As you watch this movie, you’re swept away by the story, and until the very end, you’re left wondering if Eisenheim will ever find happiness.

The Prestige (2006)

The Prestige (2006)

7/10

Starring

Hugh Jackman

Christian Bale

Michael Caine

Directed by Christopher Nolan

In 2006, there were two psychological thriller movies that explored the world of magicians: The Illusionist and The Prestige. The Prestige got more attention, even though both movies are equally fantastic and deliver the thrill and excitement of watching men go to extreme lengths for their craft. While The Illusionist is more rooted in a romantic plot, The Prestige is more about pride.

The Prestige, on the other hand, is packed with twists and turns. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s happening, things change, and by the end of the movie, you still haven’t fully grasped everything. The only downside is that even when it all makes sense, you might not feel the urge to watch it again.

What The Prestige has going for it are the fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman as Robert and Christian Bale as Alfred. As the movie’s narration says, it’s those who love them that suffer. That sad realization hits you when the final curtain falls, leaving you applauding the incredible movie you’ve just witnessed.

The movie’s plot starts with two apprentices, Robert and Alfred, sent by their boss to watch a magic show. Their goal is to come back and explain how the magician performs his trick. We quickly see the difference in their temperaments as the movie progresses. A rivalry begins when Alfred uses a different knot to tie Robert’s wife during a water tank trick that goes horribly wrong.

The two part ways and start their own magical careers. Robert becomes more flamboyant and financially successful, while Alfred continues with moderate success. Alfred develops a trick where he appears to teleport from one side of the stage to the other in an instant.

Robert sees this trick and becomes obsessed with figuring out how it’s done. He creates his own version using a stunt double, but he’s not satisfied with the results. Misled into seeking out the engineer and inventor Tesla, Robert develops his own teleportation trick—but the results are terrifying. Despite this, Robert remains determined to ruin Alfred, while Alfred, seeing Robert’s trick, becomes equally obsessed with uncovering its secret.

Unlike The Illusionist, when you compare The Prestige’s production cost to its box office earnings, it was only a moderate success. However, it received Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. If you haven’t had the chance to see The Prestige or The Illusionist, I highly recommend both.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

6/10

Starring

Robert Downey Jr.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Don Cheadle

Scarlett Johansson

Sam Rockwell

Mickey Rourke

Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Jon Favreau

I didn’t enjoy Iron Man 2 as much as I did the first one, and I felt the movie didn’t add enough to the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s the kind of film that could be missed without losing much. The movie is the third installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and plans for a sequel were already in the works after the financial success of the first movie in 2008.

To me, the movie feels more like an introduction to the strength and depth of S.H.I.E.L.D. and many of its members. It also works hard to portray Tony as needing redemption. After learning he’s dying, Tony becomes unhinged. The movie tries to show us what a past, unhinged Tony was like—partying, drinking, and living recklessly before inheriting Stark Industries.

In this movie, Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle (a very noticeable change, which was financially motivated) in the role of Rhodes (War Machine), and Jon Favreau returned to direct. The film is packed with incredible CGI effects, and the battles between the suits are something you have to see to fully appreciate. It even earned an Academy Award nomination for Visual Effects.

The movie follows Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as he reacts to the news of his impending death. It’s revealed that the reactor in his chest, which keeps him alive and powers his suit, is poisoning him. Tony takes this as a license to live carelessly, throwing parties and showing off what the suit can do. He even promotes Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to CEO of Stark Industries so he can live freely.

Meanwhile, we’re introduced to Ivan Vanko, a man building a reactor similar to Tony’s. This movie also serves as the introduction of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), who is working undercover as Tony’s new personal assistant.

Ivan builds his own suit equipped with electrical whips and attacks Tony during a Grand Prix event. Tony, who has already revealed himself to the world as Iron Man, defeats Ivan after suiting up. However, Ivan sees the battle as a win because he wanted to prove to the world that Iron Man isn’t invincible.

Tony’s rival helps Ivan escape, and together they build more suits with the goal of taking Tony down.

The movie was a financial success and served as a stepping stone that opened up more possibilities for what the Marvel Cinematic Universe could become.

The Laundromat (2019)

The Laundromat (2019)

6/10

Starring

Meryl Streep

Gary Oldman

Antonio Banderas

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

The Laundromat can feel strange at first. You have to hold your breath to get through the first five minutes before realizing you’re watching a drama/documentary. It’s a mix of comedy and drama that tells the story of the infamous Panama Papers, which exposed how many wealthy individuals hid their money.

The movie shows the illegitimate ways people tried to stash their wealth in shell companies around the world, especially in tax havens. Everything they did was technically legal, but the crime lay in where the money came from and where it was going. While everyone with money was implicated, as long as their source of income and spending were clean, no crime was committed.

A passion project of Steven Soderbergh, the movie is based on the book Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite by Jake Bernstein. The film also highlights the various ways people got involved in these schemes, showing that those hiding their money from taxes came from all over the world. It also reveals how greed consumed some of the people involved, making it only a matter of time before their actions were exposed.

A whistleblower who hacked the company leaked the papers to the press. This isn’t a spoiler—it’s something we all know. What makes the movie interesting is how it spins this tale, starting with a couple on their honeymoon and ending with Meryl Streep breaking the fourth wall to deliver a message (okay, maybe that part is a spoiler).

When tragedy strikes the couple, Ellen (Meryl Streep) receives almost nothing from the insurance company after her husband’s death. As it turns out, the boat company had insured itself with a fraudulent insurance company—one that exists when you’re paying premiums but disappears when you file a claim. Get ready for a wild goose chase as Ellen discovers the company she’s looking for doesn’t exist.

Ellen had her eye on an apartment facing the place where she first met her husband. She was showing it off to her daughter and granddaughter when it was bought out from under her by some Russians. Her decision to investigate these people leads her to uncover that neither they nor the insurance company supposed to cover the accident actually exist.

What she does with this information and the challenges she faces—whether real or fictional—are something you’ll have to catch on Netflix to find out.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

7/10

Starring

Edward Norton

Liv Tyler

Tim Roth

Directed by Louis Leterrier

After the disastrous take on The Incredible Hulk movie in 2003, Marvel reacquired the rights and created a fantastic entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This new Incredible Hulk movie is the second installment in the MCU, with the lead role changing from Eric Bana to Edward Norton. The villain in this movie starts as a man but eventually becomes the Abomination.

The movie’s plot begins with a brief history of the Hulk. It all stems from a failed experiment to create super soldiers, involving Dr. Bruce Banner and his girlfriend, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). They were supposed to present the program to Betty’s father, General Ross.

Bruce is exposed to gamma radiation, which turns him into the Hulk whenever his heart rate spikes. In his Hulk state, Banner destroys the lab, injuring both the general and Betty. He flees to Brazil, distancing himself from those he loves while searching for a cure.

An accident at the bottling plant where Banner works helps General Ross track him down. The general wants Banner for further study to create more super soldiers. However, the attempt to capture Banner goes wrong when he transforms into the Hulk and escapes from the men led by Emil Blonsky.

Emil decides to inject himself with the same serum that transformed Banner, becoming a superhuman in the process. Banner returns to the U.S. and reunites with Betty, only to be attacked again by Blonsky and his men. This time, Blonsky is losing his sanity.

He loses the fight with the Hulk. To see what happens next, you’ll have to watch the movie.

Edward Norton never reprised his role as the Hulk in the MCU; that role went to Mark Ruffalo, who first appeared in The Avengers (2012). Ruffalo has remained the Hulk ever since. Norton was reportedly dropped because he’s known for wanting creative control over his characters, something Disney and Marvel weren’t willing to accommodate.

I enjoyed this Hulk movie far more than the 2003 version. It’s also disappointing that we may never see many of the great Hulk stories due to the deal Marvel made with Universal regarding Hulk movies before Disney acquired Marvel.

I’d gladly watch this movie again for the fun of it. I’m not sure if we’ll see the Hulk again anytime soon, as the Infinity Saga concluded with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home (both in 2019). His appearance in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) was a breath of fresh air and made the movie incredibly fun. With Disney launching its Disney+ streaming service, which includes a She-Hulk series, maybe he’ll make an appearance there.

Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man (2008)

7/10

Starring

Robert Downey Jr.

Terrence Howard

Jeff Bridges

Directed by Jon Favreau

When it comes to superhero movies, we never used to have them coming out at least two in a year, there was a time when you can go years before seeing a superhero movie, but things have changed. The first movie that started the MCU wasn’t done by Disney, though Marvel had a hand in its production. This movie launched everything we now know about the MCU, and Robert Downey Jr. got a career boost from it, growing to become a central figure in the MCU movies to this day.

Compared to the other movies that followed, you have to respect the CGI and acting from the cast, who set the pace for what was to come. This movie was great—the direction was well done, and it stayed true to what we know about Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). It also left enough trails to make us expect more from the franchise.

Iron Man is a superhero film and the first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It introduces Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who inherited Stark Industries from his father, Howard Stark. Tony is in war-torn Afghanistan with his friend James Rhodes (Terrence Howard) to demonstrate a new missile when their convoy is attacked. Tony is injured and captured by a terrorist group that demands he build a missile for them. Critically wounded, he’s saved by a fellow captive, Dr. Yinsen, who implants an electromagnet in Tony’s chest to keep him alive.

Instead of building the missile, Tony and Yinsen construct an armored suit powered by a generator in Tony’s chest, which they use to escape. Sadly, Yinsen dies during the breakout. When Tony returns home after being rescued by Rhodes, he decides Stark Industries will stop manufacturing weapons—a decision that doesn’t sit well with Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), the company’s current caretaker. Their conflict becomes the central tension of the movie.

This movie is a charm and set the standard for other superhero films to follow. When Disney took over Marvel, they ramped up the pace, and now MCU movies are among the best out there. Regardless of what others say about superhero movies not matching the quality of other films, I think it’s a shame they didn’t get to make one like this.

Iron Man is a classic superhero movie, one you can watch again and again. After this film, Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle in the role of Rhodes.