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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 20, 2019
A pretty solid sequel
Contains spoilers, click to show
The first Maleficent is a film that could quite easily be a one and done type deal. It doesn't particularly need a sequel, but diving back into this world is huge heaps of fun.
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in Movies
Nov 19, 2019 (Updated Nov 20, 2019)
Drunk Johnny Part 1
Yo-Ho, what do you get when you based you movie off of a disney ride, a great movie. Yes you read the correctly, this movie is based off of the ride at disney. So how does a 20-30 minute ride turn into a 2h and 20min movie, well you expand it. Expand it and make it have a great plot, good charcters, a great villian and a drunking Johnny Depp or Johnny Depp playing pirate Keith Richards.
The Plot: Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) arrives at Port Royal in the Caribbean without a ship or crew. His timing is inopportune, however, because later that evening the town is besieged by a pirate ship. The pirates kidnap the governor's daughter, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), who's in possession of a valuable coin that is linked to a curse that has transformed the pirates into the undead. A gallant blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) in love with Elizabeth allies with Sparrow in pursuit of the pirates.
It was also significant in being the first film released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner to be rated PG-13 by the MPAA.
The film spun off four sequels, with the latest sequel released in 2017. The first two were back-to-back sequels in 2006 and 2007, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, respectively. The third sequel, On Stranger Tides, was released in 2011. The fourth sequel, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was slated to begin production in October 2014 for a summer 2016 release, but was eventually delayed to May 2017. It was directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. While none of the sequels matched the critical acclaim of the first film, they were still box office successes nevertheless.
It is a classic movie, it has comedy, action, adventure and most importanly pirates.
The Plot: Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) arrives at Port Royal in the Caribbean without a ship or crew. His timing is inopportune, however, because later that evening the town is besieged by a pirate ship. The pirates kidnap the governor's daughter, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), who's in possession of a valuable coin that is linked to a curse that has transformed the pirates into the undead. A gallant blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) in love with Elizabeth allies with Sparrow in pursuit of the pirates.
It was also significant in being the first film released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner to be rated PG-13 by the MPAA.
The film spun off four sequels, with the latest sequel released in 2017. The first two were back-to-back sequels in 2006 and 2007, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, respectively. The third sequel, On Stranger Tides, was released in 2011. The fourth sequel, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was slated to begin production in October 2014 for a summer 2016 release, but was eventually delayed to May 2017. It was directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. While none of the sequels matched the critical acclaim of the first film, they were still box office successes nevertheless.
It is a classic movie, it has comedy, action, adventure and most importanly pirates.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) in Movies
Sep 20, 2017
A good but sadly inferior sequel
This film suffers from what 95% of sequels all suffer from; they never live up to the originals. The problem with The Golden Circle is that it has a lot to live up to. The original Kingsman film came out of nowhere, with little expectations & it was truly marvellous. And sadly the sequel doesn't quite live up to this.
As sequels go, it's still pretty good. The action scenes were great, the plot was interesting and Julianne Moore makes for an interesting baddie. Even the addition of the Statesman was a smart move & added something different, and it's always good to see Colin Firth back
The problem however is that this film has a far more serious tone than the first. There's humour, just not as much. And the action scenes although good (especially those with Whiskey), none of them could live up to that epic church scene from the first film. Theres also the issue that a lot of the film had been shown in the various trailers, and finally, it could've done with a little more Channing Tatum and a little less Elton John.
As sequels go, it's still pretty good. The action scenes were great, the plot was interesting and Julianne Moore makes for an interesting baddie. Even the addition of the Statesman was a smart move & added something different, and it's always good to see Colin Firth back
The problem however is that this film has a far more serious tone than the first. There's humour, just not as much. And the action scenes although good (especially those with Whiskey), none of them could live up to that epic church scene from the first film. Theres also the issue that a lot of the film had been shown in the various trailers, and finally, it could've done with a little more Channing Tatum and a little less Elton John.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Insidious : The Last Key (2018) in Movies
Sep 29, 2018
Another unnecessary sequel
I have to admit that I’m one of the few people that hasn’t jumped on the Insidious bandwagon. I didn’t think much of the first one, can barely remember the second one and I don’t think I’ve even seen the third one. I put this on purely because I was hoping it would be an easy watch, and to be honest it actually was.
I think my problem is that these films are a little bit far fetched and my belief in the supernatural doesn’t stretch very far. Whilst I know this fiction, it’s just a bit too silly and ridiculous. And to make it worse I didn’t even think this one was particularly scary. The demon/villain is definitely very creepy (until you see him in full that is) but there isn’t enough of him like this to make the film scary. The acting is alright and I see how they’ve tied it into the earlier films, but for me this is just a completely unnecessary sequel going into a back story on a character that wasnt needed. And what’s worse, they’ve left it open for yet more sequels.
I think my problem is that these films are a little bit far fetched and my belief in the supernatural doesn’t stretch very far. Whilst I know this fiction, it’s just a bit too silly and ridiculous. And to make it worse I didn’t even think this one was particularly scary. The demon/villain is definitely very creepy (until you see him in full that is) but there isn’t enough of him like this to make the film scary. The acting is alright and I see how they’ve tied it into the earlier films, but for me this is just a completely unnecessary sequel going into a back story on a character that wasnt needed. And what’s worse, they’ve left it open for yet more sequels.
Amelia's Tea (8 KP) rated the Xbox One version of The Outer Worlds in Video Games
Oct 28, 2019 (Updated Nov 1, 2019)
Great writing, from story, to characters, to lore. (1 more)
It's beautiful, and atmospheric with great music.
At time of playing (launch, before any updates) there's a few clunky things: like constantly drawing your weapon when you don't mean to. (1 more)
I had one instance where entering a room in the final mission kept completely crashing my game, and I had to parkour my way around to overcome this. Hopefully this is patched out soon!
Saved the Single Player
I loved this game. I imagine I'll be playing it for many years to come, and I'm hoping desperately for a sequel! I've been missing single player RPGs desperately lately, with studios like BioWare leaving them behind.
This game really scratched that itch for me. It's got great characters, great gameplay and a great story. It's just great. I can't recommend it enough.
Obviously it has some kinks to be worked out, but I was very easily able to overlook them when playing.
I am a little disappointed that some features were left out, like third person view and romances, but hope that these could be implemented into a sequel. Either way, I still enjoyed playing.
This game really scratched that itch for me. It's got great characters, great gameplay and a great story. It's just great. I can't recommend it enough.
Obviously it has some kinks to be worked out, but I was very easily able to overlook them when playing.
I am a little disappointed that some features were left out, like third person view and romances, but hope that these could be implemented into a sequel. Either way, I still enjoyed playing.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies
Jan 22, 2019 (Updated Jan 22, 2019)
More Than Half Empty
Long-awaited sequel to Unbreakable; also not-quite-so-long-awaited sequel to Split, as M Night Shyamalan's various superheroes and villains assemble in a nuthouse: roll-call includes Bruce Willis (special power: being, um, unbreakable), James McAvoy (special power: one of his multiple personalities is a bit of an animal), and Samuel L Jackson (special power: being older than his own mum - it's true, I checked Wikipedia).
Starts off very promisingly but soon collapses into a saggy and self-indulgent mess in the traditional Shyamalan style; many long-winded scenes and much mysto-babble. Another bravura performance from McAvoy, and Jackson (when he finally turns up) carves himself a thick slice of ham, but the consequence of this is that Bruce Willis mostly vanishes into the background. The climax is remarkably portentous considering it's mostly just two guys wrestling each other fairly clumsily in a car park. Not sure three half-assed plot twists add up to a decent ending. All in all, a curious attempt to make a superhero movie in the style of a horror film, but ultimately rather disappointing given the potential and the talent involved.
Starts off very promisingly but soon collapses into a saggy and self-indulgent mess in the traditional Shyamalan style; many long-winded scenes and much mysto-babble. Another bravura performance from McAvoy, and Jackson (when he finally turns up) carves himself a thick slice of ham, but the consequence of this is that Bruce Willis mostly vanishes into the background. The climax is remarkably portentous considering it's mostly just two guys wrestling each other fairly clumsily in a car park. Not sure three half-assed plot twists add up to a decent ending. All in all, a curious attempt to make a superhero movie in the style of a horror film, but ultimately rather disappointing given the potential and the talent involved.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Happy Death Day 2U (2019) in Movies
Dec 7, 2019
Missing the slasher element
Watching this sequel has really made me want to reevaluate & appreciate the first film more than I did originally, as it was actually pretty good. And I dont think the sequel quite matches up to it.
This film takes on a mainly sci-fi theme and whilst this is a smart move to do something different to the first film, I found myself missing the slasher horror. I don't think we really needed this sci-fi based explanation of the events in the first film, like many sequels this definitely suffers from a case of less is more. It's funny though like the original, and there's another fun montage of death scenes to bring in the laughs. There are parts of this story though that are a lot more serious than you'd expect or want, which brings the film down a little. There's no place for seriousness in a film like this!
Overall it's not bad and a refreshing change to a lot of other films that take themselves far too seriously, but it just doesn't quite meet up to the first.
This film takes on a mainly sci-fi theme and whilst this is a smart move to do something different to the first film, I found myself missing the slasher horror. I don't think we really needed this sci-fi based explanation of the events in the first film, like many sequels this definitely suffers from a case of less is more. It's funny though like the original, and there's another fun montage of death scenes to bring in the laughs. There are parts of this story though that are a lot more serious than you'd expect or want, which brings the film down a little. There's no place for seriousness in a film like this!
Overall it's not bad and a refreshing change to a lot of other films that take themselves far too seriously, but it just doesn't quite meet up to the first.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) in Movies
Aug 7, 2021
There are a whole bunch of reasons to love this sequel to one of the most iconic horrors of all time.
From the get go, it deserves respect for trying something different. It doesn't just rinse and repeat the events of the original, with the whole possession plot being an inspired direction to take.
Mark Patton as lead character Jesse is an absolute riot to watch. He will go from suave ladies man, to high pitched screaming and sweaty scream queen in an instant. The homo-erotic undertones are hilariously brilliant, and make for a breath of fresh air in a genre, from an era, that was usually awash in a sea of boobs.
The supporting characters are all pretty likable as well, giving the audience an entertaining cast to watch when the big bad isn't on screen. Talking of which, Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger is pretty damn intimidating in this one, and is the subject of some all timer shots for the franchise.
The practical effects, especially in Jesse's transformation scene are quite something as well.
All in all, Freddy's Revenge is an over the top and enjoyable sequel and deserves more love than it gets!
From the get go, it deserves respect for trying something different. It doesn't just rinse and repeat the events of the original, with the whole possession plot being an inspired direction to take.
Mark Patton as lead character Jesse is an absolute riot to watch. He will go from suave ladies man, to high pitched screaming and sweaty scream queen in an instant. The homo-erotic undertones are hilariously brilliant, and make for a breath of fresh air in a genre, from an era, that was usually awash in a sea of boobs.
The supporting characters are all pretty likable as well, giving the audience an entertaining cast to watch when the big bad isn't on screen. Talking of which, Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger is pretty damn intimidating in this one, and is the subject of some all timer shots for the franchise.
The practical effects, especially in Jesse's transformation scene are quite something as well.
All in all, Freddy's Revenge is an over the top and enjoyable sequel and deserves more love than it gets!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Return of the Fly (1959) in Movies
Dec 5, 2020
Its Bird, Its a Plane, No Its a Fly
Return of The Fly- im not sure if we needed a sequel to "The Fly", cause it was such a masterpiece. The good thing about this sequel that it has Vincent Price in it. It is scary and horrorfying too.
The plot: Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey) has been wrestling with his family legacy for years, knowing that his father perished as a result of his experiments in teleportation. Though warned by his uncle Francois (Vincent Price), Philippe insists on refurbishing his father's laboratory and continuing his investigations. The idea would be bad enough on its own, but Philippe hires an assistant who calls himself Alan Hinds (David Frankham) but is actually a wanted criminal.
Bernds says his original draft of the film incorporated footage from the first Fly movie but they were not allowed to use it. He also said Vincent Price insisted on reading the script before signing on to the film. Once he did, he objected when Bernds cut down on some of his scenes for length.
You can skip this one, watch it if you seen the oringal.
The plot: Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey) has been wrestling with his family legacy for years, knowing that his father perished as a result of his experiments in teleportation. Though warned by his uncle Francois (Vincent Price), Philippe insists on refurbishing his father's laboratory and continuing his investigations. The idea would be bad enough on its own, but Philippe hires an assistant who calls himself Alan Hinds (David Frankham) but is actually a wanted criminal.
Bernds says his original draft of the film incorporated footage from the first Fly movie but they were not allowed to use it. He also said Vincent Price insisted on reading the script before signing on to the film. Once he did, he objected when Bernds cut down on some of his scenes for length.
You can skip this one, watch it if you seen the oringal.
Logan Eccles (135 KP) rated Happy Death Day 2U (2019) in Movies
Oct 1, 2020 (Updated Oct 2, 2020)
Saddly Dissapointing
To say I was just disappointed with this sequel would be withholding the truth because this film missed out on what made its predecessor so great in my opinion. Gone is the random quirkiness of the weird plot of Happy Death Day. Happy Death Day 2U decided it wanted to explain the time loop of the first movie. This was unquestionably a bad idea simply due to how not knowing the reason why things were happening made the concept hilarious. The first move is hysterical, its sequel is hysterically stupid.
Trust me I don't like saying all this being a big fan of Happy Death Day, but you watch this movie and tell me its not garbage. If you disagree with me so be it but you might be lying to yourself. There is hardly any horror in this horror film. If your gonna be in the horror genre have more killing more thrills more suspense and less science and multiverse talk. I love SciFi movies but this was not supposed to be that and it honestly ruined the credibility of the first film.
Trust me I don't like saying all this being a big fan of Happy Death Day, but you watch this movie and tell me its not garbage. If you disagree with me so be it but you might be lying to yourself. There is hardly any horror in this horror film. If your gonna be in the horror genre have more killing more thrills more suspense and less science and multiverse talk. I love SciFi movies but this was not supposed to be that and it honestly ruined the credibility of the first film.