Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1

I remember in late September of 1996 i was hanging with my school friends Anders and Robert downtown in my hometown. We have bought tickets to see the latest Tom Cruise film at that time and that was Mission: Impossible. I remember as we were waiting to go to the cinema we stayed for a while in the rental VHS store Videomix where my friend Pierre worked. Since the rental store was pretty calm that evening we talked to Pierre and Anders told him about the latest VHS films he have ordered from the UK. One of the titles he mentioned was the Renny Harlin pirate adventure film Cutthroat Island ( yes the massive box office flop with Gena Davis and Matthew Modine ) that have been released in the UK on VHS. As we stood there talking Pierre mentioned that he have seen Mission: Impossible with his girlfriend and he had fun with it. We bought some candy from Pierre as well as snacks as we went to the cinema. I remember the very large Mission: Impossible cardboard poster that looked really cool inside the cinema. It turned out to be an action packed film from legendary director Brian De Palma and Tom Cruise as the character Ethan Hunt was a perfect match. Mission: Impossible ( based on the classic 1966 television series of the same name ) managed to work really well, better than i expected at that time. Mission: Impossible had some really intensive action scenes and it really felt that they captured the tone of the TV series while making it more updated into the 90´s. The sequel Mission: Impossible 2 ( M:i 2 ) released in the year 2000 from director John Woo turned up the action level to a complete different level with very familiar John Woo action style we are well known of when it comes to his film making style. The film does have a great soundtrack song from American Nu Metal band Limp Bizkt called Take A Look Around. Mission: Impossible sequels have been around for many years now and i have to say that each film have turned out to be really good so far. It´s like Tom Cruise understood what this franchise needed to be able to go on as long as it has. The previous film Mission: Impossible - Fallout is perhaps mostly known for a scene where Tom Cruise actually injured himself badly while filming in London so they had to take a break for at least 9 weeks. Either way, Mission: Impossible - Fallout turned out to be just as entertaining as we were hoping for. So here we are in 2023 with the lastest film Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 ( yes they split up the 7th film in the franchise in 2 parts ) and the questin is, does this sequel manage to deliver with so many great sequels in the past or have this franchise run out of steam completely?

The next-generation Russian submarine Sevastopol employs an advanced AI, activated by a two-pieced cruciform key. The AI deceives the crew into attacking a falsely hostile target, only to fire its own torpedo back on itself, sinking the ship and killing all aboard. IMF Agent Ethan Hunt ( Tom Cruise ) travels to the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Desert to retrieve one-half of the key from disavowed MI6 Agent Ilsa Faust, who carries a bounty from an unknown source. Ethan retrieve the half-key and fake Ilsa´s death. Back in Washington D.C., Ethan infiltrates as U.S. Intelligence Community briefing for Director of National Intelligence Denlinger to discuss the rogue AI. He finds out from director Eugene Kittridge ( Henry Czerny ) that the AI known as the " Entity " has achieved sentience and can manipulate major defense, intelligence, and financial of the world at will. World powers compete to obtain the key to control the Entity, though the exact means of controlling it are unknown. Ethan must detain the other part of the key plus prevent anyone to get control over the Entity.

If you are a big fan of the previous Mission: Impossible films i can tell you right now you are definetely going to have fun with this film. Especially during the really well made action sequences where Tom Cruise does exactly what you want to see him do, and that is delivering some really insane action stunts that most actors would never do. There is especially one train scene that looks really good and i had a flashback to the Steven Seagal film Under Siege 2 where he fights terrorists on a train. If you think that film looked cool in the 90´s then wait until you see the train scenes in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1. It is almost as if director Christopher McQuarrie remembered how bad the train scenes were in Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory and said:- We must show the world how real train action scenes should look like. Remember how good the car scenes were in the 1998 action classic Ronin with Robert De Niro? I can honestly say the car scenes in this Mission: Impossible sequel looks much better than in most action films in the last 25 years. If you loved technology in the previous films in this franchise you get plenty of it in this film as well. Throughout this film you really feel a real Mission: Impossible spirit how they tried to capture the right atmosphere of this franchise and try to add some refreshing details without affecting the final result in a negative way. One of the things i have to mention regarding this latest film is that even though the film is longer than 2 hours and 30 minutes, it doesn´t feel that long. And when you can make a film with that length hold the same level of quality during that playtime, that shows they really made an effort. What about the acting? I think almost the whole cast does a really good job and it´s no surprise Tom Cruise knows exactly how to portait Ethan Hunt. I seriously can´t think of any other actor who could portrait this character better than him at this point. One of the most fun performances comes from actress Pom Klementeff as the evil character Paris. Tough as hell and doesn´t take shit from anyone and i have to mention British actor Simon Pegg who is brilliant as always as the character Benji. Director Christopher McQuarrie proves once again why he is such a perfect director for this franchise and he knows how to make powerful action scenes. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 is everything that fans were hoping for and i guarantee you will have a great movie night in the company of Ethan Hunt, no matter if you prefer the 1960´s television series or the Tom Cruise films in this franchise.

Rating: DDDD

The Wrath Of Becky

The year 2020 was a really strange movie year for me personally. I only saw one film in cinema and that was in the end of January which was Bad Boys For Life. I was supposed to go and see the Vin Diesel film Bloodshot in early March but Covid 19 changed everything of course. During the year 2020 i only watched all films digital the rest of the year and some films on physical copies. I didn´t mind watching each film this way but i did miss sitting in the cinema watching a film on a big screen. Just the idea of holding warm popcorn and a soda and relaxing in a comfortable seat, there is just something special about that. The good thing about watching a film digital at home you can paus the film, make yourself some coffee or even bake some Ghostbusters cookies ( yes with marshmallows inside the cookies of course ) until you decide to finish the film. One of the films i did watch on digital the year of 2020 is a film simply called Becky. Directed by Jonathan Milot and Cary Murnion, this film gave us a different perspective how a young teenager is forced to strike back when a group of escaped prisoners take her family as prisoners in their summer cabin. Becky turned out to be a very violent revenge film with some nice practical effects and pretty good acting for the most part. Actress Lulu Wilson ( who i love in the 2016 horror film Ouija: Origin Of Evil ) plays the lead character Becky, and i have to say she gives the strongest acting performance in this film. The scenes where she constantly is reminded of her mother who passed away in cancer is emotional, and you can see the anger in her eyes. Lulu Wilson shows that there is hope for great young actors in the future. Most surprise of Becky is without a doubt seeing comedian and actor Kevin James playing the rasist criminal Dominick doing one one his most acting roles in his career ( kind of reminded me of Vince Vaughn in the excellent film Brawl In Cell Block 99, a must pick up on DVD or Blu Ray ). Becky turned out to be one of the films that surprised me in 2020 and i still feel that this is a film worth checking out, no matter if you watch it on physical media or on streaming. I did not expect a sequel to come out but here we are in 2023 with a sequel called The Wrath Of Becky. Actress Lulu Wilson returning in the role as Becky. So the question is does this sequel work as well as the first film or is it nowhere near as good as the original film from 2020?

Two years have passed since Becky ( Lulu Wilson ) have moved on with her life since she survived the cabin attack by criminals. She now live with an older woman called Elena ( Denise Burse ) who give her comfort and joy. One day at work at a local diner, Becky serve three men who she doesn´t like because of their attitide. After spilling coffee on one of the men, they follow her to her home and end up killing Elena while knocking out Becky. As she wakes up, she decides to track them down to revenge the death of Elena.

I have to begin to talk about what have improved since we last time saw Becky and that is the level of acting. This sequel have stronger characters and even better acting performances than in the first film. That doesn´t mean i changed my mind about enjoying the first film because i still do, but it becomes clear that they worked harder in this sequel to make the characters more interesting. Becky played by actress Lulu Wilson is exactly how you remember her just a few years older, but she still have that bad ass look and attitude that we loved in the first film. In the first film it was actor Kevin James who surprised us and in this sequel we get another surprise, this time by American Pie actor Sean William Scott ( yes the same guy from the box office bomb classic Bulletproof Monk that i actually enjoy ) as the character Darryl. What surprised me mostly is that he is actually great as a criminal gang leader, something we are not used to see him do. Maybe not as effective as he was in the serial killer film Bloodline ( you have to pick this film up on DVD or Blu Ray ) but still deliver a solid performance. I do feel that Sean William Scott proves once more that he is actually a great actor when he get the right character, and i am looking forward to see what he will work on in the future. Now what else can i say that´s positive about The Wrath Of Becky? I think this film looks great wih very colorful scenes and deliver a simple but effective revenge story without copying the first film completely off. We still get some of the brutality that we loved about the first film in this sequel, so if you enjoyed seeing Becky kicking ass you get plenty of that in this film as well. The plot may not deliver anything unique or original but im completely fine with that. A film with the character about Becky is more focused on the revenge theme than having a deep plot. Anything negative to say about The Wrath Of Becky? Honestly i don´t feel like i have to complain about anything since i had a great time with this film. It´s almost like a throwback to video violence of the VHS era and that is something i really appreciate about these films. Directors Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote deliver a sequel that is funnier than the first film, looks more professional and even have better acting as well than the original film. I think you should support The Wrath Of Becky and actually pick up a physical copy of the film. That´s exaxtly what i am planning to do with this tasteful treat of video violence.

Rating: DDD

Daniel´s B Movie Autumn Madness: Bone Eater

Most actors in Hollywood have been in low budget films in their career before they managed to get bigger roles and work on films with a bigger budget. You got to start somewhere right? I personally don´t see any problem with it, we all learn from our experiences and we have to try different paths to find our place where we are called. Did you know that Friends actor Jennifer Aniston´s first big role in a cinema release was in 1993 in the low budget horror film Leprechaun, where she is attacked by a Irish leprechaun ? You might be surprised reading this but it is actually true. The very first Leprechaun is a fun film and i especially like actor Warwick Davis as the evil leprechaun. It may not be one of the most memorable acting roles of Jennifer Aniston but i think she did a performance that´s functional. Some of you might remember that actor George Clooney was in a B movie called Return Of The Killer Tomatoes from 1988 and i promise you if you have not seen it, this is actually a really fun B movie that you should see. How many of you remember actor Bruxe Boxleitner from the 1982 science fiction action film Tron? The film is a Walt Disney classic inspired by a video game called Pong. Before actor Bruce Boxleitner got a role in a bigger Hollywood film he did some B movies as well and i am especially thinking about the 1975 comedy known as Sixpack Annie. This was almost like a more Porky´s version of Smokey And The Bandit with less car scenes, lots of beer and more clevage scenes instead. It´s a silly and stupid film in many ways but have some funny scenes and i especially enjoy lead actress Lindsay Bloom as Sixpack Annie. If you want to check out Sixpack Annie you can watch it on YouTube on the following link:

https://youtu.be/-maWwgpNyOA?si=fw_9cUSo03_3tm2I

Bruce continued making a lot of films that included both B movies and TV movies over the years, so when i decided to make a review for my segment Daniel´s B Movie Autumn Madness i looked over some of the films he have made over the years. I came across an interesting title of a horror film called Bone Eater that i never heard of. The film was actually out on YouTube channel Horror Central so i decided to give it a chance. Is this a surprisingly fun B movie or should you stay away from Bone Eater and pick something better?

During a construction work out in the countryside the workers find an old Indian burial ground. As the grave is distubed an Indian skeleton figure comes out from the ground and kill the workers. Sheriff Steve Evans ( Bruce Boxleitner ) starts to hear in town that people are suddenly vanished without a trace, and as the investigation goes on he will soon find out what´s causing chaos in town.

Right from the start of Bone Eater i could tell that this would be one of those B movies where you can´t take anything seriously. The acting is bad and you can clearly tell that the actors in the film had no intentions to deliver any dialogue with passion. We could probably sit and talk about some of the strange deciscions some of the characters does in this film, but let´s talk about the positive in Bone Eater for a while. I personally enjoy the Indian skeleton creature that comes out of the ground and kill anyone who disturbs the Indian burial ground. It´s actually a great idea if you are going to make a low buget horror film about a a location like this, that is supposed to be left alone and the dead return to revenge those who enter this grave location. I will admit that the special effects of this Indian skeleton creature looks cheesy and probably would have needed a cooler look than what we have. Considering the plot i think this works even though there are clear budget problems in this film. That the film takes place in a small American town is also a good idea, because it would not have worked as well in a big city having this skeleton Indian walking around killing people. I do like Bruce Boxleitner in the lead role as Sheriff Steve Evans and even if Bruce doesn´t act with a lot of passion you can tell he´s an old school actor and knows how to portrait characters. So what´s the bad details about Bone Eater? Apart from the bad acting and the terrible CGI skeleton horse effects we also have some issues with the plot. The indian burial ground does not get a lot of room in this film, even though this is where the Indian skeleton creature was brought back to life. No background information that would have made more sense than they just found old bones in the ground. It´s easy to say that Bone Eater will not go down in history for being a future classic, but if you appreciate B horror movies like myself on a limited budget i still enjoyed this film for what it was trying to do. If you just want a good laugh with some B movie fun then i suggest you give Bone Eater a chance. Seeing legendary actor Bruce Boxleitner as the small town Sheriff is enough to be pleased about a bad but entertaining film such as this.

Rating: DDD

If you want to watch the film Bone Eater on the YouTube film channel Horror Central, just paste the following web adress to get there:

https://youtu.be/cPPQMqdAx-M?si=iNsAB8-PzAAc_SHZ

The Boogeyman

We all have experienced nightmares in our lives. Some we may not remember while some we remember for specific reasons. It could be that the nightmare was traumatic or horrible no matter what the dream was about. I remember one dream i had quite a long time ago, i believe it was around the summer of 2006. In the dream i dreamt that i had the police knocking on my door and wanted to tell me something, that my high school friend Patrick have been brutally murdered. They asked me if i knew if Patrick had any enemies and i said not any that i know of. I answered their other questions as well and i tried to call his mother to show my deepest sympathy. The next day i was on my way to work as my cell phone started vibrating. It was Patrick´s brother Dennis calling completely torn apart. Since i was walking to work i had a little bit of time to talk so i asked him if he have heard anything on who it could be. He wasn´t sure but he suspected a local preacher who lived near by Patrick. I was very surprised of why he suspected a preacher but Dennis said:- You don´t know Daniel the sins this man has commited. After that i woke up and i remember calling Patrick just to see if it was all a dream. He asked if i wanted to go along and get a pizza and so i did. I told him about the dream while we had food and he laughed and said:- You watched way too many horror films. This is one of the few nightmares i still remember because it was really horrible, especially when you dreamed about someone you know very well from high school. Speaking of nightmares maybe as a kid you thought you saw monsters in your closet? The concept of this was used in the 2005 supernatural horror film Boogeyman from director Stephen Kay. This film is inspired by the mythical creature known as Boogeyman and tells the story of young Tim Jensen ( Aaron Murpy ) who witnesses his father being taken by the Boogeyman, an evil creature which lives in all closets worldwide. Now as adult, Tim ( Barry Watson ) finds out that Boogeyman never went away and still to this day show up in closets. I enjoyed Boogeyman when the film came out in 2005 and i recently decided to watch the film again. It is ok and have some fun moments, but you can tell that the CGI effects have aged. This is why i was curious to see if the new remake The Boogeyman would be any good. I finally sat down and watched this film and the question is, does this remake work better than the 2005 film or is this film a disaster from start to finish?

The Harper family, sisters Sadie Harper ( Sophie Thatcher ), Sawyer Harpie ( Vivien Lyra Blair ) and their therapist father Will Harper ( Chris Messina ), are struggling to overcome the death their mother and wife, who died suddenly in a car crash. One day, a disturbed man called Lester Billings ( David Dastmalchian ) visits Bill´s office. Lester explains that his three children have died, all killed by an evil entity that latched onto his family. A disbelieving Will goes to call the police. Lester slips away and Sadie finds his body hanging in her mother´s art closet. Soon afterwards, Sadie notices a strange mold beginning to form around the house. It seems that the creature that followed Lester´s family is now insie the Harper family´s home.

If you did see the 2005 film Boogeyman and you are a fan of that film, you might as well know that this latest remake does things a bit different than the previous film adaptation. The Boogeyman in 2023 is much more about atmosphere than showing monsters attacking, and i am actually thankful for that. I feel that if you are going to make a horror film about what awaits in the dark you might as well make a film that focus more on the atmosphere than showing what is actually hiding in the dark. And in some scenes they actually manage to capture that atmosphere and make it pretty effective. I wonder if they were inspired by the 2014 Australian horror film The Babadook ( one of my personal favourite horror films of the year of 2014 ) where the plot was very simple but very well executed with a creepy atmopshere. Of course i have to be honest and say The Boogeyman is not as effective as The Babadook when it comes to build up tensions, but i still feel that this remake have a lot more going for it if you compare with the 2005 film. I really like the lead role from actress Sophie Thatcher ( fans of TV series Yellowjackets might recognize her ) playing the character of Sadie. I think what makes this character interesting is that we see her struggle loosing her mother, while being in a very sensitive age and dealing with life in general. A lot of young women would most likely understand where she is coming from and i feel that they manage to capture that well in the film. There are some other character that work as well but let´s get to my biggest issue with this film and that is we don´t get any real background information about the beast other than small details. Considering that they had such a great concept for the film with a dark figure lurking in the dark they could have found a much more effective way to pull that off in several scenes by telling the creature´s history. When the film works it´s pretty effective but they could have done this even more effective than what we are presented with. I do feel however that director Rob Savage ( director of the great Shudder film known as Host, definetely worth checking out ) have made a horror film that works better than most scary movies released today thanks to the right atmosphere. The Boogeyman is definetely a film that will most likely please fans who enjoyed The Babadook, even though it is not as good as that film. I still enjoyed this remake either way and i would recommend the film is you want to watch a good horror film. Lesson learned kids, stay away from closets.

Rating: DDD

Dark Nature

I remember as a young boy how i used to spend a lot of time in the forest with relatives in a smaller city called Charlottenberg. They owned an old cabin that lied in the forest and not far from their path lied a beautiful lake as well. If we didn´t stand fishing on the mountain by the lake we would go look for mushrooms or blueberries in the forest. We also picked up dead smaller trees to make fires by the lake, in case we captured some fish we could cook it right away. Of course on a hot day we would jump in the lake to go for a swim and lie on the mountain to dry up and get a tan. I have wonderful memories from Charlottenberg and they still have the same cabin to this day. I think it is good to let children experience both the forest and being around a lake because they can learn a lot of things that might help them learn about survival. How to fish or what kind of mushrooms you can eat, there are several good things that might be useful to know in ordinary day life. When it comes to films that takes place in the forest we have so many movies to choose between, and it also dependes what kind of genre you enjoy. One of my personal favourite films that takes place in different forest locations ( and other outdoor places as well ) is the 2007 drama film Into The Wild. Directed by legendary actor Sean Penn, this film is based on the book of the same name ny author Jon Krakauer. If you have not read the book it tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a man who hiked across North America into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s. He was found dead inside an abandoned bus out in the Alaskan wilderness by a hunter. Christopher have documented his journey writing down a lot on his journey, so before his death you could learn from his personal experiences going on this journey. In the film actor Emile Hirsch playes the role of Christopher McCandless and this is honestly his best acting performance ever. The film Into The Wild is also one of the most beautiful films i have seen that takes place in the Alaskan Wilderness. Sean Penn did an excellent job directing this film and you should definetely see Into The Wild, no matter if you choose streaming or physical copy. Late this spring this year i was hearing some buzz about a horror film that takes place in nature called Dark Nature. I decided to pick up a blu ray copy of the film from distribution company Epic Pictures to see if this film would be any good. Is this a nature horror film perfect for a cozy autumn evening or is this a film you might as well skip and watch something else instead?

Joy ( Hannah Emily Anderson ) is struggling with her past where her boyfriend Derek ( Daniel Arnold ) who physically and mentally abused her as well as killing her dog. Six months later Joy´s friend Carmen ( Madison Walsh ) believe she has the solution to help her friend. She convinces her to join her with a group of women led by Dr. Dunnely ( Kyra Harper ) where each woman have gone through trauma in different ways. This is meant to help the women deal with their past being out in nature together and helping each other out. At first it seems to be going well, but the further they go on this journey something doesn´t seem quite right.

If you think Dark Nature is just another horror release you are definetely wrong. This film really brings up the subject of how damaged a woman can be from domestic violence and the trauma that follows when you live with someone who mentally and physically abuse you. This is a very important subject that needs to be talked about, and the fact that this film tries to show a group of women who are all dealing with a rough past is a very good idea for a horror story. Especially since this film takes place out in the wilderness to help the women deal with their past by exploring nature and the harmony that surrounds it. Not every woman in the group have been a victim of abuse but experienced other kinds of trauma that damaged their past. The fact that the film completely turn things around later in the film is a different story, but let´s talk about the acting for a bit. Lead actress Hannah Emily Anderson ( who did a wonderful performance in the independent film What Keep You Alive, worth checking out ) as the character Joy show the reality of domestic abuse. There are some scenes where Hannah actually manage to show the panic you can have as a victim, knowing that you are in danger. So she definetely nailed this performance in a realistic way and the scenes where you see her struggling with trauma feels realistic as well. Actress Madison Walsh as Joy´s friend Carmen is a great character for the story, who not only tries to support her friend but the other women as well. When the film suddenly change plot and become like a combination of a Sasquatch horror film with The Descent influences, we are suddenly in a horror film with a mysterious beast included. Some people might not like that Dark Nature jump in such a different direction but i actually don´t mind that. The beast may not look fantastic but is at least created by practical make up effects and that is something we need more of in horror films. Overall i feel that Dark Nature do please me for trying a different approach in a film about dealing with trauma. Director Berkley Brady have made a beautiful looking nature film with some effective horror elements included. If you love practical horror make up effects and films about dealing with the past, this is the film you are looking for.

Rating: DDD

You can find the Blu Ray release of Dark Nature here on the following link of Epic Pictures:

https://epic-pictures.com/merchandise/dark-nature-blu-ray

Clock

Every single week we are controlled by time for a number of reasons. It could be working hours, dropping of children at school or perhaps you have to go to a meeting of some kind. Usually we know what time it is through our cellphone but back in the middle of the 90´s i actually used to wear a watch. Even if i didn´t have a cellphone i could still be in control with my wrist watch. It was a like an Omega watch similar to the one you could see in the James Bond movie Goldeneye, but a cheaper copy than the original watch. I think my grandfather Ingvar bought it in Greece if i remember correctly. Looking back at the days when i used a watch i have to say i didn´t need a cellphone, i would still call my friends on the home phone or out in a phone booth downtown and we would still meet up. And i could still check my watch to see when the last bus would leave in case we were out very late. Good memories indeed and fun to look back sometimes. Clocks are still used in most homes today no matter if you use a wall clock or a digital clock, there are so many different versions to find these days. Speaking of clocks there are some films that bring up the subject of time or the importance of clocks. And i am especially thinking about the film The House With A Clock In Its Wall from director Eli Roth. You might think that this is a pure horror film simply because it is made by the director of Hostel but this is actually a family film with horror influences, I remember i was really surprised how entertained i was by this film, because it worked well as a family film but the horror influences matched as well. The story is connected to a mysterious clock within the walls. Charming performances especially from actors Jack Black anc Cate Blanchett and i do think you should see this film if you want to prepare for Halloween weekend. Sometimes i come across horror films that i never really heard of and that is exactly what happened with the film Clock. Released on Hulu and Disney + the plot sounded interesting so i decided to give this film a chance. Is the film Clock better than i expected or is it just as bad as Pastor Kent Christmas Barbie movie rant in church this summer?

Ella ( Dianna Agron ) is 37 years old and doesn´t want a child. Her friends and loved ones think she should change her mind before it is too late. Her father tries to talk to her that she should reconsider her deciscion. While Ella visits Dr. Webber ( Nikita Patel ) to check her breasts for breast cancer Ella tell Dr. Webber about her biological clock issues, where Dr. Webber believe that Ella could be affected by her biological clock that it may not be working as it should. Ella is informed that there is a new medical treatment, that could help her have a child before her biological clock runs out of time. Ella decide to go to try this new treatement where she meets Dr. Elizabeth Simmons ( Melora Hardin ) who will help Ella through the treatment. At first everything seems to be going well but the further the treatment goes, Ella becomes concerned that something is not right.

What makes the film Clock especially interesting is the subject of that every woman have a biological clock. If she chooses to have a baby or not is of course her own deciscion, but this film tries to lift the subject up from 2 very important questions. What if you feel forced to have a baby because everyone else have one? What if you put yourself through a new medical treatment not knowing how secure this new medical treatment really is? Any woman who have wondered about having a child or not over 30 years old might especially find this film interesting. I also believe that men in general may appreciate the plot of this film because this could be a subject that comes up with their girlfriend, fiancee or wife at some time in their life. When the film becomes even more interesting is when the actual treatment begins and there is especially one scene that will affect you that is clock related. I won´t get into details but if you love babies you are going to hate that scene ( if you are sensitive ). I really appreciate the tall mysterious woman that shows up unexpected. Why is she showing up during treatment? Is she connected to the clinic somehow? The acting in general is actually great and i especially appreciate actress Dianna Agron ( see her in the powerful drama film Novitate ) as the main character Ella. She really capture how difficult it can be for a woman over 30 years old knowing the pressure of having a family, and i feel that the performance feels realistic when it comes to emotional reactions as well as body signs as well. I can´t really say anything negative about Clock because i do feel this is an interesting sci fi horror film. Maybe that i would have liked to see them cross the line a little bit more with the clock scenes, but other than that i feel this is a film worth seeing. Director Alexis Jacknow have clearly been inspired by David Cronenberg´s classic film Dead Ringers, without copying anything from the plot. The body horror influences is exactly what a film like Clock needs to function if you are making a film about medical treatments. Clock is definetely worth checking out on Hulu or Disney + today if you feel you are in a good mood for a tasteful treat.

Rating: DDD

Transformers - Rise Of The Beasts

I remember the first time we got more TV channels back in the 80´s at my mother´s home. It was especially an English channel called Super Channel and on Saturday morning they would play a lot cartoon shows. You had cartoon shows such as Thundercats, Dungeons & Dragons, He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, G.I. Joe,  Bravestarr and of course The Real Ghostbusters ( yes the cartoon version of Ghostbusters ). I used to love having cheese sandwiches with hot chocolate while watching these cartoon shows. But Super Channel wasnt the only place i watched violent cartoons, we also rented VHS cartoon films and i remember especially renting Transformers. Seeing robots known as Autobots fighting against Decepticons was a lot of fun in Transformers, who had a very futuristic approach where different robots fight against each other on planet Earth. I remember my neighbor Claes Oswald ( who must have been 7 years old at that time ) had not only a lot of He-Man figures but he also had Transformers toys as well, and i remember how happy he was seeing we have rented the latest Transformers VHS tape. In some ways you could say that Transformers was a perfect example during that time a cartoon show that tried break free from the stereo typical action cartoon show by letting each robot turn into different cars or other veichles. It was a cool concept for the 80´s and of course it was different watching robots from another planet fighting each other on the cartoon series at that time. Transformers became a massive toy brand in the 80´s and i remember how Claes had different Transformers figures in his room while i visited. When the 90´s kicked in we were too big to play with the toys of course and it seemed like Transformers might not be as popular anymore. Not until the year of 2007 when director Michael Bay decided to make a film based on the popular robots simply called Transformers. The film did really well at the box office and director Michael Bay continued to make several films in the franchise right up to the year of 2016 with his final film Transformers - The Dark Knight. That could have been the end for the franchise but luckily director Travis Knight decided to give this franchise a try with his film Bumblebee, based on the specific robot character of the Transformers franchise. This film is actually fun and managed to capture the feeling of Transformers better than Michael Bay in his films. So, after a couple of years i heard rumors that a sequel to Bumblebee was coming. I wasnt sure if i would look forward to this film considering that it´s not easy making a good Transformers film. So here we are in 2023 with the latest Transformers film and the question is, does this film bring something good to the table or should you skip this one and watch Bumblebee instead?

The planet-eating Unicron attacks the homeworld of the Maximals, an advanced race of Transformers with aletrnative beast modes. The Terracons, Unicron´s herald led by Scourge, seek to obtain the Transwerp Key which can open portals through space and time intending to use it to help Unicron consume planets faster. The Maximals under the lead of Optimus Prime manage to keep the Transwerp Key in safety and flee to Earth with it. In 1994, an ex-military electronics  expert named Noah Diaz ( Anthony Ramos ) struggles to find a job to support his ill brother Kris Diaz ( Dean Scott Vazquez ) and is convinced by his friend Reek ( Tobe Nwigwe ) to steal a Porsche 911. As he tries to do that he finds out that this Porsche is actually an Autobot called Mirage. Noah meets the other Autobots as well inside an abandoned industrial building where Mirage suggest they use Noah to get the Transwerp Key, where it is located at a local museum where Optimus Prime detected that the key have been found by a human named Elena Wallace ( Dominique Fishback ), an artifact researcher. Unless the Autobots secure that the Transwerp Key is not taken by the Decepticons, the world that we once knew may be lost forever.

Honestly i felt that director Michael Bay put too much action and CGI effects in his Tranformers films and forgot comletely about the characters of the robots. Thankfully in Transformers - Rise Of The Robots they seem to have listened to the fans and actually tried to bring out different personalities in some of these robots. And this is exactly what we needed to have a in a film like this if you are going to make it work with CGI action scenes. That doesn´t mean there are no problems with this film, but i will say that this sequel is actually better than the previous films i have seen. So why do i think this film is better? Let us begin with the story itself talking place in 1994 and they manage to capture the time period with hair styles, you have the right soundtrack as well and i actually enjoy the two main characters. I like the comedy tone that especially the robot known as Mirage uses throughout this film. One big difference compared to some of the other films in this franchise is that there is an actual story in Transformers - Rise Of The Beasts that Michael Bay never cared about in his films. I mentioned how i especially enjoy the two main characters earlier, so let´s get into that for a moment. Lead actor Anthony Ramos as the character Noah Diaz is clearly a young man struggling taking care of his little brother Kris who is ill. To see a brother fight for his brother like Noah does makes his character stand out in an action film like this and give the story a deeper depth. Anthony may not go as deep as i hoped into his struggling character but i do feel that the performance works. Actress Dominique Fischback as the character Elena Wallace is kind of the nerd museum girl that is actually the right character for a film like this. Not only is she very good at historical objects but she clearly have a lot of knowledge on other details just like some of the Transformers have. I think this approach on this film does help the Transformers concept more fun as we travel across the world to Peru of all places, and the plot matches well with the historcial connections. What doesn´t work with Transformers - Rise Of The Beasts? Knowing this is a film with battles between robots and humans you can´t expect to hear any powerful dialogue. The conversations between humans or between some of the robots are not that interesting. So if you were hoping for anything interesting conversations you might as well foregt about that. With that said i do feel this is definetely the best Transformers films i have seen so far and i actually had fun with this film. Director Steven Caple Jr. ( director of Creed II ) does not only capture the right atmosphere of the franchise but he clearly understood what was missing in the Michael Bay films. If you just want to have some fun and enjoy yourself this autumn with some entertaning action scenes, you might actually enjoy Transformers - Rise Of The Beasts. What are you waiting for? Order your copy online of the latest Transformers film on phyiscal media today.

Rating: DDD