Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Streaming Service: Disney+
Movie Name/Year: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Length: 2h 41min
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Disney+
Director: Ryan Coogler
Writer: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Actors: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dominique Thorne, Lake Bell, Chadwick Boseman
 
Blurb from IMDb: The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I knew Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was going to be a rough watch for me. Chadwick Boseman’s (42, Marshall, 21 Bridges) passing hit me hard.
 
Most, if not all, of MCU’s fans were rocked by the news that Boseman had died. As much as I appreciate what he brought to Marvel, I mourned him for other reasons.
 
There are a lot of amazing actors out there. Plenty of award winners and audience favorites. It’s hard to shine bright enough to be seen in the crowd of them, but Boseman did. That’s because he wasn’t just an actor.
 
Chadwick Boseman was a legend of our time. He championed the fight for full representation and racial equality in film. It would have been fine if he just did it through the occasional speech or donation, but he took it to a place where every job he took brought the subject further into the light.
 
Had he lived, he would have gone on to be the most recognizable face in entertainment. He would have raised the bar so high that it was where it should have been to begin with.
 
There are few in the entertainment world that I respect more than him. If any.
 

So, the first Black Panther film after his passing was a bit of a hurdle for me.
 
At the very start of the movie, I was already tearing up. It was a beautiful tribute to the character of T’Challa. Then the beginning credits played and there was a visual tribute to Boseman that kept the tears going.
 
By the time the story started, I was already emotionally a bit of a wreck. Still, the flick kept me entertained and glued to the screen.
 
It was, however, very much a post-Endgame MCU film. There was something missing.
 
The first chase scene felt more like a video game than anything cinematic. There was a strange sound quality to it, and the dialogue was very much like NPCs talking to a player. If you’re a gamer, you know exactly what I mean. Some of the fights near the end also had some janky moments where actors reacted like they were being hit, but with nothing actually touching them.
 
It’s still a solid movie, and it never feels like a chore to watch, I just expected something more.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I have been eagerly anticipating Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - and yet, at the same time haven’t been in the biggest rush to watch it. It had nothing to do with the movie, itself, and more regarding grief avoidance. I knew with 100% certainty that I was going to do some crying during this Black Panther (2018) sequel. Enough has been heavy and bleak these days that I haven’t looked forward to that part - even though I adore Marvel movies and was keen to learn how they were going to treat the story going forward.
 
Chadwick Boseman was simply taken too soon. Part of me worried about how the cinematic universe would treat his absence in the realm of Wakanda. Really, I shouldn’t have. Everyone in the Marvel camp has been outspokenly supportive of the late Boseman and his importance to both the MCU and his impact on the world.
 
My eyes did a significant amount of leaking.
 
I feel the need to give kudos to Marvel for this stunning tribute within both the story and visuals of the Wakanda Forever production. I was moved from the very first moments when the animated Marvel studio logo recapped both the character of T'Challa, and Boseman as a person, amidst a moment of silence.
 

The narrative of Wakanda Forever picked up from there, and I can only imagine that filming offered an avenue for the grieving process for his friends among the cast and production team. It was respectful, tasteful, and I was very relieved that they didn’t try to add new footage with creative CGI. Anything that referenced T'Challa was either footage from the first Black Panther movie, or was clearly a static piece of art memorial.
 
Wakanda Forever had several hurdles to get over. I’d say that they cleared most of them. I loved the casting, the performances were outstanding, and the action was on point. I always enjoy seeing how the advanced tech of Wakanda gets brought to life on the screen. It also well-captured the political landscape Wakanda faced in the wake of their king’s death.
 
The only aspect of Wakanda Forever that I didn’t completely jive with was the new adversaries introduced in this film. They were interesting, and the visuals were cool. I just couldn’t help but think to myself that I’d already ‘been there and done that’ by watching Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) in December. I think that has to be where some of the negative reviews must be coming from.
 
Wakanda Forever, overall was a great MCU installment that serves to begin the bridge from Phase 4 to what comes next. I felt that it was decently balanced, and I really enjoyed the experience. If you’re a fan of Marvel movies and liked the first Black Panther, I’d definitely recommend giving Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a chance.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 84%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 94%
Metascore – 67%
Metacritic User Score – 5.3
IMDB Score –6.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
P.S. Mid-credits scene
 
Movie Trailer:

The Bubble (2022)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: The Bubble (2022)
Genre: Comedy
Length: 126 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Apatow Productions, Netflix
Director: Judd Apatow
Writer: Judd Apatow, Pam Brady
Actors: Harry Trevaldwyn, Samson Kayo, Peter Serafinowicz, Danielle Vitalis, Karen Gillan, Rob Delaney, Chris Witaske, Audrina Woolrich, Grant Woolrich, Guz Khan, Maria Bakalova, Vir Das, Leslie Mann, Iris Apatow, Nick Kocher, Pedro Pascal, Galen Hopper, Keegan-Michael Key, David Duchovny, Fred Armisen, Kate McKinnon, Maria Bamford, Ross Lee, Raphael Acloque, John Lithgow, Austin Ku, John Cena, Beck, James McAvoy
 
Blurb from IMDb: A group of actors and actresses stuck inside a pandemic bubble at a hotel attempts to complete a film.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Wow. Ok. That caught me off guard.
 
I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Bubble. I hadn’t heard anything about it, even when I was collecting information about the movies coming out. It just kind of popped up on Netflix one day. So, we chose it for the schedule out of curiosity.
 
What it turned out to be was a kind of caricature-style parody. A 2-hour long parody. That is a long-ass time for that kind of thing.
 
It seems like they were trying to do something in the vein of Tropic Thunder (2008). They didn’t succeed, though.
 

Most of my laughter during the film was the uncomfortable kind. I asked myself ‘why?’ a lot.
 
The Bubble touched on a lot of stuff about COVID-19 that was somewhat relatable – especially where quarantining is concerned – but I just didn’t find most of it funny. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it disrespectful, but it was more cringe than anything else.
 
There was also a lot of gross-out humor that I just don’t lean toward. A few good lines here and there didn’t really save anything.
 
It’s possible that someone with a different sense of humor might enjoy it, but it’s not for me.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been waging a bit of an inner debate with myself over The Bubble. Part of me cringes at the very thought that it’s a movie about filming during the coronavirus pandemic. Then this little voice inside pipes up with “bless their hearts, they tried.” At the same time, however, I found myself sporadically entertained while watching this film and didn’t entirely loathe the experience.
 
Let me mince no words here – it was bad.
 
The Bubble was a self-aware sort of bad that dances with the notion of ‘so-bad-it’s-good.’
 
Those of us scrambling through the ‘real world’ having a hard time simply buying toilet paper and basic staples might have a hard time connecting to the plight of an actor at a resort hotel in the UK where quarantine involved endless room service. On the flip side with that, though, I think that The Bubble touched on underlying issues that have affected everyone – regardless of occupation.
 
Most of us have gone a little stir-crazy during lockdown. It’s fairly safe to say that a grand majority have felt a little starved for contact with friends and relatives kept at a distance due to social distancing and travel restrictions.
 

Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying or screaming, right? I know I’ve hit a few of those points in the last couple of years. So, let’s put the pandemic aside, for now, and look at The Bubble a little differently.
 
In the last few months, I know I’ve knocked on unnecessary sequels popping up. The Bubble takes a jab at that very notion of a studio pushing for a cash grab to capitalize on an existing well-worn franchise under the guise of giving the world something to entertain them and take their minds off world events.
 
Everything was so over-the-top very purposefully. I admit, I found myself laughing in spite of my occasional cringe and eye-rolling.
 
Love or hate the movie, you’ve got to admit the cast was pretty amazing. Of course, I have some stand-out favorites such as Karen Gillan (In A Valley of Violence, Stuber, The Call of the Wild), Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu, Green Eggs and Ham, Schmigadoon!), and Pedro Pascal (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Triple Frontier, We Can Be Heroes).  There were also some surprising cameos laced throughout that were well placed and added great little moments.
 
The whole thing was bonkers but oddly worked. The Bubble was the April Fools gift from Netflix and Judd Apatow (This Is 40, Trainwreck, The King of Staten Island) that I think we all needed. Just remember not to take it too seriously. It was supposed to be a trainwreck. Mission accomplished.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 23%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 35%
Metascore – 34%
Metacritic User Score – 3.4
IMDB Score – 4.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Movie Trailer:

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video
Movie Name/Year: The Tomorrow War (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Length: 140 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: Skydance Media, Lit Entertainment Group, New Republic Pictures, Phantom Four Films, Amazon Studios, Paramount Pictures International, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures International (UPI), Amazon Prime Video
Director: Chris McKay
Writer:  Zach Dean
Actors: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Jasmine Mathews, Edwin Hodge, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Keith Powers, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Mike Mitchell, Jared Shaw, Alexis Louder, Rose Bianco, Seychelle Gabriel
 
Blurb from IMDb: A family man is drafted to fight in a future war where the fate of humanity relies on his ability to confront the past.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
More of this please.
 
Normally, my attention drifts when I watch movies. The post-it notes on my monitor draw my eye, my phone will vibrate, I’ll need a drink, I’ll have to fix the temp in my office… really, anything will make me look away for a couple of seconds here or there. I find myself rewinding films a lot in order to ensure I don’t miss anything.
 
Not with The Tomorrow War.
 
The Tomorrow World hooked me from the beginning. It had some cute bits of character development at first. Not too much exposition, just enough so that the audience knows what’s happening. Then it drops us into the action, and horrors, of war.
 
I was shocked at how good the aliens looked.
 
The kind of CGI needed for creatures, like the ones showcased in this flick, is incredibly difficult to get right. It’s so easy for the aliens to come out campy, or unbelievable. When it’s done wrong, it becomes difficult to take the film seriously. Not an issue with The Tomorrow War. The graphics were all gorgeous, but especially the creatures.
 

The fight scenes were intense, but pretty much every moment worked well for creating tension. It was brutal, emotional, and – in a lot of ways – realistic. Instead of throwing civilians into a war and showing them immediately knowing how to kick ass and take names, the script gives us some gems of realism. I definitely thought most characters had reasonable reactions to the situation they were in.
 
I was impressed by the acting, the directing, and the writing. Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, The Magnificent Seven) really made me believe in his dedicated father, ex-military character – just as much as J.K. Simmons (Invincible, Palm Springs, Klaus) made me believe in his deadbeat-dad. Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale, Angel of Mine, Stateless) was bad ass, while Betty Gilpin (The Hunt, Stuber, The Grudge) brought across the desperation of a wife scared to lose the person she loves. Sam Richardson’s (The Good Boys, Hooking Up, Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.) mostly comic relief scientist was played beautifully, while my heart broke for the jaded and traumatized soldier played by Edwin Hodge (Mayans M.C., Bumblebee, Six).
 
This is the kind of film I would watch for fun, not just for the blog.
 
I’m well aware of the reception.
 
Let me urge you, once more, to compare the scores from critics with the scores from general audiences. There is a HUGE discrepancy – and it’s the same on every review site that tracks both. Critics are giving The Tomorrow War awful reviews – but the general audience (which is the majority of people who watch movies) is loving it. NEVER take the critic reviews over those of people actually paying for their tickets. (This film may not have released in theaters, due to Covid-19, but I would have paid for it if I could have.)
 
If you have access to Amazon Prime Video, definitely watch this one. It’s long, but the time passes SO quickly.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I do not regret listing The Tomorrow War as my #2 on July’s Top 20 Movies to Look Out For. If Black Widow (2021) weren’t releasing this month, it could have easily been #1. I can only hope that all of the movies that I’m looking forward to in July have the same amazing payout.
 
The graphics were consistently good throughout and the acting was stellar – even the minor supporting roles. Those that got airtime made the most of every second. 

This was a solid sci-fi offering and probably one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It’s got crazy scary creatures and time travel surrounding a story about family, forgiveness, and perseverance. There are even splashes of comedy here and there to take just a little of the edge off – and it was seriously appreciated in a few places. I swear there was a moment that my heart was about to leap from my chest but one comedic element had myself and my daughter laughing unexpectedly.
 
I know I always try to find the positive in a movie and highlight it, even when the rest of it is a stinker – no such thing here. I can’t think of a single thing wrong, really. If there were flaws, I apparently was quite happy to look over them because the rest of The Tomorrow War had me so enthralled.
 

There are so many kudos to pass around here. I’m not even sure where to start. Let’s go from the top down. Chris Pratt picked an awesome movie to be his first as an Executive Producer. Chris McKay (Titan Maximum, Robot Chicken: Star Wars III, The Lego Batman Movie) doesn’t have a lot of film credits so far, but his direction of this film was a great addition. It makes me excited to see what he’s going to do with the projects he’s slated to work on in the near future.
 
Can we pause for a moment, though, and consider that The Tomorrow War is only the 3rd cinematic screenplay that Zach Dean (Deadfall, 24 Hours to Live) has credited on IMDb? Just the 3rd. I want to watch his previous 2 now, and can’t wait to see what he does as his career takes off. (No pressure or anything man, sorry.)
 
My appreciation for Sam Richardson’s character, Charlie, from the trailers has only expanded a thousand-fold now that the final credits have rolled. He is a gem and without him, this film would have been entirely different.
 
The Tomorrow War is bloody brilliant, and it’s free to Amazon Prime subscribers. If you’re looking for a great and exciting movie for this weekend – or anytime, really. Check it out!
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 53%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 81%
Metascore – 44/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.6/10
IMDB Score – 6.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

In the Heights (2021)

Movie Name/Year: In the Heights (2021)
Genre: Drama, Musical
Length: 143 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: Warner Bros., 5000 Broadway Productions, Likely Story, Scott Sanders Productions, NOS Audiovisuais, Warner Bros. Pictures Germany, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Singapore, Flixzilla, HBO Max
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writer:  Quiara Alegría Hudes, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Actors: Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Noah Catala, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mateo Gómez, Marc Anthony, Analia Gomez
 
Blurb from IMDb: A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I have a ton to say and I honestly have no idea where to start. I have opinions about the content, the politics, the creative aspect, the translation to reality… I was incredibly affected by In the Heights.
 
I guess I’ll start with where I made a mistake.
 
I initially thought the film involved Brooklyn Heights – but it’s actually Washington Heights, which is in Manhattan. Even with that difference, though, there were so many similarities to the areas I belonged to in Brooklyn.
 
There’s a soul to neighborhoods like the one in In the Heights. Sometimes it’s not visible to outsiders, but it’s there. No bodega is just a corner store. Every one of them is different – as if it were its own individual. You could live closest to the one on Utica Avenue, but walk a little further because 18th has the best coffee. There’s always a neighborhood mom, or grandma, that looks after all the kids on the block. Hell, my ‘grandma’ even dressed identically to the abuela in this film.
 
During In the Heights there’s a moment where everything stands still and one of the characters seeks to just listen to her block. When I closed my eyes, it sounded so real.
 
I have never seen any movie capture the feel of the neighborhoods in NYC better than this one did.
 
If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you’ll know how much I dislike the hipsters taking over NY neighborhoods. I’ve gone into how I feel they are just bleaching away the character of those places. If you want to truly understand what I’ve been saying – this is what you need to watch.
 
The characters of In the Heights spend a lot of their time talking about how they’re losing their block. How the people who built the soul of their area are being priced out. That’s ridiculously accurate. Visiting home now feels like I’m walking into a new place, one that’s been sapped of so much of what made it special. The mom-and-pop shops. The small restaurants. And, of course, the bodegas – even though most of them come equipped with my worst allergy (cats).
 
By the time the flick ended, I was so homesick. I’ve been homesick for a while, but I could never figure out why – and this piece of cinema explained it to me. The little town I moved to has no soul. I moved here so my daughter could live a safer life, but I will always wonder if I robbed her of the variety of cultures she could have absorbed in Brooklyn.
 

We see ourselves in the best works of art. This is just the most personal place that In the Heights hit me.
 
As deep as that meaning went, there were more general aspects that would affect many others. It went into DACA and dreamers. It gave a front row seat to what it’s like to be an immigrant, or even just darker than white, in America.
 
There are going to be people who don’t appreciate that message. Those are the people I think need to pay the most attention.
 
When I placed In the Heights in the #1 spot of my Top 20 movies to look out for in June, I mentioned my concern that people would undoubtedly compare it to Hamilton (2020). Following up a film like that is no joke.
 
I worried that even if this one was an amazing film, it still might not live up to Hamilton – which could cause a lot of people to look down on it.
 
I don’t think that’s an issue anymore.
 
In the Heights was insanely good. It was a two-and-a-half-hour movie that I wound up hyper-focusing on so much that I forgot to take a drink during it. My coffee went completely ignored until the credits.
 
I do believe that Hamilton’s soundtrack is better, but that doesn’t mean the music in this film was bad. In the Heights was almost the same quality, just more relatable.
 
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns, His Dark Materials, DuckTales), Quiara Alegría Hudes (Vivo, My America), and Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, Somewhere, Now You See Me 2) are geniuses. There’s nothing else to say about them. Anthony Ramos (Honest Thief, Trolls World Tour, Elena of Avalor) was every bit as amazing as I knew he would be, but he didn’t overshadow anyone. The actors who worked along-side him – regardless of age or gender – were all just as good.
 
If you have the chance to see In the Heights, I cannot recommend it enough.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I am absolutely loving the recent resurgence of musicals in pop culture. We’ve seen a number of them adapted from movies to live-action TV specials in recent years. There have even been several new musical movies. Though, perhaps the most impactful by far was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. In the Heights was Miranda’s Broadway production that came about a decade before the American Revolutionary War mega-hit.
 
Broadway to film adaptations will always hold a special place in my heart. My inner music-geek does a happy dance every time a new one comes out – except for Cats (2019). I tried watching that and I couldn’t get past the strangeness of the CGI. It was so weird. I digress.
 
I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to afford to go to a real Broadway production in person. I’ve seen a few musicals in off-Broadway settings. They were magical experiences that I will never forget. Hamilton was filmed so that it felt like a trip to the theater. In the Heights, however, was a bit different.
 

In the Heights is a bit of a hybrid between the Broadway musical and a traditional movie. There were a few straight dialogue moments, and most of everything else was delivered in song and dance. The difference here was that the setting takes place on the actual streets of New York rather than a stage, and I loved it. It was wonderful to see that the neighborhood became almost a character of its own in the narrative.
 
Aside from the amazing music and killer dance moves, the story was touching and full of vivacious Latina flavor. I laughed and cried and sang along. I wanted to dance (but knew better than to attempt it). I could relate to the characters, even though I don’t share their ethnicity. I felt an empathetic appreciation for what they were going through. The cast absolutely killed it. Their wins and heartbreaks were mine for almost two-and-a-half-hours. It went by in a flash. Though, the ending left me fulfilled, and while wanting more; still well satisfied with the experience.
 
Catch this at your local theater if you safely can do so. In the Heights is a must-see, and I would recommend it a thousand times over.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 97%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 94%
Metascore – 85/100 
Metacritic User Score – 7.9/10
IMDB Score – 7.7/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
P.S. After credits scene.
 
Movie Trailer:

Army of the Dead (2021)

Streaming Services: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Army of the Dead (2021)
Genre: Action, Crime, Horror
Length: 148 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: The Stone Quarry, Netflix, TriPictures
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer:  Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Joby Harold
Actors: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Garret Dillahunt, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Huma Qureshi, Samantha Win, Richard Cetrone, Michael Cassidy
 
Blurb from IMDb: Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I love zombies. I love Zack Snyder. No force on earth could have kept me from watching this flick.
 
From the moment I saw the trailer for Army of the Dead I was ready. Although it’s not a sequel to the Night of the Living Dead (1968) series, I did initially make that mistake. It wasn’t that far out of the realm of possibility. Snyder did direct Dawn of the Dead (2004), and he also admitted that he would be utilizing some of the aspects of Romero’s work. I was a little surprised to hear it wouldn’t be a direct product of it, though.
 
The fact that it was an original story written, and directed, by Zack Snyder only intensified my curiosity.
 
I was thrown off a bit by the opening scene. The way he represented the soldiers felt off to me. I simply can’t imagine a single soldier moving at a snail’s pace if one of their superiors gave them an order to run as far away from something as they could. It hit me wrong. I get what he was trying to do, but I think the same thing could have been accomplished with a realistic reaction.
 
That said, things only got better after that.
 

I find myself having to ask something. Is this a new genre-hybrid we’re seeing? Zombie/Heist? This is not the first one I’ve seen. In fact, the catalyst for the plot was strikingly similar to what we saw in Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula (2020). That being: a few people who escaped the zombies once before are asked to return to the site of the outbreak in order to steal a huge sum of money.
 
It combines a lot of tropes from both sub-genres. For instance: during the opening credits, we have a full introduction to the crew. This is repeated in a more traditional manner during the actual story. From the zombie side of things, we see tropes like the team facing off with a previous member that was turned.
 
Just a side note, can we eradicate the fucking slow-clap trope? That’d be great. Thanks.
 
But I digress.
 

As trope-filled as parts of it seemed, there was a freshness to it. I imagine a lot of that is because what’s expected of one sub-genre, is not what’s expected of the other. So, you don’t know which direction the story’s going to take.
 
That said, Army of the Dead was not lacking in shock value. Snyder went SUPER far in some scenes. There were few things I’ve never see in any zombie film. They caught me completely off-guard. It wound up being one of those movies I HAD to watch on streaming, whether or not it made it to theaters, because I was too vocal to be in polite company.
 
As far as I know, this film had one of the longest (if not the longest) run-times of any zombie film that currently exists. My post today is late simply because I just didn’t expect it to be 2 hours and 28 minutes long.
 
Even at that length, I barely felt the movement of time.
 
It was just that good.
 

Train to Busan (2016) is still my favorite zombie flick. Night of the Living Dead follows, just because it was the movie that started it all. I think, now, Army of the Dead pulls into a close third – un-throning Anna and the Apocalypse (2017).
 
I can’t leave this off without noting Zack Snyder’s soundtrack choices.
 
In the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, he introduced audiences to Richard Cheese – a lounge singer that covered “Down With the Sickness” by Disturbed. It was the first time I found I really had a soundtrack preference with any film. I just love that juxtaposition of slow, kind of poppy, music playing over a violent, bleak, apocalyptic scene. He pulled the same thing with this one. In fact, he used Mr. Cheese again. I’m so here for that choice.
 
I know that there are plenty of people who disagree with that assessment, but it just works for me.
 
I can’t recommend Army of the Dead enough. Especially if you’re a zombie fan.
  

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 71%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 79%
Metascore – 57/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.4/10
IMDB Score – 6.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
 
P.S. There will be a (currently unnamed) prequel coming sometime down the line. We will also be getting an anime-style series called Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.
 
Movie Trailer:

Night in Paradise (2021)

Streaming Services: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Night in Paradise (2021)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Length: 131 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Goldmoon Film, Netflix
Director: Park Hoon-jung
Writer: Park Hoon-jung
Actors: Tae-goo Eom, Yeo-bin Jeon, Seung-Won Cha, Dong-in Cho, Park Ho-San, Bong-sik Hyun, Soon-bae Cha, Byung-ho Son, Lee Gi-yeong, Mun-shik Lee, Se-bin Ahn, Jang Young-Nam
 
Blurb from IMDb: Hiding out in Jeju Island following a brutal tragedy, a wronged mobster with a target on his back connects with a woman who has her own demons.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
We have had a lot of dark movies recently, and this one is no exception.
 
Films reflect the culture that makes them. Not just in setting and language, either. Audiences from different countries prefer different endings, content, concepts, character types, etc. In the USA, audiences tend to prefer a happy ending. That’s why you see stuff like The Descent (2005) and 28 Days Later (2002) with alternate endings for showings in different countries.
 
In fact, the entire content of a film could be drastically different just based on the culture of the writer/director/studio. Whether there are sex scenes, gore, or even just extended scenes with child actors, depends on what culture claims a film.
 
There are exceptions, of course. I’m going into this specifically to explain how I generally alter my expectations going into a foreign film.
 
I’m a big fan of Korean cinema. I’ve even started learning Korean so that I can eventually watch it without worrying about dubbing or subtitles. (It’s slow-going, but I’ll get there.) Because of that, I knew Night in Paradise would be brutal. I find that Korean films go much harder than people tend to expect.
 
With a mob story, even in the USA, very few of them have any kind of happy ending. So, I had no idea how it would translate, culturally.
 

It was GRIM. It may have been the bleakest film I’ve ever seen. Not in a bad way, mind you; but ‘depressing’ doesn’t quite say enough.
 
It was an interesting watch. Never-the-less, it’s one of those films you never really go back to, because of just how dark it is.
 
There were parts in the beginning that were a bit disjointed – specifically where time-line was concerned, but it was only a scene or two. Otherwise, it drops the audience right into the story and never slows down again.
 
Netflix labels it a ‘slow burn’. I disagree. I didn’t feel like there was any down time at all.
 
Night in Paradise was a good movie, but it was long. If you really like this style of film, and you’re a fan of Korean movies, you’re not going to feel time pass. If you’re not already a fan, however, this is not the place to start.
 
Personally, I really liked it.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
Night in Paradise is one of the movies that caught my attention when we came across the trailer. It didn’t make my Top 20 list, but only by the narrowest of margins.
 
At first blush, the trailer promised a story about a Korean mafioso laying low and meeting a girl with a grim outlook in the process. There were flashes of gunplay and action scenes. It was very effective at drawing me in. Of course, the bonus is that Netflix also offers an English dubbed version if you aren’t up for subtitles. It seemed like it would be a win-win, really.
 
In the wake of the final credits, I found myself torn.
 

On the one hand, the movie delivered what the trailer promised. Some aspects were absolutely glorious. Unfortunately, the film was overburdened with a lot of fluff in the scene transitioning that made the whole thing drag out forever. They could have probably shaved off an hour and it would have been fine.
 
The lengthy scenery shots almost lost me in a few places. Fortunately, the story kicked right back in and spared me from boredom.
 
I enjoyed the characters, the acting, the action was on point, and the story was satisfying. In any other situation, I would be raving that everyone has got to see this gem of a film. Unfortunately, with the bonkers turtle-like pacing, it knocks the overall enjoyability of the movie down a few pegs.
 
Still, if you can take the length with a grain of salt, I’d say it’s worth a watch.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 73%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 71%
Metascore – 59/100
Metacritic User Score – 7.5/10
IMDB Score – 6.7/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Greenland (2020)

Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video ($5.99)
Movie Name/Year: Greenland (2020)
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Length: 119 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: STX Films, Anton, Thunder Road Pictures, G-BASE, Riverstone Pictures, Film & TV House, GEM Entertainment, CatchPlay, Cinépolis Distribución, Diamond Films, Elevation Pictures, ErosSTX International, Golden Village Pictures, Impuls Pictures, Joyncontents Group, Kinomania, Metropolitan Filmexport, Pony Canyon, Roadshow Film Distributors (NZ) Ltd., Roadshow Films, STX International, Spentzos Films, Square Box Pictures, TGV Pictures, TOBIS Film, The Searchers, Top Film, Vertical Entertainment, Amazon Prime Video, Cinemundo, Encore Films, Eros Now, HBO Max, JL Vision Film, Leonine Distribution, TOBIS Home Entertainment, The Filmbridge
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Writer: Chris Sparling
Actors: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn, Randal Gonzalez, Scott Poythress, Claire Bronson, Madison Johnson, Gary Weeks, Tracey Bonner, Hope Davis, David Denman, Andrew Bachelor, Joshua Mikel, James Logan, Randall Archer
 
Blurb from IMDb: A family struggles for survival in the face of a cataclysmic natural disaster.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I have been looking forward to Greenland for a long time. Maybe even since the start of the pandemic.
 
It was delayed several times before being released to streaming in the USA. Sometimes, that’s a bad sign. It could indicate reshoots or post-production issues. I think it’s pretty clear that, this time, it was delayed solely because of COVID.
 
Apocalypse movies are my thing. No matter what ends the world in those films, they always draw me.
 
These days, apocalypse movies hit different. They just pack a lot more of a punch since the coronavirus shut down our world. I imagine this is because if everyone was as absolutely moronic as the anti-maskers & anti-vaxxers are, it very well could have been an extinction-level disease.
 

That said, I was happy to see a film like this that focused on comets. Most of the apocalypse flicks I’ve seen have involved zombies, aliens, ice ages, or Earthbound natural disasters – with a scattering of religion. It’s nice to see something different. There’ve been a few comet/meteor/asteroid/thing crashing into Earth movies, but not a whole lot that I can recall. That means the majority of them probably weren’t all that memorable.
 
Greenland is.
 
It did sport some of my least favorite apocalypse tropes. Among them are: a couple starting on the rocks (we all know they’ll bond over the trauma and be back together in the end) and a child needing access to meds (you just know they’re going to lose, or be separated from, the meds at some point). I feel like, in this case, those tropes (and a couple of others) could have been subverted easily.
 

If they were, Greenland would have gotten a perfect score from me. Even with the small plot holes that picked at me by the conclusion.
 
The rest of the film was phenomenal. All the serious, emotional scenes, were so well done that I wound up ugly crying in the middle of the movie. That kind of reaction is normally ear-marked for the very end.
 
I have to give props to director Ric Roman Waugh (Felon, In the Shadows, Snitch) and writer Chris Sparling (Buried, ATM, The Warning). They created something special. It’s difficult to make an apocalyptic film feel fresh, but they did. I do believe their project was elevated by the work of Gerard Butler (The Vanishing, 300, Angel Has Fallen), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, Gotham, Ode to Joy), and even the child star, Roger Dale Floyd (Doctor Sleep, Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets, Kronos). The various side-actors also felt perfect.
 

The ladies in charge of casting, Mary Vernieu (Euphoria, Promising Young Woman, Knives Out) and Michelle Wade Byrd (The Photograph, Bird Box, We Can Be Heroes), damn well earned their paychecks.
 
Greenland dug deep. It told a terrifying, gut-punch, of a story. One that will stand out – even to someone like me. I watch over 300 movies a year and I forget roughly 80% of them. I don’t believe this will be one of those.  
 
It’s only $5.99 to rent Greenland on Amazon Prime Video. I think it’s totally worth it.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 78%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 64%
Metascore – 64/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.3/10
IMDB Score – 6.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Space Sweepers (2021)

Streaming Services: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: Space Sweepers (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Length: 136 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Bidangil Pictures, Merry Christmas, Netflix
Director: Sung-hee Jo
Writer: Sung-hee Jo
Actors: Song Joong-Ki, Kim Tae-ri, Seon-kyu Jin, Hae-Jin Yoon, Richard Armitage, Ye-Rin Park, Mu-Yeol Kim, Ji-Yeol Oh, Hyang-gi Kim, Nas Brown, Kevin Dockry, Daniel Joey Albright, Dae-han Kim, John D. Michaels, Carla Fernanda Avilla Escobedo
 
Blurb from IMDb: Set in the year 2092 and follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. When they discover a humanoid robot named Dorothy that's known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
My heart hurts.
 
The ending of Space Sweepers just hit me like a tsunami. I ugly cried through the last 15-minutes. Every time I started to come out of it, something else happened.
 
This film was exactly as good as I thought it was going to be. It was flawlessly gorgeous with a rich universe. I can’t think of any other movie that has showcased as many languages as this one.
 

Due to the way the universe evolved in this dystopia, technology became a simple tool for translating speech, so people just spoke whatever they spoke. Netflix notes that Space Sweepers is in Korean, but I heard English, French, Russian, Spanish… and other languages, dialects, and accents. It may seem like such a simple, random thing for me to latch onto, but it felt like a fact that brought the world-building to a whole other level. It was a reinvention of the wheel where the dystopian sub-genre is concerned.
 
The plot was gripping, but a little complicated to unpack. There are some familiar tropes utilized, but it all seemed to represent something. It all had a specific purpose. There was the obvious statement on how “trustworthy” media is when it’s linked politically to someone. There was the corruption in world leaders, the question of morality in a caste-based society, sacrifice, and growth.
 

I did not feel time move as I watched. It turned from day to night while I was glued to the screen, but it still feels like no time has passed.
 
Aside from the depth, there was so much to enjoy on the surface. There were large-scale space battles and plenty of humor.
 

I will say that some of the comedy felt like it was right out of an anime, but I enjoy that. It worked well for me.
 
I’ve never seen, or heard of, anything else by writer/director Sung-hee Jo (Phantom Detective, A Werewolf Boy, End of Animal). I’m going to be actively seeking out the rest of his work. I was thrilled to find out this was a fully original story.
 
Space Sweepers was phenomenal. I will definitely be watching it again.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 67%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 81%
Metascore – 64/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.2/10
IMDB Score – 6.6/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer: