What’s the Film About?

It has been a couple years since the release of “It” (2017) and after watching the trailer to the second chapter I decided to give the film another watch to see if it still holds up. I do think the movie is flawed but I feel that the positives far outweigh the negatives. The film takes place in Derry, Maine where a supernatural entity thrives on killing children before he slumbers for 27 years, which gets the attention of a group of kids (the loser’s club) who intend to stop him before he kills again. It is summer time and Billy (played by Jaeden Lieberher) has a feeling in his gut that his brother Georgie is still alive somewhere in the sewers so him and his friends decide to band together to find him. At the start of the film we are introduced to Billy and his brother Georgie who share a heartwarming scene together before Georgie decides to try out his new boat which Billy crafted for him. If you saw the mini series then you will know exactly what happens next, but this time around we get to see Pennywise take a chunk out of Georgie’s arm before dragging him into the sewer which surprised me. I would’ve been fine if the film cut to Pennywise grabbing his arm like in the original, but this film showed some balls by showing a kid get his arm chewed off in grizzly detail. I assure you that no children were harmed during the making of this picture. Let’s get right into what I did enjoy about this film and boy do I have a lot of good stuff to talk about!

What Worked in the Movie?

There are a lot of things to mention about this film but I will start off with the characters. Almost every kid actor in this movie did a wonderful job portraying their characters. I really felt like these kids were terrified beyond comprehension and their acting has to be commended here in this film. It’s a kiss of death for your movie to have terrible child actors but thankfully this film doesn’t suffer the same fate as The Phantom Menace did with baby Anakin Skywalker. A terrible child actor can bring the whole movie down a couple notches so when I heard about a remake in the works for a movie I considered terrifying back in the day, I was a little skeptical because… Kids. I guess I was a little traumatized going in since I couldn’t get flashes of Anakin going, “Yippee” out of my brain. I wasn’t prepared to sit through two hours of kids who couldn’t act their way out of a paper bag, but I was relieved after watching the film for the first time. I felt like there was hope for mankind after all.

I adored all of these actors and I strongly believe you will too since they are all easy to relate to. I thought Beverly (played by Sophia Lillis) was the best character in the movie since she didn’t take any shit from Pennywise. She actually stood her ground, being the first to bring the fight directly to the demented clown. Richie (played by Finn Wolfhard) was good too as the loud mouth comic relief. He had me laughing a few times during the course of the film and so did Eddie, (played by Jack Dylan Grazer) who is basically afraid of anything infested with germs. Eddie and Richie brought levity to an overall horrific film and a little relief is always welcome to ease the tension a bit. The film could’ve easily gone overboard with the comic element but it found a way to maintain balance and did not detract from the movie in any way. This film could’ve been transformed into a full on comedy if the script was written by an inferior writer and thankfully that did not happen here.


In a way, you could see this film as a dark comedy which has worked before with the likes of Army of Darkness. When Pennywise used a kid’s severed arm to wave at Ben (played by Jeremy Ray Taylor) I couldn’t help but laugh. It could probably be because I have a sick, twisted sense of humor that I found that scene funny but I am sure a lot of you laughed, too. I will let you decide if the scene was funny when you get to that point! I was a big fan of the way the film looked! The atmosphere was fantastic, giving almost every scene it’s own distinct flavor like the part where three of the children enter a creepy old house to confront the clown. The place reminded me of a haunted house in a way since there were cob webs all over the walls and ceiling, and a few rooms packed full of old cliches that you would find at a theme park such as: A girl literally hanging out with half of her body eaten off, a room filled with scary clowns which turn their heads as a character walks by, and a little boy who has a bad case of black saliva that melts away the floor.


I thought Bill Skarsgard did an amazing job as Pennywise, considering that he has two giant shoes to fill. I am pretty sure we all remember Tim Curry as the original Pennywise and I have a feeling that Bill knew he was never going to capture the same energy that Curry did years before. Tim Curry was iconic as Pennywise and I believe there is no topping the master of playing terrifying movie entities, but I think Skarsgard did an incredible job regardless of him not coming close to Curry’s performance. He steals the show in this movie with his haunting voice, demented stare, and creepy body language. He could honestly be silent the whole movie and still end up being scary based on his body language alone. Now on to my negatives but don’t worry, this is gonna be a short list.

Only Two Negatives

I thought Stanley stood out as a wimp compared to every other character in this movie. I felt like he was completely unnecessary to the plot since he didn’t add much to the overall narrative. Even Mike had more of a character than Stanley and Mike only had one good scene where he describes how his parents died when he was younger. Stanley was just a wimpy Jewish kid who is petrified beyond belief of a painting… He only has a few lines of dialogue and nothing much to do except follow the other main kid actors.

The other problem I had with the movie was the frustrating choices made by Pennywise. I understand he likes to toy with his victims before going in for the kill, but he toys with the loser club way too much, almost to the point of hilarity. Maybe it was explained somewhere in the book but I am not reviewing the book, I am talking about the movie and I just thought the decision to reduce Pennywise to a Conjuring cliche was a bit distracting. I mean, he has the opportunity to dispatch his prey multiple times throughout the film but he lets them go at the last second like some kind of amateur. After the second time, I got fed up and the tension dissipated real fast since I knew Pennywise would much rather pull pranks on them than kill them. It’s just dumb to me because earlier in the movie he ate Georgie and a teenage boy after one quick encounter. He didn’t toy with them there at all and it made me wonder why Pennywise decided to toy with the club rather than just eat them when he had the chance. It gets worse later on in the movie when Stanley gets a couple teeth marks on his face but nothing severe, even though the film clearly shows how easy it is for Pennywise to rip a kid’s arm off. It can be a little nitpick but it was really distracting to me.

Fun Facts About the Movie

1. The first trailer broke all previous viewing records.
2. The movie was made 27 years after the release of the mini series as does Pennywise resurface every 27 years. The number 27 is an obvious link.
3. The bullies were actually nicer in the movie than they were in the novel. They were worse?
4. The movie would have been rated NC-17 since the first script was much more graphic. Hmm I wonder if they included the infamous orgy scene.
5. Bill Skarsgard didn’t meet the other actors until filming began to create a genuine sense of terror.The first trailer broke all previous viewing records.

In Conclusion

The movie had some intense scenes of characters desperately trying to get away from Pennywise and the atmosphere brought the movie up, especially down in the sewer. The characters were memorable for the most part and Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise really made the character his own. There were a few minor frustrations with the film but I had a great time while watching it. I hope the next film isn’t as bad as the second half of the miniseries. There is little to screw up so i do wonder how it will turn out in the long run. Hopefully Pennywise doesn’t turn into a giant stop motion spider like he did in the original. I am going to give this movie four stars out of five! Stanley held this film back and so did the stupid decisions made by Pennywise by letting the kids go after nearly every encounter. If you enjoyed my review then be sure to share this article around on social media! I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!

What Are Hobbs and Shaw Up To?

What happens when two polar opposites team up to stop a genetically enhanced super man from causing the destruction of every life form on the planet? Well, we get a serviceable summer blockbuster with intense action sequences and hilarious dialogue. There is a virus referred to as “snowflake” that has the potential to wipe out every body on the planet and it is up to Hobbs and Shaw to kick the supposed “black superman’s” ass or risk the people being melted from the inside out. I watched the trailer for this film about a month ago and I didn’t really think much of it other than it would probably make for a decent dumb action flick with some wicked cool special effects. I went into the film with low expectations and I walked out with mixed feelings since I did enjoy the film for what it was, but there were some moments in the film I couldn’t care less about. The evil organization was pretty generic and didn’t leave too much impact on the overall film and the final act felt rushed with a not so clever confrontation. Hobbs (played by Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (played by Jason Statham) had excellent chemistry with each other! I will have to say that the best parts in the movie involve them roasting each other back and forth. The audience around me laughed continuously throughout the film and I occasionally joined them in a laugh or two. I wouldn’t say that the movie is drop dead funny the whole way through, but I will admit that the film can be humorous at times. The action scenes were a great spectacle, especially the hand to hand combat! Jason Statham had some sweet moves that contrasted from Dwayne Johnson’s hulking fighting style. In a way they make the perfect squad even though they would rather tear each others throats out than work together. There is also the inclusion of Shaw’s sister (played by Vanessa Kirby) which was a pretty good character in my opinion. In order to keep the virus out of the wrong hands, she administers the virus into her bloodstream and that is when she is intercepted by Hobbs in a very entertaining fight scene. I think Vanessa Kirby played her role well and I would be happy to see her in a future film.

The Action

What can I say about the action sequences in this film? I went in knowing I would get some half way decent set pieces but I walked out with a whole lot more than what I bargained for. The camera work was fantastic; always following the actors in creative ways while they were being hunted down by Brixton (played by Idris Elba). Many of the action sequences felt so real, like these actors were really being chased down by an unstoppable force on a motor bike who can kick both their asses like no tomorrow. The visual effects were great and the slow motion was used sparingly but effectively (Unlike the Matrix sequels). Jason Statham was incredible since he fought like a ninja and there was one scene in particular where he reminded me of Jackie Chan (tying henchmen together so they can’t attack anymore). I really felt every blow in this movie since the fight scenes were handled in an over the top manner, especially when Dwayne sends people flying through the air with every punch thrown. When Idris Elba fights both Statham and Johnson with relative ease I could feel how ferocious his punches were and how carefully timed his tactics were. I was getting some serious Terminator 2 vibes when he came face to face with Johnson for the first time and threw him around like he was a small child. It is always nice to see a villain who is superior to our protagonists in every single way, that way it provides a lot of tension for our heroes, forcing them out of their comfort zone. I also thought Vanessa Kirby held her own along side Hobbs and Shaw in her combat scenes. I thought her fight scene with Hobbs was one of the best action sequences in the film and worth the price of admission alone.

Some Facts About Hobbs and Shaw

• The movie was supposed to open on Jason Statham’s birthday on July 26th but was moved to August because the director thought the quieter month of August would gain a bigger box office.
• There is a scene where WWE superstar Roman Reigns uses his trademark “Samoan Drop” and “Spear” which might give wrestling fans a chuckle. Dwayne Johnson even does the “people’s eyebrow” as an added Easter egg.
• A lot of Rock’s Samoan heritage is in the film near the end where Hobbs and Shaw need to get off the map and what better place to go than Samoa.
• There is a possibility for a new Universal Studios ride based on this film.
• Hobbs and Shaw is the first of many planned spin off movies. There is talk going around that the tenth movie will be the “Endgame” of the franchise in reference to the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• The film recently wrapped up shooting in mid February since they had to go back and re-shoot some scenes.
• It has been confirmed that Hobbs and Shaw will not be in F&F 9. It was stated that Johnson had taken over the franchise, so to compensate, the film makers decided to give the main actors of the F&F franchise their time to shine without Johnson and Statham.The movie was supposed to open on Jason Statham’s birthday on July 26th but was moved to August because the director thought the quieter month of August would gain a bigger box office.

In Conclusion

The film was a fun time at the movies and I would recommend anybody who is a big fan of the F&F franchise to give it a shot. I am not a fan of the franchise but I did enjoy this film for what it was. Don’t go into the movie expecting an intriguing story or anything like that, but do go in knowing that you are about to watch a balls to the wall action flick with great camera work, special effects, and superb chemistry between Hobbs and Shaw. Their scenes bickering back and forth between each other were the highlights of the film. The hand to hand combat scenes were breathtaking as well; giving every character their time to show how great they are at fighting. The villain was threatening but I don’t think Elba’s performance stood out as memorable other than his fight scenes. No disrespect to Elba, but I feel like his character could have been played by anybody. He was an overall generic villain who was a puppet for an even more dangerous organization. The evil organization is another thing I didn’t care too much for and when this mysterious voice pops up every once in a while to give Idris Elba a talking to, I didn’t get enough out of the organization known as Eteon to care much about their plan for humans to evolve. I feel like Eteon could have been handled in a better way, maybe hinting at how threatening the organization can be by showing how much control they have in the world, but I didn’t get a scene like that in this film. Instead, they are like an interface for Elba’s character whenever he needs an enhancement via injecting him with some kind of genetically modified serum, similar to Captain America. Other than that, the film did its job effectively and if you have nothing else better to do and you want to see some kick ass fight scenes then I recommend you to go out and see for yourself. Just don’t come to me and say the movie’s story was disappointing. I am going to give this movie three stars out of five! The chemistry between all the characters make the film an enjoyable ride from start to finish with zero boring moments. If you enjoyed my review then be sure to pass this article around on social media! I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

The Plot

This movie picks up eight years after the events of the last film. Bruce Wayne (played by Christian Bale) is no longer the crime fighting vigilante we all know and fear. He is instead reduced to a man who can barely walk five feet without the assistance of a cane. He is a shell of his former self in that he no longer attends parties or does anything play boy related. After taking the fall for Dent in the last film, Bruce decided to call it quits and linger in the shadows since he never really got over the tragic death of his childhood friend, Rachel Dawes. He doesn’t even have much of a say in his own company anymore since most of his money went down the tubes. When he learns of a ruthless mercenary named Bane (played by Tom Hardy) Bruce musters up the strength to dawn the black tights once more to take him down. What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? It is a concept that has been told numerous times before where the hero suffers a defeat and needs to pick themselves up to overcome the obstacle in front of them (Fun fact: Kevin Smith referred to this movie as Rocky 3). I have so many things to say about this film, yet not so much if that makes any sense. There were some things I absolutely loved but there were some things that just stuck out to me as being flat out bad. Since I got the basic plot out of the way let me go into detail about what I did enjoy about the film.

My Positives

There were a lot of things this movie got right. Batman’s introduction was handled very well and might go down as one of the best character entrances in movie history. I remember my reaction when Batman first showed up on screen to lay the smack down on some baddies and after watching it again, I can see why I reacted the way I did. The scene was just as intense, if not more intense than his first appearance in The Dark Knight. The music enhanced the scene quite a bit and in some ways it gave the film a more epic feel than the previous two entries. The choreography is spot on in this film! I enjoyed every fight, especially the first fight in the sewer between Bane and Batman. I don’t think the director could have made that scene any better if he tried. Selina Kyle (played by Anne Hathaway) really holds her own against the baddies and there is a well shot fight scene on the rooftop where she and Bruce fight off Bane’s henchmen side by side. Bane is one of the scariest villains out there and this film is to thank for that. Tom Hardy’s portrayal is mesmerizing in that he eats up every scene he walks into. His presence alone can intimidate anybody in the blink of an eye because of his figure and demeanor. If I were to walk into a room and I saw a hulking man with a gas mask I would probably defecate myself. The sewer scene alone will sell his performance for you if nothing else does.

What Didn’t Work?

The plot was a jumbled up mess… There were times in the movie where my brain just wanted to shut off and I had a few, “huh” moments. Whenever Morgan Freeman started babbling on about the fusion reactor I could feel my interest level drop substantially. All in all, I felt bored throughout most of the movie and it is a pretty long movie with a variety of scenes that felt tacked on to extend the run time a bit. I didn’t particularly like the scene where Crane made people choose whether they wanted to walk on ice or be killed. I just felt like the court hearings were a bit too cheesy for me in an overall serious film. The story is simple but the way the movie was structured made it seem more complicated than it really was. There is a huge chunk in the second act that drags for what seems like a half hour and I felt every second of it. I was begging for the movie to cut back to Bruce Wayne doing his own thing instead of showing a whole lot of nothing going on in Gotham City. I think Anne Hathaway was pretty forgettable in her role as Cat Woman for the most part other than a few scenes in the first act where she steals a car from Bruce Wayne and fakes being in distress so she can get away. When Selina stole Wayne’s car that made me laugh a little bit because it’s not often Batman meets his match when it comes to being a stealth nut.

Some Interesting Facts

1. Bane’s voice was originally more distorted. His lines had to be re-recorded so people could actually understand what he was saying.
2. Bane’s theme is a chant that is uttered in the film a bunch of times. The chant is “deshi basara”, which means “rise” in Moroccan.
3. Tom Hardy based his voice for Bane on Bartley Gorman, who was the unbeaten bare-knuckle boxing champion of the United Kingdom.
4. In order to make The Bat fly, it was supported by wires, suspended from cranes and helicopters, and mounted on a purpose-built vehicle with hydraulic controls to simulate movement.

In Conclusion

This was a bloated mess all around with some good scenes sprinkled throughout the movie. I spent the majority of the film being bored since a large portion of the movie did not incorporate Batman to his full potential like the other films did. I will have to agree with Kevin Smith when he said that this film is pretty much the same story as Rocky 3. It is not all bad that this film copies over from a half way decent boxing movie if it is done right and in this case I feel like it stumbles a little bit with some of the structure but effective everywhere else. The second act is definitely the worst part about this movie since it centers around the citizens of Gotham running a muck throughout the city while Bane just hangs back with nothing else to do. The third act caught my attention quick when Batman shows up to get some revenge and take back his city. It kind of reminded me of The Lion King in a way where the protagonist makes their way back home to challenge the antagonist for the rightful claim to the territory. I do not think this is a bad movie but I will say that it is the worst movie in this franchise. I am split on this movie because it gets so many scenes right and a big part of the second half wrong. If you are a Batman fan then I recommend you add this to your collection to see for yourself how the franchise ends. It is worth checking out for that but don’t expect it to be as good as the other films in the franchise. I am going to give this film three stars out of five! It was an okay time to sit through and as a Batman fan I got some of the stuff I would want in a crime drama. Bane was no Joker but he did have an intimidating presence that shined in every scene like Heath Ledger did in the previous film. If you enjoyed my article then be sure to share it around on social media! I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!

The Plot

The story centers around a TV star named Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt man Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt) who are just living out their lives in Los Angeles. Rick comes to realize that he is no longer on top of the world and this film spends the majority of its run time with him trying to deal with the hard truth of his fading popularity. Cliff is also going through a hard time since he can’t seem to find work as a stunt double so his scenes revolve around him living a normal life like everyone else. I have to say that I went into this movie with no expectations. I didn’t watch any reviews or trailers for the film. The only thing I knew was that Quentin Tarantino was the director and after hearing that, I just bought my ticket as soon as I could and rushed out the door to see a good movie. There were so many things this movie got right and very little it got wrong, so expect more positives than negatives for this movie. Alright, let’s get down to what you all want to know about: Why the movie is good!

The Characters

I didn’t expect to laugh this much when I went to see this film because Tarantino tends to go for a more violent way of telling a story. This reminded me of Pulp Fiction in a lot of ways since the two actors share such great comedic chemistry with each other. There was a scene where Rick started going crazy inside his trailer, cussing at his reflection, and throwing stuff all because he forgot his lines during the shooting of an episode. It felt very natural for his character because he is the kind of guy who strives to be the best actor he can, so he can get that shred of relevance he needs to stay sane. When an actor of his caliber flubs his lines then all hell can break loose at any moment, which clearly happens in the film. It really shows how Hollywood can get into a person’s head since it is all about competition in the acting world. He reminded me of a veteran lion fighting for his right to be the king when another younger lion shows up to steal his thunder. There were many scenes where Rick showed emotion and I felt really bad for him. DiCaprio still shows what a magnificent talent he is in this feature and so does Brad Pitt. Cliff is a down to Earth guy just living his life while his best friend stumbles with his lines on set. You could easily relate to him since he spends the majority of the movie just helping his friend out by driving him around and doing whatever Rick tells him to do. There is a moment where we learn that he is a war veteran and he definitely shows that off with such over the top brutality. I don’t want to spoil the funniest parts in the movie but I will say that a special guest star shows up to spar with Cliff and that scene made me laugh harder than I ever have in a long while. Both Cliff and Rick have fantastic chemistry with each other and I bought that they were long time friends in the movie. I recommend seeing the movie just for them!

What Was Good?

• The performances by both Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were incredible. They showed great chemistry with each other and they clearly steal the spotlight in this film.
• This was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while. The timing was superb and the over the top violence had me laughing in the third act. I could watch the scene where Rick flips out in his trailer for hours.
• The camera work was fantastic! When there are characters riding on horses the camera follows from a distance along side them and that really shows you how much work went into the film.
• The atmosphere was incredible. It felt like I hopped into a time machine to visit the late sixties. The clothes, the retro screens on the television sets really caught my eye. I love when movies are as detailed as possible like it was in this film.
• Some of the violence in this movie is over the top and hilarious. The splatter effects were nice for lovers of gore and I could feel it whenever Cliff laid the smack down on somebody.

What Wasn’t So Good?

• Margot Robbie’s character just came off as eye candy to me. The movie follows her for a long while and she doesn’t really contribute anything to the film other than seeing a blonde dance. Well, there’s that and we also get the privilege to watch her react to a movie she stars in and for whatever reason Tarantino decided to jump back and forth between her and the other two characters in the movie. I felt like she was wasted in this movie and if you took her out of the movie the plot would be the same.
• The pacing was kind of slow at times, especially when Cliff decides to visit an old friend at a ranch filled with hillbillies. There was also the scene where Margot watches a movie for a total of eight minutes which seemed unnecessary to me. This movie could have easily been trimmed by about thirty minutes and it would have been a perfect comedy with no dull moments.

In Conclusion

The movie is a fun time if you love comedies and Tarantino’s over the top violence. I loved this movie for what it brought to the screen and I can’t really think of too much wrong with it other than the fact that it clocks in at two hours and thirty two minutes when it should have been about an hour and forty five minutes. Overall, the characters of Cliff Booth and Rick Dalton were the highlight of the movie and I can easily see them as the modern day Vincent Vega and Jules from Pulp Fiction. There were some pretty kick ass fight scenes and excruciating violence but that’s something you should expect when you go in to see a Quentin Tarantino film. If only the pacing was a little better then the movie would be a five star film with ease, but since it feels sluggish at times, I am going to have to give this movie four stars out of five. It is damn near close to being an outstanding film with zero flaws! For the ninth film, Tarantino still knows what the audience wants to see in a movie and he delivers one hundred and twenty percent with this hilarious movie. Go out and see this movie in the theater, you will not regret it one bit! I know I didn’t! If you enjoyed my review of this movie then be sure to share this article around on social media! I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!