The Video Game/Movie Review Blog

What?! No, seriously. What?! I have no words for this...is this supposed to be a movie? This feels like a way to kill the franchise and run. Let's talk about this...thing, I guess. The plot has another astronaut named Brent, played by James Franciscus, crash land on the planet as well, because Charlton Heston didn't want to be in this movie all that much. The apes decide to go to war with telepathic humans who worship an atom bomb for some reason. It feels very disjointed and confusing. The acting was bland because the writing was bland. The action was okay, but without a good story to hold it up, it doesn't leave much of an impact. The mutants were confusing and I had no idea what their purpose was. The apes are barely in a movie called PLANET OF THE APES. WHY DOES THIS MOVIE EXIST?! This review is short because this movie was so bad that I literally have nothing more to say about it. It feels pointless and didn't add anything meaningful to the franchise. I'm shock...

Okay, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this movie, but as I finally got to see it, I was pleasantly surprised. There were a lot of cool concepts that were explored in this film, and the best part was that it made me think, which is always great to see. The story concerns an astronaut named George Taylor, played by Charlton Heston, who, along with fellow astronauts Dodge and Landon, end up crash landing on a mysterious planet. After exploring it for a bit, they find that it is ruled by apes with human level intelligence, while the humans on the planet are mute and animalistic. The rest of the film talks about the rights of humans in a society where they are treated like nothing, which feels like it was very much intended to be paralleling human rights at the time of release, which was 1968, a very divisive time among people. The interesting thing about this film is that it isn't focused on action. The moments that stand out are the scenes where Taylor bonds and connects w...

I wish this was fantastic. I wish this was good. This seemed like it would be such a good series, and...it just wasn't. I'm devastated that this series was just okay, with lots of wasted potential. This is not what Lord of the Rings should be. The story is split up into several parts. We have the elf Galadriel, who teams up with a mysterious man named Halbrand to find and defeat the dark lord Sauron. There is a plotline about the Harfoots, which are basically Hobbits, whose peaceful life is shaken up when a man literally falls from the sky. We have the story of Elrond, another elf who attempts to enlist the help of the Dwarven prince Durin to help save the entire Elven race. And then we have the southlands, the viewpoint characters being an elf named Arondir and a woman named Bronwyn, and they have to contend with orcs attempting to take their lands over. Lots of plotlines, and a lot of them end up being...just okay. Like there are good scenes to all of them, except maybe the H...

What was this? No, seriously. What was this movie? What was the point of this? I thought a second watchthrough would help me gain a better understanding but...nope, this movie is still a masterclass in how not to do a movie. The plot is...confusing. Basically, Altus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, has asked Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, and his friends to confuse Gellert Grindelwald, played by Mads Mikkelsen, because he is...gaining power...and...something about magical deer bowing to future wizard leaders and lots of lots of wizard politics. This movie makes no sense! Who thought this movie was a good idea?! The acting is...fine, I guess, and I liked getting to see into Dumbledore and Grindelwald's past, where they were former lovers, which makes the stakes, if there even were any, more personal. This movie is even more stuffed with plotlines, but then they forgot to add a reason for them to exist, like what is this movie? Like I felt disconnected the entire movie. I k...

Why is this one the best of the sequel trilogy? No, seriously. Why? This movie does so much right but at the very end. The Star Wars sequels find their identity finally in THIS ONE. What even? Let's unpack this one. The story follows Rey, Finn, and Poe, played again by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, as they try to find the mysterious Sith planet Exegol where Emperor Palpatine, played once again by Ian McDiarmid, who was supposed to be dead after Return of the Jedi, and who...is back...somehow, resides and runs the First Order from the shadows. Also, more tension between Rey and Kylo Ren, played again by Adam Driver. Now, this plotline is simple but insane, because it honestly makes no sense. How do they explain Palpatine coming back? Poe literally says, "Somehow Palpatine returned." How does the plot move forward? Random circumstances. It's total laziness at its finest, and it feels like...eh, I don't know or care. This movie doesn't care either. ...

This movie has not been received kindly by many people, citing a confusing plot and a lack on interesting characters. While there is merit to that, I still quite enjoyed this film all the same. The story is pretty complicated, so I won't deny that it can be confusing. It takes place about a year after the first film, and features the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, played by Johnny Depp, beginning to gather followers in Paris, specifically trying to gain the loyalty of the Obscurial known as Credence Barebone, played once again by Ezra Miller. To combat this, Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, sends Newt Scamander, played again by Eddie Redmayne, accompanied by the non-magical Jacob Kowalski, played once again by Dan Fogler, to find Credence before Grindelwald does. There are also many other plotlines that go into this, such as romantic tension between Newt and Tina Goldstein, played once again by Katherine Waterston, and similarly, romantic tension between Jacob and Queenie Go...

How best to describe this film? It definitely makes more sense than the two sequel trilogy films I've reviewed so far, but I don't think it's quite on the level on Rogue One or the original trilogy. Like it had potential, but it felt like a very safe film. The story focuses on a young Han Solo, played by Alden Ehrenreich, who, after meeting Chewbacca and joining a group of smugglers led by Tobias Beckett, played by Woody Harrelson, he ends up having to smuggle a rare element called coaxium for Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany, an enforcer for a crime syndicate known as Crimson Dawn. Joining these three are Han's childhood friend and love interest, Qi'Ra, played by Emilia Clarke, a young Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover, and his droid copilot L3-37, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. While this is definitely a fun movie, if you have watched the original Star Wars trilogy and are hoping to find out some new information about your favorite scoundrel, well, you...

How do I even begin to describe this film? On one hand, I think I enjoyed it more than The Force Awakens because, well, it actually tried to so its own thing with the story, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this direction necessarily worked for the film. The story is split into two different plotlines. The first one focuses on the Resistance, led by General Leia, played once again by Carrie Fisher, as they are pursued relentlessly through space by the First Order, led by the mysterious Snoke, played by Andy Serkis. In addition, three of the Resistance members, Poe Dameron, played once again by Oscar Isaac, Finn, played again by John Boyega, and Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran, attempt to destroy Snoke's ship to stop them from tracking the Resistance. This is probably the weakest plotline because it ultimately leads to nothing happening, so it ends up being an exercise in pointlessness, and it takes up half of this 2 and a half hour movie so...not off to a good start...

And the trend of actually good films continues, with a Star Wars film that doesn't feel pointless and soulless, telling a good story, giving us good characters, and expanding the world of Star Wars in a meaningful way. The story focuses on a group of rebels who race to find the plans to the Empire's new weapon, the Death Star, because one of their designers, a man named Galen Erso, played by Mads Mikkelsen, put an intentional defect in the weapon so it could be destroyed. The rebels who form our group include Galen's daughter Jyn, played by Felicity Jones, a morally gray rebel named Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, a reformed imperial security droid named K-2SO, voiced by Alan Tudyk, an imperial pilot named Bodhi Rook, played by Riz Ahmed, and a pair of monks, Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus, played by Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen. The best thing about this movie is that it manages to tell a stand alone story while also expanding on the story of the original Star Wars trilogy....

Wow, okay, I forgot how fun this movie was. I enjoyed myself a lot, and honestly, it feels like it could fit quite nicely into the Harry Potter universe. It had been five years since we had a film in the Wizarding World, and this felt like a triumphant return, even though it is a prequel. The story follows a magizoologist named Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, who comes to America with a suitcase full of magical creatures and, through a bunch of crazy circumstances, ends up losing them, meaning he has to find them and prevent them from wreaking havoc on New York. Joining him is the Auror (basically the law enforcement of the Wizarding World) Tina Goldstein, played by Katherine Waterston, her sister Queenie, played by Alison Sudol, and a muggle (Non-magical person) named Jacob Kowalski, played by Dan Fogler. In addition, there is a plotline involving a mysterious young man named Credence Barebone, played by Ezra Miller, and his mysterious relationship with another auror named P...

This was supposed to be the triumphant return of the Star Wars saga, following up on Return of the Jedi and beginning a final trilogy of films, and...honestly...this movie isn't that great. The story may sound familiar to you if you've seen the original Star Wars film from 1977. It follows a trio of new characters as they try to get a macguffin that is placed inside a droid away from the Empire, I mean, the First Order so the Rebellion, I mean, the Resistance can have a better chance to defeat them. The trio of heroes this time are Poe Dameron, a Resistance pilot played by Oscar Isaac, Finn, a defected First Order Stormtrooper played by John Boyega, and Rey, a scavenger who lives on the desert planet of Tatooine, I mean, Jakku, who is played by Daisy Ridley. Yes, they bring back Luke, Leia, and Han, played once again by Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, and the villain this time is Darth Vader wannabe Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, but it feels like a rehash of t...

After the surprising success that was The Desolation of Smaug, I, once again, was not sure how to feel about this final chapter in the Hobbit story. It was very much a mixed bag, more like the first part was, although this one was better than that one. The story begins with Smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, getting killed by Bard, played by Luke Evans. It's not a spoiler, since it's literally the opening portions of the film. Most of the plot is focused on the titular Battle of the Five Armies, which brings all the millions of plotlines together and it's...a lot. Thorin gets greedy after taking the mountain, turning against literally everyone to talk about how rich he is, and then there are orcs involved, and every race from Middle Earth wants some of Erebor's riches, and...I don't know. While the titular battle is very cool to see play out, it is so...long. Like I've never seen a battle go on for the majority of a film's runtime before, but that's ...

After the very uneven disappointment that was An Unexpected Journey, I was fully expecting this follow to kind of follow in its predecessor's footsteps. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised, and this film actually ended up being a lot better. The story continues the story of Bilbo, played by Martin Freeman, Thorin, played by Richard Armitage, and the rest of the dwarven company as they journey ever closer to the Lonely Mountain, home of the deadly dragon Smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. In addition, there are a few other plot threads that are there to set up things we would learn about in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. While I still have to dock this film points for having a ridiculous abundance of plot threads in it (I counted five as I was watching), there was a lot less dead space, and despite the fact that a lot of these scenes were embellishments over the source material, they still were engaging all the same, which made me a lot less bored with this one. Another thing...

I know it's spooky season, and everyone is probably waiting on Scream 4, but I wasn't feeling up to watching a horror film, so I decided to revive my fantasy reviews, because I have wanted to finish this up for all of you. This movie is definitely different, and I had a different reaction to it when I watched it than when I first saw it in the theaters almost 10 years ago. It has some things that work, and some things that really don't. The story acts as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, and focuses on a younger Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf, played again by Ian McKellen, to join in an epic quest to reclaim the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug in a company of 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, played by Richard Armitage. Along the way, they encounter many dangers, including a bounty set by a group of deadly orcs. Throughout all this, whispers of a mysterious evil known only as The Necromancer are heard wi...

How do these movies keep being good? I can't believe it, but this one is another winner for me. And, of the three I've watched, this one has been my favorite. Considering the series was originally supposed to be a trilogy, this film ends things off quite nicely. The story focuses on the cast of the fictional film Stab 3, because Hollywood in the Scream universe still banks on murder, who get picked off one by one, while also bringing previously unknown revelations about Sidney Prescott's past. Obviously, that means that Gail Weathers and Dewey are back as well, and arguably they have even bigger roles in this film on par with Sidney, which was very great because I love their characters so much. As with the previous two films, this is a slasher film that also is very self-aware about its film conventions, and this one is all about trilogies, since, again, this was originally supposed to be the last film in the series. Where the kills were more intense in the first couple of ...

Yes, I know, I said the Hobbit is coming and it is, but I'm on a horror kick right now so I felt I should review the sequel to Scream. I am actually impressed. This is one of the few horror sequels that actually was as good as, if not better than, the original film. The story follows Sidney Prescott, played once again by Neve Campbell, as she is now a student in college and, for some reason, a movie based on the events of the first film was made, called Stab. Naturally, this means a copycat Ghostface killer is here to cause more death and mayhem. I really enjoyed seeing where everything went in terms of story, and I was not prepared for the killer reveal at the end. I won't say much but I was not expecting it at all, and the whole final scene was amazing, featuring some strong acting and intense action from all actors involved. In addition to Neve Campbell, the reporter from the first film, as well as her police deputy love interest, played by Courteney Cox and David Arquette, ...

Okay, it's been a minute, and I've had to take time away from my reviews for my mental health. I legit love doing these reviews for everyone, but I've had to take time for myself. Things might be a little crazy for a bit, but thank you everyone for being so patient while I work through this. So, obviously, this is not the first Hobbit movie. That is still coming in the future, but for the time being, I don't know what will be coming next in terms of what I watch/review. Regardless, this was a lot better than I had thought it would be, with a slasher movie where the characters know the cliches of slasher movies. The story follows a girl named Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, who, after a shocking double murder of two of her fellow students, is consistently stalked by the same killer. The concept is very interesting, and I loved the way they played with the typical slasher concept. Now, I will fully admit that I have not watched many slasher movies (although I ha...

This is it. We have finally reached the grand finale of the Harry Potter series, and it definitely deserves that title. There is no better way they could have ended the story than the way they did with this one. The story continues where Deathly Hallows Part 1 left off with Harry, Ron, and Hermione searching for the last of Voldemort's horcruxes in an effort to finally destroy him and save the wizarding world from his cruelty. The best part about all this is that once it gets started, it just keeps on going, the action never stops until Voldemort is defeated, and that is this film's greatest strength. Where the first part of this story is very slow and kind of takes its time, this one goes from one plot point and action setpiece to another, and yet it doesn't feel excessive, especially because this is the shortest of the Harry Potter films. It's an adrenaline rush getting to see the break-in at the wizard bank Gringotts, the destruction of the final horcruxes, and the b...

This movie was definitely something. Like, I didn't hate it, for one thing, but compared to the previous two, it wasn't exactly overly amazing either. Hopefully my review can explain my feelings on it. The story focuses on siblings Edmund and Lucy, played again by Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley, as well as their obnoxious cousin Eustace, played by a young Will Poulter, who once again journey to Narnia to do basically a video game fetch quest to find seven swords and bring them to a table to stop a weird curse or something. It's not a complex plot, but it feels pretty lazy, if I am being fully honest. For one thing, I loved the visual style of the first two films, but this one felt kind of...clean and washed out, more generic, if you will. It didn't really inspire feelings of a grand adventure, it felt more like a stage play, except with more CGI. The plot points were kind of random as well, with nothing really feeling like it mattered all that much, and I was more co...

We've finally gotten here. The beginning of the end. As can be expected, this is a pretty crazy movie, but it is still quite enjoyable. The story focuses on Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as they go off to search for horcruxes, special items that hold pieces of Voldemort's soul in them. If they are all destroyed, Voldemort is able to be killed. However, things aren't easy for them as they are constantly on the run from Death Eaters and Snatchers who want to capture them and take them to Voldemort. I feel that this movie is definitely a mixed bag, because it has some pretty strong scenes, like Ron destroying one of the horcruxes, the opening scene where Harry and his friends escape to a safe house while being pursued by Death Eaters, and the ending sequences are fantastic. At the same time, this is the first part of a two part story and so it does tend to feel like setup more often than not, and, although it leaves you wanting more, it definitely takes its time getting to its var...

Now we get to my personal favorite Harry Potter film in the lineup. This was the final film released before the two part finale, and the best way I can describe it is that it is the calm before the storm, while getting all the pieces in place. The story focuses on Harry, Ron, and Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts, and, although there is no confrontation with Voldemort in this one, his presence is still felt, and it is quite clear that the wizarding world is getting less and less safe as the story goes on. The main plot point that is focused on is Voldemort's past, which Harry explores with the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, which is definitely the highlights, as the actors they got for the 11 year old and 16 year old versions of the character are appropriately creepy and unnerving. At the same time, despite the dark goings on, the film also goes out of its way to show what life is like for the students, and, as in any dark time, life goes on. Students fall in love, goof around, ...

Now this was an amazing change of pace. After the unexpected disappointment of the first film, this one felt like it actually took the franchise to a much more interesting place. When our four protagonists, siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, return to the world of Narnia, they find it changed, as around 1300 years have passed in that world. Since then, a race of men known as the Telmarines have taken over the kingdom and have driven the magical beings into hiding. But one of them, a young man named Caspian, played by Ben Barnes, is prophesied to bring unity back to the land. Unfortunately, his treacherous uncle Miraz has plans to kill him and become king of the land in his place. I have to say that the fact that there were more personal stakes beyond good guys vs. bad guys really made me happy because that means Caspian gets more character development, having to grow into the king he is meant to be. It's not much, but it's more than the Pevensie kids who are still kind of...

From here on out, I want to start this review by saying that any future Wizarding World themed movies, including this one, were directed by the same man, so they have a more unifying vision, and most of the time, David Yates' style of directing works well, especially in this one. Somehow, this story takes the Harry Potter saga in an even darker direction. The story opens up with Harry getting expelled from Hogwarts for defending himself and his non-magical cousin from a pair of dementors. Obviously, this doesn't stick, and soon Harry and his friends are back at school for the fifth year, but that initial scare is indicative of the Wizarding government's attitude toward Harry after Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes, returns. The minister of magic refuses to believe this is what is happening and so uses his influence on the press to discredit Harry, Dumbledore, and anyone who may believe in him. The worst thing he does, though, is send in a sadistic ministry mole named Dolor...

I knew that going into this movie was definitely going to be, well, a different take on this film than most people would. I went in hoping to enjoy myself, but...well, I really didn't all that much. The story focuses on four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, played by William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley, who, after having to leave their home due to World War II, end up finding a wardrobe that leads to a mystical land known as Narnia. From there, they are supposed to fulfill a prophecy and help the king of the land, a lion named Aslan, voiced by Liam Neeson, defeat the villainous White Witch, played by Tilda Swinton. While this sounds like a fun plot, so much of the execution of all of this feels surface level and it didn't really leave any lasting feelings at all. Compare this with Lord of the Rings where I felt like I knew the world, why things were happening, and who the characters were. In this one, stuff just kind of happens with lit...

If Prisoner of Azkaban was the beginning of Harry Potter getting more dark and mature, then this film is where it leans into it completely. Everything changed with this one, and the events of this story, more than any other, especially the final portions, inform how the final four films will play out. The story follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who return to Hogwarts for their fourth year of school, and from the beginning, with Harry having a dream of Voldemort killing an old man in cold blood while plotting with his followers to do the same to Harry, you know things are about to get real. And get real they do, because he, without his knowledge, is entered into the Triwizard Tournament, a wizarding competition between Hogwarts and two other wizarding schools where the champions involved have to compete in three deadly tasks. This film is definitely not only showing the darkness of the world around Harry, but also the beginning of, as any coming of age story has, our leads starting to l...

How do you show the fall of a character that is said to be heroic? How does a film take someone who has the potential for good and has them take a hard turn into evil? The answer is this film, it isn't the best villain origin story I have seen, but it is certainly a pretty good one all the same. The story concerns the end of the Clone Wars, the fall of the Galactic Republic and subsequent rise of the Galactic Empire, and, most importantly, the destruction of the friendship between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor, as the former becomes the sith lord known as Darth Vader. The story has the most bittersweet ending of any Star Wars film, I'd say, as most of the film is all about everything falling into evil and ruin, but with a small amount of hope at the very end. This film is clearly the darkest of the Star Wars films up to this point, and while some of the acting can be hit or miss, and the fact that this movie has inspired lot...

This film has been considered by many people to one of the best, if not the best film, in the entire Wizarding World franchise. Now, I will agree it is definitely one of my favorites as well, and also represents a turning point for the series going forward. The story centers on Harry, Ron, and Hermione, played once again by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, as they attend their third year at the wizarding school Hogwarts. But this time, the stakes are higher, as Harry is being stalked by one of the dark wizard Voldemort's followers, a dangerous killer named Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman. In addition, Harry begins to bond with his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a kind yet mysterious man named Remus Lupin, played by David Thewlis. The thing that impresses me the most is that this is the first time the Harry Potter story goes in a more dark, mature, and serious direction, as you can see from my brief plot description above. Having the threat of a kille...

I have so many emotions right now. This movie is the culmination of everything that the previous films built up. It was amazing, beautiful, heart-rending, and everything that you want the ending of a sprawling saga to be. The story of this film is all about Frodo and Sam, played once again by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, finally making it to Mordor, but the Ring has been gaining more and more control over Frodo to where it is unclear whether he'll be able to destroy it when the time comes. Meanwhile, the rest of the party helps to rally the rest of Middle-Earth for a final stand against Sauron and his forces. That is the simplest way I could talk about this, since this movie is 3 hours long, so there is so much covered, with a satisfying ending and one of the most airtight plots in all of cinema. This film features some of the most epic battles, such as Sam's fight against the giant spider Shelob and the Battle of Pelennor Fields, where the lands of Gondor and Rohan team up agai...

Once again, I am blown away by this film. Somehow they managed to make a sequel that manages to still keep the spirit of the first film, while at the same time expanding on the world of Middle Earth. There is a lot more happening, storywise, and it is split into three separate subplots this time. The first one follows Frodo and Sam, played once again by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, as they continue to journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, and along the way, they run into the creature Gollum, played by Andy Serkis, who promises to guide them there, but at the same time, he has his own designs. The second one follows Merry and Pippin, played by Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, as they escape capture from the orcs and encounter the ent called Treebeard. The third one involves Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, played by Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, and Orlando Bloom, as they try to rally the rest of Middle-Earth to their aid to stop the armies of Sauron. This film felt more expansive ...

Once again, it is very nice to be able to go through a movie I actually enjoy after the nightmare that was Attack of the Clones. This one definitely builds upon the story of the first Harry Potter film in ways that feel interesting and the character development is on point. The story follows Harry, Ron and Hermione, once again played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, as they go through their second year at Hogwarts, but, as can be expected, not everything is sunshine and roses for our heroes. After Harry receives a cryptic warning from a house elf named Dobby to stay away from Hogwarts. It turns out these warnings ring true after a mysterious message appears on the walls announcing the opening of the mysterious Chamber of Secrets, followed by the systematic petrification of students by an unknown creature. As you can see from my plot outline, this film definitely is darker and the stakes are higher than the first, with the whimsy beginning to falter just a bit as we g...

Well, I know I said this about the last Star Wars movie I reviewed, but this was also...definitely a movie. Now, unlike Phantom Menace, this has a few more moments of brilliance in it. The story follows Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor, and his apprentice, the now grown Anakin Skywalker, played this time by Hayden Christensen, who are sent to protect the senator Padme Amidala, played once again by Natalie Portman, from assassination by the mysterious separatists. After an action packed opening scene, the story splits off in two directions. The first, and arguably the more interesting thread in the story, concerns Obi-Wan looking into the assassin going after Padme and ends up running into the leader of the separatists, Count Dooku, played by Christopher Lee, as well as learning of an army of clones made for the republic to fight against the armies of the separatists. It's a good mystery, with some great action, and Ewan McGregor is always just fun to watch on screen. As for ...

There is a lot to unpack with this one. First thing is that I love this movie so much. It is probably one of my favorite fantasy films of all time. I highly doubt I'll be able to really explain the scope of this film but I'll try. As can be expected from the beginning of an epic fantasy tale, the story is complicated, which is also due to this film's nearly three hour runtime. After learning of the history of the One Ring, which was created by the now defeated Dark Lord Sauron to control the fantasy world of Middle-Earth, and how it ends up in the hands of our protagonist, a hobbit named Frodo Baggins, played by Elijah Wood, the story then begins in earnest. The main story concerns Frodo, along with his friends Sam, played by Sean Astin, Merry, played by Dominic Monaghan, and Pippin, played by Billy Boyd, as they attempt to take the One Ring to somewhere Sauron's forces will never find it. Eventually, however, once they reach the Elven city of Rivendell, it becomes clea...

Sometimes, after all the craziness of something like Star Wars, it's kind of nice to just enjoy a film that is all about how amazing magic is. This film definitely nails that, and it is a lot lighter in tone than Star Wars. The story concerns a young orphan named Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who lives with his abusive relatives. But on his 11th birthday, he learns that he is a wizard and that he has been accepted to the wizarding school known as Hogwarts. Once there, he makes friends with two other aspiring wizards and witches, Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, and Hermione Granger, played by Emma Watson. Not all is good, with Harry learning the dark truth about his parents' deaths, and the dark wizard who caused them, supposedly dead, still inspires fear to the point where people refuse to speak his name. This film, while definitely having a story, albeit a fairly simple one, is more concerned with showing how wonderful and amazing the world of magic is, and it...

This is definitely a movie. Now, a lot of people tend to say this is one of the worst films in the Star Wars franchise, and I can see where they are coming from, but I have always thought, that, even if this is the worst of the prequel films, this is not the worst film to come out of the franchise. Let's explore what this movie is about. The plot is a little complex, but basically, it involves a planet called Naboo having its trade routes taxed by a rival group known as the Trade Federation, which is obviously causing disputes. The main story concerns two Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn, played by Liam Neeson, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor, who, along with Padme, the queen of Naboo, played by Natalie Portman, they plan to overthrow the Trade Federation and bring relative freedom back to Naboo. It's not exactly the most exciting plot out there, and the biggest connection it has to the original trilogy of films is that, while pursued by the Federation, our heroes stop of...

What an adventure this has been already! Getting to finish the original Star Wars trilogy again always fills me with joy because I'd argue that those three movies provided the best story in that universe, and not very many follow-ups have come close to this. The story starts off with Luke Skywalker and Leia, played once again by Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, heading back to the desert planet of Tatooine to rescue Han Solo, played once again by Harrison Ford, from the evil gangster Jabba the Hutt. Once that plotline concludes, the main story starts in earnest, with three plotlines running at once. The first involves Han Solo and Leia attempting to take down the shields on the Empire's new weapon which is...another Death Star for some reason, which is powered by a generator on the forest moon of Endor, which is populated by a race of primitive teddy bear like creatures known as Ewoks. The second has Luke heading to the Death Star to confront Darth Vader and the Emperor, played b...

I know this is probably not going to shock you when I say this, but this film is my personal favorite of the Star Wars series. A lot of the other films have merit, but this film has the best story, a solid level of character development, and some amazing action sequences, in my personal opinion. The story follows the rebellion, which is still being pursued by the Empire, led by Darth Vader, who has an obsession with capturing Luke Skywalker for some reason. After our establishing moments with the characters and a fun action sequence on the ice planet of Hoth, the story splits in two directions. The first follows Luke as he is led by the ghost of Obi-Wan to the swamp planet of Dagobah where an ancient Jedi master named Yoda resides who will teach him the ways of the force. This is where I feel the mysticism of the Force begins to come into play in the franchise, with it being a part of literally everything and the Jedi tap into it to help in their battle against the dark side. The secon...

After a long hiatus with a couple of odd reviews here and there, I have finally found the current direction I want to take with my reviews for the time being, and that is fantasy films. I'm a big fan of fantasy, and I got this idea both from recently watching the premiere of The Rings of Power and from a YouTuber called Sean Chandler, who did a ranking of these same movies in something called 31 on 31, so without further ado, let's get this started! The story behind the film follows a farm boy named Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, who comes into the possession of two droids that end up holding the plans to stop the Death Star, a deadly weapon created by the evil galactic empire that is capable of destroying planets. Along the way, he is helped by a mysterious old man named Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Alec Guinness, who is a Jedi Knight, so basically a wizard with a lightsaber, a cocky smuggler named Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca, and...

I was actually planning on reviewing two episodes today, but I'm still getting back into the swing of things, so it'll just be the one episode today. As for the episode itself, it's pretty weird, if I'm being totally honest. The episode I will be reviewing today is called Catspaw. This is what a lot of Star Trek fans call the Halloween episode, and honestly, it's pretty silly, as you can expect a Halloween episode of a 60s TV show would be. The idea of this episode involves Scotty, Sulu, and a redshirt going missing on the planet. The redshirt comes back dead, and whispers a creepy warning to not come to the planet because it's cursed and spoooooooky. So, naturally, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the planet because, honestly, that is pretty weird, even in the world of Star Trek. When they get there, they find a spooky fog, a creepy castle, and even three ghostly witches who warn the trio about the supposed curse. I just have to point out this episode's ...

Guess who's back? Back again? It's me, with two more Star Trek reviews! In honor of the release of the new season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, I have decided to start up my classic Trek reviews once again, and these ones are pretty interesting. The first episode I will be reviewing is called The Apple. Basically, it deals with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, among others, beaming down to an Eden-like planet where a bunch of primitive people worship a computer called Vaal. It isn't a bad episode, per se, but if you've been keeping up with my reviews, then you'll know that this plot is more or less the same as a season one episode titled The Return of the Archons. Like I said, it's fine, but it feels to derivative of an episode I consider to be better. The other episode I will be reviewing is called The Doomsday Machine. This one is a lot darker in tone and is honestly one of my favorites. The Enterprise is sent to investigate the mysterious destruction of entire solar syst...