Sweet Tooth, the fantasy drama based on the DC comic book of the same name has arrived on Netflix. The show follows Gus’ adventures in a post-apocalyptic world filled with human hybrids and those hunting them.

But the question is, should you skip it or watch it? Read on this review to find out.

Mad Max Meets Bambi

The world is in ruins. People are dying of an unknown disease and humans are desperate for survival. Sound familiar? Of course, it is. This has been the premise of many of books and countless have made it to either the small screen or the big screen. Mad Max, being one example.

But what happens when you put in a half boy half deer into that world? A curious naïve boy living with only his Pubba, ignorant of the outside world. the result: Sweet Tooth.

Based on the comic book of the same name, Sweet Tooth follows Gus, a half boy half deer hybrid and his journey to the post-apocalyptic world where survival is the name of the game.

Yep, it sure sounds like Mad Max and Bambi put together in one show.

As derivative of Mad Max or Bambi as it sounds, however, don’t let that discourage you. Sweet Tooth exists in its own world. One that is full of greenery that will surely delight the eyes of its viewers regardless of whatever their ages may be. Colorful sceneries and vibrant mountain tops. There are ruined cities, sure, but overall, Sweet Tooth created a beautiful world.

Chemistry, Plotlines

11-year-old actor Christian Convery plays Gus aka Sweet Tooth, the half human half deer hybrid to near perfection. His oozing charisma will surely captivate the viewers. Blend all that with Nonso Anozie’s muscular on the outside but soft on the inside portrayal of Tommy Jepperd and this show is already a hit.

Moreover, plotlines give out an exquisite appeal. Sweet Tooth tells Gus’ story and seamlessly weaves his story to all the storylines making the viewing experience as pleasant as it is satisfying. It’s always a delight for me to see a number of smaller storylines develop into one large plot. Almost as gratifying as watching an artist slowly complete his masterpiece.

Never Too Cheesy

Character development is also on point in Sweet Tooth. Although, as you might expect, it does not give out all the details in one go. Instead, it encourages you to predict the plotlines and most of the times you’ll be incorrect. Unpredictability – also another point where Sweet Tooth shines.

But perhaps the greatest strength of the series is that it is well balanced. We’ve seen most shows of this genre always ending up as either impassive or over-the-top. Sweet Tooth proves that a sweet spot between expressionless and cheesiness exist. A show can put out a lot of emotion without it becoming too cheesy or cringey. The series definitely achieves that.

Skip or Watch?

Sweet Tooth finds the right amount of warmth with touching storylines powered by its charming leads in Christian Convery’s Gus and Nonso Anozie’s Tommy Jepperd. What makes this series appealing, is it seems to have found that sweet spot between emotion and cheesiness – something a lot of shows of this genre always struggle with.

All in all, Sweet Tooth is an easily watchable series, so definitely a must-watch.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for the first season of Sweet Tooth.

Let us know what you think of the series by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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The Black Phone reunites director Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Ethan Hawke with their take on Joe Hill’s 2004 short story.

Should you skip it or watch it? Read on this review to find out.

Back to Horror

Thanks to a fallout with Marvel Studios over Doctor Strange 2, Director Scott Derrickson goes back to his horror roots in an adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story, The Black Phone. The director finds himself re-teaming up with his “Sinister” colleagues, writer C. Robert Cargill and Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke.

In The Black Phone, a young boy named Finney (Mason Thames) gets kidnapped by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) and his only hope lies in talking to a disconnected rotary phone on the wall.

Mesmerizing Performances

The Black Phone faithfully adapts on its source material and gives its characters a richer backstory. This deeper insight into the characters gives the cast a better platform to showcase their acting chops. First with Ethan Hawke’s chilling take on The Grabber. In fact, the hype was at an all-time high when the first teaser revealed Hawke’s character. And dare I say, the film lives up and perhaps surpass all the intrigue.

Then, there’s Mason Thames’ portrayal of Finney whose stoic take on the protagonist is surprisingly on point. But the showstopper performance comes with Madeleine McGraw’s Gwen, Finney’s younger sister. McGraw’s take on the role is a perfect match of maturity and innocence. She definitely looks like a star-in-the-making if she isn’t already.

A Refreshing Take

Notice a trend on the movies lately? The violence, the bloodshed has been on an uptick in almost all the movie genres. It happens a lot even on TV too. And quite honestly, it gets to a point where it’s just too much. Recent horror movies show mostly the gore. Senseless violence that doesn’t necessarily progress the story. Meaningless jump-scares that virtually lead to nothing to further the plot. And in this sense, most of these movies simply fail.

In The Black Phone, there is still some form of brutality depicted. However, they feel vital to the story. The Black Phone proves that there is so much more to horror than just slaughter – that there are other ways to go about the murders without the actual killing.

Scott Derrickson shows us there is a more effective way to tell a scary story. And the most important one I think is to give your characters a real and believable narrative and that includes both the protagonists and the antagonists. Get the audience to empathize with the characters. All the slashing and killing just gets old and forgettable. The Black Phone does away with all that and succeeds in giving the genre a fresher perspective.

Skip or Watch?

Director Scott Derrickson goes back to his horror roots teaming up with frequent collaborator writer C. Robert Cargill and the result is a delight. Horror fans are sure to feast on The Black Phone with its refreshing take on a genre that lately has been plagued by meaningless jump-scares and needless gore. Horror movies don’t necessarily need to show the scary stuff to be scary. Sometimes, it could all just be in the mind and that makes it even more terrifying.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for The Black Phone.

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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Top-billed by Thor star Chris Hemsworth, Netflix has just released its latest action flick, Extraction. The movie is available on the streaming giant since Apr 24, 2020.

Should you watch it or skip it? Read on this review to find out.

A Mini-Marvel Reunion

Extraction is Director Sam Hargrave’s debut film after having previously worked as stunt coordinator for Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo (aka the Russo brothers), who by the way, are also the producers of this film and stunt double for Chris Evans’ Captain America. Add in another Marvel alum to the mix in the person of Chris Hemsworth and this movie is essentially a reunion.

Yup, these guys have worked with and are very acquainted with each other and that familiarity shows greatly in this movie as evidenced by Hemsworth looking like he is absolutely comfortable and having fun – so to speak – with his role.

Gorgeous Fight Scenes

I actually expected this movie to be a really good action film knowing that a former stuntman is sitting in the director’s chair. Such was the case with Hobbs and Shaw and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch when he transitioned from stuntman to Director.

Suffice to say my prediction wasn’t wrong. The fight scenes are, for lack of a better word, gorgeous. The action is incredibly well-choreographed it almost feels like you are in a game of Call of Duty or the like. The transitions are so good only a seasoned stuntman could put together such a spectacle. There is a sequence where there is an incredibly lengthy time where it looked like it was shot in one continuous take, around a good 15 minutes or so of non-stop action. That sequence was pure rush!

Extraction is really a must-see for action lovers alike.

More than Just Action?

“Biggest drug lord in India versus biggest drug lord in Bangladesh.” This line from the trailer and the movie sure tells us that this is certainly an action movie and as mentioned, the action is undoubtedly its strongest suit. But it also tries to be something more.

Extraction did its best in trying to give this movie a “heart” with Chris Hemsworth’s character Tyler Rake bonding with his child co-star and mission Rudhraksh Jaiswal’s Ovi Mahajan Jr., the kidnapped son of the Indian drug lord in the film.

But, I felt like it doesn’t quite hit the heart that much. See, I just find it questionable for one man to be fighting to save one child while simultaneously killing everyone else. Well, that’s just me. But I do give the film credit for its attempt to be better than just an action movie. Like I said, “tried”.

Skip or Watch?

If you are a fan of the action genre, this one is definitely for you. But if you’re not, Chris Hemsworth’s charm and charisma should be enough to convince you.

Seriously though, Extraction is a gorgeously choreographed action flick that tries to be something more. And although it doesn’t quite hit the mark as to being something more, it is one hell of an action movie that will get your adrenaline juices pumping for pretty much the entire duration of the film.

So yeah, definitely watch.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for Extraction.

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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The live-action adaptation of Mulan, originally slated for theatrical release last March of 2020, is available on Disney’s own streaming platform Disney+ now!

Should you skip it or watch it? Read on this review to find out.

From Theatrical to Streaming

The Covid-19 pandemic has messed up the film industry a lot with theaters worldwide opting to close their doors for at least until the disease gets under control. But several months have passed and the disease seems nowhere near under control. Now it’s time for the film studios need to make a decision. Postpone the theatrical releases some more or go to streaming platforms.

Understandably, Disney has chosen the latter for Mulan. The film which was scheduled to be theatrically released on March has found its way through studio’s own streaming platform, Disney+ which is sadly not accessible in the Philippines as of yet. But don’t fret because if you live in a country where theaters are allowed to open, Disney will have a traditional release in these countries.

Here’s hoping everything goes well in the Philippines and theaters will re-open soon, safely.

Mulan 1998 vs Mulan 2020

The animated version which was released 22 years ago in 1998 introduced us to Mulan with much critical acclaim. After all, the film was one of (if not the) first of its kind. It broke all Disney female character stereotypes and featured a heroine instead of a damsel in distress or a princess waiting for her knight in shining armor. Nah! It was simply just ahead of its time.

So, what’s new with the 2020 version of Mulan? Short answer: A LOT!

First and most notable of all is, THERE ARE NO SONG SEQUENCES. So, if you’re looking for an updated version of the songs like “Reflection”, you won’t find that here. That’s a little sad but you’ll hear an instrumental version of most of the songs in the background. You just have to fill it in with the lyrics yourself; you still remember them, anyway, right?

A lot of characters are missing here too. I mostly missed Eddie Murphy’s Mushu among others. But there are also some new characters added. Some are good and some are bad. You’ll see. The plot remained the same but certain stories and narratives were changed.

Unlike The Lion King 2019 live-action remake, which was basically a frame-by-frame copy of the original, Mulan made some interesting changes. Mostly good changes, the way I see it.

Skip or Watch?

So is it any good? Well, yeah!

Yifei Liu brought some justice to the titular character Mulan with her innocent yet fierce impression of the Chinese heroine. Veteran actors Jet Li as the Emperor of China, Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, and Tzi Ma as Mulan’s father Hua Zhou, as you would expect, impresses. But it was actress Gong Li’s surprise character (which I will not reveal for suspense) that set this film apart from the original.

The 1998 version was a masterpiece but Mulan 2020 is gorgeous in its own right. Despite the absence of song numbers and the comedic relief brought by Mushu, the film still holds up quite good I feel like it deserves to be seen in a bigger screen.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for Mulan 2020.

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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Black Widow kicks off Marvel Studios’ return to the big screen after a long break due to the pandemic. Originally scheduled for a May 2020 release, catch Scarlett Johansson as she returns one final time as the titular character. Now, the question is: Should you skip it or watch it?

Read on this review to find out.

Marvel Studios Returns

After a long hiatus, Marvel Studios finally returns to the big screen. This time, with the original sole female Avenger leading the way in Black Widow. Believe it or not, but it has actually been two years since we last saw a Marvel Film with Spider-Man: Far From Home released way back in July of 2019.

Originally, Black Widow was scheduled for a May 2020 release, but we all know what happened in 2020. Marvel did give us some small screen comfort with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the still running Loki series through Disney+. But we still miss those larger-than-life Marvel films. And although not every theater in the world is open and will be able to show the movie in the big screen, it’s still good to know that the wait for Black Widow is finally over.

Get to Know Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow whom we last saw in Avengers: Endgame. And since all of us basically saw Endgame, we all know what happened to her character and in essence it kind of spoils the ending of the movie.

Still, don’t let that fact discourage you. Black Widow still has a lot of stories to tell. There are still a lot of things we don’t know about her, after all. This film tries to fill in those gaps and then gives us a deeper understanding of what makes Natasha Romanoff the greatest spy/assassin/hero.

Humor, Action, Heart

Helmed by critically acclaimed director Cate Shortland (Somersault), Black Widow comes out great. That opening credits scene to the tune of Don McLean’s American Pie feels so light and good you know at that moment the movie is going to be great.

As one might expect, the film is not short of action sequences. It is, after all, a Marvel movie. The patented action, humor, and heart has always been a proven formula. Black Widow is no different and perhaps even excels in more ways than one than its predecessors.

The supporting cast are great as well with David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) leading the pack. But it is Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova who shines brighter than the rest. Her effortless charm and wit are on point. It should not come as a surprise if she takes over as the new Black Widow. The post-credits scene confirms we will see more of her in the future and I am so looking forward to it.

Skip or Watch?

Black Widow is a bittersweet addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film which also celebrates the return of Marvel Studios into the big screen gives fans of the original female Avenger the send-off she deserves.

Black Widow, though still part of a larger film universe, stands tall on its own and with that said, it is an absolute must-watch.

Catch the movie on Disney+ at an extra cost but if theaters are open in your area, you should definitely see this on the big screen (safely).

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for Black Widow.

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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Birds of Prey, the eighth installment of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has landed, featuring an all-female ensemble of (anti)heroes.

Skip it or Watch it? Read on our review to find out.

Before anything else, you all should know the film’s complete title is actually “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)”. Lengthy yes, but super cool, too! Don’t you think?

DCEU Diversifies

After a show-stealing first appearance as Harley Quinn in the forgettable 2016 film Suicide Squad, Academy nominated actress Margot Robbie returns as the psychiatrist turned girlfriend/right-hand woman of The Joker. And as expected, she wows again in Birds of Prey.

In BoP, we see Harley’s character in all her glory as she becomes completely untethered to Gotham’s Prince of Crime with the help of her newfound girl frenemies, Gotham City detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), The Crossbow Killer, I mean Huntress 😁 (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Cassandra Cain played by 13-year old Korean-Filipina actress Ella Jay Basco.

The casting is as diverse as it gets with badass women (Charlie’s Angels, but on another level) from all races (and ages) each getting equal opportunities to shine in the film.

And of course, don’t count out Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of the villain Black Mask. He was clearly in-the-zone playing it. And boy, did he play it well. And so did Chris Messina’s spine-chilling impression of co-villain Victor Zsasz. Both antagonists fully embraced their roles for this.

Harley Quinn In Focus

Margot Robbie revealed that she had been pitching the Birds of Prey film since 2016 and her labor finally bore fruit after 4 long years. But it’s all worth the wait as we get to see a deeper and darker side of Harley Quinn.

Everyone in the cast is subtly given their own back story (loved the back stories, by the way) but it’s clear to see that Harley Quinn is the focus of the film. I particularly loved how Harley Quinn narrated her story (Deadpool-style) of how Joker basically stole credit for most of the duo’s crimes and now she is standing up for herself. And without Mr. J, everyone she wronged begins to come for her.

But in a seemingly fortunate turn of events, Quinn meets some crazy strong “Birds” to help her out, all women. Going through heartbreaks and finally helping each other conquer their demons and break free from a world run by useless men. This is certainly a fantabulous emancipation of not just Harley Quinn but the rest of the cast really.

Colorful Action, Passable Script

There is something lacking in the script, however, as sometimes, I feel like there is a lack of conversation in some of the characters during some scenes. But when they do exchange banters, the film transforms into a joyful cinematic experience that only happens in films with women as leads. And I enjoyed it. A lot. Black Canary with that little hair tie during an action sequence was both hilarious and realistic.

Harley Quinn’s bubbly personality is equally coupled with (some) hilarious lines and colorful action sequences. That explosion at the chemical factory was so pleasing to the eyes. Her police station “raid” was filled with colorful gunfire, it’s crazy good. But be warned, there are some serious violence depicted in the film which will be hard for some to watch.

The surprise standout to me, however, came with the 13-year old Korean-Filipina Ella Jay Basco, who held her own with her much established castmates. She was just impressive on this. Her returning for the sequel should be a no-brainer.

Skip or Watch?

Margot Robbie once again shines in her second stint as Harley (freaking) Quinn, the action scenes, much like the casting, are a perfect mixture of color and extravagance, the Birds of Prey heroes are genuine, and the movie is pretty good, overall. But it wasn’t as fun as I had hoped it would be although it’s not entirely the movie’s fault.

The Birds of Prey takes some time to take off but when they’re on flight, they can only soar higher.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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Hollywood darlings Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani teams up in this action rom-com, The Lovebirds. The film, which was originally intended for theater release in Apr 2020, finally gets released albeit on streaming platform Netflix this May 22, 2020.

Should you skip it or watch it? Read on this review to find out.

Netflix Saves “The Lovebirds”

Paramount Pictures originally scheduled The Lovebirds for a theatrical release on April 2020. But with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down all the theaters, the studio sold the rights to the film to Netflix which subsequently released the film digitally in its streaming platform.

I didn’t think there would be new films to be released in a long time with all cinemas being forced to temporarily shut down. But thank God for Netflix at least we still get to see some completely new movies such as this even if it’s only in much smaller screens but hey, who’s complaining.

Chemistry is Crucial

Actors Issa Rae (Little) and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) stars in the film and wow, they gave their absolute best in here. I particularly loved their chemistry. Rae’s Leilani and Nanjiani’s Jibran looked incredibly perfect together both as on-screen couple and comedians. Nanjiani’s humor is equally complimented with Rae’s wit and lovely personality.

Both actors appear to be comfortable with each other and it clearly shows in their performance. They just seem like they have been doing this stuff for a long time.

This just goes to show how great chemistry can be crucial to a film. The Lovebirds could have been way worse if not for Rae and Nanjiani. They basically carried this movie from bad to decent territory. That’s just how good they were on the film.

A Much-Needed Comic Relief?

The Lovebirds sure has its moments but I’ll be honest, some parts were not that funny. I even find it boring at times. But, when its punch lines hit the mark, it becomes an enjoyable movie that would make you laugh out loud – something that most if not all of us need right now.

There are better comedies out there especially in Netflix’ huge arsenal but not a lot of new ones which is why The Lovebirds may just be the comic relief that some of us have longed for. You’ll get some laughs here and there although I could not say I laughed hard enough as I wanted or expected to. But hey, what’s important here is I was entertained and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

Skip or Watch?

The performances of both leads Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are beyond reproach and The Lovebirds is entertaining, overall. No, there’s nothing extraordinary about the movie’s plot/themes or anything and the punch lines can be a hit or a miss for some but if you are looking for a decent piece of new comedy then The Lovebirds is a “Watch”.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for The Lovebirds.

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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The sixth movie in the widely successful sci-fi robot-smashing action Terminator franchise is back with James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar, Terminator 1 and 2) returning as producer and directed by Tim Miller (Deadpool). Here’s our Terminator: Dark Fate Film Review.

The Official Sequel

If you can no longer remember what happened to the three movies immediately preceding Dark Fate, Terminator: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation, Terminator: Genisys, don’t worry because according to the film’s original creator and director James Cameron, the events that took place in those three films were basically ignored in Dark Fate. Then again, they weren’t as good as the first two so we bet you already forgot about them anyway.

So, let’s be clear. Dark Fate is the official sequel to The Terminator (1984) and Terminator: Judgment Day (1991).

Still confused? The video below will help you understand better. Or continue reading our Terminator: Dark Fate Film Review.

Going back with the R-rating

The last three films came out with a more wholesome theme than the James Cameron’s version, which is probably the reason why, for some fans, those three were a letdown.

This time, James Cameron entrusted the franchise to someone who is no stranger to R-rated movies, Tim Miller, who made his directorial debut in 2016 with Deadpool. “Enough of a resume for you?”

This definitely worked out well as it allowed for the movie to depict as much violence as necessary to give the audience a superior story.

That said, kids below 13 years old, this one’s not for you. Sorry.

Cast and Plot

T1 and T2 are arguably the films that catapulted Arnold Schwarzenegger to super stardom. And obviously, he’s back…one more time. This time, as a much older version of the time-traveling robot assassin.

The real stars of the show, however, were the women. Headed by Linda Hamilton, who returned to her Sarah Connor character with much anticipation from fans, the cast also includes Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049) who plays Grace, a human converted into a cyborg and sent to the past to protect Natalia Reyes (Dani Ramos) from the more advanced and deadlier robot the Rev-9 played by Gabriel Luna (Agents of Shield).

Plot sounds familiar? Well, it should be, because this is basically the premise of the Terminator movies. But no, Dark Fate did more than just recycle its predecessors’ plot. For one, the time travel logic in this film, though not sound, was not as messy as the other films in the franchise. What’s best is that the film provided enough twists and significant departure from the film’s original source material all while maintaining its identity as a Terminator film.

Be sure to check our trailers page for more videos.

Stand Outs

If you are a fan of the franchise, watch out for callbacks from the T1 and T2 films such as the iconic line “I’ll be back”. Only this time, Linda Hamilton gets to say it. Schwarzenegger’s lines as the Terminator provide some comic relief. Meanwhile, Gabriel Luna’s portrayal of the new robot villain proved to be a great casting choice. We also can’t help but appreciate the costume designs, although simple, stayed true to the film’s roots. And finally, the two newer ladies Mackenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes could be on their way to mega stardom with the incredible performance they did in this film, if they aren’t already.

Embed from Getty Images

Skip or Watch

Definitely a must-watch! Terminator: Dark Fate has absolutely resurrected the franchise and is the sequel that the fans deserve.

What did you think of the movie? Tell us by commenting below or by giving the film your own rating.

Read more of our reviews on this page.

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Godzilla vs Kong smashed its way into theaters and HBO Max last March 2021 becoming the first blockbuster hit this pandemic season.

Should you skip it or watch it? Read on this review to find out.

King vs King

After defeating Ghidorah and claiming the title as the King of the Monsters in 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla defends his crown against another massive enemy in Kong. The giant ape and protector of Skull Island sets out once again to defend his territory against one of the fiercest monsters in the MonsterVerse.

Who wins this battle? Well, that’s for you to find out.

What I can I say is that if you’re looking for a monster against monster film extravaganza, then you will surely be satisfied with this one.

Forget About the Humans

The human element has always been a problem for the Legendary’s MonsterVerse as seen in Godzilla (2014), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and the same with Kong: Skull Island (2015). The same can be said about Godzilla vs Kong. It’s not that the human characters in these films are bad or played badly, they are actually good. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown reprises her role along with her on-screen father Kyle Chandler as Madison and Dr. Mark Russell. The Legend of Tarzan star Alexander Skarsgård joins the cast along with Vicky Cristina Barcelona actress Rebecca Hall. All pretty interesting characters with Hall’s Dr. Ilene Andrews together with child star Kaylee Hottle having more interactions with Kong himself.

But towards the beginning of the clash of the monsters, the characters seem to drop off the screen and essentially out of the fight. And frankly, I did not miss them. As interesting as the human characters storylines are, they did not feel as important to me as they should be. See, I came here for the monster battles not the human element. Director Adam Wingard seems to understand this and gives us exactly the monster battles we need. Forget about the humans. This film is titled Godzilla vs Kong and it should be all about the monsters. And guess what, it works!

More MonsterVerse Please!

The monster fights in Godzilla vs Kong are an absolute stand-out. The literally larger-than-life battles are as fun as they are devastating to watch. All the previous entries from the MonsterVerse seemed to lack the human elements to succeed but Godzilla vs Kong took things a little further and almost completely forgets about them humans. And against all odds, it worked.

That said, it should be a no-brainer for the studios to greenlight more MonsterVerse movies in the future, if they haven’t already. And maybe, put the monsters in focus again.

Skip or Watch?

Godzilla vs Kong is exactly what it needs to be – a film that gives more importance to the monsters and the monster battles. Forget about the humans and all the science stuff, it’s all just a bunch of mumbo jumbo anyways.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for Godzilla vs Kong.

Let us know what you think of the movie by giving it your own rating or commenting below.

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Army of the Dead hit Netflix over the weekend a week after its theatrical release in select theaters. Netflix tap director Zack Snyder on this one, so the question is: Should you skip it or watch it?

Read on this review to find out.

Smarter, Faster, Organized

Cue Zombie by The Cranberries as Dave Bautista headlines this zombie heist movie from visionary director Zack Snyder. Army of the Dead marks the filmmaker’s debut on the streaming giant, Netflix. Originally written by Snyder himself after the success of his remake of George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead in 2004, the zombie heist film finally got the greenlight in 2019 with Netflix backing it up.

A decade and a half later, the undead are back. This time, they are faster, smarter, and organized and yeah, there’s a zombie tiger too. And oh, let’s not forget, there’s a 200-million dollar locked in a vault surrounded by Vegas zombies at stake here.

The Zack Snyder Style

So taking all of those wild plotlines in, there is really no other director that could possibly tackle all of those in one movie than the master himself, Zack Snyder. The legendary director of the recently released Zack Snyder’s Justice League aka the #SnyderCut is in full control this time around. As he should be.

Snyder’s inimitable filmmaking style is on full display here with those distinct slow-motion sequences that look effortlessly cool. The flawless integration of computer-generated effects, the effectiveness of those green screens. This really feels like a Zack Snyder movie. Army of the Dead is a great combo of great action sequences and impeccable sense of humor.

Actors Dave Bautista (Scott Ward) and Ella Purnell (Kate Ward) feels like a great father-daughter tandem. Omari Hardwick (Vanderohe) and Ana de la Reguera (Maria Cruz) are great supporting actors. Matthias Schweighöfer (Ludwig Dieter) and Tig Notaro (Marianne Peters) are show-stealers. Nora Arnezeder (Lily/The Coyote) and Samantha Win (Chambers) are real butt-kickers. The cast and the characters they play are neither shallow nor that deep but layered enough to be memorable.

Maybe Too Long?

Snyder’s Army of the Dead is 2 hours and 28 minutes long. Highly unusual for the zombie genre to have this long of a runtime. Some would even say it may be too long. And indeed, it is. Still, from a storytelling standpoint, I feel the runtime is just right. I don’t believe the movie would feel complete otherwise. We’ll just have to survive some of the boring parts, though.

This, for me, is where Zack Snyder needs to find the balance. Most of his films always feels like it’s never going to end. Sure, it makes for a more compelling story, but it also starts to become like a trip to SnoozeVille at some point. 2.5 hours is still a long runtime for a movie even more so for a zombie movie.

Balance, dude. Balance.

Skip or Watch?

Army of the Dead is definitely a highlight of Zack Snyder’s filmmaking career. The action sequences are always fun, and the humor is on point. Packed with an awesome cast headed by Dave Bautista and Ella Purnell, the movie is a sure-fire way to spice up your weekend movie nights.

Army of the Dead makes zombie movies cool again.

VERDICT: WATCH!

Here is salida|etc’s rating for Army of the Dead.

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