A young boy embarks on a trip with a stranger to find the legendary Water Man in order to find a cure for his ailing mother.
The Water Man is a touching adventure for the entire family. David Oyelowo succeeds in his directorial debut, but the real star of the film is Lonnie Chavis.
Chavis is Gunner, a boy who finds it difficult to accept that his mother may never get well again after she is diagnosed with Leukemia. When he hears about the tale of the mysterious Water Man (an individual who is said to possess the power of immortality) he enlists the help of a girl named Jo (Amiah Miller) to help him.
Meanwhile, Gunner's father Amos (Oyelowo) finds out his son has disappeared and sets out to find him. The problem is there is a raging wildfire in the woods and the concerned parent must get to his son before all hope is lost.
The film is engaging and poignant, thanks to Oyelowo's directing, Chavis' performance, and a relatable plot. Gunner's strained relationship with his dad is something that is explored well.
The relationship between Chavis and his mother (Rosario Dawson) is the heart of the film and is what fuels his quest for the Water Man. He forms an unlikely alliance with Jo, and the latter ends up being a better person for it.
I didn't like the way the conflict was resolved in the third as one or two things didn't sit well with me. But other than that, this movie succeeds.
Oyelowo has shown that he has what it takes to be a great filmmaker and I look forward to seeing more movies from him.
Estella is a young woman who has always had a knack for fashion. When she meets the famous Baroness, she begins to hone her designing skills in order to make a name for herself. Her life takes a remarkable turn when she finds out that her boss is connected to a tragedy that took place in her past. This leads to her unleashing her true self, the one who has always lurked deep down within.
Cruella is a delightful crime comedy that captures the wacky soul of a determined woman who walks the thin line between madness and genius.
Emma Stone exudes the craziness associated with the character first played by Glenn Close years ago. Her performance as the titular character is amazing, matched only by the seasoned acting of Emma Thompson as the antagonist.
Stone plays Estella, a girl whose tragic past leads her to the big city where a chance meeting with the devious and powerful Baroness (Thompson) sets her on the path to making her dreams come true.
When the protagonist discovers that her boss was responsible for the demise of a loved one years ago, she hatches a plot to exact her own form of revenge, enlisting the help of her three goons.
In order to strip the Baroness of everything she holds dear, Estella will have to go, giving way for the unhinged Cruella to take over.
Everything about this film is outlandish, outrageous, and extraordinary. The plot is fast-paced and the two leads are compelling in their roles.
Stone is riveting and Thompson is ravishingly delectable. Both of them take Disney's latest film to great heights and I couldn't help but smile throughout.
The cinematography is awesome, the music phenomenal, the set pieces gorgeous, and the costumes and makeup out of this world.
Cruella is a feast for the eyes and one of Disney's best films in recent years.
H is a mysterious guy working for a cash truck company. When he displays amazing combat skills during a heist, those around him begin to realize that he is far more than he says he is.
Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham have made another remarkable movie with Wrath of Man, a bloody tale of one man's search for vengeance.
Statham stars as H, a man recruited by an armoured truck company. He barely passes his training and resumes the job only to single-handedly foil an attempted heist by unknown gunmen. This is when his co-workers start to suspect he is not who he claims to be.
Meanwhile, H has a reason for working at the truck company. He is looking to settle a personal score, one that fuels him like nothing else. Consumed by his goal, he begins to lay the groundwork for the ultimate showdown. And when it does come, it is one hell of a finale.
The fact is that the plot of Wrath of Man is nothing new. It's the way the story is told that makes it appealing. The director deliberately starts at a point where things are unclear and uses a non-linear plot for the exposition. It works beautifully as past and present collide for a memorable third act.
I've been a fan of Guy Ritchie and I'm glad to say that everything about his latest film plays a vital part to make it outstanding. As the protagonist, Statham is convincing as a man with a grudge. His cool demeanor hides his ferociousness and he is a predator on the prowl. This may not be his best performance but it is damn good to watch.
All the supporting characters play their parts well, especially Scott Eastwood. He is part of the crew that H must face. They are not known for failure and he is the most unrelenting foe they have ever met. One way or another, one side must lose.
The editing is seamless and the music perfect and foreboding. By the middle of the movie, all the jumbled pieces begin to come together for a coherent whole, with Statham doing what he does best.
Wrath of Man is another triumph from Ritchie and Statham. It is a solid action thriller that is undoubtedly one of the year's best. I will definitely be watching it again.
A man and his family struggle to adapt to their new reality when their young son is diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
Despite some shortcomings, Strain is a family drama I recommend for everyone as there are lessons in it for all ages.
Director Uduak-Obong Patrick's movie centers on the Ezeji family whose lives are disrupted after their son Ekene (Nifemi Lawal) is diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
Ekene repeatedly experiences crisis and his father Nnamdi (Okey Uzoeshi) begins to succumb to the pressure that comes with watching his beloved child slowly fade away.
Nnamdi is powerless to stop the worsening medical condition of his son and vents his frustrations on his wife (Shushu Abubakar). To make matters worse, his daughter Ebere (Angel Unigwe) begins to feel unwanted as everyone seems to forget she exists.
Things go from bad to worse when Ekene begins to contemplate suicide and his parents are left with no other option but to take action, opting for the only solution they see before them.
Kudos to all the child actors for not disappointing as is mostly the case in Nollywood films. In this regard, Unigwe as Ebere outshines them all.
Uzoeshi as the concerned patriarch gives a convincing performance but his onscreen partner Abubakar can't quite match his acting with her own.
I would fault the soundtrack for being unnecessarily distracting at times and the exterior shots being needlessly repetitive. Besides these and a few more lapses, Strain turns out to be a pretty good film.
The last part of the movie will melt hearts and the makeup department did a swell job in the physical transformation of the sickle cell patient after surgery.
In all, Strain sends a much-needed message of hope to those living with sickle cell disease. Rather than being stigmatized, these poor souls deserve all the love, care, and medical attention in the world.
A firefighter takes it upon herself to protect a young boy who witnessed the murder of his father. As the assassins close in on them, she must confront her inner demons and succeed where she failed in the past.
An intriguing movie from start to finish. Angelina Jolie and the young actor named Finn Little give riveting performances, making Taylor Sheridan's film a pulse-pounding encounter.
The action is cool, the plot suspenseful, and the cinematography stupendous. Nicolas Hoult is the genuine badass hitman; his icy cool demeanor and precision are unnervingly convincing.
The only issue I had with the film is that its biggest question is left unanswered. Besides this, the movie is great.
A group of daredevil mercenaries take on a mission to pull off a heist in Las Vegas. The problem is that the place has been overrun by zombies.
Zack Snyder appears to have lost his magic touch as Army of the Dead turns out to be a disappointing film that is anything but a heist movie.
From unrealistic character choices to a plot full of holes enough to make a standard soccer goal post, this is Snyder's worst movie.
The worst thing about the film is the way the zombies are portrayed; they have a leader who has a mate and he rides a horse. Plus, these creatures keep human captives and move around with the demeanor of apes.
The film is for the most part boring and when things start to get interesting, the below par action hinders it from being outstanding.
In all, this film isn't worth the hype and the director should figure out to win the hearts of audiences because this may not be good for his career at all.
A disunited family must find a way to work together in the aftermath of a robot apocalypse.
This film blew my mind, defying expectations and making a bold statement on the importance of staying together to battle seemingly insurmountable odds.
The Mitchells are a family only in name; they can't seem to get along and the patriarch's relationship with his teenage daughter is the film's major conflict.
When robots created to help humanity unexpectedly stage an uprising, capturing every human (except the titular family of course) in the world, it falls on the dysfunctional heroes to brace up, put their differences aside, and save the day.
I wasn't particularly thrilled with the character designs but midway through this visually delightful movie, I forgot all about that and was lost in the plot.
The humour is rib-cracking, the action engaging, and the characters totally relatable. The actors give mesmerizing vocal performances and the director, Rianda makes one heck of a fun movie in his directorial debut.
I love the various artistic illustrations used to depict the moods at different points, and even though the villain is cheesy in a predictable way, it doesn't stop the film from being awesome.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is one of the best animated comedies ever made and I urge all fans of the genre to see it if they haven't.
A betrayed U.S. Navy Seal goes on the trail of vengeance after his wife, unborn daughter, and team members are killed by unknown gunmen.
The impressive trio of Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Guy Pierce isn't enough to save this movie from its own mediocrity.
Though based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, Without Remorse lacks everything that readers have come to love about his stories.
The script is poorly written, the characters are uninteresting (with the exception of Jamie Bell's), and the action is nothing out of the ordinary.
I saw the trailer and foresaw something lackluster. In the end, I was proved right. If there is one lesson to learn from here it's this; not every interesting book should be adapted to the big screen.
Jordan is John Kelly, a man who was set up with his team members after a major operation. His wife and team members are murdered by unknown gunmen and injured, he is the only survivor.
Upon regaining consciousness, John decides to find answers, using any and all means necessary. His journey takes him to Russia and back to his home country in a trail that leads to the highest echelon of power.
I love watching Jordan act; he is good at it. But here, his character is nothing more than a bitter, scowling man who is happy to just fight and fight.
Smith is anything but the character she portrays. Her performance is as unconvincing as it's uninspiring; a shame considering her award-worthy turn in Queen and Slim.
As for Guy Pierce, it doesn't take a genius to predict that he is the film's antagonist. It's easy to see through his facade of pretense. I didn't even bat an eyelid when he met his waterloo; that's how minute his existence was to me.
In all, Without Remorse is a movie better forgotten and not worth recommending to film enthusiasts.
A comedy revolving around several individuals who will do almost anything to maintain the fake life they live on social media.
With an impressive performance from a talented cast, Slay proves to a comedy that everyone should watch in this era of social media craze.
Thanks to its diverse actors (Nigerians, South Africans, Ghanaians, amongst others), this movie is fun from the get-go and once the viewer is able to keep up with the fast-paced plot, everything falls in place in this delightful thrill ride.
When it debuted on Netflix, it instantly became the number one Nollywood movie on the platform. There is a reason for that, and one I want audiences to discover for themselves.
Let me state clearly that Slay is not groundbreaking and neither does it have lofty heights. It just aims to please and in that, it succeeds quite well.
The visual illustration of the social media conversations is apt and helps to show the viewer more about the character's online avatar's activities.
The comic element is what helps to sustain the viewer's interest, although it seems to be a tad more than is required (Uchemba Williams is majorly to blame for that, by the way).
Ramsey Nouah as Richard, a guy who lies about being wealthy to get intimate with the ladies, is really convincing and unexpectedly more comical. The dude has range; he can be dramatic and also really funny.
The actress known as Simphiwe Ngema (who plays Lerato) also stands out. Her character happens to be the most interesting (to me) but isn't given enough screen time. Despite that, she makes a really good impression as perhaps the only main character who likes being herself.
The cinematography works well, the music is perfect and the characters just suck you in as you watch their adventures and misadventures play out with unexpected results.
Slay works well as a satirical look at a society obsessed with social media gratification. It's a film everyone should see and one I recommend for those who aren't looking to watch anything serious.
A washed-up martial artist must team up with a group of skilled fighters to defend earth from the evil Shang Tsung and his crew (led by Sub-Zero).
Mortal Kombat proved to be an enjoyable encounter for me, but I doubt those who aren't fans of the popular video games will say the same thing.
Real-life martial artist Lewis Tan plays Cole Young, the descendant of Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) who joins Sonya Blade, Jax, Lui Kang, Lord Raiden, and Kung Lao to fight for earth's survival in the tournament known as Mortal Kombat.
Easily outmatched, Cole and his new pals must reach down deep within themselves to find the secret to beat their evil opponents in what will be the fight of their lives.
Joe Taslim is simply amazing as the antagonistic Sub-Zero. Even though he is masked, his eyes reflect his villainy and he is a legitimate badass.
Among the heroes, for me, Kung Lao made the best impression. I loved the way his character used his hat during combat scenes; a real homage to the video games.
Making the film R-rated was the best decision as the gore was an apt nod to the source material and worked well in depicting the brutalities and fatalities.
I was expecting more from Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) and Shang Tsung (Chin Han) but was disappointed that I didn't get to see them engage in a duel.
The action is commendable most of the time; only a few times was it less enjoyable as a result of the movement of the camera and the uneven editing.
The special effects also worked as well, but the CGI used to bring the gigantic Goro to life wasn't as realistic as expected. Despite the budget concerns, a lot more attention should have been paid to his character.
The score isn't bad at all but there were times I felt the music was too loud and distracting.
As I said earlier, those who are lovers of the action genre will have fun watching this reboot. Movie critics on the other hand will most likely pan it.
If you're expecting more than just entertainment and fun, then look elsewhere because I assure you that this movie will not give you that. But if you want to have a blast watching people engage in brutal fights then this is for you.
Lest I forget, the actor who played Kano (Josh Lawson) stole every scene he appeared in. The banter between him and every other character (especially that of Jessica McNamee's Sonya Blade) was just wonderfully humorous.
A lot of effort went into making this film and I commend the director and the cast and crew for giving it their all. Did the movie live up to expectations? In some areas, yes. In others, no.
In the end, Mortal Kombat packs a bloody punch but it's definitely not for everyone.
