‘Uncharted’ Brings a Beloved Video Game to the Big Screen
By Ben Konuch
"Greatness From Small Beginnings. That's You And Me."
The Uncharted video game franchise started back in 2007 with the release of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, a fun, Tomb Raider-esque adventure game that sold well despite not achieving any great awards. That would change with 2009’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which became one of the best games of its era and won countless awards. It spawned two more sequels, a spinoff game, and worldwide love for its iconic lead characters ...
‘The Batman’ Shows Off the World’s Greatest Detective
By Samuel Acosta
[Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers for “The Batman.”]
As someone who grew up watching “The Dark Knight” trilogy and experienced the chaotic fiasco that was the Snyder-verse, I had low expectations when I first heard about a new Batman movie. To my pleasant surprise, I was also absolutely enamored with the dark and gritty Gotham that director Matt Reeves has given to us. While it doesn’t quite overshadow the Nolan trilogy, “The Batman” places ...
‘Moonfall’ isn’t Spectacular, but it’s Definitely Enjoyable
By Ben Konuch
"This planet has suffered five extinctions. This is going to be the sixth."
"Moonfall", the newest disaster movie from Roland Emmerich, finds itself in an interesting conundrum. Part disaster epic, part sci-fi thriller, “Moonfall” can’t quite fit fully into a specific genre, but it does manage to craft a unique identity against the crowded library of the disaster movie genre. While the film does have uneven pacing in the first act and the main twist at the end will leave ...
‘Belle’ is Truly Beautiful
By Ben Konuch
“Gales of song, guide me through the storm. Let the melody lift me high, I’ll be me.”
"Belle”, simply put, is a beautiful film. Gorgeously animated, wonderfully written, and with stunning original songs, “Belle” swept me up into its world of style, emotion, and heart. Part coming-of-age story, part teen drama and part musical with a pinch of science fiction, this anime feature was loosely based on the story of Beauty and the Beast. While some may be wary of this ...
‘The King’s Man’ is Refined but Brutal, Civilized but Merciless
By Ben Konuch
“Our enemies think we are gentlemen, but reputation is what people think of you. Character is what you are.”
"The King's Man" is a history-based spy thriller written and directed by Mathew Vaughn and serves as a prequel to "Kingsman: The Secret Service." Set amidst the backdrop of World War I, the film follows the Duke of Oxford and his family (both blood relations and found family) as they begin the world's first independent intelligence organization in order to expose a ...
‘Scream’ Has More to Offer Than Your Average Slasher
By Sam Acosta
[Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers.]
When I first found out about this “requel” (reboot sequel) to the iconic slasher series, I figured it was just another cash grab aimed at classic horror fans. With the number of reboots made in the last several years, most with middling results, I have come to approach such films with preemptively low expectations.
However, I must admit I was thoroughly impressed with this new installment in the series. Not only did it ...
‘Silent Night’ Has Good Ideas that are Wasted on Mediocrity
By Ben Konuch
“The outcome is always the same, and in no particular order. We will all die, one by one, and you will be left crying with no one to comfort you. And I can’t do that.”
When I first learned the concept for black comedy/drama "Silent Night", I was really hoping for it to be an unexpected sleeper hit of the year. The concept is a gold mine of potential, following a group of old college friends and their families gathering for one last Christmas party the day before the world ...
‘Being the Ricardos’ Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be
By Ben Hiett
Amazon’s most recent attempt at striking Oscar gold, “Being the Ricardos” bears all the trademarks of its director, for better and for worse. Plagued by its own excess, the film proves that an overabundance of talents is not always reflected in the final product.
I’m not saying that this film is not a well-put-together product; too many seasoned professionals are involved here for such an outcome. In fact, the performances, the writing, the direction and the overall ...
‘National Champions’ Calls for Change in College Sports, to Little Avail
By Nick Ratliff
“National Champions” is a sports drama about two college football athletes fighting for something bigger than themselves. LeMarcus James (Stephan James) is a star quarterback projected to be the number one pick in the upcoming NFL draft, while Emmett Sunday (Alexander Ludwig) is a starter who is not projected to make it past the college level.
Three days before the national championship game, these two athletes protest the game on the basis that student-athletes should be ...
‘Encounter’ is More (and Less) than It Appears
By Benjamin Konuch
"Keeping a level head when all hell's breaking loose, that's a special kind of tough."
Released by Amazon Studios earlier last month, "Encounter" is a slow-burn thriller/drama starring Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer and Lucian River-Chauhan. Ahmed plays Malik, an ex-marine who discovers a conspiracy about alien parasites taking control of humans. Once he finds out, he embarks with his two young sons on a journey across a country where anyone could be an enemy.
While many ...
