MrHlad

The monsters turn into people, Johnny turns into a monster, and everyone has to learn that family is the most important thing in the world, even if sometimes the members don't get along. The fourth Hotel Transylvania film does what the previous three did, only that in those, the grotesque and excess worked a lot better than it did this time. At times, this sequel feels like a film where they decided not to try any new ideas and made a ninety-minute remix of what worked last time plus added on some screaming and yelling. Transformania is probably the most screaming movie I've ever seen. But if you still can't get enough of this bunch, you might be satisfied. It plays it safe so much that I was regularly bored for the first time. And it’s actually quite annoying.

Ghostface is wreaking havoc again in Woodsboro, and the local kids cannot keep up with him. Not only veterans but also a young heroine with a dark secret have returned to the town. Is it possible that people are dying because of it? The new Scream comes with a new creative team and plenty of fresh ideas. Ironically, it's a bit lacking in the horror aspect, and the new characters aren't very engaging, but it makes up for it with a clever script that bends horror clichés in a very interesting way, plays with the genre, and this time even with the viewers and fans themselves. Very clever and very entertaining, probably the best thing we've seen in this franchise since the first one.

I like Matthew Vaughn and I will continue to like him, but I can't really enjoy this prequel to Kingsman. On one hand, I have to praise the action, which, however, cannot surprise anyone, including myself – Vaughn has a talent for it. And at least the dance fight with Rasputin is truly applause-worthy. He also manages to sell a century-old past full of gentlemen, lunatics, funny cars, and the end of an era. But about the rest? That's exactly what I don't really know. It still looks nice, it has a fast pace and I wasn't bored, but that's not enough for me when it comes to Vaughn. The story surprises at most with its absurd twists, but due to the use of real historical events, it fails to build tension because – unsurprisingly – Austria-Hungary doesn't end up winning World War I. So, it's not very thrilling and, unfortunately, not even funny or bold like the first installment. The King’s Man the weakest of Vaughn's films. And above all, it’s quite unnecessary.

The new Matrix first promises a lot of interesting and new ideas, and potentially an original development of the main character and the whole world, only to turn into a slightly sad film in the middle by a director who is not capable of executing any of these ideas to the end, and only manages to create a not very imaginative variation of what we have already seen. What makes it worse is the whole film vehemently tries to present itself as something innovative, ironic, and daring. But that desire to mock Hollywood blockbusters and the obsession with sequels, while also wanting to be a part of it all and grab a piece of the box office cake, ultimately appears somewhat awkward.

There are very few movies I wouldn’t mind arriving late to so I could actually appreciate them. Spider-Man: No Way Home is really great, unfortunately it's only great after an hour, when everything starts to come together, kicks into high gear, and Jon Watts delivers not only fanservice and very solid action, but also very effective emotions. Everyone on the screen is enjoying it and they can rightly pat themselves on the back for making fantastic popcorn entertainment without getting lost in grand ambitions. But then there's that first hour, for which the screenwriters, the director, Tom Holland, and maybe everyone who could have prevented it from looking the way it does, deserve a good slap. Peter Parker in Holland's portrayal is still a kid, or rather a teenager. That's what the series is built on, I get it and actually enjoy it, but he was never an idiot. Here he is. Parker behaves like an irresponsible jerk, but it's no longer funny, playful, or entertaining. His incompetence and stupidity far exceed everything I'm willing to tolerate in an action blockbuster, and I set the bar really high. And actually, it ruined the whole movie for me to a large extent, because in all the following scenes I was thinking that it looks great, but I would actually be pleased if Parker got buried under a skyscraper, because I don't know if I want to cheer and root for such a dumb moron and a happy ending. Two hours after the end of the screening, I can honestly say that I belong to the satisfied ones. However, if I ever watch it again, I will definitely start from the halfway point.

A retro Christmas comedy about the fact that in life there are more important things than a dream phone and a console under the Christmas tree. The likeable cast and a nice atmosphere mostly disguise the fact that there wasn't much money for 8-bit Christmas, but halfway through, it starts to pick up. Unfortunately, the final change of pace and actually genre is quite dysfunctional and at best, it seems strange. But you can spend an evening with this retro affair and it won’t offend adults or kids.

The new Resident Evil promised a return to its horror roots and it tries to do so. However, Jonathan Roberts didn't have much money or talent, so after a quite interesting introduction and after trying to evoke the atmosphere of John Carpenter's horror films, it turns out that he can't really scare or shoot a decent action scene. Moreover, the whole thing has quite ridiculous make-up and visual effects. I'm desperately looking for a reason to recommend it to anyone.

The Madrigals have been living for generations in a magical house in the middle of the jungle. Each of them has superhuman abilities thanks to magic, except for Mirabel. But it is she, a completely ordinary girl, who will have to save the family because the magic is weakening. Disney delivers a beautifully looking fairytale with a nice Latin atmosphere and a likeable heroine, but the story, which at certain moments unexpectedly turns dark, undermines it. And I'm not entirely sure if the main problem and its solution are suitable topics for the youngest viewers, though maybe I'm just underestimating them.

Benedetta has spent most of her life in a convent, but now besides God, she started to love Bartolomea... what initially appears as a drama about forbidden love, in Paul Verhoeven's direction turns into a provocative and unpredictable story that opens up a lot of interesting topics and cleverly manipulates with the audience, their expectations, and the way it processes what happens to the protagonists on the screen. Equally daring, cynical, clever, and entertaining as the director's greatest classics.

After the death of a magazine publisher, the writers find out that their magazine is ending. And in the last issue, besides the obituary, they will publish the best articles about art, politics, and food. Wes Anderson presents a not very interesting bunch of stories about journalists in a form that prevents him from selling what usually makes his films most interesting.