Movie Review: The Pope's Exorcist

 

Horror movies are definitely something that require a brave face and courage - especially on things that involve the supernatural and have been well-documented to exist in real life. The subject of possession and those taken over by an evil spirit in particular is a constant battle the Catholic church faces, which of course requires a priest to exorcise the victim with the power of faith, prayer, and belief in God and his divine works of mercy. One particular figure who specialized in that practice is the late Father Gabriele Amorth - an Italian priest who was the Chief Exorcist Priest of the Vatican and whose files have inspired the events of the new horror film "The Pope's Exorcist".

Directed by Julius Avery and starring Academy Award winning actor Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth himself, The Pope's Exorcist is set in the late 1980's and deals with the priest's battle to save a child possessed by a demon in an abbey located in Spain. With the boy's family distraught and with only a young Spanish priest named Father Esquibel to assist him, Amorth battles the evil while also uncovering a conspiracy that the Vatican itself has hidden. With deep secrets revealed and personal battles fought, it will truly be the greatest challenge the Pope's personal exorcist will face.

Definitely not for the faint of heart but absolutely a treat for those who enjoy and fancy watching things dealing with the supernatural, The Pope's Exorcist is something that should get horror fans and those who want to learn more about possession and exorcism invested. It's a horror movie with elements of action, suspense, and comedy - things that Russell Crowe carries over very well with his charismatic and very charming portrayal of Father Gabriele Amorth. While it doesn't break new ground and follows in the footsteps of similar films like "The Exorcist" and "The Rite", this is a good film to take the uninitiated into to learn about some very real battles the church and the faithful face - showing just how important it is to  believe in a the power of God and prayer in the battle against evil.

The Pope's Exorcist in now showing in cinemas courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines!

Movie Review: Bullet Train

 

What would you get when you have a bullet train full of passengers, assassins, the yakuza, and seemingly random hits and encounters that all test your luck, karma, and the power of fate? That’s Bullet Train in a nutshell - director David Leitch’s offering that brings a stellar all-star cast that consists of Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Karen Fukuhara, and much more surprises in this rollercoaster ride of an action comedy that has to be seen in the big screen!

Thanks to the folks at Columbia Pictures Philippines, I got to see this film not once… But TWICE! Saw it in the private screening theater of the studio, and then last Monday at IMAX - which is the definite format for this movie! Here’s some pics from the event to tell the tale and why it was just so hyped and full of energy to see this movie in the big screen! 

That being said, let’s get to the nitty and gritty and see what fate says about Bullet Train - from the director of John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2!

Movie Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home

 

It's been a while since I've written anything in this personal space of mine - and it's been over a year actually since the pandemic began and we all had to shutter inside our respective bubbles and spaces! As a result of several lockdowns and shifts in several industries, the films and movies we'd typically enjoy watching inside cinemas were moved to streaming and digital platforms. While that made things safer and more convenient, it still wasn't the same as the theatrical experience - which films like Spider-Man: No Way Home greatly benefit from and absolutely need to be seen in the big screen.

With the return of cinemas in the Philippines last November, most of Hollywood's offerings for 2021 were able to make it to theaters - including Black Widow, Shang Chi, Dune, No Time to Die, and Eternals. Spider-Man: No Way Home was scheduled for release during mid-December 2021 in most territories around the world, but unfortunately due to other factors beyond our control - the film was delayed to January 8 this year.

Thanks to Columbia Pictures Philippines, I FINALLY got to see the movie a couple of days ago in a special screening along with fellow moviegoers, fans, and webheads, and to say this is the perfect and emotional love letter to Spider-Man fans of all generations is an understatement. Literally everyone who grew up loving all the Spider-Man live-action films NEED to see this - but since we're still in a pandemic and watching cases go up as of this writing, I advise everyone to be safe and weigh in their options before going out to see this film. Mask up and make sure you're vaccinated, and like Spider-Man always says - "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility".

That being said, here's my review - and SPOILER WARNING to those who want to avoid any!

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home

It truly has been a great two years for Spider-Man fans. Not only has the wallcrawling wonder been making a big splash in his native comic book environment, but he's also has a VERY SUCCESSFUL Playstation 4 game by Insomniac Games and made appearances in TWO EPIC Avengers films that brought together all of his fellow heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Those films, along with the Academy Award winning animated movie "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" has shaped our hero's future into a very bright one... And I can safely say that the latest live-action tale in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" is just another example of why we call this character AMAZING.

Thanks to the folks at Columbia Pictures Philippines, I was able to view a special media screening for Far From Home together with friends in the press and some of my fellow personalities in the Spider-Man Fan community.

To say it was nothing short of Spectacular is putting it mildly - this long awaited follow-up to 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" just made its predecessor look like an appetizer to the main course that is this sequel! It's definitely that good, and it's an experience and treat that will certainly go with the best theaters and IMAX theater you can swing nearby to once this movie opens in theaters this July.

So without any more delays, here's my straightforward and NON-SPOILER REVIEW for "Spider-Man: Far From Home"!

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

If you told me years ago there would be a Spider-Man movie featuring all the different kinds of webheads and wallcrawlers out there today in comics - I would have been beside myself and freaking out at how exactly that would come together. Fortunately - seeds were planted by Marvel and comic book writer Dan Slott on how to exactly get around this problem by actually bringing ALL SPIDER-MEN AND WOMEN TOGETHER in the 2014 comic book crossover called "Spider-Verse". That storyline saw every conceivable variation and alternate universe Spidey come together to battle a common threat - and through that narrative came the possibility of actually adapting the concept for cinematic purposes and having more than just Peter Parker and his alter ego appear in the big screen.

Fast forward to 2018, and Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Marvel have put together something that is undeniably one of the most AMAZING films to feature our friendly neighborhood hero and everything that he stands for - "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse". The first animated Spider-Man film to expand on the character and his other alternate counterparts, Into The Spider-Verse does feature Peter Parker, but puts most of the spotlight to young and relative newcomer Miles Morales - better known to comic book readers as the other hero to bear the name Spider-Man! First appearing in the Ultimate Marvel Universe and created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, Miles is the heart of this animated feature - serving as the main character and thread that tells one huge yet special story of a power, responsibility, and what makes Spider-Man such a beloved character throughout the world.

Thanks to the folks at Columbia Pictures Philippines, my teammates of Spider-Verse PH and I, along with a few good friends got to see a VERY SPECIAL advance screening of "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" a few days ago, and I was literally BLOWN AWAY not just by the visuals and the fact it was pure fan service, but because it is a true LOVE LETTER to all of us Spidey fans who have adored, admired, and idolized the character and what he stands for. Spidey Co-Creator Stan Lee, who passed away earlier this month, would have been VERY PROUD to see this movie if that's any indication of how great this is.

What makes this movie different is what makes it so AWESOME. Check out my thoughts on "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" below.

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The summer blockbuster movie season of 2014 has officially begun... And it's led by the release of a sequel of a film everyone's been waiting for and featuring a familiar webslinging hero of Marvel returning to the big screen!

Of course, I'm talking about your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man... More specifically Andrew Garfield back as Peter Parker and his alter ego in Marc Webb's sequel to his 2012 reboot of the Spider-Man franchise with "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"!

As the second film in the rebooted franchise after Sam Raimi's epic trilogy and based on the life of Marvel's flagship character, Sony Pictures and the filmmakers behind this project have up the ante and gone through great lengths to make this sequel more daring, action-packed, and full of all the emotional twists and turns that goes with Spidey's complicated life as a hero. The themes of responsibility, hope, and heroism still lie intact, as does the love and chemistry the wall-crawler shares with his loved ones, New York City, and of course his flame and love interest played once again by Emma Stone, Gwen Stacy.

With a new primary villain to face in the form of Electro (Jamie Foxx), some deep secrets related to the disappearance of his parents, and the mysterious return of an old childhood friend in Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) Peter's tangled web just got a lot more complicated to navigate... With tons of adventure and danger to face as his heroic alter ego. After mixed emotions from the first reboot entry, I can truly say this film redeems and steps the game up impressively, while adding a few nods to the source material and swinging viewers into a new treatment of the legend on its own thread.

So without further delay, here's my review for ASM 2, and Special Thanks goes to Columbia Pictures PH, Sony Pictures, and Marvel for bringing this film to our shores!

Movie Review: Resident Evil: Retribution

There's no love lost between me and Paul W.S Anderson's Resident Evil movie franchise. As a longtime fan of Capcom's survival horror/ survival action video game franchise, I'll be the first one to tell you that the films have absolutely NOTHING to do with the continuity set in the games its loosely based on. However, what I can tell you right now is that I have developed a huge amount of respect for the Milla Jovovich flicks based on one aspect that continuous to be prevailant with each installment - continuity. The latest film, Resident Evil: Retribution, is the fifth entry to the series, and picks up where things left off. Is it worthy to see Alice back in the big screen? Find out here in this review, and special thanks goes to Columbia Pictures Philippines for the screening!

Review & Analysis: The Amazing Spider-Man

It's been more than 10 years since Spider-Man swung into theaters, reinvigorating and helping usher in the blockbuster superhero film initiative we've come to expect year in and year out in from Hollywood. The Sam Raimi version is easily one of my favorite adaptations of the character, and while it didn't end on such a high note thanks to the shenanigans of Spider-Man 3, it still resonates with audiences who took to seeing Peter Parker's story told in the big screen. Flashforward to present day, and now we have 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb's treatment of the webslinger's tale with "The Amazing Spider-Man". Taking its title directly from the first ongoing comic book series of the same name, it's literally a bold and modern new take for Spider-Man and his world. It's darker, emotional, and full of intensity and action that will give fans and audiences something new to talk about. The big question is: how does it stand up to its predecessor and the Spider-Man legacy? We'll find out in this review, as well as analyze how the film works up to bringing the concept of the character to a new generation. Thanks again goes to Sony Pictures, Marvel, and Columbia Pictures Philippines for the film viewing.


SPOILERS HERE, so if you have yet to watch the film, don't read this.

Movie Review: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

The year of the superhero movies is upon us once more, and there's quite a mouthful of exciting titles to look forward to as 2012 rolls forward. With momentum building up to Josh Whedon's The Avengers, Marc Webb's new take on Spider-Man, and the conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight saga, comic book fans certainly have a lot on their plate that will keep them satisfied and talking in the months to come. However, the comic book movie craze will officially begin this month, as Marvel releases their first salvo of heroism in the form of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Once again starring Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze/ Ghost Rider, the film is not exactly a direct sequel, and instead picks and retools elements from the first movie to generate a new adventure that is supposedly much darker and grittier than its predecessor. Before trailing off to the review, I'd like to extend my sincerest thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines for inviting me to the special screening of this film. Now that its riding in theaters, find out just how much hellfire and brimstone this film has.