Movie Review: Red Sparrow

Imagine a world where your whole life was making it big in ballet and trying to provide for a loved one - completely ripped away by an accident and forcing you to pursue a career elsewhere that involved learning the art of seduction and manipulation using your body and carefully navigating through a world of lies and intrigue to survive. That's pretty much the gist of "Red Sparrow" - a film adaptation of author Jason Matthews' 2013 book of the same name, and starring rising Hollywood actress and Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence in what is possibly her most daring role in any film yet and reuniting her with her "The Hunger Games" movies director Francis Lawrence to boot.

Thanks to 20th Century Fox Philippines, I was able to catch this Spy Thriller on IMAX - a format that's well deserving of a film of this caliber thanks to its location hopping settings in places like Slovakia, Hungary, Vienna, Budapest, and London. If you enjoy other movies of this genre like the Bond, Bourne, and Jack Ryan films, then you'll feel right at home with Dominika Egorova - who follows in the footsteps of other femme fatales yet doesn't exactly start off as a willing participant into the "Sparrow" program. You want something different with Jennifer Lawrence, this is one project that's giving her renewed attention and exposure in a new light. Here's a small review on why I think it's fresh and a must see.

Movie Review: Black Panther

Superhero films have become the norm in the Hollywood film industry this day and age, and that has much to do with the success of Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe - which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year after beginning an ambitious and daring project of uniting several films together under one shared continuity. That began with 2008's "Iron Man", which bore fruit as Robert Downey Jr. took to the skies as the armored alter ego of Tony Stark and helped inspire the events that led to the assembly of the Avengers. Today the MCU is in the middle of "Phase Three", and this year will bring three more films that will add more stories and characters to the growing film dynasty of the Marvel Universe - including the long awaited solo movie of the fictional superhero known as the Black Panther - the identity of the protector and defender of the fictional African nation known as Wakanda.

Thanks to Marvel Philippines and Walt Disney Studios PH, I had the chance to see one of the most anticipated films for this new year a few days early before hitting theaters - which is on Valentine's Day in the Philippines! As a dedicated comic book collector and follower of the MCU, I've been looking forward to T'Challa's solo film for a long time - more so with the recent raving reviews brought about by critics and viewers alike who got to see early premieres and screenings c/o Marvel. Now that the movie is about to debut this week everywhere worldwide, I can honestly say without spoiling that this is a VERY DIFFERENT kind of superhero film - culturally significant for an African based superhero like this and transcending the basic premise of good versus evil as tradition and ideology clash in a battle for a nation and the future.

Movie Review: Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

It's been a couple of years since the first and second Maze Runner films left a lasting impact on film audiences - introducing us to a beloved set of characters who escaped from a seemingly isolated maze, only to discover a sinister organization was manipulating them from behind the scenes and experimenting on them to find a cure for a virus that turns humans into zombie like creatures. It's a formula that makes for intriguing sci-fi suspense and adventure, which is why a lot of expectation and excitement is riding over the third film of the series - "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" - which has finally opened in theaters and serves as the final chapter to the movie series based on the books of the same name by James Dashner.

Thanks to 20th Century Fox, I got to see this thrilling installment this week - and I highly recommend it for fans of the series. It is a satisfying conclusion, but if you need more input - check out the review below!