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

 

One of the most amazing movies to hit a few years back was the colorful and dynamic animated film "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse". It was a very unique and ambitious project to get off the ground by Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures, but this Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed movie did the impossible and managed to tell the stories of not just one but multiple Spider-Men from different dimensions and realities. While everyone knows the story of Peter Parker and his alter-ego - it's quite rare to see the other webslingers who have taken up his mantle and legacy to fight crime and do spectacular things like only a spider can, and this movie absolutely nailed it by making characters like Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy household names along with their stories and adventures seen only in comic books that expanded the world and introduced the concept of "Spider-Verse" to popular culture and society.

Fast forward five years later, we finally have the long awaited sequel to the 2018 Academy Award winning animated movie - and it picks up just about a year into the adventures of Miles as he finally becomes his universe's full fledged Spider-Man. However as with all things that come with great power and responsibility, trouble brews and more things pop up that make the web more tangled and complicated. Gwen Stacy from Earth-65 returns along with some new faces, and we are introduced to even more Spidey variants from the multiverse - all led by Miguel O' Hara aka the futuristic Spider-Man 2099.

It's a bigger and more jam-packed sequel in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, and it delivers in so many ways that I have to put up this review and express why it is an absolute must see for Spider-Man fans and kids of all ages! Full of ambition just like its predecessor, this one is longer, has more Spider-Men and Women unlike the last time, and is full of easter eggs and nods that will make any Spider-Man and comic book fan happy. 

I was absolutely thrilled to see it last Tuesday thanks to our friends at Columbia Pictures Philippines - and I suited up alongside my fellow webheads from Spider-Verse PH! Anything involving Miles, Gwen, Peter B. Parker, 2099, or the rest of the wallcrawlers will be crowdpleasers, and this film is one for anyone who loves superheroes and comic book stories!

SPOILER WARNING for those who want to see this fresh, so consider this YOUR WARNING!

Movie Review: Fast X

 

Vin Diesel and his family of co-stars are back, and they are ready to lead one of the most insane and long running blockbuster franchises to the finish line by unleashing a new story arc that will culminate the Fast Saga in a big way. That final lap begins with the release of "Fast X" - the 10th mainline installment in the "Fast and Furious" movie series that sees Dominic Toretto and his family taking on a new enemy in the form of Aquaman actor Jason Momoa. It's not your run-of-the-mill typical bad guy either, as Momoa plays a man known as Dante Reyes who has legitimate reason to hate Toretto and seek revenge based on an event that played out in a previous Fast Saga installment.

Thanks to the folks at Universal Pictures Philippines, Warner Bros. Philippines, and SM Cinema, I got to be among the first viewers to watch "Fast X" ahead of the entire world during its Philippine premiere on IMAX SM Megamall! Of course with that red carpet came some hype and excitement to see the next instalment of former criminals and racers using the power of "FAMILY" to beat the odds, but it was also great to see my friend and Jason Momoa lookalike Aqua Blake take it in and look the part of the bad guy!

Here's my review of Fast X, and naturally Spoiler Warning for those who want to see it first hand!

Movie Review: Evil Dead Rise

 

The Evil Dead franchise has been one of the most revered cult favorite horror franchises by many fans ever since Sam Raimi began his career by introducing the original film that started it all in "The Evil Dead" way back in 1981. That supernatural horror flick brought the world of demons and deadites into the big screen, as well as the Necronomicon/ The Book of the Dead and the recurring protagonist who has to face it all in Ashley J. Williams as played by the legendary Bruce Campbell. Two sequels followed in "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness" that centered more on action and horror camp, and in 2013 a reimagining/ remake came to life in "Evil Dead" that did away with the laughs and introduced pure terror to the masses who were expecting blood, guts, and demonic possessions. They weren't disappointed one bit.

Fast forward 10 years later to 2023, a new follow-up has arrived that aims to revive the spirit of the last film and bring more terror, gore, and horror to the big screen. That new film is "Evil Dead Rise" - which once again digs up the lore of Deadites and The Book of the Dead and unleashes it on an unsuspecting family that lives in a worn down apartment complex.

Evil Dead Rise | Only in Cinemas May 10

I got to see this highly anticipated new entry in the franchise last week, and I was absolutely blown away and driven by the plot where a young woman named Beth visits his sister Ellie in her home where she lives with her three children. Their peaceful and heart to heart reunion is cut short by a sudden earthquake that unleashes an evil long buried under the complex, and soon Ellie becomes possessed by an evil force - turning everything into a horrible nightmare that Beth and her family must endure if they are to stand any chance of surviving. It was absolutely a fresh change of pace for the franchise and something that I've only seen tackled in the "Ash Vs Evil Dead" television series, and to see it in the big screen and with all the gore, chainsaws, and mania unleashed? This is definitely Evil Dead back to form and a necessary new ingredient to keep things interesting for the series to evolve and draw new fans in!

Moving the usual setting from an isolated cabin to the urban jungle that is Los Angeles, director Lee Cronin masterfully weaves together a tale that introduces a new generation to the horrors from the world created by Sam Raimi, and it will absolutely leave you craving for more once the credits roll up. While there are no familiar faces like Ash in this story, expect some nuggets, lines of dialogue, and easter eggs from the series to appear that should please longtime fans of the series. I can't say enough about the performances and special effects too - the cast was on their A-Game, and Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland were just dynamic playing Beth and the possessed Ellie respectively. This was originally a film intended for streaming, but thankfully Warner Bros. picked it up and released it to theaters, and if you love the world of Evil Dead and horror movies in general you must go and see this for yourselves!

Check out my reactions on Evil Dead Rise below from the special screening held last April 27th by Warner Bros PH!

Rating - 4/5

Evil Dead Rise has sneak peeks up on May 1 and 2, and will open in theaters in the Philippines c/o Warner Bros. PH on May 10 - exclusively on Ayala Malls Cinemas!