terrellrobinson71

Luck. Fate. Karma. Destiny. That's all in the wildly creative center of "Bullet Train". It's also a movie about betrayal, corruption, misunderstandings, power and revenge. For an action movie laced with dark humor that involves a large group of immoral characters dealing with those morals that we hold so dear in our hearts, that seems like high praise. And it does. Here is a movie that is so rambunctious and off-the-rails (if you'll pardon the pun), it actually takes its sweet time of getting to know these characters while putting them in the middle of all the chaotic madness. And then, just when you think you have it all figured out, it doubles down on itself and surprises you with as many cards revealed to us in unexpected ways. Plus, the brutally violent action sequences that involves all the characters are ingeniously inventive. In the middle of all of this is Ladybug, as played by the always phenomenal Brad Pitt, an assassin who always believes he has incredibly bad luck but ironically survives. After a extended bout of "keeping calm and carry on", he's called back to work by his handler Maria (the voice of Sandra Bullock) to pull off one big (but very simple) assignment: Aboard Japan's bullet train, steal a briefcase and get out. But everytime Ladybug tries to get off, he unfortunately keeps getting up in the business of other assassins. There's "The Twins", Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) carrying alongside "The Son" (Logan Lerman), who is the son (duh!) of mysterious figure known as "The White Death". Then there's The Prince (Joey King), who may act and look like an innocent schoolgirl, but she is a manipulative and heartless figure that is the causer for almost all of the events in the story. Next, there's Yuichi Kimura (Andrew Koji), who is seeking revenge on the one who put his son in a coma. And lastly, the Wolf (Puerto Rican pop star Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny), who wants revenge on Ladybug for a very personal reason. Who will survive? Who will fail? Who will leave the train with the suitcase? And who will avoid a meeting with "The White Death" when the train makes its final destinaion? "Bullet Train", directed by the remarkably badass Dacid Leitch of "Atomic Blonde", "Deadpool 2" and "Hobbs & Shaw", is a lot of fun; a movie that is so ruthlessly over-the-top and insanely hilarious, it manages to exceed every expectation you hoped for (it did for me). The faithful screenplay by Zak Olkewicz, based on the brilliant novel (originally titled "MariaBeetle") by Kotaro Isaka that I had the great pleasure to read last summer, is clever and incisive by managing to balance hilarious character-driven comedy by way of Guy Richie, Quentin Tarantino and The Coen Brothers with bloody high-stakes acrion that we anticipate from this genre. It's also strangely philosophical as Ladybug and other characters try to reason with one another while spilling out their ways of dealing with life and fate. (Trust me, It's all part of the story, too.) It also has some surprising cameos from actors you've never expect to see in a film of this caliber. And this cast is just perfect from top to bottom., especially Mr. Pitt whose star-power charisma hasn't had this much fun since either his extended cameo in "The Lost City" or his Oscar-winnnng performance in "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood". In fact, everybody is having fun here, even the snake, a water bottle and a popular figure known as Momomon. With "Top Gun: Maverick" leading the charge as my favorite movie of the summer, "Bullet Train" is one of the summer movies I was waiting for, and now it's one of the best movies I've seen all summer long.

In the last 3 and a half years after reviewing "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", a lot has changed. Really changed. In the midst of all of that, COViD happened, then a lot of scandals involving J. K. Rowling, Johnny Depp and, more recently, Ezra Miller got revealed all over the world. Suddenly, everybody is turning their backs at the Wizarding World, waiting to see Rowling, Warner Bros., or both to fail for their crimes of humanity. To keep this review drama & gossip free, let me make this perfectly clear: I may not agree with the certain views of people, but the one thing I do respect however is the power of the written word. The Harry Potter series have always been a part of my life and with the case now with the third "Fantastic Beasts" film, these books and movies have always gave me the most important message: In the face of danger and in a world that still doesn't know how to respect those who are different to society, we can't face everything all by ourselves, we have to have those that are pure of heart to help us and guide us through the path. Moving right along to "The Secrets of Dumbledore", this is the one that will be the ultimate make-or-break scenario for this crisis-filled franchise, but I think it's the right rebound. In fact, this is the best of the three, so far. It may lack a little cohesion that the enchanting first one had, but it's a genuine improvement than the good, but really overstuffed "The Crimes of Grindelwald". Dumbledore, as once again played by the remarkable Jude Law, knows that evil wizard (and his former lover) Grindelwald, this time played by the ubiquitously awesome Mads Mikkelsen, is formulating a major plan to lead the Wizarding World and to cause war between the Muggles and the Wizards. To do that, Dumbledore elists the help, once again, of Magizoologist Newt Scamadner (Eddie Redmayne) and his Auror brother, Theseus.(Callum Turner), Newt's secretary, Bunty (Victoria Yeates), the French wizard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), Ilverymorny Professor Eulalie Hicks (the phenomenal Jessica Williams) and, of course, the Muggle baker, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler, a genuine scene-stealing prescence) on a very dangerous task to try to overthrow and confuse Grindelwald. Meanwhile, Credence (Ezra Miller) and Queenie (Alison Sudol, beautifully heartbreaking) are on Grindelwald's side but having some difficulties that blurs the line between good and evil, forcibly. All that leads to the epic climax at the Himalayan Mountains, where our big baddie is trying to botch a very big and important election for the International Convention of Wizards so he can rule. But, knowing this secret-filled Dumbledore, he never misses a trick. "The Secrets of Dumbledore" is the one that I've been waiting for; a movie that finally connects this franchise to the "Harry Potter" series in the most subtle, unexpected ways. J. K. Rowling (along with the help of Steve Kloves, who wrote all (but one) Harry Potter movies) has managed to put together a plot that is still complicated, but is more streamlined this time around. Director David Yates and his incredible cast keeps the energy humming with moments that ranges from emotionally heartfelt (the relationships between Dumbledore, Aberforth, his brother and Grindelwald) to funny (a prison escape and a dinner party that goes comedically wrong) to "OMG, I did NOT see that coming". I even like that some of Newt's fellow beasts including Teddy, the thieving niffler and Pickett, the sensitive Bowtruckle get some major moments too. In light of everything that is going dark in the world right now, the "Fantastsic Beasts" has been a real pick-me-up for me. It brought me back to a time of joy, magic, bravery, hope and wonder, the kind of things we all need in this hate-filled world. I sincerely hope that the series continues and I want to see how it will all come together in the end. And I certainly hope that audiences around the world avoid the negative buzz that's been clouding this series and see it for themselves. Until then, as Dumbledore once said: "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" is a movie that left me breathless and stunned. Here is a sequel to a prequel that had me entranced from the floating, zoomed-in Warner Bros. logo with the luminous and ominous score courtesy of the great James Newton Howard to its stupendous cliffhanger ending that had me excited for the next adventure. There are a couple of movies like that this year that had left me with a glowing smile on my face, this one is certainly it. It's very hard to explain the plot(s) without ruining the secrets for your experience. But let me elaborate as much as I can about it. As we know from the first film, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", a dark force was terrorizing the Wizarding World. We finally get to meet him in the flesh. That dark force is none other than the notorious Dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald (played to menacing perfection by Johnny Depp). The movie begins with a captivating chase on a magical coach (with thestrals, to be exact) that turns into Grindelwald's escape. Meanwhile, Newt Scamander (the charming Eddie Redmayne), the magizoologist, has been called upon on a very secret mission by Albus Dumbledore (the wonderful Jude Law) that also leads to what the other characters want as the story progresses. That would be the young boy Credence (Ezra Miller), who not only is finding his own identity, but is also the uncontrollable force known as the Obscurial. As Grindelwald starts to gather more followers for his preparation to rule over the Wizarding World and the No-Maj world, each of the characters including the Goldstein sisters, Tina (the delightful Katherine Waterson) and Queenie (Alison Sudol, a genuine heartbreaking presence), No-Maj Jacob (Dan Fogler), the Maledictus known as Nagini (Claudia Kim), Newt's schoolmate, Leta Lestange (the amazing Zoe Kravitz) and Newt's Auror brother, Theseus (the intimidatingly remarkable Callum Turner) will make their choices and decisions that will lead them to more unexpected territory than they (and we) never imagined. As a 17-year fan of J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, it's amazing to see what J.K. Rowling as a screenwriter can come up with next. There are clues and secrets and twists and turns that will tie in to the "Harry Potter" universe. (Believe me, my face lit up like Christmas lights on a tree when I saw Hogwarts again.) But what's important about this film, beautifully directed by David Yates with awesome cinematography courtesy of Philippe Rousselot, is that it's a movie of extraordinary depth, imagination, and secrets that you have to see for yourself. Some critics has said that this movie has too many characters and too many plots running around the place. I consider this to be folly, for this is a crowded movie, a magically entertainingly crowded movie about the characters that we always loved going on more darker and different directions than before and the events that they follow will lead them to what they will become as the stories continue. This is a magical movie. It's darker than the first, but still has its sense of magic and humor and its love for the choice-making characters (good and bad) and the production design by Potter vet Stuart Craig are remarkable, followed by the sensational costumes by Colleen Atwood. It's tough for a sequel to pull you in again without repeating the formula that made it so successful. What J.K. Rowling and David Yates has done with the "Fantastic Beasts" films is that it blends and grows into something more grounded but captivating us with its own magical appeal. The first film was the set-up, this one continues the set-up, but adds some pay-offs into the mix. It's definitely worth your time and effort to see this can't-miss experience and keep some of those secrets to yourself. (By the way, loved the giant Chinese beast known as the ZouWu: Menacing, but with a good heart)