Cristian_berme

Doctor Strange is the introduction of the character of the same name in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like a lot of Marvel characters first films, we get to see how Doctor Strange becomes the wizard/superhero that we all know from the comics.

This movie looks good, and part of that is thanks to a cast that looks natural in their characters and do great performances (Cumberbatch and Swinton really stand out here). The other part is visuals, which are filled with effects that are well done overall, but also make me feel sometimes that it was just way too much. There were moments in the movie where a more minimalistic approach would've been better and it wouldn't compromise what the movie wanted to represent. They don't look cheap at least, so they're enjoyable.

The plot, while is a little cliché coming from a Marvel movie, it's enjoyable and actually rich in contend, which surprised me. Being this movie almost two hour long I expected some skippable parts, but pretty much the whole movie is entertaining, interesting and important for the plot. I only felt like Christine is an underused character that deserves more screen time and importance to the plot, put it's just fine the way it is.

There's also some funny moments in this movie that Cumberbatch really pull off well and give both the character and the movie it's own personality. I was really surprised to see them and I'm glad they made it to the final cut.

So Doctor Strange is good, and I think both comic and sci-fi fans will enjoy it, as it doesn't connect with other marvel movies. Also, don't stop watching when the credits start ;).

The Autopsy of Jane Doe is about two coroners, father and son, that have to identify the mysterious body of a woman - called Jane Doe as her identity is unknown. The movie follows the two men in the process of her autopsy, which looks like it's going to be an uncommon one.

I was really expecting this to be a thriller - and even you do -, but I would say that is more of a horror movie, and one of those that are very similar to the rest horror movies from the past years, with easy but mild jump scares, things that don't really fit but are there because they scare and writers are like 'why not?' and mindless characters that fail to be relatable because they make conclusions that no one would do in their life. Really, I would need my crystal ball to realize so much in the third part of this movies as these characters do. Also, the corpse thing looks like a promising, but it's not exploited at all. It just looks mysterious and cool, and that alone can't save this movie.

Talking about the corpse, something that caught my attention was how the woman's face looked so expressive even thought it was dead. I thought at first the face was introduced in the movie in post production, so it had to be on my mind, but I later saw it was an actress the whole time and it made sense. It's just in the details, but in the different close ups of her face you can see how she feels, you can tell when it's just a blank face or when she looks more confident and powerful, so props to her because even being a corpse she made the best acting of the whole cast.

Also cool is the autopsy itself - because there's an actual autopsy on the movie with equipment, organs and stuff, though I don't know if it's accurate to what's done in real life -, but the whole thing get's tiring after a while, and the fact that it's mixed with personal stuff of both the father and the son that end up going nowhere - and looking like filler - doesn't help.

This movie is a perfect example of a plot ruined by the continuous attempts in the industry to put horror where it doesn't fit, specially in the second half of the movie. I personally wouldn't recommend it.

Atomic Blonde sets during the cold war, when Lorraine, an undercover agent interpreted by Charlize Theron, is sent to Berlin to investigate a murder of another agent related to a list that would compromise the cover of a number of double agents.

Despite the plot seeming a little common for the genre, this movie is able to capture the essence of what an spy movie is, filling this two hour long set with twists, small details and awesome fight scenes. You will feel confused - in a good way -, as in this movie no one is genuine, yet everyone gives little drops of truth in a attempt to keep their cover, save their assess and be helpful when it comes to resolve this situation. The plot is actually developed while we watch Lorraine be interrogated after all happened, so we also discover why she end up in that situation while we watch the plot, something that at first I didn't like but ended up growing on me. Also, as you may noticed, there's a lot going on at the same time in this movie, so you maybe want to keep your eyes glued to the screen, or even watch it twice, because there's things you can definitively miss or not really get on the first view.

The movie is mostly well adapted to the late 80s and delivers some really good visuals that contrast between a predominant cold looking scenes and scenes full of neon purple or red lights. The change between predominant colors, camera movements and spaces used leave no room for boredom and make the movie flow in a nice way. The soundtrack is also good, with some big names like Queen and David Bowie. I wouldn't really paid attention to it - since it's not my style and I don't really know that artists songs - if it weren't because it kicks in the best moments possible, making some iconic scenes.

Talking about memorable scenes, Charlize Theron stands out in her performance, making Lorraine a mysterious, tough and independent woman. She also shows a range that goes from vulnerable to fierce, always being realistic. Unfortunately, she completely shadows James McAvoy performance as David Percival, who ends up being a disappointing and a plain character that should've delivered more, both in the acting and plot sides.

Atomic Blonde is not a transcendental movie, but a good movie to spend your time if you like thrillers with some action or movies inspired in the past decades.