For about as long as artists have been crafting works, there has been a belief that the pinnacle of dramatic expression is the plays and poems of William Shakespeare, a man whose very name evokes the image of quality, artistic integrity and history-defining creativity. Very few writers have been able to see their work not…
Category: Action
Top Gun (1986)
When it comes to films that are ordained as classics of cinema, you get two general groups – there are those that earn their reputation (either exceeding expectations or simply meeting them), and then there are the ones that are unfortunately overpraised to the point where eventually watching them is disappointing to say the least….
Sirāt (2025)
How far would you go to rescue the ones you love? For most of us, such a question isn’t even worth asking, since there are limits to the risk we are willing to take to help the people we care about, which is even more applicable for the love a parent has for their children….
Rope of Sand (1949)
We all appreciate a solidly made, well-constructed adventure film. Hollywood was well-aware of this fact, with the classical era being filled to the brim with stories that take place in the furthest corners of the world (the more exotic, the better), and focus on valiant heroes that overcome every obstacle without acquiring so much as…
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Hollywood’s return to making monster films has certainly been a wonderful surprise, since it has become increasingly clear that these films, while not always of the highest quality, usually contain an element of ingenuity and creativity that is often missing from a lot of other genres. Attempts to make the genre more formal and sophisticated…
Love Hurts (2025)
We all carry remnants of our past, which we tend to prefer to keep hidden, at least to a certain extent – but the bigger the secret, the more challenging it is to conceal it, which can often lead to complications when the truth is unearthed, especially when they relate to more morally questionable aspects…
Novocaine (2025)
I remember seeing a sign on a gymnasium wall that said “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”, which is a quote by acclaimed author Haruki Murakami (who may find it fascinating that one of his quips has found such an unconventional home, albeit where it is slightly taken out of context), and it’s something that…
Old Guy (2025)
No matter how much of an expert you become in a particular field, there will come a point where you are seen as “the old guy”, someone who was previously at the top of their game, but the march of time and the inevitability of the younger generation taking over means that we will all…
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
Video game adaptations have undergone quite a substantial transformation as time has progressed and audiences have reacted differently to them, depending on the quality and effectiveness of their execution. For the most part, they tend to be seen as trivial at the best of times, artistically corrupt and a waste of time in others –…
Gladiator II (2024)
They tend to say that once you’ve achieved perfection, it’s best to leave it alone. However, the same principle doesn’t necessarily apply when you’ve made something perfectly decent and solid enough to withstand the test of time, but perhaps not necessarily redefine a particular genre or style of filmmaking. Ridley Scott has made many films…
The Postmodern Pelican 