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Devotion | Average Guy Movie Review

The story of the US Navy's first African-American aviator, Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors), and his wingman Tom Hudner (Glen Powell). From their training in the years after World War 2 for the much anticipated war with the Soviet Union. To combat operations during the Korean War. At first glance, and with the proximity of their releases - as well as other obvious connections - it's almost impossible to not make comparisons between Devotion  and Top Gun: Maverick . However, in reality this is like comparing Sense and Sensibility with Shaun of the Dead . Granted,  Top Gun: Maverick  is a movie about (or at least revolving around) Naval Aviators. But it's really about the flying, looking cool while doing it, and of course... never leaving your wingman. That is one way in which these two movies do connect. Because Devotion  - a title that may seem like an odd choice, but isn't - is more about the men than the flying. Which is under-stating it slightly. More accurately, it

The 'Jack Ryan' Movie Boxset

For Christmas I was given the Jack Ryan  movie boxset, and with the third season of the show starring John Krasinski now available on Amazon Prime, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit the franchise. Despite having been constantly rebooted and recast, the series has consistently produced tense and exciting action/thrillers...  mostly. Four out of five ain't bad! The Hunt for Red October The first of the Jack Ryan  movies has all the intrigue of a spy thriller, and all of the tension of a submarine movie, making it the perfect movie to kick off the franchise. Set at a time when Cold War hostilities were on the rise, we are drawn into this high-stakes battle of wills between the Soviet Union, the United States, and a lone submarine captain. Excellent performances and some clever cinematography give the movie a real sense of claustrophobia, allowing director John McTiernan to slowly ratchet up the tension, as Ryan struggles to make contact with the Red October and avoid an all o

Glass Onion | Average Guy Movie Review

When he's invited to a tech billionaire's murder/mystery party on an isolated Greek island, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) finds himself a new case to solve. A mystery wrapped in a jumble of mysteries, starting with what this weekend getaway in the middle of Covid lockdown is really about. But to do it, the great detective will also have to deal with the Coven of Douchebaggery joining him on this little trip. Just as Rian Johnson intended, his latest foray into the world of murder mysteries feels like a "new novel off the shelf". I agree with Johnson that adding "A Knives Out  Mystery" to the title was a mistake. For even though this is an entirely new mystery - similar to that of Poirot  or Murder She Wrote  - there is a sense of familiarity to Glass Onion , thanks to the 'dial it up to 11' style that made Knives Out  so much fun, and of course, the return of Benoit Blanc. Johnson's take on the great detective continues to be this fascinating, deli

She Said | Average Guy Movie Review

Based on their best-selling book, She Said  tells the story of New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and their investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein. What they discovered, beyond his horrific crimes, was a system of silence, designed to protect Weinstein by keeping his victims gagged, and his deplorable behaviour a secret.  In a world saturated with "fake news", both journalism and journalists are under fire like never before. A fact that - in my mind - makes stories like this all the more important. Now, you could argue that this is an example of Hollywood trying to absolve itself of some pretty shady practices by highlighting this story, and in the process distance itself from the guy who got caught. But shouldn't we want to highlight - even celebrate - Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, for the work they did to expose a predator, as well as the system that protected him? And what of the victims

It Really is a Case of Good News/Bad News with DC, Right Now

Ever since it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran were taking over as the heads of DC Studios, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the future of the DC Universe. But the last 24 hours has seen DC playing a fast game of Good News/Bad News. Include last week's revelation that Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 3 has been shelved, and you could argue that it's a case of Bad News/Good News/Bad News. Yesterday Jenkins responded to all the speculation surrounding the move: pic.twitter.com/E6IdujcgTt — Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) December 14, 2022 This latest wave of speculation began with a story from Variety , claiming that James Gunn and Peter Safran were considering bringing Matt Reeves' take on Batman (along with Robert Pattinson) into the wider DC universe; " A well-placed source says Gunn and Safran are exploring the possibility of incorporating filmmaker Matt Reeves’ iteration of Batman with actor Robert Pattinson into their wider universe ."

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special | Average Guy Movie Review

In an effort to cheer up Quill (Chris Pratt), and restore his love of Christmas, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) travel to Earth in search of the perfect gift. With the help of Marvel  and the Guardians of the Galaxy , James Gunn has finally got the chance to share his love of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special , and to spread a little festive cheer while he's at it, with his very own Holiday Special. But a Holiday Special born from Gunn's interesting sense of humour can only mean we're in for another gonzo galactic adventure, one served with copious amounts of cheese, and - rather unsurprisingly - an excellent soundtrack. All of which Gunn delivers, and more. Seeing the Guardians deliver Christmas in their own (very) weird way, it turns out, is actually a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. As well as being a delightfully sappy adventure, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special  is a fun way to catch up with the gang before the arrival of

Morbius | Average Guy Movie Review

The gifted Dr Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) has dedicated his life to finding a cure for the rare blood disorder that afflicts him. As time has gone on his research has looked to more extreme avenues, which has led him to the study of bats. In his desperation, Morbius tests a potential cure on himself. The result of which goes way beyond eliminating his condition, granting him superhuman abilities, as well as a thirst  for blood. I think it's fair to say that Sony's attempts to build a Marvel  universe based around characters associated with Spider-Man  have not been their most successful. Both Venom  and Venom: Let There Be Carnage  have been met with a reasonable amount of criticism. I personally enjoyed the first movie, although I can't say the same for the sequel, which at the very least does not live up to its title. Bringing us to the next Spidey villain/anti-hero that Sony has rolled out to populate their fledgeling - or should that be floundering - universe... Doctor