Ballerina | Review by: Gal Balaban

Ballerina isn’t just another action movie: it’s got a madness and energy that only this franchise has. But it doesn’t just fit perfectly into the John Wick universe, it elevates its world-building and makes a strong case for this new protagonist Eve and her potency. Much of that is thanks to Ana de Armas, who is a powerhouse and gives Eve a deep pain that is weaponized into her expertly brutal assassin skills. That’s quite the main theme here and an interesting one — hate and trauma being weaponized into violence and vengeance, and the illusion of fate and a lack of choice. The actress wonderfully takes on action scenes and stunts so intricate they give some scenes from the main John Wick franchise a run for their money. Best of all, it never feels like its recycling too much from those films, whether from a visual or choreography perspective, even if the settings and musical score aren’t trying to hide that this is a Wick movie, and the character tie-ins may feel like a bit much.

As for the supporting cast, Anjelica Huston gives a strong reprisal of her supporting role from John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, while Gabriel Byrne is well-cast as the villain, though his dialogue becomes one-note and over-the-top rather quickly. Catalina Sandino Moreno is great to watch; it’s nice to see her finally given such a prominent role in a big film like this so long after her amazing turn in the Oscar-nominated Maria Full of Grace. Due to the film being set between the third and fourth main films, Keanu Reeves’ inclusion as John Wick is fun and justified, thought the excitement of having such an iconic star around may overstay its welcome for a film that isn’t about him. Even if the story uses familiar elements such as a revenge plot or an assassin groomed to kill from a young age, they all fit in the amazing action and scenery here, which keep one-upping themselves and the audience’s expectations. It’s an exciting and stylistically top-notch action movie that rewards its crowd, even if the story itself doesn’t pack many surprises.

4/5

Review by: Gal Balaban

Rating all V/H/S/Halloween Segments

Like sorting through your candy after a night of trick-or-treating, V/H/S/ Halloween is a mixed bag. The eighth instalment in this cult-favourite horror anthology series comes up short of previous entries, but there are still a couple of treats in here that should satisfy your twisted cravings. A chilling still from V/H/S/ Halloween . Diet Phantasma This wraparound segment follows an R&D team testing a new low-calorie soda made with “real ghosts.” It’s silly fun, but gets a bit repetitive with each new test subject. The commercial playing during the end credits was a nice touch. Rating: ★★½☆ Coochie Coochie Coo This short feels like walking through a haunted house — but not in a good way. The plot is like something torn from a creepypasta thread. Everything is constantly being spelled out in a painfully obvious way. The practical effects and makeup are decent, and this is probably the only segment that comes close to being scary...

The Mandalorian Season 3 Review

Listen, I love Star Wars. I will always love Star Wars. The original and prequel trilogies were a big part of my childhood, and helped shape my love of cinema. While The Mandalorian isn’t among my favourites in the franchise, I thought it had a promising first season and a significantly stronger season two. Season three had so much potential, but a frustrating lack of focus held it back from greatness. This show’s always had a bit of an identity crisis, but it’s never been as clear as it is here. Does it want to be a procedural-style adventure of the week, or tell an epic, multi-season spanning arc? Season one leaned toward the former, while Season two found a satisfying balance of both. Season three tries to find that balance, but the overarching story it wants to tell is bigger than the few episodes allotted to do so. There are only 8 chapters, some barely over 30 min. That’s a fair...

The Rip Review

The Rip is all the evidence you need that a great cast can elevate an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie. Without its impressive A-list roster, this would’ve likely been lost among a crowd of forgettable January dumping ground releases. Throw Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a handful of other extremely talented actors into the mix, though, and now you’ve got something worth watching. While there are exceptions that prove the rule, a lot of these police/cartel thrillers are interchangeable when it comes to their cookie-cutter story beats. The Rip breaks exactly zero molds, but it also doesn’t feel as uninspired as it could’ve. There are enough surprises to keep things engaging, and the tension - which the movie often hinges on - is appropriately high strung. The action is punchy and loud, which is no surprise coming from Director Joe Carnahan. While I do have minor issues with some of the sequences feeling a bit choppy in how they were shot and edited, the action is solid and packs...

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