Spider-man: Brand New Day - Another Marvelous Spider-man Movie that Felt More Mature With a Bit Darker Tone

After returning from our holiday trip two days ago, we decided to take a rest and only went to see this latest superhero movie yesterday. It was playing in both studios of our favorite cinema with large screen and Dolby Atmos system not for from our home. But since I had something to do in the afternoon, we chose the earliest one at 12.15 PM. Without further ado, here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

After the events of previous movie, Peter Parker aka Spider-man (Tom Holland - Unchartered, Spies in Disguise etc) had been saving New York city from various villains for several years all by himself while his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya - The Odyssey, Dune 2021 etc) and their best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon - The Wrecking Crew, Novocaine etc) had moved on with their lives as they had completely forgotten about his existence. During an attack aimed at Department of Damage Control led by its director Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman - Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Severance TV series etc), Frank Castle aka Punisher (Jon Bernthal - The Accountant 2, Those Who Wish Me Dead etc) was also trying to help though with completely different method.

Supergirl - Not The Most Spectacular Superhero Movie but Still Pretty Decent and Entertaining Introduction to Superman's Cousin

I was looking forward to see this movie for the past few weeks but it was such a big challenge. Ever since its advance ticket sale last week, I wanted to buy tickets for its premier date but it did not play in my favorite cinema for watching blockbuster movie. When it played there on the following day, I could not go because of previous engagement. Sadly the cinema did not play the film anymore when I was finally available yesterday. So I decided to just see it in the theater near our home with my wife. OK without further ado, here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Kara Zol-El aka Supergirl (Milly Alcock - House of the Dragon TV series, The School etc) had been going through phase in life where she did not feel happy and just drinking herself across galaxies in places where she could get drunk. This made her cousin Clark Kent/Superman (David Corenswet - Look Both Ways, We Own This City mini series etc) always felt worried about her. One day she met a young girl named Ruthye (Eve Ridley - Emerald TV series etc) who was trying to get revenge on group of space pirates called Brigands led by the vicious Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts - The Old Guard, Django TV series etc). Despite her reluctance to be involved, it became personal for Kara when Krem did an unexpected thing. 

The Punisher: One Last Kill - Would Be Even More Special With Longer Duration

I remember reading somewhere that there was going to be a Punisher TV special on Disney+ but I forgotten it was scheduled for release yesterday. So I ended up only watching it this morning once I had the chance. OK then, I'll just get right to it.

Brief Story Line

Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal - His & Hers mini series, The Amateur etc) who was suffering from PTSD had trouble in dealing with his loss and having no life purpose. But things became really bad for him when Ma Gnucci (Judith Light - The Menu, Who's the Boss? sitcom etc), the head of Gnucci crime family put a bounty on Frank.

With so many people trying to kill him, Frank had no choice but to fight them all.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps - An Exciting Addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Once again another movie in Marvel Cinematic Universe was released and available in Indonesia since Wednesday.  As I wanted to see this in the studio with Dolby Atmos system, my wife and I waited for it to be available in our favorite cinema last night. Without further ado, here's more on the movie. 

Brief Story Line

Set in the 1960s, austronauts Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal - The Wild Robot, The Mandalorian TV series etc), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby - Mission: Impossible - The Dead Reckoning Part One, Napoleon etc) and younger brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn - Gladiator II, Warfare etc) with Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bacrach - No Hard Feelings, The Bear TV series etc) became superheroes known as Fantastic Four after their return from an outer space mission. As they fought plenty of villains for several years such as Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser - Inside Out 2, Cruella etc) and few others, the four of them became quite well known through out the world.

(2025) Superman - A Fresh and Lighter Tone Superman Adventure Story

After years of hearing about this movie, finally it was released in various countries including Indonesia this week. My wife and I wanted to see it on its first day but our favorite cinema was having movie premiers for two days in a row and we only got the chance to see it last night. All right then, let's get on with the film.

Brief Story Line

Superman (David Corenswet - Twisters 2024, Lady in the Lake mini series etc) had been saving the world for many years and was loved & admired by the people. As his secret identity Clark Kent, he was working for Daily Planet with reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan - The Amateur, Patriots Day etc) and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo - The RIghteous Gemstones TV series etc). Sometimes Superman would coordinate with Justice Gang that consisted of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Cars 3 etc), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi - StartUp TV series etc) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced - Alien: Romulus, Dora and the Lost City of Gold etc) to fight against various enemies.

The Old Guard 2 - A Rather Disappointing Sequel that Was Just a Filler for a Yet Confirmed Third Movie

Yesterday was kind of unusual for Netflix to release a new major movie since they normally would do it on Friday. I think it has got to do with its competitor releasing their own original as well on the same day (which made me a bit upset cause I had to choose which one to see first). Ultimately I decided to see this film cause I was already excited about seeing the action once again. OK let's get to it then.

Brief Story Line

Six months after the event of the first movie, Andy (Charlize Theron - Fast X, Long Shot etc) together with Nile (KiKi Layne - Don't Worry Darling, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers etc), Joe (Marwan Kenzari - Ghosted, Murder on the Orient Express etc), Nicky (Luca Marinelli - Diabolik etc) and ex CIA Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor - Venom: The Last Dance, The Lion King 2019 remake etc) were still working on saving the world from various bad guys. After one of their latest mission, they realized that it might be related to another immortal. Andy decided to seek the help from her old friend Tuah (Henry Golding - Another Simple Favor, Snake Eyes: G. I. Joe Origins etc) who disclosed the info on the immortal called Discord (Uma Thurman - Down a Dark Hall, The Truth About Cats & Dogs etc). 

Thunderbolts* - Finally An Entertaining, Fun and Lighthearted Movie on Marvel Cinematic Universe Group of Antiheroes

My wife and I originally intended to see this movie during the weekend. However on a last minute change of plan, we decided to see it yesterday noon on the public holiday. So we went to one of our favorite cinema with Dolby Atmos sound system that I like when seeing a blockbuster movie and saw this in a two third fully booked studio. Without further ado, here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh - Dune: Part Two, Don't Worry Darling etc) had been doing various special operations for Director of CIA Valentina de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Onward, Veep TV series etc) but feeling unhappy with her life and dirty job. During her supposed last assignment, Yelena met with others like her who also handled same kind of ops, such as John Walker aka U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell - Monarch: Legacy of Monsters TV series, The Woman in the Window etc), Ava Starr aka Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen - Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, Killjoys TV series etc) and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko - Sentinelle, Treason mini series etc). When they realized something was wrong, together with the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman - Top Gun: Maverick, Salem's Lot 2024 version etc), all hesitantly had to work together to escape.

Captain America: Brave New World - Entertaining in Term of Action but not So Great on Other Aspects

Last night my wife and I went to see this new movie that was just released in Indonesian cinemas. It was not because we were so excited that we could not wait, but merely due to us having a planned out of town trip during the weekend. Since it was having Advance Ticket Sales from a week before, we were able to buy the tickets easier and good thing we did cause the studio was quite full. All right then, I'll just get right to it.

Brief Story Line

After taking the mantle of Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie - We Have a Ghost, The Adjustment Bureau etc) was working to keep peace and doing various missions together with his sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez - Top Gun: Maverick, Chestnut etc). When the two of them together with Sam's friend and former super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly -Obliterated TV series, The Life of Chuck etc) were invited to an international event held by elected US President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Fugitive etc), they were somehow caught in an incident.

Venom: The Last Dance - A Pretty Conclusive Movie to Wrap the Venom Trilogy

My wife and I were looking forward to see this movie during the weekend, but it was quite challenging as we had to attend a wedding ceremony on that day. So after the event, we went to a cinema not far from our home where luckily our favorite seats were still available. All right then, I'll dive into the movie.

Brief Story Line

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy - The Bikeriders, Capone etc) who had become fugitive was trying to avoid capture and decided to escape to New York city. While on the run, Eddie met with a family of Alien enthusiasts Martin (Rhys Ifans - House of the Dragon TV series, Official Secrets etc), his wife Nova (Alanna Ubach - Coco, Legally Blonde etc) and their two children and hitch a hike to Las Vegas.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man - A Second Reboot that Sadly Felt Unnecessary and Unentertaining

This week, there were only few new movies released in Indonesian cinemas with only this one that caught my attention. As my wife and I got some things to do during the weekend and although it was a familiar title, I was not that persistent in seeing the film. However since we managed to clear our schedule, we still get to see it in the theater very near our home yesterday. OK, let's just get to it then.

Brief Story Line

Set in the 1950s, Hellboy (Jack Kesy - The Outpost, The Strain TV series etc) along with his partner Bobbie Jo (Adeline Rudolph - Resident Evil TV series etc) from Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (BPRD) had just finished an assignment, when they somehow ended in the Appalachia mountains where strange things were occurring and seemed to be related to witches. They later met with Tom Ferrel (Jefferson White - Yellowstone TV series etc) who had some knowledge on the witches. 

Madame Web - Might be Better Off as TV Pilot but Despite its Shortcomings Still Quite Enjoyable

It had been few months since my wife and I saw a superhero movie in the theater. So when the film was released this week, both of us decided to see it in the weekend when we have the opportunity. All right then, I'll dive into it.

Brief Story Line

Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson - Bad Times at the El Royale, How to be Single etc) was a paramedic in Manhattan working with her partner Ben (Adam Scott - Little Evil, Severance TV series etc).  After an incident during her work, Cassie started to have visions of future which totally confused her. When she saw glimpses of a mysterious person later revealed to be Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim - The Mauritanian, The Serpent etc) trying to kill three teenagers, Cassie decided to save them.

(2023) The Killer - An Action Thriller of a Professional Hitman With Rather Unconventional Story Telling

In the past two weeks I have been a bit behind on watching Netflix, but yesterday I noticed a new movie that was just released which I was quite interested. So I decided to watch this one last night as soon as I had the time after work. OK, I'll get into it now.

Brief Story Line

Story focused on a professional hitman, the Killer (Michael Fassbender - X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Alien: Covenant etc) who after an assignment by the coordinator, referred to as The Lawyer (Charles Parnell - Top Gun: Maverick etc), found that he became the target to tie-up loose ends.

Virgo and the Sparklings - A Very Light Drama of Teenage with Powers & Fresh Addition to the BCU

When this movie was released last March, my wife and I did not got the chance to see it since it did not play in many theaters including the one near our home. In just few days time, there were even fewer studios that showed the movie. So I decided to just wait till it's available via online streaming. Few days ago, the film was finally released on Disney+ which gave me the chance to watch it easily. OK, I'll get right to it then.

Brief Story Line

Riani (Adhisty Zara - Dua Garis Biru, Keluarga Cemara etc) was a high school girl who had unique power of creating fire which always got her into trouble. After the latest incident, Riani had to move to a new school in Bandung where she easily hit it off with Monica (Ashira Zamita - Cinta Fitri TV series etc), Ussy (Satine Zaneta) and Sasmi (Rebecca Klopper - Pelukis Hantu etc). They later formed a group band called Virgo and the Sparklings and wanted to join a National competition to become famous like their idol, Scorpion Sisters led by Carmine (Mawar de Jongh - Para Betina Pengikut Iblis etc).

Blue Beetle - A Surprisingly Delightful Origin Story of a Lesser Known Superhero

The news about this movie had been circulating around for quite some time but because I was not familiar with the name, it did not get me too excited. However, seeing it was another superhero movie, I still went ahead and see it during the weekend as I was not free when it was released in midweek. OK, I'll get right to it then. 

Brief Story Line

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña - Cobra Kai, Parenthood TV series etc) had high hopes when he returned to his hometown after graduating college. Although his parents Alberto (Damian Alcazar - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian etc) and Rocio (Elpidia Carrillo - Predator etc), younger sister Millagro (Belissa Escobedo - Hocus Focus 2 etc), uncle Rudy (George Lopez -  The Tax Collector, Gnome Alone etc) and grandmother, Nana (Adriana Barazza - From Prada to Nada etc) were actually having financial problems, they were still very delighted with his return.

The Flash - A Fun Ride of the Fastest Man Alive that should Satisfy Fans of DC comics

This movie has been one of my most anticipated films of the year as I am quite a major fan of Flash. And just like many blockbuster films in the past, it also had an Advance Ticket Sales program where I immediately asked my wife to buy them. Sadly I was unable to do so on its first day of release, but we did go on the second day last night. So how was it? Let's find out more, shall we?

Brief Story Line

Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequels, The Stand miniseries etc) who had been part of the Justice League was frequently asked to help other members like Batman (Ben Affleck - The Last Duel, The Accountant etc) in catching criminals and saving the world. While trying to help exonerate his father Henry (Ron Livingston - The Conjuring, Band of Brothers miniseries etc) for a crime he did not commit, Barry often reminisce the fond time with his father and mother Nora (Maribel Verdú - Pan's Labyrinth, Raymond & Ray etc). And for some reasons, Barry somehow managed to go back in time and changed the past against the advice from Bruce.

Sri Asih - Entertaining and Enjoyable Indonesian Superhero Movie with Some Well Crafted Action Sequence and Great Special Effects

At last, my wife and I got the opportunity to see this movie after its premiere more than a week ago as we were on vacation then. We were pretty excited to see this Indonesian superhero film as it got a lot of hype and attention. Without further ado, here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Alana (Pevita Pearce - The Guys, Sebelum Iblis Menjemput etc) was a professional fighter who had been adopted since childhood by Sarita (Jenny Zhang - Teka Teki Tika etc), the owner of fight training facility. She had to train hard to control the rage that was inside of her for years. Meanwhile, detective Jatmiko (Reza Rahadian - Benyamin Biang Kerok, Habibie & Ainun trilogy etc) had to adapt with the situation in the police department which was corrupted even from the top, including handling idealist reporters such as Tangguh (Jefri Nichol - Hit & Run etc).

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - A Nice Tribute to the Late Chadwick Boseman, Though as Superhero Movie, it Felt More Like a Drama

So here's another movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which as usual my wife and I would be going for it as soon as we can to avoid any possible spoilers. We managed to get the tickets on its first day of release last night at our favorite cinema. Well here we go.

Brief Story Line

After the death of king T'Challa aka Black Panther, Ramonda (Angela Basset - Gunpowder Milkshake, Mission: Impossible - Fall Out etc) was instated as queen of Wakanda, while princess Shuri (Letitia Wright - Death on the Nile etc) drowned herself in experimentations and Okoye (Danai Gurira - All Eyez on Me etc) remained as the general of the special forces. 

Samaritan - An Entertaining Enough Dark Superhero Drama Movie

I noticed about this movie some time ago and I thought it looked kind of interesting, especially having the superhero genre. It was released on Prime Video two days ago but I only got the chance to watch it last night. Anyway, here's my thoughts on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Years ago in Granite city, a person with superhuman strength nicknamed Samaritan was presumed dead after a fierce battle with the villain Nemesis. In the present day, a young boy named Sam Cleary (Javon Walton - The Addams Family 2, Utopia TV series etc) who lived with his mother Tiffany (Dascha Polanco - Orange is the New Black TV series etc) and was a big fan of Samaritan, suspected that his neighbor Joe (Sylvester Stallone - Rambo: Last Blood, Escape Plan 2: Hades etc) was actually the beloved superhero.

Morbius - Another Anti-hero Story in the Spider-man Universe

When the tickets for this movie were already sold in advance since last weekend, my wife and I did not opt to buy them yet and wanted to see it during this weekend. However, yesterday we checked the available seats in the cinema near our home and to our surprise there were more vacant seats than occupied. So we decided to immediately go and buy the tickets for 5.30 PM right after I reached home from work. OK why don't I get to it now.

Brief Story Line

Michael Morbius (Jared Leto - Blade Runner 2049, House of Gucci etc) was a brilliant doctor who had been searching for cure to his rare blood disease with the help from Doctor Martine (Adria Arjona - 6 Underground, Sweet Girl etc) and the financial support from his childhood best friend Lucien aka Milo (Matt Smith - Official Secrets, The Crown TV series etc). Milo also suffered the same disease and had been taken care by Nicholas (Jared Harris - Allied, Carnival Row TV series etc).

The King's Man - Interesting Prequel of the Kingsman Franchise

It was one of those days where two major new Hollywood movies were released on the same day. Add to that one interesting Indonesian movie that was shown on the following day, made this week a nice time for movie lovers. My wife and I planned to see two movies during the weekend, so we decided to see one of those 3 films in the weekday. Ultimately we chose this one that played in the theater very near our home. OK, let's get to the details now.

Brief Story Line

Set before the World War I period, Duke Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes - No Time to Die, The Lego Batman Movie etc) was a pacifist who was trying to protect his only son Conrad (Harris Dickinson - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Beach Rats etc) from going to war. Conrad was taken care from childhood by his nanny Polly (Gemma Arterton - The Girl with All the Gifts, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time etc) and Orlando's trusted confidante Shola (Djimon Hounsou - Shazam!, Captain Marvel etc).