Tag Archives: Justice Smith

Now You See Me 3

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: The magic has returned to their world after the grand fall?

Vampire Bat: Humans have always been people of black magic.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I remember that all necromancers were humans coming out of nowhere.

Vampire Bat: Even the witches of our realm were once humans.

Vampire Owl: Well, witches were never one among us and the realm. And now, they have no way home.

Vampire Bat: The realm was magically created to separate our people from them.

Vampire Owl: Yet, the vampire elders were always part of the realm towards infinity.

Vampire Bat: Vampire Elders are magically maintained beyond their immortality. We know what they do.

Vampire Owl: Immortality is still not magic, for it is regular part of life.

Vampire Bat: The definition of magic would vary according to species.

[Gets a paneer puffs and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Years after the Horsemen’s last grand performance, three young friends, Charlie Gees (Dominic Sessa), Bosco LeRoy (Dominic Sessa) and June Rouclere (Ariana Greenblatt), impersonate the Horsemen with the help of deepfakes and holograms to take a corrupt cryptocurrency exchange owner’s money and put it in the bank accounts of different people who are in need for the same. They are approached by J Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) in the real form representing the Horsemen. Daniel reveals to them that he was sent by the Eye, a secret society of magicians, through a tarot card to recruit them for a mission to steal the Heart Diamond from Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), the head of a South African diamond company formed by her late father, and is secretly associated with providing money laundering services for criminals. At the same time, Veronika receives a phone call from a mysterious man who threatens to expose her crimes unless she gives the diamond to him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At a private party in Antwerp, Belgium, where the Diamond is being displayed, the four execute a heist to steal the Diamond. They manage to sneak in there in different forms, including that of personal photographer, makeup woman and helper. They seem to have a perfect plan which nobody suspects and manage to get the diamond, but Veronika’s personal security and the police almost catch them when the three other Horsemen, Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), Henley Reeves (Isha Fisher) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) arrive to help, after receiving tarot cards from the Eye. The Horsemen are surprised with the same, because their leader Dylan Shrike (Mark Ruffalo) is imprisoned in a Russian jail, and the team had fallen apart, with no more mission assigned to them in a long time. But they are happy to see each other, even with no real happiness about the youngsters being added to the team without any proper briefing or induction.

And what more is to follow here as there is no shortage of troubles around? :: The group decides to get together as their objectives seem to align well. These tarot cards, when placed together, lead the group to a mansion in France, where they are greeted by friend of the Horsemen Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), who is also said to have been contacted by the Eye. There, they are also able to find Veronika’s client list and enough evidence of her illegal activities from there, and also the details of a past which goes a long way back. At the same time, Veronica leads the police there, who raid the building, forcing the group to split up and avoid capture. Merritt, Jack and June are caught, but Charlie, Bosco, Daniel and Henley escape through a tunnel. As Thaddeus is fatally shot while fleeing, they are forced to leave him behind upon his insistence. Now Veronica will dictate terms with captured members of the gang with her. But with someone else also on her tail through the mobile phone, can she manage to outsmart the horsemen, as everything seems to be set to get to a final showdown in Abu Dhabi?

The defence of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t :: The movie goes on well with its magical sequences which nicely adds to the overall beauty of the world here. There is a certain beauty on the screen that never leaves us, and the magical effects are nothing less than classic. The chemistry between the main performers is extended, while Rosamund Pike becomes a fine antagonist – not the kind of role in which we see her that much. The new generation of magicians are really good, especially Ariana Greenblatt who blends in so well at all moments. The old team of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher do not seem to have lost the strength at any moment, even though Melanie Laurent remains the one person I have always missed in these newer movies. The fast-paced fun continues, and we feel the energy while enjoying the light tones that exist around here. There is some elevation of the proceedings from the previous movie too. Well, the magical world is not easy to work with in a third movie of a series, but this one manages that nicely.

The claws of flaw :: There are some unbelievable situations that also get added here and there, with some of the twists not really working with the willing suspension of disbelief. The explanation of magic does not go that well here, and we are not that much into them, with the strength of the world not bringing a magical power that goes beyond the usual. As these are all about magic, the number of options was always very high, but this does not go on to make the best use of these. One can also feel that the movie has too many characters, and balancing between them has been difficult throughout the run, something which could have been easily managed by not introducing the old characters again until a long time passed. The older ones are also given that much importance as one would expect them to have. The movie has taken too much time to bring this third movie, and due to the same, the expectations were high, and with not that much of a big release as the first two movies, this one seems to have come with not that much of a hype. A little bit of a dark side would have also been nice, even with that overall light tone.

How it finishes :: Not as good as the first Now You See Me, but better than Now You See Me 2, this one manages to keep the world alive among movies which have been bringing universes out of nowhere in a busy world. There is also a fine setup for a next movie which could make the situation bigger, as the third one never really made the stakes higher. Maybe, the fourth movie will have some real danger and an impossible mission which needs everyone to go beyond their known limits; but we can only expect the same and do nothing more than keeping on waiting. The fans of the series will be happy enough to have this one around. Having wizards of Oz in the modern world never hurts, and would only keep being interesting against all odds. Therefore, this world is never out of scope, with the heist genre always having a say among all categories. In a world which has only hopelessness and despair, having some magic never hurts, with the fantasy no longer working that well – maybe, we are too old to listen to the beauty of fairy-tale, and this modern magic sometimes serves the hope.

Release date: 14th November 2025
Running time: 122 minutes
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Voyeurs

Posted on by

Vampire Owl: Do you think that life means anything?

Vampire Bat: It doesn’t matter for humans at all. Then why should it matter for us?

Vampire Owl: I am sure that it would matter to us more.

Vampire Bat: I would never understand why humans are like this.

Vampire Owl: Humans need their lives to keep lying.

Vampire Bat: Yes, it is the only thing that they do throughout their lives.

Vampire Owl: I had trusted three humans last year, and I would never do that again.

Vampire Bat: Humans are all about cheating others, and nothing more.

Vampire Owl: I would trust the demons of hell over these people.

Vampire Bat: Let us not blame the zombies for eating their brains then, and go home.

[Gets a strawberry cake and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: Pippa (Sydney Sweeney) and Thomas (Justice Smith), move into a new apartment in Montreal, Canada after a long time of spending time apart despite being in love for quite a long time. It seems to be the perfect place for them, and everything seems to work exactly according to the plans, which includes children, job and many more things. They soon find out that the windows of their apartment look across the street to another one, which has no curtains. They see and note these neighbours from the first night itself, and there is initially just some photography, but soon things get more intimate. Pippa doesn’t feel that it is okay to look into the lives of others. They even end up giving those people random names. Soon, they become more addicted in the life of people on the other side. Sebastian (Ben Hardy) and Sam (Cait Alexander) are the two people whom they end up seeing in action. Then there is also Julia (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) whom they see at the same apartment.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They understand that Julia is the original wife, and Seb is cheating on her. Now, Pippa and Thomas are really interested, and wants to know what these people were talking to each other. For the same, they attend a Halloween Party in the apartment, and place a recording device in there. Julia who is supposed to be the real wife of Seb knows that he is cheating on her with some of the models whose photos he had taken. As more models including Mere (Blessing Adedijo) are added to the list, only Thomas and Pippa knows about the same as they watch from a distance. When Julia visits Pippa’s eye clinic, they become friends, and Pippa really wishes to talk to Julia about all the cheating that has been going on. But it seems that there is more to what they have been seeing around. The world has its secrets, and here once again, we have more than what meets the eye.

The defence of The Voyeurs :: The Voyeurs does have some moments of suspense, and it keeps us interested about what is to happen next, and twists as well as thrills do make the appearance. We have many unpredictable moments in here too, as one does feel that he or she never did see that coming. It is then that the mood of the movie suddenly changes without a warning, and there are those final moments when Sydney Sweeney scores above everyone else. All of a sudden, we have something to look out for. The pattern is also really good, and how it transcends the genre is a thing to look out for. The final moments of the film are among the best too, as the shock does get to everyone. We also have some fine visuals around here, and there is also the message given about not to believe what we see. Well, we just cannot believe the humans about almost anything, because humanity itself is built on the towers of lies and hatred for others.

The claws of flaw :: Even though The Voyeurs could have been a better film, there is no attempt here to rise above the limitations. There are lots of slow moments in here, and we are left with times when nothing much happens. The film also takes some time to bring its twists to the scene. People will find some parts of the movie strange too, and also related to how things change so fast. We also have times when things are not that perfect, and we do feel that some of these things could have been different. It also follows the usual formula for the is kind of film for most of the time too. It could have also focused more on human nature, and how it has led to all of these in a direct manner. The film could have also had its focus on evil rather than anything else, as well as some special tendencies which people have. It does have the strength up to an extent, and we are always looking for more as far as films like this one are concerned.

Performers of the soul :: Sydney Sweeney leads the cast, and things go pretty well with her work, and Justice Smith also comes up with a similar job. Sydney is indeed lovely in showing those emotions as things change so quickly. We can see that in the end, she raises the level so well. It is beautiful to watch her emotional side at work. The leading cast are pretty good together, as we look at them. Natasha Liu Bordizzo is very good with her work, even though it is Katharine King whom we notice before her. Natasha also has something special in store, and you can wait for that too. The other names including Katharine King are fine to watch on the screen, but quickly vanish without any trace of their former existence. Ben Hardy is more or less the character that seemed predictable earlier, but not so later. There are also a number of other characters who are not given that much focus, and we forget them too, as film comes to an end.

How it finishes :: The Voyeurs has its moments of suspense and thrills, along with the twists which keep us going. It is not just what it seems to be, but more, and also leaves hope for a possible sequel in an even stranger manner. The films like this can actually go a strange route, and can miss the mark easily, but this one holds on really well. It is nice to see that another interesting thriller has come out on Amazon Prime Video during these times when theatres still remain closed. There are surely more coming up, and for now, we have this one to be appreciated. The Voyeurs might not be watched by many as of now, but it will surely be a preference soon enough. So, all of you do stay safe during the time of COVID-19 pandemic, and watch more films from Amazon Prime Video. These might not be the best time, but at least we can watch some good movies.

Release date: 10th September 2021 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: Michael Mohan
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy, Katharine King, Cameo Adele, Jean Yoon, Blessing Adedijo

<— Click here to go to the previous review.

<— Click here to go to the previous film review from Amazon release.

<— Click here to go to the previous English film review from Amazon release.

<— Click here to go to the English review from Amazon release during the same time.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Jurassic World II

Posted on by

What is the movie about? :: A few years have passed after the events of the earlier movie, and the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nublar has been abandoned since the evacuation. As dinosaurs roamed freely on the island, a mercenary team which arrives on the island makes an attempt to retrieve DNA from the remains of the cloned hybrid dinosaur Indominus rex, which was killed by a Mosasaurus. They successfully deliver the sample even though the team is attacked by a Mosasaurus and a Tyrannosaurus. The aim of the mercenaries is unknown, but at the same time, there is wide protest in the United States of America and other parts of the world in favour of saving the dinosaurs as the species, even though cloned, faces extinction again while facing a huge volcanic eruption, with the exception of Mosasaurus which escaped from the island through water.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: Jurassic World’s former manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) who is now part of a dinosaur protection group gets a call from Sir Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell). The man, along with Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) confirm that they are planning to move these dinosaurs to a place where they will be safe. There will be no human contact, and without men to bother them, the creatures could thrive in their own world – this would cause no alarm for any other species. For locating Blue, the last living Velociraptor and smarter one among the dinosaurs, Claire recruits Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Jurassic World’s former Velociraptor trainer, to join the mission to save the species facing extinction. They are joined by Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) and Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) as they travel to the island.

And what is follow with the tale? :: The leader of the hired soldiers at the island, Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine) is in charge of resue operations at Isla Nublar. He enjoys stealing the teeth of dinosaurs and making sure that they stay in the cages in one way or the other. Sooner or later, a few dinosaurs won’t be the biggest of their problems. There is Gunnar Eversol (Toby Jones) who comes into play, as he hopes to sell these dinosaurs through auction, while making them perfectly suitable for becoming war machines – as animals have always been used as weapons by humans throughout history. In between all of this, time is running out for dinosaurs, as the whole island gets ready to be destroyed by volcanic erruption. Can at least some of them including Blue be saved by the team, as the chances for extinction is once again so high?

The defence of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom :: The movie begins nicely as it introduces its two best pre-historic creatures, Mosasaurus and Tyrannosaurus very early, displaying moments of glory that this franchise has to offer us. There is no shortage of such moments, with the dinosaurs trying to escape the island, and the lava taking over, as well as the final battle with another hybrid dinosaur. There is the fear factor being utilized really well, and the dinosaur nostalgia taken to the next level. We are all left in need of another movie in the franchise, and there seems to be certainty in the same. The idea here more or less like that of a Frankenstein story, about humans trying to play God by giving life using science, and finding it extremely difficult to control their creations. The dinosaurs are all good here, and so is the world – there is more to see with both as we keep looking on.

The Claws of flaw :: There is always more expected from a dinosaur movie, and anything with the name Jurassic needs to do more each and every time. The second Jurassic World doesn’t add much to the franchise, and won’t bring anything that is special – it is more or less the same thing that we have been watching since the first one, Jurassic Park. There is no real attempt to move beyond the safe mode, and the focus is not really on the story – well, the big dinosaurs on the screen was always going to work in one way or the other, and that is the one thing were all the focus goes. The questions about the necessity of saving a species are not touched that much as one would expect. Do humans have the responsibility to save those other species which are as much part of this world as we are all are? Well, that is one question that humanity will find difficult to answer, and even coming close to trying for the same is out of question for many.

The performers of the soul :: Chris Pratt who comes right out the Star-Lord shoes in Avengers: Infinity War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has this one in full control. One has time to remember that Passengers was a lovely movie too, as he keeps things going well, following Jurassic World which brought the dinosaurs back to us. Bryce Dallas Howard gets some nice job to do here again, and this time, the character gets stronger on ideology. We can be sure that we need to see her as well as Christ Pratt in the next possible movie too, the team looks strong with the two around. We do miss Irrfan Khan this time, as his character had to die in that earlier movie. Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith support well, with something extra added here and there. Rafe Spall brings one ambitious and unpredictable character to fine strength. Isabella Sermon does a nice job here too, rising to the occasion.

How it finishes :: We have been in love with this franchise ever since the first move released in 1993 by the name Jurassic Park. The science fiction novel written by Michael Crichton did form the core, but with two more films, this movie franchise had the advantage and became another name for anything related to dinosaurs. In 2015, Jurassic World brought it back with nostalgia written all over it, and now, we have Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom which decided to get an early release in India before it released in the United States of America. Well, we can see only filled seats in the theatres more than one week after its release in the country. It is one big entertainer with big creatures, and it is to be seen about how much of a threat it possesses to Avengers: Infinity War which is still running in the theatres, and how much challenge it faces from the strong monsoons.

Release date: 22nd June 2018 (USA); 7th June 2018 (India)
Running time: 128 minutes
Directed by: JA Bayona
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Daniella Pineda, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, BD Wong, Isabella Sermon, Geraldine Chaplin, Jeff Goldblum

<— Click here to go to the previous review, and before that.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.