Moviez4U

Day: December 1, 2024

  • Wicked (2024)

    Wicked (2024)

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Absolutely amazing. They nailed (almost) every song with the utmost respect for staying true to the Broadway versions I’ve heard.

    If you’re worried it might be ruined because you’ve seen it live, I’m here to reassure you: it does great justice to the source material.

    However, there are some issues.
    First, the most obvious one: the length. The movie is too long. It didn’t need to be over two hours. Yes, translating theater to film requires some adjustments—it can’t just “fade to black.” However, there were multiple moments that felt unnecessarily stretched and didn’t need to happen.

    Another issue is the Prince (Jonathan Bailey). While he’s clearly an excellent dancer, his singing leaves much to be desired. On top of that, the pop influence they added to his rendition of “Dancing Through Life” simply didn’t work.

    Last but not least with a rather “lame” introduction to the wizard, I’m left with some hopeful anticipation for his further character development in part 2

    But enough with the cons—let’s talk about the positives!

    The set design was absolutely amazing, and from what I’ve heard, incredibly well-crafted. The CGI, where it was used, looked mostly great (surprisingly the flying animation at the end was one of the best I’ve ever seen)—except for one moment where the Prince is holding that cub. All these people who are complaining about the color grading and that it needed more “saturation” can get stuffed.

    Finally, let’s talk about Ariana Grande. She was incredible, which, funnily enough, I never expected to write (no hate, I just don’t listen to her music and haven’t been a fan of her past antics). She completely embodied Glinda’s character and deserved the role wholeheartedly. She was charming, funny, and had a beautiful voice—truly great work

    Cynthia Erivo was phenomenal as Elphaba, reminding me of the first time I saw Wicked live. Her energy, the way she infused her personality into the character, and her captivating voice (especially during Defying Gravity) were stunning. The whole theater clapped at the end of the movie.

    These two were absolutely meant for these roles. Honestly, they were so harmonious together that they could’ve switched characters, and it still would’ve been amazing. Great job—I’m looking forward to part two!

  • Gladiator II (2024)

    Gladiator II (2024)

    Rating: 2 out of 5.

    I went into this thinking Denzel Washington’s presence alone could save the movie, but I was sorely mistaken. His character’s lack of development was… well, lacking. Honestly, does anyone even understand what his actual motivation was? It felt like the script just skipped over any meaningful explanation.

    In fact, the entire movie suffers from underwhelming character development. The direction rushes through every moment, completely bypassing any emotional weight. The scenes don’t even give you a chance to breathe or reflect on what just happened. It’s all too quick, too shallow, and ultimately unrewarding.

    Even the dialogue falls flat. The monologues feel forced, and the actors seem more focused on ticking off boxes than actually delivering their lines with any real conviction or emotion. There’s no sense of pacing, just a constant rush to get to the next thing.

    And don’t even get me started on the nostalgia attempt. It’s as if they tried so hard to invoke it, but gave barely any time to actually craft a unique story. The corrupt emperor trope is so overdone by now that we didn’t need to see it again. It just felt like a missed opportunity for something fresh or original.

  • Heretic (2024)

    Heretic (2024)

    Rating: 2 out of 5.

    Heretic started with some promise, a group of young conservative but curious missionaries setting the stage for an intriguing philosophical religious debate.

    Unfortunately, it devolved into a muddled mess after the 25-30 minute mark, where the arguments presented stopped making much sense, opinions became grandiose hypotheticals and the dialogue turned into endless monologuing. Then we begin a game 20 questions sautéed in “Guess Who” with a side of religiously philosophical “Deal or no Deal”

    While I agreed with the core idea of the protagonist’s philosophy, the way it was presented felt unnecessarily extreme and heavy-handed (obviously). The movie seemed to have a lot to say about atheism and agnosticism, but it failed to provide the two missionaries with solid counterarguments to challenge the protagonist effectively. With 3 points one sister made being appearance, unaccounted for data, and the dissolution of polygomy. All which easily support the protagonist theory, control.

    When counterpoints were made, they lacked the structure and impact of his arguments, which, while understandable given the stressful situation, made the dynamic feel completely one-sided. For a film that presented itself with its development to be an “open” discussion about faith and belief, it clearly leaned toward favoring the protagonist’s viewpoint and painted him as the 4chan high rated user of anti-religious indoctrination. By the end, even the supposed counterarguments only served to reiterate his philosophy, rendering every conversation and conflict irrelevant.

    This lack of meaningful progression made the entire movie feel pointless, flat and a waste of time.

  • Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

    Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

    Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

    Boring, uneventful, and exhaustingly underdeveloped.

    Without a doubt, this is the worst Venom adaptation I’ve seen yet—completely stale and lifeless at every turn. The plot felt like a lost child wandering around Disneyland, clinging to anyone who looked familiar, desperately hoping they’d finally find the right one this time. It just aimlessly stumbles from one place to the next, never finding its footing.

    The subplots? Pointless. They have absolutely no connection to the previous movies, making them feel like filler that shouldn’t even be there. Then there are the overdramatic scenes, shoved down your throat with blaring, corny music in an obvious attempt to force some kind of emotional response. It’s all so try-hard that you can’t help but roll your eyes.

    In the end, it’s just a wasted opportunity—dull, disjointed, and completely forgettable.

  • The Crow (2024)

    The Crow (2024)

    Rating: 1 out of 5.

    What a fucking waste.

    Forget a candle, this doesn’t even hold a matchstick to the original.

    Every major plot point in this movie felt like wandering into Bed Bath & Beyond, desperately asking every employee, including the manager, what “beyond” actually means, only for all of them to respond with vague, empty assurances like, “It’s great!”—and nothing more.

    The character arcs? Totally unnatural and lacking any real progression. It’s as if the writers just slapped on some half-baked drama without bothering to connect the dots. And don’t even get me started on the soundtrack—it felt like every scene was designed around a cliché, lipstick-smeared “love me, I’m broken” note scrawled across a bathroom mirror. Cringe doesn’t even begin to cover it.

    Boring, unimaginative, and utterly pointless. It’s like the movie tried to say something but forgot what it was halfway through. Skip this one—it’s not worth the energy.

  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

    Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

    A fun, wacky trip down prosthetic-laden 80s horror/comedy, complete with the return of some OG favorites.

    Story? What story, lol. It’s your classic “help, I’m trapped and I can’t get out” cube rescue formula, packed with irrelevant characters and way too many subplots. It’s like the writers couldn’t decide who to kill off first, so they just threw everything at the wall to see what stuck.

    But despite the chaos, it still carries much of the charm of its predecessor. By the end, I was giggling and rolling my eyes in equal measure, which, let’s be honest, is probably what they were going for.

    That said, the marketing was massively over the top. Did this really need to be shoved down my throat every time I looked at a screen? Absolutely not. Still, if you’re into goofy, over-the-top horror nostalgia, it’s worth a laugh or two.

  • Slingshot (2024)

    Slingshot (2024)

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    A beautifully depressing tale of unraveling psychosis, carried effortlessly by a talented cast that brings depth and authenticity to every moment.

    What makes this film stand out is its restraint—it avoids the usual trap of overloading the dialogue with intellectual buzzword jargon. Instead, it keeps the focus where it matters: on the story itself. This choice allows the narrative to shine, creating a haunting and immersive experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

    It’s rare to find a film that so masterfully balances bleakness and beauty, but this one delivers, earning a solid star for its narrative-driven approach.