TheRealPetraeus

It's nice to finally have a Saw movie that comes VERY close to being as good as the original. The traps are great and brutal, and the story is really well written. As an avid fan of the franchise, this is exactly what I wanted and more. But don't view this review as biased just because I'm a big fan of these movies, this is a great film for non- Saw fans too. The gore can be a bit much, but the emotional story beats between John and Amanda are amazing, and help foreshadow her character in Saw 3. The twist is a lot of fun, and is pulled off quite well. I love the massive focus on John Kramer's story in the first half of the movie. Makes everything feel much more grounded and heavy tonally. Aside from some personal gripes with the traps, this is an amazing movie, and is such a promising return to form for the Saw franchise.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is EVERYTHING a Transformers would want. Now, this movie isn't 5 stars, but from the perspective of a Transformers fan, it is. I see why fans of the animated show and comics were unhappy with the Michael Bay adaptions, because THIS feels like a Transformers movie. The dialogue and important plot points feel ripped out of a comic, which is good but sometimes bad. The story is one of the strongest we've gotten from one of these movies, but it still isn't the best. Very over reliant on Macguffins. Noah is an actually good and (decently) well-written protagonist and shows that the human characters in these movies aren't bad, instead, it's the way they're written. Elena is a VERY weak main character, and her mediocre acting doesn't help.

The acting sequences are some of the best we've ever gotten. The mountains of Peru were a genius idea, and they serve us some awesome set pieces. The CGI is *amazing* and puts so many recent movies to shame. The voice acting is really good too. Pete Davidson and Peter Dinklage are standouts. Speaking of Peter Dinklage, Scourge is an awesome villain, and I'd argue he's the best one we've gotten. Awesome voice acting and design, but is still menacing. All the Autobots are actual characters too and are likeable. The Maximals feel underutilized for the most part, but they steal the show when they're onscreen.

The climax is one of my favorites out of the series and might be the best. An amazing set-piece and the soundtrack is pretty good. I will say, the absence of Steve Jablonsky is felt. His talent could have made the best scenes in the movie even better. There are a lot of interesting plot points that I won't talk about due to spoilers, but I think this is the best Transformers movie we've gotten. From a fan's perspective, and I think more casual audiences will agree. If you're interested in checking this out, please see it in theaters!

An unparalleled feat in the animation genre and cinema as a whole. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a masterpiece and everything a Spider-Man fan would want. Truly a masterclass in juggling plentiful references, amazing character moments, an interesting and well thought-out story, mesmerizing action sequences, and an incredibly memorable soundtrack. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse handles all of this, along with the best animation that has graced the film industry. The different styles of each world and character mesh with each other so smoothly, it leads to every frame being pure eye-candy.

While the breakneck pacing, frantic action sequences, and immensely colorful animation can lead to some viewers feeling overwhelmed (me included), those same viewers will find themselves ready to roll into the sequel once the credits start to roll. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse uses animation to convey so much emotion, which is incredibly difficult to do in the live-action medium. Even though this movie is still a kids movie, the story becomes so much darker and more emotional than I expected. Spider-Man Into the Spider-verse was much more mature than your average kids movie, but this is able to crank the maturity up a notch, but still maintains a fun atmosphere.

The comedy is also genuinely great, and manages to be leagues funnier than your average comedy show such as Family Guy . The banter and dialogue between the characters is so natural and well-written that the slowest parts of the movie are still incredibly entertaining. Each bit of long running dialogue has so many hints and jokes throughout, that the chance of your brain processing all of them in a single watch is unlikely. This also applies to the bountiful amount of references in the background of so many different shots. The soundtrack is also just perfect, and is filled with very memorable tracks.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is just perfection. Is it better than its predecessor? No doubt, and that's coming from someone who believes Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse is perfect. Yes, they somehow made a movie better than literal perfection. I can't wait for the conclusion to these two cinematic masterpieces and I have no doubt that they will stick the landing. There is so much to love in this movie, that I doubt I could cover everything in a single review. I believe Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has solidified itself as the best Spider-Man film, the best superhero film, and quite possibly one of the greatest movies ever made.