aurumthewise

This is not an action movie or a film with a political message per se. The role of journalists covering dangerous events is primarily what is explored. A major theme the movie explores is the haphazardness of life. Just as journalists are supposed to remain neutral, when life throws us curve balls, we must try our best to not take it so personally. That is not to say we should be passive, rather we should try our best to remain present in the moment and act accordingly, without becoming paralyzed by our feelings. As one character says, "we never know what's coming around the corner."

What's most impressive about the movie is how it side steps taking any political side in the polarized political landscape we live in now. The best scene of the movie is of course the one with Jesse Plemons. The movie does start off a bit too slow for my taste. There is some repetition of dialogue and unnecessary coverage of characters thinking or performing actions we don't need to see. For those seeking a more traditional war film the last section should satisfy you.

A good revenge film that takes its time to develop the protagonist. Dev Patel gives a gut-wrenching portrait of man that lost everything. Enhanced by some creative photography, the violence is brutal and visceral. Taking its time, the film asks the audience to be patient for the hero to fully come into his "powers," but the payoff is well worth it. There is some "shaky cam," but not too much to ruin the experience. The spirituality, as well as the legends told in the movie, really add to the overall story, giving the film more substance than a lot of action films. The villains could of been developed a bit more, especially the Lion, but that's nitpicking.

Cinematography is visually stunning and awe inspiring. The sound design is incredible, especially of the weaponry. The rifle shots look and sound futuristic yet realistic. Captures the essence of the book while cutting out superfluous parts of the book and also avoiding some of the controversial stuff like the Harah character. The entire cast nail their performances. I do wish Denis left in the ecology bits but I understand runtime had to be kept to a reasonable length. Ending was changed to be more female empowering than the book I guess. Chani overall was a bit more independent and less "submissive." In the book Chani accepts some "traditional" gender roles while in the movie it clear that Chani is never subservient to Paul. I knew they would "update" the story for today's society so the changes expected.