fabiolpinheiro1993

I'm a sucker for introspective, slow-paced movies, and this one hits that sweet spot perfectly. It follows George Clooney's character as he reflects on his entire life - from his biggest achievements to his hardest regrets - ultimately coming face to face with some harsh truths and realizations. We also get glimpses of that same emotional journey through a few other characters, mainly Adam Sandler, who delivers his most serious role yet.

The film explores how the road to career success can come at the expense of your personal life, and how each person copes with that differently. It's also a movie about filmmaking itself, with Clooney playing an actor - another theme I absolutely love.

The cast is fantastic across the board, but with the story centered on Clooney and Sandler, they naturally stand out. Both give incredible performances, especially Sandler, who completely steps outside his usual lane and nails it. The cinematography, scenery, and production design are top-tier, but the script is the true standout. It blends drama and comedy so naturally, and honestly, I think we need more films like this - emotional, feel-good, and thought-provoking.

Wake Up Dead Man is very different from its two predecessors. In fact, it's the least original in terms of story structure and feels the most like a traditional murder mystery. And yet, it's my second favorite in the franchise-I enjoyed it more than the second film. What fascinates me most about this series is how Rian Johnson reinvents the formula each time. The only constants are the title character-once again superbly portrayed by Daniel Craig-and the presence of a murder mystery. Everything else changes completely from film to film, and that's one of the franchise's greatest strengths.

Still, none of the sequels have reached the heights of the first for me.

As usual, the ensemble cast is incredible, but the clear standouts-excluding Craig-are Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, and Josh Brolin. The first two, in particular, absolutely deserve Oscar nominations. Their characters are also the most compelling in the entire story.

The screenplay is wonderful, tying up every thread. Everything-plotlines, mysteries, character arcs-has a clear beginning, middle, and end. That's something I loved, especially because the film is packed with story and information. I'd say it's the densest entry in the franchise. And despite a few comedic moments, it's also the darkest, diving into themes of religion, faith, and the morality of its characters more than ever before.

Everything in the film works incredibly well; I just didn't love it.

I was never a huge fan of the original, but it worked as a fun, turn-your-brain-off popcorn movie with surprisingly confident direction and a fantastic lead performance. For a low-budget Finnish production, it looked like a full-blown Hollywood action film - and that achievement remains just as impressive in the sequel. Jorma Tommila once again carries the film with a commanding, impressive performance.

But unlike most viewers, I actually liked this sequel less. Yes, it's bigger, louder, and drenched in even more carnage and violence, and I do appreciate the writing that keeps the protagonist feeling like an underdog rather than an unstoppable action machine. Still, what he manages to survive stretches believability to the point of distraction, sometimes outright defying physics. And while I understand it's meant to be a "turn off your brain" action movie, the emotional core, tone, and technical craftsmanship set expectations for something more internally consistent. When the story abandons realism, it undercuts the tension - and for me, the fun. Also some of the violence, unlike it's predecessor, seems a bit too much and more for the sake of shocking rather than a natural occurrence.

There's a third film coming, I just hope they pull things back a bit, because if the series keeps escalating at the expense of credibility, it may lose me.