Strange World (2022)

This movie is perhaps one of the worst Disney films I have ever seen. Despite the stunning animation that comes from it, this film is muddled with a boring plot and little humor to sustain it. On top of that, is the woke agenda that it subtly promotes in the name of the LGBT community. 

Overall, this film is skippable and if the movie was worth my praise it would get a longer more positive reception from me. You are better off watching some of the studios' better entries with the likes of Big Hero 6 or Frozen. 

Poster courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Rate: F

Directors: Don Hall and Qui Nguyen

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union 
Lucy Liu

MPAA Rating: PG (Some Thematic Elements|Action/Peril)

Runtime: 1 Hour and 42 Minutes

And the Oscar goes To.. Oscar Winners 2023

 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

WINNER

BRENDAN FRASER

The Whale

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WINNER

KE HUY QUAN

Everything Everywhere All at Once

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

WINNER

MICHELLE YEOH

Everything Everywhere All at Once

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WINNER

JAMIE LEE CURTIS

Everything Everywhere All at Once

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

WINNER

GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO

Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley

CINEMATOGRAPHY

WINNER

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

James Friend

COSTUME DESIGN

WINNER

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

Ruth Carter

DIRECTING

WINNER

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

WINNER

NAVALNY

Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, and Shane Boris

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

WINNER

THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS

Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga

FILM EDITING

WINNER

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Paul Rogers

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

WINNER

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Germany

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

WINNER

THE WHALE

Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Annemarie Bradley

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

WINNER

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Volker Bertelmann

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

WINNER

NAATU NAATU

from RRR; Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose

BEST PICTURE

WINNER

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, Producers

PRODUCTION DESIGN

WINNER

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

WINNER

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX, AND THE HORSE

Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

WINNER

AN IRISH GOODBYE

Tom Berkeley and Ross White

SOUND

WINNER

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

VISUAL EFFECTS

WINNER

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

WINNER

WOMEN TALKING

Screenplay by Sarah Polley

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

WINNER

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

Photo Courtesy of ABC and the AMPAS

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Over a decade in the making and it is finally here. The long-awaited sequel to James Camerons' smash hit and box office hit "Avatar" has arrived. Just like its predecessor, this film is an absolutely stunning visual masterpiece in every way. I can proudly admit that this film was worth the very much anticipated wait. The film boasts its visual scenery on a more massive scale. It is colorfully designed and visually breathtaking. This is hands-down my favorite movie of yesteryear. It's emotionally striking as it is visually speaking. It takes the first film and grows the story on itself expanding the franchise. 

The cast from the original 2009 movie returns. They are all just as entertaining as they were in the first film. Lead stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana bring back the chemistry that they shared in the first film. The two give emotionally charged performances in the film just as great, even more than the first. Also returning in different capacities this time around, are Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. They also bring their "A-game". Joining the sequel are franchise newcomers like Jack Champion, who plays the adopted son of Jake and Neytiri, and Kate Winslet, who plays the wife of a chief of a different clan. They bring as much of their "A-game" to the film as the rest of the cast. 

James Cameron ups the ante with this blockbuster and it should be rightfully seen as such. He has the ability to craft an even bigger, more dazzling, and action-packed feature by bringing it to new directions with this stunning film. The story he creates here in this sequel is more emotional, action-packed, and breathtaking. It is a jaw-dropping visual marvel. As he did with the first film, this film entertains all the way to the end. 

A frequent collaborator of Camerons, the late James Horner, has music in this film that is the main nod to his music from the 2009 motion picture. Taking his place is Simon Fraglen. He is also one of Camerons' collaborators. His work is as emotional, upbeat, and solemn as the film itself. And not to mention, the hit single from "The Weeknd", is an emotional ballad to complement the film. 

Though it was an agonizingly long wait, it finally arrived. One of the best parts about seeing this film is seeing it on the biggest screen possible. Doing so will enhance the viewing experience. I could not have been more thrilled while watching this film on the big screen. This film is a delight and it was well worth the several delays and the years-long wait. With its gargantuan runtime, this film is worth watching. 

Poster courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Rate: A+

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, and Jack Champion 

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for Partial Nudity|Intense Action|Sequences of Strong Violence|Some Strong Language)

Runtime: 3 Hours & 12 Minutes

Synopsis: Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, "Avatar: The Way of Water" begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

And The Oscar Goes To... 2023 Oscars Predictions

Malawski's 2023 Oscars Predictions

Indicated in bold

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
AUSTIN BUTLER
Elvis
COLIN FARRELL
The Banshees of Inisherin
BRENDAN FRASER
The Whale
PAUL MESCAL
Aftersun
BILL NIGHY
Living
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
BRENDAN GLEESON
The Banshees of Inisherin
BRIAN TYREE HENRY
Causeway
JUDD HIRSCH
The Fabelmans
BARRY KEOGHAN
The Banshees of Inisherin
KE HUY QUAN
Everything Everywhere All at Once
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
CATE BLANCHETT
Tár
ANA DE ARMAS
Blonde
ANDREA RISEBOROUGH
To Leslie
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
The Fabelmans
MICHELLE YEOH
Everything Everywhere All at Once
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
ANGELA BASSETT
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
HONG CHAU
The Whale
KERRY CONDON
The Banshees of Inisherin
JAMIE LEE CURTIS
Everything Everywhere All at Once
STEPHANIE HSU
Everything Everywhere All at Once
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO
Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley
MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON
Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey
PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH
Joel Crawford and Mark Swift
THE SEA BEAST
Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger
TURNING RED
Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins
CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
James Friend
BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS
Darius Khondji
ELVIS
Mandy Walker
EMPIRE OF LIGHT
Roger Deakins
TÁR
Florian Hoffmeister
COSTUME DESIGN
NOMINEES
BABYLON
Mary Zophres
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
Ruth Carter
ELVIS
Catherine Martin
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Shirley Kurata
MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
Jenny Beavan
DIRECTING
NOMINEES
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Martin McDonagh
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
THE FABELMANS
Steven Spielberg
TÁR
Todd Field
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Ruben Östlund
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
ALL THAT BREATHES
Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer
ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED
Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov
FIRE OF LOVE
Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman
A HOUSE MADE OF SPLINTERS
Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström
NAVALNY
Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
NOMINEES
THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS
Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga
HAULOUT
Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR?
Jay Rosenblatt
THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT
Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison
STRANGER AT THE GATE
Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
FILM EDITING
NOMINEES
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
ELVIS
Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Paul Rogers
TÁR
Monika Willi
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Eddie Hamilton
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Germany
ARGENTINA, 1985
Argentina
CLOSE
Belgium
EO
Poland
THE QUIET GIRL
Ireland
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
THE BATMAN
Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
Camille Friend and Joel Harlow
ELVIS
Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti
THE WHALE
Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Annemarie Bradley
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Volker Bertelmann
BABYLON
Justin Hurwitz
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Carter Burwell
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Son Lux
THE FABELMANS
John Williams
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
NOMINEES
APPLAUSE
from Tell It like a Woman; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
HOLD MY HAND
from Top Gun: Maverick; Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
LIFT ME UP
from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler
NAATU NAATU
from RRR; Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose
THIS IS A LIFE
from Everything Everywhere All at Once; Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne
BEST PICTURE
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Malte Grunert, Producer
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers
ELVIS
Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, Producers
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, Producers
THE FABELMANS
Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Producers
TÁR
Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert, Producers
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober, Producers
WOMEN TALKING
Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Frances McDormand, Producers
PRODUCTION DESIGN
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
BABYLON
Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
ELVIS
Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn
THE FABELMANS
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
NOMINEES
THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE
Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud
THE FLYING SAILOR
Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
ICE MERCHANTS
João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano
MY YEAR OF DICKS
Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon
AN OSTRICH TOLD ME THE WORLD IS FAKE AND I THINK I BELIEVE IT
Lachlan Pendragon
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
NOMINEES
AN IRISH GOODBYE
Tom Berkeley and Ross White
IVALU
Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan
LE PUPILLE
Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón
NIGHT RIDE
Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen
THE RED SUITCASE
Cyrus Neshvad
SOUND
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges
THE BATMAN
Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson
ELVIS
David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
VISUAL EFFECTS
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
THE BATMAN
Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White and Dan Sudick
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R. Fisher
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Screenplay - Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
Written by Rian Johnson
LIVING
Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
WOMEN TALKING
Screenplay by Sarah Polley
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Written by Martin McDonagh
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
THE FABELMANS
Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner
TÁR
Written by Todd Field
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Written by Ruben Östlund

Photo courtesy of ABC

Bros (2022)

This film could have been way better if it wasn't solely focused on the raunchy sex scenes. It looks more like a porno than a rom-com. As a gay guy, the movie is relatable but it is very melodramatic and too raunchy as a comedic film. Being the first mainstream LGBT centered movie, I would say that this is a huge let down. 

I would not watch this again. It has its moments of being both romantic and funny but it's just way too focused on the sex. It borders down-right cringe and "I can't believe this movie got made" sort of attitude. 

Poster Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Rate: D

Director: Nicholas Stoller 

Starring: Billy Eichner and Sean MacFarlane

MPAA Rating: R (Strong Sexual Content|Some Drug Use|Language Throughout) 

Runtime: 1 Hour & 55 Minutes 

Avatar (2009)

There is no science fiction motion picture beauty quite like this. This iconic film has been a global sensation since its release in 2009. Being the number one box-office behemoth and the highest-grossing film of all time, that is up till the release of 2019s "Avengers: Endgame", it still lives up to its glory. It is a visual masterpiece and has to be one of the most visually breathtaking films I have ever seen. The scenery and the action are what science-fiction films are meant to be. 

James Cameron has created something that stands out among some of the best films of its kind. The action, story, acting, and score are unique and hold together magnificently. Everything is just perfect and entertaining throughout the whole film all the while with its 2 hours and 40 minutes runtime. It is worth every sci-fi fan's attention this film is that good. He knocks it out of the park and still remains my favorite sci-fi film of all time. 

The cast is just as amazing as you would expect. The film stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana alongside Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi. The emotional dedication of each cast member is phenomenal and they bring it all out in the movie. The story is carried out flawlessly by them and it is cause for excitement. I have seen a whole bunch of sci-fi films with star-studded ensembles but nothing quite compares to the awesomeness of this cast. 

Scoring this sci-fi epic is the late and frequent collaborator of Cameron, James Horner. Horner created a score that is as emotionally riveting and unique as the film itself. This score makes the film just as magical as the film overall with its unique sounds. 

There is nothing like this. The film has remained one of cinema's most iconic science-fiction films since its release. And since then, it has not lost its spark of entertainment and its impact on cinema. It set the standard for science-fiction films and has become my definition of what a sci-fi movie should be. It will not lose its touch among cinemas' best science-fiction movies of all time.

Poster courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Rate: A+

Director: James Cameron 

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for Language|Warfare|Intense Battle Sequences|Sensuality|Some Smoking)

Runtime: 2 Hours and 40 Minutes

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

A fire will rise. The monumental conclusion to the stunning and box-office smash series "The Dark Knight", ends here. The franchise has been an utter sensation since it first debuted in 2005. And now, it goes all out on trying to be the best of the series, topping the prior installment "The Dark Knight". It's fantastic, maybe not as much as the first film however, it does an excellent job at wrapping up the story of the Batman in a marvelous and action packed way.

He's dealt with Jokers, the mafia, Ra's Al Ghoul and now the sinister masked Bane. What makes Bales performance in this film unique beyond all measures, is his relentless efforts to portray the batman as a flawed yet determined character.

Nolan out does himself for the third and final who-rah. It's amazing because themes of severe pain and brokenness makes this film even more interesting. He also adds even more action than the first two films.

Once again, Hans Zimmer makes another gripping score to grab at audiences. It's fast paced, just like the film, and it has the consistency of getting more and more chaotic as the film progresses.

Newbies for this final chapter: Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy-plays a psychotic Bane, and  Marion Cotillard define the franchise as it stands once the films credits roll. Their performances are phenomenal and special.

Perhaps it's the most successful franchise of its kind, "The Dark Knight", has been an iconic and revolutionary piece of cinema that fans of all kinds of film, even superhero films, will love. But be forewarned, this trilogy isn't your average superhero tale. This film presents an amazing and chilling end to an iconic saga of an iconic superhero.

Poster courtesy of Lengendary Pictures and Syncopy

Rate: A 

Director: Christopher Nolan 

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, with Joseph Gordon-Levett and Morgan Freeman

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language)

Runtime: 2 Hours and 25 Minutes 

Synopsis: It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.