Dallas Fisher

    Category: Uncategorized

    • Karate Kids: Legends

      The amount you enjoy this movie will probably rely on how deep you are into the lore of this world, and I’ve only seen the original film. 

      Karate Kid: Legends does one thing very well, and that’s combine the characters from all of its sources and make them interact in charming ways. Whether or not you think they get the time or purpose they deserve, could be wavering. Li Fong ,played by Ben Wang, is our new pupil at the front of this movie and his relationships with the rest of the cast is a real highlight. Jackie Chan is delightful back in a mentor role and everyone else is serviceable, except maybe the Disneyfied bullies. 

      Thrown into the world of NYC, it adds an interesting backdrop that at times makes this feel like an origin story for Spiderman. That might be the beginning of the semi-problems with the story as it constantly feels like two separate movies while also being a carbon copy of Warrior mixed with Tokyo Drift. There’s nothing really new within the story so it has this generic film stuck to the screen at all times. Knowing exactly where this story is going makes it a struggle to have any emotional connection to anyone beyond the surface level. 

      Could I go on and on and say it’s totally confusing, anti-dramatic, and most of the fighting is the worst part in a movie about fighting?Sure. But, I’ll move on to a few more things I enjoyed. 

      It’s pretty funny! Wang and Sadie Stanley (Mila) have great chemistry and are the stand out of the many many story points. There’s a twist on the training montage that’s smartly crafted into the plot. I’ll say again, seeing Jackie Chan back in a movie was just a lot of fun and him playing off of Ralph Macchio will satisfy so many generations of movie fans. There’s also some great uses of on screen captions and a short recap flashback that actually works (looking at you The Final Reckoning). 

      You’ll get exactly what you expect out of a safe movie like this, which can be fine for most audiences. The newest Karate Kid fits right into the world it has created, that I find just a little too cheesy. 

      6.1/10

    • Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

      Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is very much in a meta universe of its own. In fact, the screening I attended was mainly filled with women from the Jane Austen Society of North America – Minnesota. So, this movie and its audience really knows how to immerse you in the world.

      Inside and out this movie is a romcom that is almost “word” for “word” copies of its source materials. Said source materials are all of Jane Austen novels and if you haven’t read them, or seen the movie adaptations, you might be a little lost throughout. Referencing character names and utilizing those beats to humor that audience could hold a lot of people hostage. If you can get beyond that, you’re in for a decent time.

      This is a very cozy film. Using an old world romance in modern times actually quite works because of the down to earth characters. It may be a fantasy for them, but mainly just feels like the UK to US. Camille Rutherford as Agathe was quite stubborn to watch but she makes sense for the story to unfold in the way that it does. The comedy comes first, sometimes at a fault because of the out of tone feeling it brings and I wasn’t too fond of the “code switching”. If there would have been more situational comedy instead of spit, puke, and tripping humor, I would be saying this is one of the better comedies of the year.

      The contrast of this being rated R to the setting was actually a pleasant surprise. I’m glad it wasn’t shy in many aspects because some romcoms can be way too tame. You can tell The Shining was a reference point (no I won’t expand) and the sticky situations held my attention when the romantic spark began to decline. 

      This won’t be long lasting for most but if you’re in a book club or over the age of 55, this is the perfect 2025 move for you.

      6/10

    • Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

      If this is the end, I’m satisfied. 

      Tom Cruise brings us to the emotional conclusion of a three-decade long story with a spectacle that implores audiences to see it in the largest of scales. Cruise’s commitment to entertaining the masses has reached its absolute peak and if you thought you had seen everything, you haven’t.

      Directly following Dead Reckoning, Ethan Hunt and company are now facing their most dire situation yet. Conversations and interactions have you feeling the world ending situations throughout your entire body. At times, this feels like a horror film mixed with action and almost completely pulls away from the comedic relief. It’s a very welcome tonal shift that added much needed, and more serious, stakes that might have started to become a little underwhelming and repetitive. The Final Reckoning has two of the best action sequences you will ever witness, and not just for this franchise. James Cameron wishes he had the skills to do what Cruise, McQuarrie, and team did with the underwater display. The editing is some of the best I’ve seen, especially for the scale we are presented with.

      Now listen, is the over-explaining dialogue, rushed out of place flashback montages,  and overstuffed cast a little bit of a problem? Yes. But, you can’t deny there is still a weight to these movies that make it hard not to look beyond its flaws. This installment of Mission Impossible is huge, mesmerizing, and fan pleasing. Your jaw will be on the floor for at least 45 minutes of the runtime and you’ll forget you had questions on some of the choices that were made for your favorite characters.

      Thank you Tom Cruise for your service

      8/10

    • Cinema Catch-up Corner May 2025

      Havoc

      Garteh Evans continues to show he’s one of the best at putting action onto the (big?) screen. The brilliance of the long take is shown here in a bloody way. Tom Hardy didn’t even need to carry this because everyone involved is killing it. There is way too much going on and the story is far from the most important thing, but, who cares. 7.3/10

      Sacramento 

      Every moment with Michael Cera on screen is laugh out loud hilarious. Cera and Stewart’s relationship works with some of the best chemistry seen in years. If this could have been a slice of life movie with just them, we might have been in for something special. Instead, we get Michael Angarano inserting himself and bringing us on a weird journey that felt more preachy than anything else. 6.9/10

      The Amateur 

      There are way too many Bourne ripoffs nowadays and this might be the most lackluster of them all. Rami Malek is a leading man in the sense that he is the focal point of the movie, but that’s it. He lacks any charisma, charm, or skill. Having a behind the scenes CIA character try to be the hero with none of the attributes, doesn’t work if there’s never any growth or intrigue throughout. 4.4/10

      On Swift Horses

      This entire cast is so attractive and talented, typically, that leads to a solid watch. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect. A majority of the movie is told through pillow talk, which made me tired watching it. Too many disjointed stories make up an overall stolen valor of a movie. It is beautiful to look at, but confused what era of story it was supposed to be in.  4.6/10 

    • Thunderbolts*


      A much different approach to the Marvel genre (yes, it’s a genre now) than I could have ever expected.

      Thunderbolts is a team up movie most parallel to The Suicide Squad, but feels more like it should have been called “The Suicidal Squad”. There is fun to be had within the crew, but the joy is constantly and immediately yanked away from you with the downright sad internal meaning behind everything. Basically the antagonist here is depression. Through multiple scenes of character to character therapy, you get the jist pretty quickly that the villain here is mostly psychological.

      I really like this new theme that Marvel brings into the fold, even if it’s not fully what you want from one of their films. The fight choreography is super solid, without being over the top. It’s the memorable and exciting action that keeps the story moving along at points, just to make sure you remember where you are. I do wish there was a little bit more of it though. Without spoiling anything on purpose, I again wish the danger here felt more believable and not out of reach for our “heroes”.

      The cast does work so well together. There’s not the overly quippy jokes that we usually see in this franchise, but you still get plenty of the laughs. Florence Pugh and Wyatt Russell steal the show, as expected. Everyone else fills their roles perfectly and Lewis Pullman is a surprise hit as The Void. At first I thought we might be in for another weak villain but the look and anti-control of the character really hit. You get a lot of downtime with these characters that feels like reminiscing for them and the franchise as a whole. Most things worked except I was not into the manipulative nature of Juila-Louis Dreyfus’ role.

      This is the most R-rated Marvel has ever been on the non violence side of things. It’s dark, like super dark. Fans growing up with this franchise, and caught up with the shows, should heavily relate to a lot of things here. I may not have fully loved where some of the story went, but this is a solid installment that I give major props to.

      7.2/10

    • On Swift Horses

      Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, & Sasha Calle; all names that should be gracing the silver screen for years to come. With a cast of hot stars like this, you’d think you’d have an indie hit on your hands. It’s a shame that this wasn’t more interesting.

      This is an important queer story set in a time where relationships like this were not accepted. It utilizes up close camera work and feels super personal to everyone involved in the process. I understand characters needing personality and something to do, but an Ocean’s 11 type storyline mixed with a few random other adventures didn’t mesh. The drama was disconnected and wasn’t adding up with characters all mainly communicating through pillow talk. Most of them were unlikeable and it was hard to tell what you were supposed to be feeling towards each person.  

      Visually this movie was pretty to look at while also feeling amateur. I wish Daniel Minahan had taken the camera off the ground; you aren’t Terrence Malick. Some of the visual styles make it hard to tell when it is filmed, which can be good for story meaning but difficult to look at. There was lovely music throughout and even had an amazing original song that I could see nominated come awards season.

      It’s a pleasant movie on the surface but ended up feeling like a miniseries from Peacock that won’t be talked about ever again because of its basic and downright boring nature.  

      5.5/10

    • Sinners

      Sinners will satisfy fans of any genre.

      Ryan Coogler (Creed) really hasn’t missed yet, and he hits it out of the park here in a way never seen before. He’s a master storyteller and weaves this one around making you feel like you’re watching a superhero film, a western, a romance, and it even has some supernatural mixed in. Never in my life did I think a mashup of this scale would work, yet it does.

      Going into this only knowing it’s a story about twins (Michael B Jordan and Michael B Jordan) returning home to find a new evil in town, everything was a surprise. It’s unfair that Coogler was unable to bring such a scale and weight to a movie, that at its surface, should be a small town story with passeable characters. Jordan is making two roles work in a way that’ll have you believe he’s actually two separate actors. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and the rest of the cast might not get much total screen time, but their roles fit them perfectly as a supporting cast.

      Real life history brings hate and meaning to this movie, with imagery that includes colors and words leaving you knowing exactly what they’re saying. The stylishly perfect costuming may put you back in time, but it doesn’t let you forget about the present. And, don’t let me forget about the music!

      Miles Caton plays Sammie, who is almost the main crux of the entire movie. His Footloose type story brings forward innocence and mystery, but most importantly he brings his voice and music talent. Miles, along with a few other actors, have some of the most important and goosebump inducing musical moments in decades. You’ll be stomping your feet while still wondering where this movie could possibly be going.

      Stories intertwine, blood flows, and awe will take over your body as you watch this unfold. I know it feels like I’m rambling about what could almost be any movie, but this is Sinners, the wildest, biggest, and one of the best movies of the year. You’ll be upset at yourself if you miss it. Go in blind so you can be just as gleefully surprised by its immense cinematography and astonishing story.

      8.7/10

    • Warfare

      Lock in for the most intense and personal war film you’ll ever experience. 

      Half told from the memories of veteran Ray Mendoza and the other through the lens of Alex Garland (Civil War), Warefare invades your personal space. The sets and props couldn’t have been more perfect, told with its close up framing and breathtaking sound design. The last time I felt this close to history was with The Zone of Interest. 

      You may not get much story arc or time with each individual person, but you understand their relationships and drive almost immediately. The camaraderie is off the charts with these real life characters and you root for their survival, but not specifically in the “hell yeah America” way. You can tell the actors went through extensive training to be as accurate as possible. 

      While learning so much about the ins and outs of war, you have a constant dread creeping in on you, knowing all hell is going to break loose. Garland and Mendoza don’t shy away from showing you the horrors of war, but they also aren’t babying the story side of things by explaining too much. There is some masterful camera work and some not so masterful, but I think that was almost purposeful to keep it from being too Hollywoodized. 

      This movie overwhelms all five of your senses, making your throat dry, ears ring, and your whole body claustrophobic.

      9/10

    • Death of a Unicorn

      With deadly unicorns and a stacked cast, you expect a lot of great performances and scary fun. You get both, but you also get a lot of what you didn’t want.

      Death of a Unicorn has you feeling like you’re watching Alien within the plot of Lost World: Jurassic Park. While it might be easy to compare this to others, it also has one of the most original aspects in movie history, unicorns. The creatures were a pleasant, although ugly, addition to the monster movie realm. Their horns and other surprise abilities brought a fairytale scare to this film.

      There’s a huge cast of characters all giving mostly great performances, but often felt disjointed because of how varying they were. They do play well off of each other even in situations where you’re scratching your head and wondering what and why is happening. Some of the dialogue is cringey and there is too much happening in what should have been a simple story.

      I can’t go any further without mentioning the highlight of the film, Will Poulter. Poulter is comedy. His line delivery should be the definition of, well, line delivery. His style is on point and he’s just smart/dumb enough to make every word out of his mouth be perfect. He helps this movie be really funny while all the other characters handling these situations differently also makes it chaotic.

      I wish this movie got to the point just a little bit faster or with more confidence, but outside of that it’s mainly fun, and a little campy.

      6.2/10

    • Black Bag

      “It’s boring how much you think about money”

      Black Bag is a spy thriller, a romance, and a whodunit. Steven Soderbergh is a master of at least trying different genres for his features, but he succeeds here at mixing quite a few in one.

      George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) are a married couple at the top of their game, in what we can assume is MI6. When Kathryn is suspected of treason, George has to go to work and dig into what’s really going on. Fassbender’s performance could be considered wooden but I see it more as focused, plus it’s a lot of fun watching him toy with the people around him. Fassbender and Blanchett are incredibly sexy together, even in their small amount of combined screen time.

      The rest of the cast is superb, the writing is smart, and the music is just plain cool. There’s so much to like throughout this film, including how tight it is. There’s more than a few characters that need some unfolding and not a single breath is wasted while doing so. You feel like a tiny character placed throughout these locations as you watch everything unfold. It was interesting (in a good way) getting to see the inner workings of a spy thriller that didn’t focus strictly on action set pieces and an over the top comedy relief.

      I will say, dense dialogue can make you feel like you’re playing catch up for a bit of the second act. But, don’t let that get you discouraged, keep your ears and eyes open and you’ll find your footing. There’s so much style and eye candy for anyone and everyone watching. The final act is one of the best ways I’ve seen a movie wrapped up in years and it should seriously be considered one of the best scenes of Soderbergh’s career.

      8.5/10