Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: Jake Kasdan (Sex Tape, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)
	Actors: Dwayne Johnson (Fast & Furious 7, San Andreas), Jack Black (Nacho Libre, Be Kind Rewind), Kevin Hart (Central Intelligence), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy 1-2)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action, Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 15.10.2020, VOD, 14" computer screen.

Synopsis: The gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world's most dangerous game. Review: After the pleasant surprise of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017, the studio didn't wait long to release this sequel and I was curious to watch it. It is pretty much more of the same, but a bit evolved. The reactions from the characters are less exaggerated because they know how the game works now. The attacks but CGI animals with an exaggerated appearance is a mandatory part of those movies so there are a few here too, but they are just here for Action value and are quickly forgotten. The great idea in this movie is that passed the interest to see mature actors playing like the teenagers they are impersonating, now we see Johnson and Hart play respectively Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, and that's a delight because even though those characters are only briefly introduced at the beginning, as we know the actors we have no problem recognizing them when played by others, and both Johnson and Hart are excellent at it.. The idea of being able to swap characters is also interesting and allows more actors to play more characters, for a few laughs. As much as the animals, the story of the game is forgettable but the journey the characters go though isn't. Not as surprising as the previous movie but with a few new ideas. It was fun to watch. Another movie in the series is already in discussion.   Rating: 6 /10

Men in Black: International (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, The Fate of the Furious)
	Actors: Chris Hemsworth (Thor 1-3, The Avengers 1-4, The Cabin in the Woods), Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Kumail Nanjiani
	Country: USA, CN
	Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
	Conditions of visioning: 01.10.2020, VOD, 14" computer screen.

Synopsis: After managing to enter the Men in Black organization, protecting Earth from Alien threats, Agent M (Thompson) gets her first assignment to London with legendary Agent H (Hemsworth) who recently saved the world, or so it seems. Review: I read really bad reviews about this movie so I was pleasantly surprised to find it watchable, far from the original Men in Black, more between the second and Men in Black 3. This one does not feature Will Smith nor Tommy Lee Jones but we hear about them (see them on a poster in fact) and recognize Agent O (Emman Thompson) from the third movie. It has nothing really touching like Men in Black 3 had, and no particularly good story, but it is rather harmless and I found it fun to watch, including decent special effects. Some would say it is not a necessary addition to the franchise, but maybe I was tired of watching bad Superman movies and found it refreshing in comparison. It includes what you would expect: action, goofy-looking aliens, re-visitation of history and of famous people (although I noticed I am too old to recognize some references...), big guns, alien tech... It doesn't matter that the MIB often operate in public view. The one thing that bothered me most is how they negate the premise of the first movie (this is called retconing I think) by presenting Gustave Eiffel as already harboring alien refugees in his days. The movie doesn't try to hide his intent to reproduce the chemistry between Hemsworth and Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok, and that didn't even bother me. On top of all that, the director knows how to handle a big blockbuster after The Fate of the Furious, (and I am looking forward to his M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand based on the animated series which I loved as kid), so the movie is well built. Easily digested entertainment.   Rating: 5 /10

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1987
	Director: Sidney J. Furie
	Actors: Christopher Reeve (Superman 1-4), Gene Hackman (Enemy of the State), Margot Kidder
	Country: USA, GB
	Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 06.10.20, VOD, 10" tablet screen.

Synopsis: The Man of Steel (Reeve) crusades for nuclear disarmament and meets Lex Luthor's (Hackman) latest creation, Nuclear Man.   Review: I was fearing to watch this fifth movie of the series (after Supergirl), often described as one of the worst movies of all times. Frankly, when you have seen the others of the franchise before like I did, it is not that bad. Pretty bad sure, but I found it better than Superman 3 for example with its sentient super-computer. Nuclear Man is ridiculous of course, built from superman's hair, enough tissue to cover him decently and some solar radiation. I have the feeling that less and less in this franchise had the writers any idea of the original Superman stories, and of basic Science. It is hilarious when Clark's new love interest Lacy Warfield floats between Earth and the Moon with no problem breathing. In passing, funny also to see a young Jon Cryer (Alan in Two and a Half Men) in one of his first roles as Lex's nephew. The love triangle (or square?) is also laughable and sometime reveals huge plot holes (Lois knows Superman's identity one moment and forgets the next...). The less bad thing in the movie is Superman's motivation to rid the world of nuclear weapons, although no country, especially the U.S.S.R., seem to complain about it. Among the rest, it looks like a decent plot. So as I wrote, pretty bad but I managed to watch it in less than two attempts. Rating: 3 /10

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2020
	Director: Dean Parisot (R.E.D. 2)
	Actors: Keanu Reeves (The Matrix 1-3, 47 Ronin, John Wick 1-3), Alex Winter (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure), Kristen Schaal
	Country: USA, CDN, I
	Genre: Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 11.10.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.

Synopsis: Now middle-age dads, Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are still expecting to come up with the rock song which will unite the Earth, save the Universe and Reality itself, as they were told during their time-traveling adventures. Review: I missed the fun in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure when I recently watched it, but I understood why. Then I forgot to watch Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey to which Face the Music is the sequel, and conclusion to the trilogy. This explains that I missed the reference to several characters and adventures. Sadly, this movie belongs to the growing list of sequels produced far too late after the success of the original. I discuss this phenomenon at length in my review of Bad Boys for Life, although this one was the exception to the rule. I don't understand why Keanu Reeves accepted to be on board, with his continuously successful career, the John Wick series being the latest addition to it, and he is rumored to soon enter the MCU. I guess it is hard to refuse an easy paycheck. But in exchange, he delivers a performance stunningly in line with the one from 30 years ago (waw!), quite goofy for an actor we are more used to see in serious / action / violent roles. Alex Winter follows the same line, as well as their daughters. As expected, the movie offers more meetings with celebrities through time, with the addition of Bill an Ted meeting many versions of themselves. The story is not hard to follow but I didn't laugh at any moment, I just watched the scenes happening as they had no effect on me. Really, quite as the original movie. Except that this was an immediate success, hitting the right audience at the right time, while the new movie is a programmed release to cash on nostalgia from viewers now in their 40's. A release in 2020 (COVID-19 year, in case you have forgotten by the time you read those lines in the distant future) probably didn't help the movie making a profit, and it will be quickly forgotten.   Rating: 3 /10

Supergirl (1984)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1984
	Director: Jeannot Szwarc
	Actors: Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway (The Towering Inferno, Eyes of Laura Mars), Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia)
	Country: GB
	Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 26.09.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.

Synopsis: After losing a powerful orb, Kara Zor-El (Slater), Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch (Dunaway). Review: Continuing the series of original Superman movies, I had to watch this Supergirl after Superman III. It is not to be confused with the recent TV-series Supergirl with Melissa Benoist in the lead role. More than a few details tell you it takes place in the same Universe as the successful movies: we don't see Christopher Reeve playing Superman but a picture of him, we are told about his recent exploits and see the same Marc McClure playing Jimmy Olsen. The movie takes place in a small rural town in contrast to the New York-inspired Metropolis. What makes it better than the latest Superman movies is the mystic / wizardry story, and the presence of the experienced actors Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole who, even if they sometimes seem lost in the story, elevate the movie with their talent. This movie looks as kitsch and cheap as the others and contains the same amount of coincidences, the worst being Linda Lee (secret identity of Supergirl) finding herself roommate with Lois Lane's sister! And why does she want to blend in anyway? Also she has funny powers like generating the clothes she wants. The movie is well-shot with nice details like the light on the witch's eyes and slightly improved special effects, but many points in the story are laughable like the love potion story. The interlude in the phantom zone seems also out of place and here only to remind of Superman 2, but it is in fact one of the best moments in the movie (thanks to Peter O'Toole again) and a turning point. Also funny that in contrast to Superman coming from outer space, Supergirl comes from a city filled with survivors from Krypton, in inner space. Thus at the beginning she emerges from the bottom of a lake on Earth (!). I don't know if this was present in original DC comics, but with my modern references it reminded me of the quantum realm in Marvel's Ant Man. For 80's hardcore nostalgics only.   Rating: 4 /10

Superman 3 (1983)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1983
	Director: Richard Lester (Superman 2)
	Actors: Christopher Reeve (Superman 1-2), Richard Pryor, Margot Kidder, Robert Vaughn (The Towering Inferno, Bullitt)
	Country: USA, GB
	Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 18.09.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.

Synopsis: Ross Webster (Vaughn) teams up with computer genius Gus Gorman (Pryor) to mount ever bigger scams, while trying to stay under Superman's radar. Review: From the movie poster looking like one of a cheap comedy, you can already guess things are not looking too good for this sequel. And you watch it you notice it goes from bad to worse. They didn't re-hire Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder plays Lois Lane for a minute only, but the charismatic Robert Vaughn plays a new super-villain, unfortunately accompanied by two useless female side-kicks. The character played by Richard Pryor of a bum turned computer genius doesn't make sense. In fact the whole scenario making computers the movie's villain seem to have been written by people who has never seen one in this early age of I.T.. They seem to think that computers can do everything. A new weather satellite has been launched: if he can measure weather surely he can also influence it in major proportions thanks to a big laser! What?!? And the computer big as a room which includes by design Superman-defying weapons... The movie is also very attached to coincidences, making his main characters cross path with no reason, starting from the very opening scene. Why?!? There is really nothing good to say about this movie, I am amazed that they kept on going and that Superman IV is said to be one of the worst movies of all times. How worse can it get? There is only one way to find out...   Rating: 2 /10

Superman 2 (1980)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1980
	Director: Richard Lester, Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon 1-4)
	Actors: Gene Hackman (Enemy of the State), Christopher Reeve (Superman), Margot Kidder
	Country: USA, GB, CDN
	Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 17.09.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.

Synopsis: Superman (Reeve) decides to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane (Kidder), unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth. Review: The relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman in this movie is even more confusing than in the first Superman, and this confusion hurts even more that their relationship is at the heart of the story. It looks like she is engaged with Kent while both know she is in love with Superman, but you have to know comic books to guess that, or have seen several seasons of the TV-series Lois and Clark which had more time and took it to slowly develop their story before and after she discovers the secret. When I think of it, and after watching the poorly aged 80's movies, the series might have been the best Superman thing until Superman Returns (arguable) and the recent Zack Snyder reboot Man of Steel. Note that I watched the so-called "Richard Donner cut" of this movie so this review is only valid for it. It is apparently quite different from the theatrical cut so one should watch both go get a better idea of their respective qualities. This one was re-edited based on incomplete material which may explain some ellipses. But on the other hand it spends an exaggerated amount of time following discussions of a not very sexy couple, while during this time the three Kryptonians wreck havoc on Earth. This makes me think to mention that Man of Steel is in fact a remade mix of the original Superman 1 and 2, minus Lex Luthor who comes in only later. Talking about recent Superman adventures, the current big fuss about a Snyder Cut to Justice League highlights a recurring pattern in DC-adapted movies in the past 40 years. They still don't know what they are doing with their material and cinema adaptations. It is interesting that as in Sam Raimi's Spiderman 2, here also the hero doesn't want to be one anymore in the second movie already. The motivation is even similar but more far fetched. I was expecting an increase in quality with respect to the first movie but in fact the special effects are as bad, and the physics make even less sense. Lex Luthor is along for the ride but doesn't bring much. One of the worst things in the movie, apart from the bad love story, are the opening and closing scenes, apparently specific to the Donner cut, in which Superman respectively is responsible for the release of the bad guys, and uses the same cheap trick as at the end of the first movie to revert his actions. This was really unnecessary.   Rating: 3 /10

Superman Returns (2006)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2006
	Director: Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-men 1-2-5-6, Bohemian Rhapsody)
	Actors: Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, House of Cards TV-series), Kate Bosworth
	Country: USA
	Genre: Fantasy
	Conditions of visioning: 11.09.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.

Synopsis: After five years of absence which he used to explore the remains of his home planet Krypton, Superman (Routh) is back on Earth where people hesitate between welcoming him back and continuing a life they have learnt to life without him. Review: I just wanted to watch a super-hero movie from the years 2000, easy to watch like an X-men, Fantastic 4 or Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, and one that I haven't watched recently (the first three X-men are probably next on my list). I remembered it was an OK movie with an exciting and well-done re-introduction scene for Superman (the plane accident) but I had issues with watching a character without his origin story, and also issues with Luthor's plans involving boring crystals. Watching it this time I found even less issues, but what really pays off is to watch it back-to-back with the 1978 Superman to which it is in fact an Homage Sequel. If you do that you will realize that many things have been fixed and improved with respect to the original and that many other things make more sense: Kevin Spacey acts like Gene Hackman but less extravagant, Kate Bosworth plays a better Lois Lane than Margot Kidder and we understand better her relationship with Superman, the special effects are of course better and in fact pretty good. Luthor's plan also makes more sense as it is based on one of his quote from the 1978 movie and his motivation is the same. We also get placed here and there references to past events that we have seen in that other movie. I love what Superman says abot Father and Son, a direct quote from what his father (played by Marlon Brando) tells him in the first movie. Concidences are still an issue in the franchise but this time it is less off-putting, except the one of Clark and Superman both returning at the same time ... Superman Returns will not attain the cult level which its predecessor did but honestly, it is a good sequel and more easy to watch that the original without requiring a large dose of nostalgia.   Rating: 6 /10

Superman (1978)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1978
	Director: Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon 1-4, The Omen)
	Actors: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman (The Conversation, The Firm, Enemy of the State)
	Country: USA, GB, CDN, CH
	Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 13.09.2020, VOD, 14" computer screen.

Synopsis: Kal-El, born on the dying planet Krypton, is sent to Earth by his father where he will grow up to be known as Superman (Reeves), a super-hero with god-like powers. Review: I am very sorry to give such a bad rating to such a classic movie but it didn't age well. I have to immediately mention that I watched the 3-hour so-called TV Extended Version, 40 minutes longer than the theatrical cut. You can read all about the different cuts on this Wikipedia page. This probably influences the rating as the added material is not essential and just slows down the pace and highlight even more the movie's weaknesses for the simple sake of seeing more of it. Superman is known as the first major big-budget superhero feature film, released now more than 40 years ago, at a time when little was known about how to make a successful comic book adaptation. They were just the first and had to kind of create a Genre. I had a found memory of the movie but hadn't watched it in at least a decade, and it looks much more kitsch than I remembered. It does contain some iconic moment like Marlon Brando's performance, but the one thing I give it credit for is the performance by Christopher Reeve who can make you believe it is possible to not recognize that Clark Kent is Superman: he is so clumsy and bent over and shy that he is easily ignored or overlooked. If the movie was released today I am sure his acting would be the source of many memes. But at the time it was original and pleased the audience. The heroic scenes did as well, most of them involving flying. Watched today, those scenes look really bad and artificial for a movie which was released the same year as Star Wars. Another iconic element of the movie is the score by John Williams. Unfortunately, past the main theme, it often drifts towards a Star Wars feeling, like if the composer had some musical pieces that he swapped between the two. The love story with Lois Lane also comes out of nowhere, and the character of Jimmy Olsen is annoying. Another annoying thing is the inconsistency of Superman's reactions: saving a cat here and lifting the San Andreas fault there, flying at the speed of light but wasting minutes to smile at people instead of rescuing Lois Lane. I hope that's a default proper to the Extended version and that the original one fixed it. I had a bit forgotten that Gene Hackman was known at the time for his incarnation of a goofy Lex Luthor surrounded by a team of idiots. This is part of the comic book elements the cinema crew had to play with. And as usual with Superman, he is over-powered and his interaction with the environment doesn't make any physical sense, until the very ending. At least they tried to make that look less awkward in the recent remake Man of Steel and the rest of the DCEU. I can still try to remember the few good elements with nostalgia, but in all objectivity this movie, or at least this Extended cut of it, is not very good.   Rating: 4 /10

Tenet (2020)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2020
	Director: Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk)
	Actors: John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), Robert Pattinson (Twilight), Elizabeth Debicki
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 02.09.2020, CINEMA theater

Synopsis: The Protagonist of this story (Washington) is recruited to be part of a secret group protecting Society against attacks from the Future.   Review: Christopher Nolan likes to play with our senses and to keep us disoriented. Between more linear movies although in different genres (Super-hero movie with his Dark Knight trilogy, Mystery with The Prestige, SF with Interstellar, War Drama with Dunkirk), he inserts more original ones like Memento, Inception or this Tenet which reminds of those two others. In the middle of this strange year that is 2020, I took my chance by going to slowly re-opening Cinemas and felt safe: rows in front of me and behind left empty as well as two seats on each side. The added advantage was to keep the pop-corn eaters at a distance, and they are numerous in that cinema venue which I don't like, but I had little choice. My main feeling when leaving the theater was frustration. Frustration at missing so many things because of dialogs too hard for me to follow. The fact that I am not native speaker isn't helping but I very rarely have the problem, showing that Tenet was particularly tough on me. Indeed I noticed that dialogs are elliptic (not all elements are given), half-spoken under the main actor's beard (as we say in French) and sometimes in a noisy environment. Beyond my understanding of English, those problems I had with the dialogs are director's intentional choices, either when writing them, recording the footage or editing the sound. In the worst of it I felt like in the recent bad James Bond movies (Quantum of Solace I am talking about you), showing scenes switching from country to country with barely understandable justification in between of why travel there (apart that it looks good on film). And a missed dialog can make you misunderstand part of the movie. For example I thought the Protagonist and Niel knew each other before we see them first meet. OK I hate when movies repeat the same information many times or use flashbacks to deal with an inattentive audience, but in Tenet there seems to be to redundancy at all. There is still a lot that I loved about this movie, starting with the convoluted but original story (again, reminding of Memento and Inception). The visual effects are efficient and seem simple but I bet it was in the end not so easy to blend together footage going forward and backwards. Even less simple was probably for the director and the team to keep track of who is doing what and in which order. This is an extra dimension film crews don't have to deal with in other movies. Kudos to them for that. As usual with Nolan, the soundtrack is well-fitting and many shots look very good (like the Opera opening scene). John David Washington plays decently enough, but I was more impressed by the transformation of Robert Pattinson since his Twilight days (he hadn't impressed me in Cosmopolis yet). Watching the movie a second time and/or with sub-titles would probably improve my rating but for now, so it is.   Rating: 6 /10