Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: Kevin Smith (Clerks 1-2, Tusk, Dogma)
	Actors: Kevin Smith (Live Free or Die Hard), Jason Mewes (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), Harley Quinn Smith (Yoga Hosers)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 27.07.2020, VOD, 14" computer  screen.
Synopsis: Small-time drug dealers Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) learn that a reboot movie is being made from their characters (again) but this time to the point that their are robbed of their names. They can't let that slide and head to Hollywood to stop the production.
Review: Legendary independent filmmaker Kevin Smith (Clerks) doesn't direct much anymore those days, except when he chooses to because he has some something to say (like in Red State in 2011), a great idea (like for Tusk in 2014) or wants to go back to his favorite characters like in Yoga Hosers in 2016, this movie or the announced Clerks 3. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot looks a bit cheap and has the same feel as his most recent Yoga Hosers, i.e. a movie which doesn't want to waste time with details perfection but rather focus on characters, dialogs and winks to the audience. And that's fine with me. The beginning especially feels odd, too much directed towards the camera, but once the story gets going I was not distracted anymore. In fact, the movie gets better and better with a third act similar in scope to the one in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. There are tons of reference throughout the movie, from obvious winks by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to their previous movies (funny the one by Affleck about his Batman roles), to more obscure references to characters in past Smith movies ("Fifteen bucks, little man, put that shit, in my hand!"). Indeed, all movies from the View Askewniverse are quoted and part of the story, but all other movies by Smith as well except maybe for Red State, his only "serious" one. Even though the movie has ups and downs, I will gladly watch it again to catch more of those details. Past movies are mentioned but past characters are also present, some of them I had forgotten which reminds me that I haven't seen some of his movies in a long time and I should correct that. There are also cameos by plenty of new friends of the director, like Val Kilmer. A must-see for any Kevin Smith fan.
Rating: 6 /10

Extraction (2020)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2020
	Director: Sam Hargrave
	Actors: Chris Hemsworth (Thor 1-3, Avengers 1-4, The Cabin in the Woods), Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda
	Country: USA
	Genre: Action, War
	Conditions of visioning: 23.07.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.
Synopsis: Tyler Rake (Hemsworth), a fearless black market mercenary, embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he's enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son (Jaiswal) of an imprisoned international crime lord.
Review: Another Netflix Original production. They are getting better at delivering those movies for a niche audience. This one's particularity is that it is produced by the Russo brothers (Avengers: Infinity and Endgame), durected by the stunt coordinator on a bunch of Marvel movies, and stars the beloved actor playing Thor in those movies. The story is exciting and exotic, confronting India and Bangladesh drug lords and taking place in the capital of the latter: Dhaka. Another characteristic of the movie is that it is brutal: executing children, showing the worst of society and a total body count in the 200, most of them shot in the head. That would then be my first problem with the movie: it is shot like a video game, enemies appearing slowly and unprepared in the hero's field of view just to be shot. On the other hand, the shooting style is very immersive, in particular the 12-minute shot looking like one long continuous take the movie is praised for. That is something I like to see. My other problem is still with the enemies. It is hard for filmmakers to find bad guys in the movies that we don't mind watching die. It usually helps when they are thugs, hired bad guys (like in the recent Rambo: Last Blood which displays a similarly high kill count), aliens or members of the opposing military. For example I would hate to see in an undercover cop movie the hero let another cop be shot to protect his cover. Some filmmakers are very aware of that, like Josh Wedon, showrunner of the TV-series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as from the first episodes he insists on equipping his agents with non-lethal weapons. In Extraction, the guys shot by our hero are mostly soldiers doing their job, and it only helps a little that it is in a far-away country and we don't see their faces under helmets. It still disturbed me and took me out of the movie. But if you are simply looking for change of scenery in a violently satisfying action flick with immersive scenes, go for it!
Rating: 5 /10

Capricorn One (1977)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1977
	Director: Peter Hyams (2010, Timecop, The Relic)
	Actors: Elliott Gould (Friends, Ocean 11), James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, O. J. Simpson (The Naked Gun)
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 28.07.2020, VOD, 14" computer screen.
Synopsis: About to be launched on the first flight to Mars, the team of astronauts is discreetly evacuated and led to a hidden location in the desert while the mission goes on without them.
Review: I had heard about this movie in the past, but now that I stumbled on it again while watching YouTube videos and reading Wikipedia entries about the conspiracy theory around the 1969 Moon landing, I had to see it. Released eight years only after Apollo 11, the movie is indeed quoted as it "might have given a boost to the hoax theory's popularity". Regardless, I found it a great and original topic for a Space Exploration movie, like I found with the vaguely similar twist in the 2014 mini-series Ascension. In the Cold War times where failure was not an option, it is interesting to see a movie exploring the question of faking success. And I found that the political and scientific context are well represented in the movie. The secret being kept by very few people is also more credible than a NASA-wide conspiracy which would be impossible to keep under wraps. What I found not so well done in the movie is the lack of excitement by the people on Earth for the first step on Mars. The tension of getting there and the culmination of the trip are not very well shown. The action on Earth is also not very exciting, the helicopter chases too choreographed and the music too present. And I found the image quality to be poor, not from the movie transfer to digital format, but apparently from the camera optics themselves (like I noted in The Final Countdown for example). But this is balanced by the more thrilling investigation by the journalist played by Elliott Gould, even though his near assassinations are strangely downplayed. An imperfect movie, but one I had to see.
Rating: 5 /10

The Old Guard (2020)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2020
	Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
	Actors: Charlize Theron (Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road), KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
	Country: USA
	Genre: Fantasy, Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 27.07.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen.
Synopsis: A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.
Review: If there is a hype around this new Netflix movie, I don't understand it. OK it is a nice Fantasy story a-la-Highlander but where the Immortals are few and save others, while avoiding being discovered. The movie is well-made, Charlize Theron's performance is carrying it and there is enough action and violence to please the audience. The bad guy is also very antipathetic as head of a Big Pharma company, something which nobody likes either so it is easy to take sides. The Universe building is nice and complete but a bit too obviously pointing towards sequels. For some reason the movie left me unsatisfied. Maybe I was expecting too much of it. I didn't get as attached to the characters (and the adventures they went through) as I could have, except for the story of the loss of a former Immortal which left me having nightmares. The Old Guard is better than other Netflix failed attempts, but I didn't find it exceptional.
Rating: 5 /10

Joker (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: Todd Philips (The Hangover 1-3, Due Date)
	Actors: Joaquin Phoenix (Signs), Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver), Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen
	Country: USA, CDN
	Genre: Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 07.10.2019, Schauburg, OV Sneak Preview, English version
Synopsis: In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker.
Review: The storyline is a mirror of the Bruce Wayne story. "You made me!" We see here how Thomas Wayne (Cullen), Bruce's father, made Joker. And actually not only Thomas Wayne but what he represents. The rich people don't looking at the poor people in the streets, especially when these are getting problems or getting hurt or getting beaten. This is what happens to Arthur Fleck (Phoenix). Being beaten by bad kids first then by Wall Street white collars. Setting Joker as symbol for the class conflict, in parallel to a very personal drift of a mental illness, gives to the character a dimension that I did not remember from the Batman movies nor the Batman comic strips. The scenes of chaos on the streets generated by the Clowns look very similar to what the main TV channels present from the contesting movements such as Occupy, Gilets jaunes, anti-G8 demonstrations. Chaos, destruction. Like these TV channels, this movement and its claims are not really presented. To set a parallel with the mental illness of Joker rises questions on the message of the movie. The acting of Joaquin Phoenix is great! The story helps a lot in giving depth to the character. And he is blowing the screen. The physical transformation that he has followed to embody the mental illness of Joker is impressive. Robert De Niro may have been quite an inspiration for that. The other characters are secondary or very secondary. Even the huge Robert De Niro! The camera follows only Joaquin Phoenix and his transformation from the good boy taking care of his mother and bullied as an adult into the Joker conscientious of his mental illness and accepting it as a fact not to be treated by any drug. The mindset for the camera is to portrait Arthur and his transformation. This enhances the great acting of Phoenix. The movie lets some points open that will be used for sure for upcoming sequels of the Joker.
Rating: 7 /10

First Man (2018)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2018
	Director: Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land)
	Actors: Ryan Gosling (Drive, Blade Runner 2049), Claire Foy, Jason Clarke (Terminator Genisys)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 23.07.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong (Gosling), and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Review: It is surprising that we had to wait almost 50 years for the first non-documentary movie about the Lunar landing. And indeed I wondered myself: what's the point, the facts are so well documented. It was not the same for Apollo 13, a mission which innate potential catastrophe was more suited for a cinema adaptation as early as 1995. For the movie to be more than a simple well-made recollection of the events, however significant they were, it chose to focus on one man, Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the Moon. Interesting choice, as Armstrong is known to have largely avoided public appearances since his return, while Buzz Aldrin could be seen everywhere. And how could the movie separate the two? Aldrin is shown very little in fact, and usually as a cold-blooded asshole which doesn't get along with the others, but when on the job he is shown as an outstanding professional. Well the separation is done by telling the story of Armstrong since well before 1969, focusing on his lost daughter, his reserved character, the relationship with his wife and his job. In this life story pop here and there crucial events of the Lunar program: the beginning of Gemini, the competition with the USSR, Armstrong's selection for Gemini 8, the death of pilots and astronauts, the doubts of Congress and of the American public, all leading to the most important mission, and the movie ending shortly after. Gosling was a good choice to show a man of few words, and he is accompanied by other excellent actors that I like to see like Jason Clarke (Terminator Genisys), Kyle Chandler (King Kong, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Ant-Man), Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Shea Whigham (Joker)... I liked a lot the focus on Armstrong and the acting by Gosling, the political and history bits and the tense missions Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 but also their preparation. Visual effects are very good and immersive all along. And the mix of all this is helped by a great score by Justin Hurwitz, making you hold your breath. A very good movie, too bad I couldn't watch it on a decent screen.
Rating: 8 /10

A Brief History of Time Travel (2018)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2018
	Director: Gisella Bustillos
	Actors: Ted Chiang, Satyanarayana Dasa, Erik D. Demaine
	Country: USA
	Genre: Documentary, SF
	Conditions of visioning: 26.07.2020, FANTASPOA2020, 14" computer screen.
Synopsis: A journey through the evolution of time travel; from it origins, it's evolution and influence in science fiction, to the exciting possibilities in the future.
Review: This short 65-min Documentary is quite nice to give an overview of Time Travel in History. It does not spend too much time on movie examples like I thought it would have, but rather covers the origins of Time Travel in myths and literature, looks at the spiritual aspects like meditation, Buddhism, shamanism, and even tackles the real science of the thing. No wonder the title is directly inspired by Stephen Hawking's popular-science book on cosmology A Brief History of Time. Again, we get some movie connections via ComiCon attendees and mention to the most famous Time Travel movies like Back to the Future, but that's not the core of the Documentary. I found that it nicely covered all the subject I was curious about when I started watching. Thanks for the programming of the FANTASPOA Festival, as many others taking place online this year, for advertising this kind of Documentary to the public.
Rating: 6 /10

Bloodshot (2020)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2020
	Director: Dave Wilson (episode Sonnie's Edge of the Love, Death and Robots TV-series)
	Actors: Vin Diesel (Pitch Black, Fast & Furious 1-3-4...), Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Guy Pearce (Memento, Iron Man 3)
	Country: USA, CN
	Genre: Action, SF
	Conditions of visioning: 18.07.2020, VOD, 14" computer screen.
Synopsis: Ray Garrison (Diesel) has seen his wife die and was himself executed by the same killer. He is revived, infused with nanobots that give him super-strength and instant healing abilities. But is the Dr. Emil Harting (Pearce) who revived him telling all the truth?
Review: Bloodshot is all you would expect from such Action Blockbuster. An indestructible Vin Diesel kicking ass, enhanced bad guys, nice visuals, car chases, explosions. I was not disappointed on those aspects. The tech in the movie doesn't make much sense: flying nanobots, how to recharge, how they all hack one another... but that's acceptable. The fight scenes, often in slow motion a-la-300 are nice but a bit repetitive. More annoying is how Garrison doesn't even try avoiding the bullet hits and explosions. OK he can regenerate but would wouldn't it be more efficient to save his juice a bit? You definitely won't get bored during the movie, but don't look for too much depth. If you're OK with that, enjoy!
Rating: 5 /10

The White Storm 2: Drug Lords (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: Herman Yau (Ip Man: The Final Fight)
	Actors: Andy Lau (Yesterday Once More, Infernal Affairs 1-3), Louis Koo, Kiu Wai Miu
	Country: HK, CN
	Genre: Polar, Action
	Conditions of visioning: 25.07.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: A wealthy businessman (Lau) tries to take down a drug kingpin that he used to work with (Koo), while a policeman (Wai Miu) tries to find justice without breaking the law.
Review: This movie was presented at the Far East Film Festival 2020, but I watched it afterwards. Hong-Kong can produce excellent Polars like I have discovered by following the Festival over the years, but this movie is not one of them. It is a title-only thematic sequel to the 2013 apparently more successful The White Storm. It stars one of the most famous Hong-Kong actors Andy Lau which I personally discovered in Infernal Affairs trilogy since 2005. It is funny how he still plays a charmer with a young wife about to start a family, although the actor is close to 60! (OK he doesn't look them). A bit like John Wayne or Charles Bronson in their times. The trailer promised a lot of Action, and that we get, but there is no way to read it. It is notoriously hard to clearly film a three-way shoot-out and there are many in this movie but it seems Herman Yau didn't even bother trying. I was confused many times about who did what and who came out victorious. Even the non-Action scenes are edited quickly and the logic in the transitions is hard to find, for example two events taking place at different places and time are edited without change of music or any information to indicate you that something has changed. Even the story doesn't make much sense: a drunk hitman becoming a finance billionaire? I had to pause the movie and search Wikipedia for confirmation that I got that right. The movie seemed to have enough budget to film big shoot-outs and car chases but it often resorts to cheap special effects reminding of the worst in the Fast and Furious franchise, in particular the scene where cars enter the subway reminds in its good and bad the tunnel scenes in Fast and Furious (the fourth movie). Enough said, this is an example of bad Hong-Kong Action polars. Harman Yau is certainly talented but he should maybe direct a good movie every couple of years rather than 2-4 bad ones per year like he does now.
Rating: 2 /10

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: Adrian Grunberg
	Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta
	Country: USA, HK, F, BG, E, S
	Genre: Action, Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 24.07.2020, VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: Leaving peacefully on his father's ranch, John Rambo (Stallone) considers Gabriela like his daughter. When she wants to go to Mexico to look for her father, he advises against it.
Review: I thought Stallone had said goodbye to the franchise in 2008 with the powerful fourth movie soberly entitled Rambo, but he had to do one more and this one looks like the real goodbye, between the title which calls back to the first movie of the franchise First Blood (no, the name Rambo was not in the title of the first movie), and the end credits which shows scenes from all past movies. Looking at the list of Countries that co-financed the movie, it looks like the producers had to search everywhere to find the money to make this one which is to me a sign that it was maybe not much wanted. I hope they stop there but you never know... The movie is not too bad but doesn't rival with the first or fourth, and the second and third are dated but may be better as well when looked today with nostalgia. I wondered which enemy they would find for the Vietnam War veteran, and was slightly disappointed to see the story go the way of Taken or Death Wish but in Mexico. I was however pleased to see Stallone not play the confident killer like he does in The Expendables series for example, but sometimes nuance his acting to better match the traumatized Veteran we know him to be. I immediately caught 2-3 moments like that but they were unfortunately fleeting. Like in all movies in the franchise, Rambo goes through the usual defeat before rising again, and this time his motivation is stronger than ever, although I wondered if it had to be so. As the previous movie, this one is (very) generous with blood splatter and violent killings, but they look too much like fan-service and Rambo is not even in danger at any point. Still, those were the fun parts. For me, a fun addition to the series but one which was not needed.
Rating: 4 /10