On the Line (2022): Movie Review

                                                                                                  

Jim's Review

Elvis (Mel Gibson) is a late night radio host with some edge until he gets a call that turns everyone on there head. 

It turns into a game of cat and mouse until the climatic end when it comes to an end that you will not expect!

7 out of 10 stars

About film

A provocative and edgy radio host must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a mysterious caller who's kidnapped his family and is threatening to blow up the whole station.

A Little Bit Broken -A Memoir: Book Review

                                                                           

Jim's Review

This is a very serious and personal book that Roz shares all his faults and choices he made the ramifications he had to deal with.

The first half of the book was very intense to read and try to understand what Roz Weston did to himself and  survive!

From his dad and his working life in full force. The last part of the book the pieces are explained and the person he became was still little broken but alive with a new purpose.

The climatic chapter will bring it home with love and understamding by everyone.

9.25 out of 10*

*could resist doing KISS 92.5 is radio station Roz works on

** we do have few things in common I also did witness fight at wedding and worked for two videos stores!

About book

It never gets better, but it does get easier. That's the first thing Roz says to anyone who asks him for advice. Anyone who's fighting like hell, just hanging on or putting the pieces back together. When you're broken, fixed becomes an obsession. 

Roz is a multi-platform entertainer and storyteller who hosts three shows a day and sleeps five hours a night. On The Roz & Mocha Show, ET Canada Live and Entertainment Tonight Canada Roz built an audience and turned them into family. But as with most families, there is just some shit we don't talk about. 

From growing up in a small town to getting lost, drunk and terrified in New York while interning for The Howard Stern Show; from finding comfort in the arms and beds of strangers to kicking an opioid addiction he didn't know he had; from broken bones to broken hearts and a broken marriage. From navigating grief and guilt following the devastating loss of his father to persevering in the face of an ongoing and private battle with his own body. All is shared in Roz's disarming signature blend of blunt truth and humour.

A Little Bit Broken is a deeply personal and inspiring account of self-forgiveness, redemption and recovering from bad choices—because let's face it, the reason we make bad choices is that they usually feel really good. And Roz has made them all. "This book is the whole story I've never shared before. . . . This is the shit we don’t talk about. Welcome to the family."learn more and buy book

Avatar - The Way of the Water (2022): Movie Review

                                                                                            

Jim's Review

Avatar The Way of Water has finally made to theatres after the original Avatar (2009) was a smashing success worldwide, making $1.46 billion worldwide

In this next chapter Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney'tiri (Zoe Zaldana) have a large family and are enjoying life for the most part. This is until there adolescent kid begin not to listen to them and get in trouble trying to be heroes!

This until Jake and his leave Pandora to go elsewhere because Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and his gang of mercenaries on hot on his trail.

I won't reveal any more of the plot because it is a great movie to watch in whatever format you like, I watched it in 2D many people including Director James Cameron suggest in 3D

What I will say is this following.. it is 3hrs long!  

It doesn't seem like it is while you are watching because the pace is very steady and interesting as the plot begins to reveal itself in very cool layered format.

Even though I gave it a high mark (well deserved!) I my movie opinion it could have been 30 minutes shorter they were many scenes that were very repetitive as if Mr. Cameron need to drive home the point.

9 out of 10

* By the time I watched this film it had surpassed $2.0 Billions dollars worldwide and still counting

* I have added the additional Avatar movies coming all the way until 2028

About film

Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

More Avatar films coming...

The Towering World of Jimmy Cho: Book Review

                                                                                     

Jim's Review

Building a successful brands has its highs and lows and Jimmy Choo brand with through all that and much more!

Lots of drama and power struggles to keep the business grow and successful in large markets. 

There were to many powerbrokers involved which made it challenging for the brand to grow

Ultimately it steading and still exists today better for now and for the future.

8 out of 10 stars

About book

The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is Sex and the City meets Barbarians at the Gate: the story of a London society girl named Tamara Mellon who launched one of the most talked about luxury brands in the world. 

More than simply a well-told tale of glamorous, troubled people, The Towering World of Jimmy Choo taps into America's seemingly insatiable appetite for luxury goods and examines an industry that has experienced explosive growth in just the past decade. Compelling to followers of both fashion and business, The Towering World of Jimmy Choo takes readers into a complex, rarified world as only seasoned financial journalist, Lauren Goldstein Crowe, and leading luxury goods equity analyst, Sagra Maceria de Rosen, can tell it.

 Millions of people now work in fashion, read the magazines and follow the key players--even if they can't afford the clothes. The story of how the Jimmy Choo brand got to where it is today is one of love, hate, sex, drugs, celebrity, power, money, intrigue and ambition. And every word of it is true learn more and buy book

JUNG_E (2023):Movie Review

                                                                                     

Jim's Review

Yoon Seo-Hyun (Kang Soo-Yeon) has created a new AI in the image of her mother Jung_E (Kim Hyun-Joo) and is put through her paces to pass a test.

She continues to fail the test at a certain point the the company is getting fed up with the results!

The climatic end will result in full action and drama as the questions are answered. 

Will the mother and daughter bond be strong enough to save both of them

7 out of 10 stars

Additional note sadly Kang Soo-Yeon passed away May 7,2022 Learn more

About film:

In a post-apocalyptic near-future, a researcher at an AI lab leads the effort to end a civil war by cloning the brain of a heroic soldier -- her mother.

A Man Called Otto(2023): Movie Review

                                                                                          

Jim's Review

Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) wants to live a normal life his own world and has an important task to complete yet every time he makes attempt to complete it he gets interrupted!

Hi new neighbor Marisol (Mariana Treviño Ortiz)   seems to be always needing Otto assistance with very requests from driving to daycare!

It is a slow paced and dry movie yet it delivers on many levels of family and emotional issues faced by Otto and the people he lives near.

His story slowly come to light and the reason he is who he is and the fact everybody seems not to listen or respect his privacy.

The climate end will reveal all the and will tie everything together from family to legacy of A man called Otto.

A Man Called Otto is based on the 2012 novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, which has already been adapted into a Swedish film of the same name.

8 out of 10 stars

 About film

When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.

Spiderhead (2022): Movie Review

                                                                                      

Jim's Review

Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth) runs a unique state- of-the-art penitentiary with no cells or guards

Instead he runs experiments on the guests with mind- altering effects

Jeff (Miles Teller) is an inmate who is getting really tired of the tests and enjoying more the sharing with the fellow inmates

This all changes when the experiments gets weirder and deadlier and the real reason become apparent to Jeff and the consequences more real than ever!

By the time you get the the climatic end you will ask yourself  this question.

Would you do this?

7 out of 10 stars

About film

Two inmates form a connection while grappling with their pasts in a state-of-the-art penitentiary run by a brilliant visionary who experiments on his subjects with mind-altering drugs.

Awake (2007): Movie Review

                                                                             

                                                                 Jim Pagiamtzis Review

                      Clay ( Hayden Christian) goes in for a heart transplant and suffer a phenomenon anesthetic awareness where Dr. Jack Harper (Terence Howard) and Clay new wife Sam Lockwood (Jessica Alba) have different plans. 

                         Clay has out of body experience that is very real for him and on the race for his life to stop the cryptic plans, his mom Lilith Beresford (Lena Olin) has her concerns with her son personal and professional life decisions and has her suspicions about Clay's new wife Sam.

                              As you get to the climatic 3rd act there will be lots of twist and turns that will have you wondering will Clay make it or face an ultimate demise that he is witnessing

 The dvd has a great special feature on Director Jaby Harold who came up with the script during film school and through a few treatments Awake came to life with a input from real doctors and insights into the true phenomenon that will have you on the edge of your seat until the climatic end

                                                     10 out of 10 stars

                                                                      Movie plot:

       As the scion of a wealthy banking family undergoes a heart transplant he's fully conscious, yet unable to move. That's when he discovers the operation is slated to fail in order to claim his fortune.

                                                                                   Watch trailer        

Bad Boys for Life (2020): Movie Review

                                                                                 

           Jim Pagiamtzis Review
          Mike Lowry ( Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are finally back for the the 3rd installment of Bad Boys for Life.

            This time Mike Lowry is embroiled in mysterious group that his set all there focus on him, meanwhile Marcus Burnett has his own family celebrations and retirement in mind. That doesn't last long as the Bad Boys team with a new group AMMO to bring down out ruthless couple.

              There are lots of funny moments throughout the film and many serious over the top action sequences. Michael Bay even makes an appearance!
       
              New director take over the helm in this installment Billal Fallah and Adil El Arb who bring the look and feel of the first two installments and add some amazing new technology and superb new actions sequences that will make you feel your wait for this film was worthwhile

           At the third act comes to play there is huge twist in the film that will bring a climatic ending to the film and an interesting post credit that will having saying "Bad Boys Bad Boys watch going to do when we come for you again!"  
         
            The response "Bring it on Bad Boys make it work but don't make us wait to long this time!"

  9 out of 10 stars


    Movie plot:
   Old-school cops Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett team up to take down the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel. Newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department along with Mike and Marcus go up against the ruthless Armando Armas.


                                                  

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker (2019): Movie Review

                                                                 

   Jim Pagiamtzis Review


The saga comes to end in this 9th installment of the Star Wars films. Daisy Ridley as Rey and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren/Ben continue their emotional and physical battle with a plot twist you won't see coming that will explain the happenings in the the previous two films The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

There are two new characters that will bring some hilarious drama to film which I feel is needed to change the pace during the middle frame

After that moment it becomes very apparent how the film will end and there will be some other surprises that you will enjoy that will put a bow on the series finale

The supporting roles Poe, Finn also bring the storyline to epic close with a battle of the ages that will revered for years to come.

It was amazing journey to watch this amazing Star War Saga unfold for so many years!

May the force be with you!

9 out of 10 stars


Sujit K Reddy Review

Good: Lots of action & battles to make it feel like the movies from the original trilogy.

Bad: Without spoiling anything; there were alot of unnecessary scenes and moments.

Ugly: Again; without spoiling anything; the movie ended very weak.

KJ Proulx Review Read more

 Movie Plot:
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.


                                       

21 Bridges (2019): Movie Review

                                                                 

      Jim Pagiamtzis Review
           Chadwick Boseman (Avengers Endgame, Black Panther, 42)  plays Andre Davis who gets involved in a case that is very perplexing to him from the very beginning. Sienna Miller plays Frankie Burns who partners up with Andre Davis to solve the horrible crime. Challenge is that they need to solve it in less than 4 hours!
          The cat and mouse game begins to find the killer, the problems begin to mount as the FBI and New York police get involved in their case that cause more complications and questions to their motives.
             The climatic 3rd act has lots of actions which seems to go fast and you pay attention you will find that Chadwick Boseman pulls some Black Panther moves and baseball slides!  Produced by the Russo Brothers they combine a amazing storyline with some impactful action sequences.


Sujit K Reddy:
Good: The action and direction was amazing!
Bad: The action & drama scenes uneven
Ugly: Some of the plot was predictable from the 2nd act to the 3rd act of the movie
             

  9 out of 10


          Movie plot:

After uncovering a massive conspiracy, an embattled NYPD detective joins a citywide manhunt for two young cop killers. As the night unfolds, he soon becomes unsure of who to pursue -- and who's in pursuit of him. When the search intensifies, authorities decide to take extreme measures by closing all of Manhattan's 21 bridges to prevent the suspects from escaping   learn more IMDb

                                           

Widows (2018):Movie Review

                                                                    

         Jim Pagiamtzis Review
          Widow has a stellar cast yet a terrible script that make you think you are watching 5 different movies!
               5 out of 10 stars


           Movie Plot
                      A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows -- Veronica, Linda, Alice and Belle -- have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses' criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, Veronica joins forces with the other three women to pull off a heist that her husband was planning. 


                                       

The Irishman (2019): Movie Review

I heard you painted houses

                                                                    

           Jim Pagiamtzis
                Three tremendous performances by Robert Deniro as Frank Sheeran who goes on a journey of  lifetime working with Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa and  Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino.

                 Frank Sheeran gets involved with Jimmy Hoffa and all sort of drama occurs in twist and turn saga that gets out of hand very quickly. Director Martin Scorsese give the perspective Frank Sheeran and what he went through dealing with Hoffa and the crime bosses dealings with the massive Teamster Union and power of keeping control was not what it seemed to Hoffa

                   This nearly perfect film give you the insights on the backroom dealings that Russll Baflino did to keep the mob in order.

      9 out of 10 stars
          





          Movie plot:
                In the 1950s, truck driver Frank Sheeran gets involved with Russell Bufalino and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hit man, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa -- a powerful Teamster tied to organized crime.Learn more IMDb

                                                     

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018): Movie Review

                                                          

  Jim Pagiamtzis review
          Priest (Jeff Bridges) and singer (Cynthia Enrivo) end up at the El Royale hotel and very quickly things go sideways and the mystery of this hotel that is in the middle of Nevada and California begins to show why it's not a safe place to be
               By the time you get to the climate end you will wondering how did things get so bad so quickly!

  7 out of 10 stars




  Movie plot:
The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers -- a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee -- converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.


                                       

Concussion (2015):Movie Review

  
                                                                  

  Jim Pagiamtzis review
        Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) gets involved in very important topic of concussions with current and ex football of the NFL.  The drama that takes place goes in twist and turns that nearly end the career of Dr Omalu.
                 In the climate end the evidence is real the effects have taken numerous lives. The game change for the better and currently concussion protocols have been put in place by all professional leagues

    8 out of 10 stars



 Movie plot:
Dr Bennet Omalu tries to convince the authorities and create awareness among the public about the presence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a football-related head trauma in players.

                                          

Leave no Trace (2018): Movie Review

                                                                       

               Jim Pagiamtzis Review
                   A journey of father and daughter who have lived in the wilderness all their lifes until they get uprooted and go through a new exploration of their relationship and how they will continue to live their lives moving forward.

       7 out of 10 stars



                 Movie plot:
                    A father and his daughter lead a peaceful life in the woods in Portland, Oregon. However, their fate changes after an incident derail their life.

                                      

The Foreigner (2017): Movie Review

                                                                    

          Jim Pagiamtzis Review
               Quan( Jackie Chan) like you never seen him before as a driven father fuel for revenge for the killing of  his daughter by a rogue group of terrorist. He goes after Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) and so begin a cat and mouse game to find out who did the crime and why.

          There are multiple plot lines that lead the climatic and action packed climatic end that will have you following all the way to the end.

       9 out of 10 stars


          Movie plot:
             Quan is a humble London businessman whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love -- his teenage daughter -- dies in a senseless act of politically motivated terrorism. His relentless search to find the terrorists leads to a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official whose own past may hold the clues to the identities of the elusive killers.
IMDb information

                                           

The Boys (2019); Series Review

                                                                     

    Jim Pagiamtzis review:
             Based on best selling comic the The Boys is brought to life by Amazing Prime with Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and his gangs out to get the Homelander (Anthony Star) and his gang headed by Madelyn Stillwell (Elizabeth Shue)  begin their reign on the world with a secret source of their power compound V being known a few people)

            The story has a interesting arc that included that cast yet doesn't bring it full circle which creates many unknowns for the teams future

              The main battle is between Butcher and Hughie Campbell ( Jack Quaid) to try and expose the team but things get complicated quick and go sideways for them also.

             As it get to the climactic end some questions get answered as to who is to blame for the entire sage yet that more questions to be answered. Hence for sequel coming soon

    6 out o f 10 stars




      Series plot
Supes have been committing atrocities, which keep getting swept under the rug because they are revered by the adoring public. Billy Butcher recruits The Boys who have all been wronged by The Seven, the world’s most notorious superheroes, to bring them down and stop the corruption. Based on the best-selling comics by Garth Ennis, The Boys is a revenge story where the nobodies take on the somebodies.
IMDb Learn more

                                        

Just Mercy (2019) TIFF Movie Review

                                              

   Jim Pagiamtzis Review
           True story of  Bryan Stevenson (Michael B Jordon) and the journey he went through to prove the innocence of  Walter McMillian ( Jamie Foxx) in 1987. 
 
                This film has twist and turns that will have on emotional ride until the very end. Just Mercy is a powerful story of  determination and the search for the truth and the justice of the wrongly convicted.

                10 out of 10 stars


       Movie plot
Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther,” “Creed,” “Creed II”) and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx (“Ray,” “Baby Driver,” “Django: Unchained”) and Brie Larson (“Room,” “The Glass Castle,” “Captain Marvel”) star in “Just Mercy,” an inspiring drama that brings one of the most important stories of our time to the big screen. Award-winning filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (“The Glass Castle,” “Short Term 12”) directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote, based on the award-winning nonfiction bestseller by Bryan Stevenson. A powerful and thought-provoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.


                                           

Lucy in the Sky (2019) TIFF19 Movie Review

                                                     

           Jim Pagiamtzis review
            Lucy (Natalie Portman)  come back to earth and her life will never be same, she goes on long and winding journey and makes personal decision and professional choices what will have dramatic changes to her life. 
 
                The climatic end will have you wondering was it all worth it and is she truly happy with her life.

           6 out of 10 stars       



            Movie plot


The story of a female astronaut who, upon returning to Earth from a life-changing mission in space, begins to slowly unravel and lose touch with reality.