[5.50/10] Vox Lux (2018)

Vox Lux (2018)

Quick Review: Neither enjoyable, nor entertaining, let alone gripping, and lacking any vocal performances till the final act, which sadly doesn't worth the wait, this is yet another 'rise of a popstar' story, but one told in a slightly darker and more cynical fashion, and with an overextended backstory that adds little emotional impact, "Vox Lux" is just as lifeless as its heroine Celeste is unlikable, in spite of Portman's passable turn, and it has far too little style to look as polished as it should.

[6.75/10] Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018)

Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018)

Quick Review: Telling the story of a struggling single father and Wing Chun master, who gets involved with Honk Kong mafia, "Master Z" hardly balances action, crime, and drama ably enough, but thanks to Zhang's charisma, the terrific cast, crisp and often glossy visuals, and Yuen Woo- Ping's elaborate fight choreography, spectacular fights, and spot-on wire work, this uneven and overstuffed, if exhilarating reboot thrives, and lives up to the Ip Man's legacy.

[4.50/10] The Wandering Earth (2019)

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Quick Review: Creative in concept yet questionable in execution, "The Wandering Earth" has an aspiring script full of bold and imaginative ideas, but what should be a grand, even groundbreaking sci-fi feature, ends up being an over-ambitious, sappy, CGI-laden, and sciantifically absurd disaster movie, let down by incoherent storytelling, incompetent direction, unmemorable characters, obnoxiously distracting music score, and dime special effects.

OSCAR post: My Reviews of the 8 Best Picture Nominees at Oscars 2019

 My Quick Reviews of the 8 Best Picture Nominees at Oscars 2019

[click on the title to read the quick review] 

[8.00/10] A Star is Born
[9.25/10] Black Panther
[7.50/10] Bohemian Rhapsody
[7.75/10] Green Book
[8.00/10] The Favourite
[6.25/10] Vice
[7.50/10] BlackKklansman
[7.25/10] Roma

Should win: Black Panther
Will win: Roma
Could win: A Star is Born

[6.25/10] Cold War (2018)

Cold War (2018)

Quick Review: Shot in stylishly old- fashioned black and white, which adds sophistication to the visuals, but also fits authentically with the time period the film is set in, "Cold War" is bittersweet love story about a very rocky, if passionate romance with a sad, poignant, and affecting conclusion, but despite the movie's short running time, tight narrative, natural aproach, and strong acting, the whole thing is hardly impressive, espeically to those who are familiar with Poland's old culture.

[7.00/10] Shoplifters (2018)

Shoplifters (2018)

Quick Review: A poignant, deeply affecting, if refreshingly lighthearted in its approach, "Shoplifters" is tells the remarkably realistic story of an unconventional big family and how they cope with the challenges of everyday life, dealing with poverty, but instead of being manipulative, depressing, and sad, this Japanese domestic drama works in a more upliftng, genuine and heartfelt way, thanks to the vibrant tone, delicate execution, understated delivery and authentic performances.

[9.25/10] Alita: Battle Angel (2019) [IMAX 3D]

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Quick Review: A visually-startling sci-fi epic that makes up for the lack of depth with big heart, flashy action and brisk pace, "Alita: Battle Angel" sets a new bar for special effects, boasting with its technical grandeur, super-swanky cyberpunk style, jaw- dropping futuristic imagery, thrilling battles, and spectacular set-pieces, but also breathing true life into its big-eyed cyborg CG heroine, whose angelic looks and tender personality contrast beautifully with her out-of-this-world fighting skills.

[6.50/10] I Can Only Imagine (2018)

I Can Only Imagine (2018)

Quick Review: Providing a deeply intimate look behind the story of the most cherished Christian song of all time, and the personal struggles of its gifted, yet distressed creator and the harsh relation with his abusive father, "ICOI" is both a motivational belive-in-yourself-and-achieve-your- dreams journey to success, and a dramatic piece about redemption, forgiveness, and reconnection that's a bit foreseeable and santimental, but still genuinely touching enough to play on your emotions.

[8.25/10] Border (2018)

Border (2018)

Quick Review: Skillfully mixing grim modern day reality and mythological fantasy elements with extraordinary results, by telling one of the most original and highly uncommon love stories in history of cinema, while also covering the dark subject of child pornography, "Border" works equally effectively as an unsettling crime drama and creature romance with a horror twist, offering a bizarre, compelling, emotional, and ominous experience with masterful make-up and even better acting.

[5.75/10] Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

Quick Review: It doesn't have the most creative CGI graphics, slick character design, or vibrant color palette, which makes it a bit rough around the edges execution-wise, but "Sherlock Gnomes" is still cute, sweet and  mildly amusing animated feature with just enough sense of adventure not to be boring, and just enough kid-friendly mystery to be easily absorbed, yet it fails to live up to the big charm and entertainment value of its superior predecessor, 2011's "Gnomeo & Juliet"

[4.00/10] Climax (2018)

Climax (2018)

Quick Review: The fact that it is based on a true story makes it all the more disturbing, but sadly the overly artsy presentation, genuinely odd plot structure built on overlong scenes shot with static camera, the ridiculously pointless dialogues, and questionable acting from most of the cast take away big time from the story's realism, and make "Climax" a pretentious and somewhat artificially 'trippy' French horror musical with no true thrills, shocks or scares, let alone a satisfying climax.

[6.75/10] Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Quick Review: Focusing more on the family rather than the romance, benefiting from a witty script in which the humor overtakes the terror, and taking a more 'scientific' approach, "Happy Death Day 2U" is every bit as amusingly loopy as the original, but what makes the already familiar story refreshing again is all the little twists and fun deaths it adds to it, along with the mostly hilarious new characters, and Rothe's even more emotionally-diverse turn.

[5.25/10] St. Agatha (2019)

St. Agatha (2019)

Quick Review: Another mediocre effort from "Saw" II, III & IV director Darren Lynn Bousman, with ghastly premise, but messy execution, "St. Agatha" benefits from its fearsome female villain, portrayed disturbingly by Carolyn Hennesy, the reasonably creepy and claustrophobic convent setting, and some decent gore and violence scenes, but it's too all over the place, silly in parts, predictably twisty, and having the feel of a low- grade production to suceed in being a satisfactory horror film.

[7.00/10] The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part [3D] (2019)

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part [3D] (2019)

Quick Review: Nearly as manically rythmic as the first, and every bit as visually imaginative, and then some, "LEGO 2" takes an unforeseeable, slightly grimmer, but more heartfelt turn, without compromising on the fun bits, to deliver a more-than-solid sequel full of cathy new songs, cool characters, and tons of awesomely represented movie references, from DC, Marvel, and  "Jurassic World" to "Fury Road", "Back to the Future", "Twilight" and "Stargate".

[6.25/10] Thunder Road (2018)

Thunder Road (2018)

Quick Review: Single-handedly led by Jim Cummings' emotional roller- coaster ride of a lead performance, which is as genuinely hilarious as it's disturbingly awkward, "Thunder Road" is the ideal mix of outrageous comedy and poignant drama, as it's surprisingly hard to define when the movie is funny or sad, but that is what makes it special, as it makes you part of Arnaud's miserable life in a relatable, yet hilarious manner, making the viewer both feel for him as well as laugh at him.

[7.00/10] The Mule (2018)

The Mule (2018)

Quick Review: A gripping piece by actor/director Eastwood, who does eqaully as solid job behind and in front of the camera by bringing to life the story of an eledery-florist- turned-drug-trafficker with flair and skill, and in slightly vague way, and also portraying Earl Stone with such a strong charisma, he manages to turn an unsuspecting criminal and a failed father into a very sympathetic person, therefore, add santimental and dramatic value to the otherwise not overly serious story.

[6.00/10] The Hole in the Ground (2019)

The Hole in the Ground (2019)

Quick Review: Though it neglects its back story and refuses to provide a satisfactory explanation about the origin of 'the hole' and its fearsome creatures, "The Hole in the Ground" is a stylishly-made Irish horror flick filled with sense of dread, ambiguity, and paranoia, featuring one of the creepiest movie kids in quite some time, which in spite of all the familiar cliches, ends on a high point with a highly intense and genuinely sinister nail-baiter of a third act.

[6.50/10] A Private War (2018)

A Private War (2018)

Quick Review: Providing a deeply valuable insight at war journalism by telling the fact-based story of Marie Colvin and showcasing the human side of all the horrifying conflicts it explores in such devastating details, "A Private War" is a not only an eye- opening biopic, but also a powerful tribute to one strong, brave, daring, humane, and fearless woman with almost no personal life, portrayed outstandingly by the dedicated Pike, who's complemented wonderfully by Dornan's affective turn.

CineMarvellous' TOP 10 Best-Reviewed Horror Movies of 2018

Last year offered plenty of horror films, but based on our reviews, there were 10 of them that stood out head and shoulders above the rest. So, here's our TOP 10 list of Best-Reviewed Horror Movies of 2018...

What was your favorite horror flick from last year, and which ones you'd add to the list?

P.S. We know "Upgrade" wasn't a pure horror film, but it had many genre elements in it, so we couldn't help but partially label it a such.

[7.00/10] Overlord (2018)

Overlord (2018)

Quick Review: A very atmopsheric, surprisingly unpredictable, and quite visually gritty, yet slickly-crafted Nazi war drama with creepy zombie twist, "Overlord" infuses those two genres successfully enough to deliver one helluva fun ride full of thrills, turns, shoot-em-up action, and overload of gore splatter, and although it falls a bit short on pure frights, this utterly entertaining blood-fest manages to work well on dramatic level instead, mainly thanks to the strong turns by the well-interacting cast.

[8.00/10] How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World [3D] (2019)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Quick Review: Tonally murkier and more grown than the previous two, and overloaded with cute, vibrantly-designed, and quirky dragons, this visually sumptuous third entry is as much about friendship and unity, as it's about love, but it also has a dark side about itself that contrasts to the touching nature of its central story, which is beautifully brought to life by an imaginatively polished animation, with the 'hidden world' itself being a colorfully lurid eye-feast.

[7.00/10] Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Quick Review: An art-themed film which is every bit as eclectic and eccentrics art itself, this occasionally goofy, yet extremely original satirical supernatural thriller comedy about 'killer paintings' may sound pretty absurd on paper, but even though "Velvet Buzzsaw" refuses to provide proper explanation in its intriguing backstory, it's an entertaining look at art snobs community with unique horror twist, toned-down, yet quirky visual style, and spot-on acting from its gifted ensemble cast.