The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

The Cloverfield Paradox is a science fiction film set in the Cloverfield universe where scientists are trying to solve the energy crisis with a hadron collider in space.

I had never heard of the director before today, Julius Onah, and after today I'd say he's competent. The shots he chooses to use are interesting and different. He uses classic shots like in the position of power the person should look down on the weaker and vice versa. Also, I didn't notice any problems with the shots used during dialog. The last shot of the film was the only moment where I tilted my head in wonder as to why he chose that. It posed a lot of questions, which is both good and bad.

The writer is Oren Uziel. He wrote 22 Jump Street and Shimmer Lake and has proven that he can write both science fiction, crime, and comedy. Not many people can say they've done the same. The writing has some problems and I can't really get into spoilers but you'll find yourself asking 'How?' at some of the events that happen which I imagine fanboys will say that it's a paradox, you don't need to understand. As a man of reason and mathematics, I couldn't overlook some of the flaws in the writing. Side note: he's also writing the reboot for Mortal Kombat.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays the main character who has lost her children due to a tragic accident. It's a key bit of information that the beginning glosses over due to the writing. It's not a spoiler, and you should know this going in. She is convincing throughout the film and I couldn't find anything wrong with her performance. She can convey messages without having to speak which is key to a great performance. You might recognize her for her brief appearance on a show called Doctor Who.

Daniel Brühl plays Schmidt. I loved his performance in Inglourious Basterds and as Zemo in Captian America: Civil War. His character is interesting enough and has a few scenes with Ziyi Zhang, the woman from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and, my favorite of her performances, Hero. I can't really say too much about what their characters do without spoiling anything but safe to say Brühl does great and Zhang is here to sell the movie to the Chinese audiences. There is a lot of Mandarin spoken in this film.

Result: B- (It's above average, the second movie was much better, and I do look forward to the next)

Comments

The Social Reckoning (2026)

The Social Reckoning is written and directed by Aaron Sorkin , who is better known for his writing than his directing, and it shows. Compared to David Fincher's vision in The Social Network , the direction here is a noticeable step down. Thankfully, the writing is top tier and easily on par with some of Sorkin's best work. The dialogue is sharp, the story holds your attention, and the script gives the cast plenty to work with. The movie is good, but it is not going to be for everyone. Mikey Madison , known for Anora and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , is a standout as Frances Haugen . She does an excellent job convincing the audience that she is socially awkward and a genuine nerd without making the performance feel forced. It is the kind of role that could easily become a caricature in the wrong hands, but Madison makes the character believable and gives the film one of its strongest performances. Jeremy Allen White , best known for The Bear and Shameless , plays Jeff Ho...

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the sequel, and probably the last Shazam! movie for a while. With the reboot coming later this year, any setup this has for an end to a trilogy is up in the air. Directed by David F. Sandberg, who I loved for Lights Out . It's interesting that James Wan, known for horror took David F Sandberg under his wing and now they both direct major DC super hero movies. They should really stick to horror. Maybe I'm just biased because I love horror. Henry Gayden is back in the writing room, even though it wasn't the writing that brought people to see the first Shazam! This time I think the writing is actually worse. There are subplots that land and some that feel overly forced and politicized. Some actors didn't get enough dialogue or scenes to do much in. Some characters felt throwaway and to check a box. Grace Caroline Currey was top-billed or at least is at the top of the list for IMDB. She really carries the film for Shazam, she makes all th...

The Uprising (2026)

The Uprising is written and directed by Paul Greengrass , and the film certainly looks the part. The costumes, dialogue, and scenery all do a great job of establishing the time period and making the world feel authentic. Unfortunately, the movie has a frustrating habit of taking scenes that could have been much shorter and dragging them out until you are simply waiting for something to happen. Andrew Garfield does a great job leading the film and proves he still has what it takes to carry a movie on his shoulders. His performance reminded me of his work in Silence and Hacksaw Ridge , where he is able to bring a lot of emotional weight to a character without completely overplaying it. The problem is that the movie occasionally focuses on minor characters who do not have the same level of delivery. When the camera stays on them for too long, the cracks in the dialogue and performances become much more obvious. Jamie Bell , who you may remember from Jumper , does a decent job as a supp...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog