rgdunc

I know some of these characters don't get a lot of love, but, personally, I liked the Captain Marvel movie & Ms. Marvel series. So, naturally, I was really looking forward to the Marvels. Unfortunately it was a major letdown.

For starters, this movie was cut to $&*#. Seriously, the editing job on this film was the worst I've ever seen. There are abrupt transitions where you ask yourself 'how did they get there' or 'when did these guys connect' or 'wait, she was just really sad/mad but now everything is fine', including a scene where the main characters face the big bad. It was jarring, and completely inexplicable. You can also tell that a lot of the backstory scenes were cut, because I feel like we were never really shown much about the motivations or history of the generic bad guy. This is the first time I can recall ever noticing the editing being an issue, outside of an indie horror film.

Second, the acting was soooooooo wooden. I especially like how Ms. Marvel has been portrayed, but even her scenes fell flat. The characteristic Marvel humor felt out of place, or maybe mis-timed. Honestly it just seemed like everyone was phoning it in.

Lastly, I won't spoil the credit's scene, which was cool, but it had the worst CGI that I've come across in an MCU project.

Feel free to skip this one.

Loved it. This entry was almost as good as the original, and way better than the prior sequels. The premise is that three people decide to spend five nights in a haunted mansion as part of an investigation for their website. Hijinks ensue. Gradually, elements of the story and the house are loosely connected to the Abbadon Hotel lore. I don't know how necessary this was, but I do know that it was, at times, confusing. The movie does a great job of being atmospheric and creepy, with plenty of jump scares. There are several 'there is no way that any human being would continue this course of action' moments, but it's the nature of the genre, and wasn't too distracting.

In summary this exceeded my expectations!

This is one of the most unique horror films I've seen in years. The plot is relatively simple: teens get their hands on a mysterious embalmed hand that allows them to see and chat with the dead. Predictably, they do not use this ability responsibly, and they end up breaking the 'rules'. Hijinks ensue. There are a couple of gruesome scenes that aren't for the faint of heart, but they are thankfully brief. I wouldn't say the level of scares is very high, but it does a good job of delivering a few jump scares, being atmospheric, and leaning into its concept. Excellent, highly recommend to any aficionado of the genre.