#REVIEW: “ELEMENTAL”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
In Element City, fire, water, land and air individuals co-exist together. Most of the fire residents live in a borough called Fire Town, where Ember Lumin (Leah Lewis) dreams of one day taking over her Dad’s convenience store, The Fireplace. She has to gain control of her nasty temper first though; one that leads to her meeting water resident and Health Inspector Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie). And despite their cultural differences and initially ...
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#REVIEW: “THE FLASH”
Review by Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong
The Justice League--DC's answer to The Avengers--has had its share of trouble getting off the ground with some successes, but patience is a virtue. So here we are. The Flash has found its way into theatres, and Ezra Miller's moment has arrived. And of course, Michael Keaton is back as classic 1989 Batman! You thought he returned in Batman Returns?? Well, you're not wrong, but he returns here too and if anything there's that!
We join Barry Allen ...
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#REVIEW: “FLAMIN’ HOT”
Review by Mr. Will Wong
Hot off its SXSW premiere where it caught a bit fo fire, get ready to spice up your life with the release of Eva Longoria's feature directorial debut FLAMIN' HOT. This is the origins story behind one of the world's favourite snacks.
We meet Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), who is trying to create a new life for himself and family, facing discrimination and also struggling to stay on the straight and narrow after a troubled past. He finally lands a job as a janitor at ...
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#REVIEW: “SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE”
Review by Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong
Let's get this out of the way: Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is 140 minutes of glorious setup for 2024's Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse. Glorious, yes--but setup, also yes! It's an unfinished story, and in this humble reviewer's opinion, even referring to the ending as a "cliffhanger" is generous. Well over 2 hours into the much anticipated sequel to 2018's Into The Spider-Verse, we've arrived at the midpoint of the story. It's not a ...
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#REVIEW: “THE BOOGEYMAN”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
What scared you as kid? What kept you up late at night, too frightened to look under your bed or into your closet? Chances are it was something akin to The Boogeyman, who you only heard of in passing yet believed existed and tormented you while you were getting to sleep every night.
That terrifying entity is the big bad in this titular adaptation of Stephen King’s short story. After a startingly opening that tells you no one is safe, we are in the ...
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#REVIEW: “YOU HURT MY FEELINGS”
Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
You Hurt My Feelings is both the main dilemma and title of Nicole Holofcener’s newest feature that premiered at Sundance to raves. While the Movie certainly showcases a powerhouse performance from its lead, the rest of the Movie falls a bit short, plagued by melodrama and life issues more relatable to some than others.
The Movie focuses on Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), an Author whose Memoir didn’t sell as well as she had hoped. Struggling to ...
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#REVIEW: “FAST X”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
I have a confession to make. Somehow “I live my life a quarter mile at a time” has become one of my immediate go-to film quotes to use in every day conversation. I feel some slight shame owning up that and knowing my teenage self would not approve of me quoting the great Dominic Toretto, as played by the prophet Vin Diesel. At the same time however, I am certain my teenage self may spontaneously combust if I told him the Fast & Furious ...
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#REVIEW: “BLACKBERRY”
Mr. Will Wong
Based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, Matt Johnson's BLACKBERRY is the riveting story behind the mobile device that changed the game around the 2010s with up to 85 million users internationally.
Fittingly-filmed right here in Toronto, as the phone was developed in Waterloo, the story centers on Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton). ...
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#REVIEW: “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3:
Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
It’s been nearly a decade since audiences have been introduced to the legendary Guardians of the Galaxy and a lot of things have happened in front of and behind the scenes on their journey. However, it is safe to say that this trilogy of movies – and a holiday special –is possibly the best trilogy of films Marvel has put out yet ever and has packed the most consistent fun and entertainment, even if the second entry was a little disappointng. ...
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#REVIEW: “CARMEN”
By Mr. Will Wong
Dancer/Choreographer Benjamin Millepied makes his directorial debut with CARMEN, which premiered at TIFF '22. Loosely-based on the Opera of the same name, maintaining some of it's original lyrics, the story is set in modern day. We meet Carmen (Melissa Barrera), a young woman whose mother is murdered, then fleeing her native Mexico. She makes it to the border, narrowly escaping death after encountering a ruthless border guard. She then meets Aidan (Paul Mescal), a former ...
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