david_royz Reviews

Founders Day (2023)

Cheesy but fun slasher. Just don't take it seriously

[7/10 · 28 April 2024]

The acting isn't great, but improves as the movie focuses more on the main characters who are a little better. The CGI gore scenes are a little meh, and it would've been a much better film if they were practical. The story is cheesy and the ending is fairly predictable.

BUT... this isn't supposed to be Shakespeare. It's a B grade slasher movie with mostly unknown actors, that doesn't take itself seriously. Just like pretty much every horror film from the 70s, 80s and 90s. If that's your thing, you'll probably have fun for 100 mins.

It basically steals from movies like Thanksgiving, Scream, My Bloody Valentine etc. But that's ok.

Night Swim (2024)

PG drama film that could've been a decent horror

[6/10 · 6 January 2024]

The premise is pretty simple. The trailer shows you it's a haunted swimming pool story and, for that, I guess it delivers. But there are a number of reasons why that's not enough.

Firstly, it's a PG story so there's little graphic violence and the only horror comes from the occasional music-led jump scares. They are few and far between, and aren't actually scary.

Secondly, the set up for 93 minute story takes about 70 minutes. The characters are interesting but it takes way too long to build up to anything remotely frightening.

Thirdly, there isn't enough peril. At no point does the audience really feel like lives were in real danger (except maybe the cat). It's a predictable story that plays out in a fairly simple way.

Which brings me to the fourth reason: modern horror movies need a twist or at least a wow moment. Sadly there isn't one here.

5.5/10.

The Sacrifice Game (2023)

A tribute to 70s horror that could've been better

[6/10 · 9 December 2023]

The idea was good, the intention was there, but the execution missed the mark.

This horror/supernatural film is set in the 1971 and has a genuine 70s feel to it, particularly the pre-credits scene. It's odd they opted not to stay with that vibe for the rest of the movie.

Overall, a well made film and the acting is strong. Georgia Acken is outstanding in her feature film debut and the rest of the cast are believable.

My issues with the movie are threefold. Firstly, it's violent and gory, but not scary or even creepy. Secondly, the twist is a little silly and barely makes sense. Lastly, I didn't really feel emotionally connected with any of the characters.

Retribution (I) (2023)

Speed clone with 71yo Leeson & his teeny kids

[5/10 · 9 December 2023]

SURELY there are some 40-something actors that can take the baton from old man Leeson for these action flicks? He was fantastic in his early career but now it just looks strange when he's playing a dad instead of a grandfather or even a great grandfather.

The film is a remake of a Spanish film from 2015 but borrows its basic premise from Speed (1994). Unfortunately it isn't in the same league as Speed with dialogue that feels forced and amateur, and CGI befitting a TV show rather than a theatrical film.

You might think this is a good way to kill a couple of hours but you're better off re-watching Taken or Speed.

The Boogeyman (I) (2023)

Familiar story but well done

[7/10 · 8 October 2023]

Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair are both great as siblings haunted by The Boogeyman in this adaptation of a Stephen King short story.

Given the short source material, there are changes and a fleshing-out of the storyline but it works well. Sure, we've seen these stories before - plenty of them - so it's hard to be original. But there's enough here to stand up well for fans of the Insidious and Conjuring universes.

Direction and editing are very good. CGI for the most part is done very well and the Boogeyman is scary once revealed.

Despite a few cheesy moments, the movie moves at a good pace with enough jump scares and frightening moments to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023)

So much wasted potential

[6/10 · 8 October 2023]

This feels like a 2 hour film that got edited gown to 87 minutes, and the heart of the film got ripped out.

Trying to be mysterious (or have a short runtime) has meant that a good portion of the storyline happens offscreen and left to the viewer to fill in the blanks. Consequently character development and tension is missing. Viewers only see one burial and the "rules" from the original novel and first film(s) are simply ignored.

Duchovny is wasted and wooden. It's hard to care for his character with limited screen time, no depth and his performance that lacks any emotion.

The rest of the cast try hard but the story is clumsy and the direction is poor.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Star Wars X: Revenge of the Ants

[6/10 · 18 February 2023]

Scott Skywalker, Princess Hope, Obi-Wan Hank and Cassie-Rey face off against the villainous Darth Kang who has created a Multi-Verse Killer.

Kang is being protected by Quantum Realm Troopers who guard his sky city against a group of resistance fighters looking to take back their planet.

Overall a pretty good film. Not great, but not bad. It was Marvel without being overtly Marvel. Very thin, somewhat predictable plot without any surprises or twist. But some great visuals, some decent action sequences and a few good laughs.

I saw the 3D version which was decent. No distracting gimmicks. Just some good added depth.

There's Something Wrong with the Children (2023)

Pretty good B movie if you can overlook the dialogue

[6/10 · 4 February 2023]

The premise of the story is good - not 100% original, but done in its own style with some interesting plot lines.

Viewers are asked to ponder whether there's really something sinister going on, or if the main adult character is suffering with mental health issues. This allows for a few nice twists and turns.

The acting is hit and miss, and it isn't helped by some cringeworthy dialogue. There are some jarring moments that will give some viewers secondhand embarrassment. But if you can overlook these, there's an interesting film that is quite well paced.

The music is different. It's either silent or very loud. I rather enjoyed it but understand why some find it distracting.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Good movie ... just a BAD 3rd film in a trilogy

[6/10 · 14 October 2022]

If this was a comeback or standalone film it'd be very good. But after a brutal, frightening first 2 films this is very unsatisfying as the end of an otherwise great trilogy.

It lacks scares. It lacks tension. It lacks horror. It lacks Michael Myers!

Starting off with a seemingly unrelated story with different characters (almost a homage to the original Scream film, which itself is a homage to Halloween), it becomes a slow-burn story. Viewers are left wondering when Michael will appear, but when he does it abruptly ends.

There are some unresolved issues. There were missed opportunities to bring back legacy characters or Easter Eggs. It simply feels disconnected to the Halloween and Halloween Kills.

Orphan: First Kill (2022)

Distracting casting and basically ridiculous

[4/10 · 23 September 2022]

The actress playing Esther is clearly in her 20's and much talker than her character. The tricks (camera angles, body doubles etc) used to try to convince the audience simply don't work. Instead it's distracting and unbelievable. It also makes it hard to engage in the story.

The plot... well there are more holes than story. The twist is actually kinda cool. But the whole premise is ridiculous. Stupid people doing stupid and naive things.

There's also not enough tension, fear or horror.

Julia Stiles doesn't offer much in the first half but warms up in the second half and her performance is a highlight of the film.

The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor (2022) Season 1, Episode 7

Please keep Rodriguez away from Star Wars

[6/10 · 9 February 2022]

The worst 3 episodes of the series are all directed by Robert Rodriguez. They look cheap and nasty, like episodes of Power Rangers, with poor editing and particularly bad gunfire effects. They feel very un-Star Wars.

After the previous 2 outstanding episodes which had some great cameos, surprises and twists, the finale was flat and predictable.

Come Play (2020)

Genuinely creepy

[9/10 · 13 November 2021]

Great low budget suspense film that has more going for it than most other stuff going around on Hulu and Netflix. Excellent acting from the young actors, some good creepy scares, well produced and a decent ending.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

Just don't waste your time

[5/10 · 13 November 2021]

Some interesting ideas and early promise. But the ending was terrible and simply not plausible. Marred by loose threads, unnecessary red herrings and ridiculous motives.

The cult side plot and introducing new characters in the penultimate episode was lazy and shows writers were writing on the fly.

There's even a monologue at the end that almost apologises for what just happened.

Doctor Who: Flux: Chapter One - The Halloween Apocalypse (2021) Season 13, Episode 1

Horrendous, childlike mess

[4/10 · 1 November 2021]

Chibnall is trying to be clever by introducing 6 different plots, 4 different monsters, multiple timelines and a new companion all inside 45 mins.

Instead it was a frantic mess. Too much CGI, characters screaming & running all over the place, and a forced cliffhanger.

It felt more like a show aimed at pre-teens rather than families but with so much happening all at once, even the kiddies would be confused.

And we get the obligatory callback to the Timeless Child, reminding us that (apparently) there were villains and encounters that pre-dated the First Doctor. Again, Chibnall trying to be clever...

Just 8 more episodes til RTD rescues the show.

Fear the Walking Dead: Six Hours (2021) Season 7, Episode 2

Frustrating, annoying filler

[4/10 · 18 October 2021]

I watch TV for entertainment. Instead we get 40 mins of screaming baby Mo, annoying Grace and .... Morgan.

Please can we have some Althea or Alicia or John Dory Sr or June. Or someone interesting!!

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021)

Imperfect but still enjoyable

[6/10 · 26 September 2021]

It's a bit of a mess. Plenty of plot holes, unlikely coincidences and mistakes - especially distance between locations. But it's a horror/thriller movie so you expect that to some extent.

The first 20 mins is unnecessary and the final hour then seems rushed. The puzzles are solved rapidly and a little too easily, with a lot of action and screaming. As a result, it doesn't really give viewers the chance to play along like the first film.

But it's still an enjoyable ride with some tension and a reasonable plot twist.

Suburban Gothic (2014)

Quirky, fun light entertainment

[7/10 · 23 September 2021]

It doesn't squarely fit comedy/horror or any other label, but it's fun (and a little dark) with some interesting characters and laugh-out-loud moments.

Matthew Gray Gubler is great as the man-child and Ray Wise is perfect as his father.

There are a few scenes sprinkled through the film that look oddly "cheap". Perhaps late pickups or second unit production. They're kinda distracting but don't ruin the film.

Malignant (I) (2021)

A rare turkey from James Wan

[5/10 · 11 September 2021]

The plot is completely predictable and the scares are non -existent. We don't even get any cheap jump scares.

It's mostly a good looking film except the final scenes where the CGI looks more like a video game. But there are no unexpected twists, no real fear and the plot holes are Grand Canyon wide.

Reminiscence (2021)

A mix of many films you know, but it doesn't work

[6/10 · 22 August 2021]

A narrated film noir that borrows from Blade Runner, Inception, Memento and many other classic movies you probably love more than this one.

It's a little muddled, takes a while to get going and the director probably thinks she's more clever than she actually is.

In the middle we see one of the most highly choreographed and cringeworthy fight scenes ever.

It's not a terrible film but maybe just rewatch a classic instead.

Beckett (2021)

Plodding film without any twists

[5/10 · 17 August 2021]

The cinematography and sound give off retro vibes with a mix of old Greek movies blended with neo-noir 70's classics like the original Dirty Harry. Some nice location shots and real settings.

But sadly it's a film that goes nowhere slowly. It's a fairly straightforward story with little action, no thrills and no story twists to surprise you or keep you guessing.

John David Washington offers little emotion and just ambles his way through the very thin plot filled with irrational actions, convenient coincidences and undeveloped characters.

Expect to be clockwatching pretty early.

Loki: Lamentis (2021) Season 1, Episode 3

Like a bad Jodie Whittaker Doctor Who episode

[4/10 · 27 June 2021]

Some good visuals but very little plot development.

The banter between Loki and Lady Loki seems forced and mostly uninteresting dribble. They could've learned a lot more from each other but the writers got lazy and just made it a CGI-fest instead.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Cliche drama lacking suspense (and reality)

[5/10 · 17 May 2021]

There's a lot going on in this film. Plenty of characters with backstories, but none are explored deeply enough.

Despite some quality actors on show, 14 year old Finn Little outshines them all - but performances all round are average.

Overall the film is ok and an easy way to pass 100 minutes. But the suspense doesn't really feel threatening, the CGI is a bit off, and you'll need to ignore how heat & smoke from fire are seemingly harmless to these characters.

Death of Me (2020)

Messy & over-long homage to Wicker Man

[4/10 · 25 April 2021]

On paper, the premise probably sounded pretty good. And it would've made a good short story. But the mystery quickly disappears and the film drags on.

Clearly a homage to the Wicker Man (even mentioned by one of the characters) but doesn't have enough of its own storyline to make it interesting.

Acting by Hemsworth isn't great and has the quality of a TV movie.

Some Kind of Hate (2015)

Gory B-grade horror without any scares or twists

[5/10 · 25 April 2021]

The first half drags with not a lot of action as we're introduced to a bunch of adult-looking kids that we don't really care for.

The second half is an illogical story with plenty of plot holes, but lots of blood and gore done very well. Unfortunately there are no jump-scares, no twists and some questionable acting.

You've probably seen worse films but you'll be wishing it was much better.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

A film for fans of the game

[6/10 · 24 April 2021]

Doesn't really follow the tried and tested 3-act formula. After the first 10 minute set-up, it's just a bunch of fights amongst a bunch of conversations. There's no real character development and the "finale" doesn't feel any more grand than the middle of the film.

Pretty much every Australian knows a Kano. He's a true Aussie larrikin and the most interesting character in the film. But his humour and foul mouth just gets tedious, much like some of the special effects.

Overall the film will likely please fans of the video game. It's violent, bloody, action packed and reasonably well paced. But for movie buffs expecting a big blockbuster, it falls a little short.