I was not impressed by this addition to The Expendables series directed by Scott Waugh.
This might be the very last one since the entire hook of these movies is a homage to old skool action stars from the decades 80s and 90s kicking ass in a new type of role lead by Syvester Stallone. Jason Statham basically takes over this entire movie. His fighting style is ruthless and filled with snarky comments for almost every kill.
There really isn't much for the other actors to do in this movie.
I wouldn't say skip this movie because it does deliver loads of actions. But if you are a fan of the series from the beginning, then you probably won't like this movie compared to the previous ones.
I give this 2/5 stars

'Expend4bles' is a mixed bag. I was never entertained, though I was also never all that bored - odd.
I think it's ever so slightly watchable because of those who are in it, given they all fit their roles to the T. However, I can't class it as anything 'good' because the sole job of these films is to be entertaining - and this just isn't, even if I wasn't necessarily craving the end credits. It's all simply rather dull.
Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone (who is strangely, given he is the series' star, sidelined) are a solid pairing, while Megan Fox does quite well throughout - her best performance that I've seen, admittedly I haven't yet checked out anything with her in a lead role; 'Transformers' (meh) aside. Andy García, meanwhile, is alright, the best of the rest if I was forced to pick one of 'em.
I'm kinda surprised this franchise even got a fourth entry, since its release I kept forgetting it even existed... and sadly, post-watch, I don't see that changing. Weakest of the tetralogy, for me.

I love all 3 parts before this 3rd class movie. The story is classic not bad not good for this type of movies and lots of actors from the previous movies are missing, but they bring us Megan Fox and ruin everything. I hope that this will last movie in this series.

A B grade action flick masquerading as a A list title. That's my reaction to Expendables 4.
Yes, its a tired formula but at least previous Expendable films in this cheesy action franchise, showed a little genuine enthusiasm and included a cast of well worn but also well known, action stars.
By contrast, the latest flick is easily forgettable with a good number of cast members, I've never heard of or seen on screen, infrequently.
In summary, looks and behaves like a decidedly B grade action film with a sparse sprinkling of A grade action talent. Feels too, likes its going through the motions but not really delivering, if that makes sense.

To be honest, there's very little new in this formulaic action adventure. It's the usual old who has got the launch codes mystery that sees Sly Stallone's "Barney" recruit his best mate "Christmas" (Jason Statham) and their lethal gang of expendables to thwart the ambitions of an unknown criminal mastermind who is hoping to arm a boat load of nuclear missiles and start WWIII. Thing is, tragedy strikes very early on in the film and "Christmas" is taken off the team that is sent to avenge that. Is he staying home to fester? Of course not, and lucky too - for soon he is trying to free his pals from captivity before all hell breaks loose. Plenty of pyrotechnics, a bit of contrived sexual chemistry (with Megan Fox's "Gina") and loads of bullets and missiles flying around keep the film moving along well enough, but the story is the thinnest of the thin; the baddie's identity is hardly a challenge to discover nor is the twist in the tale at the end remotely unexpected. Good to see that the acting colossus that is Dolph Lundgren is still getting on screen nowadays, but otherwise this really is unremarkable stuff that even the usually charismatic Statham can't really sustain.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter has a huge amount of wasted potential. The setting is atmospheric and the cast is decent. The real downside to it is that it shows way too much way too early. The suspense and mystery is killed by completely unveiling the "bad guy" in the first third of the movie and it unfortunately devolves into a B-movie adjacent creature flick from there on.
I'm not one to complain about characters making dumb choices for the sake of the story in a horror movie, but I think this one really turns it up to eleven. I don't recall a single film in recent memory that had the main characters make such consistently wrong decisions throughout and it kinda turned into eye rolling in the last third.
Overall I really wanted to like it, because the setting and theme was intriguing. It's not a horrible movie by any means, but it's a shame to see how close it came to being good, just to end up being pulled back into mediocrity.

The voyage of Dracula across the seas to London was a tale that I always wanted to see put to film. Unfortunately, this movie did not put enough of an emphasis on this actually being Dracula. Yes, it was stated in the movie by the characters, and some of the lore was set up at the start, but once they set sail on the Demeter, it turned into another demon-beast just killing victims.
Dracula's monstrous form looked great, there just wasn't enough of the "human" part of him portrayed. The movie looked good, and the characters were interesting enough that they were not just monster fodder. Maybe there wasn't enough Dracula-as-a-plague, either. It was constantly stated that he needed to feed, but that's not the same as his bat and rat, disease-carrying, rabid animal characteristics.

MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2023-edition
"The Last Voyage of the Demeter breathes new life into the Dracula narrative, offering a surprisingly fresh take on the classic tale. This adaptation stands out with exceptional makeup work, impressively relying on real, practical effects instead of succumbing to the CGI trend. A remarkable choice that adds realism to the gruesome scenes filled with gore, bloody kills, and shocking imagery. Director André Øvredal's willingness to make bold decisions deserves much praise, as do the claustrophobic, eerie atmosphere and a potent score that avoids the formulaic build-ups to jumpscares. Gorgeously shot with excellent control of dark lighting and commendable VFX. Despite its strengths, the film overstays its welcome, falling into a somewhat predictable structure. A notable frustration arises from the nonsensical decision to reveal the ending in the opening sequence without substantial justification, leaving a lingering dissatisfaction with an otherwise daring, visually striking, highly entertaining horror flick."
Rating: B+

Very middle ground horror movie. The CGI Dracula is pretty boring throughout. Not much new to offer.

Last Voyage of the Demeter, manages to wring every creepy last drop, out of what is, a rather limited setting.
This is a disturbing film in many respects. It takes the myth of Dracula as envisioned by Bram Stoker and makes something fundamentally primal, awful and genuinely chilling, out of it.
This vampire is not your polite, European, with dental problems but more your monstrous Nosferatu.Its a sensible choice, as it amps ups the fear factor, in what is,the confined setting of a ship.
Acting is top shelf too and really adds depth to what is already, a more than decent, horror film.
The only real downside is a few inconsistencies in the plot. Two of the characters go to investigate the crates, where they suspect the vampire dwells. One says she has no idea how to kill the vampire, having observed a crew member, who was bitten, burning in daylight. Indeed, why would the other character, who asks the question, apparently a doctor, not be more observant too? The captain and the remaining crew, are left out of this dangerous expedition, why? Why too, go at night, in the knowledge that this is when the vampire is out and about, taking compulsory blood donations?
In summary, an above average horror film that's truly creepy, disturbing and chilling. Perhaps only limited a little by the confines of its setting and a few, rather obvious, plot holes.That said, I still rate this a decent watch, if you enjoy vampire films.

'Past Lives' - quality!
It's an engaging watch, I was invested in the two main characters throughout. It does get, by design, extremely awkward at a certain moment towards the end, as I was squirming in my seat; shows how well made it is. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo are excellent, John Magaro plays his more minimal part well too.
I don't have much else to note, it's simply an impressively made movie.

Celine song directed this wonderful and emotionally complex film about holding on to the past no matter how fleeting it is.
Ha Young is a young girl living in Korea. She has a crush on a boy at school named Hae Sung.
The time comes when her family is immigrating to Canada. It is devastating to young Hae, who is going to miss his friend.
Twelve years go by and Ha is now living in New York City and goes by the name of Nora. One day while browsing the internet she looks up Hae out of curiosity. She contacts him and learns that he has also been looking for her. They talk online for awhile, but Nora worries that the time is being taken away from what she should be doing. They stop communicating.
Another twelve years passes and Nora is now married to Arthur, a writer. Hao contracts her out of the blue and says he is coming to New York and wants to see her.
The scenes when he arrives are golden. The dialogue and conversation and hidden innuendo are flawlessly displayed.
They have so much to say to each other, yet so much is not said. It boils under the uneasy surface.
The final moments of the film are devastating, but not in the way you might expect. It leaves a longing and emotional feeling that is hard to pinpoint.
"Past Lives" soars as one of the years best films and in my opinion should not be missed.

An american A24 very adult romance and drama movie that gets in you little by little, slow burning with a gentle flame and involves more than just love, but personal choices and fate too.
Compared to a lot of romances this one is very real, and tells the story of two korean child, that lives closely together in their 12yo in sort of a "proto-date" till she emigrate to Canada and then US, already searching better changes at what she planned to do as a job (writing).
Jump 12 years later accidentally she discovers that he was looking for her, and they start to chat online together, and the old fire starts to ignite again... till the day she says with a broken heart that because neither of them can see each other too soon and because she need to focus on her work they should to stop talking for a while.
A while that passes in another 12 years and she gets on her life in America even marrying another writer aspirant while he gets a girlfriend. Then he decides to come visit her in NYC (that's shown in the very start (2min) of the movie, watch closely for the details in expressions that this tells so much) .
A great strat for Celine Song at her debut on the big screen (as director and screenplay) and great performance of Greta Lee.
An 9.5 out of 10.0 / A+ for me - most real than 80% of the ommances that you see around. Got a nomination for Academy on original screenplay and best Movie but should get more categories imo.

"Na Young" (Moon Seung-ah) and her best pal "Hae Sung" (Leem Seung-min) are pretty much joined at the hip at school. They do everything together. That is, until her family decide that they are going to emigrate to Canada. The young lad is a bit bereft, he doesn't really understand and he certainly doesn't approve! Anyway, off they go and after quite an hiatus, she discovers that he had tried to get in touch previously and so she now gets in contact. Now called "Nora" (and played by Greta Lee), she has married "Arthur" (John Magaro) and moved to NYC, but as they continue to chat online they gradually rebuild their friendship so that a visit from Korea to the USA seems the natural next step. What now ensues are a poignantly constructed series of reminiscences that extol the virtues and innocence of their childhoods but also illustrate how different they have become - even while the underlying bedrock of her relationship with him (and, for that matter with her husband) is probably just as solid - though not in quite the same way. There's a bit of pining, a bit of regret - but the film also fairly optimistically looks at where their lives have got to, and also of where their lives have yet to go. The acting isn't really much to write home about, though Magaro delivers well as the gooseberry. He doesn't speak much Korean and so the chats with their visitor frequently leave him in a sort of nervous, but polite, limbo. There are a few films around just now that focus on reconciliation of those separated by migration when South East Asia was still recovering from post war/French colonial rule - and this one is certainly one of the more interesting and honest. It's not without the odd bit of humour either - and is well worth a gander.

Wow. For a director, Celine Song, just coming out of the gate, this is quite an impressive film. The lead actress, Greta Lee, fit the role like a soft leather glove, which speaks volumes, both for her talent, and for Song's casting. Lee's Hollywood Critics Association Best Actress award is well-deserved.
Song wrote an excellent screenplay, and her direction turned it into a stunning film. Kudos to A24 for taking a chance on her. I presume they are happy with the outcome. It's rather interestingly paced in a Buddhist or Asian kind of way - slow, meditative, and more is shown than is said. Overall, it's not a perfect film, but it's close.
This isn't precisely a coming-of-age movie, but the plot revolves around that (perhaps even more difficult,) developing period between the ages of 20 and mid-30s. I've held a long-standing belief that our life chapters change every seven years. You know: there are seven chakras, seven days in a week, the Seven Sisters (Pleiades), or whichever mystical seven you'd like. Over the course of three of these "theoretical" chapters, this movie focuses on two relationships in the protagonist's life, from roughly twenty-one (7*3) to approximately forty-two (7*6). She was married at about the time of a chapter shift (7*5), as if to validate my weird belief. In my world, it all makes sense.
This movie is certainly somewhat autobiographical, even by Song's own admission. It will be added to my Directors About Themselves list. I can't wait to see Celine's next project!

As the son of parents who were childhood sweethearts/soul mates, I tend to be a sucker for movie romances that address this subject. In this case, however, the only “sucker” aspect applies to the money I plunked down to watch this two-hour snoozefest. Writer-director Celine Song’s debut feature has been praised as a masterful piece of filmmaking and one of the best pictures of 2023, but I heartily beg to disagree. When a pair of young, tightly knit Korean friends, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), part ways from their native Seoul and are later reunited in New York after a 24-year separation, the reunion of these childhood pals provides them with an opportunity to reflect on what might have been. However, their time together consists mostly of a series of overly bloated pregnant pauses, inane dialogue and missed chances to discuss much of anything meaningful, the kinds of scenes that make even the most patient viewers want to yell “Get on with it already!” These “conversations” come nowhere close to matching their joy of their spirited youthful interactions or the heartfelt, substantive talks that later take place between Nora and her husband, Arthur (John Magaro). The result is, quite frankly, a big fat bore that’s trying to be more than it is but never achieves that outcome. Perhaps the biggest problem with this is the film’s truly sincere but decidedly paper thin narrative that doesn’t have the writing support to bring it all into beautiful full bloom, despite some fine performances, exquisite cinematography and an emotive background score. From this, the director would appear to have a hefty reserve of potential stashed away, at least based on this offering’s stylistic elements, but the substance could use some definite shoring up. Let’s hope her next effort lives up to that.

Nicolas Cage proves again and again that he's capable of playing any role without problems and let me tell you - he's nailing his role in this movie. He's an actor of many talents. Enjoyed movie a lot. Was fun.

Not bad, but I didn't really click with it enough.
Nicolas Cage is a nice piece of casting and delivers in the role of Dracula, as I'd expect to be honest... feels like a Cage sorta character! Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina are decent, I've seen better from the latter elsewhere but her performance improves as this one progresses. Honestly, I would've reworked the film to revolve around Cage, rather than Hoult.
The story didn't really connect with me, as in I didn't get the required entertainment from it. It's alright, I just didn't really care for what I was watching - more like just acknowledging its existence, rather than actually sinking my teeth into what was happening onscreen. The humour could've been a bit stronger, too.
I appreciate the attempt. 'Renfield' just didn't work for me.

Awkwafina should have been on the poster!
========================================
Not knowing she was in this, is what probably made me resist watching Renfield right away. She is the most watchable part of the film.
Maybe because the rest is not a revelation; everything that happens in the movie with Cage and Hoult, is just predictable vampire tropes—the trailer was enough for that.
At any moment, it was neither horror, nor comedy. Although, at the very beginning, the recovering Dracula is convincingly threatening; but not once he 'gains full power'.
The excessive, exploding blood-works would have been funny, if they were selective with it's use. But they end up using it everywhere, even the kills that are meant to invoke fear and sadness. Perhaps it was an attempt at nonsense comedy. But, didn't come across very well.
But yes, Awkwafinaaaa!

Its been a while since I've seen Nicolas Cage in a role, I feel, does him justice. Renfield gives Cage the opportunity to shine.
His comedic take on Dracula combined with the "very English" performance, handed in by Nicholas Hoult, makes this film work, in spite of itself.
The comedic premise behind Renfield is highly original, I'd even say, quite clever. Whats not so intelligent, however, is the handling.
The potential for comedic flair and fun is drowned, in good measure, by the over the top, often rather grotesquely visceral, blood soaked, violence. Violence that's on the cusp, of the proverbial, splatter flick.
In summary, a moderately watchable film that leaves the compelling feeling, it could have amounted to more, with subtler, less violent, treatment.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-chris-mckays-renfield-is-precisely-what-its-expected-to-be/
"Renfield is yet another movie that provides precisely what it promises - with an unbelievably ridiculous, purposefully silly story about the toxic relationship between Dracula and Renfield, expectedly elevated by the "OTT King" Nicolas Cage and an up-to-the-challenge Nicholas Hoult. The light, humorous environment leaves space for action sequences that are also intentionally excessive in all technical elements, which makes the entertainment levels inconsistent due to the continuous blend of quick cuts and outrageous amounts of blood. The dedication of the stunt team deserved better and much more screen time. Still, if you're a Cage fan, you won't be disappointed."
Rating: B-

_Renfield_ is an okay horror comedy. It has a ton of potential with its excessive amount of blood and Nicolas Cage is worth the price of admission alone. The action sequences have all of their entertainment value sucked away by the end of the film; mostly because they all feel so similar. The humor and story reach a brick wall that the filmmakers refuse to stop pounding your face into.
_Renfield_ is like the junk food version of a horror comedy. It has all the right ingredients for something that should be fantastic, but its recipe for action, comedy, and satisfying storytelling is imbalanced to the point of near disgust.
**Full review:** https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/04/18/renfield-review-bite-suck-not-laugh-repeat/

Nicholas Hoult is the eponymous vampire "familial" whose job it is, is to cater for the needs of his toothy master (Nicolas Cage) who is distinctly under the weather. He is gradually tiring of the relentlessness of his tasks - especially as procuring food for his boss is becoming more and more difficult; as well having to rely on his own unsavoury diet of bugs - they give him super strength for a few moments. Meantime, the ballsy police officer "Quincy" (Awkwafina) is trying to finally nail "Teddy Lobo" (Ben Schwartz) whose mother "Bella" (Shohreh Aghdashloo) heads up the city's most ruthless gang of drug dealing hoods and who has bribed just about every city official. Serendipity takes an hand when "Renfield" comes across this officer in a diner and after a lively altercation the two find themselves united in their determination to achieve their goals. To be honest, the story is pretty lightweight and just reminded me of an episode of "Buffy". What makes this a bit more fun is the two characterisations. Hoult joins in. He is clearly having fun with his insects and his acrobatics. Cage is also up for the task at hand. He is super-hammy and at times reminded me more of Sir Anthony Hopkin's "Hannibal Lecter" than of anything Christopher Lee ever did. I saw this on my own in a cinema last night which was a bid sad - it's not a great film, but it is still a mildly amusing mickey-take of this genre (and of what passes for film-noir nowadays) and though instantly forgettable, is still a well produced and enjoyable enough gore-fest.

Heart of Stone, in spite of its big budget polish offers nothing new.
This is very much your standard, derivative, run of the mill, action fare with a Mission Impossible vibe and a female lead.
Its not bad, as such, its more that its all been done before and done with a little more imagination.
As for the plug for British intelligence, as we are seeing from the Ukraine conflict and others around the world, they are no more the cuddly cat loving "good guys" than their US counterparts.
In summary, watchable, lots of money equals polish, in terms of action scenes and special effects but that's all that is special about this film.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://insessionfilm.com/movie-review-heart-of-stone/
"Heart of Stone is a film of distinct halves. The first hour contains an intriguing narrative filled with surprising twists, fast pacing, and exciting stunts shot in real locations.
Unfortunately, the movie becomes overly dependent on increasingly generic, formulaic storytelling, action, and character-building methods, ending up completely devoid of emotion or impactful resolutions.
It will satisfy viewers without high expectations for random home viewing, but it won't last long in their memory."
Rating: C+