John Wick: Chapter 2 is both one of the few action movies that actually has a reason to exist and that can compete with its predecessor. The former is confirmed since the titular main character has killed so many criminals in the predecessor that he has become public enemy number one which is the central plot element of this film. The latter is underlined by this film's similarly straight pace, pitiless action sequences and cool acting performances which make the transition between the two films very smooth. I would actually recommend watching the entire trilogy back to back since the films take place over a few days in the life of professional assassin John Wick.

Just like its predecessor, this movie obviously doesn't feature an intriguing plot. However, it expands the universe of John Wick as well as his associates and competitors. It gives us more details about the lead character's impressive reputation and explores his life before his initial retirement. The film adds a few new characters such as a shady crime lord played by Riccardo Scamarcio and an enigmatic underground cult figure who controls a large network of homeless gangsters incarnated by Laurence Fishburne. The film also introduces new spectacular locations such as a stealthy infiltration sequence to assassinate a powerful woman at the heart of Rome.

To keep it short, this sequel is as good as its predecessor and offers a whopping two hours of passionate action with spectacular locations, cool characters and some interesting background stories. This approach makes me think of a fast-paced video game like Hitman on steroids. The John Wick franchise doesn't reinvent its genre but offers unpretentious fun for fans of gritty action films for adults.

Happy Death Day was the most positive cinematic surprise of the year when it was released about one and a half years ago. The characters were quirky, the plot was surprising, the thrills were gripping, the jokes were humorous and the acting was emotional.

Sadly, this unique movie was so commercially successful that it has been made into a franchise. This sequel could normally be described as an above average comedy horror mixture. But since it follows a flawless film, it can only be described as a disappointment.

The first ten minutes of the film are promising. Instead of following the story of the first film's lead actress, we see how a side character of the first installment lives a time loop. However, the film's perspective soon shifts and we see the previous film's lead actress living a time loop over and over again.

The sequel tries to add a few misplaced fresh elements which take away from the predecessor's free-spirited vibe. The time loop is explained with the help of forced science-fiction elements which are unintentionally ridiculous. The new time loop also takes place in a different dimension where characters behave randomly differently from the first movie which is simply lazy scrip writing. The film tries to be more dramatic as the lead actress must choose between living in a dimension where she is single but her mother is still alive or a dimension where she has a boyfriend but her mother has died. Instead of adding an emotional tone, the film is overtly sentimental which doesn't work because the actors and actresses involved don't have the talent to transmit such feelings. The fact that the lead actress choses her new boyfriend over her deceased mother is also baffling to say the least.

To make matters worse, this sequel includes an additional scene midway through the credits that indicates that there will be a third film focused on sending the lead actress' sister back in time. Happy Death Day risks suffering a similar fate to other comedy horror franchises from Scary Movie to Scream that repeated themselves endlessly while constantly losing quality.

There are a few elements that save this movie from being a complete failure. The characters from the predecessor have all come back and are still quite sympathetic. New additional characters add some spice here and there. The movie includes a few hilarious scenes such as the lead actress' sister playing a blind French exchange student seducing a grumpy professor. One can't deny that this movie is generally quite entertaining except for a repetitive third quarter that consists of a series of random setbacks that prevent the lead actress from going back to her original dimension.

In the end, I wish Happy Death Day 2U didn't exist because it spoils the unique perfection of its memorable predecessor. Objectively speaking however, this sequel is entertaining, funny and quirky as it offers one hundred minutes of popcorn cinema that is quite easy to digest. If I had to give you one advice, I would ask you to watch the first movie and forget that this sequel or any other movie of this franchise even exists.

Overkill had a stunning return to form with energetic thrash metal output Ironbound nine years ago. The band kept its momentum with The Electric Age that had less convincing song writing but still plenty of juvenile spirit. Two years later, White Devil Armory offered more of the same but saved the day with some hard rock and punk rock elements to keep things dynamic. Another three years later, The Grinding Wheel utilized the same formula with at times plodding song writing and exhausting track lengths. The band has now released The Wings of War and I wish I could tell you that the band varied its formula to add some fresh elements. But that certainly isn't the case since The Wings of War simply sounds like the fourth sequel to Ironbound. Every album has gotten somewhat weaker throughout the past nine years which makes The Wings of War the band's worst output in at least one decade.

A typical song taken from The Wings of War is five minutes long, features predictable upper mid-tempo riffs, domineering bass guitar sounds, steady but unspectacular drumming, fierce but repetitive lead vocals intertwined with exchangeable gang shouts in the choruses and slightly slower bridges in the middle of the tracks. While this formula could work well for one or two songs, it gets annoying when it is used for eleven tunes in a row.

Only two songs manage to stand out after numerous spins. ''Bat Shit Crazy'' starts like the predictable angry band hymn that can be found on almost every record but is saved by a calm, floating and mysterious bridge with unusual vocal effects giving the track an otherworldly vibe. ''Where Few Dare to Walk'' also convinces in the atmospheric department as its mysterious, haunting and gloomy vibes give the song some emotional depth.

Faithful fans will buy Overkill's new record anyway but should come to realize that it's one of the band's most exchangeable outputs in a very long time. The Wings of War isn't a terrible effort but at times painfully average. Overkill has proved in the past that it can add a few changes to sound creative, fresh and relevant in form of more atmospheric sections, astonishing cover tracks, doom metal reminiscences, groove metal soundscapes, hard rock references and punk rock vibes. This album only includes two more atmospheric tracks while the rest is traditional thrash metal by the numbers that simply sounds old-fashioned in a negative way. The formula of Ironbound had its merits and moments but has simply overstayed its welcome by now. The Wings of War is barely an acceptable record and Overkill should think of some changes if it doesn't want to make us fall asleep upon listening to its next output.

Final rating: 55%

The Wandering Earth is a Chinese science-fiction blockbuster based upon the critically acclaimed novella of the same name by award-winning author Liu Cixin. The movie convinces with stunning visual and sound effects that bring a dystopian world to live. The action sequences are intense. The acting performances are solid enough to make you care about the fates of the characters until the spectacular ending. Imagine a revamped mixture of Armageddon and The Day After Tomorrow with all the contemporary aesthetics and you know what you will get from this film.

The movie tells the story of a dying sun that endangers our planet to a point that it needs to be moved out of the Solar System and to the Alpha Centauri system with giant thrusters running on fusion power. The film follows a family consisting of an experienced grandfather who has worked as a trucker on the planet's frozen surface, an absent father who works as an astronaut on an international space station, a rebellious son who is sick and tired of living in the underground and his naive adopted sister who dreams of discovering the world. The son and his adopted sister try to escape from the underground and are being followed by the grandfather who wants to save them while the father has to make sure the planet's voyage progresses smoothily. As Jupiter's gravity attracts the wandering planet which could lead to a fatal disintegration that would annihilate mankind, the four protagonists are suddenly in the middle of a desperate rescue mission.

The only issue I have with this movie is the story itself. This isn't a science-fiction story because the scientific part is so unrealistic that this can basically be categorized as a fantasy movie. It's hard to fully get into the story and appreciate the film because the plot is nonsensical to a point that it almost becomes ridiculous. That is obviously not exactly the fault of the filmmakers but of the source material and one has to wonder why such an unrealistic novella has achieved so much critical acclaim.

If you are ready to ignore the fact that the plot doesn't make any sense whatsoever, you can appreciate visually stunning popcorn cinema of epic proportions for two entertaining hours. However, the movie is slightly overrated and there are even better contemporary Chinese science-fiction movies like the gripping Reset that recalls elements of the film Looper.