The market has not only been saturated but flooded with superhero movies of divergent quality over the past decade and a half. Apparently, people just can't seem to be getting enough as The Batman has received much praise as reviewers already claimed it to be the greatest film of the year only two months into it. Is this massive hype justified? As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between the extremes.

As a matter of fact, The Batman is certainly one of the better superhero movies. Does it have the quality of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Night? No, it doesn't. Can it equal the excellent performances in Todd Phillips' Joker? No, it can't.

However, there are several positive elements worth to be pointed out. First and foremost, the movie oozes with sinister atmosphere from start to finish. The movie uses excellent lighting techniques to enhance these vibes. The sinister locations with at times claustrophobic vibes blend in splendidly. The fact that most parts of the film take place at night or during rainfall completes the perfect picture here.

The movie features several intriguing characters portrayed by convincing actresses and actors. Robert Pattinson convinces as more emotional, fragile and haunted superhero who is easy to sympathize and even empathize with. Jeffrey Wright convinces as gritty, honest and loyal Lieutenant James Gordon. Zoë Kravitz is introduced very interestingly as clever, mysterious and passionate Selina Kyle who is looking for a missing friend.

This film features several impressive special effects. This includes car chases, hand-to-hand combats and explosive shootouts. These elements are not overused to give the movie a dystopian but realistic vibe. It's refreshing to not see the titular hero flying around and using his supernatural capacities all the time.

However, the movie certainly isn't without its flaws. First of all, The Batman is a little bit too long and features some minor lengths in the opening third as the different characters are introduced. The same could be said about the closing scenes that desperately try to set the table for upcoming prequels, reboots and sequels.

Some character development is shallow and lacks realism. The connection between Batman and Catwoman for instance evolves much too quickly and their reciprocal romantic feelings seem to be pulled out of thin air. That element also doesn't add anything to this movie. The same could be said about the development of the antagonist. He turns out to be an unstable psychopath without a credible agenda who nevertheless goes to extreme lengths to cause harm. The addition of the Joker who appears out of nowhere in the movie's conclusion is disappointing as that character has been overused in the franchise while other interesting ones have barely been exploited.

Another element that needs to be pointed out negatively is the story. It isn't plain bad but certainly not brilliant either. It's overall very predictable, exchangeable and by the numbers. That lack of quality decreases the intensity and tension of the movie. Instead of ending on a high note with a satisfactory closure, the conclusion of the movie tries to cram as many elements hinting at a possible sequel into this movie as possible.

As you can read, the Batman is an atmospheric and entertaining fantasy blockbuster with great actresses and actors and a strong dystopian but realistic vibe. However, the film fails to walk off the beaten path as it features several lengths, is based upon a weak main plot and includes too many predictable and unnecessary references. At the end of the day, The Batman is a very good film for genre fans but occasional fans or possible newcomers should rather start their discovery of this franchise with The Dark Knight or even Joker.

The King's Daughter is a fantasy drama with historical elements that was filmed eight years ago but only released now due to Chinese actress Fan Bingbing being involved in some legal issues and the ongoing pandemic making a release quite challenging. This movie impresses with lush locations and decent acting sequences. The plot remains rather shallow however and won't leave a lasting impression.

The story revolves around Marie-Joseph who grew up in a French convent by the sea. As a child and teenager, she had a rebellious attitude and didn't always respect the rules. As she becomes a young woman, she is brought to the court of the King of France. Along with her personal assistant Magali, she is amazed by the lush locations and falls in love with a fisherman called Captain Yves. Things however take a sinister turn when Marie-Joseph learns that a beautiful mermaid is supposed to be sacrificed to grant the King of France eternal life. The surprises don't stop there as the young woman discovers that the King of France is actually her father. He expects her to marry the son of a rich businessman. Marie-Joseph now must decide whether she should follow her heart and escape with the mermaid and the fisherman or follow her mind and sacrifice her ideals for her country and her King.

This movie has several strong elements that should keep viewers watching until the very end. First and foremost, the locations, settings and special effects are truly impressive. Some scenes were filmed on location in Versailles. The majestic castle and its gigantic gardens look absolutely stunning. The scenes filmed in the water cave and on the ocean also ooze with atmosphere. The skillful light effects make the settings look even more glamorous.

The acting performances are overall also very decent. Kaya Scodelario convinces as rebellious daughter of the King of France. Her performance strongly reminds of the acting chops of Kristen Stewart but she even manages to be more versatile than said icon. Pierce Brosnan also convinces as King of France and portrays a charismatic character that is perfectly balanced between selfishness and empathy, self-confidence and fear, ignorance and wisdom. William Hurt delivers the goods as resilient Père La Chaise and it's refreshing to see a member of the Catholic Church being portrayed as an empathic hero rather than a closed-minded villain once in a while.

The film however also has its share of flaws. The story is very predictable and rips off numerous fairy tales as the King's daughter falls in love with a poor fisherman and confronts her father who prefers her to marry the wealthy but superficial son of an influential businessman. The idea to include a mermaid even further transforms this movie into a childish fairy tale, especially since that element doesn't add much to the story line. Fan Bingbing who incarnates the mermaid looks heavily processed by visual computer effects and doesn't speak one single word throughout the movie. The mermaid could have really been played by any actress and Fan Bingbing's talents are certainly underused here and one has to wonder if the only reason for her to get cast was to get attention from Asian cineasts.

At the end of the day, The King's Daughter is a lush fairy tale that should especially please children and young teenagers. Especially girls and female teenagers should easily empathize with the rebellious protagonist and the exotic mermaid. As for the parents and older audiences who might watch this movie, they should simply focus on the beautiful settings and impressive special effects that have aged very well. The movie was certainly worth to be released almost eight years after it had been filmed. While The King's Daughter entertains from start to finish and offers welcome escapism in difficult times, it doesn't leave a lasting impression and doesn't exploit its full potential.

Last Night in Soho is a wonderful fantasy thriller that takes place in present-day London as well as in Soho of the mid-sixties. The movie convinces with a creative story, wonderful lighting effects and an excellent soundtrack featuring singers such as Cilla Black, Petula Clark and Sandie Shaw.

The story revolves around creative, dreamy and shy country bumpkin Eloise who leaves her caring grandmother to study at the London College of Fashion. Her arrival soon becomes a traumatizing nightmare as her superficial fellow students are rather interested in booze, parties and sex than in artistic, creative and intellectual development. Eloise decides to leave the dorm and moves into an old house owned by severe landlady Miss Collins. While Eloise is at first happy to have escaped from the craze of the dorm, she soon starts to have strange dreams of a young singer named Sandie who lived in the same room back in the sixties. Every night, Eloise discovers more about Sandie but what starts as an urban fairy tale of a talented young woman receiving critical acclaim soon becomes a nightmare of abuse. As Eloise is trying to figure out what happened to Sandie, she is gradually disconnecting from reality in her everyday life and rapidly spiralling out of control.

This blockbuster convinces on multiple levels. First and foremost, the story is creative, diversified and fascinating as it feels like the collision of an urban fairytale with a dreadful tale of abuse. The movie can be perceived as a drama due to its emotional depth, as a thriller since it involves abuse, disappearances and murders and even as a horror movie as the protagonist is haunted by strange figures from the past who are slowly driving her insane.

The lighting effects are absolutely astonishing in this film. London truly comes to life at night with its colourful advertisements and endless city lights. The lights on different stages in pubs and hotels are also truly impressive.

This film almost qualifies as a musical as well. The movie features numerous songs from the sixties that are perfectly interwoven. The lyrics of these songs actually match the content of the film and especially the emotions of the different characters.

At the end of the day, Last Night in Soho is one of the most imaginative movies released last year and deserves the attention and praise it has recently been receiving. The movie would be enjoyed best at the big screen but since the pandemic might make this experience difficult to get, you might as well purchase this movie and enjoy it at home. Anyone who might be interested in a quirky mixture of drama, fantasy, horror and thriller elements with two particularly strong lead actresses with the charming Thomasin McKenzie and the self-confident Anya Taylor-Joy should give this blockbuster a chance.

The Craft: Legacy follows the visionary fantasy drama The Craft that had been released twenty-four years ago. This movie seems to be a sequel through its first half before the story takes a twisted turn and connects with some events from the original movie. These events lead to a final scene that should certainly intrigue anyone who liked the original movie.

This film revolves around social outcast Lily whose mother moves in with a man whom she met online. Lily quickly senses that her mother's lover isn't as charming as it seems as he represents toxic masculinity with his strict rules that also have a negative impact on his three sons. Things aren't going much better at school for Lily. She forgets to wear a pad or a tampon at her first day of school and bleeds through her jeans onto the chair and the floor in her classroom. Nasty bullying ensues. Just as Lily shamefully hides in the rest room, three other students come to show empathy and support. The four students quickly become friends and realize that they have interests in and talents for witchcraft. At first, they use their powers to prevent bullying but Lily goes one step further and uses a love spell on high school heartthrob Timmy. What starts as a tender romance quickly turns into a nightmare as Timmy is found dead. Lily however quickly suspects that her lover didn't commit suicide and was actually murdered. As she discovers more about her own identity and powers, she starts to suspect that her soon-to-be stepfather might be involved in the heartthrob's grisly demise.

This movie convinces on a few levels. First of all, the idea to deal with complicated and complex family issues adds some depth to the movie. The topic of toxic masculinity is on the pulse of time. Lead character Lily oozes with charisma with her tender romantic side opposed to her mysterious origins and her hidden powers that make her different. Lead actress Cailee Spaeny is credible and talented as she becomes one with her role. Her behaviour, her clothing style and her general looks are very fascinating and unique.

On the negative side, the movie's plot is rather flat. The topic of witchcraft is barely explored if compared to the original movie. The side characters remain flat which is certainly a missed opportunity. The character of Frankie for instance has no memorable features whatsoever. Tabby's origins and experiences are only explored in a deleted scene and the makers of this film missed the occasion to develop a potentially strong female person of colour as charismatic heroine. The same must be said about Lourdes who is played by excellent transgender actress Zoey Luna. Sadly, her struggles and identity are only randomly mentioned in about two sentences when it would have been very interesting to explore both further. Another issue of this movie are the poor dialogues with forced slang that is supposed to sound youthful but rather appears to be cringeworthy. A special shoutout goes to David Duchovny whose acting is so wooden that it becomes unintentionally funny. He remains one of the most overrated actors in the world.

At the end of the day, The Craft: Legacy is only carried by its intriguing protagonist played by talented actress Cailee Spaeny. The rest of the film is only of average quality. This fantasy drama might be worth to be watched once on a rainy night but it doesn't exploit its potentially relevant topics of female empowerment, transgender identity and toxic masculinity properly. The original movie released twenty-four years was much more visionary in its depiction of social issues and certainly deserves much more attention than this sequel.

The Craft is much more of a fantasy drama than an actual horror movie. Despite a lack of scary scenes, the movie convinces with its four intriguing lead characters incarnated by four excellent young actresses.

The story is quickly told. Suicidal teenager Sarah comes to town and meets three teenage outcasts at her high school. The four teenage girls are interested in witchcraft and start experimenting with it. First, they use their magical powers to prevent bullying but they push the boundaries further with every ritual. Soon enough, people are dying and conflicts arise between the four friends.

This movie convinces with its four intriguing lead characters. Sarah is a calm, mysterious and suicidal girl who becomes more courageous, passionate and resilient as the movie progresses. Nancy is a fragile character who hides her sadness under thick layers of make-up and gothic clothing as well as an arrogant attitude as she tries to find problems to solve her personal issues. Bonnie suffers from a lack of self-confidence due to burn scars covering her arms and back as she wishes to become more beautiful. Rochelle has to face racism and bullying during her high diving exercises.

The four lead actresses make a good movie out of an at best average concept. Robin Tunney incarnates the tormented protagonist very well and has an aura of fragility and mystery about her. Neve Campbell portrays a teenage girl obsessed with beauty and popularity splendidly. Rachel True plays the resilient student who faces bullying and racism in her everyday life with much charisma. Fairuza Balk however truly steals the show and convinces as arrogant but attractive gothic girl who is spiralling out of control with her extreme behaviour.

At the end of the day, The Craft might be an average horror film but a great fantasy drama. While the story is by the numbers, the acting performances and characters are truly inspiring. It's great to see four diverse teenage girls as protagonists of this movie which helps women identify with these characters and all other audiences learn more about the realities of female high school students. From this perspective, The Craft was certainly ahead of its time and has aged very well.