MGD Tim's thoughts -- Spiderman:Brand New Day

Spiderman has always been my fav superhero, following it since I was a kid. I always find him relatable
because it’s not just a superhero, he is like a normal guy like everyone else.

And that’s what makes this movie so good. Yes, it give a sense of escapism from reality of life but also reminds you of life has its ups and downs. In short, the movie does hit the heart and emotions.

Apart from that, I love how Spidey continues to connect with all things Marvel (Cinematic Universe, including TV series). As comic book fans, I love the connection and they are more than just glamorous cameos, as they drive the plot forward.
 

While some may find certain parts debatable, I generally enjoyed the whole movie. Punisher was a joy to watch. Somewhat it was satisfying to see the Hulk again, yes I mean the untamed one, not the Smart Hulk.

Of course, there’s post-credit scene to enjoy. Btw, it’s quite a long Spidey movie, so remember to clear your bladder and make sure you are comfy.

Is this among the best Spidey movie? Probably.

Meanwhile, in the context of Tom’s Spidey role/movies, he keeps getting better and better. He is truly Peter/Spidey. Credit to him.

TL rates : 9/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- Minions & Monsters

According to early hype, it’s one of the best entries, from the whole Despicable Me franchise. After watching it, I get why some enjoyed it so much.

Initially I wondered what else can they do with the Minions and boy, they are creative to tell a story with them involved. Quite meta way, once you realized it. I find it smart and creative.

So how do you make a movie when main characters who can only speak gibberish? Well, somehow they got the Minions to use random words as part of their conversation.. like in the past when they said nasi lemak kicap manis...

The movie gags just work and spot on. Many times, some cartoons does gags that are just lame or mindless. But in this movie, once you catch the gags, you are laughing because you know it’s smart.

If laughter is the best medicine, let me prescribe to you to watch this. You will laugh and smile, till you remember that life is not grey at all.

TL rates : 8/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- Supergirl

Gotta say picking Supergirl as the 2nd movie (after Superman) as part of James Gunn-led DCU is a bold move. However, it’s hard to feel that they carried on the momentum started by the first DCU movie.

You can’t help but comparing both movies and it does feel like day and night. Superman movie has a lot of hopeful and light moments while Supergirl carries different tone, in the setting of space dystopia, which comes with a lot of darker and serious theme.

I felt this movie is just a vehicle to bring in Supergirl into DCU. It’s neither a grand introduction of the character, nor her presence is gonna change the landscape of DCU. It’s just a statement like “hey, there’s Superman so of course, there’s Supergirl in the universe too”

Well, we will see what’s next for her in the Superman’s sequel then?

Milly Alcock was able to bring out grounded and emotional side of Supergirl, despite spending first 30mins being tipsy. I hope she gets more chance to show how she can be Supergirl, apart from being Kara Zor-El. Meanwhile, I think I can speak for some that Jason Momoa should have been Lobo even before he became DCEU’s Aquaman. It’s like he is born for that role. So yea, clearly he enjoys being Lobo in the movie but personally I wanted to see more of Lobo.

If I can just sum up the movie, well.. just say it’s like some movies out there.. never mess around with a pet owner, or suffer the consequences. hahaha. At some point, I felt as though I am watching Star Wars, in the context of crimelord ala Mandalorian

I honestly want DC movies to do well, although I’m Marvel-bias. I wouldn’t rave this movie a lot, just that I felt it missed the opportunity to build on the momentum started by Superman. And again, I felt what James Gunn did in smaller screen (Creatures Commandos and Peacemaker) seems to work better. So yea, DC seems to be stuck in this cycle of them doing better on TV than movies.

TL rates : 7/10

 

MGD Tim's Thoughts - Toy Story 5

Toy Story have always been Pixar’s bread and butter. I always feel they should have stopped at Toy Story 3 because the way they wrapped up the trilogy. Beautiful. Then they decided to milk it with the 4th which was unnecessary.

So how does the 5th goes?

I would say that they recaptured the magic of Toy Story, which is about the meaningful story of friendship and life. The value of no matter how matter what the season of life, we grow and enjoy every moment that we have. At the same time, it’s wonderful that they able to incorporate the tech gen situation with the toys who have been around for so long.

With so many toys being introduced over the years, 5th is very much Jessie-focused. The star(s) of the movie is Buzz(es).. so cool that you probably wished that you can own one now.

TL rates : 8/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- The Mandalorian & Gorgu

Star Wars hits the cinema again, after few years. However this movie is purely for Star Wars fans or if you’ve been a loyal follower Mandalorian series.. like me. haha. Honestly if I were to be asked if watching the movie without the series would work, I would say watching series would give you better understanding and context of each details such as characters and its ties.

Din Djarin is as cool as usual while Gorgu is as playful as usual. There are a few things to enjoy such as Easter eggs (cameos and ties to the bigger Star Wars lore) though some parts of the story was a bit slow. So yea, nothing major to shout about on the plot but since it’s Star Wars month, like I said.. it’s just a fun outing for Star Wars fan to enjoy. Also, I guess this brings a closure to the Mandalorian series that kickstarted the Star Wars D+ era.

TL rates : 7/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- Project Hail Mary

Billed as one of 2026's movie of the year and I can see why.

While it’s quite a long movie (2 hrs 30mins plus) but the story helps everyone to piece together on the bigger picture of the movie. Ryan Gosling is as charming as ever and we got ourselves another lovable alien in pop culture.

To sum up the movie, it’s a heart-warming sci-fi movie and honestly, it’s rare to get such movie. Usually sci-fi means mystery or action packed, but this is just a story about life in general. If you have time, do watch it and be charmed by the movie.

Oh yea, after watching this then you will understand why everyone giving this 👎🏼 after watching the movie. hahaha.

TL rates : 9/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- Mortal Kombat 2

Honestly, they should have titled this movie :- MK:Redemption.

Redemption for giving us a proper Mortal Kombat movie. After a mediocre 1st movie, this sequel finally lived up to its literal name. Everything you expect from the MK franchise is given – action (and less of boring talk), gory death, game references. Straightforward story, not wasting any time to bring everyone into the heart of the action. Karl Urban proved that he can still take bumps and kick @$$

I enjoyed every part of the movie. Whether there’s another followup, I am good with it because, hey.. video game movies are always crazy and fun

TL rates : 8/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts - The Devil wears prada 2

A movie that is 20 years in a making. The fact that the actors doesn’t look that they aged one bit!

Not just that, they looked as though they were able to slipped back to their shoes seamlessly. Pun intended. You would certainly enjoy the performances from the main 4 actors. If you know your fashion and Hollywood folks, you would enjoy spotting their cameos too.

While most would feel the first one is better if compared, but this movie carries the message well, especially about the reality of working in a dog-eat-dog world and coping with the internet-heavy world, like social media. The fact that they don’t sugar coat the reality of life (and work) hits the nail at its head, making the movie resonates with a lot of adults. Yup, adulting can be challenging.

Despite that, don’t worry, you can leave your stress(es) of life aside and enjoy the movie.

TL rates : 8/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- MICHAEL

With the recent trend of biopic movies, no surprise that the King of Pop needs to be part of that conversation. However, with the "standard" of such biopic movies (such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Better Man, Rocket Man).. this biopic couldn't reach that heights set.

While the movie is driven by upbeat and groovy music, the story-telling feels flat. Yes, we see glimpses of his early life but a lot of scenes happened too quickly till as audience, you have to catch the details or story plot fast. Fair to say, there's so much going on about MJ so they tried to squeeze all into a movie. Despite that, I am not saying this is a disaster movie. There are still things to enjoy.. especially having MJ's real-life nephew playing MJ is like spot-on casting. Everything he did mirror MJ, especially his mannerism and even, the stage performance. Of course, that's MJ's songs too, which all showcase what a musical genius MJ is.

It's a movie which every MJ fan will enjoy, and musicians (like me) would appreciate. Like it or not, MJ is one of a kind talent that this world has ever seen, which I believe no one can deny.

Not the best, but not that bad (pun intended).

Tim rates : 6/10

MGD Tim's thoughts - Super Mario Galaxy

The wacky adventures of Mario is back. They introduced more characters and more worlds, with a lot of vibrancy, thus the GALAXY in the title.

Even from the trailers, it gave me the impression that it lifts a lot of elements from all the Mario games. And really, they did so in the movie. In that perspective, don’t expect so much in terms of storyline, rather the story is simple and fast. But there’s still fun elements and lots of Easter eggs to spot if you are a Mario gamer.

So in summary, don’t go for the storyline. But go to enjoy everything that is fun about the Mario world.

Tim rates : 7/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- Wonder Man S01

First MCU release of 2026 received high reviews. After watching it, I can understand why.

It’s not like your typical superhero series, so if you are looking for action-packed fights, there’s none for you though. Instead, you would get a smart and critical storytelling, which explores the human side and reality of life.

The “reappearance” of Trevor (after Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi appearance) actually offered a lot of substance to the story while showing a different side of him.

Meanwhile, I do find D+ strategy for this series rather interesting. Releasing all 8 episodes at once, each roughly about 30mins plus. So, if you watch it at one-go, it’s as though you watched a MCU movie. hahaha. Gotta say episode 4 is the highlight in the series, along with the final half of final episode.

All the nods to popular culture though.. making all MCU-canon. hahaha. But fair to say, one of MCU’s D+ better series

Tim rates : 7.5/10

MGD Tim's thoughts -- Wicked for good

Gonna be straight to the point – I enjoyed the first one better than the “2nd half” of this story. The first movie gave me chills when it ended and you felt as though you just witnessed something epic. 2nd one however, somehow couldn’t match that bar which was set quite high. It just felt like you are back to your normal home cooked meal after enjoying a luxury meal, the day before.

Because we all are familar with the Wizard of Oz story, while you get to explore a different side of that story, it felt like this movie just wanna get over with it. This caused the pacing of the movie to be inconsistent, with some parts can be abrupt and some parts are draggy. They are smart though not to let the “Wizard of Oz” characters/story to overshadow this movie

The movie just didn’t hit the emotions hard enough, even the songs too. At least you get to hear the vocal prowess of the cast, especially Cynthia and Ariana.

All in all, can’t get over the fact that first one was epic.

Tim rates : 6.8/10

MGD Tim's Thoughts -- now you can see me, now you don't

The first movie was mind-blowing for me, the sequel couldn’t capture the magic of the first one. So, here comes the third... while I was looking forward to see what magic that it will serve, it still couldn’t capture that magic from the first movie.

As the characters themselves said in the movie, probably it’s been too long for them to comeback together. At the same time, it felt like this movie is trying to be a bridge to bring back the fans of the franchise while introducing more characters to the new audience. Personally felt the final act of the movie was a bit flat but hey, hopefully they can discover the magic again for future movies (of this franchise) , especially with that lovely cameo.

Still, there’s twists and unexpected turns. Still there’s some things to enjoy. At least, they are back for another heist fun.

Tim rates : 7/10

TL2025moviewatch : Freakier Friday

 

𝐌𝐆𝐃 𝐓𝐢𝐦'𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 -- Freakier Friday

“Freaky Friday” is one of Lindsay Lohan’s and Disney’s iconic movie over the years. People still talk about the chemistry between Lindsay and Jamie Lee Curtis that carried the whole movie.

So, after more than 20 years, the question is.. would the sequel worthy of it? Honestly, it’s one of those sequels that just elevate the franchise.

 

The chemistry is still strong even after decades, and even with the strong outing from the new cast members. The whole “chaos” was beautifully written. You will laugh and cry throughout the movie.

 

One of Disney’s better sequels in years.

 

TL says 8/10

 

MGD Tim's thoughts -- eyes of wakanda

Marvel animation has its hits and misses, especially the recent ones. Meanwhile, yes, Wakanda offers a rich history which can be explored so yup, like most franchises lately, animation is one route that allows such expansion.

I would say 4 episodes feels like it ended abruptly. Considering that there’s a lot to offer or show about Wakanda, it felt like not enough. There were good episodes, personally thought ep3 and ep4 was great, but yea... I am surprised that they kept it too short.

6/10 for me.

p.s. Nice to have an Iron Fist in the story.

TL2025moviewatch - Fantastic Four

As a comic book fan, Fantastic Four was among my favourite comic to read.

 

The fact that Fantastic Four "movie license" was returned to Marvel Studios few years ago excites me.

After years of waiting, man.. worth the wait.

 

Among the best MCU movie since Endgame. Personally, still digesting it, but it's in that bracket where GoTG3 and Spiderman:NWH is.

 

Love every details presented in the movie, especially with the "retro futuristic" vibe and Galactus is shown in its full glory.

 

I was happy when Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn was part of this after following them respectively in "the Bear" and "Stranger Things". I was excited Vanessa Kirby was part of it but I honestly had mixed feeling about Pedro Pascal because it feels like he is everywhere. However, in this movie, he proved me wrong.. he carried Reed character with grace.

 

All in all, it felt like everyone had their time to shine. Each one of them able to showcase their talents and leave a mark in the movie. The decision to have a female Silver Surfer seems to be on spot too, those following comics will know what's her character & context is all about.

 

2 post credits. One gets your appetite going for next Avengers movie while the other.. mm.. can skipped it if you want.

 

I am pleased. I am happy. Truly a comic book movie.

 

Tim rates it : 8/10

TL2025moviewatch : mission impossible - final reckoning

Final reckoning indeed.

One of the longest running movie franchises. Saying the word RUNNING got me imagining Tom Cruise running.... but it’s also best describe my feeling about this franchise – like I started this marathon, there’s ups and downs and now you feel glad that you have reached the final lap.

Indeed this has been Tom's baby, anytime u think of M.i, you think of Tom. Imagine.. from his young fresh face in the first one till the old rugged Tom in this one.

May not be as hard hitting as some of previous ones, as they were a lot of draggy scenes but to those who have been following M.i. for a long time, there's a scene of satisfaction to see how all builds towards a nice ending.

A nice closure to the whole franchise.

7.5/10

TLmoviewatch2024 : Ultraman Rising

 

As a tokusatsu fan, I am certainly surprised by how Ultraman Rising unfolds.

While it felt like some cartoon movies in recent years, but I enjoyed the direction that they took Ultraman lore and present it differently.

All in all, it's a heartwarming tale and nice movie to unwind. Certainly fresh take on the Ultraman lore, and showing a different side of it.

Actually based on this animation take on Ultraman, I don't see why animated Power Rangers can't work. A lot of possibilities though.. come on!

 

Rate : 7/10

 

p.s. :- 

And.. as tokusatsu fan, if you are a Super Sentai/Power Rangers fan, you would recognize that toy figure 

#TLmoviewatch2023 : Aquaman2

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a satisfying sequel, impressing with an improved story, visuals, and a badass villain. Despite flaws like missed jokes, mediocre acting, and lazy dialogue, it remains a decent DCEU film!

6.5/10#AquamanAndTheLostKingdom#Aquaman2 pic.twitter.com/fYO7IMKxWw

— Ben (@Ben_vlbd) December 19, 2023

 

Just watched #AquamanAndTheLostKingdom and kinda lazy to write my thoughts. probably this comment is close to what i would say. 

Partly my heart felt bittersweet to see how DCEU ends like this, knowing all the mess from the top that compromise the potential it supposed to have.

 

In fact, the marketing for this is quite low-profile, in some superheroes movie context.

 

meanwhile, props to James Wan for not needing to make too much reference to Justice League, unlike other DCEU movies. In fact, he gets to build his own world freely.

oh yea, got post-credit scenes. Considering DCEU ends here, it's confirmed it's just for fun la. If you don't get grossed by it, because it meant to be for fun only. 

Well, we move on now to James Gunn's DCU era now... let's see how it goes.

okok.. personal score? yaya, 6.5/10 too la...

#TLmoviewatch2023 : Journey to Bethelem

 

Watched this musical and I am surprised how good it is.

The songs in there, just beautifully written and sung. I gonna loop their soundtrack then. Meanwhile, it's light and fun story while rooted what was written in the Scriptures.

 

It feels like watching those old-skol Disney animated movies or Greatest showman.

 

Fun and heartwarming movie, in short.

 

7/10