Saltburn (2023) Movie Review

Saltburn (2023) IMDB

Saltburn movie poster

This movie had been on my watchlist since it released. It was nominated for over 100 awards around the world and I wanted to see what the hype was about. Well I finally got around to having Amazon Prime for a few months to catch-up on all the movies I had missed and I was pleasantly surprised this movie contains multiple mazes !

We have a middle class student, Oliver, played by Barry Keoghan attending Oxford university and trying to fit in with his much wealthier classmates. The movie is filled with awkward moments and references to class structure and wealth. It can be uncomfortable to watch at times for multiple reasons none of which I will spoil here, but expect to be shocked many times along the way.

Oliver is invited to spend a Summer on his friends large estate which is a huge departure from his life. Class disparity and English formality are woven throughout the story with great performances by the cast. While in the house he finds a wooden marble maze of the house he plays with. Nice. But later at his birthday party he ventures into the hedge maze on the estate with a minotaur statue in the center. For the next act of the movie the hedge maze in the center of the story. This film is different than others you have seen and is worth a watch if you can handle it !

I give it a 7.2/10.

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Movie Review

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) IMDB

How to Train Your Dragon 2025 movie poster

I had originally reviewed the 2010 version of this movie and thought it was excellent (I gave it an 8.5/10). When I saw the new live action version was coming out I wondered if it would have the maze scene included again. Non-spoiler: I am writing a review of the movie here so I can confirm that it does have the maze scene again !

As far as the movie it is the same story you remember and it holds up well in the new format (unlike a certain company doing classic remakes that have not been holding up). The flying scenes feel very Avatar like and the CGI is excellent. I see why this was made for IMAX. Overall this remains a very solid movie I would recommend for all ages. My one complaint is that the original was 98 minutes and this clocks in at almost 2 hours ( officially 125 minutes but the end is full of extensive credits), fine for adults but kids might struggle with the extra time.

The Old Guard 2 (2025) Movie Review

The Old Guard 2 (2025) (IMDB)

The Old Guard 2 movie poster

I read comics just about every day. If you are a fan of comics you may have read The Old Guard graphic novel series by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez. I recommend it. When I saw it was to become a movie on Netflix I was excited. Charlize Theron ! Yes please. And the first movie was fine. I wished it was better but it was worth a watch. I was hoping for a sequel that was even better because I knew the story was good from previously reading it.

Sadly, this movie is flat and feels unfinished. The story was not fulfilling and it felt a bit boring. I would skip it. But, I am writing a review of the movie because in the opening scene the group splits up as they are raiding an estate and one half of the group takes “the maze” portion of the job. They take out gunman in a hedge maze. I’m going to be honest, they say maze but they never show it from afar and it seems more like a garden than a maze so the movie didn’t even get this right.

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983) Movie Review

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983) (IMDB)

Spacehunter Adventures in the Forbidden Zone movie poster

When I sat down to watch this movie, one that I had no idea about until I did a deep search on IMDB, I had low expectations. The initial titles told me this was going to be rough, but seeing a dystopian space movie with Molly Ringwald in her prime pulled me in. After a crash landing on a planet full of mutants, 2 bounty hunters (including Molly) chase the $ to attempt a rescue of 3 captives. The movie has a Mad Max feel and is better than many Star Wars inspired movies from this time. In fact, this movie was released 1 week before Return of the Jedi. During the last third of the movie, Molly is captured by the mutants, but if she can traverse a maze without dying she is promised her release. The maze is a Mad Max style obstacle course like a horror Wipeout. Molly plays her typical moody, complaining character.

I give it a 5.4/10.