The Pliley Review

Genre:  Science fiction, Action, adventure Rating:  PG 13 Synopsis: A biochemist with a rare blood disease in search of a cure injects himself with a dangerous serum that gives him super strength and a thirst for blood.  The trailer for this movie had me invested from the get-go. I mean who doesn't like vampire-type movies, especially ones that are old school with carnage and blood. The PG-13 rating does restrict some of the action, but honestly, I don't think it would have helped overall.  Each actor did a good performance and of course, props have to go to Jared Leto as he really does carry the movie in places. Loved seeing Tyrese Gibson in a more serious role and Matt Smith was a great backup for Jared's character.  I do have to say that this movie is pretty predictable early on so don't expect any major twists or turns. The fight scenes are very blurry so it's hard to tell what's going on, which for me pulled me out of the moment a little. And the after-cred...

Genre: Family, Adventure Rating:  PG Synopsis:  In an Italian village, the wooden puppet Pinocchio is brought to life by the Blue Fairy and seeks a life of adventure while striving to be a real boy. Pinocchio's life is turned upside down when he leaves his father to follow the circus. I'll be honest right upfront. I hate the original cartoon movie and I didn't want to review this one as I had no desire to watch it. However, I'll try and be as neutral as I can.  Tom Hanks is a super cute   Geppetto, though he is a little mumbling in the beginning. My first impression of the blue fairy,  Cynthia Erivo, freaking amazing. Such an incredible voice. All the characters are portrayed perfectly as from the original cartoon, which in this case is a good thing. A few new character additions were welcome and didn't take away from the story. I have to give extra credit to Luke Evans as The Coachman, is perfectly creepy and fits the role well.  If you're familiar with th...

Genre:  Comedy, Family, Fantasy Rating:  PG Synopsis:  When the Sanderson Sisters are accidentally brought back to modern-day Salem, three friends must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world. Right off the bat  Flashing Lights Warning . There are a few scenes that involve flashing lights so if you're sensitive please be cautious.  The movie takes place 29 years after the first movie with a  completely different storyline. This somewhat explains why other original cast members were not included. Although I was slightly disappointed that they didn't at least have a small cameo since we live in a time where cameos are very common.  Didn't really feel like a sequel as only 1 thing was the same, a virgin lit the candle. You do not need to watch the original as any references are clearly explained and some footage included. Personally, I think watching the original would still add to the experience so I do think it w...

  Genre: Action, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Science Fiction Rating:  PG 13 Synopsis:  When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto the Super-Dog must convince a rag-tag shelter pack - Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle, and Chip the squirrel - to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the superheroes. I went into this movie not expecting much really and I was greatly surprised. Even with the rating as I thought it would be PG for little kids. There are t wo after-credit scenes for those interested. The movie started off like most Superman-type movies do and honestly I wasn't mad about it. The main character of Krypto is just freaking adorable and his growth throughout the movie is heartwarming. The others were also amazing and played up to their respective animals well. Though admittedly a lot of the jokes were shown in the trailer.  The overall plotline and story made sense and the execution was p...

Genre: Family, Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Rating:  PG 13 Synopsis:  A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them, with the backup of his followers, the Minions. Let me be clear that I'm a huge Despicable Me fan, yet the minion movies are hit or miss for me. Considering the premise for this one I had high hopes.  The opening scene was awesome and the following credits were freaking hilarious. Little Gru is adorable and it was so nice to see Bob, Stewart, and Kevin again. The introduction of another specific minion was unnecessary and honestly in my opinion didn't help the movie.  Since most of us have seen the original movie we know some of what happens already, yet I was admittedly intrigued when I saw the trailer.  The plot was basic and even for a children's movie got a little eye-rolling towards the end. To remain spoiler free I won't say more on the end, but it really was for m...

  Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy Rating:  PG-13 Synopsis:  Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster to fight Gorr the God Butcher, who intends to make the gods extinct. Right off the bat, this movie shows that it means business. Backstory on 'villains' is usually hit or miss but in this case, I kinda need to be on Bale's side. The heartbreak and revelation would crush anyone and honestly, I don't blame him for his initial decision.  I personally love Christian Bale yet at times his character came across as just creepy and not really scary or much of a threat. Although the fights were pretty cool.  The creature design is excellent from what we get to see. Personally, I wish we could see a lot more of them.  The Jane storyline was a little mixed up and not really necessary for the movie in my opinion. Yet I appreciate seeing the female Thor and kinda wish they had made it a separate movie. I'm not sure if they had enough materi...

  Genre:  Science Fiction, Horror, Drama Rating:  TV MA Synopsis:  Fourteen years after a deadly virus caused a global apocalypse, Jade Wesker fights for survival in a world overrun by infected creatures while being haunted by her past, her father, and what happened to her sister, Billie. Before I begin I want to make it clear that I really wanted this show to be amazing. I'm a huge fan of the games and the movies.  This show started off really well. Lots of tension, little bits of story, and already a mazing creatures. Sadly as it progressed it was so much back and forward in time that it was very confusing at times. There were also some things that did not make sense in either of the timelines. The writing also did not make sense and it did not improve as the show continued like I hoped it would.  Unfortunately, my husband and I watched this on Netflix under the 4k option and it was really bad quality. Definitely not 4k.  The actors all did amazing w...