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K. T. Surprenant’s Movie Reviews

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K. T. Surprenant’s Movie Reviews

This is a page dedicated to my personal movie reviews. Please enjoy this page.

I do my best to provide quality, no spoiler reviews that will be fun to read and hopefully informative to potential movie-goers.

05/10/2026

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” - 2026 1hr 59min

Almost an alternate take on the original more than a continuation, DWP2 feels reductive and redundant in its overly familiar story beats with its attempt to ignite nostalgia sparks. It’s not without some enjoyable interactions and emotionally weighty scenes, but the overall character arcs are handled poorly in a slow burn that may leave viewers underwhelmed.
The acting is on point as expected; flag-shipped by Meryl Streep and the score is what one would expect for a fashion drenched movie.

A small escape with a bit too many preachy monologues, The Devil Wears Prada 2 will catch your eye and pass the time, but it’s unlikely to pump your blood or offer novelty. Overall, I give it a 6.1 out of 10.

04/01/2026

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” - 2026, 1hr 39m

Flying off the success of the 2023 Mario movie, “Galaxy” shines vibrantly amidst a Hollywood lull not just visually but sonically with a lovely score, sharp animation and rich colors.
The familiar Nintendo cast are lively and eye catching despite the lack of satisfying plot cohesion. Moreover, the voice acting works but isn’t ideal given the in-game character voices fans have been used to for decades.
Ultimately, this movie is packed with Easter eggs and self IP references abound but it’s admittedly lackluster in tempo and leans on chaotic humor more than dynamic storytelling. The kids and loyal Nintendo fans will love it, casual adults should skip it.
Overall, I give “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” a 6.6 out of 10.

07/11/2025

“Superman” - 2025, 2hrs 10m

Simply put, “Superman” was an absolute joy to witness in theaters. The vibrant colors, uplifting score and lively cast not only felt as though they lifted the very essence of the comics right onto the screen, but they contrast to beautiful success against the last 10-15 years of DC films that have heavily leaned into excessively edgy and gloomy vibes.
Just about every character-main or side, was a ball to have on screen. The writing is tight and clever, albeit intentionally corny at times. But that only bolstered the feel of good old DC writing that calls back to the classic animated Justice League series’ and their well-written contemporaries from the 90s/2000s era.
There’s a solid amount of content in this movie, but it never comes off as overstuffed or convoluted. The humor is on point; not forced and there’s seldom any cheap shots or perverted jokes (which modern audiences seem to be obsessed with lately).
Lastly, expect a meaty amount of action and brilliant visuals from beginning to end.

In conclusion, “Superman” soars with a fresh aesthetic, poignant dialogue and piercing visuals that all call back to a better, gone-by era of film making.
Overall, I give “Superman” an 8 out of 10.

11/22/2024

“Wicked: Part 1” - 2024, 2h 40m

The musical play turned Hollywood film, “Wicked” last minute tacked on the sub-caption, “Part 1” much to my surprise-yet fairly, given the long form, overy stuffed attempt at an epic that this movie has decidedly shot for.

“Wicked: Part 1” hits a lot of satisfying notes as far as acting, visuals and music (shocker) are concerned. The main issues are the inconsistent pacing and contrived side arcs which pull away from the core of the story alikening the excessive runtime to a handful of TV episodes mashed together rather than a single cohesive film.
Next, the attempt at empathy for the animals losing their rights to speak and teach classes feels too out of touch from reality to evoke any relatability for the viewers (most likely) even for a fantasy movie. It’s understandable to want animals to be treated well, but to feel bad that a literal goat can’t teach a history class is a stretch at best. The characters however are eye catching as well as unique to one another creating pleasing clashes and interactions.
Lastly, the music throughout “Wicked” is fittingly lovely and somber at just the right moments. A terrific ending punctuates this nearly 3 hour long spiral of oddities, but it’s not enough to fully revive this predictable flick off the gurney despite how glossy it may appear.
Overall, I give “Wicked: Part 1” a 6.4 out of 10.

05/24/2024

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - 2024, 2hrs, 28min

Screaming off the coattails of “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), “Furiosa” comes as a perhaps unexpected, yet full-bodied prequel that viscerally reels in the viewer to a richer, stranger and lore heavy world deeply built into a wondrous movie experience.

A powerful score keeps the flow driven as this 5-part movie chronicles pivotal moments in our main character’s life leading up to the aforementioned 2015 picture.

The creativity blooms hard with fierce visuals, bountiful action pieces and brilliant camerawork framing what any moviegoer should be impressed by. The layers of raw emotion and subtexts of subtle mysteries strewn across the wastelands of the Mad Max World continue to excite; in addition to solid Apocalopera acting on nearly every side bookending an already impressive movie. Very little can be detracted from “Furiosa” unless the kookiness is too much for the more strait-laced, pragmatic fans that may have expected a more realistic tone.

Basically a live-action adult anime with unique characters and dazzling visuals, expect a fair amount of violence but no nudity.
I am relieved to give “Furiosa” an 8.2 out of 10.

02/05/2024

“A River Runs Through it” - 1992, 2h 3m

A beautiful score surrounding an overly long feel peace. “A River Runs Through it” walked so that “Legends of the Fall” could run. Both Brad Pitt films take us on a passage of time journey with two sons from a conservative family where Brad’s character is the more beloved due to charisma and looks despite having worse moral fiber than the other brother. (Legends just did it better)
This 1992 slog is peaceful and well directed in its camerawork and lighting, but the script is predictable and contrived. The characters are decent but never feel too captivating.
A film worth watching once perhaps, I give “A River Runs Through It” a hard 5 out of 10.

05/08/2023

“Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3” - 2023, 2h 29m

The closing chapter to one of the MCU’s higher quality trilogies, “Guardians 3” successfully melds the most flavorful aspects of the series we’ve come to enjoy with new and emotionally captivating elements in this lore rich, conclusive finale.

As expected, the retro soundtrack is on point and the score never misses. That said, James Gunn’s direction appears to have been refined (barring a couple predictable situations) to an impressive strata. The pleasant balance between humor and drama staves off any aridity, despite the mildly excessive runtime and the camerawork couldn’t feel more dynamic.

The heart of this film, if not the whole trilogy, of course lies within the interpersonal relationships betwixt the main characters through the quippy back and forths that weave an entertaining, but more importantly endearing level of underlying care for one another amidst the tumultuous vacillations that commonly beset the Guardians.

In Vignette, “Guardians 3” hits all the targets it aims for and rides off to an effective, logical, fulfilling conclusion wrought with laughs, limerence and a touch of melancholy.
Overall, I give “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” a clean 8/10.

03/08/2023

“Creed III” - 2023, 1h 57m

The third spinoff from the Rocky franchise brings a fiery fist of enjoyment to the theaters with realistic dialogue, likable characters and incredible fighting sequences.
Michael B Jordan and Jonathan Majors work terrifically together as the leads in a stressful juxtaposition that never lets up or induces ennui, keeping your attention thoroughly engaged. The score is workable and the direction in tandem with camerawork are both creative and smart, never losing focus. The only detractor possibly being the largely predictable plot line.
Ultimately, you can expect a surprisingly clean film with a comfortable flow containing the best boxing choreography of any Rocky related film to date, held back just a pinch by moderate music and an obvious story. Overall, I give “Creed III” a 7.7 out of 10.

09/12/2022

“Pinocchio” - 2022, 1h 45m

Disney’s latest modern remake of the classic (and overrated) 1940 film of the same name comes in strong with pretty visuals and magical colors. Unfortunately, the CGI is lackluster which damages the submersion.
A mostly faithful adaptation with added content to rebuff the runtime, this film is so similar to its predecessor that one may wonder why they bothered with this remake at all.
The script is unremarkable as are the characters in their overly campy yet somewhat cozy world. It is however, a pleasant feel to see and hear songs in a Disney film again-harkening back to the era where nearly every animated Disney work was a musical.
I have no complaints about the camera work nor the sound mixing, but the pacing in general, like the original movie, is sluggish at best. That being said, they somehow failed to use this excess time to develop their characters beyond the single-minded, reflectionless entities of singularity they are.
A tale of mystery and magic that’s suitable for any audience and only went somewhat “woke”, I give the unimpressive “Pinocchio” a 5.3 out of 10

07/01/2022

“Elvis” - 2022, 2h 39m

Glitzy, vigorous and prepossessing, “Elvis” expresses with creative pacing and a unique angle the relationship between Presley’s crooked manager and the King of Rock himself.
Certainly not as straight forward as many biopics of yore have been, this film satisfactorily covers key moments in the superstar’s life from his roots to his death amidst some historic events that flared at each time-skip in a slightly long, yet palatable duration.
A modest level of creative licensing is in play while the bulk of details are pretty on point. The cinematography is thoughtful albeit dizzying at times, especially within the first hour, which lacks the zest and allure the latter 2/3 of the flick so generously yields.
Tom Hanks comes off as sappy, ornery and draining in his portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker. This likely is by design as the man was not well liked by many in reality. Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis, however shines like a beacon across the sea. Gorgeous, passionate and accurate in moves and voice alike. His charisma, like Presley himself is palpable yet somehow humble enough to feel endearing.
Naturally, the music is lovely (apart from a couple misplaced modern rap songs that randomly feature in the background…)as long as you are a fan of 50s-60s tunes.

In conclusion, “Elvis” strikes with spritely force and takes the audience away to a place between dreams and sorrow until the it closes with somber beauty. Overall, I give “Elvis” a 7.9 out 10.

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