TRAVEL TO MOVIES: XTREME

Director: Daniel Benmayor

Cast: Teo García , Óscar Jaenada , Sergio Peris-Mencheta , Óscar Casas , Alberto Jo Lee , Andrea Duro , Luis Zahera , Nao Albet , Andrés Herrera , Cesar Bandera , Jose Álvarez-Boze

Plot: Two years after the murder of his son and father, a retired hitman along with his sister and a troubled teen sets in motion a carefully crafted revenge plan against the killer: his own brother his lethal stepbrother.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11658120/

My Movie Review: The movie is upscale to its genre always feel as a new Netflix action thriller that takes place in the Spanish underworld that breath freshness for its cut-throat slick turn up:) Xtreme in this fast-paced and action-packed thriller, Daniel Benmayor of "Tracers" directs this action thriller set in his hometown of Barcelona Spanish action extravaganza x martial arts film! To me a movie like Xtreme is an unapologetic action thriller if you view it as such, it's solid entertainment, just don't expect the story to meet your bias standards or flourish on your terms! Love the impact it brings you as a viewer have to be alert cause in an instant someone will get shot in the head as in a glimpse everything can change in a precise moment caught off guard:) We occasionally need those minimalist actioners that focus more on the thrills than the plot! Xtreme is one such but that said, it may overlook as shallow because the story isn't quite strong as the action but what it has a basic formula to success to satisfy our adrenaline needs! Like most cliche endings of all revenge action films, the protagonist killed the antagonist! Maximo and Maria pierced Lucero's heart and head, the parts Lucero often gambled with other people, before killing them, thus a poetic justice, of sorts immensely gratifying John Wick-style!

Critic Reviews: "Xtreme offers a youthful, Spanish spin on a familiar premise." Amplifies the representative elements with style, dark humor, and murderous pizzazz. Xtreme (Netflix) crests on a wave of henchman body counts, but as a revenge thriller it also elicits strong work from its single minded cast. The story and dialogue is admittedly weak but Xtreme is a typical popcorn munching summer flick. It may not be overly memorable but it is an xtremely fun watch while it lasts. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But when it comes to the big screen, the production line is red hot with new thrillers to recycle this age-old idea. This is a bombastically violent but thoroughly enjoyable revenge fantasy action movie. Maximo, the made-man with a mean streak played by stunt-man/actor Teo García a brutally efficient killer. The movie he conceived and others built around this character is a standard-issue mixed martial arts/mob revenge tale...far less efficient. Xtreme is under no illusion over what sort of film it is though. It’s an unashamedly simple, well-shot action flick that leans in hard on the action and fighting but does at the expense of an original story. Xtreme delivers that in (pun intended) extreme doses!!

Source: https://www.thereviewgeek.com/xtreme-moviereview/

TRAVEL TO PLACES: PHILIPPINES-- THE FRENCH BAKER

My Personal Experience: I went to The French Baker in SM Pampanga this branch has its own restaurant were you can dine-in like I this year April 22, 2022, by myself for the tenth time! The French Baker is known for its vast array of breads I didn't know some branches have dine-in services were you can sit pretty eat wholesome meals and some drink to quench your thirst!!

The French Baker

The French Baker has built its success out of its Founder and President Johnlu G. Koa’s vision for innovation: to take the idea of the neighborhood bakery to the next level, allowing every Filipino to enjoy freshly-baked, high-quality, and affordable breads. It’s been twenty years since The French Baker opened its doors with the first branch at SM North Edsa. The company has single-handedly revitalized the breadmaking business, turning into a booming industry. Having been a trailblazer, The French Baker continues to rule its niche and withstand the challenges from its competitors. Are you missing your favorite meals from The French Baker? Visit your near branch for a quick bread-and-coffee run or dinner dates chat dine-in experiences with us:)

Source: https://www.facebook.com/thefrenchbakerphilippines/

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: CARNAVAL

Director: Leandro Neri

Cast: Giovana Cordeiro , Nikolas Antunes , Bruna Inocencio , Gessica Kayane , Durval Lelys , Micael Borges , Lipy Adler , Rafael Medrado , Samya Pascotto , Flávia Pavanelli , Jean Pedro

Plot: After a break-up, an influencer takes her friends on a trip to Bahia's vibrant Carnival, where she discovers life is about more than just social media likes.

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/carnaval_2021

My Movie Review: The movie is such a easy watch enjoyed it a lot having fun seeing this four friends explore the festivities and side hustle flirting love interests like I went to a trip with them! To give you run down here's what Carnaval's about after a particularly brutal break-up with her Instagram famous boyfriend, Nina (Giovana Cordeiro), herself a budding influencer, gets the break and swag she's been posting for: an all-inclusive trip to picture-perfect Salvador, Bahia, just in time for Carnaval, with all its parties and chances to dress up for her. The same day her friends Mayra (Bruna Inocencio), Vivi (Samya Pascotto) and Michelle (Gessica Kayane) rally to lift her spirits, she gets some exciting career opportunity to join hunky pop sensation Freddy Nunes (Micael) and fellow influencers for the Carnival at an all-inclusive resort Salvador, Brazil. I notice she follow another famous influencer a girl she adore but things didn't quite turn up the way I expected thankful the massive parade towards the end when she went to the float and lost friends hand in the midst of the crowd enjoying the festivities make a quite memorable act!

Critic Reviews: Its broad comedy and thoughtful themes aren't completely cogent, due to a lack of properly motivated character developments and questionable scenarios. Carnaval is like Girls Trip by way of Brazil, but the acting and many of the comedy's punchlines are fairly over-exaggerated. This frothy film about the #lifelessons an Instagram influencer learns during Carnival in Brazil is as superficial as it sounds, but its postcard-perfect setting and gorgeous cast are easy to watch. As shallow as its influencer subject matter, Carnaval isn't overflowing with depth. For better or worse, it feels like a true modern era social media era rom-com. It's all harmless, if pretty much charmless. Carnaval wants to like, say something about superficiality and stuff, but never really gets beneath the surface of its characters or situations. 'Ibiza-Like' 'Girls Trip' Like its bright and colorful imagery, “Carnaval” is more of a lighthearted story about friends taking a vacation and growing closer together. The movie's strengths lie in its bouncy, breezy, exhilarating energy, capture colorful flavors of the culture, community and atmosphere!!

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/carnaval_2021

TRAVEL TO PLACES: PHILIPPINES-- BLUE MARINE

My Personal Experience: I went to Nature's View Resort in Porac, Pampanga this year April 8, 2022, together with my neighbor children and partners as they let me join their family outing! Blue Marine is the vibe I get when I got to the pool from the color of the water to the tiles used in the pool we go deeper in exploring different shades of blue and the marine aquatic feel nice!!

Blue Marine

A moderate purplish blue that is bluer and duller than average cornflower or gentian blue and bluer and less strong than old glory blue called also purple navy! Is marine blue a navy blue? When this color name, taken from the usual color of the uniforms of sailors, it originally came into use in the early 19th century, it was initially called marine blue, but the name of the color soon changed to navy blue. What shade of blue is Marine? Marine Blue is a deep, pure, marine aqua-blue with a gorgeous deep-water undertone. It is a perfect paint color for a ceiling on wrap-around porch. Pair it with white trim and accents of pink, magenta, coral explore color!

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marine%20blue

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: ARMY OF THE DEAD

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Dave Bautista , Ella Purnell , Omari Hardwick , Raúl Castillo , Matthias Schweighöfer , Theo Rossi , Ana de la Reguera , Tig Notaro , Huma Qureshi , Garret Dillahunt , Steve Corona

Plot: After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.With the abandoned, walled city of Las Vegas overrun with zombies after a disastrous government fault, billionaire casino magnate Bly Tanaka realises he has left something behind in Sin City: $200 million. But for the time being, his mountains of cash are safe behind an impenetrable casino vault. Now Tanaka is willing to pay $50 million to decorated former mercenary Scott Ward and his hand-picked team crew to retrieve the money before the US President nukes the entire city!

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993840/

My Movie Review: The movie is too cool one of the most anticipated summer blockbuster last year as aggressive zombie action elevates its genre popping scheme with unexpected façade! Army of the Dead is tricky as most of us focus on the zombies we didn't realized the robots on it until we wonder the mystery of blue-eyed zombies the simplest explanation is the blue-eyed zombies aren't zombies at all, they are actually robots that are living in the zombie kingdom of Las Vegas, at first' it seems like a fluke that somehow got through post-production in a glance:) Army of the Dead manages to provide ample escapism for a two-and-a-half-hour zombie film Zack Snyder delivers his zombie heist flick but falls predictable pitfalls despite a promising plot! The heist part heighten in opening the vault by cracking the code's precise locks in tuck this nerve cracking moment is one of the best adrenaline pump scene as zombies come rushing in! Army Of The Dead is best when Snyder leans into the fun and allows himself moments of pure silliness like that as when he aims for emotional territory get depth in touch your human nature!

Critics Consensus: An ambitious, over-the-top zombie heist mashup, Army of the Dead brings Zack Snyder back to his genre roots with a suitably gory splash. While Snyder’s obvious creative freedom adds some bloat to the story, you have to love his vision and his commitment to it. And as far as big blockbustery popcorn entertainment goes, Snyder delivers exactly what he promises. If nothing else, Zack Snyder knows how to craft a stimulating visual tableau and he knows how to put on an extravagant show. 20 minutes in you'll be able to tell if you're with 'Army of the Dead' or not. Death comes for us all, and if we're fortunate, it's a very slow walker. Enjoying "Army of the Dead" doesn't require much more than appreciating that. Our collective starvation for thrills and wonder probably sauces its appeal even more. Working with the Netflix charge card, Snyder has a ball proving that trash can triumph on the largest stage if played with elan and enthusiasm. Turning the volume up on everything you expect from a Zack Snyder film, it would have looked better in a cinema but will become a cult hit for those who cant get enough survival horror. Army of the Dead is a touch too long, but thanks to aggressive action and surprising touching father-daughter-focused story, Snyder’s zombie epic entertains:)

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/army_of_the_dead_2021