Mini-Reviews - 2022 Edition

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Mini-Reviews - 2022 Edition

Usually, I prepare this type of article near the end of each year and upload mini-reviews that I have in store for a few films I didn't have time to write a full opinion piece on. I'm going to do things differently in 2022 so that I can publish my thoughts on every movie I see this year without missing a single one.

Therefore, this article will contain the same concise opinions you've seen in other pieces like this. Small reviews of some movies I can't afford the time to write 800+ words on due to external situations that might occur in my life. In most cases, these are going to be films that won't have that much of an impact on my year-end reflection of the best movies I've seen in 2022.

This section will be updated each time I add a new entry, as well as its date of publication, so these compact opinions can be seen by everyone at any time.

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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: James Cameron

Written by: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Starring: Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Kate Winslet

Runtime: 192 min

Synopsis: Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, the sequel tells the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Written by: Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale

Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton

Runtime: 117 min

Synopsis: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of the fabled wooden boy with a whimsical tour de force that finds Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love.

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Violent Night (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Violent Night (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Tommy Wirkola

Written by: Pat Casey, Josh Miller

Starring: David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Leah Brady, Edi Patterson, Beverly D'Angelo

Runtime: 111 min

Synopsis: When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour) is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.

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Devotion (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Devotion (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: J. D. Dillard

Written by: Jake Crane, Jonathan A. H. Stewart

Starring: Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell, Christina Jackson, Joe Jonas, Nick Hargrove, Spencer Neville, Thomas Sadoski

Runtime: 138 min

Synopsis: An aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, which tells the harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. Their heroic sacrifices would ultimately make them the Navy's most celebrated wingmen.

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The Woman King (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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The Woman King (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Written by: Dana Stevens

Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, John Boyega

Runtime: 135 min

Synopsis: The story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for...

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Written by: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole

Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett

Runtime: 161 min

Synopsis: Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

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Enola Holmes 2 (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Enola Holmes 2 (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Harry Bradbeer

Written by: Jack Thorne

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, David Thewlis, Louis Partridge, Susan Wokoma, Adeel Akhtar, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Hannah Dodd, Abbie Hern, Serrana Su-Ling Bliss, Helena Bonham Carter

Runtime: 129 min

Synopsis: Fresh off the triumph of solving her first case, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) follows in the footsteps of her famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), and opens her own agency - only to find that life as a female detective-for-hire isn't as easy as it seems. Resigned to accepting the cold realities of adulthood, she is about to close shop when a penniless matchstick girl offers Enola her first official job: to find her missing sister. But this case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world. As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends - and Sherlock himself - to unravel her mystery. The game, it seems, has found its feet again!

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Barbarian (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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Barbarian (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Zach Cregger

Written by: Zach Cregger

Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long

Runtime: 102 min

Synopsis: Traveling to Detroit for a job interview, a young woman books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there's a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.

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All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

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All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Edward Berger

Written by: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell

Starring: Daniel Brühl, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Felix Kammerer, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, Devid Striesow

Runtime: 147 min

Synopsis: The gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul (Felix Kammerer) and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches.

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