25 in 2025 - Movies

Last year (2024), I set myself a challenge to watch/play/listen/read 24 Films, Tv Shows, Games, Albums and Books.

These were all new rather than rewatches/replays as much as possible, slightly cheating by having comics and books in the same category.

For this year i have tried to up the stakes to 25. will show my progress below:

So the movies wot i have seen in 25. not the hardest achievement on this challenge, I mainly do sit on my arse and watch stuff on TV. So in no particular order, here are the films i saw for the first time in 2025:

Gladiator II

Yeah, it was fine. It's not the worst thing i have seen this year. Heck, its not evey the worst Ridney Scott film i have seen this year (spoilers!). Not sure about a sequel to a film i saw way back in the day on the big screen, but hey ho. main guy and pedro are everywhere at the moment. Densiel Washington is having the time of his life. Sir Riddles knows how to shoot a scene

War for the planet of the apes

I mean, I liked it, Andy Serkis continues to do amazing mocap work, Woody Harrelson is always a win, the CGI looks fantastic. I would be very hard pushed to tell you which ape film is which, other than the one with John Lithglow, the one with Gary Oldman, the one with the handlebar mustache. Ill be bugged with thge next one unless it has someone famous attached.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Ok, so confession time - i didnt get the hype about Mad Max: Fury Road. I liked the very first one, have only seen bits of the second, never seen the third one. The reboot was, ok. This film was fine, didn't deserve the hate it got. cant remember much about it mind

Transformers One

Hey, this was fun. A pretty good movie that nobody saw. Was going to be tough as the Michael Bay films have made everyone trully sick of transformers. Its not the same not having the OG Optimus and Megatron voice actors, but Steve Buscemi as Starscream is an inspired choice (and always a win!)

Captain America: Bravel New World

Yep, its Marvel time. So was this a sign post or a tentpole? Kinda is trying to be a tentpole but not really managing to do so. Pulling all kinds of links for OG hulk films and tv shows and introducing new characters. Its a bit all over the place. And Giancarlo Esposito is there for some reason! Weirdly the biggest take a way i noticed was that the fight scenes looked worst than previous marvel entries. Shame as I like Anthony Mackie, hope the role grows for him

Aquaman and the lost Kingdom

Awww, DC wanted to double dip in the billion dollar well the last film managed? Yeah, that was not going to happen here. Feels more like a TV show, so little happens of note. The DCEU ending with a wet fart, rather than a whimper. If only the Snyder fans has turned up on mass and gone for repeated viewings, perhaps it would have saved the franchise? guess we will never know....

MIckey 17

Was looking forward to this one. It was very odd and meandering and went all over the place. But on the whole, had a fun time. The concept is crazy but in a fun way

Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken

This was a film that i saw this year. It entertained the kids but i can't remember that much about it. This and Luca have the whole sea monster going to land to take part in hijinks genre sewn up. Ok, but not as good as other kids animated films of recent

Bullet Train

I had been meaning to see this for a while, and did actually have a pretty good time. Very random in places, characters care funny and larger than life in most cases, and the action has a frenetic Matthew Vaugh-esk energy to it. worth a viewing

Transformers the last Knight

Gordon Bennet... this is a new low for these films. Its close to incoherent with the story at this point. These are always ugly and everyone looks greasy and nothing makes sense. yeah, this is a Michael Bay transformers film alright

Sonic 3

Yet another one of these ruddy films have arrived. the 2nd was better than the 1st, this one is probably worse than the 1st, I don't know. twice as much Jim Carey carrying on with his 90's shtick. Plus the next one will have Amy, so yay!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Yet another Transformers film. But surpise, this one is not shit! It had its 90's charm which it leant into hard, and the leads actually looked like they wanted to be there. It wasnt an utter CGI mess, looked reasonably faithful to the originals, and ends sets up a GI Joe cross over of all things. But Michael Bay is comeback so, lets all get on that hype train again.

Altered Carbon Resleeved

I was a pretty big fan of both series of Altered Carbon, and i tried to watch this before and fell off it. The animation style is a bit on the weird side, and the concept is bonkers as usual. It was alright i guess, would probably have done better as an animated series

The Electric State

Here be a very, very odd film. looks expensive, loads of CGI, big names. But its all over the place. no-one is likable and the plot get clogged up in side stories and then wants to have a big explosive ending. Absolutely barking, but more fasinating bad rather than so bad its good

The Witcher Sirens of the Deep

This is now the second witcher animated film i have seen, and while it is not middle of the road as the last one (cant even remember the name of that one), i cant remeber that much about this one either? Under sea hijinks, and suffers from having an ending, then more happens and having another ending

Top Secret!

After the passing of Val Kilmer, i fancied watching one of his films i hadn't seen before, but also wanted to watch a funny. This fit the bill, was filled with some pretty funny gags and scenes, and didnt take itself too seriously. Can see why its overshadowed by Airplane and the like, but still worth seeing

Venom: Let there be Carnage

While the first Venom film was passable as a film, this is very by the numbers. Tom Hardy is dragging these films to more than the sum of their parts, but there is only so much him and Woody Harelson chewing the scenery can get you

Predator: Killer of Killers

I'm a sucker for anthology films, especially ones what change art style around. While this doesnt do that, I like the idea of going to different times and duking it out with Predators settling the playground arguments (would a predator beat a viking, or a Samuri etc). Looks like it is leading into bigger things with the ending twist. I would be happy wit more fights across time TBH

Venom: The Last Dance

Urgh, There is a lot going on here. Umpteen slimey symbiotes bobbin around, Vemonised horses, dance numbers. Rhys Ifans and Stephen Graham are in this, but fail to make it more than a gloopy mess.

Thunderbolts

Oh yeah, its Marveling time. And we are in Tentpole team up reboot territory. It almost works as a standalone film. Apart from having to have seen the films and tv shows that introduced all the characters, but apart from that, stand alone, nearly! Its a fun time, everyone is trying, is it pretty good. would say a better than average marvel. Pity no-one went to see it

Nosferatu

Thought i should watch a horror number. Was compatently put together. think i will need to see some more Eggars to see if i like his films. Tough to judge against the original, different times of being made an all

Superman

I was unashamedly looking forward to this one. It was a fun time. yes it was chaos, but at the same time. gave you the feels at the right time!

Fantastic Four

Having managed to avoid this film for ages, i stuck this on to show the kids while waiting for the new one to appear on the streams. They thought it weas great. Think it has a bad rap, fun daft time. before all comic book films became so sterile and precise.

Fantastic Four: First Steps

Oh Yeah, its Marveling time. Full on tentpole rebooot territory. Capable and a decent watch. Never been a massive fan of the fantastic four, but think this managed to have fun with the concept and we didnt have to see yet another origin story. But will see how Doc Doom fares in the next few films.

Rounding us out with another Ridley Scott film. And one that i wanted to see as i like the setting and the main guy and I like Sir Riddles...... it just felt very paint by numbers. Waterloo was a footnote, things were nitpickable, and yeah it was a bit weird. But not the worst ridley scott film ever seen (take a bow, Covenant)

EXTRAS

After finishing the 25 in 25 challenge, more was seen, and not everything was a repeat. dropping the findings here

Atlas

It wants to be a titanfall 2 film SO MUCH! It just fails by being a bit shit. J Lo doesnt work in the role, she spends most of the film stuck in a wardrobe with a camera on her face. Dumb silly, kinda fun, but not enough for switch off brain territory

Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning

This was certainly a Mission Impossible film. every person every in these ruddy things turned up. So yeah. But this is loong as, its become a bit paint by numbers. Long gone has the Brian de Palma sluething adventure of the first film. Its now in action territory, everything will explode. Maybe the last one? who knows....

The Running Man

The OG Running man is one of my favorite arnie films mainly due to how utterly silly it is. That being remade, by Edgar Wright, stacked cast, should have been a good enough time. And on the whole, it is. sticking more closely to the book, everything is very grimey, the violence is rammped up to cartoonish levels. But yeah, it doesnt quite hit. not as bad as made out, the ending wiffs slightly. but a fun enough watch.

Wake up Dead man

Its a knives out film. Stacked cast - check. Expections subverted - check. Daniel Craig doing a silly accent - check. Yeah, its fine. proably not as good as the first one, but not as bad as the second one. I got bored towards the end, but your mileage may vary

Will have to see how I get on with 26 in 2026, will keep the list updated.