Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Saturday, May 8, 2021
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
'10 Cloverfield Lane' Movie Review
You can read my review of the film here.
*At one point, I reference Annie Wilkes, but for some reason, the K got lost in the shuffle making it "Annie Wiles". Alas, there's nothing I can do about it now.
Pros
- The cast all do a fantastic job.
- Plot takes all sorts of twists and turns that keep the viewer engaged throughout
- Michelle proves herself to be resourceful and clever, even giving MacGuyver a run for his money at some points.
- Great character dynamics
Cons
- Bad lighting undercuts the awe and spectacle of the big reveal
- Doesn't tie back into "Cloverfield" in any capacity
Overall
This was a very enjoyable movie. It's tightly written, well acted, and it keeps the tension up in a variety of different ways. I highly recommend it.
*At one point, I reference Annie Wilkes, but for some reason, the K got lost in the shuffle making it "Annie Wiles". Alas, there's nothing I can do about it now.
Pros
- The cast all do a fantastic job.
- Plot takes all sorts of twists and turns that keep the viewer engaged throughout
- Michelle proves herself to be resourceful and clever, even giving MacGuyver a run for his money at some points.
- Great character dynamics
Cons
- Bad lighting undercuts the awe and spectacle of the big reveal
- Doesn't tie back into "Cloverfield" in any capacity
Overall
This was a very enjoyable movie. It's tightly written, well acted, and it keeps the tension up in a variety of different ways. I highly recommend it.
Monday, March 9, 2020
'Star Trek Beyond' Movie Review
You can read my review of the film here.
Pros
- The cast. Even after three entries, it's still amazing just how good everybody is in their respective roles.
- Keeps the same "fun" factor (big action and the humor, for example) that worked well in the first two entries, while also giving us a plot that feels more like classic "Trek".
- Manages to juggle multiple sub-plots rather effectively
- The "Sabotage" sequence. Some might roll their eyes at it. I enjoyed the hell out of it.
- Jayla's a great original character. She's smart, pleasant, helpful, has a fleshed out back story, and can hold her own in a fight. Nothing to complain about there. Hopefully, if there is a fourth, they can bring her into the fold once more.
Cons
- The run time did feel a bit too drawn out. A little more streamlining would have been beneficial in my opinion.
- The villain is largely flat up until the final act. The fact that they, more or less, wasted Idris Elba only makes it that much worse.
Overall
It has some faults, but ultimately, this was another entertaining as hell entry in the franchise. Even the hardcore fans who didn't care for the two preceding movies might enjoy this, as it feels the most like the "Trek" that they grew up watching.
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Pros
- The cast. Even after three entries, it's still amazing just how good everybody is in their respective roles.
- Keeps the same "fun" factor (big action and the humor, for example) that worked well in the first two entries, while also giving us a plot that feels more like classic "Trek".
- Manages to juggle multiple sub-plots rather effectively
- The "Sabotage" sequence. Some might roll their eyes at it. I enjoyed the hell out of it.
- Jayla's a great original character. She's smart, pleasant, helpful, has a fleshed out back story, and can hold her own in a fight. Nothing to complain about there. Hopefully, if there is a fourth, they can bring her into the fold once more.
Cons
- The run time did feel a bit too drawn out. A little more streamlining would have been beneficial in my opinion.
- The villain is largely flat up until the final act. The fact that they, more or less, wasted Idris Elba only makes it that much worse.
Overall
It has some faults, but ultimately, this was another entertaining as hell entry in the franchise. Even the hardcore fans who didn't care for the two preceding movies might enjoy this, as it feels the most like the "Trek" that they grew up watching.
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Sunday, February 23, 2020
'Son of Batman' Movie Review
You can read my review of the film here.
Pros
- Solid action sequences peppered throughout the film
- Manages to make Damian more sympathetic and fleshed out when he easily could have been a detriment to the viewer
- Using Deathstroke as a main antagonist worked really well, as his feud with (admittedly a different) Robin made a nice nod to the cartoon and his status as rival/heir to Ra's made sense while doing something different with the character.
Cons
- Not enough Nightwing
- Voice acting and script are clunky early on, though thankfully, this gets better as the movie goes forward
- Your mileage may vary on the ninja man-bats. Yes, that did happen in the comics and if you like the goofier comic stuff, it won't bother you. If you like your Batman grounded in reality, this could be a deal-breaker for you.
Overall
Due to the fact that this centered on Damian and the aforementioned early faults with voice acting and script, I was skeptical about this one. It did, however, manage to win me over. There's plenty of action and each sequence is impressive in its own right.
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Pros
- Solid action sequences peppered throughout the film
- Manages to make Damian more sympathetic and fleshed out when he easily could have been a detriment to the viewer
- Using Deathstroke as a main antagonist worked really well, as his feud with (admittedly a different) Robin made a nice nod to the cartoon and his status as rival/heir to Ra's made sense while doing something different with the character.
Cons
- Not enough Nightwing
- Voice acting and script are clunky early on, though thankfully, this gets better as the movie goes forward
- Your mileage may vary on the ninja man-bats. Yes, that did happen in the comics and if you like the goofier comic stuff, it won't bother you. If you like your Batman grounded in reality, this could be a deal-breaker for you.
Overall
Due to the fact that this centered on Damian and the aforementioned early faults with voice acting and script, I was skeptical about this one. It did, however, manage to win me over. There's plenty of action and each sequence is impressive in its own right.
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Saturday, January 18, 2020
'1922' Movie Review
Reviewing this had been sitting on my to-do list for some time and I figured it was about time we got to it. The reviews I've seen have been generally positive, as such, I was surprised to find out how utterly underwhelmed by this production I was.
The plot follows a farmer named Wilf, who kills his wife after she inherits a lot of land and voices intent to sell it. While Wilf does have interest in adding the land to his own, child custody also seems to be a large factor in what drives him. True, his wife does try to force him to sell it all, but she later says that she'll sell her land and leave him be. It seemed like the better option to lead with, but what can you do?
If we were supposed to feel sorry for Wilf's wife, it didn't work. She comes off as intentionally unpleasant to the point where you wonder why the two are even together. It also doesn't come as too much of a loss when she is taken out.
Of course, Wilf doesn't fare much better. Thomas Jane (who I hardly recognized at first) isn't really given a whole lot to work with. All he can do is don an oddly thick Southern accent. It's jarring and becomes grating after a while.
Oddly, one of the stand out characters was Shannon, the love interest of Wilf's son, Hank. We don't get to know too much about her, but she came off as really nice. Sometimes simply having a pleasant disposition can go a long way and this was one of those times. She's polite, shows concern for Hank when he starts to go into an emotional tailspin and even gets along rather well with Wilf. Even with only a handful of scenes, you grow to genuinely like her.
I think the bigger problem, however, is the fact that this was a story that's better suited to prose. The plot really doesn't have enough forward momentum to keep you engaged. Even with a run time of about an hour and 40 minutes, this thing drags like you wouldn't believe. I was repeatedly clicking the screen on my phone to see how much time was left. There are moments peppered throughout where it seems like the movie is finally going to start picking up steam, but then it regresses again.
Neal McDonough has a small supporting role. The movie could have used more of him. Even with only a few minutes of screen time, he manages to turn in a rather strong performance. His presence was one of the highlights of the movie for me.
There's also a scene where it seems like Wilf is being haunted by the spirit of a cow that he killed earlier in the film. It was random and I did get a legitimate chuckle out of it. Sadly, a later line makes it clear that that cow is still living...though it dies later. Had it actually turned out to be a ghost cow I wouldn't have even brought it up as the complete and surprising randomness added to the fun of the scene. Given the true nature, I didn't feel as bad about it. I mean, it might still catch you off guard, but the scene wasn't what it could have been.
The movie also falls into the trap of having a lot of scenes take place in the dark. It's strange because there are some scenes that are dimly lit perfectly and others where I had to struggle to see what was going on or flat out couldn't see what was going on. It was a real problem.
Is this the worst King adaptation? Oh, heavens no. I wouldn't even rank it among the worst. It's faithful to the source material and it isn't a complete misfire. Still, I have no desire to sit through it again and think that your time would be better spent watching something else. I really didn't find this to be worth the effort.
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The plot follows a farmer named Wilf, who kills his wife after she inherits a lot of land and voices intent to sell it. While Wilf does have interest in adding the land to his own, child custody also seems to be a large factor in what drives him. True, his wife does try to force him to sell it all, but she later says that she'll sell her land and leave him be. It seemed like the better option to lead with, but what can you do?
If we were supposed to feel sorry for Wilf's wife, it didn't work. She comes off as intentionally unpleasant to the point where you wonder why the two are even together. It also doesn't come as too much of a loss when she is taken out.
Of course, Wilf doesn't fare much better. Thomas Jane (who I hardly recognized at first) isn't really given a whole lot to work with. All he can do is don an oddly thick Southern accent. It's jarring and becomes grating after a while.
Oddly, one of the stand out characters was Shannon, the love interest of Wilf's son, Hank. We don't get to know too much about her, but she came off as really nice. Sometimes simply having a pleasant disposition can go a long way and this was one of those times. She's polite, shows concern for Hank when he starts to go into an emotional tailspin and even gets along rather well with Wilf. Even with only a handful of scenes, you grow to genuinely like her.
I think the bigger problem, however, is the fact that this was a story that's better suited to prose. The plot really doesn't have enough forward momentum to keep you engaged. Even with a run time of about an hour and 40 minutes, this thing drags like you wouldn't believe. I was repeatedly clicking the screen on my phone to see how much time was left. There are moments peppered throughout where it seems like the movie is finally going to start picking up steam, but then it regresses again.
Neal McDonough has a small supporting role. The movie could have used more of him. Even with only a few minutes of screen time, he manages to turn in a rather strong performance. His presence was one of the highlights of the movie for me.
There's also a scene where it seems like Wilf is being haunted by the spirit of a cow that he killed earlier in the film. It was random and I did get a legitimate chuckle out of it. Sadly, a later line makes it clear that that cow is still living...though it dies later. Had it actually turned out to be a ghost cow I wouldn't have even brought it up as the complete and surprising randomness added to the fun of the scene. Given the true nature, I didn't feel as bad about it. I mean, it might still catch you off guard, but the scene wasn't what it could have been.
The movie also falls into the trap of having a lot of scenes take place in the dark. It's strange because there are some scenes that are dimly lit perfectly and others where I had to struggle to see what was going on or flat out couldn't see what was going on. It was a real problem.
Is this the worst King adaptation? Oh, heavens no. I wouldn't even rank it among the worst. It's faithful to the source material and it isn't a complete misfire. Still, I have no desire to sit through it again and think that your time would be better spent watching something else. I really didn't find this to be worth the effort.
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Friday, November 1, 2019
'Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf' Movie Review
You can read my review of the film here
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Pros
- Appropriately silly tone. Deaths are cartoonish and characters often veer into over the top caricatures.
- Surprisingly strong script, full of solid comedic banter and gags.
Cons
- Plot isn't as cohesive as the predecessors, which were more straight forward.
- Inclusion of Voodoo was a bizarre choice, though it does lead to a few funny bits.
Overall
If you're a fan of "so bad, it's good" movies, this is a very entertaining ride. Granted, it's bad on purpose, but you'll still get more than a few laughs out of this one.
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