JayDeeezy Reviews

The Last of Us (2023– )

How to Add to a Masterpiece

[10/10 · 13 March 2023]

Season 1 Review:

The Last of Us Parts 1 & 2 have the best stories I have ever experienced in a video game - surpassing the narrative of some of the greatest films. When I heard the announcement for an HBO show, my first instinct was "cashgrab". Thankfully I was wrong.

What they did right here was to keep the original creator on board (Drukmann) and create a relationship with another brilliant mind in television (Mazin). This not only made sure the heart and aesthetic of the game was faithfully preserved, but that it offered a chance for something more. They stuck to the narrative of the game as a skeleton, and when there was a chance for further exploration of human stories and concepts, they deviated (example: episode 3). They knew exactly when and where to stick to the source and where to expand and they nailed it. As such, an already brilliant story was shown in a new light and those who haven't played the game also got to experience it for the first time.

But even if you have the right creators, you need to right cast. Bella and Pedro were perfect. While they are new faces, they captured the essence of Joel and Ellie perfectly and really made the characters their own. Pedro has already shown his versatility and continues to do so, but I was very impressed with Bella. Everyone in this show, actually, put on great performances. Sprinkle in surprising and meaningful cameos for the gamers and you have perfection.

Lastly, the world, the action, the infected - everything was done to the highest standard of quality. The set designs were beautiful. The action was thrilling and tense. The Last if Us world felt as it was supposed to be here.

Hands down the best video game adaptation ever made, but more than that, the creators used the medium of TV to expand upon an already beautiful story and give us a rare gift.

Cocaine Bear (2023)

Surprisingly Fleshed Out

[7/10 · 25 February 2023]

All I knew about this film was the title and decided to see it fully expecting a dumb, sloppy but kinda fun movie like Snakes on a Plane.

Surprisingly, this is a well-crafted film with well-fleshed out characters and a script that balances a bonkers situation with a hefty dose of reality vs. Comedy. Instead of lazily lining up attack scenes with gratuitous violence (which filmmakers of something like this could've easily done), there was an actual plot, so each action scenario weirdly made sense in the story line and was surprisingly tense. The story took its time to introduce the characters and their idiosyncrasies, so that we can actually give a damn about them, why they're here, and whether or not they live or die. The characters themselves are also interesting and entertaining so you're not necessarily just waiting for the next bear attack, you're enjoying their innate goofiness.

That said, with the character building, some of the scenes were filmed in a way that felt awkwardly dragged out. At the time it felt a bit confusing why were spending so much time on a particular plot point, but they inevitably do a decent job of looping back to it.

The approach the filmmakers took overall I think struck a good balance of comedy, horror and reality. A situation like this in real life would be very sad with bears ingesting a dangerous amount of drugs and likely dying (I haven't read much into the real life story this is based on) but thankfully the filmmakers are here to just give audiences a good time and stay in a lane that is ultimately entertaining.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Not as thought-provoking as made out to be

[6/10 · 7 February 2023]

Happy to see this director and our two leads reunited - I loved In Bruges. I was looking forward to another potential dark comedy with poignant themes of humanity. However I thought this was just a bit of a boring downer. I'm sure there's a ton to glean into allegory-wise with the Civil War and the whole "banshees" theme. However, I found myself too bored to care. The story at face value was so simple and straightforward that it just didn't hit me on a personal level. I kept waiting for a payoff that never came and the story ironically just stayed dull. It's a breakup story set on a rural island full of miserable people who are stuck in a depression spiral...yeesh. The acting was good, the setting was unique and the direction was solid. I'm seeing some notes on great cinematography though? I don't really think so. Ultimately, this was a quality-made film whose message is not at all thought-provoking as it thinks it is (from my point of view). People need healthy social interaction. Also, some people are better off living in certain types of communities than others in would likely be happier if they found a good fit for themselves. Like yeah...I know.

The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023) Season 1, Episode 3

Perfect Television

[10/10 · 6 February 2023]

This episode was such a pleasant surprise. We see a familiar character from the games and his story but as Neil Druckmann said: "if we have a story that's better than the game, we deviate". This was better. You fall in love with 2 people and their journey together in a span of one episode. I was left giddy, heartbroken and overall in tears. The acting by the two leads was just incredible and I hope they're recognized for it. What impressed me the most was that this doesn't just serve as an isolated love story within a series with bigger fish to fry - this story represents the whole point of the fight in this big story. Why save Ellie? Why fight? Why even try? Because of the opportunity to live a life shown here. Such a beautiful story.

The Last of Us: When You're Lost in the Darkness (2023) Season 1, Episode 1

Awesome Start

[10/10 · 16 January 2023]

I'm a big fan of the Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2 - they were both masterpieces in storytelling and broke new ground in the video game world. In a world where capitalization is a must, my first instinct is that this series is being done with great care. I'm glad Neil Druckmann is one of the main showrunners. The attention to detail and canon shows here because...well, him and Naughty Dog created this. The team up with Chernobyl's Craig's Mazin sounds really good on paper and thus far, translates well to screen.

The lead roles are cast really well - I loved Pedro Pascal in the Mandalorian and GoT and even though I've only seen Bella Ramsey before in her brief GoT role, she seems like a good actress. I'm very excited to see more of both of them and the relationship between their Ellie and Joel. The acting by the rest of the cast has also been solid.

The world looks perfect. It captures the world in the video game perfectly and expands the scope to screen exactly how I would hope for. We haven't seen much of the creatures yet but the opening act and the makeup/effects on the infected we do see look wonderful.

I'm very excited by what I see thus far. The games were works of art but I'm hoping this expands further on what we know and gives us more of the world with a slightly different perspective. If it keeps going the way it's going, I'm also glad this awesome story will be reaching new people for the first time. Lets go.

God of War (2018 Video Game)

Believe the Hype

[10/10 · 13 December 2022]

Games are being pumped out at a massive rate in this generation, but every once in a while, something golden appears and makes you remember why you love video games. I've been playing games for 30+ years and watching just as many films during that time as well. The line between the two is starting to blur and some creators know how to tell a good story and some don't. This game's biggest strength is its authentic and riveting storytelling. The plot starts relatively simple but the relationships between characters, especially of that between a son and a father, is what is at the heart here. It's touching, comes from a place of reality, and all set within a crazy fun video game with plenty of action and twists to keep you on your toes. The gameplay is beautiful. The artwork and world is stunning and grand in scale without becoming overwhelming. The lack of loading screens with technology these days is such an impressive feat. The fighting is tight, well polished, and it's simply fun. Lastly, the voice acting is top notch - each character is nuanced and has a realistic life breathed into them by the cast. I like to think I retain a healthy skepticism when jumping into a popular AAA title because they don't always work for me, but in my opinion, this has earned every drop of praise it is getting.

Martyrs (2008)

Strong Start, Boring Finish

[6/10 · 4 December 2022]

I've heard a lot of buzz about this film over the years but took a long time to watch it. I'm not a huge fan of extremism and this has always been billed as "one of the most disturbing horror films ever" so I put it off until I felt like I was ready. I've gotta say I ended up kind of underwhelmed.

The film starts off strong. It is relentless, hits us hard with themes of trauma and its persistence in one's life. The story structure in the first 2 acts was a breath of fresh air. I feel like I can typically predict where the story will go in many films but found myself continuously surprised. It's super intense in terms of the violence, yes, but it all seemed to be serving to tell a poignant story.

Then we hit the last act...and the reveal of the antagonists and their motivation was so boring. Then it was just 30 minutes of people beating the crap out of a woman. This isn't unique, this isn't poignant. It's just...sad and frankly boring as far as story structure goes. The ending tries to end on a cerebral note but was just not interesting or thought provoking to me. It frankly just seemed like lazy writing. I ultimately feel like the first 2 acts of the film alone would have made for a better movie.

Overall, yes, one of the more brutal films I've seen. I respect it for the boundaries it pushes while trying to have some substance. However the substance that could've been ultimately fizzled out and I was left feeling like this could've been something more memorable.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Emotional, Mature Film With A Lot To Say

[8/10 · 11 November 2022]

This film was special. We knew it was going to be emotional, but it ended up having a lot more to say than I anticipated. Themes of loss, grief, legacy, are also intertwined with a story our world's history of invasion and war over the balance of power and resources. It was definitely a long film for a reason but there was a purpose to every scene. Overall this ended up being one of (if not the) heaviest and most emotional films of the MCU.

Starting with the cinematography - this film was absolutely beautiful. Wakanda is as vibrant as ever and Talokan was an awesome addition as a setting. The costume design, environments, colors, character designs of the Talokan's were just stunning and some of the battle sequences were amazing to look at.

The plot was very good. Expectedly, I was crying 60 seconds into the film. A tragedy sends all of our characters into mourning but the relentless looming threats forces them to hold their heads up and choose their future. Shuri is ironically and poetically thrust into a very similar heroes journey focused on revenge that her brother originally walked during Civil War. In the meantime, Namor and his people are portrayed as a sympathetic people - victims of prior invasion. The common ground they share with Wakanda is very intentional and very interesting as a plot point. Even with different cultures and ideologies, the similarities between human beings are ever present and we are all vulnerable to conflict, hatred, and greed.

The performances were incredibly strong - likely because the actors were in a sense living a similar story, which is awful, but it shows and they make you feel it. Angela Bassett is just stunning and powerful as Queen Mother. Leticia Wright just makes you feel every second of her grief. And Danai Gurira absolutely shines here - I've never felt so much for Okoye. Dominique Thorne was awesome as Riri and I'm very excited to see more of Ironheart.

All in all, this was a special and beautiful film. It does get a bit long and serious in the middle for a superhero movie so people may find that hard to sit with, especially upon rewatch. But I think Ryan Coogler used that time to tell an important, heart wrenching story filled with grief but also hope and shined a light of respect and legacy upon the crew's late friend, Chadwick Boseman.

Terrifier 2 (2022)

Gore +1, Lore + 0.5

[7/10 · 5 November 2022]

Definitely some hype about this movie. "People throwing up in theaters" is great press but it's probably not actually because of a kill scene (laundromat). Anyways, I was a fan of the first film because it made the slasher scary again. I'm a fan of the Scream franchise but typically not slashers in general because I find them to be very generic and boring. Art the Clown however is so brutal that I thought the franchise had promise and I still think that. This sequel definitely turns up the volume but not THAT much.

There are certainly very violent kills but I would argue the big kill in the first film is still the highlight of the series. That said, they definitely linger more in this one which I think makes the kills feel more menacing.

The actor playing Art is just great. He's so menacing and silly at the same time - definitely an awesome horror character that I think will make his way to join the ranks with Freddy or Jason if they keep this going.

The aesthetic of the film was also wonderful. It's got a very cool 80s color tone and synthetic-inspired soundtrack that create an homage to the vibe of the classic slashers that is weirdly cozy.

However (not that a slasher's selling point needs to be its story) I ultimately felt a bit underwhelmed because of they teased a more interesting dive into the lore that was ultimately left nebulous. The new female clown character was also intriguing - who is she? Why can only select people see her? How was Art resurrected?. Why did Sienna's father have these visions? I thought "oooh they're actually going for a deeper story" which would definitely elevate this sequel as something more than its predecessor. Sienna's character is destined to become this Valkyrie figure and she does...kinda...for a second or two. However, despite a long runtime, not much was ultimately addressed. Maybe they're saving it for sequels. Everything came together in a way that was ultimately more of the same as the original.

All in all: still a brutal slasher series that stands out as unique and top tier B horror. I was just hoping for a bit more lore expansion than we got.

Black Adam (2022)

Painfully Unoriginal

[4/10 · 28 October 2022]

I'm a superhero fanboy and have basically seen all the superhero movies over the past 30ish years. Black Adam was so painfully dull, derivative, and soulless I was checking my watch throughout the film and uncomfortably laughing at all the concepts they've blatantly stolen from prior Marvel or DC films.

I was literally counting the stolen beats while watching: Xavier institute knock off with X-men ship flying out the courtyard? Freddy rip-off (Billy Batson's bff from Shazam) marveling at the main characters' powerset? Giving a one-liner description of peoples' powers a la first Suicide Squad? Stealing the Dark Knight line "really poor choice of words" when dropping someone from the sky? Wakandan Vibranian knock-off? I can keep going but this film has got it all!

Viola Davis is clearly phoning it in and honestly...good for her. Get a green screen and make that money from your living room! The rest of the cast? Dwayne Johnson is about as interesting as a handtowel. Justice Society members are forgettable aside from Dr. Fate who's powerset is really the only interesting part of the film.

The plot? Nonsensical, centered around tell-don't-show storytelling, and full of holes. None of the conflict ever needed to even happen. Hawkman giving lectures to Black Adam about integrity when he works for Amanda Waller? Uh what?! The writers clearly gave little to no care for continuity or cohesiveness.

This film was a big budget waste of time. I can't tell if it was soulless or had multiple studio interventions due to DC/WB being in shambles. Now that they have new leadership, please get it together.

I would highly recommend skipping this. I wish I just saved my time and money and saw the 10 sec post-credits scene with Henry Cavill as Superman saying hi on YouTube.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

I LOVED It

[8/10 · 23 October 2022]

I'm a millennial who loves horror films and Scream is in my top 3 favorite of all time. This was being billed as Scream for Gen-Z ers which to me already meant it had huge shoes to fill. Then the reviews came out and they were good but not great so I tempered my expectations. I ended up having so much fun with this film.

The social commentary was subtle and hilarious without being obnoxious or too on the nose. The blend of thrill and comedy was done very well. All the actors did an awesome job. The score was super unique and set such an unsettling tone at the right moments. And best of all - though not required for a good film - I was fooled. I thought I called the ending right out the gate and most of the movie didn't seem to refute my theory. Then we head into the 3rd act and get an ending that I did not see coming and just absolutely loved. I can't wait to rewatch and pay close attention with a new lens - and rewatchability is a plus in my book.

All in all: well done and super fun whodunit.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Refreshing Original Direction

[7/10 · 16 October 2022]

I liked the Halloween 2018 remake a lot - it was fun, gory, and breathed new life into a franchise I was really never a huge fan of. Two more movies were subsequently greenlit which stunk of a cashgrab but I gave the sequel a chance. Halloween Kills was a mess and a nose dive in quality. Its attempt to tell a poignant story of mob mentality was poorly executed and overall felt like fluff. As such, I had little hopes for this installment other than curiosity of how they chose to end it and I'm glad I saw it.

I wasn't really sure what I expected but this movie took the story in a totally unexpected direction that was actually interesting and had something to say thematically. They also kept some of the kills pretty fresh which is always appreciated by a horror fan. I've seen hundreds of horror movies and I feel like I'm getting harder to surprise in my cynical aging process. I can see why it would rattle the feathers of some folks as this is not like any of the prior films. But I really appreciated that. I though it was a bold swing for the finale and overall left me glad I gave it a chance.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

People Written As Caricatures

[4/10 · 14 October 2022]

Swing and a miss. Marvel is really going for it in phase 4 with the experimenting. Power to them, they've earned it. This one was probably the biggest disappointment of phase 4 unfortunately. The good: Tatiana was great - she portrayed Jen as fun, nuanced, smart and sympathetic. Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki was also a fun character and a friend whom anyone would want. It was also great to see Daredevil again. There were also some funny jokes sprinkled throughout.

The bad: like everything else. They wanted to make a law-themed 4th wall breaking comedy. What they wrote was a cringy, choppy, boring and obtuse mess. Aside from the main characters, every secondary character was written like a ham-handed walking stereotype of a joke. The overall plot was also lackluster - there was a semi-compelling journey for Jen hidden somewhere in there.

Overall, I like the character of She-Hulk and am looking forward to seeing her in other films and/or shows...just not one written by this team. I'd recommend passing on this unless you're a huge Marvel fan that wants to watch everything regardless.

Oh, and the CGI looked fine to me. (dislikes roll in)

Smile (V) (2022)

Haunting Scares + Good Story

[8/10 · 8 October 2022]

I'll start by saying this film is The Ring - it's basically the same premise. I say this because The Ring has been my favorite horror film and kicked off my love for horror when I was 12 years old. Regardless of its derivation, man was this movie scary!

The tension and scares are crafted so well. I've seen a lot of horror films and it's been a while since I literally had goosebumps in the theater. Are there some cheap jump scares? For sure. But whereas many horror movies of the past just repeat the same tactic and play it out, this keeps it fresh by mixing tension, unsettling visuals, atmosphere, and sound design very skillfully. It comes at you from so many different angles that I was often on edge not knowing what to expect. And the score...man was that score unique, creepy and relentless.

The story is an allegory that hit home for me. Thankfully, like many more people today, I am particularly passionate about mental health and appreciate that the deeper fear here is all the awful things than can develop from trauma, the self-perpetuating cycle of mental health illness in a family, and the difficulty in finding how to successfully win against your demons. It wasn't a groundbreaking story, but it was told well.

We've been getting some bangers from young new horror directors over the last couple of years (Jordan Peele, Ari Astor, Robert Eggers) and Parker Finn might need to be added to the list. Hope he has more ideas because I'd love to see his next film. It's a renaissance for horror and I'm loving it. Add this to the list of must see for horror fans.

Pearl (2022)

Mia Goth Kills It

[7/10 · 23 September 2022]

I'll start by saying this film is better than X. The story of Pearl's background was a more intriguing concept. The art style used for the film was also mesmerizing. Ti West fully committed to a period piece with a fantastical and technicolored look which is juxtaposed well when we're hit with the gritty violence and harsh realities of Pearl's life. This is all to say it was surprisingly well-filmed for a young director. However what really makes this movie standout is Mia Goth's performance. It's shocking when you realize she plays Pearl and Maxine in X, but I find that makeup aspect to be more of a novelty. Here, it's just her as Pearl...and man does she knock it out the park. She is able to make the character seem simultaneously empathetic, naive, childish, scary, and vicious - and it's all done very convincingly. I thought X was OK and wasn't sure about this, but I am very much glad I gave it a shot.

My main issue with the film is that I actually saw it as more of a drama - so the pacing and horror aspects were a bit lacking I suppose. Maybe I'm just not a huge fan of slashers - I usually find them to be the most dull of the horror genre. The violence here wasn't particularly shocking and doesn't really break new ground. It more relies on the story-telling to make you feel the effects of what is happening which took some slow time to build up. That said, the story here is not super fresh. It's told pretty well, I've just seen it before a lot.

All in all, Mia Goth carries the film on her shoulders and the writing is competent enough to make it better than average but not quite groundbreaking.

Terrified (2017)

Effective Scares But Sloppy Plot

[6/10 · 19 September 2022]

This movie starts off strong and sets a creepy tone with a solid pace of good scares. As the plot unravels, the characters and their respective roles in terms of how they contribute to the plot become confusing - the final protagonist is never really established for example. There is an attempt to tell an interesting paranormal story, but just as soon as it starts to get interesting, it just kind of ends...leaving many questions up in the air. Some of the characters actions are very unrealistic - this is juxtaposed against other characters' acting very realistically. This was a jarring clash that took me out of the movie. Overall, interesting story that could've been a standout with the horror tone they set, but the messy story brings it down closer to mediocre.

The White Lotus (2021–2025)

Spotlight on The Class Gap

[10/10 · 13 September 2022]

What a well-written, socially poignant show. What is initially presented on the surface as a whodunit mystery turned out to be a very profound discussion on the disparities between the wealthy and non-wealthy in the US. This reality is very harsh, painful and depicted here in a skillfully subtle way. All the hotel guests are tortured, ignorant souls in one way or another but drown their sorrows by using those around them as playthings. It's a very sad story overall but so well done.

If you don't know much about this show, I would highly recommend. It leaves a lot to interpretation but that's how I viewed it - the rich blow through like a hurricane devastating everything in their selfish and empty wake.

Cabin Fever (2002)

Movie's a mess

[5/10 · 11 September 2022]

Lots of hype around this "cult classic". Finally saw it after years post-release and had a pretty meh experience overall. There were parts where I was bored and turned to my phone and others where I was like "what the heck lol that was silly...in a good way I guess?" It overall seemed exactly like what a frat boy with average intelligence in his early 20s would write during his first try - it's competent enough to make a coherent story but full of plenty of lazy, inconsistent and outright bad writing. People seem to claim it was a well-executed genius blend of horror and comedy...that's quite a stretch. It seemed more like an attempt that kind of fell flat due to inexperience. All in all, pretty forgettable as a horror film.

Barbarian (2022)

Great Marketing, Great Thriller

[8/10 · 11 September 2022]

Unlike most films these days, the first trailer for this did not spoil the entire movie. That alone is a major accomplishment sadly.

The film itself one one hell of a ride! It builds up great tension, has humor sprinkled in, and had multiple "woah did not see that coming" moments. Its mystery unravels overall in a captivating way with great pacing. The acting was good from all the leads and some of the camerawork was really cool. I also appreciated the commentary on men and fitting genders into broad categories for better or worse...This is probably one of those films that loses its effect after first viewing in terms of rewatchability but if you happen to catch it in theaters, it's a great time.

Pinocchio (I) (2022)

Still A Touching Story

[8/10 · 9 September 2022]

This was such a pleasant watch. I remember seeing the original as a boy. I largely remember focusing on the fantastical elements and scary parts which stuck mainly in my mind until today. Seeing this story again, I was reminded of the very simple but important message to young children to strive to be honest, selfless and brave. Now in my 30s and hoping to start a family soon, it's what I would teach my children and I have an all new perspective and appreciation for this story. Sounds corny, I'm sure...but sometimes I think we can all use a little corny and that's when Disney is at its best.

As for the new stuff, it was all nice and welcome new developments that made a familiar story a little bit fresher. They certainly didn't pull any punches with some of the scary and heavy parts but I think it's almost necessary to drive the point home of how nasty the world can be. All in all, it did what I could hope any remake does - preserve the heart of the original and add some freshness and twists to it.

I also didn't realize it was Robert Zemeckis who directed this until the credits - seeing him and Tom Hanks in a project again was a cherry on top.

Lastly, I know we hear it during every Disney movie intro, but hearing "When You Wish Upon a Star" in full form again...man that hit me hard. Beautiful.

All in all, wonderful family film with something for every generation.

House of the Dragon: The Heirs of the Dragon (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

I'm ready to be hurt again

[9/10 · 27 August 2022]

Strong start with seemingly same quality of writing as early Game of Thrones. This had the action, twists, and all too familiar sexposition we've been exposed to before. The characters seem a bit nuanced this far but of course we're still world building. I'm hoping for complex character arcs. I'm hoping George RR Martin stays well-involved throughout and that HBO has learned from their mistakes, but im walking in with a healthy skepticism. Im ready to be hurt again and give 'em one more shot. I've heard they've pitched like 4 or 5 spin-offs which already stinks of the quantity over quality approach but we shall see...

Justice League (2017)

Something Is Definitely Bleeding

[4/10 · 5 August 2022]

I revisited this cut after watching the Snyder Cut and hindsight is 20/20: WB clearly reacted to fans being upset about the dark tone of Snyder's prior films, and said "let's hire the Avengers guy to make this like Avengers so we can be more successful". Problem is, when you approach something superficially without passion or heart, it shows. Whedon took Snyder's Cut, chopped off 2 hours, inserted tons of Marvel phase 1 quips, and turned up the contrast. It didn't work. Why?

1) The tone is inconsistent. Regardless of how people felt about BvS and Man of Steel, we had been introduced to a darker DC universe with heavier emotional themes. You throw in quips every 5 minutes, the tonal shift is cringeworthy. Batman saying "something is definitely bleeding" is just so stupid. I like some of the jokes in isolation - like Aquaman sitting on the lasso of truth - but a lot of the new comedic bits are sooo lame and forced. Not to mention "booyah" and "I'm also a fan of justice"...god...really?

2) The threat is weak. While I think Steppenwolf in Snydercut looks way cooler and the increased violence was fun, I cared more that he was actually a nuanced villain. You understand why he's doing what he's doing and even slightly sympathize with him. He is completely generic and non-threatening in Whedon's cut. The looming threat of Darkseid is more important to establish and of course we lose that here.

3) The characters are weak. Because of the press for time, we don't get to have time to have our heroes join together in an organic way. We introduce Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman here and barely get any character development. It's a tall order to get us to really care about these heroes as nuanced characters in one film as it is and 2 hours to do it is just not enough. I would argue even Snyder's cut couldn't accomplish it all - he definitely made Cyborg and Flash more relatable but Aquaman was still a bit of a mystery (albeit the solo film was always planned to be next). By the time they all get together in this cut it feels unearned and not special. The Justice League uniting should feel special.

4) The stache. I understand Whedon needed to rewrite the script and this required reshoots with Cavill. The contract he had with Mission Impossible sounds so juvenile. Im gonna give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt that this was the best CGI they could afford (which, still, really?). But that's so messed up to not just cede to wear a fake stache on your film and force another crew to spend tons of money on CGI. Just another example of spoiled rotten kids/execs in the sandbox who don't play well together. So dumb.

I'm gonna be a little controversial here and say people reaped what they sowed. I like Snyder's darker, broodier vision for this universe since Man of Steel and I like the theatrical cut of BvS and loved the ultimate cut. The studio did what they thought was best and it just didn't work out. Now thanks to a vocal, and slightly toxic, minority of fans, we were able to get Snyder's original vision and it was great. I hope DC learns from this, picks a lane, and sticks with it without focusing so much about the bottom line or recreating Marvel's success. In my personal opinion, making the DCEU a "darker" version of MCU would be awesome.

Nope (2022)

Tense, Fun Thriller

[8/10 · 24 July 2022]

This was a great 3rd film from Jordan Peele - in my opinion it's a step up from Us though with Get Out reigning as still my favorite. A very interesting mystery is put forth that builds slowly and ramps up in a tense and satisfying way. I had lots of fun during the thrilling moments in the film, especially in theaters. As with his other two films, the thematic undertones are just as cerebral and interesting to ponder leaving the film and every scene shown makes sense in retrospect even if it leaves you a little confused in the moment. Peele also continues injecting just enough humor to keep you laughing without compromising the integrity of the serious situation unfolding. The characters are all interesting and entertaining though Keke Palmer definitely stands out here as the shining star. Overall, great thriller and another solid entry in Peele's repertoire. Looking forward to the next one.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Cute Show

[7/10 · 14 July 2022]

I thought this was a cute entry. Definitely more lighthearted and fun - I dig the teenage coming-of-age vibe reminiscent of the newest Spider-Man films. I also love that Marvel continues to focus on representing and honoring multiple cultures and people - it's a big deal and important. The pacing of many of the episodes was a bit awkward at times and it took a while for the stakes to get interesting so I can see how people got inpatient.

That being said, without going into spoilers, I think it's very obvious what the big picture is and where we're going during this next phase of the MCU. It sounds like recently people are complaining they we need to repeat the formulas of the Thanos and Endgame setup. 1) No we don't. We already had the Infinity Saga so let's try something different and fresh. 2) There kind of already is an Endgame setup anyway that's been alluded to. Anyways, fun series, I'm enjoying phase 4, and love that reveal at the end.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Fan Service with a Dash of Depth

[9/10 · 10 July 2022]

I've definitely cooled on this movie after seeing it. We all know what was coming, but man I cheered like crazy with the theater audience when our other Spideys showed up regardless. However, as the dust settled, I've been able to step back and can still confidently say this movie is still pretty good when you take out the shock value. This is mostly because of the emotional connection and depth they delve into between the Peters. They found a way to make all the stories we've seen before tie together (albeit loosely) to further help develop Holland's character journey. This was more the surprise for me. This doesn't touch Endgame-level in my book, but it's a great Marvel film.