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Reviews
The Marvels (2023)
Super fun, much better than i expected!
After some time of hesitating, I finally decided to give this movie a chance, despite all the criticism. And, boy, I'm glad i did!
I found myself deeply engaged in the story, which is a bit confusing at first, but i think it's by design, so we (the spectator) can feel the same confusion as the Marvels themselves with the hole switching situation. As the story moves forward, some things start to fall into place.
There really is an interesting exploration of each Marin character's motivation: Carol's guilt over her responsibility on what happened to Hala; Monica's struggle to reconnect with her "aunt" (surrogate mother) and live up to her mother's legacy; Kamala's will to fulfill her destiny as the wielder of both Bangles, and enthusiasm to finally become a willed-class hero and work alongside her role model; and Dar-Benn who is hell-bent on restoring her people's home-world after the catastrophic events that left it near uninhabitable.
Visuals are stunning, the pace felt really consistent, and the overall tone is fantastic. There are big, universe-ending stakes, there's drama and tragedy explored through very personal experiences, and then there's loads of light hearted humor, which to me, landed spectacularly well. I laughed a lot throughout, specially during the first big fight (where the team comes to be), and the training montage. I was smiling hard most of the runtime, and even shed few tears here and there.
Kamala is such a warm, funny, lovable character, which took me by surprise watching her show before this movie. That helps glue the team, helping Monica and Carol navigate the awkwardness and pain in their relationship with her teenage cheerful disposition.
She's kind of the heart of the movie, while Carol is the muscle, and Monica is the brains. By the end, each one of them has grown, getting some of the traits of the others.
I honestly don't get all the hate from most reviews, as i found this to be super fun, entertaining, cohesive, all while still planting seeds for future Marvel stories.
I can't wait to see what's down the line for each main character!
The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Engaging mystery, delightful acting
I was interested in this movie ever since the first trailer came in. I'm an adamant follower of Christian Bale, but honestly, I wasn't so thrilled with the selling point of "a young E. A. Poe" thrown into this murder mistery.
The story is engaging (as any good mistery could be). Most of the central characters are interesting; some lean a bit towards one-dimensional, but that's fine for a military man who is nothing but pride and honor.
The story has it's twists and turns, some hit wonderfully, while others feel a bit contrived. Some, i could see coming from miles away. The way they use Poe as a character is fun, and is key to give a gloomy feel to the whole story with his snarky remarks and cunning intelligence. It feels a bit of an amalgam of Poe+Sherlock, but I'm willing to go with it for the sake of the story.
In the End, when I had the sense that i had understood what had happened, the story turned itself upside down, so that last surprise was a welcome one.
The Cinematography is beautiful, playing to the strengths of the amazing locations, and the effect of people and spaces dimly lit by candles and lanterns.
Above all, the acting is incredible. Christian Bale gives an amazing, layered, low key performance as a man who has as many secrets as those he is called to investigate. Harry Melling does a superb job as Poe, standing right in the middle, between the iconic man he will be, and the tormented young man he is at that point. Robert Duvall nails a small but important role, Timothy Spall really shocked with a performance unlike what we are used to see from him, and Toby Jones... well, plays Tony Jones, in the 1830s.
Overall an interesting, well acted story, with beautiful visuals.
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two (2021)
Good, but not great
The culmination of the "Long Halloween" 2 part story arc is entertaining, but it has some serious flaws.
Among those, one of the worst parts, for me, was the fact that Batman seems to be clueless and outmatched by most of his rogues. Poison Ivy managed to get a grip on him for three months, only to be saved by Catwoman. Then, Scarecrow infected him with his fear toxin (despite Bats wearing a protective mask) and once again, Catwoman came to the rescue. Later on, when Batsy confronts Falcone about his ties with the killings, the latter pulls a gun to Batman's face, and it's about to shoot. How did the caped Crusader managed to dodge the bullet? AGAIN Catwoman came to the rescue, out of LITERALLY NOWHERE.
Finally, the way they changed the resolution of the whole thing from the comics (where Alberto Turned out to be one of the killers, having faked his own death, fooling everyone in the process) to give us this bland resolution, in which Gilda is the only killer, and was once happily married to the younger of the Falcone and pregnant with his son... it really detracts from the dramatic impact of the final revelations, oversimplifying a story that is so iconic, precisely because of the intricacies and moral complexities that the original carried.
Visual design is top notch, animation is really good, and voice acting is amazing.
Still, it once again feels like they wanted to "improve" upon the source material (like they did with Batman Hush), but ended up messing a story that was already amazing.
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Fast, fun and silly
I finally decided to give this movie a chance, some 20 years later, knowing what i was getting into. It's not a movie masterpiece, it's full of cliches (buddy cop / heist movie / bromance driven flick), the CGI is silly, the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and the story lacks cohesiveness. Also, acting is all over the place, but this is Vin Diesel we are talking about, not the likes of Pacino, DeNiro or Hoffman.
Yet, it's a fun movie to watch, that delivers great amounts of action sprinkled with some humor.
In many Ways, this movie is exactly what i thought it would be, and that's a good thing. I really enjoyed watching it, while also doing some coding work at the same time, bc it doesn't really ask for a lot of focus.
I'm happy i decided to watch, and I'm willing to give the franchise a chance.
The Walking Dead: The Calm Before (2019)
Some choices puzzle me
I really liked the episode, and the season in general. I felt it was an improvement compared to the latest few seasons.
This one was fun, interesting, disturbing at times. As a fan of the comic, i kinda felt like they were trying to realign the show to the comic storyline.
They pulled Rick into helicopter-limbo, and started shifting focus to Daryl.
Ok, they killed Carl, so they have Henry filling the role. They even gave him his whole whisperers/Lydia storyline.
And 10 minutes later, the kid is gone. WHAT?! WHY?! Just for shock value?
I get that the show doesn't necessarily follow the comic, but my problem is: it usually is for the worst. There are cool stories in the future, and they involve people who is not around anymore.
I'll keep watching, mostly because the comic has finished, and because Carol and Daryl are fun and badass.
Also, love Dog. Touch Dog and you lost me forever.
Shazam! (2019)
Superhero comedy, nothing else.
After all the convulted developments from the DCEU, i was really expecting nothing good from this movie. It turned out to be quite entertaining!
MILD Spoilers:
It's not an instant classic, doesn't have oscar-winning performances, or even a surprising story. But it's well done, enough to keep you interested, throwing jokes and slapstick comedy in decent doses to lighten up the sad details of the story. Zach Levi hits the right tone for a troublesome-child-gone-buffed-hero.
There's a general feel of a 1980's comedy (first half is basically Tom Hanks' Big, only with superpowers), the children make for a great adventure squad, the villain works (even if as a single-layered bitter, vengeance-driven bad guy). Probably the weakest link are the Sins Monsters, that are given little development and backstory, and a silly design, way too reminding of the 1980's vibe.
Generally enjoyable. Beware: there's one or two very graphic violence moments, that may be too much for younger children.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Icarus Factor (1989)
Coming to terms with loss.
Riker finds himself trouble to the second: he has to decide if he's ready to leave the Enterprise for his own first command; and has to deal with his estranged father Kyle Riker.
Most see this episode as one about Riker getting at odds with his father. In fact, i believe is more about the two of them finally dealing with the loss of Will's mother (Kyle's wife).
The unraveling story gives us some funny moments, specially when Troi and Doctor Pulaski (another of Kyle's former partners), step in to try and help the two men work out their issues.
Then, there's the Anbo-jytsu, one of those failed attempts from Star Trek to come up with "futuristic" aspects of human culture. It's like a cheap American Gladiators with cross-bike like armor, even less believable.
Overall, an entertaining show, that builds on Riker's backstory and motivations.
Oh, there's also a Worf-centered subplot, which is totally forgettable.
The Big Wedding (2013)
Fun, with a twist
I honestly believe most of the reviews for this movie are missing the point.
It seems people dislike this movie because they found it not-funny and somehow offensive. I strongly disagree.
It is a nice story about people, who have real feelings, contradictions; people who makes mistakes, and have to come to terms with that. It is a fun movie, if you are willing to laugh at yourself. It's even great at times, if you can enjoy the irony of life.
It is NOT a typical Hollywood comedy, it feels more like a british movie at times. It doesn't play for the big laughs, it doesn't go for the over-the-top performances. You won't get Robin Williams' comedic faces, or DeNiro's eyebrow trick. It's just a fun, enjoyable story about people.
The Flash: Enter Flashtime (2018)
Everything this show can be
Absolutely loved this episode. The "flash time" hinted a few times before becomes the center of this episode, and it's awesome.
We get to see more of how it looks like, what characters can, and cannot do while moveng hyper fast, and the effect it has on each of them. The way it explores the limits of the series mythos made me think of Star Trek TNG.
It is fun and entertaining to watch, and puzzling. U know the Flash will (always) save the day, but this one really keeps you at the edge of the seat until the very end.
The Flash: Girls Night Out (2017)
Haters gonna hate
Not the best Flash episode there is, but a good one, and fun to watch. The way the story unravels, with parallel storylines moving side by side:
- girls nite out. They wanted something nice and quiet. End up at odds with a meta-mob-boss who deals with human trafficking, and they kick butt, while bringing Frost' humanity back to surface. Go girls!
- guys bachelor "party". Wanted something private, just friends, good old memories, and a good stake. End up in a horrid strip-club, dealing with their complexities: of becoming an adult guy or girl, getting married, being a middle-aged parent, or embracing feminism in your own terms.
It's all just about people dealing with their stuff, and relying on friends for support.
Oh, and to all those who despise the so-called feminist agenda: get yourself together. It's called 21st century, and it's about time feminism gets at least 1/10 of screen time as "traditional" men-centric ideology and agenda (which is basically everything else in media). You don't get to be misogynistic and get away with anymore.
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
NOT Demian Wayne
I agree with those who say that, compared to other Batman animated films, this one isn't a highlight. Still, it's fun to watch, if you're ready to let go some things (Batman & Green Arrow having tea at the Batcave while analyzing data OMG).
What really bothers me on this one, is Demian Wayne. He's nothing like canon Demian. He's older (like, 15 maybe), insecure, kinda shy, and doesn't act badass. At all.
Is hard to believe he was once the heir to the Demon, trained by the league of assassins.