Mighty_Arrow Reviews

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Instant Classic

[10/10 · 2 June 2021]

I should preface this by saying that I grew up with this movie and my nostalgia for it is very strong. That being said, as I watched it as an adult I really realized how great of a movie this was. It is based on the Roald Dahl book so it has some dark elements to it. James is emotionally abused by his aunts however it isn't overtly depicted and may actually be a good way for kids to recognize abuse.

The movie itself is very well done. The acting is great considering that the titular character is played by a child. The writing is good for a kids movie. And the visuals and special effects hold up pretty well. The movie moves from live action to stop motion pretty seamlessly and that is when everything changes. It becomes much more whimsical and lively. The bugs are great characters, each one different in personality from the next. And James has great moments with all of them.

I really think this movie as a lot to teach to children. James is such a good person. He exudes empathy and cares about every living thing he comes into contact with. As far as some of the more ridiculous elements are concerned I wouldn't worry about them. I remember as a child not caring at all that I didn't fully understand the rhino, all I knew was that it was one of the bad guys. And as an adult you can draw your own conclusions for what it means. I think this movie does a really great job balancing elements that may be too scary for children and creating themes that are important for children to learn. I watched this movie a lot as a kid and it didn't have a negative impact on me at all. If anything it taught me some valuable lessons in empathy and love. Overall, this movie is great and will always hold a special place in my heart.

First Girl I Loved (2016)

Not a Completely Unbiased Review

[10/10 · 15 February 2017]

Part of the reason I love this movie is because I relate to it so much. But if I am trying to look at it in a more unbiased state of mind I still feel that as far as lesbian moves go this one is one of the good ones. The acting is great, the writing is real, and the directing is moving.

There are few lines that are somewhat cringy but as far as the writing goes, these lines fit into the general awkwardness and inexperience that comes along with teenage-hood. These actors are great in their roles. I really believe that they have a connection and really care about them. The screenplay, I believe, is very well done. And the directing helps create this emotional energy that I cannot explain.

I, in my own experience as a lesbian, relate to this movie so much. There are some scenes in the movie that I can just feel the emotion that the actors are trying to get across. It is so eloquently portrayed that I cannot help but feel a connection to it.

In short, this movie is good, maybe great. I liked it quite a bit and encourage you to watch it.

Almost Adults (2016)

Good Concept. Bad Execution.

[4/10 · 8 February 2017]

I really wanted to like this movie. I follow the screenwriter and director on YouTube and upon seeing the trailer thought it was going to be an alright movie. But I found myself hesitating to watch it because I had a gut feeling about the kind of movie it would be. Turns out I was right.

The idea of this film isn't terrible but almost everything about it was done poorly. The acting is cringy, the writing even more so, and the directing is static and uninspired. I didn't find myself liking the majority of the characters, I found them annoying and unfunny. So much of the plot is based solely on the fact that both of the main characters are too self-involved to care about each others lives, which makes one wonder how their friendship lasted so long to begin with. A lot of the interactions the characters have with one another are very unbelievable and so many of the characters are one- dimensional and boring.

That being said, there were some lines that made me laugh and there are a few times that the film can be quite clever. The two main leads have a lot of potential and looking back on it I think the main thing to take into consideration is the lack of experience almost everyone involved with the production of this film has. This is the first feature length film that most of these people have done. This isn't a large production company, this movie was partly funded by kickstarter. I think if this screenplay had been in the hands of more experienced people it could have been a lot better.