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Reviews
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Goes Nowhere
2 stars to Florence. 1 to Libatique for cinematography. 1 for Pine and Powell combined. The rest absolutely nothing.
This movie has a strong premise and first 30-40 minutes. The "groundbreaking" sex scenes are tame and extremely overhyped. I get why Pugh was mad at the trailers. All of these great themes and ideas are set up, and then the last 40 minutes happens and you're left like that's it. It's the laziest script for such a promising movie.
The pros- mentioned above. Production design, camera work, score, costumes all great. Pugh carried the film. Pine isn't utilized enough and has some laughable dialogue, but he's Chris Pine so he does what he can.
Cons- everything else. Recycled cliches, direction, the "ending" and "twist" both of which are the single lamest and laziest way to end this movie. It raises interesting questions, it has no intention of answering. There's ambiguity and then there's abandonment. This movie falls in the latter. Certain lines of dialogue come across as cringy. It feels like this movie was written with a core concept, but nobody thought how to wrap it up, so they were like, let's not.
Overall this movie is pointless and everything that was said about it is true. Pugh carries it, and the behind the scenes drama is far more interesting than the finished product. This movie has at least 5 plot holes and that's if I suspend my disbelief.
I was very excited for this movie when the trailer dropped, but the movie feels like a feature length trailer. Setting up all these cool hints and ideas only to just end and not answer anything. Warner Bros' fate vs Disney lies in the hands of The Rock and Dune.
Midsommar (2019)
Ambitious but Overlong
First off, anyone who planned to see this movie
should go in with an open mind. It's a movie going experience that is very difficult to describe. Ari Aster film delivers on being very disturbing and gruesome but suffers from major pacing issues.
The good: the cinematography, acting, colors and music are nearly flawless. It is one of the most technically stunning films you will see. The music makes the film all the more unsettling at times and the camera shots can linger for so long it begins to make you nervous. The acting is solid specifically from Pugh. Will Poulter is funny at times and intentionally annoying as almost all his characters are. If you were expecting hereditary part 2, you may want to reconsider.
While this film just gets crazier and crazier as it goes, it can be hard to forget that this story is Dani's and that's where you will find what this movie is truly about. It's about an unstable relationship that decays and eventually explodes and forces a new cycle of self-discovery. You will probably need to read articles or watch videos on this movie when you come out like I did.
Now on to the issues. This movie is long. And I enjoy long movies. Hereditary was perfectly paced but there are numerous scenes in this movie that could be trimmed down or cut. People will say it adds to the movie as a whole but some don't. Also, there are supposed to be some genuinely unsettling scenes but almost everyone in the theater burst out laughing. Nudity can be a hard thing to take seriously when it's showed like this, but I understand that some pagan rituals actually do that, so i understand where it's coming from. While the climax is far from as unforgettable as hereditary, the story does come full circle and will leave you with an unsettling final shot.
Overall, Aster's sophomore film doesn't reach the heights of hereditary, but still provides much of what people loved about that movie. You will most likely walk out of the theater thinking wtf did I just watch, but that's the point. It's a film that requires multiple viewings and some research to truly appreciate. Go see it to form your own opinion though because this could end up being more divisive than hereditary.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
The Boogeyman
He finally lives up to that name in this one. This is perhaps the most brutally violent movie I've ever watched. I have never had to look away in anything even game of thrones but some of these deaths made me cringe.
John Wick Parabellum is a thrill ride of the most beautifully and meticulously chereographed fight sequences I've ever seen put to the screen. It has way more set pieces than the pervious two movies and puts Wick on the defensive for 90% of its runtime. Keanu deserves a ton of praise for the success of the movie as his physical dedication to the character is turned up to 11 for this movie.
Halle Berry gets to show off all her training even if she plays a smaller role than I would have thought. The cinmetography is surprisingly great. Overall this movie is 9/10 and my rating scale does not cross genres, so as an action movie this is a close to perfect as you can get. My only complaint is the ending but I won't spoil it here. So if you like the first two you will love this, so sit back for 2 hours of beautiful mayhem.
The Leftovers (2014)
Frustrating!!
This show at its best is great television, but at its worst is a snooze fest. I had heard glowing reviews from people, so I wanted to like this show, but I couldn't get into it enough. Most of the reviews I read here are written just after the pilot, and my firm belief is that you should never review a show until you watch the whole thing.
The pilot is rough but it gets progressively better. The first season is solid with a coherent plot and frustrating but interesting characters. The second season I've seen people call artsy, but to me it's just annoying. It presents a good mystery in the premiere and then works so slowly to solve it and abandons the plot when it wants to. The finale is awesome as most of this show's finales are, but it was the most dissapointing season. The third season starts out promising and then again loses it, and the finale, is poetic but predictable and boring.
The acting is great and I was very surprised by the quality of Justin Theroux. Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston and Amy Brenneman were the heavy hitters, and they are the saving grace of the show. I'm all for shows that emphasize character development but this show is a bit overkill on it. The third season abandons some characters and really on focuses on Kevin and Nora the majority of the time, which was also annoying.
Overall this show delivered some of the coolest moments on tv, specifically the first season finale, which in my opinion is the show's best episode, but also had some incredibly dull moments which is the show's big ditractor. I truly wanted to like this show, but I just couldn't. It had some very powerful moments and the music is well incorporated but it really all came to nothing, which makes me sad because this show had such great potential. 6/10 is generous for me but I can really rate it any lower because I did enjoy and actually love some of the show's great moments.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Fun Times at the El Royale
This movie is loads of fun. From the brilliant performances to the wonderful soundtrack to the incredibly bizzare plot and characters, Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale delivers. It's a slow burn thriller that has a number of twists and turns and contains spurts of violence. Going into any further detail would spoil some things.
The hotel itself looked awesome and the whole set and production design are brilliant. The score fits the tone of the film wonderfully, and the actual music is just icing on the cake.
This movie starts out slow and progresses forward leaving you wanting more and then explodes in your face for like the last hour. It feels very reminiscent of Tarantino's The Hateful Eight (minus all the swearing). This movie has an interesting puzzle that moves the pieces slowly together and then shows you how great the finished product is. The performances are great!! Bridges, Hamm and Erivo shine. Hemsworth is just an oddball in his limited screen time. I was most interested in seeing what Dakota Johnson could do surrounded by all this talent and given her biggest role is from 50 shades of grey. She was pretty solid in a role where she doesn't have to say all that much, but her nonverbal acting was well done.
Overall, this movie is a slow burn mystery, that's fun, exciting and doesn't feel that long until the end. It drags a little there, but the film keeps you on the edge of your seat with Tarantino like twists of violence.
9/10
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
Under appreciated sequel
Soldado is a solid follow up to the original. With Emily Blunt's absense, Del Toro and Brolin get increased screen time, and they carry the movie on their soldiers. The opening sequences are intense and hard to watch, and it's the overwhelming intensity that makes this movie one heck of a ride.
Sollima does a solid job doing a Villeneuve impersonation. There is very similar cinematography making this movie feel like the first one, however it's a very different movie. The suspense of particular scenes is on par if not greater than the original. The action is turned up in this one and more brutal. This makes the movie it's own movie.
I don't understand a lot of the negative reviews. It's a solid movie in its own right. Some people feel liked the ending was stupid and ruined the movie and too me, the ending is what make this an 8 instead of a 10. I think if they had changed it and a certain character stayed the way he was, it could have been an interesting take and shown true consequences for the life of a sicario, but then they couldn't set up a sequel.
Positives-
Del freaking Toro
Increased screen time for Brolin.
More great action scenes
Better story.
Solid soundtrack
More stakes than the original
Negatives-
Feels like it relies on the first one to justify its existence
The ending
8/10
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
All Hail Tom Cruise!!
This movie was awesome! It's everything great about the previous MI movies and more. Christopher McQuarrie provides arguably the most well written mission impossible yet. This movie has heart, humor, a surprisingly dense and complex story and of course, the edge-of-your-seat action this franchise is known for.
Ethan Hunt is tasked with tracking down missing plutonium after a failed mission in Berlin. The Syndicate has been mostly destroyed but those who survive call themselves the Apostles. The plot isn't easy to lay out without spoiling the movie, which brings me to my first praise for this film. The story. Ever since the first MI film, the stories have gotten less complex. Until this one. With twists and turns, and welcome surprises, this movie subverts expectations very well. The story is filled with double crosses and some well-written dialogue for an action heavy movie.
The second praise is the action. I mean come on. Some of the stunts may seem familiar (motorcycle chases, hanging from aircraft) but they are executed in a such a way that it feels fresh. For a movie with this kind of run time, the story never drags thanks to set piece after set piece. There are some truly thrilling moments and it is by far the most intense MI yet.
Third praise is the characters. While obviously it's the Ethan Hunt show, I feel like the other characters were well used. Cavill was great as was Ferguson. I just love Sean Harris though. His voice is so calm yet menacing at the same time. The best part about the characters is that they can be unpredictable. Throughout the whole movie you can't really tell what side people are on or what they'll do next. It adds intrigue to what could have been a by the books action movie.
Fourth praise is the subtle nods to the older movies. This movie also points out its on absurdity at times in very funny ways. Most of the complaints I've seen is that this movie is too improbable. But to all of you people this movie is called mission impossible. What do you expect? The movie even recognizes that.
The only negative I had was that this like most other MI movies has a large plot macguffin. It would be cool to see if there could be a MI without some nuclear weapon being the driving force of the movie.
Last praise, to the king of action, Tom Cruise! This guy must just push his body to the limit every day. I mean the stuff he pulls in this movie is crazy. For a man in his late 50s he is unbelievable. He may be kind of nut, but you have to respect this mans abilties and sheer balls to pull these stunts off. I have mad respect for the guy.
Absolutely the must see movie of the summer and probably in the top 3 movies of 2018 along with Infiniti War and A Quiet Place
Fargo (2014)
This show is gold
I liked the movie Fargo, but this series is so much better. The cast, the acting, the tension, the irony and incredibly dark humor is what makes this show so good. I'll break this review down by season
Season 1- 10/10. The best season of Fargo. Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and Alison Tillman, are all phenomenal, and heck even key and peele make this show better. The story is simple but unfolds and takes twists and turns that make it great. Every scene Lorne Malvo is in, he steals and is truly one of the best tv characters ever. Bob Odenkirk's incompetent police chiefs make me burst out laughing more than a few times. Overall one of the best seasons of tv I have watched.
Second season 9/10. Great season. Again cast is phenomenal. Especially plemmons and dunst. The 70s backdrop also makes for some entertaining Easter eggs and references to go around with another great story of crime. One the best episodes come halfway through the season and the tension that creator Noah Hawley creates is unparalleled. My only complaint is that the finale was a little bit of a downer after two incredible episodes right before it.
Season 3- 7/10. Mcgregor and Winstead shine, but I think this show lost its edge in this season. The story and characters weren't very interesting, and there wasn't the surprise factor the other seasons had. Still quality tv though. I'm hoping the eventual 4th season will learn from this seasons mistakes and create something fresh because the show's formula ran out its welcome in this season.
The Leftovers (2014)
Frustrating!!
This show at its best is great television, but at its worst is a snooze fest. I had heard glowing reviews from people, so I wanted to like this show, but I couldn't get into it enough. Most of the reviews I read here are written just after the pilot, and my firm belief is that you should never review a show until you watch the whole thing.
The pilot is rough but it gets progressively better. The first season is solid with a coherent plot and frustrating but interesting characters. The second season I've seen people call artsy, but to me it's just annoying. It presents a good mystery in the premiere and then works so slowly to solve it and abandons the plot when it wants to. The finale is awesome as most of this show's finales are, but it was the most dissapointing season. The third season starts out promising and then again loses it, and the finale, is poetic but predictable and boring.
The acting is great and I was very surprised by the quality of Justin Theroux. Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston and Amy Brenneman were the heavy hitters, and they are the saving grace of the show. I'm all for shows that emphasize character development but this show is a bit overkill on it. The third season abandons some characters and really on focuses on Kevin and Nora the majority of the time, which was also annoying.
Overall this show delivered some of the coolest moments on tv, specifically the first season finale, which in my opinion is the show's best episode, but also had some incredibly dull moments which is the show's big ditractor. I truly wanted to like this show, but I just couldn't. It had some very powerful moments and the music is well incorporated but it really all came to nothing, which makes me sad because this show had such great potential. 6/10 is generous for me but I can really rate it any lower because I did enjoy and actually love some of the show's great moments.
Logan (2017)
The Unleashed Wolverine I've Been Waiting For
This movie is great! Logan is an ultra-violent story about age, purpose and hope. This movie excels with it's ability to produce R level bloody, brutal violence. Seeing Wolverine unleash on Reavers is the Wolverine moment I've been waiting for my whole life. Many comparisons have been made to Nolan's The Dark Knight, which shouldn't because that movie is as close to a perfect movie as you can get, and this movie is not perfect. In terms of story, Logan centers on an aging Logan, who is a limo driver, and takes care of an exceptionally vulnerable Charles Xavier, and does so with the help of Caliban. Logan is approached by a woman and a girl, and the girl is being hunted by a group called the Reavers and their leader Pierce (Boyd Holbrook). The story is really a cat and mouse game as Logan is not longer the spry, destructive fighter he once was. However, that's where Laura (Dafne Keen) comes in. She is everything Wolverine is and more. The story lacks a little in substance as some filler scenes are blatantly obvious, but there is humor to lighten up the dark tone. Now we come to the acting. By far the best overall performance by Hugh Jackman. Sir Patrick Stewart delivers a side to Charles Xavier we've never seen. Holbrook is good, but his character is extremely uninteresting and underdeveloped which is my biggest complaint about the movie. I don't know whether to hate him, or just not care about him. Keen is a welcome addition to the cast, and exemplifies the show don't tell aspect of acting. She will probably be a star in the near future. Back to Jackman though. His final outing is his best as the story adds a layer of vulnerability and just overall fatigue to a character that has been through hell his whole life. In past movies, I've felt the character of Wolverine wasn't very complex, but that all changed with this movie. The acting saves the weak story. The action is the greatest I've ever seen in a superhero movie. This movie isn't about heroes in spandex fighting aliens or robots, but is a gritty realistic take, with very little CGI. It's about a person who wants to die, but suffers through life anyway and will protect those he cares about with everything he has. It's brutal and bloody, and intense and the duo of Wolverine and Laura is an unbeatable fighting pair. Overall, I had to wait a while to give this movie a rating because of my exceedingly high expectations going in. It lived up to most of them, but failed on a few others. Overall, I was very pleased and this movie is the best, however it is not comparable to the rest of the X-Men movies due to it's major differences. X-Men Days of Future Past is still the best of the series. 9/10