On the surface this film is about a group of people who have been labelled “villains”, working together to save the world. But really, this film is about one man and one man alone, he isn’t strong, but yet he defies all odds and sacrifices his life to save his friends. His only power is his bravery, he is the driver of the van and the main character of this film, Milton.
Bloodsport: “Nobody likes a showoff.”
Peacemaker: “Unless what they showing off is dope as fuck.”
James Gunn recently said in an interview that he finds superhero movies “mostly boring” right now. Anything ranging from safe and boring or technically well-made but disposable, at best. Gunn received at bit of heat from fans for those remarks, but in some sense, he’s not wrong. Because sometimes following the same formula will eventually wear fin and more risk taking needs to happen.
And here we have ‘The Suicide Squad’, the soft reboot to the 2016 film, but this time directed by Gunn himself, where he delivers a highly entertaining movie that is bursting with creativity and ultra-violence. James Gunn once again shakes up the superhero formula with a slick style. I’m just glad DC is finally letting directors have a voice and a vision, and I hope it stays like that.
The first 10-15 minutes tells you exactly what the movie is going to be.
I just can't believe we got something like this. It's 2 hours and 12 minutes long, but it's always on the move. It’s bonkers from start till finish, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This is probably one of the best shot movies in the DCU. The soundtrack is great as well and used effectively. The action scenes were insane and made the overall experience one of the most fun I had at the cinema in a long time.
A massive improvement over the 2016 film, AKA ‘the studio cut’, is that the movie doesn’t look ugly and isn’t chopped together by trailer editors. The movie is vibrant in colours that made it look pleasing to the eye. The structure at times is messy, and yet strangely well-paced, as there’s a lot going on.
Did I mention the movie is very gory? It’s cartoonish violence, or what people call "adult superhero movie", so it's not for kiddies or for the faint of heart. You would probably guess that not everybody on the team is going to make it to the end credits, so deaths are to be expected, but how certain characters “bite the dust” are so unexpectedly gruesome and brutal, it took me by surprise each time. The marketing for the movie was right, don’t get too attached. As I said before, James Gunn had complete creative control over the movie, and he doesn’t hold back on what he wrote and show on screen. But then again, it's a movie, it's not real, the actors who die on screen are fine in real life...I think.
All the cast members have equal amount of time to shine, and you like these super villains this time around, as each character had wonderful chemistry with each other. John Cena plays Peacemaker, who can be best described as a “douchebag version of Captain America”. An extreme patriot who will do the most horrific things for liberty. John Cena excels in the deadpan line delivery for comedic effect, but surprisingly enough, worked well in the serious moments. Looking forward to the spin-off show ‘Peacemaker’.
Margot Robbie once again nails the role of the chaotic but gleeful Harley Quinn. While the character isn’t front and centre this time around, more of a side character, but whenever the character is on screen, it’s instantly memorable.
Idris Elba plays Bloodsport, a contract killer who’s doing time in prison after failing to kill Superman with a kryptonite bullet, while also dealing with family issues, especially with his daughter. While the character may sound like Will Smith’s Deadshot from the 2016 film, but trust me, the execution here is much stronger. This is by far Elba’s best work in a while. Charismatic and a strong leading presence.
Polka Dot Man, played by character actor David Dastmalchian, a socially awkward, weird, and lame sounding character that has some serious mummy issues, which has a funny running visual gag throughout. However, because of Gunn’s writing and Dastmalchian's performance, the character is more than a joke, but a unique character to watch.
Ratcatcher 2, played wonderfully by Daniela Melchior, who brought so much warmth and heart to the film. I loved how they tied in her tragic backstory into the finale, as it honestly made me cry. And let’s not forget the king himself, King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone. He stole every scene he’s in, because he’s so adorable and has such kind eyes, but when he’s hungry, he can be a killing machine.
The rest of the supporting cast, even in the smaller roles, still manage to stand out amidst all the chaos. I liked Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag a lot more this time around, because the actor was given more to work with in terms of good material. Viola Davis is brilliant as the cold and ruthless Amanda Waller. And Peter Capaldi is always a pleasure to see. Also, I like the character of Weasel, who I can describe as a unholy offspring of Shin Godzilla and Rocket Racoon. He may not be beautiful to look at, but he's beautiful to me.
Like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, the movie has a lot of heart and I like how they took certain characters, who on page sound stupid and ridiculous but are handled with such love and depth, while also being self-aware of its own characterization.
You can literally watch this as a standalone movie and you won’t be lost or confused, as you don’t need to watch 22 other movies to understand it. This is by far the strongest entry in this jumbled mess of a cinematic universe.
Overall rating: Nom-nom!
The first Pixar movie that I ever cried for, maybe it was the beautiful art, the compelling story or the fact that I was being represented on tv, no I'm not a sea monster, but if you replace all of the times that "sea monster" was said in this film and instead use "gay" you'll get what I mean. Hat's off to the writers, I could go on and on about how perfect the parallels are but I'll just have to silenzio bruno!!
Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?
Justin Long using the rape dungeon as an opportunity to boost his listing square footage is the most realistic portrayal of an AirBnB host I’ve ever seen.
The fact that Dear White People has such a low rating proves the point of the whole show
This show is a good additional to the Marvel universe. Peggy is just the best. Fun comic book style action set in the "golden years". Old cool spy stuff.
I like how it uses characters and plot points from the movies, but doesn't indulge in them. (Vita Rays, Vanko, Jarvis).
It is a little odd to set it before the start of the one-shot. Now I'm just waiting for that to happen. Soon I hope, I'm sick of all the dudes mansplaining Peggy. I know that's how it was but still.
I also hope they spin off the Betty Carver show. Captain America sounds dashing in it.
starring Sebastian Stan as Armie Hammer
I've seen worse. But it's not good, and it doesn't remotely resemble the source material. It's a PG-13 comfortably dumb movie and it suffers from its shackles. Carnage is hammy and goofy rather than sadistic and maniacal. Not recommended.
This is the most fucked up show I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot. Highly recommended.
It was such a nice refreshing story, i especially liked the cinematography! How everything is filmed true to life, the spaces, the people, u can see the pimples on the teens faces! Small detail but it made the series so much better and more distinguishable than something like elite where everyone looks as if they were genetically designed to be perfect! Also, it didn't feel like a bait season to make u crave a netflix subscription which is super plus for a netflix original! And i am really excited to see what the next chapter holds
I wish they would follow the book, rather than buy the rights to the book, then throw it all away and just make up new stuff which is apparently what they have done.
The first and only animated DC or Marvel show or movie I've actually found worth watching. Finally, one for adults (and, considering the language and graphic violence, only for adults at that). And I must say that Harley is pretty hot in this. Don't get confused by the start of the first episode, as she does change to her new modern Suicide Squad-based outfit eventually. This series is focused on the bad guys, sidekicks, the competitive environment for them. Also, it has a lot of points about female empowerment (mansplaining, etc.) which is refreshing vs. more outdated roles. Definitely addicted, and can't wait for the 3rd episode!
I love Natasha Lyonne so much.
It’s a lot like the first one.
It’s kinda trashy and childish, and it’ll probably make you cringe at least a few times, but it can’t help to be fun occasionally.
Tom Hardy clearly enjoyed himself making it, Woody Harrelson is fine.
The action is alright, but the production value is awful, the whole visual look is dated and cheap.
Like, this was shot by Quentin Tarantino’s DP, but you’ll never be able to tell that because of the production choices made by Sony.
The plot itself is very thin, uninspired and mostly forgettable.
Everything about it is extremely disposable, and the whole thing just screams ‘streaming movie’ to me.
You really don’t need to waste your money on this by watching it on a premium format.
4/10
Unfairly compared to the wonderful 'Freaks and Geeks,' and criticised because of it, this series deserves to stands on its own. Funny, heartfelt, sweet and moving, this portrays real feelings amongst a group of high school kids in a mostly unsentimental way. Looking forward to the next season.
Overlong, inconsistent and definitely style over substance but I still really enjoy this entertaining dark comedy/romance. It's cute, unconventional, suspenseful, darkly funny, and I didn't expect it to be this campy. The genres mash together in unexpected ways, and performances really drive this one. I can't believe I'm saying this but the highlight of this film was Sebastian Stan. I would recommend going into this film knowing as little as possible.
Not alot to say about this one, don't expect too much. Just watch this when you're home tired from work/school and don't want to use your brain.
So Pixar are just gonna give me a film with sea monster as allegory for being gay and expect me not to develop an insane attachment to it? This is really really a happy place for me. One day we’ll have the real thing, but for now we have Luca:green_heart:
For fucks sake. This series is a godamn dream and they've touched on everything alright. This series is so immersive that when the crew won their Oscars, I felt my heart bursting with joy. My, my what a plot. What a cast. Absolutely gorgeous. Also love, how there is loads of queer representation here. Everyone's gay but that's not what you're gonna stay for. It's the chemistry and the actors and how godamn awesome this series is. 100% recommend.
It is really frightening for me to see how many of the people here see this as a happy ending.
I guess technology and the hedonistic neoliberalism have found its way already into our minds.
Weren't you atleast concerned about the talk they had about people "doing everything to atleast feel something" in this sadomaso / groupsex facility? About 80-85% being already dead? About a huge technology company owning us even after our deaths? Just for the sake of hedonistic, fake emotions disguised as only what it is: binary codes?
This was, for me atleast, one of the darkest endings of any Black Mirror episode ever. It shows you exactly what the neoliberalistic idea has already done to us and will eventually still do in the future (and I thank the director and makers of Black Mirror so much for it! One of the best episodes of this show so far)
Oh hello there Mr. Shakycam - I hate you.
This was actually awful. It's the drama and stress of a romantic comedy set during Christmas with the most irrational characters. It's like any other movie with a central couple but the twist is they're gay.
Pros:
- John
- Abby's hair
- The inclusion of LGBT characters.
- Not everyone is hot.
- The bonding scene between Riley and Abby at the drag bar and Riley's story about Harper.
- John's coming out story.
- Some of the jokes are actually funny.
Cons:
- Every interaction with Harper and Abby once they're in the car.
- Not a single problem is addressed until it blows up in one big fight and everyone is happy now that they've aired their dirty laundry. Jane doesn't need therapy from her parents shitting on her. Abby is okay with being called an orphan every time. Harper has self-awareness. Sloan realises that she's just a fucking bitch.
- No one apologises for the things they said in the movie. No one apologises to Abby for accusing her of theft. No one apologises to Jane for how they treated her. Harper can't be clear with Abby even when they're alone.
- Jane's one big scene where she gets upset at her painting being destroyed is ruined by it instantly turning into a joke.
- Every romantic comedy has issues stemming from a breakdown in communication. Harper and her parents. Harper and Abby. Sloan and Eric.
- Not a single person in this movie is realistic so I can't root for any of them.
Comments:
- We only see 1 happy bonding scene with the couple during the opening, then days and days go by of Harper shafting Abby and then the single moment where Abby expresses how unhappy she is, Harper calls her clingy.
- Harper's parents are horrible caricatures of rich people constantly shitting on Jane and making it obvious how Harper is the golden child.
- No one has any boundaries and it isn't funny.
Had such a great opportunity to be a unique Christmas film but then just fucked it up by being cliche and basic.
I know most people don't respond well if you say something negative about their favorite show but I can't help it. If you like it I'm glad for you (really) but please allow me my opinion.
I am one of those who doesn't think that this is THE best show ever. It's not even the best sitcom in my opinion. It had its moments but not many. Maybe it isn't fair to judge it 25 years after the fact because that is a long time in TV land and things change. But most of the stuff I dislike has nothing to do with timeframe.
First, why this is called Friends is beyond me. Those are the most dishonest, selfish, egoistic and sometimes even mean group of people I've seen on TV. They constantly try to withhold stuff and most of the comedic situations spawn from that. I don't see where it is funny to go behind your friends backs. There are those moments where there behave like friends should, but those come usually after they screwed up.
Than there is the characters. I've written in some episode's comment that Ross is the most obnoxious character I've ever seen on TV. And I've seen my share. And there is WAY too much of him and Rachel who I also disliked deeply. They pull down every episode they're in which is pretty much every episode. That constant back and forth, the bickering and their pretensious behaviour is so annoying. Joey was funny at first but that wears out fast once you get past 50 episodes. Very one-dimensional. I don't even know what to say about Chandler because he is that bland. Monica went from "I don't care" through "I kinda like her" but ultimately annoying. Phoebe I liked until she, too, got the I-need-to-marry virus. Until that she was honest in that she didn't care what others thought about her and just made her thing. Alltogether there was little character developement in any of them. I couldn't connect with them and was more interested in what guest stars might turn up next.
And what it is anyway with all the girls need to find guys to marry and get babies and the guys needing to score? It is a good thing there wasn't any social media available because with all those gay and trans jokes there would have probably been a lot of heat.
That laughing track is way over the top. It accompanied literally every sentence. It even ruined jokes by starting to early. And what is wrong with building up an emotional moment and going through with it instead of ruining it with a bad joke ?
So, why did I watch, and even complete, it ? It's simple. And I mean that in the true sense of the word. You don't have to pay close attention to the plot, f.e. you don't have to stop it if the phone rings, you can even skip an episode completely. It's like having a radio playing in the background. Sometimes reading the synopsis was as interesting as the actual episode. Let's be honest: continuity, logic and depth of story were not the trademarks of Friends. It is full of holes and errors. But it fitted my daily schedule. I could drop in a couple of episodes here and there. And I punished myself a little bit because I went out and bought the whole series at once. Had I watched the first season first I would stopped there and then.
This is the longest review I've written in a while which shows I thought about this show a lot. I like versitality, it would be boring if every show was the same. That doesn't stop me though from speaking my mind. This is a love or hate kind of show. I don't hate it as such. But there were only just one or two episodes a season I think were more than average. It became better towards the end (either that or I caved) but it was an effort to get through and I am glad I'm done with.
[8.8/10] There’s a funny thing about these updated, transmogrified Shakespeare adaptations like 10 Things I Hate About You. If you didn’t know better, you could call the plots convoluted. There is a complicated web of relationships and deceptions, to the point that you practically need a diagram to explain it properly.
In short, Michael helps his friend Cameron woo Bianca by convincing Joey to pay Patrick to date Kat, because Bianca, per her father Mr. Stratford, cannot date until Kat does. With me? Well then, it turns out that Kat dated Joey, and after Bianca picks Cameron over Joey, Joey picks Bianca’s friend Chastity, while Michael pursues Kat’s friend Mandella, as Kat and Patrick’s tempestuous relationship takes root.
It’s a little dizzying, and yet the complex string of friends and enemies and relationships that tow the line between put-ons and genuine affection track nigh-perfectly into the high school setting. Despite the dense qualities of that big ball of string’s worth of plot threads, the complicated social structures and intersecting circles of high school make for the perfect way to realizes The Bard’s comedies in the modern day.
But 10 things is more than just a transmogrified version of The Taming of the Shrew. It also a charming tale that captures the heart and hazards of adolescence at the same time it exaggerates them for comic effect. What’s most impressive about the film is how it has its cake and eats it too on that front. There are goofy beats and subplots that only happen in teen movies, like unexpected party scenes and famous bands showing up to play contemporary (hopefully) chart-topping hits for the soundtrack.
But amid that broader material, there is a real examination of what it is to play up or down to expectation, a theme present in the work that inspired 10 Things, but which is given new life in the guise of the teenagers who are at that point in the fraught process of growing up where they’re deciding who and what they want to be, in love and in life. The gross wager that turns into real love is a hoary trope (see also: fellow 1990s borrower She’s All That) but by rooting the romance at the core of the film in two people who embrace a thorny image and find the hidden depths behind the prickers in one another, the film does justice to its source material and resonates with a target audience trying to figure out which parts of who they are malleable, which parts are non-negotiable, and which parts are fit to be broadcast to the rest of the world (or at least, the relevant social circles)>
It is also just damn charming. The film is full of quotable lines and crackerjack exchanges between characters. The cutting aside is wielded well and often, and side characters like teachers (including the great Allison Janney) and parents (Larry Miller, who nails both comedy and emotion as Mr. Stratford) provide a backdrop of colorful characters for the main story to flourish in. The writing stands out in 10 Things not just for the amusing lines which liven some otherwise familiar teen material, but for the way it allows the film to, in true Shakespeare form, shift tones into more serious material when it needs to.
The same goes for the characters. Kat shoots off the best zingers in the movie, and with her rebellious attitude and literary bent, it would be easy to turn her into a one-dimensional avatar rather than a character. Instead, the film roots her perspective and demeanor in an experience with Joey that gives form to her concerns of Bianca following in her footsteps, and gives just enough context to her mom leaving to make the crisis of conscience and turning point understandable.
By the same token, Bianca could easily be a generic popular girl, and in fairness, at certain points of the film, she is. But she too has a simple but meaningful arc of playing to expectations only to realize that she doesn’t necessarily like what that gets her, and it allows the two sisters to grow in their understanding of one another in strong scenes that deepen their relationship.
The objects of their affection receive a bit of shading as well. The reveal that Patrick, who puts on a gruff exterior and bears the reputation derived from many humorous urban legends about him, is not as wild as he seems is, perhaps, a predictable one. But he gains strength from the way that he and Kat see bits of themselves in one another, Cameron is a bit flatter, learning a trite if endearingly-put lesson about not accepting the notion that he doesn’t deserve what he wants, but there’s enough there to give ballast to the enjoyable-if-disposable teen romp elements.
Even Mr. Stratford, who is arguably the most outsized major character in the film, gets a bit of shading. While he spits out awkward-sounding nineties slang and is comically overprotective and paranoid of his daughters getting pregnant, the film balances that with a subtext to his insecurities about Kat leaving for Sarah Lawrence. There is a Daria-like quality to the film’s ability to poke fun at the parent-child relationship, but also find the sweetness and sincerity in it.
That’s what makes 10 Things more than the sum of its byzantine bets and love triangles. Some twists are convenient, some gestures a little too big to work anywhere but on the silver screen, and some bits of forgiveness come a little too easy. Still, the film keeps its plot, humor, and drama working in sync, where one scene can make you chuckle, the next will let you get to know a character a little better, and the one after will tug at your heartstrings, just a little bit.
The oh-so-nineties soundtrack immediately places in the film at a specific moment in time, but it speaks to the relatable qualities of that quest to figure out both who you are, and who’ll accept you for who you are, that feel like life and death for all seventeen-year-olds. 10 Things is a touchstone for those who grew up with it, both for the quips and clever asides that let the film crackle, and for the notion of young men and women, cutting through pretension and presentation, and finding something true beneath it, in themselves and in the people they love.
This is one of those shows that got better as it went along. I just finished watching the third season and I'm itching for more. The series started off kind of average, it had enough to keep me watching but it was lacking. There was way too many sex scenes that I felt just served as filler. The actors hadn't gotten into the characters yet and it really showed. I also felt the writing was a little all over the place in terms of quality but it improved by season two. By season three, each episode had me wanting the next. The characters have "character" and there's no holding back to make the show "family friendly" like most other fantasy series. I might try and pick up the novel to hold me over till the next season airs as I've heard it's a bit different and I'm interested.
Barbara and Bruce? Why? Makes no goddamn sense and completly changes Batmans motivations.
Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black, American Pie) is trapped in a Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop until she learns to swim, and catches the rhythm of the strokes..... COMPLETELY clichéd, but oddly watchable, if only for the creative ways she keeps managing to off herself, in spite of desperately trying not to.
