Ok, 4 episodes in and the writing isn't improving. I maintain there could be an interesting story in there somewhere, but I don't think it's enough to make me keep pushing on with this one, which is disappointing and I was looking forward to this series.
While there is multiple larger stories at play, they don't really seem to mesh well together and only the one about beacons turning off and shutting down systems is of any interest to me, but the rocks and the companies and whatever that was in episode 4 just were not interesting to me.I get and like what they were trying to do with episode 4 with the entire episode being an origin/flashback, but the writing and screenplay just isn't working for me.
Multiple episodes with characters going from hating a character to liking and loving a character or vice versa within scenes with no organic flow of those emotional states, or being highly suspicious to completely trusting in the space of a scene.
Maybe it's the writing or screenplay or maybe the direction because I feel the actors are doing what they are being told/scripted to say and do and they are doing the best they can with the material they are provided.
Maybe if you're a fan of shows like The Ark it might be your jam, but I don't even think it measures up to sci-fi originals from 2015 like Dark Matter and Killjoys let alone anything more recent like The Expanse/Foundation.
Continues to be weak writing and screenplay for me, the hinting at the bigger picture of other beacons shutting off, stopping resupply is interesting enough potential that I might give it 1-2 more episodes but it hasn't been a great start.
Feels much more like a traditional sci-fi channel original show from 10 years ago instead of the Expanse/Foundation level of shows that have been more recently. Hoping it does improve, because I love a good sci-fi show.
You can skip this! Trust me, you are not missing out on much.
avoidable... such a dumb movie with a bunch of unlikeable characters
What in the teenage drama was this?? First of all the main character was just unlikable and the plot was weird. I guess it started good but in the middle I found myself bored and I skipped some parts. Also the fact that they tried to put in some teenage phrases made me cringe plus the talk with the headmaster in the end was just not it for me. I do gotta say tho I liked the taylor swift reference.
Imagine being a writer for a moment, one people love and praise, but being trapped in a box that the people who love your work create. Imagine in the beginning you thriving in that box, people loving you more and more, but eventually you've explored everything in the box. Now suddenly people drag you down, "why is he telling stories outside the box?" This is why season 6 took 4 years, because none of these episodes were bad, but because 3 of the 5 weren't inside the box all this hate gets written. Time to move on people, something is indeed better than nothing, and the more you complain about the theme, the closer you get to black mirror straight out ending and red mirror taking it's place, because all good writers eventually learn how to silence the haters and write with their heart, not with a gun to their head.
It's a pity they spend all this money on special effects but don't bother employing anyone with actual space knowledge to make it realistic, first episode in and we're going to the moon in a shuttle and the booster rocket stays attached until they are almost there but a bolt rattles looses at the point where it wouldn't. Then we're on the moon surface looking into the direction of the sun with clear visors.
Similar to Primer (2004) but as a comedy, shot àla Birdman (2014) . Impressively creative and funny.
So.... this show fell apart by the end, around the same time Thor: Love and Thunder reared its ugly head. And those two things have basically pushed me off the MCU.....
....UNTIL they uttered that single word "mutation", complete with the signature X-Men theme, in a style relevant to the instrumentation of Pakistan. I couldn't believe it, I had to reply it twice to make sure I hadn't misheard the musical cue. Damn you Marvel, I was out!
Also the post-credit is interesting.
I felt like this was missing something and didn't live up to the full potential it could've. Maybe it was the title, "Multiverse of Madness", maybe it was all the trailers that did a great job misleading us while also spoiling all the best parts of the movie, or maybe I just didn't like how two dimensional they made Wanda after she spent an entire show already learning how her power can hurt people and exposing everyone to her grief. How many times did Wanda need to indirectly quote Thanos before we got the point? "I call that mercy", "They'll never know..." etc.
Overall this has kind of cut down my excitement for phase 4 a bit, and coming from someone who LOVED the infinity saga that hurts and worries me to say. I feel like the movie tries to over simplify things and these were characters that aren't simple. This needed to be deeper. I feel like we needed to see Kang here, even if just for a moment or two. I feel like we needed Loki too. The only trouble with opening the multiverse can of worms is now it REALLY doesn't matter when some of these heroes are getting killed, "Oh that's just Mr Fantastic from 818, this is 6 1 whatever".
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really good either, and with how much hype they put on it I'm let down. This needed a real villain. It's not that Scarlet Witch didn't make a good villain, it's that I didn't want to see her be one after the journey we've gone on with her, and her doing the right thing in the end doesn't excuse her murdering like a hundred people no matter what universes they were in and her logic was flawed from the start.
And where the F is "real" Mordo?
Comedy, Action, Adventure, Romance, Cheesy, Botox filled
An entertaining Romancing the Stone rip-off. That is better than it has a right to be due to the perfect cast. As well as plenty of laughs. Though I was never feeling the romance aspect of the movie.
Another easy movie. It will entertain you if you do not see the faulty CGIs at extreme scenes or if you do not care about the simple plot. But it is not the worst. It is an OK movie to pass time with sympathetic Tom and Mark. 6.5/10
Actually pretty decent for Michael Bay’s own standards.
You still get the usual cringe, out of touch jokes, pornographic directing and cocaine-fueled editing choices, but it’s also way less obnoxious than some of his previous efforts (Transformers 5, 6 Underground) and surprisingly light on the trademark fireworks.
It’s trying really hard to be a dumb 90’s action movie, and while I admire the attempt, 90’s action movies typically aren’t as much of an instantly forgettable blur that this is. Like, some of the drone shots in this are really cool and could be very memorable in theory, but why aren’t we lingering on these shots for longer than 2 seconds?
Also, I found the meta references in this pretty annoying, it felt like Michael Bay jerking off to himself. He doesn’t just reference himself though, as for example the first action scene is clearly trying to rip-off the big scene in Heat, which you just shouldn’t do, unless you’re Christopher Nolan.
The characters are all pretty flat, acting isn’t great, Jake’s carrying hard and clearly having a blast.
I wasn’t really bored by it, but I don’t really see how you can be entertained by it either.
It’s a lot of visual and sonic noise that in the end is much ado about nothing.
It just sort of exists, it needed to be a lot zanier and use its own stupidity to its advantage.
If you’d retool this to fit with the Fast and Furious brand, and bring in that crew, this would probably be a lot more entertaining.
4/10
probably the best film michael bay has made since "the island" or maybe even since "the rock", it feels like a summer blockbuster from the 90s, reminiscent of "speed" and "con air", but not so much in a campy way like "the expendables" - rather in a completely sincere michael bay way, with massive car chases, loud explosions and strange rollercoaster-like camera movements
also, this looks like it cost a lot more to make than it actually did, demonstrating that bay doesn't need a 9-figure budget to make a big action flick
btw, this is actually a remake of a danish film from 2005, but if they had called it "grand theft auto" instead of "ambulance", it would have been a more successful video game adaption than "uncharted" was
I can't even put into words my distaste for this movie. Only Americans will ask you to feel bad for their war criminals. The quote by Frankie Boyle describes this film perfectly, “Not only will America go to your country and kill all your people, they’ll come back twenty years later and make a movie about how killing your people made their soldiers feel sad.” The whole point of The Card Counter is to try to get you to sympathize with a war criminal who tortured, killed, terrorized people. Not only that but it's extremely unrealistic to ask the viewer to believe that anyone responsible for Abu Ghraib faced meaningful consequences. Like, come on, now!
This movie followed the most boring protagonists, who are as dull as they can get. Zero chemistry between any member of the cast. Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, and Tye Sheridan are basically in 3 different movies and each one of them is total garbage:
"Abu Ghraib torturer, but make him seeeexy" How? Oh, cast hot actor with beautiful eyes. Plus, he did his time, 8 years for the most vile crimes you can possibly imagine. But he is a good guy now. He fucks girls and support college kids. For someone I guess we're supposed to dislike (?), the movie spends a lot of time showing how cool he is.
Tiffany Haddish must’ve been the only actress to audition for the role of La Linda because she was radically miscast. She is not ready for dramatic acting. As for her character – she is independent and has connections with rich folks … that’s it. Wow, so interesting, right?! The 'chemistry' between her and Isaac was weird. It wasn’t seductive, it just felt like watching high schoolers flirt, but even more painful.
Cirk seemed like he is dumb as rocks. To expect us to care so much about a kid who we don't even know is irresponsible. I couldn't care less about his death or revenge killing.
Oh, and there is another character introduced like "USA!" guy with no point. But he was born in Ukraine, so he is not American. Oscar Isaac was born in Guatemala, grew up in USA and plays an American dude, while people born in Ukraine who grew up in USA are only Ukrainian. Even if you want to follow American rules, you just can’t because the Yanks are very inconsistent and hypocritical.
Most bad movies have some redeeming qualities. I can’t think of anything with this, everything just felt so bland to me:
Nothing is happening, and the movie is sooo repetitive . Oscar Isaac looking serious and walking in a casino,with suspenseful music - this is like 80% of the movie.
Almost every scene is an end in itself, nothing is explored, and doesn’t progress the story at all scene to scene.
The music. Oh, the music, which mainly featured vapid, brooding indie/electronic songs, is just all over the place here. I hated it!
There is basically no concept of tension or mystery, which is pretty important when you’re watching a fake game of poker.
The philosophy was so juvenile, and the movie lacks anything interesting to say. We are supposed to believe the main character is very mysterious and smart but he is one of the most boring, dull and flat characters I have ever seen.
The dialogue is godawful, no exaggeration here! "I have no goals", "Have you ever read a book", "What is your story" etc. It felt so awkward and as if the characters aren’t even talking to each other.
Why is it called The Card Counter when the main character counted cards once onscreen and then spends the entire movie playing poker?
Did I see a different movie than all of these people rating it high?
This is film that enters some very well-worn movie territory. The parents that ruin your life. With a cast most producers would sell their grandparents for and a fine dramatic premise surely The Family Fang could not fail.
For me, it was a little from column A and little from column B. You have to hand it to Nicole Kidman her choice of starrers is eclectic and with Bateman taking on the directing reins and as well as a role he seems to be leading away from his more comic roles. He does a fine job. Walken and Hahn are old hands at this and probably hardly needed any directing.
So having said that, this should be a great film. But something was missing and I can’t explain what. Somewhere deep in the soul of the film that little spark that makes a standard film great was missing. It was impossible not feel sorry for Annie and Baxter but after what they had been put through, whether they agreed it was ‘art’ (they didn’t seem to) or not, you could not help feeling that they would not have anything to do with their parent whatsoever. Even America has a social services programme for children that are mistreated and whose parents make them commit illegal acts.
The story and performances kept me watching with the use of flashbacks in the form of a never used documentary ‘The Family Fang’ being a clever touch but I feel that you get out of the story what you bring to it.
For instance, I sort of get Caleb’s take on art, I truly do, but to take it as far as he does in the film leaves me cold. I could feel the pretentiousness washing over me as I watched. So, in the end, I couldn’t connect with them, I felt they was more of the touch of idiots about them and my tolerance for such people in real life would be lower than it was for this film. Therefore the treatment of the children just became abusive the more the story progressed.
If you want to be blunt this is about two selfish a-wipes who messed up their children permanently for art. How you feel about that is going to be how you feel about this film from the start.
The Family Fang is probably worth a watch but you really have to be in the right mood that’s for sure.
The original Kingsman were action packed fun movies that were very entertaining and surprising with some very colorful characters, and I had the same expectations for The Kings Man but they just took too a historical route which made it too long to get to the origins of the Kings Man - I wanted to love the movie, and enjoyed the first too and this was fun but not nearly as good and funny as the originals, that's the simplest way to put it.
So right off the bat... As a movie, this is pretty shit. Maybe a 6.5/10 overall if you had to rate it honestly.
It's mildly funny, predictable, overacted, arrogantly and self-righteously American.
But that's not what the sum of the parts is.... That is exactly what it is trying to be.
What you have here is a searing indictment of modern humanity. Self-obsessed, intellectually inept, molly-coddled Americans who - when faced with the end of the world - decide to turn it into a political battleground, attempt to milk it for profit, hand it over to sociopathic billionaire industrialists as the government officials are too incapable to handle the situation, who ultimately pay the price for their decisions.
It's a sadly accurate depiction of where the West stands at the moment. Crippled by 40 years of mind-numbing entertainment that has depleted our intelligence, our ability for critical thought and common sense.
I wouldn't rewatch this if you paid me. And it is 30 minutes too long. But it is the most realistic holding up of a mirror to society as I have seen in a decade.
The most reasoned and insightful view of how messed up we are as nations today is coming from satirical comedy. Just as it always has.
7.5/10
Funny and also worrying. Idiocracy 2.0 in my opinion, much more grounded in what's actually happening in the world right now.
ugly blue tint color filter makes me sleepy, or maybe its the story, acting, writing, editing...
Denis Villeneuve is the man!
There’s only one word that came into my mind after watching it: finally.
Finally, a blockbuster that isn’t afraid to be primarily driven by drama and tension, and doesn’t undercut its own tone by throwing in a joke every 30 seconds.
Finally, a blockbuster that puts actual effort in its cinematography, and doesn’t have a bland or calculated colour palette.
Finally, a blockbuster with a story that has actual substance and themes, and doesn’t rely on intertextual references or nostalgia to create a fake sheen of depth.
Finally, a blockbuster that doesn’t pander to China by having big, loud and overblown action sequences, but relies on practical and grounded spectacle instead (it has big sand worms, you really don’t need to throw anything at the screen besides that).
Finally, a blockbuster that actually feels big, because it isn’t primarily shot in close ups, or on a sound stage.
And of course: finally, a blockbuster that isn’t a fucking prequel, sequel, or connected to an already established IP somehow.
(Yeah, I know Tenet did those things as well, but I couldn’t get into that because the characters were so flat and uninteresting).
This just checks all the boxes. An engaging story with subtext, very well set up characters, great acting (like James Gunn, Villeneuve's great at accentuating the strengths of limited actors like Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa), spectecular visuals and art design (desaturated but not in an ugly washed out way), pacing (slow but it never drags), directing, one of Hans Zimmer’s best scores: it’s all here.
I only have one real criticism: there’s too much exposition, especially in the first half.
It can occasionally hold your hand by referencing things that have already been established previously, and some scenes of characters explaining stuff to each other could’ve been conveyed more visually.
Other than that, it’s easily one of the best films of the year.
I’ve seen some people critiquing it for being incomplete, which is true, but this isn’t just a set up for a future film.
It feels like a whole meal, there are pay offs in this, and the characters progress (even if, yes, their arcs are still incomplete).
8.5/10
While the story was a bit of a mess (I think?!) the camera work and the action sequences were absolutely insane. How?! Certainly a ride and one of the best action movies of the year tbh.
Another entry in the Netflix "movie of the week so don't be disappointed when it isn't as good as a proper movie" category.
Some excellent super-hard violence. A very good turn by MEW. Great use of Japan.
But... Very predictable and disappointing plot. Some of the dialogue is really simplistic and out of character.
Enjoyable watch that is visually excellent but really heavily let down by its formulaic plot.
6.5/10
Wow, this came out of nowhere and impressed me a lot - very nicely filmed, acted and interesting enough to keep my attention. Fingers crossed!
Not a movie for everyone.
If you want lasers, explosions and monsters in your sci-fi this is not for you.
If you want creepy atmosphere, dialogs and good acting it's a perfect fit.
The movie is not perfect still.
The premise of a local radio getting strange reports from callers around the town is reduced very quickly to only two main calls.
I would have preferred to listen to more callers and have the tension and realization of what was happening building up a little slower than it was.
Also the black and white TV show thing didn't resonate well with me. If they limited that to the introduction it would have been better.
Still a solid 7 for me.
This film was kinda a mess but I still really enjoyed it. There was kind of no structure, it was very predictable, and a lot of characters had very forced in backstory exposition. But the film had charm, and that held it all together. As long as you like the characters, you'll like the film.
Also Polka-Dot Man is incredible and I love him.
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!
