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!
Man that waitress deserved it
To be blunt its just a bit of a waste of Emily's talent
Was expecting something along the lines of Project Power, but got a dull and disjointed movie instead.
I honestly don’t know if this Doctor Who episode was actually a good and solid story, because the bar is so low. Due to the pandemic and all that stuff, it sure feels like this story has been canned for a while now. It's been almost a year since we got a proper Doctor Who story on the telly. This story is a sequel from last year's New Year special, so I guess next year's going to be the conclusion for this Dalek trilogy. I liked it, but not much happened and Chibnall had lousy moments. It feels like it doesn't address anything that happened during Series 12 finale. Ugh… the infamous "Timeless Child" retconning that I didn't like at all. Why is the Doctor questioning her own life again after the Runaway Doctor's (that's what I'm calling the Ruth Doctor) speech? It changed nothing. But now it does? Why did she stay in jail voluntarily FOR DECADES?! And also, Chibnall does not address why was she in jail in first place… oh, wait. Just for "being herself". Ugh. So Jack comes to break the Doctor out without that much of an explanation. Ok. And about John Barrowman's addition… I had fun. It's always fun to see Captain Jack interact with the Doctor and the companions but… I felt like he didn't had to be there. There was no point on having him, story-wise. I think I just liked the nostalgic feeling to it. And him leaving the Doctor just like it was not a big deal was weird. I know it tries to be like a backdoor nod for both Jack and Gwen's appearance later on or maybe a Torchwood revival? We'll see. Maybe Chris Chibnall should move on to write for that show. Am I right? So the Doctor comes back to Earth and doesn't tell any of the companions that she spent DECADES in jail and comes back like nothing had happened. Why? And the episode doesn't address Yaz's obsession or her emotional journey either. But there are good moments. I liked all of them hugging at the end. It was a touching moment. I liked how Ryan called the Doctor out again and deciding to leave the TARDIS on his own. We saw how he struggled to get back to his ordinary life. I loved how Graham decided to be there for his grandson. Ryan and Graham's relationship was the best of both Series 11 and Series 12. It really felt earned. I liked that Yaz stayed with the Doctor. We really haven't got that much of development for her character. I'd love to see how that turns out. I would've preferred to watch just the both of them traveling in the TARDIS alone. But we'll be getting another companion, so… there's that. I'm excited, though. I really do not know that much about British TV but a comedian is always welcomed. I'm excited to meet Dan! Now, in regards of the story itself… I liked it. It was a fun one off adventure. I liked how the Doctor put the Daleks against each other (again) to fix the "drones" problem. I liked how they fixed the back-up TARDIS problem too, because we would be questioning that, I'm sure. It felt more like a Robertson story with a little bit of the Doctor in it, to be honest. And it was weird how it turn out in the end for the Robertson character (with all the Trump fuss going on). But it felt very well integrated into the story. What about the political messages written into the script? Weird. But I think that what Chibnall's take on Doctor Who is all about. Oh, well. I would've liked if the Doctor confronted Robertson (or anyone, really) about the PM's death. It was on the telly! Overall, it was fun to watch new episode of my favorite show again. I'm excited for Series 13, I really am. Now I'm just hoping for Chibnall to improve his writing skills. Blimey.
Not only does Fincher tell a story set in the golden age of Hollywood, but he evokes the style of filmmaking too. It's cleverly made, and Oldman is great as Mank. However, it didn't quite grip me the way I thought it would, perhaps due to the movie's talky nature. Still, that doesn't detract from what Fincher has tried to do here.
Artistically, it is perfect and the story behind it is really interesting. However, the actual entertainment value of it is lacking and the acting really isn't very good. It's still a classic that everyone who wants to learn about cinema should watch
Well, that was a decent first half of a movie...
I so love a happy ending. That was a happy ending, right?
"Why do you keep looking as if there's something wrong? Everything's fine."
I’ve haven’t cried this hard at a movie since 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things'. This is one of those films that just thinking about it or thinking about a specific scene will get my eyes teary. I’m honestly blown away by how moved I was by it. One of the best movies of 2020.
Anthony Hopkins gives one of the best performance since ‘Silence of the Lambs’. You may think that you've seen everything the veteran actor has to offer, but he continues to surprise and amaze us. He broke my heart a thousand times, especially the last five minutes which was some of the most powerful pieces of acting on screen. On the other hand, he’s also incredibly charming and funny as his character that it made him so mesmerizing to watch. I usually don’t care when it comes to awards, but I genuinely hope he gets some recognition at the Oscars with at least a nomination or maybe a win, because he is truly brilliant in this movie.
Olivia Colman, who plays Anthony's daughter, Anne, was also fantastic in the movie. Her facial expressions solid every emotion that the character was feeling and Colman is an expert at it. The pain, frustration, and the overwhelming love she has for her father, as she tries to find ways of helping him. I can’t imagine a more dreadful sight than watching your loved one decay away before your eyes and there’s nothing you can do about it.
While there have been other movies in the past that tackled the topic of dementia and old age on a surface level, where it mainly focuses on how friends and family coop with a significant others condition. However, this movie makes those films look flat in comparison. What makes this movie so different and yet more effective is that it’s told from the perspective of the sufferer. So, his confusion becomes ours. Simple things like switching Olivia Colman with a different actor can have a huge and scary impact, because when this first happened I was stunned, but I quickly realise this is the devastating reality of the disease where people you once knew start to look alienating to you.
Director Florian Zeller dose an excellent job of placing you in the shoes of someone going through dementia and have a better understanding of how the disease can affect you. Any other film marker would’ve done the predictable approach, which is to go over the top with the possibilities of presenting a surreal nightmare with flashy visuals, as a way to show off crazy camera work and digital effects, but Zeller instead keeps things grounded enough while in the imaginary world inside the characters head. It’s true what they say, less is more.
The movie is purposely structured and edited in a disorganised lucid dream-like manner, where certain elements such as the mention of names and the appearance of faces are a mystery to us just like the main character. Who are these people? Why is everything so mysterious? When you try to piece things together with the collection of scattered memories of events, it then gets shuffled around. Although, the movie isn’t as complicated as it may sound, it's just not straight forward narrative wise.
It was like watching a horror movie at times with the horrific effects of dementia. Your brain, metaphorically, is like a tree branch filled with leaves, but eventually with the slow effect of the disease, you will lose your leaves.
Overall rating: A magnificent movie that helps us understand the struggle and experience of dementia that was executed with extra care. It also goes beyond that in many different ways that I have yet to unlock in my first viewing. It’s a movie that I will never forget.
It's been so long since I've seen a styling masterfully directed movie from Guy Ritchie. This is far from the best movie of all time. Not even my favorite Guy Ritchie or Jason Statham film. But it's a movie that's told with such verve. This is a crew that isn't trying to do new experimental story telling at this point. They know exactly where they want to go. The tension and the pacing are prepared like a chef whose done this 100 times before. In the wrong hands you'd wonder why the narrative goes back and forth all the time but in Ritchie's hands this only serves to help the tension build.
This is your mother's pie, it's comfortable and delicious in all the ways you hope it would be. But there are misses here as there are in any film. Mostly in the writing. I like Statham and I think his presence carries the perfect amount of menace. There are a few poorly explained plot points like H taking pictures of employee badges (I think this was to do research on all of their names a point that leads absolutely nowhere). I understand H and I empathize with his motivation but I don't care about him. He's almost too much menace. A good Statham role is about 50-70% menace and the rest English bad-boy charm. H is about 90% menace leaving not enough room for anything else to matter. His previous characters have been meticulous and precise almost to a fault and you get to revel in his mastery but here we have that character interrupted forced to forgo the planning we know him for and in it's stead just a continuous forward progression. The rest of the cast is filled with characters that should have been fun. They have great names, solid backstories. In a John Wick style movie this cast would be amazing but here we could have used more of Ritchie's telltale dry gallows humor. For such a full cast filled with actors who could really chew the scenery they didn't get a lot to do. Taking everyone here and transplanting them in something like Boss Level would be perfect. Those characters were almost too cartoonish. I would have loved to see these actors get more to do.
SciFi B Movie based on a short of the same name. The first 30 minutes whipped me up into a frenzy. The visuals and slow pace were perfect. From then on it declined a bit, mainly due to the clunky script, weak characters and use of a few tropes (tripping over a branch in a forest while being pursued etc). The third act rescued it slightly, as did the gorgeous cinematography, which must have been on a limited budget, so fair play to the film-makers for producing something so interesting looking. Sophie Thatcher was fine as the lead, and I would have liked to see more of Jay Duplass.
Overall, a fine effort, just lacking in a bit of invention.
Far fetched tale (but so is that of the boy bitten by a radioactive spider), this is a weird blend of superhero movie and gang tale. I enjoyed it but the film probably needed an upgrade in humour and character development.
I must say, the movie has a really good idea that's worth exploring. Sadly it never comes close to exploring said idea. It ends up being a generic Hollywood action movie and nothing more.
It's interesting to see how a society would function if part of the population's(The men's) thoughts were visible to everyone. There are interesting aspects to explore here about privacy. But the movie throws this concept under the bus and uses it just as a cheap gimmick.
Before the events in the movie, it's said that men and women lived together in Tom Holland's settlement. And then men became more and more suspicious of the women because they could not see their thoughts. This gradually drove the men to kill all the women. This is the movie I wanted to see. How did this happen? What were the internal struggles in the settlement? How did reading each other's thoughts affect the people? Instead, we are put after all of this and we follow the standard bad guy wants to kill girl, hero who has confidence issues saves girl from the bad guy and becomes self-realized in the process.
The thought-reading phenomenon was mostly used as a comic relief instead of being the center of a thought-provoking story. I'm kind of bummed out that this was the case. It would have been interesting to see how a society functions when everyone's thoughts are in the open. For instance, how courts work, how is trade done, etc.
Could only do 3 episodes it's pure garbage
Is this the right order? The DVD has it all different:
1 - Serenity
2 - The Train Job
3 - Bushwhacked
4 - Shindig
5 - Safe
6 - Our Mrs. Reynolds
7 - Jaynestown
8 - Out Of Gas
9 - Ariel
10 - War Stories
11 - Trash
12 - The Message
13 - Heart Of Gold
14 - Objects In Space
Fight scenes were awesome, the plot..... absolutely was not.
It is hard not to compare the 2021 Snyder's Cut to the 2017 release, which was generally perceived as a messy film due to its problems during production. There is definitely more coherence and structure in this version, with less plot holes and more time for the characters to breathe (not in last place because of the significantly increased -doubled- run time.) However, in many moments it is clear the movie has been edited together from incomplete and/or unfinished material. This is especially noticeable in several of the (many) CGI scenes, which look outdated and unpolished. It makes (some of) the choices made in the 2017 version more understandable, even though it does not make them any better. The hated reshoots that ended up in the 2017 version were clearly not unnecessary, just the execution was poor.
Light Spoilers ahead (marked.)
The antagonist is clearly one of the main improvements. Steppenwolf is relatively well fleshed out, and no longer a completely forgettable generic bad guy (and I thought his costume looked awesome! No idea why that was changed in the earlier version.) It remains a problem that he is just a henchman, and the big bad guy boss (Darkseid) plays no real role in the story. Darkseid appearance has not much added value because of that. It adds significantly to the antagonist motivation, but his appearance is mostly used to make way for a next movie.
We also spend more time on Cyborg and his character, which is deserving and rewarding and makes him a more interesting character to watch.
The dynamic within the team is also much more balanced, with less awkward forced moments.
That being said, the main focus clearly never was the characters themselves, which is not unusual for a blockbuster (superhero) movie. There are scenes that feel out of place because of sudden shifts of tone and focus. Also, several events, plot lines and choices or alternatives are never explored or given a pay off.
There are several setups that are never paid off, especially with the introduction of additional characters. This pads the runtime unnecessarily and often makes the movie feel like a set up for later movies (which will probably never see the light of day.) Secondly, their are so many endings, it could compete with LOTR's Return of The King for most endings in a major film release, and unlike RotK, it is not to finish up those aforementioned loose ends, but rather to set up new plots.
Of course this has to be mentioned. The choice for 4:3 ratio has been done for creative reasons, and it has already caused division among the viewers. Their are many shots where the 4:3 ratio is exceptionally impressive, and it is justifies the choice for that aspect ratio. However, in just as many scenes the lack of widescreen makes the experience underwhelming. This is (logically) mostly the case with wideshots and the big battles. When the ever present but lacking CGI meets those wideshot angles, this negative effect is even more increased, and it made me feel like watching an episode of Friends or other old television show.
In conclusion, the chosen aspect ratio has both its merits and demerits. The difference between 4:3 and Widescreen is not impossible to overcome to use in 1 film, but it is significant which makes it tricky to naturally switch between them. The choice to stay dedicated to an unchanging Ratio is logical.
This is an average but fun epic superhero movie that is enjoyable to watch if you have the time and patience for it. The movie is split into several distinct sections, with headers, so it is possible to watch it as a mini-series. It does not rise to the heights of Infinity War, but it also does not steep as low as Suicide Squad.
No spoilers ! Got to watch it earlier this week as a critic. Definitely way better than the first. we get to see a bit more character development and origin. There's a new character revealed that wasn't in the first movie. I'd rate this a 7/10
This is a fascinating watch, it’s such a great insight into filmmaking.
I’d advise anyone to watch this and the theatrical cut back to back, you’ll learn so much about the process, rearranging scenes, editing, etc.
Pros:
- Compared to BvS: the script is much more structured, coherent, and simple. Also, this film doesn’t try to have any political depth or social commentary, which is a plus because that requires a filmmaker with subtlety, and Snyder is no such filmmaker. Finally, it doesn’t make any major mistakes like the Martha scene or Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.
- Compared to the theatrical cut: it does a much better job at fleshing out the characters. This particularly helps for Cyborg and Steppenwolf. It kinda turns Cyborg into the coolest character of the DCEU. Also, the editing of the action scenes is much better.
- I love that it has a big, epic tone. The storytelling feels like it takes a lot of inspiration from Lord of the Rings.
- Some great character moments, particularly with Alfred (I also liked Flash running back in time, the killing of Steppenwolf and Aquaman’s scene with Vulko ). There are actually quite a few laughs in this, more so than you’d expect from a Snyder film.
- The score is good (ignoring the overplayed WW theme).
Cons:
- It looks kinda hideous. There is an artificial and fake feeling to most of the scenes. The way it’s directed and shot can only be described as cheap and a visual overkill.
- Casting. Some of the main actors aren’t competent enough to star in a film like this. As long as they keep Momoa, Gadot and Miller, these films will always feel like discount Avengers films.
- It kinda drags, there are some scenes that could’ve been cut or shortened in order to improve the pacing. This is one of the things the theatrical cut does way better, even if it’s much more bland as a cut.
- The Flash still runs and acts like a moron. It particularly stands out in this cut because his Looney Tunes-esque antics are cringeworthy and don’t fit here, and his character still feels very barebones.
- Like BvS, the setting up of future films feels very clunky and forced.
- Though nowhere near as bad as in BvS, I once again noticed some painfully overwritten and forced dialogue.
In short:
Is it better than the theatrical cut, or BvS? Yes.
Is it a good movie? Not by any metric.
3.5/10
My cat couldn't bring herself to follow the red dot and I couldn't be bothered either. It's competently made but the twist cheats the viewer, and the film suffers narratively as a result.
This ain’t an Ann Hathaway romantic comedy.
This ain’t a Jason Sudeikis wacky comedy.
This ain’t a Kaiju monster film.
Therein lies the rub with Colossal. Surely half of the audience who watched this film was expecting one of those types of films?
Truth be told it all depends on one what you like from your film-viewing. There’s a chance you might love this but also equally you could hate it, really it is that polarising.
There is no doubt the film is absurd and downright strange but along with Ann Hathaway, this is the strong points. You probably have not seen a film like this.
Both Hathaway and Sudeikis are primarily playing against type although perhaps at the beginning you would be forgiven for not thinking so.
Their characters are trapped by drink, lack of ambition and their overall poor character. Hathaway’s Gloria is gloriously useless and full of self-pity as she seems to gravitate to late night’s and drink at the drop of a hat. Sudeikis’ Oscar is a different barrel of fish, seemingly wholesome and friendly the longer things don’t pan out the way he thinks they should the darker more mean side of his nature, that has always been there, takes over. It’s an interesting study in the margins of society and how minor personality flaws can turn into major monsters that stomp their way through your life – oh see what happened there? That’s what this film is about with the metaphor made real – not particularly subtle but fun without any doubt.
Nacho Vigalondo shows in this film how he has a handle of the banality of being a shoddy average person in the modern world and how the slightest tipping of the balance can destroy anyone’s world. In a small way it reminded me of David Lynch in its outlook, with average, normal, Americana stripped back showing itself as ugly and mean and it is always only a layer away from being exposed.
Certainly there are laughs throughout the film, genuine laughs at funny moments, laughs at the stupidity of what you see and laughs at the absurdity in front of you – but it can not really be described as a comedy.
Colossal is interesting, fun and different. It is well acted, well directed and is trying to say something interesting in a way that you possibly have not seen before.
Finally, it has a great ending, not quite up there with Alan Parker’s Birdy but close. For the record, I’m on the ‘really liked it’ side of the equation.
Excellent movie.
People saying the ending is bad don’t get it.
They had the hunch, they saw him get aroused by the pictures, they know it’s him. When deke gets to the killers house he see his trophy case with the victim’s possessions, the proof they needed, they just can’t get the warrant yet because they need more evidence to get it. Unfortunately baxter ends up screwing up by shoveling the killer, just like deacon did when he shot the girl. Deke could have caught the killer but instead killed a witness. The same with baxter, could have gotten Sparma but...killed him instead.
When deacon gives the hair thingy to baxter he is doing him a favor, releasing him from his own daemons. That doesn’t mean he is not the guy, just that baxter fixated on a little thing that doesn’t matter anymore, because the actual killer is dead and there won’t be anymore victims.
Tesla seems to have been a very eccentric kind of person. I think that even the style of this movie might reflect that eccentricity, which i found to be interesting and unique.
The reason I only rated it a 6 instead of 7 or 8 is due to what felt like a lack of more substance. it felt like we barely scratched the surface of the man named Tesla.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Had a good final message about not letting the past ruin your future, but as a Disney movie it didn't age very well. I believe it went quite forgotten.
The comedy was pretty bad, the characters were obnoxious most of the time and the animation felt kind of rushed and incomplete, especially if compared to movies like Ratatouille and Shrek the Third that came out the same year.
Within in the genre of 'Teenage-Apocalypse' I'd say this show is pretty decent. But it obviously comes with all the bad stuff that normally comes with that genre.
I'd say it's a good show for a brain-off weekend binge. Nothing more, nothing less.
This is the "Prometeus school of little space explorer" all over again.
They have the technology, they have the know-how, but for some reason they put the worst possible people in charge of the most important mission of human history.
It's like NASA put highschoolers inside Apollo 11.
Why writers can't write a good sci-fi show without making people complete incompetents?
I miss SG1
First episode is atrocious. Choices from characters (and plot) are stupid.
After a couple of episodes it is a little bit better, but it is a bad tv show. Not decent enough to have a second season and low standard to be "by Netflix".
