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.
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.
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
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.
ugly blue tint color filter makes me sleepy, or maybe its the story, acting, writing, editing...
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
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.
Was expecting something along the lines of Project Power, but got a dull and disjointed movie instead.
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.
Well, that was a decent first half of a movie...
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.
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
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.
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.
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".
2020 live action remake of Mulan (1998) is a family-friendly homage to wuxia films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers than a retelling like The Lion King (2019). No songs, no animal sidekicks. While I am fond of 1998 predecessor, I have zero apprehension to this film wanting to be its own thing by shedding much of the connections.
Mulan (2020) had some troubled pasts, COVID-19 delaying and eventually cancelling theatrical release, lead actress Yifei Liu being an outspoken critic of Hong Kong independence movement, and $30 on-demand release tied to Disney+ subscription.
But it's finally here. The trailer certainly looked promising. Is it worth $30 "Premiere Access" fee? Or should Disney+ subscribers wait 3 months when it will be offered to all subscribers? To me, the answer depends heavily on the quality of your home theater.
I have a modest home theater setup: 65" OLED TV and just so so Dolby Atmos soundbar. Nothing that can even begin to replicate extravagant theatrical presentation that Niki Caro and her team intended. But even on this setup, the film is an audiovisual feast that hints how amazing proper cinema experience could've been.
With beautiful sets, sumptuous cinematography, colorful costumes, and competently choreographed action sequences, the film makes for fun family evening. Some critics dubbed the film Crouching Tiger, Jr. and I think that's very apt summary of the film. Toned down violence is suitable for younger audience (I think 7 or older is entirely suitable) and intentionally stylized martial arts scenes are treats. Music is understated for the most part, without any songs as mentioned earlier, "Reflection" theme from the animated film used on few occasions for nostalgia, as well as one notable cameo towards the end.
The film starts promising enough, precocious Crystal Rao playing young Mulan. But once Yifei takes over, the film starts to drag its pacing a bit. While the lead actress certainly looks the part and does a bang up job with martial arts sequences, she emotes little and lacks the charisma of Crouching's Ziyi Zhang. Thankfully, her limited thespian skills is somewhat masked by the veteran cast, led by Gong Li (plays by far the most interesting character that sadly wasn't given enough), Jason Scott Lee, Tzi Ma, and Donnie Yen.
Uneven pacing aside, which spends too much time in military training, the film is unfocused and lacks heart. As flawed as it was, 1998 animated counterpart carried the theme of self sacrifice to its sleeve. Despite its svelte 88 minutes running time, it felt epic. Even though this film runs nearly 30 minutes longer, stories feel disjointed and motivations underdeveloped.
But the most problematic is Mulan's sudden embrace of her "true" identity, and rapid acceptance and embrace by her peers. There's almost no sense of urgency, and the final battle feels anti-climatic as a result.
Still, at the end of the day, my family had a good time watching it last night. While the martial arts sequences do not break new ground, they look great and fun to watch. I just wish the film aimed higher for more emotional payoff.
I think that Mulan (2020) and Mulan (1998) are different beasts and are made with different audiences in mind. The original animated Mulan is made with a Western audience in mind whereas the new Mulan is very clearly made with a Chinese audience in mind based purely on the emphasis on the values and also just the whole vibe (idk lol).
As we quite well know, Mulan (2020) does not have Li Shang, nor the songs, and has added a supernatural element through the character of the witch, Xianniang. There’s an homage to the music in the score with the notes of Reflection playing at some emotionally poignant moments. Lowkey I’m not into the love interest in this new Mulan and I missed Li Shang to be honest. I didn’t quite mind the supernatural element so much as I have problems with Xianniang’s character, narratively.
So basically there’s the whole concept of chi in this movie wherein it’s the mark of a warrior and it makes the person very graceful but also kind of has extra powers? And because both Xianniang and Mulan are women who have chi, they’re ostracized because of it since women aren’t allowed to be warriors. Xianniang is set up as Mulan’s reflection (lol) basically. She’s an older woman who has chi and has developed her powers and because of it she’s exiled and has taken up with the Rourans (who seek to overthrow the Chinese emperor) so that she may have her own place where she will not be ostracized because of her chi.
So the problem I have with her character is basically that since she’s set up as Mulan’s reflection, I was expecting there to be a big showdown between the two and for Mulan to really struggle as she faces this person that she could potentially become. But while there is a fight, it was near the beginning and near the end when they face off, Xianniang gives in because Mulan has been accepted by her peers and is leading the men to defend the emperor. She even dies to protect Mulan which I guess is nice because she wasn’t bad and just doing what she’s doing because she’s been oppressed. But like. idk I was just hoping for more from her character y’know?
In any case, while it follows the same bones of Mulan (1998), this movie is markedly different and should be enjoyed as two different entities I guess, rather than a remake.
