My mother recommended we see this film after mistakingly having thought that she had seen it. What a shame as I wasted near 2 hours of my time suffering through the piece of crap "French Kiss" is.
There's nothing particularly horrible "French Kiss" does, which makes it worse in a way. Basically every idea it has is so superficial and executed so weakly that it makes for a film that is silly in the worst possible manner. It spends most of its runtime on horridly cheesy slapstick comedy before trying to be deeper at the end because love or something. I'll admit, it was moderately entertaining for its first quarter or third, then it was just stupid. None of the performances do much for me as there is simply nothing they can do. The characters are one-dimensional, even the leads border on that. An absolute disaster for a romantic film as you are supposed to care about the people in the romance - what a novel concept.
The French fantasy. Yes, "French Kiss" pulls off some subconscious, almost dreamlike idea of what France is. And I don't mean dreamlike in the sense of wonder, more as in a claustrophobic maze which feels wrong while watching, then leaves with you a kind of existential dread after. France is presented as this exotic country, to the point it seems to be more of a love island with a bunch of quirks suited to couples than one of the most famous nations in the world. Look, I'm all for romanticism, especially in a romantic film, but this must have been written by a grandma with the worldview of a 10-year-old. The vaguest ideas of French culture - cheese, Eiffel Tower, accents, and that particular kind of overtly sentimental music I have a hard time swallowing (though I won't hold it as criticism, but it does only serve the issues in tone) - this is what "French Kiss" gives. Great job, you really made my body turn inside out. Thank God I don't have anyone to kiss right now as I'd just vomit in their mouth. Probably more memorable than this picture.
"French Kiss" is genuinely an awful movie, I did not enjoy seeing it. I will repeat again that it did not start off so bad, but it just kept getting worse to the point where it felt like a piece of soft erotica that eventually ended up being used as waste cleanser. Watch this is if you want your average romcom that requires you to have as few neurons active as possible during its runtime. It seems others have found something to appreciate here. I hardly did. French Kiss? More like French Piss, lmaooooo.
"When Harry Met Sally" is a name I had heard before, but knew nothing about before I watched. A genre-defining romantic comedy, it follows a nuanced relationship between its leads with plenty of charming moments sprinkled throughout its length.
"When Harry Met Sally" isn't a particularly long film, yet it feels like a proper 2h+ picture. The plot takes place across many years as we see both Harry and Sally grow exponentially. As sweet as the movie was, there's a bit of sadness I could feel from it with the amazing manner in which it depicted aging and romance. It's all very comfy, which brings the viewer into a very intimate space with the protagonists.
The structure of the plot is quite interesting and is a part of what makes WHMS stand out from most entries in the genre - plain good filmmaking. The acting was mesmerising from the get-go, and while some have criticised Billy Crystal's performance for being unfitting for this role, I would say that is precisely what made it so good. There's something very genuine about the way he portrays a cynical, emotionally unavailable man who deep-down wishes for true love. And Meg Ryan is simply flawless as Sally. The script is ideal, knowing how to play off of Crystal and Ryan's on-screen chemistry.
"When Harry Met Sally" is a fantastic film and no doubt my favourite romantic comedy. It's still amazing to me that it is only an 1h30min long. It's so complete and well-paced, delivering well beyond its simple premise and giving us a character-driven tale we near become a part of. If you want a sincerely fun and down-to-earth romance, do watch it.
"Inception" is a film Christopher Nolan had wanted to make for many years at the time of its creation. Understanding that he needed more experience to be able to pull it off, he ended up directing his first two highly-acclaimed Batman projects to understand the process of crafting such a massive movie. It paid off, as "Inception" is an ambitious release that has continued to receive praise ever since it came out.
The narrative revolves around exploring a person's subconscious through dreams, and it does a fantastic job at doing as much with this concept as it can. Thematically, it unfolds bit by bit, with Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of Cobb providing an enticing humanity that runs parallel to the fast-paced suspense. "Inception" doesn't waste a second and it requires a great deal of attention at times, but it fully rewards its viewers for sticking through.
Besides Cobb as the protagonist, I found myself attached to the rest of the cast as well, even those that did not receive substantial development. Interestingly, "Inception" functions as a heist film at its core, and each person plays a specific role that makes them stand out. Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) was surprisingly interesting and I ended up caring for the conclusion to his arc. Marion Cotillard was excellent as Mal Cobb and played very well off DiCaprio.
The action in "Inception" is magnificient to watch, relying on its incredible special effects that are appropriately trippy and unconventional. Even a decade later, it stands the test of time and dare I say looks as modern as it did back then.
My major issue with "Inception" comes in its last act, where I believe it begins to come across as genuinely pretentious. It loses its grip of logic, moving from sci-fi into pure fantasy. The ending is decent, but I'm not certain it fully lives up to all of its potential.
I loved "Inception", I've never seen a film quite like it. It was genuinely a fascinating concept that I found to be brilliantly executed, even if it did fall apart a little by the end. A must-watch for Nolan fans and I'd highly recommend it to just about anybody else, especially science fiction and action fans. Just know it is anything but a casual watch, you'll want to take in everything you can from it!
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is a sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange, though the connection between the two films is at this point mostly lost as Strange has had a significant role in several other MCU projects over the last few years. I watched the original in cinemas, but waited for this one to become available on digital as I wasn't exactly in the mood to visit the theatre at that time. I liked the first entry and was excited to see this one with Sam Raimi directing the project and all the rumoured cameos.
Multiverse of Madness is action-packed from the get-go and it rarely slows pace. That's not too bad as I found the movie never wasted a moment and was interesting throughout. However, it does lead to it being a somewhat typical MCU film in terms of pacing, arguably my largest criticism. For all of Raimi's shenanigans, Multiverse of Madness still feels like a fairly standard MCU flick at the end of the day. It's no doubt one of the better additions to it, but don't go in expecting anything special.
To elaborate more on Raimi's involvement, I think he was perfectly suited for this movie and for Doctor Strange's character. His Evil Dead films are the primary influence here, rather than his run on Spider-man. He certainly pushes the PG-13 rating with some interesting body horror, but I can't say it left as much of an impact on me as his cinematography did. The action was wonderfully creative and the locales Strange would visit were a joy to watch. All this perfectly suited this trippy character.
Stylistically, I thought the use of colours and the music stood out, though that is in comparison to other MCU titles. Regarding the soundtrack, I had mixed feelings. I believe Strange's theme saw some change, a change I found unnecessary and felt out of place. The music tried, let me give it that I guess. But nothing has stuck with me as per usual for these movies.
I enjoyed the plot of Multiverse of Madness and have no gripes with it. "Wandavision" seems to be recommended watching here, but it did a great job at being accessible to those who had not viewed it such as me. In fact, my mom had not even seen the character of Strange previously and she had fun with it. The story messes with the concept of the multiverse rather well, and I do applaud Marvel's writers for treading carefully around time/interdimensional travel plotlines. If any plotholes were there, they didn't stick out.
Besides Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), major characters are Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and America (Xochitl Gomez). Strange and Wanda had the most interesting development for sure, while America didn't really do much for me, I found her to be rather boring in fact - she was a sidekick and a plot device for the most part. Cumberbatch and Olsen gave fantastic performances, and I think the rest of the cast do a solid job as well.
On the topic of cameos, I was not satisfied with how they were handled, particularly after Marvel's previous release being the fantastic "Spider-man: No Way Home". Whereas that film treated them wonderfully, giving them arcs and plot relevance, Multiverse of Madness did the bare essentials and in my opinion wasted them , especially Patrick Stewart. Something about them feels shoehorned in, and I'm guessing Raimi himself didn't care much about woving them into the story.
Altogether, I found "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" to be a solid entry in the MCU that maintains momentum, though it does rein in its creativity to set up whatever interconnected storyline is planned. It's a fun film and if you enjoy superhero flicks, it's a good one to watch.
This film was on TV while I was having dinner and while I had different plans, I ended up watching it through the end. Starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, it's an action comedy that provides an incredibly dumb and fun experience.
The leads were fantastic in their roles, being able to fill the presence with their charisma. The chemistry between them was fun to watch and I think it managed to avoid quite falling into the realm of cliche. It had enough uniqueness and sillliness to it that I had no issue, though June's character was certainly very... dated.
The action was great, but the CGI not so much. No in between. Over the top and an absolute blast, but anytime the film had to rely on anything but practical effects, it dropped the ball hard. I can think of one explosion in particular that looked like it was made after watching one Youtube tutorial. It was glaring the times it did appear, but thankfully that was not enough to ruin the joy that was the rest.
Action comedy through and through, an unashamed example of the genre that has so much fun with its silly premises. It makes as much sense as it needs to, beyond that its ridiculousness knows no limits. The running gags were lovely and took me off guard each time. I believe this is the area that "Knight and Day" excels the most at, and I am glad they never ruined it with unnecessary drama. There was some, don't get me wrong, but only so the plot kept going, they never ruined the light tone.
"Knight and Day" is so joyfully stupid, I wouldn't mind rewatching it. There's nothing too special to it, I simply think it is highly entertaining. Go watch it with someone to have a good time, that's all I have to say.
"Kimi" was a film I had no intention of watching, but it was able to grip me rather quickly. It follows Angela Childs, a tech worker with agoraphobia who comes across a dangerous conspiracy that makes her face her greatest fear. A primary backdrop is the AI device Kimi that the company she works for is developing.
The first half of the film was great. In my opinion, it did a great job at portraying agoraphobia and Angela's struggles with her mental health. Utilising contemporary themes of the Covid pandemic, lockdown, work-at-home culture, and social isolation was a risky move, but it was interwoven fantastically into the narrative. Could have felt like a tacky attempt at reaching a modern audience, but it's an integral part of the story. Most of this part of the movie works off of character exploration, with a solid focus on realism. I enjoyed delving into layers of Angela's character, as well as the various details in the small environment she has surrounded herself with.
Past a certain point, once the plot really kicks in, is where my major issues with the film come. It was entertaining all the way through, I'll give it that. But it was so bloody stupid that it felt like an entirely different movie, one of my prime gripes - the tonal inconsistency. From an uncomfortable portrayal of a rarely explored mental health issue, we quickly rush into a thriller with completely ridiculous stakes. To start with, having three hitmen sent against Angela came out of left field, even with the set-up. The realism was broken, moreso with how incompetent they were. Trying to abduct her right next to a huge crowd. All those points about the information age, but no one would mention the attempted kindapping of a girl in the middle of a riot? Then they got her at her home and were left dumbfounded, legitimately stunned, when she issued a few commands at Kimi. Worst of all, the ending was fun, but completely ridiculous and out-of-place. The movie turned into a very violent version of "Home Alone", just end everything with a nailgun and hitmen who are afraid to use their guns. And to my disappointment, the ending was tone-deaf. Apparently, surviving an attempted assasination and murdering three of your assailants is the perfect way to kick off your recovery from mental illness! Because Angela appears completely happy, like all her struggles are now gone. Without a scene to suggest how she approached such changes in her life, only the aftermath.
"Kimi" was a very intriguing film to see, but got marginally worse in quite the rapid fashion as it went on. It's a shame as I genuinely loved its more introspective set-up portion, before it delved into its actual plot. The mystery was disturbing, but the tonal shifts drove my suspense away, later leaving me only dumbfounded at what I'd just seen. Some great ideas in here, but they didn't contribute to as much as they should have in the end. One thing that remained consistenly great - Zoe Kravits's performance. Her mannerisms were quite varied and there was a lot of subtlety to her delivery.
I was cautious about "The Batman", as it had the potential to be the best DC film in a long time or yet another pretentious flick. I'm happy to say it's the former, as "The Batman" went ahead and surpassed my expectations, squashing any doubts I might have had. Matt Reeves' arteur approach and understanding of the character's mythos blend together to create a crime thriller unburdened by the clichés of superhero cinema.
Robert Pattinson was an interesting choice to play the titular vigilante, one I had a feeling would go on to become the definitive live-action rendition, and so he did. His Batman flows smoothly between aggression and stoicism, with the former being more prevalent as we see a man completely absorbed by a futile crusade. A major theme is Batman's methodology in dealing with crime, and it's clear that the two years he has spent fighting it have done much damage both to himself and to Gotham. Bruce Wayne is hardly of any importance, this being a conscious choice. I should mention that the edgier portrayal of the billionaire might throw some people off a little, but I've yet to see someone go out of their way to complain about it. It seems that most of us revelled in the broken person that he is here, and we are likely to see his growth as the film series continues.
Gotham is another main character, the best realised version of the fictional city yet. A blend between the theatrics of Burton's and the grittiness of Nolan's movies, it's dripping in its own filth. Rain is a common companion, city lights haze amidst the shadows. Crime lurks everywhere, and so does Batman. A perfect parallel to him, the worst enemy of Gotham is its own people. Musically, "The Batman" utilises horror film cues, minimalistic melodies, and a few moodier licensed tracks. "Something in the Way", one of the best Nirvana songs, was prominently featured in trailers and the same is true for the film itself. I wasn't big on the overblown trailer rendition, but it's perfect as a backdrop to decadency of the city. Besides its tunes, "The Batman" has excellent sound design. One of my favourite moments was when the Batmobile showed up and the theatre bass went crazy.
"The Batman" is unique in that it is the first live-action film adaptation to put focus on our masked hero's title of World's Greatest Detective. The action remains at a smaller scale, the real thrills come from the mind games set forth by the incredible rendition of iconic villain the Riddler. A serial killer whose clues are all carefully planned out to put him at an advantage, it's enticing to see how the plot unravels. Each thread is carefully placed and plot conveniences are never an issue. The story took quite the risks, all while maintaining believability.
Plenty of subplots reside beside the main mystery and connect with it. "The Batman" is layered and rich, in my opinion justifying its lengthy runtime. Perhaps it could have cut down on some ten-twenty minutes, but it's not a major issue as each scene had its place and evoked interest. Zoe Kravits was great as Catwoman, perhaps the best we have seen on the screen, and her tale was gripping. Criminals like the Penguin and Falcone played a major part in the story and everyone around them brought details to Gotham's underworld. Andy Serkis played a great Alfred, while Jeffrey Wright was a fantastic Gordon.
I'll go as far as to say that "The Batman" is my second favourite Batman film. It does a great job at telling a proper Batman story, embracing the character's lore, while also adding many of its own strokes and being able to wrap up all of its themes in a satisfying manner. A must-watch for Batman fans and sceptics of superhero cinema. I cannot wait for the sequel, and am fully invested in what else Matt Reeves and co have planned.
What an obscure gem of a film. My father found "My Way" while browsing for some films and we both really liked it! Based on the story of a Korean man named Yang Kyoungjong, the film follows the Korean Jun-shik and Japanese Tatsuo Hasegawa on their mutual path through life. It's a sentimetal tale that depicts the true hardships of war, using sports as a commentary on real human values.
"My Way" is a high-budget production and it's easy to tell. On its journey through half the world, it features a great diversity of nationalities, depicting expansive environments and horrid battles. It can be quite gory, but it never glamourises any of it. I found that the violence always set forth the grimness of the World War II setting. Hope and despair clash along the rapid pace of the plot. Characters grow immensely from the moment they first appear on screen. Jun-shik remains as a more consistent moral compass, in a manner that is deeply human. Tatsuo's development is fascinating to watch, and the relationship between him and Jun-Shik was gripping. Besides these two leads, others' fates paint a fuller picture of war's depravity. Choon-bok could be considered somewhat of a weaker individual who is a proper contrast to his more idealistic companions. Shirai was amusing, but she might be one of my criticisms with "My Way", for no other reason than her story being redundant. You could remove her from the movie and nothing would change.
Another personal gripe I might have is the stylistic choice of a shaky camera. It's fantastic at representing the sheer chaos of WWII, but there's too much of a good thing - I felt downright uncomfortable watching at times. I'm not one prone to motion sickness either, so this is worth considering. Otherwise, the cinematography is gorgeous and is a strong drive of the film's emotional potency.
I mentioned sports as a major topic of the story, and this refers to marathon running in particular. War and patriotism are nothing more than superficial dividers of humanity, which butcher true values such as the wonder of sports. Jun-shik and Tatsuo retain their spirit through the values of the marathon - human willpower and love of perserverance. It's quite romanticised and I respect "My Way" for being so unashamed about this beauty.
I would recommend "My Way" to a fans of World War II cinema who would appreciate a brutalworldwide tale that has a simple message at its core. I was on the verge of crying at several points as I watched it, overtaken by the acting and scenery. A fantastic feature that deserves more love.
"Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning" is a live-action adaptation of the same story that the OVA"Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal" adapts, that being the backstory of the protagonist Himura Kenshin. This film has a much darker tone than the rest of the series, completely ditching the shounen staples and instead telling a fantastical historical drama set during the Bakumatsu period in Japan. Themes such as meaning, loss, romance, and guilt tell the humanity present in the characters' tales
The fight scenes here are stunning and the bloodiest they have ever been in this film series. Kenshin is a beast in the story that follows, but it's insane to see just how powerful he is when he had given himself free reign to kill. My favourite scene would be the first, which I'll leave for you to see yourself.
The sets are beautiful and build the fictional realisation of the time period with a great atmosphere. Many details adorn the environments. The music is fantastic as always.
Acting is phenomenal. Takeru Satoh (Kenshin) keeps things subtle, doing great to express the inner torment of his character. I would state the same for Kasumi Arimura (Tomoe).
My only criticism might be that the movie can linger a little too long on some of the sadder moments. It's not a major issue however.
I loved "Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning" and have a hard time truly expressing my love for the film. It's a little rough to recommend for no other reason than its chronological place and the release date. I'd say watch it after the first three films (meaning after The Legend Ends) and before The Final, the latter was produced alongside this one. The Beginning is a beautiful, poetic tragedy that will bring its viewers closer to their inner humanity.
I was quite surprised to learn the Rurouni Kenshin live-action film series was getting two new additions in 2021, nearly 7 years after The Legend Ends. At first I was a little sceptical as I thought this might be some weird cash-in, but their reception was once again positive, so I waited until a proper opportunity came to watch them with my dad. This film adapts the final arc of the manga. It was confusingly released before "The Beginning", the reason being that both films were produced simultaneously. I might honestly recommend viewers see "The Beginning" first, but it works both ways really. It's just nice to leave the final movie for last. Personally, I watched this one first and it didn't hinder my enjoyment in any significant manner, but I gained some more appreciation for it post-factum.
"Rurouni Kenshin: The Final" sees our main character, Himura Kenshin, face off against a new villain, Yukishiro Enishi, and his entourage. A premise that might leave you sceptical, but the relationship between Kenshin and Enishi is quite interesting. Takeru Satoh is fantastic in the role of the protagonist as always, while Mackenyu gives it his all, a tad too much at times, for the antagonist. Besides these, many characters return and are given standout moments. I do wish some had a bit more of a role to play frankly, but the film is long as it is and I can see that the story would have had too much going on for its own good. It does its best while maintaining a focused narrative. Big shout-out to Sanosuke and Aoshi, love those guys.
The action is what puts these films above any others, and I am pleased to say that the choreography remains excellent. Over-the-top and beautiful to watch, there is no point at which the effects break the immersion. There's always been a focus on practical effects and it does wonders for the look of these movies.
The music remains fantastic, which is no surprise as The Final reuses many of the series' classic themes. As it rightly should, the songs are wonderful and the connection I have to them gave me chills at times.
"Rurouni Kenshin: The Final" is a worthy conclusion to the saga and it is great at wrapping up all the series' themes and ending on the right note. I do wish some of the side characters received more development, but as I said, I understand that the film medium is not fully capable at handling so many characters' stories at once. In this case, it's incredible how concise The Final is. Must-watch for fans of the films and for any who might be eyeing it, please do yourself a favour and start with the first one. It was wonderful seeing all these characters I love again and how their lives have turned out.
"Eastern Promises" tells the story of one Ana Ivanovna, a midwife at a London hospital who gets involved with the Russian mafia. It quite surprised me with its quality; later I learned that it is apparently a cult film. It's rather detailed and tells a lot in its runtime of 100 minutes.
The cast is absolutely incredible. Viggo Mortensen and Vincent Cassel are the biggest stars here, and have a great chemistry to boot. Viggo really sells the mystery and charisma of his character Nikolai Luzhin, while Cassel is great at displaying the insecurities of Kirill. Clearly, a lot of effort went into donning Russian flavour to their speech, and from what I have been able to gather, the results are actually quite decent. For them and many others here. Armin Mueller-Stahl stands out as well, posing a facade of a good person, beneath which lies much darkness.
The story deals with some pretty heavy themes and director David Cronenberg does not shy away from the brutality of the world he is depicting. I winced a couple times, as this is far from an action movie; every time harm comes to a character, it makes an impact. The subject matter's hardship does not end there; power, sex, human trafficking, drugs, and many more themes serve to paint the rotten underground beneath the elegance of London. There's a style to the film that always remains, it never loses its tone in spite of the realities that occur. There a fictional stroke to the movie, almost romantic, Godfather-esque.
The cinematography was beautiful, and I think it managed to infuse Western filmmaking with some Russian sensibilities. This goes for the overall tone of the film - characters and plot. I would say that it is leagues better than most Russian representation you see in popular media.
"Eastern Promises" is a film I would genuinely recommend to those looking for a good crime drama film. It treads away from stereotypes with tact, and tells a story that is engrossing and gives good room to humanity along the way. It's not for the faint of heart, so just keep that in mind before watching it. A great movie, doing well at setting its identity.
"The Little Things" is a neo-noir crime thriller starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. I knew nothing about it going in and enjoyed it a fair amount. The film has received mixed reviews, I can see why, and while I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, I have to say it had its charm.
To me, "The Little Things" focuses greatly on style over substance. Even if it has themes and storytelling details that enhance it, for the most part, I found myself most engaged by the cinematography, acting, and music. It's a neo noir, so it's important that everything looks dark and badass. Shots go on for longer than might be necessary, and if you don't care to appreciate the shots, you'll probably be bored at some point. Not me though, I took as it was and let myself absorb each colour, glare, and angle. The acting is rather low-key for the most part, and it enhances the atmosphere. I found Rami Malek to be my favourite actor here; his voice and emotionless stare border on campy, but the film sells the detective fantasy very well. Denzel Washington leads the story well and has great chemistry with Malek. I wouldn't call myself a Jared Leto fan, but once I spaced out of any preconceived notions I had of him, I though he gave an amusing performance. Lastly, the music was minimalist and often out of tune, being the last piece to the movie's feel. It stood out to me and defined more than a few moments.
The story might be where most people will have conflicting opinions. I am surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. Usually, I feel like I would actually hate this kind of story, but it clicked with me. It ends rather abruptly, in a completely different manner than you might think at first. There's an attempt at making a greater point about humanity, but I can't say it left the impact it was supposed to. Nonetheless, the twist was interesting and subverted my expectations well enough. It's not as great as it might have aimed to be, but it didn't leave me dissatisfied.
Overall, I'd recommend "The Little Things" for its atmosphere, a genuinely strong point. If you're looking for more, I do think you might be disappointed. Nothing groundbreaking, but a good film for what it tries to do.
I've been on the hype train for "Spider-man: No Way Home" for at least a year, ever since the rumours of returning characters from previous Spider-man films came to light. One thing you have to give to Marvel is the genius marketing for this film, I do not doubt for a second that they were responsible for many, if not all the leaks that happened. I was unsure of the MCU after Endgame, it just didn't seem like it would go in any interesting direction, but No Way Home is honestly my favourite movie in the universe. It's a love letter to nearly two decades of Spidey cinema, and as a massive fan of the character, I can't help loving it.
I've heard stories of how powerful some audiences' reactions were to this film, and while I was in a fairly modest crowd, I could still hear a comparatively audible answer to the spectacle that No Way Home offers. There were times where I couldn't turn down my grin either, nor remain tearless. To call it pure fan service would be unjust, as the third chapter of MCU Spider-man's story manages to remedy all issues people like me had with the character. While I always appreciated the new approach, it simply did not deliver what I liked most about Peter Parker's tales. Without spoiling anything (I will do so later, warning will be given), I'm very excited for where the character goes next in the franchise. Otherwise, it is able to truly capture why Spider-man is such an endearing presence - the conflict of leading this double life. Peter had it all perfect, up until the end of NWH's predecessor, Far From Home. The reveal of his identity causes all sorts of havoc for him, and most importantly, the people he cares for. Spidey is pretty desperate, and with that, the shenanigans of the plot unveil.
The cast was fantastic, and Tom Holland's performance was his best yet. Zendaya is a strong presence and really gives an interesting portrayal to MJ. She has charisma and great chemistry with Holland. Jacob Batalon does well in the comic relief role of Ned. Benedict Cumberbatch is a joy as always in the role of Doctor Strange. I'd even say he is a better fit for this movie than RDJ's Iron Man is for the first two MCU Spider-man flicks. Most interesting are returning villains from previous Spider-man franchises. Jamie Foxx seems to love being back and does a great job at portraying Jamie Foxx, if not so much Electro. Still, a much better version of TASM2's character, and he is very entertaining to watch. Thomas Haden Church and Rhys Ifans, respectively Sandman and the Lizard, are perhaps a tad weaker in their acting, I believe due to them only lending their voices, but their presence is still greatly appreciated. Alfred Molina does just as well as he did in Raimi's "Spider-man 2", while Willem Dafoe might even outperform his old work. He steals the show here, and I'll give even more credit to Holland for being able to keep up with him.
I have some criticisms for Happy Hogan and Aunt May, unrelated to Jon Favreau or Marisa Tomei. I think they are fantastic actors, but I could not care less for their characters, which are obnoxious, unfunny, and fail to resonate with me. Don't get me wrong, they aren't a total abomination to watch, but I dislike the major role they play in Parker's story. This is why a particularly potent point in the film failed to land for me, only saved by Holland's acting.
It's spoiler time as I simply cannot avoid sharing some surprises that No Way Home has in store. Skip to the next paragraph if you haven't seen the movie, which I highly recommend you do, as is evident. THEY'RE BACK! Seeing Tobey Maguire on the big screen is a childhood dream of mine come true. I grew up watching the Raimi Spider-man films, and while he might not be the best Spider-man actor, he is certainly an icon. His performance wasn't top-tier, but that is irrelevant. He added so much to the movie, I couldn't care less if it is fan service. Fan service is the strongest point of No Way Home and I love it for that. It takes a lot of hard work to pull off something quite like this. And what of Andrew Garfield, the Internet is currently clamouring for The Amazing Spider-man 3 after his phenomenal role. At times I think he overacted, but that's only because of how much he clearly loves being Spider-man. Somebody might convince me he simply walked on the set and joined in, while the crew decided to roll with it. He, Holland, and Dafoe are the biggest stars here. Otherwise, it's a joy watching 3 generations of live-action Spider-Men interact; they share stories, joke about, pull each other up. Clearly the writers are huge nerds of the cinematic history here, unashamedly interspersing memed lines from the Raimi trilogy. They are awkward to hear at times, but I'll take it. It's charming. Last, but definitely not least, as it perhaps got the biggest reaction out of me due to my sheer surprise. A few rumours floated around, but nothing too major to convince me that none other than the best actor in the MCU, Charlie Cox, would come back as Matt Murdock in a scene where he completely takes over for a few minutes. I had finished the third season of Daredevil no more than a week before, still dealing with the grief of the series' cancellation. I finally got to see Peter and Matt talking on the big screen, now we are one step closer to seeing their costumed alter-egos do the same. Hopefully, this also means that a renewal of the TV show might come about.
The MCU still doesn't excel musically, but this score is relatively notable compared to the dry run they had for many years. The cinematography and visual effects are good, although I honestly found the latter lacking in a few places. Nothing major, though it won't be fair to say they are quite great.
Overall, I loved "Spider-man: No Way Home". As a Spider-man fan, it delivered practically all I came for here, and went ahead to make me legitimately attached to this version of the character. I hope we get to see Holland reprise his role soon, he has just gotten started. Besides that, the film is a load of fun. If you need a solid blockbuster, see this film. And if you are a Spider-man fan, go out of your way to experience this. We live in a great time for the character, with many solid releases in a variety of mediums, and No Way Home is able to stand out as one of the best in them. I won't overhype it as a cinematic masterpiece, but it is a movie I enjoyed a lot and would love to watch again in the near future.
My dad suggested our family watch "Atonement", and I'm always open to seeing a film blind. This made me appreciate it even more perhaps, since "Atonement" switches its tone quite drastically over its runtime. It's an adaptation of an eponymous book I wasn't familiar with either, but I have added it to my backlog since it appears to have a positive reception of its own. I'm paying specific attention to this fact, because "Atonement" is a dissection on literature/stories.
Cecillia and Robbie are our main characters here, a love duo whose relationship takes on many strides. Cliches are used fairly well and the movie has many interesting twists that elevate this way beyond the cheesy love story it occassionaly portrays itself as. Decades pass as the plot furthers. I was not familiar with the WWII setting that would be present here, though it is not the focus. With that, I should also say that it occassionaly veers into pretentious Hollywood symbolism; some of the stylisation was overdone here. Besides that, you really do get to see the horrors of war and a solid exploration of the human condition. I was left with many questions of my own self after watching it.
Interestingly enough, "Atonement" won an Oscar for Best Original Score, an area where my subjectivity will have to provide a more mixed opinion. Typewriting sounds are heavily represented in the audio; a creative idea, but one that got stale past its first appearance. There's nothing particularly interesting done with the typewriter musically either, at least nothing that I noticed. The orchestral score was solid, but didn't blow me away. I'd also have to say that the mixing was far too loud at times, and the music unnecessarily overbearing. Truthfully, I think it took me out of the scenery sometimes. The acting was powerful enough.
Indeed, the performances here were outstanding. Keira Knightley has a wonderful, mysterious charm, while also presenting heavy emotional turmoil. James McAvoy is great at depicting the loss of hope his character went through. Briony goes through much growth here, literal and metaphorical, and all the actresses responsible for her were fantastic. There is an emotional stuntedness that the younger actresses carry out in quite the believable manner. The rest of the cast are quite good as well, but didn't stand out all that much, and this was probably for the best.
I have to applaud "Atonement" for its nonlinear storytelling and the amazing use of an unreliable narrator. I was not lost at any point, and whatever confusion arose only kept me more glued to the screen. Everything wraps up nicely in the end, and even the weird pieces of this puzzle make sense in the grander scheme of things.
"Atonement" is a great film and I would recommend it to most people, particularly those looking for an unconventional tale about love, desparation, the power of stories. It seems to be hardly talked about, and while I can see why that is, I say check it out if you haven't. It's a gem.
"Parasite" caused quite a stir with its Best Picture win, but it was damn worth it. I went in it blind and came out absolutely floored. "Parasite" follows an unemployed family who get themselves involved in quite the peculiar situation. The less you know, the better. This is a film that will make you laugh, gut you with its drama, and leave you gasping with its shocking moments. Let me divide my reviews based on these three factors.
The humour is biting. Park So-dam probably stood out the most to me here in regards to how cunning and filled with personality her character was. "Parasite" is very much dark comedy, you have to be a little horrible to laugh at the antics on-screen. It's so unashamed in the events that transpire and goes along with them, meanwhile building up the foundation of what is to come.
Thematically, the film examines the class divide between the poor and the rich. A classic topic to explore, yet one that is very crucial to our modern world and has a lot of power if exectued properly. "Parasite" doesn't paint a narrative of the rich being these horrible tyrants and the poor facing them as the mistreated rebels. Quite the opposite, the downtrodden behave like animals, all for a chance at having a piece of the pie that is wealth. Morality is grey and you won't see the film taking a side. It simply is. Here is the reality many are facing in South Korea. This is what would happen if some were placed in this situation. It's outlandish, but grounded in reality. When it takes itself seriously, the movie touches on a person's innermost humanity. All we really dream of is a life of beauty and peace, one where we can be our best selves. Sadly, that isn't what the lottery always gives you.
Lastly, the shock. The horror. "Parasite" is a thriller on top of everything else, and it takes its time to show this nature. I have not felt so horrible watching something since some of Game of Thrones' most riveting episodes. It's that good. The story takes unexpected turns and is able to completely satisfy the viewer with all of them, never utilising its schticks for cheap shock value.
Please watch "Parasite", see for yourself. It's a thoroughly engaging ride that was never not interesting to me. I didn't mention that the acting was superb, the cast really add layers to those they portray. The music adds very nicely to film's moments. Outstanding cinematography. "Parasite" truly is a masterpiece, deserving of all its recognition. A layered movie that never ceases to be fun. Bong Joon-ho was able to craft a modern classic.
I added this film to my backlog on a whim, having seen that it had earned positive reviews. Truth be told, that was the only reason I gave it a shot. I have never seen a WWE match, nor do I have any positive feelings related to that media. Seeing that this was a family comedy with the Rock didn't give me much hope either. But hey, it pays off to try something new every once in a while, and this was certainly worth the watch!
"Fighting With My Family" follows the true story of English professional wrestler Paige, with liberties taken there of course. I will actually use point this as one of my criticisms of the film. Practically no time is devoted to Paige's growth as a professional wrestler, the film only focuses on her overcoming her insecurities and all of a sudden becoming a WWE champion. I had to look it up, and sure enough, they rushed through what was her actual career growth. It's quite noticeable in the film itself, which is why I am mentioning it. Otherwise, as an outsider to this sphere, I had few issues with it. The actual wrestling was even more exaggerated than the real thing, but it was entertaining to watch.
What really sells the movie is its comedy and the family themes. I don't think anyone would expect a WWE film to be a candidate for high-brow comedy, but that doesn't mean the jokes here aren't funny. A lot of them work thanks to great comedic timing and performances. It's vulgar, and succeeds at it. One also has to appreciate the film's heart, as you really feel the connection between Paige and her family. Zak, her brother, brought some much needed contrast to her character and added a more realistic complexity to the story. As such, the actual wrestling serves more as a backdrop for these characters to interact.
Vince Vaughn takes on the completely fictional role of Hutch Morgan, a recruiter and coach that serves to drive the plot and Paige's development further. His role took on that classic trope of a hateable character with a golden heart. I can't lie, it worked. There's plenty of cliches in the film, but they work well in the context, and that's what really matters in the end.
All in all, I found "Fighting With My Family" to be pretty fun. It's in no way mind-blowing, but it's a solid piece of entertainment that I can recommend to anyone who just wants to enjoy a funny rags-to-riches story.
This is the most badass movie I have ever seen. The cinematography, writing, acting, everything. All scenes were a blast to watch. This is a perfect example on how you can create something thoughtful that still manages to be fun. "Pulp Fiction" has remained in pop culture consensus ever since its release, and I see now that it is for good reason. The movie is witty and violent, drenched in the nihilism it portrays.
The writing is no doubt a fundamental aspect to the film's consistency. It's biting sarcasm and self-awareness sell this picture as a movie with a whole lot of attitude. Jules' biblical references add much of the thematic depth here, sounding unashamedly awesome in the meantime. Besides some of his speeches, there is not much spoken here that is to be taken seriously. Even thoughtful moments are filled with a tongue-in-cheek demeanour that maintains the nonchalant attitude.
The acting is another factor that sells the movie. John Travolta shines as Vincent Vega, a seemingly apathetic serial killer, who avoids all of the misery in his world by simply not having a care and casually enjoying the chaos. Samuel L. Jackson serves as Vincent's more involved cooperative, who has not just the brains, but also the louder mouth. Uma Thurman is iconic as Mia Wallace, deeply troubled wife of crime boss Marsellus Wallace, played by Ving Rhames. Bruce Willis also gives one hell of a performance as Butch Coolidge, professional boxer that got involved in the criminal underworld. Truly all performances are great, but I need to stress just how good the main cast is. They give every single expression, movement, and word spoken all their attention, really giving power to the film's maximalist character. The excession is quite crucial to the aesthetic and themes here.
I absolutely adore the attention given to every single shot here. There is not a scene in this movie that took me out, not once. With all previous strengths and many more, it succeeds in making the most out of its ideas, and this goes down to the intrinsic detail in its cinematography. The entire pulp fiction concept works so well especially due to the sheer amount of style here. Look no further than the scenes with Vincent and Mia, no doubt the most fascinating and telling part of the film.
The music should be considererd as a huge advantage as well, making Dick Dale's rendition of "Misirlou" a pop culture phenomenon. The overall prevalence of surf rock gives "Pulp Fiction" even more character than it already has. I'd say that it still feels trendy to this day, the entire artistic direction here has remained timeless.
And let me not forget the experimental plot structure here. The story unfolds in a non-linear fashion that is also very easy to follow, a feat that I believe only few directors are able to accomplish. The film was so good that I was shocked to see it end where it did, but I have to say it's a damn good ending. Nothing grand, but it does make everything come full circle, while leaving you with lots of questions, pondering over a further rewatch. I certainly can't wait for the next time I see this one. The general ideas come through very nicely, but there is gold in every single nook and cranny.
"Pulp Fiction" is an absolute masterpiece, one of my favourite movies, I can tell you this right now. It is crafted to such a high standard of perfections. There are many layers with absolutely no feeling of pretentiousness. It's stylish, brutal, funny, thoughtful, and so much more. Absolute must-watch for anyone, I must say.
I was feeling a bit sick today and this film was on TV. My parents had told me about it previously, so I ended up watching it with my dad. I remember checking out the critical opinion on it, which was not too favourable. That's not to say it was inherently wrong, though. "Pay It Forward" is quite emotionally manipulative. Tearjerkers are aplenty here, and you kind of have to quell your inner cynic to enjoy it. While it's inherently dumb, I'm not going to lie - I liked the movie. In fact, I would have rated it higher if the ending hadn't been so rushed.
"Pay It Forward", at its core, is a story about a kid who wants to believe the world isn't such a "shitty place". He wants to know there is something good in it. It's overtly sentimental, but it did affect me. Simple ideas can go a long way, and that's not to say that the film doesn't tackle some heavy themes either. It prefers to reject the notion that people can't change and instead it insists that it's worth trying. Pretty neat idea, but it would not be satisfying if the concept worked out perfectly, not would it be believable. I'd actually argue that the writing was rather impressive until the end, when somebody must have realised there was no easy way to wrap up the character arcs presented in a straightforward way. I won't spoil it of course, but I'll just say that it goes for cheap emotional thrills and cliched grandoise, a fact that does not sit well with the grounded feel of all the previous set-up.
"Pay It Forward" is basically a pyramid scheme, except you're exchanging good acts with other people. And just like any other pyramid scheme, things aren't so simple. The ideas here are quite great, but I didn't find their resolution particularly conclusive. Still, the set-up was more than 90% of the movie and kept me hooked throughout. The characters presented are pretty well-written, even if Eugene's backstory was a tad overdramatic. I guess this goes for the whole film, though. But I really did like the McKinney family's story, which was a pretty good depiction of family struggles. It's where we spent the most time, though we do get glimpses of other persons through the eyes of Jay Mohr's journalist character, who is trying to trace back the origin of the Pay It Forward phenomenon he's been observing. Things get a little confusing timeline-wise, but it's written well enough that you get the idea by the end.
The acting here is great and I have no gripes with any performances whatsoever. Haley Osment did great at the age he played Trevor, giving us a very powerful performance with childhood innocence. Helen Hunt shows us the mental state of a broken mother. I won't go through the others, but these are two that impacted me the most. I will also say that the soundtrack was good enough for me to note it here. Really think that the melodies were able to stand out.
Altogether, I liked the film. It would be easy for me to take the place of the know-it-all, emotionally distant movie critic and trash it down to its foundations, but I'd rather enjoy what is a clear heartstring tugger. I don't blame anyone for not enjoying this flick, but I won't deny that I was touched by some of the stories here. I do wish the conclusion wrapped up the character arcs, but I'll let it slide somewhat due to the sheerly engaging content beforehand. Hollywood or not, there are some powerful themes here. Worth a watch for any who are willing to settheir disbelief aside.
My dad suggested we watch this movie and I thought why not. And honestly, I had fun with it. It's a bit of a weird one tonally, as the vibe completely shifts by the end, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it for what it was.
"Nobody" sees Bob Odenkirk take a starring role as the character of Hutch Mansell, a seemingly everyday guy who clearly has a lot more going on to his person than it might seem at first glance. His and all other performances were solid. Nothing really blew me away, but I liked what everyone brought to the table.
The story was engaging, largely thanks to maintaining the mystery surrounding Odenkirk's character. It takes more than half the movie until all the puzzle pieces are set and the viewer is familiar with all aspects of the story. It's never confusing thankfully, meaning that the plot is relatively easy to follow. By the end, things devolve into an all-out unashamed shooting fest. While it might be disappointing in regards to the film's unfulfilled potential, there's no denying it was fun. As gritty as it might seem at first, don't take "Nobody" too seriously. It's honestly quite a stupid movie, but a very likeable one. Each character has their moment, which is not too unimpressive considering the short running time. All of them stand apart and are clear in their place in the story. All of this works as good background for the action.
And the action is what really sells the movie. It's absolutely silly, over-the-top, and entertaining as hell to watch. I'll refer to the straw throat scene for those who have watched this film as my favourite out of all. The creativity in the violence here is staggering, I love it. I was glued to the screen everytime there was some fighting going on.
One somewhat odd criticism I have is the overuse of music throughout. I honestly thought most of the budget was probably spent on just licensing songs here. Their use is honestly rather trite at this point, e.g. let's put a pre-90s song (think it's pre-80s in this case) to make this scene stand out. It's kind of hard when you do this every 10 minutes or so. It's honestly too much, might be best to have just let most of those scenes speak for themselves.
All in all, I liked "Nobody". It's an engaging ride that won't impress you, but it will entertain you. If you're just looking for a quick over-the-top action flick, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
My family actually often skips out on watching "Home Alone" on Christmas, as there's no denying the movie can be considered overplayed. I hadn't watched in years, at least to my memory. I do remember loving it as a child, though. Enough time has passed, so why not give it a retrospective look from a more mature point of view?
One thing that should be said about "Home Alone" is that it's a, frankly, stupid movie. In regards to its logic. That is not an issue with it, of course. It's very silly and over-the-top, yet it's part of the charm. If you can let yourself enjoy it, the movie captivates you with its ridiculous antics, which would easily result in severe trauma, perhaps death, in the real world. Third-degree burns, concussions, bruises. It's surprising how violent this movie would have been had it not had the charming Christmas thematic. Ah well, who cares though? It's fun, and that's all that matters.
The premise itself perhaps bothers me a little more than anything else, as the beginning of the movie made me sympathise with Kevin a little too much, to the point where I had some issues with the supposed lessons he learned. I mean, his family was treating him worse than he deserved in all honesty, I really can't see what he did wrong. It kind of forces the whole abandonement plotline, which is where all the joy really comes from. But I just couldn't buy the relationship dynamic they were trying to set up in the family, except maybe for his mother, who genuinely seemed to care for Kevin. Her appearances were pretty funny as well.
The theme of family is better explored in the character of Marley, whose story I found to be much more charming and genuinely affected. It had a lovably corny ending that I do not wish to spoil. I will just say that he and Kevin had a great chemistry for the screentime they shared.
Regarding performances, props need to be given to Macaulay Culkin. For someone this young of age, he has an incredibly endearing on-screen presence. It never quite falls into the pitfalls of child actor cliches and exudes an incredible charisma. While the other actors do a good job as well, he is the one who really stands out.
The gimmicks of the film are genuinely funny and, as harmful as they might be to the robbers, provide endless fun for the family. The premise, as I said before, enforces certain liberties to be taken, but once it sets off, the film never lets go. Watching Kevin go around and try to act like an adult is very charming, but moreso are his antics in trying to protect his home. I was a bit disappointed at how short the home defense actually was, as I remembered it being longer. Though I can't hold it against the movie, as it does not drag on any longer than it needs to.
"Home Alone" has a lot going for it, and a lot of it is nostalgia. However, I do not treat this as a flaw. It's a movie that grows on you and has become a undeniable classic in the realm of Christmas movies. Many movies afterwards (including those carrying the same name) have tried to recapture its charm afterwards, for the most part failing to do so. There's a feeling of comfort to "Home Alone" that I really like. I can't deny its just too enjoyable to spew cynicism at.
Happened to catch this movie on TV, Christmas Eve. I found it fairly enjoyable for what it was, a dumb comedy. The film stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, who have a great chemistry with each other! The premise is extremely silly, and thankfully, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. Perhaps it delves into that silliness too much. The general plot functions to a decent degree. It generally centers around the two leads trying to "out-father" one another. The characters don't have much in the way of depth, though it's good enough that they serve the jokes.
What of the comedy, though? There's a dissonance to me between the more ill-spirited, adult jokes and the silly, fun-for-the-whole-family ones. Some of them work, some don't. As an example of the first, there's a token black character in the movie, who would have been fine if the movie quit making these thin-veiled racist jokes. Essentially things like: "So you're going to fire me because of the color of my skin?" and pointing out that someone is racist, this is half of his character's repertoire. Then there is the awful dance scene at the end. One interesting thing actually - I thought the movie was set in the early 2000s, but was surprised to learn it was a 2015 release. It seems to be stuck in the time period I mentioned, where skateboarding and breakdancing were all the hype among the kids. It's quite apparent that old executives had a say in the film's making, as it is absurdly dated in its essence.
Overall, there's not much to say about "Daddy's Home". It's a stupid comedy that might be worth a watch if you are willing to enjoy it for it what it is. I did, though I'm not going to deny its prelavent issues. Still, it had some genuinely hillarious moments.
The movie more or less satisfied all my expectations, maybe surpassed them by a bit. One issue I have with the MCU Spider-man movies is that they don't really feel like Spider-man movies, which I can see the point of. There are many changes made to the character for the sake of exploring new territories, something I don't mind on paper, though it is certainly less effective than his other incarnations. What works for these films is settling neatly into the comedy genre. Because the movies are genuinely funny. Now, regarding "Far From Home" specifically, I found myself grinning throughout the whole story. The comedic timing and writing was top-notch.The consistency of the jokes kept me hooked.
Another aspect of notable praise for me is the action and visual effects. We're quite spoiled these days in this aspect of filmmaking, so when a movie like this manages to stand out, it deserves respect. The illusory effects of Mysterio were trippy and fascinating. There was not a single moment where they broke flow. Aside from that, watching Spidey swing and dash around is exhilirating as always. One of the things that had me most excited for the movie was seeing Spider-man outside the American setting. Seeing our friendly neighbourhood in places like Berlin and Venice was something else. I almost wish we saw him struggle more with these environment, though this is not even really a complaint to be frank.
The plot and characters were decent, though there is nothing greatly impressive at display here. I liked how they executed Mysterio here, he was an interesting villain. I can't lie, though, that by the end he sadly fell into a kind of "crazy evil" trope. On the other hand, there is Peter Parker himself. He has a bit of an arc here, motivated by the events of "Avengers: Endgame". While by all means it should work, something felt off for me. In regards to any of the emotional moments in the movie. It is something common in MCU movies. I believe it has to do with how they treat such scenes. Instead of letting them go on for a little longer, they only really allow them to stay long enough to prove a point, then it cuts to an action/comedy scene. I feel like the story could have been more impactful, an opportunity that was missed.
Regarding the rest of the cast, they were likable, though without a whole lot of depth. For a movie of this kind, I don't have much of an issue with this. Ned and Betty were pretty charming and funny. Flash was a self-absorbed dork, a bit one-note, but I can't say I didn't find him entertaining. Nick MJ was the real star here, and I honestly like what they have done with her character. I think Zendaya manages to portray her teenage social awkwardness pretty well, and when coupled with Tom Holland's performance, they both end up having a pretty good chemistry. Aspects such as these remind me that the movies are clearly inspired more by the "Ultimate Spider-man" comic book series, which I am quite the fan of.
I will mention the music as what is the usual flaw in Marvel's line of movies. It's passable, and not more than that. I wish some of us would stop pretending that music, or lack thereof in certain moments, is not a vital part to a movie's impact. All I can remember is those basic notes at the start of the Spider-man theme, the rest is by numbers film composition.
Altogether, I enjoyed "Far From Home" a lot! It is a pretty good movie, one that I almost wish I didn't enjoy as much as I did. For as much as it follows contemporary superhero tropes, there's no denying that I had fun the whole time. In my opinion, this one is a bit better than "Homecoming". I hope the sequel keeps giving.
I enjoyed watching the concert footage. It compiles footage from two concerts in Texas. This was recorded soon after the release of the band's hit 2nd album "Meteora", an era of the band some look back at with nostalgia. The whole show is a banger, with great performances all across the board. Chester really gives it his all. Many of his screams are downright inhuman, yet they are filled with pure raw energy and emotion. The songs sound very similar to the studio versions, yet they are different enough so that you can sense the live versions' flavours. I dislike the compiled nature of this video personally. It can really break the immersion (weird description, I know) and make it feel as a live video compilation rather than a full concert. I did enjoy the video a great amount, it's a good one. Nothing too great, but worth a watch for LP fans.
I was really into Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown" album at one point. Perhaps it being one of the first albums I really gave my attention to played a part in that, but I genuinely consider it to be a unique album in the band's discography that has a very solid selection of songs which build up to a consistent thematic. "Awesome as Fuck" is a live concert DVD from that era of the band in Japan. Perhaps another attempt at making a live album like "Bullet in a Bible", AAF does not live up to its predecessor. As a standalone video, it's alright. The song selection is great, mostly centered around 21CB songs. The Saitama concert might be fun for a single watch, but it is not even close to as memorable as the one in BIB. The most interesting part here is the inclusion of a live performance of the song "Cigarettes and Valentines", from their eponymous cancelled album. It's a catchy, fun song, in similar vein to their first few records.All in all, decent DVD. Nothing too impressive.
One of Green Day's biggest shows on DVD. Naturally, the experience cannot be replicated on a digital format, but it's an enjoyable one nonetheless. The song selection is fantastic. "American Idiot" happens to be not just my favourite GD album, but my favourite album ever. I'd say it's my favourite era of the band, one that this concert specifically captures. That being said, some hits from before are present as well, truly iconic ones at that. The performance of each song stands out and is a thrill to watch. Billie Joe's antics can be a little overbearing at times (looking at you "Hitchin' A Ride"), but there's no denying he knows how to captivate a crowd. I had to join in a little even from the comfort of my chair, haha. All in all, this concert truly is an experience. I highly recommend it to Green Day fans.
Good movie.
CGI was kinda shit tbh.
Characters were good.
Story was interesting enough.
Good acting for the most part.
Dope music.
The feminism was actually well done, it wasn't ham fisted at all.
I went into this movie with somewhat low expectations. After all, it would be just another solo superhero flick by Marvel. I was not looking forward to watching it, to be frank. I mostly did so for the general MCU canon. I did find myself interested in what was happening, though. Surprisingly, the plot is one of the most solid aspects of the movie. I believe it sets up the whole Kree vs Skrull plot for later on, at least that is what I have heard. In any case, it's well-paced (definitely an improvement over the years in Marvel movies) and had enough twists and turns to keep me watching.
The characters were fine. None of the newer ones stood out to me too much, but they all were generally well-written. Each had their own motivation. Carol Danvers herself is alright. I can't say she is quite as charismatic as other MCU leads, but I certainly didn't hold negative feelings for her towards the end. Brie Larson's performance is good, though the most outstanding one here is certainly Samuel L. Jackson. As a matter of fact, I loved how this movie explored the backstory of central aspects to the MCU. It tied it very well to the overall narrative.
There was some doubt about the movie possibly being obnoxiously feministic, largely stemming from certain behaviour by Brie Larson. Honestly, there were only a handful of such moments in the movie, not obnoxious in any way. That being said, it is stuck in this weird line where it isn't overtly feministic, but it also does kind of want to make a statement. It doesn't succeed in the latter, having a couple of scenes that really just suggest discrimination towards women. I understand that it is difficult to balance the thread between the two extremes, though I feel it would have been better if the movie straight up removed these bits. They barely add anything wortwhile to the overall feeling of the movie.
The 90s thematic has me feeling in a similar way. It's obvious that the direction was thought about this way: Guardians of the Galaxy did the 80s, so we will do the 90s. Great, right? Well, I mean, it's fine. The references aren't overencumbering. They just happen to be there. I will admit the only thing that slightly pulled me into watching this film was the inclusion of "Come As You Are" by Nirvana on the soundtrack. There's other great tracks "Celebrity Skin" by Hole etc. The thing is... They aren't integrated in a very natural way some of the time. Often, it just makes you go "Oh, right, this was set in the 90s". You've got Windows 95 PCs being used here and there, Blockbuster, Game Boys. It sounds good on paper, but it certainly doesn't succeed in transporting you back in that time and era. It just happens to be the setting.
The cinematography was serviceable. VFX were pretty good, as is standard for Marvel films.
All in all, Captain Marvel is a good movie. It did turn out better than I expected it to, and I found myself fairly entertained by what I was watching. I will see what the second offering has in store.