Even with measured expectations it’s surprising how cynical this film is. A studio threw $100 million at a movie only based on the idea that Halle Berry looks hot in leather and a mask. As bad as they are, the acting, screenplay, and CG all are better than the PS2 era loading screen esque score. A truly and objectively terrible film.
This is the left wing equivalent of a Daily Wire produced film. I don’t disagree with its interpretation of historical events, but there are much more subtle and much less preachy ways of portraying them.
Lance Stephenson in 2020 being the big signing for a valuable sports agency worth millions in of dollars is one of the most unbelievable things I have ever seen in a film.
I have never watched a film that felt like it was built by an algorithm without one free thinking human involved like Jurassic World Dominion.
This film has a lot of problems, but its vision of being a jovial retelling of the origins of professional American Football managed to infrequently shine through the thick layers of continuity errors, jarring tone shifts, and uneven pacing. Learning Rick Reilly was a script writer post viewing connected a lot of dots as you could feel his perplexing dad humor scattered throughout and recognize his unfounded confidence in being a funny sports writer. Officially I rate this film 1 Kate Upton boob (IYKYK).
This feels like a “and thats why you always leave a note” George Senior scared straight bit from Arrested Development.
Mine is an intimate survival film that has a plot and concept with a lot of potential. Other films in the genre like All is Lost and Arctic successfully captured the subtle character development and constant suspense that make survival films enjoyable. Instead of using creative direction and storytelling to learn about the main character, Mine chose to utilize dreams/delusions where the character literally punches his inner demons and vulnerabilities in the face. Armie Hammer is a capable actor who has several performances that I enjoy and I think with a few script changes he could have been more of an empathetic character instead of a tired cliche. In a parallel not too far off universe, Mine is a great film.
Sean Penn’s performance is baffling. His acting originally made me confused, which evolved into disappointment, and ended with fascination. Penn prevented this captivating story from reaching its full impact, but the film is still worth watching despite his peculiar interpretation of his character. Doing the DiCaprio finger point at the TV meme every time a cameo was made by Ving Rhames, Erik King, John Leguizamo, and Wendell Pierce enhanced my enjoyment of this film.
A bad early 2000s Breakfast Club Heist movie that actually has some genuine heart to it.
Nothing diminishes my enjoyment of a film more than being able to feel the algorithm's influence behind it. This documentary feels rushed to avoid missing the tail end of the discourse surrounding a pop culture topic, not to properly analyze and asses a tragic situation with the nuance it deserves. The glaring cynicism of Netflix's algorithm becomes more visible with every original release.
We all now know the answer to the question, “what if there was a mediocre version of It Follows?”
2.5 stars on concept alone. Underwater The Descent. Unfortunately that’s all it had.
Sweeney’s performance in the final scene is shockingly intense.
The fax machine and random guy at the house are so random. Random things are funny. Hahahah.
The bones are here for a engaging drama/survival story exploring the deep agony of grief, but it doesn’t fully deliver. The bad styrofoam snow and storm special effects are distracting. Naomi Watts’ performance is solid but overshadowed by the peculiar characterization of John. Intimate survival films need to thread the needle as they do not have the typical structures that a traditional 3 act film can lean on, and this one just misses.
Kiefer Sutherland’s character is everything Jigsaw strived to be in the Saw franchise.
I am always impressed with films that almost entirely take place in one small setting as they have to do everything right (characterization, dialogue, performances, score, direction, etc) to pull it off.
Also, Ben Foster has one of the most incredible cameo’s as Big Q.
I scoffed hard at the over the top actions scenes, face swaps, bad acting, dove explosions, and poorly choreographed flip kicks, but by the end of the motorcycle chase scene I was cheering at the anime style stunts. M:I-2 cranks it up to 11 and its hard not to appreciate it for at least that. I changed my rating from 2.5 to 3 stars due to the inclusion of the Limp Bizkit song during the end credits.
The structure and execution of this film overshadow its corny script and lame comedy gags. It has several satisfying set ups and payoffs with very little fat making it a solid real time action story.
This is a 4.5 star film if it weren’t for the mask switcheroo quadruple cross scene in the tunnels. I was happily sinking into the Christopher Nolan like direction and tone until I was reminded on how goofy the IMF is in a modern setting. The action scenes and stunts are the gold standard but it’s unfortunate that they are beholden to the tired IMF plot devices.
The deep punch to the gut felt after watching Netflix’s Downfall is also present with Amazon’s Flight/Risk. The tragedy of the situation is well examined through the perspective of a family member of a victim, a Boeing whistleblower, a local journalist, and lawyers representing victims. I have long known that unhinged capitalism is quickly turning people into psychopaths but there is something especially sobering about the Boeing 737 Max scandal.
Remember the Titans is tough to explain because it’s cliché, historically inaccurate, and overly schmaltzy but still manages to achieve its goal of being an inspiring story about a town overcoming racial and political tension through high school football. Carried by the performances of Denzel Washington, Will Patton, and a strong supporting cast, this film defies its ostentatious foundation.
12 one hitters. 12 one hitters.
An explanation for the cat food spoon lick would go a long way.
This is a smidge too preachy and very much looks like a made for television movie, but it has a loaded cast with convincing performances telling a fascinating (and terrifying) story that was a brightly colored domino in a series of historical events that led to the existential crisis our society faces today.
This didn’t reveal anything insightful that wasn’t already well known, but I can (and have) watch Barry Sanders highlights all day. Jeff Daniels serving as a poetic thesaurus for the word despair to contextualize Lions fandom and some incredible footage including a top down view of Barry breaking tackles in the 91 NFC Championship and reflections of the defense he was dissecting in his face visor make this necessary viewing for football fans.
Chris Penn’s character rivals the burnout greats. Living the double life of high school janitor and schwag weed dealer who watches BDSM porn in his living room at full volume while hosting teenage customers. That is plenty enough to make him memorable but one of the plot twists reveals his illegally owned pet baboon named Mr. Poopy complete with a satisfying set up and pay off explaining his name.
My favorite performance aside, this is a mediocre thriller (that appears queer coded through a 2024 lens) with inadequate special effects that somehow manages to be entertaining.
Expectations have a huge influence on my perception of a film and there is no better example than J. Edgar. I had only heard criticisms of Clint Eastwood’s biopic of the infamous FBI director which led to my surprise on how much I enjoyed it. Yes the color gradient is too grey and the old man make up is jarring, but J. Edgar is a competent period piece that chronicles the modernization of America through the life of a highly flawed man. This film dips into the fascinating post WWII American history which blends well with the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, and Judi Dench.
Fall is the survival sub genre at its best. This feels like it should be a found footage film but I believe its sprinkled use of the technique was much more effective and practical. This film has a predictable plot and mediocre performances but overshadowing those are its adequate special effects, satisfying set ups and payoffs, a decent plot misdirection, and its genuinely terrifying premise.
Is Kate Netflix’s cynical version of John Wick and Atomic Blonde? Yes. Was it placed in a hyper stylized Japanese setting to fit some algorithmic attention grabbing thumbnail and trailer? Yes. Am I ashamed for liking it so much? Yes.
Even if some of the crumbs left in this plot were less than subtle and the consistent reminder that Sloane always waits to play her “trump card,” the climax of this film was highly satisfying. Very similar to the prison scene in Flight, there is an annoying “did you catch this thing that we already explained through great direction and story telling? Well just in case you didn’t we will spell it out to make sure you really understood” prison scene at the end of this film. Never the less, this is a good watch.
