I don't get nearly as excited about the MCU as I used to (mostly because they're churning out movies and TV shows at a rate that I just can't keep up with), but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Definitely worth watching.
Some loose thoughts/things I enjoyed below (spoilers are marked):
- the story is good, the 2nd act is kind of slow, but it picks up towards the end
- the fight scenes are super cool and creative (especially the one on the bus and the one on the scaffolding)
- I liked the way they utilized the rings in fights, it felt really fresh and like something we haven't seen before
- the final battle is actually awesome (monkey brain loves big monsters and explosions)
- the cast is excellent (I'm particularly thrilled to see Awkwafina getting more recognition)
- the soundtrack is beautiful and I love the way they used traditional Chinese melodies
- badass women all around (Michelle Yeoh my beloved)
- impeccable CGI
- some gorgeous scenery
- MORRIS
- loved the callback to the Mandarin mess from Iron Man 3
- Brie Larson cameo (I know the fandom has collectively decided to hate her, but I don't care, that was a treat for me and me only)
- Xialing effectively utilizing girl power by taking over her father's crime empire (I feel like there was definitely some comic book reference flying over my head there but who cares). My friend and I joked that she'll be getting a Disney+ series shortly
Overall, it was a treat. Strongly recommend.
This is not a movie about dragons and the world of Kumandra. This is about Earth, this is the real world. We are divided, groups of people completely hating each other inside the same nation.
Unfortunately we are facing our own Druun, our plague. But as in the movie, this isn't our biggest problem. The real enemy is our inability to work together as a community, to put aside political views and really trust each other, working together for the best of everybody.
Beyond the important and necessary message, the movie is a fun adventure, the world building is great and the technical aspect is what you would expect of a Disney movie.
☼ a masterpiece ☼
someone: what’s up?
me: thinking about The Korean Gothic Lesbian Revenge Thriller That’s Captivated Cannes
beautiful acting, great directing, astounding writing, i simply love being slapped in the face by plot twists and this was an especially amazing movie because it not only had one twist but two!
i mean i had to take a fukcing step back because that shook me in the best possible way god bless you chan-wook
Ouch.
The visuals are breathtaking, as already shown by the trailers.
ScarJo is trying, you can tell that she wants this to be her new franchise.
It's edited quite nicely, it's got a (simple) story, and it's coherent.
So where did it go wrong?
One of the problems is that it takes away all of the philosophical depth from the original.
Well, that means you can still enjoy it from a simple action flick perspective, right?
Good luck with that.
This film has such a ridiculous amount of exposition, that it badly hurts the enjoyment of the film.
Many sequences consist of characters just talking to each other, and explaining the plot.
Things are definitely shown, but then the filmmakers don't think we're able to put two and two together, and hence add another explanatory scene.
As a result of that, the film doesn't take its time to develop the characters, meaning you won't care about them.
Top it off with an awful performance from Juliette Binoche, and you have your modern style over substance film.
3.5/10
We applaud when the siblings win, though we should cry. We are applauding the worldwide decision to kill the planet and everything on it. Though, it is a good movie that can make you root for human extinction.
Well, Peacemaker’s time of holding the the title of best opening credits dance sequence of the year turns out to be short lived.
This is like a great Black Mirror episode (the philosophical kind, not the dystopian kind).
I’d also highly recommend it if you’re a fan of Alex Garland (the visuals in this reminded me a lot of Devs).
We’ve seen this concept of humans and AI living together done before (Westworld, Blade Runner), but this is more focussed on family relationships and drama, which makes it very fresh.
The cinematography is out of this world, acting is top notch across the board, good score, interesting storytelling that goes in directions you don’t expect, thematically rich, tight editing, it’s really great stuff.
Just know what you’re getting into: it’s reflective and meant to give you food for thought, it’s not a pulpy thriller about AI taking over the world.
8.5/10
I watched episode 7 of the Mandalorian today, so "The Rise of Skywalker" isn't even the best Star Wars I've watched in the last 24 hours.
It's been some time since I've seen a movie that I had the feeling I should/could/would watch again and again and again but this... I definitely will.
A marvel on so many levels... the cinematography alone! And the soundtrack... and the acting. I adore this movie. It has not left my mind since I've seen it and it will be there for quite some time I think.
BEST ROMANTIC COMEDY IN YEEEARSSSSS
Definitely the most beautifully constructed body of work of the year. This aesthetic, wonderfully directed and edited piece of video keeps it compelling from the very start to the end, as Mr. Jenkins proves for the first time he is a genre virtuoso, whose screenplay is plaintively artful and remains outstanding all over the film, a combination that delivers a masterful, at times unsettling filmmaking of immaculate ecstasy. Allow me to say something short and simple as it should be: this — ladies and gentlemen — is the movie of the year. This, is the story of a lifetime.
[9.8/10] Growing up is hard enough. Figuring out who you are, figuring out the balance on what’s in the core of your soul and what parts of it you’re willing to share with the world is a difficult endeavor under the best of circumstances. Throw in the difficulties of living in a household of addiction, of a sexual preference that earns you additional scorns, and an already fraught journey becomes a cruel and unforgiving one.
Despite the harshness of these difficulties, Moonlight finds the beauty forged within that crucible, the kindnesses large and small, the transcendent moments and connections, that help a sweet, put upon young boy have something to hold onto as he becomes a man. It is, despite the aesthetic pleasures of its gorgeously shot scenes, at times an ugly, dispiriting film, but ultimately a life-affirming one, centered on the unique challenges of its protagonist, struggling to define himself, and finding his way among the pitfalls and gentler paths of growing up.
It is a lovely (and to my mind, superior) companion piece to Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, another coming of age tale told in pieces with a reserved but introspective bent. Certainly, the circumstances of Chiron and Mason are markedly different. And Moonlight does not share Boyhood’s ambitious ten-year film schedule, instead relying a trio very talented actors who manage to turn three separate performances into one remarkably unified character. But both gain strength and meaning from the contrast of who the young men at the center of these films are at various points in their development, and how they explore what lessons, ideas, modes of being, stick with them or come back later in life, and what falls by the wayside.
It is a film that is both strikingly specific but also universal. Director Barry Jenkins does well to explore the particular hardships of being stuck in the middle of a parent who doesn’t know how to deal with her son’s differences and labors under an addiction and a mentor who accepts those differences, who guides this young man and gives him tools to survive, but who also feeds his mother’s dependency. Moonlight also succeeds in its focus on Chiron’s fraught attraction to his best friend, Kevin, bound up with all the fears and insecurities of teenage affection, with the added challenges of homosexuality and race that deepen the sense of unsteadiness, self-doubt, and betrayal that come with such steps into adulthood. There is a specificity to these threads, a depth and particularity to Chiron’s unique struggle through uncharted waters.
And yet, it is rooted in such recognizable emotions and motivations that the film transcends his individual story at the same time it embraces it. Moonlight explores the perilous effort to define yourself – in relation to, in opposition to, in the shadow of blessings and pain – from the misfit kid who doesn’t know where he belongs, to the troubled teenagers who find comfort but make their choices, to the adult who remakes himself in a loved one’s image. That struggle is an eternal one, one experienced by everyone, even as its given poignant life in one young man’s story.
The most universal, heartening, and at times heartbreaking aspect of Moonlight, however, is that it is also a love story. As much as the core of the film is about Chiron’s development, about the man he would become and the boy he was to get there, the heart of the movie is in the relationship between him and Kevin. In their gentle companionship as children, to their shared vulnerabilities and comfort on the beach in adolescence, to their cautious but tender reunion as adults, Moonlight depicts one of the most complicated, most believable, and most compelling love stories to make its way to celluloid in years. There is a truth in the pair’s few tentative steps, in the hesitant way their romance moves forward and crumbles in turn, and the baggage and lives lived that hang in the background as it’s rebuilt, that gives it a force unmatched.
The shape of that love story is given form by the incredible art direction, editing, and cinematography in the film. At a time when where the two stand in relation to one another is very uncertain, Moonlight lingers on images of Kevin lovingly preparing a meal for Chiron. The warmth of the process, the tactile effort of it, become the focus in a fashion that tells you everything about how Kevin feels without anyone needing to say it. At other point, the camera swirls around, giving you a view of the tumult in this corner of Miami and the man at the center of the orbit. And by the same token, the film’s use of color is outstanding, with crisp blues that stand for the choices confronted Chiron, as outlined by the man who takes him under his wing, often isolating it amid white space or primary colors. There’s a warm naturalism in how the film is shot, where every hue pops and a gentle glow that permeates moments harsh and beautiful.
But all that beauty is in service of what is, unassumingly, a tremendous ensemble film. As the film passes through the years, only Naomie Harris (who gives an incredible performance as Chiron’s mother Paula) appears in all three segments. And despite their comparatively brief appearances, Janelle Monáe and especially Mahershala Ali make big impressions as the early lights in Chiron’s life. But with that lack of continuity, it falls to the tripartite collection of actors who portray Chiron and Kevin at different points in their lives to carry the whole, and each rises to the occasion. There is a unity to these two young men, from youth to adulthood, a cohesiveness to their struggles and their character even as each changes dramatically, that speaks to the overwhelming talents of the actors young and old, and the quality of the writing that support them.
Moonlight is simply a superlative film, one whose merit and impact, I must confess, are hard to capture with the clumsy implements of the written word. It is wide in scope, spanning years and grazing eternal truths, but also focused and succinct on the compelling story of Chiron and committed to providing a glimpse of his inner life. It shows harrowing events in gorgeous ways, and tender moments with artistic care. It is a film about who we are, and who we choose to be, that finds power and beauty in the spaces in between.
Sobering documentary on how a small town can disregard the sexual assault of high school girls in favour of the rapists, the football jocks, and the bullying that persists for the victims. Heartbreaking and maddening. Whilst one can hope the abusers can become better people than the actions they have committed, with repentance and sorrow, there is a need to remember the victims of these crimes and how difficult it is for them to move on. The film details the stories of a few and despite the sadness there is hope.
We must all remember that our actions have consequences. We should not be defined by what we do or what happens to us. We all have a future and life can get better. Speak out against those who hurt you. Protect yourself from harm. Be a good person and treat all others with care and compassion for the human beings they are and the life they possess.
Excellent adaption. Highly recommended. I can wait for part 2 :-D
First when I heard that Mark Ruffalo is playing the Hulk, I thought "Awww man, no way!".
But he was terrific! I really enjoyed the quiet way he was speaking and thanks to Lou Ferrigno's screaming, for the first time the Hulk was really scary to me. I was like "Oh shit! You better run Black Widow!" ;D
Combined with a great sense of humor he probably was the best charakter during the 2 hours.
The scenes I liked the most were: "Thor vs. Iron man" & "Thor vs. HULK" :D
That was something that every Marvel fan was waiting for - just awesome!
Iron man is totally rocking it again. Tony Stark's presence is sensible all over the screen.
And how could it be bad with the support of Alan Silvestri. He did a great job with the soundtrack.
It's fun, it's great action, it's very entertaining - but there are two things I have say:
1st: Cobie Smulders (alias: Robin Scherbatsky from HIMYM) did absolutely not fit into that movie. I was always waiting for her to say something stupid & her role was maybe completely useless.
2nd: The plot - it was nothing new. You know one world get pulled onto the earth, invasion, destroying the city... It's pretty much like "Transformers 3" but with super heroes.
Anyway, I suggest you go and watch it - it's one of the best Marvel's.
Can't wait for part two!!!
