I think this is an important movie, it is also a good movie. Full disclosure: I am a white, middle class, post-graduate educated, Canadian, born in the 50s. This is why this movie was important to me: I live in a city that has unjustly treated black communities and, although I have sought to be better informed about the history and the issues, my perspective has been from a distance. This film helped me understand that the expectational presets of being black are radically different from the presets of being white. Also, my understanding of cultural appropriation grew - I can see why whites emulating black culture is missing the point rather than establishing cultural bridges. But, most importantly, for me, this film underlined the importance of each of us being authentic to who we are and to, humbly, engage in listening conversations, respect our differences and transcend that which divides us. That's was my take away. This is why this is a good film: I found the characters well drawn and the performances convincing (Amandla Stenberg is an actor to watch - she has been a credit to every role she's inhabited). The story was well crafted. The tragedy real and the relationships compelling. In our politically charged culture, there is an audience fatigue for movies with a point (I was disappointed to be only one of three people who came to watch this movie in the theatre), but don't miss this good movie, it's worth the watch. I give this film a 7.9 (very good) out of 10. [Drama]
This movie was just pure Marvel at its best, firing on all cylinders (which means that it was absolutely spectacular). We are set off on one wild journey in a universe that not many other than the more hardcore Marvel Universe fans know of. I wasn't quite sure if this one was going to be as good as it was hyped, but I was gladly proved wrong. While Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't have quite the star power or following of The Avengers (honestly, what does?), I thought that the cast had just as good if not better chemistry during this hell of a raucous adventure. To pull off one of these large cast/group movies is no easy task. Zach Snyder, please take notes for the upcoming Justice League movie (and Batman vs Superman).
The standouts of this movie without a doubt are Chris Pratt (playing Peter Quill) and Bradley Cooper (playing Rocket) but all the characters (even the supporting ones) contribute to the hilarious dialog and tone of this movie. I never thought that I would laugh (and even shed a tear) from hearing the same line, "I am Groot" about 20 different times. Vin Diesel deserves an Oscar nomination for this one :) The humor is so good and ever-present that if I didn't know any better, I would have thought this was a summer comedy. The effects are absolutely stunning and the set pieces are quite original and brilliant.
Go watch GotG in the theaters and support this brilliant freshmen performance from this new generation of Marvel stars because, come on, "they're the Guardians of the Galaxy, bitch." I'm thrilled for this new franchise and where the new expanded universe is heading. Bring on The Avengers 2 and more Thanos!!
Sorry folks but this one didn't go well for Marvel. I don't even know where to start. Acting was average, more like below average. Screenplay was as much ordinary as it could be. No surprise here. CGI was OK but it's somehow expected from Marvel. But I totally didn't like the idea of Wakanda. Hidden city in the center of Africa with tons of technology and advanced weapons and systems and so on. But how the hell did they build all of that? No explanation. It just happened. Yes, they have Vibranium, but they don't sell it. In fact they never did and for whole world they are just a bunch of shepherds and farmers. So where did they take all that money to build empire like this? I don't like movies without explanations and this is one of them. Almost nothing has been told about Vibranium whatsoever. Oh yeah, it's some super thing from the universe capable of anything. That's all the explanation you get. There are too many clichés we have already seen too many times. And we have to see them again. One example: I challenge someone for a fight because I want to kill him. And when I have the chance to kill him, what would I do? Kill him or throw him down from the cliff to the water where he can survive? But enough. If you hesitate if to watch this, I can recommend not to waste your time. Wait for the Avangers where you can also see the Black Panther. You won't miss anything if you miss out this movie.
Is Marvel just going to keep increasing the comedy value?
How much is enough?
Thor Ragnarok is a comedy action movie, or simply put ->
https://i.imgur.com/OqUYCJX.png
| FIRST THOUGHT |
Take Thor, mix it with Hulk.
Put your hand on the "comedy" button, press it and never release it.
It's this movie.
And it doesn't actually stop, throughout the entire time. You can't quite figure out how much it takes itself seriously. And it's so goddamn good.
Before you go on about and watch it, you need to put yourself in a spectrum where you're going to enjoy senseless beating and constant, crispy comedy.
It is definitely worth watching. It is worth your time, your money and putting on clothes to get out of your home. (Or just do it like me, I never put on clothes.)
| STORY & ACTORS |
Well, what can be said about the story on a Marvel movie?
However you want to put it, it's actually nothing so special, there's obviously no level of "deepness" to it. It's very linear, of course, with a happy ending - Although I have to admit, very enjoyable.
It's structured for the sole purpose of starting what is going to be the actual, gigantic movie: Infinity War - while closing down the history and settling the character of Thor for good. (Much better than what they did with Iron Man)
I think Marvel, with this one, truly captured the perfect combination of "comedy" and "action" to it's MCU. Sorting out everything that lacked in the second installment of "Guardians of Galaxy".
The comedy was throughout really enjoyable, it was predictable, but we can't pretend much of it - it's classical "Thor & Hulk" memes.
The story also doesn't hold to a very interesting villain. It's really unfortunate because of Hela's position in the comics, but at the same time I can understand what the movie wanted to speak about, so I really cannot be as frustrated as I did with other movies. cough*Wonder Woman*cough
It does, at the same time, bring up new, fun characters (To the MCU). Korg (voice acted by also director Taika Waititi) was an absolute blast and pure enjoyment at everything he said. It can come out as pathetic or annoying, but that just means that you shouldn't watch superhero movies.
I can't talk enough about comedy without entering the realm of "acting", and in doing so, eventually to the actors.
/I will only "in-depth note" some of the actors\
I'll say this, and it took me SIX movies to finally agree and accept it: Chris Hemsworth brought Thor to a level as high as Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman did with both Iron-Man and Wolverine. I can't "unsee" a Thor that isn't Chris Hemsworth, and this movie put on that thought the final stone.
He showed passion to a character that ended up developing itself positively in barely 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Mark Ruffalo, boy, they finally made him lose that terrifying, horrible gloomy attitude of the Avengers movie. He finally embraced his nature, and so Mark had more room to depict a promising version of Bruce Banner.
Cate Blanchett was disintegrated by the flatness of how they shaped Hela. The villain was disregarded and had no soul. It was just big talk, terrible powers, besides being a Charlie's Angel and ultimately she didn't show anything positive for the movie, except some stuff you will need to see.
Tessa Thompson was a FANTASTIC Brunnhilde. She portrayed that character to a point where the seconds passed and I loved her more and more. I can really say nothing more or add to it, just watch her.
I won't talk about how the Hulk acted because you need to see it first-hand. He's the big star here, remember, this is Hulkhor: Ragnasmask.
Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster is fucking weird, man... Weirdly good?
| CINEMATOGRAPHY |
Here's where it gets interesting.
There's a load of color combinations that I found soothing, very soothing and that is perfect because it brings out from the screen the variety and SATURATION of what this movie actually is. The palettes were perfect.
I found the CGI, in some of the action/fighting scenes to be lacking a little bit, especially in very fast-paced shots it looked very unrealistic. And the same can be said about everything, to the brittle of walls getting destroyed, to some of the weapons portrayed.
I don't actually know what happened there, maybe I was too focused on it and eventually could see past the CGI (which is a big mistake to make), but unless you are actively trying to do so it's really minor.
Choreographies, I was actually impressed. The past "Thor" movies were just a bunch of "tank & spank" moves. Fortunately, this wasn't entirely the case, near the end, it lacked a bit, but it's not very noticeable considering everything that's going on.
Music, there was distinct moment where it went from a more classical route to then being mixed out with a more electronic feel, it was a really hearing stimulating oxymoron, so to speak.
I will never get tired of The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.
| FINAL THOUGHT |
All things considered, if we're about to take this logically...
The pros definitely beat the cons in this one.
It is, on that thought, WORTH A WATCH.
And I'll add something that might stir up some grunt:
My official "favorite MCU movie" has changed.
Movie: 8/10
Hulk: 11/10
Note that all of this is driven by my personal opinion. If I wasn't objective in some of the parts of what I've written, you're welcome to make me notice where.
Leave a comment to agree or disagree.
Show some love if you enjoyed my review, it makes me really happy.
On Twitter I review the entire world → @WiseMMO
Peace.
I finally watched A Star Is Born, and boy... was I just blown away. This film is a literal whirlwind of emotions culminating in one truly tragic ending. I was hyped for this movie for months, and it definitely lived up to expectations (even exceeded them). I was totally floored by the performances of Lady Gaga and especially Bradley Cooper who completely disappears into his role of Jackson Maine (in a good way). The soundtrack to this movie is just spectacular with some of the best ballads that I've heard in a long time in both "Shallow" and "I'll Never Love Again". That first scene where Gaga and Cooper perform together on stage is just a revelation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A
While this is a story that has been done many times (literally, this is the 4th remake), Cooper's version is just masterfully built and developed amazingly well even though it does run a bit long. It was over 2 hours long (135 mins), but at times I actually wish that it could have been longer due to how much I connected with the characters. It's a true "modern take" on a classic tale. And definitely prepare to cry as well. My god, the last 20 minutes of the movie were just... beyond brutal. If you've ever dealt with or really known/loved someone with addiction and/or depression problems, this movie hits so close to home that it is scary.
A Star Is Born is an instant classic and a definite Oscar favorite in multiple categories. If you told me that in 2018 the guy who played Sack in Wedding Crashers 13 years ago would direct and star in an emotional and moving film like this, I'd call you crazy. I'm definitely going to watch this again, but those last 15 minutes of the movie truly were gut-wrenching. Maybe I'll just stick with listening to the soundtrack over and over again... :P
This small, incomplete review holds no real spoilers.
Jennifer Lawrence turned up the acting switch a notch. Might be her best performance till date overshadowing 'winter's bone' while showing her great talent and potential of her becoming a movie superstar (if she isn't already bc of her internet popularity and looks.)
This part was more balanced as the last movie, and sets the emotional trigger on sharp for the finale next year.
Again a compliment to Elizabeth Banks who captures the role of Effie amazingly well. Even though she originally wasn't supposed to be on screen until the finale, the creators and writer Suzanne Collins decided to let her replace Plutarch's assistent so she could be in this movie, which was a wise decision imho to use a familiar face in stead of a unknown side character.
I was a bit disappointed about the lack of influence of Natalie Dormer, but we might have to wait for the last movie for that to happen.
Sidenote: It is harder to find a movie without Julianne Moore nowadays, than one with her lol.
There is a lot of conversation, the biggest part due to this being the politics part in the story. This is a big part of stories base after all, and is important in its message.
I really was surprised they used the 'Hanging tree' song in the movie, I kinda suspected they would skip it, and it was a great surprise and a good decision the didn't. It has a lot of importance for Katniss, since it depicts the struggle of the districts against the capitol, and her relationship with her family (mainly her dad) and later with Peeta.
Lawrence is definitely not a singer though, she doesn't have the voice for it hehe. Good thing they have computers nowadays.
Depending on how part 2 will turn out, I think they made a good choice in splitting the movie in two, even though it is probably done just for the cash and not for storytelling.
Well, even though I liked this sequel on the whole, I am conflicted about a few things:
- The first bad thing happened right at the start and continued being bad until the very end: Spider. Who thought it would be a good idea to include a white kid with dreadlocks, wearing nothing but loincloth and mimicking the Na'vi's natural appearance with body paint as a protagonist? In a movie that thematizes colonialism this much, it just seems tone-deaf.
- Another element I didn't like was the military speech of Jake's family throughout the movie. Based on the rather tribal behaviour of the Na'vi (and Neytiri), I highly doubt they would be cool with children calling their father 'Sir' and similar stuff. Lines like 'protecting the family is my job, therefore I have to behave like an emotionless asshole' (analogous) belong in documentations about the 50s, not in a futuristic movie about nature-loving creatures.
- Regarding the language, I also disliked ditching most of the Na'vi language in favor of plain English. The bilinguality of the first Avatar movie added a lot to the immersion and helped to distinguish alien (human) from Na'vi.
- The prelude felt a bit too fast. I think it might have been good for character development to put more focus on the burden to leave the forest and the local Na'vi. Even if the story line nether returns there, they should have fleshed out the forest tribe a bit more.
- In the end, I felt like I just watched a very long pilot movie. Hopefully, the next three movies feature a bit more story and are not just alternating between wildlife documentary and war movie the whole time. In fact, I enjoyed the scenes of peaceful nature more than most action scenes.
Of course, there's plenty of good and likeable stuff as well:
- Zoe Saldaña and Sigourney Weaver act their characters really well. Especially the last few minutes when Neytiri went full feral, and Kiri saved the day were really great.
- The whale hunting part was pretty good. Killing a whale (or several) in such a cruel way, just for the money and not even 'using' all of it is quite close to realistic colonialism. Think of ivory for example...
- The technical and digital effects are top-notch again. Not as extreme as Avatar's effects were when it released but still noteworthy.
- The development of the Colonel throughout the movie. Even though it felt lame to 'revive' him at first, the way this movie ended could bring an interesting story aspect to the sequels. Will he continue to be the big bad (hopefully not) or will he go on a redemption arc like Negan?
- The design of the flora, fauna and Na'vi feels realistic and seductive. I can see why some people experience a 'Post-Avatar Depression Syndrome' (PADS). The teams behind these designs should get more public credit.
- The way the humans are characterized throughout the movie reminds me of Starship Troopers. Even the most ignorant audiences will eventually draw lines between these movies and reality. Perhaps, the Avatar series could even do some good for the protection of nature and respect for people in colonialized countries...(Please forgive this little joke.)
Overall, I would recommend this movie to whose who liked the first one.
If you missed the chance to experience it in a theater, consider watching it in 4k with Ambilight and surround sound.
The movie has a few problems of focus and charisma of some characters such as the poor vilain General Zod and it's motivations, so as the sideckick Faora. But the rise of Superman in this movie is Amazing, such as Snyder's vision of the Man of Steel, the fall of Krypton along with Kal-El's parents and the creation of the Kent family is well done, the young Clark Kent lost among his gift is well-constructed until it's grown.
If you're expecting a homage to Superman's Christopher Reeve, then go watch Superman Returns (2006) because this movie is different from every Superman movie ever done, darker and more serious. The main cast does a great job, Henry Cavill is THE Superman, you can feel it's charisma in it, Amy Adams as Lois Lane is definitely the best version of the character, Russel Crowe as Jor-El is good and so as Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Michael Shannon was one of the biggest problems of the film, the acting seems too forced, the menace of General Zod is not believable, is laughable, the reasons of the vilain are not convincing, it's dull such as Terence Stamp portrayal back in Superman I and II.
Now technically the movie is visually striking, full of fights and destruction, the effects of Superman flying is incredible, it's beautiful. It is the first Superman movie without the classic Superman's Theme by John Williams, but Hans Zimmer does a great job on creating a theme to a new man of steel atmosphere. Expecting a sequel. 7/10
What an amazing movie! Finally something decent to watch on this theme!
I must admit, the first hour is a bit "what a nonsense movie, what's the point?" But then, the true message buried under the storyline reveals to us and the pieces start to compose, we start to get the message and learn from it! I must say that this particular movie got me to think and think again to, in the end, have a moment of reflection about life, about what we do, or don't do, with it! How sorry we can feel from not doing something or the regrets we may carry for the rest of our life's if we don't take the chances, if we don't dare do dream, to feel, to live, to love and to let someone love us back!
Some people will totally miss the point of this movie, of that message buried underneath but those who can see it and understand it, those are the enlightened ones, those who are already stepping out of the shadow and opening their eyes to the cold truth of life! There no second chance, there's no time to cry for the past or to feel afraid of the uncertain future, there's only the moment, this precise moment and the ones who forget to live it, shall never know what living is!
Would like to also make note for the brilliant, excellent sound track of this movie, it's just amazing and well placed! Loved this movie, really did and again, the first hour may get a bit "boring" but just wait for the rest, just wait for the whole point of this movie and then reflect about the message and in the end, I would like to leave a question to anyone who reads this review and have watched this movie: "do you have any regrets? Do you live your life as you always pictured it? Is your life worth living? Because, you know, time traveling only happens on this movie and therefore... Stop, think, reorganize, prioterize your goals and your ambitions and then... Let's start working on it shall we?"
Enjoy the movie folks ;)
The movie is visually stunning, and the world-building is incredible, but the plot is plain at best. Some plot points that should have been epic end up feeling cliché and predictable. The stop-aging serum is too on your face to resonate as a pertinent social commentary. We expect the whale hunter to his left arm almost as soon as he appears on screen, but that no longer feels poetic when it actually happens. And, the rejection of the outcasts is as standard as it could be.
However, my biggest issue with the movie is the characters. Most of them are unlikable, flat, and static. The emo girl who feels like an amalgamation of every teen character Winona Ryder has done before. The golden boy with no other personality trait. The middle child feels like he is disappointing everyone. The little sister serves as a comedy relief. And the wife who sacrifices what she knows to support her husband. It plays out like a collection of stock characters got released on Pandora. Diminishing all the momentum created by the world-building and the cinematography.
Pandora, for a community that is all about balance and spirituality, they have a very rigid social structure. At the begging of the movie, Zoe Saldaña's character begs her husband to stay home and fight. But he convinces her to run away instead... Three hours later, she loses her son and community and has been living as a refugee. It's then that Sam Worthington's character says he now knows better and they should stay and fight. It feels misogynistic and makes the plot meaningless as we finish where we started. But now he got the idea of defending themselves all by himself, not from a woman. The worst part may be how little the Sully clan cares about Spider. A human that loves the Na'vi and sees them as family. He is loyal to them under extreme circumstances. Yet, none of the Sully spends a second of their time thinking about him. He has every reason to betray them, yet he never does.
Despise the flaws, the movie is a visually immersive adventure that makes Pandora feel alive and very real. Definitely worth the trip to the movie theater.
