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Reviews
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Fun action but lame story
The MacGuffin in this movie is a college girl invents a device that makes some sea horses mad. They want to kill her, Wakanda suggests they don't. Then it's 2hrs of nice CGI. It's ok relative to the low-bar of Marvel action movies, but it's far far worse than the first Black Panther movie.
In the first half-hour I thought they were going to comment on imperialism. Western powers have ransacked Africa for centuries, now they are coming for vibranium. But they dropped that storyline quickly to introduce Namor. I suppose Wakanda destroying a US naval fleet wouldn't sell as many tickets.
I almost went to the theater to see this because I liked the first Black Panther movie. I'm glad I didn't. Streamed it on Disney while doing laundry.
The Bear (2022)
Everyone screams all the time
In The Bear every dramatic scene is handled by shouting, wailing, throwing things, and threats of violence. In the brief moments where characters interact normally it is an excellent show. I hope the tone it down a bit for season 2.
I can imagine the writers considering a scene where Sydney makes risotto for Carmen. "How do you like it?" she asks. "Almost great, let's work on it together," replies Carmen. No, no, let's amp up the DRAMA! Sydney flings risotto and threatens to kill herself if it's not on the menu tomorrow. Carmen shoots her in the stomach. Sydney is gurgling blood. Carmen leans in close and screams, "Too much salt in the broth!" Sydney sticks a knife in his throat and whispers, "We'll try it again in hell!".
That's the intensity of The Bear. Every little thing is a battle between psychos off their meds. All while Marcus works quietly on his doughnuts.
Hamilton (2020)
Maybe I would have paid $300 to see it live.
Lin-Manuel Miranda did an amazing job at everything in this musical. However, he is the weakest actor/singer on stage. It's a long show but you don't feel it because the story is always moving forward. There's enough levity to keep you going. And there are some neat techniques used to make the stage feel alive. Special shout out to Daveed Diggs playing Thomas Jefferson. The man has so much swag he needs his own show. I'm writing in Jefferson for president this year.
Marriage Story (2019)
Should have won every award ever
Did you know Adam Driver can act? Surely not from his dreary turn in Star Wars. But surround him with a great cast, hand him an excellent screenplay, and provide wonderful direction, then watch this guy perform. Like most who've seen the last scene where he sings, I was blown away. The entire movie is so entrancing, it pulls and pulls you deeper... then that last song hits you in the stomach. I watched a bunch of people sing it better on YouTube, but only Driver made me feel it. Also: Johansson can do no wrong. Just give her a lifetime achievement award already.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Cars go in circles for hours, but it's still entertaining
First rate acting from the entire cast. Some nits: Bale felt a little over the top. I can't not see the Punisher when Bernthal strides on screen. Balfe played a minor role, but her outburst in the car felt like it was shoved in to provide some character development. McKinnon was absolute perfection, like they just borrowed him from a real pit crew. The story doesn't pull you in. There aren't big dramatic moments that mattered to me. Instead, the acting and dialogue were enough to pull me in and enjoy the flow of the movie.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Hitler is hilarious
I can't imagine the elevator pitch for this movie. It must have been wild getting funding and distribution. Somehow they pulled it off and delivered a phenomenal movie. Most movies about Nazis are heavy and grim. Waititi puts a wild spin on the genre. At the end I had what can only be described as a feeling. I can't fully explain it, but it was new for me. Kind of tickled.
Ad Astra (2019)
What was that all about?
I could tell from Pitt's crinkly, sad eyes that he was trying to move me. He wanted to emote. Something profound was going to happen. Sure, they had cool space buggies and rocket ships, but they couldn't record a message for some reason. There are still wars, but apparently the invention of anti-matter hadn't blown up the planet yet. Basically, the movie leaves you with many questions and very few answers. The only thing I'm certain of is Ruth Negga is gorgeous.
6 Underground (2019)
It's the most Michael Bay movie in the Michael Bay oeuvre
Though I don't have epilepsy I had a seizure watching this movie. To be fair I knew it was going to be awful. Bay movies are perfect when you're too tired to think about a real movie. Also I wanted to test my new surround sound system. I understand it's one of the most successful movies on Netflix. This tells you all you need to know about the mankind.