Change Your Image
hoochiehogback
Reviews
Astartes (2018)
My first 10
In order for me to give something a high rating (8 or above) I usually let it percolate after multiple viewings. If I can't bring myself to watch it multiple times, that either means it's bad or just cliche. After watching this multiple times and knowing close to nothing about War Hammer 40k I can safely say this is an utter masterpiece. It's perfect in every way, the only critique I can come up with is that it's woefully short. I realized if the quality were maintained for hours on end it would still be too short. It tells an engaging story with little dialogue, leaving me wanting to know more about every single character in this world. This mini series successfully stole my imagination and kidnapped me into this world.
It gets at least a 10.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Worth watching in theaters
Criticism:
The good guys are super good and the bad guys are super bad and there is no morally grey area. The morally grey is where 100% of interesting character development occurs.
This is how I see the writer's talking about the outline for the plot: "let's make everything as simple as possible because the audience is just too stupid to comprehend nuance". The dialogue was very bad at times and the acting was just as bad but only from one actor in particular. I saw it in 3D and now I know I don't like 3D.
Praise:
The plot although irritatingly simple it wasn't a complete deal breaker. Family values are so rarely seen on the big screen and that's one reason I rated this movie so high. Another reason is the special effects. Although I didn't like the 3D. Some of the visuals are so goddam beautiful I'm considering watching it again in regular IMAX.
Final thoughts:
I've seen three movies in the theaters in 15 years including this one and I'm thinking of seeing it again.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Barely OK
I just finished watching the first two episodes. I find Galadriel insufferable. She doesn't care about her men she only cares about being proven right. She has greater physical prowess than all her men combined. Feminist writers make women characters utterly uninteresting I don't have high-hopes for her development throughout the show.
There are a lot of characters being introduced and I couldn't care less about the majority of them. I find the story completely uninspiring. I'm not sure where it's going and I'm only somewhat interested in two subplots this far. I never read the books but I've seen the trilogy many times and this doesn't feel true to that world. I will continue watching with an open mind because the special effects are truly amazing.
Tusk (2014)
Unstarable
I once saw a review for "Human Centipede": ~"lives in a place where the stars don't shine". That's about perfect for Tusk. It's certainly memorable; I saw it once 5 or 6 years ago and it still percolates up into my psyche when I find myself in a dark room. It's not a scary movie but in terms of the tone it's one of the most uncomfortable cinematic experiences i could have asked for. If a movie that leaves an impression is in your wheelhouse, this is your movie.
You will be uncomfortable, you will be queasy, you will feel morally filthy and immediately after watching it you'll be convinced there's no good in the world.