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Barbie (2023)
Barbie's breathtaking visuals and practical effects outshine the erratic storytelling to make a fresh and innovative movie with themes that will be divisive for many.
Barbie is a visually stunning achievement that has excelled at the box office while dividing audiences. On the one hand, Barbie amazes with extravagant practical sets and exceptional performances, but on the other hand, the story and directing feel chaotic and erratic. The target audience seems to be moms who played with Barbies and would bring their daughters to the film. Therefore, some film's themes feel more grown up than expected for a movie about a child's toy. Despite probably not being the primary target demographic, I enjoyed the film, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's performance. They elevated the story and script to the successful giant the movie has become. The casting of Kate McKinnon and Will Ferrell was perfect for the roles they portrayed. The sets and production design were some of the most impressive I have ever seen in a film! The story was unfocused and unpredictable but also fun and lighthearted. While I wouldn't say Barbie was perfect, and its themes a little too complex for a movie about a toy, its production design and unique story stood out in an era of remakes and sequels.
Fair Play (2023)
Fair Play continues to crank the tension higher and higher, with paranoia, fear, and betrayal exploding in a stressful and well-done finale.
I saw Fair Play at Sundance 2023 in a crowd of cinema enthusiasts, making the theater experience electric and engaging! While Fair Play isn't my typical movie taste, it was exceptionally well done, with tension and stress building consistently from start to finish and exploding into all-out insanity and paranoia in the film's final act. My heart was pounding as the selfishness and jealousy of these characters devolved into pure hatred and disdain. Once the credits rolled, I finally felt like I could breathe for the first time in an hour! Domont did so much with so little, mastering suspense and keeping the audience on edge. With such arrogant and self-centered characters, it is hard to "enjoy" the film and the sexual content was unnecessary, but the craft and skill are undeniable, and it's no surprise why it was so well received at Sundance and scooped up so quickly by Netflix.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rescues the franchise from the all-out goofy mess it had become and gives it a fun and promising new beginning.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts recaptures some of the fun and charm of Bumblebee and the early Transformers films and blends it with the aesthetics and nostalgia of the old 80s cartoon. Rise of the Beasts establishes some decent human leads that aren't annoying while keeping the focus on the robot conflict. The voice cast was fantastic! Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime will always be the greatest of all time. Peter Dinklage's Scourge sounds and looks vicious. Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, and Cristo Fernández provide solid performances, giving their characters a little fun and even some heart. Rise of the Beasts reels the franchise back in from the outrageous goofiness of the Wahlberg entries but still has a good time recognizing its primary audience is kids and parents who grew up on the cartoon. The intensity and pacing of the first 2 acts are superb! The final act gets a little cheesy and starts to feel generic, but it is no worse than the climax of recent Marvel films. Rise of the Beasts isn't perfect, but it sets the Transformers back on the right path.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (Part One) boasts some of cinema's most stunning stunt work, but it came at the cost of character development and a solid story.
Man.... I wish I loved this movie more than I did. Don't get me wrong, it's a solid action movie with jaw-dropping stunts (some of the best in the series), but as a Mission: Impossible movie, it felt like a small step backward for the franchise. Fallout had mind-blowing action sequences and stunt work, along with developing Ethan's relationship with Ilsa, providing closure with Julia, showing the lengths Ethan would go to protect those closest to him, and battling an imposing villain. Dead Reckoning: Part One stretches the movie across two films only to seemingly showcase action spectacle after action spectacle while sacrificing character development. Characters I have grown to love over a decade of films felt sidelined, ignored, or wasted. Hayley Atwell's new character chewed up most of the screen time, and while she was fantastic, I wanted to see more of the original team. The new villain had an inconsistent ability that confused more than intimidated. There were some important emotional moments that I just didn't feel the weight of when I definitely should have. Part Two might tie everything together and make me enjoy Part One more in retrospect, but unfortunately, I left wanting more from this one.
Fast X (2023)
It's hard to believe how outrageous these films have become, but a tiny nugget of charm is still hidden in all the mess.
Sheer ridiculous nonsensical, and a little fun. The Fast and Furious franchise abandoned all reason, with the sixth installment culminating with its journey into space with F9. But Fast X strips all efforts to ground the characters, dialogue, or action making this film a mess of CGI and lunacy. I found myself laughing as cheese dripped from every line of dialogue. The films have become a parody of themselves, but at the same time, they're still fun. It's hard not to respect two decades and 11 movies worth of story and world-building. While Fast X was insane, it was fun having characters across the franchise parade across the screen. All the cameos and callbacks to early entries prop this movie up and keep it from an even lower score. The only reason to watch this movie is if you are a fan of the franchise. Otherwise, just pass.
Ghosted (2023)
Ghosted's comedic moments bring some good laughs, and its action entertains, but its indecisive tone gets distracting. Still, a decent entertaining spy comedy.
Ghosted wrestles with its tone as it decides whether it's a goofy rom-com or a more serious spy thriller. While very much in the vein of Knight and Day or The Killers, Ghosted doesn't stay committed to comedy throughout. The jokes come and go, with Chris Evans taking most of the comedy side and Ana de Armas taking most of the action. The tone might be conflicted, but the fun never stops. Solid action sequences, car chases, exotic locations, and elegant gowns and suits - Ghosted has all the essential elements of a classic spy film. The jokes land better than The Gray Man's quips, and the action is better than Red Notice's set pieces giving Ghosted a slight edge over its streaming adventure competition. It's a flawed movie for certain, with an out-of-place soundtrack and identity crisis, but what it does well makes it interesting enough for a watch and possibly even a sequel. ...maybe.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
John Wick: Chapter 4 is at the peak of action cinema and fight choreography. What the film lacks in story is dramatically overcome with the most stunning action ever seen.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is an overwhelming feast of action brilliance! For the entire 2.5-hour runtime, this movie transitions from weapon to weapon, set piece to set piece, and spectacle to spectacle topping anything ever seen. The fight sequences never stop, and their beauty and intricacies drop jaw while breaking jaw. From the scene with the nunchucks to swords to shotguns to hatchets to hand-to-hand - among the greatest, if not the pinnacle, of action choreography. The cinematography creatively showcases each scene and battle, painting the action in bright colors and finding clever angles to keep the action fresh and engaging. As always, Reeves is incredible in the role, but the supporting cast of martial artists helps make this film what it is with experienced actors like Hiroyuki Sanada and Scott Adkins. But the absolute standout is Donnie Yen; his speed and skill are breathtaking as he steals every scene he is in. Unfortunately, despite all of its stunning brilliance, the story takes a lot of shortcuts to wrap up John Wick's story, which disappoints a little. The method to end it all seems like something that would have been mentioned several movies ago. But honestly, who cares? We don't go to a John Wick movie for a deep story. We go for the martial arts and gun-fu, and John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers an unparalleled masterpiece of violence.
65 (2023)
65 had so much potential but couldn't overcome its weird story restrictions.
65 is not the horrible movie many recited claim it to be. It's a decent sci-fi survival thriller with a handful of fun, suspenseful sequences but a slower pace and some strange story decisions kept the film from being the stand-out it had the potential to be. Two major writing choices held the movie back:
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
1. Killing every other person on board the ship leaving only the pilot and a nine-year-old girl to survive the dangers of prehistoric Earth minimized the threat and tension of the film. The audience reasonably assumes these two characters will survive at least to the end of the film and prevents the dangers from having any real bite (literally). Allowing for more survivors would have given more characters to fall prey to the terrors around them and raised the tension and the pace of the film.
2. Why did the writers choose to make the only two characters of the film speak two different languages? It reduced the dialogue to clunky and rudimentary exchanges that were annoying and mostly irrelevant. Having the young girl in shock and not speak at the beginning but slowly say more and more as she trusts the pilot would have been a better way to show development.
65 wasn't a great or even a good movie, but it wasn't bad either. I wasn't disappointed with seeing it once on $5 Tuesday at the theater. It could have been epic, but a limiting screenplay and a lack of on-screen action prevented 65 from being anything better than decent.
Scream VI (2023)
Scream VI cranks up the violence, paranoia, and chaos but also enhances the character development and story, making the new directors' second entry even better than hoped!
I have been hyped and anxiously anticipating this movie since the final moments of finishing Scream (2022) in theaters - and it did not disappoint! The Radio Silence team (Bettinnelli-Olpin and Gillett) prove they are the perfect new shepherds of the franchise. The four young survivors take giant leaps in character development as they grapple with the trauma, fallout, and spotlight of the last film's events. Their loyalty and care for each other draw immediate similarities to Sidney, Dewey, and Gale, which quickly endear the "Core Four" as beloved characters you desperately want to survive. The suspense, danger, kills, and gore have all cranked up a notch. The scene on the subway kept me on the edge of my seat! And for the first time in the franchise, even the survivors are possible Ghostfaces. I doubt and suspect everyone while simultaneously caring for them - that is masterful writing right there! On top of all that, having another legacy character back with Kirby Reed returning was fantastic. I loved this movie, but I really missed Dewey and Sidney. I also think the main Ghostface killer was a little too over the top when revealed, which keeps Scream (1996) and Scream (2022) ahead on my list. But those are incredibly minor complaints! Scream VI is another exceptional entry in the Scream franchise, and I hope we get another one soon!
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix completely changed the landscape of special effects cementing itself in the halls of cinema glory as one of the most innovative films of all time.
I remember watching this movie for the first time as a 9-year-old and having my mind blown wide open! After rewatching it almost 25 years later, this movie is still a groundbreaking and breathtaking masterpiece. It's hard to believe The Matrix came out in 1999 with the quality of effects and production it showcases that still hold up in many ways to modern films. But it's more than the effects. The cinematography serves as the eyes of the audience with clever angles and shots, putting the viewer right in the middle of the action. The editing, sound, and visual effects all won Oscars. The fight choreography was as cutting edge as John Wick was in 2014 with its gun-fu. The Matrix created a fascinating and beguiling new universe that demanded to be explored. The neo-goth, noir, and retro aesthetics keep the movie from feeling dated all these years later. Hugo Weaving's performance deserved more acclaim from the Academy because his unhinged Agent Smith is one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. The Matrix impacted Hollywood and culture in a way that left it forever changed. The Matrix is a pillar of cinema and one of the greatest films of all time.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Spy Who Loved Me gives Roger Moore the perfect formula to show off his goofy Bond charm with exotic locations, extravagant gadgets, big battle scenes, and a great cast.
The Spy Who Loved Me is my favorite Roger Moore and one of the best classic Bond films. Live and Let Die was his first and a less conventional Bond movie. Man with the Gold Gun was ok, but The Spy Who Loved Me finally fired on all cylinders for Moore. Beautiful locations, exciting villains, a catastrophic nuclear threat, a strong, capable Bond girl, and a dangerous romance give Moore's third outing as Bond the edge over his other films. The final battle with various submarine crews fighting an army of villains made for an exciting backdrop as Bond battled to save the world once again. Add to it all some of the coolest gadgets and vehicles of the franchise, one of the most iconic henchmen in Richard Keil's Jaws, and Barbara Bach's gorgeous Russian agent Major Amasova and you have one of the best classic spy films ever made.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Prince of Persia has plenty of flaws but ultimately is a great action adventure film full of fun and worth your time.
Prince of Persia is a great action adventure with elements of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and Tomb Raider. While it doesn't rise to the heights of those films, it's still an entertaining film filled with beautiful set pieces, excellent action, and a unique story. There are a lot of complaints about this film, such as casting choices and mediocre CGI, and while some of that might be valid, if accepted for what it is, Prince of Persia is a ton of fun! While a surprising choice for the role, Gyllenhaal commits to the action and stunts and makes Dastan a likable hero. Ben Kingsley is always excellent in whatever he does, and so is Gemma Arterton. I really do enjoy this movie and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good, fun adventure film.
Need for Speed (2014)
Need for Speed isn't mind-blowing or innovative, but with a stellar cast and great stunts, it's still an entertaining and exciting movie!
Need for Speed is surprising! Let's start with this crazy stacked cast, especially for a video game adaptation: Aaron Paul, Michael Keaton, Rami Malik, Dakota Johnson, and Imogen Poots. I was shocked rewatching this and seeing all those stars. The plot wasn't anything new or mind-blowing, but it was an entertaining revenge street race film with some awesome stunts and solid effects. Incorporating the cop chases in the middle of the races was a nice way to tie the games into the film. Need for Speed was no Gone in 60 Seconds or The Fast and The Furious, but it is one of the more fun and well-done video game movies out there.
M3GAN (2022)
M3GAN knows what its target audience wants and delivers the exact fun horror comedy to thrill and delight.
I was conflicted before seeing the movie. On the one hand, the trailer looked ridiculous. On the other, I knew that Blumhouse and James Wan partnered for this. After seeing the reviews, I finally accepted that I had to see this movie, and I'm glad I did. Was it ridiculous? Absolutely. M3GAN knew what it was. It knew it was cheesy but had fun with it while also cranking up the tension and suspense. So many cliche "stop standing there and do something" moments that surprisingly added to the stress and horror. I wouldn't say the movie was ever scary, but it was an excellent thriller. It's a fun Blumhouse film that was self-aware and goofy while creepy and tense. One of my favorite parts was the short scene with one of the worst detectives of all time that had me laughing out loud in the theater. M3GAN is not a movie for everyone, but people who like other Blumhouse films and dark comedies would find themselves at home with this movie.
No Time to Die (2021)
No Time to Die ignores all the development and opportunities of the four previous Bond films to deliver a movie that doesn't understand or care who James Bond is at all.
I am just so frustrated. Daniel Craig's run as Bond was solid overall, with some of the greatest films of the 80-year franchise and a couple that weren't amazing but still entertaining. But the conclusion to Craig's Bond was poorly written, out of character, and just plain disappointing. No Time to Die was The Last Jedi of James Bond. Long-time Bond fans will hate it, while those who are indifferent to the franchise or have not seen this entry will find it entertaining and possibly thoughtful. But I just don't see it. The writing was awful. The screenplay couldn't find better ways to motivate or shock than killing off characters that had been developed for over a decade. The idea of a new 007 was pitched as intriguing but hardly affected the story and sidelined Lashana Lynch's character altogether. The villains were generic, and their motivations inconsistent at best. And Bond's love for Madeleine didn't fit the character at all. He said and did things that Bond just wouldn't do. One shining moment in a film of disappointments was Ana de Armas as Paloma. Her performance was witty, engaging, and the most entertaining part of the movie. So, of course, she was only given 5 minutes of screen time. No Time to Die was clearly at a loss for what to do and failed to close this excellent chapter of James Bond history with nothing more than a mess of dreadful writing and unsatisfying conclusions.
Free Guy (2021)
Free Guy captures the wonder and goofiness of Elf, except with video games and Ryan Reynolds.
Free Guy is a fun yet heartwarming film that feels like the video game version of Elf with Ryan Reynolds playing the fish out of water goofy character with a heart of gold. Ryan Reynolds' Guy is filled with awe and wonder as he experiences things that the real world would consider mundane but, to him, are spectacular. The romance between the two lead characters is awkward at first, but the payoff at the end makes it worthwhile. All the video game easter eggs throughout make Free Guy a love letter to gamers, but the plot and acting keep it entertaining for anyone. Shawn Levy's experience with the Night at the Museum franchise and Real Steel prove his skill at making fun family films that adults can enjoy alongside their kids. Levy's lighthearted directing and Ryan Reynolds' goofy antics are a perfect combination making Free Guy a delightful movie that is worth a watch.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Day After Tomorrow ends the world better than most natural disaster films, with an experienced disaster director and a grounded premise.
Roland Emmerich, the master of disaster, created one of the quintessential apocalyptic natural disaster films with The Day After Tomorrow. Floods, tsunamis, hail, suddenly dropping temperatures, and more all make their way into the perils of this film. The movie follows Dennis Quaid's climatologist as he warns the world of a quickly returning ice age. Once the global freeze catches humanity unprepared, survivors struggle against the impossible temperatures to find shelter and hope. The film sets itself apart with its cinematography featuring the expansive frozen wastelands and iconic monuments captured in ice. Performances are solid with a cast like Quaid, Gyllenhaal, and Rossum. The story is simple, which works for a disaster survival flick. The Day After Tomorrow is special compared to other big-budget catastrophe events because it is a little more grounded compared to some of the more outrageous films of Emmerich's more recent filmography, like Moonfall or 2012 but still benefits from a director that excels at destroying historic landmarks on the big screen.
Independence Day (1996)
Disaster or alien movie (possibly even action movie) - it just doesn't get better than Independence Day! This 1996 sci-fi action blockbuster is one of the greatest of all time
When you watch the mega-blockbusters of the 1990s and compare them to each other, it is easy to forget how groundbreaking they really were. Films like Jurassic Park and Independence Day were massively ahead of their time, winning all kinds of awards and launching cinema into a new era of special effects. But Independence Day is much more than effects: the directing, the writing, the characters, the cast, the story, the pacing; everything about this movie is the perfect storm of excellence, enthusiasm, and entertainment. It is rare to find a film that so perfectly blends action, adventure, comedy, horror, and sci-fi as beautifully as this movie. Will Smith was a promising new actor surrounded by high-caliber performances from Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman. Seriously, we need to elect Bill Pullman's Thomas Whitmore as President. His speech to inspire the troops before the climactic final battle is among the most iconic in cinema history! Independence Day set the bar for alien invasion blockbusters and brilliantly told the separate stories of its main characters while weaving them together in the final act to save the world. Roland Emmerich knows how to do a disaster movie; this is his masterpiece.
Armageddon (1998)
Armageddon might not be as good as I think, but it's definitely not as bad as many say.
I know I'm an extreme to love this movie as much as I do, but I can't help it! I know it's filled with scientific inaccuracies (I'm ok with that. I don't watch Michael Bay movies for the science). I know it has some cliche parts and cheesy lines, but it all just works. The casting director for this movie needs a trophy because every character has the perfect actor portraying them. From Stomare's crazy cosmonaut to Fitchner's by-the-book commander, along with Affleck, Duncan, Tyler, Wilson, Thornton, and more - this cast is stacked! Bruce Willis is the perfect choice for a grizzled oil driller that could save the world. The result is a cast of characters you care for, are scared for, root for, and almost mourn for. Michael Bay's explosive directing and love for special effects guys this outlandish plot perfectly. And the soundtrack! Liv's father, Steven Tyler, and Aerosmith provide an iconic soundtrack with songs like Sweet Emotion, Come Together, and I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing. The cast, music, effects, camaraderie, and epic heroism make this movie one of my all-time favorites!
Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
Battle: Los Angeles is a grounded and well-done invasion movie that tells its story with a realism unique to the genre.
Battle: Los Angeles is excellent! I am baffled by the low Rotten Tomatoes score and bad reviews. Battle: Los Angeles tells a gritty and realistic story of what it might actually look like if otherworldly extraterrestrials invaded. There aren't any larger-than-life characters like in Independence Day - just courageous soldiers fighting to save the lives of everyone they hold dear. The realism makes this movie feel like Black Hawk Down with aliens. Even with this film being over a decade old, the clever use of CGI doesn't feel overly dated and looks better than many films today. Aaron Eckhart leads these heroic marines with a strong, authentic, powerful performance anchoring the rest of the cast and the movie. Battle: Los Angeles has its flaws, but this war/sci-fi blend is done in a way, unlike any other invasion film. Don't get caught up in the reviews. If you enjoy alien movies and invasion films, give this movie a shot.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road's magnificent effects, editing, cinematography, and directing make it a film unmatched in almost every way.
Mad Max: Fury Road floods every second of its 2-hour runtime with frenetic chaos, massive practical effects, and unparalleled mastery. George Miller produced an action movie on a scale, unlike anything I have ever seen. The effects were almost all practical, giving the movie a grit and realism that most films never reach due to the overuse of computer-generated effects. The budget for this movie had to be insane because the cost to make all these vehicles and explosions and crashes had to be astronomical! And so worth every penny. This movie is enrapturing and stunning! Mad Max: Fury Road personifies madness from the frantic camerawork to the editing style to Tom Hardy's wild-eyed performance making this film intense, heart-pounding, and unpredictable. The world-building and screenplay are genius as well. The story doesn't get caught up in explaining everything but instead throws the audience into the middle of this insane post-apocalyptic world, making them feel the same chaos as the characters on the screen. I could go on and on, but plain and simple - Mad Max: Fury Road is an action masterpiece that is worth seeing over and over again.
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)
It's impressive how this terrible movie makes the outrageous cheese of the 1994 Van Damme film look like a masterpiece.
Two stars might be generous for this one, but I had a fun theater experience laughing with my friends at how unabashedly awful this movie was. Movies like this are why video game adaptations have such a bad reputation. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li tried to make a gritty, more realistic version of the games while simultaneously using every cheesy cliche they could imagine. I can go down the list from there on how bad the acting, stunts, fighting, and costumes were. This movie felt like a bad straight-to-TV movie directed by the B-team at the CW. The crazy thing is that Capcom was heavily involved in this film and still let this disaster see the light of day. Hopefully, it's been long enough for a Street Fighter reboot to make its way to the silver screen once again.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Deadpool 2 adds awesome new characters and tones down the extreme crudeness to make a sequel that is more enjoyable than the original.
I'm not much of a Deadpool fan. The humor was much too crude and nonsensical for me to enjoy the first outing, but the sequel toned it down to a PG-13 rating for the sequel, and as a result, I had a much better experience! One of the significant improvements over the first movie was the exciting additions of Cable and Domino to the cast. Josh Brolin was a fantastic choice for Cable, and the design and grittiness of the character were amazing to see on the screen. I also liked the way Deadpool 2 depicted Domino's powers in a more tangible way than even the comics can show (and Zazie Beats was fantastic in the role too). Even Brad Pitt was fun in his brief role. I love the X-Men, and this movie ventured further into that world than its predecessor. The fun time travel scene of Reynolds correcting all of his career and Deadpool mistakes was comedic gold! Deadpool 2 was a much better outing to me, but that's probably due to the very same reasons that so many traditional Deadpool fans didn't like it.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
A decent kids' movie, but my lack of Pokémon fandom probably kept me from appreciating the film more than I did.
I heard good things about this movie for years but never sat down to watch it until my three-year-old started saying "Pikachu" when she saw him in an ad. So we gave it a shot, and she really liked all the little creatures and noises. I enjoyed the movie fine, but after watching the Sonic movies recently, I had high expectations that expected. Justice Smith did a great job interacting with the CG characters, and Ryan Reynolds' voice acting was as fantastic as I expected. Detective Pikachu wasn't bad, but I kept feeling like I needed to be more of a Pokémon fan to enjoy the movie more. The whole climax and reveal of the evil plot to merge people with Pokémon was kind of lame to me, so this movie fell short of Sonic or Puss in Boots or Minions. I didn't mind it, and I'm sure I will end up watching it more times than I wanted, but there are other kids' movies I enjoyed more.
Battleship (2012)
Battleship might have sunk at the box office, but it's still an entertaining disaster to enjoy if you have some time to spare and nothing else to do.
I literally watched this movie in theaters on my honeymoon - not the greatest choice for the first movie as a married couple, but thankfully she stuck with me 😂. Battleship swung for the fences in hopes of being the next Transformers and struck out. I can't say that it was a surprise that a movie based on the board game where you blindly guess where your opponent's boats are on a grid wasn't a mega-hit. There wasn't much there, to begin with, but sprinkling an alien menace on top makes everything better, right? Sadly, it did not. The effects weren't quite there, and some of the acting and characters were outrageously bad. But even with all that being said, Battleship, with the right expectations, is still an entertaining movie! Taylor Kitsch is a fun actor. Rihanna makes a feature film debut. Liam Neeson pops up. Aliens are blown up. Shut your brain off and embrace the nonsensical goofy action.