UrAverageMovieCritic Reviews

The Aquatope on White Sand (2021– )

Glad I picked this one

[8/10 · 20 April 2023]

I haven't watched anime in years. This series was one of the first series that I watched to break the hiatus, and I have to say it was a very good pick.

I loved the first half of the season especially, there was a very poignant, meaningful and spiritual message to be had. The second half, while equally as good, didn't appeal to me as much as the first half. I guess because it dealt more with ordinary day-to-day themes and less of the emotional/spiritual themes, and so my interest just started trailing off ever so slightly. However overall I appreciate the maturity of this series, the realistic portrayal of the struggles of adult life, as well as the lack of any typical anime cliches or tropes.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Overrated but enjoyable movie

[7/10 · 5 January 2022]

This movie is very overrated, however I cannot deny that it was overall an enjoyable movie. Unlike many movies of today, nothing seems particularly forced here, so that's a good sign from the get-go.

As a Chinese myself, I found the mix between the two languages to flow really nicely throughout this movie. The Chinese dialogue was given plenty of breadth and not at all a means to an end. And overall, I found the portrayal of Chinese culture and ethnicity to be authentic.

The story cliché about purpose and "living up to your potential" is nothing new, but I found it really meaningful here and not at all empty. There are parts of the story that fall weak, but there are more than 2,200 reviews here so I am sure all the criticisms has already been covered.

Action scenes were awesome and epic. Cinematography and visuals were also great, but nothing too outstanding.

It is a shame though that this Marvel movie is overshadowed by the success of its predecessors, as it's not by any means a bad movie, but it may seem that way to some. Can't say the same for Black Widow, though... now that's a truly bad movie.

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 (2020–2022)

Animation so terrible it would actually make a great meme

[5/10 · 3 December 2021]

I'm going to skip any comments on the story/narration as those are just passable. The real conversation starter here is that bizzare looking CGI. To simply say that the CGI is bad is a jaded statement and an understatement. The CGI is so crummy to the point that one can actually appreciate its crumminess. It's quite literally meme material. It remains a mystery how someone was able to unironically come up with such weird horrid looking animation.

In the end though, I enjoyed it, but not in the way it was intended. Really has that "narm" appeal to it.

Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)

The title is apt

[8/10 · 5 November 2021]

Many people here seem to be put off by the inaccurate title, but to me--and hear me out--it seems appropriate by the fact of being irrelevant.

There is no need for the title to reflect on what the doc is actually about, as that is what the killer would've wanted. We don't need to glorify his name. Make it irrelevant and make it crass so that less people will know that a documentary about him exists, and therefore giving the killer less attention. That is my logic at least.

I for one appreciate the irrelevant campy title.

The Croods: A New Age (2020)

A wild animation that entertains, but also tries too hard to become something it's not

[7/10 · 3 February 2021]

Okay... this has got to be one of the most exhilarating and bubbly animated movie ever made. Thankfully I was just in the mood for something perky, not too childish but not too sober, so overall it was a positive experience.

They really weren't kidding about "a new age". The tale presumably takes place in early prehistoric times, but really it reflects way more on our contemporary society than it does to people living in the stone age. Expect tons and tons of hilarious references to modern culture and society sprinkled throughout the movie.

I definitely had my laughs. However, some ideas/references/analogies could come off as a bit forced or rushed or just plain cringey. For example, Thunk's abrupt realization that the "window" is a distorted view of reality was honestly a cringey attempt to convey the concept of media bias. There's also the much toned down but still palpable feminist agenda (e.g. WYMEN!). And then there are all these other random instances of modern analogies that just seem to develop out of nowhere (e.g. the 'bro love' scene with Grug and Phil, etc).

These instances may not detract from the movie, especially not for kids, but it still gives this movie a bitter aftertaste; you could tell that this movie was made in 2020.

Also lastly-and it has to do with the plot-I was quite disappointed that that Dawn Betterman didn't have much of a role compared to all the other characters. I feel like she could've used a bit more spotlight.

Overall I would have liked the movie even more if they didn't cram so much of these random and unnecessary tie-ins to modern ideas and principles. It just complicates a rather simple plot.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Alien Commies from the Future! (2020) Season 7, Episode 3

What is wrong with reviewers these days?

[10/10 · 14 June 2020]

Seriously. I literally don't understand how any person could interpret this episode as some sort of "leftist propaganda" aimed to "brainwash" viewers.

Why does everything have to be politicized when it's clearly not?? Jeeeez.

And there's another cranky fool who calls this episode "communist indoctrination", LMFAOOO!

Yeah, I'm going to declare "troll" on this one.

Anyways, this is unquestionably a pretty dam good and 'lit' episode. At the time I'm writing this, everyone's still all waiting for Ep04, but there's no doubt that it'll end up being one of the most memorable episodes of this season. There's just so much awesome scenes and plenty of pop-cultural references packed into this episode.

Daredevil: Karen (2018) Season 3, Episode 10

Ending felt rushed and lacked momentum

[5/10 · 21 November 2018]

It's not that I didn't like or welcome Karen's origin story, but rather I didn't like that crappy excuse of an ending. If you're going to focus 35 minutes on the flashback, at least make the remaining 10 minutes of the church scene worthwhile.

Unfortunately the church scene seemed rushed; everything seemed to happen for the sake of "happening", there wasn't any momentum during the fight. And why did they make daredevil so weak in this episode? Just a few punches from Bullseye and he's down, that shouldn't happen...

Luke Cage (2016–2018)

Season 2 > Season 1

[8/10 · 7 July 2018]

Most of the negative reviews on IMDb came from the first season. I personally enjoyed season 1, but it's no doubt that season 2 was much more enjoyable, with more action and deeper character development (both intrapersonally and interpersonally). Best of all---and this is typical of all Marvel Netflix series: there is no cheesy dialogue!! You get none of that "over-dramatic", "cliched", or "expressionless/shallow" acting and dialogue, it's as realistic as you can imagine it to be. And speaking of being realistic, this show is obviously not afraid to include and address the issues of racism (specifically the marginalization of blacks) that still plague Harlem,NY and the world today. Basically you have no filters in Luke Cage, well... except for the exclusion of the f word, but Pop probably wouldn't want Luke saying that anyways, there's a swear jar for a reason you know.

Aspirational (2014)

The truth about our increasingly anti-social generation of youths

[10/10 · 12 February 2018]

This mere 3 minute short film pretty much sums up everything about what's wrong with today's "selfie generation", and it does so very effectively. Remember the old aphorism that "a picture is worth a thousand words"? Well apparently that's not the case anymore in this day and age. Youths are so consumed by the online world of social media that they literally don't care about the real world anymore. As you can tell from this short, the two adolescent girls have zero intentions on socializing with a real life person and only care about how much "likes" they get on their posts. It really shows how social media has turned us from normal sociable human beings into self-absorbed narcissistic individuals that get their positive reinforcements from a virtual world instead of their real one. There's even a phobia now (called nomophobia) for people who get anxious when they aren't able to check social media on their phones.

So for the highly effective message this puts out in only 3 minutes, I give it a 10.

Have a child that is addicted to posting selfies on social media? Show them this short quick video and they'll finally see how silly this generation is.

P.S. Don't even bother reading the other "review" on here. It completely negated the entire purpose of this short and instead focused on something so trivial like the actor.

Finding Dory (2016)

Don't believe in the negative reviews!

[8/10 · 9 January 2018]

And yet again the critics are here with the most ridiculous reasons on why this movie is bad.

Who would've thought that someone had been turned off by this movie because it was too realistic?? WTH??

Oh and we can't forget the typical "I hate this movie because they got the science wrong" excuse.

It's a kids movie FFS, not everything should be portrayed realistically, nor should it be taken seriously, seriously. That one review here about the movie offending orphans is an example of someone taking this movie way too seriously.

Anyways, I actually never had the intention of watching this movie but I was bored so I gave it a shot, and it really exceeded my expectations. This movie is about grabbing onto every last bit of hope and aspiration and never letting go of it. This movie also emphasizes the moral importance of friends and family. At heart, this movie portrays all sorts of kindhearted and altruistic morals which I believe is what everyone needs every now and then, whether you're a kid or an adult.

Also this is the second movie I have seen with Thomas Newman as the soundtrack composer. Newman definitely hit my feels in this movie and -- to be honest -- is probably the main reason why I liked this movie so much. His idiosyncratic style fills this movie with a truly unique and sentimental and almost idyllic feeling, something that I exactly wanted at the time of watching this movie.

Overall 8/10.

The Punisher (2017–2019)

Great kickarse show, but the top review is misleading, also not suitable for young audiences

[8/10 · 24 December 2017]

First of all, great series. I've been a big fan of the Marvel Netflix series, but I guess that's not a surprise to many. However I'm not here to praise how great the show is---that's up for you to decide, plus I'll bet most of you are fed up with the unending positive reviews anyways---but rather to give a short critique on the quite misleading review here on IMDb regarding the dialogue and social norms represented in this show.

To the current top review who claims that this show is tainted with a "SJW" language, let me put this out for you: There is NOTHING---and I repeat NOTHING---SJW about this show!!!!! The term "SJW" has been used so extensively in these past couple of years that people simply use it as a substitute for another term without fully understanding what a "SJW" really stands for.

Do you really think---and I mean THINK ABOUT IT---that a show aestheticizing brutal violence, and portraying male dominance + excessive masculinity and heterosexual relationships, is trying to enforce SJW values?? Remember, SJWs are trying to subvert the dominant norms and values of ordinary life, and it's quite clear that this show only reinforces those dominant views of life. So to those afraid that they'll be treated with specific scenes or dialogue that will conflict with conventional values, don't be, as they are pretty much nonexistent in this show. Sure you might think that the female character Madani is annoying because she's impudent, but this is merely a typical trope (cliche) used in TV shows and movies since classical Hollywood. So no, I don't think that this show is trying to "brainwash" new generations. I also don't believe that this show is trying to politically correct in any way. If anything, I will commend this show for having a very accurate depiction on reality and not twisting it.

The Punisher is overall a very gritty show that emphasizes on brutal realistic violence more than in Daredevil. I'm not here to criticize that, I'm 19 and I honestly love to watch some intense gory fight scenes every now and then, but this is just a warning to younger audiences that might be watching this (most reviews never point this out, so I felt the need to point this out).

P.S. This review reflects on my experience with ALL the episodes. I don't believe it's fair when people rate the entire show based on the first one or two episodes. There's a separate IMDb page for each episode for that.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

A great but flawed movie

[6/10 · 9 June 2017]

I REALLY wanted to love this movie as I'm a fan of the x-men, but this is nothing like x-men at all. And to the IMDb reviewers who are saying that this movie is bad because it has "horrible acting", had "no plot" (????), or because it was "boring", that is purely subjective and does not detract most people from enjoying the movie.

This movie's main weak points lies objectively in these three areas: BAD EDITING, BAD USE OF CHARACTERS/BAD STORYLINE, and CONFUSING TIME LOGIC.

BAD EDITING/POST-PRODUCTION: I've noticed that there are a lack of visual or narrative cues for transitioning from the current scene to the next. This is especially evident when they travel back in time. There is basically no easy way to tell that Jake is in the present or the past unless you try hard to search for cues in the background. They should've color graded the scenes in the past to make it look more vibrant than normal — giving it that dreamy and idyllic feel. Also the scenes shot in the present are too vibrant themselves, possibly too natural even, and so it doesn't really have that cinematic vibe to it.

BAD EXECUTION OF CHARACTERS/BAD STORYLINE: To me, it seems like none of these characters have mastered their powers yet. Assuming that they have more to learn, I don't understand why Miss Peregrine didn't train them to the full potential if she knew that the hollows were still out to get them. Just imagine Olive's full potential with her power, she could probably be a human flamethrower compared to the kettle heater that she is now. Granted I haven't read the story so I don't know if they can "upgrade" their powers, but all these characters could've had the potential to defeat all these hollows without a sweat if they've used their powers wisely.

CONFUSING TIME TRAVEL LOGIC: The time travelling logic they've used in this movie doesn't make sense at all. It feels like the writers based their logic on what they think time should be, NOT on how time actually functions.

Also I know that this is a fantasy sci-fi movie, but technically so was x-men and they at least had some convincing scientific theory or explanation to explain their phenomenons. The mere "recessive gene" explanation wasn't enough to account for all the rather complex powers the peculiars have.

I think if they hired some better cinematographers that actually knew how to properly color grade a movie or how to properly frame the narrative in a non-confusing fashion, I would've enjoyed this movie just a bit more.

And also those who call this movie "trash" are clearly having the wrong expectations.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

I Call Hacks!

[5/10 · 7 June 2017]

This is essentially Grand Theft Auto made as a movie. You kill people and no one even cares. John Wick is obviously a hacker, how can he take dozens of bullets without dying?? I know that this movie is obviously based on an unrealistic world, but the ending really confuses me, what was the whole deal with Winston controlling all those pedestrians? In this review I will try to give some possible reasons as to how he was able to do that:

1) He probably paid all those random people a large sum of money to order them to walk around and surround John Wick (which I think is the most 'realistic' view, but this whole world is unrealistic so who knows).

2) All those pedestrians are actually all working for Winston, so they are all criminals basically.

3) They are actually Androids created and controlled by Winston (which sounds unlikely, but everything about this movie is unlikely).

Also I know that this is a GTA-esque world, but just the fact that literally everybody in NYC is a hit-man is kind of lame. Even if it was a video game it would suck.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Solid movie that doesn't deserve the amount of scorn

[8/10 · 5 June 2017]

It's kind of interesting how drastically different my views towards this movie are compared to the rest.

First of all, my mentality when watching the movie is not that the movie is ready for me (which it seems that the mass majority will do), but rather it's whether or not that I am ready for the movie.

With that being said, I was mentally prepared for the movie beforehand (eg. expected cool GCI, fast-paced action, simple humour) so I knew what was coming, and admittedly I loved it. The character development is just right. It's not too shallow and not too over done which I hate (like c'mon, just get to the chase, no one cares about how or why the character did this or that). I especially loved Doctor Strange's arrogant ego in a way that I could actually feel what he was feeling. I also loved the added clichéd humour.

I don't really know what else to say other than the fact that I liked this movie. This movie is exactly what I expected, and exactly what I wanted.

For the people who are reading this review, you are probably thinking "ugh, whatever, this guy probably just loves those superficial, clichéd, and heavily CGI'd movies" and you're right, I like them. So what? Doesn't make me a person who has "no taste". It's purely a personal preference.