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halseyad
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Encanto (2021)
Slightly missed the mark, but still worth watching...
While the animation is active, the music is catchy, and it was an all-around good movie, there were a few areas that just landed outside the bullseye. For starters, a lot of the story is told through song. Beautifully written, but hard to follow for most kids. I spent more time than I wanted to explaining some of the context to my daughters mid-film. Secondly, they throw a LOT of different themes together at the end. They should've chosen one idea and stuck with it. It ends and you're left wondering if it was about the importance of family, the acceptance of different gifts/people, the effects of blame v the benefit of radical ownership, or even how you don't have to be special to be special. The last standout critique is about Louise. She has magical super strength, so having her voice actor strain to sound deeper (more masculine) wasn't needed and it was distractingly bad. Women, even those who are super strong in reality, sound feminine. When the actor sings, she clearly has a lovely voice. When she's not singing, it sounds strained and unnatural. Overall, I think our family will have it on a decent bit, but it wasn't 100%.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Barf! What a missed opportunity!
What could have been a huge success was really turned into a terrible mess. The easy critiques are...
1. Woke Jokes- blue hair lady complaining about the "binary" choice of the red/blue pill decision. Obviously comparing two totally different things for zero effect. There are no 3rd choices in choosing to know reality or choosing to be ignorantly blissful.
2. 4th wall humor was terrible. Making Matrix Warner Brothers ask for a 4th game like they asked for a 4th movie and then joking that it would be "fresh" is unbearable in conjunction with the next critique.
3. SO MANY throwbacks that nothing new was ever created. You get almost 1/2 way through before anything new arrives. And even then, it's not that mind blowing.
4. There are more, but I'll skip to the big stuff.
The actual core critique is that the ending makes no sense. Neo has always been "the one" but isn't anymore. He has some sort of inability to perform under pressure, and Trinity all the sudden becomes powerful with little to no explanation why. Now there are two "ones" which can alter The Matrix and plan on waking everyone up (I guess?). But even then, people will wake up in a machine world with not enough food for everyone. Also, thr machines that now work with the humans will be fighting against their own existence if all the humans are set free.
In short- What a total waste of 2.5 hours. This series is totally dead. Boo. Hiss. Double thumbs down. Will never watch again.
October Faction (2020)
Strong Start for a Rough Finish
If I could go back, I wouldn't waste my time. However, it does get to episode 5 or 6 before it really tanks, so I had to finish on principle. The enticing part is the sly Mr.&Mrs. Smith monster hunter vibes sprinkler with eerie moments. The second half of the season takes a HUGE turn and you wonder where the acting went. I'd you watch, be ready for characters making ridiculous changes in allegiance, the worst "sneak around a military base" scene on film (ep.7), a force token gay relationship side story, an eye-rolling theme about the innocence of monsters, and a villain that doesn't ever do anything really sinister.
The Report (2019)
Well. Its truth mixed with BS.
What an odd film politically. They threw Obama under the bus by saying he covered it up. They raise Finestine up as a here, when any followers of politics knows she's 80% mentally deteriorated, while at the same time mixing in some ugly truth about the torture that actually did take place. Oddly glorified nutjobs and exposes some truth. Not sure how to take this one. I do know that it did not paint terrorist in a negative light. The people who were tortured had innocent blood on their hands and lose their right to self preservation when they harm innocents. I did not leave feeling the weight of their actions in the middle east or America.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Plot Holes GALORE! (but I still kinda liked it)...
Plot Holes: There were SOOO many things that didn't make sense.
1. Personal armor that deflects lasers exists now in the SW universe, but the Empire, who has seemingly unlimited resources, only gives it to one trooper (Captain Phasma).
2. One person has to stay back on the ship that is inevitably going to get destroyed, when we know auto pilot already exists (Anakin flying to the Battle Above Naboo), droids could easily do this task, and technically the absence of gravity could keep the ship going without anybody driving.
3. The resistance complains about losing so many bombers during the early space battle, but they could have just weaponized warp speed like they do at the endish of the movie and only wasted one ship because Finn knows where the tracker is housed in the lead Empire Cruiser. All they had to do is punch a hole through that area with 1 bomber and then leave.
4. The salt sleds clearly do not fly at the same speed. When Poe tells everyone to retreat from attacking the canon, Finn keeps going while Rose turns back. She then has the time to change her mind, turn around, catch up to Finn, and take a wide-looking path to knock Finn out of the sky when he's like 100 yards away.
5. Then, after they crash, Finn leaves his plane, finds Rose, and begins a conversation before the cannon goes off. He clearly would have made it to the destination in time and possibly prevented the wall's destruction.
6. The resistance only escapes the mine because wild creatures made of salt came inside with their new human friends, who just landed on the planet, and slowly helps them to find the exit. So the outside animals ran inside to be with people they don't know to help escape the Empire (who they also don't know). Strangely moral creatures.
7. Snokes is currently reading Kylo's mind when Kylo is thinking about killing him, but doesn't see it coming; this leading to the worst master/apprentice fight ever.
8. Luke's main criticism of Rey is that she doesn't resist the Dark Side in her training. He even adds that she didn't even try to resist. However, 20 minutes later she is the arbiter of the Light Side to Kylo trying to convince him to leave the Dark Side.
9. On that note, they still haven't explained how Rey, who skipped all Jedi training and lives in a time of no Jedi, can still connect with the force to do crazy stuff. I think Disney tried to fix this by having the fight between Rey, Kylo, and the red troopers be absent from force abilities.
10. Certainly not last, but last for this post, is that Leia apparently can survive long enough in the vacuum of space while she's unconscious to pull herself to safety. I understand it's not a real universe, but SW has always abided somewhat to the basic principles of life, which, to me, would include the horrible effects open space would have on a person's body.
Positives: The planets that are brought to life in this film are REALLY cool. The luxury port where all the weapons dealers party was interesting and diverse. Also, the battle on the white/red salt planet was stunning. Having the environment add to the mood of the conflict was a huge win, and I hope they pull in the stable boy for future movies. Well done! I also appreciate the risks Disney took to add new aspects of the force. Connecting minds and creating mental projections of yourself are new and inventive.
Negatives: There, unfortunately, are a few subversive political messages. The first is related to animal rights. We went from killing and sleeping inside a Tonton in Episode 4 to a Wookiee refusing to eat a cooked bird in Episode 8. Also, salt foxes become the true saviors of the move. The mistreatment of racing animals was effective and reasonable. However, having no aggressive creatures in this movie was a bridge too far for me.The second is one of feminism. The entire leadership of the resistance is female. Holdo, Leia, Rey, all attendance on the command deck. Holdo even have a sexist remark about "flyboys" being impulsive and stupid. If Poe said her judgment sucked because she was being an "emotional women", he would've been stunned sooner and Jezebel would be breaking the internet with outrage stories. Not to mention that Disney missed the mark on this message. Holdo unnecessarily dies, Leia is so old that she receives a kiss from her brother who really isn't there, and the resistance is worse off than ever due to their leadership. Additionally, most of the problems were solved by men. Poe figured out how to escape the cave, Luke held off Kylo, and Finn knew how the resistance was being tracked.
Overall: Disney clearly is recycling old SW and adding subversive politics to appeal to older fans, while trying to tap into the little kid market with cute animals and simplified SW lore. This movie is not the staple of the franchise, but it had some cool action, 1/2 the jokes were funny, and it wasn't wrought with token homosexuality. For my $5 local theater, it was worth it.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Mixed Messages (Why Make the Movie?)
It seemed as if this film was meant to have viewers arrive at a deep, introspective consideration for human life, but it fails miserably by missing the compassion within the death by public execution that takes place.
When we see remorse in the passengers for their act of killing a murderer (someone who should be killed), we are lead to believe they have done something wrong; that they should not have held him accountable for his actions. This is evident by one women's attempted suicide after they had been discovered and also by the inspector's inability to be content with the ending (once it is fully revealed).
The story really falls apart when we compare the inspectors quotes from the beginning and end of the movie. When the villain asks him for protection, the inspector refuses on the grounds that he "detects criminals, not defends them." He even says something to the effect of "you want to deal with gangsters, you will suffer the consequences."
At the end of the movie, however, he clearly has lost his marbles because he says, "sometimes the scales of justice are unbalanced; may we all find peace with it." If he really was as astute and rational as he was portrayed to be, he would have realized that their actions put the scales back into balance. There was an injustice committed and the real bad guy was previously running free until they stopped him. There were prolonged consequences for the man, and they had caught up to him.
The passenger's actions rectified the unpaid/delayed punishment and now they can move on with closure. It's as if the man representing law and order would have preferred to let the killer go. This film could have been a great argument for how sentencing someone to death can be a loving act that truly magnifies the value of life. Instead, it sunk into a black hole of moral relativism, where the protagonist is confused with right and wrong.
Make up your mind, Hollywood! You can't simultaneously value innocence and condemn justice!
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The movie that doesn't know what it wants to be...
I think the actions was okay and the setting was put together well, but my biggest problem was the lack of a solid theme.
There are environmentalist messages, feminist messages, political/government messages, and more just littering the film. Any one of which, if focused on singularly, would make a solid and engaging story. Unfortunately, this jumbled-up mess of themes makes the film a jack of all trades and a master of none.
Is Genesis History? (2017)
Doesn't Deserve the Hate
Curious how this movie was received, I came to check out the reviews and was very disappointed with the posts on here. I feel like an honest review is needed to hopefully provide a moderate's perspective.
First off, do not watch this movie as a way to definitively answer the debates that have lasted for years and years and years and years. The people rating this film low under war cries of no in-depth science need to realize that they are being foolish. The movie highlights the scientific communities unyielding devotion to one theory of the planets creation and it invites people to consider a different perspective. If you want a full-fledged dissertation on the intricacies of geology, philosophy, and historical credibility, maybe you should go sign up at a university; a two-hour film is not going to be able to deliver this. I agree the movie could use more visual aids and helpful cinematic (the constant shots of two men talking got old after a while), but, lets be honest here, even if there were, many of the low-rating critics would still say it didn't cover X, Y, and Z.
Secondly, if you're already ingrained into one ideology with no room for considering the possibility that an alternative explanation could be plausible, then don't watch this movie. Any intellectual conversation that furthers open discussion has to begin with both parties willing to entertain the idea they might be wrong. Know that you will end the movie with more questions than when you started. Or at least you should, if you're truly searching for the answers to big questions like the ones presented in the movie. If your ultimate goal is to jump on IMDb and hurl accusations about the Creationists or Young Earthers or (insert encompassing term here), why even bother watching it?
Overall, the movie was good from a speculative approach. The stories are mentioned in passing and much of the time is spent looking at geological records to validate The Great Flood. This challenges conventional, long-held beliefs about the age of Earth, and it encourages inquiring minds to look further into the alternative arguments.
Split (2016)
The movie itself has a personality disorder...
The movie is really two separate movies thrown together, with the first half being the traditional slasher film and the second being the riveting MNS thriller.
First 1/2- There are so many instances where you are screaming at the abducted girls to be more intelligent with their getaway. You will find yourself screaming.... A. "Why have you not noticed the man sitting in the driver's seat of your family car is not apart of your family?" B. "Why do you react to slowly and calmly when you realize the previously stated even is taking place?" C. "Why does it take you almost a full minute to pick up your chair and hit the psycho in the head with it?" D. "Why do you hit him in the shoulder with the chair when common sense tells you to hit him square in the head?" etc.
Also, there is this strange sexual nature that is mentioned about the killer that never gets fully discussed. The quasi rape scene at the beginning leads to the Dr. saying the killer has a thing for women dancing naked, but this is never really needed in the story. This psycho-sexual fantasy he has is never revealed to be his original traumatic event, his motive to his actions, or even mentioned after the first half of the movie. Other than being used to scare the pee out of younger women (immoral pun) who fear sexual assault in our overly-sexually western society, this aspect to the killers psyche is irrelevant to the plot of the story.
Second 1/2- This part of the film was great. Finding the uncomfortable line between reality and fantasy, MNS explores the possibility of superhuman capabilities that can be manifested through the mind when pushed to it's extreme limitations. Watching the movie, viewers find themselves wondering (alongside some of the characters) if there will be a supernatural manifestation. Very entertaining!
Final Thought: Skip the first half, and just know that three girls get abducted by a man with DID and the psychologist that sees the abductor is suspicious that the personality she is meeting with is not the identity being portrayed. Pay close attention to the second. It's good.
The Fall (2013)
Good to watch while doing other things...
I love a good crime drama, but this is not it. There are numerous characters that never get fully developed (Burns, Eastwood, the news reporter guy, etc.), which really hung the show up on a select few stereotypical archetypes. Viewers get a ton of time watching the sexually ambiguous, cold-heated feminist. They also spend a decent amount of time watching the quiet, yet stoic, killer that possesses (mentioned but never demonstrated) genius intellect.
If I waned to stay positive, which is somewhat difficult here, I'd say that the show's best moment is the conversation that is had between the two main protagonists in the jail at the end of season 2. It is the most insightful and entertaining 10 minutes of the entire series. I just wish the show had more of this type of suspense instead of watching the surveillance team repeat themselves for minutes on end.
Ridiculous aspects of the show- 1. The unbelievably long scene showing a victim pleading for her life. It's so long you could honestly take an extended restroom break and miss nothing. 2. The killer hiding his journal and all other incriminating pieces of evidence in obvious places. 3. The fact that the man-hating cop somehow has a spell on every guy in the police system. She literally sleeps with or has already slept with all of these dudes, while maintaining the most bossy, unappealing, crude personality of anyone on the show (killer included). ^just my 3 favorite ones. Plenty could be written.
The Free Speech Apocalypse (2015)
A Reflection on Tolerance and a Plea for Freedom
The Free Speech Apocalypse shows how our accusatory culture stifles honest debate and conversation through unruly behavior and narrow-mindedness. However, it also projects a spirit of optimism for a future that will regain its sanity through God's redemptive work.
The producer/s do a phenomenal job of highlighting the irrational response the IU students displayed during Mr. Wilson's visit. It was clearly evident that they did not come to consider ideas but to stop another person from speaking and conversing on an interesting topic. This singular example is indicative of a wide-spread issue at multiple other "higher" educational facilities around the country. I know that others like Ben Shapiro have ran into strong protest for considering ideas contrary to the mainstream, and opposition to public speakers is only the tip of the iceberg. Many issues have been reported by Campus Reform and other news outlets ranging from university faculty being fired for holding unpopular beliefs to mandated censorship of clubs and activities.
The most thought provoking discussion in the film arises when Mr. Wilson is asked whether or not he believes the Civil War was a good thing or not. He lays out solid argument for why Americans should view the Civil War in a different light and the implications it created for a nation wrestling with the debate of federal vs state power.
I would recommend this to anyone. However, I would emphasis it to college/high school aged students who are in the middle of this battle between Freedom and "Tolerance" and want to be encouraged.
America: Imagine the World Without Her (2014)
Haters Gonna Hate
I never knew this movie existed till it popped up on AmazonPrime. After watching it, I was blown away that it had such a low rating from IMDb. Consequently, I decided to throw in my 2 cents.
The Movie: This movie was created to show the significant role America has played in the history of the world and to address some of the modern-day criticism of our country. D'Souza addresses them chronologically, starting with Christopher Columbus, and lays out the counter-arguments in 20 minute or so blocks of time for each selected argument. Its mix of dramatic and documentary-type filmography was both different and entertaining for me.
Accuracy: I've looked up some specifics from the movie that I found particularly interesting, such as the magnitude illness affected the Native Americans (including the origins of the comparative Bubonic plague), number of indentured Irish servants who worked alongside the slaves, and some of the more autobiographic moments depicted. All of them seem to stack up to my findings.
Political Slant: Although the movie had a conservative perspective, there was nothing in the movie that I considered slanderous. Most of the political referenced made by D'Souza were supported through the video footage from TV or other various forms of media he provided. A viewer might not like what the film says, but nobody on any website that I've seen has garnered a solid, factual argument against his points.
Overall: I am politically disenfranchised with both parties and both 2016 political candidates. Being in this position might explain how I could view the movie as optimistic and hopeful. When I finished watching it, I really did feel proud of the accomplishments my country has achieved and the influence it has on the world. It made me feel like I lived in a place where people really could be whatever they choose to become. This is a view I want my children and grandchildren to have of their home in years to come. I would watch it again and I would encouraged others to do so.