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Rogue One (2016)
The Star Wars Spectacle
This review contains spoilers.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a science-fiction space opera movie set in the Star Wars universe. The movie takes place before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The movie is about a rag-tag group that takes on the Empire to steal the plans for the Death Star. The movie is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, and Donnie Yen.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the different Star Wars movie from the rest of the Star Wars movie catalog. The movie is a focused story on the Death Star plans. The movie frequently has cameos of villains in the chronologically later movies. Among these are Empire officer Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader. These cameos strangely take precedence over the story that Rogue One wants to tell. This is one of the detractions from the movie that prevents it from being able to stand alone.
The action scenes are the best aspect of this movie. It is visceral in the minute details and epic in the scope. The effects and setup for these action scenes were the best in the entire Star Wars series. This movie had solid effects, solid action setup, solid choreography, and solid story to explain these action scenes. The audience truly feels the scale of the Rebellions battles against the Empire in this movie. Gareth Edwards does a great job with presenting the situations that the protagonists find themselves in.
The fault with Rogue One is its plot and story. The plot and story are present here to provide the action scenes instead of the other way around. The action scenes are the driving force in this movie and plot and story are merely vehicles. This goes doubly so for the characters involved in this movie. There is simply not much to characterize them other than they want vengeance against the Empire. Each of the characters has different flavors of this vengeance, but ultimately they are all the same. One good aspect of this is that each of the characters do have distinctive traits about them. All of them are played decently as best they could have been. A distinction needs to be made for Forrest Whittaker's character of Saw Gerrera. The character felt like it should have been important, but was relegated to small roles in this movie. More fault is directed at the script rather than the actor as there was not much to work with.
Despite the story problems, I would recommend "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story".
Grade: C.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
An incredibly messy conclusion
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the third installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The movie is directed by J. J. Abrams, with the story being written by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, J. J. Abrams, and Chris Terrio. The movie stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker takes place a few months after the conclusion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The resistance discovers the threat of a revived Emperor Palpatine and a doom armada of Star Destroyers. The resistance stages one last stand against the rising threat of Palpatine.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is not a good movie both as a movie itself and as a conclusion to a trilogy. The movie has many problems that are exacerbated by the story. The plot of the movie moves at a break-neck pace. Although the movie has 142 minutes of running time, the movie feels like it is covering so much material that it can easily be split into two movies. In addition the plot elements are not done tastefully or well. The plot elements are thrown in for the audience to consume rather than consider and enjoy.
The movie immediately starts with a resurrected Palpatine being discovered by Kylo Ren. The meeting of these two would be a pivotal moment in Kylo Ren's story as he meets the man that corrupted Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. Instead the movie glosses over it immediately and continues. It is then revealed that Snoke, who had converted Ben Solo to the dark side was created by Palpatine. These reveals added nothing to the overall trilogy when it should have. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker began the movie with these plot elements and the rest of the movie does not get much better. The movie gets more contrived as the story attempts to tie everything together for one last installment.
The movie's good attribute is its good sound, set design, and effects. The Rise of Skywalker succeeds in maintaining the level of quality that both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi have. The actors and actresses all do an appreciable job in their roles. None of the actors have a standout performance but there are no weak performances.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a movie that really shows how the sequel trilogy is inferior to the original trilogy and prequel trilogy. The sequel trilogy failed to impress the audience because it did not have a plan for the entire trilogy. Although the prequel trilogy had bad dialogue and a messy plot, the prequel trilogy had a single writer that was able to merge the ideas together. The narrative was cohesive and it showed how a trilogy could be created. The original trilogy had a longer time between releases and the writing was considerate of the characters and the story they wanted to tell. The sequel trilogy does not have this aspect and it failed to deliver a cohesive narrative. The sequel trilogy frequently pulled the audience in multiple directions only for the unique aspects of the sequel trilogy to be written away.
I would not recommend 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'. The conclusion to the trilogy is a messy installment that highlights problems with the sequel trilogy.
Grade: D.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Misplaced Priorities
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The movie is directed by Rian Johnson and stars the main cast from The Force Awakens. In this movie, we see Rey finally meet Luke Skywalker as the threat of the First Order looms over the galaxy.
This movie is riddled with problems. Long time fans of the series will be disappointed by the writing and dialogue choices of this movie. Luke Skywalker's character is handled poorly. A classic hero that undertook a suicide mission to redeem his father now chooses to kill Ben Solo, a force sensitive when he senses evil. This plot point was too much of a stretch without establishing character changes in Luke beforehand. Without any establishing character moments, Luke Skywalker is a separate character than when the audience had seen them. By completely changing the character, the writers had butchered audience emotion into Luke Skywalker. From the first time that the audience sees Luke, they see him as a Jedi that willfully disregards his past. This is a stretch from Luke Skywalker of the original trilogy where he was always willing to face his past and himself despite overwhelming odds. I do not understand why the writers thought that Luke should be changed to be this miserable husk of a Jedi master.
Along with this, the movie disregarded hints that Ben Solo turned to the dark side as a teenager then destroyed Luke's temple. A plot hint that was established in The Force Awakens. The entire knights of Ren story arc is removed or ignored by this movie. It felt as if the entire movie wanted to disregard the arcs that were setup in the previous movie, The Force Awakens.
The movie pulls the audience in many directions with its humor. With many scenes that should not be light hearted but it is. One of these scenes takes place in a casino with Finn and Rose. These characters nearly face death but continue to joke around. The movie opens with this tone with Poe Dameron talking to Hux in a humorous exchange.
Another mis-step is Leia's apparent death. The movie has Leia survive a direct hit on the bridge resulting in her and the rest of the crew's deaths. Somehow through the force, Leia is somehow able to survive. Leia survives by using the force and moving to the rebel ship. Leia never showed any Force powers up until this point and the movie decided to go in a completely crazy direction to save the character. The movie does these side-steps that make the plot appear to be pulled in may directions when the plot is in fact simplistic.
Any audiences looking for a big reveal with Snoke will be disappointed here. Snoke is killed off in a pointless manner to have Kylo Ren "bury the past". I do not understand why this was done as the mystery of Snoke was one of the more interesting parts of The Force Awakens.
The positives of this movie are competent directing, good acting, and great action. The writing drags the movie down and will cause long time fans to dislike it.
I would only recommend this movie to audiences that are not invested into the backstory of the series. Standing alone, the movie is acceptable. Overall I do not recommend Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.
Grade: D.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
A familiar successor
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens is the sequel to Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. The Force Awakens is the first entry to the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The movie is directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt. The movie has Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew reprising their roles of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, C-3PO, and Chewbacca respectively. The new cast is composed of Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, and Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron. The story follows the rise of the First Order as they seek a missing Luke Skywalker.
The Force Awakens is a rehash of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The plot and story structure is incredibly similar. Both movies start with a droid having an important object that wanters and encounters the character that will become a Jedi. The villains build a superweapon that destroys a planet. The movie ends with the characters destroying the superweapon. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens played it too safe. There is not much originality in this Star Wars episode. I am hard pressed to think of what story or plot that this movie does differently. The only things that are different are its environment, characters, and technology.
The environment looks the same and is named differently. Jakku and Tatooine function the same way with regards to its plot. Likewise, the movie explored different planets that are pretty to look at but are vapid. The characters in this movie are different. The highlight here is John Boyega as Finn. I enjoyed his character arc where he goes from a First Order trooper to a Resistance fighter. Poe Dameron does not get as much screen time but he does well in the movie. Daisy Ridley as Rey is the star in this movie and she does well in her role. What is not good is Rey as a character.
Rey is a bland character. I had hoped there would be more of a character arc with her, but this mostly involves her use of Force powers instead of interesting character interactions. The only good character interactions she had is with Han Solo. Even with her interaction it was all to show how adept she is at every skill she employs. This is the main difference and why I thought Finn is a better character. He had his shortcomings but still had a conflict. By the end of the movie, he had tried overcoming them and had more involved character interactions across the movie.
Even with the flaws above, the movie does a good job with everything else. The movie uses its action and effects well. Every action moment plays an important event in the story. The action is also well-shot and directed. J. J. Abrams can make an exciting science-fiction movie. The main scene that is well done is the X-Wing fight on Takodana.
Overall, I would recommend Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Grade: B.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Redemption by revenge
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith premiered in 2005. The movie is the sequel to Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and marks the last chapter to the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The Clone Wars have begun with the Republic fighting against the separatists. Once again the movie follows Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, and Palpatine as the Sith strike backs against the Jedi. The movie is directed and written by George Lucas.
The third chapter to the prequel trilogy is an improvement compared with the first two movie installments. This movie does not have as many of the pointless story arcs that seemed to drone on and on. What is still here is the stunted and stilted dialogue. All of the characters in this movie suffer from this. At times it is hard and cringe-worthy to experience. At other times the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious. There is a scene at the end of the movie when Darth Vader receives his trademark suit from the original trilogy. The scene where the emperor and Vader and talk is ridiculously silly. I thought that this was a comedy movie with how funny the dialogue is.
The plot is much improved and more enjoyable this time. As said the story is not nearly as scattered as it was before. The story focuses on the rising evil of the Sith and Chancellor. This is a positive improvement. However, with every good that the prequel trilogy does, there are other poor aspects of the same category. The movie fails to make logical sense in the plot. Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious and the Sith Lord that the Jedi have been searching for. Somehow the Jedi are not able to discover that the Senator craving more power is evil without Anakin telling them about it. This is not the only plot hole is only more is exposed as time goes on.
The thing that the movie does do well is the action and effects. The action and effects are incredibly fun to watch. There are many set pieces that will bedazzle the viewer with space battles, lightsaber duels and futuristic devices. It does feel too excessive at times and I wish that Star Wars stuck to it plot and story as its main strengths.
Overall I would recommend Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The movie is an acceptable conclusion to the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Grade: B
The prequel trilogy in general has been disappointing. The trilogy as a whole prioritized its effects rather than its plot.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
The middle mess in the prequels
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the clones is the sequel to 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The Attack of the Clones premiered in 2001, and is the sequel is the middle chapter in the prequel trilogy. The movie is written and directed by George Lucas. The second episode stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christopher Lee. The movie takes place ten years after the events of The Phantom Menace. The Galactic Republic is threatened by a separatist movement up organized by a former Jedi master.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones has the same problems as The Phantom Menace. Star Wars' fun and good effects are here but the writing suffers here. Anyone that hoped for a better written story will not find it here. Even audiences that liked The Phantom Menace will not find characters that are similar here. Each character only shares the name and nothing else. The last time the audience knew these characters is ten years ago in The Phantom Menace. Anakin and Padme are separate characters with different goals and motivations. Likewise Obi-Wan Kenobi's training of Anakin happened off-screen in the the ten years between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The audience never get to see Anakin grow.
The plot is also dropped onto the audience. The conspiracy apparently was in place for a while before the story, but it does not have clear goals and plans. Every action taken against the main characters does not have any sense. For example the conspirators wanted to kill Padmé Amidala before she could vote on a motion to create an army to combat the separatists. The assassin tries to kill Padmé by snakes when it is later revealed that the assassin had a sniper rifle and that another assassin had a rocket. There are much better options to assassinate the senator but snakes were chosen that still left evidence that there is an attempt on Padme's life.
The above event triggers Anakin to accompany Padme back to Naboo and Obi-Wan to investigate the assassination. The Jedi Council that made this decision should have switched the two Jedis. It felt that the Jedi council made the worst decision possible for the wisest people in the galaxy. This leads to a slow romance from Anakin and Padme that is not enjoyable to watch.
Overall I would not recommend Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.
Grade: D.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
A fresh mess
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is directed and written by George Lucas. The movie is the first in the Star wars prequel trilogy. The movie stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, and Ian McDiarmid. The story takes place many years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. It follows the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker's youth.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is a movie with many problems. Although the movie is a return to the beloved Star Wars universe, the main problem is the poor writing in this movie. The main problem is that there is too much in the movie. The movie does not have a main character that the audience can follow and see grow. There is a massive dichotomy between the two Jedi characters of Qui-Gon Jinn, played by Liam Neeson, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor. These two characters have their own story, arc and much of it is a distraction from the main plot. In addition there are many strange choices that Qui-Gon Jinn makes that calls into question how he had become a Jedi master. Qui-Gon Jinn rigs games, and shuns his current apprentice for Anakin. These actions are not explained.
The movie sets up the world of Naboo with introductions to the Gungans and The Trade Federation. This also introduces the Naboo royalty in Queen Amidala. This world building would be fine, but none of it is used past this movie. The next two prequel trilogy movies eschew the world this had created for more familiar sights. As it stands this movie did a lot of building that turned out useless other than to introduce characters for the next two movies. This continues to other parts of the story as well.
Each events in this movie does not flow well. It seems the the movie needed to have them in order to setup the rest of the prequel trilogy. There are duels and action scenes with no consequence or stakes. This would be acceptable it the direction was decent but this is not the case here The direction is bland and does not capture the action well. There are many scenes that could be more tense but the direction does not help it.
The casting choices are well done, but the character themselves leave much to be desired. It is hard to understand what is motivating the characters as none of it is explained well. The only character that has clear motivations is Ian McDiarmid as Senator Palpatine. Other than that the characters are only there.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is a movie with a lot of problems. These problems distract from the movie and it cannot be recommended.
Grade: C.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
A satisfying conclusion
This review contains spoilers.
The Return of the Jedi is episode six of the Star Wars saga. This movie is the sequel to 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and marks the concluding movie to the original trilogy. The movie picks up one year after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke Skywalker has completed his Jedi training. The remaining rebels have banded together in an attempt to destroy the Empire once and for all.
The Return of the Jedi is a weak entry in the Star Wars original trilogy. This is still a good movie and conclusion to the original trilogy. The movie fully realizes the conclusion to Luke Skywalker's character arc by having him redeem his father in Lord Vader. This character arc can be strange to watch as Luke seemingly abandons any logic in an attempt to save his father from the dark side. I still liked this story and its conclusion.
All the familiar characters from, the previous two movies return here. Like Luke they have satisfying conclusions to their characters. Han Solo's romance with Princess Leia reaches its conclusion. The main focus is still on Luke Skywalker's story arc.
The movie itself is shot well, with the overall cinematography at a good standard. The sound design is at a high standard here. The soundtrack is nice with the highlight being Luke Skywalker's duel with Darth Vader.
There are elements of the story that do not make sense. I enjoyed the character of the emperor but his creation of a second Death Star is a horrible rehash of the first part of the original trilogy. The entire movie leads up to the confrontation on the second Death Star and Endor. It is the confrontation that leaves much to be desired. The movie could have been more creative.
Even with the minor flaws, I still recommend Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi.
Grade: A.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The middle odyssey
This review contains spoilers.
The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to 1977's A New Hope. The Empire Strikes Back is the second Star Wars movie released and follows the same cast of characters from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Luke Skywalker has destroyed the Death Star and joined the Rebel, Alliance. Alongside Han Solo and Princess Leia, the three continue their adventure. Luke Skywalker seeks out an old Jedi master. Meanwhile the Empire retaliates against the Rebellion.
The Empire Strikes Back is the perfect sequel. This second chapter to the original trilogy has so much to offer to its viewers. The story, characters, and world are continued well here. The story's climax is among the best. It reveals much about every character and makes the journey worthwhile.
Mark Hamill plays Luke Skywalker incredibly well. He has a good acting range that is utilized well in this movie. His character goes through an impressive arc from escaping Hoth to learning from Yoda to the final duel with Lord Vader. Luke's character arc is impressive and Mark Hamill does a good job reflecting.
The rest of the characters do get good arcs in this movie. Every characters' arc converges onto the cloud city of Bespin. Han Solo is played well by Harrison Ford and he continues as the reluctant smuggler. Carrie Fisher plays Princess Leia as the Rebel Alliance is threatened. Viewers that enjoyed watching Lord Vader will enjoy that he returns here.
I highly recommend Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. This movie is one of the best sequels across movie history.
Grade: A.
Star Wars (1977)
The quintessential hero's journey in a sci-fi setting
This review contains spoilers.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is a science-fiction space opera film directed and written by George Lucas. The movie stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, and Alec Guinness. The movie is about a galaxy in a civil war as rebel spies find plans for the Empire's super weapon. A farmer named Luke Skywalker rises to his destiny as he and a local hermit embark on an adventure when they find a droid.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is the classic hero's journey in a science-fiction form. This movie needs to be watched by anyone with even a passing interest in films. This film has the hero's journey packed in an incredibly accessible way. This film's plot is easy and engrossing to follow. The hero's journey of Luke Skywalker is reflected well in his characteristics and movie events. Luke Skywalker is one of the best heroic characters. Mark Hamill really made a name for himself by playing Luke Skywalker so convincingly. The rest of the cast does a great job. Harrison Ford plays Han Solo, a suave smuggler. Carrie Fisher plays Princess Leia of the Rebel Alliance.
The special effects are not perfect but do a good job in telling a special story. It was cool to watch the special effects used to immerse the viewer into the Star Wars universe. Likewise the props, practical effects, and costumes are of good quality here. Part of what made the story so successful is its effective use of the effects that are present.
I highly recommend Star Wars. Even with the later edits by George Lucas the movie continues to retain its magic and charm.
Grade: A.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
The closed bubbles
This review contains spoilers.
The Social Dilemma is a documentary produced by Netflix that premiered in 2019. The documentary concerns the rise of social media and its effects on a free society. Numerous employees at the technology companies in question are interviewed that provide perspectives into the state of social media.
The Social Dilemma presents an interesting view into the nature of social media. All of the technology companies in the 21st century have a vast wealth of data and computing power at their disposal. At the beginning, the companies had altruistic goals which was to connect an individual with information. This was an admirable goal at the beginning, but then the goal had become corrupted. The Social Dilemma presents this as data driving customer usage of their services. This in turn allows more customer data to be sold for the purpose of advertisements. One of the examples used is Google.
Google has an incentive to keep customers to keep using their products. These products like Google Search or YouTube can drive the customers remaining on the platform for purposes of advertising. Google also has an incentive to keep a user on the platform to gain more data. At the start of Google's journey with Internet searching, this was done to keep a user searching to power generic advertisements. However as time went on, the change became to begin utilizing customer data to have targeted advertisements and catered search results. This setting is enabled by default. In addition, the tailored Internet search results became a driving force. This is such that a customer would spend more time on the platform to feed more data into the platform. Google had been a primary problem in The Social Dilemma as it used its powers to voluntarily or involuntarily place its users into bubbles of information. Anything that would displeasure a user would not be shown. However, this act pales in comparison to Facebook.
Facebook's usage of user data had become an extreme push from Google's principles. This usage of customer data absolutely drives customers into bubbles. Facebook also has private and personal information about its users at its disposal. Facebook uses this to great effect to entice users back into their platform. Facebook knows that personal updates on friends can drive increased usage of the platform. Facebook also chooses to only place users into bubbles to ensure that its users are docile and complacent in the platform. Facebook ensures all of this and collects user information for purposes of advertisements.
There are no solid proposed solutions presented by The Social Dilemma. All of the proposed solutions depend on the users being aware of their actions instead of being mindless users of social media. If there was a good criticism against this documentary, the dramatized accounts were not useful. The documentary did not present any grand solution. Instead the solution was to simply not use social media.
I would recommend "The Social Dilemma".
Grade: B.
The Irishman (2019)
A sweeping epic
This review contains spoilers.
The Irishman is a 2019 American epic crime movie. The movie is directed by Martin Scorcese and is based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. The movie stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. A delivery truck driver, Frank Sheeran, in Philadelphia sells the contents of his truck to a crime family. This introduces Frank Sheeran to the world of organized crime.
The Irishman is a wide sweeping epic crime movie. This movie paints a broad stroke with its 209 minutes of running time. This running time tells an epic story across the 1950s all the way to the early 1990s. The story follows Frank Sheeran and his interactions with the crime families and Jimmy Hoffa. This story is grand in scope and the movie executes this incredibly well. The actors and actresses have ageing and de-ageing technology that is applied to their faces. As the years continue they also act according to their age. It makes for an involved story as the audience can see that characters ageing before their eyes. It also reflects the changing nature of the characters as motivations and goals change.
The relationship between Frank Sheeran and Jimmy Hoffa is reflected incredibly well in this movie. The movie centers on this relationship as the movie unfolds. Both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as Frank Sheeran and Jimmy Hoffa are believable and astounding in their roles. I bought into their relationship and it was painful that Frank Sheeran had to kill Jimmy Hoffa. Up until that point Frank Sheeran came to a respectful relation with Jimmy Hoffa and vice-versa. The two men and their families have chemistry on the screen. They also care about one another.
The directing in this movie is not as electric as other Martin Scorcese movies. This movie is much more flat in its direction than the movies such as Goodfellas or The Departed. I felt that the direction could be improved but the direction ultimately has the grand scope that makes the movie involved.
I would recommend 'The Irishman'. The length of this movie is definitely felt by any audience. However any audience that is willing to watch this movie needs to be patient and in the mood for a slow-burning story.
Grade: B.
The I-Land (2019)
Hilariously bad
This review contains spoilers.
The I-Land is a Netflix produced show that premiered in 2019. The series is about a group of death row inmates that find themselves in a simulation to redeem themselves.
The I-Land Season One
The I-Land's first season is an overall disaster. This season has many problems that were apparent in the first episode. The series has almost all unlikable characters. The only likable character was Moses as he is actually able to be a good person in the simulation. Even his crime was involuntary manslaughter as he did not want to cause harm to people. This character was killed off in an awful way with Cooper accidentally shooting Moses. The actor for this character aws also enjoyable to watch as he made the series more light-hearted. The other characters in this series are awfully antagonistic. The I-Land inhabitants do not seem to want to get along or even discover the mystery of why they are in the I-Land.
The first season fails in telling a cohesive story. There are many inconsistencies across the entire series. One of these is K. C. having a stab wound on her that is continued into the I-Land. Cooper has facial scarring that is not carried into the I-Land. This inconsistency is never explained in the series.
I would not recommend 'The I-Land'. The series has so bad it is good moments but these are not enough to make the series watchable.
Grade: D.
The I-Land: The Dark Backward (2019)
A pointless twist
This review contains spoilers.
The I-Land's seventh episode and finale to the first season is entitled 'The Dark Backward'. The episode takes place after the conclusion of the last episode with Chase being awakened in the prison. She must deal with the Warden as he attempts to remove Chase.
The finale is incredibly messy. This finale takes place almost entirely in the real-world prison. The episode heavily features Chase as she navigates her release. The episode also features the return of the Warden as he tries to eliminate Chase. This plot thread in this episode makes no sense. The simulation of the I-Land was already being seen by the jurors. They also had talked to Chase before and Chase had told them already that the simulation was inhumane.
There are hilarious moments in this episode mainly with the Marshals and the Warden. The Warden getting caught in this episode was hilarious as he advocates for the extermination of the death row inmates. Even when he knew that Chase was innocent it did not stop the Warden from wanting to kill her. In addition the Warden stating how great the cannibal was in the simulation, made for a hilarious few minutes as he said this during the juror hearing.
The final twist of Chase being an avatar made no sense. If she was actually in the prison system for a long time, then many events in the series made no sense. Cooper was Chase's husband and he had murdered Chase's mother. For some reason, Cooper still decided to not confess even after Chase was caught by law enforcement. Cooper in the simulation showed that he cared for Chase. However this was not reflected in this twist. In addition, the twist fails because Chase was able to do stunts that would be impossible for a woman her age. She was able to knock out and fight several guards. She was also able to jump out of a truck and roll. These stunts would cause her severe injury and she would not be fit to immediately continue.
I would not recommend the season one finale 'The Dark Backward'. The episode is a funny conclusion, however the episode fails in logic.
Grade: D.
1917 (2019)
A one-shot epic
This review contains spoilers.
1917 is a war movie that was directed by Sam Mendes. The movie is written by Sam Mendes, and Krysty Wilson-Cairns. The movie stars George MacKay, and Dean-Charles Chapman as two lance corporals in the British army that are sent to deliver a message across enemy lines.
1917 is an incredibly simple story. The story follows two lance corporals that are assigned a mission to deliver a message across enemy lines. The movie immediately begins with the two lance corporals as they awaken to the mission. Lance Corporal Blake has a brother in the second Devonshire battalion that is going over the top in the morning and assaulting the enemy lines. The two lance corporals race against time to deliver the message and prevent the attack from taking place. The story is not the main focus here as the story is incredibly basic without many twists and turns. The story is appropriate to the movie as the audience does feel the panic of the main characters as they are trying to overcome the time crunch.
The casting of this movie is excellent. Both George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman do a great job in their roles as the messengers. George MacKay deserves praise for carrying a stoic performance as he is plucked for a hellish mission. The movie uses George MacKay astoundingly as he has to navigate through enemy territory in a race against time to save the second Devonshire battalion. Dean-Charles Chapman did a good job for much of the movie until his character's death. The death scene is incredibly haunting as Schofield, played by George MacKay, has to deal with the death of his friend and uncertainty around his chances of succeeding in the mission.
The music and cinematography of this movie is bewildering. The music and cinematography work together in such a way as to create an invested experience for the audience. The use of a one-shot directing style did not feel like a gimmick. The one-shot style added to the experience as the directing showed the realities of trench warfare that Lance Corporal Schofield and Lance Corporal Blake had to endure. The audience also followed the journey of these two as they had to cross into enemy territory at risk of danger from the environment and German soldiers. The one-shot style is done in a way that will dazzle the eyes and senses. Of note is the scene in the ruins at night where Schofield has to run through the ruins in order to reach the second Devonshire battalion. This scene is impressive in the execution as flares were constantly fired into the air to reveal any presence in the ruins. This along with the soundtrack created a foreboding sense of tension that at any moment Schofield could have been hit by a bullet.
I highly recommend '1917'. This is one of the best war movies and one of the best movies in the 2010-2019 decade.
Grade: A.
Knives Out (2019)
An excellent written mystery
This review contains spoilers.
Knives Out is a mystery movie that premiered in 2019. The movie is directed, written, and produced by Rian Johnson. The movie stars Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. A wealthy crime novelist is found dead and the leading cause is suicide. A famous private detective by the name of Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, is invited to investigate the death.
Knives Out is a great mystery that has many positive attributes. Knives Out's primary attribute is its snazzy writing. The writing is incredibly energetic and done well by Rian Johnson. The writing is the main draw to this story as the audience tries to piece together the mystery. Harlan Thrombey died after a family reunion which did not go perfectly. The story gradually uncovers facts such as the nurse Marta having accidentally killed Harlan. The movie unfolds these mysteries incredibly well and uses aspects such as Marta's inability to lie to great effect.
Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera is an excellent actress in the role. She portrays the nurse that needs to stay one step ahead of the investigation incredibly. I found that all the scenes with her portrayed the desperation, humor, and deviousness in a way that was refreshing to see. Marta Cabrera had a funny innocence to the character as the mystery unfolded and she discovered she was being used.
The main highlight in the movie is Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. The private detective has a southern drawl that is played to great effect by Daniel Craig. The movie uses this character effectively as Marta frequently tries to get ahead of the private investigator. I enjoyed all the scenes with Benoit Blanc and it is easy to get lost in the character's charm. Even when the character is acting lazily this is entertaining to watch.
I would recommend 'Knives Out'.
Grade: B.
Get Krack!n (2017)
Hilarious but uneven
This review contains spoilers.
Get Krackin' is hilarious at times but the overall package is lacking. There are great highlights in this show such as any sketch with the loony Helen Bidou. The Kates are great at times but they appear bored at others. The problem in the series is that the show as a whole does not have as much as energy as the Kates' last project of The Katering Show. There are a lot of great ideas in this show but not all of them may stick with the audience. The Katering Show is superior to Get Krackin' and I would recommend any person that enjoys Get Krackin's earlier episodes to watch The Katering Show instead.
Grade: C.
Get Krack!n: Episode #2.8 (2019)
Rough ending
This review contains spoilers.
Get Krackin's eighth episode in the second season ends with the Kates delivering and Miranda Tapsell and Nakkiah Lui taking over the morning show. The show is incredibly rough up till this point and the finale felt incredibly random and edgy. The episode could have been produced better to not have the ending be as jarring as it is.
Grade: C
Get Krackin' Season Two
The second season does better in the earlier half than the latter. The earlier half has more unique comedy sketches and better quality than the latter half. The ending of this season is not great and does not reflect the series well. The writing in the finale of the season feels like they wanted it to end.
Grade: C.
Get Krack!n: Episode #1.8 (2017)
Rough season
This review contains spoilers.
Get Krackin's eighth episode in the first season ends with the Kates continuing the show despite the many issues in the morning production. The first season finale is definitely not as good as the rest of the season. It feels as if the series wanted to end it on an edgy note and the episode does deliver here.
Grade: C
Get Krackin' Season One
The Kates are fresh from the Katering Show into a syndicated comedy series on television. The season is incredibly messy from start to finish with the tone not settling on a common theme like The Katering Show. The season's beginning is absolutely better than its ending. The beginning had more original comedy sketches and felt more developed. The latter half of the season felt as if the writing was trying to string together.
Grade: C.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
A slow thriller and worthy sequel
This review contains spoilers.
Doctor Sleep is a horror movie that premiered in 2019. The movie is the sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 movie The Shining. The movie is directed by Mike Flanagan, and is based on the novel Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. The movie stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, and Cliff Curtis. Danny Torence survives his encounter at the Overlook hotel but is still haunted by his experiences. He delves into alcoholism to stifle his shining abilities. As Danny attempts to recover he discovers another with his ability.
Doctor Sleep is an excellent sequel to the 1980 movie The Shining. The movie is excellent overall and is a slow thriller with little to no jump scares. This movie is much more of a drama and character study that Danny Torence, played by Ewan McGregor, needing to deal with his alcoholism. The movie has Danny communicating with Abra played by Kyliegh Curran which enhances this dynamic further. The two are forced to make contact and help one another when The True Knot threatens their existence as individuals with the Shine. The story itself is incredibly enthralling and the movie takes its time to build up Danny Torence as a distinct character from how the audience saw him in The Shining.
Doctor Sleep has a great antagonist in Rose the Hat played by Rebecca Ferguson. The antagonist does not seem contrived as the villains came from the same power as Abra and Danny Torence. The antagonists were played to great effect in discussing addiction when Danny Torence was concerned. The antagonists hurt many innocent members that were represented by children. All of the scenes with Rose the Hat were enrapturing to watch as she and the cult of The True Knot were explored. These scenes added a lot to the immersion into the world that Stephen King created and it reflected well on the screen.
The casting and acting are perfect. I remember Ewan McGregor from his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels. In this movie he portrays the initially weak Danny Torence incredibly well. As the movie heads to a climax, Danny Torence needs to confront his addictions and deep seated fears of the hotel. Ewan McGregor does a convincing job of portraying Danny Torence fighting these temptations and underlying fears. The main villainess in Rose the Hat does an intimidating job orchestrating all of the plots that The True Knot creates in order to secure a longer life. These events are played well by the supporting cast.
I highly recommend 'Doctor Sleep'. This is a movie that has great themes and magnificent acting by the cast. The movie is less about horror and more of a personal introspection personified by Danny Torence.
Grade: A.
Midway (2019)
Ambitious but muddled
This review contains spoilers.
Midway is a war movie that premiered in 2019. The movie is directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Wes Tooke. The movie features an ensemble cast of Hollywood and foreign actors. The movie covers events before, during, and after the real life Battle of Midway.
Midway is an incredibly jumbled movie. The movie is chronological in the events that it depicts, however there are many loose threads of stories that are loosely connected in this movie. The movie is ultimately too ambitious for its 138 minutes of running time. The movie starts 1937 when the relations between the United States and Japan are breaking down. The movie then transitions to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The audience does not get into the Battle of Midway until the movie is well underway. The lead up to the battle is not as well earned as the events seem incredibly disparate. The different characters do not intertwine in a meaningful way. In addition the movie does not feature a protagonist. We follow many different perspectives. The closest character that comes close to being a protagonist is Edwin Layton portrayed by Patrick Wilson. The movie frequently switches to perspectives of the bombing squadron to tell their story.
Midway is a visual treat and the movie does treat the history with respect. I did enjoy the movie discussed the Japanese perspective as they began the battle. The battle itself is impressive to watch in this movie. The United States pilots are portrayed as heroic with the Japanese pilots not being featured much. The one item that was missing was the bombing of Yorktown. The Yorktown carrier being attacked is cut to after the bomb had already devastated the carrier. It felt cheap to the audience that we were not able to see the Japanese retaliate after their carrier fleet was decimated.
The direction and writing of the movie could have been in better hands however the movie has enough enjoyable elements for the viewers.
I would recommend "Midway".
Grade: C.
Joker (2019)
A slower psychological movie
This review contains spoilers.
Joker is a psychological thriller movie that premiered in 2019. The movie is based on the DC comics character Joker. The movie is directed by Todd Phillips, and written by Todd Phillips, and Scott Silver. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck a down on his luck party clown.
Joker is an interesting origin story for the titular character. The movie is a slow look at the insanity that Arthur Fleck descends into. He battles his psychological problems and discovers facts about his mother that disturb him. The movie focuses the 122 minutes of running time on Arthur Fleck as the audience sees his mental state deteriorating. The movie has an incredibly dark tone that should be commended. The movie explored the use of a villain as the main character and the setting of Gotham being a rundown urban city was the opposite of how Gotham is portrayed in other media. The city is much more threatening than how the city looked from Bruce Wayne's perspective.
Joker does not shy away from the unpleasant aspects of mental illness and destitution. The movie portrays the helplessness that is felt by someone like Arthur Fleck with accuracy. This character comes to identify the lower classes both in Gotham and in urban centers around the world. The idea of a character that does not stand for anything becoming a symbol is believable in this movie.
The movie is open to interpretation. As the first act of the movie ends, Arthur's medication is cut due to lack of funding at the mental center that he checks in at. The first act of the movie reflects reality but then later Arthur begins having delusions. These delusions plague on the audience interprets the movie as they only see the movie through Arthur's eyes. There is no other perspective in this movie. The other characters do react realistically but they react only to Arthur Fleck. The later portions of the movie become less believable as Arthur is executing seemingly impossible plans. The movie does try to ground the audience with real events by showing them through the television. This was an interesting approach but the movie becomes similar to other movies that this movie is a fan of. One of these movies is The King of Comedy (1982) where the entire ending finale is pulled from The King of Comedy. Much of Arthur Fleck's goals are similar to the goals found in The King of Comedy that it makes the movie feel less original.
Despite some of the problems in Joker's originality, Joaquin Phoenix's performance makes this movie. He is a perfect Joker and the actor masterfully reflects the descent into insanity that characterizes the Joker. I would recommend Joker.
Grade: B.
Crawl (2019)
A tense crowd pleaser
This review contains spoilers.
Crawl is a disaster thriller movie that premiered in July 2019. The movie is directed by Alexandre Aja. The story is written by Michael Rasmussen, and Shawn Rasmussen. The movie stars Kaya Scodelario, and Barry Pepper. A category five hurricane barrels towards Florida and a college-level swimmer returns home to find her father. During her visit, the swimmer, named Haley Keller, becomes entangled in surviving crocodiles that have infested a home. Dave Keller, Haley's father, must work with her daughter to escape the house that is becoming submerged.
Crawl is a personal tale that focuses entirely on Haley Keller. Almost the entire movie focuses entirely on Kaya Scodelario's character. We follow her as she finds the news that her father might be trapped and her journey into the flooding home. The movie keeps the tension up as the flooding gets worse in the house. Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper give good performances as the leading roles in this movie. There are many scenes where these two share a dramatic moment as they get past their differences to deal with the alligator problem.
The monsters in this movie are the alligators. There are multiple alligators that terrorize the main characters and kill the looters in the area. These alligators are portrayed as incredibly brutal as they behave like animals that tear apart its prey. The movie uses computer-generated imagery for these alligators and after the initial viewing of the alligators they become more fluid. The opening shots of the alligators in the basement did not look good but as they became more obscured and started to blend in with the environment they look better. The actors do a good job reacting to the monsters well.
There is not much of a story in Crawl. The movie is incredibly basic in its story as Haley only wants to rescue her father and not much else. I watched the movie for its basic story and I was pleased with the result. Anyone expecting more from the movie should look elsewhere.
I would recommend 'Crawl'.
Grade: C.
Ad Astra (2019)
A thoughtful space adventure
This review contains spoilers.
Ad Astra is a science-fiction adventure movie that premiered in 2019. The movie is directed by James Gray, written by James Gray and Ethan Gross. The movie stars Brad Pitt in the lead role. The movie is about Major Roy McBride that accepts a mission to communicator with his father that is at the edge of the Solar System.
Ad Astra is not an action movie. Despite the trailers making the movie out to be a space action-adventure, the movie is not an action-adventure. The movie is incredibly beautiful in its long shots and action sequences. There are action elements in this movie but they are few and far between for a movie that is more of a character study. This movie has its center across its 124 minutes of running time on Major Roy McBride. This character is played incredibly well by Brad Pitt and it serves as the audience's vehicle through the movie. The movie is anchored entirely by Brad Pitt and he does a good job playing the stoic astronaut. The movie has interesting aspects that reflect in its world.
Ad Astra's world is masterfully shown and created. This world is shown through Major Roy McBride's eyes. The world is a near future where space travel has become more mainstream. The moon has been colonized and corporations influence the moon station. There are even space pirates that are present on the moon. Spaceships are more plentiful with the designs being influenced by existing space shuttles the United States of America has created in the past. The world feels dusty and decrepit as Major Roy McBride accelerates to meeting his father.
The full arc of this story is Major Roy McBride reaching his father of H. Clifford McBride. This story has a lack of surprise as its surprise. Clifford McBride's mission objective was to find out if intelligent life existed. When Roy McBride reaches the Lima Project space station, he discovers that his father had not found any evidence of intelligent life outside of the Solar System. The movie plays this plot thread and it can be disappointing for any audiences that were expecting a grand science fiction movie. I thought the surprise in the plot was interesting as the movie was always going to be about the relationship with Roy McBride and Clifford McBride. The story succeeds in examining this relationship but fails in having the mystery defined.
There are some problems in the story. The world has astronauts that must pass a psychological examination in order to fly. However in this movie, the psychological examination can be cheated. In this movie Roy McBride offers an emotional statement in the evaluation but he delivers it stoically. This still convinces the evaluation to allow him to fly a spaceship. Later when Roy enters into another evaluation, Roy finds himself speaking stoically but is emotionally concerned. The test fails him and he is grounded. The test is incredibly flawed but somehow plays an important role in the movie.
I would recommend "Ad Astra".
Grade: B.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)
An interesting documentary
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley is a documentary produced by HBO that is directed by Alex Gibney. The documentary follows the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes' company Theranos. The movie tracks the initial goals of the company as it claims to revolutionize blood testing. The movie then follows its subsequent collapse as insiders begin telling the story of the company on the inside.
The Inventor: Out for Blood looks at the whole history of Theranos from its founding to its ultimate downfall. It tracks Elizabeth Holmes' story from how she wanted to found the company to the ultimate collapse as the truth was discovered. This journey was interesting to watch unfold as the documentary brought in people that it interviewed that shed light on the entire situation at Theranos. It paints a grim picture as the company had an optimistic vision but it ultimately succumbed to its own ambitions.
The situation at Theranos that this movie presents is a grim one. It shows that the company ultimately swept problems under the rug and kept promoting the image of success. The image of the company persuaded investors to continue investing money into Theranos which ultimately proved to be a trap. The company had intentions to do blood tests but it continued to be delusional in its execution of the intention. The movie showed this through the two primary whistleblowers of Erika Cheung and Tyler Schultz. These junior employees that were fresh out of college were lured into this dangerous company culture. The movie portrayed these junior employees that became whistleblowers incredibly well.
Many of the other interviewers that this movie uses were not as great as the two whistleblowers in Erika Cheung and Tyler Schultz. They still were able to present the story of Theranos well and the inclusion of them helped shine a light on the rise of Theranos and its ultimate fall. I did feel that the inclusion of some interviewers were in the movie to pad its length of 119 minutes. The movie felt too long at some points as it was going over the same points over and over again. It also made its points but it seemed to lack definitive evidence rather than using the facts.
I would recommend 'The Inventor: Out for Blood'. The documentary is solid and shows the dark side of a Silicon Valley company.
Grade: B.