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Better Call Saul: Waterworks (2022)
Wow.
Vince Gilligan once again delivers a superb and challenging episode that is on the level of 'Ozymandias', except maybe better. Awesome episode from start to finish, I have no idea how the finale will end but I'll be ready. 10/10.
Bullet Train (2022)
Good old fun.
Haven't had this much fun in the theater since 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'. Bullet Train is filled with exciting gags, grotesquely unique action sequences, and a charismatic lead performance from the sensationally charming Brad Pitt. While I didn't think the jokes were all that hysterical, I could still appreciate the character writing and how well acted everything was. Aaron Taylor Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry were two of the biggest highlights in this star studded ensemble, their chemistry and brotherly bond gave the film a little heart and made the trip worthwhile. I had a bit of trouble adjusting to Joey King's character near the beginning, her presence was very insufferable to the point where I patiently waited for the character get die a horrible death. But once her motive became clear, I began to understand her purpose in the story and how it makes her character even more engaging. There's a ton of philosophical themes that I never expected such as the idea of fate being unescapable and how bad luck is essentially a common threat that every character experiences. The film does a great job reinforcing these themes in the finale and doesn't become too pretentious to the point where it completely tarnishes the action blockbuster tone the film sets up. This was the perfect movie to end the summer on; it was a witty stylish action comedy while at the same time it was a thoughtful character study.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
First Thoughts
Doctor Strange In The MoM was surprisingly an entertaining experience. It was still a painfully average Marvel flick, but it at least had a distinct style and tone compared to other entries in the MCU. Elizabeth Olsen was really good in the role as a deranged Scarlet Witch, she really expressed the character's insecurities better here than she did in WandaVision. However, I wished she received a better resolution rather than having her get crushed by a crumbling tower. I was happy to see Danny Elfman compose a good score again; it's certainly not his best, but it does regain the passion and energy that was lost in his recent scores. I was also impressed with the fact that they introduced Mr Fantastic and Professor X but then they get the most brutal deaths that I wouldn't expect in a Marvel property. Once Professor X was introduced, a kid in my theater yelled out "First Fantastic Four, and now X-Men? This is a Marvel movie not an X-Men movie!" I guess you could say the audience reactions enhanced the film for me because it was just full of confused children questioning the absurd events that take place on the screen. Sam Raimi's long return to the silver screen is a welcoming one at that, but there were certainly moments that felt held back and Disney formulated. Sam Raimi has proven that he can conceive a PG-13 horror film with 'Drag Me To Hell', which is another Raimi film on a whole new level of insanity. I really liked how this film experimented with different stylistic choices, but there were still moments and characters that dragged the film down. America was not a very compelling character; her entire personality is that she has a tragic backstory where she was startled by a bee and forms a multiverse portal that sucks in her two lesbian moms. There sure were stupid moments like this, but they weren't offensively bad to the point where I completely despised it. This movie blew my mind just like how Blackbolt blew his own mind, it was a chaotic good old time. I'm curious what the future for Doctor Strange will look like, it sure can't get crazier from here.
Succession (2018)
Non-spoiler review
Succession is a show on HBO that has gained a ton of praise and popularity since its premiere in 2018, featuring Brian Cox as a Trump-inspired businessman, Logan Roy, with a family of sharks and sociopaths. It grasped my interest when reading the premise, and I managed to have the time to watch the first season over thanksgiving break. It's not nearly as groundbreaking or as perfect as Breaking Bad, but I was invested from the start to the end. One of the many aspects this show excels in is the writing; the dialogue feels rich and natural, adding realism to the characters and scenario. The constant bickering and language the characters use adds a humorous tone to the show, and even elevates the realism even more. Even today there are people like the Roy family who present themselves to the public in an orderly fashion, as someone to be trusted and admired, when in reality they're devoid of sympathy and humanity to everyone including their own family. This show is not a satire, but only a harsh reminder of the dread and sadness that human beings inhabit.
Performance-wise, it's masterfully acted which is no surprise because one of the reasons I watched the show was to see the massively underrated Brian Cox. While Cox is obviously terrific in the role, there are other performances that steal the show away from him. Kieran Culkin, yet again, knocks it out of the park, Jeremy Strong is perfectly cast as the vulnerable Kendell Roy, and Sarah Snook just killed it. While every actor gave their A-game, the real scene stealer is Tom (immaculately portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen), who is absolutely hysterical in every scene he's in. His confrontations with Greg (Logan's clueless nephew) are by far the best moments of the show, and can only be seen to know why it's good. As far as characters and writing goes, it's an easy 10/10.
However, this season suffers with a lot of issues including the repetitive use of the theme. It is indeed a cool theme, but the more it was frequently used, it started to become unintentionally comedic. There's a scene where Logan makes a dramatic entrance from a helicopter in episode 9, and it sounds as if the theme was playing from the copter to emphasize how powerful and narcissistic the character is, but it ultimately falls flat because of how poorly presented it was. The constant use of the theme was annoying, and may be the only nitpick I have with the show.
In conclusion, it's a solid show with phenomenal performances and quality writing. Not a great show to watch with the family during Thanksgiving break, cause that's what I did and I don't regret it in the slightest.
Man of Steel (2013)
Meh
I don't love or hate 'Man of Steel', it's just a forgettable movie.
Zodiac (2007)
A triumph from beginning, middle, and end.
After watching 'Zodiac' for the second time, I'd consider it to be a flawless masterpiece, and almost as superior as 'The Social Network'. This film had me invested from start to finish that I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Everything about this film is phenomenal, from the performances, the screenplay, the production design, the cinematography, and the 70s noir score, everything is perfection. The film also succeeds in building tension and exceeding expectations, something you would expect in a biopic directed by David Fincher.
My only nitpicks, however, is that some of the music choices felt a little awkward in some scenes and RDJ's performance took me out of the 70s setting because his portrayal felt too similar to Tony Stark, it was very distracting at times.
Anyways, this film is a triumph, and I can't wait to watch it again.
Capone (2020)
A disappointing retelling of an intriguing historical figure
It's a shame that I have to see talented actors, and a promising premise, be wasted in a messy, badly edited, over the top film. It doesn't make sense that 'Capone' is an experimental, psychological thriller when it should be a mafia movie.
To start with the pros, the supporting performances were pretty good (especially from Linda Cardellini), and I thought the cinematography was pretty impressive. The film shows that Trank has improved as a director, and I commend him for that. Despite all the positive elements, I thought the film was frustrating to watch. I don't understand the praise for Tom Hardy from critics and audiences, because I thought his performance was sooooooooooo over the top, but not even in a good way. Don't get me wrong, I think Hardy is a phenomenal actor and can give Oscar-worthy performances in god awful movies (like Venom.)
But his portrayal of Al Capone fails to be captivating and tends to be obnoxious and cringe-worthy at times. It's either his fault or Josh Trank's, I don't know.
The editing is some of the worst editing I've seen since Bohemian Rhapsody (which is far worse than this), there's so many cuts in one scene, and I wonder why they couldn't just capture it in one take. The score felt too electronic, which took me out of the 1930s era (or 40s, I don't know.)
If Trank ever plans on doing another biopic, I suggest he didn't do that, and that he should stick to experimental sci-fi thrillers in the future. I really wanted to like this film, but it just didn't work out the way I wanted it to.
4/10, What a shame.
Bad Trip (2021)
Eric Andre does it again.........
I would've liked it more if Hannibal Buress was involved, but it's still hilarious either way. The pranks were pretty clever, the chemistry between Andre and Howery felt genuine, and I have to give credit for Tiffany Haddish for being funny for once. The first act of the film was sort of an issue for me, because it felt more like Impractical Jokers than Eric Andre. But when the film picked up the pace, I was laughing so hard, that I swallowed my throat lozenge, and I thought I was gonna die.
7/10, funny as hell.
Eraserhead (1977)
A horrifying, but brilliant interpretation of fatherhood.
'Eraserhead' is one of the most disturbing films I've seen in my lifetime, but it also seems personal and feels like David Lynch's autobiography of his journey of becoming a father. I understand why this film isn't getting a lot of recognition, because it's extremely unpleasant to sit through, and most people won't understand the hidden message, but this film taught me that being a parent can sometimes be absolute hell, and can change a person's life for the worst.
The technical aspects of this film are impressive, the use of practical effects is astonishing and can be at times be unsettling, and the sound design is ahead of its time. The performances from the actors (especially the phenomenal Jack Nance) are captivating and chilling to watch, and the black and white image perfectly captures the tone of the film and feels very natural.
I'll probably never see a film like this that is this bold and personal. David Lynch is truly a gifted visionary, and I don't know how his other films could get any stranger.
9/10, I highly recommend it.
Blinded by the Light (2019)
I still hate Bruce Springsteen.
Despite a promising premise, this film fails at being a heartwarming coming of age story, and is instead a boring, cliched Disney Channel TV movie with nothing to offer. There is nothing memorable or special about this film, even Yesterday had some good moments, and it wasn't even good.
4/10 Very disappointing.
Jumanji (1995)
A flawed but fun movie that everyone can enjoy.
I don't know why my parents didn't show me this movie when I was a kid, because I think I would've enjoyed it more at a young age. It's nowhere near as funny as Welcome To The Jungle, but it's more magical and entertaining than The Next Level.
The whole cast is great, including the child actors, which is very rare for a child actor to be decent in a family movie. The visual effects were pretty bad, but I didn't really mind since this was a 90s movie, not a Christopher Nolan movie. I actually laughed at some of the jokes, but most of them came from the legendary Robin Williams, he carried the movie from painfully cheesy to pure fun. Also, I didn't buy the chemistry between Bonnie Hunt and Robin Williams, it just felt a little forced and unnecessary.
If you're a bored, unemployed teenager like me, I suggest you check this one out because I guarantee that the inner kid in you will be satisfied.
6/10, a fair rating for a cheesy 90s movie.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Not my cup of 007
I didn't take this movie very seriously at all, it's just really bad and a complete waste of my time. At least 'Goldeneye' had some redeeming moments like good chemistry, a good villain, impressive stunts, and attractive women, but MY GOD that film was so cheesy. This film just adds more cheese and cringey dialogue, and it makes it almost unwatchable. If you removed Teri Hatcher's character from the plot, it wouldn't change anything. She gets killed off in the second act, and the film just moves on to another bad action sequence.
You would expect Jonathan Pryce to be a decent bond villain, but his motivation is just ridiculous and the audience is supposed to take it seriously. I mean 'Goldeneye' was a little stupid, but the writers for this movie just smoked too much coke.
I do give praise to Pierce Brosnan for giving another decent performance as Agent 007, despite the stupid dialogue he's given. This is probably why modern Hollywood dumped him, how sad.
4/10
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Good Movie
I remember this being the first Wes Anderson film I watched, (or maybe that was Moonrise Kingdom....) anyways I really enjoyed it. The claymation in this film is phenomenal, although the character designs might discomfort many younger children. The use of color gives me a post apocalyptic vibe that you really wouldn't expect in an animated film. Its rare for an original concept to have an all star cast, but this isn't a surprise since Wes Anderson usually casts A-listers like Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson (who doesn't appear in the film), Bob Balaban, Tilda Swinton, and you get the point. So, the cast in this film did a pretty good job with the source material they had, and the score by Alexandre Desplat is perfect.
I do have one con, and that is the unnecessary 'love interest', who is given nothing to do, and I wasn't impressed with Greta Gerwig's voice acting. I've heard she's a phenomenal director, and I hope to see Little Women sometime in the future, but her character just didn't work for me.
Anyways, I did this review because I'm bored as hell and I have to keep myself isolated because you know why. Also, I haven't since this film in 2 years, so I might do a re-review of this when I watch it again.
For now, I'm gonna give 'Isle of Dogs' a 7.5/10.