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Reviews
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Officially a great trilogy
Writing this right after a first viewing and I must say something I haven't said much about Marvel films post-Endgame (minus Spiderman: No Way Home). I want to watch it again.
You'll notice a tonal change between this and previous instalments. This one is darker (parents may want to view by themselves before bringing along their younger Marvel fans to see if they can handle it), the jokes aren't as frequent or as funny, and there are some more mature themes front and centre right from the first scene onward.
And yet, so much of the familiar fun things you would expect are also present too. I won't say more about this for the sake of keeping this spoiler free.
I wouldn't say this is my favourite GOTG film but that is not to say it is a bad film at all; it is more a testament to how highly I think of this trilogy as a whole and the care that was put into all three films. James Gunn loves these characters and you can really tell. I'm happy we can officially call this a great trilogy start to finish.
This Is Us: Don't Let Me Keep You (2022)
I Have Never Trusted a Writers' Room as Much as I Trust This One
This episode sits outside the main arch of this season, which could be problematic as the clock is ticking to tie loose ends and finish plot threads before finale time, and yet - this episode belongs.
These writers somehow hit homers consistently on "side quests" that should feel like a time waste but ultimately do not. Nothing will ever top the first several seasons of this show - we know this. No show hits their peak in season six; but, Jack's story with his mom is in the conversation for best episode the last two-three seasons. These writers and the main cast are still on their game this deep in the series run and it is commendable.
Jurassic World (2015)
The Definitive Jurassic Sequel
I just watched all the Jurassic films this week for the first time ever. I couldn't believe how subpar The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 were - it was a very real drop in quality. Then comes Jurassic World.
It is by no means as awesome or innovative as the first one - I would say the special effects in 1993 are better than 2015 which is saying something. JW doesn't have terrible effects but 1993 blends practical and CGI perfectly, using practical up close and CGI in the wide shots, it is beautiful. JW has an over reliance on CGI but that is more of an industry problem than a fault this specific film should have to shoulder by itself.
Jurassic World is the definitive sequel to the original blockbuster, paying homage where it needs to and trying out new ideas where it can. It really feels like a love letter to Spielberg's original and even includes some ideas he wasn't able to incorporate into his own sequel (I.e. The motorcycle scene).
The film has it's flaws such as lack of tension in some areas, some poorly timed comedic relief moments, some wooden characters, predictable outcomes, etc. But it is loads of fun and has some truly epic moments of action as well, and without spoiling anything has a scene that one could argue is the best in the entire franchise.
I think with the sixth film in this franchise coming down the pipeline soon it is safe to say nothing will ever top the original nor should any of them be expected to. Jurassic World does exactly what a sequel should do by adding to the fun and expanding the world in new and exciting directions and in the process does something neither of the previous sequels could.
7/10.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Forgettable
It felt while watching this movie that everything I loved about the original was left behind. The movie really feels the absence of two of the original three main characters, Ellie and Alan, and is left with much more inferior, less interesting, protagonists.
I did a bit of research after viewing and found out Spielberg didn't particularly love making this movie and unfortunately it shows. Most of what is in this movie is forgettable and by the numbers - it really is a sequel for the sake of having a sequel for a successful film. There are a couple great action sequences (including the finale) but overall It's just not that good.
5/10.
Jurassic Park (1993)
A great summer blockbuster
So, full transparency, I watched this movie for the first time ever in 2021. It's one of those "how did I go this long without watching this incredibly popular film" moments for me (we all have them).
I was impressed. The biggest shoutout to this film I have is the special effects hold up tremendously...it's almost shocking how well they still work almost 30 years after the film was released. John Williams' score is, as always, epic and adds a ton to the environment. Steven Spielberg utilizes his camera for escalating tension filled scenes to the max and the kids aren't terrible, which was encouraging because the obligatory kid characters can unfortunately really sink movies like this in my opinion so kudos to them.
It's a fun movie: the experience must have been awesome in the theatre and I can see why it captivated kids enough as to spawn off some sequels and why it is now a classic. It's a textbook summer blockbuster and a great illustration on how to do popcorn movies correctly.
8/10.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
A Great Finale
The finale of the original "Indy" trilogy delivers a fond farewell to an iconic character.
Stylistically, The Last Crusade is definitely more light-hearted than the two previous instalments of the trilogy, opting for a story containing a larger number of slap-stick moments and plenty of comedically driven conflict between characters (particularly between Indiana Jones and his father). It's way less serious than I remember - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It feels like Spielberg and co. Know exactly what makes Indy films fun and they lean into those moments more than their first attempt at a sequel. This movie is loads of fun from start to finish with great action sequences and plenty of quotable moments.
The Last Crusade corrects the misfires of Temple of Doom and it is worth mentioning. While not a total disaster, the Temple of Doom ventures too far away from what makes Indiana Jones great and it feels like a severe drop off from Raiders. The Last Crusade makes concentrated efforts to fix those decisions. I won't dive into every area where there are improvements but the most glaring example is in its supporting characters being fun and interesting rather than being obnoxious/annoying - characters are there for story reasons and not pure comedic relief and it shows.
Overall, The Last Crusade is a fantastic trilogy finale and it earns its ride into the sunset moment.
8/10.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021)
Early Impressions are Decent
This review is subject to change as more episodes come out in the coming days:
I'll try to keep this concise, it's a decent start for a kids show trying to bring in a new audience and honour its source material at the same time. It was an entertaining watch - the kids are fun and some of the jokes were actually pretty good. The acting was just alright. It's an underdog sports story so I don't imagine we'll see anything groundbreaking moving forward but the show did enough good things for me to want to see what else this soft reboot can bring to the table.
A Week Away (2021)
These Films Can Be Better
Christian films are always a bit of a tough one for me. I understand the value of providing family friendly content but honestly the Christian film industry has so much work to do. The movie is fine I guess - it's a safe watch and parents won't have their finger on the clicker worried about scary or inappropriate content which for some will be enough. But it shouldn't be.
Christian movies can't get a free pass because they mention God in it when the storytelling, editing, acting, continuity, etc. Is below average. It's not fair to take Camp Rock or High School Musical and "Christianize" them and say it's a great film. We (associating myself with the faith community here) unfortunately do this all the time though. It doesn't work. The bar can be so much higher and it should be expected to be. Taking existing stories and giving them the slightest alteration isn't even a "faith-film" problem, the same issue of taking an existing movie almost exactly and giving it a slight remix happens in more mainstream properties as well (i.e. Making all the ghostbusters female) but when that happens with a large studio film it understandably goes through the wringer by its audience.
Here's an example of the difference in expectation for creative output between a faith film and a "mainstream" one: For instance, if a Disney Channel musical just took a bunch of popular tracks and used them in their movie rather than writing original, fun, pieces it wouldn't be accepted. People would put it on blast. This movie took existing Christian songs and "bopped" them up for many of their musical numbers, and I haven't seen anyone bothered by that. It's not the end of the world of course - I'm just using it as an illustration of the low bar Christian movies are able to operate with.
I think it's okay to hold faith movies to a high standard of story-telling and creativity. Sometimes it feels like christian movies can cut corners because the intended audience will give them a break no matter what because it's "family friendly." It's too bad.
Interstellar (2014)
One of the Best
I have never understood the mixed reviews. Make no mistake, for a film with an 8.6/10 rating on here (as of this writing) there is a very vocal crowd that says Interstellar is highly overrated. Some daresay it's simply a bad film.
I re-watched this movie for the first time in a few years just to see if I had somehow been bamboozled the first viewing a few years ago. Maybe I had been duped? I wasn't.
Interstellar is simply one of the best science fiction films of all time. The story, score, visuals, acting, are all out of this world (sorry for the pun). It's truly an experience. I rarely give out a 10/10 but this one deserved it. It's one of the best from one of the better filmmakers of the last two decades.
This Is Us: One Small Step... (2021)
One of the best season 5 has offered
Admittedly, season 5 had a slow start (at least by this show's past standards) but it finally seems to be finding it's footing and returning to form. This episode exploring the tragedy and hope of Nicky not only is one of this season's best, but it sits amongst the strongest in the series.
The Good Place (2016)
Here For a Good Time Not a Long Time
The Good Place is one of those shows that only comes around every once in awhile. It is fantastically original, heartfelt, hilarious, explores larger than life themes, and has great characters.
The show pulls off certain things that shouldn't work creatively (it's hard to explain without venturing into spoiler territory) but the writing team consistently found ways to justify decisions conceptually and comedically in ways that are believable given the story structure and at the same time entertaining.
The one thing that may work against the show as time moves along is the abundance of jokes that are based off of references specific to 2016-2020 culture (i.e. there are jokes about viral videos or current events that may not land with future audiences).
Lastly, and I think most importantly, one thing that makes this show unique among so many sitcoms is that it knows exactly what story it wants to tell and the creative team were honest with themselves and the audience about how long it would take to tell. Genuinely, if the show tried to venture into a fifth season I think it would have faltered; it ended exactly when it needed to. All 52 episodes have significance and, consequently, The Good Place does what almost every other successful sitcom (Friends, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, etc.) couldn't. The show doesn't overstay it's welcome and has a near perfect run from start to finish.
Tenet (2020)
It's a Christopher Nolan Film
As I left the theatre I joked that Tenet is basically if Interstellar and Inception had a baby and Memento was hired as the nanny. That illustration will either excite you or overwhelm you.
If you like Christopher Nolan I'm sure you will like this one. If you're looking for something "brand new" out of him you probably won't find it here. His films have a specific style and this one is on brand. It works for me but it might not for everyone.
I will say, I appreciate his longing to continue to use practical effects as well as wanting to think outside the box in what is possible for on screen storytelling. You never feel like he has mailed in a project and it comes across as the viewer, and that alone is a win.
Super 8 (2011)
I Think Super 8 Deserves More Love
I tried seeing this film through the lens of those who don't like it. Truly. But I can't help it, I love it for what it is. Personal feelings aside though, I realize it is not perfect but I think it does delivers enough of what a film of this genre ought to and consequently feel it is unfair to put it completely in a tier below the films it is unabashedly giving homage too.
Here's what Super 8 has going for it:
-The set up is immediately interesting (Goonies).
-The banter in the group of kids is charming and energetic (Stand By Me). After all, a film like this should be at its best when the entire group of kids is together and Super 8 is definitely that.
-The film doesn't over-show it's main event too early (Jaws).
Pair those elements listed above with a fast moving plot, acceptable CGI, and a great musical score and I think you have yourself a coming-of-age sci-fi adventure winner.
Admittedly, the ultimate pay off for the incredible set up doesn't have the level of 'wow' that it perhaps should have, choosing to go for a heartfelt climax over a spectacle-drive one (and yes, I suppose it's a little cheesy) but that's fine. Super 8 is a kids film after all.
I don't think Super 8 gets enough credit for what it tries to accomplish. The film doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, instead, it is focused more on celebrating the films of its genre that have come before it; Super 8 is a love letter to some of our favourites from the 80s and it stands to sit amongst them.
7.5/10
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Not as Bad As I Remember, Still Not As Good As I Would Like
I left the theatre two years ago severely disappointed. I hadn't seen the film since then so I thought that maybe I should give it another shot. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as I remembered but there was still enough issues that, if the world the story exists in wasn't so interesting, Fantastic Beasts 2 would be completely forgettable.
The first half has a fantastic set up. Grindelwald is portrayed as evil and calculating, Jude Law is convincing as a young Dumbledore, and Newt is immediately more interesting in this second volume than the first.
And then something odd happens with about 30 minutes to go in the movie. Without getting into spoilers: We get nonsensical character decisions, soap-opera level plot twists that make no sense and are wedged in for shock value, and suddenly it feels like there are too many characters without enough story to justify them being there.
For a film that, let's be honest, exists to set up the third volume it overcomplicates itself when it doesn't need to. There is an interesting set of core characters that need room to breathe in this film and they are suffocated by over-exposition and convoluted intertwining plots that don't make sense.
It's too bad, really. Crimes of Grindelwald isn't a complete and utter failure but it is frustrating when a film has the ingredients to be successful and it falls short.
Initial reaction was a 4/10. Two years later I give it a 6/10.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
It's Fine.
I decided to revisit this film after a couple years. Let me say that the first time I watched it, I didn't like it. Upon the rewatch, I appreciate it more but still wouldn't consider it incredible.
The Good:
-Jacob Kowalski, Tina, and Percival Graves are standout characters that are compelling and enjoyable.
-The "beasts" are amazingly creative and imaginative in the best way.
-Set and costume design are really good. It was refreshing to see wizarding world characters in a different time period.
The Okay:
-The CGI is fine but with a franchise like this it could have been utilized better; a few times it feels overused...something that I can't say I ever felt while watching Harry Potter.
-The plot is pretty straight forward, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but none of the desired twists land the way I think J.K. Rowling would have hoped considering she produces some really flooring plot twist moments in the original series.
-The musical score is fine but not memorable.
The Bad:
-The pacing is rough in the film. There are some truly great moments but none of them seem to follow one another in succession. The first half of the film feels draggy.
-It takes awhile to warm up to Newt as a character which isn't fantastic given that he is the lead. I understand he is supposed to be socially awkward but for the first two thirds of the film he mostly feels bland and you don't really care about him all that much.
I think a key question when judging prequels is, although the story is linked to a successful property does it do enough to merit its own existence; can it stand on its own two feet without pandering or fan service moments. I believe Fantastic Beasts is able to be its own thing without elbowing the audience in the ribs about how it is connected to Harry Potter. If this were the very first wizarding world film ever it wouldn't be a knock out of the park but it would be enough to spark questions and spawn a sequel, which I guess means it does its job as an intro film well, albeit imperfectly.
The Call of the Wild (2020)
It Delivers on What it Promises
It's a solid kids film. Watching in a theatre full of children absolutely made the viewing experience better. The movie is not particularly memorable; it hits the story beats you would expect based on the trailer and genre but kids will find it entertaining. At no point did it feel in the theatre that younger viewers were squirming to get out, there's enough going on to keep them engaged and rooting for Buck.
Sure, the characters are pretty cookie-cutter and the CGI is heavy, but kids don't dissect things like critics. They'll like the protagonists, they will find the dog(s) to be cute and occasionally silly, and Harrison Ford is charming. That's all that's really needed to have a movie like this stand on its own two feet.
The Polar Express (2004)
I'm Still On Board
The animation may not hold up quite as well 15 years later, but this one still has a lot of heart and magic behind it to make it stay in the Christmas rotation.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
It's not a dud or masterpiece
Whenever a beloved franchise is revisited with new films it has one job: Justify its existence in relation to the original content. Does it explore new themes? Does it expand the lore? Is it needed? etc.
Now that the "sequel trilogy" is complete I think the answer is too cloudy for there to be an overall general consensus on if VII-IX accomplish that...and that in itself is a problem. And this is from someone who does not even mind the newer films (except for a few woeful creative choices in episode VIII and now IX specifically).
I feel like J.J. Abrams really does care about this franchise, I do believe he wants to add something of value to this story, but where this sequel trilogy struggles is that there was no plan from the start...and it shows. Whether you liked Rian Johnson's interpretation of the material or not, his Star Wars voice and Abrams' is so different that this trilogy, taken as a whole, does not really know what or how it wants to communicate with its audience and as a result never really had any momentum. Celebrate the past? Forget the past? It's really too bad. This film feels like a reset in so many ways that some moments that could be quite poignant if they had room to breathe aren't able to shine because there is so much to do and see in the allocated run time. Given the circumstances, Abrams does what he can and I applaud him for it. Episode IX is not a total failure, in fact there are some truly great moments.
Here's where I land on this film, and this sequel trilogy: Star Wars is supposed to be fun. If these new films don't bring you joy, that's okay. For myself, The OG trilogy will always be the only necessary viewings of Star Wars, and I actually don't mind the prequel or sequel trilogy. In the future I probably will sometimes watch episode I-IX and sometimes I will only want to revisit IV-VI. This story can be taken in by watching the OG trilogy by itself, episodes I-VI, or the whole "Skywalker" saga. Whichever you choose, the overarching message truly is the same. Good wins.
7.5/10
Frozen II (2019)
Frozen 2 Grows With it's Audience and Justifies it's Existence In The Process
Let's be honest - this film was birthed as a cash grab. Despite this, its clear that the entire team behind Frozen 2 is doing their best to justify the movie's existence by expanding and layering the original story. And for the most part, they are successful.
Thematically, the film matures with its original target audience (now pushing age 10-11) by addressing issues such as inclusion, self-change, societal myths on who is bad versus good etc. and will potentially open doors for some interesting conversations between kids and parents. The film's willingness to lean into some of these more mature themes makes the film work. Other reviews have made comments about the overly simplistic plot, and it is a fair critique, but at no point does it drag the story into cringe-worthy moments or boredom; in fact, it seems to balance the film well and make its potential scope bigger for keeping much younger viewers engaged who may not pick up on some of the questions characters are asking themselves and each other. Older audience members will not be taken by surprise by twists or plot revelations, but it in no way makes the film a failure.
For what Frozen 2 lacks in a ground-breaking story, it offers plenty in visuals, score, and solid performances by the entire cast. Josh Gad absolutely steals entire scenes as Olaf and makes a character that could easily cross the line into eye-roll-inducing-sidekick into a much needed comedic reprise from the heavier moments and darker scenes that could be overwhelming for sensitive movie-goers under the age of eight. Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel also bring worthy performances to the table and seem to be having just as much fun in this sequel as they did in the first Frozen.
Frozen 2 hovers around its predecessor in quality from start to finish and is a worthy part two for Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf - regardless of why it exists.