Change Your Image
jennast-john
Reviews
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
This movie is good. Seriously, don't listen to the haters, this is why we can't have nice things.
Batman V Superman was surprising. Surprising because I expected another horrible superhero movie. It was different, didn't follow the paint by numbers narrative we're used to and yes, did feel a little too episodic for a feature film. But it was good.
The characters were well-cast, the tone was dark and different (not another Marvel movie)-- I tuned out during the fight scenes (but I'll be honest, I do that for every superhero movie... which is the problem with these movies.)
Although the major plot points were predictable, scene by scene it was not, which is well more than I can say for the Avengers. The dream sequences were filled with symbolism. There were actual relationship stakes in this movie- I BELIEVED that Batman had anguish upon hearing "Martha" which is a testament to the writing and proper execution. So much is ridden on that moment, and you know what? They pulled it off.
Everyone wants something different, original, but then whines when it's given to us. This is exactly why we can't have nice things.
So, shoot me. I thought it was good. I appreciated the risks they took and I really appreciated that they steered away from the same popcorn tone from the Marvel movies.
Clinger (2015)
Low Budget Charm
I watched Clinger via Amazon Prime and thought it was entertaining. It did look fairly low budget, but I feel like that was part of the charm of it and it helped forgive the less than stellar performances.. this isn't to knock it, I feel like a lot of my favorite movies out there are a little rough around the edges (ala: Clerks)
I do feel like the script was pretty good and I really enjoyed the protagonist, Fern-- definitely far from a prop and that in itself deserves a big thumbs up. I'd recommend watching it, it's best for young teenagers-- it's a high school story with bad words, perfect for 13/14 year olds. If you're looking for something spooky and high brow- this isn't the movie for you. It's campy and held together with gaff tape and pizza-- and they don't try to hide it; which is why this movie stands out among other indie horrors who try the Hollywood version of (name Hollywood horror movie).
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Great Movie! And no, it's not a reboot.
This movie was a lot of fun-- sure, it was derivative of Ep. 4, 5, and 6-- but it was an outline that worked and a great way to reintroduce us to this world (for the older generation of viewers that were around when 4,5,and 6 was released-- now watching ep. 7 with their kids.)
I'm hopeful that Ep. 8 will show us a fresher storyline now that we're familiar with these characters, the status/"rules" of this world-- bringing together several generations of viewers into the same universe.
It's not a reboot- and they could have done that- with a new Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, etc... and they didn't. I mean, how many Spiderman movies have there been?? Hulks? I appreciated the route they took in keeping the original actors in their original roles and introducing a new cast with the world evolving around them-- (and eventually) a completely new storyline.
One issue I had was why hasn't Leia ever been taught to utilize the Force? I mean, she's a Skywalker, isn't she? She's just been hanging out all these years without that even coming up? I was surprised how passive she was.