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Jungle Beat: The Movie (2020)
Wholesome kids' film
This movie is pretty adorable, not gonna lie. If I was eight and not twenty-five, I reckon this would've been a firm favorite and staple in my weekly cinematic rotation.
Boy (2010)
Dammit, Taika, you made me cry!
And that's saying something, because films scarcely ever make me cry.
Brilliant story, told exceptionally well, with characters you will love and hate and feel so many things for all at once. It was captivating and heartbreaking and sidesplittingly funny.
I don't have any more words. Just watch it. Taika is a genius and all his work is spectacular.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Endless Fun
I honestly did not want this story to end. This is one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever seen. Original, entertaining and deeply heartfelt--prepare for a sucker punch in the feels! Taika's masterful work just gets better with every film. Shout out to every actor in this movie for doing a flawless job.
Justice League (2017)
Watch it for Aquaman
So this was just a wild CGI punch-fest, but honestly, I knew that from the moment I saw the first trailer.
I didn't hate Batfleck as much as I did in Batman vs. Superman, so that's a positive, I guess. Wonder Woman was herself, but because the film was totally lacking in depth and originality, her moments that were intended to be emotional or sincere just felt corny. That's no fault of Gal's--I really think she did the best with what she was given to work with.
Cyborg was...there. The Flash was actually quite enjoyable: adorkable, clumsy and with a handful of humorous one-liners up his sleeve. When his solo movie comes around I will probably see it and enjoy it if they make it like a medley of Batman Begins and Spiderman: Homecoming.
Aquaman was 100% the standout of this film for me. Jason Mamoa was absolutely great, especially in the non-fight scenes, but even in the midst of chaotic CGI monster tackling, he still got a few laughs out of me. I think I will really enjoy his solo film, particularly if they make it like Wonder Woman's origin story.
This was probably the worst superhero film I have seen since Thor: The Dark World. But I've decided to just view it as an extended trailer for the new character's solo films. If you look at it from that perspective, it's alright. But as a movie, it's pretty awful.
The Punisher (2017)
Don't listen to the critics, this is an excellent show
I absolutely LOVED The Punisher. I literally booked off my entire weekend so I could bingewatch all 13 episodes over two days. I am somewhat biased though as I have been rooting for Punisher to get his own show since I saw him in Season 2 of Daredevil. He was the highlight of that season.
I am not sure why the critics are hating on this series. The acting was splendid all round and though some claimed the pacing was slow, it honestly didn't bother me at all. I feel like it moved naturally and gave us time to get to know Frank Castle's character more, which is all I really wanted out of it. If you're worried it's going to be as slow as Iron Fist, don't be. It's way quicker than that.
Ben Barnes was utterly terrific. His performance is second only to Jon Bernthal. Honestly, it wasn't even like Jon was acting as Punisher. He IS the Punisher to me. There can be no separation of the two.
It was an emotional roller-coaster and I am shook to my core. My heart has been stolen and honestly I don't want it back.
Baby Driver (2017)
The Most Fun I've Had in a Long Time
This movie is DOPE. I wasn't sure about Ansel Elgort, as I'd only previously seen him in Divergent, and I abhor those movies. But he was absolutely spectacular as Baby. He stole my heart within the first five minutes of the film, and did not give it back. Baby Driver is poignant, thrilling, enthralling and fun, fun, fun, fun, fun. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through and could not stop grinning. I loved Jon Hamm; he did a standout job. Kevin Spacey was, as expected, excellent. Lily James was charming. Jamie Foxx's character was incredibly annoying, but he played him well, so I can't complain. Oh, and the soundtrack is even better than the Guardians films (and that's coming from someone who loves those movies to death). If I have any complaints, it's that there wasn't enough of Jon Bernthal. I've heard several critics make the comment that this movie was more "style over substance", but I didn't really think so. Yes, it's highly stylized and brilliantly edited and shot, but it gives us enough substance to tell a great, engaging, original story without bogging the action down. Honestly, if there was another show after the one I went to, I would've stayed at the cinema and watched Baby Driver a second time. It's going onto my Top 10 favorites list.
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
A Thoroughly Enjoyable Film That Doesn't Deserve All the Hate
As someone who watched the original Ghost in the Shell anime before seeing this film (and as a lover of sci-fi films that explore the boundary between man and machine in general), I really enjoyed this movie and feel that the savage reviews it received are mostly unfair. It's not a terrible film, and I really believe most of critics were predisposed to review it badly due to the supposed whitewashing by ScarJo's casting as Major. The visuals are absolutely stunning, and I actually found myself becoming more attached to the live action version of Major than the anime one. The extra backstory certainly made me more invested in her and it made her motivations more believable and interesting. As cheesy as it perhaps was, I even liked the alternative ending in the live action movie as I felt the one in the anime wasn't very satisfying. Sure, the plot could have been "deeper", but I almost felt like the anime was too deep, i.e. too much lofty dialogue about philosophical stuff instead of exploring those topics simply thorough character actions and the visuals. The live action movie could have been improved by sticking closer to the some of the scenes in the anime, especially aesthetic-wise, and I think I would've liked it even more if it was R rated as it would've added some extra grit. I recommend that you watch it for yourself before judging it.
Arrival (2016)
Suck it, Interstellar. You have been replaced.
The best sci-fi film/alien themed film that I have ever seen, and a better love story than any romantic movie ever made. I cannot express how deeply Arrival impacted me. In short, my mind was blown. It was utterly magnificent. Life changing. I left the cinema shaken and with chills that haven't yet stopped. As a lover of language and an enthusiastic amateur sci-fi nerd, it was immeasurably fascinating to watch. Arrival is original, innovative, and will sock you in the gut with the most powerful "feels" you will ever experience. A true treat. If there is one movie you cannot miss in what remains of 2016, it is this.