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Oppenheimer (2023)
Just Being Honest Folks
The IMDb community will tar and feather me for giving it anything less 9 stars, but I have to be honest here. I thought it was good, not great. It was certainly not my favorite Nolan film.
That said, there are undoubtedly some amazing elements to Oppenheimer. The acting, cinematography, and music are all exceptional. I had the privilege of watching it in the original 70 mm format, which was glorious. But even with all of its upsides, this wasn't a perfect movie.
Nolan's fixation for nonlinear timelines can sometimes create confusion for the sake of art. The idea of it is fascinating in his science fiction films like Tenet and Interstellar, but was it really necessary in a period piece/biopic?
Mind you, Nolan's non-linear storytelling isn't limited to just sci-fi. It was done flawlessly in his film Momento, which wasn't a sci-fi movie. But in Memento, it played a crucial element to the plot. In my opinion, Oppenheimer could have been better as a single linear timeline.
Finally, I thought it was a bit too long.
I found myself wondering when the film would end at around the 2h 15m mark. The last 45 minutes was like that work meeting that could have just been covered in an email. There was a lot of information that felt superfluous.
I know a lot of people love it, and they're not wrong. I just had a different opinion.
Prey (2022)
Not without its shortcomings, but better than any of the other recent Predator movies
The bloated science fiction elements of the recent films have been stripped away. Yes, there are plenty of science fiction elements in Prey, but the heart of the story is simple and beautifully primal.
Two warriors. One winner.
I'll forgive some of the lazy plot hiccups, for an overall enjoyable film.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Wow. A lot of angry Star Wars fans out there
I thought the series was good.
I'm not sure why everyone is passionately irate about it. Is it the best Star Wars? No. Does it make me want to cry tears of hatred? Definitely no. There was some great backstory that fills in Obi-wan and Anikin's complex relationship. The last episode shows a great new perspective on the Anakin/Darth Vader internal conflict. It also shows us how Leia knows Obi Wan which sets A New Hope up nicely. I enjoyed it. I'm not going to waste my emotional energy being mad at something because of unrealistic high expectations.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Feels like an epilogue to long book
Remember the final scene at the end of the last Harry Potter movie, where they're all old? This new Matrix movie feels like two and half hours of that. It feels like a final thought of an epic tale that was tacked on afterwords. There isn't anything iconic about this movie, ie no memorable moments (thinking of the shootout in the lobby from the OG Matrix and the freeway chase from Matrix Reloaded).
It's just there.
Nobody (2021)
Great eye candy, weak plot.
This movie begins with a guy who's secret violent past is reawakened after a series of random, coincidental events unfold around him.
The plot lacks a some structure.
Normally a viewer can sense when the climax of a movie is approaching. In a typical
protagonist story arc, the hero usually faces a low point right before the big show down. There's a looming cloud of dispare and tension right before it all comes to a head in the final act. It's standard plot structure. But, in this movie, that doesn't happen. The final show down happens out of the blue without any real in-depth character journey.
The movie is essentially just a series of really cool sequences lined up together. Most of the time, these lined up sequences form a cohesive story, sometimes they do not.
I leave a high rating because these sequences, by themselves, are really cool and fun to watch. But the story is virtually absent.
Dune (2021)
Get ready for some serious world building
This behemoth of a movie spends most of its first hour setting up the incredible and colossal world of Frank Herbert. There's a lot of information in that first hour so be ready, and try to keep up. This first movie is clearly the typical "slow-paced origin" story before future movies pick up the pace. None the less, this movie is packed with striking visuals and electrifying sounds. Hans Zimmer, once again, does not disappoint with an amazing score that steels the spotlight in some moments. See it in a theater if you can.
F9 (2021)
Fast and Furious and Magnets
Look, if you thought this movie was over-the-top and unrealistic then you're missing the point. The whole idea of these movies is to be ridiculous and to push the boundaries of suspension of disbelief.
Yes, the science and physics in this movie are absurd. But it's the classic unnecessary car fights and unexplainable human strength that make these movies fun to watch.
Try not to think too hard about the plot or the logic and just enjoy a great action flick.
Tenet (2020)
Maybe this movie should come with a textbook.
This movie is 90% crazy mind-bending time stuff, 10% story, and 0% character development. The characters could all be just be a pack of stray cats as far as this movie is concerned. Heck, the main character doesn't even have a name in the movie, he's just known as the Protagonist.
This is Christopher Nolan's blank check movie. The studio gave him a blank check and just said "have at it! go wild! You're Christopher friggin' Nolan!".
If this were a script by any other person, it would probably get laughed at and never made.
But if you're really into crazy time displacement stuff, then this is definitely the movie for you. I enjoyed it, but it hurt my brain too much so I probably won't watch it again.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Sure, I enjoyed it.
Good flick.
I'm a little biased because I love everyone who's in this. I thought Pedro Pascal was fantastic as Max Lord.
The action scenes are few and far between, but when they happen, they're fun to watch.
There are some weird story-telling decisions and the overall plot gets a little muddy (especially in the third act), but I there were more enjoyable aspects than negative ones.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
It had its ups and downs
Great movie!
Sam Rockwell was awesome! And Roman Griffin Davis was outstanding as Jojo.
It certainly was interesting to see the horrors of WWII through the whimsical imagination of a 10 year old German boy.
If you don't want spoilers than stop reading now.
The only thing I didn't like is when the mom dies. Yes, I know that people die in movies to provoke certain emotions, but the mother's death was too gloomy and I was depressed for the rest of the film. Even the happy ending wasn't enough to undo the disturbing imagery of Jojo seeing his dead mother.
Devs (2020)
I loved Sonoya Mizuno!
To the people who thought Sonoya Mizuno was annoying as the lead character of Lily, all I have to say is: Sorry that she's not a busty one-dimensional blonde with sexy fight moves. Lily is the first female protagonist (that I've seen in a while) that is not over-exaggerated by typical Hollywood cosmetic fluff. She's not a sexy assassin, she's not smooth talking super hero, she's a normal person. Lily reacts like how a real person might react under similar circumstances. But that doesn't mean she's boring. Lily certainly moves the plot along with her tenacity and boldness as she fights to understand the entangled world unfolding around her. She is both frightened of the unknown and yet she remains strong as she faces the ceaseless loom that continuously surrounds her. Mizuno perfectly captures this complex character.
The Circle (2020)
It's Gonna Get Real Juicy, Hope You Brought a Cup
When I saw the trailer for this on Netflix, I was like "This looks soooo dumb!". I started the first episode AS A JOKE with my friends. Turns out, it's really entertaining! Now I'm in to it! My friends too. It's crazy, stupid, and hilarious. No thinking required. Just fun entertainment.
The Lion King (2019)
Gorgeous visuals. Horrible voice acting
On top of the fact that the animal faces were so real that they couldn't display any kind of dramatic human expressions, the dull and lifeless voice acting only exacerbated this.
Noelle (2019)
Save Your Time and Just Watch Mandalorian Instead
I'm guessing Disney's budget for original content all went towards the Mandalorian. The script feels like a first draft written by a film student. Almost all the jokes fall flat.
The characters are shallow and underdeveloped. The plot is lazy and predictable. Dialogue feels forced and unnatural. Despite the respectable cast, there are way better Christmas movies out there. I'd skip this one.
The Mandalorian (2019)
The Musical Score is Kinda Cheesey but...
John Williams is a HUGE part of Star Wars. His work on the original Star Wars films is iconic to say the least. I didn't expect Williams to score the Mandalorian, but I at least expected something that would emulate his style. Most of the music on the show is cheesey and somewhat distracting from an otherwise outstanding series. However, it's not a deal breaker. This series is exceeding most of my expectations and is quickly becoming my new favorite show. So, I'll give the bad score a free pass since the rest of the show is so good.
Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019)
Hey Scott Aukerman! Do you read these?
I loved every single person in this movie. If the Hey Nong Man were in it, that would have been icing on the cake, baby! Maybe next time.
As far as the story goes, the third act was kinda slow. But everything else was pretty good!
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Eh
Infinity War was way better. Endgame is super slow and even at times pretty boring. The third act somehow misses the mark and falls short of being the epic finale we've all been waiting for. Overall it was okay. It wasn't horrible. Definitely not the best either.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
STILL NOT AS BAD AS EMPIRE STRIKES BACK!
I'm a crazy fan boy who knows everything there is to know about Star Wars! This movie did not line up with my specific vision of what Star Wars should be, so therefore it sucked!
Just kidding. I liked it. Was it perfect? No, but very few movies are. What I found so enjoyable about this 8th installment was the mash up of fresh new re-imagined Star Wars elements mixed in with traditional Star Wars canon. (I think this is the thing that makes the super fans so angry, but I thought it was a breath of fresh air).
Furthermore, one of the best aspects of this movie was the highly intense moments of dwindling hope. There were plenty of moments in the movie where I honestly thought to myself "how in the world are the rebels going to make it through this one".
The plot was simple, but in my opinion, effective and at the end of the day was entertaining.
Some of the jokes fell flat. But a couple of bad one-liners could not out weigh the positive aspects of this movie.
Overall, I left the theater feeling satisfied. I guess I like Star Wars more than the super fans.
Dunkirk (2017)
It's Not One Movie, But Rather Three Different "Experiences"
Before seeing this, I was told that Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" is more of an "experience" rather than a movie. I can see what they meant by that now.
This movie does not follow a traditional chronological narrative like most movies. There really isn't a central main character or even really a central plot. Rather Dunkirk is broken down into three different "experiences", each one taking place over a specific amount of time. The first experience is entitled "The Mole" (the name of the beach), which takes place over the course of one week, the second experience is entitled "the Sea" which takes place in one day, and the third experience is entitled "The Air", which takes place in the course of one hour.
All three events intertwine and overlap with each other which could create a bit of continuity confusion for the viewer. (I think Christopher Nolan was digging into his Memento roots when he wrote this one).
Overall, it was a fun viewing. I can't really say it was Nolan's best, but it was interesting to watch none-the-less. Also Hans Zimmer's score is pretty amazing! Give that guy more Oscars! The guy's been nominated 9 times for his music contributions and has only won once (for the Lion King)!!
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
The Slim Jim of Summer Movies
Ever eat something so delicious, but deep down in your heart, you know it's horrible for you? For me it's Slim Jims. I love the way they taste but then you read the ingredients of a Slim Jim and realize that it's probably made up of leftover chicken feet.
That's also how I feel about this movie. I loved watching it, but then afterwords I felt gross for liking it.
This is a good, fun, mindless, eye-candy movie with horrible writing and no logic behind a nonsensical plot. There are tons of lazy plot holes and inconsistencies that felt like the writers didn't even care because they knew it was going to be visually striking. Well, they were right.
If you want a cheap thrill without any substance, then you might like this one.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
What Now? OUTER SPACE?
First of all, props to the editors who made it look like Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Vin Diesel were actually in the same room together.
Second of all, Whenever I watch these movies, I have to wonder "How are they going to top the last movie?". And every single time, they manage to find a way to bend the laws reality and stretch the suspension of disbelief a little further.
Remember these chumps started off as illegal street racers and now they're international protectors of planet Earth! (by the way, how are they funded????).
I can't wait to see how much more these film makers can push this car-driving universe. My hope is that they can push it far...Real far...Space maybe?
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Would Be Way Better If It Had a Different Title
If you're looking for some epic skull-bashing warrior apes outwitting stupid humans then look elsewhere. Both The title and the poster are misleading. This third installment of the re-imagined Planet of the Apes movies is devoid of any epic battles between the apes and humans. The opening scene and the closing scenes are the closest you'll get to actually seeing any kind of "war" like action and in both scenarios, the apes do not fight at all but are rather victims to the fighting. It was very unimpressive. Not like the apes that we saw in the first two movies.
The first half of the film is laid out more like an amazing journey tale in which Caesar and a handful of his loyal buddies travel across the land in search for Woody Harrelson's character who is known only as "the Colonel". The second half of the film is the apes being oppressed and enslaved at the Colonel's secret base, in which they must escape before the "real bad guys" show up.
There are a couple other moments that fall flat in the film as well, mainly the final confrontation between Caesar and the Colonel. The movie builds up some pretty good tension between the two opposing leaders only to have them face off, in what is arguably, the most anti-climactic boss show-down in the history of cinema.
But don't cry my ape loving friends! There are also some great things about this movie too, most notably the jaw-dropping ape CGI. Every detail from the way they move, to their complex facial expressions are truly a treat to watch on screen! Andy Serkis and his fellow Ape actors will not let you down! Additionally, we are introduced to a few new ape characters, one of which is played by Steve Zahn who creates some pretty unique ape comic relief.
Overall, the story is actually not bad. What makes this movie a let- down is the anticipation of an epic, high-stakes war (which does not happen). Maybe it would reflect the story a little better if it were titled something else. Here are a few suggestions that, I think, fit the story a little better.
"Skirmish for the Planet of the Apes" "Quest for the Planet of the Apes" "Survival of the Planet of the Apes"
And my personal favorite
"Doing Stuff for the Planet of the Apes"
Ghostbusters (2016)
My Honest Opinion
Sometimes I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Everyone seems to hate this movie except me. I'm not sure why, I mean, this movie is no Godfather but it certainly isn't the worst movie I've ever seen either. I'm going to take the risk of being tared and feathered by the IMDb community and write something positive about this movie. Because guess what, I genuinely enjoyed it.
What's to enjoy? The all female cast (there I said it. Sue me); Do the characters fall flat at times? Sure, I'll admit that. However there were some admirable traits to each character that paid homage to the original set of Ghostbusters. Here's a quick breakdown:
Kristen Wiig's character is a hopeless romantic who comes off as slightly annoying just like Bill Murray's character in the original.
Melissa McCarthy's character is the ambitious yet naïve character that Dan Aykroyd played.
Kate McKinnon is the weird and awkward scientist, just like Harold Ramis.
And just like Ernie Hudson, Leslie Jones plays the "normal" team member who asks the plot-driven questions to help the audience understand the scientific on-screen jargon. (This really was Winston's purpose in the original film, look it up).
I like these four actresses. Individually they do great work. As a team of four they do okay, but overall it's a good dynamic of weird, serious, and funny performances from the group as a whole.
Stop complaining about Chris Hemsworth being the dumb and pretty receptionist. For every one guy that plays the mindless eye-candy in a movie there are like fifteen women that play the same role in other movies (just watch any of the 3,000 James Bond films).
This film is definitely an underdog story both on and off the screen. The plot is simple and straight forward but that is common with big budget Hollywood films. Honestly, if you ask me why this film stands out amongst the summer Hollywood canon, I would say it's because of the progressive and bold move by the filmmakers to cast all females. Does that automatically make the film good? Certainly not, but it also does not make the film automatically bad. Overall, I found the movie fun and entertaining. As far a re-boots go, there have been way, way worse re-boots that haven't had nearly as much criticism.
If you think my judgment is off, I'll give you my personal top 5 and bottom 5 movies and then you can gauge my film quality experiences, standards, and assessments from there.
Top Five: 1. The Abyss 2. Jaws 3. Independence Day 4. Back to the Future 5. Mad Max: Fury Road Bottom Five: 1. Batman & Robin 2. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones 3. Fantastic Four 4. Jurassic Park III 5. Spider-Man 3
There. Use this information to determine weather or not I have good or bad taste in movies. If you agree with this list in the slightest, then there's a small chance you'll find it in your critical, movie savvy heart to find some good in Paul Fieg's Ghostbusters.