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ToadWarrior4
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Halloween (2018)
A little over the top, but solid once it gets going
I had a tough time accepting the idea that Laurie Strode would dedicate 40 years to what happened to her in 1978. But, the film eventually won me over with the way it portrayed Michael Myers as this nearly mythological, inevitable force of death
It's not that the film portrays him that way directly, but mostly the performances of the actors sold me.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Brave end to the trilogy
While Star Wars (through ROTJ) returned to its pre-teen fantasy nature of the 1st film, the Matrix trilogy shed that perception and instead went for a much grimmer, and realistic adult take on the hero's myth. The film is grim in nature, and deals with the realization from the last film that victory is impossible. The rest of the film is a big countdown as the humans (who are all wonderful, especially the actors from Zion like Captain Roland or Niobe) try to prepare for the big assault by the machines. The character interactions in the 1/3 point are all on point. We see the characters in their most vulnerable state trying to make it work in the face of armageddon. It all builds to a brilliant action climax that IMO has still to be surpassed even from modern films that tried to rip it off (IE: Man of Steel). This is a fantastic finale to the Matrix trilogy.
Spotlight (2015)
A gripping newsroom drama
My big "shock" with this movie was seeing a "C+" experience suddenly turn into a a very strong "B+" experience roughly AFTER the 45 minute mark. I've been watching movies all my life, and I can't think of many examples of this happening.
Before that point, the film seemed filled with "newsroom drama clichés" (IE: smirking villains, overly likable protagonists, montage after montage, etc). It just felt "ok...but I've seen this before." Also, I was afraid it would become another "Black Mass"; a well executed, factually correct, but ultimately, for me, a hollow experience.
But, there's a moment when this film decides to go its own way, and it does so very well: - The obstacles become increasingly more interesting. - The emotional scenes in this film are handled well. They seem appropriate and never forced. - The film is brave in its portrayal of the Roman Catholic Church, and pulls no punches. With films like these, you'd expect filmmakers to walk on eggshells and try not to offend their viewers. It was a nice surprise to not see this happen in "Spotlight".
7.8/10 or B+ Watch for Mark Ruffalo, who steals the show yet again.
Doragon Bôru Zetto Fukkatsu no 'Efu' (2015)
Toriyama's writing saves TOEI's "action set-piece" cash grab
Firstly, you should know that I'm a massive Dragon Ball Z fan.
I know that I rated this an 8/10 as a film. But, to me, this film was a 10/10 in terms of sheer enjoyment. Sure, after you watch the film, the narrative seems a bit thin. And, I've heard people complain that the movie was too short, and that too much was left unexplained. These are valid points. And it's the reason why I can't give this more than an 8/10. But, I can't hold that against this film or it's writer. The type of film this was made it impossible to tick every single box and do *everything* right.
In fact, the movie is incredible despite the limitations that TOEI put on Toriyama. It was never going to win Oscars. It doesn't even try to explain its world to non- Dragon Ball fans. This film is basically TOEI's "action set-piece" cash grab to "Battle of Gods".
...Except that it's really well made. The plot (as in: the way the story develops) is as brilliant as we could expect from Akira Toriyama. Despite the limitations in the over-all story, Toriyama makes everything feel fresh, unpredictable, exciting and genuinely hilarious. The spirit of Dragon Ball (and its characters) is perfectly captured in this film. Moreover, the pacing is nearly flawless. Sure, there were certain moments that didn't reflect what I wanted to see. But, I still really enjoyed them. To me, having the story end up exactly like you want is completely missing the point of Dragon Ball.
The film is just so much fun to watch, & everything is so well executed. To me, it's a 10/10 experience; a dream movie for any Dragon Ball fan.
Trailer Park Boys: Don't Legalize It (2014)
Awesome. By far the best of the movies. Nearly on par with the show's best.
I watched it last night in Toronto. I won't spoil any plot points because the film is surprisingly unpredictable in how it progresses. The movie had the cinema howling from the first frame until the final credits. I had originally feared that the actors would look too old to play these characters. But with these guys, the worse you look the more convincing you are. They were all phenomenal. What I liked most about the movie is that they focused on making it more like the show again. There way more "interview" segments in this film than in the first film "The Movie". And they did away with the gritty cynicism of the 2nd one ("Countdown to Liquor Day"). All in all, I thought this movie was perfect for this lifelong Trailer Park Boys fan. I actually can't wait to see it again.