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The Last Emperor (1987)
Beautiful cinematography, great emotions, but hard to follow
My main criticism of this movie is that it's hard to follow the plot in the final act of the movie. Characters are introduced fast and their feelings, emotions and motivations are very nuanced in a way that makes me as an audience member need to think very hard about what's even going on. Notably, there is some political schemes going on near the end that are not very well communicated to the viewer. I could talk about the positives all day but unfortunately the negatives of this movie come late in the runtime which makes them of recent memory by the time the film ends. The first half is a 9/10 film while the second half is a 7/10 film.
Overall 8/10.
Bãhubali: The Beginning (2015)
Phenomenal film, watch this as soon as it's possible. PS - you should have a heart before viewing
I don't speak Hindi or Tamil or Telugu, I'm not Indian or even close; yet, this movie deeply exhilarated me, made me relate to being human in a way that Western movies rarely achieve. There is 1 problem in this movie as far as I'm concerned, the CGI. The CGI doesn't even have that much of an impact on the viewing experience as long as you stop being a whiny little brat. Safe to say I wanted to run up and down the walls during watching, unfortunately I was in public on campus. Instead I was so excited to talk about this movie so I went to some Indian kids to see if they have seen the movie. I'm not gonna say anything about the plot in case you haven't seen this yet, in which case, you must become a drone and seek this movie immediately.
Ozark: Nest Box (2017)
Very tense and foreboding
The whole show, but particularly this episode, just gives this sense that something really bad is going to happen. Like really bad. The tension with the music and the dialogue, you'd think it would be released but it never is. The whole crew behind this show, phenomenal. Really adult show. No kids here. No kid could possibly understand what's going on in this show. This show doesn't give you the information that you want. You need to give this show your undivided attention so that you can keep up with the extremely fast pace and understand what is even going on.
One final thing. That last scene, impeccable. The tension, the writing. The conversation is cut with scenes of an character in a very sticky situation, making the scene sooooo dramatic and keeping your eyes glued to the screen. When Marty goes, "you broke my heart", bruh, no words. Just really well done.
The Machinist (2004)
Rip off of Fight Club but still well done
I thought that the pace was excellent, the acting was persuasive and the way the information was I given to the audience was perfect. However, it's obviously a ripoff of the premise of fight club. I'm not gonna get into spoilers but let's say lack of sleep might destroy your sanity. If you're interested in this movie I suggest watching Fight Club or Shutter Island first. It puts this movie into perspective, it's not particularly original, but it's well done. That's more than you can say about the vast majority of movies that come out, especially unoriginal movies. Another great aspect of this movie is the mysteriousness of some characters, but it is predictable how they were gonna deal with them, unlike Shutter Island for instance. The final reveal had aspects of it that were unpredictable, which made it feel earned rather than lazy. There is meat to nibble on even after the movie is over. The unpredictable parts of the ending put the movie in a new perspective. This movie is about a 7.7/10.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Boring first half with a momumental payoff by the end
The second half of this movie is awe inspiring. Words can't really describe how inspired I feel when I watch it. It encapsulates the essence of Star Trek, and if it had followed this same beat throughout the entire run time, I say it could have been one of the greatest films of all time. My eyes were glued to the screen! Absolute hypnotism. It persuades the audience to its own sense of wonder. Truly fantastic. However, the first half of this movie is very misguided. Lots of nothing. People staring, having pointless conversation. Basically feels like a lot of stalling. I must admit that this first half sets a foundation to the movie, introducing plot points that are (nearly) crucial to the latter half. The payoff is so great that you can forgive the first half. 7.8/10 film. 6/10 first half and a 9/10 second half. I highly recommend this!
Star Trek: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (1969)
Profound episode
This episode seems to stick out as more philosophically significant in season 3 of Star Trek. Two aliens who are on opposite extremes of their own political philosophy face equality on board the enterprise. Both attempt to persuade the crew to their cause, but the crew fail to see any difference between them. The aliens are identical except for their chiral skin colour, which they see as a very significant difference and the epitome of their contrast but the crew, even the humans see this as completely illogical. This conflict has Apperantly been going on for so long in their evolution that they have no records of the appearance of their common ancestor, presumably destroyed because they both cannot accept this reality. This cumulates into the destruction of their respective species (subspecies?) on their home planet, and the aliens realize they have nothing left but their hate.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
One of the best marvel movies
Certainly the most creative marvel movie thus far. Visually, this movie is so imaginative, I was wowed. Sometimes the special effects weren't great, but it was how they were used. Vibrant colours, interesting takes on alternate laws of physics. Obviously the work of a skilled director. I actually think this is Raimi's best movie as well. I'm not usually a fan of Marvel films, but this one is so different from the rest that it actually feels inspired. I was also a fan of WandaVision for this exact reason, the decision to do different things with the format, not just sticking to formula. Definitely watch this movie if you're a film veteran and tired of sameness, watch a skilled director put a Disney budget to put use!
Turning Red (2022)
Great Precedent for Cinema
Sometimes the writing has bad lines but this is only like 5% of the time. The other 95% you will find heartwarming storytelling for the whole family. Kids will love the cute animation and jokes, while adults will find enjoyment in the complex emotional subject matter. This movie is about generational trauma. Daughters who feel they can't live up to the standards their mothers have made for them. The way this movie ends with breaking the cycle of generational trauma was just inspiring and very hopeful for future (or current) generations. That's not the only thing that's progressive in this movie. Characters in this movie are representative of so many groups, groups that kind of get a bad rep in society or ones that aren't represented enough. I even saw a student with diabetes portrayed! The fact that this movie worked, and didn't just feel like it was forcing some agenda down your throat means that we can have liberal ideals presented in future media! Honestly such a win for the human race for a movie to be presenting marginalized groups in a light that's "normal", not presenting them as the "other" for their differences. Love to see it, and I know it will only go up from here.
Entourage: My Maserati Does 185 (2005)
Eric's girlfriend is a thot
She a thot and her cheating is gonna turn my boy Eric into demon. He already getting baddies left and right, just like me. Man just needed a little boost to get out of his feels.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Shrimp Incident (2001)
Incredibly uncomfortable and borderline unwatchable, PURE COMEDY
I swear, every episode there's at least one moment where I shout out loud "OH NO!" and this episode had quite a few of those moments. I just can't believe this Larry caricature ruins every situation, it leaves me in awe how somebody could even write this show. Jaw dropping to be honest, not much else I can say.
Star Trek: Voyager: Sacred Ground (1996)
This episode is mostly nonsense
If science is the study of reality, how is it not possible that science can't explain this? Unless the contents of this episode are not real, but then that would be completely inconsequential, and in that case, why even bother? Frankly this episode is offensive; to my intelligence, to Star Trek, and to the achievements of the human race. The mental gymnastics necessary to try to rationalize this episode are probably not even healthy. I'm just going to pretend that this isn't in Star Trek canon. However, I'd like to say that as entertainment this episode does it's job. It's well directed, has some good dialogue, and one of the best performances by Kate Mulgrew so far in the show.
The Last of Us: Part II (2020)
Best story of Naughty Dog's history, but with some pacing issues
The only thing I can really compare this game to is The Godfather Part II; the increase in length, the more complex plot, the feeling of dread throughout, and the tragic ending, it's all there. It's also similar to The Godfather Part II in that it had to follow a near perfect original, that in itself is bound to polarize fans. However I think the risks that Neil Druckman took with the story of this game provide a one of a kind experience that has changed the way that I enjoy stories, whether that's TV, movies, games, or books. In a way, the thing that makes the story so effective is also what can make it boring, but I don't mind, after all I am a huge fan of films like 2001 A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia. Of course, I'm talking about the transition between the first act to the second act. In a way, the first act seems to be made up of three acts (or days), which gives the audience the feeling that the game is going to end at a certain point, but it doesn't, right at the climax it gives the player control of the villain of the story, and you're made to play through the three days from the villain's perspective. This really impacts the pacing of the game, because well, no work of art that most people have experienced have ever been paced like this. It goes from a moment of extremely high tension (end of the third day in the first act) to a moment of very low tension (start of first day in the second act), and that impacts the flow of the game in a negative way, but it also acts as a plot device which elevates the story of this game to a level that no Naughty Dog game ever has. I'm going to attempt to outline the plot;
Prologue
Act 1 - A
Act 1 - B
Act 1 - C
Act 2 - A
Act 2 - B
Act 2 - C
Act 3
Epilogue.
You may notice that it seems like a plot outline you can recognize, but the 3 days of the first 2 acts structure the game in a very unique way that may make or break the experience for audiences. Additionally, there is a change of pacing with every proceeding day in these acts. The first day is very open, and you can take your time. Every proceeding day becomes more narrow, the weather gets more intense, and the sense of rage just builds in the audience. By the third day you completely forget why you're doing what you're doing, you're just laser focused on achieving your goal, completely disregarding the ever increasing pile of bodies you've left in your path. This is effective storytelling. This is the reason the transition to the villain character in the second act may come as such a shock to audiences, and may ruin the experience of the game to a more surface level player. You must analyze why you feel the way you do about this villain character, you feel the same rage that the main character does, and if you're not aware of that, or how you've been emotionally manipulated by the game to feel like that, you may not like the rest of the game. However, as you're playing the second act, the game manipulates you AGAIN to care for this villain character, and as you're forced to play the final battle as the villain character, you feel that the main character is a villain. In reality, neither of these characters are the villain, and that's the message of the game. People let their emotions (which have been manipulated by the game) determine their enjoyment of the game, but I say you should analyze why you feel the way you, you may realize it's precisely what the game wants you to feel. If you allow yourself to be consumed by the same rage which is plaguing the main character, you may dislike the rest of the game, but that's your fault, that's your inability to change your mindset towards anything that you feel, and that's a flaw of your personality. In fact the game has manipulated you to feel that rage, and the transition to the other character is supposed to feel shocking and anti climactic. If you do not attempt to open your mind to any other story structures other than the hero's journey, you cannot blame the game for your own closed minded attitude. This game is EXTREMELY effective in tellings its story, id say the story is 10/10, much better than the first game, but the sacrifices that had to be made to make the story this effective impact the pacing of the game and may make it a little boring.
Final rating: 8.8/10.
Oz: Straight Life (1997)
Best episode so far
I thought that after the first episode, the show got kind of boring, but this episode was really good. August Hill says some very profound things this episode, and the plot lines within this episode make it really entertaining. The Tobias plot line is extremely sad, the Alvarez acid trip was surreal and depressing, even relatable. All the plot lines are connected with this drug supply plot line, which is the natural extension of the dishonourable prison guard plot line. Overall this was a good episode, was very well paced, and it's place in the context of the show was logical. It also did a good job of increasing the tension for what I assume will be a great finale.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Paradise (1994)
This woman is insane
This episode has some terrific performances. The woman at the helm of this cult is wonderfully manipulative, and despicable. The sequence of events which slowly introduces more information to the audience is presented in a logical order, and with excellent pacing. The way that the settlement is at first presented as a "Paradise" provides a great contrast to the atrocities that the leader woman is subjecting the inhabitants to. Things such as sensory deprivation, disease, manipulative language use, sexual procurement, all play a role in this woman's master plan. There's a great line by sisko after one of the women attempts to seduce him, "did she send you here to make love to me", and at that moment you realize the true extent of what is happening on this settlement. I don't want to go too in depth but this episode has the shortcomings of the average DS9 episode, which brings it down to a seven. This episode is a little boring, and I think with a better director this episode could have been an 8.
Edit: I also thought the ending was not good, which is why I think this episode is something like a 6.7-6.8.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Duet (1993)
"He's a Cardassian, that's reason enough!"
Yeah this episode is incredible, everybody can tell. The negatives of this episode are so minor that you can overlook them completely. The only negatives in my opinion are some very minor plot holes (completely insignificant, I only noticed them on my third viewing), the overall low budget nature of Deep Space Nine (completely out of their control), and a few useless scenes/dialogue. The acting is phenomenal, and the moral ambiguity of the lore of the Bajoran/Cardassian people is refreshing in Star Trek to say the least. The absolute negative energy that's portrayed in this episode, the hate, the fear, the shame, it sets an example of what type of feelings can be conveyed through film. I don't want to go on a tangent because everything that can be said has already been said about this episode, but I just want to say that the last 10 minutes or so of this episode says so much more than words could ever. Truly fantastic episode, one of the best episodes of Star Trek ever.
The Sopranos: The Test Dream (2004)
So incredible, jaw dropping. Best episode of the show so far
I'm a sucker for surrealism in film, so this episode was like candy for me. The great thing about this episode is how much you understand how every symbolic thing in the dream relates to Tony's life or his current feelings. Some of these things are some unspoken things, things you would only catch onto based on Tony's reaction to something. This episode fleshes out Tony's character so much. I don't want to ramble, so I'll just finish off with my favourite part of the episode. I literally got goosebumps during the therapist scene when Gloria said "I don't have children, I died too young".
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Film is inconsistent throughout its three acts, but is rewarding by the end
The first act of this movie is a mixed bag. It tried to be very serious and emotional but they crack jokes like half the people on earth didn't just die. It leads to a very inconsistent mood, and it isn't helped by the fact that this first act is super boring and uneventful. I wish they would have found a solution other than time travel, but it was fine considering the devastation shown in the last movie, but I wish they spent more time setting up the time travel instead of just figuring it out in a matter of 2 scenes. They wasted a lot of time in the beginning just standing around talking about nothing, being sad and cracking jokes that didn't fit the vibe of the scene, but they skipped right over the whole time travel part. The second act is where the movie picks up. While not perfect, it gave the movie some much needed pacing adjustments. The cutting back and forth between the different groups solving their problems made it a lot less boring than it could have been. But the final act, I don't even know what to say. The final act of this movie was amazing. The fight scene was so epic on so many levels, if the movie was just the last act, it would have been a light 9/10. The first act of this movie is like a 4-5/10, the second act is a decent 7/10, and overall I think the movie is a 7/10. The biggest problems with this movie are the lack of emotional focus, pacing issues, and a clear distinction between the 3 acts. I literally could tell EXACTLY where one act ended and the other one started. Aside from that, I think this movie was very good, I think with a different director or a slightly different script this could have been an 8/10 movie.
WandaVision: Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience (2021)
A really nice change of pace for the marvel universe
I think this was a very surreal and interesting episode. I like the bits where Wanda and Vision start getting a clue that their life isn't really normal. The jokes were also funny and engaging, I was on the edge of my seat for some moments. Wanda is incredibly sexy, and Vision is very funny. The 60s sitcom setting is a very good change of pace for marvel, and also very original.
The Wire: Lessons (2002)
Easily the worst episode of the season
This episode was very boring and uneventful. It just cuts from one micro interaction to the other and nothing of any weight or importance happens.
Schulz Saves America (2020)
They put YouTube videos on Netflix
So instead of giving Schulz a comedy special Netflix decided to pay him to put the type of content he was already making on YouTube on Netflix. The problem is for this type of content, the 16 minute episodes are wayyy too long and get very boring really fast. On the upside, Schulz is a great personality and his perspectives on the various issues talked about in the show are thought provoking and sometimes funny. Overall I think they should have given him a comedy special, because that is where Schulz shines, and because the politics discussed in this show can alienate some of his fans.
Black Panther (2018)
Morally ambiguous and tonally inconsistent, but entertaining if you don't pay attention too much
Before I start I'd like to say that I don't understand how this movie supports the political agenda that people are associating it with. This is not a people for people movie, it's not even a black people for black people movie, this movie (right up until the very end) supports a divided world and an anti-humanitarian message. The "good" guys of this movie aren't really the good guys. They are the people in power who have the means, but choose to not support the welfare of all people, not even all black people. The message of this movie is not clear, and it is not helped by the fact that most of this movie's characters' motivations are not clear.
Let's start with the negatives. This movie at times is badly written. The characters are two dimensional, their motivations are unclear, and they are sometimes used solely as plot devices. Take Martin Freeman's character for example, who even is this guy? We know almost nothing about what kind of person he is, what he stands for, or why he is even in this movie. The moment that we learn something about him other than what's on the service is when we learn he used to be a pilot, then almost immediately they use him as a plot device to fly the plane to save Wakanda's secret weapons. Michael B. Jordan's character is also so under-realized. The sole explaination for his mentality is that his father got killed when he was a kid, how does this possibly explain why he became a CIA operative tasked with taking down developing nations from the inside? I understand his motivations for wanting to get payback from Wakanda for killing his father, but that doesn't explain why he has literally nothing positive in his personality. On the topic of his father dying, the father was literally doing the right thing. He saw that not just black people, but all people in other countries could use the technologies that Wakanda has and all the social process it could bring, yet he is portrayed as a gangster, a criminal, a traitor. Wakanda owes their entire culture to this metal that just so happened to exist where they colonized, and it had been there for millions of years before humans even evolved. What possible claim do these people have to vibranium other than the fact that they live where it exists? They shield their country to stop the risk of anybody discovering how much vibranium they have, but they justify it by saying it is not their way to share vibranium. What kind of self righteous attitude is this? Vibranium is depicted as a solution for all of societies problems, but the only way you could access vibranium is by being born in Wakanda. This is a conspiracy that Wakanda is choosing to hide from anybody who is not systematically chosen. Reminds me of how the pharmaceutical industry prices their medicines that people desperately need so high that only the rich can afford them, and anybody who can't is left to deal with it themselves. What sort of message is this movie trying to convey? Another thing this movie does wrong is the tonal inconsistency. There will be some serious scene then one character will say something to provide some comic relief but it just breaks from the immersion and then you realize that this is a Disney movie and that they need to sell toys. I could go on for so long about the negatives of this movie, but as for the positives, it's entertaining if you choose to turn a blind eye to all of the glaring problems with this movie. The high budget and the entertaining action scenes are a distraction to this movie's lack of artistic merit.
Gravity (2013)
Mindless space thriller
Let's start with the positives. The special effects are fantastic. The destruction you see all throughout the movie is definitely a sight to behold. However, just 7 years later it does look dated so I do not think this movie is going to age well. Also, the pacing of this movie is good. It's a fast paced movie but it does take some moments to give you a little bit of a breather. This movie accomplishes it's goal, because it is thrilling, but those are really the only positives about this movie.
This movie's script is exceptionally bad. George Clooney's character is just a plot device to save the day or to give valuable exposition. Not a single line in this movie really feels natural, especially from George Clooney. Almost every line of dialog is to explain some plot point or to make you feel sorry for the characters. A notable example is when the characters are drifting towards the ISS, and George Clooney asks Sandra Bullock if there's anybody she cares about back on Earth, and Sandra Bullock starts talking about her daughter that died. Instead of emotional, this just feels like a cheap way to make the audience feel sorry for the character, and they can check off character development their list of what a movie script needs. This script is really awful, it feels like something I (a 17 year old) would write. There are just so many cringe worthy dialog moments in this movie, like the scene where Sandra Bullock is falling down to Earth, and she's just going on this monologue which you can tell nobody would ever say in real life. It's this whole inspiration speech that never feels organic, and that she's an actor playing an astronaut. The problem isn't the actors, as they are very skilled, but a script this bad cannot be saved by good actors. You can really feel like they are acting, where in a good movie, you would think these people are the characters they are portraying. Notice how I mention the characters by their actor's names? I just did not buy any of these characters or this whole scenario. While this movie did have very good special effects, that's the only thing this movie really has going for it. This movie is all show and no tell
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
This movie has a lot of lessons to teach men
Sometimes you don't want to see the truth and you justify it in so many ways. This movie shows from the females perspective all the men chasing her, and you can't help but see yourself in at least one of the characters in this movie.
Star Trek: Voyager: Threshold (1996)
Salamanders
Honestly I was on board until they said the future of human evolution is salamanders
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The best Star Trek movie
This movie was great, and I could find only one glaring flaw. The soundtrack to this movie is awful, absolutely ruins the mood of certain scenes. On the positive side, this movie is really well directed, acted, and written. The characters all feel much more mature than they were in the original series and you can understand Khan's motivations quite well. The best part about this movie is the villain, and the fact that he is a lot more understandable and fleshed out than any other in the Star Trek universe. This adventure might have not had the most at stake, or even the most action, but it was the emotion behind it that made this movie really fun to watch.
I give this an 8.2/10. I'm not completely crazy about this movie, as I feel Star Trek is a series that works a lot better on the television rather the big screen, and I'm completely spoiled by The Next Generation. But still a really fun movie and should keep you on the edge of your seat