Change Your Image
aucoinandrew
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Departed (2006)
Scorsese is at the top of his game
THE GOOD:
An absolutely stacked cast gets the job done by bringing their multidimensional characters to life and propelling the story to new heights. Scorsese directs the heck out of this one, effortlessly pacing the film from one scene to the next; there's never a dull moment. The script is clever, deep, and straight to the point. The dialogue is perfect. It's just one of those films that is so incredibly entertaining and enjoyable but also full of rich thematic elements and deft filmmaking.
THE BAD:
Yeahhh there's nothing bad about it.
WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN:
Of course, there's 10/10 movies that are difficult to rewatch for a multitude of reason (se7en) but this is not one of them.
Whiplash (2014)
Undisputed masterpiece
THE GOOD:
The script (entirely original I might add) is undeniably one that was crafted with care, passion, and love by Chazele. Miles teller and jk Simmons come alive in their respective roles, delivering their lines with authority. The cinematography isn't the flashiest (it could've been gratuitously so if put in the hands of a lesser dop) but sets the tone with its dark and ominous atmospheric lighting. The editing is perhaps the best I've ever seen. There are scenes, especially the final one, that could've fallen apart if the editing hadn't been perfectly conducted. The relationship between our two main characters is the driving force of the film and each part of the filmmaking process plays a role in bringing it to life. The ending sticks with you long after the credits roll, making you question whether it was a "happy ending" or not and, I'm my opinion, it was probably about the most depressing but brilliant ending possible. THE BAD: no.
WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN:
Yes, every year for the rest of my life.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
The best installment of them all, masterfully directed by Cuaron
It's quite a miracle, actually, that prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite film in the series, seeing as it's book form is not one I find myself returning to very often. However, Cuaron turns what, in my opinion, is one of the weaker storylines in the hp universe, into a power house of a film that far surpasses my expectations of what a hp film could produce. For starters, It takes creative liberties that work seamlessly with the source material (unlike the previous two which were bland carbon copies of the books). It is also a visual treat, well shot and edited, with a signature directorial feel that helps it stand out from the often one note style of the other adaptations. The grounds of hogwarts are expanded through Cuarons vision and make for a more lived in and welcoming world for us outsiders. The atmosphere Cuaron creates aids in ushering in a justifiable dark tone to the series, a tone that continues to deepen in further installments. John Williams is at the top of his game here, perfecting the score he has been building upon in the previous films. The young acting trio of Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint take tremendous steps with the guidance of Cuaron and start to really become comfortable in their respective roles. The additions of David thewlis, Michael Gambon, Timothy spall, and the amazing Gary Oldman (who is perfectly cast as the misunderstood Sirius Black) just continue to stack an already all star British cast. The humor is punctual and never feels out of place, a good reminder that, while this is definitely a darker hp film, it still has the endearing child like vibe of the franchise.
In summary, watch the movie. It's a glittering gem in a mixed bag of a franchise, a sweet coming of age story wrapped in the sugar coat of fantasy. Also, Alan Rickman is a stud.
The Batman (2022)
Starts great but ultimately falls short
The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson, is a crime thriller/film noir take on the dark knight. Met with generally high praise from critics and audiences alike, the Batman soared into box office highs right off the bat. The Batman drew acclaim for its visuals, performances, score, and gritty atmosphere, drawing viewers deep into its world of crime, justice, and vengeance. While it is indeed well made and delves into themes and ideas heretofore unseen in batman films, The Batman is far from perfect and stumbles in some of its most important elements.
The first hour and a half of the Batman is an engrossing film that hits on all cylinders and showcases Reeves technical talent and ability to incorporate Fincher like elements into his script. I was on the edge of my seat and the action scenes, while limited, were brilliant and exciting. Batman jumped from one crime scene to the next and the riddler kept outsmarting him at every turn, making for an engaging story of cat and mouse. Then came the third act and the movie began to fall apart. Reeves, on top of forcing in a severely under written love story, fell pray to the cardinal marvel movie sin: a by the numbers action movie mumbo jumbo conclusion. After all the buildup, the riddler is sidelined in his own war and batman fights a bunch of masked thugs. Michael Giacchino tries his best to make the broken-hearted love story seem emotional but, ultimately, can only do so much with his music. While I do believe they provided a solid character arc for batman, starting him out as a man of vengeance and then making him realize that those ideals are shared by his enemies, they dropped the ball on a finale that could've capped off greatness.
Se7en (1995)
Three words that make this movie: The Final Act.
"Se7en", directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, and Gwyneth Paltrow, focuses on two cops (a young up and coming detective (Pitt) and an older, more experienced one (Freeman)).
This film is classic Fincher: dark, moody, thematically complex, tense, and a slow burn. From the opening shot, the yellow and green hues of the film draw you in to the mysterious and dark crime world of NYC. We follow Pitt and Freeman in this rainy setting as they slowly uncover the identity of a serial killer that uses a peculiar reason for his murders: the seven deadly sins. As the killer (Spacey) slowly begins to make his way through each sin, and punishing those sinners, both Freeman and Pitt's characters have to face their own demons.
This is NOT a movie to watch if you're looking for a fun, action packed, and uplifting time. Get ready to face a film with a BLEAK outlook on life and a devastatingly disturbing finale. Be prepared to engage yourself from start to finish; it's a movie that makes you think, and every word, every shot, and every moment matters. Critiques say that the first 2 thirds of this movie are "dull and uneventful". This is the case, yes, but only for the unfocused and distracted mind. Being fully immersed in the first part of this film, pays off when the final act finally comes around.
In the end, we have a masterpiece of a crime drama that is original, thought provoking, hauntingly beautiful, and extremely well-acted, written, and directed by some of the best in the business.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Lackluster with what it was given.
The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard and adapted from the popular novel by Dan Brown, is a big budget mystery/thriller. Starring acclaimed actors such as Tom Hanks and Ian McKellen, The Da Vinci Code tells the story of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu on a dangerous adventure to uncover the religious mystery surrounding Mary Magdalen and Jesus Christ. This mystery, they soon realize, has the potential to shake the very foundations of Christianity if revealed. Having never read the book, I went into this movie with a limited knowledge of the story and its characters. As much as I love Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, and Ian McKellen, I was slightly disappointed with the final product. The story had potential, regardless of some of its blasphemous material, but, due to its lack of direction and inconsistent pacing, I was left to picking up the pieces of what could've been an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed, and engaging thriller. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy any of it, but that these moments of excitement were few and far between. I believe a film can only be properly reviewed and analyzed upon multiple viewings, but I will try my best to lay out what I saw as the pros and cons of the film.
My absolute favorite part of the movie was the film score masterfully crafted by Hans Zimmer. It immersed me in scenes that, without it, would've been far less impactful and memorable. Another part I enjoyed was Paul Bettany's performance as the angry and confused "man of God" Silas. Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou are great actors but they didn't impress me with their performances in this movie. I blame that more on what they were given to work with in terms of script and writing rather than their acting talents.
Now onto what I disliked about the film. The screenplay was average at best. I'm not sure if this has to do with the shortcomings of the book or the failure of the writers to adapt, but it was confusing, slow, and all over the place. We were introduced to new characters seemingly out of nowhere and our protagonist was thrust into action sequences that never payed off except to distract us from the countless moments of exposition dumps. The dialogue was stale. It felt like our characters were reading off a book instead of naturally speaking to each other. Finally, the tone of the movie was far to dark and brooding, which wouldn't have been a problem if it had actually been able to evoke any parts where we, as the audience, should've been scared for our hero's lives. Instead, the outcome was pretty predictable and cheesy to say the least. Nevertheless, I will say I enjoyed the ending and how it all wrapped together but the final product, as a whole, was a disappointment.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
"Hope Is A Good Thing"
...but there is no hope in the Oscars when this masterpiece claims none of them.
Directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, this Stephen King adaptation displays the familiar themes of hope, friendship, and injustice. And it doesn't just show us these themes but rather puts us through them ourselves as we see our protagonist Andy Dufresne , wrongly accused of murdering his wife and her lover, be cast into the ruthless Shawshank Prison with two lifetime sentences. Andy, however, still has hope. We watch as he becomes fast friends with his fellow inmates, most notably Morgan Freeman's 'Red' Redding and slowly, over the course of 20 years, become an important part of prison life, not only for his fellow prison mates, but also the two faced Warden. Andy suffers humiliation, heartbreak, and setbacks throughout his time at Shawshank, but by the end of the film his undying hope carries him through the gates of Shawshank and into freedom.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Worst of the Three But Nevertheless A Fantastic Achievement
It isn't easy being the middle man in a trilogy but The Two Towers makes it work.
Ripe with beautiful scenery, a fully realized Middle Earth, and a worthy cast, The Two Towers is an epic in every sense of the word. Translating Tolkien's detailed work, fraught with tons of characters and plot changes, isn't easy, but Peter Jackson does a tremendous job albeit the few egregious changes to some of Tolkien's characters he felt the need to pursue. But let's start with what Peter did well:
Once again, the production, costume, and special effects teams have transformed Middle Earth into a living, breathing, world that is intricately detailed and a joy to be a part of (New Zealand was a wonderful location to film at). The cinematography is once again top notch, showing Middle Earth in all its beauty and evil. Howard Shore once again showcases his beautiful score and enlivens every scene he composed for. The battle of helms deep is, to this day, unmatched in fantasy battles and is easily one of the greatest large scale battles put to film. It is tense, emotional, action packed, and inspiring all at the same time. Bernard Hill puts on an extremely underrated performance as the King of Rohan, bent on saving his people. Sean Astin, Viggo Mortenson, Andy Serkis, Miranda Otto, and, of course, the great Ian McKellan, also cash in with great performances across the board. The second half of this film is absolutely brilliant, using what may have appeared to be a slower first half to propel the action and stakes to new heights.
Now here's what Peter could've done better. To some this may appear nitpicky, but for avid readers of Tolkien's work, it's important.
Treebeard is not this dumb. He is supposed to be wise and reasonable, not ignorant and unstable. Peter made his character pretty unlikeable, boring, and childish. They made him look silly when he didn't know about how Saruman had destroyed all those trees.
Faramir is one of my favorite characters in the book, mainly because of his strength. I loved how they treated his character in Return of the King but here, they make him into a whiny, slightly self-absorbed, loser, who, in fact, does give into the rings temptations, which, in the book, he does not. This loses a key character trait of Faramir and does an injustice to Tolkien's view of the character.
Overall, a strong 9/10. For the most part, save a few character changes, it does justice to the book and continues the story in a nail biting fashion.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
A fantastic show
It took me awhile to get around to watching this series, namely because I deemed it a kids show and therefore to embarrassing for an 18 year old like myself to be watching.
I couldn't have been further from the truth.
Yeah, kids can watch it, but it's one of those shows that everyone can enjoy, not just kids. It deals with themes and issues that are pretty dark at times but are expertly written and executed. The best part about the show, without a doubt, is it's writing. In particular, it's characters.
Zuko, Iroh, Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, Azula. These are characters that have crazy good arcs that are slowly built over the shows three seasons. They may be children, but each of them have their inner demons and issues that are well fleshed out and addressed throughout the series. Zuko, in particular, is the best possible example of this.
My only big issue with the show is that season 1 was definitely the weakest part of the series, and was not nearly as interesting as the next two. It wasn't bad, but lacked the genius of season 2 and 3 and was filled with filler episodes that slowed the story down.
Band of Brothers (2001)
Simply the best television has to offer
Simply put this is a show every American should watch. It gives a near perfect representation of the heart, sacrifice, and courage that our soldiers had in World War II.
The production design is fantastic. The acting is phenomenal. The score is rousing and the direction is spot on. It's "Saving Private Ryan" but ten hours long and, honestly, better. It's a series that holds up nearly two decades later and will forever be among the greats that the small screen can produce.
Road to Perdition (2002)
Well shot; Well acted; well directed, but it was missing heart
You won't find a better movie in terms of pure cinematic brilliance. However, the writing was really lacking at times. I never really got invested in the characters whatsoever and their were points in the movie that were just plain boring and uneventful. Nevertheless, there are some really great performances by Tom Hanks, Jude law, and Paul Newman and the cinematography was unlike anything I've seen before, just really good production design. So, while it's got all the makings of a fantastic film, I have to give it a 8/10 because it failed in a really important part of film: the plot.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Perfect, literally a perfect ending to a perfect trilogy.
ROTK is my favorite movie of all time. No question. Why? Well, here goes.
Plot: Obviously these are book adaptations so they're taking the plot from the books. Nevertheless, out of all three books/ movies, this is by far the most entertaining. It's the culmination of the whole series and contains the most action sequences and emotional scenes in the whole series.
Acting: This was like the only category this movie wasn't nominated for an Oscar in and that doesn't mean the acting was any less than the rest of the film. Every actor nails their role to perfection, there's no performance that rlly stand out drastically above the rest which is why, I think, it had no nominations. Although Sean astin and Viggo mortenson are two that I particularly would applaud.
Directing: Peter Jackson was the best director possible for this series. Yes, he's not the greatest director working right now ( Spielberg, Nolan, Tarantino, Scorsese, etc) but his appreciation and love for the source material makes him the choice that best works in the series favor. He understood Tolkien's work and it showed. He respected the important elements from the books and didnt make drastic changes to the script that would change the story.
Cinematography: Some of the shots in this movie are absolutely fantastic: from the sacrifice of faramir to the emotional end of all things, the cinematography captures the feel of each scene wonderfully.
Score: It's a well known fact that Howard shores score for these three movies are among the greatest achievements in films score ever. Similar to the cinematography, the score does such a great job in making the movie emotionally impactful. This aspect of cinema is so underrated.
Special effects: Outstanding. The time and effort put into the sets, design, and practical affects is both genius and awe inspiring. There's not enough I can say on how well done it is and how far ahead of its times it is.
Overall one of the best movies ever and I highly suggest y'all watch it( after the first two of course).
Community (2009)
You won't find another comedy show that's as creative, smart, and original as this one
I see it as massively underrated but it's also one of those shows that doesn't really cater to all audiences. Similar to Rick and Morty (also created by Dan Harmon), most of the jokes will fly over people's heads, not cuz their to smart, but because the jokes rely heavily on the audience's understanding of pop culture. The pilot, for me, is really great but I can also understand why not a lot of people like it and when your pilot is not well loved it's hard for your show to take off. Also season four, not written by Harmon, is a huge drop off in quality from the fantastic first three seasons. Season five was a great return to form and season 6 was ok but season four is the reason this show isn't a 10/10.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Just a filler movie
I'm a huge potter fan. The originals weren't great but they were enjoyable and did their job. Honestly I don't think the Fantastic beasts series should even exist. There's far better content in the wizard world and this is just a waste.
Now, about the film. Here's the good: Jude law is a great young dumbeldore and is pretty much the only thing I look forward to in the rest of the series. He doesn't get much screen time but does great with what he has. The action sequences are solid, score is great, and overall acting fairly strong.
The bad: the writing is atrocious. The characters from the previous movie are not even carried over to this one. In the last one, they all had nice wrap ups to their characters that were completely discarded in the first ten minutes of this one. Newt, based in his character, shouldn't even be in this movie but they force him in. Nice little queenie goes psycho and forces Jacob into marrying her. She then joins Grindelwald thinking he's doing the right thing. SHE CAN READ MINDS but she can't tell he's a bad guy. Ok. They try so hard to make Lita Lestarange a good character. They spend so much time fleshing out her backstory with newt but then fail to do anything with that and kill her off like we're supposed to care about her character. Credence, my least fav character, somehow survives internal combustion and, oh my gosh!, turns out to be dumbledores lost brother!??...absolutely terrible smh. They have other fan service plot twists that are dumb like leta being related to the top hat guy and nagini being a human. Cant wait for these to be over. I wish they'd just make a marauders tv series or focus on Dumbledore instead of this garbage. 4/10. Jude law and Johnny depp were good. Can't say the same about the movie though.
Star Wars (1977)
Entertaining! Innovative! Original? No.
I'll say what I enjoyed first:
The score- Wow, easily one of the greatest scores of all time. Makes the movie for me honestly. Scenes that would've been terrible without it were redeemed, it's completely original and John Williams killed it.
Alec Guiness and Harrison Ford- The two best characters in the movie acted by the two best actors in the film.
Special effects- It's fairly obvious as the movie goes on that it focuses heavily on its, at the time, crazy good special effects. The work and love that went into this movie are most evident in its countless sets and practical effects.
Now to the bad:
It's not original- It's simple really, Lucas even admits it, the plot follows the basic mono myth of the young farm boy taking on an empire. Nothing we haven't seen before except this time it's covered in gibberish names and space garbage.
The Acting, Dialogue, and Characters- It's so wooden. It's not the worst I've ever seen but the way people talk about this movie is as if it isn't bad. Mark Hammil and Carrie Fishers performance are so over exaggerated. All the side characters such as the imperial officers and Luke's uncle and aunt are just terrible. Their are some great quotes spattered around that are memorable and great but the in-between is just cringey and cliche. The great Alec Guiness would agree with me and he's a part of it. The characters are just card board cuts of classic personalities. Luke is a dislikable protagonist who whines and complains the whole movie and is somehow a master at everything he touches. Han I have no complaints with, he's great. Obi wan is cool and all but nothing we haven't seen before in an old wise mentor. C3po is so freakin annoying and such a useless character, he gets far to much screen time. Leah doesn't do anything except sit back and watch the other characters do all the work. This would be fine if they even tried to have any character development with her but no, she's pretty one dimensional.
Overall it's an entertaining and enjoyable movie but definetly not deserving of any of the accolades and praise it continually gets. No way is it in the top 15 movies of all time, for me it barely scratches the top 250. Yes it broke boundaries for its time...in special effects. So have fun watching it call it a classic, but in no way whatsoever should this be considered a high quality, top 15 movie of all time...cause it's not.
Psych (2006)
"C'mon Son!"
Featuring one of the best on screen friendships ever created, psych has pretty much all you could want in a tv show: action, comedy, romance, mystery, etc. Personally, its my all time favorite show and i may be a little biased because psych might not be for everybody, but its massively underrated. While the acting isn't out of the park, the witty banter and overall enjoyability makes up for it. James Roday and Dule Hills chemistry is the driving force of the show. The amount of inside jokes makes it hard to jump in halfway through but makes the whole journey that much better.
Merlin (2008)
Great... for what it is
The people complaining about the special effects and the acting have obviosuly not watched the entire series. Yes, the acting is spotty at time(Im looking at you Katie McGrath) but over the course of the series actors like colin morgan, bradley james, and angel coulby find their characters and play them almost to perfection. The story has it hisccups ( several plotholes and odd character arcs) but its a family oriented fantasy world with MAGIC so plot holes are nearly unavoidable. I highly recommend this show to anyone willing to not try and overthink everything but just sit back and enjoy a consistent action, comedy adventure.
Ben-Hur (2016)
Not great but far from bad. I enjoyed it.
Of course it doesn't compare to the original but it has its own special and unique way of telling the story- especially the more Christian focused take, which pays homage to the book and it's roots. This reason alone is why it garners so many bad reviews because, honestly, it's solid all around: acting, score, landscape, directing, are all well done. Jack Huston shines in a worthy performance that lives up to charlton Heston's legendary take on the character. All in all, it doesn't deserve the hate it gets, and it's gotten a lot.
Parks and Recreation (2009)
Watchable but lacked consistency
Let me get this straight, I was able to watch all seven seasons, so it was good enough to finish. But, unlike some shows, it took me extremely long to finish because of the mediocrity of the the last two seasons. There are some funny characters like Ron, Andy, Jean Ralphio,Jam, and Tom(occasionally). But when they weren't on screen the show was just plain boring and lackluster. The main character is unfunny, political, overbearing, and annoying. There are moments where you laugh out loud and then a few minutes later your questioning why your still watching the show. I do recommend it just because the tv wasteland we have nowadays doesn't have enough watchable shows but there are far better comedy's out there such as Psych, the office, and galavant
Galavant: Giants vs. Dwarves (2016)
Great episode!
How is this show so underrated? Seriously, the songs are creative and original, the acting is perfect, the jokes are smart and funny(impossible to find in the tv show wasteland nowadays). This episode is particularly underrated with its hilarious parody of "west side story". Yes it's a bit cheesy and it utilizes every medieval cliche in the book, but that's part of the joke that a lot of people don't see. This isn't a show to be taken seriously rather to just enjoy with an open mind.