bartgodboy Reviews

One Piece (2023– )

Yes folks, it's good. They did it.

[8/10 · 31 August 2023]

Writing this after watching all 8 episodes.

Oda was most certainly involved in this because in no way does this ever feel like a shameless product by Netflix to capitalize on, this feels like a project made by someone who always had a vision for his work and was surrounded by people who wanted to bring his vision to life and do it justice.

The cast is so good. To me personally, Morgan Davies as Koby steals the show for how damn accurate his portrayal of the character is. It is not fair to say one actor is stronger than the others, because everyone feels right for their part.

Now of course, please watch with some degree of leeway. It will probably always be impossible for an live action adaptation of an anime to feel EXACTLY like it's source, visuals-wise. There are sadly things made in anime that can only work if done in anime. This adaptation does however feel as close as possible to it's beloved source material and never reaching the point where it doesn't work anymore.

8/10, fans of One piece, I can't really see you being dissapointed by this. The cast and crew of this adaptation genuily cared, and each one of them should be appreciated.

Creed III (2023)

Enjoyable

[8/10 · 10 March 2023]

This was very enjoyable. Most people will go see it for the fights and they're there. They feel refreshingly different, you can tell Michael B. Jordan was inspired by Japanese animes for the choreography. There's very creative outcomes of certain punches. The fights shouldn't dissapoint most people.

The story beats are what is needed to satisfy a modern day audience. Nothing shocking and all pretty predictable. Kinda wish they'd try something drastically different that regular cliches, but it is still serviceable. Nevertheless, I recommend this movie.

8/10, it's a great time and very well made.

Babylon (I) (2022)

Old Hollywood debauchery

[8/10 · 2 January 2023]

What a wild ride! Damien Chazelle hits another home run with this movie. Captivating, visually dazzling, performances who shined on the screen and a story that kept refreshing itself. I can see why the mixed reception tho, it is kind of all over the place at times but for any film lover, this movie is a true experience.

Cinematography was pristine. The acting was perfect all around. Chazelle's direction could be felt at times with his signature whip pans but there was clear investement in the story. The character's relationships were all well depicted.

I gotta say tho, that last half hour was kind of depressing.

Go see this if you love movies. This is the kind of movie experiences we need more of.

The Whale (2022)

You go see it because of Fraser

[8/10 · 2 January 2023]

This movie was so good. It was touching, deep, the acting from everyone is very good and it never looses your interest.

Its not like we havent seen any of these story beats before, its not like this is breaking new ground in terms of originality, its not like it was a movie that switched directions every now and then. The story is predictable and not complex at all. Fraser's performance is what makes it engaging tho, who cares if this isnt the most original story as long as there's that performance to carry it. Maybe its just because I personally have lived with obesity but watching him was so engaging and heart wrenching at times. I never wanted to look away for the entire runtime.

You wont be dissapointed. This is marvelous movie.

One Piece Film: Red (2022)

Entertaining, but has issues.

[6/10 · 7 November 2022]

Yeah it's getting bashed alot. Not entirely without reason but still...there's issues here.

Yes, musical numbers run throughout the entire film. To me, since they weren't all really fowarding the story, they became sort of awkward. Not to bash the actual singing tho, it's really great. We coud've used less of them in my opinion.

80% of the people went to see this movie because of Shanks. Please do not go in with such expectations. He is in it, but barely. I'm not one of those people, I just really love One Piece.

The animation is excellent obviously. The direction is nice.

Overall...6/10. I didn't entirely work, but was entertaining.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Well acted, thoughtful, just excellent

[10/10 · 28 October 2022]

This may be the best theatrical release of 2022. This movie is excellent. For the big popcorn audiences it may seem extremely boring but for the people who love cinema, this movie is masterful.

The acting is excellent all around, the cinematography is breathtaking, it's very funny at times, the relationships between all the characters ia extremely well depicted and best of all, it gives you something to think about afterward. This movie shall stick with you long after your viewing.

10/10 recommended for people who love the art of filmmaking, this is a masterful movie and definitely one of the best movies this year.

Don't Worry Darling (I) (2022)

Not complete trash like alot of people are saying, but flawed.

[5/10 · 25 September 2022]

Right off the bat: Ignoring all the bullsh!t drama surrounding this movie and judging it as a MOVIE. No, this is not the worst movie to have come out yet this year.

No, this is not the worst movie ever made.

This is a flawed movie. Personally, the biggest flaw of the movie is the soundtrack. I sincerly would like to know wether this was Olivia Wilde's descision, producers or whoever because jesus christ, how nobody thought those sexual moaning type musics were a bad idea is beyond human comprehension. It's not creepy or scary, it's out of place and silly.

Second, the writing. The dialogue do feel stale at times but the biggest weakness of the writing is the logic and the classic "setups and payoffs". Many things happen that are never really explained and are left unanswered. This is not a movie with a very tight plotline.

Unlike most people, I didn't expect the ending we got. I was expecting something of the sort, but the exact explaination we got. It was slightly refreshing in that respect, but not enough to make it interesting or satisfying.

Third, the direction. This is a beautifully shot movie, honest and sincere kudos to everyone involved in the costume and set designs, to the cinematographer and the lighting departement. On a purely visual level, this is great. Unfortunately, Mrs. Wilde's direction do kind of feel weird and pretentious at times. Holding on sexual acts between characters to accentuate their affection towards one another is okay, but there's a limit.

Dissapointed overall, but not the worst movie ever. Kinda fun to analyze.

Barbarian (2022)

Goddamn, what a surprise.

[10/10 · 12 September 2022]

Well damn. Really didn't expect it to be this good. Wanted to give my support to what I believed would ultimately be a forgettable movie but wow, what a surprise.

I do wanna say to any potential new viewer: Don't go in expecting a "The Shining" or "Rosemary's baby" type of movie, I think it'll affect your enjoyment of the film. There are story elements here that do feel déjà vu, but what carries it is the overall execution and the way the story is told. This movie never tries to be any more than what it is, which is just an extremely well done horror movie. It respects the audience and creates a genuily very creepy atmosphere at times.

10/10 recommended. You won't be dissapointed, this is one of the best major releases this year.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

The ultimate double-edged sword

[10/10 · 3 September 2022]

Nothing to be said that hasn't been said: This is, without the faintest hint of doubt, one of the greatest movies that has ever been made. No cinematography ever since this masterpiece first came out came even close to the level of this absolutely dazzling-looking masterpiece. If the visuals aren't enough for you, well this movie is perfect in every other department.

The acting is absolutely incredible. Mr. O'Toole gives one of the most memorable performances of cinema history carried by a great load of really memorable side characters, you can't really imagine getting a bigger-scale movie in terms of production value, Mr. Lean's direction is absolutely pristine, the soundtrack will stay with you days after your viewing, the editing is perfect, and the story will never ever loose your attention, every frame of this masterpiece couldn't be better presented.

The movie does have it's fair share of innacuracies, but this is why the word "adapting" is important: David Lean's vision is indeed different from the original book, but he still made a cohesive story that took inspiration from the real life events and simply made it more beautiful, brought it up to the level it deserves: A story that shall forever be inspiring and never be forgotten in the form of one of the greatest motion pictures ever produced.

Which is why it's so frustrating...this movie accomplishes the not-so-easy task of being inspirational, it is not blasphemy to say that this is one of the most influencial movies ever made and that it inspired an entire genre and generation of film-lovers. But...how can someone with a love for film ever think to be able to reach the level of greatness here? The answer is, simply accept that this level of quality will probably never be seen again, but we have it and we can enjoy it as much as we want.

See this experience. You can't be dissapointed if you like the art of filmmaking or if you simply want to be entertained even. This movie has nothing that can turn off any viewer. It is three hours and forty-two minutes of pure magic.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Fantastic Gen-Z satire

[10/10 · 14 August 2022]

This movie rules! It's an absolutely great satire of the modern generation and for some people it might feel overexaggerated, to me it was so realistic that it bordered on this being an actual situation that really happened.

The direction was very good, LOTS of handheld tracking shots that immerses you in the situation with these characters, very solid acting from everybody (even from Pete Davidson god damnit, first role of his that I genuily think he's good), the dialogue is really great and funny, it didn't feel like a 45 year old man trying to write Gen-Z characters.

Overall, you will not be dissapointed. Really really great movie. A24 did it again, god bless them!

Prey (I) (2022)

MUCH better than it ever had the right to be

[8/10 · 9 August 2022]

This movie's really great. It isn't perfect, no movies are obviously. A couple of tweaking of this script (in terms of the motivations of the main character and the ending) and this would've, in my opinion, easily been on par with the original movie. As it is, it's really great and I highly recommend it to fans of cinema, filmmaking and to the fans of the original.

Nope (2022)

Something's missing...

[6/10 · 24 July 2022]

This was an thoroughly enjoyable movie. Fantastic cinematography, Kaluuya and Palmer are fantastic, their chemistry is great and their acting is very strong.

Sadly, the real problem here is the story. When the "reveal" happens, it automatically makes a seemingly important part of the story confusing and leaves you wondering why it was even in there. It became convoluted, in terms of the motivation of the characters and even of the main threat. It was so dissapointing coming from Peele, the man who brought us the great twist in the masterful Get Out that this very promising movie devolved into standards territory.

6/10 overall, I definitely recommend watching it in the theater for the best experience but you might feel a bit underwhelmed at the end.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Enjoyable but nothing more

[6/10 · 10 July 2022]

Let's start by saying that this was enjoyable to watch, unlike Jurassic World Dominion which felt like you were assaulted by a physical manifestation of Hollywood laziness. There were funny moments here and there, Christian Bale's performance was very good and Russell Crowe...Russell Crowe is in his own world in this movie, in a good way.

Sadly, Waititi's indulgence could really be felt sometimes, with him leaving the camera on for the actors to improvise in between scripted scenes. The humour, personally, felt really flat most of the time except for, again, funny shots and lines here and there. Chris Hemsworth is always good as an actor, but a good actor can't camouflage bad jokes. The predictable MCU moments are here, clichés tropes and plot points...it's not like the other movies didn't have that, but where Ragnarok felt fresh and different, this one really doesn't hit the same.

Overall,6/10 recommendation for mindless fun but with all that money on the screen, this could've been much better.

Elvis (2022)

Slightly dissapointing

[7/10 · 25 June 2022]

First things first, in no way is this movie bad. The scale of the production is very impressive and all the concert scenes are very well executed.

However, personally, the biggest failing is the editing. It was very choppy,sometimes the ADR was extremely obvious, too much quick cutting at times. It was weird, especially considering they were two credited editors. I cannot say whether it was the editors or Baz Luhrmann's fault, tho.

Mr. Luhrmann's direction is adequate, but sometimes inconsistent. Lots of fantastic shots, but sometimes some shots didn't quite naturally flow.

The best part of the movie is more definitely Austin Butler. He is very good and blend seemlessly into the role of the king of Rock N Roll. Great, great performance.

Tom Hanks...well he is okay, but sadly you really see Tom Hanks and not the Colonel.

Overall, I recommend it for the scope and Butler's performance, but this clearly could have been legendary.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Dull, lifeless, very poor execution and writing

[2/10 · 12 June 2022]

I love movies. I am dedicating my entire life to the wonderful craft of filmmaking that saved me from the darkness. Engrossing audiences in a compelling story with relatable characters and all the components that make up MOVIES.

This is not a movie.

This is a spectacle. A very bad, stupid spectacle. In recent years, I have come to realize that most big Hollywood movies are so hollow, generic and overall not compelling. I still have a mild amount of respect for the Marvel movies despite their flaws. They are most definitely not meant to be anything more than entertainment that appeals to the masses and families of the world but you can tell that they care about not being plain stupid and have that wonderful sense of fun.

This isn't. WAY TOO MUCH exposition, poorly executed "action" scenes, very stupid dialogue and it only relies on showing you scenes from the previous movies of the franchise (even JP3, believe it or not). I wouldn't even recommend this movie to general families, they'll probably be bored and leave the theater frustrated.

Please do not support this. You deserve better entertainment that will respect your intelligence. You deserve better.

Men (2022)

Yeah, the reactions were to be expected.

[8/10 · 22 May 2022]

Sadly, in the world we live in 2022, a movie like this will definitely not appeal to the Marvel/Big generic Hollywood movie crowd. Which is why A24 is a blessing to have the audacity to release something like this.

I really, really liked the movie but it is definitely not without it's flaws; personally and as some people mentionned, the second half becomes very "heady" and filled with visual metaphors and is not as strong as that first half which was absolutely riveting. My biggest problem is simply that the core message of the movie and even some of the metaphors were not clear. Which indeed could be the point, maybe Mr. Garland never had one specific idea on what the movie is supposed to mean/say at the end and left it to the audience to come up with their own interpretations, but it felt like a clear explanation was due and we never really got it. Despite that, the movie is very well shot, the acting from Mr. Kinnear and Ms. Buckley is top notch, strong direction with clear passion to it's story, it is very slow but very engaging. Again sadly, this is not something that appeals to mainstream audiences, more to people who love the art of filmmaking and are passionate and loving of cinema.

8/10, highly recommended for anyone who loves A24 or just movies in general.

The Expendables (2010)

Mmmhhhh....

[5/10 · 5 March 2022]

So, first things first:

• Despite the popular opinion on Sly and Arnold's acting, I think they both do a decent job here. The cast is good and the concept is really great.

• Unfortunately, it betrays itself and it's entire concept. It was so heavily promoted as a return to the 80's action flicks and what makes these movies so great is the craft of the filmmaking behind them. They have real squibs, explosion and overall action that make them feel real. Here, every squib is simply a plugin and the digital blood was really noticeable. Very dissapointing.

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Great, just great...if sometimes very hard to watch

[9/10 · 1 November 2021]

There's nothing to be said that hasn't already said about this. It doesn't even feel like a "movie", more like a documentary about these friends growing up in one of the toughest environments one can possibly be born in. Can't recommend it enough, one of, if not THE best of it's genre.

Daredevil (2015–2018)

Marvel's greatest failure was cancelling this masterpiece

[10/10 · 31 August 2021]

I know it's probably mostly Disney's fault with the coming of their streaming service Disney+ but man, cancelling what is the best Marvel media ever made is the biggest mistake they've ever made.

This show is beyond fantastic. In terms of execution, it's almost flawless, the acting is fantastic (everyone is great, there isnt a single actor who is bad but Charlie cox and Vincent donofrio definitely steal the show, they are masterful), the story is always engaging and the action is on par with the likes of John Wick and The Raid. I cannot recommend this show enough, truly the greatest thing Marvel has ever done.

Old (2021)

Well...he tried

[5/10 · 2 August 2021]

Oh boy....can't blame shyamalan for trying but this is...woaw.

The first half of the movie is "funny bad", at best. Some unintentional laughably stupid moments happen that are kind of hilarious to watch even tho it clearly was not the intention but unfortunately after that it just becomes predictable and plain stupid. What really drove this movie down at least for me was the acting. The mom was TERRIBLE, Alex wolff clearly was trying and the psychologist character too but the rest were just plain bad. It's a very neat premise and it would have been great if written amd executed better. Can't blame the guy for being original tho.

Pig (I) (2021)

Fantastic, just fantastic

[10/10 · 26 July 2021]

A lot of the reviews here complain about it being too slow. It's so sad that marvelous movies like this get this kind of reception for being so original and well done.

This movie is just fantastic. Obviously for a lot of people this seemed like "Nicholas cage goes full John Wick in search for his pig!". This couldn't be further from that. It's about so, so much more interesting themes. For anyone that potentially want to make movies in the future, this is one of the best examples of a simple premise executed flawlessly with a story that never, ever gets dull and keeps you engaged throughout the whole thing. Nicholas Cage is fantastic, so is Alex Wolff and amazing from a first time writer-director. Can't wait to see what Michael Sarnoski does next. Can't recommend this fantastic movie enough, best movie of 2021 so far!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Indescribably stupid script

[3/10 · 6 July 2021]

I can't even fathom how a group of producers came together, read this script and said "yes, this is great, it's worth investing millions of dollars in". The supreme stupidity in this movie is indescribable. It's not even really worth spoiling what's stupid about it because it's overall everything that happens. If you stop, think about what the characters do and what happens, you have to be a complete braindead moron to not think it's incredibly stupid. Can't fault the execution tho, the filmmaking is very good but it's in the service of pure stupidity. Unfortunately, the new boomer generation loves that kind of stupidity. It's very sad that indie movies, written and made by people who seriously want to make a MOVIE and not a 2 hour 200 million dollar forgettable piece of trash don't get as much attention.

Censor (2021)

It's hard to understand the poor reviews

[10/10 · 5 July 2021]

This film was fantastic and original. You may think that you can predict where it's going throughout your viewing but you never really can. The lead was very good, so was the supporting cast, the execution was fantastic as well, there are various themes throughout and the story kept you engaged. I think the poor reviews are from people expecting a gory film based on the poster but this isn't just a mindless "throwback to 80s horror". It's a mildly slow-burning, harsh horror film that is very original and well acted. Can't recommend it enough for fans of indie horror that want something new.

Starry Eyes (2014)

Alexandra Essoe most definitely makes this movie

[8/10 · 14 April 2021]

All the negatives reviews here are most likely from people who could not take the "slow-burn" and that found the execution and story to be very predictable.

I'm not going to lie, I did find the execution of the story a little predictable but Alexandra Essoe's performance greatly elevates the material. It is not fair (and even wrong) to praise an actresse's performance on her physical appearance alone, but her beauty paired with her acting most definitely makes this movie. Her acting is fantastic. If for anything, this movie is worth watching just for how good she is and how much she gave of herself in this role. Overall, I highly recommend it for fans of Indie horror that want to witness a marvelous performance by an actress who I truly hope with all my heart get offered more matieral that deserves her talent.

American Rickshaw (1989)

Somewhat well-executed INSANITY

[8/10 · 4 January 2021]

This movie is baffling, but baffling in every best ways a movie can be. If you are someone who loves strange, unorthodox and confusing storylines, it doesn't get much better than this. You will find yourself baffled many times, saying "what?'' and usually it would make for a terrible viewing experience, but this is actually enthrallingly confusing. The acting isn't the best you'll ever see obviously, but it is certainly passible and as bonus, you even get to see the one and only Donald Pleasance do ludicrous stuff towards the end that I won't spoil.

I'll just end by saying that for a movie that may somewhat have the reputation of being bad, I was captivated by how confusing everything was. I sincerly think every lovers of bad movies should give it a shot. 10/10 recommended.