Nathiri Reviews

Sight (V) (2023)

Great story told beautifully!

[9/10 · 26 May 2024]

I rarely give movies a 9 but I was very impressed at the production value and pacing of the film. It's not too long of a movie (about 1 hour 40) but goes into great depth of the life of Dr Wang and his past.

The movie flips back and forth between time periods but not in a way that's jarring and is generally well-placed and adds to the story and understanding of the character.

One issue with these types a movies is that it can sometimes feel slow/drag but I never lost interest or drifted over the film's duration, even after working 10 hours earlier in the day and being awake since 2am then watching a 7pm showing.

So I definitely highly recommend this film to everyone I know.

Outlaw King (2018)

Could have been something great.

[7/10 · 17 December 2018]

Outlaw King deserves some praise, but ultimately falls short in some areas. The filming and set pieces are great. You can really tell they tried to be as historically accurate as possible. I especially liked how they dealt with Bruce's marriage in how he was friendly but not cold, considering the circumstances. Then there was some warming up scenes before you could see a love starting to grow however quick the development was.

As I saw the movie unfold, I began to think they were moving a bit too fast and leaving out some crucial events I wished they explored. They had a quick dialogue about a spider, but didn't actually show Bruce becoming discouraged in any way. Then they left out what I think could have been potentially thrilling scenes with Stirling Castle and especially Edinburgh Castle; and his later raids into England when King Edward II marched away. And wasn't there a duel somewhere they might have wanted to show? The movie needed to definitely be longer or split into a mini-series. It is enjoyable to see the movie unfold in its current state, but afterwards you wish there was more story to it and it raps up rather quickly.

The 100 (2014–2020)

The story that keeps evolving.

[8/10 · 16 October 2018]

I knew my brother had been watching this and it came up again from a friend, so I thought, I should check this out. Man, I was disappointed with the first episode. I found the immersion killed by the way some of the actors acted and looked. I wasn't planning on watching the 2nd; then a couple days later, I thought, that story was kind of interesting; I'll check out more.

Boom. I was hooked. There have been several twists I NEVER expected. The way they killed off some characters really surprised me. The story is increasingly getting better at a steady rate, and so are the characters. Some of the decisions these characters have to make really surprise you, but yet their motivations are realistic and understandable. They don't just make these decisions out of nowhere: their attitudes develop into that state to where they can make them.

I notice there is some talk about the "science" in some of the reviews; but honestly I never stopped to think about it. It seemed believable to me. Perhaps I'm uneducated there.

Anyway, I would highly recommend this show if you want a very strong, interesting narrative...at least up through season 3 and then 5. I found 4 a bit disappointing with the limited characters.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

A humourous armageddon.

[8/10 · 7 February 2018]

I consider a rating of 7 to be a good watchable movie, but it has some flaws. The big flaw is how humourous many of the scenes are. While this does make the movie quite enjoyable for the most part, it also, breaks immersion. I do like humour in almost all films to make it an enjoyable experience and to encourage re-watchabilty; but I dont like movies of this type to be overly satirical. The Avengers and Captain America have humour, but is still serious, and immersive. The scene at the very beginning is very over the top to express this type of comedic humour, and while it does provoke a few laughs, it is too silly to include in this type of film.

Another annoyance is the occasional choice of music that breaks immersion too. The concluding battle includes this, and this only detracts from the film and its setting. This gives even more the feeling of comedy, which is not what these stories are usually about, and shouldnt be about.

Is this movie enjoyable however? Very much so. While I did have issues with the above, many of the comedy scenes I did laugh at, and most I was okay with; just some were too over the top/silly, and detracted from the nature of the film; and so it would not be included on the very top of my Marvel movie list, as it misses the mark in a couple places for me. In the end, if you want an enjoyable and very funny movie with some violence, then this movie would be up your alley.

Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (2017)

Precise Editing and Plot.

[7/10 · 7 February 2018]

From the very beginning, in order to understand everything, you do have to pay close attention to each scene and dialogue. While the cutting in most areas of the movie is very precise and fine for the tone, there were a couple bits that seemed an odd transition. I found the story shown quite intriguing, though I have not looked in detail in the real-life story. The conclusion felt a bit anti-climatic, but it is an okay ending.

I would consider this movie watchable if you enjoy a tense and a semi-complicated plot structure for a movie. I would even say it can be re-watched occasionally, though there is little humour displayed.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Okay, but no desire to see it again.

[6/10 · 17 July 2017]

I was encouraged by the ratings and the reviews of this movie. I also liked some other movies the director did. The movie's story is okay and it has quite a few fantasy elements, like evil monsters, giant animals, spirits, etc. I did not like the music very much in the movie. They often went with a more modern rock type of music, which can fit in some movies even fantasy adventurous ones, but I think all of the tracks were not good choices, and so it did not leave a very good impression on the scenes.

So after seeing it, I do not have a desire to see it again, and did not enjoy it that much.

Queen of Katwe (2016)

Good, but a few bad scene transitions

[7/10 · 20 March 2017]

Movie is done really well. The sets, most of the music, character development, is all good. The only main issue I had with the film was that at about 4-5 different instances in the film, it seemed there was a loss of time or not enough of an explanation of what happened in-between the 2 transitioning scenes. It is able to be assumed or pieced together, but I think a film like this should make sure those scenes join together a lot better than it is. As far as the music, I only had a problem with the music played right at the starting. I thought it should of been more like the African instrumental music that is played later in the film, and not popish.

Sing (2016)

Singing movie that is not all about the singing.

[8/10 · 6 March 2017]

Very good movie! As the movie progresses, you get to see parts of each character's life, which really adds to the character development. I am not always a fan of heavy singing movies, as is the case with my parents and brother. But we all enjoyed it and said we wouldn't mind re-watching this in the future.

Assassin's Creed (2016)

Poor storytelling.

[5/10 · 20 February 2017]

I am quite familiar with the video game story, although I did not personally play it, I did watch it being played.

From the beginning of the movie, I could tell the storytelling was going to be poor. With the editing and the way the movie started. Also, I do not understand why some movies that have a historical basis, sometimes get a rock or pop soundtrack in the background. It completely ruins the atmosphere of the movie. A proper orchestra soundtrack very much improves movies and really makes it memorable, as is the case with such movies as the Bourne trilogy, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars saga, Prince of Persia and so many more. The later music was mostly instrumental, but not enough of an effort to make you excited about what was taking place as a soundtrack should.

I wish they put more effort into showcasing how the Assassins were fighting, or moving from building to building. But the way the editing was done for the majority of the movie, you see quick scenes to get the gist, but not enough to really show what is happening (except for one or two parts that were done decently). Some movies do this technique of short scenes more effectively, like Bourne Supremacy, or Bourne Ultimatum.

The character development was very poor for pretty much every single character. We get no significant backstory or decent explanation for the main, or even the motivations of the villains or the heroes. Though we are told what the villains supposed motivation is, which is the eradication of violence, but towards the end, it does not seem enough to put on every single character associated. You are also not given enough of a background and motivation to like the "heroes" if that is what they are.

The story is decent, but lacking in explanation of some key plot points, especially the main one, the Apple of Eden. I watched this with my brother and my dad. My brother has played or watched all the Assassin games, so he is just as much, if not more familiar with the story than me. We both had to give quick explanations to our dad to let him know what was going on at certain points, though there are parts we were just vaguely following what was being shown on screen. At the end, we are not even shown what the Apple of Eden does, except some green gas emitting from it. We are only told, it grants control to the templars of some sort. Though I have an idea from the video games, this needs to be told in some way in the movie.

So in the end, I do not think this movie is very good, and is not that re-watchable. Nothing in it is that memorable to me, either the story, soundtrack, acting, or dialogue. Nothing redeems it in any way. There are a few interesting additions to the story, like Spain, the animated Animus, but not enough to help it. If you want a decent video game movie, you should check out Prince of Persia. That movie has a decent story, dialogue, and a good soundtrack.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

A Well Done Movie

[8/10 · 20 April 2016]

Before seeing this movie, I had read some of the user reviews, and so expected a very well-filmed movie with interesting situations that this man had to endure for survival. This was a very accurate summary, and I personally was very engrossed for the entire duration of the movie. I thought the movie was extremely well-done in photography, and the story was decent, though the ending I was not satisfied with, since it did not really end with any particular indicators if the man actually survived his wounds of the final ordeal, and his later life (if he had one).

I think I would watch this movie again, but it is not necessarily a movie that you would want to see many times, though it was a well done movie.

If you like this review, feel free to check out my other reviews or ratings.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

An excellent family film

[10/10 · 26 February 2016]

How To Train Your Dragon is an excellently done movie. The story is well paced with very likable characters. The characters were all developed very well for a family movie with many of them saying some memorable lines. There is also a good amount of humour which makes this a very enjoyable film that one would see many times. The animation looks amazing and the soundtrack is fantastic.

I give it a 9/10. I have already seen this movie several times, and will continue to re-watch the movie in the years to come.

If you like this short and quick review, please check out my other reviews for other movies.

No Escape (I) (2015)

Good Exciting Movie

[7/10 · 26 February 2016]

This movie was a good watch for me and my family. There are some flaws in the story, but overall the speed and pace is very good and it does not slow itself too much and it keeps your interest in the story and the characters fairly well. The acting of Owen Wilson and his family is all pretty good and the character development is decent compared to some other films. The only 2 characters I do not think were developed enough, or the back story of them was not good is Hammond and Kenny Rogers.

I give it a 7/10. Would I watch this movie again? Yes, of course I would.

If you like this short and quick review, please check out my other reviews for other movies.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

An Okay Sequel

[6/10 · 26 February 2016]

I watched this movie rather late compared to some people. I did enjoy the movie when I was watching it and there was some nice humour. Good performances by Harrison Ford (Han Solo), and Daisy Ridley (Rey).

The movie does not have enough of a backstory and that sort of hurts the movie some. As I was watching it, some things did pop out to me as oddly done, like Kylo Ren's temper tantrums and when I saw him take off his helmet, I was like, why did they cast this person, or at least made him look that way? Also, I think they dealt with the ending battle with the villain rather poor. When I was in the last 30 minutes, I was concerned how this was going to end well, since there was that amount of time left. The movie however, ended decently, though I thought some areas were not done properly which I talk a bit about further down.

I go into this movie a bit more just below here, pointing out some holes and other things, though trying to not be too descriptive.

Main Character

The main character acted well. Her backstory was not touched on much at all, but the way the movie flowed, it seems she is the daughter of Luke Skywalker, though, she may not be since Anakin Skywalker didn't have anyone in his family that was a Jedi and he was "strong" in the force regardless.

One part during the movie, she uses her sudden mind trick powers on a stormtrooper to escape from being a prisoner which was funny watching, but rather odd at the same time. She, as far as we know, knows very little about her powers and what she can do, so how does she even know she can accomplish this feat? Especially since I'm pretty sure anything related to the Force (speaking from the info contained in the series) was difficult to gain control of - as seen when Luke was training with Yoda learning to levitate rocks.

It is also odd how the main character and the stormtrooper friend can wield the lightsaber so easily, since I remember in the previous movies that it was said that it took skill to wield one and much training, yet they picked it up and started using it no problem, especially the stormtrooper friend as he isn't supposed to have any powers related to the Force as far as we know.

Stormtrooper Character

The introduction of this character is odd and is very teenager-like in behaviour. You would think since he was programmed to be very loyal, follow orders, and not have many expressions, that he would still have some of these qualities even after having what seemed like a "nervous breakdown". Yet, he had hardly any of these qualities.

These were the main flaws that jumped out at me, there is a few other more minor ones, but that goes into it a bit too deep.

There is also reused plot elements from the original trilogy. It would of been nice if there was some new additions to the plot instead of it being so similar to the original trilogy movies.

So its a 6/10 from me. Now, would I watch it again? Yes I would.

If you like this review, please check out my other reviews on my profile.

Last Knights (2015)

A well done movie

[7/10 · 26 February 2016]

After looking at some of the reviews posted here, I was expecting an okay movie with some rather large holes in the story. I was quite surprised when I began watching it as there was a good story in it, and also good attention to detail. One complaint I saw was also about the lack of action/fighting, but I thought there was what was needed, and the story was interesting all the way through. Good performance by Clive Owen, possibly one of his best.

It has already been established in other reviews that the story is very similar to 47 Ronin. I have not personally seen that movie, but I know someone who has and he agreed that it was similar. I did notice several Asian names that helped to produce the movie that seems to point to that as well.

If you like a pretty good story and some action, I would highly recommend this movie.

I give it a 7/10. I would definitely watch this movie again.

If you like this review, please check out my other ones.