hooma814 Reviews

Atypical: Dessert at Olive Garden (2021) Season 4, Episode 10

A tearjerker

[10/10 · 18 July 2021]

Such a great finish to the series and the story lines are all tied up well. So many beautiful moments, Sam with his dad, Sam with Paige! Great finale to one of the best shows and how can you not like Sam.

Loki: For All Time. Always. (2021) Season 1, Episode 6

Best MCU finale to date

[10/10 · 15 July 2021]

Wow this was some finale. I was on edge the whole time. It felt so unpredictable. Which I find it hard to be saying about something Marvel created. This is screedes better than Wandavision which was decent enough anyway. Loki has such a good character arc. Tom Hiddleston is absolute gold, quickly becoming one of my favourite actors. This whole series continues to redeem marvel. The music is insanely good as is the set and costume design. I love Loki what a finale. Cant wait for season 2.

Loki: Journey Into Mystery (2021) Season 1, Episode 5

This keeps getting better

[9/10 · 7 July 2021]

After the third episode I thought that this show was going to flunk. But episode 4 and now 5 just get better and better. Great soundtrack, great acting, deep questions and good twists. Since when did Marvel become ligit in making good quality content. Obviously Blank Panther and Guardians were good, but I never expected them to make content that pushes the marvel norms like their most recent stuff has. Can't wait for the finale now and whatever they put out next.

Rumor Has It... (2005)

❤ Mark Ruffalo

[5/10 · 26 April 2021]

Not enough Mark Ruffalo. Having more Mark Ruffalo in this movie would have significantly increased the rating.

Cats (2019)

In the Top 3 worst movies I've ever seen

[1/10 · 11 January 2021]

This movie is quite humiliating for all involved. Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Idris Elba especially, such high calibre actors reduced to absolute crap. I was surprised to see such a low rating of 2.3/10, surely it can't be that bad.... it is. There is no rhythm, storyline worth following. It reminds me of a monkey smashing symbols together at random intervals. The acting, singing, dancing and music all combine to give a feeling of cringe and absurdity. This is sure to go down as one of the worst films ever made.

The Truman Show (1998)

I love the Truman Show

[9/10 · 18 December 2020]

This movie is so unique, and is still so good today. It is one of the few films that stays with me in my thoughts every now and again. The thought like many others have is "what if I am in the Truman Show?" It leaves you with a haunting perception of reality in second guessing everyone's behaviours, what if everyone is a paid actor. The acting is first class, especially from Jim Carrey who sells his soul really with his next few films. This movie has such a good view on what it means to be human, our ideas of freedom and life in general. This is a must watch for any one for sure.

Parasite (2019)

Strange, funny and artistic

[8/10 · 18 December 2020]

It's easy to see why Parasite got so many Oscars. It's in that classic Oscar winning style of being quite artsy and something totally un-blockbuster like. These are always going to be movies that are enjoyable and have a great story to tell rather than just being about a feast of action for the eyes. Parasite has such a strange mix of humour and horror towards the end. Overall the biggest takeaway is the contrast between rich and poor. It takes you through such a stark contrast and the perceptions of both sides. The flood was a great example, for one family a bit of fun, for another you lose everything you own. In the end, we cannot assume that we would not behave in similar ways when we have had everything taken away from us and we are losing our lives. Quirky, but interesting.

1917 (2019)

Wow!

[9/10 · 18 December 2020]

This was something else! I have never seen a movie quite like this. The camera angles were so effective at flicking from a front shot to a back shot back and forward the whole movie, with next to no close ups or long shots. Because of this it brought such a tension and focus. It allows you to clearly see what is happening around the soldiers, especially in the trench scenes. Whilst also providing such an intense sense of direction, mission, drive, and courage. I love the cameos from Benedict and Colin. They cast the main characters so well in that they really did their best to tell the story. They are very easy to like and connect with right from the start. I am sure that this is an authentic WW1 story, you don't even have to be in the war to know that this seems like it does justice to the story.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020 TV Movie)

Another Attenborough Classic

[9/10 · 18 December 2020]

This is another Attenborough classic. How does he still possess so much drive and care for a world he will only see another few years of. He is clearly so devoted to this lifelong passion and love of his, to the point past selfishness. Here is a man who is well into what should have been his nice retirement of the last twenty years at least, but he is still trying with all that he can to drive home the message that we need to make a change. David Attenborough is one of the greatest humans of the 21st Century.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Great movie even for someone who isn't a fan

[8/10 · 18 December 2020]

Blade Runner is one of those movies that has a very strong cult following with people who are disgusted if you haven't seen it or don't like it. For that reason I'd stayed clear and being someone born in 1990 it also was past my time (although many people born after the original Blade Runner have of course enjoyed it), many of the strong followers grew up with the original. It also carried with it the uncertainties of what the 2000's might bring in this balance of dystopia or utopia. It's quite a different experience watching the original in the year that it was actually set knowing full well what 2019 looks like. This is totally different from what watching it in the 1980's would've been like. In the same way the movie quality has improved so much that these movies can struggle to hold their own over a 40 year period. In saying that I did enjoy the original, not as much as others clearly have. For many of the same reasons others may have enjoyed the original I really enjoyed the next instalment in Blade Runner 2049. It was much more relatable for my experience and watching it in 2020 rather than 2049 makes a big difference not knowing what 2049 will look like. The music, acting, costume, CGI and world design itself were all excellent. Great movie.

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

Love movies like this - great story

[9/10 · 18 December 2020]

On the Basis of Sex is another classic biopic movie. It tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the injustices at the time prevalent in law against genders. I found the characters to be quite likeable and there was good tension in the story. Weirdly there is hardly any soundtrack in the movie which does at times leave it feeling a bit dull. But it has a great finish that makes it worth it. I'm not sure how accurate they were able to stay to the original story but its a good watch regardless.

The Big Sick (2017)

Very quirky and funny.

[8/10 · 28 October 2020]

The Big Sick is crack up! It has some very clever witty lines that are based on a true story only revealed at the end. For some of their first movies and screenplays this movie is excellent. Its humour real and mostly clean. The movie delves into some pretty heavy and relevant topics of islamophobia, terrorism, disease, death and divorce, not your first choice of topics to make a comedy about. But it is done in a moving way. Will look out for more movies that involve these people again!

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

What a movie!

[10/10 · 28 October 2020]

This movie is so good. I forgot how good it was. I decided to watch it thinking, oh yeah this is like a pretty good movie, only to be on the edge of my seat for nearly the entire film. The opening scene is so realistic including some well thought out details of arms blowing off, radios exploding and even people spewing on the D-Day transports. These sorts of details made it seem so realistic.

Alongside this is the Masterclass that is Tom Hanks. He is hands down my favourite actor and this is up there with one of his best performances. Being a teacher myself it was crazy to imagine the scenario his character had been thrust into. The reality of losing life and loveable characters all the way throughout was very moving. How much value can you place on one life is being asked all the way through.

I love this movie.

Mulan (2020)

Strange but not a 1/10

[5/10 · 28 October 2020]

This movie has gotten a way worse rap than needed. It is clear that it has been targeted and unfairly reviewed because of political statements and outside involvement. There were some terrible moments in the movie thats for sure, the enemy especially who could run up walls, turn into animals and use magic to attack. These moments literally had me yelling "WHAT!!! HAHAHA, this is stupid" The lack of it being a musical and classic characters like Mushu was a missed opportunity. I can see they wanted to do something different and take a risk, but it was one that didn't pay off obviously. What was replaced instead was way worse - a flying phoenix that came and went cannot compare to Mushu in anyway. This movie was a flop for sure and the way it was released was terrible too, so expensive. But it is not worth the harsh scores it has been receiving.

The Social Dilemma (2020)

Very important message

[8/10 · 28 October 2020]

This has become something of a trend to watch in recent months. "Have you seen the Social Dilemma?" After watching it, I'm totally on board with the messages and themes coming through, especially from such high profile creators of the original websites. Many people today just do not understand the complexity and true nature of what is actually going on when it comes to social media and the use of smart phones. But I also noted an undercurrent voice that was very alarmist and also a massive hole to acknowledge the part the streaming platforms have played in this such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney Plus. Ironically a doco like this coming from Netflix did seem a little strange, when they also contribute to some of these problems themselves, such as addictive behaviours, the 5 second counter to keep you bingeing a tv show, recommended for you settings which keep track of your behaviours. This is very much a big problem across the world, but to get to the alarmist stage what not necessary. Cries and fears of war seemed only appropriate in a US context not elsewhere. This was a great doco but I have my concerns too.

The Last Samurai (2003)

Moving!

[9/10 · 12 September 2020]

I love the Last Samurai. I was surprised to see it get some bad reviews and have a lower than expected rating. This is definitely at least 8/10. After looking into some of the reasons, many are history buffs and snobs who throw away all enjoyment of movie because of historical inaccuracies. Braveheart is one of the most historically inaccurate movies, but is still awesome to watch. The same is true of the Last Samurai. It's not like the movie is trying to claim that everything is true anyway, if it had started by saying based on a true story, then yes it would be more of a joke. But don't take away from the whole when that wasn't it's aim anyway. It's aim I believe is to tell show us that the Western way of living isn't the only way to live and not even the best way to live, and that in many ways we have lost what was once beautiful and good about life and replaced it with power, greed and selfishness. Hans Zimmer shows again why he is so highly regarded and is pretty much the greatest composer of all time, in my opinion. I love listening to this soundtrack. The movie is a slow build. Something that I would imagine many 21st Century people have lost the ability to appreciate, labelling it boring and slow. Some things just cannot be done quickly in a movie, you cannot purchase or quickly buy raw emotion and character development. These things take time, and The Last Samurai is willing to take that time to show you Tom Cruise's development and healing from being a broken solider struggling with PTSD to someone who has found a renewed life and healing. It is a beautiful story and exposes all the evil and wrong parts of Western society that have only gotten worse over the last century. Great to see that this seems more authentically Japanese than other Hollywood movies and the dedication and casting of the crew is excellent.

Great movie and also a very interesting time in Japan's history. This movie doesn't need to be 100% accurate. Even the fact that it isn't has made me want to go research more and find out more about the Meiji Restoration and the Asia Pacific War.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Surprisingly good, despite what a summary of the movie would have you think.

[7/10 · 11 September 2020]

This movie is hilarious and is full of great moments. The spew scenes for instance, shocking, gross and very memorable. It is no doubt what contributes to launching Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson's careers from this point on and now they are obviously Hollywood staples.

The side characters all contribute really well to the momentum of the story. And somehow its not a massive fail. I remember mocking a close friend of mine who loved this movie, when I thought there could be no way that a acapella singing and dancing movie could be any good. But its light hearted, talented and great performances all round from all involved, especially Anna Kendrick who I find very likeable.

I take back my mocking and know now that they were right in saying this is a good movie.

Bumblebee (I) (2018)

Just like the first transformers - but with a 2020's feel set in the 1980's

[4/10 · 11 September 2020]

This movie tries too hard in the nostalgia era. It throws 80's tune after tune in your face, with product placement and endorsements left, right and centre. It's too much.

The plot of the movie itself is actually pretty much the same as the Transformers with Shia Labouf and Megan Fox, except now its 2020 so its a lead actress and the token lead actor, instead of a lead male and bimbo side kick girl. The decades do end up becoming quite predictable and recognisable. Nothing against women in lead roles, or actors of diverse decent, or lead males or bimbo side kick girls like Megan Fox for instance.

It seems like this movie in more interested in being trendy and setting cultural norms that make money than it is in telling a good story. Although I'm sure the younger audiences loved it and have now all brought themselves a Bumblebee toy.

Chasing Great (2016)

Stoked this wasn't cheesy! Easily the Greatest All Black!

[8/10 · 4 September 2020]

This was a well made documentary. It oozes with authenticity and Richie's humility comes through in reassuring way. Chasing Great plays around with three timelines throughout its story telling, which keeps you on your toes. One of these is the weeks building up to the 2015 World Cup, another is Richie's childhood, and the last story is his rugby journey from high school to RWC 2011. These are all woven into each other masterfully. Thankfully the soundtrack adds to the movie in a way that doesn't over do it all. It helps to tell the rise and fall and rise again of Richie's story without a hint of arrogance or cockiness. Richie is shown to be someone who has faults, his brokenness and struggles as a captain are shown fully on display. This is the most interesting part of the movie for me, as it shows us all that we don't have to have it altogether, even the greatest fall. I myself had huge doubts in my moments of leadership and it was reassuring to see this in someone who performs on an international stage. This movie does a very good tribute to Richie and shows how truly down to earth he is.

Five Feet Apart (2019)

Great movie!

[7/10 · 31 August 2020]

Not much to say other than this was enjoyable and another teen illness classic. It hits on some of the same themes as the Fault in our Stars, Me before You, My Sister's Keeper, full of sadness, good laughs and obviously a bit of romance. The actors were good and it was. a nice moving film to fill in a night during the week.

Philomena (2013)

Another sad reality where religion gets it wrong

[9/10 · 31 August 2020]

Philomena is an insightful and moving movie. Having the stories being based on true stories always makes it hit home a lot harder too. Being someone that goes to and believes fully in Jesus and Christianity, it upsets me greatly to see the brokenness and how dark it can get. Movies like this and Spotlight are so important to shine light on the darkness and to challenge and change the parts of church, especially the Catholic Church (which I think statistically are often more to blame - e.g. catholic priests, although the American Evangelical Church has a lot to answer for too).

The movie contrasts the two responses so well between rage and forgiveness. Judi Dench plays a strong and compelling lead character, with her own quirks - her over sharing of book details and missing quite obvious jokes made a for a lighter touch to this sad reality. It was full of such raw emotion when her child had been stripped from her and the continuing revelation of her son life. I was engaged throughout the whole movie and was also really interested in Steve Coogan's character, who reminded me of many cynical and upset people that accuse church (often quite justified) of their wrong doing and are unable to then form a relationship with God, who I would argue is against those movements within the church too - what kind of God would support sexual abuse, and stealing children from their mothers. This movie therefore clearly points the blame at the old traditional religious movements.

Great movie and worth a watch.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Bubba Gump!

[10/10 · 31 August 2020]

Who doesn't love Forrest Gump? This movie is so loveable and has such enjoyable characters to get on board with. Forrest Snr and Jr, Jenny, Bubba, Lt Dan! They're all so great. This movie wins me every time and feels like a movie I'll always be able to watch and enjoy for decades to come. It's easily going to be one I'll show to future generations, so iconic. RUN FORREST, RUN!

School of Rock (2003)

What a classic!

[7/10 · 15 August 2020]

Many movies in my opinion have such a strong storyline that regardless of who gets cast in the roles the movie will do relatively well and won't be that different depending on who is cast, e.g. the difference between Matt Damon or Leo for instance wouldn't be that different, they'd both nail the role. However there are some movies that have an actor who delivers such a unique performance that to have cast someone else the movie would look completely different and potentially flop. With the School of Rock this is the case. Jack Black is an absolute hero in this film. His apparent confidence and willingness to commit to the scene is inspiring and no doubt would've been such a cool experience for the children in the movie to see. The writing itself of the movie is not that strong in my opinion. Not a whole lot actually happens and its actually a pretty short movie. But it is funny to see Jack Black in his element, even if it does include ripping on the token Asian, or giving all the children nicknames that would get him fired these days.

Hamilton (2020)

This may be the best show ever made!

[10/10 · 3 August 2020]

How does a genius, rapper, songwriter, inspirational creator, come up with all this himself? Lin-Manuel Miranda is absolutely insane. Hamilton is so unique and creative in almost every part that it is hard to comprehend how even a little bit of it hasn't been attempted before. The closest I can think of is maybe Stomp? In its unique expression of music and theatre. But it doesn't even come close. I love so much that all the characters are played by people of colour, when you see a black George Washington come out, you know things are going to be different. The music and rap itself combined with something so distant and different from that style in the founding history of America just mind boggles me. It reminds me of other creative combinations people try with food, in your head you think, naaaah that will never work, then you try it and you know what.... that is actually really good. Not only has the Hamilton team pulled off something completely unprecedented, but they've put near on ten or so songs into my wife's and I's head for the last few days. These songs are literally so catchy, how does Lin-Manuel come up with such catchy tunes? It's amazing when you realise the other work he has also done across movies like Moana. This man is so talented and he picked a very talented team. All the main cast are such great singers and dancers, there is no weak point. Almost all the cast are extremely funny and able to draw you in with such great emotion. I never thought I would get so much enjoyment out of learning about the early beginnings of America and how they came to form their government. I would recommend watching this with subtitles as its very hard to follow all the words without it. Its hard to know if going to the theatre to see this would be any better - I really appreciated being able to watch it up close, great sound, with the original cast, with subtitles, that compared to watching it in London or New York with a different cast, no subtitles, potentially making it harder to hear would've actually been any better. Regardless the Disney+ version blew me away and I'm sure it would in the theatre too.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

This movie gets me every time

[10/10 · 3 August 2020]

Wow! I love Lord of the Rings! Having just watched the extended version I was again blown away by this movie. I could and have watched this movie over and over again, and will continue to watch it throughout my life. It is just so good. I love that its three hours. It's an investment, it is a journey, a battle. These things aren't done in a quick 1 hour 30mins-2hours. Many of our movies today barely scrape through with enough solid content to even reach the two hours. Whereas Lord of the Rings has to cut quality content out just to reach 3hours! It is full of so much goodness. The acting is sublime. Peter Jackson really steps up his game in this one. Having the Ringwraiths on winged creatures blew my mind as a kid and is still a great way to take it to the next level. The elephants are similar in that way too. What I'm stoked with the most is that the Lord of the Rings didn't follow suit with many other films over the years like the Matrix, Terminator, Hunger Games, Alien vs Predator, all movies that have an excellent first movie, great concept, but then go and flop in the movies that follow. The aim of a sequel should always be to do what you did the first time but so much better. It should build to a climax, ultimately fulfilled in the final instalment. And boy do we get that with the Two Towers. It sets up the Return of the King wonderfully with Sauron's influence, the ever present eye and mount Doom spurting lava in the world. It deals with Saruman's army and builds on characters so well. Legolas gets such great scenes where he does the truly impossible (we all know that flip onto his horse is the absolutely ridiculous), Gimli and Legolas have great on screen time, Sam and Frodo have great scenes, Gandalf returning makes everything so much better, Aragorn begins to assume his role as King. And Helm's Deep has to be one of my favourite battle scenes of all time. Done so much better than the book in my opinion. I loved it all. This movie is satisfying in every way.