jakebunker Reviews

Assassination Classroom (2013–2016)

The show feels like a class you can learn something from

[8/10 · 26 May 2024]

I would be very quick to point out this show is far from perfect, but that being said, I can tell the people who helped bring this story to life have a deep appreciation for it, and I feel that when watching the show.

I'm very impressed with the show's ability to mimic a similar style that Korosensei uses with his students, giving characters their personal moments to grow themselves while at the same time, feeling like the classroom is growing along with it. I can resonate with the students in class 3-E directly because I have autism. The standard way of teaching which works for most students doesn't work for me, and I lag behind in these types of environments, so I appreciate when peers not only guide me personally through tough subjects in a way that makes it easier for me to understand but also enforce discipline to keep pushing and never give up. So in a sense I really felt like a part of class 3-E and this was a story that I connected to. I similarly aspire like Nagisa to help those who are dealt a tougher hand in life to rise up and excel above the rest; society needs more people who are willing to do that.

If this wasn't one of the most personally touching things I've ever laid eyes on, I'd probably be rating the show lower, however. Because although I love the messaging, the show has plenty of mistakes. The premise does seem pretty cool on paper: for students to learn to assassinate their teacher. This does leave LOTS of room for questions, some of which weren't answered until the near end of the show, and some of which I still don't have answers for. If the teacher knew he was going to die in one year and take the Earth with it, why didn't he allow himself to die sooner? I understand he made a vow to help the E class students improve, but at the end of it all I feel like what he taught the students didn't really contribute at all to the final assassination. Why go through all that training if he was going to give himself up in the end? If I were writing the story, I think it would be better if the Reaper/Yanagisawa were the villains about to destroy the Earth and this teacher was the one to train them to take them on before he and the Earth is destroyed in one year, having knowledge of these two. But I guess that's just me. Also, there are times when Korosensei gets hit by weapons that should feel outmaneuverable but that doesn't happen. The comedic overtone in the first season kind of ruined the whole reminder that there are actual stakes, but the humor became better integrated as the show went on.

The show is not very consistent at all, and it takes a while for it to really catch on, but I can tell that the people behind it worked really hard and had something to tell us, which we can honestly all learn from a personal level. It just missed the beat in a lot of areas that I feel like easy rewrites could fix. If I didn't connect to it so much it would probably be more on a 6-7 star rating to be honest. I still do recommend this show because I feel everybody can learn something from here, and it's a show that despite its flaws is pretty likeable for everyone. It honestly reminds me a lot of Gravity Falls for some reason. And I'll most likely be watching it again at some point.

Hundreds of Beavers (2022)

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[9/10 · 18 April 2024]

I first heard of this movie from YMS, shoutout to him, and I'm glad I decided to go ahead and rent it as soon as it was available. The premise looked so interesting and a lot of people were saying it was the funniest film of the year. Now obviously humor is subjective but I personally found this one pretty funny. It's a well-made movie for everything it's got.

I feel like labeling this movie as a once-in-a-lifetime movie, along the same lines as the LOTR trilogy, Boyhood, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, for example. It must have been since Charlie Chaplin died that we've had a brilliant silent black-and-white movie like this one, and I'm not sure we'll see another. It's very rare to find something that can be both silly and hilarious, if that makes any sense. Just about every choice for this movie really does enhance the overall experience. The editing isn't smooth but I think that helps add to the silliness of the premise. You can tell it's just an actor running in place for example, and that's a good thing. The visual gags surprisingly never get old, combining all-too familiar visual gags with some brand new, more modern gags. It manages in a very good way of keeping a nostalgic and familiar feel while appealing to more modern audiences, and even the modern stuff I feel is going to take a very long time if at all to be outdated. There is character development and you cheer for the character to succeed, and there is spectacular setup and payoff for everything involved.

A couple things held it back from being a 10/10. I feel like the beginning wasn't executed as well as the ending in terms of comedic value, but I will say that does make the movie better and better as it goes along, which many movies are unable to accomplish. There were a couple of messy camera shots that really just left me confused (I'm thinking of the wolf attack) and had me just wondering what happened instead of the clarity of the story from the majority of the shots. A couple of the editing choices were questionable during the final action sequence but were otherwise very fitting and expertly crafted. These are honestly pretty minor things and I may change my rating to a 10 later on. My ratings not going down from here I can tell you that.

I have to say this movie is very impressive considering not many comedies these days can actually work at making you laugh. This is the highest rated comedy film that I can find on imdb after some Charlie Chaplin movies. And it has a reported budget of only $150,000???? That's insane. We're talking ONE THOUSAND TIMES LESS money than a typical Hollywood big blockbuster movie. Apparently they only had enough budget money to afford FIVE beaver suits to be used over and over again for this film. And it's still a better movie than 90% of Hollywood movies today. 100s of recommendations (see what I did there haha) for this movie; absolutely go check it out and support it.

I didn't see a parent guide for this film so I thought I'd add one so parents can decide if they want their children watching it. There is a tad bit of gore but it's black not red, and there is some impaling and other intense stuff, but those sections are very cartoony and not gory. There are also some sexual gags (objects shaped like breasts and a penis specifically; this stuff may go over some children's heads) and there is one sequence that lasts about 30 seconds of a woman pole dancing (she is clothed while doing it). Alcohol and tobacco references exist but I think that's about it; hope I gave a good overview for that.

Boyhood (I) (2014)

This is a real good one

[10/10 · 30 March 2024]

Wow, this movie is so good. It's my personal favorite life story movie ahead of Forrest Gump. Definitely a movie I would recommend for EVERYBODY. It's a movie that really needs to be experienced, especially because if I simply told you the story it would sound very boring. And that's kind of the point, because normally people go to watch a movie to see something exciting and different. On paper this movie would appear unspecial, but it really is a masterpiece when put on screen. Somebody said they could watch this for 12 hours and not be bored, and honestly, same here. It probably also helps that I grew up around the same time as the actors, so I can relate to a lot of the stuff that happens here.

Why is it so good? The characters are extremely well developed in this story, and it shows that everybody has their hobbies and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses. Some people are truly amazing and some people are truly horrible. Some people change their life for the better while others turn into monsters. Nobody shares the exact same life experiences and sees the world differently, meaning the connections with each other are all the more meaningful, and the differences we have can disrupt our very beings. There is something everybody who watches this movie can learn by studying one of the characters in this movie, but these messages don't come across as preachy and are very natural. These characters are probably the most relatable cast of characters I have ever seen on any production ever.

Something I really enjoyed about the movie was that there was no score. And I'm not talking about the pop songs in the background. I'm talking about orchestration. For a movie like this no orchestration was a great choice. A score is typically used in a movie to enhance the emotions of the viewers, with bright music coming in at happy moments for example. The filmmakers made the brilliant decision to try to not influence the viewers with music and instead allow the actors to do the influencing, making this movie appear much more realistic and relatable. We don't need a score to tell us how we feel, and it would feel manipulative to put it in there. It's a very subtle addition that really enhances the viewing experience.

I can't really say I found anything that really stood out from those two things but none of it was terrible and well-made. But man, can we give props to these guys for sticking with a project for 12 WHOLE YEARS?!? Any of you ever stuck with a 12-year project? Can you imagine how stressful it may feel to wonder if it doesn't work out in the end and it felt like a waste, or maybe if one of the actors passed away in the middle of production? I could never. It really takes some guts to even seriously consider a project like this, let alone transform it into probably one of the greatest movies of the century. I mean, they did well taking everyday moments of a boy's life and making them standout moments. It may seem boring but things like the joy of getting a Beatles black album or the fear from getting your hair buzzed may just be the things that stand out about one's childhood. Mason's peers, good or bad, played a role in shaping him to the man he is by the end of the movie, imperfect as he may be. And isn't that really the case for all of our childhoods? Like I said earlier, this movie is very relatable even for those who didn't share the same childhood as Mason. We're not perfect people but our childhood is what shaped us into who we are today and shaped what our goals and ambitions are. I feel so much familiarity in Mason's shoes and yet have experienced a tiny fraction of that familiarity in my own childhood. How do you even do that? This movie is pure magic.

Only complaint I had was that I think the setup for the whole movie could've been done a little better at the beginning since some of the character introductions were a little jumpy. As the movie goes along they get flushed out more which helps but the start was a tad rough. Otherwise, smooth sailing and very enjoyable and entertaining. I'm definitely going to be watching this one again. I kind of want to see a Girlhood movie now, but is that gonna happen? I don't know. It will be very difficult if not impossible to make another movie like this that turns out this well. Again, you should definitely give this a watch because my review and a reading of the synopsis is not enough to bring to light the power that this story brings. Objectively this is one of the best movies of the century if not ever, but subjectively I would put it in my top 15. Phenomenal job to all who were involved with making this movie, you all did absolutely amazing and you really made something spectacular and special. Thank you.

Brother Bear (2003)

Literally how is this so hated?

[8/10 · 22 March 2024]

I really don't get the hate behind this. Maybe this is because I have nostalgia from my childhood days watching this but I still really really like this movie as an adult and it's definitely one of Disney's most underrated. It's not a perfect movie and hasn't aged the best but it is still spectacular imo. I'll just throw the complaints out real quick. I can understand people's complaint with at least a couple of the Phil Collin's songs which can bring you out of the moment but most of them land for me. The majority of songs are bops that I still hum and sing to myself all the time. The quality of the movie does get a little worse after the transformation and feels a bit babyish but I feel like after some time the movie picks up again and gets more grounded.

People complain about the score and songs but I don't know. I don't have a problem with any of it. I'm going to go as far as to say it's better than Tarzan, but only slightly. Not trying to bring down Tarzan's music because it's also good but I feel like Brother Bear edges it out just barely. When I listen to the soundtrack I can still specifically remember scenes and moments from the movie 15-20 years later, some key things to what makes a good score in my book. The Transformation song sung in Inuit (I think) is so so powerful and I love it so so much. Really sets the mood and easily the most powerful scene in the movie. Maybe that's why the movie afterwards feels lackluster because that scene just can't really be topped. I do think that perhaps there was a missed opportunity to put a couple more songs with the Native American feel especially in the big story elements but whatever. I'm not personally familiar with Native American history but story elements seem to tie into the cultural aspects pretty well, with emphasis on the animals that they are surrounded by and the world built around them. The one who needs to change may not be the enemy, it may just be yourself. We all are imperfect people and there are so many things we can learn from, even from animals. Perhaps we could try to be more deductive and sharp like the eagle or more protective like the bear, but we let things get in the way. There is no real villain in this movie, and with the message in which the story is going for that's definitely the right call. Another cool feature I noticed is that before the transformation the bear is given black eyes to present menace and terror, but afterwards all bears are given white eyes and you get an adverse look into it all. Denahi has probably my favorite arc in the story. He goes from sadness of his brother's death refusing to join his other brother in killing the bear to guilt as he believes he didn't save Kenai in time as he should have done to seeking revenge for the apparent loss of his close family, and then finally comes to understand at the end how Kenai truly became like the Bear of Love and, although he may not share the same moments with Kenai ever again he understands the importance of Kenai protecting Koda. I don't know, man, this really gets me in the feels. I'm not ashamed to say I cried at the end of this movie but for a good reason.

Again, looking at it from an objective POV, I can definitely see mistakes (which is why I'm trying to be as fair as possible with an 8 star rating) but I still believe there are so many elements that are done well for it to be rated as low as it is. The transformation scene has got to be in Disney's top 10 greatest animated moments of ALL TIME. If you haven't watched Brother Bear, please do, I beg of you.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Truly epic and sensational filmmaking

[10/10 · 19 March 2024]

This movie is absolutely incredible and breathtaking. I thought Dune Part One was slow paced in trying to present the set-up for the rest of the story and made it boring for me. While the movie is still a bit slow-paced, thankfully this part is a massive improvement. The story finally feels like it's going somewhere and it's great to be along for the ride. I never felt bored and was honestly entertained the entire two and a half hour length.

The movie is absolutely stunning in its cinematography and is one of the greatest visual spectacles I've ever seen. Especially since the whole movie is essentially sand that really says something to how impressive it looks. And the sound. Oh, baby, the sound. Whoever worked on the sound editing/mixing really deserves a medal. The score by Hans Zimmer is nothing short of amazing. Not every part is a masterpiece but when it needs to shine it really does. A theater experience is something I won't ever regret when watching this movie. Timothee and Zendaya did pretty good and so did the other performers. It's honestly really difficult for me to think of a valid criticism. It's borderline Lord of the Rings good; that's how amazing this film is. Honestly would not mind an extended 4 hour version. I'm excited to see where they go with Dune: Messiah, and I'm glad to see another epic fantasy movie really hit the mark.

Community (2009–2015)

It's gotten worse over time for me

[7/10 · 18 March 2024]

I've given this show a lot of thought, and its been about a year now and I feel safe saying it undermined my expectations in many ways. Season 6 was horrendous and Season 5 was actually fun but ruined everything from the previous seasons. I don't feel like I would ever want to watch this show from start to finish again. It's got memorable characters and moments to be sure but its best moments definitely depend on certain episodes. The show and theme of community kind of relies on each episode to make the characters grow closer together and then tears it all apart after season 4. I will say the paintball episodes are peak and Danny Pudi does a good job playing the absolute greatest character ever put to screen Abed. Too inconsistent of a show to be as high rated as it is, especially since the last season was really terrible compared to the rest. (4/10 imo) And that's all I have to say. Cool cool cool.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

Just not really for me

[5/10 · 16 March 2024]

If I were rating this subjectively it would probably be lower but I'm going to try to give credit where credit is due. The animation really is spectacular and very fitting for this world and these characters, for me the easy highlight of the movie. Some of the jokes were pretty good too. It also referenced AoT and He-Man so that was cool I guess despite me not really caring for pop culture references too much in movies. The reason I didn't really enjoy this movie is because the story is really lacking in originality and goes a relatively safe route. The story was very predictable and that kept the excitement out of the picture. I don't know too much about the TMNT universe but the writers just didn't seem inspired. Besides the villains also being mutants I don't see how this makes it unique from just doing this to another IP or even creating another original story with this. If you like the world and/or have kids then you'll probably like this so don't exactly take my word for it as being a bad experience. I just look for different things in movies and my personal experience doesn't and shouldn't disprove anybody else's positive experience with it.

Red Dwarf (1988– )

Not bad for a British sitcom

[7/10 · 14 March 2024]

Note: I've only watched seasons 1 and 2 but I plan on updating this as I watch more.

I'm not really a fan of British sitcoms. I think Monty Python's Flying Circus is not that great for example. A lot of times in shows like this jokes are drawn out way too long and don't land either. Or the joke is that it is something so bizarre that I guess it's supposed to be funny? I don't know.

Red Dwarf is a good British sitcom, however, but not great. It has funny jokes and wit and the characters are pretty enjoyable except for Cat. Cat's the worst. Holly is hilarious, easily the best part. That's the British humor I want to see. So far the story is better than a lot of other comedy shows (which usually barely have any) but I'm sensing the further I go along the more it will disappear. I guess we'll see. There are also many, many inconsistencies but that's pretty common in shows like this. Definitely was surprised by Red Dwarf; didn't expect it to turn out this way.

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Very Intelligent Film

[9/10 · 14 March 2024]

I'm glad I watched this movie. It's one of the most intelligent films I think I've ever seen. It's a prime example of "show, don't tell". There's a reason it won Best Sound at the Academy Awards. The juxtaposition of a calm serene house and the concentration camp right behind their wall is very well told. While the film seems to show a more human and relatable side of the Nazi family, the sounds and small visuals seem to say otherwise. In a day and age where everything has to be dumbed down to your audience it's pretty refreshing to get a movie like this one.

I truly can't decide if it should be an 8 or 9 star movie, and I do plan on watching this movie again at some point. A couple things that keep it from being a perfect movie is that the pacing is a bit slow and I personally felt like too much of the story focused on the wife (although Sandra Huller did a great job). I really see no reason for people to think this is an objectively bad movie. It's kind of another Boy in Striped Pajamas if you like that movie. I would definitely recommend this if you want a Holocaust movie. It provides a unique perspective that you don't see a lot in movies covering this subject.

Asteroid City (2023)

Another Wes Anderson classic but not one of the better ones

[7/10 · 23 February 2024]

Did you know that if you rearrange the letters in Jason Schwartzman you get Scarlet Johannson.

Nah I kid you. Anyway, this movie is very much a Wes Anderson film, but I wouldn't say the direction ruined anything. It was mostly the writing for me. Maybe people were looking for something more dramatic or full of tension but a film doesn't need those things. This movie was very much just a laid-back carefree kind of movie, without treating the audience like they're idiots. I get it some people are not going to enjoy Wes Anderson's style. I think that's why I appreciate his movies more because he is willing to take risks and be bold in his objectives rather than formulaic, generic or cash-grabby. The first half was really strong and seemed to lead with a good cliffhanger but the second half just kind of cut it short with "Oh, nope, the asteroid is back. That was quick." Easily could've been a much more polished story but oh well it was still enjoyable. Definitely check it out if you like movies that are different and unique, as well as other Wes Anderson films.

The Pink Panther (2006)

I would like to buy a hamburger

[4/10 · 23 February 2024]

Before I begin this brief review of my experience, the I would like to buy a hamburger scene is criminally underrated. Absolutely hilarious. It was the whole thing that got me to decide to check this movie out. Unfortunately, it was also the only really funny part of this movie. Story just isn't interesting enough for me. Something about this film seems very unnatural to me, like it was either trying too hard to be funny or it was trying to hard to be serious, so it comes across as pretty cringe. Such is the case with a lot of comedian movies. Kevin James and Will Ferrell had their moments with a couple movies but then the rest are just forgotten/garbage. Oh well, maybe you'll like it. It's certainly not the worst thing out there but there is better.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Literally everything everywhere all at once

[9/10 · 22 February 2024]

My first viewing of the movie I gave it a 7/10, thought it was pretty good but was nothing super special. This is one of those few movies that just gets better the more I think about it, especially when considering the themes of the film. They managed to make a pretty coherent story that also ties in so many different ideas in a very surprisingly clever way.

One way in which the messiness of EEAAO is actually a large contributor are the genres. This movie does a very good job tying in different genres. There is action in the martial arts fighting, there is comedy in the Karen accountant and Racaccoonie, there is drama in the struggles Evelyn has to deal with surrounding her family and life, there is horror surrounding disturbing violent scenes, the list goes on. The fact that all these genres can exist at once and make sense and still have a coherent central story is very impressive. In most other movies if they tried to implement this it would likely feel very forced.

The creativity of different universes and Easter eggs in there is pretty cool too. The editing required to make this possible is impressive, especially considering nobody had previous professional editing experience. They made a universe with only ROCKS and made it compelling. Also they added the Smash sound effect in there which is just so cool extra bonus points to this film. The score goes along very well with the story, and I can't explain it but Clair de Lune by Debussy feels like the perfect central piece for this film. When it starts playing in the second half it really works somehow.

This movie made me happy, it made me sad. It was many many stories but also one story. It made me curious, it made me furious. Not sure if we'll ever see a movie like this ever again. This film deserves to be studied and learned from and recognized for its ambition and what it brought to the media of film. Not perfect but I have a tremendous amount of respect for it.

Redline (2009)

Sorry guys this movie is not good

[3/10 · 16 February 2024]

Somebody recommended this movie and said it was amazing, and, well, I took their word for it. I'm not an anime hater or a sports movie hater, but this movie was just not good, I'm sorry. It feels like a movie you could enjoy if you shut your brain off but that is something I can't do easily.

I will say that the animation style is pretty cool and the worldbuilding is honestly pretty stellar. In that sense the movie is visually appealing and bolsters some creativity. And that's about where my praises end.

Story was very generic and sounds like something I would imagine as a 6 year old playing with my Hot Wheels. In my opinion the characters weren't really likeable but I guess it could've been a lot worse. I couldn't really handle JP; he has a snarky attitude that doesn't really get resolved. It was also kind of funny when everyone was like "hey were doing redline on roboworld" and roboworld is like "no and if you do we will kill y'all" and then they have Redline there anyway and then the racers are surprised when Roboworld follows through with their threat like what? Bro don't act surprised you decided to take the risk. Also they don't really explain why Roboworld doesn't want to host Redline so everybody in this situation kind of feels like a toddler throwing a tantrum because they can't have it their way. Also the fan service was very unauthentic and doesn't contribute to the overall story at all. Like if a nude scene helps with the story like in Oppenheimer or Ex Machina its fine but this is not necessary in this film.

Like I can understand if people enjoy it but this is far FAR from a masterpiece. Very unoriginal and badly written in my opinion.

The R.M. (2003)

I'm a Latter day Saint and it was horrible

[2/10 · 14 February 2024]

Don't exactly have too much to say. It's kind of a nothing-burger. It does have some sort of relatability because when you're away doing anything for even a few months and you come back things have drastically changed. So I guess that was kinda funny but that's the only thing I liked about it. I don't get how people like it, it was extremely boring for me and I wanted it to be over. I probably should've just walked away instead of finishing it. Besides like 2 jokes there's no redeeming qualities about the movie. I do not recommend this movie to anyone at all. Outsiders of the faith especially are not going to enjoy this film. Please watch something else, anything else.

Attack on Titan (2013–2023)

The most cleverly written show ever!?

[10/10 · 9 February 2024]

What a fantastic show. Literally we do not deserve to be able to watch this show. My favorite anime ever.

So long as you're fine with lots of gore and intense scenes, 110% do not miss this show. Seasons 1 and 2 were pretty solid but season 3 alone put this in my top 3 shows of all time, and season 4 ended pretty well even though it went in a very different direction. The writing is probably the most clever writing I have ever seen in any movie/series. It's basically 3 to 4 episodes of an intense exciting battle and then 3 to 4 episodes after learning more about the pieces of the puzzle to keep you entertained throughout while also making every episode crucial and a contributor to the story. All the while they are able to create possibly the largest set of developed characters with strengths and weaknesses that REALLY emphasizes on them. Eventually they start developing the villains until you start to wonder who it is you're really rooting for. Everyone is a flawed human that has something to learn and to help them grow. And on top of it nothing feels forced in the way they are trying to tell everything. It just comes so naturally. The story was very well thought out and executed phenomenally. Actually an incredible work of art that I just have to applaud. Well done, Isayama and all the animators and others that made this possible. 👏 I am unworthy to watch this masterpiece of a show.

Now let's talk about the ending.

Pros: Originally I actually liked the ending a lot. The ending battle felt very fulfilling and made the stakes higher than ever. It was on a grander scale where sacrifices had to be made and people still had to make difficult decisions in the end. Everyone played a part and earned their own victories. The last chapter with Armin and Eren talking actually made me tear up; it was very touching. Levi seeing his fallen comrades salute him was also extremely touching. I also enjoyed the message of the show. We are not perfect people and disagreements and conflicts are natural. Our desire to seek for good and better things and the hope we face in difficult times is an extremely powerful thing. Our goal should not be to become the victors, it should be to become comrades. In the real world today I am much more intrigued of stories of community rather than stories of bitterness and competition. Overall a good message that, although total and lasting peace may be impossible or at the least temporary, it IS a goal worth aiming for. The ending also gave me this desire to start the show from the beginning again; I'm unsure if others felt the same way.

Cons: It does make me wonder that if the story is essentially a loop why tell Eren's story specifically? What made it so special? Maybe it could have been helpful with not only showing Ymir's past, but the pasts of other scenarios before hers. Examining more than one part could give us a bigger understanding of why Eren's story is important. Maybe Eren's time-line resulted in communities that were the first to learn from their mistakes and started colonies of peacekeepers. Eren's character throughout the entirety of Season 4 was kinda messy unfortunately and the ending didn't really make it up for me. He deserved to die in the end for sure but in between then and season 3 he didn't really make a lot of sense. I understood his desires but they seemed way out of character from the Eren I remembered from previous seasons. Also since the ending appeared to tie more into the messaging of it all, which, don't get me wrong is great, it had nothing to tie into the most special moments of AoT. It is a very entertaining show but it seems like the puzzle and the battles itself don't really matter in the end because it will just happen again. These moments don't tie into the ending message either. The message was a fantastic way to end Season 4 with the context in that season alone, but only a good way to end the show, if that makes any sense.

Regardless I'm glad I watched the show and I will be watching it again. Not everything needs a happy ending. In the real world happy endings don't last forever, and this show was a direct parallel to that. Thank you so much and have a great day! 👍

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Enjoyed it a lot but it was probably too meta

[7/10 · 26 January 2024]

I enjoy Wes Anderson's style a lot; I wish more directors would find a unique style like his instead of a pretty by-the-books feel. That being said, I found the story to be very engaging all the way through but there are still complaints. The sets were very unique and built well, and the story, adapted from a less well known Roald Dahl story had the child charm to it that many adults will find endearing. There was a lot of meta humor that Wes Anderson threw in here, such as when they speak to the character and then look at the viewer adding, "he said." That's just so good! However, I would be lying if I said this was the best way the story of Henry Sugar could be told. Wes Anderson makes the story come to life in a very big way, but although I enjoyed the humor I think it deterred from the story.

La La Land (2016)

Easily one of the better romance movies

[10/10 · 26 January 2024]

I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end (after the car number in the opening that is). The story is very well told and hits the same beats of a romance story without feeling too tropey or cheesy. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were both great actors, especially Emma, in this film and had amazing chemistry. It didn't feel like it was focusing on one character too much over the other and it felt like both characters got equal amount of attention brought to their story. Music was very catchy; I am a huge jazz fan so this was my cup of tea. The tension scene was honestly probably the weakest part but it still had a good moment with the smoke alarm just stopping everything; I just thought that was PURE GENIUS writing. My other biggest complaint is that the script oftentimes is trying to be too smart; by that I mean human beings aren't perfect and we make mistakes, but the characters at times didn't feel like they were saying authentic things and it felt like they were reading a script. This is less the actors and more the directing/writing. The ending is clever, showing how even though the two never stayed in a relationship, they still cared about each other to support them in achieving their dreams. It might not have been the ending many wanted but it still feels fulfilling. Still a superb movie that I can see both audience members and critics immensely enjoying themselves. I highly recommend this film to everyone. I'd love to see a Broadway version of this someday.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Engaging courtroom drama movie

[9/10 · 26 January 2024]

For a movie that for me wasn't anything particularly unique it was still very engaging and well thought out. Pretty much all the acting was very good, including the child actor, he was great. The director deserves to be nominated for an Academy Award for this one; she gave the crew what was necessary to make the movie work. The writing was done well top and I was even starting to wonder towards the end if the protagonist really had committed the crime. 12 Angry Men for example does a good job at slowly convincing you what the real story is, whereas this one did a good job showing how increasingly hopeless the situation was becoming. For a 2 and a half hour movie it managed to be engaging throughout, although I do think many scenes stretched a bit too long and I had understood what point was being made long before it was over. The ending shot was also too long (maybe 2 minutes long? I don't remember). That one Santa Claus lawyer or whatever was pretty 1-D for a story full of developed characters so he was definitely my least favorite but not in a good way. You can make the audience hate someone but its also helpful to not make them too annoying or irritting to watch. Not the best movie of the year in my opinion but still deserves the hype. Also all the French movies I've previously seen had sad endings so to see this one ending on a mostly positive but realistic ending (where the protagonist understands that there wasn't really any reward for winning the case but can be happy with the fact that this worry is behind her) was a nice change of pace. Also I speak French so perhaps I'm a bit biased with this film idk. Bravo, ce film était vraiment génial, pas parfait mais toujours formidable. Le meilleur film français que j'avais vu, je regarderai plus de films de ce directeur à l'avenir, merci bcp.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

A tad overrated but still good

[8/10 · 2 January 2024]

It isn't highly appreciated for nothing; it tells a good story that is engaging and dramatic. And despite it being so long ago it still feels like it has relevance to today's world. It made me wonder about the question if the world is safer with nuclear weapons. Some people certainly think otherwise, but MAD also seems to hold a point. Either way, the ending is pretty good in leaving that up for grabs. I think making it non-linear by tying it back to the court case (where both sides make arguments) is a good way to present this morally ambiguous question.

A couple of problems I had with this movie, and why it's an 8 for me: 1. The first third is easily the weakest part. Just less engaging in the section they try to set everything up. The script was also way too Nolan-esque for me. Conversations like "Man of the hour." "yes, physicist." "Mechanics?" "Quantum." are just so unnatural and take me out of the movie. It makes it seem like a Nolan story and not really Oppenheimer's. Thankfully this gets better and by hour 2 these dialogues are much less present in the movie.

2. Some people say it was interesting the entire 3 hour runtime but I couldn't exactly stay invested. Disengagement does not always a bad movie make. It very much has Christopher Nolan written all over it, and his style works more for me in his sci-fi movies but not so much in movies like Dunkirk and this one.

Not my favorite Nolan film (Interstellar is my fav) but it's still a hit in his catalog.

Once Upon a Studio (2023)

Hard to judge

[8/10 · 30 December 2023]

I don't know honestly. For one I'm glad that there are actually a lot of characters from each of Disney's movies. It really pays service to the 100 years of Disney, and unlike a lot of Disney movies these days this feels very authentic and not cash-grabby. The energy that was previously captured in many of the older Disney movies is restored and present here. Character moments feel memorable and stick true to how they are (the eeyore line especially confirmed this for me). There were definitely some characters I didn't see on screen that I wish were given time, but the story they're going for is also best told in a shorter format like this one. There's little substance to the idea and while I wish it were longer there is a certain length in which the short would have the adverse effect on the characters. Just pretty light-hearted and worth the 10 minute watch if you're a Disney fan. A better tribute to Disney movies than Wish that's for sure.

Wonka (2023)

One of the most fun films I've seen in a while but it's not without its flaws

[8/10 · 19 December 2023]

What can I say? I'm a sucker for wholesome movies with childlike wonder and charm. Minus the BFG every Roald Dahl film I've watched has been pretty enjoyable for me. Matilda, James and Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox and other previous Wonka movies. This one is no different, and Paul King was the right person to direct this film.

It was basically the Greatest Showman with less engaging but still well done musical numbers, and a slightly better and compelling story. The musical numbers match close to the energy of the original Oompa Loompa song but none of them are surprisingly annoying. The characters minus the two main characters were pretty 1-D but I think this is one of the few cases where this works because of the childlike energy to it. Many of these Roald Dahl films are the same way. The directing and screenplay was very well done where they would just add little cartoon-ish gimmicks that made me want to giggle and clap my hands like a 3 year old. Seriously it was that fun and engaging. I hardly ever do this. Screenwriting was also pretty good (it had better since it's a musical) and sets were pretty good too. There were many funny moments in this film, and notable actors like Keegan Michael-Key and Rowan Atkinson helped make that a reality. Even the antagonists of the story just feel very fun and humorous. I highly recommend seeing this family film for everyone and I will now be watching the Paddington movies and begging for Paul King to make more of these types of films. I don't mind more mature movies but a charming one like this is never a bad thing to watch every once in a while.

Unfortunately this movie definitely has flaws that, although I enjoyed myself, can't receive a perfect 10. Three things in particular. The biggest one was the second half. The story just dragged a little bit after a fantastic first half. (First half alone may just earn a 10/10 for me) It was still a good second half but unfortunately it brought me out of the immense enjoyment I was having and dropped in consistency. Second was Timothy Chalamet. Maybe it's just me but I thought his performance was ok but not amazing. I just felt like he was inconsistent at different parts of the movie. He would nail it at one scene and then seem to lack the same charisma that was just shown in the previous scene. That's just me though. Lastly, I do have one gripe with the way Paul King directed this movie. The first half was full of a lot of obscure and small moments that were meant to be used to pay off the second half when they pull off their big heist. These first half moments were pretty funny but using them in the second half didn't really work for me because I had already seen the joke before, and using it again just seemed a little like cheating and wasn't as funny. In the future I hope if they do use this that they change it up a bit, like for example maybe one of the tricks that worked in the first half doesn't work the second time so a more simple trick is needed to finish it off, like knocking them out comically.

Despite the gripes please still go watch this movie. There are so many movies out there these days that are cash-grabs and while this is based off an existing property I was able to fully enjoy myself and I felt there was actual passion into making a movie first and money second. These kinds of movies need your attention, so please go support the Wonka movie if you can.

Edit: Watched it a second time with my family and I'm feeling pretty solid about the 8/10 rating. The first half and the songs weren't as good the second time but I found higher appreciation for the leitmotif and the ending worked a little better for me this time. The serious moments still dont land for me but thats mostly because its a prequel and there had to be some sort of stakes I guess. The humor still holds up on a second viewing which for me is pretty rare. Still highly recommend and still highly appreciate this movie for what it is. My family all really enjoyed it and they all probably find this to be a favorite. Objectively it's probably lower than an 8 but subjectively I seriously enjoy it.

Wish (II) (2023)

As generic as Disney can get

[4/10 · 19 December 2023]

I wouldn't say the movie was overall bad. I came with lower expectations upon hearing all the criticisms and it exceeded them. If you wrote the most generic Disney movie ever it would likely fit in line with Wish. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they fed all previous scripts to an AI and it did generate the script for the movie. Potion making like in Snow White, sorcery like Aladdin, the Goat looks like Kuzco, and so forth. Animation is ok but definitely feels unpolished and with uneasy saturation. Music is overhated in my opinion but there are issues with some of the songs, especially some of the first few felt like pop songs more than musical theater. Not terrible for me but not anything special that gives it a recommendation or even a pass.

Outcast (I) (2014)

Bad camera work and characters

[3/10 · 17 December 2023]

Another of many movies that your average Joe could watch and actually enjoy, don't get me wrong. Doesn't change that the quality of the movie is still bad though.

Cinematography is the big one here for me. Half of all the shots were Dutch angles and there was so much shaky cam. Camera work is very very important in telling a story. Do you want to be far away or really up close? Do you want to be panning or dollying, maybe craning to get a wider shot? Dutch angles are best used with more fuzzy or bizarre elements, such as when characters are drinking or when a flashback is happening. Too many of these angles don't properly communicate the right information to the audience, who might get very confused.

Story and characters are definitely the worst part. Spoilers ahead so I can talk about why it's bad.

Basically the story hinges on a false accusation that one prince killed the emporer while the other actually did it and is spreading the lie. It frustrates me that in the context of the movie Shen convinces the army Zhao did it when everybody saw only Shen enter and only Shen leave. Shen also talks to the general who seems to be giving the impression he's aware Shen is lying and STILL carries out the orders to search for the other prince. Bruh you literally command the military forces, stage a coup and get rid of this Shen guy. So the whole premise is basically pointless and infuriating.

The name of the movie is called Outcast because it follows this Zhao guy who was outcasted as he avoids death from the hands of his brother and his army. No, it doesn't. It definitely focuses more on Nicholas Cage and Anakin Skywalker as they conquer the kingdom back for them. No wonder it made a lot of Chinese angry. If Americans today made a movie about some white guys helping an African nation there would be massive outrage and for a decent reason. I don't mind them helping the kids out with reclaiming the kingdom but at the end of the day it has to feel like the kids earned it. Zhao has to be the one to take down his brother or the writing is just simply terrible. Zhao's companion was honestly a much better successor than Zhao himself. They really messed him up. Also like what the heck was going on with Nick Cage's character this movie like seriously?

If you want a movie with bad writing this is a good place to start. The best thing that could have helped the movie from a writing perspective was to seriously think about how each characters would act in certain situations. Yes sometimes that means toning down characters but if you can't see the character earning it then it needs to be reworked. Rewriting for any of the characters would have honestly helped a lot.

Despite my big problems like I said it's bad but not unwatchable. You might be surprised how engaging it can be. And I watched it with my family while we were quoting Anakin from Revenge of the Sith so that helped ease our discomfort a bit.

Abduction (I) (2011)

Don't take the rating too seriously.

[5/10 · 17 December 2023]

As a movie overall, and in comparison to other things I've seen, this is a 5.5/10. (Although it will probably go lower the longer I think about it) However it's got the beats in a typical Hollywood movie that although it's nothing too special most people will probably enjoy it. If you can enjoy a movie while shutting your brain off you'll most definitely enjoy it. That doesn't make up for things the movie itself lacks though. It's basically The Fugitive but with much much much less substance and foundation. Young Taylor Lautner has probably single-handedly convinced me young hot celebrities are so overrated. Plot is very thin and shaky and feels very much like a Point A to B to C to back to A etc. If you're planning on watching this movie just watch the Fugitive with Harrison Ford and you won't be missing on anything.

Space Wars: Quest for the Deepstar (2022)

Wow

[1/10 · 17 December 2023]

Definitely in the list of worst movies I've ever seen. Can't say I was entirely bored or annoyed the whole way through though. But yeah pretty much everything is a disaster. Acting was bad except for the lead who was ok. Directing was pretty bad and it felt like way too many scenes were in one take. Writing was at times ok (but also generic) and other times straight up awful. Too many camera cuts that just did not feel fluid and connected. There were a few plot twists near the end that literally made me shout out loud in frustration. I desperately want to know what the budget for this movie was because I'm impressed at how bad this is. Don't think this is anything special; I mean how much more generic can you get than with a title like Space Wars? Some bad movies are like this on purpose but there were scenes where clearly there was an intent to make it serious that just fell flat on its face. With that being said I can't wait for a sequel so I can continue to laugh at how bad but somehow watchable this movie is.