Change Your Image
smdumond
Reviews
Uglies (2024)
Pretty Ugly
The uglies are pretty and the pretties are ugly. Are you trying to say that the man posing as a woman is supposed to be pretty? This feels like Divergent with less of a clear plot. It's all over the place. The main character somehow learned to become an expert skateboarder in less than 2 months. The flowers are evil? So much of this doesn't make sense.
I do find it hilarious that either you can have a personality or you can be pretty. Is this commentary on real life? To be fair, people who get massive amounts of plastic surgery don't seem to have much more of a personality beyond that, so the movie works from a social commentary standpoint, but not much otherwise.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Snoozenheimer
This movie could have had the whole first half cut from it and it wouldn't have hurt the film. In fact, it might have made it better because, for being about the man who is the "father of the atomic bomb," it was really boring. The movie didn't really start picking up until Trinity Site was picked. Also, while I understand the director made artistic choices to show how Oppenheimer felt, many just felt forced and overly long. The nudity wasn't necessary and detracted from the scenes. The communism hearings were exceedingly boring- the movie could have gotten the importance of security across in much less time. The movie honestly felt over after he spoke to Truman about the bombs dropping in Japan, but then it went back to the hearings. The movie should have been half as long with half the characters.
Faraway Downs (2023)
Underwhelming Reimagining
I absolutely loved the movie Australia. 10 out of 10 stars, so I was intrigued to see the reimagining.
The added scenes are definitely interesting and I would absolutely recommend giving this series a watch. However, while it did give more depth to the characters, it removed a lot of the mystery that made the original movie so fun in unraveling.
The biggest letdown, however, is the score. While a few new aboriginal pieces and 'Waltzing Matilda' were fun additions, the general score is atrocious and a far cry from the original. The new music is so lacking, that it detracts from the emotions on the screen, while the original score had enhanced them.
This is definitely an interesting take, but don't expect the epic feel of the original movie. This just makes for a decent tv show.
Elemental (2023)
Pixar Still Sparks Imagination
Elemental looks like a cute idea on the surface. Much like Cars, it looked cute, but I did not expect the emotional depth of the film. It really hits home about family relationships as well as giving new people a shot, even if first impressions aren't great.
The social commentary the movie makes is poignant without being a particular word that will get your review blocked on here because this company is the same word; you feel the meaning without it being shoved at you and pulling you out of the story. And the story that is shown is fresh, something Pixar could teach the rest of Disney's film departments a thing or two about.
The sly humor, visual beauty, and heartfelt story make this the movie of the summer, if not the year!
Turning Red (2022)
Not bad, not great.
Overall, meh. Not really controversial but definitely shares some values that won't be appreciated by all parents. I wouldn't want a young kid watching this for fear of getting a dose of early rebellious teenager. Has some liberal view points (definitely didn't like the "my body, my choice" jab that a 13-year-old makes at her mother that gets no repercussions).
Definitely for a niche audience though. Awkward middle schoolers who want to see they're not alone in awkwardness and anyone above that age that wants to relive their awkward pre-teen/early teen years may enjoy this.
It also had a similar lesson about family and expectations of perfection as Encanto, but I honestly think this movie did a better job resolving differences and being a loving family.
We Need to Do Something (2021)
Terrible
The best part was some random voice yelling "I'M A GOOD BOY" and finding out it was Ozzy Osborne. The rest can be skipped because it was confusing and nothing was resolved.
Pretty Woman (1990)
My Not So Fair Lady
The movie really seems like a more modern adaptation of My Fair Lady. Hey, let's pull a girl off the streets and make her a lady and fall in love with her. Say, let's make her a prostitute instead of a flower girl! Even if that wasn't the intention, it reads that way, and My Fair Lady did the storyline far more justice than Pretty Woman.