devorect92 Reviews

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Yes

[9/10 · 19 June 2022]

Watching this movie felt like the first proper movie theater experience I have had in years.

Better than the original. Neatly balanced action, humor, Nostalgia, sentiment, and shirtless scenes.

Lightyear (2022)

Enjoyable yet no magic

[5/10 · 19 June 2022]

I found myself very entertained and even moved by the first quarter of the film. As time went on it felt like they were trying too hard to make the formula work.

While I walked away having had enjoyed the movie, I probably will not be watching it again.

Halo (2022– )

I'm here for it!

[8/10 · 27 March 2022]

Overall thoroughly enjoyed it. The CG was a bit off from time to time - and a very rare occasional moment of silly. But this is a super strong start for a Halo show. As someone who has played almost all of the game titles, I like the fact it's a different timeline so I can watch it with my significant other who does not know much about the halo universe - and we can both enjoy the sci-if ride together.

Ghosts (2021– )

Delightful Caper

[9/10 · 6 December 2021]

This is one of my favorite shows of 2021.

The acting is over the top, but that is more than acceptable and very welcomed. I have not seen the original British version, but every episode in this series has given me good vibes and some great chuckles.

One part I thoroughly enjoy is all the drama on a given episode is wrapped up very quickly, and the main characters are always quick to get along.

Definitely recommend.

Guilty Party (2021)

Made me feel worse the more I watched it.

[5/10 · 6 December 2021]

I was intrigued for the first several episodes of this series. But as the series goes on, you just find yourself more and more down about the characters.

The deceit, the characters decisions, the story telling... It is a dark comedy "Who done it" story - but it feels like it becomes more of just a dark drama.

I ended episode 9 not feeling very positive or humored. I am in debate if I will be finishing it with the last episode that comes out next week.

Dragon's Dogma (2020)

Abhorrent inbetween some really good fight scenes.

[5/10 · 17 September 2020]

Preface: 7 out of 7 episodes watched.

Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen video game that this show is based off of never had a fantastic story. It was always ambiguous and that added to some of the atmosphere. It is interesting to try and base an anime off of the super ambiguous story that is DDDA.

While most action scenes are rather successful, the show likes to add some amount of shock value. While some shock is welcome and spices up a good story, some of these shocks seems out of place and unnecessary in an attempt to be edgy.

The aesthetic of the CGI is pretty distracting. While I can get used to the animation of the main character and pawn, the side characters are at times laughable and a major distraction from the show. A traditional 2D style of animating would have done wonders for the feel and emotional portrayals of side characters. While the CGI of the monsters remains distracting, the motion of the actions during fights does feel well enough done.

Most characters besides the pawn (Who is devoid of all emotion) tick me right off with their logic. I found myself having difficulty connecting to any of the characters or understanding any of their decisions.

TLDR: Action is good. Non-action is not good.

The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Kurt is the perfect Santa.

[6/10 · 24 December 2019]

While Kurt is the perfect Santa, and it does have a lot of enjoyable moments (some of them cheesy); the elves and the plot have a tone that doesn't quite make it a Christmas Classic for me.

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

The writing for Malak made me cringe.

[4/10 · 17 December 2019]

Malak's writing stands out as being massively detrimental; none of his lines felt natural or timed correctly. Aside from that, the film has its moments but it does not even come toe to toe with the original.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Not your average film

[8/10 · 25 October 2019]

It feels very classically shot, and they take their time to commit to their desired effects and scenes. It's not flashy or over the top, rather it takes a slow and steady pace to develop the plot; but nonetheless builds up to some pretty exciting critical moments. Thoroughly enjoyed the acting and the mature/developed unique take on modern day vampires.

Joker (I) (2019)

Not sure I would call it a masterpiece, but I did love it.

[8/10 · 17 October 2019]

Everything that comes to mind about the film was phenomenal. The cinematography was my favorite part; and felt like the world was closing in on Juaquin Phoenix without feeling too shut in. Several scenes including buildings whose walls extended to the skies that surrounded and closed in on the Joker set the perfect tone throughout. A few directions they took during the film made you question their direction; but by the end of the movie those uncertainties made the film more memorable and eerily satisfying. The performance of Phoenix and the cinematography would absolutely cause me to give this a rewatch in the future.

Pontypool (2008)

Great watch with a conflicting ending.

[7/10 · 17 October 2019]

I stumbled upon this film many years back, and recently went back to rewatch it. Pontypool does some very incredible/smart things with the atmosphere building. Its primarily one set with four on-screen actors; but never feels claustrophobic. It takes its time with furthering the plot and building the suspense of what's to come. I thought the acting was pretty great even if the two leads seem to go back and forth. The ending is where it gets controversial. I did like the idea of what they were doing as it was very different, but it left a lot of questions at the end of the movie. If you want to look hard enough and analyze the movie, you could probably find some commentary on modern day news stations and how information is delivered to audiences. Overall, they did an incredible job with the resources they had - and it is very suspenseful watch up until the end!

Chillerama (2011)

It can be pretty gross

[3/10 · 17 October 2019]

Each of the four segments has its moments. The tributes are appreciated and there are a few laughs to be had. The Hitler/Frankenstein segment was probably my favorite. All that said, the grossness extends to a level where you cringe and want to throw up. This film makes you laugh as quickly as you want to forget. I would never willingly watch this film a second time.

Bees Make Honey (2017)

Unexpectedly audacious

[7/10 · 5 February 2019]

Fantastic ride all the way through that had me smiling as I tried to figure out how they were going to solve the mystery. It's all over the place and doesn't take itself too seriously. On top of that it has the most intense bobbing for apples sequence I have ever seen.

Game Night (I) (2018)

Solid comedy!

[7/10 · 23 January 2019]

In some ways the film reminded me of Jeremy Renner's in "Tag", with the theme of competitive grown-ups taking games too seriously. Rachel McAdams was fantastic co-star to Bateman, and their interactions were never boring! Solid laughs throughout and keeps a pace that will keep you interested in the plot.

Dust to Glory (2005)

Solid Documentary!

[6/10 · 23 January 2019]

Pretty solid look at the Baja! A little heavy on the minor details that would require a lot of high-intensity studying to remember - and did not stick with my memory. I was hoping for more of a breakdown of the Baja course and more content covering the characteristics of the course.