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Reviews
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One (2024)
Not the comic and that's okay
I'd love a close adaptation of "Crisis on Infinite Earths." I also recognize that DC Animation needs to make some money and market a bit more broadly than the six people (self included) who have a proper affinity for "Crisis".
Seriously, that series is so steeped in the deepest and most obscure of DC lore that a 90 minute adaptation is not only too short to fit all the characters in; it's just not viable to hang a marketable movie off of so many obscure characters and concepts.
Here they took the core idea of "Crisis" and streamlined it in a way that I found pretty enjoyable. Writing's a bit better than other DCAMU / Tomorrowverse features, but I'm also getting tired of Barry Allen as the go-to protagonist. I Like the guy but let's switch it up.
Big Fish (2003)
O Big Fish, Where Art Thou?
I recently learned that Spielberg was originally slated to direct. Which makes sense - the themes of family and adventure with a Vignette structure to Forrest Gump, which he produced. But I'm glad he didn't direct. While toned down, Burton's gothic visiual sensibilities and love for all things creepy and weird are still present, and they add a certain edge to this movie that heighten the intentionally exaggerated nature of the story. It's one of those stories about Storytelling, like Princess Bride, where you're viewing the unfolding events in two minds: as the direct viewer, and the viewer of the viewer. What am I getting out of the story, and more importantly, what are the characters listening to the story getting out of it?
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Bruh
After an admittedly solid opening act, Sonic's first big screen outing quickly descends into one of the most rushed, lazy, confused messes of a film I've ever had the displeasure of watching.
The characters suck, the visuals blow, the action is just copied and pasted from better speedster movies. Everything good in this film is just borrows from different movies. Jim Carey is just doing Ace Ventura; the action is just Days of Future Past, and the plot is ET, Bumblebee, the Iron Giant, ETC. With all of the egregious product placement, the movie it reminded me the most of was "Mac & Me." For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mac & Me, it's a shameless RT ripoff that was almost entirely paid for. But I came out of that film more fulfilled than when I came out of Sonic. Please, do yourself a favor and stay away from this abomination.
Ralphthemoviemaker (2013)
Hack
This boring Marvel Shill doesn't liked Batman V Superman which is a masterpiece film 10/10 bc marvel pay stupid people who doesn't even watch good movies like Batman VSuperman to give the DC movies a bad reviews. Also it is the best movie since the dark knight bc of the metaphors that this stupid was too stupid to understand the complexities of this masterpiece
Glass (2019)
Shyamalan at his... most
Whew where to begin... (spoilers for unbreakable and split)
All things considered, this is not a bad movie. But if you are not familiar with the previous movies in this surprise trilogy, I highly recommend them- not only are they necessary viewing in order to fully appreciate Glass, both Unbreakable and Split are excellent movies on their own. If you are familiar with the previous entries, then you should be aware of the general setup, as was teased at the end of Split... David Dunn vs the Horde. And the title being a reference to the mischievous Mr. Glass clues you in to his role in the finale of this trilogy.
Enough meandering... let's get into the movie.
There's a lot to unpack here, considering Shyamalan is one of the most... unique? Storytellers out there. He doesn't always hit his mark, but he tells his stories the way he wants them told. In that respect, he did a good job with the story, and it works as a stand-alone premise and even better as a thematic conclusion to the Eastrail trilogy- to a certain point. Basically, the first 75% is a perfect blending of previous story elements, characters, themes, and tones, while working in a few new elements that work. While the typical clunky M.Night dialogue is present, it's not too bad in the context of the film as a whole.
It is also apparent that everyone brings their A-game to this movie. While it doesn't always land, you can tell everyone at least tried their best and explored new ways to act, film, etc. it is pretty damn ambitious in my opinion, and I respect that. As this and Unbreakable serve as Superhero movie de-constructions, Glass finds innovative ways to dissect the genre and it does not come across heavy handed at all (until the end). The acting is certainly varied here, as the three leads give phenomenal performances, as does the new 'antagonist'... but everyone else is pretty terrible, especially the actor playing Joseph Dunn. I don't really blame him, he hasn't really been in anything since Unbreakable, when he was still a child. The cinematography is great for the most part (until the end), as is the score.
In a nutshell, this is a great sequel to both Unbreakable and Split until the last 20mins, where a switch is flipped and M.Night goes all out Shyamalan... in the worst possible way. But honestly, it's still worth it for the good parts. If you liked Split and Unbreakable, definitely check this out.
Creed II (2018)
Rocky 3 with stakes
While corny in parts, Creed 2 delivers a compelling narrative, some great characters, montages, fights, and for the first time in Rocky history- a sympathetic villain in Victor Drago. If you love rocky, you'll love this, and if you at least like creed, you'll appreciate this.
Ant-Man (2015)
Generic
It's literally every other marvel movie.
Paul Rudd is good, along with Peña, Douglas and Lily, but everything else besides the action is completely forgettable.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Funny, not much else
Not much to say really, just a Marvel superhero movie that lands on the bland side. Not bad, not great, just stock marvel elevated by Paul Rudd, Evangeline lily, and Michael Peña giving it their all and delivering some great comedy.
However, the plot is all over the place, the main villain is fine, the action is fine, the effects are pretty good, but whenever Rudd or Peña aren't on screen, It's painfully dull.
American Psycho (2000)
...
Holy hell
I've seen three truly great character studies in my life. A clockwork Orange, there will be blood, and one film that combines the best elements of both... American Psycho. I am having a very hard time looking where to begin on this, beside the obvious, but I'll leave that for last. The cinematography is subtle and meaningful. The soundtrack is electric and complements the dark comedy incredibly well. All of the performances are great. But the two things that make this great are the satire and Bale as the lead. This film is able to make a mockery of 1980s consumerism and the elite of the world in such a hilarious way that if nothing else, this movie is effectively a parody. But Bale is really the one who ties it all together. Without spoiling anything, he is able to play essentially a new character in every scene, feeling like an alien trying to react to social interactions like a Normal person would, but when you get those quick glimpses into the real Patrick Bateman... oh man. I'm not gonna go into much more detail, just please check it out asap. Last I checked, it was free on Hulu in the USA, and only $3 to rent on Amazon and iTunes.
Prisoners (2013)
Holy hell
Where do I begin with this one.
Since Enemy, Denis Villnuve has proven time and time again that any film with his name attached is a film worth seeing. Sharp dialogue, slow but engaging pace, and beautiful cinematography courtesy of longtime collaborator Roger Deacons all mix to form excellent and unique moviegoing experiences from every single one of his movies. Prisoners is no exception.
While I may have had the misfortune of having to watch this movie over the course of two nights, this movie was still one of the most engaging and haunting films I've seen.
Everyone involved with this movie brought fourth their A-game, especially Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman, both of whom delivered phenomenal and when needed, explosive performances. The supporting cast does an excellent job as well, especially Viola Davis and Paul Dano.
The acting is not the only noteworthy part of Prisoners, as Deacon's unique style of camerawork lends itself masterfully to the bleak and hopeless tone, and keeps viewers engaged and attentive towards subtle details in every scene.
I could go on and list everything I adored about this movie, but the best way to convey to you why this film is a masterpiece is for you to go and watch it yourself. 9.5/10