jmunter-11815's Reviews

Wonka (2023)

8/10

28 January 2024

I loved Willy Wonka growing up, and there's no denying I had both high hopes and high expectations coming into this movie. I'm pleased to say they were met, and exceeded in places. The feeling I got watching this was nothing short of childlike wonder and joy. Truly a movie for all ages

Let's start with the minor complaints. The main issue being a common issue with movies these days; the CGI is really spotty. It's never awful, but you can clearly tell there's room for improvement all over the place. It's passable but it won't take long to become dated, which is the most disappointing thing to be normalized in Hollywood. In addition, much of Wonka's music is really repetitive, especially that which features the title character. A little more variety would've gone a long way in making this a truly special soundtrack, similar to it's predecessor

The issues stop there for me. The movie is brilliantly directed, wonderfully written, beautifully acted, and comes together like a whacky well oiled machine from Wonka's factory. The characters are fun to follow, the candy is creative, and the conflict is perfect for a story aimed at both kids and adults. The music, while repetitive, is so good. It doesn't try to be a duplicate of the music in the original film, but is clearly inspired by it. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes popular on my Spotify account soon

As for the main man himself, Timothy C crushes it! He captures the joyful charisma of Gene Wilder without completely copying his performance, perfect for a young enthusiastic boy that grew into nothing short of a genius. With little nods and references to the original movie, but never stepping over the line into nostalgia bait

It's been a while since a musical movie was made this well, and I hope someday to see this on a broadway stage. Everything about it oozes with the magic of the theater through the lens of a camera, and I couldn't get enough of it. It brought me back to my high school days of being on stage

To create a good Willy Wonka story, one has to capture the magic we know it for. Once that was brought into the movie, everything else followed. It's a breath of fresh air to see something so near and dear to my heart be treated with the respect and recognition I would hope for. There's something in here for all dreamers young and old, which we seldom see in the overuse of sequels and reboots today. Wonka reminded us that we are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream.

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Echo (2023–2024)

8/10

I loved it

12 January 2024

I originally wanted to give this 7/10, but I decided to add an extra one on account of I'm surprised this hasn't been that well received. Which is a shame because I think this is the best series Marvel's made since Daredevil

I won't pretend to be an expert of native culture, but this seemed to be faithful and celebratory of indigenous traditions which paired well with the mature nature of the characters and conflict. Ten story was gripping, the pacing was solid, the tension wasn't biting off more than it could chew, the characters were fun to follow, and everything seemed to fit pretty well together for me

I'll start with my minor complaints since there's only a few. Namely, the first episode set up a far different setting than the series would be focusing on. Yes it was essential backstory and context, but with how strong the story was while Maya is in New York, that's likely what most viewers would've preferred. To switch from such a grand setting to a much more subtle location I think does it a bit of disservice

Also, if I'm being objective it's a bit anticlimactic. Without going into too many spoilers, the final episode felt less like a climax and more like a safe wrap up. It matched the series, but didn't push any boundaries or bring the tension to a head. I've seen far worse endings, but I have a feeling the writers could've done a bit better

Other than that, super enjoyable! Maya is a fantastic protagonist, and it's cool to see unique characteristics in someone you don't normally see in marvel heroes, and I'm not just talking disability. She's reserved, closed off, cold, and trying to walk the line between protecting what and who she cares about and staying away from her old life she left behind. It's refreshing to see that when Marvel became formulaic

The supporting characters are solid too, and I can't think of a single one I didn't like. Everyone had a purpose, each had a story of their own that made them unique, and everyone was essential in Maya's journey. As much as I hate to pick a favorite, as a daredevil fan it's hard not to gush at how well Kingpin fit into everything. We've seen him act with no restraint, and now we see where he draws the line with people he loves

Also back to complaints quick, Fisk was a solid antagonist but his goons were kinda cartoony at times

This is a series that focuses mostly on the characters rather than anything larger than life, and that's why I think it's so special. Echo isn't as widely known as Black Widow or Captain Marvel, which works to her advantage by receiving the permission to allow less to be more. It's not focused on cgi fights, setups to other projects, or the multiverse, it's focused on the story it's created by, for, and nothing more

I'm excited to see what happens next with Maya, and have regained some of my faith in the MCU.

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The Flash (I) (2023)

7/10

Awesome movie but the problems stick out

19 June 2023

Setting aside one's animosity towards Ezra Miller, this movie worked in the ways we've been hearing it was, but there's some heavy asterisks to that.

Let's start with the good. This movie is really exciting and very well paced. Ezra does a wonderful job working off his younger self, and interacting with the rest of the ensemble. I was worried he would be shadowed in his own movie by everyone else brought in for fan service, but I'm pleased to say everything fit together like a well oiled machine. Don't like the man, but credit where it's due

Speaking of the rest of the cast, everyone works well where they're placed even if they may be a little under utilized at times. It was wonderful to see Affleck return as Batman, Michael Shannon brought his perfect villainy back to Zod, and Sasha Calle was a great supergirl I hope to see lots more of. But of course, we all knew who the big gun was gonna be...Michael Keaton never lost his touch with Batman. Stole every scene he was in, and seeing him mop the floor with baddies never gets old. I'm very excited to watch his scenes over and over again when they're available on streaming

Worth noting as well, the movie's humor definitely landed for me. Everyone's comedic timing is right on, the callbacks and references are utilized well with the jokes, and it was good to see it never compromised any of the dramatic moments as we've seen so many times before. There's some stragglers here and there, but I knew it was gonna be good with one of the first visual gags in the movie

Ok, so what was bad about the movie? Well as it's been said many times before, the CGI really falls short at times. To be fair, it worked well for the majority of the film in my opinion, but when it was bad it was BAD. It was distracting, and definitely pulls you out of the immersion. I can forgive bits and pieces since I know one day all CGI will look dated, but the filmmakers have come out defending it as a creative decision to show how the flash views the world in the speed force. Fair enough, but it probably should've either been polished up or just straight up scrapped

This movie also is clearly reliant on fan service and nostalgia, which isn't inherently a bad thing if you know how to walk the line. I would argue they do it well for about 80-95% of the movie, but when they overplay their hand, it definitely shows. For those that saw SpiderMan: No way home, imagine if that's where the line should be drawn on fan service reliance, now take two big steps over that line and you've got this movie

But here's my biggest problem in the movie, which does get into minor spoilers so be warned. I'm of the mindset that revival of old characters through people who have since passed is not a bad thing, if you're willing to put in the work to be respectful to their portrayal. This movie does feature some of that, and it's that with that atrocious CGI I talked about. It's in bad taste to try and pay homage to someone but make them look like a melting Barbie doll. This movie could've had an extra star from me without that, but this is what they chose at the end of the day

So overall, the movie was a fun DC movie I would easily say is some of the best we've had in a while I'd be happy to watch again, flawed though it is. If this is where worlds collide, I'm happy to say this is where some of the greats came together.

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The Last of Us (2023– )

10/10

The perfect adaptation

13 March 2023

We've been let down by video game adaptations before, but every so often a good one comes along. This was not just good, this was the gold standard for how you adapt the perfect story

Beautiful set design, wonderfully acted, faithfully written, brilliantly directed, emotional even when you knew what was coming, and perfectly adapted

I have no complaints, I have no nitpicks, and I couldn't have asked for a better live action adaptation of this brilliant world and lovable characters. Pedro and Bella were the best casts I could've asked for, and no one felt out of place or miscast

This is the apocalypse, this is the last of us.

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The Last of Us: Kin (2023)

Season 1, Episode 6

10/10

Everything I wanted

20 February 2023

The video game has my favorite cutscene in Amy video game ever made, and possibly any fictional work of art ever made. It was in, it was perfect, and it was just a small bit

This show is so beautifully shot, so properly adapted, so incredibly directed, so perfectly acted, and sets the hood standard for adapting a video game to live action. This is everything I wanted it to be, and this episode was the highest of the highs

This is the last of us. It's not everything to a meticulous level down to the last detail, but that isn't challenging or worthy of doing. This is the finest work from HBO since Game of Thrones

And it's not even over yet...

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The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023)

Season 1, Episode 3

9/10

A great way to utilize Bill

31 January 2023

It was exciting to hear that Nick Offerman was playing Bill because come on, that's just perfect casting. We did get to see him as we expected, but without giving too much away so much more than we could've anticipated

Seeing him interact with Frank not only expanded on his character both in the show and in the game, but proved that while staying faithful to the source material this show can make changes that are not only welcome but brilliant. This episode serves a wonderful character episode in the world of the infected, and proves it's worth for expanding the people we've met before on the PlayStation

Wonderful acting, storytelling, and filmmaking all across the board. This makes me not only excited for what's to come, but absolutely destroys the patience I have to wait for next Sunday. I'll be tuning in eager for more and overjoyed by what comes next

If I have any complaints, it's that we most likely won't see more from the characters in this episode. However with this being where their story concludes, I'm very happy with what we did get.

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Black Adam (2022)

6/10

I mean, it's alright

22 October 2022

Black Adam is a movie bordering on being painfully average but has a few saving graces that make it worth the watch. It's not a bad movie at all, it's just not hitting that sweet spot of DC gold

Best parts. Dwayne Johnson was a really good Black Adam, Pierce Brosnan was great as Dr Fate, they did Hawkman Justice, and the movie didn't take too long to get going. We start, here's a brief backstory, and boom off with the story

But the highlight of this movie no question is Black Adam taking out his enemies. It's really fun to watch people who are essentially paper people go up against a merciless god who isn't afraid of knocking names off the board. It makes him seem like even more of a worthy foe when he goes against the enemies who can hold their own against him

All that being said let's break down where the movie didn't necessarily fail, but definitely took the easy route

First off, the humor. Yes a lot of it was genuinely funny, but it is getting old to watch a superhero movie and every 10 seconds they're trying to get a laugh out of you. This movie walked the line between brutal and lighthearted, so it does stand to reason that this would be the case, but I'm hoping for less movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and more like The Batman

Second, not all of the characters are that great. Lots of them have awkward moments and line delivery that pulled me out of the moments that mattered the most. There were a lot of goofy moments throughout, and it could've backfired pretty poorly if the rest of the movie didn't make up for it

Additionally, this movie feels like it's on fast forward a lot of the time, mostly with exposition and dialogue. I don't think I can remember any time where someone took their time with a line delivery, because there was a constant flow of information they needed to get to the audience. It plays up to the age old problem that lazy writers often don't take into account, which is that it's almost always better to show not tell. It really did the pacing dirty

So while I did have a fun time with this movie, I don't have a pull to add it to the favorites anytime soon. I do think it's one of the better movies to come out in a while, but not in comparison to the entire year. This isn't something I would deem a failure at all, but I do think it had the potential to be far better than it was. I think the best way to sum it up is we needed a hero to give us the next big DC slam dunk, instead we got Black Adam.

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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

6/10

I had fun

17 October 2022

Ok, so I don't need to add to the conversation that this is one of the weakest MCU entries so far. That's been talked about enough

But just to briefly touch on the flaws, the cgi is abysmal, the editing is really sloppy at times, the jokes can be pretty awful, a lot of the characters are awkward and unnecessary, and this is just a testament to the issue Marvel has with Quantity over Quality. I don't blame most of the people involved with this, because this seems like the result of executives demanding product ASAP

All that being said, I still had fun with it and am glad I watched it. This show had a VERY rocky start and I'm open about the fact that I thought it progressively got worse as it went, until the last 3 episodes which I thought were unironically great

While I said the jokes could be pretty bad, to their credit they also could be pretty good. There's even a few times the show had me laughing so hard I had to pause the episode I was on. I'd prefer Guardians of the galaxy or Deadpool laugh ratios but credit where it's due

I also think Jen was a fun protagonist to follow. She was definitely the highlight of the show thanks in no small part to her casting, and when she was at her best I got excited to see her story unfold. She's not up there with my favorite MCU characters, but I'm very excited to see more of her in future protects

And speaking of highlights, call me nostalgic but I'm so happy to have Daredevil back. The Netflix show (Yes I'm calling it that Disney+, this is their achievement not yours) was criminally cut short, and I'm very glad to see his integration into the mainstream MCU has respected his character even in tones VERY different than that of his respective show. I'm cautiously optimistic for his miniseries, and commend this show for using him so well

So overall, I understand why this show would've rubbed someone the wrong way or even been portrayed as objectivity not good, but I still felt it was enjoyable when viewed in its full light. For all it's bad elements and not funny didnt laugh moments, I'm glad I was given an enjoyable story with quite funny definitely laughed moments. This show is kind of like a trip to an aquarium; not your first choice but can be a lot of fun if you embrace it for what it is. I'm glad I was able to control my emotions and didn't give up on this show, because this is one show I won't be hulking out on (I know it's stupid sue me)

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Halloween Ends (2022)

7/10

I think I liked it

15 October 2022

Warning: Spoilers

Just to get this out of the way, I know this movie has issues, and there's so many indefensible problems with the movie that definitely pulled me out of it

So let's start with all of that. Yes, this is Halloween Ends for about 10 minutes of the movie, and that's towards the end. It's really bizarre that they chose to make Corey the main antagonist is immediately writing themselves into a corner. I kept leaning over to my brother and joking with him "Halloween Ends: Starring Norman Bates." It's not a good idea when you're talking about making a conclusion to a 40 year rivalry

There's also no defending a lot of the dialogue. It's not surprising to see bad dialogue in a horror film, but 4 writers really couldn't make it work? It felt like I was watching a movie written by George Lucas, without the creative storytelling to make up for it. It's kind of embarrassing

All of this could probably be forgiven if Michael was in the movie more. He was still a lot of fun to watch and it was cool to see him slowly regain his touch. But the fact that I was questioning if he was even in the movie at all before the halfway point is a testament to how unforgivable their lack of focus on him was

So this begs the question, why do I like this movie? Well it's for a couple reasons

One, it was far more enjoyable to me than Halloween Kills. I still think the message was wrong for the universe and consider good kills to be the standard for this franchise, not the exception that gives it's movies a silver lining. It was cool to see a movie that built tension and went back to the subtleties the franchise thrives on

More on that, I actually really like Corey. Yes his story doesn't blend well into this universe, but it was cool to see him pushed down a dark path while I still maintained hope he could be saved. But once he stole Michael's mask and went on his rampage, which was awesome, I knew there was no going back for him. It reminded me of stories I love like Batman the killing joke, which explore what drives someone to madness

I also think a lot of what you leave off with in terms of your impression of a movie is the last 15 minutes, which were incredible. Not just the showdown between Laurie and Michael, but also Corey's dark path coming to a close in the pinnacle of his destruction catching up with him. The boogeyman was destroyed once and for all, and so was any trace of his legacy embodied through his 2nd coming. It was dare I say, satisfying

So yes, clearly this movie has problems and I'll be the first to admit I wouldn't consider this movie as holding a candle to the first film or even the 2018 sequel, but at the end of the day I had a good time with it. I imagine I'll be in the minority for the rest of time with this, but every now and again something comes along that we feel attached to seemingly without explanation. And I'll stand by that opinion even if what people see behind my eyes is purely and simply evil.

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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: The Retreat (2022)

Season 1, Episode 7

8/10

Really refreshing

1 October 2022

Best episode so far

Super refreshing from last week which I would argue was the WORST episode so far. This was an unexpected joy to watch, and I thought it did Jen's character well for some much needed development

Also, in my opinion the best 4th wall break in the entire show so far. The jokes were back to funny, I enjoyed the heck out of the cinematography in the beginning, and I was glad to see a storyline that I'm pretty sure everyone can relate to in the 21st century

I'll be the first to admit I'm still waiting on Daredevil to swing by, and I'm upset he's getting dangled in front of my face like a carrot, but if we had to wait one more episode to see him, I'm glad this is what came of it.

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The Accountant (2016)

9/10

WAY better than I expected

17 July 2022

Action movies are very hit and miss nowadays, and wow I wish I would've seen this movie sooner! Brilliant action, great characters, remarkable casting, excellent writing, and one of the most unique protagonists I've ever seen

This is one of those movies that's best going into blind so I'm gonna try to be extremely vague here. Just know that this is an action movie sort of like others before or around the same time, but with added elements that make it feel like something special. Everything feels so meticulously placed and handled with such care I can't imagine anything being different. It's a good hook, an entertaining ride, and a great example of what movies do best

I'm trying to rustle up any complaints but can't for the life of me think of anything remotely worth pointing out. When the dust settles maybe a few nitpicks here and there, but nothing to change my rating or my praise

This is one of the best action movies I've seen in years, and I plan on revisiting it many times over. If you're wondering what it takes to make a good action movie, everyone involved in this clearly likes puzzles.

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Pennyworth (2019–2022)

8/10

An unexpected hook

16 April 2022

From the second this was announced I was sure this was just another tone deaf way to shovel out an easy money maker with characters we're already familiar with. I've been interested in Alfred's backstory since they day I found out he was in the special forces, but I still had no confidence anyone would take it seriously

But thankfully I was 100% wrong

This show is brilliant. I love the story, I love the action, I love the dark tones, I love the intrigue, and most importantly of all I love Alfred. While he's not the same person we know as Bruce's soon to be caretaker and friend, he most certainly fills the role of someone who will one day become him. I'm trying to decide which version of the Batman story will immediately follow this, and the fact that I have so many candidates speaks wonders to how faithful they are to this character. Its wonderful to see him properly fleshed out and explored in a surprisingly enjoyable journey

A lot of the supporting characters are interesting as well! It has characters you can love and hate very passionately, but it's strength lies in creating the ones you go back and forth on. There's so many people in this show you genuinely flip from having no love for to incredible amounts of sympathy for. It's got B stories that add to the mystery, and several twists and turns to keep you wondering what comes next

In addition the cinematography and production design are GORGEOUS! I haven't seen a tv show that's had this caliber of quality in what feels like forever. Amazing camera work, incredible sets, and pitch perfect color and lighting make for such a sleek look and feel that blends perfectly with the time period

Granted, I have a few problems with it. For starters, not everything in the show is strawberries and cream when it comes to the praises I've just mentioned. Lots of characters are either uninteresting or just unintentionally unlikable, not all the characters they try to make you conflicted on are as sympathetic as the filmmakers hoped, and a lot of the side plots turn out boring. There's many times where it feels like a breath of fresh air shifting from one plot to another because of how night and day the intrigue can be. It's a shame the show is so cluttered with subpar moments and characters when the rest is so consistently wonderful

But alas, no show is flawless and the cons do not outweigh the pros. I'm invested in the story and I can't wait to see what comes next for everyone's favorite soon to be butler. In a world where some men aren't looking for anything logical, Alfred Pennyworth is the man to call when some men just wanna watch the world burn.

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Morbius (2022)

4/10

It's not good

5 April 2022

The nicest thing I have to say about this movie is at least Green Lantern was worse

This movie was kind of doomed to fail from the start, which is why I originally had no plans to see it. But then the reviews were in and I had to see it for myself, and I was honestly let down it wasn't worse to be honest. Don't get me wrong, it's not good but it's not "so bad it's good."

There actually were objectively good things about this made me feel like people were just being too harsh on the movie at first. Jared Leto was honestly pretty good in the role of Michael Morbius. Not ground breaking, but if this movie was a lot better he would fit right in. A lot of the characters were actually somewhat interesting to follow and the science was honestly kind of fascinating at times. Also some of the cinematography was cool to look at, and some shots stick out to me as legitimately solid

But then the movie kept going....and what else can I say? The cgi was unforgivable, the story got bland and boring, a lot of the dialogue is pretty stupid, and the action starts out decent but slowly declines as the movie progresses. You can even tel a lot of what they probably wanted to show was dulled down because it needed to be PG-13, which venom also suffered from but this was even worse. You can even see Morbius slash an enemy in the neck, and you hear the sound effects of blood spewing but their neck is pretty much bone dry

There's also one scene specifically I thought was REALLY stupid, and it was the exact moment I shifted from "This movie isn't THAT bad at all" to "Ok no, this movie is kinda garbage." Then the movie goes from stupid, to boring, back to stupid, and finishes extremely anti climactically. I went from probably being able to defend this movie to wishing I spent my money watching The Batman again

Speaking of Batman, yeah there's so many things straight up stolen from other movies! There's a shot straight out of both Batman Begins and the usual suspects. Want something to look forward to, try to spot them when you see it

So in the end, I expected much worse than what I saw, but it would be a disservice to call this movie even passable. Fine moments here and there, but select enjoyable elements while everything else is making the movie unbearable does not a good movie make. And normally I close out my reviews working in a line from either the trailer or the movie (For example I closed out my review of The Batman with "I thought Uncharted would be my favorite movie of 2022, but the truth was unmasked in front of me,") but honestly I got nothing. This movie was so forgettable I can't even conjure up a single memorable line other than "I am Venom." Whatever, this movie's bad.

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The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022)

8/10

I can't agree with the criticism

23 March 2022

I loved waking up every Wednesday morning and watching this show. It was an interesting side of Star Wars that hadn't been explored through a character that finally got a completed arc. I'm not gonna say the show was better than the mandalorian, but for my dollar it was a lot more fun to watch

It's really cool to see the back and forth between Boba trying to run a criminal empire with a different approach than everyone was used to, and his journey rebuilding himself as a warrior. You can tell from the start something wicked this way comes, and I was genuinely invested in the characters and conflict. Tap finally when the climax comes, the stakes were high and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time

One thing I feel like doesn't get enough praise is how well Boba and Fennec work together as main characters. They're a force to be reckoned with, they're wise and collected, and they have enough control to become rational in the eyes of the audience. Their partnership is one of my favorites in all of Star Wars

As for the Mandalorian "hijack," it's only two episodes with a character that's directly related to the story, and has been so synonymous with this side of the galaxy, it would be ridiculous not to include him. More on that, it makes sense they need to establish what he's been up to and how he's adjusted to his new circumstances. If they just shoehorned him in, there would be too many questions and blanks to fill in. It may be Mando's episodes, but it's still Boba's story. More on that, they're brilliant episodes

Without going into spoilers, they also reintroduce other old faces in ways that blend very well with this particular story, and I couldn't imagine pulling any characters out of it new or old. There's very little to complain about with the cast of characters for my dollar

But...I do still have complaints. While I didn't like all the characters, a couple really irritated me. Most notably the mayor's assistant, and shockingly to some not the mods. The only thing that irritated me about the mods was how ridiculous their speeder bikes looked, which is still only a nitpick. I didn't think there were any bad episodes, but there were definitely select moments that stood out as subpar. First one that comes to mind of course is that slower than a snail bike chase, which admittedly makes defending the mods a lot harder

Other than that, yeah I thought this was a solid and well grounded Star Wars story! It wasn't anything special like the clone wars or the mandalorian, but it also wasn't insulting like the last Jedi or the rise of Skywalker. I'd put it about the same level I'd rank Solo, which I really really liked. It made me excited for the next season of the mandalorian and all the other shows coming out soon. Hopefully this show survives, because it's worth a lot to me.

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The Batman (2022)

9/10

Yeah, it's REALLY good

2 March 2022

A fresh take on a dark universe with endless possibilities. I walked out of the theater and heard someone call this movie "A beautiful nightmare," and I think that's the perfect way to describe it. It's definitely one of the darkest Batman movies, and it takes advantage of its dark atmosphere in the best ways

First thing that sticks out is the fact that this movie plays up the fact that Gotham is kind of a terrible place. Not just crime on the ground or corruption at the top, the entire city is flawed to its core and Batman may be fighting a losing battle. Not only that, but they do well showing the fear element of Batman's character! Without giving away too much, it didn't take me long to realize that this was going to be Batman as we know him and at his most intense

Secondly was hands down the performances REALLY worked for me. Robert Pattinson wasn't bringing anything new to the table per se, but he also wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel so I was ok with it. It's not a new take on the character by any means but it's also bits and pieces of what we already know mixed with what Bruce Wayne would turn into in this particular world. Thankfully, the rest of the performances are all uphill. I think this is the best casting I've seen utilizing these characters, genuinely finding myself struggle to come up with any weak performances in this movie. They bring new dimensions to the characters we already know, showing what they would become in a Gotham such as this

Something else to commend is the tone and consistency of the atmosphere. They knew what direction they wanted to take and they stuck with it. They weren't cracking jokes every 30 seconds to keep the audience giggling, they weren't compromising the tense moments with needless jump scares, they weren't over the top with any cartoony characters, none of that! It was a good change of pace now that every superhero movie has to be as close to marvel as they can

The rest of my thoughts mostly go into spoiler territory so I'll leave off with this; This movie is not a safe take on a marketable character to put butts in seats, it's a down to earth, suspenseful, terrifying, and uncompromised piece of art that reminds me why I love Batman so much. I thought Uncharted was going to be my favorite movie of the year for a while, but the truth was unmasked right in front of me.

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Uncharted (2022)

8/10

Great movie as long as it's not apart of the game canon

19 February 2022

I was very doubtful going into this movie as I was concerned it was going to contradict itself in terms of lore and backstory, as previously established in the games. Especially since I was EXTREMELY unhappy with the casting of Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan, as his persona is so night and day with the character we see in the game

That being said, I let most of that go when I was watching the movie because I was having so much fun with it!

Without going into too many spoilers, yes the game's story is different from that of what we see in the games, and Mark Wahlberg's Sully isn't the same person we see in the games, but within the context of what I consider to be another version of the story, I think it works really well. Tom Holland brought his own spin on Nathan Drake and I thought he was great, Wahlberg grew on me over time as Sully and he had me invested in his character. Sophia Taylor Ali was a wonderful Chloe Frazer, and she felt like the closest to their respective character in the games if that's what you're looking for. And of course, Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle were excellent villains perfect for an action adventure such as this one

The story felt very appropriate for an uncharted property, and even had some winks and nods to lifelong series fans who played through a few of the exact situations in the games. It really does feel like you could make an installment in the game franchise with this exact story (With exceptions to maintain backstory consistency). Along with the action being so so so entertaining! Considering Nate's just now jumping into this life, it makes sense he's not comfortable breaking necks and getting into gunfights quite yet. But thankfully, that doesn't take away from the stakes or the excitement. The mixture of practical effects and excellent stunt work meant that the cgi they did use could have more time dedicated to it looked super clean, which I hate to say is rare nowadays

Did I mention this movie is actually really funny? Props to the writers for making me laugh throughout the movie, which can become irritating if it's not done properly. I honestly can't think of a joke I heard that fell flat, and none of the comedy felt inappropriately timed, which a lot of movies tend to do, compromising the moments that need to digest as serious tonal shifts. It was well done, and I gotta give credit where it's due

I do still have issues with it though, even if they are mostly nitpicks. The emotional moments didn't really stick the landing, and just about every time someone had tears in their eyes I didn't buy it. The child versions of Nate and Sam didn't have the greatest acting ability, although they weren't by any means terrible. And yeah I wish this movie was more consistent with the backstory we got in the games, because it would've made the whole franchise feel like one odyssey. I understand them taking another direction to create another story, but it would've been cooler in my opinion

Flaws aside, in the end this was a great time at the movies, and I'm glad to see that Video Game movies do have a future ahead of them. As long as you understand this isn't necessarily the same universe as the stories we've seen on the PlayStation, I think you'll walk out of this fulfilled. If you haven't played any of the games, this might actually be what gets you interested even! This movie may not have been a small beginning, but I sure do see greatness coming soon.

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Dave Chappelle: 8:46 (2020 TV Special)

10/10

Wise words in a tough situation

12 February 2022

One of the things I thought of immediately upon hearing about the death of George Floyd was "How is Dave going to react to this? What does he have to say?" Because I knew he had been talking about this for just about his entire career, and this was one of the most devastating stories to come out in the past decade. I knew he was gonna bring the thunder, and boy did he ever

He didn't just talk about George, he didn't just talk about other victims just like him, he didn't just talk about the insane reaction from the devil's advocates, he didn't just talk about the hypocrisy and the hubris, he talked about all of it. He left no stone unturned because this is not a new story, and there's only so many times the same things can be said in different ways

This is not a comedy special, this is the words of a wise man who couldn't just stand on the sidelines, without the intention of drowning out the voices of others standing beside him. This is one of the most impactful specials I've ever seen in my entire life, and I still revisit it to this day.

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The King's Man (2021)

7/10

Perfectly acceptable prequel

18 January 2022

It's unfair to compare this to the first Kingsman movie, considering for my money it's the greatest action movie of all time, but I can say that for an origin story, I'm pleased with what came about.

Let's get the flaws out of the way. First and most obvious being it's not very exciting. That's not to say it's BORING, but upon my 2nd viewing I didn't have as much fun as when I went in blind. The action scenes aren't breaking any new ground and seem as though they had the potential to go farther in places they held back. It's also got the disadvantage of taking place in the early 20th century, which means no exciting spy gear or technology beyond it's time period yet. I'm not saying I know how to fix these problems, but they at least do the best they can with what they're given.

I also should mention it's kind of predictable. You can usually see what's coming a mile away if you've been around the block a few times with other films, and I was able to predict major plot points before they happened. They weren't executed poorly by any means, but they are still noticeable issues. The main villain is also...fine I guess. Again nothing to write home about but does work for the sake of the story.

Everything else I feel like worked well honestly. The characters were interesting and well fleshed out, the story was well woven into the actual history of the world, and it did serve as a proper origin story to the Kingsman we know and love today. It's good to see lines that could become throwaway moments become immortalized by this movie, and provide consistency as well as interesting backstory to this grand story.

I also should mention that while the action isn't anything groundbreaking, it is still fun to watch. Id even go as far to say a couple are even really well choreographed and exciting!

So overall not my favorite entry in the kingsman series by a long shot, but far from my least favorite. I'm happy to say that although this franchise is still very hit or miss, it hasn't had an overall unwatchable entry yet. Very excited to see what comes next, and I'm glad I got to see how a tailor shop in London became the epicenter for the finest intelligence agency in the world. Manners Maketh Man.

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Halloween Kills (2021)

6/10

Fine, but gets worse the more I think about it

1 November 2021

Warning: Spoilers

There were definitely things I liked about this movie, and I wouldn't say it was by any means terrible, but the word I would use is underwhelming

There were some tense moments in here and I definitely thought Michael Myers was at his scariest both in this film and the last. One of my favorite scenes was definitely his reintroduction with the burning house. The mayhem he caused both on and off screen was definitely gripping and I found myself legitimately worried at times. Also even though she's not in it as much as we would've wanted, Jamie Lee Curtis still brings it as Laurie. I also respect the fact that she doesn't just walk off her injuries like most movies would've done, which shows they cared about the consistency

That being said, the movie kinda just falls flat. There's too much going on here than there really should be in a Halloween movie, which the previous installment clearly understood the simplicity of. When it's The Shape on a killing spree with the characters fighting tooth and nail to stop him, it works. When it's a preachy cautionary tale about mob mentality, this isn't the best movie to do so. Like.... IT'S MICHAEL MYERS! This is the dude who got stabbed, shot, and burned and just walked it off like it was nothing! If anything you absolutely want everything you can throw at him!

Side note, I'm glad they didn't play up to too many stereotypes when it came to the gay couple, but wow were they cartoony at times

But I think the thing that really makes this movie fall short is the ending. I'm fine with key characters dying, especially since this is a horror movie, but they felt so shoehorned in at the end just to be shocking. Tommy, the kid Laurie had to jump hurdle to save years ago, buh bye. Leigh Brackett, the sheriff who lost his daughter to this blood thirsty monster, see ya later. Karen, the next generation of the fight against Michael Myers who seemed like might actually be the one to finish the job, definitely don't need this one

And I know it's scarier if Michael truly can't be killed, but when the alternative is whatever the hell that explanation was at the end, I think it's not only unsatisfying but also unexplainably confusing. Like it used to be "you can't kill the boogeyman" and that was good enough. Then it became "If he can be killed, I'll find a way" which I also think works as long as you can get that payoff at some point. But now that's been retconned to what I can only assume is "There's no stopping him. I guess we're screwed." In my eyes that just writes you into a corner, and if there's no payoff there's no reason to go watch the next one because you know there's no resolution

This movie could've been amazing, and served as a true and faithful follow up to both Halloween and it's sequel Halloween, but it just wasted the opportunity to have a well flowing and complete story. To me it would've been more satisfying if they would've just ended with Michael dead and done for. But now it's just gonna go down as the biggest wasted opportunity since the Star Wars sequels. The movie was a fun time every so often, but it was all ruined by an unsatisfying conclusion. You can't kill the boogeyman, but you can kill a franchise.

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Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

8/10

Ok...hear me out

8 August 2021

Warning: Spoilers

This is a hot take I've had for a while, so I decided it was time to write a review on this movie I would honestly argue is one of the best animated Batman movies, with amendments I'll explain

So let's start with the obvious one, which is that the first 26 minutes should be burned and buried. It doesn't work as a good Batman story, and it most certainly should not begin one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. It was a lousy way to get the movie to feature film length, and I would expect so much more from people who have proven themselves competent enough to make excellent Batman movies. I almost knocked off 3 stars from my rating for it, but I decided to lower it to two because I do think the rest really makes up for it

Other than that, nothing in this movie strikes me as justifiably awful. Before I argue against most of the criticism I've heard, I'll address what people unanimously like, which is the voice work. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill REALLY bring it in this one and you can tell this is something they've wanted to do for years. To say nothing of the rest of the cast, who I think also work brilliantly with their respective roles. I also don't think it's a hot take to say the animation really works, both comparatively to the graphic novel and as it's own work of art. Even if the style isn't your cup of tea, I think giving credit where it's due on how well the animators did bringing it to life is well within reason. And with both of those elements paired with the score, this movie is bone chilling where it needs to be and the tone really feels perfect

But wait, there are things in this movie that don't work...or do they? "There's too many changes from the original novel!" Well, as much as we all love Alan Moore's writing, there are certain things that must be changed in order to make the characters still sound human. No one uses words like needn't. Besides, naturally some liberties will need to be taken in order to adapt the story. Some things will work much better on paper than they will on screen

"It's basically just a shot for shot retelling." Uh..yeah. That's kind of a good idea actually. Using a graphic novels pictures as a storyboard works really well, especially when trying to stay as true to the source material as possible. And I would argue there's still enough changes made that it still feels unique, and even has a couple of added moments or scenes that I think serve the story well. I think this movie blends changes with verbatim elements perfectly

"It's too short. It should've been extended." Well, we all know what happened when they tried that. The beginning aside, the killing joke is not a long read at all. So unless you can adequately stretch it out in a way that serves the plot well, it's best not to fix what isn't broken. The scenes they added worked well enough that I think they did alright stretching it just a hair

"It doesn't feel like what I was reading in the story, especially with Mark's direction and delivery." I can't even remotely get behind this. First, I could name so many moments where if his delivery wasn't the tone going through your head in the comics, I don't know what was. Prime example is his speech to Gordon about going mad, where now I literally can't imagine those words being read a different way ever again. But there are moments where there are differences to be sure, with the most prominent being his one bad day speech. But here's the thing, I actually like the idea way more that joker is so sure of his ultimate philosophy that when Batman isn't getting his point he becomes furious. I understand it's not what the tone was on the page, but I don't think that should mean you're against anything else. Maybe that's just me, but I think Mark was perfect in this movie

So yes, this movie has an awful first impression, but I will stand and die on the rock that if you skip it, this is a brilliant Batman movie. I think it portrays the source material well, and the changes it makes are both justified and beneficial. I rewatch this all the time, and I welcome it into my list of favorites without hesitation or regret. If you don't like it, that's just fine and I understand. But I hope some of you are like me and you appreciate it for what it was, because I think if all it takes is one bad day to drive a man to lunacy, this was not mine.

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Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One (2021)

8/10

One of the best animated Batman movies since Under the Red Hood

24 June 2021

I haven't read the original graphic novel of the long Halloween, so I was excited to go into this with an open mind and a fresh take on this story. I'll admit I was skeptical given the recent wasted potential of both the killing joke and death in the family, but I'm proud to say the delivery was exactly what I wanted

First praise, the voice acting is incredible! Jensen Ackles to no surprise works so well as Batman, Josh Duhamel is an incredible Harvey Dent and disappears into the role, Naya Rivera was an incredible catwoman may she Rest In Peace, Troy Baker is an excellent Joker, and countless other examples. Very good casting choices, and excellent work by the actors

As for the story, I'm so glad I get to come in knowing nothing because this is a legitimately excellent mystery! Without giving away too much, I've changed my guesses so many times as to who holiday is, because there's more curveballs in here than a Rian Johnson movie. I love the pacing, the tone, the suspense, the action, and the way the characters interact with one another. It's almost poetic

The animation is stellar at best, but at worst it needs a bit more work. The landscapes and backgrounds are gorgeous to look at, but some of the characters could do with a few touch ups here and there. These are mostly nitpicks because for all intents and purposes, I think this was very well animated, even by today's standards

Any problems I have with the movie can be overlooked, but I still want to address them. There are more than a few moments where I feel like certain characters should not have come out of the situations they were in unscathed, or at the very least needed a moment to recover, and they can usually walk it off. I also don't know what's exactly Gilda's deal, if she has some sort of issue going on mentally/physically and I'm hoping for an explanation soon, but if it's left unexplained she does come across as a bit irritating. I don't think she's a bad character by any means, but I am hoping she grows on me a little better in part 2

So to sum everything up, I love this movie and I'm so eager to see part 2 when it's released. This is what I love to see in Batman movies, and I think it might be up there with some of my favorites.

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Batman: Death in the Family (2020 Video)

6/10

Wasted potential, but not all bad

12 May 2021

I love interactive stories and I love Batman movies. Coincidentally, I was able to get the best of both worlds when this was announced. Especially considering Under the Red Hood is one of my favorite Batman movies. Sadly though, this was clearly a rushed idea that could've been amazing but ended up just being alright

As the marketing suggests, there's 3 paths the story can go. Robin dies, Robin cheats death, and Batman saves Robin. All 3 options had the foundations for incredible stories, and some even stuck the landing. The ideas worked well and I could see any of them happening in an actual Batman story. It's also pretty entertaining sometimes! It's super interesting to see Batman under the red hood with different outcomes and R rated violence. It's also REALLY cool to see just how dark Jason's life could've been, be it for the better or the worse

That being said, let's talk about its weaknesses. For starters, only one of the options has further choices to make, and the other two are mostly straightforward stories, which isn't really what was promised. One of them was what I watched when I rented on itunes, and was basically just a condensed version of UTRH. Also, a lot of the stories end up lacking in some of the writing or line delivery. It's kinda awkward at times, especially for the intended tone

A big red flag was obviously the absence of Jensen Ackles, but I found Vincent Martella's performance surprisingly strong at times. He did a really good job carrying the story, even if he couldn't do it flawlessly all the time. Which I attribute more to the writing and directing, considering he's proven time and again he's a competent voice actor, especially in Phineas and Ferb

A big problem I also noticed is one I have with Telltale Games, with a lot of the decisions ending up in relatively the same place, just with slightly different details. A lot of the endings are very different to be totally fair, but not devoid of what I'm calling the telltale effect. It would've been much cooler to see something along the lines of Detroit where decisions always have consequences, for better or worse

Overall I'd say it wasn't as good as some of DC's finest work in the animation department, with not a whole lot of rewatchability. However, I definitely thought it was worth checking out and would consider it worth loaning to my friends so they can experience it for themselves

Sadly, with it sitting next to Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and not far away from The Dark Knight on my blu ray collection, it won't be my first choice anytime soon.

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Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

10/10

The magnum opus for a lifelong DC fan

11 April 2021

I know, very strong words to lead with are "Magnum Opus" especially when going against movies like The Dark Knight or Joker, but this movie is the perfect example of why I've always preferred DC to Marvel

A dark universe that isn't afraid to be grim, characters that are far from perfect that are molded into gods, heroes coming together to form an alliance to be reckoned with, action that can only be described as legendary battle, the buildup of a dark future that must be prevented at all costs, and the ultimate antagonist with no one to oppose him except the ones we see as extraordinary

Zack Snyder did his homework, and he made sure his vision combined with this legendary universe was done it's justice. Even though I wasn't a fan of Batman V Superman (Theatrically. I have yet to see the ultimate edition), I'm so glad it lead to this. This is spectacular

The movie has flaws for sure, but it's the closest to perfect that I could possibly ask for. I understand some people can't forgive the flaws, but the more I personally think about the overall impact they have on the overall final result, the less I'm bothered by them

I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to see this movie, and I hope Warner Brothers will allow Zack to continue his story.

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Justice League (2017)

1/10

So this is why the DCEU failed

11 April 2021

Even before I saw the Snyder cut, I still couldn't defend this movie beyond it being a guilty pleasure. I'm a lifelong DC fan, and Joss Whedon made the movie reactionary instead of faithful to the source material (While being a scumbag but that's another story)

They tried Marvel Humor, it failed. They tried marvel movie beats, it failed. They tried the marvel all star director, it failed. They tried to get lightning to strike the same place twice, and we as DC fans got betrayed

If this was just a Joss Whedon guilty pleasure, I'd still be fine with it. I might even give it a 6/10 rating. But because Zack Snyder had something truly spectacular that turned into a Frankenstein's monster because the studio wanted to be marvel and Joss Whedon wanted to make the movie Joss Whedon, I can't watch this movie without feeling insulted

Zack is not a perfect director, but he clearly cared enough to give fans both casual and devoted something they deserved. History will not look kindly on this movie, and neither will I.

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Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

6/10

Not great, but not THAT bad

10 April 2021

I totally understand where the criticisms for this movie come from, and there were definitely some things I completely agree with, but I wasn't really bothered too much by them

Let's start with what I didn't like. The pacing was kind of all over the place, the bad guys in the beginning were kinda cartoony, a lot of what happened was hard to follow, I didn't buy into the relationship with Maxwell Lord and his kid, the music was kind of all over the place, and the climax was pretty underwhelming with the exception of the cheetah fight

Other than that, nothing else really stuck with me as memorably awful. I was entertained pretty much the entire time, the fights were fun to watch, I thought Gal Gadot really brought it back as Diana, Chris Pine was fun to have back as Steve, Pedro Pascal is never bad in anything ever and Maxwell Lord was no exception, and I was surprised how much I liked Kristen Wig as Cheetah

More KW, I went in really nervous she was gonna be the annoying quippy girl like Steve's assistant in the first movie, whatever her name was. But no, I thought she worked super well, and she had some great chemistry with GG. And I was surprised how much I kinda liked her beating on that creepy guy, cause let's be honest, if anyone in that situation had super powers, that's exactly how it would go down. I get if I'm alone on that, but I dug it

So overall, I don't think this movie was as bad as the current 5.4/10 rating, even though I'm only giving it 6 stars. Just barely a passing grade from me. The first movie was hands down about 5 times better, but I still could see myself rewatching this one down the road.

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