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Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014)
The Movie
I will be short:
I really wanted to like this movie more than I did.
The problem with it seems to be that James tried to add a whole lot to the AVGN 'universe' that it lost it's focus on the main star of it all - the Nerd himself - and switched to his supposed side-kicks who imo became the center of it all.
What I wanted to see more from the AVGN movie was... well... the AVGN!
I am glad that James got the chance to do this at least once in his lifetime - producing a movie with an OK budget for a change - but I personally wouldn't donate my own money for something of this caliber to be made and released again.
Rent-a-Pal (2020)
A Unique Idea
I will be short:
The acting steals the show on this one - the main actor, the old lady who portrayed a character with dementia, the guy on the TV - everybody was on top of their game.
What I liked a lot is also the fact that Andy was portrayed in a way that seemed both genuinely caring and psychotic at the same time. The key in doing that successfully is the way he was introduced and portrayed along the way. He really seemed to be exactly what David needed at every single moment that he 'searched' for him.
Even doe the movie might be classified as 'Horror' it is more on the 'Psycho' side when it comes to genres, excluding the ending, which had some level of 'gore' to it I guess.
Speaking about the ending - even thou it was surprising (which in my book is almost always a good thing) this is where the movie lacked something. I personally would've enjoyed it more if it wasn't so physical at the end, but more 'mental', if that makes any sense. Would've preferred it to show how deep in a hole such a lonely life can get you and how desperate it can make you when searching for a friend, a relationship and a person who basically gets you 100%; one who is always there for you.
The problem with that in the movie is that Lisa is actually exactly what David wants and story-wise I don't get why he would prefer Andy over her - if the characters were build differently with Lisa not being so perfect for David his actions at the end would make more sense.
Excluding that I really enjoyed the movie, the way that the story was told and the pacing of it. I felt connected to David and was cheering for him almost until the end and even (not gonna lie) was hoping for a Hollywood ending where everything turns out great for everybody (even thou I usually don't like that).
Can't wait to see what Jon Stevenson bring to the table next!
Searching (2018)
Unique Idea
I will be short:
When I watch a movie I ask myself: "Would I be able to make such a movie?"
In this case, the answer is "No", because it takes a piece of brilliance to come up with such a unique idea when it comes to camera work and storytelling.
What I like the most is the way that everything is shown - through the 'eyes' of the computers, which these days basically 'see' everything that is happening - it just takes a human brain, dedicated to putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, to solve such a mystery.
The acting was great, excluding maybe the girl who played Margot (at least in my opinion) - her way of expressing the character seemed way too distant to feel close or relatable. Then again - that may be due to the fact that her character didn't have much going for her in the first place - seems like she was just there to be the person who the search revolves around and not much more. What I felt was lacking was the connection to that character, because at the end I realised that I was feeling more sorry for her father, rather than the girl who was assumed to be abducted at some point and brutally murdered.
Overall it was a very pleasurable experience which left me eager to see more from Aneesh Chaganty in the future!
Glass (2019)
Anticlimactic Finish To An Overall Good Series
First of all I want to start by admitting that I didn't watch the whole movie - it was that un-entertaining. I only managed to get through and hour and a half of it.
Every character, other than the three main ones, seems underdeveloped. Felt like Shyamalan wanted to give more attention to Bruce Willis' son, Samuel Jackson's mother and the victim of James McAvoy from 'Split' but it seemed like he gave up on that idea ~20 minutes into the movie and just left them as they are. I cannot help but feel that they could have added more depth to the story if they were given more, but the result was underwhelming - they did not do anything interesting or add to the story.
The connection of Anya Taylor-Joy to the story seemed unrealistic - why all of a sudden is she feeling for the guy who killed two of her classmates?! Let alone going out of her way to try and help him by telling him how to behave so that he can get out of there?!
Not to mention that the performance from everyone, other than the main cast, did not bring anything to the table - it was forgettable, unintriguing and plain.
It saddens me to see such an end to a story that could have been tied up in a lot more interesting way. I guess Shyamalan went with what was popular at the time - grand comic book stories - instead of somehow making the movie more dark and going into the depths of human psychology and intellect - the exact thing that won 'Split' it's fame.
To end on a high note - I would love to see another attempt by Shyamalan, Willis and McAvoy to work together and create something extraordinary, as I am sure that they are capable of doing!
The Legend of Mulan (1998)
Nostalgia Overload
I had this on VHS as a kid and I loved it!
I re-watch it again every couple of years and while it's far away from being a masterpiece, part of it's charm is how poor is the voice-over.
Growing older and seeing it again reminded me how great the animation is for such a low-budget movie.
Would definitely love to see more of that style in the future but done with better script and character development!
Split (2016)
A Quick Review
Two word: 'James McAvoy'
While Shyamalan obviously had a very interesting idea for the movie, going deep into human psychology, James McAvoy is the person who carried the whole movie.
What an amazing performance! When he was supposed to represent another one of Kevin's personalities his whole appearance even changed! Instantly not only his voice and expressions switched, but his whole body gained a seemingly different physique and posture! Even with him not saying a word you could tell that he is playing a different role all of a sudden.
What took me out of the experience is the child actors who just were not believable at all and to the people that are going to defend them saying that this is due to them being young I'll just say this: Haley Joel Osment in 'The Sixth Sense' - he was much younger than them and yet gave an amazing performance! So I simply cannot accept age as an excuse in such a high level production.
I would definitely love to see more of that type of movies that dive into human psychology as it is something that I feel like is not explored enough in movies, even though it can lead to some masterpieces that touch the viewer in so many ways...
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The definition of 'Re-watch Value'
Straight to the point - this movie is definitely Shyamalan's magnum opus so far - it has everything that you need in a thriller - drama, suspense, emotional relation to all of the main characters, greatly written, amazingly produced - for me this is, no doubt, the movie of the decade (and I have stood behind those words for many years now).
I re-watched it again yesterday and it felt even more touching.
The character of the mother is presented in such a real and relatable way that hardly needs any description: she is a woman that takes care of her kid no matter what whilst taking the role of the father at the same time (presented in the way she calls to the parents of her boy's bullies and firmly telling them to keep them away from her son); nothing in her life really goes her way as she has to juggle between two jobs to take care of her small family and the constant school and social problems of her child; her character is presented in a very memorable way by a very expression-able actress, even coining some catchphrases like: "look at my face..." when she is about to say something really comforting - when you hear that you know that you can count on her to do everything that she can for you.
What distinguishes this movie from any generic one is the fact that every character that appears plays an actual role in it and goes through changes - even the teacher is presented in a real-life (psychologically correct) way - while in high school he was made fun of by his peers so he is quick to anger when Cole brings this to light. Near the end he is shown as an adult that has gotten through his anger phase in the past, now relates to the kid and is trying to help him by giving him the role as King Arthur in the play.
Bruce Willis' work needs no comment.
The boy who shot him in the beginning also played his role majestically with his delivery of lines being extremely memorable and hitting a weird and uncomfortable string that gets engraved into the memory of the viewer.
Overall - an amazing performance by the cast and great job of the director leading everything perfectly.
Knowing what you learn after the first viewing and keeping a constant eye for plot holes (which as far as I know don't even exist) during the re-watches definitely gives this movie a lot of value seeing again and again.
What amazes me is how well everything is sewn together - nothing goes well for the main characters, which you feel for, until the very end of the movie where everything seems to get better, which comes as a breath of fresh air after soooo much waiting and hoping.
In my book - one of the movies that I will always recommend to people, no matter what their movie taste usually is - one can not go wrong with watching 'The Sixth Sense'.