eydryan's Reviews

Brightburn (2019)

3/10

21 August 2019

The movie took an interesting idea and turned it into a boring exploration into the chaotic and illogical evolution of a nice kid into a psychopath, with no real explanation as to why any of that happens. He doesn't question or resist it and he kind of sucks at it as well.

The genesis of his transformation is an important part of the plot, until he just kind of forgets all about it. The entire story is like that, focused on shock value and rarely making sense. And the plot is just uninteresting, it keeps crawling ahead with great predictability, there's nothing to really surprise us as long as we are aware of the premise of the movie; this may have worked as a genesis story for a well-known and interesting character, but as the first entry to the series it falls flat and I can't even figure out who the main character is, since we're seeing multiple first person perspectives but none sticks.

Acting is pretty good, with the exception of the kid who is never believable as either of his personalities, but it is squandered by the story and the lack of cohesion in perspective.

Just read the plot synopsis instead if you're curious, the movie brings little else except gratuitous gore.

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Black Mirror: Striking Vipers (2019)

Season 5, Episode 1

5/10

Terrible episode that just drags on

9 June 2019

Black Mirror has always been about the impact of technology on humans, and this episode explores some interesting themes regarding sexuality and relationships, but the execution is just rubbish. They take an interesting theme and just drag it along, with no real payoff for the time you spend with it.

The characters are very flat and not terribly likeable, and the premise is pretty hilarious to say the least. The logical plot holes are just glossed over and addressed very unbelievably and the characters aren't really affected by what happens in a real way.

And the ending, not to spoil anything, but it's very abrupt and undeserved. I really feel like more time should have been spent there instead of making us a part of the boring progression of action that didn't come with any consequences. It would have been much more interesting to explore the real consequences and compromises necessary to make the premise work instead of just showing us a frustrated main character being more and more frustrated, without taking any responsibility, without really losing anything or gaining anything, and so on. It truly felt like the meh premise of a modern day AAA video game.

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How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019– )

5/10

Competent but disappointing

6 June 2019

First of all, I must say I quite enjoyed the show, since the characters are likeable and the writing is competent, for the most part.

However, there is much about this show that is disappointing. I won't talk spoilers but the first season is just build-up with no payoff, despite it being very short.

The story itself is also very weirdly structured, with points where the action just flies by without giving us much information, and others where we get bogged down with irrelevant side tangents or "character building". And it sets up Morritz as the narrator, but it doesn't do anything to show him as being reliable or not, nor does it show the context of the narration, it just goes nowhere.

A lot of the problems that the characters face get resolved laughably easily with no consequences for anyone, and despite the "character building", none of them have any real depth or growth. One of the characters is alternating between laughable and menacing and the show can't decide on just one, making it confusing and unsatisfying. And the motivation of the characters is bizarre, they never take time to profit off their work and they never use it to solve their problems, it just seems like conflict shoehorned in for the sake of it.

This could have been a really great show, but it just isn't.

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Fighting with My Family (2019)

7/10

Decent Sunday movie but misleading

28 May 2019

The movie is fine, just your average cheesy movie about making it big, with some nice reversal of expectations there that really does give the characters a bit more depth and growth, and the storyline is interesting enough since it's not just an a to b, nobody to world champ kind of story but it's a bit more nuanced. It's great that they show the people it's based on at the end, and I must say, the parents were played excellently!

However, this is 100% a Vince Vaughn movie, it does not "star" the Rock (his entire performance is the scene from the trailer and another small scene that doesn't make a lot of sense), and the interesting actors (Lena Headey and Nick Frost) have only secondary roles (which they do play quite well though).

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Money Heist (2017–2021)

7/10

A well made show which goes nowhere

24 January 2019

I have to preface this by saying that I have been quite impressed by the first few episodes of this show, so much so that I didn't mind the foreign language or the weird acting by some of the cast. It's certainly worth a watch, and the premise is very interesting.

However, the action is at times less believable and the pacing is really all over the place. Add to that the flat characters that never react to anything and the plot which just seems to float from episode to episode on the writers' whim, and you get something with a lot of potential but poor execution.

Without going into too much detail, it is probably obvious to everyone that this is about a plan which doesn't work out entirely as intended, or they wouldn't have multiple seasons of it. As such, sometimes the ways the plan moves along or doesn't are very out exaggerated and unlikely, and it really bothers me as a viewer for some master criminals to be this incompetent at times. The ending of the first season especially, makes things feel like the work of street corner amateurs rather than true professionals, and there is no plan A, let alone B or C. And the way some problems with the plan get resolved makes us ask the question: why wasn't that just part of the plan from the beginning!

The pacing as well is very inconsistent, with episodes which are full of action followed by episodes full of minor character drama and flashbacks which really don't go anywhere.

Another criticism I want to leverage is that the characters are very one-dimensional, and even their main traits sometimes don't even matter as they become cardboard cutouts of people. The most present hostage, for example, goes through immense emotional states but none of them seem to change him in any way. The same goes for the robbers, they never change, they are never really affected, they just keep being at times a badass and at times absolute amateurs.

Finally, I feel the biggest problem is that the plot itself is in such stark contrast to the premise of the show. I get that they wanted to create intrigue and conflict to move the story forward and stretch it out to many seasons, but you can't have the greatest plan in the world be constantly foiled by crappy plot points and cartoony drama.

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Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

2/10

Good acting, dreadful story

15 August 2018

I was very disappointed by this movie which, despite having a good cast (with perhaps the exception of Colin Farrell, who was not a great fit for the role), has a completely abysmal story. It starts off fine, with a maladjusted paralegal forced to take on the role of full court lawyer and being incapable of stomaching the injustice that is inherent in the system, to the point where he even gets a fine of almost one year's wages (which, as far as we know, he doesn't even challenge, he's just blase about it, making it more than weird).

But then, without spoiling anything, the movie goes off on a tangent, trying to be all Walter Mitty on us, and it really makes no sense. The characters start behaving out of character, the story devolves into a barely believable tale of hubris and punishment, and perhaps its greatest mistake is that it takes itself far too seriously. The ending is extremely predictable and sappy, and completely pointless.

Perhaps the problem is pacing, and the fact that the movie is trying to do so much in such little time, with basically three full subplots which simply don't need to exist. And it's all so cliche, the girl who is incredibly hot but is attracted to him, the younger man who respects him all of a sudden for no real reason, and the crime story where we see how absolutely unintelligent the main character is. It's all too much.

This is a movie about a lawyer who has spent his past 30 years fighting the system, fighting for the little guy, and a guy who is almost a genius at it, but we see none of that beyond what's already in the trailer, the story we're presented with is simply something else. Shame, Denzel's acting is pretty much on point.

If you value your time, read the plot synopsis first, at the risk of being spoiled and decide afterwards if you still want to watch it. Just know that by the end you'll be tempted to switch it off out of boredom.

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Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

8/10

It's really not that bad

12 June 2018

Yeah, this movie is not as good as the first, and it's not some intellectual masterpiece, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be, and it's actually kind of fun. It's certainly a shame they didn't simply repeat the formula from the first one, but it's what we wanted, robots and kaiju fighting each other in a cinematic way!

Yeah, the ending mostly sucks, and the movie lacks a certain special something, but the characters are for the most part likeable, if slightly over the top, the fighting is mostly fun, if not quite enough for my taste, and the story itself is simple but believable and it drives the ass-kicking plot forward without being absurd.

Frankly, this is a movie deserving of a 7 or so, and not a 5.

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Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)

8/10

A properly fun bug bash

19 March 2018

A masterpiece, this isn't, but it's a damn entertaining movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, and for that I think it deserves some credit. I can't imagine this had a big budget, but the graphics look great, the voice actors play with heart, and the in-movie propaganda is funny yet realistic enough that it doesn't feel forced.

Yeah, it's full of tropes and other weird bits, and it introduces some characters only to ignore them for the most parts, but for what it is, it's pretty well made. Don't go into it expecting a true successor to Starship Troopers, just watch it like you'd watch something like Final Fantasy the Spirits Within; suspend disbelief and enjoy some bug ass-kicking.

I liked it, and I really think you might too, so give it a shot!

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Catch .44 (2011)

4/10

Sadly disappointing

4 December 2011

Warning: Spoilers

The movie is all in all a mess, I'm sorry to say.

It had a pretty strong Pulp Fiction vibe to it and some bits were done properly but overall it was too thin. Pulp Fiction was awesome because it told a story; more stories actually, including that brilliant yet casual dinner in the diner. The reason I'm going into this comparison is that I really recognize the attempt and honestly it's a nice attempt.

But the story is too loose, it never really starts and the progressive editing is just annoying. Excuse me for going back to Pulp Fiction but there the repeating diner scene had a purpose, it was not just a gimmick but rather a framing device and it worked, made the story circular and even though the timeline was messed up at least it had a basic beginning and end.

Story-wise I really disliked that there were a bunch of narrative paths that were just ignored, such as the gas station attendant (why was he killed) or the whole thing with who the girls were and why they were working for Mel, what they were doing, how they screwed up, etc. I don't need flashbacks (the one that was was okay because of the terrific acting by Forest Whitaker) but at least give me some coordinates.

Speaking of which, Forest Whitaker was great in this. Again, his character was a bit... weird, but for the most part he was believable and he was awesome. He played all the roles well except maybe for the last part, he was too much of a cold-hearted assassin to grovel like that. To try to hear a story that was not true.

Bruce Willis' role was... disappointing to say the least. I see him trying to be a sort of John Travolta in Swordfish but he comes out something that should have been played by Mickey Rourke. Not to mention that the whole character development thing was screwed, he gets built up to be this way cool untouchable character and gets wasted by a half dead bimbo, that is just not something anyone would enjoy. The whole idea is stupid, and maybe with a different kind of exposition it could have been believable but like this it just falls short.

In conclusion, I recommend you see it if you have nothing better to do but a cinematic masterpiece it isn't. Which is a shame really because it did a lot of things right and had the A-list celebs that could have made it work. Alas, it is one for the bin, much like Nicholas Cage's recent period. And the ending is just pointless.

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Blitz (2011)

9/10

Surprisingly good, true to the book

30 July 2011

I remember reading the book in highschool (http://www.amazon.com/Blitz- Ken-Bruen/dp/0312327269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312071329&sr=8-1) and I enjoyed it immensely. Although Brant was a completely different character in the book I like that they kept his traditional and old school manner.

The spirit of the book is also kept in this, which is very surprising and pleasant in any movie that features Jason Statham. It's refreshing that it's not the kind of movie where he just punches everyone to death for two hours, it's deeper than that.

I suggest you go see it, it's certainly an interesting story and hopefully it'll make you want to read the novel which is at a completely different level, the atmosphere is much deeper and everything, from the violence to the interactions are much more colourful.

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Sucker Punch (2011)

10/10

Unbelievable...

26 March 2011

This movie... blew me away. I'm still reeling from it, from this apparent naked-chicks-kicking-ass-gore-fest which is in fact a cinematic masterpiece (and I quite rarely resort to such high praise). It's entirely a metaphor, on multiple levels, and it's just... indescribable. It was something I never expected. I'm just speechless, even now... Watch it and think deep about it. Much more than meets the eye, I promise.

The worlds created as babydoll (how ironic to name a victim of such abuse such an innocent name) battles her trauma and inner demons, as she locks herself inside, are spectacular to say the least, humongous in size and obsessive in detail.

Even the faux-centerpiece of the movie, the action scenes, have a certain flow to them that is very well built and very properly held together.

I also loved all the Matrix references, cracked me up a bit, can't wait for it to come out on some form of disk so I can more closely examine every bit and maybe figure more out of the metaphors and the metaphors inside the metaphors. (inception is kindergarten compared to this)

I'm really finding it hard to express my feelings in words about this movie but what I can say is this: it certainly made its mark on me... I'm still trying to understand it all, still affected by the powerful emotional scenes the movie is filled with...

I quite honestly feel it is an incredible achievement, a true piece of art, and it deserves huge points for disguising it all under a wrapper of pop and cheesiness that only makes the actual content so much more hard-hitting.

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What Love Is (2007)

9/10

Loved it, one of my favourite movies!

17 April 2010

Really enjoyed the way the characters interact and it really hit home in many of the scenes. Liked the witty dialogues and the way the characters each had a defining feature but were actually more than met the eye.

What I really did not like was the girls' bit, found it a bit distasteful and generally a bit off, just didn't feel as well built and as complex as the guys' monologues.

Definitely suggest you watch it, especially loved the little twists at the end, left me with a fun feeling after seeing it.

Conclusion: Must see, although don't expect much from the girls...

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War Photographer (2001)

10/10

A must see for all photography enthusiasts out there

1 May 2006

I believe this movie to be one of the most inspirational movies i have ever seen... Every time i watch it i have this urge to take my film, load it into my camera and just go out and live what photography is all about... It evokes in me that exact spirit that made me take up this profession and i love it for that.

It's a great movie in that it shocks you. It lets you know what the world is like and it also lets you know what a photographer's job really means. All about that hassle, that peril and the drive it takes to pull through.

It's a movie about all that is wrong in the world but not in a tree-hugging, stupid environmentalist way but in a way we can all relate to...

If you want to see what it takes to be a photographer expect all that and more, because no one can make it in this business unless you're really good...

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