samhendersonthemovieman Reviews

Knives Out (2019)

A delight from start to finish!

[9/10 · 12 December 2020]

Now, let me start by saying that I like Rian Johnson, especially Star Wars: The Last Jedi, even though a lot of people didn't like it. I have not seen Looper because it's rated R and I don't watch R rated but I seen The Brothers Bloom. Rian Johnson is a good filmmaker. Anyways, the screenplay was really well written with a smart and fiendish plot. The acting from the cast was really good, especially from Daniel Craig and Ana De Armas. Daniel Craig had a similar funny Southern accent like Logan Lucky. The humor is really quirky and sly, as well as funny. The directing from Rian Johnson is very stylish. The mystery throughout the movie will leave you guessing until the twist at the end and is very different from other murder mysteries. For me, Knives Out is a delight from start to finish and one of the best movies of 2019. It's a mystery worth watching. 9.5/10

Jurassic Park (1993)

One of the best movies ever made

[10/10 · 29 November 2020]

Let me start by saying that I'm a HUGE fan of Steven Spielberg movies like the Indiana Jones series, Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and a lot more. He's probably my favorite filmmaker. Anyways, the CGI special effects on the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are amazing to look at and leave you breathless. I think this was the landmark achievement in visual and CGI effects. The musical score by John Williams is very astonishing. The acting from the cast, especially Jeff Goldblum, is superb. The humor is really funny as well, especially the parts involving Jeff Goldblum. The directing from Steven Spielberg is very well done and stylish. The pacing is very brisk and fast. The scenes involving the dinosaurs, especially the T-Rex and Velociraptors, in the 2nd half of the movie will leave you stunned and petrified. For me, Jurassic Park is one of Steven Spielberg's best movies and one of my all time favorite movies, along with the original Star Wars trilogy, The Dark Knight, Back to the Future, Inception, Inside Out, WALL-E, Toy Story, Forrest Gump, and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Inside Out (I) (2015)

The best Pixar movie since WALL-E and Toy Story!

[10/10 · 27 November 2020]

Okay, so I'm a huge fan of Pixar, especially when I was a kid. It's my favorite animation studio. It made tons a great family animated movies like the Toy Story series, WALL-E, Inside Out, The Incredibles, Up, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Coco, and Ratatouille. It also made some movies that are enjoyable but not great like the Cars series, Monsters University, Brave, and The Good Dinosaur. Pixar is also worthy for any age honestly. Anyways, Inside Out is fantastic! The animation is really stunning and colorful to look at. The concept and story is really imaginative and makes you imagine what your mind looks like inside and what your emotions would do to you. The music by Michael Giacchino is very nice to listen and great. The voice acting is really good, especially from Amy Koehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, and Richard Kind. The themes about life is very powerful. The humor is very funny, especially with the scenes involving Anger. The screenplay is very well written and smart as well. For me, Inside Out equals Toy Story and WALL-E as the best Pixar movie and the best animated movie of all time! I watched it a bunch of times and never grew tired of it, especially on vacations. It's a lot of fun and worth watching for everyone!

Star Trek (2009)

The best Star Trek movie ever!

[9/10 · 27 November 2020]

Let me start by saying that I'm a Star Trek fan, but not a huge fan compared to Star Wars. I'm more a fan of the recent reboot series than the old ones. I actually only seen the first two in the original series: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan. While I didn't like The Motion Picture, I thought The Wrath of Khan was enjoyable. I only seen a few episodes of the original TV show, but I never watched the rest of it or Generations. I thought the originals are a bit slow compared to the recent ones. Anyways, I'm a huge fan of J.J. Abrams, especially his movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens & The Rise of Skywalker, the first two new Star Trek movies, Mission: Impossible III, and Super 8. He's one of my favorite filmmakers along with Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, Tim Burton, M. Night Shyamalan, Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, and Taika Waititi. The visual effects in the movie are amazing to look at. The direction from J.J. Abrams is very stylish. The acting from the cast is very well done, especially from Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Zoe Saldana, and Anton Yelchin. The music from Michael Giacchino is also very good. The movie also featured a great story to follow. The character development is very colorful. The pacing is very fast and briskly. The action scenes are very good. Overall, I think the first Star Trek retry is the best entry of the Star Trek franchise and it will leave you having a good time. 9.5/10

A Quiet Place (2018)

An intense and astonishing thriller!

[9/10 · 1 September 2020]

Let me start by saying that I'm not a fan of scary movies or horror movies, although I'm only interested in pretty much anything by M. Night Shyamalan and Jaws. I originally wasn't planning on watching it or seeing it, but my family wanted to watch it and I heard from most of my friends saying that it's not too scary, but suspenseful, so I was reluctant and decided to watch it. I was very surprised that the movie is slightly silent and uses sign language throughout, even though it did have some dialogue in a couple scenes. Anyways, the originality of the movie is very innovative and genius. The acting throughout the movie was very well-acted, especially from Emily Blunt, even though there wasn't a lot of dialogue. There are a lot of scenes where they build up big tension and leave you breathless and shaking. The sound mixing and design of the creatures also is very creative and creepy to hear. The directing from John Krasinski, who also starred in the movie, is very interesting that he starred in the movie as the same time and made me wonder "How does he do that at the same time?" It's also very interesting that Emily Blunt and John Krasinski were a couple in reality and they were a couple in the movie as well. Also, the ending leaves you very amazed and breathless, making you wondering what would happen next in a sequel in the future. You wouldn't believe your eyes or ears when you witness the movie. The story also was very inventive, which was the combination of silent movie and thriller at the same time. The music is really eerie and astounding at the same time, which was what you'll hear most of the movie because it had sign language at the same time like I said. A Quiet Place is a very intense thriller that leaves you at the edge of your seat, one of the most worth watching for non scary movie fans like me, and surprising movies I've ever seen. 9.5/10

The Island (2005)

One of Michael Bay's better movies

[7/10 · 31 August 2020]

Let me start by saying that I know that Michael Bay isn't a great director compared to, you know, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and others like that. I probably won't say that Michael Bay isn't a bad director, but he's okay, not very great compared to those directors I mentioned. He has a few good movies like Transformers 1, The Island, and Armageddon. Pearl Harbor was okay and the Transformers sequels weren't very great.

So, The Island is probably one of Michael Bay's better movies, I think. The performances of Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, as well as their chemistry, were very good and prove that they work well together. The visuals are spectacular as well. The story and plot is very interesting and leaves you very surprised or shocked like a plot twist, although it may confuse some people. My only complaints were, like Michael Bay's other movies, the camera work is kind of shaky and they added a little too much explosions during the action scenes, even though the action scenes were quite decent. The music is quite amazing to hear as well.

Overall, The Island is not a favorite action movie, but it is Michael Bay's most unique movie with an interesting story/plot, good action, and strong chemistry of the two lead actors. This is my 2nd favorite movie by Michael Bay behind only Transformers 1. 7.5/10.

Inception (2010)

An innovative action-packed thrill ride inside a dream!

[10/10 · 31 August 2020]

I'm a huge fan of Christopher Nolan, especially The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. They're some of my favorite movies of all time. Christopher Nolan is one of my very favorite filmmakers.

Now, Inception is one of those rare movies that is both inventive and action-packed. The ride inside a dream is very entertaining. The performances from the main cast is very well done, especially from Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Tom Hardy is the actor who steals the show as the identity forger. The screenplay and story may confuse some people, but it is also very clever and imaginative, which will leave you wondering if it's a dream or reality throughout the movie. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is very great and worth listening. The visual effects are very crazy, especially during the dream sequences, one part when half of a city bends upside down, and one scene when Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character walks upside down and fights projectors without any gravity in the hotel dream. The directing from Christopher Nolan also is very well put together. The messages about a world between what's real and what isn't real are really quite good. The action sequences are quite a ride as well as thrilling. The ending also leaves you shocked and wondering what really happens.

Overall, Inception is an amazing movie to watch a number of times and probably my favorite original Christopher Nolan movie, meaning outside The Dark Knight Trilogy. It's one of my all time favorite movies!

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

The funniest Comedy movie ever made!

[9/10 · 31 August 2020]

I'm a big fan of Taika Waititi, especially Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, but it's not just those that made me like him. It was Hunt for the Wilderpeople that started my interest in Taika Waititi, as well as Thor: Ragnarok before Jojo Rabbit. Those are the three movies I've seen by him so far. He's definitely the funniest guy from New Zealand and one of my favorite filmmakers. Now, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I would say, is probably the funniest movie I've ever watched, especially if it's from New Zealand, excluding any superhero comedy movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, and Thor: Ragnarok. Taika had a short cameo in the movie, which was quite hilarious. The directing from Taika Waititi is very stylish and full of wacky fun. The performances of Julian Dennison as Ricky Baker and Sam Neill as Hector Faulkner were very impressive, as well as their chemistry and their adventure throughout the movie is entertaining. The humor throughout the movie is also wickedly funny and quirky at the same time, which will leave you laughing out loud and crack yourself up.. You could almost quote some of the lines. It also doesn't just have comedy, it also has some charm and adventure that you can enjoy, as well as some fast pacing. With a charming cast and filmmaker, as well as wacky fun humor, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I think, is probably the funniest movie I've ever watched and also my favorite movie by Taika Waititi. 9.5/10.

Hitch (I) (2005)

Laugh-Out-Loud Funny!

[8/10 · 31 August 2020]

Let me start by saying that I like some Will Smith movies like Men in Black, Independence Day, I Am Legend, and The Pursuit of Happyness. I think he is one good actor for action and comedy, as well as some drama. For Hitch, it's a Rom Com about a date doctor helping men to get into relationships or woo with the women of their dreams. I'd say that Will Smith and Kevin James for both very hilarious performances, as well as Eva Mendes. Now, the humor is laugh out loud funny, especially during the scene in which Hitch had an allergic reaction (or food allergies). This is what happens when you meet something that you're allergic to. The romance between Will Smith and Eva Mendes is also hilarious too, especially the scene when Will Smith accidentally kicks Eva Mendes in the head while water boating. Hitch is not just a Comedy, it is also a Romance. If any of you guys hadn't seen it, definitely check it out. For me, Hitch is one of the funniest movies starring Will Smith filled with funny humor and strong performances. It's equal to I Am Legend and Independence Day. Worth seeing for moviegoers and comedy fans.

Bumblebee (I) (2018)

The best Transformers movie since the first one!

[9/10 · 31 August 2020]

Let me start by saying that the Transformers series wasn't very great. It was okay. You know, it started off good with the first one, but then it gone to mediocre to okay sequels like Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, and The Last Knight. The first five were all directed by Michael Bay. I wouldn't say that he's a bad director. He's an okay one, definitely not one of my favorite filmmakers. I mean, he made a few movies that I like like the first Transformers, The Island, and Armageddon. I was a bit hopeful that Bumblebee will revive the series. But boy, did it deliver! Like the other movies in the series, the visuals are amazing and colorful. Hailee Steinfeld delivered a lovely and wonderful performance. The story and writing is more well written than the other ones. The camera work is more well handled than the other movies in the series. In the other movies, The camera work was a little shaky. The tone is much more lighter than the other ones. It also had a good amount of action, humor, and heart throughout. The action had less explosions than any of the previous movies. The soundtrack that was featured in it was amazing and had a nostalgic feeling like the soundtrack in Guardians of the Galaxy. The directing from Travis Knight was well handled. The 80s settings makes you fell like you were in the 80s. The relationship between Hailee Steinfeld and Bumblebee is really well done and cute. All in all, Bumblebee is the best Transformers movie since the first one. It had revived the franchise and hopefully will get better later on like Fast & Furious and Mission: Impossible.

The Matrix (1999)

Inception meets Ready Player One!

[10/10 · 30 August 2020]

Let me start by saying that I don't watch R rated movies, but this is one of the two watchable ones for me besides from The Patriot. Like The Patriot, The Matrix is only rated R for violence and nothing else besides from that. I haven't seen The Matrix sequels, but I don't plan to. When I first watched it, it reminded me a lot of Inception and Ready Player One since it takes in a dream world or virtual reality. Like Inception, the plot may complicate some people. The visual effects are frickin' amazing and crazy. The action sequences are non-stop insane! The acting from Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne, and Hugo Weaving are enjoyable. Keanu Reeves is the one who steals the show throughout the movie such as "I know kung fu". There are a few scenes that would creep you out a little. The sound editing and mixing are fantastically fantastic! For me, The Matrix is very original and imaginative. It's intense, but I think a lot of teens will be able to handle it. It's probably one of the best movies of all time and one of the top action or sci-fi movies ever made. Like I said, I've never seen The Matrix sequels and I don't plan to watch them because I don't watch R rated movies.

Logan Lucky (2017)

An entertainingly funny heist.

[9/10 · 30 August 2020]

The reason I wanted to watch Logan Lucky was because it had a pretty interesting cast like Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, Sebastian Stan, and Katie Holmes. Without watching the trailer, I thought it was going to be an action movie, but I was surprised that, when I first watched it, it turned out to be a heist comedy. I was expecting Daniel Craig to be the main character, but I was surprised that it turns out that Channing Tatum and Adam Driver were the main actors and Daniel Craig was one of the supporting actors. Anyways, The humor is laugh-out-loud funny and quirky at the same time. The movie itself is Ocean's Eleven meets O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The acting from the cast is very well done. Like Ocean's Eleven, Logan Lucky had a very interesting twist at the end of the heist (or movie). The directing from Steven Soderbergh, who also done the Ocean's trilogy, is really stylish and the soundtrack is also very entertaining. What also surprised me is Daniel Craig had a Southern accent in the movie, which was quite hilarious. Logan Lucky is an entertainingly fun movie and worth watching for heist movie fans.

Big Fish (2003)

One of Tim Burton's best movies!

[9/10 · 30 August 2020]

Let me start by saying that Tim Burton is one of my favorite filmmakers. He's made some good ones like Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman, Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Pee-wee's Big Adventure and he also made a few okay but not great recent movies like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows. So yeah, solid filmmaker with quirky style. Big Fish is sort of like Forrest Gump because it's a life story. The themes about relationship between father and son are very poignant. The flashbacks about Edward Bloom's life are entertaining to explore. The performances from the cast are quite sensational, especially from Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Danny DeVito, and a few more. It also has some fun humor to laugh about. The musical score by Danny Elfman is quite breathtaking and emotional. The visual effects are quite stunning. For me, Big Fish is quite a fun and unique movie filled with fascination and entertaining storytelling about life.

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

An Action-packed ride!

[8/10 · 29 August 2020]

I have not seen any of the other Die Hard movies because they're rated R and I don't watch R rated movies. So, this will be the only Die Hard movie I would ever reviewed. Anyways, Bruce Willis delivered an incredible performance throughout the movie as John McClane. Justin Long also did a very funny performance as well. The movie had almost pretty much unstoppable action throughout. It doesn't just have action, but it also has some humor to go along and laugh about, including the scene involving Credence Clearwater Revival. Timophy Olyphant was very sinister and devilish as the main villain in the movie. All in all, Live Free or Die Hard is an unstoppable action-packed ride with a charming performance from Bruce Willis and filled with good humor.

Lady in the Water (2006)

Not perfect, but it's unique, sweet, and beautifully crafted.

[7/10 · 29 August 2020]

Let me start by saying that M. Night Shyamalan is one of my favorite filmmakers, even though The Last Airbender is horrible, but I pretty much like most of his other movies like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village. I know Lady in the Water isn't one of his best according to most people, but I actually quite enjoyed this one. The acting from both the lead actors were wonderful. Paul Giamatti was really well done. Bryce Dallas Howard, who was also in The Village, was so beautiful and sweet. What surprised me in the movie is that, unlike his other movies, M. Night Shyamalan had a role in it instead of a cameo because he usually had cameos in his movies. The movie had a pretty interesting and unique concept about a bedtime story becoming real. In case nobody knows, The movie is based on a bedtime story Shyamalan told to his children, which did made me curious. The musical score by James Newton Howard was very pretty and well done. Like Shyamalan's other movies, The movie is not too scary, but it's suspenseful. Another thing that surprised me was that it had some funny moments, especially the bug squash scene at the beginning, which was quite hilarious. For me, I don't think it wasn't as bad as a lot of people say it is. Lady in the Water is not The Sixth Sense, but it's not The Last Airbender either. It's not a perfect movie, but it's enjoyable and beautifully crafted.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Highly entertaining, delightful, and fun!

[9/10 · 29 August 2020]

For this review, what I can say is the acting is really good, especially from Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, and the humor is really funny, especially from Awkwafina, who played Rachel's friend, Peik Lin. The costume design is really colorful and amazing, especially for Asians and during the wedding and party sequences, as well as the makeup. The set designs in Singapore are really great. It makes you imagine or go on a vacation. The themes are very pleasant as well. For me, Crazy Rich Asians, I think, is a very fun and delightful movie. I look forward to the sequels sooner or later.

The Illusionist (2006)

A unique movie for fans of magic!

[8/10 · 5 June 2020]

The Illusionist is a very well-crafted movie. It's sort of like The Prestige, which was out in the same year, due to taking place during the late 19th or early 20th century. The performances from Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel were really well done. The cinematography is beautiful to look at. The ending had a very surprising and interesting twist. I didn't expect the ending to be very surprising, but I'm happy that it surprised me. All in all, The Illusionist is not as good as The Prestige, but it's a unique, well acted, and thoughtful movie.

The Sandlot (1993)

Funny, fun, and entertaining!

[9/10 · 20 May 2020]

What I can say about The Sandlot is that it's full of fun and really funny. The first time I watched it is when I was 19 years old. So, I didn't watch this when I was little because I thought it would be kind of boring. When I first watched it, I was really surprised and laughing a lot almost throughout the movie, especially the scenes with the boys throwing up while chewing tobacco and riding a carnival ride, when Ham says "You're killing me, Smalls!", which was my favorite line throughout the movie, when Squints syncs "forever", and when Squints kisses his crush. Very good humor throughout the movie. All in all, The Sandlot might be one of the best sports of all time and one of the funniest family comedies.