joejasso-70-399261 Reviews

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Second best Matrix... movie ever...which means nothing

[5/10 · 28 December 2021]

A timely parable that rehashes a 90s movie that is mostly enjoyable, and a little heavy-handed, and finally drops all attempts at allusion and just has a character scream the meaning of the plot at you.

Don't Look Up (2021)

...eh

[6/10 · 28 December 2021]

A timely parable that rehashes a 90s movie (Armageddon) that is mostly enjoyable, and a little heavy-handed, and finally drops all attempts at allusion and just has a character scream the meaning of the plot at you.

Superman: Red Son (2020 Video)

Failed adaptation

[5/10 · 8 May 2021]

A far cry from Mark Millar's brilliant political study of humanity and power. Instead, we are treated to a swallow origin story with a twist. It's worst sin is the handling of Lex Luther. Perhaps the most interesting commentary of the graphic novel was the potential of man minus our foolish and petty insecurities personified in Lex. Instead, the movie focuses on "hero good, bad man bad." Probably enjoyable minus having read the spice material, but even then, it is a generic experience.

Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)

Solid, but underwhelming

[6/10 · 21 July 2020]

It is easily the least of the trilogy. That being said, the opening is absolutely brilliant. It provides a level of suspense and a Hollywood level intro to our villain that is absent through the rest of the film. It feels rushed and never really settles into a groove.

Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012)

A great adaptation

[8/10 · 21 July 2020]

A worthy big screen adaptation of the legendary manga and anime. The film successfully brings the characters to life and manages to juggle the large cast of villains. A must see!!!

Laughing Under the Clouds (2014–2015)

Wonderful from start to end

[8/10 · 13 July 2020]

A master class is pacing. The action, dialogue, character development, and plot all form without missing a beat and without ever dragging. Brilliant world building throughout. Due to its 12 episode run, short, it does not push any filler or stretches its story. While there are a couple of nagging plot holes that can be a little frustrating, this is a wonderful anime. A must watch!!!

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Crazy!

[9/10 · 23 April 2020]

Mulholland Drive can only be described as insane! A feast for every sense and challenges the viewer at every turn.

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Badly good...goodly bad?

[5/10 · 23 April 2020]

Hudson Hawk is trash. But it is so brilliantly bad that it is enjoyable. It is obvious that everyone involved is enjoying themselves, which makes it oddly enjoyable to watch.

Flowers (2016–2018)

Depressingly Hilarious!

[8/10 · 13 April 2020]

The show is a witty look at a dysfunctional family on the end of collapse as the man of the house has given up on life. It is equal parts painful and hilarious. Olivia Cole is a sublime as the wife/mother who is define by those titles and struggles to understand her worth outside of them.

Crashing (2016)

Wonderful!

[9/10 · 13 April 2020]

It is a tale of long lost love set in a world that devalues adult accountability. Every character is wonderfully dynamic and holds a good deal of agency for a comedy. Phoebe steals every scene, but it operates as an ensemble.

Parasite (2019)

Masterfully Crafted

[10/10 · 13 April 2020]

A well crafted film that does not confine itself to a genre. Equal parts thriller, drama, comedy, and suspense. While it is a scathing indictment on classism, it does an amazing job of condemning the institution and not necessarily the individual. It is in identifying with characters that Joon-ho really exposes the psychological hold economic class has on the individual and society. The pacing is brilliant, always engaging and playing with tempo nicely. Loved it.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Masterful Filmmaking

[10/10 · 8 April 2020]

Brokeback Mountain is a complete film. Beautifully shot, perfectly written, a subtlety brilliant score, and it handled a taboo topic with such a gentle, loving hand.

The Following (2013–2015)

Better if it were shorter

[5/10 · 4 April 2020]

The show starts off strong with a good premise and a wonderful antagonist and solid hero. Unfortunately, the twists and turns just get more convoluted and silly. The first season ends in a generic and illogical fashion that it both makes you question the brilliance of the villain and is a good preview of the silliness to come.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Dawn of Disappointment

[6/10 · 30 March 2020]

The reviews have been mostly bad, but I did not read any as the movie deserves a chance regardless of commentary. Sadness. This was a missed opportunity for everyone involved. My gripe is not with Zack Snyder, who did what he could with a pathetic script, nor even David S. Goyer who has proven to be a lesser writer without Jonathan Nolan as collaborator, but with the DC film executives. Too much was demanded from this movie and thus delivers very little. It has been a decade since Christopher Nolan gave superhero films the authority to be edgy, dark, and serious, and somehow we got to the point that they now have license to be devoid of fun and basic storytelling aspects like plot, character development, and even reasonable logic for the things happening in the world on the big screen. What Sam Raimi, Joss Whedon, and the Russos fought so hard to cultivate, comics book movies as legitimate storytelling, was very much ruined in the span of ONE movie. Ironically comics themselves are just gaining this respect as a medium, a sad day for the genre. Marvel was bold by taking a series of films in order to lead into their prize pig, The Avengers, while DC admitted to the world that their characters are incapable of rousing up enough interest minus their two big guns. Saddest of all is the needless "versus" aspect of the movie, because it is nonexistent. My excitement stemmed from a possible adaption of Frank Miller's visionary world of the "Dark Knight Strike Returns" or even the fun mash-up stories of Jeph Loeb. Instead we are treated to a run of the mill story that takes a page from the Michael Bay school of writing, blow everything up.

Son of Batman (2014)

Not DC animation's beat effort

[6/10 · 16 March 2020]

While the animation and action are pretty sweet, it deviates drastically from the source material and in doing so made Damien far less interesting.

Emma. (2020)

A solid take on a timeless tale

[8/10 · 11 March 2020]

While this is not the best adaption of the novel, it is probably the most enjoyable. De Wilde approaches the film with a light touch and the actors are allowed to carry the film. Bill Nighy is especially great, which is amazing because he was not given much to work with. Taylor-Joy is the glue that keeps this whole production together. She is likable, charming, spoiled, and human, relatable even to the modern audiences.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019)

Surprisingly great!

[8/10 · 11 March 2020]

While I am not a fan of the show, as I did not make it past episode two, this was one of the best series based anime films I have seen. The issue most of these action based animes face is balancing action and an actual story. While the story is rather thin, it provides just enough character development and scenario establishment to form a bind with the new characters. The action is brilliant! It's high production is worthy of the big screen. The music is a perfect compliment to the ebb and flow of the tale. The climatic final battle is worthy of admission itself. My only grip is that the copout to close the film undermines the idea of sacrifice that could have steered MHA away from a generic hero anime tale, subverting the genre, but it instead toes the company line. Admittedly this is necessary for possible sequels and, according to the anger and disbelief of the teenagers in the audience, to appease the series faithful.

Hellboy (2019)

No...just no

[2/10 · 9 March 2020]

I am hard pressed to find anything I like about this movie. The writing is uninteresting and unengaging. The characters fall flat. The special effects are not very special. I was looking for nothing more than a fun popcorn flick, but the fun never starts. Instead it is needlessly vulgar at every turn, with nothing to offer but a grizzled Hell Boy. Hard pass!!!

Birds of Prey (2020)

It picks up!

[6/10 · 1 March 2020]

This one starts S-L-O-W-L-Y. It took 45 mins before I cared about ANYTHING. The performances are solid to great, the directing is basically an assignment at the Deadpool School of Directing (decently done), but it is the writing that fails this film. The second half is entertaining with awesomely choreographed fight scenes and Harley's playful/psycho side no longer feels contrived. While Ewan McGregor's Black Mask is a wonderful personification of the no-consequences, entitled frat boy culture, it loses a bit of its effectiveness because every single man is evil or incompetent. I am not certain if this is meant to mirror the standard Hollywood portrayal of women or...not? Finally, I found it odd that the movie used the same bookending device as Hudson Hawk. All that said, much better than Aquaman (whatever that is worth).

Marriage Story (2019)

Good, not great

[7/10 · 9 February 2020]

The subject matter, divorce, is heavy and the troll it takes on the two leads is executed perfectly. Driver especially is always in control of every scene. I do feel that the "quirky" humor is at times out of place, clunky in its execution. Trust me, I don't mind odd tones, I love Wes Anderson films, but this movie doesn't ever seem to find its footing. Overall, a good film.

Fate/Apocrypha (2017)

A sad fate for a once wonderful anime

[2/10 · 5 February 2020]

A once brilliant series continues to plummet into utter trash. This installment is boring, lazy, and basically fanboy porn. It reuses characters that were once layered and relatable and makes them into silly one dimensional caricatures. While the animation is at times high quality, everything else is pure rubbish. Avoid!

Hostiles (2017)

The Best Western in Years

[8/10 · 4 February 2020]

Cooper's script is short of great, but good enough for his cast to make this film soar. While the dialogue lags at times, it provides Bale great long takes to show off his expressive acting skills. Studi and Foster also maximize every second on screen. The cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the solitude of the land and characters perfectly. Unapologetic, the film regards everyone as flawed and struggling to live with their sins and the horrors of humanity, the true human experience.

Hero Mask (2018–2019)

Unwatchable

[4/10 · 1 February 2020]

The story is pure gibberish and the pacing is brutal. You never come to care about a single character and it is hard to find anything that will keep you interested. Since I didn't find one after three episodes, I quit.

Sword of the Stranger (2007)

A Feast for the Eyes

[8/10 · 1 February 2020]

While it is a generic wandering samurai redemption anime story, it is well told and the characters are the right blend of likable and generically evil. These are not the reasons you watch this visual masterpiece. The animation is gorgeous! The final battle scene is particularly brilliant, fast paced and smooth. The musical score is a perfect compliment to the action. An overall "B" but an "A" for the production value.

The Mandalorian (2019– )

More than a money grab

[8/10 · 1 February 2020]

A simplistic story is the base for a great show. The production value is amazing! While the pace of the show is slow at first, it is necessary to set up the solitary life of a bounty hunter. It is this loneliness that makes the relationships he builds so much more meaningful. A worthy installment to Star Wars cannon.