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Reviews
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Awesome Cinematography and Action Scenes
I came to Villeneuve and writer Frank Herbert's Dune universe without having read the books or having seen previous adaptations. The first film was intriguing, and I couldn't make a lot of sense of what was going on at first -- got confused with the names, the factions, the planets, and the weird Jedi witches... But after seeing the first film twice and listening to some "Dune Explained" videos on Youtube, I got a better understanding and appreciation. I still rated the 1st film a solid 9/10 for its cinematography and fantasy world-building, even if I was kind of lost.
Dune part 2 was much easier to get into. Now that I better understood who the "bad guys" were, who the native Fremen were, and the reasons the main character was being setup as a prophetic Messiah of those people.
The Great: The film's strength, aside from the stunning IMAX cinematography, is certainly the (few) action scenes. The new antagonist played by Austin Butler (who played Elvis in that other movie) looked quite intimidating, even if the final confrontation was tainted wih a "deja-vu" ending seen in other films.
The Bad: Despite the impressive visuals, the worm-riding scenes were a bit of a let down, requiring a lot of suspension of disbelief in the way they were portrayed, leaving this viewer at least with more questions regarding this riding skill and (somewhat silly) mean of transport for entire tribes than providing answers.
Paul Atreidis' transformation from a mistrusted outsider to a messianic leader felt a bit rushed, as did the film's ending, despite the movie's long running time. The relationship between Paul and his love interest also felt a bit underplayed, leaving me wondering why these two "love birds" didn't talk more about the direction their lives were going.
The Ugly. There is no ugly to speak of, but I couldn't help seeing the parallels between the Dune story and the Avatar films. Now, Avatar came after the Dune books were written, so if anything they borrowed from that universe, and not the other way around. But an outsider that had to earn native people trust and becomes a messianic figure in battles against oppressors from outerspace? Both even have highly valuable liquids taken from giant beasts, and psychedelic trips. But yeah, Dune is better.
8.5 (rounded up to 9)
Argylle (2024)
Starts OK, but goes downhill
An imaginative spy slapstick film that falters during the 3rd act. Sure, I went in the theater knowing I had to check my brain at the door, and expecting a lot of silliness. On the silliness front, it delivered, and then some. But the film was advertised as a Henry Cavill vehicle. It is not. He's hardly in the movie. Instead we watch Bryce Dallas Howard do a buddy spy spoof with Sam Rockwell and a cute scottish fold cat, half CGI. The first half is half decent, action and comedy wise. Then the film start getting even sillier, to the point that the characters keep reminding the audience: "yeah, we know it's silly; run with it." By the end, I felt like I had been cheated of the Henry Cavill action film the trailer had sold me. 6.5 for some amusing moments, and the effort. +0.5 for the cat.
May December (2023)
A non-thriller pretending to be one
An odd film with an interesting/tabooed subject that doesn't really lead anywhere. It's a character-driven story that fails to delve into the characters' goals and motivations, or make us care about any of the characters, which left me and my wife rather indifferent and somewhat bored after watching it. The film thinks its being clever, hinting at thrilling, suspensful moments that never come. They further chose to give Julianne Moore's character's a strange lisp, so that Natalie Portman -- playing an actress that was tasked to play Julian Moore's character -- will *look* like she's playing her by imitating her speech pattern.
The film reminded me of Marriage Story and Black Swan, two films that I also found overhyped. But despite their plot deficiencies, these movies at least had some gripping acting and/or thrilling moments.
Woody Woodpecker (2017)
Clichéd, Color by Numbers Kid Flick
Grew up in late 70s and 80s, and watched the animated series back then. For some reason, aside from Woody's particular laugh, I remember very little about the original series (unlike many Looney Tunes episodes, of which I have fond memories). Nostalgia brought me and my gf to give this a try, as adults. The film has its mildly amusing moments, but is filled with clichés, rehashed plotlines from other movies, wooden characters (pun intended), and an annoying farting/belching Woody. The actor that plays the dad was like a strange mix of Mel Gibson and Chris Pine. I think his portrayal of the flawed but sympathetic character helped make the film somewhat watchable.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Shyamalan-ish
It was M. Night Shyamalan-ish. Which is not necessarily a good thing. I enjoyed it for what it was, but a lot of the dialog (or lack thereof at times) and the abrupt conclusion left me frustrated. There's a popular writing advice that tells fiction authors: never answer questions in a dialog in a straightforward manner. Leave suspense, don't answer right away, let the viewer wait and guess, or have the character be evasive or secretive. Too often, this advice is literally adopted for every dialog in a novel or film. Which creates unbelievable/unnatural character discussions. I kept thinking at every other scene : "That's not what a human being would say, or how it would react!" You see 50 deer in your backyard. Aside from thinking "ok, this is odd", wouldn't you rush to tell your family about it? Instead, we get (hours later), "oh, by the way, I saw this earlier today"... Same thing for a very difficult encounter with an emotionally unstable person: wouldn't it be something you'd mention right away to your partner? These forced "secrets" always takes me out of a story.
Godless (2017)
Starts slow but gets pretty intense
The Yellowstone prequel 1883 is my favorite western series of all time, but Godless turns out to be another great one. The violence (including sexual violence) can be gruesome, but if you're able to stomach it, the story takes you for an interesting ride. Daniels plays a great villain, and the actresses all offer good performances. The young actor from Love Actually has grown up and plays the sheriff's young deputy with a lot of heart. The story offers an interesting take in your traditional western: what would happen if a town full of women had to rise to defend their homes against a band of bandits and corporate crooks.
On the Line (2022)
Probably Not As Good "Clear Headed"
This film clearly steals ideas from other films, be it Phonebooth, SAW, that 9-1-1 film with Halle Berry, or that Michael Douglas film I will not name here to keep it (somewhat) spoiler free. With a splash of The Dark Knight and Die Hard thrown in for good measure.
Watching this (haf), I was thinking: man, that script is silly; oh, gosh, that villain ripoff ; woah, that acting is bad; who knew Gibson was such an awful actor. I remembered him being good. Oops, scriptwriters are lampshading. They know it's silly, but they still want you to play along.
But then, half way through the movie, I told my gf about the "twist"... And, yep, I was right! And then, after the dramatic turn, I told her about the other, final twist. And, yep! Right on the money.
So that was a letdown of a film. Borrowing so much from other films, and predictable!
Then, later I'm the evening, I realized Gibson had given an awesome, multilayered performance. Now, that's called acting! Also realized, oh, so *that's why* the script was bad. It becomes kind of... clever.
And if anything thinks that plot isn't plausible, they haven't seen that Netflix documentary that I can't name to keep it (somewhat) spoiler free...
The Out-Laws (2023)
Never Go Full R****
A few jokes and visual gags made me chuckle (those dogs...), but as a whole, this film was a disaster. Inconsistent tone, clichés, plot holes, unlikable characters, weak dialogue... The most annoying protagonist to ever "grace" the silver screen. (Yes, beats Anakin.) Was fun to see the Airplane actress again. Brosnan worked with what he had -- which isn't saying much. This review needs more characters to get approved. I will make silly jokes just to fill the space. Is everyone reading this having fun? It's probably as amusing as the film. Oh, one thumbs up for the scriptwriters: there was no clichéd duct tape "gag" or a "you've gotta be kidding me!" line.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Works, Mostly for Nostalgia Purposes
(minor spoilers only). It's certainly not up there with Last Crusade or Lost Ark, but it was a fun time at the movie theater. I tought de de-aging at the beginning was mostly well done. I wish they had injected a bit more humor in the film, and given Indiana more opportunities to shine outside action scenes. Also, as a writer, I noticed the very odd ability of villains to teleport anywhere the plot required them to be. (In one scene, the woman spy even somehow walked faster than a galloping horse...) That was very distracting and pointed to lazy scriptwriting. I also would've liked to care more about the mcguffin artifact. I thought it would lead Indy to its past and somehow manage to bring him back to his youthful self again -- but I obviously had another story in my head.
7.5/10.
The Cobbler (2014)
Reviewers Are Harsh!
I had no idea the film had fantasy elements before watching. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor and story-- Groundhog Day meets Freaky Friday/18 Again meets Bruce Almighty. Sure, Adam Sandler is back to his familiar schtick; it also has pacing issues and took a while for the triggering incident (and magic) to be revealed; oh, and story has some plot holes; I also saw some of the major plot reveals from miles ahead (i.e. Predictable). But still... despite its shortcomings movie was a lot fun. Had us laughing out loud -- my gf and I -- during several scenes. Worth a watch if you like Sandler comedies.
(Some of the very low ratings might be reactions to the somewhat slow and boring start...)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Amazing start, then half-way dissolves into unbearable silliness
Had high expectations for the film. Eleven Oscars nods? Michelle Yeoh? Imaginative multiverse story? Action-comedy? Let me see this masterpiece! Oh, cool! It's like Matrix meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets a Jackie Chan action flick meets Dr Strange... Nice! Very interesting.
Oh wait... Ok, things are getting **really** weird. Oh, scatological humor. Dildo humor? Sure... why not. Sausage humor... More a-hole jokes.
What the f*$& am I watching? No one told me you had to be HAF to fully appreciate this masterpiece.
Oh well, maybe I'll watch it again when I'm in the proper mood.
Downsizing (2017)
Lost Opportunity
Movie starts with an interesting premise and some amusing visual effects, but loses itself in the plot after the first hour or so. Suspension of disbelief is required in many fantasy and sci-fi films, but the staggering amount of minituarized things the world managed to create in just 10 years for the downsized people left me shaking my head. (But from a film-making perspective, saves a lot of money on special effects!)
The second half of the film barely shows any Tiny vs normal size differences (lacks visual cleverness), and the story meanders to the point that size doesn't really matter by the end. The chosen end of world plot would've worked just as much with regular size "heroes" that sacrifice themselves.
I would've loved to see more fun sight gags like when they blow up the mine's tunnel near the end, or interactions with normal size insects and animals outside the security of their Shielded town. Maybe I should just re-watch Honey, I Shrunk the Kids instead...
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (2022)
Documentary Shows Partial Truth
The creators ignored part of Sarma's story -- including her physical abuse claims, and the fact that employees were eventually compensated-- to spin their own version of events, ending the series with a disingenuous phone exchange taken out of context. While watching the series, I had compassion for that woman, who was obviously brainwashed and psychologically manipulated by an evil, controlling con man. But I couldn't fathom why she would've followed him through it all. Missing from this doc were experts that could've shed light on why some people "naively" fall into these kind of relationships that involve outlandish claims and lies. I went to see Sarma's website after watching the series, confused by the ambiguous ending. Good thing I did, because there she tries to set the record straight. I wish her best of luck.
Prehistoric Planet (2022)
Amazing Spectacle
The production and animation quality is top notch. The stories told are moving, funny, surprising, informative. Felt like I traveled back in time. The extra features -- 5 or 6 short videos -- which show "the science behind the stories" is also worth a look.
Space Force (2020)
2nd Season Better Than First One
They stepped up their comedic writing game in season 2. Season 1 was amusing, but the cast's chemestry on season 2 is excellent. Hope it's renewed for a third season and give the show more chance to shine.
The Batman (2022)
Dark and Brooding
A "film noir" Batman, in his detective role. Sounds interesting enough. Excruciatingly slow pacing ; dark cinematography -- even the few daylight scenes are purposefully dark ; confusing action sequences (hard to follow what's happening) ; unclear vilain motivations... (wants to punish the corrupt and liars, but, for some reason, murder the innocent as well?); endless background music that repeats itself, with a strange, "on the nose" variant of the Darth Vador theme for Batman every time he's on screen.
The actors are fine. Patterson in emo mode, if a bit scrawny, is fine. Catwoman is fine. Alfred is also fine, although Serkis' talent is underutilized. The script, however, ultimately goes nowhere interesting. Aside from the fact that Batman is actively helping the police at solving riddles, the film is filled with "déjà vu" sequences from previous films.
Minor spoilers ahead:
Crazy vilain with a muffled voice, check. Face to face confrontation with vilain in custody, check. Vilain that laughs like a wild hyena, check. Vilain that has a bunch of demented followers willing to kill civilians, check. Major cataclysmic threat to the entire city, check.
Perhaps it's because I've seen these characters portrayed too often since 2005, but the film didn't hold my interest as much as I hoped it would.
Reacher (2022)
Pros and Cons from a Reacher Reader
Pros:
* Reacher looks the part (mostly)
* Follows the novel (mostly)
* Action scenes
* Interesting story with twists
Cons:
* Dialogue sometimes weak (sounds artificial)
* The weak dialogue can make the actors look amateurish at times
* Suspension of disbelief required for the way police handles Reacher's "crimes"
* Reacher a bit too smiley/smug when compared to how he's portrayed in the books (imo)
* No recaps at start of episodes (lot of things to remember if you don't binge watch)
Red Notice (2021)
A fun 7.5
Enjoyable action heist/adventure comedy. Some weak CGI here and there and cringy deus ex machina moments, but the banter, humor, and fun dynamic between the characters make up for it.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Some improvements
I enjoyed it better than the theatrical cut -- more character development-- but not a big fan of these demonic/monstrous villains amd excess CGI these types of films often include. Also, although the boxed screen ratio might have looked great in Imax, it loses its appeal when you watch this at home on a widescreen tv.
The Good Place (2016)
Nine, Eight, Seven, Six...
Loved the first season. Quirky, fun, silly, with a few philosophical gems thrown in for good measure. 9/10. Second season was still good, but the magic was gone (8/10). It was harder to keep my interest. 3rd season was "meh" (7/10)... Fourth season, they lost me. Barely care about the characters anymore, never warmed up to the new ones, the plot is boring, the humor dull and unoriginal. I have to force myself to watch the episodes.
The Vanished (2020)
God-Awful
This film is all over the place. Acting is over the top, the "mood" is all wrong. Like Robert Downey Junior's character says to Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder, "you never go full retard". This time, it's "you never go full Fargo" in your absurdity and stupidities. There's a reason Fargo works: they give us characters we care about in their silliness and flaws.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Cheesy and Dumb. Wonder Woman Still Looks Good.
I enjoyed the first film. This one... It's cheesy, it's dumb. Nothing makes sense. Rehashes things we've seen in other films (e.g. Aladdin's A Whole New World scene). Seems geared for children under 10. No continuity between the first film and this one, or the Justice League stories that apparently follow. Highly predictable, saw the end coming from miles (i.e. at least an hour) away.
*BUT* you have the beautiful Gal Gadot dressed as Wonder Woman doing some Wonder Woman action scenes. That counts for something, right?
P.S. **I wish** there'll be more interesting (and coherent) fight scenes in the next film!
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Better Than Expected
I was pleasently surprised. Slow paced and a bit predictable, but the cinematography, atmosphere, and the actors performances make up for its shortcomings.
Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)
Cognitive Dissonance At Work (And it's Frightening)
The story is astonishing, and it's easy to think everyone involved is gullible. But it shows the frightning power of cognitive dissonance: i.e. girl and parents trying to psychologically resolve the ambiguity they feel towards a charismatic friend that has seduced and brainwashed them all, discarding obvious red flags in the process.
Fatal Affair (2020)
Generic and clichéd
Ugh. I liked Omar Epps in Dr. House, and it was painful to see him in this film with little suspense (predictable), rehashing so many films of the genre. How did this script ever get green lit?