mattkerr-73017 Reviews

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The greatest adventure movie ever made

[10/10 · 5 July 2021]

There is a certain place and time that the perfect adventure movie could be made, and that is during the 1980s, when the nostalgia for the adventure films of the 1930s and the grandeur of the golden age of Hollywood could be balanced, around a decade before practical effects would be replaced largely by years of what is, in retrospect, a CGI hellscape that has not aged well. I understand the irony in speaking of nostalgia driving this film while ranting about my own nostalgic look back, but I don't mean it as an insult; the movie would not exist without it. And if the perfect pieces had not been set in place for what is, without a doubt, the greatest adventure movie of all time (and probably the greatest blockbuster), perhaps it would not still be watched and remembered with the fondness that it is, the nostalgia by itself claiming both the continued admiration for this movie and an ill-received third sequel decades later (and more to come).

While it kicked off the Indiana Jones franchise, it should be noted that this isn't an 'Indiana Jones' movie; the lack of our protagonists namesake in the title being the main giveaway. Much like Star Wars coming out in 1977 lacking "Episode IV" as later additions would add, there was no guarantee that a cultural phenomenon would be born from this movie. Indiana Jones differs from the likes of Star Wars however; in many ways it has aged better. Maybe because we have not been suffocated with it in the way that we have with these other franchises. The continuity has to be tied to Dr Jones, which has saved us from 'Indiana Jones 9', and thank god for that. And there is Raiders, the film that would not be topped despite the efforts of subsequent films in its franchise, which could be an argument as to why many others are extended until the beaten horse no longer breathes - that there is hope of topping what is considered the best.

I love this movie. I watched this again with my partner, and during the film she said "I dunno, I think I prefer The Mummy". I nearly fell off the goddamn sofa.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Spoiler-ey review of Avengers: Endgame

[8/10 · 5 July 2021]

Warning: spoilers below

So they really pull all the punches to make this as entertaining and fitting an end to this arc of the marvel universe as possible, and it really shows; I doubt even with future releases that Marvel studios will be able to give us something like this again. Hell, I might even have liked it more if not for (see below for spoiler section)

*SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS*

I feel they could have given Black Widow a better send off; having her as an afterthought during the funeral scene seemed a little insulting, particularly when they were selling the "yea look at all the women" schtick just a few scenes earlier. I wouldn't have even cared, if I didn't know deep down in my heart just how much this would be reflected in the pay difference between many of the dudes in this film and the women; any of these not being the case would have avoided the situation, but all three just made it feel like hollywood preaching the neoliberal selling of feminism as a brand for their product rather than something that was making legitimate strides in the movie industry. But hey, not film-ruining or anything for me, I just think this aspect could have been handled better.

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

Mixed bag

[6/10 · 5 July 2021]

Pro's:

• One of the first, arguably the first Noir
• Female lead taking the spotlight for much of the film
• Creative dream sequence.

Cons:

• Dissapointing villian/motive
• Male lead being a plank of wood
• Having an extended dream sequence.

Beasts of No Nation (2015)

Netflix is still to top it

[9/10 · 5 July 2021]

Its hard to believe that with the recent string of Netflix disappointments that the first film they gained rights to distribute is so fantastic in comparison.

The film gives very little context to the conflict that is ensuing around the centre of the film. We are given some basic information: it we are in West Africa, there are two main forces (the government and the NDF), and we are shown that both sides are capable of committing atrocities on the people of the nation. We are not given the name of the nation, nor even details like the name of Idris Elba's "Commandant". These aren't important details, nor should they be. There are no sides to root for here, which is very deliberate. Any of these details would take away from the dark journey that Agu takes, and their exclusion further emphasises the meaninglessness of it all.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Honest 10/10

[10/10 · 5 July 2021]

Not only the best Spider-Man film, but maybe the best superhero movie of the last decade to my memory. I've never seen a film nail the comic aesthetic as well as this and do such a beautiful job of it. If we don't want Superhero movies to go stale in a post-Avengers Endgame/Infinity War world, we need more like this.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

6 films for 1

[8/10 · 5 July 2021]

Okay, so I know its better to review this as the whole, but here are my individual scores/reviews of each story.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - 8/10 A great introduction to the stories, the musical, camera-winking Buster Scruggs setting the tone, but not overstaying his welcome. That being said, feature length films like this please?

Near Algodones - 7/10 "Pan shot!"

Meal Ticket - 6/10 Eh, didn't really make me laugh or feel depressed enough, as it should. Dissapointing as this is the kind of the story that the Coen's thrive with.

All Gold Canyon - 9/10 I'm gonna have to admit maybe a slight bias here as a Tom Waits stan, but part is pretty great.

The Gal Who Got Rattled - 5/10 The most mixed part. Again, I feel like I should like it more, but in the end I just found it the most... boring? Not to say its bad, just pales a little in comparison to the other parts.

The Mortal Remains - 10/10 My favorite part of the whole thing, and an example of great short-storytelling on the medium of film. An entirely unsettling Twilight-Zone like tale masterfully written and performed.

Overall 8/10, still alright at its worst and fantastic at its best.

The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Kurt Russel = best santa

[7/10 · 5 July 2021]

Pro's - Kurt Russell Santa laughing meniacally as he evades cops.

Con's - Nightmare-fuel elves.

Interesting fact - to my knowledge this is the first time that I have ever watched a film on the exact same evening that the film was set, so that's something.

Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)

*mild spoiler*

[4/10 · 5 July 2021]

The funny thing about the Navy submarines stationed in Scotland is that their missiles are armed with nuclear warheads, so my headcanon plays it out that they all get annihilated. Had this happened in the film I might have even rewarded it an extra star/5.

The Big Short (2015)

Solid

[8/10 · 30 September 2018]

I see that some of the main criticisms of The Big Short seem to be people finding its tone way to explanatory, and hence condescending to audiences who should already know how the financial crisis panned out. Personally, I disagree with this opinion; if what it takes is Margot Robbie in a bath tub to explain mortgage bonds to the people, then its better than having your audience who are uneducated on it uninformed, and as a result, bored.

Oh yea and the film is good, lots of fun and solid preformances from the cast. 8/10

Viewed 23/09/2018

Tokyo Ghoul: Root A (2015)

Not all that bad, but...

[5/10 · 22 September 2018]

Disclaimer; I have never read the manga, so any deviation of this anime adaption from the manga does not affect my opinion, as it seems to be a gripe with many people who have reviewed this part of the TG franchise.

Tokyo Ghoul RootA is... a mess, to put it kindly. There are things that I liked about this series over the last one, such as more time devoted to The Doves, who I think are interesting as a balance to the world of Antique and the ghouls. I also thought the music, like the last series, remained consistent with the mood of the story. I liked a particular scene where they talk about coffee, and I enjoyed hearing about Yoshimura's backstory. However, the series did become slightly as I had imagined before watching the first series, with not much justification to the violent storyline for our characters. And the pacing is just all over the place, and I feel that so many of the new characters that were introduced had absolutely no impact on the story. It never becomes unentertaining enough to be called "bad", per-se, but it still feels like a disappointment after the first series.

Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

Whether its 'mature' or merely 'edgy', its entertaining nonetheless

[7/10 · 15 September 2018]

When you go out on a date, you always have to expect two things to happen. Eventually, sooner or later you are going to end up breaking up, or you are going to end up hooked up for life; these are just about the end of possibilities for most. What you don't expect is to avoid getting eaten, to have their organs surgically inserted into you, and for you to live out the rest of your days as a bloodthirsty vampire (I'd say "ghoul", but come on, the influences here are clearly more vampire-inspired).

I probably enjoyed this much more than I thought I would, considering I'm no longer a teenager or "edgy", so I guess that suggests for the most part this anime is particularly well-made. The soundtrack is on point, the animation has clearly had some effort put in, and the Kagune/Quinque's make for a creative means for battles (not to mention a lot of gratuitous violence). A lot of fun so far, decent pulp entertainment. 7/10

The Party (I) (2017)

To be honest I'd have just swiped the wine and left

[5/10 · 13 September 2018]

I actually love films about awful people arguing while going through existential and emotional turmoil, this one just didn't seem funny or bleak (or both) enough for me to find it all that memorable. The ending twist is a nice touch though.

Watched Sep 07, 2018

The House of Small Cubes (2008)

Take 10 mins out of your day to watch this, please

[10/10 · 13 September 2018]

Life is just a game of keeping your head above the water. Whether this is what the creators had in mind when creating La Maison en Petits Cubes (Tsumikinoie), I am not certain. What I am certain of is the themes of life going through a variety of stages, and at each stage you leave something behind. As you look back further, the more obvious about the changes you have went through. At each stage, something gained, or something lost, only a little different than the stage that came before but ultimately, each part leading to the next, when the water rises and moves you onward. Not a word is spoken, but each level of the old mans abandoned haunts holds the ghosts of a different life. The animation and music conveys the sense of melancholy that each of these past lives, as the memories still fresh like ghosts present themselves. We are not left with a word, not a clue about the feelings of the old man as he nears the bottom, as like many silent films we are left to reflect on our own feelings, and how we may look back on our lives as we are living in what, as the protagonist may feel, may be our last cube.

Watched 20 Aug 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Physicists beware, but its a lot of fun

[6/10 · 13 September 2018]

Even by movie science standards, the movie science in the Ant Man movies is... just... I mean, I can suspend my disbelief, I really can, but its almost distractingly bad in this one, and core to the plot to boot. THAT BEING SAID, I love how creative the action in these movies can be, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't grin the full way through that car chase scene.

Watched Aug 19, 2018

Escape from New York (1981)

If you like the dated 80s trailer you are gonna love this film

[8/10 · 13 September 2018]

This is one of those films that could only have ever been made in the early 1980s, and in this case that is not at all a bad thing.

Watched 16th August 2018

Message from the King (2016)

Netflix's answer to violent revenge flicks like Get Carter.

[6/10 · 13 September 2018]

Fairly decent, memorable for Chadwick Boseman's performance and some pretty tense scenes, but not really in the same ball park as some of the best revenge movies.

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Me at the end of this film:

[7/10 · 13 September 2018]

"Hey, this was a pretty sweet movie! Lets see what everyone else thinks! ...Wait, what is The Departed?"

Safe (2018)

Mixed feelings

[6/10 · 13 September 2018]

Overall found this one a bit of a mixed bag. Some good stuff in here, and an interesting ending, but damn why does every character in this thing act so damn weird.

Cargo (I) (2017)

Out of my prefered genre, but...

[7/10 · 13 September 2018]

Usually not the biggest fan of the zombie genre but this was pretty decent.

Viewed 11th August 2018

Devilman: Crybaby (2018)

Visceral

[9/10 · 13 September 2018]

I think in a world where empathy seems so much less important to more people every day, a show that can make their protagonist an emotional wreck is really what this world needs more than another fearless, emotionless and ultimately soulless anime protagonist. Warning as you may be left an emotional wreck when this show is done. I also gotta love a show that gives just a moment of hope for humanity before dumping it right on the floor again. Animation was great and unique, if a little inconsistent? Soundtrack was flawless. Overal a solid 9/10, would and will dance to Devilman No Uta on a regular basis again.

Bao (2018)

Pixar continues to prove its consistency with short films

[8/10 · 6 August 2018]

A unique take on a good message. This was cute, and I liked it.

The Garden of Words (2013)

Koto no ha no niwa (The Garden of Words)

[8/10 · 6 August 2018]

An often underutilized element when it comes to rating a film is its length. A lot of critics (official and self-appointed internet forum nerds) would happily sit through films that push over 3, 4, or 5 hours long and not blink an eye. Usually, this is because the directors that make films that push these running times are out to make a magnum-opus. Very often, the product of the art is enough for not only the length not to be criticized, but praised in a manner that these films would not have the same impact without them (see Napoleon (1927), Gone with the Wind (1939), Ben Hur (1959), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), and many more). However, a good amount of these critics would also be more than willing to say that your average film pushing above as little as the two-hour mark is overlong and bloated. On the flipside of the above arguments for a longer viewing, if the content of the film does not justify anything more than a short afternoon pastime, then most people aren't happy about it invading upon the rest of their day; sure, you COULD spend 2 hours watching the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice directors cut (2016), however do you really want to waste an extra 30 minutes of your day when the original is already wasting a whole 2 and a half hours of it? The same thing could be said about even some anime that has a strong following and community. Sure, I COULD try and catch up with One-piece, and finally be in the loop about what some of my friends and other fans mean when they reference it, but am I willing to sit through *quick google search* 848 episodes of it?! (a feat that clocks in at just over 339 hours of my free time).

However, as often discussed the ambitiously lengthy runtimes may be, people tend to neglect the effect the runtime plays at the other end of the spectrum with short films. Take The Garden of Words (2013) as a case and point; clocking in at around 48 mins, its around the length of an average episode of any drama show you can find provided Netflix or the like. This is easily one of the most beautifully animated films I have ever laid eyes upon. Every single frame of this movie could be taken out of context, framed and hung up on a wall and it would most likely catch the eye of anybody passing by. The backgrounds of urban Japan that give way to the green trees that provide the backdrop for where much of this movie is set - which plays into the plot by providing private security to our characters as they spend their rainy days together - are beautiful. Even the way that the raindrops hitting the ground are breathtakingly beautiful to watch. This level of consistency is rare in any animation, which often can have beautiful moments but can be standard outside of these. If movie anime tends to blow TV anime out of the water on this point, then this movie is another tier beyond that.

Surely with a longer running time, these elements would be spoiled, correct? With the painstaking effort and time that must have went into each of these frames, surely making a longer film would compromise on these points? What could one gain from doing so? I'm going to be harsh and say, probably a lot more in terms of the characters and the plot. I often think that one of the very few advantages a TV show can have over a film is the amount of time that can be put into characters and their development, if not also lending way if done correctly to a richer plot. The plot is... fine, from the standpoint of delivering a story. Not much beyond the conversations between the two main characters and their own thoughts when alone are really shown for the first half of the film. In the second half (trying hard not to spoil anything so here we go), we are given a twist, and then we are given the elements of the plot that really drive the changes that bring about forward momentum to the plot. These elements do open us up to one of the characters more, however I don't think it was precisely necessary to do it the way that the movie did... though maybe, again, I'm being harsh. Overall there is just not as much going on here as I may have hoped. Which is fine, because we have all the interactions and dialogue between the main cha...

For a "Garden of Words", there aren't all that many words that we get to hear. We get some introductions, a lovely haiku (yes, I know these are the titular "words"), and then some more dialogue, but a lot of what should be bonding that we see is merely shown quickly in montage. This doesn't work to the effect of the film, and means that we don't have as strong a connection to the characters as we maybe could have by the end of the film. I think this is my main gripe with the film; that if we had maybe been shown a bit more of these two bonding, then maybe by the end of the movie we would feel the sympathies of the characters some more. HOWEVER, doing this would lengthen the film, which means that the animation may have went downhill, or at least we would not be given the same amount of great backdrop for the plot.

So do I think the movie could have been longer? When rating this, do I take the length into account and ignore some of the elements that I feel are missing, or do I rate this the same way I would any other film, including those that extend beyond the three hour mark? Honestly, it would be harder to do the latter; while I have some issues with the way that the film is presented, I don't think that it could have been presented in any other way. If it became more plot and character focused, and hence longer, we may have ended up with a mid-length average to good movie, rather than a shorter-length good to great one. And that doesn't sound like a good trade to me.

Viewed 21/07/2018

Good Girls (2018–2021)

Promising (S1 review)

[7/10 · 21 July 2018]

The ordinary middle-classer(s) turning to a life of crime due to unforeseen circumstances story is such a commonly used trope in TV at this point that its crazy how coming out with a show of this point isn't met with a groan from audience, who have to deal with enough other stale TV-tropes that have been done to death but rather with relative critical praise. However I don't see a problem with this in the immediate sense because I actually found Good Girls first series to be pretty entertaining, managing to balance some typically decent humour along with some more tense moments. If Good Girls had an issue, it would be that there is almost a need at this point to compare it to every similar show done over the course of the last 20 years, and how it weighs up. Thankfully, it manages to remain memorable enough to not be overshadowed (I mean for a Weeds-core show, it doesn't even involve drug dealing), and has a unique enough take with its suburban mix of characters to get more than a pass.

Life of the Party (I) (2018)

Big sigh

[3/10 · 12 July 2018]

Lets just agree that Melissa McCarthy is a new female Adam Sandler and move on. The wholesome friends in this movie are the only thing that really stands out as potentially enjoyable, and even they encourage the obviously emotionally unstable main character into doing stupid things with horrible consequences. I'm sure I laughed at least a couple of times, but most of the "funny" moments just made me cringe.

Viewed 11/07/2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Wait, it turned out... okay?

[7/10 · 12 July 2018]

Less of the horrific train-wreck than I was expecting, a little more like a bike crash that didn't result in serious injury (although that can be debated, given the poor box-office and cancellation of future spin-offs of the franchise...)