Great start, good chemistry between leads, bit of a cop-out in the third act. Overall, a good film that could have been great if it was willing to take more risks.
A lot better than I expected. Rogue One played it too safe, and Last Jedi tried too hard to be different. This one struck a nice balance. This is a character driven story with relatively low stakes, and for the first time in any Star Wars movie, it feels like the omnipresent constraint of The Hero's Journey isn't there. Han is presented as a liar and a cheat and a scoundrel, and, no spoilers, he messes up quite a bit, and we get to see him learn the trade along the way. Most of the points you expect to be there are there:
Han meets Chewy in this movie, he meets Lando Calrissian, he wins the Millenium Falcon in a poker game, he does the Kessel Run. He shoots first.
, but they're done in just a creative enough way as to be interesting. The few new characters are intriguing and the action scenes are quite effective. I, like many fans, went in expecting a disaster. Instead, we got a film that, in my opinion, is superior to both Rogue One and Last Jedi.
A pretty damn good action movie. Lots of over the top action with tons of blood and gore and interesting cinematography. Not much plot to get in the way of the fun. A perfect example of the brainless action-flick genre.
A pretty good film. Very much a kid's movie: no adult themes at all. The art design isn't quite as creative as it thinks it is, and watching Oprah pretend to be a god is downright insufferable. Nevertheless, the kid actors are very talented and there is practically no bloat. A short, simple movie that children will enjoy more than adults.
Not especially faithful to the source material, but a pretty good film in its own right. The plot and characters are streamlined and simplified, but it all works in service of cramming a rather large narrative into just two and a half hours. The film is distinctly Spielbergian, right down to the 80's style score. For a movie about finding easter eggs, there are easter eggs galore, and I'm sure the internet will have tons of fun scouring every frame of it for obscure references. It's not quite as dark or deep as the book, and the overall message is a bit different than Cline's, but as far as adaptations of difficult source materials go, this one is very good.
A good redemption for Pixar after its recent run of mediocre films. This film did a superb job of balancing culture attunity with universal themes. I'm not Mexican and know little about Mexican culture, but the world did feel very authentic, even if I couldn't explain why. The themes of family and forgiveness were very strong, and I'll admit I got choked up a little bit at the end. It does have a familiar "follow your heart" theme, but it plays around with expectations just enough to make things interesting. It certainly presents a "disneyfied" version of Mexico, but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.
Surprisingly boring at times, but the over-the-top cheesy fight scene at the end makes up for everything else. Plus, it's pretty funny watching Dolph Lundgren try to do an American accent. They don't even bother with Van Damme and just decided to make him cajun.
I didn't like this film. I think I hated it. It had this "out with the old, in with the new" mentality that seemed to express itself as "screw everything the fans like." There's a lot of rather nasty subversion of expectation. I get that the director wanted to keep things from getting stale, but this movie seems to really despise what Star Wars is about. It does away with chosen-one narratives, the duality of good and evil, and the nobility of sacrifice. It's a much more modern and less traditional film than what Star Wars usually is. And that's the problem. Star Wars isn't about moral grayness and how crappy reality can be. People forget this, but the first Star Wars came about at the tail end of almost two decades of constantly social and cultural upheaval. It was an intentionally old-school film mimicking the techniques of 1930's action serials. It succeeded because it gave people an escapist fantasy of unambiguous good and evil. It was a comforting movie, one that gave people hope and optimism. It wasn't some innovative deconstruction with social commentary shoehorned in. I really liked The Force Awakens because it understood what Star Wars is and why people like. This movie seems to want to pretend like the Force Awakens didn't happen. I'm sure plenty of critics and intellectuals will praise this movie for its "boldness" and "innovation." I'm just left wondering why Rian Johnson wanted to make Star Wars into something it's not.
Probably the worst edited film I've ever seen. It looks like someone took four different movies made by four different people working in four different genres and then mixed them all together in a blender. No one scene flows into the next one, and a character's personality will drastically change between cuts.
Superman comes back to life, obviously, and his mouth looks really weird. The reason for this is supremely stupid. Apparently, when Henry Cavill came back for reshoots, he'd grown a beard for an upcoming role. The studio refused to let him shave,
so they digitally removed his beard in post. Seriously.
Boiler plate Hero's Journey, but a good execution of that. Young hero whose secretly the chosen one leaves home and defies parents to find some magical macguffin that will save the world. Encounter's a magical helper along the way who reluctantly helps her realize her true potential. They fight a monster or two before going up agains the Big Bad. The evil power defeated, hero returns home with newfound knowledge that benefits her people. A story as old as dirt, but we'll never stop telling it. This is a pretty good telling of that story.
When I heard they were making another Spider-Man movie I was like "Here we go again." How many times can they rehash the same old origin story before it becomes boring? They solved this question by making Spider-Man an ultimately small-time player in the much bigger Marvel Cinematic Universe. No "chosen one" narrative here. Peter Parker is just some teenager (and this time, he actually looks like a teenager) in a suit of power armor (provided by Tony Stark, no less) who tussles with a gang of small-time thugs. It's a very small story in scope, and that's why it works. It assumes that everyone knows the origin story and the general conceits of the Super Hero genre and it lets itself have fun. Putting Tony Stark in this film was the best decision they could have made. It completely recasts Peter Parker's character and turns what could have been the same old Hero's Journey into what essentially ammounts to high-school sports film with the climax being the big game. Clever, witty, fun and refreshing.
A slightly below average sci-fi action romp. A lot of the elements of this film are better in theory than in execution. The first five minutes or so are a cheesy but painfully earnest celebration of "universal love" and "the brotherhood of man." Stereotypical ethnic costumes aside, the sentiment is so sincere you'd have to be made of stone to not fell at least something. After that, things get pretty messy. The visuals are extremely unique. This is 50 sci-fi in HD. Bright colors, skintight spacesuits, green-skinned aliens with antennas. There isn't a hint of "dark and gritty" in this film, and for that reason its very refreshing. Unfortunately, the plot is paper thin and the screenwriter has some, shall we say, "antiquated" views when it comes to gender. It's pretty to look at but there's nothing to hang onto. Rhianna is probably the highlight of the movie. She's a surprisingly good actress, but her character is, ultimately, absolutely irrelevant to the plot. Indeed, a sizable portion of the movie has nothing to do with the plot and feels like a side-mission in a video game. A well meaning film that ultimately kinda fails.
Weird. Almost too weird. Almost. Worth a watch. Bizarre, engaging, and pretty funny. Maybe watch it with some "chemical assistance" if you take my meaning.
Stunning cinematography, and some of the most clever use of sound I've ever seen in a movie. Slow paced but never boring, with a relatively simple but excellently constructed plot. Binoche carries this film, and you are "on board" with her as a character right from the get go. This isn't some weird French film that only cinema snobs will appreciate. This is a well-crafted narrative of a woman's journey of identity that will resonate with anyone who ever felt like they to start all over again.
Comments 76 - 100 of 145
Movie comment on The Natural
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That stadium had some very bad wiring.Movie comment on Passengers
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Great start, good chemistry between leads, bit of a cop-out in the third act. Overall, a good film that could have been great if it was willing to take more risks.Movie comment on Koto no ha no niwa
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I guess Quentin Tarantino isn't the only director with a foot fetish.Movie comment on The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
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What a mindfuck!Movie comment on Ladyhawke
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Man, Aech wasn't kidding around when he talked about that sound track.Movie comment on The Crow
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Extremely stylish, extremely 90's. I had a total blast watching this film.Movie comment on Deadpool 2
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Meh.Movie comment on Solo: A Star Wars Story
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A lot better than I expected. Rogue One played it too safe, and Last Jedi tried too hard to be different. This one struck a nice balance. This is a character driven story with relatively low stakes, and for the first time in any Star Wars movie, it feels like the omnipresent constraint of The Hero's Journey isn't there. Han is presented as a liar and a cheat and a scoundrel, and, no spoilers, he messes up quite a bit, and we get to see him learn the trade along the way. Most of the points you expect to be there are there:Movie comment on Wanted
Paravail
A pretty damn good action movie. Lots of over the top action with tons of blood and gore and interesting cinematography. Not much plot to get in the way of the fun. A perfect example of the brainless action-flick genre.Movie comment on Avengers: Infinity War
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I freaking love these movies.Movie comment on Mind Game
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Lives up to its name. Weird, funny and engaging. An anime classic.Movie comment on A Wrinkle in Time
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A pretty good film. Very much a kid's movie: no adult themes at all. The art design isn't quite as creative as it thinks it is, and watching Oprah pretend to be a god is downright insufferable. Nevertheless, the kid actors are very talented and there is practically no bloat. A short, simple movie that children will enjoy more than adults.Movie comment on Ready Player One
Paravail
Not especially faithful to the source material, but a pretty good film in its own right. The plot and characters are streamlined and simplified, but it all works in service of cramming a rather large narrative into just two and a half hours. The film is distinctly Spielbergian, right down to the 80's style score. For a movie about finding easter eggs, there are easter eggs galore, and I'm sure the internet will have tons of fun scouring every frame of it for obscure references. It's not quite as dark or deep as the book, and the overall message is a bit different than Cline's, but as far as adaptations of difficult source materials go, this one is very good.Movie comment on Coco
Paravail
A good redemption for Pixar after its recent run of mediocre films. This film did a superb job of balancing culture attunity with universal themes. I'm not Mexican and know little about Mexican culture, but the world did feel very authentic, even if I couldn't explain why. The themes of family and forgiveness were very strong, and I'll admit I got choked up a little bit at the end. It does have a familiar "follow your heart" theme, but it plays around with expectations just enough to make things interesting. It certainly presents a "disneyfied" version of Mexico, but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.Movie comment on Universal Soldier
Paravail
Surprisingly boring at times, but the over-the-top cheesy fight scene at the end makes up for everything else. Plus, it's pretty funny watching Dolph Lundgren try to do an American accent. They don't even bother with Van Damme and just decided to make him cajun.Movie comment on Love Actually
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The Avengers for women.Movie comment on Bright
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Really dumb...but I also really liked it.Movie comment on Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
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I didn't like this film. I think I hated it. It had this "out with the old, in with the new" mentality that seemed to express itself as "screw everything the fans like." There's a lot of rather nasty subversion of expectation. I get that the director wanted to keep things from getting stale, but this movie seems to really despise what Star Wars is about. It does away with chosen-one narratives, the duality of good and evil, and the nobility of sacrifice. It's a much more modern and less traditional film than what Star Wars usually is. And that's the problem. Star Wars isn't about moral grayness and how crappy reality can be. People forget this, but the first Star Wars came about at the tail end of almost two decades of constantly social and cultural upheaval. It was an intentionally old-school film mimicking the techniques of 1930's action serials. It succeeded because it gave people an escapist fantasy of unambiguous good and evil. It was a comforting movie, one that gave people hope and optimism. It wasn't some innovative deconstruction with social commentary shoehorned in. I really liked The Force Awakens because it understood what Star Wars is and why people like. This movie seems to want to pretend like the Force Awakens didn't happen. I'm sure plenty of critics and intellectuals will praise this movie for its "boldness" and "innovation." I'm just left wondering why Rian Johnson wanted to make Star Wars into something it's not.Movie comment on Justice League
Paravail
Probably the worst edited film I've ever seen. It looks like someone took four different movies made by four different people working in four different genres and then mixed them all together in a blender. No one scene flows into the next one, and a character's personality will drastically change between cuts.so they digitally removed his beard in post. Seriously.
Movie comment on It
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Light on scares but big on fun.Movie comment on Moana
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Boiler plate Hero's Journey, but a good execution of that. Young hero whose secretly the chosen one leaves home and defies parents to find some magical macguffin that will save the world. Encounter's a magical helper along the way who reluctantly helps her realize her true potential. They fight a monster or two before going up agains the Big Bad. The evil power defeated, hero returns home with newfound knowledge that benefits her people. A story as old as dirt, but we'll never stop telling it. This is a pretty good telling of that story.Movie comment on Spider-Man: Homecoming
Paravail
When I heard they were making another Spider-Man movie I was like "Here we go again." How many times can they rehash the same old origin story before it becomes boring? They solved this question by making Spider-Man an ultimately small-time player in the much bigger Marvel Cinematic Universe. No "chosen one" narrative here. Peter Parker is just some teenager (and this time, he actually looks like a teenager) in a suit of power armor (provided by Tony Stark, no less) who tussles with a gang of small-time thugs. It's a very small story in scope, and that's why it works. It assumes that everyone knows the origin story and the general conceits of the Super Hero genre and it lets itself have fun. Putting Tony Stark in this film was the best decision they could have made. It completely recasts Peter Parker's character and turns what could have been the same old Hero's Journey into what essentially ammounts to high-school sports film with the climax being the big game. Clever, witty, fun and refreshing.Movie comment on Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Paravail
A slightly below average sci-fi action romp. A lot of the elements of this film are better in theory than in execution. The first five minutes or so are a cheesy but painfully earnest celebration of "universal love" and "the brotherhood of man." Stereotypical ethnic costumes aside, the sentiment is so sincere you'd have to be made of stone to not fell at least something. After that, things get pretty messy. The visuals are extremely unique. This is 50 sci-fi in HD. Bright colors, skintight spacesuits, green-skinned aliens with antennas. There isn't a hint of "dark and gritty" in this film, and for that reason its very refreshing. Unfortunately, the plot is paper thin and the screenwriter has some, shall we say, "antiquated" views when it comes to gender. It's pretty to look at but there's nothing to hang onto. Rhianna is probably the highlight of the movie. She's a surprisingly good actress, but her character is, ultimately, absolutely irrelevant to the plot. Indeed, a sizable portion of the movie has nothing to do with the plot and feels like a side-mission in a video game. A well meaning film that ultimately kinda fails.Movie comment on Idiots and Angels
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Weird. Almost too weird. Almost. Worth a watch. Bizarre, engaging, and pretty funny. Maybe watch it with some "chemical assistance" if you take my meaning.Movie comment on Trois couleurs: Bleu
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Stunning cinematography, and some of the most clever use of sound I've ever seen in a movie. Slow paced but never boring, with a relatively simple but excellently constructed plot. Binoche carries this film, and you are "on board" with her as a character right from the get go. This isn't some weird French film that only cinema snobs will appreciate. This is a well-crafted narrative of a woman's journey of identity that will resonate with anyone who ever felt like they to start all over again.Showing items 76 – 100 of 145