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Natural Born Killers (1994)
Quite a ride!!
I tried watching this movie once before and it gave me a headache with its directing and editing style and so I couldn't bear to watch more of it. This time, however, I was able to get through the entire movie. While the disorganized and chaotic style of it may be a turn off for some people and while it is sloppy at other times with some mistakes (and I normally like most of Oliver Stone's movies already), it is still undeniably original and artistic with its style much of the time and a lot of people perform great in the movie. The cast is quite a crew; Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Tom Sizemore, all of them shine in this!! I'm glad I gave it a second chance, especially because anything written by Quentin Tarantino will automatically easily captivate me as a fan (however I still did like True Romance better).
Red Sparrow (2018)
Not entertaining.
I actually almost fell asleep once trying to get through this movie, and then when I tried to continue it I ACTUALLY fell asleep. The plot is kind of hard to follow and I didn't care enough about the main character played by Jennifer Lawrence (who while she was beautiful had no real deeper appeal and did not make a good main character). It tried to forcefully establish that the audience should feel empathy for her toward the beginning with her breaking her leg but it didn't quite hook me the way I wanted it to. Also, why are Russians speaking English with each other throughout the film in a Russian accent instead of using actual Russian?? Then Jennifer Lawrence couldn't be in the film I guess but it still made no sense and was kind of silly! There were definitely some okay tense scenes sprinkled in that put me back into the experience of the film and the film looked nice at least, but overall it was way too long and very slow in the middle when nothing happened for quite some time. I would've been more impressed and shocked actually if the guy toward the beginning who broke her leg in the dance had some major role in the plot and her becoming recruited from the get go. Still, if you need help falling and staying asleep then this will help!
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
I liked it, however not as good as the previous installment.
Is it just me or did Fury Road (2015) have more action in it than this one did? Even though the story was well-written with its plot, I'm not as connected with the lore as some others might be so it was something that was easier for me to care less about. While at times it dragged in the middle and had a couple of scenes that felt out of place, I did like seeing Chris Hemsworth as a villain and Anya Taylor-Joy gave a good performance as well. I liked seeing her in this movie as much as the other movies she's in and I actually thought it was pretty impressive how they transitioned very smoothly from the child actor playing her when she was little to the main actor playing her when she grew up. They made them look very similar with how they were shown on screen. Lastly, whenever the action does take place, one can't deny that it is entertaining and well-directed too. It *mostly* can step up to the plate as a sequel!
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
BAD! HORRIBLE!
This movie is messed up and I'll give it just two stars since maybe at least some messed up people can actually enjoy this film, it has at least SOME audience appeal. And for the record, I have no issues with BDSM or people participating in it, that's not the most screwed up thing I'm talking about! Beyond that, from a non soft and hard-core porn lens and movie-making lens, this STINKS!
This main character has no appeal at all and I feel so sorry for her throughout the movie, yet she's empty as a character. We no nothing of her past or traumas that she's experienced to put her stupid decisions in context. She's as mentally ill as the man taking advantage of her and manipulating her, who is also a horrible character and human being overall. In fact, he COERCES her and she falls for it each step of the way! He's sick and amoral and she's just plain sad and pathetic with barely any self-esteem except maybe a little at the very end. I cannot empathize with either character which makes it non-investable and the script is god-awful too! Barely ANY redeeming qualities and last but not least, it's so easy to make fun of every 5 seconds with the cringe dialogue!
The Rocketeer (1991)
Not bad for the time! Time went by pretty quick watching this!
There are a lot of small issues that I can point out in this film (how does he control the jetpack and where he flies, what keeps the fire from the rocket setting his legs on fire, never running out of fuel, the general corniness of the movie, cheap special effects, etc.). Despite those nitpicks though, I enjoyed myself for much of the movie and they don't matter as much in the grand scheme of the entertainment! Timothy Dalton played an interesting post-James Bond bad guy role and Jennifer Connelly is absolutely gorgeous as always! The humor was pretty good in the film too (particularly when the gangster and the FBI agent glance at each other during the shootout and then just go on shooting the Germans together, small moments like that). Some of the action wasn't bad either! It was a decently entertaining movie for the time it came out and Joe Johnston is known for making feel-good movies like this!
Menace II Society (1993)
This was captivating and tense...
I'm a therapist and one of my clients recommended that I watch this movie, and he comes from a rough and criminal background himself so I was curious to watch it. This was a more powerful film than I expected it to be. There were scenes with irony, parallels, and directing/shots from the camera that stood out. Around every corner, there are intense exchanges and events just waiting to explode, and many times they do!! The only gripes I have about the film were that there were some slower scenes that could've been shortened (however the movie is only an hour and a half after all) and I also wish that there was more justice and payback for O-Dog (Caine's friend with the braided hairstyle, who I felt was even worse than HIM). Nevertheless, this is an important and powerful sociocultural film and piece of work for everyone in U. S. society to witness at least once.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
A welcome addition, better than the previous two we got.
I'm glad that we went back to the good stuff. Especially after the first act, THIS is what I want an Alien movie to be like. Plus, it added good new twists and unique ideas that made it stand out (like the cool acid scene with the gravity being shut on and off)! That's the genius of this franchise and of the design of this creature, you can do so much with Xenomoprhs and I'm so glad that we got a better film because I would've been frustrated if we ended the whole thing with Covenant which was a disappointment. Plus, the Xenomorphs actually look a lot better since they're practical and not CGI! Sure this movie is a bit similar in some ways to previous Alien movies in the franchise with some moments and familiar callbacks, but it's good as its own movie and got REAL scary within the last 15 minutes. Cailee Spaeny did well in the film (however is oddly similar looking to Jennifer Lawrence which is a side point). It's what we needed as fans with the directing and style of horror that Fede Alvarez brings to the screen and I was not let down!
The Punisher (2004)
It was fair at best. Doesn't compare to the show one bit.
While parts of this movie were undoubtedly entertaining and somewhat tense to watch, I spotted flaws in it from the very first act. During this time period, most comic book movies didn't have a lot of depth to them (aside from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies which undoubtedly changed how they were done) and something made it feel like a corny feel-good movie for the first part of the film. I felt like the finale could've gone on longer and it was strange how the main antagonist Howard Saint didn't catch on earlier and think right away that he was being sabotaged by the Punisher with his business partner and significant other's fake affair. There were some decent moments throughout it but overall, didn't work as a memorable Marvel movie.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Another magical and emotional adventure from Spielberg!
Steven Spielberg is one of the all-time greats and there's no denying it, crafting films in nearly every genre and almost all of them becoming smash hits to the audience. This movie really got me emotional toward the end and intrigued me throughout it. Haley Joel Osment is one of the best child actors ever and performed magnificently, and Jude Law stood out too! I guess one of my complaints with the movie was that it looked too bright and glossy and not clean enough (which is a common feature of many of Spielberg's 2000s movies thanks to Janusz Kaminski's photography/cinematography). I'm not a big fan of his, way too much glare and fuzziness with his work. However, that does not significantly take away from this movie's experience. In this day and age with true A. I. on the horizon soon, this film offers a unique portrayal and perspective on it!
Finding Nemo (2003)
I should've reviewed this a while ago.
This movie was very original and creative for when it came out. The production behind the animation as well as the writing of the story and dialogue are all worthy of admiration. This movie has darker and scarier moments that were mature for young children but as an adult, I'm glad that they're in the film! Movies for kids nowadays don't take as many risks with strong darker and scarier vibes with its events (such as the jellyfish scene, the trench scene, getting eaten by a whale, the creepy diver, and especially the horrific scene that begins the movie with the babies and mother of Nemo getting eaten). The voice acting and characters were pretty much top notch too! This is one of the better Pixar films for sure!
Finding Dory (2016)
Not like the first one but still sweet and emotional.
Everything that happened with Dory in this movie made you feel for her as a character quite a bit. It was for sure an emotional journey to watch and follow throughout the whole film. The voice actors did well too, and more notably, the not so subtle presence of Sigourney Weaver in the film portraying her very own voice.
The negatives of the film are mainly that I felt a bit more connected to the original, and the first one felt more urgent and dangerous/threatening the whole time, primarily in a more creepy and mature way even. Back then, kids movies took a larger risk with its audience and I like that as an adult looking back. The first one came across as a more creative story than this installment and very outlandish and downright ridiculous things happened that came across as unbelievable even for a kid's Pixar movie (especially toward the very end). How do fish and sea creatures know about so many surface-level things that they shouldn't know about??
Overall it's not the best sequel but at the same time, not that bad.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
The worst of the trilogy.
I'll get the positives out of the way. Wesley Snipes as Blade always does well with the role and had some good moments. I liked seeing Natasha Lyonne in this movie too, she's gorgeous. There were maybe a couple of good action sequences, however I wasn't as impressed or entertained by the action in this movie than I was in the previous installments. That brings me into the negatives.
Having Ryan Reynolds (who I normally like) in this movie and introducing a large dose of humor in the film made me take it a little less seriously and it came off as more of a comedy, and it had conflicting tones to it. Is this movie for adults or children?? They throw in a fart joke for God's sake! Also, Whistler was about to get shot when he blew up the warehouse and the SWAT guy had ample opportunity to shoot and kill him but didn't even after he warned him! Plus, Paul Levesque has cringey and horrible lines while portraying his character, to the point where it actually was funny but not necessarily in a good way. Lastly, I was not impressed by the CGI/special effects (however this was still just before the point where CGI got refined and nearly perfected in Hollywood for a time so that's a more minor nit-pick).
Overall had a couple of good things but it was largely and noticeably bad.
Stalker (1979)
Unique film for the time and place.
I can definitely see how this movie could be considered artistically and culturally significant for both the time and place it came out. The plot captivated me a bit and made me curious, however there are undeniably slow/boring and depressing parts of this movie. Some of the deeper meanings of it escaped me a few times, however I couldn't deny that those elements were there throughout the film. The director did a good job at capturing the eerie yet sacred nature of the place that the 3 men visited which I found to be remarkable. While this isn't my favorite kind of movie, I don't completely regret watching it!
Blade II (2002)
It was pretty good! Good entertainment value!
Aside from some of the middle, most of this movie seemed to be pure action and popcorn fun, which I liked. The directing was a bit more sloppy than the first one and the CGI figures that are edited in during the fights to replace the real people doesn't hold up anymore (and didn't back then either, coming off as cheap and tasteless). However, the in-camera fight choreography and sequences are really good and I actually didn't mind the villains. They had some pretty good and scary scenes! The plot also intrigued me, and I liked some of the twists toward the end too! I rate this just a little bit behind the first one!
Blade (1998)
A great comic book film for the late 90s.
I'm surprised how mature and dark this movie was for a comic book movie (mainly for the time that it came out and when comic book movies weren't that overdone yet). The fight choreography, action, violence, etc were all great and kept me entertained. I also liked the villains, one-liners, and the smaller moments of the film that were actually a bit funny! There was only one weird scene where Blade pulled out his gun at someone running away on the streets of the busy city which seemed to scare people at first but then people kept walking like normal and not running away or panicking only a few seconds later which felt odd. However, that's just one measly flaw. Everything else largely worked and felt intense and original for what they were going for. THIS is how you do vampire action!
Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
A *good enough* comedy.
I have to say first and foremost that Andrew McCarthy shines in this movie as a standout comedic actor with a good performance as Larry. While the film does get a bit silly and quite corny (especially toward the end) and while many of the things that happen with the dead body are beyond impractical, I personally couldn't help but find it pretty funny and entertaining! There were plenty of things in this movie that occurred that I didn't expect to, but that added to the thrill of it all! I feel like this is a good movie for a teen/college-aged audience to watch. It was pretty good fun and slightly underrated!
The Iron Giant (1999)
Almost brought a tear...
This was a very sweet and heart-filled movie. Although the plot was a bit cliché (reminding me of movies like E. T.), I didn't really mind. The voice actors (most notably Vin Diesel) did a very good job and there were some scenes that were quite mature, even for younger children who might also watch this film (such as the hunting scene with the guns and the deer). The animation was quite good as well, specifically the Iron Giant effects and how it meshed with the cartoon animation. By the end, it turned into a film that almost made me cry since it almost fools you into believing it has a sad ending with the Iron Giant's demise of sacrifice. I wish I saw this when I was a younger kid!
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Good fun! I liked what I got!
This Deadpool was for sure the very best one in the franchise and I like them all already! Hugh Jackman is a gift to the screen with his persona and acting, he was born to play Wolverine along with so many other bad ass roles he's had in the past. The over the top raunchy and adult humor is all over the place which is expected and the surprise celebrity appearances and moments in this film are a gift for fans as well (mainly Chris Evans as the Human Torch, Henry Cavill as the "Cavillrine", the other old heroes we never thought we'd see again, and yes, I count wolverine's mask as well which we were all waiting for and never saw for whatever reason). The action was very well-shot and choreographed too! There were a few scenes that felt a little out of place that were more serious (mainly with Wolverine and his tragic arch) but other than that, there's nothing wrong with this movie if you're a comic book fan and a Fox superhero movie nerd ready for some nostalgia. This film from a creative fan service perspective is worthy of applause!
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Doesn't do the trick anymore, but had some good stuff.
For 1951, this was probably a great movie, however not in 2024. I like the other installments (particularly from 1982) much better. They were more intelligently written, had a plot that kept me engaged the whole time, and were a lot more impressive with their effects and horror, not to mention they even had better dialogue that felt more natural between the characters who you care about more than in this movie. Plus the monster was bad quality and barely scary, you had to constantly view it from a distance since the director probably didn't want you to see how human-like it was. This movie had some good scenes though, like when the generator and lights went out or the pyrotechnic set up and execution behind lighting the creature on fire before it jumped out the window. Plus, I liked the wide shots that encompassed the great and beautiful tundra snow-filled landscape. Even though it was a quick hour an a half though, still wasted a little too much time and I regret saying it. Plus the scientist/professor/doctor guy was pretty dumb as well as his arch.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
I was intrigued....
I had just read about the well-documented hypnosis and brainwashing via the U. S. MK-ULTRA program in the 1950s and 60s and so I knew I had to check this movie out. The subject matter and plot, plus the dramatic ending, kept me engaged. The performances for the time were noteworthy as well, and most of the younger women who starred in the main roles were beautiful! Whoever did the makeup and details of the faces on the closeups did a very good job. However, the only big complaint I have about the movie is the timeline of events that take place. It jumped around different time-periods a bit which confused me.
Jason Bourne (2016)
I don't see why this one is so underrated!
The action in this movie (like all of the other Bourne movies) holds up really well! I especially like the chase and fight toward the end in Vegas, plus the big reveal behind why David Webb was "recruited" into Treadstone in the first place. I liked how he got even with his main antagonist and many scenes in this film were actually made to feel really intense (such as the protest scene in Greece) which worked quite well. One could nitpick the movie and some of its scenes and details, but generally as a summer action flick this film really delivers!! While the Bourne Ultimatum was a good ending to the series, this was also a good way to conclude the saga!
The Thing (2011)
It wasn't actually that bad...only a few bad things.
Without a doubt, the first one is better. It had more mystery to it and was even more brilliant with its practical effects. Plus the scientists weren't as stupid as I remember them being in this movie. Most of these guys were just awful characters to get behind and some of them you didn't even mind when they died! The special effects/CGI was a bit cheapened by the darker scenes at night with less lighting. However, there were some scenes that were genuinely terrifying to watch and the weird shapes and monstrous appearances of these creatures really were creative and pretty scary. In this way, the movie did its job and provided me with a bit of a thrill. Also, I found the very end of the film interesting where it tied itself into the beginning of the original one and acted as a prequel with the helicopter chasing the dog which I didn't see it as when I first watched it. I thought it was a separate remake movie!
The Abyss (1989)
I couldn't get into it until I really did right in the middle!
At first this film was boring but then it picked up the pace. James Cameron has done it again in a quality and tense 80s action production that is very well-made! You can see how this movie inspired future movies of his that would come out years later (especially with some of the extraterrestrial designs and absolutely brilliant, revolutionary special effects which are very convincing). In a way, this was a precursor for one of my favorite action movies, Terminator 2, which would come out next! Michael Biehn actually played a really good antagonist who you like to dislike, and Ed Harris was good as well with his acting style as always. The scene where Lindsey almost dies and fools you for a few minutes at first made me roll my eyes but as it went on, I was impacted by it and it was riveting. This movie is tense, filled with unexpected events, and quite an underwater ride!
Selma (2014)
A powerful ending, but...
Too much of this movie was a bit slow and on the boring side. The film looks nice and was shot/directed with quality, however I found myself wishing that it would drag less and get to the more significant scenes when too much talking was taking place. If you're into history and this time-period like myself, then you will likely enjoy it though and the ending felt very significant with how it showed old footage intermingled with the movie. While this other movie is a bit more on the fictional side, I prefer the Disney production Selma, Lord Selma from 1999. It holds your attention much better and is even more emotionally impactful throughout the movie, and is something that even children can follow and watch. This film is fine and important for its subject matter but I still wish it had just a little more heart.
Malcolm X (1992)
A movie I wish I watched when I was much younger.
When I came up in school, I had no idea who this guy was since in our education system in America, we're not taught about men like Malcolm X as much as MLK Jr. For understandable yet irrational and hyper-sensitive reasons. I couldn't think of anyone else more perfect to play him than Denzel Washington, who besides Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson is the best black actor there is in my opinion. I was motivated to watch this movie after I read about him in a conspiracy book by the great and legendary Jesse Ventura which hypothesized that the U. S. deep state was also responsible for his violent death (which I wish they explored a bit more). Even though the movie is over 3 hours long, it didn't feel like it at all! It was powerful, insightful, provocative, and quite a spectacle of an historical and impactful life story and human being who was a necessary voice at the right time in history!