life

There are actually many negative factors that I can point out with this movie. The most obvious one is that it's not exactly a highly original concept of a story, and is simply unable to stand out because of that. The characters aren't as interesting as they should be, although you will know just enough about them to have some investment to their well being. The opening scenes that introduces the premise and the characters isn't really that interesting, and is borderline boring. The story ends as expected. 

What works with this movie? The fascinating alien, and the intensity of the suspense sequences. It's a pretty straightforward progression, but as soon as the first person is attacked by the alien creature, from that point on I was on the edge of my seat non-stop until the very end. I thought the alien's design is pretty good, I was absolutely captivated by how smart it is, disturbed at how brutal it can be, and can imagine it being scary enough to likely give somebody nightmares.

The cat and mouse game between the alien and the astronauts are what makes this movie as enjoyable as it is, despite all the drawbacks. If all this movie wanted to be is an entertaining thrill ride, then it succeeded. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

personal shopper

Saying that this movie is "unconventional" or how "I've never seen any movie quite like this," may sound like I'm making hyperbolic statements. I really don't think I am. Consider the premise though, which is about a medium who is trying to receive some kind of contact from her recently deceased twin brother, and at the same time has a day job that involves being a personal shopper for a celebrity. The movie switches between different plot scenarios that ranges from a haunting, documentary segments, abstract art work, fashion wear, shopping around, traveling from place to place, and even iMessage. Definitely the description of an unusual movie. 

The mashups of all these different plot elements may admittedly make the movie feel aimless, to the point that it's like the story is progressing along like a stream of consciousness. Some might argue that it even moves too slow, and has a constant dour tone. Others might actually find themselves on the edge of their seat from the unpredictability of what direction the movie is going in next. There will also be those that might describe this to be a voyeuristic view of the main character, that's not too far removed from a reality TV show. Then there will be those that will just find the odd and offbeat nature of this movie to be too frustrating to see through the end. 

Despite all the weird story elements found in this movie, this is first and foremost a character study of a woman grieving the passing of her brother, and how she is dealing with it through her already odd life. Kristen Stewart is easy to make fun of by her seemingly limited methods of acting, although it does seem like she got herself a really good role to shine a light on her strengths here as the character of Maureen Cartwright. Writer-Director Olivier Assayas seemed to have taken her acting talent into account, by creating a peculiar and fascinating character that seemed tailor made for Stewart to play to perfection. There are some stupid things that happen in this movie, and several of that may be Maureen's fault, but it does flesh out her character more. 

Needless to say, this movie is not for everybody. It may be too artsy for the average movie goer to enjoy, but fans of Kristen Stewart should definitely watch this. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

saban's power rangers

Ultimately, you can't really expect too much from a movie that's adapting a kid's TV series from the '90s, that's already an adaptation of a Japanese TV series. This movie doesn't really offer anything groundbreaking to genre films, nor does it separate itself too much from being another superhero type origin story. When watching this, you are going to be expected to have a high level suspension of disbelief, to hopefully ignore all the unbelievably illogical leaps of faith that constantly happen with the characters and with the plot. I suppose you can just excuse all these flaws since this is suppose to be a simple fantasy movie that acts as wish-fulfillment for little kids and young adults, but should you? Maybe. 

If all a person is looking for is the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers aspects of this movie, they too might be a little disappointed. The Power Rangers premise may be present throughout the whole story, but this movie isn't exactly action packed. When there are action sequences, they are just serviceable at best. Bill Hader voicing the android is always entertaining, but his character is in a pretty minor supporting role, which goes the same with Bryan Cranston as Zordon. Elizabeth Banks seems to be having fun hamming it up as the main villain, but there really isn't too much for her to do with that character either. 

So what did this movie get right? This is essentially the '80s movie "The Breakfast Club" with a superhero premise. The cast of diverse actors who play the motley crew of outcast teenagers are likable enough to get your attention, and should be pretty relatable to many young kids watching this. The growing chemistry between these characters is the primary strength of the movie, and the basic moral thematic lessons that are told here is worthwhile enough. Once again, all this is still nothing really new, but at least it's not without some merit. Be warned though, you might have an urge to eat some Krispy Kreme doughnuts after watching this movie. 

loveditenjoyedit  IT'S OKAY  itsmehitsterrible

the sense of an ending

Jim Broadbent is always good, and this movie is no exception. Him alone is enough to recommend seeing this, even if he is playing a curmudgeon of a man. Actually seeing him surly and bad-tempered is probably a plus anyway. Broadbent himself can carry the movie, but I also in particular really enjoyed all the scenes he shared with Harriet Walter, as there was a sense of lightheartedness in their interactions, especially considering the premise of this movie. 

Half of this movie are filled with flashbacks, and they aren't even in chronological order. Having the narrative done this way only helps the thematic lesson here about our perception of memory and history. Some might find it frustrating to put up with, but it does add to the mysteriousness surrounding the plot. If there is another thing that has to be pointed out about this movie, is that it also takes it's sweet time telling you what exactly is going on. Sometimes, it doesn't even bother explaining things. We are put in the dark a lot, and it wants to keep us guessing. Admittedly that is one way of keeping you engaged and motivated to keep watching until the end. 

Based on the novel by Julian Barnes, this story might simply be much more interesting in the written form than it is in a film medium. I think Director Ritesh Batra and Screen-writer Nick Payne do a good enough job juggling and mixing the present day narrative with the flashbacks, but some people might just get impatient with the story anyway. A touch of melodrama and pretentiousness also doesn't help this movie, and there is also a sense of incompleteness to the plot that might make the ending unsatisfactory for some people. 

loveditenjoyedit  IT'S OKAY  itsmehitsterrible

beauty and the beast 2017

As far as remakes go, this one doesn't try and stray too far at all from the 1991 version. That's this movie's biggest strength and it's biggest problem. There are remade scenes that actually improved over the original, and there are several that doesn't compare as favorably. The production value of the visuals definitely went all out here, but for certain aspects it is way too over-produced. The familiar songs redone for this version aren't exactly better either; although the Gaston song is done incredibly well here, plus some of the new songs are actually really really good. Basically, there's a lot of hit or miss situations in this adaptation, but thankfully I would say that it's more hit than miss. 

While there are some liberties done with the story and the characters, this is more or less the same tale that is as old as time, that involves the magical elements, the comedic moments, and of course the romance. This classic premise is what successfully keeps this movie together, and it still retains that charm and entertainment value. It can be argued that nostalgia for the Disney animated original also helps the enjoyment factor of this film. The more questionable plot points carried over as well unfortunately, although I have to admit that the additional new story elements were actually very welcome to see here. 

The cast here is overall really good. Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellan, to Emma Thompson are enjoyable as the animated characters of the castle. Kevin Kline adds a great emotional aspect to Belle's Father Maurice. I also really liked Dan Stevens as Beast, doing his best to try and emulate the animated original. I'm now afraid to say that while Emma Watson looks good in the role, she is only really decent and serviceable as Belle. At least there is some successful chemistry between Stevens and Watson. The best character improvement over all here are Luke Evans and Josh Gad, as Gaston and LeFou respectively. Evans and Gad pretty much steals the movie with their scenes, and adds an incredible amount of fun into it. 

Without a doubt, this 2017 live-action version of Beauty & The Beast cannot possibly escape the shadow of the 1991 animated movie, and comparing the two is unavoidable. It's unfortunate, because I could argue that this version is actually a better musical; short of the re-imagined songs that I didn't think work as well that is. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

table 19

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, you probably had an automatic conceived notion as to how it's going to play out. I don't think the movie is even bothering to hide the fact that there are some very familiar plot tropes and archetypal characters in the premise. Misunderstood characters bonding over the fact that they aren't really wanted in a wedding reception that they are attending to. What crazy things are they going to do? What sentimental and emotional scenes are we going to see? Predictable stuff, right? You wouldn't be completely wrong into thinking that way, however there is this one pivotal scene during the middle of the movie involving Wyatt Russell and Anna Kendrick, that completely made me reconsider trashing this as yet another derivative story. 

By the end of the movie, I was surprisingly charmed by it. I didn't completely fall in love with this movie, nor do I think it's essential viewing, but I won't deny that I liked it more than I thought I would. It helped that it had an overall talented cast of actors in it, from Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, Stephen Merchant, and several more. While Kendrick's character is the primary focus of the plot, I actually found the characters played by Craig Robinson and Lisa Kudrow, to be the ones I was most interested in. Stephen Merchant and Tony Revolori also helped contribute a lot to the awkward sense of humor that this movie has from time to time. 

If there is one major complaint I have about this movie, is that the wedding reception is merely a plot device and not as significant as it probably should be, especially considering the premise. What happens at the end of the wedding reception is also plain stupid and unbelievable. I did enjoy the '80s soundtrack playing through the movie at least. 

loveditenjoyedit  IT'S OKAY  itsmehitsterrible

the belko experiment

The premise of this movie is simply this... You are stuck in your office building and are told that you will die if you don't kill your co-workers. What will you do? It's basically inspired as a combination of "Office Space" and "Battle Royale." The kill or be killed dilemma isn't exactly a new theme, but I always find it fascinating to see this hopefully theoretical social experiment put into a story. The whole "in the end, everybody is in it for themselves" philosophy is something we must have considered at some point. Killing strangers is already one thing, but would you kill a friend, family, or love one, just to survive? At what point do you stop following your own human morals, just for the sake of survival? 

Written by James Gunn, and Directed by Greg McLean, this movie makes attempts at addressing those moral questions I brought up. However, it only really introduces those questions very briefly, and doesn't spend enough time on them to give the proper attention they truly deserve. There unfortunately isn't really a huge emphasis on the social commentary about your office work place environment being a battlefield of life and death. The movie is simply more focused on the "kill or be killed" dilemma first and foremost, which would be fine in itself if it wasn't for the fact that the deaths and kills are not as inventive as you probably hoped they could be. Although, people killing others using office supply instruments is always a plus. 

So the promise and potential of this movie's premise isn't quite up there as one of the dramatic greats, nor does it have the epic scope to see how far it could have really gone. With that said, the question has to be asked, was it still enjoyably fun to watch this twisted story play out? Yes. Yes it was. All the logical flaws, plot cliches, or underdeveloped characters, may be unavoidably present in this movie, but it's still guilty pleasure fun for what it is. From the kills, the escapes, the moral debates, all of that are automatically thought provoking and compelling just for the sheer fact of what they represent in the premise. Everybody watching this should have a strong opinion on what side they would choose, or what they would do themselves, and that gives this movie that extra edge for making it an entertaining thriller. 

Part of what makes this movie better is because of the cast of character actors that you would normally see in a supporting role in other properties. You will likely be motivated to start rooting for which character you would like to see survive, and root for which ones you want to see die. Some deaths were obvious. Some deaths were not. Either way, things get bloody. Bloody fun. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

girlfriend's day

So Bob Odenkirk is in this just about from beginning until end, helped write and produce this movie, plus the character he plays is having a horrible time in life which can be amusing to watch. I should mention that this story is about a down on his luck greeting card writer, some proposed new holiday called "Girlfriend's Day," and the competition surrounding it. How often do you watch a movie about that? With Odenkirk's involvement and the quirky premise, I expected this movie to be something very worthwhile to watch. Unfortunately it just doesn't stick the landing. 

There are several plot points in this film that are off kilter enough to be entertaining, like how it holds some reverence and disdain to greeting cards (and it's writers), the bar where writers and poets go to, the lengths to what Odenkirk's character will do to delay his rent, and the somehow noir-ish plot turn that the movie takes. Even with the plot and the talented cast, it still somehow manages to just be mildly amusing at best, which is disappointing to say the least. When the funniest thing I took out from the movie are the two reformed racist characters, then you know there are issues with the direction of this film. Thankfully it's a really short movie at 65 minutes, even though it feels like it's longer than that. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible

kong: skull island

There are certain things about this movie that people will simply not like. The script isn't exactly the best thing here, and it's just plot points strung together. The dialogue is more focused on exactly three things; exposition, humor, and "cool monologues." The character development is more like undeveloped characters. The social commentary it does have are simply presented to us in this story, but not completely explored. The Michael Bay style of quick cut editing are going to annoy many. With all that said, if you are looking for a simply told action-adventure monster movie, that doesn't really aspire to be more than just an action-adventure monster movie, then you may have come to the right place. 

Simple premise and characters aside, I thought this was very entertaining to watch. This story of a motley crew of people exploring and trying to survive in a mysterious island, that has a very prominent giant ape that's the size of a building, that's fighting other giant monsters, or helping other giant monsters, is like the kind of premise you would find in a low budget gonzo B-movie monster flick, in some geek's fan-fiction, or in the imagination of an 8 year old boy. If you can accept that spirit of this movie, then you should have a fun time with it. Yes it can be accused for being a bit too shallow of a film, but I honestly thought it gave me enough depth to care about what's going on. 

Visually this movie is quite spectacular to look at, despite the aforementioned Michael Bay style editing by film editor Richard Pearson. Cinematographer Larry Fong gave us some excellent eye-candies of camera shots and angles here, from amazing close ups of faces, fantastic use of reflections, to incredible vistas. The CG work by Industrial Light & Magic, Hybride, Rodeo FX, and the rest, are also phenomenal and deserves a lot of credit for bringing the monsters and the island to life. The action sequences wouldn't be as good as they are without these visual effects teams. 

Despite the obvious negatives that this movie has, there are three takeaways from seeing this. King Kong is awesome to see being this huge, John C Reilly is always entertaining to watch, and expect more monster on monster action to come in the near future. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

before i fall

If you can get past the obnoxious and frustrating first 20 minutes of watching teenage girls doing annoying, vapid, trite, frivolous things, that comes with High School adolescence, then you might be rewarded with a movie that just might offer you something that may enrich your outlook in life. That of course depends on whether you are watching this as a young person hitting puberty, or as an adult that has already lived way past that part of his life. Needless to say, this reviewer is not this movie's target audience. 

I decided to see this movie because is has that story gimmick that I enjoy, which is that the protagonist has to re-live the same day over and over again, a la Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," or Tom Cruise in "Live Die Repeat: Edge Of Tomorrow." I thought maybe this might be able to add something new, creative, and worthwhile to that premise after all. No, it's pretty much as derivative as you'd expect. However this does feature the always entertaining Zoey Deutch in the lead role, and she is arguably the best thing here in this very flawed movie. 

While the cast of actors are generally good in this movie, they are still held back by playing archetypal roles. There are some elements of making each one slightly more interesting than they appear to be, but it doesn't really expand too much over the superficial elements. It also doesn't help that an actress like Elena Kampouris has to look and act like the most cartoonish outcast of a teenager in that school, whose presence only undermines the more serious tone that this movie is trying to achieve.

Kampouris' character is just one of many examples of this story being way too on-the-nose and too transparent with the lessons it's trying to teach the audience. However, as predictable and as unoriginal as it is, I can't deny that the moral thematic lesson of this movie is worthwhile and admirable anyway. It's heart is in the right place, and some teenage kid might actually benefit from being exposed to seeing this movie. I won't begrudge this film for that. It's just unfortunate that the characters of this movie tend to make questionable decisions that only makes me go "Really?! That's what you're going to do?! Why don't you just do this instead?!" Kudos on trying to do the right thing with this story anyway. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible