bad samaritan

David Tennant knows how to play a good villain. I should expand on that. David Tennant knows how to play a great, scary, disturbing, creepy, and demented villain that you would not want to meet. There are times when I was admiring how clever his character was , but often times I was horrified at the things he does in this movie. If it isn't obvious by now, if you needed a reason to see this film, watch it for David Tennant. 

As for the movie itself though, to be honest, I was concerned at first. The opening was a bit rough, and made me question if I just walked into a bad film. Then the actual premise actually kicked in, and then I was hooked. This is a pleasantly entertaining suspense crime thriller that you are going to want to see play out until the very end. Yes there are unfortunately still some derivative story beats, plot conveniences, stupid moments, and some cheap jump scares, that brings the quality down a bit. Thankfully, the overall experience from the moment David Tennant comes on screen, until the very last frame, are all pretty solid anyway. 

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that while David Tennant is the guy you want to see here, it's still Robert Sheehan's movie as Sean Falco, the bad samaritan himself. Sheehan is good in this. Really good in the role. While it is despicable that his character burglarizes people's homes, it was easy to still feel sympathy for him, with the horrible situation he finds himself in. It's just a spiral of bad things after another, and it's hard not to feel the same hopelessness his character must have been feeling. 

It's true that as a suspense crime thriller, "Bad Samaritan" isn't exactly unique, nor does it add a lot to the already crowded genre. All you can ask for is to be entertained by the story, the characters, and the set pieces, with that, this film delivers there. 

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beirut

Positives 
- It's an entertaining enough hostage negotiation thriller
- Jon Hamm is great in this
- Political intrigue and cultural aspects are interesting enough
- Some plot turns keeps the movie engaging 

Negatives 
- Not exactly a movie that stands out in the crowd
- Some people might complain about the movie's depiction of Beirut
- Certain character decisions were just stupid and almost breaks the suspension of disbelief
- The story doesn't really go too far from the typical plot tropes and cliches
- There really isn't much else to really discuss about the movie, besides actually delving into Beirut's true history in the years this film is based on 

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avengers infinity war

#ThanosDemandsYourSilence 

There Are No Spoilers In This Review (I felt like I needed to emphasize this) 

Wow. What. A. Movie. As the culmination of 10 Years with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this one lived up to the wait. Mostly. It's not a perfect film mind you. Although it arguably is, if you judge it specifically on what it set out to be. What it set out to be is a perfect movie adaptation in the spirit of an expansive comic book crossover event, that spans multiple titles, locations, and characters, with heavy ramifications to the combined story lines of a multitude of intellectual properties. That's what this movie is, and that comes with it's positives and negatives. I would say there are so many more positives than negatives though. 

With the knowledge that this is like those comic book crossover events, I would say that the plot is very exciting but simple. However, a lot happens in this movie. A. Lot. The thematic story-lines presented have weighty significance to them, but not exactly deep explorations of them. Several of those themes encourages further discussions though. The huge ensemble cast of different characters is amazing to see on screen, but that also means many of them won't be getting much of the spotlight. Seeing heroes from different teams join forces, never gets old though. 

At 149 minutes, I would say 80% of that are purely action-adventure elements, which makes a case against the movie of just being dumb and loud. I would argue that it's not dumb, but there's a lot of loud stuff happening for sure. The action sequences are just a marvel to behold (pun intended). A lot of creativity went into some of those action scenes, I thought that's especially true with Spider-man, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man. It was very easy having my inner 8 year old kid get super excited at what's happening on screen. 

Speaking of the characters. The actors were all as good as they can be in their roles, but this time around we finally get to see Josh Brolin completely as Thanos. He is very good as that character, and is easily the most menacing villain the Marvel heroes have faced yet. I like what the movie and Brolin did with the character, in the personality and looks department. We've been constantly teased about Thanos for many many years now, and I'm happy to say that he lived up to my expectations of him. 

Kudos to Directors Anthony and Joe Russo for managing this very intricate and ambitious juggling act that is "Avengers: Infinity War." What an incredibly enjoyable fun thrill ride of a comic book movie filled with action, comedy, and drama. Even with the relatively simple premise of a story, there is still so much content to digest; due to the complex backstories. Truly a high mark in pure Marvel Comics entertainment that's designed to please a huge audience, but wow did it also take some welcome risks as well that's going to get reactions from people. 

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you were never really here

Put this on the list of movies to show people what it means to be a cinematic film. This movie chugs along at a captivating pace purely based on the visuals, the editing, the cinematography, and some impressive stylistic choices. That's Director Screenwriter Lynne Ramsay at work, and proves why she's one of the most exciting film makers around right now. 

There's violence in this movie, but you don't see gratuitous violence displayed. There's a lot of world building, but it's done in very subtle ways. There's a lot of plot to digest, but the story itself is pretty straightforward. There isn't a lot of dialogue, but they are hardly ever irrelevant. The movie's premise is very dark, but it doesn't hit you over the head with it; well that's debatable I guess. The delicate but deliberate way this story is told to us is impressive, from the b-roll heavy set-up from the first third of the movie, to the way the rest of the plot plays out, plus that ending. 

Although there are several supporting characters involved here, it is Joaquin Phoenix that stands out over all. Although he is generally intense most of the movie, he is able to convey other emotions so very well, as this man suffering from traumatic past experiences. You should be absolutely captivated and invested in what happens to him here. Truly a remarkable role for Phoenix. 

If there is one thing that might keep this from being a movie you might want to watch over and over again, it's the subject matter. Some people; like myself, might consider it a little too exaggerated, that leads to some questionable plot developments and resolutions; or lack thereof. On the flip side, what we see in the movie has very very very plausible elements to it, which also makes it the more heartbreaking and frightening to comprehend. 

I've never read the Jonathan Ames novel that this is adapted from, but once again kudos to Lynne Ramsay for making "You Were Never Really Here." What an exhilarating cinematic film that's like a dark rabbit hole that you just have to experience. 

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mom and dad

Not going to deny it, but I went into this movie to see how over the top Nicolas Cage is this time around. I wasn't disappointed. Wow does that guy swing for the fences as an actor. I'm not passing judgement on how bad or good he is acting, because he is just too entertaining to watch on screen, so why would I bother criticizing his work? Ham it up Cage! Go nutsoid! We love you for it. That's the reason we watch the movies you are in. Don't know if that's a backhanded compliment, but let's just say it's not. 

Not to be outdone, but Selma Blair is excellent here too. If anything else, her character is the most developed, and the one the audience will probably have any kind of attachment to. The kids are more or less just there to serve the plot, but the parents are what's really interesting here. They could have gone deeper with Cage's character, but what they presented isn't too bad. 

Some if not most people will find issues with the premise and gimmick of this movie. It is somewhat like a different take to the zombie movie genre; except without zombies, which I actually liked. It's definitely a movie you will find on the schedule of a late-night film festival filled with outrageous and over the top gonzo B-movies, which in itself is a description on what to expect here. Suspend your disbelief and just go with it. 

The editing is deliciously manic and constantly in your face, with moments designed to throw off the tone of the movie, but at the same helps give proper context to what you are watching. The soundtrack is bonkers in how it compliments what's happening on screen, and it starts off the bat with a James Bond-esque opening theme song to give us the notice that this film is classy thrash. 

I could nitpick "Mom and Dad" about it's lack of logic, plot conveniences, or it's obvious unnecessary indulgences. Why would I do though? I like it for what it's trying to be. Not a great movie, but one that's entertaining enough to make me laugh at the horrible things that are happening on screen. 

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truth or dare

POSITIVES... 
- I genuinely like the entertaining premise of the movie. 
- I like the evil photo filter smiley face thing idea. 
- Thought the actual truth or dare portions actually helped the overall plot. 
- Lucy Hale and Violett Beane were fun to watch on screen together. 
- It has an interesting turn for an ending. You'll definitely have an opinion about that. 

NEGATIVES... 
- The whole idea for the movie might seem very silly and stupid for some people. 
- It seemed like the movie lost interest in it's whole evil photo filter smiley face thing. 
- I take huge issues with how the kids handled their problems. Didn't seem believable. 
- Lucy Hale and Violett Beane were the only characters I actually cared about. 
- The final act of the movie was a huge mess. 
- There's a lot of issues and plot conveniences in this movie that constantly tries to break your suspension of disbelief. 

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rampage

It's going to be really easy to call this a dumb and pointless movie, and I can understand why some will say that. Let's think about this for a minute... If you were told to make a movie out of a simple video game, that's about a giant gorilla, a giant werewolf, and a giant lizard, rampaging around a city, causing a lot of destruction, how would you do it? Well I will say that the film-making talent behind this movie figured it out, and managed to make it as entertaining as they possibly could. I say that's a win for video game movies. 

The dumb point of all this, is to show the giant animals rampaging, and there is that whole section at the second half of this movie where we do see the giant animals causing all the chaos, wreckage, and death. All that is admittedly fun to just watch happen on screen. Oh wait, did I say "death?" That's right, give props for this movie in not shying away from showing people actually get eaten whole or violently thrown around like rag dolls, by the big animals. 

Besides the sheer guilty pleasure of watching the mayhem on screen, another reason to give this movie some attention is Dwayne Johnson's connection with George the Gorilla. I didn't really care much about the Doctor character, any of the supporting cast, or the typical villain roles, but I did find Dwayne's relationship with George to be very charming. George himself is a fun character with personality, when he isn't just mindlessly being so aggressive that is. I should also at least give a shout out to Jeffrey Dean Morgan for properly chewing the scenery whenever he is on screen. 

So all you have to do to enjoy "Rampage," is to simply ignore the plot conveniences, the logical flaws, the familiar story beats, and the character inconsistencies. Also ignore this exposition heavy dramatic scene around the middle of the story that just frustratingly stops this movie dead in it's track. Ignore all that, and you will come away from watching it and go "hey, while it's far from being great, that actually wasn't a bad video game movie." 

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blockers

To be honest, the trailers made this movie look pretty stupid. With that said, while it was stupid in many cases, it was also silly fun as well. As with most comedies, it's subjective, and the jokes are hit or miss depending on the person. Comedies lately tend to go for outrageousness to provide the humor, and this film is no exception. In some cases it worked well, and in some it was just embarrassing. Now to explain my experience and enjoyment of the movie, I would have to divide it into two camps; the teenagers, and the adults. 

The teenagers I thought had a pretty typical story for a comedy, about being teens out to lose their virginity. Usual it's from a teenage boy's perspective, so I actually appreciate this progressive take on the subject matter. The comedy angle that came from these teens though seemed to be more miss than hit for me. I thought they had some strong funny moments, but I thought they weren't enough of them from that part of the movie. Also plot conveniences kinda creeps in for some unearned moments. 

As for the adults, I thought their comedy was mostly hits than misses. The tropes they used for the parents being overly protective, or one trying to be super cool, aren't exactly original or unique, however I thought they made it worked decently well. I felt like I was having more fun following what the adults were going through, in reaction to what the teens were doing. The biggest laughs I had with the movie involved the adults, and one particular scene in a house was a huge stand-out for me. As it goes, some plot conveniences kinda creeps in for some unearned moments as well. 

As a comedy, "Blockers" is funny enough and has a great cast to be worth checking out, although it isn't a laugh-riot like it probably hopes it is. Part of the reason is that the movie can't get out of it's own way by planting way too many sentimental emotional moments that grinds the comedy to a halt. The momentum just stops multiple times, usually to expand on the thematic plot elements of the whole story. I like what this film has to say, but it needs a better balance between all that and the funny. 

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isle of dogs

If you say out loud the movie title "Isle Of Dogs," you may have noticed that it sounds like saying "I Love Dogs." It's like a nice small easter egg for the movie, but it also makes me wonder if that was the sole reason why this film was made in the first place. Either way, just from that alone, it should easily be surmised that if you love dogs, then you may as well see this movie. If you are more of a cat lover, well... maybe you might not have to? 

This is another attempt by Director Wes Anderson to do a puppet movie. If you are already familiar with his films, then there shouldn't be a lot of surprises with how this movie goes. Whimsical premise. Quirky situations. Symmetrical cinematography. Deadpan humor. Idealized settings. Eccentric story telling. Even with the fact that the main characters of this movie are dogs, all that still applies... except now from the perspective of man's best friend. 

One of the first things that I noticed when I first started watching this movie is that wow there's a lot of stereotypical depictions of Japan and it's culture, but I'm once again reminded that this is an idealized version of the country. There are roughly three main human characters that get some attention, with two of them being tolerable, and one of them being kinda annoying. You'll know what I mean when you see the movie.

While we're on the subject of the human characters, I did like the idea that we're suppose to understand what the dogs are saying; in English, but from their perspective they don't understand what humans actually say; in Japanese (unless you're a Japanese speaker already). I'd like to think that they should re-dub all the voices of the dogs in other parts of the world to fit the regional language, to keep with this theme. 

As for the dogs themselves, I couldn't help but automatically be fans for those characters. Their mannerisms, what I assume would be how they talk to each other, how they see the world, the alpha, the pack, and the whole thing about strays vs house pets, are all just fantastic. The best parts of this movie are essentially the majority of the scenes involving the dogs, and all the little commentaries, reactions, and interactions. At times I appreciated that there was a somewhat grounded natural feel to how the dogs act, but it isn't above focusing heavily on the more fantastical take of what these dogs can do either. 

If I was to have any complaints about "Isle Of Dogs;" besides the Japanese stereotypes and the whole "white savior" thing, it would be some of the plot conveniences, and logical flaws, that this movie uses to move the story along. Your suspension of disbelief will be tested at one point or another. Also considering that this was set in Japan, I would have liked to have seen more Japanese dogs though; like the Akita Inu or the Kai Ken. So beyond those issues, as someone who loves Dogs, I wholeheartedly enjoyed the heck out of this movie! 

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a quiet place

I'm going to start off by saying three negative things about the movie. There actually isn't a lot of scary scenes, it relies on jump scares with loud sounds to frighten you, and it uses too many stupid coincidental misfortunes to drive up the scare factor. This movie sounds like your typical disposable horror movie of the week right? It's not. Besides how I opened this review, I'm saying that "A Quiet Place" is definitely worth checking out. 

The gimmick of this movie is that there is a huge lack of spoken lines here, and predominantly uses visual cues, sign language, plus subtitles to show us how the characters communicate with each other. There are still ambient noises and a musical score to accompany everything that happens, but for the most part the movie lives up to it's title. However, some might find themselves restless with the lack of dialogue, as it might feel like an odd experience watching a movie without much of that. 

That gimmick is what makes this movie stand out on it's own among the rest, as there isn't many horror films like this. Like the silent films of the past, this movie relies predominantly on the visuals to move things along, and it does so wonderfully. There's also an increase level of tension to the tone of the movie, as there is this constant anticipation of wondering when a sound is going to draw in the monsters. That constant threat of death is just a sound away, and that can be terrifying. While the scares can be questionably scary, don't be surprised if you're on the edge of your seat the whole time you're seeing this. 

Although there are some elements of world building and character development that I can appreciate, the movie simply hinges on us caring that this family survives the experience. I have my own little gripes about certain characters in the family, and some of the questionable plot developments involving them, but I did feel invested enough in wanting to see them make it through the day. With such minimalist methods of exposition, kudos to this movie for still being able to convey a lot of story and character details worth paying attention to.  

With a confident direction by John Krasinski, strong performance by the cast, and a cool idea of a horror movie, this is surely an experience worth taking. I got to say though, watching "A Quiet Place" in a crowded movie theater is fascinating as well, as it almost seemed like the audience were even more silent than they normally would be, just in case the monster gets them. 

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