Arctic

POSITIVES…

  • Mads Mikkelsen does an incredible job here, especially considering he doesn’t get many lines to say at all.

  • The mostly dialogue-less nature of this film, really adds to the tone of isolation to the premise.

  • Considering what this movie is about, I was definitely invested to see how it was going to end.

  • As a story about survival in a harsh climate, it’s always impressive to see clever / practical survival skills demonstrated on screen.

  • There are certain story beats that happen throughout the movie, to grab your attention just in case you are starting to get bored with the methodical slower pace of the narrative.

  • I thought the final act was incredibly emotional to watch, plus that final line said in the movie was just so very heartbreaking.

  • No, the trailer actually does not show how this movie ends.

NEGATIVES…

  • People might get frustrated and bored with the narrative. Even at 90+ minutes, there’s still a little bit of patience required to watch this.

  • Some might have conflicting thoughts on how they feel about the character that María Thelma Smáradóttir plays.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

POSITIVES…

  • The visual graphics and animation never looked better in this franchise than they do here.

  • Hiccups connection with Toothless; and also Astrid, are this movie’s strengths.

  • The whole thing with Toothless trying to woo the Lightfury definitely entertained me, and are probably the main highlight of this movie.

  • Concluding last acts of this movie, should be enough justification for fans to see this. They are going to want to see what happens.

NEGATIVES…

  • Kinda wished the main plot was more engaging than what we got.

  • For that matter, I wished it didn’t feel like such a generic story.

  • Expect the cliche moments and predictable plot tropes.

  • On that note, the villain voiced by F. Murray Abraham; while he had his moments, also felt generally wasted in this movie.

  • I couldn’t help but think that this movie felt more like it was made out of obligation, than out of inspiration.

P.S….

  • I’m not holding my breath, but I wouldn’t mind seeing another Dreamworks Dragons TV series; as they were enjoyable for what they are. Maybe a new show that continues on from where this movie ends.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fighting With My Family

POSITIVES…

  • If you are a fan; or have ever been a fan, of Professional Wrestling, then you should check this out. This movie is made for you.

  • If you have never been a fan of Professional Wrestling, then you should still check this out. This movie is also made for you.

  • Florence Pugh is excellent in this as Saraya Knight AKA Paige, and you couldn’t help but feel invested with her story here.

  • The rest of the cast is great here, from Jack Lowden, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, plus a fantastic supporting role by Vince Vaughn, and excellent cameo scenes by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

  • There’s actually a lot more drama than I original expected from this movie, but it makes the film even better for giving me that emotional pull towards this story. It still has some good funny bits though.

  • Several story threads involving Saraya and Zak, Saraya and Hutch, Saraya and the other NXT women, plus of course Saraya and her Family, are all the glue that makes this story worth checking out.

  • The themes in this movie are also quite laudable and inspirational. It’s definitely a good feel good movie.

  • There’s a blind kid who can wrestle!

  • It showcases a fascinating look into what happens behind the scenes of creating a Wrestling Superstar. Interesting stuff here. Truly makes anybody appreciate what Professional Wrestling is all about a bit more than they might have before.

  • Underdog sports stories are a dime a dozen, but this is a good one right here.

NEGATIVES…

  • Despite this being based on a true story, it’s still a generally traditional underdog sports story. Which means that it can feel very predictable and cliche. Expect some familiar plot tropes, and plot conveniences.

  • There was a wonky CG interlay that is done towards the end of the movie, that even though it was very very brief, it still looked really really bad.

P.S….

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Happy Death Day 2U

POSITIVES…

  • Definitely made for fans of the first “Happy Death Day,” who will appreciate how this movie acknowledges the previous entry, and how it expands on the story.

  • Embraces the silly but fun premise, and goes for broke in how far they can go with it.

  • Jessica Rothe is once again incredible in the role of Tree Gelbman. The way she just throws herself completely into her character is absolutely the most entertaining thing about this film.

  • Rachel Matthews as Danielle Bouseman gets to shine a bit more here. Especially in one particular scene involving keys.

  • The big montage death sequence. Fun stuff.

  • I liked that it had a lot more heart and emotional scenes than what I would have expected.

  • I appreciated the fact that while it shares many similarities with the previous entry, the style, tone, and direction felt completely like a different movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • Some people will be disappointed that this is much less a weird sci-fi horror slasher movie, and much more into the weird sci-fi thrilling fantasy aspects.

  • Because of all the different plot directions this movie goes, there are just some story beats that don’t really work as well as they should.

  • The story relies on several plot conveniences that just to move things along, which isn’t exactly a complimentary thing for me to say.

  • So much suspension of disbelief is required. Maybe a little too much?

  • Kinda loses steam before the movie reaches the final stretch, and might make you feel a little impatient and frustrated with the progress of the narrative.

  • Slightly less fresh, less funny, and less exciting than the previous film. Just slightly though.

P.S….

  • If there is a third movie, what would the title be? Happy Death Day Tree? Happy Death Day 3-peat? Happy Death Day 3D?

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Alita: Battle Angel

POSITIVES…

  • Alita herself is essentially the main reason to get really invested with watching through the whole movie. Witnessing how she reacts to everything that is thrown at her is part of the fun in watching this.

  • The fight scenes! There are several awesome fight sequences in this movie, and is the other driving factor in how enjoyable the whole thing is.

  • A particular one-on-one fight scene also had the most incredible conclusion to it, that I don’t think you’ve ever seen in a live-action movie. Simply amazing!

  • Sequences involving the futuristic roller derby were also a lot of fun to watch.

  • The whole plot involving Alita and Hugo is also one of the more compelling things about this movie, probably more so than the plot involving Alita and Doctor Ido.

  • I appreciated the mish-mash of many different sci-fi / action / fantasy ideas here that resembles the kind of outrageous creativity usually found in manga / anime. Hopefully people beyond the niche audience for this will also appreciate it.

  • This movie is rated PG-13, and it’s incredible how many violent things happen in it anyway.

  • As a huge fan of the manga “GUNNM” AKA “Battle Angel,” I was really happy with how this adaptation turned out. Arguably the second best Hollywood adaptation of a manga / anime property right after “Edge Of Tomorrow.”

  • I liked how this movie handled the world building. Iron City comes to life.

  • It ends in a way that made me really want to see a sequel.

NEGATIVES…

  • It ends in a way that made me really want to see a sequel, and I don’t think it’s getting it.

  • I never did get used to Alita’s big giant eyes (admittedly enough, the movie implies why they are that big).

  • Alita’s CGI face itself always seemed odd throughout the movie, and it’s likely due to the uncanny valley issue.

  • The opening scenes were a bit shaky, due to too much heavy exposition sequences.

  • Some (or a lot) of the dialogue can be quite clunky.

  • There’s a lack of real development with the supporting characters, and that includes main characters played by Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, and Mahershala Ali.

  • There’s also a lot of plot that the movie is juggling here, and you’re going to have to give it some leeway in how successful it actually was in hitting the landing.

P.S….

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The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

POSITIVES…

  • Continues the adventures of our favorite Lego characters from the previous movie!

  • A premise and plot that seems outrageous enough to keep your attention!

  • More random yet clever humor!

  • Pop culture references and character cameos!

  • Songs! There are new musical numbers to capture your fancy!

  • It has more thematic things to say that makes the movie worth checking out!

  • In a three act structure, the third act here is pretty darn strong!

NEGATIVES…

  • Despite the laudable thematic intentions of this movie’s premise, it’s just not quite as entertaining or as fun as the previous entry.

  • Some of the clever moments of this movie, only seem like clever moments, but are really more just uninspired cleverness. It’s trying too hard at times.

  • Once again, your suspension of disbelief will be tested here.

  • There’s an unsuccessful attempt to capture the magic of “Everything Is Awesome.”

P.S….

  • Those star weapons are really really cute.

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Cold Pursuit

POSITIVES…

  • Liam Neeson fits in perfectly with this type of movie premise. It’s what you expect, and he delivers.

  • However if one actor deserves the credit for best stand-out performance here, and owns every scene he is in, it’s Tom Bateman, as Trevor “Viking” Calcotte. Now there’s a villian you’ll love to hate.

  • The whole cast is great in this too, from William Forsythe, Tom Jackson, Emmy Rossum, Julia Jones, Domenick Lombardozzi, to Benjamin Hollingsworth.

  • Director Hans Petter Moland has given us a violent revenge story that turned out to be more a dark comedy than an action thriller, and that’s a good thing.

  • The story moves along in such a way that I couldn’t help but anticipate what’s going to happen next.

  • I gotta love the non-sequiturs and offhanded dialogue, in between all the crime and death scenes.

  • There are quite a lot of awesome dark humor throughout that just livens up a movie filled with so much grim deaths, all the way until the very last shot of the movie.

  • This movie might be compared to films made by the Coen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino, and that’s because it deserves such a flattering compliment.

NEGATIVES…

  • Those looking for the typical action revenge thriller, might be disappointed.

  • Those looking for even more violent scenes that what was shown, might be disappointed.

  • A movie filled with multiple converging storylines and a huge ensemble of characters, is bound to struggle juggling everything perfectly, and this one is no exception.

  • Expect some plot convenience and nonsensical moments.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Velvet Buzzsaw

POSITIVES…

  • No surprise here, but Jake Gyllenhaal once again completely throws himself into his character, and steals every scene he is in.

  • The rest of the cast is great in this as well, and it’s a fantastic set of actors. Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Toni Collette, Natalia Dyer, Daveed Diggs, Billy Magnussen, plus John Malkovich. Each one of them added some nice touches to the overall story.

  • I like the premise that Writer/Director Dan Gilroy has given us here. It’s uniquely fun, weird, fascinating, and has some thrilling plot turns.

  • There’s a thematic idea that’s worth discussing about.

  • The horror aspects are also nice additions to moving the plot along.

  • I’m sure people in the art-community will get a kick out of all the satirical inside jokes that other movie goers won’t get.

NEGATIVES…

  • The art-community doesn’t exactly get a glowing image by what we see in this movie.

  • There’s definitely a sense of pretentiousness and obnoxiousness with the characters, which isn’t exactly an appealing thing to sit through in the movie.

  • Sometimes the plot feels all over the place, with no real sense of proper storytelling.

  • For a movie about a visual medium, the look of this movie feels un-cinematic for some reason.

  • No matter how creative the ideas in this may seem, this somehow still feels like a throwaway movie that isn’t completely fully developed.

P.S….

  • I can only imagine what this premise would be like if done with comic books or graphic novels… unless that’s already been done…

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Watch It On NETFLIX

Miss Bala

POSITIVES…

  • First reason to bother seeing this movie for… Gina Rodriguez. She’s pretty good in this as Gloria, and absolutely carries the whole thing.

  • Second reason to see this movie. Ismael Cruz Cordova as Lino. The whole character dynamics between Gloria and Lino is one of the more interesting things about the story.

  • Third reason to check this out. The premise itself is worthy of attention. Especially considering it covers subject matters about drug and weapon smuggling, corruption, kidnapping, sex trafficking, plus other topics worth talking about.

NEGATIVES…

  • Being that this is already a remake, this isn’t going to win any originality awards.

  • Despite the fact the movie tackles some tough subject matters, the overall tone feels a little “too safe” for some reason. The tension needs to feel more ramped up than where it currently is.

  • Marketed as a big action thriller movie, but it really isn’t.

  • Some typically expected plot tropes, and conveniences, only emphasizes how average this movie really is.

  • Not a big fan of the last plot resolution.

P.S….

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

Reign Of The Supermen

POSITIVES…

  • Fans get to see this comic book story and the four specific “Superman characters” brought to animated life here.

  • There’s a lot of bits involving the Superboy character that I thought were really fun to see.

  • The scenes involving Wonder Woman were definite highlights.

  • Lex Luthor had an interesting character arc.

  • Had some generally entertaining moments.

NEGATIVES…

  • It being generally entertaining doesn’t save this movie from being somewhat average to below average.

  • Remember how I said that Superboy had a lot of good stuff? Well there is one particular scene involving him that I thought didn’t make sense at all, and one other particular plot point that felt like a wasted opportunity.

  • Speaking of characters. Lois Lane was just poorly written in this.

  • I question the direction that they are taking Lex Luthor here. Especially by the end of the film.

  • Plot conveniences and some plot points that goes nowhere, ruins the movie a bit.

  • The whole thing overall just felt like a typically uninspired superhero comic book story, with not much to say, and not enough to make me care about what happened.

P.S….

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