The Dead Dont Die

POSITIVES…

  • Highly likely to be a cult classic. This isn’t your typical zombie movie, and because of that, I was entertained by it more than I originally expected to be. I found it quite memorably charming.

  • Great cast! From Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Tom Waits, plus many more.

  • I have to specifically give a huge shoutout to Adam Driver for absolutely owning this movie with his deadpan humor.

  • There’s a laid-back, irreverent, tongue-in-cheek humor thing going on here that I really appreciated. Especially because those descriptions don’t normally apply to a zombie film.

  • In a very subtle unassuming way, there’s a world building aspect that plays out throughout the movie, that I would love to just dissect.

  • Speaking of playing things out throughout the movie, the running jokes had a nice slow build up to the eventual punch lines.

  • It has a meta self-awareness that pleasantly caught me by surprise, and gave us one of the more WTF exchange of dialogue scenes in this movie.

  • Those WTF moments. Yeah. Good job catching me off guard there Jim Jarmusch.

NEGATIVES…

  • Those WTF moments will make or break your enjoyment of the movie.

  • There are things that happen in this movie that will challenge your suspension of disbelief.

  • The deliberately luxurious unexciting arguably meandering pacing might be seen as dull, boring, or frustrating for some people. Let’s just say that this isn’t a laugh-riot, horror action-fest of a movie.

  • Speaking of frustrating, there are several nonsensical things that are seen in this film that will probably negatively trigger some people.

  • The lack of a proper story, or traditional expectations from a film genre such as this will disappoint some people.

  • The social commentaries might be seen as annoying or too on-the-nose.

  • The conclusion to the movie might make people think that it just didn’t end well at all.

P.S….

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Dark Phoenix

POSITIVES…

  • Between the two live-action Dark Phoenix movies, this one is better.

  • Gotta appreciate the earnestness of this story, as it’s somber and dramatic, which is fitting for the premise.

  • With the seriousness of it all, this movie attempts to introduce some interesting and compelling ideas regarding certain characters, that are heavier themes than what you would normally expect from this.

  • The cast is good in their roles as you expected them to be, and Sophie Turner held her own playing the part of somebody who is struggling with who she has become.

  • There are some solid set pieces to watch here. From the rescue sequence, the retrieval sequence, the murder attempt sequence, to the escape sequence. (hopefully those descriptions are spoiler-free enough).

  • It feels like an adequate conclusion to this iteration of an X-Men franchise.

NEGATIVES…

  • If you were expecting an epic and super-exciting conclusion to this iteration of an X-Men franchise, you will probably be disappointed.

  • It’s a very low-key and unspectacular superhero film that I’m assuming many moviegoers will find themselves bored, or simply indifferent to what’s happening on screen.

  • I found myself having issues with certain directions that certain characters took, that felt absolutely unnecessary and exploitative.

  • Once again, here’s another X-Men movie that under-utilizes the Ororo “Storm” Monroe character.

  • Certain plot turns or reveals felt completely unearned, and rung of being flawed logically.

  • There are story world-building parts that I thought seemed like they were just pandering to fans, or on the flip-side they felt like convenient shortcuts to move the plot along.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

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The Secret Life Of Pets 2

POSITIVES…

  • If you loved the first installment, then there should be a lot of similar things to like with this sequel.

  • If you liked that the first movie kinda goes outrageously beyond its initial premise, then expect even more crazier directions in the story.

  • As expected the voice cast are good in their roles.

  • Harrison Ford is also a welcome addition to the cast here.

  • I liked the thematic lessons found in this movie.

  • Fluffy pets and animals are cute and adorable and you can’t take your eyes off them.

NEGATIVES…

  • It might just be me, but this felt like it could have just been 3 or 4 tv episodes, stitched together into a single movie.

  • There’s a simplicity to the story that they just didn’t really interest me that much.

  • Not that it bored me, but it all just felt so appealing in the very basic level of entertainment.

  • This movie really pushed my buttons on continually breaking my suspension of disbelief.

  • It’s got some ridiculous plot turns and unbelievable logic, that I had to put up with too.

P.S….

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

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Always Be My Maybe

POSITIVES…

  • Ali Wong does a great job playing the romantic lead here, with a dash of comedy on the side. She can do the drama and the funny with ease.

  • Randall Park does a great job throwing in the jokes here and there, and plays a sympathetic guy who you would want to see get a happy ending.

  • The chemistry between Ali Wong and Randall Park worked for me here, and it was easy to get invested with their “will they or won’t they” premise.

  • There are multiple dramatic and comedic scenes that reflect on the Asian-American life that I truly appreciated seeing addressed on screen.

  • It seemed to me that I really enjoyed all the scenes in this movie that involved a restaurant.

  • Speaking of one of those restaurant scenes that involves a surprise celebrity guest role (Netflix trailer spoils who that is)… I thought some of the greatest scenes in this movie involved that actor.

  • I loved the final act, and how they concluded the story. Hits all the right places.

  • There are some interesting social commentaries and themes worth discussing, but even with all that I’m just satisfied that this movie seems to be all heart.

  • Despite being released in 2019, this felt like a rom-com that you would find in the 1990’s or early 2000’s. I say that with positivity.

NEGATIVES…

  • It kinda looked like an outdated rom-com from the 1990’s or early 2000’s, which some people will take that negatively.

  • Those looking for a laugh-a-minute type of comedy will probably be disappointed with this.

  • Arguably has a slow pace for a comedy and meanders at times.

  • There are some story conveniences and derivative plot turns that you’ll just have to excuse.

P.S….

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You Can Watch It Now On Netflix

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Godzilla King Of The Monsters

POSITIVES…

  • People asked for it, so there are definitely much more screen time given to the giant monsters in this movie.

  • Did you want to see more giant monster vs giant monster battles? You got that here, and wow are those fights great to see on screen.

  • Visuals. Spectacular visuals. Jaw-droppingly spectacular visuals. This movie absolutely delivers on the spectacle, and makes it really hard to look away from the screen.

  • The sheer sense of size and scope of these giant monsters and all the destruction that are caused because of them, are simply incredible to look at.

  • Story has some solid ideas that I would like to see this franchise of movies explore more of.

  • Vera Farmiga’s character is fascinating, and Millie Bobby Brown also showed off some stellar acting work.

NEGATIVES…

  • The story itself feels a little half-baked, and simplistic, and should have been much more interesting than what was given to us.

  • Heavy on the plot, light on the story telling.

  • There’s a lot of pandering to the audience here, which can only win so much favor before it all starts to feel a little unearned.

  • Lots of potentially interesting characters here, but unfortunately they aren’t fully fleshed out enough for me to care about what happens to them. The majority of them are just there as plot devices, or characters that need to constantly tell jokes; here’s looking at you Bradley Whitford.

  • Kyle Chandler’s character of Mark Russell is written to be such an important part of the movie, but I was just rolling my eyes every time he was on screen. All the things this movie does with his character were just cringe-worthy to me.

  • Once again I’m stuck with the comment of saying that this would have been a wonderful giant monster movie, if it wasn’t for all the human characters getting in the way.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

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Rocketman

POSITIVES…

  • Taron Egerton is amazing as Elton John, and does a wonderful job singing the songs. There are even times I thought it was Elton John on screen, but it’s all Taron.

  • As a musical biopic, it sidesteps the plot trappings of the genre, by embracing a very imaginative and energetic visual narrative that will surely keep grabbing your attention from beginning until the end.

  • Watching Elton John’s biographical story unfold in this way; liberties taken here and there, is fantastic, and probably an eye opener for many people who aren’t that familiar with his background history.

  • While the story is mostly focused on Elton John; which means that the supporting cast are really mostly in supporting roles, the movie incredibly still manages to give each one of them a strong presence in the narrative.

  • Speaking of supporting casts, the scenes involving Elton John and Bernie Taupin; played by Jamie Bell, are definite highlights of this film.

  • From the costumes, the locations, the scene transitions, to the dance numbers, I really couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

  • I feel like I have to emphasize this, but this is a musical through and through. You don’t often see this kind of narrative in cinema much anymore.

NEGATIVES…

  • This is a musical through and through, which means that there will be people that just won’t connect with it.

  • There are some fanciful and whimsical stylistic touches in some of the plot narrative that might frustrate people looking for a traditionally told movie.

  • The last act did feel like it lost a little bit of its footing, into properly hitting the conclusion of the film.

  • While there are a lot of Elton John songs in the movie, I’m disappointed that for the majority of the time they are not performed in full during the segments that they are found in.

  • Some people might also get annoyed at the fact the songs are not done in chronological order with this movie.

  • It’s still a musical biopic, so the story can only get so fresh and creative to avoid those derivative feelings.

P.S….

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Booksmart

POSITIVES…

  • Movie follows that “one crazy night” premise, and it does so wonderfully.

  • This is an entertaining and humorous story, that tackles subject matters that High School teens probably would relate with.

  • The plot also goes above and beyond in having a solid thematic lesson that really delivers in a satisfying way by the end of the movie.

  • Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever make an awesome comedic duo, that are both willing to do outrageous things to make us laugh.

  • Dever plays the straight man to Feldstein’s more outgoing character to great effect.

  • The supporting younger cast also gets a lot of kudos from me, with Billie Lourd standing out as this over-the-top-but-in-a-hilarious-way character named Gigi. A lot of the crazy moments that got me laughing out loud did involve Gigi.

  • The adults in this story are good as well. There’s one notable funny scene involving Jason Sudeikis that’s definitely worth checking out.

  • While the main plot does involve kids doing dumb things, I thought this was a pretty clever movie anyway.

NEGATIVES…

  • Comedy is subjective, and I regret to say that this isn’t always a laugh-a-second kind of affair.

  • Still makes the mistake that a lot of comedies make, in when things get dramatically serious, it can get hard to easily return to that fun and stupid humor that you solely went into this movie for. It makes that attempt, but it’s not a smooth transition.

  • You’re definitely going to have to suspend your disbelief in many ways for this movie. How forgiving you are will probably determine how much you’ll like this. Just try and ignore all those logical flaws, and convenient plot turns.

  • Seemed to have taken a cue from Game Of Thrones’ last few seasons, in that travel time becomes irrelevant and something that’s supposed to be ignored. Admittedly it’s played off as a joke the first time it happens, but still… Hopefully that doesn’t bother you too much.

  • There’s some pandering to the audience here. Hopefully that doesn’t bother you too much.

  • Arguably, I would say that this movie also plays things much safer than you would have initially have thought it would have. Hopefully that doesn’t bother you too much.

P.S….

  • I suppose we can expect High School kids to try and top the “night before Graduation day” shenanigans found in the movie. My advice? Don’t.

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Brightburn

POSITIVES…

  • Superhero comic book origin tale, morphed into a Horror movie. It’s a spectacular premise of a genre mash-up. A teenager; Brandon Breyer, uses his superhuman powers for evil and not for good. It is an amusing meta concept, as there are blatant easter eggs to a certain DC comics character.

  • The scenes that are suspenseful and disturbing, which includes horrific death and destruction, are effective enough to justify the idea behind this movie’s premise.

  • There is a terrific sense of irony, when seeing the great visual effects that are usually found in comic book superhero movies, but used in a horror film such as this.

  • Scary movie jump scares that are used in this context. Kinda neat.

  • That final act is a fantastic roller coaster of wondering which direction the movie is going to go to conclude the story.

NEGATIVES…

  • Despite the fact the whole cast is great in this, I couldn’t help but be disappointed at the incredible lack of good character development for any of them. Well, maybe Elizabeth Banks’ character is the exception, but still…

  • How and why should I care about what happens to these characters when the movie doesn’t give me enough reason to do so?

  • Characters ended up just being plot devices to move the story along. Which is the unfortunate result of the movie using too much shorthand exposition that relies on the audience to fill in the gaps in story telling themselves.

  • Why should I care that this is the direction Brandon Breyer decides to go with his newly found powers? I feel like that’s an important factor that the movie only thinks it properly covered.

  • On paper, one can say that the theme of the movie is about “nurture vs nature,” but in all honesty, the movie doesn’t do enough groundwork with the material for that to be what it’s all about. It should be, but it’s not.

P.S….

  • I guess this is yet another movie universe where superhero comics never existed? They would have made good reference material for the family’s situation.

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

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Aladdin (2019)

POSITIVES…

  • As a fan of the 1992 original; plus the stage musical version from the theme park, this adaptation was familiar and different enough, that it succeeds as a good companion piece to the animated classic.

  • One of the main highlights of this version is Mena Massoud as Aladdin. That actor is charming as heck. Well casted.

  • I also liked that Aladdin gets to show off parkour skills in the movie.

  • The other main highlight is Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine. She also does justice to the character. Another role that’s well casted.

  • I also really liked the new song that Naomi gets to sing in this, called “Speechless.”

  • The chemistry between the two worked for me, which helped get me invested in their romantic plot.

  • Director Guy Ritchie does a great job of grounding the movie in some realism when necessary, but doesn’t shy away at all on the fact that this is a live-action cartoon and uses that to his advantage. So expect some liberties taken logically and culturally.

  • The story is still entertaining, and the songs are still very catchy. Now I also get to add that the dance numbers were also good to see here too.

  • It’s also funny at times, and I admit to laughing out loud for some of the humor. Along with the other cast members, Nasim Pedrad and Billy Magnussen were welcome to have in this movie in contributing to the comedy.

  • Visually, the movie is great to look at. The locations are great. The animal characters are awesome. Plus Magic Carpet is expectedly great.

  • Before you think I forgot to mention him, Will Smith was indeed good as the Genie. He did his own thing for the role differently enough in a nuanced way, when compared to the version that Robin Williams mastered.

  • As expected, the character of Genie added that extra boost of fun to the equation, and his chemistry with Aladdin is still good here.

  • The Jafar and Iago combo of characters; played respectively by Marwan Kenzari and Alan Tudyk, were portrayed a bit more reserved than their animated counterparts, but I thought it still worked well.

  • I liked that each of the main characters, shared commonalities to the overall theme of the story. The thematic message that I genuinely think is appreciatively more fleshed out here than in the ‘92 movie.

  • I also liked how all the main characters got a little bit more development to their background stories over their animated counterparts.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s too bad Genie wasn’t in the movie as much as you think he should be.

  • Despite Genie’s chemistry with Aladdin, there weren’t enough scenes of them together to really capitalize on that fact.

  • Genie’s CGI character was hit and miss, here and there…

  • The third act of the movie didn’t always hit the landing in concluding some of the plot threads. It even got boring a few times, which ruined the energetic pacing of the first two acts.

  • That third act also includes an odd scene idea for a Jasmine solo number, that I don’t think worked at all.

  • A few plot turns were handled clumsily as well.

  • Plus there were some scenes that could only be viewed as pandering to an audience, and pushes your suspension of disbelief a little too far.

P.S….

  • Carpet makes a sand castle, and that’s just adorable.

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A Dog's Journey

POSITIVES…

  • If you liked the previous movie “A Dog’s Purpose,” then by all means you should see this.

  • If you are a huge fan of dogs, then by all means you should see this.

  • If you find comfort in the idea that your dog that has already passed away could be reincarnated just for your benefit, then by all means you should see this.

  • If you are the target audience for this, then expect a crowd pleaser, and probably a tear jerker of a movie.

  • Kathryn Prescott is really good in her role, and plays a sympathetic character that I found myself really invested with what happens to her.

  • The plot progression moves at a good pace, and despite the many cliche moments, it wasn’t hard for the movie to keep my attention.

  • Kudos to the dog actors. What a talented cute bunch to see perform on screen.

  • Is it cheating if I say that every scene involving dogs are just the best ones in the movie?

NEGATIVES…

  • Can’t really deny it, but it really is a derivative story.

  • There are some nitpicky plot things in this movie that kinda bugged me.

  • Story is arguably emotionally manipulative, and pandering.

  • Betty Gilpin’s character was much too cliche for my taste.

  • I never liked the nickname “Boss Dog”

P.S….

  • In all honesty, they should have switched the titles. This movie should have been “A Dog’s Purpose,” while the previous one should have been “A Dog’s Journey.”

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