Abominable

POSITIVES…

  • Despite the familiar premise and characters, I found the movie charming as heck.

  • The Yeti; “Everest,” also has a very cute character design and mannerisms that I found quite enjoyable.

  • Chloe Bennet as Yi, is also a character that you can easily root for. Who doesn’t love a tenacious and adventurous girl, who has a smart mouth, and is excellent on the violin?

  • I very much appreciated the general story of the main character who wants to travel through China. Although it kinda comes off like this was funded by the Chinese Tourism board.

  • Visually very pleasing, with vibrant colors, and excellent set locations.

  • Movie moved at a good pace, and had several good scenes. This adventure always kept my attention.

  • The comedy bits are amusing enough, and aren’t always targeted towards a younger audience. I did enjoy the running gags quite a bit though.

  • The emotional parts are also pretty effective, and elevates my attachment to the film.

  • I loved the themes that are showcased in the story, and makes me appreciate this movie even more.

  • Stay throughout the whole end credits. There were some nice touches shown there that adds to the story.

NEGATIVES…

  • Like I implied, the plot for this movie is still generally formulaic, and can be very predictable. Expect some familiar plot tropes to show up.

  • There are some logical inconsistencies found here and there. Whether it’s some visual references or some plot details.

  • I also found some of the plot turns in this film to be a little manipulative.

  • Several of the humor are clearly geared for a more younger crowd that would laugh at a joke about giant blueberries in places where they shouldn’t be. *groan*

  • Apparently this movie is also not above using some very dated pop culture jokes.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Ad Astra

POSITIVES…

  • As far as sci-fi movies goes, this one paints a fascinating near future scenario that’s absolutely worth exploring.

  • The world building is awesome in this, and seems so believable. Capitalism on the moon? Of course!

  • Brad Pitt is excellent in this, and is a protagonist you can easily root for; especially given the premise he is put in.

  • The rest of the cast are solid too, but Brad Pitt kinda (positively) overshadows this movie.

  • I like the voice-over monologues here, which adds to the atmosphere and tone of the film.

  • The movie does feel like a literal visual novel come to life, especially because of the voice-over monologues.

  • Speaking of visuals. Amazing cinematography! The way this movie looks overall is just eye candy for me.

  • While the premise and plot is relatively straight forward, there is also a subtle thematic story that is carefully laid out for us to experience.

  • The journey from when the movie starts, to where it ends, is kinda epic. Some spectacular scenes and story set-pieces to catch in this.

NEGATIVES…

  • If the direction of this movie is not your cup of tea, then you might find it boring to watch.

  • Technically, things constantly happen in this movie to keep things moving, but it’s hard to argue the fact that the pacing is still pretty slow.

  • Tonally, it can also feel a little too dour.

  • There are also some plot conveniences that pushes the limits of your suspension of disbelief.

  • Sci-fi aficionados might find some fault with the movie’s science.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Rambo : Last Blood

POSITIVES…

  • If you like revenge stories and protagonists who dishes out revenge, then this should get your blood boiling.

  • I suppose seeing scenes of Rambo killing bad guys is entertaining in it’s own way.

  • There’s that one scene where Rambo kills a guy “Mortal Kombat style.”

  • It’s arguably the most hardcore violent Rambo movie I think I’ve ever seen. Might be too much for some to take, but I think it actually fits well with the story.

NEGATIVES…

  • This is as generic of a revenge action thriller as they come.

  • Has a very superficial thematic story to tell.

  • Antagonists are just one-dimensional bad guys.

  • Could have probably just gone straight to home release.

  • Much too mean spirited for my taste. Especially considering what happens to a specific character in the movie.

  • Tonally, it covers a seriously heavy and dark subject matter, that it’s hard to call this a “fun” action flick.

  • Even at 89 minutes, the movie feels longer than I want it to be.

  • You want a solid movie about Americans kicking Mexican Bad Guys, that doesn’t come off as just an excuse to be exploitative like Rambo Last Blood? Go see “Sicario” instead.

P.S….

loveditenjoyeditlikedititsokay IT’S MEH itsterrible

Hustlers

POSITIVES…

  • A movie about strippers stealing money from rich people? It’s a good premise that takes you some places, and isn’t as easy as that description.

  • Story does a good job making the main characters sympathetic enough for us to get behind their criminal act.

  • Story also does a good job making the main characters objectionable enough for us to remember that they are still doing criminal acts.

  • This approach of making the main characters complicated, is what makes them well rounded and three dimensional enough to make us care, and want to see it through until the end.

  • Those main characters BTW are Constance Wu as Destiny, and Jennifer Lopez as Ramona. Both are fantastic in their roles, and both have great chemistry together on screen. Wu and Lopez really do carry the movie.

  • While it’s primarily a drama, there are some fun comedic moments, and good thrilling scenes as well.

  • There are also some titillating scenes that guys will find to be a huge positive. J-Lo doing a strip tease and showcasing her most famous body parts? Yeah that’ll get some of you guys to watch this very feminist film.

  • Writer / Director Lorene Scafaria has some really good stylistic directing choices for certain scenes. Consider me impressed with some of those decisions.

  • There are some great lines spoken by the actresses, but one of the best ones perfectly closes out the movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • There are times it felt like the movie was just spinning its wheels, as there were some scenes that came off as “filler.”

  • Not all of the plot points introduced are resolved, and that might irk some people.

  • The pacing can be a little slow at times.

  • With a 110 minutes runtime, the movie actually felt long to me.

  • “man-hating.” I’m sure there will be people out there that will toss this word around to describe the movie. The POV is a little one-sided, but not completely one-sided.

  • I get it and all, but if the movie is trying to realistically depict strippers stripping for those dolla dolla billz, I expect at least some suggestion that the strippers are actually stripping. Have it done off-frame for all I care, but when a stripper leaves the stage still pretty damn clothed after coming off a dance where she received tons of money, then that’s cheating and breaking my suspension of disbelief. Why am I ranting about this fact? eerrrmmm

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

It Chapter Two

POSITIVES…

  • Needless to say, if you liked the first movie, you’re going to want to see how this story concludes.

  • The casting of the adult versions of the “losers” is simply top notch, and matches the stellar casting of the teenage versions.

  • Great cast overall, with stand out performances by Bill Hader, James Ransome, Jessica Chastain, Bill Skarsgard, Sophia Lillis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Jaeden Martell, and also kudos to Joan Gregson for her brief role as Mrs Kersh.

  • Speaking of Bill Hader, I thought he was the real highlight of this film. His jokes mostly landed, and he happens to have the best funny scenes in the movie too.

  • James Ransome as the older version of Eddie Kaspbrak though is absolutely fantastic in how he convincingly feels like an actual adult version of Jack Dylan Grazer’s Eddie Kaspbrak.

  • He’s probably underappreciated by now, but Bill Skarsgard has some great scenes as Pennywise.

  • Visuals effects are generally nice, but it’s really the creature designs that are absolutely amazing. There are some nightmarish stuff to see here.

  • Jump scares are solid. Nothing that should traumatize you, but fun enough to watch them happen on screen.

  • There’s a great first scene that establishes the menacing uneasy tension felt throughout the movie.

  • Chinese restaurant scene. Oh boy. Good job movie!

  • This movie also adds some new themes that expands on the overall story. It’s subtle, but it’s not that deep either, but it fits with the narrative of these characters’ growth.

NEGATIVES…

  • The movie simply did not need to be 2 hours 45 minutes long. It feels like it’s 2 hours 45 minutes long, and I’m pretty sure there were things that could have been excised.

  • Maybe it’s because they figured they could be a bit indulgent with the movie, because there were scenes that I would describe as “fluff” or “filler.”

  • For a movie that’s supposed to be the second chapter, it sure regurgitated familiar plot points from the first movie / chapter. Just imagine watching both movies back to back…

  • The narrative overall felt a little muddy. It didn’t feel tight enough. Some editing of the plot and of scenes in general might have helped.

  • I didn’t think the adult version of Bill was written that well, despite McAvoy being as good as he always is.

  • The ending isn’t completely satisfying, nor are some of the plot threads that are left hanging.

  • of course, there will be those who will complain about the differences between the adaptation and the book.

  • Oh, and some people are going to think it’s not scary enough (I myself didn’t think it’s that scary, but I personally don’t consider that a negative in this case).

P.S….

  • It Chapter One was released on 8-9-2017. 8+9+2+1+7 = 27.

  • It Chapter One was also released 27 Years after the 1990 mini-series.

  • It Chapter Two was released on 9-6-2019. 9+6+2+1+9 = 27.

  • Warner Bros knows how to pick release dates.

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

the Angry Birds Movie 2

POSITIVES…

  • I’m impressed that this movie absolutely went for it in terms of embracing the wacky premise without apologies.

  • The absurd humor for this movie is more akin to Chuck Jones’ Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies cartoons. Personally that’s what made this movie so darn entertaining.

  • Broad comedy, mixed in with winking self-aware jokes, and satirical humor. I was all for all that.

  • Some of the jokes went kinda dark too. Kudos to this movie for not being afraid to be shocking.

  • No complaints about the cast, they were all good in their roles.

  • The storyline involving Rachel Bloom’s character; “Silver,” is at the heart of this movie. While predictable, I still like what they went for.

  • The storyline involving the hatchlings is by far my favorite out of all of them though.

  • It’s just generally a fun, wacky, and crowd pleaser of an animated movie, that’s open to toss in jokes that only the parents will get.

NEGATIVES…

  • The over-the-top humor is not going to be for everyone.

  • The wacky gonzo style storytelling and premise is not going to be for everyone.

  • The sheer idiotic things that happens in this movie is definitely not going to be for everyone.

  • The jokes do not always land.

  • The resolution to the storylines may not be satisfactory for some people.

  • The addition of the character “Silver” is likely going to ruffle some people’s feathers (pun intended)

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Batman: Hush

POSITIVES…

  • At its core, the main draw of this movie is the relationship and chemistry between Batman and Catwoman.

  • The main mystery of who the villain Hush is does help drive the plot, and is part of the fun of watching this movie. However you’ll probably still be more invested in seeing how the Batman and Catwoman story plays out.

  • Action sequences are generally entertaining enough to watch, and once again I’d like to point out that seeing Batman and Catwoman in action together is an enjoyable thing to see.

  • There are several sequences that I thought were a lot of fun to see, and were not without some pleasant surprises.

  • The supporting characters of superheroes and supervillains is always a nice thing to add to the movie, especially in how the story utilizes them to the overall plot.

  • Thematically, there were some good things the movie does focus on to challenge the character of Batman.

  • Visually appealing for a comparatively low budgeted animated movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • Despite some significantly important plot developments, the story can be accused of being somewhat generic for a superhero movie.

  • Some of the supporting characters are woefully underdeveloped.

  • The main mastermind villain seems so hidden in the story’s background that he comes off almost like a plot MacGuffin, instead of an actual character that we should be interested in.

  • A few familiar plot tropes, plot holes, plus some plot conveniences here and there. Nothing too distracting.

  • Huge fans of the comic book story might take issues with the changes this movie adaptation makes.

P.S….

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

You Can Watch Batman: Hush Online NOW

The Peanut Butter Falcon

POSITIVES…

  • It’s been described as a modern day “Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn” adventure fable story. It’s an apt description and is one of the reasons the movie is enjoyable to watch.

  • The odd nature of the plot and the characters do give the movie a charming and quaint quality to it.

  • There are some specific scenes where the cinematography looks absolutely amazing.

  • As the movie moved along, I was more and more entertained with where the quirky story was taking me. Definitely an unusual premise, but it works.

  • Kudos to Shia LeBeouf for seemingly putting a lot of intensity into his character Tyler, who is a complicated character to say the least.

  • Fantastic performance by Zack Gottsagen as Zak, who is an odd character that you’re going to want to root for throughout the movie.

  • The chemistry between Tyler and Zak is excellent and will capture your attention. They are the heart of this film, and the main reason this movie works.

NEGATIVES…

  • Plot conveniences. This isn’t a harsh critic and there are reasons they are justified, but they are plot conveniences nonetheless.

  • Pacing issues. Sometimes the story takes too long to move along, and sometimes the story moves too fast.

  • Cliches. Despite the movie feeling a little unique in its own right, it's not without its predictable plot tropes.

  • I don’t think the movie truly knew how to handle the Dakota Johnson’s character of Eleanor, despite the solid effort she puts in the role. She felt underwritten and seems to be more of a convenient plot device than an actual character.

P.S….

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Angel Has Fallen

POSITIVES…

  • Do you like Gerard Butler in his super heroically capable secret agent man Mike Banning? This might just be the best version of his character yet.

  • Do you like movies where Morgan Freeman plays the US President? Add this to the list.

  • Would you appreciate the addition of Nick Nolte in a pretty entertaining role for this movie? He’s a crowd pleaser that’s for sure.

  • From a cast that also includes Danny Huston, Lance Reddick, Piper Perabo, Tim Blake Nelson, Jada Pinkett Smith, one cannot say that actors are the weak link in this film.

  • You’re watching this movie for the action thriller aspect? Explosions. Gun fights. Hand to hand combat. Vehicular chases. Yeah, this movie has all that, and they aren’t bad.

  • The story even has a plot that easily hooks you in, and will make you want to see things through until the end.

  • It’s even got some social commentary and themes that’s worth discussing too.

  • Plus what may be the biggest surprise, it’s got a mid-credits sequence that I thought actually made the movie better for it being there.

  • The movie is even written in a way that it’s not even a strong requirement to have seen the previous “…Have Fallen” films. This installment may even be the best one yet.

NEGATIVES…

  • Despite the positives, the whole movie still comes off as a very generic action thriller.

  • Visually it looks like a generic action thriller.

  • The action sequences are very much what you expect from a generic action thriller.

  • The premise of the movie is something you will find in a generic action thriller.

  • It has plot developments that are lazy, illogical, preposterous, too convenient, cliche, and just dumb… like what you might find from a generic action thriller.

  • It’s as memorable as a generic action thriller.

  • The meaning behind the movie’s title is also just embarrassing.

P.S….

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

Ready Or Not

POSITIVES…

  • The movie makes good use of an excellent premise for a plot.

  • While the story is generally straightforward, there are several good thrilling scenes to see here, and yes they involve some gruesome deaths.

  • Speaking of gruesome deaths. Some are done in a humorous manner, some of them are just brutal, and some of them are wonderfully bloody. Good stuff either way for fans of these kinds of stuff.

  • Plot reveals and twists and surprises. This movie makes good use of all that.

  • There are also some good subtle (or not so subtle) social commentary and thematic ideas that are absolutely worth discussing.

  • As a dark comedy, I did get some good laughs. If not big laughs, I did at least find a lot of the humor to be quite entertaining.

  • While the look of the movie seemed visually generic, there are some good shots and cinematography here and there. Especially of Samara Weaving as her character Grace. Her and her wedding dress goes through a lot here, and there’s a bit of fun watching what becomes of her look from the start of the movie till the end.

  • Speaking of Samara Weaving, she is spectacular in this! From the facial reactions she is able to show us, to her retorts, and her physicality for this movie. All top notch! She is the perfect protagonist to follow here.

  • The supporting cast are great as well though, and part of what makes them work are their very distinctly different personalities. It’s also funny to see them bungle their way through the movie.

  • The final act and the end of the movie is also a nice payoff to everything that came before it.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s tragically unambitious in execution?

  • Despite some notions of grander themes and commentaries, at its core it’s really just a simple murderous game of hide and seek.

  • It’s not exactly a flashy high budgeted production, so there’s an almost generic straight-to-home-video feel to the movie.

  • Some will argue that the character of Grace is much too capable for us to actually feel that needed tension and danger.

P.S….

  • A lot of people are saying that Samara Weaving looks like Margot Robbie, but honestly I think she looks more like Emma Stone.

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