America: The Motion Picture

POSITIVES…

  • A creatively amusing, irreverent, self-aware take on the American revolution. Solid idea for an animated movie. 

  • Part of the appeal are the unapologetic modern pop culture references, homages, and humor, tossed into that time era. 

  • It opens with beer pong during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence for chrissakes. 

  • Some other good scenes, like the chase sequence with Clyde the horse, the whole meeting with Blacksmith, “Free Bird,” to the War of Attrition. 

  • Oh, there’s also that scene where a certain someone is “spitting out blood.” 

  • Certain running jokes were also decently entertaining. John 3:16. 

  • Out of the huge ensemble cast of characters, my favorites are easily Edison and Geronimo. 

  • BTW, it’s got gory cartoon violence and blatant crude language throughout. Not for kids. 

  • I also appreciated the work on the animation. 

  • Despite the over the top absurdist tone, there are some not so subtle social political commentaries to mull over.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s haphazard attempts at cleverness only goes so far. 

  • So many ideas were leaning towards the over the top extreme that I thought this movie could have come out from the ‘90s. 

  • Comedy is subjecting, but I seriously barely laughed at the jokes, and there were a lot of non-stop attempts at humor. 

  • The whole outrageous premise can get exhausting to watch really fast. 

  • This movie can get really obnoxious too. 

  • Samuel Adams is ridiculously annoying here. I know why he’s written the way he’s written, but come on now. 

  • More obvious Star Wars jokes… Movies! Stop with the lame Star Wars references! 

  • Just a whole lot of pandering to the audience.

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America: The Motion Picture - watched it on NETFLIX

The Ice Road

POSITIVES…

  • An exciting crowd pleaser of an action movie that just happens to involve ice road trucking. 

  • Could have been called “Problem Solving: The movie” and I’m all for it. 

  • This movie has all these little factoids scattered throughout the movie, from the very first opening captions, all the way to the end, and I was highly entertained being exposed to all of them. 

  • When “I want you to pull the rocker arm shaft” constitutes an action music moment, then you know this movie knows exactly what kind of movie it is. 

  • Getting a tire out of the ice is considered an action beat! 

  • The more traditional action sequences are enjoyable to watch as well. 

  • Appreciated the good pacing that keeps the movie moving. 

  • Liked the ensemble cast and the distinctive characters they are playing, from Liam Neeson, Marcus Thomas, Amber Midthunder, Benjamin Walker, Holt McCallany, and Laurence Fishburne. 

  • The chemistry between the characters is quite solid. 

  • Take a shot whenever you hear the name “Kenworth.”

NEGATIVES…

  • Could have been called “Worst Case Scenarios: The movie.” Bad things happen to a point that it’s almost just a parody of itself. 

  • Might be considered too generic, derivative, or unremarkable for some movie goers. 

  • Plot progression and narrative isn’t exactly unpredictable or unfamiliar. 

  • Familiar plot tropes, cliches, and conveniences. 

  • There’s that highly coincidental scene that interrupted an important conversation that was going to make a big revelation. Come on with the plot manipulation! 

  • CGI special effects look so low resolution, that it’s going to look worse in the 8K future. 

  • Mentions “nichiiwad” and doesn’t really pay it off. 

  • Song choices are ridiculously way too on the nose with the story, that they were distractingly hilarious. Which I assume wasn’t the intention.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Ice Road - watched it on NETFLIX

F9: the Fast Saga

POSITIVES…

  • It’s a Fast and Furious movie. You know what you’re going to get, and that’s what you get with this installment. 

  • Some over the top family drama, an outrageous globetrotting espionage adventure, and villains with world dominating plans. Typically what you would expect from this franchise now. 

  • Car chases. It’s a Fast and Furious movie. It still has entertaining car chases. 

  • Fun stunt work as usual. From people tumbling, jumping, and falling from tall heights, to all those vehicles tumbling, jumping, and falling from tall heights. 

  • So much vehicular destruction and T-bones! 

  • Giant electromagnets! 

  • Action sequences are enjoyable to watch. From the Montecito scenes (Peligros Minas), all the way to the final scenes in Tbilisi. 

  • Solid cast ensemble, from Diesel, Rodriguez, Brewster, Emmanuel, Kang, and more. 

  • I liked John Cena playing the heel, and Charlize Theron is still excellent as a villain.

  • Helen Mirren is awesome. 

  • #JusticeForHan 

  • Pontiac Fiero. 

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s as derivative and predictable as a Fast and Furious movie always is. 

  • Lampshading does not excuse plot armor! 

  • Still has stupid logic and plot conveniences. Try to suspend your disbelief. 

  • Is the Roman Pearce character actually funny to you? 

  • Hey look, it’s that old stupid trope again. Bad guys just don’t know how to shoot good guys. *rolls eyes* 

  • No wait, there’s that other old stupid trope again. Bad guys need to follow through on actually killing the good guys when they have the best opportunity to do so! 

  • Cute Star Wars references? No. Just stop. 

  • #NotEnoughJusticeForHan

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F9: the Fast Saga - watched it IN THEATERS

False Positive

POSITIVES…

  • Interesting premise for a horror movie. 

  • Plot takes you into familiar territory but should still keep you off balance enough as you continue watching what happens. 

  • Grabs you visually with some remarkably dark imagery. 

  • That sense of foreboding dread is ever present. 

  • Unsettling unnerving tone throughout. 

  • Ilana Glazer is phenomenal in her role, and really takes you along with her character’s experience. 

  • Justin Theroux is fantastic in a very subdued subtle way playing the husband role. 

  • Pierce Brosnan in one of his creepiest roles yet. 

  • Love the filmmaking techniques with the camera. Especially the ones with mirrors. 

  • The commentaries this movie makes are definitely food for thought. 

  • "Mommy Brain." 

  • "I trained myself not to have a gag reflex."

NEGATIVES…

  • Wow, this is absolutely not a movie for everyone. 

  • Some disturbing imagery that might be too disturbing? Trigger warning no doubt.

  • Starts off slow… and kinda stays at that slow methodical pace throughout. 

  • Can start feeling a bit repetitive at a certain point.

  • There are some big reveals that were a bit too predictable to be supposed big reveals. 

  • That concluding act is going to be polarizing.

  • If you hear a bump in the night? Would you walk into a room without turning on the light?

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False Positive - watched it on HULU

Good on paper

POSITIVES…

  • Has a solid premise about a stand-up comic / struggling actress, who meets a man that unexpectedly disrupts her way of life. 

  • Interesting thing about watching this movie, is seeing how the story plays out, as it does take you places. 

  • Iliza Shelesinger is great in the role, and it’s easy to get invested in her story here. 

  • Ryan Hansen is excellent playing the role of Dennis Kelly. 

  • Margaret Cho is entertaining as the best friend. 

  • Narrative moves at a good pace 

  • There are some solid scenes that grab your attention here, from the “seeing the house” reveal, meeting the roommates, to the big confrontation during the final act. 

  • The final act is a satisfying enough pay off. 

  • I like that the humor and the jokes and the plot points do seem like they are straight out of a stand-up comedy routine. 

  • It’s got a legit commentary about life and people. 

  • “Cuttlefishing.”

  • "I learned so much by playing a TV nurse."

NEGATIVES…

  • Those looking more for a traditional romantic comedy will probably be disappointed.

  • You can see where the story is going, and it can be frustrating that it’s not getting there fast enough. 

  • It doesn’t really get into the groove of the narrative until at least the second act. 

  • Besides the fact that this movie is “mostly” based on a true story, it may still come off too unbelievable for some people. 

  • There’s a simplicity to the direction and production that some might find too unremarkable.

  • Also, sure, there’s a chance you might not care for any of the characters enough to keep your interest.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Good On Paper - watched it on NETFLIX

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One

POSITIVES…

  • Despite the superhero/villains aspect of it, I love the fact that the premise is really more like a crime drama, with a mystery about a particular serial killer as the through line.

  • With how the plot goes places with the story, it’s hard not to be engaged and invested with it.

  • I like the art style of the animation, which brings a nice comic book feel to the presentation.

  • Action sequences are great. From the rooftop chase, the China town fight, to the confrontation on the plane, this movie’s got exciting moments.

  • Good pacing, that gradually builds up the narrative to a tipping point.

  • Part of how this movie succeeds is in it’s ensemble cast of voice talent and expansive characters. Plus cameos!

  • Jensen Ackles is a great Batman / Bruce Wayne. Excellent voice casting here.

  • Naya Rivera (RIP) is wonderful as Catwoman, and is easily one of the highlights of this movie.

  • Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent, and Billy Burke as James Gordon. Awesome work.

  • Titus Welliver as Carmine Falcone, and Troy Baker as Joker. Fantastic, fantastic stuff.

  • “I hate when he does that.”

NEGATIVES…

  • The simplicity of the art style might not be seen as cinematic enough for some people.

  • This is still a “Part One” situation in that it ends on a cliffhanger. Just release it as a 3 hours movie. We’ll be okay with that!

  • Even at just a part one though, I wish it was much longer than 85 minutes.

  • I can see people getting annoyed with the Gilda character.

  • It’s taken for granted that it expects you to already know the basic background story of the characters, as it really doesn’t try and show you all that exposition. Some might say that it’s lacking in character development because of that fact.

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Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One - watched it on VOD

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final

POSITIVES…

  • Fans of the Rurouni Kenshin franchise should be ecstatic to be watching this live-action adaptation, and in particular the story arc that it’s based on. 

  • Plot and narrative should keep you hooked to see things through the end. 

  • Seeing the whole cast of familiar characters is just such a joy. 

  • It’s also always great to see the Japanese locations and time period that these movies are set in. 

  • As expected, the action sequences are awesome! 

  • Fight choreography is fantastic! 

  • I can never get tired of seeing certain characters sprinting and running on walls. 

  • Excellent action set pieces, from the opening introduction of Enishi, to that scene where a certain character is fighting a horde of enemies by himself. 

  • Takeru Satoh is once again perfect as Kenshin Himura, Emi Takei is wonderful as Kaoru Kamiya, and Mackenyu is phenomenal as Enishi Yukishiro. 

  • I do love how the battles are very heightened, full of wanton destruction, and filled with colorful characters with superhuman skills and abilities. It’s really like watching superheroes fighting supervillains. 

  • Who doesn’t like those dramatic displays of friendship, honor, heroics, and kindness? Plus all those dramatic character entrances!

  • “Hate me? Quite enough people hate me already.”

NEGATIVES…

  • Yes, it’s another plot that revolves around Kenshin’s past that is dangerously haunting him again. What else is new? Is this movie a little derivative? Yes.  

  • A huge chunk of the supporting cast unfortunately gets second tier attention in this, to the point that they are either background characters or just present purely for the fights. 

  • Heightened operatic melodrama and cool stances for dramatic effect, can get a little ridiculous at times to the point of self-parody. 

  • So much tormented self-pity parties. Does this movie take itself really seriously? Sure does. 

  • The movie is 138 minutes long, and some might criticize it for being way too heavy on action sequences to the point of numbness. 

  • Those very important and relevant flashback scenes are arguably not edited well for this narrative. I get why they are the way they are; there’s that next movie coming out, but still…  

  • Slow-motion shots could be smoother. Seriously.

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Rurouni Kenshin: The Final - watched it on NETFLIX

Fatherhood

POSITIVES…

  • Appreciated the movie’s premise about being a single parent and about grief. 

  • Yes, this is Kevin Hart doing drama. There are still some jokes here and there, but he is actually really great as a dramatic actor. 

  • Then pair him with the super talented Melody Hurd and you’ve got an amazing duo with strong chemistry to root for. 

  • Alfre Woodard as the Mom-in-Law Marion. Strong exchanges between her and Kevin Hart here. 

  • Excellent supporting cast, that includes DeWanda Wise, Frankie Faison, Paul Reiser, Anthony Carrigan, and Lil Rey Howery. 

  • Those entertaining montage sequences. 

  • Tons of legitimate emotional moments and scenes. Sad or heartwarming. Take your pick. This one’s got them. 

  • Some of those bits of comedy were a welcome change of pace to the mostly serious story. 

  • Lucky Jim cartoon.

NEGATIVES…

  • First off. Augh. The trailer really really spoils the movie. 

  • Very familiar plot tropes and cliches are all over this film. 

  • The derivativeness unfortunately makes this movie a little less memorable in the end. 

  • Movie panders to the audience a little too much at times. 

  • Lil Rey Howery’s character of Jordan. Let me just say that I thought that his character was the weakest thing about this film. Annoying as heck.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fatherhood - watched it on NETFLIX

Luca

POSITIVES…

  • Charming coming of age story that just happens to be about merpeople. 

  • Perfect movie to watch to get you in the mood for the summer season. 

  • Wonderfully colorful and vibrant animation. Looks almost like claymation. 

  • Fantastic Italian location and setting for the movie. 

  • Love the daydreaming sequences. They are very visually imaginative. 

  • The two boy leads that are Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer, as Luca and Alberto respectively, are excellent in this. Get invested with their characters. 

  • Emma Berman as Giulia is an energetic dynamo that deserves all the kudos. 

  • Great supporting cast that includes Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, Marco Barricelli, and Saverio Raimondo. 

  • Along with the good pacing and narrative, are the complimentary plot set pieces, montages, and the situational comedic moments. 

  • Very satisfying conclusion. 

  • Has worthwhile universal themes and lessons that I can absolutely get behind. 

  • “I need you to punch his heart. The red one. Harder!”

NEGATIVES…

  • Expect some plot cliches and plot conveniences that just serve to move the story along. 

  • The ending may not be seen as endearing, but rather and probably unbelievable. 

  • Ercole is just too annoying and obnoxious of an antagonist for me. To the point that he just isn’t even entertaining to watch anymore. 

  • Some might think that this Pixar film isn’t ambitious or spectacular enough.

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Luca - watched it on DISNEY+

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

POSITIVES…

  • If you enjoyed the previous installment, then you’ll probably really enjoy this sequel. It’s exactly what you likely expected to get. Outrageous, irreverent, humorous, and lots of action flick violence. 

  • The combo of Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson, and Salma Hayek, is just pure chaotic entertainment. 

  • Ryan Reynolds continues to be spectacular trying to be the straight man of this dysfunctional trio, that hilariously always gets the short end of the stick. 

  • Samuel L Jackson is Samuel L Jackson. ‘Nuff said. 

  • Salma Hayek might easily be the main highlight of this movie, what with her vulgarity, aggression, unpredictability, and ability to steal all the scenes she's in. 

  • Fantastic supporting cast of Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Tom Hopper, and... surprise cameo? (I didn’t know he was in it!) 

  • Action scenes. Comedic scenes. Flashback scenes. Chase scenes. That scene with Tina Turner’s “The Best” playing in the background. Lots of good scenes all around. 

  • I got whiplash from all the different locations this movie takes place in. 

  • Lots of banter, quips, insults, sight gags, physical comedy, and pop culture references, that were just too fun. 

  • Several running jokes that constantly hit the landing. 

  • “Your mouth needs an exorcism.” 

  • “What if somebody is upstairs.” 

  • Gary and Johan.

NEGATIVES…

  • The premise and story isn’t exactly unique, or completely stand out, so don’t be surprised to see some derivativeness to the movie. 

  • Some might find this too obnoxiously loud, in the visual and aural sense. 

  • Being that this is mostly a lighthearted dark comedy... Does this have cartoony violence to laugh at, or is it an OMG the violence is not in tone with the movie?! 

  • Certain parts were just too improbable or impossible. Suspend your disbelief! 

  • Plot conveniences. Of course. 

  • Look. If you’re going to constantly have scenes where people are just horribly bad shots, when they probably shouldn’t be, then for chrissakes don’t write those situations into the movie! It just makes it dumber than it has to be.

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Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard - watched it IN THEATERS