Fear Street, part one: 1994

POSITIVES…

  • Another enjoyable take on the slasher genre of horror movies, with a whole fun film trilogy premise right from the get go.  

  • There are a couple of fresh ideas to this genre that I appreciated seeing here.

  • I generally like the mythological narrative that this is going for. 

  • It’s thrilling and exciting, with some good set pieces to keep you engaged, like the opening scene. 

  • Has it’s fair share of surprises.

  • Pacing is solid. I didn’t find anything boring about it.

  • Bloody graphic kills. I know there's one in particular that I'll never forget. 

  • A huge part of what makes this movie enjoyable to watch are the main ensemble cast, from Kiana Madeira, Julia Rehwald, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr, to Fred Hechinger. 

  • Kiana Madeira in particular is excellent as one of our main heroine protagonists. Really leads the charge here. 

  • Shout out to Julia Rehwald for being a badass in this. 

  • I dig the whole Shadyside / Sunnyvale thing. Classic. 

  • 1990s nostalgia awesomeness, especially the soundtrack. 

NEGATIVES…

  • Probably not scary or gory enough for some. 

  • There are still some plot conveniences and clichés that can cheapen the narrative. 

  • Adults are inept and missing? Yeah, that old tired trope. 

  • Questionable illogical decisions that will make you scream at the screen. 

  • Contrived situations that seemed forced.

  • Seriously. Is a town just THAT empty at night?

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fear Street part one: 1994 - watched it on NETFLIX

No Sudden Move

POSITIVES…

  • Premise of criminals and betrayals, that takes you into a heist-like noir-ish story. Good stuff! Especially for those who like these kinds of narrative.  

  • An amazing huge ensemble cast, led by the very talented Don Cheadle, and Benicio Del Toro.

  • Speaking shout out to David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, and Noah Jupe, who were fantastic in their supporting roles. 

  • Curt Goynes’ and Ronald Russo’s journey together here, is fascinating to see, and to try and guess where it might end up, by the finale of the movie. 

  • The plot just keeps you hooked into wanting to see what's going to happen next. 

  • Needless to say, this movie offers a lot of good surprising turns of events. 

  • Excellent scenes, like that "normal" morning at the Wertz family home, the visit to the Forbert residence, to the hotel set piece during the third act. 

  • Love the fact that Director Steven Soderbergh allow the scenes to just breath and take it’s time, to get the full effect of the experience.

  • Dialogue is top notch.  

  • Small bits of levity here and there were nice to see as well. 

  • Liked the setting of 1950s America, and the period specific clothing. 

  • Appreciated the fact that they actually explained the MacGuffin in this movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • So much plot to digest, and characters to juggle, that I can see people getting confused or just bored by it. 

  • Still not without its use of familiar plot tropes. 

  • Those looking for a lot of action aren't going to get it from this. 

  • What's up with the wide angle lens used for this film?

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No Sudden Move - watched it on HBO MAX

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.

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

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

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

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?

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

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