Space Jam: A New Legacy

POSITIVES…

  • If you're a fan of Lebron James, how could you not want to see this movie? 

  • Those Lebron and NBA references and jokes alone are stuff you are going to enjoy. 

  • Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes are always entertaining to watch. 

  • Kudos to Don Cheadle for throwing himself into the role of King Al G Rhythm. 

  • Ernie Johnson and Lil Rel. 

  • That Tune World sequence. 

  • Mixing the Tunes with other worlds? I can dig it. 

  • Looney Tunes style basketball does look like chaotic fun. 

  • Slapstick, wacky, and self-aware humor. 

  • A visual smorgasbord of different styles that works well for this movie. 

  • The generally efficient narrative makes up for the "two hours is way too long for this movie" runtime. 

  • It does have a solid thematic lesson behind this story that I can absolutely get behind. 

  • "You know I got full court vision." 

  • "... and athletes acting, that never goes well."

NEGATIVES…

  • Familiar plot progression and tropes make this quite a bit derivative. 

  • Lebron James is simply hit or miss while acting in this one. 

  • Stupid, nonsensical, and questionable, plot points that is just cringe. 

  • The shameless plugs of Warner Bros properties can get embarrassing to see. 

  • So many integrated promotional ads into the story and visuals. May as well make a drinking game out of it. 

  • Tonally skewed between being a kids movie or just a nostalgia easter egg machine for older geeks. 

  • Basketball purists may not care for the alterations to the game.

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Space Jam: A New Legacy - watched it on HBO MAX

Fear Street part three: 1666

POSITIVES…

  • Part Three 1666 does not disappoint, and fantastically concludes this Fear Street trilogy. It’s simply the best one of the three. 

  • We want certain story threads to pay off, and this installment achieves that goal spectacularly! 

  • Awesome plot reveals that gets you even more hooked on this story. 

  • There are certain scenes with some monologuing that were just on point! 

  • Big set pieces that are engaging to see play out. 

  • It's a bit fun having the cast from 1994 and 1978 play roles in 1666. 

  • Kudos to Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr, Gillian Jacobs, and more, for being great in their roles for this series of films. 

  • Solid combo of dread and thrills in this movie. 

  • Excellent locations and settings that this movie takes good advantage of. 

  • Love the themes, metaphors, and social commentaries that this tragic story has. 

  • The Konami Code. 

  • Plan A

NEGATIVES…

  • Honestly wished it was scarier and had more horror. 

  • There's a certain familiarity and predictability as to where the story is going. 

  • Not sure the cast’s attempts on doing the accents of 1666 was necessary. 

  • Some questionable decisions that you can nitpick. 

  • There's also one gag that really really does not make sense.

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Fear Street part three: 1666 - watched it on NETFLIX

Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions

POSITIVES…

  • Those who liked the previous installment and/or those who like playing Escape Rooms, should find things to like with this sequel. 

  • Kudos once again to the creative team behind this, for the highly produced and elaborate escape rooms that the characters are forced to participate in. You wish real life escape rooms were this fancy, except without the deaths of course. 

  • Those escape rooms of course are the main reason to check out this movie. 

  • Say what you will about the story, but this movie legitimately has some exciting and thrilling scenes. 

  • Excellent in how efficient the narrative is. 

  • About the perfect running time for this kind of movie. 

  • Still managed to surprise me with some of the plot developments. 

  • As brief as it was, there’s that death scene that is just traumatizing to watch. 

  • Solid cast of actors and their characters that you just can’t help but root for to survive. 

  • Special shout out to Holland Roden as Rachel. She’s pretty cool in this. 

  • I appreciated them showcasing some PTSD moments with the characters.

NEGATIVES…

  • Story is nonsensical and generally unbelievable most of the time. Don’t think about it too much. 

  • The story wishes it was this super interesting mystery that we would all be heavily invested in, but it’s unfortunately not succeeding in showing us why we should care. 

  • Supposed smart characters making stupid decisions took me out of the movie. 

  • Absolutely not satisfied with where this movie ends. 

  • As expected from a movie like this. Plot conveniences! Especially when it comes to Zoey.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions - watched it IN THEATERS

Gunpowder Milkshake

POSITIVES…

  • If you’re looking for a female assassins movie to watch, “Gunpowder Milkshake” is one you can add to your list.

  • Main reason to watch this is for the cool cast of actors. Karen Gillan, Chloe Coleman, Lena Headey, Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti, and Adam Nagaitis. 

  • The other main reason to check this out is for the action set pieces. There are some awesome ones. 

  • Bowling alley action set piece. 

  • Hospital hallway action set piece. 

  • Parking garage action set piece. 

  • The library action set piece. 

  • It’s got that world building thing going for it, to go along with the vision of this movie. 

  • Some ultra violence for good measure. 

  • Bits of light-heartedness, and running jokes. 

  • Plot point gimmick with the arms that I really enjoyed. 

  • I’d like to once again emphasize how cool Lena Headey is in this.

NEGATIVES…

  • This movie embraces it's inspirations a little too much, and loses that bit of freshness because of it. 

  • Familiar plot tropes and cliches present? Yes. 

  • Trying to be too clever for its own good? Debatable. 

  • A bit superficial in it’s narrative? Kinda. 

  • Style over substance? Probably. 

  • Too much use of slow motion? Maybe. 

  • Also for all the world building this film attempts to do, the world it occupies feels really hollow and empty for some reason.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Gunpowder Milkshake - watched it on NETFLIX

Fear Street part two: 1978

POSITIVES…

  • If you've seen the first part, how could you not want to see where it goes? Part Two delivers spectacularly. 

  • Emily Rudd and Sadie Sink are fantastic as the Berman sisters. 

  • Both Rudd and Sink follow two different plot progressions, but they are both compelling. 

  • The kills can be pretty brutal and gory. 

  • Effectively thrilling and tense when intended. 

  • Speaking of effective. There are some solid emotional beats here too. 

  • Witch's mark had a cool reveal. 

  • Hanging tree scene. 

  • "Drugs are peaceful, not violent." 

  • L484 

  • Awesome soundtrack of some classic rock music. 

  • I’m loving where the mythology of Sarah Fier is going. After this movie, I’m very excited to see Part Three.

NEGATIVES…

  • Do you like movies about camp? Yeah, I'm not big into them either. 

  • Some familiar annoying tropes and cliches that come with this type of premise. 

  • Certain plot points will definitely require your suspension of disbelief. 

  • Takes a while before it gets to the actual scares. 

  • Bugs.

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Fear Street part two: 1978 - watched it on NETFLIX

Black Widow

POSITIVES…

  • It should go without saying, but if you’re a fan of the MCU, you should go see this movie. It’s a very noteworthy entry to these series of films.

  • Those fantastic action sequences alone should be highly enjoyable to those who aren’t necessarily big followers of the MCU.

  • I appreciated the raw and visceral physical combat displayed on screen, and how painful it looked to see the characters get hurt.

  • Scarlett Johansson is once again solid as Natasha Romanoff. Fans of Black Widow should be happy with her solo film.

  • Florence Pugh is spectacular as Yelena! Easily one of the stand-out performances in the cast.

  • Natasha and Yelena sharing a scene together, interacting with each other, is just the best!

  • The other stand-out performance goes to David Harbour as Alexei. He is spectacular as the Red Guardian.

  • Movie’s fun comedic moments are all courtesy of Pugh and Harbour. Such scene stealers they are!

  • There were truly a lot of outstanding scenes and set pieces in this movie to keep you highly entertained.

  • Great pacing and plot progression doesn’t give you the opportunity to get bored with it. Doesn’t feel long at all, even at 113 minutes.

  • Opening major story set piece was an incredible way to kick things off.

  • “Family reunion.”

  • Emotional beats were well earned.

  • Kudos to this movie for managing to be a generally light-hearted affair, considering that some of the subject matters tackled in the story are actually rather heavy and serious.

  • Liked the themes that are touched on with this story. The obvious ones, and the underlying ones.

  • Pigs.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s kinda weird that the title character of this movie, is arguably the least interesting one of the cast.

  • Plot isn’t exactly the most inventive or ambitious.

  • Glosses over some important plot details, plot turns, and plot resolutions a little too casually.

  • Could this be “too mature” of a movie for the more younger MCU fans to watch?

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Black Widow - watched it IN THEATERS

Werewolves Within

POSITIVES…

  • Premise is essentially like a whodunnit with a werewolf gimmick. 

  • I generally liked the wacky narrative. 

  • Silly lighthearted tone reminds you not to take it too seriously. 

  • Dialog is energetic. 

  • Fun visual gags. 

  • There's a surprising amount of social political humor and commentary. 

  • Good ensemble cast with solid work by Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, Wayne Duvall, Michaela Watkins, and more.

  • Part of the appeal with this movie is seeing how Ranger Finn Wheeler deals with all the insanity that is happening in Beaverfield. 

  • Twisty plot will encourage you to want to see it through to the end. 

  • That opening quote. Genius. 

  • Last act is just nuts. 

  • The underlying lesson in the movie is actually pretty admirable. 

  • Kudos to being a video game movie, without looking like a video game. 

  • Snowshoes.

NEGATIVES…

  • Feels overwritten at times, and tries too hard to be clever.

  • I could only take so much of the presumably purposeful overacting. 

  • Too many annoying characters. 

  • It sometimes thinks it's funnier than it actually is. 

  • Fake jump scares. Just stop it already. 

  • Some dumb plot points were just so stupid. 

  • Didn't seem like a movie that really needed all the F words.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Werewolves Within - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

Zola

POSITIVES…

  • Well look at that. A viral Twitter thread from 2015 actually became this movie, and it is as crazy as that fact. 

  • Provocative and outrageous, this wild story is an experience to watch. 

  • From pole-dancing sequences to the sudden surge of dangerous situations, this will definitely keep you engaged. 

  • Amazing work by Taylour Paige and Riley Keough as Zola and Stefani respectively. 

  • Colman Domingo and Nicholas Braun were also fantastic! 

  • The visual flourishes and transitions were pretty to see. 

  • Quick pace makes this narrative move really nicely. 

  • Voice over narration by Zola is an entertaining touch. 

  • In a movie filled with some outrageous scenes, that group prayer among strippers is an enjoyable highlight. 

  • There’s also that unsexy sex montage to consider. 

  • While it gets serious in parts, it doesn’t stray from adding bits of comedic moments to keep things light when needed. 

  • Effectively done audio drops throughout, makes it almost like a character itself. 

  • Despite what you might think, this does have thematic things to say. At least treat it like a cautionary tale 

  • Done stylishly, and with some in-your-face imagery, Director Janicza Bravo did an amazing job putting this story on film.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s not for everybody, and for those who this isn't for, it's going to be an obnoxious film to watch. 

  • Speaking of obnoxiousness, the character of Stefani is going to really annoy some people. 

  • Scenes when characters are actually speaking out the messages they are typing on their phone is either clever or just dumb and stupid. 

  • Yes it's another movie about strippers without the actual stripping. I understand why that is, but I know certain people will take issue with that. 

  • Take a shot whenever you hear the word "bitch," because they say that maybe too often.  

  • Take a shot whenever you hear those annoying Twitter notification sounds.

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Zola - watched it IN THEATERS

The Forever Purge

POSITIVES…

  • Fans of the Purge franchise will find a lot to like about this installment. 

  • Those who like peaking into dystopian realities will find some interesting stuff here. 

  • Arguably is the scariest and most intense entry to the series. 

  • Day after “the purge” scenes of confusion that leads into the “forever purge” was a good build up to the rest of the narrative. 

  • Once it kicks in, the story for this one is pretty engaging in a non-stop thriller kind of way, that you’ll want to see how they conclude it. 

  • Good ensemble cast which includes Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh Lucas, Cassidy Freeman, Alejandro Edda, Leven Rambin, and Will Patton. 

  • Movie just wouldn’t be as entertaining if it wasn’t for it’s solid cast, their interactions with each other, and their reactions to what’s going on. 

  • That one scene in El Paso Texas that looks shot like one continuous take, gives you a fun take on what an amusement ride for The Purge could look like. 

  • Guessing the type of weapon just based on hearing the gunshot. How twisted is that? 

  • “Speaking english! Translate!” LOL 

  • I appreciated the social political commentaries that this story had. Cautionary tale indeed.

NEGATIVES…

  • While the idea for this franchise is fascinating, it’s still a flawed concept that lends itself to questions it can’t seem to answer, and thus ruins that suspension of disbelief when watching this in one form or another. 

  • Honestly, it could have been more violent, more chaotic, and more traumatic. Despite it’s attempt at horror, it’s still too tame for a concept like this. 

  • Fake out jump scares. Meh. 

  • Has that bit of predictability since it follows some familiar plot tropes and cliches. 

  • Plot conveniences caused by stupid character decisions. Yeah. Still in this movie. 

  • Although they roughly touched on it here, I still wished they showed more of what the day after the purge actually looks like. 

  • The untranslated Spanish language spoken might bother some people.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Forever Purge - watched it IN THEATERS

The Tomorrow War

POSITIVES…

  • Genuinely liked the premise for a time travel plus alien invasion movie. 

  • Opening scenes introducing the plot immediately grabs your interest for the story. 

  • When they finally show you the full version of that time jump scene. I mean Holy ****! 

  • Chris Pratt is a charming, likeable guy. Wouldn't have it any other way. 

  • Sam Richardson is the comic relief guy and he plays it really well. 

  • Yvonne Strahovski. Love her in this, and her ability to show both strength and vulnerability for her character. 

  • Best things about this movie are easily the scenes between Pratt and Strahovski. Their dynamics together is so compelling.

  • Shout out to JK Simmons. Also one of the best things about this movie.

  • Alien creature design is fantastic! 

  • I appreciated the themes in this movie, especially the ones that are clearly commentary on our current real world situation and problem. Also, SCIENCE!

  • Enjoyed the welcome bits of levity. 

  • "My man over there is wearing a chef's hat."

NEGATIVES…

  • Stupid action movie cliché moments. See next negative…

  • Plot conveniences, because you know the story needs to move forward some way. 

  • Ridiculously idiotic very very familiar plot tropes that made me want to throw something at the screen. 

  • Wow, people can outrun just about anything in this movie! *rolls eyes* 

  • The third act could use some tweaking in the screen writing. Just saying.

  • No, I have to say more on that. THAT character?!!! You needed to get that important information from THAT character?!!! There was really nobody else? The internet exists too you know! I know it was telegraphed in advance, but come on now!

  • I want more future tech! Don't show me the future, and not show me some fancy cool future tech.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Tomorrow War - watched it on PRIME VIDEO