Choose or Die

POSITIVES

  • Compelling enough horror premise involving a video game. Plus CURS>R is a pretty good name for a game. 

  • Some of those scenes when playing the game, like in the opening bit with the Dad, the diner scene, or that sequence with the rat, were all pretty solid for what they were. 

  • Iola Evans and Asa Butterfield are good leads in this. More so Iola who really carries this film. 

  • Has a generally efficient progression with the plot. Only 85 minutes long. Both plusses in my book. 

  • For a low budget film, I admire the creative visual directions they made work with the narrative. 

NEGATIVES 

  • If you're looking for traumatic horror or jump scares, this is not that movie. 

  • It's not exactly a cinematic wonder, but don't hold that against the movie too much. 

  • There's quite a bit of suspension of disbelief that's required from you to be entertained by the movie. 

  • Questionable decisions might frustrate you into shouting "why don't you just…" multiple times. 

  • I don't think it quite sticks the landing on the thematic commentaries it is trying to make. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Choose or Die - watched it on NETFLIX

Fantastic Beasts : The Secrets Of Dumbledore

POSITIVES

  • Genuinely liked the premise of this rag-tag ensemble group that’s tasked to take on one of the most villainous villains the world has apparently ever seen. 

  • The ensemble cast of actors that make up this movie are all quite solid in their roles. Kudos to Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Dan Fogler, Jude Law, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, and of course Mads Mikkelsen, plus several more. 

  • Out of all the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies, I really thought this particular entry showcased the most visually spectacular and creative use of magic I’ve seen on screen in this franchise yet. It’s all magic magic magic every time, and it’s a joy to see.

  • There are stand out scenes worth checking out here, from a conversation over coffee, a search for a particular magical creature in a forest mountain, that whole set piece involving the magical arthropods, to several magical action sequences.

  • I’m sure it was tempting to diverge from the whole “fantastic beasts” angle as soon as Jude Law as Dumbledore was introduced a movie ago, but I applaud this for applying relevant and logical reasons to constantly include all those fantastic magical creatures into the story.

NEGATIVES

  • So many seemingly pointless plot sequences that don’t seem to really add up to anything truly significant. 

  • Final act just comes off as incredibly illogical, unbelievably dumb, or ridiculously convenient. Disappointing. 

  • There are several plot details that don’t get the resolutions or the follow-ups that you hoped this movie would actually provide. 

  • Boggles my mind, but this movie showcases the worst security systems over and over and over again. 

  • Dumbledore? More like Dumbledore Ex Machina. Howabout, a character that the screenwriters clearly love just a little too much to the detriment of the narrative’s believability. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - watched in IN THEATERS

Dual

POSITIVES

  • Fascinating and provocative premise for a story that explores the philosophical science-fiction concepts that examines who you are or who you could be as a person. 

  • The whole tone of the film is very off kilter, which works really well with the weird plot progression, odd world, and darkly comedic sense of humor. It really keeps you on your toes, as you aren’t always sure what you’re going to see or hear next. 

  • Karen Gillan is absolutely fantastic as Sarah, and completely handles the nuanced performance required of her role. 

  • From the opening sequence with Theo James, that big reveal of a turn of events, the whole training plot thread with Aaron Paul, to the eventual confrontation with Sarah, this movie keeps you engaged with all the compelling things that happen. 

  • I was rather entertained by the unique decision to make the dialogue and characters have this very matter-of-fact and tactless thing going for them.  

NEGATIVES

  • Some people are just not going to vibe with the tone of this movie, or the moments of vulgarity, or the surprising content of blood and gore. 

  • The humor in this movie isn’t exactly of the laugh-out-loud variety. Wait, hold on, those were supposed to be jokes and comedic bits that I saw in the movie right? 

  • I assume it really was done on purpose but the acting in this film felt very stilted in a somewhat distracting way. It’s like they were Vulcans (from Star Trek), or robots, or a race of humans who haven’t fully learned how to fully express their emotions externally. 

  • You may or may not completely agree with the conclusion of the movie. 

  • doesthedogdie.com 

lovedit ENJOYED IT enjoyeditlikedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Dual - watched it IN THEATERS

Ambulance

POSITIVES

  • If you’re looking for a traditional action thriller that keeps things exciting and compelling, well this movie is a whole lot of that. It starts with a typical premise, and then it goes in directions that will make you wonder how much more outrageous things can get. 

  • Michael Bay’s plot progression is one of the main driving force that keep things entertaining, but it wouldn’t be as entertaining without the talented cast like Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Garret Dillahunt, and a bunch of other supporting actors. 

  • Gotta appreciate the efficiency in the story telling in terms of setting up all the chess pieces for the narrative. 

  • There are multiple set pieces that worked really well, but if there’s only one thing that I need to call out, it’s gotta be the particularly crazy insane teleconference scene that made me go “OMG, this movie is actually going to go there.” The highlight that perfectly represents what this movie is all about! 

  • Kudos to the conclusion. I thought it was generally solid and landed on the underlying theme of the movie in a very meaningful way. Makes the whole experiencing watching through this worth it. 

NEGATIVES

  • First and foremost, this movie has probably one of the most unbelievable Los Angeles car chases I’ve seen. It’s glaringly unrealistic that it got very distracting. 

  • Several plot cliches and conveniences that are found in this story, can also be considered ridiculous and illogical overall. 

  • All that over the top banter and dialogue can get pretty obnoxious. 

  • The camera just never stops moving or shaking or panning!!!

  • Those more light-hearted jokes and humorous moments that are tossed into this movie like a hand grenade just feel too forced. All those added plot elements that are supposed to feel organic, just feel artificial. You could say that Michael Bay just can’t stop doing all these typical Michael Bay-ism flairs and quirks that he adds into his films all the time in an annoying way. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Ambulance - watched in IN THEATERS

Metal Lords

POSITIVES

  • Fans of heavy metal music will find a lot to like about this coming of age high school movie. If anything else, it's got a solid soundtrack that accompanies it.

  • That sequence with War Pigs by Black Sabbath really captured the spirit of heavy metal. 

  • Jaeden Martell as Kevin and Isis Hainsworth as Emily were the ones that kept me invested with this movie. Also kudos to Adrian Greensmith for going all in playing Hunter. 

  • The original song that the movie teases and builds up to is worth the wait. 

  • It's got a thematic commentary about songs and music and people that I appreciated seeing in this movie. 

NEGATIVES 

  • Kinda plays on the more embarrassing stereotypes of heavy metal fans far more than I wished it would. 

  • Moves at a somewhat unexciting pace. 

  • Familiar plot tropes and cliches here and there. 

  • No slight against the actor, but the character of Hunter is an annoying idiot. 

  • Moments of extreme awkwardness and preciousness can be a little too much. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Metal Lords - watched it on NETFLIX

Everything Everywhere All At Once

POSITIVES

  • As a genre film that combines interesting sci-fi elements, spectacular fight choreography, within a clever but bizarre narrative that is emotionally engaging yet ridiculously funny, that isn’t afraid to reach ambitious heights in the point of it all, Everything Everywhere All At Once is an incredible achievement in creative storytelling. 

  • The absurdity, visual sight gags, and comedic situations will keep you entertained, while the intriguing, fascinating, and insightful narrative will keep you engaged. 

  • Fantastic overall cast that really worked the material so amazingly. Kudos to Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis in a role I never imagined her to be in.

  • There are a lot of great scenes, sequences, and surprising plot developments to be enthusiastic about, which in part are due to the direction and the cast, but I also need to acknowledge the excellent camera work and editing that really worked well with the narrative. 

  • I absolutely loved the thematic commentaries and the underlying resolution to the premise. It spoke to me in ways that I just did not expect it to. 

NEGATIVES

  • There is a lot of absurdist nonsense in this film, and that might be too much for some to put up with. 

  • All that exposition and the general premise of the movie might be too confusing for some people. 

  • Certain moments of the movie might be too disgusting or too bizarre, depending on your sensibilities. 

  • At one point in the story, it might get to be too much of a depressing downer. 

  • Lots of flashing imagery here. Epilepsy warning is needed. 

LOVED IT enjoyeditlikedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Everything Everywhere All At Once - watched in IN THEATERS

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

POSITIVES

  • Did you enjoy the first one? Well, I think you will like this one too, as it offers an entertaining story that isn’t afraid to go into random plot directions to keep things exciting. 

  • Cast is solid. Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, plus many more. They embrace who their characters are, and go all in. Sonic & Tails. Sonic & Knuckles. Sonic & Robotnik. Sonic & Tom. Those character interactions and relationships are one of the best elements of this movie, and the cast helps a lot there. 

  • With Sonic and his quick wisecracking, Robotnik and his insane wackiness, running-jokes, alternative ways to say shit without saying shit, fun gaming easter eggs, pop culture references, plus the whole premise in general that is pretty out there, the humor, comedy, and light-hearted tone of the movie should keep you amused. 

  • One-upping the first movie, this one gives you multiple locations and scenarios for some entertaining scenes and sequences. Sonic vs Knuckles. That battle with the Russians. Hawaii! That final battle that should make the video game fan in you smiling. Plus more! I’m going to give a shout out to the soundtrack too while I’m at it! 

  • Loved the themes presented in the movie. I truly feel like they are the kind of things a 10 Year old kid should hear and learn, when they are watching this. 

NEGATIVES

  • Is there a thing as the CG being too realistic for these cartoon characters, but without it being too realistic? At some points, the uncanny valley feeling just creeps in.  

  • Is there also such a thing as too many pop culture references? Olive Garden is one thing, but don’t play a drinking game when they reference pop culture because you will be too passed out drunk to finish the movie. 

  • Is the use of plot conveniences to move the story along simple efficient screenwriting or just lazy? 

  • Is the cartoon level juvenile humor just perfect for this movie, or keeps it from being for everybody’s kind of entertainment? 

  • Is there a need to have characters like Wade or Stone or Randall be in this movie, when their roles are kinda underused and kinda thankless?  

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - watched it IN THEATERS

Moonshot

POSITIVES

  • A romantic-comedy premise with a space travel setting? Meet cutes and awkward encounters? That’s a combo that works really well in this movie. 

  • The quirky, comedic, clever dialogue is really entertaining here. Plus the human - A.I. interactions just delighted me. Bantering with robots! 

  • Fantastic cast here. Cole Sprouse as Walt is a ball of charming energy, Lana Condor as Sophie is adorably serious and anxious. Plus all that wonderful supporting cast, from Michelle Buteau, Emily Rudd, Mason Gooding, Zach Braff, to Jac Huberman as Angie / Cornelia the A.I. voice, and Peter Woodward as Gary the Robot. .

  • One of the main reasons this is a fun movie to check out, is the oil and water relationship between Sophie and Walt which perfectly carries the plot. 

  • Commentary on fixing Earth's trash problem, and about class inequalities, is very Wall-E and I’m all in. 

NEGATIVES

  • It's not your most original narrative and you kinda know where it's going. 

  • Some unbelievable plot developments. Don't let that distract you too much. 

  • Not exactly your big budget sci-fi movie, and it shows. 

  • Besides space travel, the future tech presented isn't very sci-fi inspired. 

  • Is that an old iPhone or iPad that they're using in the future?! 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Moonshot - watched it on HBO MAX

The Bubble

POSITIVES

  • Irreverent comedy about making a movie in a quarantine bubble during a pandemic. You down for all the meta? 

  • It's unflattering perspective on entertainers and the entertainment industry is very amusing. I'm pretty sure you'll at least either chuckle at some of the references. 

  • Kudos to the ensemble cast (and all the cameo) for just making an effort with the roles given to them. Some of them even excel at it. Karen Gillan, Fred Armisen, Samson Kayo, Peter Serafinowicz, Harry Trevaldwyn, Guz Khan, Keegan-Michael Key, Pedro Pascal, Nick Donald, plus several more.  

  • There are several entertaining montages here. Those fun footage from Cliff Beasts 6. Especially that one scene where they are climbing a cliff. That chain of command Zoom call. Movie actually does have some enjoyable scenes to check out. 

  • Best aspect of this movie is its acknowledgement of the non-entertainment crew and assistants in how they deal with the actors. Wished the movie was more on that actually. 

NEGATIVES

  • augh! Another movie that heavily acknowledges the pandemic. Maybe it's too soon to be laughing at jokes surrounding that subject? 

  • At a certain point, you're probably going to get exhausted with how self-aware this movie is with its satirical nature to the premise. Cringe. So much cringe. 

  • I get that TikTok is relevant and all, but damn did I not find those social media scenes entertaining. 

  • The moments that refer to the real world issues seem too much like throwaway performative additions to the narrative. I mean. I mean why bother then? 

  • Watching this movie on Netflix, at one point I noticed that I'm not half way through it yet, and I'm all "I'M NOT HALF WAY THROUGH THIS YET??!!!" 

loveditenjoyeditlikedit ITS OKAY itsmehitsterrible

The Bubble - watched it on NETFLIX

Morbius

POSITIVES

  • If you’re looking for a nostalgic, straight to Blockbuster video, B-movie level storytelling, that is a human monster creature feature to pass the time, then this might fit that bill. 

  • The best thing this movie does is how it depicts those cool vampire powers. 

  • Jared Leto is good as Michael Morpheus. Matt Smith is great hamming it up as Milo. Al Madrigal brings the funny. The cast is generally good. 

  • It’s not a super long movie and squishes in as much plot as it needs with its 144 minutes runtime. 

  • I suppose I’m surprised in myself that I find this as a positive, but hardly anybody seems nonplussed with the fact that this guy has vampire powers. Why should they be? They live in a world where people have super powers. I give the movie some kudos for accepting that fact. 

NEGATIVES

  • This is your basic, unexciting, average, and ho-hum movie. 

  • Dumb screenplay writing. Illogical moments. Contrived manipulative plot turns. 

  • Lame third act. I know I appreciate it not being a 150 minutes superhero-fest, but that’s it?! That’s all it’s going to offer? Then it tosses in those two mind-boggling mid-credits sequences?! 

  • The mish-mash messy looking CG action beats showed promise. That promise it didn’t quite reach. 

  • Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, and Tyrese Gibson deserve better than what they were given to do here. 

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

Morbius - watched it IN THEATERS