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Darren (1599 KP) rated Scream 4 (2011) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Characters – Sidney has made a career in books after the events in the films, she is completing her latest book tour right where it all started. With her back in town the killings start up again, Sidney must be the role model for her cousin who is going through the same situation she once did. Gale is now married to Dewey, she has given up the spotlight, but craves getting back into the field with the new killings offering her the chance. Dewey is now the sheriff who must now control the situation before it gets out of hand. We get the new potential victims or suspects here with Jill being Sidney’s cousin always tired of being in the shadow of her more famous family member, Kirby the rebellious teenager, Robbie who is filming every moment of his life for a reality YouTube network and Charlie is the leader of the film club. These characters do fit around the moulds of the original teens too.
Performances – Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette all return giving us good performances without needing to bring anything new to the performances. Of the new cast members nobody comes off in a shining performance which can disappoint in places as we have a wonderful set of talents in the film.
Story – The story here brings back our original characters just as a new killing spree has started in the area where it all started, with a new generation of victims and horror fans. The idea for this story comes from the idea that we have too many sequels or reboots, which does help take away the serious nature from the film, the Ghostface does seem flat for the most part because they seem to get mixed into being too intense without a reason behind the killings. Of course this is more about poking fun with the meta of everything in the horror genre which is does achieve.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film comes from the slasher angle, only this time we get a bloodier version of the kills showing the change in the genre. The mystery in this film comes from just who the killer is going to be this time, though we don’t get enough signs this time.
Settings – The film returns to the original town which does help with the idea of a reboot sequel piss take that we are dealing with.
Special Effects – The effects are the most disappointing side of this film because we have moments of CGI that don’t look as true as the practical moments.
Scene of the Movie – Deputy Judy being like Dewey is the funniest moments.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The kids are not really likeable.
Final Thoughts – This is a solid look at the horror genre with the countless sequels and remakes that we are seeing, it brings back enough relevant characters back but does fail to give us enough interest new ones.
Overall: Simple fun sequel.
Performances – Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette all return giving us good performances without needing to bring anything new to the performances. Of the new cast members nobody comes off in a shining performance which can disappoint in places as we have a wonderful set of talents in the film.
Story – The story here brings back our original characters just as a new killing spree has started in the area where it all started, with a new generation of victims and horror fans. The idea for this story comes from the idea that we have too many sequels or reboots, which does help take away the serious nature from the film, the Ghostface does seem flat for the most part because they seem to get mixed into being too intense without a reason behind the killings. Of course this is more about poking fun with the meta of everything in the horror genre which is does achieve.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film comes from the slasher angle, only this time we get a bloodier version of the kills showing the change in the genre. The mystery in this film comes from just who the killer is going to be this time, though we don’t get enough signs this time.
Settings – The film returns to the original town which does help with the idea of a reboot sequel piss take that we are dealing with.
Special Effects – The effects are the most disappointing side of this film because we have moments of CGI that don’t look as true as the practical moments.
Scene of the Movie – Deputy Judy being like Dewey is the funniest moments.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The kids are not really likeable.
Final Thoughts – This is a solid look at the horror genre with the countless sequels and remakes that we are seeing, it brings back enough relevant characters back but does fail to give us enough interest new ones.
Overall: Simple fun sequel.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Characters – Megan Reed is a former cop that has been through rehab after struggling after her own experience in the field, cleaned up, she looks to get back into work on a graveyard shift at the morgue. Megan does start to have strange visits while on duty and becomes convinced strange things are going on, she is left to wonder whether she is having a bad experience from her drugs or is something supernatural going on. Andrew is the ex-boyfriend and fellow cop of Megan, he was left no choice, but to leave her, but will support her through her struggles. Hannah Grace is the young woman that went through the exorcism, she hasn’t remained dead though, searching for more victims in her afterlife. Randy is the friendly paramedic that offers support for Megan because of his own past.
Performances – Shay Mitchell does everything she can with her leading role without being terrible, just not getting much to do from it. Grey Damon doesn’t have much to do, neither does Nick Thune, though he does make the most of his limited time. Kirby Johnson does get extra praise for her ability to try and make her character creepy throughout.
Story – The story here follows a cop fresh out of rehab that takes a graveyard shift in a morgue only to find her night become a nightmare when a corpse comes back to life to haunt them. The story is a true disappointment because we have one side of Megan’s story being that she might be falling off the wagon again, which would make everything going on great, only we get plenty of disposable characters that offer the corpse a chance to kill instead of building the tension of Megan losing her mind. This story does feel like a complete rip off The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film comes from how the haunting figure is searching for the latest victim, only it never reaches the true level it could do. The mystery is meant to be around why the corpse isn’t remaining dead, only for it to end up feeling like it is the back burner.
Settings – The film is set inside the city morgue, we do have the lights that only come on when you are in their sensors go off, though it does feel too large to get the most out of the environment.
Special Effects – The effects are a mixed bag because the physical movement is great, but the CGI covers up too much in this film and it is weak.
Scene of the Movie – The first discovery.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We just doesn’t seem to get the smart enough decisions in writing here.
Final Thoughts – This is a poor horror that just copies The Autopsy of Jane Doe, only to lose all the atmosphere in the film.
Overall: Disappointing throughout.
Performances – Shay Mitchell does everything she can with her leading role without being terrible, just not getting much to do from it. Grey Damon doesn’t have much to do, neither does Nick Thune, though he does make the most of his limited time. Kirby Johnson does get extra praise for her ability to try and make her character creepy throughout.
Story – The story here follows a cop fresh out of rehab that takes a graveyard shift in a morgue only to find her night become a nightmare when a corpse comes back to life to haunt them. The story is a true disappointment because we have one side of Megan’s story being that she might be falling off the wagon again, which would make everything going on great, only we get plenty of disposable characters that offer the corpse a chance to kill instead of building the tension of Megan losing her mind. This story does feel like a complete rip off The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film comes from how the haunting figure is searching for the latest victim, only it never reaches the true level it could do. The mystery is meant to be around why the corpse isn’t remaining dead, only for it to end up feeling like it is the back burner.
Settings – The film is set inside the city morgue, we do have the lights that only come on when you are in their sensors go off, though it does feel too large to get the most out of the environment.
Special Effects – The effects are a mixed bag because the physical movement is great, but the CGI covers up too much in this film and it is weak.
Scene of the Movie – The first discovery.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We just doesn’t seem to get the smart enough decisions in writing here.
Final Thoughts – This is a poor horror that just copies The Autopsy of Jane Doe, only to lose all the atmosphere in the film.
Overall: Disappointing throughout.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Dec 24, 2019
"Satisfying Enough" Conclusion
I am a fan of the STAR WARS films. Ever since I first went to a place A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY I have enjoyed the adventures of the ragtag group of rebels taking on the evil Galactic Empire. Like most folks, I was blown away by the first STAR WARS film, LOVED the sequel, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, thought the concluding film in the original trilogy, RETURN OF THE JEDI was "good enough", hated the prequels and have been cautiously optimistic when both THE FORCE AWAKENS and ROGUE ONE were good films. Finally, of course, I was disappointed (like everyone else) with THE LAST JEDI and SOLO. So...I was going to go to THE RISE OF SKYWALKER no matter what anyone else says.
And...I was satisfied.
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is an above average, "good enough" conclusion to the Skywalker saga of Star Wars, bringing enough action, energy, adventure and character moments - and character cameos - to satisfy my appetite for all things Star Wars.
Directed by returning Director J.J. Abrams, ROS picks up events after the events of THE LAST JEDI. Rey is training to be a Jedi and Poe, Finn, Leia and Chewie are fighting Kylo Ren and the First Order. The film starts out rapidly - perhaps too rapidly - as multiple events take place with action pieces and fast pacing that does leave you slightly breathless - it also feels just a bit rushed, as if J.J. is trying to pack 10 lbs. of movie into a 5 lb bag. By gosh, he was not going to accused of delivering a film that was not "fast-paced".
The performances of the leads are strong - Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo), John Boyega (Finn) and Oscar Isaac (Poe) all know their characters by now and they are able to play in them well. Joined by the expected CGI and costumed droids and aliens (C3PO, R2D2, BB8 and good ol' Chewie), I was happily entertained to see them all together on screen - along with "veterans" like Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and General (not Princess) Leia (the late Carrie Fisher). The filmmakers put a loving tribute to her in this film that is effective (though I could see where they had to use a body double in places), but it is still well done. And, of course, there are plenty of callbacks and cameos to make any StarWars afficianado happy.
Ultimately, the emotional stakes of the denouement fell a bit short for me (as the "big bad" in this didn't have the emotional heft of Darth Vader), but it was a "good enough" emotional ending buried in an above average "final space battle" to have me leave the film satisfied.
And...that's all you can ask for from the 9th film of a series...enough to keep you "satisfied".
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
And...I was satisfied.
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is an above average, "good enough" conclusion to the Skywalker saga of Star Wars, bringing enough action, energy, adventure and character moments - and character cameos - to satisfy my appetite for all things Star Wars.
Directed by returning Director J.J. Abrams, ROS picks up events after the events of THE LAST JEDI. Rey is training to be a Jedi and Poe, Finn, Leia and Chewie are fighting Kylo Ren and the First Order. The film starts out rapidly - perhaps too rapidly - as multiple events take place with action pieces and fast pacing that does leave you slightly breathless - it also feels just a bit rushed, as if J.J. is trying to pack 10 lbs. of movie into a 5 lb bag. By gosh, he was not going to accused of delivering a film that was not "fast-paced".
The performances of the leads are strong - Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo), John Boyega (Finn) and Oscar Isaac (Poe) all know their characters by now and they are able to play in them well. Joined by the expected CGI and costumed droids and aliens (C3PO, R2D2, BB8 and good ol' Chewie), I was happily entertained to see them all together on screen - along with "veterans" like Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and General (not Princess) Leia (the late Carrie Fisher). The filmmakers put a loving tribute to her in this film that is effective (though I could see where they had to use a body double in places), but it is still well done. And, of course, there are plenty of callbacks and cameos to make any StarWars afficianado happy.
Ultimately, the emotional stakes of the denouement fell a bit short for me (as the "big bad" in this didn't have the emotional heft of Darth Vader), but it was a "good enough" emotional ending buried in an above average "final space battle" to have me leave the film satisfied.
And...that's all you can ask for from the 9th film of a series...enough to keep you "satisfied".
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Missing Link (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Annapurna Pictures and Laika Films release the new film “Missing Link”,
written and directed by Chris Butler.
It stars Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost, Zoe Saldana as Adelina
Fortnight, and Zach Galifinakis as Mr. Link, and Stephen Fry as Lord
Piggot-Dunceby.
Sir Lionel Frost wants to be famous. He wants to be recognized for
amazing discoveries and to be able to join the ranks of what he sees as
the elite explorers at London’s Optimates Club.
The head of the Optimates Club is Lord Piggot Dunceby, who, for whatever
reason, is dead set against both acknowledging Frost’s discoveries, and
acknowledging evolution (in the form of the Missing Link aka Sasquatch)
Frost, determined to prove his worthiness, sets off to the Pacific
Northwest to track down the Sasquatch, and Lord Dunceby promptly
dispatches a hired thug to thwart and discredit his efforts.
We follow Frost to the forests of Washington State where he discovers
the Sasquatch itself had written the letter prompting his search and the
reason why is that he has no other family and has heard that there are
others like him in the Himalayans. Mr. Link wants Sir Frost to help him
find his distant cousins so that he will not be lonely anymore.
Still being tracked by the hit man, (voiced by Timothy Oliphant) Mr.
Link (who prefers to be called “Susan”) and Frost first travel to see
Adelina Fortnight to gather a map belonging to her now-deceased explorer
husband. Adelina is none too happy to see Sir Frost and they argue about
the map, with Adelina finally agreeing to let Frost use it on his quest,
but only if she comes along with them on their travels.
We follow the trio across the miles, and watch them outwit their
sinister tracker, finally arriving at their destination.
All is not well, however, when Susan finally meets his distant cousins,
as their leader says he does not belong.
The movie was made with a blend of claymation, CGI and 3D printing, and
was very interesting to watch from an adult standpoint for that alone.
There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments from the adults in the
audience as well, although it seemed like less laughs from the younger
crown at the theatre.
The storyline was ok, but seemed to not flow as well as other recent
kids movies, and my 10 year old son said it was “just ok”. He said it
was rather boring.
From my own standpoint, I liked that the film showed the importance of
friendships and of doing “the right thing” even if it’s not for personal
gain, but I am not sure that it was portrayed in a way that the target
audience would grasp it 100%.
Overall, the movie Missing Link was just ok, and good for a family
outing, but perhaps I might wait till it came out at the discount
theatre.
written and directed by Chris Butler.
It stars Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost, Zoe Saldana as Adelina
Fortnight, and Zach Galifinakis as Mr. Link, and Stephen Fry as Lord
Piggot-Dunceby.
Sir Lionel Frost wants to be famous. He wants to be recognized for
amazing discoveries and to be able to join the ranks of what he sees as
the elite explorers at London’s Optimates Club.
The head of the Optimates Club is Lord Piggot Dunceby, who, for whatever
reason, is dead set against both acknowledging Frost’s discoveries, and
acknowledging evolution (in the form of the Missing Link aka Sasquatch)
Frost, determined to prove his worthiness, sets off to the Pacific
Northwest to track down the Sasquatch, and Lord Dunceby promptly
dispatches a hired thug to thwart and discredit his efforts.
We follow Frost to the forests of Washington State where he discovers
the Sasquatch itself had written the letter prompting his search and the
reason why is that he has no other family and has heard that there are
others like him in the Himalayans. Mr. Link wants Sir Frost to help him
find his distant cousins so that he will not be lonely anymore.
Still being tracked by the hit man, (voiced by Timothy Oliphant) Mr.
Link (who prefers to be called “Susan”) and Frost first travel to see
Adelina Fortnight to gather a map belonging to her now-deceased explorer
husband. Adelina is none too happy to see Sir Frost and they argue about
the map, with Adelina finally agreeing to let Frost use it on his quest,
but only if she comes along with them on their travels.
We follow the trio across the miles, and watch them outwit their
sinister tracker, finally arriving at their destination.
All is not well, however, when Susan finally meets his distant cousins,
as their leader says he does not belong.
The movie was made with a blend of claymation, CGI and 3D printing, and
was very interesting to watch from an adult standpoint for that alone.
There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments from the adults in the
audience as well, although it seemed like less laughs from the younger
crown at the theatre.
The storyline was ok, but seemed to not flow as well as other recent
kids movies, and my 10 year old son said it was “just ok”. He said it
was rather boring.
From my own standpoint, I liked that the film showed the importance of
friendships and of doing “the right thing” even if it’s not for personal
gain, but I am not sure that it was portrayed in a way that the target
audience would grasp it 100%.
Overall, the movie Missing Link was just ok, and good for a family
outing, but perhaps I might wait till it came out at the discount
theatre.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 13, 2019
Brilliantly done
I always go into a Stephen King film with a huge sense of trepidation. He’s my favourite author and sadly far too many film adaptations of his books have been badly mistreated. I have read Doctor Sleep, however this was a long time ago and I’m not quite sure how my vague recollections have impacted on my opinion of this film, but I’m very pleased to say that I absolutely loved it.
This film is very long, but necessarily so. Nothing in this feels like it isn’t needed and apart from feeling ridiculously tired, I was never bored or never found this was dragging at all. It’s helped by a haunting and wonderful score, and the entire film just looks and feels great. The horror aspects whilst scarce, when they do appear they’re very well done and I was pleasantly surprised by one of the especially gorier scenes. Story-wise as far as the book goes, it stays fairly close for the most part. Other than the references to the original film (as the book and the original are polar opposites), there is only one major difference that I identified which was the ending and I actually thought it was a good choice to do this. Ewan McGregor is great as Danny, he isn’t how I would’ve pictured Danny whilst reading the book but he does a great job and Kyleigh Curran is fantastic as Abra, such a talented young actress. The star of this though has to be Rebecca Ferguson. I’ve been a fan of hers for a while and she’s truly menacing as Rose the Hat. I can’t imagine anyone having played her better.
Throughout the film there are of course references to the original and these are so impressively well done. I was surprised at first that they didn’t just use clips from the original, but by the end of the film the reasons for this were made very clear and this worked well. I am torn between being disappointed and happy that they didn’t use CGI to bring back the original actors, but considering the original was made in 1980 I’m overall quite glad they didn’t go down this route when most other films are.
For me, the best part of this film was the final act and this is where I’m so happy they differed from the book. Going back into the Overlook is a truly terrifying and tense experience. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, both because I was scared and elated to be back where it all began.
Other than the rather lengthy runtime and the slight differences (for the better?) to the book, I can’t think of anything negative to say about this film. Which for me is a rather novel experience. I cannot wait to get this on blu-ray and watch in the comfort of my own home.
This film is very long, but necessarily so. Nothing in this feels like it isn’t needed and apart from feeling ridiculously tired, I was never bored or never found this was dragging at all. It’s helped by a haunting and wonderful score, and the entire film just looks and feels great. The horror aspects whilst scarce, when they do appear they’re very well done and I was pleasantly surprised by one of the especially gorier scenes. Story-wise as far as the book goes, it stays fairly close for the most part. Other than the references to the original film (as the book and the original are polar opposites), there is only one major difference that I identified which was the ending and I actually thought it was a good choice to do this. Ewan McGregor is great as Danny, he isn’t how I would’ve pictured Danny whilst reading the book but he does a great job and Kyleigh Curran is fantastic as Abra, such a talented young actress. The star of this though has to be Rebecca Ferguson. I’ve been a fan of hers for a while and she’s truly menacing as Rose the Hat. I can’t imagine anyone having played her better.
Throughout the film there are of course references to the original and these are so impressively well done. I was surprised at first that they didn’t just use clips from the original, but by the end of the film the reasons for this were made very clear and this worked well. I am torn between being disappointed and happy that they didn’t use CGI to bring back the original actors, but considering the original was made in 1980 I’m overall quite glad they didn’t go down this route when most other films are.
For me, the best part of this film was the final act and this is where I’m so happy they differed from the book. Going back into the Overlook is a truly terrifying and tense experience. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, both because I was scared and elated to be back where it all began.
Other than the rather lengthy runtime and the slight differences (for the better?) to the book, I can’t think of anything negative to say about this film. Which for me is a rather novel experience. I cannot wait to get this on blu-ray and watch in the comfort of my own home.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Conjuring (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
It’s quite easy to think you have a ghost haunting your home. The creeks and cracks of settling foundation, leaky pipes, drafty windows or appliances can sound aerie. Why is it that our imaginations jump to that conclusion and not simply the truth. In some cases this causes people to essentially “cry wolf”, making it hard for us to believe in the true hauntings that have plagued families for generations. The Perron family was one of the many that had been terrorized by a malevolent spirit in their recently purchased farmhouse.
The story follows Ed and Lorraine Warren who’s lives have spent dealing with hundreds of cases of hauntings all around the US. From small hauntings to haunted items and more importantly exorcisms. The film begins with one of their possession cases that involves two young woman who were under the impression that they were being haunted by a little girl who took a likening to their Annabelle doll. They invited the girl to live inside of the doll not knowing that the entity was a daemon. (I do want to interject that the real Annabelle doll was a raggedy Anne doll but for the films sake they made the doll look like it was related to Chucky).
Annabelle is just an introduction to the audience of what Ed and Lorraine Warren do. One of their bigger cases is that of the Perron family. Roger (Ron Livingston), his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and their five daughters move to an old farmhouse in a remote area not knowing the past of the land or the home itself. Ed and Lorraine agree to help the family exorcise their home, not realizing that the case was more dangerous than they had originally thought.
This film is by far the best true ghost story film that I have seen to date. Granted it has somewhat of a slow beginning, once the scares start happening it gets better and better. The acting was not the best nor the dialogue, however if you pay close attention to the story, those weaknesses of the film are easily forgotten. It is extremely refreshing to not see any CGI in a film like this and knowing that it can be as equally scary if not more with simple camera angles and excellent concepts. I also like the absence of blood and gore that has seen to be quite overdone with most horror films lately. The way that practical makeup was used to create such scary characters is only a small part of how much thought was put into this.
This film is scary and when I say that I really mean it. When I screened this, I was sitting in the middle of two big burley men who also jumped at every surprise. If you have been waiting for a film to scare you, this my friends will do it. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.
The story follows Ed and Lorraine Warren who’s lives have spent dealing with hundreds of cases of hauntings all around the US. From small hauntings to haunted items and more importantly exorcisms. The film begins with one of their possession cases that involves two young woman who were under the impression that they were being haunted by a little girl who took a likening to their Annabelle doll. They invited the girl to live inside of the doll not knowing that the entity was a daemon. (I do want to interject that the real Annabelle doll was a raggedy Anne doll but for the films sake they made the doll look like it was related to Chucky).
Annabelle is just an introduction to the audience of what Ed and Lorraine Warren do. One of their bigger cases is that of the Perron family. Roger (Ron Livingston), his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and their five daughters move to an old farmhouse in a remote area not knowing the past of the land or the home itself. Ed and Lorraine agree to help the family exorcise their home, not realizing that the case was more dangerous than they had originally thought.
This film is by far the best true ghost story film that I have seen to date. Granted it has somewhat of a slow beginning, once the scares start happening it gets better and better. The acting was not the best nor the dialogue, however if you pay close attention to the story, those weaknesses of the film are easily forgotten. It is extremely refreshing to not see any CGI in a film like this and knowing that it can be as equally scary if not more with simple camera angles and excellent concepts. I also like the absence of blood and gore that has seen to be quite overdone with most horror films lately. The way that practical makeup was used to create such scary characters is only a small part of how much thought was put into this.
This film is scary and when I say that I really mean it. When I screened this, I was sitting in the middle of two big burley men who also jumped at every surprise. If you have been waiting for a film to scare you, this my friends will do it. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Return of The King
The Lion King is a 2019 computer-animated musical movie directed and produced by Jon Favreau. It was written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Fairview Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Beyonce and James Earl Jones.
King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi rule over the animal kingdom with their pride of lions from Pride Rock, in the African Pride Lands. Things change with the birth of their son, Simba, the new Prince. Mufasa's younger brother, and former heir to the throne, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. The battle for Pride Rock is filled with betrayal, tragedy and drama and circumstances are forever changed after the events of the stampede.
This movie was really good, but of course it was. The original Lion King was one of Disney's best animated films to date. There was a lot of build up to the release of this movie, with fans every anticipating when they could finally see this story on the big screen again. Jon Favreau did not disappoint, but there was a lot of negativity and bad review scores when it first released. I think the big problem was that in all the previews/trailers leading up to the movie coming out showed how realistic the animals looked and how they were able to recreate iconic scenes in stunning state of the art CGI, but they never showed the animals talking or singing. This for me made it difficult to get fully immersed in the film when the very realistic animals began talking and singing, but eventually it went away or I got used to it a couple minutes into the movie. Also they changed very little in this remake and it was almost literally a shot for shot or scene for scene recreation of the original Lion King, which I think bothered the critics. I personally liked little changes they made that I felt made the movie just a little bit better, like the dialogue between Mufasa's and Scar implying Mufasa's gave him the scar, Zimbabwe catching up with Nala for the journey back to Pride Rock, and Nala leading the female lions in the fight against the hyenas. I also thought it was cool how they made it more clear that one of the hyenas was the leader and it was the female and the scene where Scar makes the deal with them. Overall though I feel like they could have shown more emotion in the animals if they had chosen a style that was so detailed to look so realistic. I give this movie a 7/10. It is worth watching for nostalgia and to see it in theaters is a treat, especially when getting children or younger family members to see it for the first time, but the original is still the better film.
King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi rule over the animal kingdom with their pride of lions from Pride Rock, in the African Pride Lands. Things change with the birth of their son, Simba, the new Prince. Mufasa's younger brother, and former heir to the throne, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. The battle for Pride Rock is filled with betrayal, tragedy and drama and circumstances are forever changed after the events of the stampede.
This movie was really good, but of course it was. The original Lion King was one of Disney's best animated films to date. There was a lot of build up to the release of this movie, with fans every anticipating when they could finally see this story on the big screen again. Jon Favreau did not disappoint, but there was a lot of negativity and bad review scores when it first released. I think the big problem was that in all the previews/trailers leading up to the movie coming out showed how realistic the animals looked and how they were able to recreate iconic scenes in stunning state of the art CGI, but they never showed the animals talking or singing. This for me made it difficult to get fully immersed in the film when the very realistic animals began talking and singing, but eventually it went away or I got used to it a couple minutes into the movie. Also they changed very little in this remake and it was almost literally a shot for shot or scene for scene recreation of the original Lion King, which I think bothered the critics. I personally liked little changes they made that I felt made the movie just a little bit better, like the dialogue between Mufasa's and Scar implying Mufasa's gave him the scar, Zimbabwe catching up with Nala for the journey back to Pride Rock, and Nala leading the female lions in the fight against the hyenas. I also thought it was cool how they made it more clear that one of the hyenas was the leader and it was the female and the scene where Scar makes the deal with them. Overall though I feel like they could have shown more emotion in the animals if they had chosen a style that was so detailed to look so realistic. I give this movie a 7/10. It is worth watching for nostalgia and to see it in theaters is a treat, especially when getting children or younger family members to see it for the first time, but the original is still the better film.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Jan 22, 2021
Robert Rodriguez is not a good director. He isn’t an especially good writer or producer either. This is the guy responsible for four Spy Kids films, that start below average and downgrade exponentially into excruciatingly awful. What he is pretty good at is ideas, and seeing the potential of something visually arresting and exciting. That is what led to the success of Sin City, arguably his best effort to date, because he saw how the comic book creations of Frank Miller could become live action and he made it happen.
Alita: Battle Angel is a similar deal. This time Yukito Kishiro’s early 90s manga creation is the inspiration. With James Cameron as producer, and the considerable talents of Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali onboard, it would have been pretty hard for even Rodriguez to mess this up entirely. Although at times he does seem to try, mostly by doing too much and making certain sections too busy and too confusingly cross-genre, like he is frantically trying to colour within the lines whilst using every felt-tip in the pack. A habit that means every now and again something great happens, but you may have missed it in all the background noise.
Compare this film, that just falls short of qualifying for my Bad Movie Triple Bill list, to Spielberg’s superior yet similarly busy Ready Player One. Both involve high concept future realities that are very tech and AI driven. Both make extensive use of CGI and vivid colour palettes. Both are frenetic and demand an audience pays attention in order to fully appreciate the storyline. The difference is that one zig-zags back and forth in tone and momentum, and one is razor sharp in moving us from one idea to the next on a perfect learning curve towards a satisfying climax and conclusion. Guess which one is which? This is why Spielberg is Spielberg and Rodriguez is… a hack.
That said, Alita as a character and concept is charming, and you do therefore find yourself at least wanting to discover her story. The action scenes are also quite electric, and the visuals are often breath-taking. But the whole is less than the sum of the parts here, and we are left with something that can only really exist in the same box as dozens of admirable sci-fi B-movies aimed at teenagers, such as The Maze Runner, Mortal Engines and The City of Ember. It also continues to prove the point alongside Ghost in the Shell and Speed Racer that Anime / Manga into live action is a very tricky business.
There is definitely an audience out there for this movie, and I dare say at some point I will be tempted to give it another watch. What is definitely worth watching however, is how James Cameron uses this as a stepping stone to perfecting virtual humans on the big screen. I am sure everyone involved learned a lot in that respect, so all is far from lost.
Alita: Battle Angel is a similar deal. This time Yukito Kishiro’s early 90s manga creation is the inspiration. With James Cameron as producer, and the considerable talents of Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali onboard, it would have been pretty hard for even Rodriguez to mess this up entirely. Although at times he does seem to try, mostly by doing too much and making certain sections too busy and too confusingly cross-genre, like he is frantically trying to colour within the lines whilst using every felt-tip in the pack. A habit that means every now and again something great happens, but you may have missed it in all the background noise.
Compare this film, that just falls short of qualifying for my Bad Movie Triple Bill list, to Spielberg’s superior yet similarly busy Ready Player One. Both involve high concept future realities that are very tech and AI driven. Both make extensive use of CGI and vivid colour palettes. Both are frenetic and demand an audience pays attention in order to fully appreciate the storyline. The difference is that one zig-zags back and forth in tone and momentum, and one is razor sharp in moving us from one idea to the next on a perfect learning curve towards a satisfying climax and conclusion. Guess which one is which? This is why Spielberg is Spielberg and Rodriguez is… a hack.
That said, Alita as a character and concept is charming, and you do therefore find yourself at least wanting to discover her story. The action scenes are also quite electric, and the visuals are often breath-taking. But the whole is less than the sum of the parts here, and we are left with something that can only really exist in the same box as dozens of admirable sci-fi B-movies aimed at teenagers, such as The Maze Runner, Mortal Engines and The City of Ember. It also continues to prove the point alongside Ghost in the Shell and Speed Racer that Anime / Manga into live action is a very tricky business.
There is definitely an audience out there for this movie, and I dare say at some point I will be tempted to give it another watch. What is definitely worth watching however, is how James Cameron uses this as a stepping stone to perfecting virtual humans on the big screen. I am sure everyone involved learned a lot in that respect, so all is far from lost.
HerCrazyReviews (247 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Aug 27, 2019
Not As Bad As People Say
Going into this film I didn’t have high expectations. I had read some quick reviews and after watching the trailer when it was released it seemed to me like this film was not going to do well. However, it managed to surprise me. I will admit the first half of the film while being okay didn’t have my constant attention or enthusiasm. This changed when “Prince Ali” entered Agrabah and was introduced to Princess Jasmine. I loved how awkward Aladdin was and I could not stop laughing. From there on the movie just seemed to get better and better. (Maybe because the action/plot was picking up?)
One of the things I enjoyed the most was the fact that we get to see a lot more bonding happening between Jasmine and Aladdin. In the original film we get to see them connect mostly through the ‘Whole New World’ scene. What I thoroughly enjoyed about this film is that we get to see them courting and interacting more. “Prince Ali” is trying to make up for his failure of a first impression and is trying to open himself up to Jasmine. I loved that they decided it was important to include extra scenes like this because they do fall fast for one another and this makes their love seem all the more realistic.
Regarding the cast, when I first heard that Will Smith would be playing Genie I wasn’t a huge fan. When I first saw him in the trailer my initial impression was not a good one and while it took a little getting use too I now think he plays a wonderful Genie. While Robin Williams will always be my number one when it comes to Genie he (for obvious reasons) was not available for this remake and Will Smith did a wonderful job following in his footsteps. I feel like the main criticism this movie is receiving is the way Will Smith acts as the Genie and I will admit it isn’t the same but they are two different people with different directors. Of course they are going to act differently!
While it may not be one of my favorite movies I do not necessarily think it is as bad as most people are making it out to be. I do think it could have been better as the green screen in some parts wasn’t great. I feel like they definitely could have done better here but maybe the budget was limited? For the most part I felt like the CGI was standard but not standout in any way. I know some people are upset about changes made but while Disney was remaking their own movie it is good to change up some things as what is the point in watching if it is the exact same script? Overall, it was okay. Simply that. Nothing more or less.
One of the things I enjoyed the most was the fact that we get to see a lot more bonding happening between Jasmine and Aladdin. In the original film we get to see them connect mostly through the ‘Whole New World’ scene. What I thoroughly enjoyed about this film is that we get to see them courting and interacting more. “Prince Ali” is trying to make up for his failure of a first impression and is trying to open himself up to Jasmine. I loved that they decided it was important to include extra scenes like this because they do fall fast for one another and this makes their love seem all the more realistic.
Regarding the cast, when I first heard that Will Smith would be playing Genie I wasn’t a huge fan. When I first saw him in the trailer my initial impression was not a good one and while it took a little getting use too I now think he plays a wonderful Genie. While Robin Williams will always be my number one when it comes to Genie he (for obvious reasons) was not available for this remake and Will Smith did a wonderful job following in his footsteps. I feel like the main criticism this movie is receiving is the way Will Smith acts as the Genie and I will admit it isn’t the same but they are two different people with different directors. Of course they are going to act differently!
While it may not be one of my favorite movies I do not necessarily think it is as bad as most people are making it out to be. I do think it could have been better as the green screen in some parts wasn’t great. I feel like they definitely could have done better here but maybe the budget was limited? For the most part I felt like the CGI was standard but not standout in any way. I know some people are upset about changes made but while Disney was remaking their own movie it is good to change up some things as what is the point in watching if it is the exact same script? Overall, it was okay. Simply that. Nothing more or less.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated 47 Meters Down (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Down Down, Deeper and Down.
It’s summer again; it’s a shark movie. Lisa and Kate are two sisters on holiday in Mexico with one grieving a lost relationship and the other looking for fun. Against their better judgement they go shark cage diving 5 metres below a vessel that looks like it should have been in the salvage yard 20 years ago. After a mechanical failure the cage plummets down to the sea bed….. (Go on, how deep? Have a guess. Go on, go on, go on …)
With sharks circling and air running low, will the girls survive their ordeal?
Last year, one of the surprise movies of the year for me was “The Shallows“, which I really enjoyed. A tense, well made yarn held together by a solid performance by Blake Lively and with a genuine escalation of tension (albeit let down by a poor ending).
“47 Metres Down” differs from that film in three major respects: B-movie acting, from Mandy Moore and Claire Holt (with Holt being significantly better than Moore); a screenplay by Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera that is both ponderous and unbelievable; and dialogue that is at times truly execrable.
The film really takes its time to get to the ‘sharp end’ (as it were). Once there, the actions of the girls are so clinically stupid that they are deserving of Darwin Award nominations. Fortunately, the IQs of the sharks (well realised as CGI by Outpost VFX) are only marginally greater: the sharks will appear and then go away for ten minutes at a time, just so that the implausible plot can progress unmolested.
These films always need an escalator for the tension: in “The Shallows” it was the rising tide; in this film it is the air supply. This element works well and adds an additional element of claustrophobia to the film that is already at 11 on the scale (you surely don’t need me to tell you that claustrophobics need to avoid this film!).
Much of the dialogue is expository regarding what is going on in the darkness and is so repetitive (“We ARE going to get out of here Kate!”) that it would make a good drinking game. The worst dialogue award though goes to Matthew Modine (“Memphis Belle”) who’s repeated medical descriptions of “the bends” becomes mildly comical – I literally got a fit of the giggles at one point.
I’m not going to completely savage the film though, since there IS a nice twist to the ending, albeit one that’s heavily signposted. And instead of reaching constantly for the classic “Ben’s head in the boat” jump scare, the film occasionally teases the audience with set-ups that ultimately just feature murky water and nothing more.
My recommendation: if you’ve not yet seen “The Shallows”, check that out on DVD and give this one a miss.
With sharks circling and air running low, will the girls survive their ordeal?
Last year, one of the surprise movies of the year for me was “The Shallows“, which I really enjoyed. A tense, well made yarn held together by a solid performance by Blake Lively and with a genuine escalation of tension (albeit let down by a poor ending).
“47 Metres Down” differs from that film in three major respects: B-movie acting, from Mandy Moore and Claire Holt (with Holt being significantly better than Moore); a screenplay by Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera that is both ponderous and unbelievable; and dialogue that is at times truly execrable.
The film really takes its time to get to the ‘sharp end’ (as it were). Once there, the actions of the girls are so clinically stupid that they are deserving of Darwin Award nominations. Fortunately, the IQs of the sharks (well realised as CGI by Outpost VFX) are only marginally greater: the sharks will appear and then go away for ten minutes at a time, just so that the implausible plot can progress unmolested.
These films always need an escalator for the tension: in “The Shallows” it was the rising tide; in this film it is the air supply. This element works well and adds an additional element of claustrophobia to the film that is already at 11 on the scale (you surely don’t need me to tell you that claustrophobics need to avoid this film!).
Much of the dialogue is expository regarding what is going on in the darkness and is so repetitive (“We ARE going to get out of here Kate!”) that it would make a good drinking game. The worst dialogue award though goes to Matthew Modine (“Memphis Belle”) who’s repeated medical descriptions of “the bends” becomes mildly comical – I literally got a fit of the giggles at one point.
I’m not going to completely savage the film though, since there IS a nice twist to the ending, albeit one that’s heavily signposted. And instead of reaching constantly for the classic “Ben’s head in the boat” jump scare, the film occasionally teases the audience with set-ups that ultimately just feature murky water and nothing more.
My recommendation: if you’ve not yet seen “The Shallows”, check that out on DVD and give this one a miss.