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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Onward (2020) in Movies
Mar 25, 2020
Fun...but..."lesser" PIxar
I am a big fan of the PIXAR films. I am a big fan of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland. I am a big fan of Fantasy films (wizards, elves, dwarves and so on...) So when I heard there was going to be a Pixar flick featuring the voice talents of Pratt and Holland about characters in a Fantasy world, I was excited to check it out.
I should have lowered my expectations.
Don't get me wrong, ONWARD is a good film. It is whimsical, fantastic and fun. It just could have been better.
Set in a time where Elves, Faeries, Unicorns and Wizards exist, but they exist as "regular" people, going to jobs, going to school, living their lives...ONWARD tells the tale of 2 brothers (Pratt and Holland) who go on a magical quest to bring back their dead father - at least for one night.
It's a fun romp, but it's not a REALLY fun romp. And that's the issue with this film. It is all lower case - where the film could have been UPPER CASE (if you know what I mean). Holland and Pratt are good together, they are not GREAT together (like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in TOY STORY or Billy Crystal and John Goodman in MONSTER'S INC.). Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is off-beat as their mother, but she isn't over-the-top WACKY as the mother. Octavio Spencer is "octane" as a former mythical creature that aids the boys - but she's not HIGH-OCTANE.
You get the drift.
I lay the fault of this on Director Dam Scanlon who's other Pixar Directorial effort, MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY suffered from a similar malaise. It was fun...not AWESOME FUN. The pacing of the film doesn't really help as there is no strong push to the goal in this film. I caught myself stirring in my seat as the film progressed...never a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, it is still a good film - the kids will like it. I just have come to expect more from PIXAR. I put Pixar films on 2 levels - GREAT Pixar films (the TOY STORY films, UP, WALL-E) and LESSER Pixar films (MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY, CARS 2, BRAVE).
I would put ONWARD in the LESSER category.
Letter Grade: B (even a "lesser" Pixar film is still above average)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
I should have lowered my expectations.
Don't get me wrong, ONWARD is a good film. It is whimsical, fantastic and fun. It just could have been better.
Set in a time where Elves, Faeries, Unicorns and Wizards exist, but they exist as "regular" people, going to jobs, going to school, living their lives...ONWARD tells the tale of 2 brothers (Pratt and Holland) who go on a magical quest to bring back their dead father - at least for one night.
It's a fun romp, but it's not a REALLY fun romp. And that's the issue with this film. It is all lower case - where the film could have been UPPER CASE (if you know what I mean). Holland and Pratt are good together, they are not GREAT together (like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in TOY STORY or Billy Crystal and John Goodman in MONSTER'S INC.). Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is off-beat as their mother, but she isn't over-the-top WACKY as the mother. Octavio Spencer is "octane" as a former mythical creature that aids the boys - but she's not HIGH-OCTANE.
You get the drift.
I lay the fault of this on Director Dam Scanlon who's other Pixar Directorial effort, MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY suffered from a similar malaise. It was fun...not AWESOME FUN. The pacing of the film doesn't really help as there is no strong push to the goal in this film. I caught myself stirring in my seat as the film progressed...never a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, it is still a good film - the kids will like it. I just have come to expect more from PIXAR. I put Pixar films on 2 levels - GREAT Pixar films (the TOY STORY films, UP, WALL-E) and LESSER Pixar films (MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY, CARS 2, BRAVE).
I would put ONWARD in the LESSER category.
Letter Grade: B (even a "lesser" Pixar film is still above average)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Charlie (37 KP) rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) in Movies
Oct 16, 2019
Good first half
Contains spoilers, click to show
I didn't expect much from this film. I was expecting dinosaurs roaring and silly humans making mistakes, its a Jurassic Park film, that's usually what we get. Only this film made me very annoyed, like I was angry at this film.
The first half, it's pretty much the advertising, "Save the dinos!" Jeff talking and Chris Pratt running, this bit was good and had the best but saddest scenes of the film.
The cast only just make it on the boat with a good collection of dinosaurs as the volcano erupts. They turn back to see a lone bracchiasaurus trying to get on the boat and calling out in panic as the smoke from the volcano engulfs it.
How dare they give this heartwrenching scene and then follow it with "Velociraptors have the same blood as a T-Rex" "Let's make a super smart dinos that smiles?????"
I was expecting Jeff talking, Chris running and dinos being saved to be the climax of the film. Not a clone child releasing the dinos like she's a part of PETA.
You can watch the whole film if you want but seriously the first half is good in my honest opinion.
The first half, it's pretty much the advertising, "Save the dinos!" Jeff talking and Chris Pratt running, this bit was good and had the best but saddest scenes of the film.
The cast only just make it on the boat with a good collection of dinosaurs as the volcano erupts. They turn back to see a lone bracchiasaurus trying to get on the boat and calling out in panic as the smoke from the volcano engulfs it.
How dare they give this heartwrenching scene and then follow it with "Velociraptors have the same blood as a T-Rex" "Let's make a super smart dinos that smiles?????"
I was expecting Jeff talking, Chris running and dinos being saved to be the climax of the film. Not a clone child releasing the dinos like she's a part of PETA.
You can watch the whole film if you want but seriously the first half is good in my honest opinion.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Passengers (2016) in Movies
Jul 31, 2017
Casting (1 more)
Effects
A space Titanic
This is basically Titanic set in space, albeit a much better film than Titanic will ever be.
Let's get it straight, this is not a full blown sci-fi epic. This is a romantic love story set in space, with some sci-fi elements thrown in. As long as you can accept that, then this is a really good film. Yes the romance part of the story is pretty predictable, but for me this didn't matter due to the sheer likeability and chemistry between Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. They did get a great job of holding a film virtually all on their own, although Michael Sheen was a delight in all of his scenes too. The special effects too were very impressive and this is definitely one of the better films I saw in the new year.
Let's get it straight, this is not a full blown sci-fi epic. This is a romantic love story set in space, with some sci-fi elements thrown in. As long as you can accept that, then this is a really good film. Yes the romance part of the story is pretty predictable, but for me this didn't matter due to the sheer likeability and chemistry between Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. They did get a great job of holding a film virtually all on their own, although Michael Sheen was a delight in all of his scenes too. The special effects too were very impressive and this is definitely one of the better films I saw in the new year.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Passengers (2016) in Movies
Dec 6, 2017
Not as Bad as the Critics Said
Passengers works for me largely in part due to the great chemistry between Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. Their relationship is believable, real. Exactly what I would expect from two people stuck in a space paradise together. I try to avoid words like "sizzle" and "spice" when describing onscreen pairings, but it's 7:30pm on a Tuesday night and I have folded clothes to put away. So....Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence absolutely sizzle onscreen together! Free from the inhibitions of watching eyes the duo adds real spice to the film's flavor. Yep, that just happened. No regrets. Yolo.
I was surprised by how solid the film was from beginning to end. The mark of a great movie for me is consistency throughout, the same measure I use to judge a good key lime pie. Passengers kept me engaged for its entirety without managing to overstay its welcome. It's funny in parts while being touching in others. Overall the pace works.
The special effects were also impressive. The inside of the ship where most of the story takes place is a carnival of sights. Its futuristic yet a familiar touch of home at the same time. The recesses of space were captured in brilliant fashion. As main character Jim Preston (Pratt) goes exploring the expanse, you start to realize just how small and lonely he must feel in comparison.
When Preston awakens on a craft headed for another planet, he realizes the ship pulled him from hibernation too soon. It isn't long before he is joined by Aurora Lane (Lawrence) who has to help him figure out why the ship woke them up early before things go terribly wrong.
The only thing holding this film back from being great as opposed to "just ok" is implausibility. There are quite a few things that happen, both from a scientific standpoint and plot advancement standpoint, that may leave you scratching your head a bit. This film falls victim at times of trying to take shortcuts. However, if you can suspend your disbelief for just long enough and turn a blind eye, you won't be disappointed.
Some films are reviewed badly because they're...well...bad. Other films fall victim to what I call Pile-On: A few critics from the "In Crowd" don't like it so everyone else is supposed to hate it as well (see The Hitman's Bodyguard). I think Passengers suffer from the latter. See it. It won't change your life, but a great way to spend two hours nonetheless. I give it a 73.
I was surprised by how solid the film was from beginning to end. The mark of a great movie for me is consistency throughout, the same measure I use to judge a good key lime pie. Passengers kept me engaged for its entirety without managing to overstay its welcome. It's funny in parts while being touching in others. Overall the pace works.
The special effects were also impressive. The inside of the ship where most of the story takes place is a carnival of sights. Its futuristic yet a familiar touch of home at the same time. The recesses of space were captured in brilliant fashion. As main character Jim Preston (Pratt) goes exploring the expanse, you start to realize just how small and lonely he must feel in comparison.
When Preston awakens on a craft headed for another planet, he realizes the ship pulled him from hibernation too soon. It isn't long before he is joined by Aurora Lane (Lawrence) who has to help him figure out why the ship woke them up early before things go terribly wrong.
The only thing holding this film back from being great as opposed to "just ok" is implausibility. There are quite a few things that happen, both from a scientific standpoint and plot advancement standpoint, that may leave you scratching your head a bit. This film falls victim at times of trying to take shortcuts. However, if you can suspend your disbelief for just long enough and turn a blind eye, you won't be disappointed.
Some films are reviewed badly because they're...well...bad. Other films fall victim to what I call Pile-On: A few critics from the "In Crowd" don't like it so everyone else is supposed to hate it as well (see The Hitman's Bodyguard). I think Passengers suffer from the latter. See it. It won't change your life, but a great way to spend two hours nonetheless. I give it a 73.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
8.9
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Avengers: Endgame is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team...
Marqees (17 KP) rated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) in Movies
Jan 20, 2018
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a hilarious romp of a superhero movie. Chris Pratt and friends return as the titular Guardians a few months or so removed from the first film. This time Star-Lord and friends must figure out the mystery of Ego The living planet and Star-Lord's origins. Writer/Director James Gunn strikes gold once again in this highly anticipated sequel. The way he has portrayed this ragtag team has set them apart from other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. My only issues would be the retread of the whole "we are family" story. Vol. 1 already established that they became tight-knit through their trials on Xandar. The other would of course the weak villian of the film with the whole take over the universe plot point. Other than that it is a solid film.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) in Movies
Feb 11, 2020 (Updated Feb 11, 2020)
Dinosaur Biddding War
Fallen Kingdom- i like better than Jurassic World. Yes its predictable and a villian that is perdictable. But its still a jurassic park movie, the fifth one. Yes their should of stopped at the first one, but two sequels and a reboot, and a six one coming in 2021. This franchise isnt stopping any time soon. Which i want it to stop, please stop hollywood. Anyways it has action and adventure. It does have Chris pratt in it so thats a plus.
The Plot: Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that's about to erupt. They soon encounter terrifying new breeds of gigantic dinosaurs, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.
So should you watch it, if your a jurassic park fan than yes. If your not than just skip it.
The Plot: Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that's about to erupt. They soon encounter terrifying new breeds of gigantic dinosaurs, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.
So should you watch it, if your a jurassic park fan than yes. If your not than just skip it.
sheryet (699 KP) rated The Tomorrow War (2021) in Movies
Jul 10, 2021
Not as bad as I had thought it would be
I had heard bad things about this movie so I was not expecting much. I was however pleasantly surprised.
The storyline actually made sense, it flowed well but I do feel that it was too long, with some parts I felt could have been shortened, runtime is 139 minutes, probably could have cut down some of the slower parts of the film.
The aliens are pretty cool actually, they remind me of ones from different films but at the same time is unique to this film. I particularly liked all its arms and how they move.
Chris Pratt is brilliant as always, but the rest of the cast are brilliant as well, they all work well together.
Overall this film may not be the best but actually I really liked it, its different and the CGI and action is great.
The storyline actually made sense, it flowed well but I do feel that it was too long, with some parts I felt could have been shortened, runtime is 139 minutes, probably could have cut down some of the slower parts of the film.
The aliens are pretty cool actually, they remind me of ones from different films but at the same time is unique to this film. I particularly liked all its arms and how they move.
Chris Pratt is brilliant as always, but the rest of the cast are brilliant as well, they all work well together.
Overall this film may not be the best but actually I really liked it, its different and the CGI and action is great.
Stuart Edge
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A few years ago, Stuart Edge was cleaning porta-potties. As he cleaned, he dreamt of someday...
Unqualified: Love and Relationship Advice from a Celebrity Who Just Wants to Help
7.0
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Part advice, part memoir UNQUALIFIED will reveal Anna's unique take on "how to navigate the bizarre,...
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