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David McK (3191 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Nov 4, 2021
Direct sequel to 2017s 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'; itself a quasi remake of the 1995 original updating it to a more modern audience in which the cursed game is now a video game cartridge rather than a boardgame.
Anyway, this mainly follows the same characters as in the previous entry but also introduces a few new 'real life' characters into the mix (portrayed by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover), with those characters then also getting sucked into the game.
As before, most of the comedy comes from watching the in-game characters (still portrayed by Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) doing imitations of their 'real life' counterparts, with Jack Black again stealing the show with his imitations!
Anyway, this mainly follows the same characters as in the previous entry but also introduces a few new 'real life' characters into the mix (portrayed by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover), with those characters then also getting sucked into the game.
As before, most of the comedy comes from watching the in-game characters (still portrayed by Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) doing imitations of their 'real life' counterparts, with Jack Black again stealing the show with his imitations!
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle totally delivers on exactly what the trailers sales it as. The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), Kevin Heart, Jack Black and the blue lady from Guardians of the Galaxy (Karen Gillan), thrown into hilarious hijinks and shenanigans.
The film sets up and explains the rules of the world of Jumanji, every step of the way. It does not take itself too serious. It realizes the audience is there to have a laugh and it surprisingly tells a coherent story. As a result, are able to enjoy ourselves through the spectacle, without questions or consequence…because hey, it’s a family fun movie after all and it is not trying to be anything else.
Each of the high school characters grow as they get an opportunity to walk in the shoes of someone that is the complete opposite of themselves. Whether it’s the “nerd” (Alex Wolff) gaining confidence by becoming the “physical specimen explorer with no weakness” (Dwayne Johnson), the “jock” (Ser’Darius Blain) becoming the “puny zoologist with no strengths” (Kevin Heart) and thus learning what it is like to be weak, the “self-centered popular girl stuck on her phone” (Madison Iseman) learning to judge less and like physical activity by becoming an “overweight middle aged man,” (Jack Black) and the “loner nerd girl” (Morgan Turner) gaining confidence in her womanhood by becoming the “hot girl,” (Karen Gillan). Each of these roles is acted well by both sets of actors, which helps create jokes, humorous experiences and makes them likeable.
Overall, Jumanji, Welcome to the Jungle delivers exactly what it is trying to be. Fun!
The film sets up and explains the rules of the world of Jumanji, every step of the way. It does not take itself too serious. It realizes the audience is there to have a laugh and it surprisingly tells a coherent story. As a result, are able to enjoy ourselves through the spectacle, without questions or consequence…because hey, it’s a family fun movie after all and it is not trying to be anything else.
Each of the high school characters grow as they get an opportunity to walk in the shoes of someone that is the complete opposite of themselves. Whether it’s the “nerd” (Alex Wolff) gaining confidence by becoming the “physical specimen explorer with no weakness” (Dwayne Johnson), the “jock” (Ser’Darius Blain) becoming the “puny zoologist with no strengths” (Kevin Heart) and thus learning what it is like to be weak, the “self-centered popular girl stuck on her phone” (Madison Iseman) learning to judge less and like physical activity by becoming an “overweight middle aged man,” (Jack Black) and the “loner nerd girl” (Morgan Turner) gaining confidence in her womanhood by becoming the “hot girl,” (Karen Gillan). Each of these roles is acted well by both sets of actors, which helps create jokes, humorous experiences and makes them likeable.
Overall, Jumanji, Welcome to the Jungle delivers exactly what it is trying to be. Fun!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Skyscraper (2018) in Movies
Jul 18, 2018
Utterly derivative and calculated mash-up of the thriller and disaster movie genres as Dwayne Johnson has to rescue his lovely family from a really tall building which is on fire, and some evil criminals who are not.
Not what you could honestly call bad in any department, but any soul or originality seems to have been ground out of the script, which may well have been written by software. The only exception to this is - it's not even a proper subplot - the fact that Johnson's character has a prosthetic leg, which keeps turning out to be relevant to the action in all kinds of odd ways. But this just serves to make the film odd rather than actually interesting. In the end it's okay, just really bland.
Not what you could honestly call bad in any department, but any soul or originality seems to have been ground out of the script, which may well have been written by software. The only exception to this is - it's not even a proper subplot - the fact that Johnson's character has a prosthetic leg, which keeps turning out to be relevant to the action in all kinds of odd ways. But this just serves to make the film odd rather than actually interesting. In the end it's okay, just really bland.
Barry Newman (204 KP) rated San Andreas (2015) in Movies
Apr 12, 2020 (Updated Apr 12, 2020)
The plot can be written on the back of a postage stamp (massive earthquake destroys most of California) but I found this to be surprisingly enjoyable addition to the crowded disaster movie field. The action is very satisfying and the special effects impressive, not as obviously cgi as some of these films can be. Where this film succeeds is in it’s casting. Dwayne Johnson makes for a likeable and charismatic lead and there’s solid support from Paul Giamatti’s quake studying scientist and Alexandra Daddario as Dwayne’s resourceful (and absolutely gorgeous) daughter. Of course it does fall victim to a few familiar cliches and I rolled my eyes at the final shot of a battered Stars and Stripes flying in the wind when the carnage ends but overall I did have allot of fun watching this.
David McK (3191 KP) rated Fast Five (2011) in Movies
Aug 29, 2021
The point at which the Fast and the Furious movies started moving more and more away from their petrol head origins - as exemplified by the cut from pre-race to after race roughly halfway through, instead of showing that actual race - while also the movie that first brings Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to the cast, as Luke Hobbs.
This one picks up directly from the ending of the previous movie, and starts with O'Connor and Mia on the run from the law, ending up in Rio de Janeiro where they get pulled into another 'one last job' (and you know how those always go ...), leading to them reuniting with Dom, assembling a 'crew', and then onto a heist that very much put me in mind of 'The Italian Job'!
This one picks up directly from the ending of the previous movie, and starts with O'Connor and Mia on the run from the law, ending up in Rio de Janeiro where they get pulled into another 'one last job' (and you know how those always go ...), leading to them reuniting with Dom, assembling a 'crew', and then onto a heist that very much put me in mind of 'The Italian Job'!
David McK (3191 KP) rated Jungle Cruise (2021) in Movies
Aug 8, 2021
Another film gettign the concurrent cinema/Disney+ (behind a paywall) release date, this one is very much a throw-back to the days of yore: the most relevant comparison I can come up with, perhaps, is my understanding of what 'The African Queen' is like (never seen that film) in that both films rely on the star power of their respective leads (here Johnson/Blunt, as opposed to Bogart/Bacall).
Like Disney's earlier 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, this is also - loosely - based on a theme ride: this time, the setting being a cruise down the Amazon. Like 'Pirates...', this also injects a fair does of the supernatural into the proceedings: I have no idea whether or not that is part of the ride, never having been to any of the Disney resorts.
I also have to say that I felt, at times, that Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt came across more as bickering siblings rather than falling-in-love, and that Jack Whitehall's character (the brother of Emily Blunt's character) more-or-less faded into the background for a fair chunk of the movie ...
Like Disney's earlier 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, this is also - loosely - based on a theme ride: this time, the setting being a cruise down the Amazon. Like 'Pirates...', this also injects a fair does of the supernatural into the proceedings: I have no idea whether or not that is part of the ride, never having been to any of the Disney resorts.
I also have to say that I felt, at times, that Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson and Emily Blunt came across more as bickering siblings rather than falling-in-love, and that Jack Whitehall's character (the brother of Emily Blunt's character) more-or-less faded into the background for a fair chunk of the movie ...
Chloe (514 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies
Mar 14, 2019
underated
I found this film very underrated. everything from the especial affects to the actor has a big box office hit written all over it and on top of that it has a great plot. and yet to my surprise this movie did not make it up there with the big movies of the year.
I found myself so disappointed that those around me had not watched the movie and I had no one to talk about it with this is honestly my biggest complaint and its not even about the movie more about the lack of advertisement of this movie.
I would recommend this film to anyone kids and adults; family's and singles. Although to be honest maybe I'm a little biased due to this film including Dwayne Johnson but then isn't everyone biased when it comes to him?
I found myself so disappointed that those around me had not watched the movie and I had no one to talk about it with this is honestly my biggest complaint and its not even about the movie more about the lack of advertisement of this movie.
I would recommend this film to anyone kids and adults; family's and singles. Although to be honest maybe I'm a little biased due to this film including Dwayne Johnson but then isn't everyone biased when it comes to him?
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Jul 5, 2020 (Updated Jul 5, 2020)
If it ain't broke and all that
Reviewed in one sentence -
There's a bit where Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson full on anime punches an ostrich. 6/10
To elaborate slightly - Jumanji: The Next Level isn't quite as fun as it's predecessor, mainly because it's pretty much a strikingly similar re-tread.
It's still a lot of fun with some imaginative set pieces, mostly decent effects, and a strong cast - Karen Gillan once again shows off just how much star quality she has.
It's fairly forgettable, but it's feel good. Kevin Hart spends half the film doing a hauntingly accurate impression of Danny Glover which never stops being amusing, and by the time the films increasingly absurd climax comes around, it's clear that you would have to be a bit of a Grinch to not take something positive away.
There's a bit where Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson full on anime punches an ostrich. 6/10
To elaborate slightly - Jumanji: The Next Level isn't quite as fun as it's predecessor, mainly because it's pretty much a strikingly similar re-tread.
It's still a lot of fun with some imaginative set pieces, mostly decent effects, and a strong cast - Karen Gillan once again shows off just how much star quality she has.
It's fairly forgettable, but it's feel good. Kevin Hart spends half the film doing a hauntingly accurate impression of Danny Glover which never stops being amusing, and by the time the films increasingly absurd climax comes around, it's clear that you would have to be a bit of a Grinch to not take something positive away.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Apr 2, 2019
Jurassic Shark
Megashark vs Jason Statham movie has its moments but suffers a bit from lacking a clear sense of what it actually wants to be: family-oriented disaster movie, cheesy B-movie fun, or special effects blockbuster. Some people get stuck at the bottom of the sea, top diver (Statham) is recruited to get them out; in the process an enormous prehistoric shark is unleashed.
Actually feels a bit like one of those ultra-calculated Chinese blockbusters we are beginning to see (cf. Skyscraper); perhaps this explains why it is always just a bit too bland and clean to really succeed. You can easily imagine Dwayne Johnson starring in this instead. Statham manages to bring his own brand of nuttiness to the affair, far outshining the rest of a pretty nondescript cast. Script is predictable, special effects are okay, ending is unexpectedly inventive. More fun than it sounds.
Actually feels a bit like one of those ultra-calculated Chinese blockbusters we are beginning to see (cf. Skyscraper); perhaps this explains why it is always just a bit too bland and clean to really succeed. You can easily imagine Dwayne Johnson starring in this instead. Statham manages to bring his own brand of nuttiness to the affair, far outshining the rest of a pretty nondescript cast. Script is predictable, special effects are okay, ending is unexpectedly inventive. More fun than it sounds.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies
Dec 26, 2018
Silly fun
Rampage is one of those films where you get exactly what you expect. It’s completely ridiculously and silly, but at the same time quite fun and entertaining. The graphics are really good for the most part, and Dwayne Johnson is always likeable in any film he’s in which helps. I also absolutely adore Jeffrey Dean Morgan and in this he seems to play a nicer version of Negan, and he’s one of those people that automatically lights up the screen whenever he’s in a scene.
This film suffers from a bit of a weak plot though, and Malin Ackerman as the villain is very weak indeed. It’s also very over the top (as expected), and does get a bit cheesy at times.
This is definitely one of those films where you leave your brain at the door and enjoy it for what it unashamedly is: silly entertaining fun.
This film suffers from a bit of a weak plot though, and Malin Ackerman as the villain is very weak indeed. It’s also very over the top (as expected), and does get a bit cheesy at times.
This is definitely one of those films where you leave your brain at the door and enjoy it for what it unashamedly is: silly entertaining fun.