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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I'm really torn by this film. I enjoyed it but at the same time it isn't amazing. It's got all the classic formulas in it. Charlie is still trying to make sense of her father's death. Bumblebee is trying to remember who he is. Together they help each other... it really could be one of many films.
Something I'm pleased to discover is that other people were getting Herbie vibes from this. In the notes I was jotting down for my review I put "this would make a pretty good Herbie story". And then I pondered the possibility that Herbie was a Transformer who was broken and stuck in his Beetle shape.
The opening battle on Cyberton is surprisingly natural considering it's made up of CGId robots. It makes for a great opening. But I wasn't wowed. I should have been blown away by the effects and I just wasn't.
Bumblebee as a character was a real joy. After his memory is damaged he's basically back to being a scared little boy and the animation reflects that incredibly well. Everything about him is inquisitive and childlike, and all the little touches are there to really bring him to life. He's very human in the moments before he gets his memory back.
There are so many of his scenes that were genuinely pleasing to watch. Him waving at Charlie as she chases after them. The cassette tapes. The extended toilet paper prank and house demolition scenes. Probably my favourite bit though is where he's sitting in the forest and she's trying to fix him, his fidgeting is adorable.
When it comes to the cast feels like we've got the members of a comedy working on a drama/action film. They work well with what they've got and we get some enjoyable performances but there's nothing that really sticks in the memory.
I still enjoyed Bumblebee but I can't say that I found it to be any better than previous films in the franchise, certainly not on the action and graphics side of things. The soundtrack is full of some classic tunes that are very well placed, and the overall vibe of that combined with everything else is spot on for the 80s. You do forget it's set in 1987 though, which means that little things pop up like the TV and the technology that the military have and you feel like the films has already dated.
This is the first Transformers movie to get a PG rating in the UK, previously they've all been rated 12. It's definitely family friendly... but... it reminds me more and more of Herbie every moment I think about it.
As a last thought... seriously, Charlie? You have your moments. "If we're driving down the street and we see someone you have to hide"... if you're driving down the street he's a car anyway, hiding would make it more obvious that he's not just a car. You draw more attention to Bee than he does. Blindfolding yourself with Memo's shirt (weird moment in the film by the way, creepily out of place) and then standing out the sunroof? That won't make you more noticeable to passersby.
What you should do
It's an enjoyable film and should make for a fun family outing. I don't think there's any particular rush to see it in the cinema though.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Who wouldn't want they're own Transformer who can change into any car it wants AND can dance?!
Something I'm pleased to discover is that other people were getting Herbie vibes from this. In the notes I was jotting down for my review I put "this would make a pretty good Herbie story". And then I pondered the possibility that Herbie was a Transformer who was broken and stuck in his Beetle shape.
The opening battle on Cyberton is surprisingly natural considering it's made up of CGId robots. It makes for a great opening. But I wasn't wowed. I should have been blown away by the effects and I just wasn't.
Bumblebee as a character was a real joy. After his memory is damaged he's basically back to being a scared little boy and the animation reflects that incredibly well. Everything about him is inquisitive and childlike, and all the little touches are there to really bring him to life. He's very human in the moments before he gets his memory back.
There are so many of his scenes that were genuinely pleasing to watch. Him waving at Charlie as she chases after them. The cassette tapes. The extended toilet paper prank and house demolition scenes. Probably my favourite bit though is where he's sitting in the forest and she's trying to fix him, his fidgeting is adorable.
When it comes to the cast feels like we've got the members of a comedy working on a drama/action film. They work well with what they've got and we get some enjoyable performances but there's nothing that really sticks in the memory.
I still enjoyed Bumblebee but I can't say that I found it to be any better than previous films in the franchise, certainly not on the action and graphics side of things. The soundtrack is full of some classic tunes that are very well placed, and the overall vibe of that combined with everything else is spot on for the 80s. You do forget it's set in 1987 though, which means that little things pop up like the TV and the technology that the military have and you feel like the films has already dated.
This is the first Transformers movie to get a PG rating in the UK, previously they've all been rated 12. It's definitely family friendly... but... it reminds me more and more of Herbie every moment I think about it.
As a last thought... seriously, Charlie? You have your moments. "If we're driving down the street and we see someone you have to hide"... if you're driving down the street he's a car anyway, hiding would make it more obvious that he's not just a car. You draw more attention to Bee than he does. Blindfolding yourself with Memo's shirt (weird moment in the film by the way, creepily out of place) and then standing out the sunroof? That won't make you more noticeable to passersby.
What you should do
It's an enjoyable film and should make for a fun family outing. I don't think there's any particular rush to see it in the cinema though.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Who wouldn't want they're own Transformer who can change into any car it wants AND can dance?!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Knock at the cabin (2023) in Movies
Mar 31, 2023
Disappointing Ending
Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan is a hit or miss film maker and that is because his films (usually) rely on a “twist” in the proceedings that make the movie you are watching turn into something different. Sometimes it works (the classic THE SIXTH SENSE), sometimes it doesn’t (THE HAPPENING). But, at least he has the courage of his convictions and you have to respect him for that. However, in KNOCK AT THE CABIN, Shyamalan is doing something that might undercut those twists – he’s beginning to pull his punches.
KNOCK AT THE CABIN opens with an interesting premise – a couple and their daughter are at a remote cabin (with, conveniently enough, no cell phone service) when 4 strangers show up and declare that the world will end unless one of the 3 is sacrificed to stop the upcoming carnage.
It’s a good idea that has, inherently, some moral complications and one quickly jumps onto the side of the 3 in the cabin, writing off the 4 strangers as insane, but as events transpire – and the seeming sincerity of the 4 strangers comes into focus – one starts to have doubts.
Shyamalan does a professional job of weaving the tension into the first ¾ of this film as the 3 in the cabin are trying to make logical sense out of the predicament they are in while the 4 strangers become more and more desperate in their attempts to convince the trio in the cabin to sacrifice one of themselves. This is a director sure of himself and slowly, strongly leading the audience to the ending.
He helps himself by casting some VERY good performers in a film that, basically, takes place in one room. Jonathan Groff (Broadway’s HAMILTON) and Ben Aldridge (Thomas Wayne in the TV Series PENNYWORTH) are convincing and believable as the besieged couple, while David Bautista (Drax in the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films), Rupert Grint (yes, Ron Weasley from the HARRY POTTER films) and newcomer (at least to me) Abby Quinn (RADIUM GIRLS) counterbalance these two nicely. Special notice needs to be made of the 4th person knocking on the cabin, Nikki Amuka-Bird (THE OUTFIT) and youngster Kristen Cui – who both bring much needed pathos and humanity to a film that could have turned into an out-of-control testosterone fest, but ended up being grounded by these two.
So, all of this adds up to a very good time at the movie theater – providing that Shyamalan can stick the landing of this piece.
Alas, he does not. And he does something worse – he pulls his punches as the outcome of one of the characters is changed from what happens to them in the 2018 novel THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Paul Tremblay. Shyamalan could have delivered a gut punch to the audience to accentuate the past bit of time spent with these characters (kind of like what Frank Darabont did with THE MIST) but instead decides to play it safe and lands squarely in the middle of mediocrity-land.
Your enjoyment of this film will depend on how much you like how this film ends. For the BankofMarquis, it was ¾ of a good film with a bad ending.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
KNOCK AT THE CABIN opens with an interesting premise – a couple and their daughter are at a remote cabin (with, conveniently enough, no cell phone service) when 4 strangers show up and declare that the world will end unless one of the 3 is sacrificed to stop the upcoming carnage.
It’s a good idea that has, inherently, some moral complications and one quickly jumps onto the side of the 3 in the cabin, writing off the 4 strangers as insane, but as events transpire – and the seeming sincerity of the 4 strangers comes into focus – one starts to have doubts.
Shyamalan does a professional job of weaving the tension into the first ¾ of this film as the 3 in the cabin are trying to make logical sense out of the predicament they are in while the 4 strangers become more and more desperate in their attempts to convince the trio in the cabin to sacrifice one of themselves. This is a director sure of himself and slowly, strongly leading the audience to the ending.
He helps himself by casting some VERY good performers in a film that, basically, takes place in one room. Jonathan Groff (Broadway’s HAMILTON) and Ben Aldridge (Thomas Wayne in the TV Series PENNYWORTH) are convincing and believable as the besieged couple, while David Bautista (Drax in the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films), Rupert Grint (yes, Ron Weasley from the HARRY POTTER films) and newcomer (at least to me) Abby Quinn (RADIUM GIRLS) counterbalance these two nicely. Special notice needs to be made of the 4th person knocking on the cabin, Nikki Amuka-Bird (THE OUTFIT) and youngster Kristen Cui – who both bring much needed pathos and humanity to a film that could have turned into an out-of-control testosterone fest, but ended up being grounded by these two.
So, all of this adds up to a very good time at the movie theater – providing that Shyamalan can stick the landing of this piece.
Alas, he does not. And he does something worse – he pulls his punches as the outcome of one of the characters is changed from what happens to them in the 2018 novel THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Paul Tremblay. Shyamalan could have delivered a gut punch to the audience to accentuate the past bit of time spent with these characters (kind of like what Frank Darabont did with THE MIST) but instead decides to play it safe and lands squarely in the middle of mediocrity-land.
Your enjoyment of this film will depend on how much you like how this film ends. For the BankofMarquis, it was ¾ of a good film with a bad ending.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
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Chris Miller recommended A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) in Movies (curated)
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Firefly: Big Damn Hero (Firefly #1) in Books
Nov 30, 2020
WOW! No, really, <b>WOW!</b> That was gorram incredible!
It's been ages since I read any fan fiction, as so much of it, at the end of the day, was just glorified 'Shipping. It's been almost two months since I have picked up anything (comic or prose) to read, as my wife and I have been through a hellish two months (started with the MS diagnosis, and ended with our 14 year old Mini Schnauzer having to be put to sleep). Long story short, not a whole hell of lot of reading going on my life, as I have been walking around in a fog, caring not one whit about much of anything, including eating or reading.
FIREFLY: BIG DAMN HERO came out on my Kindle November 20th, the day before my 50th birthday (without Lily, our 14 y.o. Mini, no longer with us, it was more like an UnBirthday, as I really felt it was no longer worth celebrating). I read the first two Chapters, or rather, I <i>tried</i>, but they seemed as though I had not when I returned to the book last week.
No matter, for it appeared not to affect my overall satisfaction that the FIREFLY prose novels were off to a very good start indeed! And I was able to focus my attention enough to finish the book in such a quick time!
From beginning to end, we are a presented with a tale of the SERENITY and her crew early in the first Season. Everyone is true to form, from Mal to Wash and Zoë to Simon and River, etc. No one ever seemed out-of-character.
At a base level, this was a Mal-centric story. We gain some backstory into his past, on Shadow, just prior to the War. We are also given an inside track to his inner thoughts, allowing us to gain an even deeper understanding of his character, beyond what we learned in the short-lived TV series and subsequent movie SERENITY.
DOCTOR WHO is a hot mess right now, something I am unable to get behind (after being a fan for almost 48 years). Too many changes, good and bad. Fortunately, though, FIREFLY remains the same, untouched, let to continue as the way it was intended, and I am totally fine with that!
If you love FIREFLY as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up!
It's been ages since I read any fan fiction, as so much of it, at the end of the day, was just glorified 'Shipping. It's been almost two months since I have picked up anything (comic or prose) to read, as my wife and I have been through a hellish two months (started with the MS diagnosis, and ended with our 14 year old Mini Schnauzer having to be put to sleep). Long story short, not a whole hell of lot of reading going on my life, as I have been walking around in a fog, caring not one whit about much of anything, including eating or reading.
FIREFLY: BIG DAMN HERO came out on my Kindle November 20th, the day before my 50th birthday (without Lily, our 14 y.o. Mini, no longer with us, it was more like an UnBirthday, as I really felt it was no longer worth celebrating). I read the first two Chapters, or rather, I <i>tried</i>, but they seemed as though I had not when I returned to the book last week.
No matter, for it appeared not to affect my overall satisfaction that the FIREFLY prose novels were off to a very good start indeed! And I was able to focus my attention enough to finish the book in such a quick time!
From beginning to end, we are a presented with a tale of the SERENITY and her crew early in the first Season. Everyone is true to form, from Mal to Wash and Zoë to Simon and River, etc. No one ever seemed out-of-character.
At a base level, this was a Mal-centric story. We gain some backstory into his past, on Shadow, just prior to the War. We are also given an inside track to his inner thoughts, allowing us to gain an even deeper understanding of his character, beyond what we learned in the short-lived TV series and subsequent movie SERENITY.
DOCTOR WHO is a hot mess right now, something I am unable to get behind (after being a fan for almost 48 years). Too many changes, good and bad. Fortunately, though, FIREFLY remains the same, untouched, let to continue as the way it was intended, and I am totally fine with that!
If you love FIREFLY as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Fright Night (1985) in Movies
Jan 19, 2021
Fright Night absolutely epitomizes everything that is great about its era and genre. Its just flat out top tier 80s horror.
It has great pacing for a start, wasting no time getting to business, as teenager Charley (William Ragsdale) is immediately sus of his new next door neighbour Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) before quickly (and correctly) accusing him of being a vampire.
Ragsdale is a good lead, even if his character is frustratingly written at times, but it's his teammates who shine here. Amanda Bearse is a scene stealer as Charley's girlfriend Amy, and is equally great when she's adorably likable for the most part, and when she is suitably creepy-as-fuck near the climax. Same goes for Stephen Geoffreys as Charley's friend Ed - typical bone headed teenager one minute, before gleefully relishing in being a creature of the night the next minute. Roddy McDowall plays Peter Vincent, a soon to be washed up horror TV personality who's services are enlisted to help defeat the vampire next door. The three of them together are a damn fine set of support characters.
Chris Sarandon is one smooth S.O.B as the vampyric villain. He manages to be both charming, and a truly evil shit at the same time, and commands attention in all of his scenes.
The narrative is fun, and manages to encapsulate the feeling of teenage adventure. The humour and horror are perfectly balanced throughout. The first half is witty as hell, especially the way that Jerry and his housemate Billy (Jonathan Stark) just fuck with Charley (before things get a little nastier) is low key hilarious. I would have enjoyed a whole movie of that kind of stuff easily. When things get a little messier, the practical effects on display are superb, and although Fright Night is more a light hearted experience, it still manages to pack in some great gory moments. The scene with Vincent and Ed in wolf mode is a perfect example of how practical horror will always be superior.
Fright Night is a truly fantastic horror gem, where everything just fell into place, from the great cast, to the wonderful screenplay. First time director Tom Holland (who would of course go on to direct Child's Play) hit the ground running with this one, and it's definitely a favourite of mine.
It has great pacing for a start, wasting no time getting to business, as teenager Charley (William Ragsdale) is immediately sus of his new next door neighbour Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) before quickly (and correctly) accusing him of being a vampire.
Ragsdale is a good lead, even if his character is frustratingly written at times, but it's his teammates who shine here. Amanda Bearse is a scene stealer as Charley's girlfriend Amy, and is equally great when she's adorably likable for the most part, and when she is suitably creepy-as-fuck near the climax. Same goes for Stephen Geoffreys as Charley's friend Ed - typical bone headed teenager one minute, before gleefully relishing in being a creature of the night the next minute. Roddy McDowall plays Peter Vincent, a soon to be washed up horror TV personality who's services are enlisted to help defeat the vampire next door. The three of them together are a damn fine set of support characters.
Chris Sarandon is one smooth S.O.B as the vampyric villain. He manages to be both charming, and a truly evil shit at the same time, and commands attention in all of his scenes.
The narrative is fun, and manages to encapsulate the feeling of teenage adventure. The humour and horror are perfectly balanced throughout. The first half is witty as hell, especially the way that Jerry and his housemate Billy (Jonathan Stark) just fuck with Charley (before things get a little nastier) is low key hilarious. I would have enjoyed a whole movie of that kind of stuff easily. When things get a little messier, the practical effects on display are superb, and although Fright Night is more a light hearted experience, it still manages to pack in some great gory moments. The scene with Vincent and Ed in wolf mode is a perfect example of how practical horror will always be superior.
Fright Night is a truly fantastic horror gem, where everything just fell into place, from the great cast, to the wonderful screenplay. First time director Tom Holland (who would of course go on to direct Child's Play) hit the ground running with this one, and it's definitely a favourite of mine.
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) in Movies
May 6, 2023
A Return to Form for the MCU
Welcome back, MCU, we missed you.
With GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3, the MCU has returned to the top ranks of movie-making, creating a thrilling, character-driven action/adventure that is emotionally charged and satisfying.
Directed and Written by James Gunn (as he has done with the first 2 Guardians films), Guardians 3 ties off the trilogy of this ragtag group of heroes in an appropriate, fun way by focusing on something that recent MCU films failed to do - it focuses on the characters and their relationships and how the out-of-this-world adventure that they are on will, ultimately, grow and enrich these characters and relationships.
Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Pom Klementieff (Mantis) and the voice of Vin Diesel (Groot) are all back and they all slip, comfortably, into their roles and relationships and it feels good to have them back together again.
Karen Gillan (Nebula) and, especially, Bradley Cooper (the voice of Rocket Racoon) shine above the rest as the script calls for their characters to grow in smart, fulfilling ways and both actors shine in these circumstances.
This film also has something that the previous few films - especially the latest Ant-Man film - were lacking…a terrific villain. Chukwudi Iwuji is terribly scary as THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY who is so single-minded in his mission that living beings - and planets - are expendable. It is a terrific performance (and the 2nd straight strong one from Iwuji in a comic book vehicle, following his work in the HBO-MAX DCU TV Series Peacemaker). He is a talent to keep an eye on.
Of course, credit to all of this goes to James Gunn who, after some controversy, returned to helm the end of the Guardians trilogy (at least the Guardians of the Galaxy with THESE characters) and he hits the mark, finding the right blend of action and character that makes the audience care very much what happens to this group. It is a strong exit film from the MCU for Gunn and the DCU is very lucky/smart to hire him as their artistic director going forward.
A very rewarding end to the Guardians trilogy - and a return to form (at least for 1 film) for the MCU.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
With GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOLUME 3, the MCU has returned to the top ranks of movie-making, creating a thrilling, character-driven action/adventure that is emotionally charged and satisfying.
Directed and Written by James Gunn (as he has done with the first 2 Guardians films), Guardians 3 ties off the trilogy of this ragtag group of heroes in an appropriate, fun way by focusing on something that recent MCU films failed to do - it focuses on the characters and their relationships and how the out-of-this-world adventure that they are on will, ultimately, grow and enrich these characters and relationships.
Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Pom Klementieff (Mantis) and the voice of Vin Diesel (Groot) are all back and they all slip, comfortably, into their roles and relationships and it feels good to have them back together again.
Karen Gillan (Nebula) and, especially, Bradley Cooper (the voice of Rocket Racoon) shine above the rest as the script calls for their characters to grow in smart, fulfilling ways and both actors shine in these circumstances.
This film also has something that the previous few films - especially the latest Ant-Man film - were lacking…a terrific villain. Chukwudi Iwuji is terribly scary as THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY who is so single-minded in his mission that living beings - and planets - are expendable. It is a terrific performance (and the 2nd straight strong one from Iwuji in a comic book vehicle, following his work in the HBO-MAX DCU TV Series Peacemaker). He is a talent to keep an eye on.
Of course, credit to all of this goes to James Gunn who, after some controversy, returned to helm the end of the Guardians trilogy (at least the Guardians of the Galaxy with THESE characters) and he hits the mark, finding the right blend of action and character that makes the audience care very much what happens to this group. It is a strong exit film from the MCU for Gunn and the DCU is very lucky/smart to hire him as their artistic director going forward.
A very rewarding end to the Guardians trilogy - and a return to form (at least for 1 film) for the MCU.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Forever Purge (2021) in Movies
Feb 20, 2022
I'm definitely late to the party on this series, I watched The Purge in preparation for First Purge and really enjoyed both... and let's face it, there's nothing like some gratuitous violence to fill your evening!
The annual Purge comes and goes with the usual drama, with those locked up safely in their spacious homes watching the events on TV. When morning comes and they come out of hiding, they get a welcome they weren't expecting. A rogue movement has no time for the law, it's now the forever purge.
So, a section of the population has decided to rise up and take their power back the only way they know how, through violence... you always worry that films might hit a little too close to home... let's not delve into that topic too much though.
Josh Lucas feels like he's making a resurgence these days. I'm not sure how I feel about him in this sort of role though. Dylan Tucker isn't exactly an exciting character, he has a rather unbelievable arc through the film, and there's no point where I felt any sympathy for him.
A lot of the other characters have similar flaws, there's no one that's really memorable apart from maybe Ana de la Reguera as Adele. She has some interesting moments to do with her backstory, but there's never much of an in-depth look at any of it throughout the film.
The Purge was a great concept and I loved the way it was very focused on one environment. The First Purge had an interesting story and I liked having the inception of the idea unfold. But the trouble with The Forever Purge was that it was somehow too much and not enough all at the same time. There were moments that had a lot of potential for the characters but they were cut off before they managed to get anywhere.
I got the escalating amount of the mindless violence I was looking for, but it seemed to mainly just be "travelling" action. There wasn't anything particularly gripping about it, and it didn't hold up to the previous instalments of the franchise I've seen, and that was a real shame.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-forever-purge-movie-review.html
The annual Purge comes and goes with the usual drama, with those locked up safely in their spacious homes watching the events on TV. When morning comes and they come out of hiding, they get a welcome they weren't expecting. A rogue movement has no time for the law, it's now the forever purge.
So, a section of the population has decided to rise up and take their power back the only way they know how, through violence... you always worry that films might hit a little too close to home... let's not delve into that topic too much though.
Josh Lucas feels like he's making a resurgence these days. I'm not sure how I feel about him in this sort of role though. Dylan Tucker isn't exactly an exciting character, he has a rather unbelievable arc through the film, and there's no point where I felt any sympathy for him.
A lot of the other characters have similar flaws, there's no one that's really memorable apart from maybe Ana de la Reguera as Adele. She has some interesting moments to do with her backstory, but there's never much of an in-depth look at any of it throughout the film.
The Purge was a great concept and I loved the way it was very focused on one environment. The First Purge had an interesting story and I liked having the inception of the idea unfold. But the trouble with The Forever Purge was that it was somehow too much and not enough all at the same time. There were moments that had a lot of potential for the characters but they were cut off before they managed to get anywhere.
I got the escalating amount of the mindless violence I was looking for, but it seemed to mainly just be "travelling" action. There wasn't anything particularly gripping about it, and it didn't hold up to the previous instalments of the franchise I've seen, and that was a real shame.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-forever-purge-movie-review.html