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Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) in Movies
Aug 19, 2019
Brad drives while Leo coughs: The Movie.
350. Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood. A movie that answers the big questions like: What is Brad Pitt's driving skills like? Or, what does Leonardo Dicaprio look like hacking up a lung? They will be answered because a large portion of this three hour long movie is dedicated to just that. Brad Pitt driving by himself listening to the popular tunes of the late 60's, Brad Pitt driving Leo around while Leo hacks up a lung from smoking and drinking, and Brad Pitt driving while flirting with one of the Manson girls he just happens to keep running into... OK with that out of the way, its a really cool movie, cool concept and of course great acting, writing and directing. Has the Tarantino signature, multiple separate storylines coming into one explosive finale... Basically its the story of a down on his luck actor, Rick Dalton, and his stunt double/bestie, Cliff Booth, and as I said earlier, Cliff drives a lot because his bestie Rick has racked up quite a few DUI's so... and at the same time... we have Rick's new neighbors on Cielo Drive, the Polanski's, Sharon Tate coming into her own stardom and enjoying life, and we also have Cliff's solo driving adventures where he picks up a Manson girl hitching and meets the rest of the family on the ranch, all leading up to the events of August 9, 1969. A pretty sweet ride, I think its the least violent of all Tarantino's movies, but don't worry there's a bit of bloodiness thrown in to make you say, 'there it is'! Filmbufftim on FB

David McK (3576 KP) rated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) in Movies
Nov 21, 2021
Marvel does Mystical Martial Arts
Marvel (the film branch) is mainly known for its superhero movies.
We've had Origin stories (upon origin story upon origins story ...)
We've had 'fish out of water' comedies (see: Thor)
We've had outright sci-fi/sci-fantasy (see: Guardians of the Galaxy)
We've had political thrillers (see: Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
We've had team-up (see: The Avengers)
We've had crime capers (See: Ant-man)
Up until now, we've had no Martial Arts movies (sorry, Netflix's 'Iron Fist': you don't count as a movie).
We've also had no movies with a mainly Asian cast. Until now.
This also brings back the 10 Rings organisation (first name-dropped all the way back in 2008's 'Iron Man'), with the plot outline of the movie actually quite different than what I expected - lots of Martial Arts sequences (the fight on the bamboo scaffolding is a high-light), the usual Marvel musings on family, and one or two character inclusions that I wasn't expecting (but really should have been) ...
We've had Origin stories (upon origin story upon origins story ...)
We've had 'fish out of water' comedies (see: Thor)
We've had outright sci-fi/sci-fantasy (see: Guardians of the Galaxy)
We've had political thrillers (see: Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
We've had team-up (see: The Avengers)
We've had crime capers (See: Ant-man)
Up until now, we've had no Martial Arts movies (sorry, Netflix's 'Iron Fist': you don't count as a movie).
We've also had no movies with a mainly Asian cast. Until now.
This also brings back the 10 Rings organisation (first name-dropped all the way back in 2008's 'Iron Man'), with the plot outline of the movie actually quite different than what I expected - lots of Martial Arts sequences (the fight on the bamboo scaffolding is a high-light), the usual Marvel musings on family, and one or two character inclusions that I wasn't expecting (but really should have been) ...

The Craggus (360 KP) rated Creed II (2018) in Movies
Feb 5, 2019
Creed II (2018) boxes clever but it's clear the franchise won't make a 10 count...
Conspicuously more formulaic than the first movie, “Creed II” does at least have the distinction of being a sequel to two different movies at the same time, picking up not only the story from “Creed” but also “Rocky IV”. Thematically, it riffs harder on the idea of legacy and fatherhood, forcing both Adonis and Rocky himself to confront their father and son issues respectively...
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusCreedII
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusCreedII

Jennerz (8 KP) rated Five Feet Apart in Books
Mar 3, 2019
Not as predictable as first thought
This book was good for what it was, a love story of two teenagers fighting for their lives. Although i truely loved the book and will most likely also see the movie, i cant help but to think that the book lacked something, i eagerly awaited something spectacular and it had me longing. Maybe more depth to the characters? Not sure. Either way, i believe im a hard critic and to give it an 8 rating is still an achievement.

Crystal (148 KP) rated The Martian (2015) in Movies
Jun 12, 2018
There are roles that feel like they were written for the actor. The main character feels like he was written for Matt Damon. I did read the book first and it was easy to picture Matt Damon as a witty braniac botanist. Probably because at the end of the day that's just who he is.
This movie is about a man's surviving, not only the untamed dessert wasteland that makes Mars, but also the crippling aloness of being the only human for hundreds of thousands of miles.
This movie is about a man's surviving, not only the untamed dessert wasteland that makes Mars, but also the crippling aloness of being the only human for hundreds of thousands of miles.

BookwormLea (3034 KP) rated Brahms: The Boy II (2020) in Movies
Feb 22, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Jump scares! So many of them! I love being scared so this film was great. I didn't think it made sense as a follow on from the first movie though. Thriller to paranormal horror is a massive jump but it kind of worked. I was more interested in the scares anyway so I didnt think about the links. They also added to Brahms' back story to make him more interesting I guess and it worked to an extent. Could have done better but I enjoyed it anyway!

Jack McBrayer recommended The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) in Movies (curated)

Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Jul 13, 2019
Spider-Man: Far From Home was amazing! Great follow up to not only Homecoming, but also Endgame. Can't really say too much about the movie itself as I don't want to give any spoilers, but great story. Loving Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Jake Gyllenhaal was amazing as always as Mysterio. I'll tell you what's not a mystery, that you should get to your friendly neighborhood theater to see Far From Home. Oh, and definitely hang around for a couple of key post credit scenes.

Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Nails (2017) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you’re looking for a film packed with clichés and continuity issues, I recommend Nails – an Irish film currently available on Netflix. I ended up watching it yesterday with my sister-in-law and while it isn’t absolutely awful, it was definitely something I won’t be watching again.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.

Samantha Reece (16 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) in Movies
Nov 20, 2018 (Updated Nov 20, 2018)
Let me start out by saying, if you have never seen the first Fantastic Beasts movie or have little knowledge of the Wizarding World, you will probably not understand this movie.
Personally, I loved it! Yes, there is the whole McGonagall not being born yet situation, but I can look past that to all the depth put into the movie. It provided the audience with an overload of information to prepare the viewer for future movies. Newt has become my favorite character! Also, the baby Nifflers are adorable. Let’s not forget to mention that huge twist in the end! I’m still slightly confused over THAT, but there are lots of theories and ideas going through my brain. So, if you are a Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts fan, go watch it!
Personally, I loved it! Yes, there is the whole McGonagall not being born yet situation, but I can look past that to all the depth put into the movie. It provided the audience with an overload of information to prepare the viewer for future movies. Newt has become my favorite character! Also, the baby Nifflers are adorable. Let’s not forget to mention that huge twist in the end! I’m still slightly confused over THAT, but there are lots of theories and ideas going through my brain. So, if you are a Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts fan, go watch it!