Tuesday, October 22, 2019

October 2019!!

The Month of October brings with it Three films to review the first being The Joker.




Runtime:122 Minutes

Post Credit:None

Plot-"A failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic murderer".


Starring-Joaquin PhoenixRobert De Niro and Zazie Beetz



My Thoughts

I had high expectations for this film, the Joker is a polarizing figurre in the comic world and i was interested in seeing a origin story. The acting in this film was top notch with very good performances all around. Joaquin Phoenix did an amazing job and was one of the best acting jobs I have seen in recent memory, the depth to his character and seeing what he put his body through (lost 35 lbs for the role) and how real this characters felt and what the character endured during the movie  was really believable and that is what stuck with me. This could happen in real life for the most part, obviously there is some Hollywood magic with some of the scenes but overall this film felt very true to life,which I really enjoyed. The plot of this film flowed together really well it kept me engaged throughout the 2 hour run time, what I really liked about the plot of this film is that it was  part character study and part social commentary. the character study parts relates to the central character of the film and seeing how certain situations that happen in life can shape/mold people into what the become. The- social commentary part for me really stuck with me, the backdrop of this film is set in the 1980's with lots of civil unrest going on regarding the disparity between the rich and poor, this actually ended up playing a big role in how the film played out, and why it stood out to me was the connection this makes with real life as the wage gap increases more and more people are getting disgruntled with trying to survive each day with no money and I liked that connection was made. not everything was great with this film, I will say some of the situations that happen in this film are hard to believe and the outcomes from those stations are a little far fetched but overall believable if you realize its not real life. Rotten Tomatoes gave this film a 70% saying "Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star -- and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema". I agree that the everything that happens in this film is plausible and that makes it much more relatable to the viewer.. Overall this was a good movie and Juaquin Pheronix did an amazing acting job and I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to see great acting and a really good plot which made for a really good origin story.


Rating

Very good fiilm, great acting, Juaqin Phoenix steals the show!. 8.6/10!!

The Next film to review is Gemini Man.


 Runtime:117 Minutes

Post Credit:None

Plot-"An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself".

Starring-Will SmithMary Elizabeth Winstead amd Clive Owen
 

My Thoughts


I am a big fan of Will Smith and will watch most of his movies, though I will admit a lot of his most recent stuff has not been good. After watching this trailer I had mild expectations and was somewhat looking forward to this movie. Now having seen it, I can say the film was okay. not the worst thing Will Smith has put out recently but noit the best either. I did like the plot of this film in theory it was a cool concept to go against a younger faster version of yourself who intends to kill oyu. but that is where the intrigue ended for me, the film plodded along and the plot started off strong but then slowed down and it got a bit convoluted and just was not that interesting for me. The acting was okay Will Smith was solid and did a god job in the lead role as expected, the rest of the cast did a passable job no standout performances, I will also mention that Will Smith did do a good job in pseudo dual role and the CG used to de age him was for the most part very good i will say when action scenes were going on the movements did not look fluid and it felt cheesy. I love a good film that takes the character to destinations around the world which this film did and its always appreciated. Rotten Tomatoes gave this film a 25% saying "Gemini Man's impressive visuals are supported by some strong performances, but this sci-fi thriller is fatally undermined by a frustratingly subpar story". I agree overall that other than the few parts where the CG looked cheesy with fight scenes it was good overall and the acting as I mentioned was solid lead By a good performance by will smith, but ultimately the plot let this film down big time and that is disappointing.


Rating


Solid Visuals, Solid Acting lead by Will Smith but a very weak, convoluted and boring plot let this film down.  6.5/10!!!!






The last film to review for the month of October is one I have been looking forward to Zombieland:Double Tap.



Runtime:99 Minutes

Post Credit Scene:Two

Plot"Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family".

Starring-Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson

My Thoughts 

I was a huge fan of the original Zombieland and have been waiting for a sequel for the longest time, and its finally here. I can say for me the movie was worth it for the most part. This film had the same feel to it as the original which was great, the 4 main cast actors still had the same great chemistry with each other and the jokes between them were hilarious just like the first movie, which was amazing to see. My main concern with a sequel was always the plot, I wasn't entirely sure where the plot would go as the first film ended on a pretty good note. The plot was alright it  was not as fluid as the first film but it was easy to follow and throughout the 99 minute run time it flowed together well and as I mentioned it wasn't as good as the first but still solid. There were more characters in this film and it was nice to see the original cast mesh with the newcomers and it led to some good laughs. This review honestly doesn't need to be super long, I will say if uyou enjoyed the original Zombieland see this film, its funny, has a decent plot and if they decide to do a 3rd movie, the way the film ends is plausible. Rotten Tomatoes gave this film a 67% saying "Zombieland: Double Tap makes up for a lack of fresh brains with an enjoyable reunion that recaptures the spirit of the original and adds a few fun twists". I recommend this film for fans of the original or fans of the zombie genre.








Rating


10 years in the making, good laughs, was great to see the original cast together again. Recommend!!. 8.6/10!!!

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

September 2019!!

The Month of September brings two films to review the first one is one I  have been looking forward to IT:Chapter Two.



Runtime:169 Minutes

Post Credit:None

 Plot-"27 years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back".

Starring-Jessica ChastainJames McAvoy and Bill Skarsgard


My Thoughts


I was a big fan of IT and was eagerly awaiting the sequel and when I saw the cast lead by Jessica Chastain who I am also a big fan of. Now having seen the film I can say for me it was a disappointment  first off the run time was way too long, the film clocks in at almost 3 hours and for a film like this it could have been 30-40 minutes  shorter and still accomplished the same outcome. there is a big dip in the middle of the film where th4e character s have to find a "relic" from the past and that whole sequence felt like a waste for me. Secondly the cast overall was good with standout performances by Bill Hader and James Rnsone  everyone else in the cast did a solid job. The special effects for me were over reliant on CG and the quality of it wasn't that great which took away even more for me. The film had its good points, a great job was done linking the children to their adult counterparts which was nice to see and appreciated.. I really just feel the filmmakers tried to fit too much into this film and honestly it may have been a better idea to make this this into three movies instead of two. and I was left letdown from this film which I wasn't expecting. Rotten Tomatoes  gave this film a 63% saying "It: Chapter Two proves bigger doesn't always mean scarier for horror sequels, but a fine cast and faithful approach to the source material keep this follow-up afloat". For anyone who saw part one I recommend this film for but anyone else I cannot recommend overall as the length was too long, the plot flow wasn't great.

Rating 

High expectations, let down in the end. 6.8/10!!


The second film to review is Ad Astra.



Runtime:124 Minutes

Post Credit:None

 Plot-"Astronaut Roy McBride travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet".

Starring-Brad PittTommy Lee Jones  and Ruth Negga


My Thoughts

I am a sucker for a good space epic whether it be Intersteller  or The Martian so when i heard about this film I couldn't wait to see it. first thing I can say about this film is that it really enraptures How I would think exploring outer space would feel like from th4e desolate lonely feeling of the moon to the harsh copper tone of mars to passing  the gas giant Jupiter and its giant Red spot all the way to my favorite planet of Neptune. It really grabbed me and the visuals being some of the best I have seen in recent memory really lend to this feeling, this movie was truly stunning and I applaud the visual effects team for the great work. Brad Pitt did an amazing job in this film and I think he should he up for an academy award for best actor, his role had so many layers to it. On one hand he was the son of a Nasa Legend (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to get out of his fathers shadow and grappling with the expectations on his shoulders to trying to keep a connection with his wife (Liv Tyler) and finally trying to save Earth from deadly attack from space it was such a great performance by him and i hope he gets recognition fort this. the rest of the cast in this film also did a really good job and there wasn't a bad performance I could spot.. The plot of this film flowed together very well and it was entertaining the entire run time of a little over two hours.There wasn't much I didn't like about this film one sticking point I would say was the ending for me felt rushed and was a little cliche I was expecting something different and was disappointed the film makers took the obvious route but endings are e subjective.Rotten Tomatoes  gave the film a 83% saying "Ad Astra takes a visually thrilling journey through the vast reaches of space while charting an ambitious course for the heart of the bond between parent and child". This was a very good film and i enjoyed it overall, it had great visuals, a good plot and great acting lead by Brad Pitt. I highly reccomend

Rating


Very good film. I Highly l recommend 8.7/10!!