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Reviews
Dune (2021)
Film accomplished what the book could not
I am a big fan of the novel Dune, however, while I think Frank Herbert told one of the best and most influential sci fi stories ever, I don't love the way that Herbert told his story.
There is a lot of controversy over this idea, some claiming that Herbert is a brilliant author and others arguing that he should have never been published. I tend to fall into the middle of these contradicting ideologies. I love Dune as a story and truly believe that Denis Villeneuve brought a very solid adaptation to the screen, but Frank Herbert's writing is not on the level that many other "classic" authors is.
That being said, Villeneuve was able to piece together one of the best films I've seen all year. Some things from Dune that I never thought would have worked on screen looked amazing. The parts from the book that I thought were a little clunky were adapted slightly to give the story a more realistic feel.
There were a couple of scenes that were meant to be very emotional, but I didn't feel the core of the emotion. (I felt that way throughout the novel, though, so it's not a jab at the film)
Overall, I loved this movie. I thought it stayed very true to the book and gave viewers an absolutely amazing cinematic experience.
While it is not on the level of LotR in terms of adaptations, I would give it an 88/100.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Best movie of the year
I will say that I didn't have high expectations for this movie coming in. I was a little skeptical of all the good reviews, even though Damon and Bale were on the front line of the cast. Boy was I wrong.
I don't like to give movies 10/10, (I've probably only done it once or twice in my life), but it took me several minutes to critique this movie enough to bring it down one star. My only critique is that it is a long movie. It's appx 3 hours long and you can feel it by the end.
That being said, this is, in my opinion, the best movie of the year. Bale brought an Oscar winning performance as Ken Miles, a hardened, entertaining race car driver. His performance was probably one of the best of his careers. That was backed up by Damon, who played Carroll Shelby, a race car manufacturer with a love of racing. I only say that he backed up Bale because of how impressive Bale was, but if Damon had been alone in this movie, he would have easily been the star.
The filming and editing was phenomenal. Sound was fantastic. The supporting cast were also great. All around, it was the most entertaining and the most inspiring movie of the year.
Knives Out (2019)
Great story, poor marketing
Rian Johnson proved once again that he is an above average director. He wrote a fun story with an interesting protagonist in Marta and a very Poirot-esque character in Benoit Blanc. They had a fun chemistry and created a fun story for the viewers.
The reason I'm giving this 6/10 is because it didn't ever feel like a true "whodunnit". Without spoiling anything, I'll say that you never feel like you're trying to figure out who the culprit of the crime is. The ending was sloppy and rushed. It didn't contribute to the actual plot and it felt like an add-in.
They advertised this film as a love song to Agatha Christie, but I disagree. With Christie, you were always guessing about who could have committed the murder, but with Knives Out, I never had that feeling. If it had been marketed differently (and therefore adjusted my expectations), I would have enjoyed it much more.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
With what JJ was given, he overachieved
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I think the biggest reason for the controversial reviews is due in large part to the differing reactions to The Last Jedi. I tend to fall into the category of people that enjoyed The Last Jedi, but don't think that it contributed very well to the story. That being said, many critics loved The Last Jedi and that is why they did not like The Rise of Skywalker.
Without giving anything away, I think that JJ did an outstanding job with what he was left to work with after The Last Jedi. It did feel at times like he was backtracking to re-answer questions or re-resolve conflicts that were not satisfyingly taken care of in The Last Jedi. Because of this, the movie did feel a little rushed. He could have easily made 2 (if not 3) movies with the material that is covered in Rise of Skywalker, but there's no denying that it was exciting.
It is not a perfect movie by any means and there are a few (not several like some critics would have you believe) plot holes that aren't wrapped up. Or some that are wrapped up but that it felt rushed. However, regardless of the imperfections, I believe this movie lived up to the Skywalker story.
8.5/10
Limetown: I Have Heard the Future (2019)
Great Pilot
Coming from someone that hasn't listened to the original podcast (however I think I may after watching this) I thought it was a great pilot for what looks to be a promising show.
I really liked how the set up the mystery for the whole show, but they kept you waiting for the majority of the story.
I didn't love how the main character treated the other characters, but since it's the first episode, I don't know if that gives me enough to dislike her already.
Brightburn (2019)
Not your average superhero movie
Brightburn really takes some risks, and I think that many of them pay off.
Good:
The boy that the movie is centered around is a really intriguing character. He makes you feel bad for him for about 30 minutes and then you realize what's actually going on. The parents are probably the best characters in the movie; they just seem very real. The story is really cool and the ending is great.
Bad:
You can tell that this movie isn't a super high budget film. The effects and the acting take away a lot for me. They make the film seem a little childish. The story moves way too fast, they could have easily squeezed at least 30 more minutes into the movie.
Overall, I think this movie is worth a watch. It's not an Oscar winner, but it's fun and it's different.