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Reviews
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
Not Sure It's Worth the 8.Something Stars
Great movie, especially the special effects and the scenes actually involving Godzilla. Especially for the 15m budget, it's a remarkable little movie. With that being said, I thought the non-Godzilla scenes were a little flat and boring. The acting is fantastic, but the scenes are pretty bland. Even with that said, it's a huge improvement over pretty much every Godzilla movie made in my lifetime.
Aside from that, I'm a little curious about the film's depiction of Japanese soldiers during and after WW2. Japan is a beautiful and wonderful country, and one of our closest allies and one of the greatest democracies in the world. But it wasn't always that way, and it's curious to see how this film deals with that. Which is to say... it really doesn't. I could even go so far as to say the Kamikaze is glorified in this film. There are a few comments thrown around about "the government" and it seems to cast a general blame over that way. That's the equivalent of a Vietnam film (I'm American) that more or less shrugs at My Lai or the endless terrible things we did to the Vietnamese. It seems like it's not taking its role seriously in really swallowing the bitter pill and dealing with one's past. Godzilla is a plague on the Japanese people. But this film could have also asked: why?
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
One of the Better Star Wars Movies
Zack Snyder has clearly taken it into his own hands and made his own Star Wars movie. If you can figure that out early you'll enjoy it. Even the title Rebel Moon sounds like a Star Wars sequel. Great job on what is probably the most expensive Star Wars fan fiction ever made.
Light sabers, empire, rebels, a Mos Eisley-esque bar and bar brawl, a Star Destroyer called a Dreadnought, laser guns, an emperor ("king"). No Jedis, but the characters form a group of people with extraordinary skills who basically fill that gap.
Snyder is obviously frustrated with the Star Wars franchise and this movie should be viewed as a response to the Disneyfication of Star Wars. I just wish they would have let him do this on the record, but that's sort of the point I guess.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)
Solid 7.2
Hi. I'm a bonafide film snob and I can tell you the poor reviews on this one are off the mark. This film is what would otherwise be a solid 7.2 or 7.3 on IMDB. It's stylish, creative, entertaining. Watch it, it's great! About as good as The Gentlemen. In fact, maybe even a little better. Definitely better than King Arthur but that's not saying much I guess.
Some surprises (not spoilers): Josh Hartnett's good performance. Never thought I'd write that sentence. Creative camera work especially considering the genre. Excellent, engaging opening scene. Character interactions. I don't know, how do people not like this movie?
The Nice Guys (2016)
Lolita
This movie has a Lolita complex. Really odd. Wanted to like this movie but turned it off about halfway. Enough is enough.
From the adult film star who is roughly 15 or 16 years old, to the daughter who is probably 13 saying dirty things during the party scene, hell even to the 11 year old boy who talks dirty, this movie is really odd. The acting is fine, the script is standard Hollywood except for the placement of children throughout it. The opening scene is great and it pulls you in but the rest drags and you're left wondering wtf the writers were thinking. Where are all the parents watching stuff like this?
No Sudden Move (2021)
Finally another good Soderbergh film
Great acting, solid shooting (erm, fisheye much?), and nice clear script. Really solid film by S after a few not so greats (cough, Kimi, cough). Enjoyed 100%
Sala samobójców. Hejter (2020)
Boring
Boring af, could not finish. Lots of potential from the start. He edges between psychopathy and shyness. Then after the first 10 or 15 minutes the movie just sort of continues on and sucks.
Salt and Fire (2016)
Beautiful film
Wonderful, thoughtful film. Herzog even threw in a quirky Lawrence Strauss for good measure. Touching and stays with you. I watched this film a few years ago and here I am thinking about it.
Stillwater (2021)
McCarthy's Best Film
Ratings for films like this shake my confidence in online reviews. People would rather leave 10 star reviews for bloated Marvel films that a half-lit toddler could see through.
This film is pure McCarthy. Delicate, subdued. By the end of it you feel that nothing new has occurred, while at the same time it feels entirely different. It's an authentic and real film and has enriched the 2021 cinema lineup. For me, this is hands down the best of the year.
Stop listening to reviewers and appreciate this beautiful film.
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
Amazing
This film was simple, short and hilarious. I give it a 10/10 for being audacious and fresh. Nicholas Cage said screw it about 15 years ago and the result is mostly crap, but every now and again a Willy's Wonderland or Dog Eat Dog. This is top shelf post '05 Cage.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
What's everybody's deal? This movie is fantastic.
So for the second time I am compelled to get on IMDb and put a positive review on a film that is being under-reviewed across the board. I've noticed that while IMDb usually does a great job setting my expectations with their rating system, there are times like this one when there is an inexplicable wave of negative reviews that gets completely out of hand.
This films adds almost nothing to Clooney's oeuvre. It uses recycled themes, some of them from Clooney's previous films like Solaris, and blends them into something only somewhat fresh. But the general mood and mise-en-scene of the film is deftly crafted, which is what we would expect from the talent behind Good Night and Good Luck. This film also exhibits that classic Clooney heart - it feels like Gravity 2 but without the depth of a Cuaron. All in all I give this baby a 10 out of 10. It's entertaining and wonderful. My wife and I watched it as our two-year-old took a nap and we couldn't peel our eyes away. Rent it and put aside your expectations that this is going to be one of the best films of the year. It isn't. But it also doesn't deserve anywhere near 5 stars.