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Reviews
Moon (2009)
An unoriginal and tedious sci-fi story that thinks it's really clever
This movie thinks it's really clever and interesting. Here's the problem: it's not. It's based off a somewhat intriguing concept that's been done better a million times before. The reveal of this concept is something you will probably see coming within 15 minutes, and even if you don't see it coming, you won't feel anything other than "oh, okay, so that's what this movie is about" when it happens.
The dialog throughout is absolute rubbish. Every line feels like it's written to be eccentric and clever, but it just comes off as confusing and tedious. The behavior of the robot is nonsensical and has no consistency to it, which results in you losing all suspension of disbelief since the robot is basically just a plot device for the writers to do whatever they want with. Worst of all, the entire plot of the movie doesn't make a shred of sense and shoves a generic societal view down your throat that is never elaborated on beyond "_____ are bad"
Everything about this movie is trying so hard to be clever, and it all just fails. Even the soundtrack can't simply be your typical effective eerie space music – it's random, unfitting classical bits thrown at you as if to say "look! We're doing just what 2001 did! You all like that movie, so like this one too!"
Only reason I give it a 2/10 instead of a 1 is because the lead actor gives a great performance, especially given the terrible dialog and (lack of) character development the script gives him. It's really the only thing that prevented me from turning this movie off halfway through.
This movie is complete rubbish and sadly has been given great reviews by all the pretentious "yay a sci-fi movie with no explosions or aliens" people. Please. I'm no fan of mindless action flicks either, but I'd bet Transformers: Dark of the Moon makes more sense than Moon.
Gifted (2017)
Interesting premise weighed down by a messy plot
With better writing and a more focused plot line, this could've been a great movie. As it stands, it's merely okay.
The story is about the relationship between a child prodigy and the man raising her, who himself is a pretty interesting guy with an unconventional background. Actually, that's not really the story – that's what it should've been. Instead, it's a sloppy courtroom custody battle with a pointless romantic subplot that feels like something you'd see on a lesser episode of Suits. There are some interesting moments in the courtroom scenes, but they feel somewhat out of place in what should be a more character-driven story.
The execution suffers most in the third act, in which new characters are introduced on a whim and the movie further loses sight of its central premise. This movie does know what message it wants to deliver, but it gets way too caught up in the specific motivations of each character. I can't really say any more without spoiling, but I will say that the ending, given the problems that are set up earlier in the film, was less than satisfying for me.
If you really love child prodigy movies, this one might be worth an iTunes rental a month from now. But for now, you're better off staying home and re-watching Good Will Hunting, which does everything this movie tries to do but with far better execution and emotional resonance.
The Martian (2015)
A Great Modern Version of Apollo 13
I went into the screening of The Martian disappointed that Bridge of Spies was sold out and I'd have to settle for what I thought would be a lame sci-fi action flick. Boy was I surprised at how good this movie was. There is a lot going on with the story throughout the movie – yes, "rescue Matt Damon" is always the main plot, but the story went in unexpected and even complex directions that I didn't expect. There are the expected themes of loneliness, sacrifice, perseverance, etc., but also some really interesting scenes about corporate management, the purpose of space exploration, even about the value of a single human life. This is a movie that can serve as an entertaining popcorn flick, but it also has enough substance to be quite thought-provoking for those paying attention closely.
Matt Damon gives an excellent performance, especially in the most intense scenes. Supporting actors are good as well – this is definitely a film where Jeff Daniel's "stoic harass boss" character fits really well as the leader of NASA. I didn't find the visuals to be as stunning as many did, but maybe that's just because I had a crappy seat in the theater off to the side.
Overall, this is a great sci-fi film that actually has a lot of, well, science. It's actually pretty nerdy at times, with some cool nerd jokes thrown in. I did find some of the humor to be too forced, seemingly present simply to keep the popcorn audience watching. Bad jokes and a ridiculous but forgivable ending aside, I have no major complaints about this movie. It's a wholly satisfying 2.5 hours of entertainment.
Ex Machina (2014)
Great Concept, Frustrating Execution
It's really frustrating to write a somewhat negative review of this movie, because it did so many things so well. But ultimately, I walked away from it both frustrated and disappointed, so it's hard to recommend this movie to anyone but sci-fi lovers, of which I am not. To be honest, I really only watched this because of the incredible reviews it was getting, so to say that I was let down is an understatement.
The concept of artificial intelligence is one that has intrigued me quite a bit lately, so I thought this movie might be an appropriate introduction to the subject. In that sense, the film is successful, exploring many scientific and ethical questions surrounding the construction, operation, risks, and benefits of remarkably sophisticated humanoid robots. Unfortunately, the story just doesn't hold up, especially near the end.
There are some very interesting and suspenseful scenes in the first half of the movie, and what I love most is the fact that the film creates genuine tension by what is happening, not via cheap scares or tons of special effects being thrown in your face. The atmosphere is appropriately ominous, crafted marvelously with excellent cinematography, good acting, and a fine musical score.
But sadly, everything just crumbles in the final third of the film. The story becomes more and more predictable, and although there are some interesting twists, everything ultimately builds into a "final battle" of sorts that is surprisingly graphic and unsettling, as well as overly simplistic for the film's overall sophistication. And the ending is the worst of all: it's both incomplete and extremely depressing.
I really wanted to like this movie, because it embodies so many things I look for: a focus on story over action, careful attention to detail, and an intriguing and thought-provoking concept. This is not a bad film, and I can see why people who can get past some pretty glaring plot issues liked it. But given the widespread praise for this film, this seems to be what is considered top-notch sci-fi. If that's the case, I don't think I'll be too interested in the genre any time soon.
Monsters University (2013)
Not Pixar's Best, But Surprisingly Great
I had pretty low expectations for Monsters University. This is the third sequel Pixar's made out of their last four films, and after seeing the terrible reviews for Cars 2, I assumed this would be another safe way to cash in on old characters and rake in the merchandising money for Disney. Thankfully, this movie isn't just an easy cash grab – there is a solid story here, and while this isn't as amazing as Monsters Inc. or Pixar's other masterpieces, it's undeniably Pixar. The first half is a lot of light action and typical kids-movie goofiness – you'll become acquainted with many new monsters, none of which I found particularly interesting or funny. But after the silliness of the "Scare Games" are over, the movie takes a dramatic shift and delves into the motivations of Mike and Sulley along with their interesting, turbulent relationship. The final third of the movie features multiple surprising plot twists, and since most movies seem to get worse as they progress, I must applaud this one for doing the opposite. Throw in quite a few funny and interesting references/connections to Monsters Inc. and a strong ending that connects the two stories very nicely, and you have a very solid movie.
Not all sequels/prequels are amazing as Toy Story 2. If you're something of that caliber, you're going to be disappointed. But if you'll be satisfied with yet another funny, clever, and engaging Pixar film, I highly recommend Monsters U. It's great to see that Pixar still knows how to make a great movie.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
OK, But Far Below My Expectations
Toy Story 3 has gotten nothing but excellent reviews. Everyone says that it is phenomenal in every way. At the time I am writing this, it's the highest rated Pixar movie here on IMDb.
I have been very impressed with several of Pixar's newer films. I thought Cars, Ratatouille, and WALL-E were all great. Up disappointed me by having forgettable and stupid action in the second half of the movie. Unfortunately, Toy Story 3 disappoints me in exactly the same way. Most of the second half of the movie is fairly forgettable and irrelevant to the original plot.
To compliment the movie, most of it is well-written, humorous, and has great voice acting. The ending is really nice, too. Unfortunately, there are several big scenes that were disappointing. Towards the second half of the movie, the plot begins to drift away from the compelling idea of the toys needing to get back to their owner to the generic "good vs. evil" battle. I found this to be unfitting and far less entertaining than the beginning of the film.
The climax of the film is fairly evil and intense, which surprised me. I can easily see little kids getting scared by what I thought was going to be a truly all-ages film. (This movie definitely should have been rated PG.) I also felt that by having the evil character not redeem himself, the movie teaches a bad message.
For Toy Story and Pixar fans, Toy Story 3 is probably worth watching. If you loved Up, you will probably love this movie just as much if not more. But don't think that this is a perfect movie for the whole family. It might be quite scary for young kids, and I don't think most adults will appreciate it much.
Hopefully, this will be the last Pixar film that hurts itself with generic action and an overly evil character. Toy Story 3 is certainly not a bad film, but I know Pixar can do much better.