This feels like a real fairy tale. It's genuinely scary at times and the journey is unpredictable. The story has soul. In the first 20 minutes it already surpasses all the drivel that Marvel has put out or that ridiculous Hobbit trilogy. The dated special effects somehow look better than all the cgi of the early 2000s. The sets and backdrops are immersive and beautiful. The film as a whole feels like a weird childhood dream that you don't want to forget. The soundtrack is electric and campy but it doesn't hurt the film -it sort of fits. The pacing is very slow at times which might be tough on modern audiences with their tiny attention spans but my kids were locked in due to its being so different then what they're used to. If you're tired of the Disney formula this is for you.
Reviews
38 Reviews
Jumanji: The Next Level
(2019)
Decent Sequel
30 September 2023
Really stupid choice to take fun family adventure and slap a PG-13 rating on it just so the characters can cuss incessantly. It doesn't make it more funny and feels out of character and tasteless. I feel like I'm a pretty chill parent but I don't want my kids echoing that kind of language or thinking it's funny. That said, they enjoyed and it a lot and it had many of the clever ideas of the first film with some new ones thrown in. It was a decent sequel and those are rare. The relationship between the grandfather and his old friend was a nice addition. I just hope throwing trashy language into family films doesn't become a trend.
A League of Their Own
(2022)
Ditzy women without any true passion for the sport
4 September 2022
They lost me in the first episode when the main character decides to stand up her war veteran husband returning from WWII. He's her "best friend" and is returning from hell but she can't be there for him because she's having a midlife crisis and needs to pursue her dream. She knows she's blowing up her life but "it feels good." And we're supposed root for this character? The dialogue feels very scripted and modern. Another period piece that is basically modern people with modern sensibilities dressed up in period garb. Not sure where all of the positive reviews are coming from. I have a hard time imagining anyone actually loving this series. It adds nothing of value to the story of the original film and captures none of its magic. Skip this waste of time.
Turning Red
(2022)
What's wrong with this generation...
14 March 2022
The victory of banal pop teen culture over the wisdom of traditional Asian culture. It's the tired Disney formula of a child finding enlightenment through rebellion which ends up somehow bringing the protagonist closer to her family in the end. The animation is beautiful as always. Story sucks. Get some imagination Disney! It's supposed to be what you're good at...
Underrated
12 February 2020
Hacksaw Ridge
(2016)
Inspiring
12 February 2020
An incredible story that is genuinely inspiring. Despite the fact that l thoroughly disagreed with some of the protagonist's beliefs, I couldn't help but be moved by his courage and integrity. Like the protagonist, the film is, almost annoyingly, idealistic and hopeful but it eventually succeeds in winning you over.
Fascinating
12 February 2020
A well-made, thoughtful, exploration of American consumerism and those who have chosen a different path. A more accurate title would be "Minimalism: A Documentary About What isn't Important." The film does a good job of showing the emptyness of materialism and introducing the viewer to a new movement, but it doesn't really put anything in the place of that emptyness. One senses that many of those interviewed are trying to fill St Augustine's "God-sized vacuum" with frugality. Still, the idea of contentment with less is a good one. I hope it catches on
Valkyrie
(2008)
Well Done
12 February 2020
How do you make a genuinely interesting and suspensful film when the general outcome of the story is already known? Well...they did it! A facinating tale of courageous men who almost succeeded in assaninating Hitler. Good performances all around -including Tom Cruise
Band of Brothers
(2001)
Watch Now
12 February 2020
It's hard to believe it all really happened. The story of how one unit of paratroopers were in just about every major engagement in the European theater of WWII. Much better than "Saving Private Ryan." So many iconic moments!
Flags of Our Fathers
(2006)
Skip it
12 February 2020
This one didn't translate well from book to screen. It's an interesting story but for some reason it's considerably less interesting as a film. I think the way the timeline jumped around actualy took all of the intensity out of the battle scenes. Disappointing
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