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bryansnake
Reviews
Gremlins (1984)
Good overall
Pretty decent flick overall. Highlights include the cuteness of Gizmo the Mogwai, the violent action and grusomeness of the scenes with the gremlins. One scene that stands out is when the protagonist's mother killed three gremlins one after another, all on her own, using nothing but kitchen appliances. The movie needed more scenes like this. Badass people defending themselves from little monsters. Another amazing scene was the speech the love interest gives about why she hates Christmas. While that monologue came out of nowhere, mattered little to the plot (as did her character) it was written and performed so excellently that it is a standout moment. Lastly, the climax of Stripe vs. Billy was epic. You could feel the intensity of the situation. Stripe is enjoyably sadistic and you feel worried for the fate of Billy. Oh! Strangely, the movie is bookcapped by the narration of Billy's father as if he is retelling this story to someone (the audience?), but his father was barely in the movie. I found it strange that a character who matters little and is barely present would be the one telling the tale. Dad's only contribution was obtaining the mogwai. After this, he's largely absent from the film. This movie has its flaws, but it's strength are so strong, its flaws pale in comparison. Reccomend watching this pop culture icon at least once in your life. Perfect for christmas, Halloween, or any other time of the year.
Small Soldiers (1998)
Meh
Kind of boring. Maybe the plot and climax felt small because the antagonists were small? The Gorgonites do almost nothing for most of the movie. Main character is forgettable. Needed more toy gore. Best parts of the movie was seeing the monstrosities of the toys being alive while also mutilated. I wouldn't call this movie bad, but it's bland and forgettable. There are better movies about living toys, killer toys, and small mischief makers. The father seemed unnecessarily mean to his kid. Apparently the boy was a trouble maker, but we don't get to see it or come to learn why he behaved that way so it just makes the dad come across as an ass. Running out of talking points. Ending thoughts here.
Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)
Scooby-Doo starter film.
I haven't seen all of the Scooby-Doo movies, but of the ones I have seen, this is probably the worst. Dont get me wrong. I wouldn't call this a bad movie. Just underwhelming. On the one hand this is a great initial introduction to Scooby-Doo for young kids because if they like this one, they will almost certainly like the other movies. But at the same time this is one of the weakest Scooby-Doo movies so it might better to introduce someone to Scooby-Doo using a better version. I did find the mystery engaging especially as they were explaining it at the end, but the mystery recap went on for quite a while and was a bit convoluted; Not sure if a child would follow it easily. Cool, unique vampire design. Never seen another vamp the Yowie-yahoo. The opening to the film drags on because, until the Scooby gang arrive in Australia, everything on screen has no relevance to the rest of the plot and simply poorly executed slapstick and homages to other famous moments of Scooby-Doo history. Not bad, but there are much better Scooby adventures to enjoy.