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Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper." -- T.S. Eliot
Maybe an unpopular opinion but this trilogy should have been a tetralogy instead.
This movie really has TOO much crammed into it, ruining the pacing and satisfaction that you want in a Star Wars movie, and eliminating all of the value that usually comes along with the natural resolution to story tropes.
The only scenes I enjoyed were those with Kylo Ren... but then they decided to throw away his character in the end instead of giving him a satisfactory resolution. He is literally TOSSED ASIDE in the end, as an added insult to ruining his character arc.
It's a movie. With a budget of 250-300 million and a competent director, there was no way this movie was gonna be awful. But considering what it was supposed to be and the fact that it bore the burden of carrying the legacy of such a popular series to a close, it is utterly disappointing.
See you in a decade when they release another trilogy.
The Farewell (2019)
I am just so confused...
It is very boring and I feel extremely misled by the trailer. There are some redeeming qualities but they are nowhere near significant enough to warrant paying a full-price movie ticket to watch this film.
This movie was made for people who have experienced a serious loss and want a cathartic experience to relive that sadness. That isn't an accusation or judgment, I'm just saying that's what it is. So when I say that I felt purposefully misled and tricked by this movie, it's coming from the perspective of someone who is unable to comprehend it on an emotional level.
On a positive note, the shot composition was gorgeous. Everything from the positioning of characters to the furniture in the background is meticulously and purposefully placed. The transition scenes where characters are traveling or having a thoughtful moment are incredibly tranquil and stunning. The last 5 minutes of this movie? Oh my god. After slogging through what felt like two and a half hours of nothing, the ending sequence almost made all of it worth it. Almost.
I'd rate it 6/10 as a film but personally I feel like it's a 4/10 for false advertising.
Chernobyl (2019)
This is what you call a Masterpiece
HBO's Chernobyl created by Craig Mazin. It currently has a 9.5/10 on IMDb and a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes; I have also heard somewhere that this show is the highest reviewed TV-series in history.
It's a masterpiece.
I don't even know how to describe it or properly convey the magnitude of what this show depicts and tells. Obviously, it is centered around the events of the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986 in the Soviet Union, but this series goes so far beyond just the history of the event and its aftermath. This isn't a documentary you would watch in history class; this is a masterclass in storytelling that very few other stories can match in quality.
If you have five hours, watch it. If you don't, find five hours.
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
I don't think I appreciated this movie as much as I should...
Spider-Man: Far From Home directed by Jon Watts staring Tom Hollands and Jake Gyllenhaal. To be completely honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by this latest release in the MCU. While it has a very fresh rating on both Rotten Tomatoes and Reddit, I would only give it a 7/10. It was an enjoyable watch and it follows the same high quality that all Marvel/Disney films are accustomed to, however, both as a stand-alone film and the last installment of Phase Three, I am a bit upset that I didn't enjoy it more. The first act of the movie was slow. Nothing about the story was surprising; in fact, the most surprising part of the film were the two after credits scenes. There is a certain sequence in the film which involves AR tech and while I must admit it was incredible from a technical VFX standpoint, I thought it was extremely out of place in the film aesthetically. Marvel, and Spider-Man specifically, is known for humor, and while many in my theater laughed at most all of the jokes, I found only a few funny.
On a positive note, my absolute favorite part of the movie was MJ as portrayed by Zendaya. She was charismatic and her dynamic in the film really carries the budding relationship between her and Tom Holland.
TL;DR - it's worth a watch to keep up with The MCU but it's nothing new story wise and its story is a bit all over the place.
Rocketman (2019)
Better than Bohemian Rhapsody
As the second big name biopic following Bohemian Rhapsody concerning another famous gay artist, I was expected something similar to the latter and was just ready to learn a bit about Elton John, the famous rocker who's music was a bit before my generation. This film was so much more than I was anticipating. Interchanging between huge musical numbers and emotional story beats, I have a newfound appreciation for Elton John, his music, and Taron Egerton as a leading actor. I will admit that I teared up multiple times throughout the film and I might have cried if I was watching it on my own.
This certainly isn't a film for everyone and I would not recommend it be viewed casually. This film is a lot but all of it is interesting and worthwhile for people who appreciate music or music history. Taron Egerton's portrayal of Elton John was equal if not better than Rami Malek's version of Freddie Mercury, so I hope he wins an Oscar for it.
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Better than most Children's Movies
Wreck it Ralph 2 is great children's film with incredible animation and bomb music: "In This Place" by Julia Michaels is still stuck in my head. It knows who its target audience is, so don't expect anything over-complicated; however, that being said, I thought the plot and message were unique compared to many other children's films. All of the characters were likable and they did an amazing job portraying the internet as a physical place. The humor was good and I enjoyed how meta it was. It's on Netflix, so it's worth a watch if you are really bored or you need something to play in the background.
Final thoughts: It's the far better version of the Emoji Movie
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
It's a Rom-Com with Asians
"Always Be My Maybe" directed by Nahnatchka Khan starting Ali Wong and Randall Park is a standard Romantic Comedy but starting Asian actors. I saw on Rotten Tomatoes that it was rated 93 fresh and a lot of the reviews stated that it really brought to life the Asian American story. I enjoyed it; it's a nice casual watch and it's not too long nor does it require much thinking or active engagement. I loved the cast; strong performances from most of the cast. Standout for me were Marcus's Father played by James Saito. Many people raved about Keanu Reeves' exaggerated caricature; personally, while I thought it was entertaining at first, his character got a bit too aggressive near the end of his time. One criticism I had was that the music was all over the place, especially during transition scenes. I think they could've toned some of the songs choices down so they weren't so upfront and in your face. My final thoughts are that I wish the Burger King scene came back later in the movie as a reference to tie it full circle. Also Marcus never actually apologized for saying "But she was my mom not yours".