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Reviews
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Very underwhelming
I'm fully aware of the negative reaction this film has caused, and I'm saying this from a place of non-bias and a lack of prior star wars knowledge - this film is a mess.
Because I don't follow star wars as closely as others, I can't comment on how this 'ruins the force' or 'ruins Luke Skywalker' as I've seen others note. However, I found this 2h and 35 minute film rather painful, whether it be the way comedy is rammed into what I assume was originally a darker story about failure and mistakes, or how supposedly 'good-guy' characters are awfully unlikeable. One noteworthy example I found was the rebel general (Holdo) for much of the film. Her insistence on hiding information from her crew was thoroughly unlikeable, and I can't say I shed a tear for her death. Other characters such as Finn and Rose either served no purpose in the story or actively prevented each other from serving purpose.
Most character arcs in the film are half-baked at best. Despite my lack of prior knowledge I can confidently say I disliked Luke's 'redemption'. Throughout the film, it is established Luke has become a recluse, hiding away in the wake of a traumatic event from his past. Venturing to a remote island to die, I found it unsatisfying that the character died, not having left this island and the trauma associated with it behind. It seemed rather cowardly in my opinion.
The narrative was scattershot and hard to follow, notably including the adventure that both Finn and Rose go on, acting as a pointless intermission wedged between scenes of a far-more interesting narrative. The film is also suffers from significant rule-breaking. Holdo's acceleration into the large enemy star ship came quite late into the run-time, begging the question - why was this not done sooner? It also happened following the destruction of a majority of the smaller fleeing rebel vessels, no less. Plot inconsistencies like this are numerous and only serve to make the film's 'heroes' exceptionally unlikeable.
Finally, the action and vfx. I found both somewhat impressive upon first watching, but this mentality was quickly superseded on subsequent viewings. While the vfx remained passable for a blockbuster spectacle like this, I began to find issues with the action, notably in the throne room scene, with villains stopping their attacks to let the good guys win. It became very transparent even by the second re-watch.
Anyway, that's my piece on the matter. I do think this film is deserving of criticism but the biting manner it was delivered in initially was embarrassing. I would not recommend this film.
Sleepwalkers (1992)
Here's yours
This film is total garbage but finds itself among a category of film known as 'so bad it's good'.
There is, technically speaking, nothing of genuine value about this flick. That is not why I find this film unbelievably good. There are performances in this that are so ungodly awful, some plotlines so inconcievable, that not even a cast of magical cat demon people with ridiculous, spontaneous powers is the worst part.
Unless you have read the source material, you will have no idea where the story will go. Putting this on is still one of the best mistakes the five of us made during our bender.
This movie is a masterpiece.
Please watch this movie.
Detentionaire (2011)
Really great TV animation
Obviously, I'm not expecting huge production value, but seriously, the characters are all great fun to watch, the dialogue and interactions are surprisingly well done, and the story is good lighthearted fun, and amps up at the perfect pace. Bit of a shame they don't make shows like they used to.