jimmyfuct Reviews

The Terminator (1984)

an excellent and memorable 80s sci-fi thriller with Schwarzenegger's best role

[9/10 · 26 November 2023]

Looking back, Schwarzenegger was in a lot of movies back in the 80-90s. A lot of them were excellent classics that still hold up today like this movie I'm reviewing today (and Total Recall, both Conan movies, Predator, T2), and some have not (Red Sonja, The Running Man). Luckily, we're reviewing one of his many classics today: The Terminator. While I liked the Conan movies, THIS is where Arnold became the definitive movie star. This is arguably his signature role and he is absolutely excellent and terrifying as this emotionless killing machine who won't stop until its target is dead.

If you need a refresher, here's the main plot: the Terminator is a cyborg who gets thrown back into the present day to murder Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Her unborn son John will grow up to be a military leader and would be the only threat to Skynet, an A. I company which wants to destroy humanity! Luckily, Connor has help from Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), a soldier who was also sent back in time to stop the Terminator from completing its mission. Now, on paper, this sounds pretty intelligent and original but a bit preposterous to pull off on the big screen. But it works unbelievably well because of its three main actors. Schwarzenegger is at his best here as this terrifying, emotionless Terminator who'll stop at nothing to kill its victim. His one-liners are quotable and instantly memorable ("I'll be back" is a great example) as well. That's not to say that the supporting cast doesn't help, though!

Linda Hamilton is also quite excellent as the scared but resilient female heroine. (She becomes way more badass in the sequels, however.) Like Ripley from Alien, her character is well-written and very well-acted. Biehn is also great as Kyle Reese; his character is also well-written and smart/likeable. Most of all, you actually CARE about what happens to these characters! Too many action movies or movies in general forget this and then the movie falls apart. The key ingredient to action movies like this other than a good script are likeable, well-written characters. You don't have that, you lose the viewer.

This movie even has some genuinely scary parts in it as well, like the pretty chilling scene where The Terminator breaks into Ginger's house to kill her after mistakenly thinking she was Sarah. (This scene reminded me of the jump-scare scene in "Halloween" where Myers kills the boyfriend from the closet.) Probably my favorite scene in the whole movie is the famous nightclub scene, where in wonderful slow-motion, Reese saves Connor at the last second. It's so well-directed, it's insane! I haven't forgot about the action scenes either!

Every scene involving the Terminator is terrifying, but probably the scariest one is the police station scene. It's a hell of a shoot-out scene, and a mildly funny one (I love the part where Terminator just keeps turning back like 4 times). However, its scariest and most effective part has to be when the door opens and Connor's in her hiding spot, certain that it's found her...luckily it was Reese. What makes this scene so great is that it truly shows how unstoppable the Terminator really is. Imagine being in a police station, surrounded by dozens of police officers with guns and automatic weapons, and STILL not being safe. The genius of James Cameron is in full effect in this movie for sure.

The only problem with this movie is the ending. Script-wise, it's fine. But the special effects look notably dated, even for the 80s! Frankly, Connor and Reese being chased by the Terminator's endoskeleton is just a bit too silly for me. I'm just nitpicking at this point. Though! "The Terminator" is one of the finest 80's movies, with Schwarzenegger at his absolute best.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

not the greatest start to the trilogy, but it isn't the worst either

[7/10 · 4 May 2022]

"Cap: The First Avenger" isn't that bad, but it has some noticeable flaws that I'd like to get into before getting into what I liked about it. First, the villain. I've never really been a fan of Marvel's villains (except maybe Thanos), so I had mixed expectations walking into the theater. And...my skepticism was correct, because Red Skull is NOT a good villain, by any standards. In my opinion, he's easily one of the WORST Marvel villains because of his boring, predictable dialogue and unconvincing appearance. Another problem I had with this movie was its memorability. Surprisingly, when I think of the trilogy this movie is the hardest to remember. Shocking because this is literally his ORIGIN STORY! It's supposed to be memorable AND better than the sequels!! SO how is "The Winter Soldier" and "Civil War" the movies that pop up first when I think about the Captain America trilogy? I really love how the movie ends with Cap saying, "I had a date." Lastly, the romance between Cap and Peggy doesn't really work that well. It's not nearly as bad as Thor's boring relationship with Jane, but it still isn't fully developed enough to be truly genuine.

However, I do have some positive things to say about "The First Avenger" because even the not-so-good MCU movies always manage to do something right. Chris Evan's performance as well as most of the other actors (except the villain) is great; he's what Robert Downey Jr. Is to Iron Man. Most of the action sequences and montages are well-shot and amazing. The final fight scene on the boat is my favorite part of the entire movie (c'mon, who doesn't love watching Cap fight?!). But even with all of that, this movie ultimately fails to succeed in being a fulfilling origin story for me. Even with its 2-hour+ runtime, it still feels unfinished in terms of a story. It's not a bad superhero origin movie, but it could've been much better.

Let the Right One In (2008)

probably one of the most unusual but original vampire flicks i've EVER seen

[8/10 · 24 April 2022]

Ok, let me get something straight right off the bat before we start: I do not care for vampire movies. I like horror movies, but vampire movies for me are all the same and always lack originality. But, as you can guess, NOT THIS ONE. I decided to give this a watch last night, and man, was I not disappointed! Unlike most vampire movies I've seen from the genre, this one takes them seriously, which shocked me! The plot is surprisingly original: a bullied kid named Oskar meets Eli, and they become friends, but Oskar doesn't know that Eli is secretly a vampire. When I started the movie, I was expecting the movie to be a romance of some sort. And...it wasn't. It mixes horror and romance in a way I've NEVER seen other movies of this genre do! I'll also compliment the acting of the lead roles, because that's what REALLY makes this movie shine. I do think Eli was my favorite performance out of all the others: you can tell she just wants to be a regular girl again. And that swimming pool scene is probably the best scene of the movie!! The only reason why I didn't truly enjoy this movie is because I had to look down to understand what they were saying the whole time, which was annoying. But other than that, "Let The Right One In" is a very original vampire movie that definitely succeeds as a thriller and a romance.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

even tarantino's debut was a affecting masterpiece

[9/10 · 15 February 2022]

"Reservoir Dogs" starts off unlike any other heist movie I've seen: It shows the AFTERMATH of a failed robbery! The plot overall is clever, and of course, the fact that THIS was Tarantino's debut is nothing short of incredible, and he deserves a lot of credit. Let's focus on the characters: Each character had some kind of role and play their roles EXCELLENTLY, might I add. The best performance, as you might already know, is Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen). The main reason I LOVED this character is because of the classic ear-cutting scene, where he tortures the police officer. Of course, I nearly turned the film off after seeing something that DISTURBING, but now I appreciate it more; not only because Madsen's performance is excellent! It introduced me to more dark scenes in other dark movies (a la Psycho's shower scene). Probably the most incredible thing about this movie is the lack of seeing the actual robbery itself! It only shows before and after and gets talked about between the characters, but we don't actually get to experience it! That's an example of Tarantino's clever directing skills! And I cannot go on without mentioning that ENDING. Do you know what a Mexican standoff is? And have you seen a good amount of westerns? If so, Imagine that but in a secret warehouse. The surprising ending still left mixed feelings with me (Why didn't they show the aftermath of what happened? Did anyone go to prison?!), but overall, "Reservoir Dogs" is one of the finest movies of the 90's and also, of course, Tarantino's career. Impressive, impressive debut, indeed!

F9: The Fast Saga (2021)

a fail (not like any of the other f&f movies are good anyway)

[2/10 · 25 December 2021]

Now, after seeing F1-F8, I can say that these movies really don't want to be taken seriously. They're just impossible stunt after impossible stunt with action, family, and racing, and a LOT of car chase scenes. A LOT. However, some of those scenes are really fun to watch sometimes. Like when they drove that car out of a skyscraper into another one in F7 was probably the most stupid, impossible stunt I've ever seen, but hey, it was still fun to watch! These movies are good, stupid fun, and they know it! Anyway, when I heard a new F&F movie was coming out this year, I only decided to give it a watch because hey! Maybe this movie would actually be somewhat fun and maybe even have impressive but believable stunts with a decent plot! Well, it sadly wasn't any of those things, except maybe kinda fun at times. I mean, the part where a single string somehow manages to get the car to the other side of the mountain is stupid and impossible, sure, but it was still somewhat fun. All the actors pretty much do exactly what they do in all the other F&F movies: barely act, do impossible stunts like always, and try to deliver jokes that almost NEVER land. Ok, some jokes did land, but MOST fell flat on its face, literally and figuratively. Also, let's not forget the main theme of the movie: FAMILY. The plot itself is just predictable at this point for a F&F movie: Living nice and quiet with family until you're pulled into a huge secret-ops mission about some crazy thing. I do have one positive thing to say about F9: The opening scene building up to Dom's dad's death was surprisingly suspenseful (even though I kind-of saw the death coming from a mile away.) But other than that, this movie fails to even get past the basic standards of a decent F&F movie! Oh yeah, I forgot. Han somehow survived! I won't explain how: you already know. Overall, this movie is easily the worst of the franchise, in my opinion. I mean, you can watch it, but expect impossible stunts, stupid dialogue, predictable, boring car chase scenes, etc. (also, I hear a sequel is coming in 2023....sighhh.)

Aliens (1986)

a classic action sequel, amazing in every way

[10/10 · 11 November 2021]

After the refreshingly unique "Alien" (1979), I'm sure nobody expected the sequel to live up to it, no, not even CLOSE! Everybody probably went into the theater either thinking it was gonna be a waste of time, or it would be a pleasant surprise. Of course, 35 years later, you probably already know the answer. It was a pleasant surprise, and MORE! I pick this sequel over Judgement Day, personally. While both movies are equally awesome, it's "Aliens" that has the more memorable quotes (of course, Judgement Day has that too, but I just liked the quotes in Aliens more) This sequel takes a more action-y turn than the first, going 57 years after the events of the first movie. Colonial Marine Lieutenant and Carter Burke ask Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) to join an investigation of a colony. Reluctantly, she agrees. When they arrive, they find the place empty. Deserted. While investigating, they find a nine-year-old called Newt (Carrie Henn). She, in my opinion, was a very fine addition to the movie; she was one of the key elements that made the movie work so well. Of course, I will not go on any longer in this review without mentioning the amazing Colonel Marine characters. Each one managed to deliver equally amazing performances, particularly Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein). While Ripley (or Weaver) easily stole the show as flawlessly as she did in the original, these Marines deliver hilarious quotes ("Game over, man! Game over!") and make this movie a mix of suspenseful and pure fun. While the last hour of the movie is very, very intense, it is very crucial to the plot. Overall, this is a brilliant, suspenseful, and a rare perfect sequel that managed to live up to the original. Yes, I do recommend this to you.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

an equally good sequel, albeit not as memorable

[9/10 · 28 October 2021]

I wasn't expecting "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" to be a worthy sequel; quite frankly, I expected it to be a mediocre follow-up to the awesome, "Volume 1". As I normally am, I WAS DEAD WRONG. This sequel managed to live up to the sequel without failing to add some twists and surprises along the way. As you probably heard, this sequel is WAY less violent than the first. Don't get me wrong, it still has violence, just not nearly as much as the the first one. But in my opinion, this makes the movie more grounded and I can understand the characters and the villain(In this case, Bill's) motives a bit better. Beatrix Kiddo is halfway through on her hit-list, only Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), Budd (Michael Madsen), and finally, yep, you guessed it, Bill (David Carradine) remain. It is sad indeed that David Carradine passed. His role was and still is excellent! Now, when Beatrix, or The Bride goes to eliminate Budd, she sadly gets tricked by Budd and gets shot. Then, she gets buried alive in a nailed-down coffin. We then travel back to the past, when Bill and Beatrix are camping, when Bill decides to take Beatrix to Pai Mei for training. At first, Beatrix gets scorned by Pai Mei, but eventually starts to respect her slowly. I really like the training scenes for this reason: say Tarantino DIDN'T show us this scene(s). We'd just see The Bride do the Exploding Heart Technique and leave many unanswered questions. Of course, I also have to mention the fight scene between Driver and Kiddo. This scene is one of the best scenes out of the two movies and is my second-favorite scene in "Volume 2". It has perfectly quotable lines "I called him a miserable, old fool" and "B*tch, you don't have a future". Also, the final scene with Bill and Kiddo deserves a special mention. With even more memorable lines and a memorable villain death, it might hold up as one of the greatest, ever. Overall, this sequel is very good, but not as memorable. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch it.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

an absolute Tarantino classic gore-fest

[10/10 · 24 October 2021]

God, I love every part of this movie. This really was a high point in Tarantino's career! How do I even begin to describe how well-made, detailed, and very fun this movie is? Well, I'll at least TRY. First off, the violence in, "Kill Bill" is just about as cartoony and graphic as "Deadpool", but cranked up to 11. And if you've seen "Deadpool", you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't, I mean gallons of fake blood flowing out of people's heads after being sliced. Do not watch this movie if you're faint-hearted. Second off, the storyline/plot is very well-told! The revenge story could've been a cliché, but Tarantino luckily knew this and managed to make it feel unique and fresh. Not much directors have that talent. Third, Uma Thurman. She plays her role effortlessly and stylishly. She steals every scene she's in. I won't get too deep in this film, but I will say this. The villain, O-Ren Ishii, is pretty good at holding her own. Lucy Lui did a very great job at her role, indeed. Also, the final scene between the two is probably my favorite scene out of all the two Kill Bill movies. Overall, this is one of Tarantino's classics that I definitely recommend you watch! (not for the faint of heart)

Alien (1979)

a near-perfect, claustrophobic masterpiece

[10/10 · 21 October 2021]

42 years later, the classic, "Alien" still holds up incredibly well. While I still believe "Aliens" is somewhat better, the sequel's final scene just cannot compare to the first one's. I'm sure you agree. If you don't, a reminder; *THIS IS ALL MY OPINION*. With that out of the way, let us start. First, just the way the movie STARTS is terrifyingly claustrophobic. We are meant to feel...that "isolated from the world" feeling. And it works very, very well. We are then introduced to the characters: Ellen Ripley, Ash, Kane, Brett, Parker, Dallas, and Lambert. These characters mostly do their part with the pretty great acting. Things are all nice and merry until one of the characters fatally get chest-bursted by one of the Aliens! The scene is one of my most beloved of all time(and for those who have seen the movie, I'm sure you agree as well). Of course, the Alien kills off each one of the characters until only Ripley is the only one left. I won't spoil the last scene, just in case there are idiots reading this who ignored the "Warning: Spoilers!" thing. Anyway, the design of the ship is FANTASTIC. Really this movie is nearly up there with "Halloween" as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. It has a perfect plot, alright pacing, and terrifying suspense. Of course, you might ask: Why not a 10? Well, I did not care as much for the twist that one of the characters were a mole. Other than that, a 42-year-old classic, no doubt.

Deadpool (2016)

cheesy, but good fun

[8/10 · 21 October 2021]

5 years go, things were crazy. Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and many other artists had spoken up. Movies were either hit-or-miss. The Secret Life of Pets and Sing were a thing(definitely aren't now, though I unfortunately hear Sing is getting a sequel). But there was. One particular movie that was being talked about a whole lot. Which was..."Deadpool". This movie is full of humor that doesn't always hit, sex, and very graphic, almost cartoony violence. That's what makes it so good! Just about everything works in this movie. The anti-hero(Deadpool), is perfectly acted by Ryan Reynolds. The other anti-heroes are fun too. "Deadpool" has very fun scenes (like the Zamboni scene), and alright pacing and supreme editing. The only drawback is that I thought the love thing is the movie wasn't as good as people say. Feel free to argue with me, it's my opinion. Overall, I guess you can watch this movie. Just don't expect it to be perfect.