eddmurua Reviews

Child's Play 3 (1991)

Rushed and... boring

[3/10 · 21 June 2024]

The new setting, Kent Military School, could've been the reason for a spark of originality and instead everything seems just poorly executed and rushed.

First of all, Chucky itself looks stiff and his scenes less dynamic. His dialogue also isn't as funny nor his kills memorable.

But the rest of the characters are all ridiculously cliched, a huge contrast to the "nuanced" approach of the previous film. The score is a disaster and makes the scenes more boring than they should be, and more importantly, the impact of not being believed is not the same with a kid than with a now teen Andy, and the same goes for his interactions with Chucky as he doesn't look defenseless anymore. It just... doesn't work.

Child's Play 2 (1990)

Kind of a remake... and better

[7/10 · 20 June 2024]

I just can't take seriously those that like the original but somehow think this one is worse, when storywise is basically the same thing minus the exposition, and in almost every other aspect is just substantially better.

The acting, starting with the 2 years older kid Alex Vincent, is just way better. The characters are also less cliched, with nuanced foster parents and especially a greatly handled adoptive sister, who instead of being a bully and annoying, is supportive and nice to the new kid.

The pace, the jumpscares, the gore, the especial effects and the animatronics are at least the same, or improved, so again, I don't see how you can like the first one better, unless you are the kind of person that is obsessed with giving credit to "the first one" at all times. And you shouldn't, the sequel is better.

Child's Play (1988)

Well done and iconic

[6/10 · 20 June 2024]

I would classify this movie as efficient. Everything works really well so I have to believe the direction had a lot to do with it. The weaknesses (script; acting; technical) exist and yet, they are elevated by the whole instead of them bringing the whole down.

So when Alex Vincent (the kid) is stiff in his delivery (he does have great moments), Catherine Hicks is there to make the scene work anyways. When the script goes too wild, the great editing and pace maintains us entertained regardless. When Chucky, the electronic doll, shows its limits, Brad Dourif's voice acting makes it so fun (and funny) that we don't care.

In the end, the movie just works overall and launched another very iconic slasher for the horror subgenre.

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Movie for literal babies

[1/10 · 18 June 2024]

This is a disaster of epic proportions. The movie seems created to destroy brain cells by the minute. The jokes are made for literal babies and consist of loud and annoying noises, stupid faces from the characters, and idiotic and constant physical comedy like falling down like a clown.

The nail in the coffin is the voice actors that were cast. Every single voice is disgusting, annoying, and unfunny. There is not one charming character.

What surprises me the most is the amount of adults that like it when it is only comparable to the Teletubbies, Peppa Pig and things like that, things that aren't created for even 7 years old.

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

One of the funnier Disney movies

[18 June 2024]

The start is a bit strange, with a really unlikeable protagonist (magnificent David Spade interpretation), a particularly original visual design and the rare inclusion of flashbacks for animated Disney movies, with the lead remembering how he ended up in the situation that he starts in.

But the movie gets progressively better and funnier, and when it gets to the half (or the third act), everything breaks loose into a wild, ridiculous and more than anything, impossibly fun half/ending. We have all types of jokes: for kids, adults, fourth wall breaking style, and meanwhile we get more heartfelt moments, creating an uplifting good story without the need of forced monologues or melodramatic musicals.

One last thing: Besides the great Spade, Patrick Warburton as Kronk and Eartha Kitt as Yzma gave a lot of soul to their comedic lines with their acting and voices. Even John Goodman is not a disaster as "Pacha".

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Entertaining, I guess

[5/10 · 17 June 2024]

Well, this is the thing. The saga is about action and the technological evolution does help the action sequences, which are fun in my opinion. So that's good.

Then we have the old characters (Connor and Terminator) and both work thanks to Hamilton's and Arnold's charisma. Mackenzie Davis is pretty good as "the new terminator" and Gabriel Luna is fine as the "new T-1000". The movie is not original and that's why I can say "the new X" from the originals and not be wrong one bit.

But... the new character that for sure doens't work is the most important one. Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) is just incredibly annoying and a very flat character that is basically Jesus with all the virtues already in her. She's nice, strong, passionate but rational, hopeful but a realist, determined but willing to listen, etc. This makes the movie less exciting than it could've been, therefore a bit generic, even if entertaining.

Dinosaur (2000)

Bizarre

[6/10 · 16 June 2024]

I would try to explain how bizarre this movie gets. This movie is at the same time incredibly matured and incredibly childish. That's how we get a realistic story... that also includes basically a dinosaur Tarzan that grows up with monkeys.

But that's just a piece of it. While we have the typical childish "animals like humans" behaviour and jokes, which are all terrible, we do have too an overall story that deals with most aspects of the brutal reality of survival in nature and does a great job of balancing teaching morals to kids while mantaining some kind of realism about what animals would do in that situation (so the hero, "us" does the "more ethical" thing, but we do learn what animals do in general. Some won't think the balance works, but it did for me). The contrast is so stark.

For last, the technical aspects. With superb animations for 2000 standards, but weird cuts and some huge fails trying to go for Lion King type of epic moments that do not land and look like post production decisions that doesn't fit the movie. It's just weird and bizarre and... I liked it.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Masterpiece of the genre

[10/10 · 15 June 2024]

There is so much iconic stuff in one movie its hard to believe it. Starting with now a much better Arnold, at the peak of his powers, as the saviour robot (more natural for him than the antagonist he was portraying in 1984). Also Linda Hamilton, now a 100% amazing action figure; Furlong as the "Bart like" cool young 90's teen; the instantly unforgettable T-1000 villain that Robert Patrick brings to life; the incredible score that includes Guns and Roses.

It's amazing. That alone would make any movie great, but then you have to consider how well told the story is, including the sci-fi time travel part, the amazing pace and action and its easy to understand how this has become one of the best movies of the genre, and somehow still passes the test of time.

The Terminator (1984)

Organic and well made action movie (but not more than that)

[6/10 · 15 June 2024]

I feel the best thing they did with this one is the casting of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor as she really sells the idea of a mundane normal young woman turning into a survivor/fighter while also falling for the extrange saviour from the future.

The rest of the acting (including Arnold, in this case not even good enough to act as an emotionless robot), was terrible, as was the awful dialogue, for the most part.

But that doesn't matter that much, because it is for the most part a simple action movie, with sci-fi touches, very well made on all fronts, but not the masterpiece the sequel would be.

Searching (III) (2018)

A real good simple thriller

[6/10 · 15 June 2024]

This ain't no masterpiece and doesn't try to be. It doesn't want to challenge our perception of the world nor send a poignant political/social message. And it doesn't need to. What we have is a very simple thriller, about a missing girl and his desperate father (John Cho), plus how technology influences our lives nowadays.

Cho was very good in his role. Debra was fine. Some people found mistakes in how technology is used (I didn't mind it). My problem was the a bit too tedious slowburn in the first two acts, but with a great third one and ending, I think it's pretty clear this ends up being a good little movie.

The Accused (2018)

A little too vague, a bit mediocre

[5/10 · 15 June 2024]

Maybe I didn't understand the metaphor or message of the movie. What was a good, if not special, movie about a crime that our protagonist was accused of committing, ends up too "in the air". Regardless of that, the movie is a bit too generic anyways.

Lali Espósito does an excellent job at using her innocent seeming persona to make us doubt at all times if she has done anything bad despite a lot of evidence against her. Sbaraglia is just a great talent and kills most roles, so of course was going to be great at a simple one like this one, the father of the accused.

The movie looks good, the acting is good and it looks good, but it's also a bit forgettable despite the mysterious ending.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Bad acting; worse casting; Mediocre story and bad dialogue

[3/10 · 15 June 2024]

Visually the movie is unquestionably good, but contrary to what some people read in the movie, I think it tries to be smarter than average and fails miserably as nothing gets really explored. Or maybe I just didn't get distracted by boredom.

Also, I don't think Tom Cruise is a good actor, but he knows how to use his charm when the characters are a good fit for him, and this one wasn't at all. Brad Pitt was not at his best yet and neither could make anything of their terrible and boring characters.

Some insist to read the movie "subtext" about homosexuality and even if I can see a reference here and there to it, again like I said, I'm not sure the movie goes anywhere with anything. Or again, It went above my head, my bored head by this boring meandering movie.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000 Video)

Good... but that's about it

[6/10 · 15 June 2024]

The story is very good and the mystery increases the tension as the movie goes on, which is something that animated movies for kids do not always do well. The voice acting is pretty solid too and the resolution is surprising enough.

Having said that, the character designs are low-key horrible, especially Batman's (the Joker is ok), the animation quality is improvable and Terry McGinnis is very annoying and only towards the end gets better.

If the movie isn't better than good it is because the ending is great but a bit lazy and requires us to accept very wild and ridiculous sci-fi to make it work. Entertaining and good, but that's about it.

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998 Video)

Too childish for its own good

[4/10 · 15 June 2024]

Let's start with the good, that is, the really great villain that Mr. Freeze is when done well (which means not making it a joke with Arnold and stupid puns), and here we have a great version of the character and his tragic story (the show "Gotham" also had a really good version of him).

But even the good comes with a bad thing and that is the somber villain story was trapped in a movie that was otherwise childish but also not particularly fun, as the plot regarding the heroes was really poorly done, as was their very weak characterization.

Maybe I'm being too harsh for movie intended for kids.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Very well done but I don't see it as a masterpiece

[6/10 · 15 June 2024]

The movie is divided into two flimsy connected parts. We have an established Batman in the present, investigating a series of crimes against Gotham's mob leaders done a mysterious villain and the other part told in flashbacks, about Batman's origin, with a heavy focus on the spiritual/emotional reasons that made him do what he does to make Gotham better, kind of as a promise to his parents, and the struggles and sacrifices that promise entailed. It does leave aside the intellectual/philosophical reasoning in favor of the ways he tries to make that happen though.

Overall it's hard to see that many flaws other than... it can get a bit boring. The action could be much better and the back and forth to and from flashbacks didn't help the pace of the movie. The villain, while interesting, is a bit too ridiculous for the tone of the movie. Again, overall it's a very good movie that I just found a bit more flawed than others.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

The sequel is just worse at everything (except the animation)

[5/10 · 15 June 2024]

This one changes the focus to Elastigirl, which would be perfectly fine if the writers allowed her to have flaws to overcome, therefore making her journey interesting and exciting, but because the movie portrays itself as feminist (in a very simplistic and basic way), the only obstacle she has is self-doubt, which she easily overcomes as it was only in her head, apparently because years of sacrificing her individualism to serve a collective (the theme of the franchise), her family, as a full time mother, something the movie sees as a negative, like any and all individual sacrifices. The other members of the family are reduced to nothing worth remembering (brother and sister) and terrible and overused comic relief (Mr. Incredible as an "overqualified" poor parent, incapable of the simplest tasks because he dumb).

The villain is also worse this time around because it's boring, visually uninteresting and with a very overcomplicated and kind of dumb plan, lame personality and bland powers. He also questions the exceptionality of the few that makes the masses dependable on them to solve their problems and therefore amass power over them (the obvious parallels being what it's always said about the 1% generating jobs for everybody with their entrepreneur initiative, deserving therefore of tax cuts, which would translate in this movie on freedom and lack of regulation for the superheroes, consolidating the idea that control over "the exceptional, better people" can only be bad for everybody, as the idea of control comes from the bad guy).

And even then, all of that could've been just negative aspects (and my interpretation of what the movie is about) if the action, pace, mysteries and twists were better, but all of them being mediocre, ultimately made this sequel forgettable.

The Incredibles (2004)

Kind of perfect

[9/10 · 14 June 2024]

The characters and the themes presented about normal human problems (midlife crisis for the "Family Dad", losing his youth and/or masculinity; the "mother" that gave up her personal life to raise the kids; the socially awkward teenager with lack of confidence; the little kid learning responsibility) is awesome.

After that amazing presentation of characters, it gets into the story, about Syndrome (villain) and the other overall theme: exceptionality. This movie reaffirms that some people are just better than others (which, true I guess?), and how every effort to try to make life similar for everybody with rules, is actually bad (individualism over collectivism).

All of that is great too, but the problem surges towards the end, that throws out all the nuanced characterization and matured reaction of every human. Example: Mr. Incredible has the chance to do something to try to get the job done, but it is immoral. He doesn't do it, showing that he is in fact a hero that deserves the special treatment he asks (the movie asks) for. But then later on he commits that immoral act, and while justifiable, the movie acts like nothing happened, making the earlier scene totally irrelevant, because then, our hero is good because we say it's good, not because of his entire characterization. Hard to explain without spoilers.

Whatever. It's a great movie regardless.

Hardcore Henry (2015)

A non-movie

[1/10 · 14 June 2024]

This isn't a movie, not really. Even really bad video games usually have way more and better story and characters than this excuse of a "film". There are a bunch (a huge bunch) of parkour youtube videos and channels that would give you basically the same action, just way better and more impressive ("Storror" in particular is a very fun one).

As "excuses" for movies go, this one is the bottom of the barrel. I won't praise the graphic bloody violence because it was an obvious neccesity not an artistic decision. The ending I guess it's ok, but It's seriously embarrassing to read praising "reviews" of this crap. If you like this, why are you even watching a movie at that point? Go play first person shooter video games instead!

Unicorn Store (2017)

This movie needed a really good ending. It didn't have one.

[3/10 · 14 June 2024]

A few things : 1) It's kind of weird for a Hollywood actress but at 27, Brie Larson doesn't look even close to the 22 years old character she was protraying.

2) Continuing with Brie, when the dialogue is good, she delivers, but when its bad, she's terrible. So I would say she gives an ok performance, not enough for the lead of the movie.

3) The message? As a manchild myself I was ready to empathize with the character and the story, but I think they didn't deliver a clear message (even contradicting itself?). We got real life and her mind, a fantasy world. I was expecting a convergence and yet they kind of dropped the ball.

She matures... by totally giving into her childlike mentallity, which was what got her into trouble in the first place, right? I don't know. I dont' think it makes sense and no amount of "colorful world" could distract me enough to forget it.

In the end, I didn't hate the movie. It had some (a handful of) funny scenes and some (a handful of) cute moments, but also terrible attempts at humor, some odd acting choices by Brie and a tonal dissonance that was not fixed with an ending making sense of it.

Pet Sematary (2019)

Like the original, just worse...

[3/10 · 14 June 2024]

The 1989 original movie had things to improve (the acting, slow pace, better writing for character's motivations), so I was totally on board for a remake of a good, but improvable movie.

So I wasn't expecting for the new one to change random things or cutting important scenes for the characters and theme of the movie (dealing with grief) for nothing better in their place.

What they did was remaking it for a very boring first hour, chaning little things and making it worse, and then out of nowhere they started doing their thing... a completely dumbed down version that would've been somewhat fun, but it was just dumb and was dissonant with the first half, making the whole a confused (corporate?) mess that improved nothing, really.

Zombieland (2009)

Being dumb is fine. Too dumb? That's annoying.

[2/10 · 13 June 2024]

The movie started well enough, explaining the rules of this world with Jesse Eisenberg's character. It got dumber but cool and fun enough with Woody's introduction, but started to lose strength after twenty plus minutes and never recovered. Everything after Emma Stone's character introduction was just not funny, lame, cliché storytelling and ridiculous stuff after ridiculous stuff. There is an audience for that, and they deserve this movie of course, I'm just not part of it.

Our protagonists have arcs, we find out at the very... very end of the movie. It serves the only purpose to make sure we all know that the writers know how dumb the movie is, because they know how to write real stuff, just this movie doesn't need them to do it. The "arcs" come with no emotional weight whatsoever, therefore are pointless... like the movie, unless you are the target I guess.

Tarzan (1999)

Spectacular trash

[2/10 · 12 June 2024]

My God I hated it. The story just sucks. It felt like a story for literal babies, but with way too much dialogue for them, the worst of both worlds. There is so much terrible, annoying humor, and the worst part of it is that the actors in charge of the timing of it are the worst.

My God I hated the acting in general, but Goldwyn was a terrible souless Tarzan, Minnie Driver sounded like an Alien that didn't know what the words she was using meant as Tarzan's girlfriend/love, and Dear Lord whoever put Rosie O'donnell in the movie was a mule working for Warner Brothers. Just disgustingly bad.

Its sad because the animation, cinematography, score and songs were probably the best 10/10 of the entire 90's era Disney (although Phill Collins acutally singing the songs was... weird). But no, I hated it with passion.

Mulan (1998)

Mulan is perfect... the movie... maybe?

[10/10 · 11 June 2024]

It was really hard to decide to go with a 10 or a 9 (also kind of not that important at all, of course), because the things I "dislike" or can point out as "not good" are very small and not super relevant.

For example I would've loved the same movie with actors speaking chinese. I really dislike the first two songs, but both are short and more forgettable than awful. Last thing is Mushu, which is a somewhat funny character thanks to Eddie Murphy's performance, but just doesn't fit the tone of the movie at all.

Other than that, I love the story, writing, characters and in particular our protagonist Mulan. So yeah, 9, 10, whatever, this was an awesome Disney animated movie.

Saw (2004)

The start of the best slasher ever

[6/10 · 10 June 2024]

Contrary to what many believe, of the first 6 movies, the original is probably the worse... if we don't take into account... you know... being original and having that going for it compared to the sequels.

It's not bad. It's just a bit slow for what it has to tell. The characters and story aren't good enough to take that much time and the details weren't put together well enough yet (just two examples: the whole "Jigsaw isn't technically a murderer" is just dumb coming from anybody that isn't Jigsaw and Zepp's "trap" is just... dumber than it should've without going into spoilers).

But a great third act makes the whole thing worth it and good, besides the many flaws it contains, and it starts the construction of the best horror slasher ever.

Hercules (1997)

Hades shines brighter

[6/10 · 9 June 2024]

My God is this movie totally saved by James Wood interpretation of the excellent writing for the superb character, impossibly well animated and perfectly designed Hades. Every second he's onscreen, the movie is at the level of 10 out of 10 with nothing better ever created by Disney... but when he's not...

The rest happens. And it's fine. Hercules and his story and arc is fine, although it does has clear and obvious mistakes/stupidities about Hercules powers and his arc, but overall, it's ok.

What's not ok is the music. The songs are just impossibly bad and totally unnecessary. The movie would've been shorter and better without them. It's ok though, we got Hades and that made it all worthwhile.