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The Flash (2023)
Cursed film that nevertheless is worth every penny and second!
I thought I would write a review because I think this is one of the best written and most fun superhero movies yet, which was cursed by the stupidity and ego of one Ezra Miller, who is good but far from perfect in this role.
Still, I think the studio, director, cast and crew deserve a break as they clearly invested a lot of love and stamina in this project, that fell under the curse of not only the Ezra insanity, but also the Snider drama, the Cavill mishaps, superhero fatigue, scope creep and PC BS.
I want to explain, why I think the reasons why this film is being hated should not prevent you from enjoying it:
1. Ezra Miller: The guy is a jerk, possibly a criminal and belongs in oblivion. But when you watch the movie, you will realize that it was impossible to replace him. It would have meant basically starting it from scratch. No studio could afford that. Yes, they could have scrapped the project altogether, but we would have really missed out. This film is a ton of fun and hundreds of people put their love and sweat into making The Flash come true. Give them some respect.
2. Poor CGI: This one is less deserving, but I can still give it a break. I think the project just became a budget nightmare as they added that amazing score(s), cameos, giant scenes and PR damage control, so at some point they had to compromise, and the studio's decision was to use crap CGI for a very specific set of scenes. Every time THOSE scenes play, they will look like The Polar Express. It was clearly not rushed, but a decision they made to make the film's budget possible. Outside those scenes, There's just one scene they decided to also make look horrible, and I did not like it at all, I think they went for "Let's embrace our uncanny CGI nightmare style for fun". That did not work for me. But other than that, and believe me, it's most of the film, the CGI is quite good. At least as good as the Snyder Cut.
3. Problematic Cameos: Yes, there is one problematic cameo, but I don't think it was disrespectful at all. Being a longtime Sups fan, I saw it as a warm homage. I think this is where the PC crap chimes in. Let's enjoy some cheap nostalgia for what it is. It's not like people are running to buy tickets to watch a 10 seconds cameo. Come on!
4. Confusing/Repetitive script: This is the mildest of the criticism I've heard. Yes, it's like the 5th Multiverse movie in a row, yes, it reminds you too much of a VERY recent movie and yes, it can be confusing, but for what is worth, I think it handled the time travel/multiverse problem elegantly, and overall, I liked it better than almost any other attempt at multiverse. But that's just my opinion.
Outside the criticism, the truth is that it really is a very good movie, with tons of rewatching potential, well made nostalgia bait and a very decent story but most of all, really really funny. Go watch it!
Friends: The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance (1999)
Particularly bad one
This is one of those Friends episodes that have gotten old really bad. You can tell the show had lost its north and was trying to adapt to new storyline but without much success. You can tell that most of this episode's jokes did not land, situations get ever more ridiculous and the usual warmth between characters seems a bit lost. It's not a bad episode necessarily but it's very lacking.
Don't know if others would concur but at this point Ross was easily the most annoying character in the cast, taking over from Chandler who got redeemed in seasons 4 and 5.
PS: Joey running a pedophile joke and Rachel faking Indian accent? Hard pass.
RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022)
EDITED: On a second view, this is actually pretty great
I just edited this review to add that I gave a second chance to RRR and enjoyed thoroughly as much as most people. I left my old review just to provide an insight on what could have changed. My 2 cents on how to enjoy RRR: Watch it with other people around and turn on your fantasy goggles.
OLD REVIEW (Watching it alone and tired):
It is really hard to know what to make of this movie. I watched (part of it) because Patrick H Willems recommended it, but I think he might have fallen to the emotion of a movie theatre packed with Indian cinema fans.
Not only I am not unfamiliar with Indian movies, but some of them are among my all time favorites: 3 Idiots and Dangal would be the top ones. However, RRR looks like a parody of Indian movies: Over the top but stupid action, very bad special effects, idiotic plot, extremely poor acting and caricature-level bad guys are rampant throughout the film.
I hope the otherwise promising Indian film industry won't get lost in the adoration of its hardcore fans and continue providing us with the amazing stories the west klacks of.
If you want to watch an over the top but a lot more enjoyable indian film, look no further than Makkhi (Eega), a joy to watch and laugh with/¿at?
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Don't hate what you love
It's been a while since I wrote a review but I think this movie deserves a balanced review, but also I want to explain those who haven't watched Matrix Resurrections why it is receiving so much hate and why it deserves a chance.
The first reason is the most basic one: expectations. The original Matrix is almost IMPOSSIBLE to overcome. You can make a better movie of course, but not a better Matrix movie for one reason: the premise was so ingenious and new that blew everyones' heads. It also came out at a time where technology was not being used at its full potential and the Wachowskis came up with an extremely original concept such as bullet time.
All those things are one in a lifetime breakthroughs and anything that follow-up with inherently be lesser. That being said, all the three sequels have been in my opinion more flawed that they could have been but definitely not bad movies, so I have to step up when I see the last installment is being treated as an Adam Sandler bad film.
Matrix Resurrections is underneath all its flaws a very original movie, one that takes the source material and the lore very seriously and takes to the next level organically and ingeniously. The concepts, the new elements, the mythology are definitely canon and expand the Matrix universe in very interesting directions.
The philosophy feels updated and more relevant to our current world than the first Matrix. Back then, being part of the system was the thing of materialistic and conformist sheeps. Red pills were for the rebels, the anarchist, those who dared challenging the status quo and imagine a world without boundaries and bondage.
In 2021, the red-pillers are weirdos, conspiracy theorist and bigots who equally distrust science, politics, institutions and media but funily enough, trust religion, social networks and capitalism... Well, this is what Matrix Resurrections deal with; Projects the matrix cosmogony to a world where the machines already learned how to manipulate those who know what the matrix is and even those who woke up and supposedly disconnected already.
Achieving this is not a small feat in and of itself makes this movie deserving of not only a watch but the same analysis that its predecessors called for. Now, of course there are a lot of flaws in the execution, the one closer to my heart is the poor fight coreographies. Every time I saw them (except a very short one) I feel what you feel when you see your old dad trying to pull the same physic trick he did when you were a kid. Nothing to do with the protagonists age, but the terrible miss of a good coreographer.
Special effects are very decent but none of them is outstanding and some elements and characters seem out of place or purposeless, but there is plently of new stuff and fun to grant this one at least a solid 7. I'm giving it 10 just to help balance the injustice.
Also, why it's getting so much hate: Twofold: lovers of the original Matrix mercilesly chastising it for not being Matrix 1 or not adjusting to all of their imagined expectations for de direction of the franchise, and on the other hand, self-called "red-pillers" offended when discovering (22 years late) that Matrix is woke. Oh boy big reveal for small minds who ignored all along that Matrix is the creation of two woke, rebel and extremely intelligent trasgender sisters who made these movies for those who feel like them, not necessarily for you.
Also also, this is Matrix meets Sense8 and I love it for that!
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
I can't believe so much hate
Okay, I get it: WW84 is not as good as WW but what is it with all those 1/10 and 2/10 ratings? Are you seriously thinking this is The Room, Troll 2 or Birdemic? Come on! I don't know what twisted heart feels like the way to positively influence a franchise that they love is by destroying a flawed yet totally worth it and enjoyable product.
Now that I let the rant go off from my system I will talk to you dear indecisive movie goer that just want to make sense of all these horrible reviews that want to make you believe that WW84 is a piece of excrement under their shoe.
WW84 starts with a piece so thrilling and exciting that my 5 yo daughter's eyes shone with pride, emotion and tears. After that, there was a charming although almost campy 80's tribute scene that could have been better but was good enough to make me smile and totally feel Superman 1/2 vibes in a good way.
The third act was for me the lowest point of the movie, feeling actually tedious and long. Ironically, many of the haters loved this piece and I think I know why: They got some of the gritty, grounded and 'serious' tone they went for. Then, the four act brings the already famous 'monkey paw' device, which probably scared away all those purists nostalgic of Sack Snyder's shallow gravitas.
To me, the script is intelligent and coherent, although not sophisticated at all. It was a simple trope that drove the movie's central arc for the main protagonists. If you are used to having everything explained with Nolan-style quasi-science, then you will roll your eyes and hate the movie. But if you like fantasy (which WW has a lot of), then you can embrace the concept, enjoy the ride and understand the film's message.
While I don't think that message is anything disruptive, it is warm, thoughtful and sincere. I don't think the movie necessarily needed a lot more action and fight scenes (although a bit more would have been nice) nor I think any of the two villains failed to deliver enjoyable and believable characters, whitin the confines of the movie's style and rules.
I think WW84's nonsensical IMDB rating is just a punishment from the DC fandom who wanted to see Sack Snyder's style in every DC movie. This film is a lot better than a lot of Marvel superhero movies, and way better than Batman v Superman, Justice League and both Suicide Squad movies. To me it is actually better than Shazam, so there you have it, WW84 is not as good as WW. Big suprise!
Go enjoy this movie with your inner child awake and have a wonderful 2021!
Súbete a mi Moto (2020)
I wish I could give this a better rating
I really liked the series, my family and I found ourselves carving every new episode, but the experience was definitely a mixed bag. Other users have commented on the wigs, which are awful, the bad acting and other technical problems as I have to concur. The technical aspects of the show are way below modern series.
There is one exception on this department that I have to mention because I think they really deserve it and it is costume design. I am not an expert but I lived in the 80's and I'm pleased with the variety and detail of most of the actors' wardrobe.
Other than that everything screams "low budget" and sometimes plain mediocrity.
Having said all of that I go back to my liking the series: I liked most of the kids acting, Joselo, Doña Peche, the young Mexican actresses but above all, the story (even though sometimes it was very poorly scripted).
I know my review is confusing and disorganized but that's just appropriate for how this series is story.
I liked it a lot but please don't do a second season.
Living Undocumented (2019)
It is easy to judge and blame the weak from the comfort of priviledge
It is astonishing to see how anti-immigration trolls are bashing this documentary, because of their political views. First let me say that this an excellently well-made documentary and despite the indifferent gaze from thousands of -I guess- Trump followers, it is also heartbreaking.
Those heartless who dare to compare illegally entering a COUNTRY to breaking into another's home, completely miss the point: Yes, some of the illegal immigrants made mistakes, or even committed petty crimes, but they are not the majority, and even those who made mistakes are still human beings and deserve as much sympathy and opportunities as any other human being.
There are others who obviously didn't watch the documentary because blindly claim that there are legal ways to enter the country. I, being a bilingual professional with a job offer, tried three times to enter the US legally and had to give up. Now I am happily living in Canada, where I brought all my savings and talent. Can you imagine how hard it is for people who didn't have the luck I had of being educated and having enough funds?
Finally, I read the most ignorant claim: It is their fault for taking the risk instead of staying in their countries. Those of course did not watch the documentary and so you should not value their judgement here. The US is deporting people who escaped from extreme poverty, slavery, terrorism and more.
Isn't the US the best country on Earth? Isn't it the most prosperous land there is? Well, many people I read here surely think America is just a petty house with a limited stock of opportunities, not enough to share with those in need... Wow, how little they think of such a big nation!
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Alita, the ultimate bad-ass heroine
This is probably the best VFX that I have seen on theaters in years. The animation is stunning and the fight scenes are clear, fast and extremely cool. Never did it look like a video-game or an implausible world. You will feel immersed in this dystopian reality.
The plot was pretty predictable and simple, but convincing enough to support the action.
This is a flick to enjoy from start to end and quite likely to revisit a couple of times before the obligatory sequel comes out.
Prophecy (1979)
This thing frightened me for weeks when I was a kid
I was born in 1979, the same year this movie was released, and this could be the 79th review of this title, so I guessed I would write it!
I can't recall exactly when I watched Prophecy, but it should have been around 1991 - 1992. I was probably 12 and I remember the terror that those grotesque images of deformed animals caused to me. At the same time, I could not stop watching because I probably cared for the main characters, but more likely because the horrifying bear was so well animated that I thought it could actually exist.
Then again, I was only a child and thus, easily impressionable but back in the day, I also watched "The Thing", "IT", "The Abyss" or "Alien" but it was only Prophecy that really haunted me for nights and still somehow comes back now and then as the movie that really caused terror to my young mind.
As I write this lines, I remember how my sister Julia and I would challenge each other to resist the instinct of covering our eyes or to look away when the monsters showed up. It was really entertaining.
I wonder if the title is available somewhere in the Internet so I can revisit it sometime.
180 Segundos (2012)
Naive and pretentious at the time
I don't really understand how this piece of wannabe action flick made it to more than 6 on IMDb, my guess is that all the cast and crew voted to make it look bearable. However it is not. The time-line is a mess, the dialogs are pretentious and out of the place mostly, the action is goofy and the surprises and dramatic turns are so naive that even a fifth grader could have guessed them.
It just takes fifteen minutes into the movie to realize that this is a poor attempt to make a Colombian version of Ocean's eleven or The Perfect Plan, but mixing a betrayal sub-plot and a romantic story that scratch into the silliness. In my opinion the origins of this movie was a very basic idea that someone thought that could work, then a poor story development that could have been successfully fit in 30 minutes, and 1 hour of incidental, romantic and flashback fillings that add nothing to the central story.
I was not able to finish watching this nonsense even fast-forwarding the last 30 minutes.
DragonHeart (1996)
Highly underrated
I'm surprised this movie is not at least a 7 in IMDb. Dragonheart used to be one of my favorite movies when I was teenager. It is fun, funny and emotional, the CGI are great for late 90's and Denis Quaid acting is remarkable.
Leaving aside the fact that this is a story about dragons and knights, The bottom story of honor and betrayal is a little stereotypical but still very catching. To me the downside is the antagonist casting: The guy is so boring. Other than that, Sean Connery's voice and the movie soundtrack are spectacular. Highly recommended to watch in family for those who haven't seen it yet, and for the rest, revisiting this title now and then, can be a good plan for a Sunday afternoon.
A History of Violence (2005)
Just good to spend an afternoon
Whilst this is not a stunning movie, It sill can make you amaze a couple of times. The acting seemed to me average but the story is intelligent an yes: violent. Anyway some thing confused me about this one, although the script was vertiginous, still the scenes looked rather slow. Another interesting but slightly unnecessary elements were the sex scenes between the main characters. It was remarkable to see the incredible Maria Bello in those scenes but from my point of view it din't add value to the story.
Well, leaving aside the boring expectations, you'll surely enjoy this piece, and in the end you'll feel pleased to have rented it. Come on, you wouldn't be serious about going to the cinema for it, would you?
What Dreams May Come (1998)
This is the best movie I've ever seen
Well, although some of you don't find this movie as a master piece, I've identified myself so deeply with it that quickly became my favorite movie and such as the first sight love, you can't explain it completely with words I'll try to show you some reasons that probably you'll agree with me:
- It's spectacular music: Michael Kamen did a wonderful work putting into notes the feelings and thoughts of the main characters. - The state of the art special effects: It's not chance this movie has won the Special FX Accademy Award. - There are probably the most intelligent dialogs in a commercial film:
* The conversation between Chris and Albert about where is the soul
* The sermon in the church where Chris talks of his son as the father
he'll won't get to know.
* The conversation between Annie and Chris in the Hell where he thanks
her for many things and then asks for her forgiveness for being so
wonderful that a guy would choose hell over heaven just to hang
around with her.
* The paradigm "sometimes when you loose, you win" and "sometimes when
you win, you loose"
* The astonishing "What some folks call impossible, is the stuff they
haven't seen before. - And finally some of the most sentimental and sad scenes in movies:
* The dead of the children, but specially the scene in the funeral.
* The ghost of Christ telling Annie "I Still Exist".
* When Chirst runs to the tree Annie painted and Screams ANNIE!
* When that tree looses its leafs while Chris and Annie cry together.
* When Chris finds both of his children.
* The rescue of Annie.
I do particularly find this movie very close to my beliefs about death and what happens next. I think that is an approach which fulfills the death vision from the most important creeds and religions.