Jona1988

I had no interest in another King Kong movie. Peter Jackson's 2005 remake was a boring rehash. When I first heard there was coming another I was like well they have to drag the franchise out for another try. Several big actors were to be in it but I had never heard of the director. But then the trailer and marketing for it started coming and it looked quite interesting and also and maybe especially it looked different. So eventually I actually went to the cinema to see Kong: Skull Island. Luckily that I did because this is really a movie which should be seen in the cinema.

Kong: Skull Island is the definition of a popcorn movie. Where the 2005 movie was drawn out and almost pretentious this movie wastes no time to get to the action and adventure. The action is outstanding in entertainment. Obviously there is a lot of cgi. However I'm not against computer made effects just for no reason. Some things are hard to do in other ways and as long as it doesn't feel like it's used for laziness sake it's fine. And in this movie it works fine. The action in this movie was among the most exciting I saw last year. Some complained about the characters being thin and while that criticism does have a point I don't think it matters much here. This is a fun action adventure that doesn't need deeply developed characters. They are not what's important. They are just enough for this type of movie. And the performances are good. Samuel L Jackson is the bad*** that he always is and does so well, Tom Hiddleston gives us a glimpse that he could definitely play James Bond, Brie Larson works well with what she's got even if it's not a lot. The best is John C. Reilly, his character is the most interesting and performance the most entertaining. Simple they may be but they do all have some distinct personality. Minor complaints are that many of the quotes that are meant as jokes don't land but for me it wasn't a big issue, the movie is funnier in other ways. Like previously stated I knew nothing about the director who it turns out had only directed one other movie but he totally nailed this one. He gets great performances even if the script probably didn't give much to work with. I love the look of the movie, the style it's done in. The shots of helicopters flying over the island and Kong silhouette against the sun. It could have taken this grim and gloomy look which I'm so glad it didn't. Another thing is the music, while there is tunes that are written for it the movie uses a lot of songs from the era when it is set which works perfectly. Having a lot of well known songs can work greatly in the right kind of movie but not all.

Kong: Skull Island was one of the most surprisingly good movies in 2017. A movie that knows what it is and embraces it. It's campy and over the top and I like it. No one would claim it to be any amazing piece of work but I believe the filmmakers totally know it and all for the better. I have seen a lot of 2017 movies and Kong: Skull Island was while definitely not the best but one of the most thoroughly entertaining. See Kong: Skull Island if you haven't already. I have several times.

Die Hard in all but name. The Last Boy Scout is one underrated and unfairly overlooked gem. It is actually one of my favourite Bruce Willis movies. In many ways it might seem like the standard action movie that he has done so many times but there is much more to this movie. It has many similarities in the feel of it to the Die Hard series and Willis character Joe Hallenbeck is pretty much John McClane. So far that this movie could easily have been transformed into a Die Hard movie with minor rewrites. The Last Boy Scout is a far worthier sequel than the fourth and fifth movie, that pretty much goes without saying but it might actually be better than the second one as well.

The Last Boy Scout was written by Shane Black and it has all his trademarks, humour, interesting story and great characters . The plot is really surprisingly well written much more complicated than one would be expecting. Action movies seldom focus much on the story because it´s not the selling point. The Last Boy Scout has a great plot that takes many surprising twists and requires your attention all the way through. The first time I saw it I didn´t grasp how it all hung together. Then there's the dialogue which is just excellent. So many memorable and hilarious quotes perfectly delivered and most of them by Bruce Willis. Brilliant dialogue is just obvious if you know Shane Black and have seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or more recently The Nice Guys. Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans are perfect in the leads as two unmatched buddies that are forced together. Allegedly they did not get along but maybe it was to the movies advantage. Taylor Negron is likewise great as the menacing villain. The action is thrilling and very brutal. What´s great however is that it´s well thought out and not overdone like that it goes on for too long and just becomes cartoonishly over the top like often happens. The action is sporadic but totally intense and thrilling when it comes. Of course it´s not realistic but more thought out than many. Great directing from Tony Scott.

The Last Boy Scout is a top-notch comedy action thriller unfairly forgotten that hopefully is being or should be rediscovered.

Blade Runner is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It may be my favourite ever actually. So, when after years of rumours it was confirmed that a sequel was too be made I was mostly sceptical. Long overdue sequels fail more often. For every Mad Max: fury road there are a lot more Indiana Jones 4 or ones that fall somewhere in between like Prometheus. When it was announced that Ridley Scott would not return as director some fans probably reacted disappointed, but I was actually positive. If he had really wanted to make a sequel he would have made it earlier. Denis Villeneuve was an excellent choice to take the reins. Prisoners and Sicario were great and I mostly enjoyed Enemy. Then the release of Arrival just made me more confident. I happy to say that Blade Runner 2049 managed to more than live up to the amazing original.

What is so great about this new movie is that it does the first one justice while it dares to be more than just a repeat. The story, characters and even the look of the film differs quite a bit from the original. A new filmmaker doing a sequel to a classic might feel pressure to just try and imitate the original creators. But having seen other movies by Villeneuve one sees clearly that he has made the movie like he wanted and not tried to make a Ridley Scott film. I think that even if one did not know you could see that the two movies are made by different filmmakers. The plot is excellent and has the same types of themes as the first one, such as questions of humanity. But the actual story is of a different type than the original. It takes quite a number of twists and it turned out not at all like I had thought it would be. Compared to the first movie this one actually has more plot. The movie has many big actors and they all do great some even with kind of limited screen time. Ryan Gosling is great in the lead. You really feel for his character. Also he is not simply Deckard version 2. Ana de Armas performance deserves mentioning. Everyone knows Harrison Ford is in the movie it's no spoiler. His performance is great and especially it doesn't feel like he's just in the movie for fan pleasing. He seems to put more effort in this role than he has in a long time. The last couple of movies he has felt like he would rather retire. He also doesn't just play Deckard like before but he plays Deckard thirty years later. Things have happened since we saw him last. Enough cannot be said about cinematographer Roger Deakins and his role in the creation of the experience that is this movie. It looks amazing and also amazing in that it's a continuation of the world we saw in the first but still not the same thing again. They have put great detail and thought into the technology in the world. They have really focused on the continuity that the world really feels like the world we saw in the original but thirty years later. I'm so relived that the movie also does not get bogged down in references and call-backs to the original. This movie creates memorable moments of its own not simply by reminding you of all that was great in the first one. I heard there was some problem regarding the composing of the music but none of it shows in the finished movie. Hans Zimmer has created a brilliant score that has the same feel and style as Vangelis but without just reusing his melodies. Some have complained about the length of the movie but that was never an issue for me. There are parts that slow down but I can't see how they could have cut it down without losing stuff and making stuff feel rushed. But some modern audience not familiar with the first one might very likely be bored. This movie is made by people who liked the first one for people who loved the first one. I have already seen it more than once and like the first one it really benefits from more viewings. There is so much more in this movie than meets the eye.

OK so finally which movie is the best? Like I've repeatedly stated the movie separated itself form the original enough to be judged just on its own. But if I must choose then the original is still the best. Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best sequels I have seen. It lives up to the original Blade Runner while somehow managing the feet of feeling like an amazing movie just on its own.