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Reviews
The Loud House: Bye, Tanya/What Lies Beneath (2024)
"What Lies Beneath" is worse than wearing tye dye
"Bye, Tanya" review: A while ago I realized that the Loud siblings seem to have some sort of connection with inanimate objects. The first that comes to mind is Luan and her dummy, Mr. Coconuts, then Lucy and her bust of Edwin from "The Vampires of Melancholia", and Lola with her teddy bear, Mr. Sprinkles. These relationships have been fleshed out well, and the connections feel very genuine thanks to all the episodes that feature these characters with their inanimate object. But one relationship that needs to be fleshed out more is Leni and Tanya the mannequin's. Because the writers have not had a lot of time to build up how precious the friendship is, or even establish why we should care about Leni and Tanya's friendship in this episode, the goal of rescuing Tanya from "retirement" didn't feel like it mattered all too much. Much like the other Loud siblings and their inanimate objects, Tanya has been a mannequin that Leni has confided in, someone who Leni could talk to when she needed to get some things off her chest. Instead of being reminded of that, we get the weak and corny excuse that everyone, including mannequins, is a family at Reininger's. But not being told why we should care isn't the only reason this episode is a failure, there's also some plot holes that this episode is layered with. Even before watching the episode, I wondered why Leni couldn't just take Tanya back to her house. If her boss, Ms. Carmichael wants to get rid of the old mannequins, why would she care if Leni decided to keep one? It's thoughts like these that make it hard to take the story seriously. If it wasn't for some funny moments from the movers, and some funny moments from Miguel and his favorite Italian leather belt, Beltisimo, this episode would be a complete failure. Score: 1/10.
"What Lies Beneath" review: A word that comes immediately to mind when I think about this episode is wrong. Everything about this episode felt wrong and if I had the authority to do so, I would make the creators take this back and redo all of it. This episode focuses on Morticians Club member Dante, ( I had to look up who he was before watching this episode because I couldn't remember him), who is first seen burying something in the Royal Woods Cemetery that he doesn't want anyone else to know about or discover. That's really smart to bury your valued secret right where your friends like to hang out. The only other character that knows about this secret is the cemetery cat, Virgil, who acts as Dante's accomplice throughout the episode. If Dante didn't want his friends to go near the grave, he probably shouldn't have buried his secret the night before the Morticians club is supposed to help groundskeeper Hank clean the cemetery. I'm sorry, but no character can be that stupid. I didn't understand Dante's hysteria during this episode. All his friends wanted to do was replace a headstone where his secret is buried. I think they have enough respect for the dead to not dig up what's in the grave. This leads to Dante and Virgil looking like complete jerks in deterring the club from doing something nice. Which includes breaking things at a store where they plan to get the headstone, forcing the club to pay for the damages instead. I felt like his secret wasn't in any danger, but when it's revealed what he's been hiding, I felt nothing but disappointment. Turns out he was keeping his favorite ice cream from his friends, because he doesn't like sharing. I guess the freezer at his house must be broken if he's stooped to burying it in a cemetery. This has to be one of the worst reveals/ endings in the show's history. What only makes it worse is that the writers try to wrap this whole mess in a neat bow, saying that this episode was about learning to share with others. That seems more like a lesson that kids learn from watching "Sesame Street", and it also seems like even the writers didn't know what to make of this story. All I could say is that it was bad, disappointing and a waste of valuable time and animation. Score: 0/10.
The Loud House: Hunn-cut Gems/Can't Lynn Them All (2023)
"Hunn- cut Gems" should get one hall pass to Loser-ville
"Hunn-Cutt Gems" Review: When I first saw this episode, it felt very empty and hollow. For some reason, it felt like the episode moved really fast, not letting us take in what was going on. It's a shame because while I don't consider Liam to be my favorite supporting character, he is one of the most likable with his farm boy charm and salt of the earth personality. I really liked him in the episode "Lynn and Order" where he partnered up with Lynn Jr. To be hall monitors. He was the good cop to her bad cop. But this episode, shows how easily kind, innocent people like Liam can be corrupted when it comes to trying to be popular especially online, a subject that the Loud House has now and again focused on ("Making the Case, Selfie Improvement"), the difference with "Hunn-Cutt Gems", is that Liam wants nothing to do with making videos since he feels camera shy and because he thinks farm life isn't interesting. It's only when he has to fill in for his injured, narcissistic reporter friend, Rusty, that he decides to show the school what it's like to live on a farm. But when the school becomes obsessed with his videos, he lets the fame get to him, and becomes more like Rusty. Another thing that I found to be disappointing was the farm humor that the episode was filled with. The writers must have scraped the bottom of the barrel to put in as many farm-related jokes that they could find. By the way, if you want to keep making episodes about Liam, you probably shouldn't use the farm jokes all in one episode. One of the worst examples of this is when Liam puts a camera on his goat's head and calls it a "Goat-pro". While the episode failed in its humor, I still think it was a good idea for Liam to learn the error of his ways on his own, something that other episodes don't do and instead have to have other characters point out how irresponsible they are. I wasn't too happy with this episode, and it's probably the worst Liam episode to date. Score: 1/5.
"Can't Lynn Them All" review: It was only a matter of time before Lynn Jr. Became a professional wrestler, an idea that seems too good to pass up. Lynn Jr. Has often been given a lot of hatred by fans of the Loud House, most recently because of how she bullies people and how she abuses her power that comes with being a hall monitor. It seems that the show's creators heard our negative thoughts about Lynn Jr.'s character and decided to channel our displeasure and put it on screen. Lynn Jr. Gets signed to be the next big star for Motor City Wrestling and decides to give herself the name, "The Brawl Monitor". She starts off being a good guy on the show but after beating fan favorite Tippy the Cow (yes, the same one) in a match, she immediately becomes the promotion's biggest heel. I was surprised at a lot of things about this episode. For starters they tell us, the viewers, that wrestling is staged. Other cartoons wouldn't have done this because, like pro-wrestling, cartoons are scripted and the injuries characters sustain are nothing for us to worry about. However, the episode makes great use of this information because Lynn Jr. Being told to take a dive against Tippy is what leads to her becoming a villain. She doesn't follow the script and is praised by the selfish promoter for Motor City Wrestling, Bella Big Bucks, for defeating Tippy and angering the fans. I just love how they capture the business side of professional wrestling. How top athletes are willing to forgo their dignity by taking a loss so that they can be famous. They also capture the spirit of what it is to be a wrestling fan. When Lynn Jr. Goes to buy a Flipee from Flip she's charged fifty bucks. Why? Because Flip knows that she is the biggest villain in wrestling and takes her actions in the ring too seriously much like a real wrestling fan would. The episode gives viewers a reason to hate Lynn Jr. But it also lets us know that she doesn't like being a villain. When she decides to lose a match she was supposed to win against Santa Claus,( yeah, the wrestlers in this episode weren't the best written), she decides that the wrestling business isn't for her and quits. This ending seemed a bit rushed. And I felt that we were owed another scene, explaining what Lynn Jr. Is doing now or if people have stopped hating her. Up until that moment, this episode was really well done and seemed well researched. That or some of the showrunners are actual fans of professional wrestling. Score: 4/5.
Mank (2020)
My journey with the film, "Mank"
Going into "Mank", I was expecting the film to deliver on the promise that it would show the making of "Citizen Kane" and the battle that screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (or as he's called in the film Mank) had with Orson Welles about credit on who wrote the screenplay for the movie. Instead the film focuses on events that take over the course of a decade leading up to Mank writing the screenplay. I was not prepared to be given so much information about L. B Meyer, Irving Thalberg, Upton Sinclair, socialism or the 1934 Gubernational Election. I didn't really care for that when I watched it the first time. Some months later, I decided to watch the movie again and this time prepare to focus on some of the more important/complicated parts of the movie that might have gone over my head the first time I watched it. The result was that I admired the movie a whole lot more. Sure, the argument can be made that watching a movie the first time around and enjoying it at first is the universal sign of an instant classic, but in my experience I've often found myself rewatching a lot of movies and noticing things that I didn't pick up on the first time around. I understand that a lot of the cultural references that the characters make are somewhat esoteric to modern audiences, in fact some of the lines that characters speak sound like they're speaking in code as if the only people to understand what they're saying is the writer and director of this movie. But beyond that, I think the movie does well in building up to the feuds that Mank has with William Randolph Hearst and Orson Wells. As well as capturing the culture of 1930s Hollywood like the way different studios hate each other and say bad things about their rival studios. As a fan of film in general, I appreciate the effort that the cast and crew were going for in trying to pay homage to films from about that time. "Mank" will certainly not be thought of as one of David Fincher's best movies, but it is a movie that I feel audience members would need to be prepare for before viewing in order to maybe understand it better. Hopefully then people wouldn't be so upset with it. So please, give "Mank" a second chance if you don't like it at first.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
"The Trial Of the Chicago 7"- a review
It's not very hard to find an era or an event in U. S history that, much to the chagrin of others, mirrors what is going on in the present. The power of "The Trial of the Chicago 7" comes from its characters who come from different backgrounds with different ideas, whether they oppose the government, want a revolution, or are fighting for equality, they're all shown as an important part of this movie. And I do believe that the story of the Chicago Seven is correctly handled by someone who may know a thing or two about the government, that being Aaron Sorkin. Once again, Sorkin comes through in retelling the story of significant characters in our nations' history. This movie proves that not only is he a great writer with a gift for dialogue that clearly understands the source material, but also that he's a great cinematic storyteller. I can't think of too many people that make movies today about dull subjects like business corporations and government that are enjoyable to watch. I am hopefully one of the many audience members who went into this movie not knowing anything about the Chicago 7 and left knowing more- or better yet- wanting to learn more. As much praise as I would love to give Aaron Sorkin, I could not forget the talented actors who did an amazing job of recreating one of the most infamous trials ever. Eddie Redmayne, Sasha Baron Cohen, Frank Langella, Joseph Gordon- Levitt, and my personal favorite was Mark Rylance as one of the lawyers because he reminded me a bit of Saul Goodman from "Breaking Bad". This movie is just full of shocking moments in the court, during riots, or even when characters are just having conversations. I can't honestly remember the last newly released film that caught my interest quite like this one. I look forward to seeing What Aaron Sorkin has planed for his next project, because if it's like this, then he has quite a future ahead of him.
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
"Pieces of a Woman" -a review
When we hear the premise of a film like Pieces of a Woman's, it invokes thoughts that make the film seem too depressing. However if you watch the movie, the story isn't trying to make the characters lives worst but instead give them closure. Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf play a young couple who lose their daughter during a home birth and follows them and those close to them as they try to heal from such a tragedy. The performances as you can imagine a re very deep and emotional. Kirby's character seems to want to move on from what happened while everyone else tells her what she should do. Ellen Burstyn (The Excorsist, Requiem for a Dream) plays her mother who does just that. She's a probably the most interesting character who tries to do what is best for her daughter while also trying to make up for what she claims was bad parenting. LaBeouf's performance as the father was surprising to me. I was expecting him to be as crazy as he is in real life but he was actually pretty tame and has a good idea of what he thinks is best for his wife. Kirby's character, on the other hand, makes questionable decisions that concern her family. As you can tell, the opening of the movie sends ripples through out the course of the movie. To the point where the decisions these characters make aren't because they lost someone special but instead it's because blame each other or themselves. That's why I think the movie works for me. It's the domino effect one powerful opening has for the rest of the movie. Pieces of a Woman does a very well and intricate job at examining what loss does to us as human beings, and with time, what can happen if we choose to heal ourselves.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom- a review
It is not always a success when it comes to taking plays and putting them on screen. George C. Wolfe's adaptation of the August Wilson play "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" overcomes this obstacle by putting two tremendous actors as the film's leads. At the end of the film, it is really the performances that make this movie. With all due respect to Viola Davis' powerful portrayal of the titular Ma Rainey, it is the late Chadwick Boseman as Levee that really carries the movie.
What I admire most about Levee is that he seems to be the only one in the movie that goes through some kind of change throughout the entire movie. In the beginning he is brash and hopeful about starting up his own band. He buys nice shoes, tries to make it with women and feels good about himself. By the end of the movie there are circumstances that come up that make him re-think about his plans and of life. Of course as I mentioned, Chadwick Boseman is the driving force behind this character and the movie in general. Boseman appeared very frail and much more thinner than he did in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. I'm not sure if that was because of his cancer treatment he was receiveing while making this movie or because that was what the character intended to look like from the beginning. Regardless, Boseman puts everything he has left in to this character almost as if he knew this would be his last role.
Co-starring with Boseman as the other band members are Cutler (Coleman Domingo), Toledo (Glynn Turman), and Slow Drag (Michael Potts). Three men who seem to know a thing or two about life and about American society. Particularly, the way African Americans are treated. In the movie, they try to educate and control young Levee about the decisions he plans on making. And of course, there's Ma Rainey herself played by Viola Davis, who just grabs your attention whenever she appears on screen. She is a powerful and strong woman and it says something when two white men are obeying to a black woman's demands in the 1920's.
When watching "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", I was just absorbed by the performances, despite the film taking place in just one day and in one location. The challenge there is that the acting and the dialogue have to carry the movie. Thankfully, August Wilson's amazing writing and the performances, especially Boseman's, are what stood out in the movie.
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
Harley Quinn = DC's Deadpool
There are certain actors who have been cast excellently in comic book movie leading roles. Among those, is Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn" offers a look at Gotham's crime-filled underworld with our totally unhinged leading lady, the aforementioned, Ms. Harley Quinn. Before this movie was released, director, Cathy Yan, stated that the film was influenced by other films including "Pulp Fiction" and "Leon: The Professional". When you watch the movie, you can obviously tell that the films did play a huge role in the story. In spite of the movie being called "Birds of Prey", the movie actually belongs to Harley Quinn. She becomes this person who has nothing left and finds herself in this chase for a kid to save her life. Like Suicide Squad, the film has a unique style and appearance almost as if Harley herself was the production designer for this movie. The soundtrack goes well with every scene where each song was meticulously placed. In case you didn't know, this movie is rated R, meaning that they were allowed to curse, show more grotesque violence and just have fun with it. This is a technique that worked well for Deadpool, another R-rated comic book film. There's even some parts of the movie that reminded me a lot of Deadpool and Deadpool 2 (You'll know what I mean if you stay through the credits). Other characters in this movie include Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), the film's lead villain who reminded me a lot of Dennis Hopper from 'Blue Velvet' for some reason. There's also a determined cop named Renee Montoya played by a still-wonderful Rosie Perez, a tough singer, named Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollet-Bell), an assassin seeking vengeance named Helena Bertinelli ( Mary Elizabeth Winstead) , and a pickpocket-thief wanted by everyone named Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). Together they bring the story of the Birds of Prey to life.
Marriage Story (2019)
'Marriage Story'- a review
'Marriage Story' showcases the rough experience of going through a divorce. At he same time, however, there are moments where love and affection are present but never really touched upon. I find it ironic that the title of the movie includes the word 'marriage', when it's an antithesis of what a marriage should be. In fact, outside of the two lead actor's divorce, it seems like the image of the perfect relationship is never shown. Most of the people we meet come from a poor relationship as well. The film, as could be expected, is driven by the acting. I would say that everyone in the movie did a great job. The acting gives a sense of realism and emotion that just captures your attention. An outside variable that makes the movie that much stronger is how divorces have become quite the norm. Perhaps you know someone that's divorced. Maybe the causes of divorce aren't the same as in the movie, but just the circumstances that come into play really make you feel sorry for the characters. As far as filmaking goes, I would say that long takes are frequently used in the movie and give a great purpose. The thing about long takes is that they are only great if the audience is unaware of them. So the performances are so well, that they should make you forget about the fact that it's one take. Overall, it's a powerful movie that isn't that big. The impact it makes is just amazing.
Knives Out (2019)
Why I enjoyed "Knives Out"
"Knives Out" is surprising in many ways. I just want to start off by saying that this was an enjoyable movie that doesn't get too serious, and also works on so many levels as a comedy. Everyone in this movie was cast perfectly. They all played the roles well and it made for one hell of a movie. Going into this movie, I was expecting it to be somewhat of an Agatha Christie novel-esque kind of mystery. I am surprisingly glad, to say that it wasn't like that. It was more of it's own movie, and that's something that lately, isn't seen in Hollywood. The story and the script were so well done that it makes me wish that more originality was present in movies. This year, it was scarce to see a successful movie that wasn't a sequel or based on an existing source material. I think that the box office and critical success of films like this one, should encourage more people to write original scripts and just take those chances. "Knives Out" defies any negative ideas about the murder-mystery genre and should be a film that isn't duplicated, but rather inspires others to give existing genres the twist they need in order to produce better movies.
The Irishman (2019)
So... that was 'The Irishman'
'The Irishman' is a movie that captures a lot of director Martin Scorsese's style through out the movie. The film opens with a song, "In the Still of the Night (I'll remember)" by The Five Satins, which just gives you that feel that says, "yep, this is a Scorsese film. I would say that the way that the film is all interconnected was something different. And if you stick around long enough when watching the movie, you'll see just why. I understand that people call this different from other Scorcese films, in particular 'Goodfellas' (1990) and 'Casino' (1995), but I'll be honest, the first hour, did remind me of 'Goodfellas' in a lot of ways. Robert De Niro is almost like Ray Liotta's character from 'Goodfellas'. He's new and being introduced to this crime world making friends with people who are like the head-honchos. What really surprised me was how Joe Pesci is calm and relaxed throughout this movie unlike most of his other characters. But the guy who really stood out to me was Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa. Anytime Pacino gets angry and throws a tantrum is just fun to watch. For a film as long as this one, I would say that it certainly does need to be seen not as a series but as a movie. Like I said, everything just fits together and makes for an AMAZING climatic sequence. I guess what this film does so well, is that it takes it's time. Of course, you're going to have a lot of scenes where guys talk about business and politics, but it does it in a way where it doesn't feel scripted. You sense that the discussion matter is important to every character involved. And that brings me to another point about the movie, which is the amount of characters. Normally, I'm intimidated by being introduced to all these names, and then having to remember who's who. But for this movie, they make it out so that you know EXACTLY who they're talking about. I would say that this is an amazing movie that had the right people work on it. If it is true that this is Scorsese's last film- which I hope it really isn't- then what a way to finish a career.
Cats (2019)
Love the Stage version. The movie? Well...
'Cats' is the musical that introduced me to Broadway musicals. When I was a freshman in High School, I admired it so much because it was a show that had nothing but songs to listen to and choreography that blew me away. I was excited to hear that a film adaptation would be happening. I was also excited that Tom Hooper would be directing because I thought he did a pretty good job with Les Miserables (2012). After hearing all the backlash that the trailers got, I still tried to give the movie a chance to hopefully redeem itself. Sadly, it couldn't do it. One of the main problems with adapting 'Cats' into a film, is creating a plot that reasonably connects all the songs intricately. When watching the movie, it feels like there was no effort to do that. You know how people who say they hate musicals because characters dance or sing at random moments of the story for no apparent reason? That's what the movie was. The transition from one musical number to the next felt weak. In some cases we get back-to-back songs, as if we are suppose to just ignore the song that came before it. I believe most of the attention when making this movie, went more into the CGI, set designs, and paying the performers. No one really thought about the story! With a musical like Les Miserables (2012), the story and context are told through the songs. My guess is that Hooper thought that there was no need to focus on the plot because the collection of the songs would tell the story as well. If that's the case, he was absolutely wrong. The only sense of a story developing, were these two characters that fell in love with each other. I liked that, and they should have done more stuff like that. I think a lack of effort and creativity caused by some unmentioned obstacles made the movie a lot less enjoyable than it could have been.
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Dolemite is My Name- a review
There are certain cases where a film actually depicts the making of another film and makes that subject whole. Some primary examples include 'Hitchcock' (2012) and 'Saving Mr. Banks' (2013). What 'Dolemite is My Name' does differently is make the making of the Dolemite motion picture the entire premise for most of the movie. The film depicts the comedic career of Rudy Ray Moore from the creation of the Dolemite character from his stand-up comedy days, to his beginning working in film. The great part about this is that it emphasizes the idea of what exactly the cinema is and how it relates to diverse audiences. The idea of a comedy film is viewed differently by the characters and then influences them to make a movie of their own. Rudy is the one who comes up with this idea, with Eddie Murphy doing a great job of portraying him. You don't hate him in spite of this whole 'biting more than you can chew' personality he has . The rest of the cast did an amazing job as well. What I think bothers me the most is the amount of context that this movie has for a lot of its characters. It seems that when a new character is introduced they tell you everything about them. Even though it isn't relevant to the plot. Other than that, the movie actually surprised me. I didn't know that I would enjoy it as much as I did. This is a perfect example of how to make a movie depicting the behind the scenes work that went into another movie. Thankfully, they went with a movie that I wouldn't say is a household name. Who knows? Maybe this movie will make people want to see the original Dolemite.
J'ai perdu mon corps (2019)
'I lost my body'- a review
When I think of visual storytelling and animation, I think of the animated films of Sylvain Chomet, who directed the 'Triplets of Belleville' (2003) and 'the Illusionist' (2010) . Animation is, in some way, the easiest way to tell a story. It's not scouting locations or worrying about the lighting outside. Whatever pops up in the director's mind will be shown on screen. This movie, 'i Lost My Body' makes great use of those techniques. And it's no surprise that it also originated from France. The movie tells two stories: there's an amputated hand that is looking for it's body and then there's the story of Naoufel, who falls in love with the librarian, Gabrielle. If I had to be honest, any parts with the amputated hand are so great. Just the scene where it escapes the hospital is fun to watch. The love story could use some improvement. One thing I noticed about this movie, is the recurring theme of sound. Like, when Naoufel was a kid, he gets this recorder-device for his birthday. Maybe the movie is saying something about the importance of sound as a whole. When we hear something, it invokes some kind of thoughts or ideas. Memories even, about a certain event in our lives. There's an interesting part in the library where sound is sort of discussed. Whatever the case is, it did a good job focusing on it. The movie is not perfect. All the praise I think that it's gotten, may just be misleading and giving this movie high expectations. I feel like this movie , like a lot of things, could have used some improvement, but given the time it's been in production, that may be asking a lot. So for what it's worth, I think it's a good movie.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
My honest thoughts about 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood'
Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood was for the most part a pretty good movie. Despite the lack of violence or drugs which are often present in a regular Tarantino flick, This film manages to be entertaining with well written dialogue and great performances. So while it felt different, it left me with one question: Is there an extended cut? The majority of the flick has the films two leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, going about their typical day in Hollywood. It's really entertaining to watch the two in their respective roles deliver memorable performances. The film does kind of like this parallel story telling technique so as you get to know what goes on in the lives of the three main characters. And what bothered me a bit was that the third main actor, Margot Robbie who plays Sharon Tate, never really blossomed for me. That's why I wondered if there is going to be an extended version released. She was there but what was the purpose? As a stand alone movie it still manages to get an interesting story across. Heck, Dicaprio and Pitt's characters stories are fun to watch on their own. Comparing it with other Tarantino movies, I think it doesn't match up well. Still, there were plenty of parts in the movie that I enjoyed. Like every now and then it has a tendency to show footage of the actor's work. And it looks so real, you would think that this was shot with a camera from the sixties. I can admire what was the goal of Tarantino when it came to making this movie. He wanted to give a tribute to the Hollywood he grew up with. And if that was the case, then I think it was a success.
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
A very good and different Spider-Man movie
Spider-Man: Far From Home does well in picking up after Avengers: Endgame. Unlike that movie, this one has a lot of nice humor and develops Peter Parker's character very well. What the movie does differently is put Spider-Man in a different location(s) as he fights bad guys all over Europe. Not New York. Peter's personal conflict in this movie involves stepping up and being the hero Tony Stark wants him to be. And while I'm all for that, it's so nice to see Peter become his own hero even with his mentor gone. Oh and Jake Gyllenhal is in this movie as Mysterio. If you have read the comics or watched some animated show of Spider-Man, you know exactly what his intentions are, but the way they wrote him and the way he was portrayed in this film, actually made him more interesting. The film was a lot better than I expected it was going to be, and it's a good way to start the next series of marvel movies. I can't wait to see where it goes.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame: Marvel's Best Yet
Avengers: Endgame is probably the most anticipated film of this year. Thank goodness it came early or else we would still be discussing fan theories like crazy. But to be truly honest I have never known a film to be this exciting. Of course, as you all may know, these characters became part of our lives and put their legacies in cinematic history as quite possibly the most successful franchise of them all. Endgame was the cherry on top of 21 films that all intertwined in some way. And boy was the payoff worth it. The film immediately gets you going into the lives of the remaining avengers post-Thanos' snap.( I assume you know that already and therefore know that that is a spoiler fo Infinty War). But it's after that that the ball gets going. There is really no dull moment in this film that had me wishing I had a remote in my hand to fast forward. That's a lot to say considering that the film is three hours. But you know what? It's worth every second. The film is packed with a lot of material that will get you wanting to talk about the movie days after you've seen it. I feel that this film will affect you in a lot of areas... so get excited. However as far as superhero movies go, I don't think it's the best one. I think that there are flaws that can't be ignored and too many questions surrounding the plot. But the film does make it up in other parts. I loved what I saw and it's definitely a film I would enjoy seeing again.
Bunny (1998)
Bunny: 20 plus years later
Bunny was introduced to me on the Ice Age 2-disc special edition. I remember seeing it and thinking like a lot of little kids, that it was the scariest cartoon I've ever seen. And mind you, my uncle made me watch Nightmare Before Christmas A LOT. But as a fan of film and cartoons, Bunny now represents The idea that telling short stories is more than entertainment. It teaches a powerful lesson without telling you but rather showing it gracefully. It's great storytelling and while you may not get the idea of what the film is about at first, you're left with some kind of impression. Good or bad. That is the power of great storytelling. And sure, I think any story with that kind of power should at least make you want to talk about it or even write something. Just like what I am doing right now. That's right this isn't just a review, it's a look back on one of the best short animated films ever made, that I feel even 20 plus years later is one that serves great importance. Bunny to me is a film that I look back on and it doesn't frighten me anymore. On the contrary it's actually quite beautiful. The setting of Bunny is simple. It's in a kitchen at night with scarcely any light. This helps establish the tone of the film: loneliness and solitude. There are two characters in the film, An elderly Bunny and a pesky moth. Now many have believed that the moth in this film represents Bunny's angel that guides her to heaven. Which is something you can argue about back and forth, thus making the storytelling that more good. The moth is bothering Bunny who is making a cake on her wedding anniversary. Unfortunately her husband has already passed away. Now what I just said sounds so depressing, right? But here is the genius folks, we are not told that. There is no dialogue whatsoever in the film. We see it and we have to put the pieces together until we make some sort of sense out of it. But again the great storytelling should make it easy on you. Bunny eventually gets rid of the moth by releasing it outside but then it gets back in the house. Bunny tries to kill it, which she does and it lands in her unfinished cake. The same cake that she decides to bake with a moth in it. Woah, that's gross. But think about this. If the moth is really an angel, or spirit, did she just kill one of those cute little creatures and then plan to eat it? Anyway, Bunny becomes tuckered out. And falls asleep in her kitchen. Why in her kitchen? Because that's the art of using one setting. And also it sets up to the biggest WTF moments of the film. Bunny's oven opens up and a light shines out of it. So Bunny sticks her head in it, ala Sylvia Plath style, and finds the moth-angel creature there. She crawls into the oven entirely and finds herself floating in some kind of spacious location. The moth leads bunny to a shining light. Like the one they were talking about in the first Poltergeist film. As they go into the light, other moths appear among them. So all this is just a cover up to say that Bunny died in her kitchen after killing a moth. But we of course don't want to be told or shown that. So the best way to do it is through a peaceful and beautiful moment. Even showing that her and her husband are now reunited in heaven. So if this doesn't leave any sort of impression on you, you must not be human or a bunny. What is memorable about Bunny is that it's one of those sad yet beautiful films that touches on a heavy subject: accepting death. Bunny's ongoing battle with the moth represents anyone's preference to being alive rather than dying. However, when she passes away she gets taken out of her tiny kitchen and into literally another world where it's better because she's there with the only person she cares about: her husband. I know it sounds like I'm trying to sound smart but I'm only a community college student who takes creative writing and has just known about this film for like 15 years. But what I'm trying to say is that the film is so simple yet so heavy. A combination that a lot of people today slowly can get the hang of. And yet Bunny was able to do it and leave a strong impression on anyone that watches it.
Missing Link (2019)
What a disappointment, Laika
I was hoping that this film would be good. I have no idea why everyone is praising this movie even saying that it's going to be nominated for best animated film. This film had a terrible story and the goals of the characters don't make sense. It's well established who Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) is. He's an adventurer. But he wants to join a club that views wonders of the world as prizes? You don't have to be smart to know that a group like that is pure evil. Or what about Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana)? She has an argument with Frost over her dead husband and then decides to join him on his journey the next day? The only character who I felt had a good impression on me was Mr. Link himself. Unfortunately, it felt that the story wasn't centered around him. I felt it was more focused on Frost. And speaking of story, what was up with that? It felt like they gave the filmmakers a time limit of ninety minutes to tell the story which caused them to delete a lot of good funny content. When they manage to get to Shangri-La, it just completely fails. Emma Thompson as the Elder was a complete waste since she has like one scene in the movie. But what was really stupid was when the ice bridge that they're on breaks and Lionel Frost is basically holding Adelina and a six-hundred thirty pound sasquatch from falling. So it's after this that Adelina finally decides to go off on her own adventures like Lionel said like days ago, and then Mr. Link decides to be his assistant. So at least it ends on a good note for Mr. Link. This film felt like it could've been better especially with a good concept such as the missing link wanting to belong. So believe me, skip this one, and maybe the next Laika film will be better and longer.
Shazam! (2019)
Wow! I actually liked Shazam!
Okay so at first I thought that this film was a joke. I thought that it was some sort of series that was going to be on Hulu or something. So going into it. I had no idea what to expect except for what I had seen on some TV spots. And boy oh boy. Did I like it.
What a lot of people have been saying is that this film is a sign that DC is actually making better movies. While that sounds great, I think it should be sign that just making these stand alone superhero flicks for their characters should also be considered. Because we know that having a shared universe is really that other comic book movie studio's territory.
And why not? This movie is completely different from other DC films that are dark and usually have Zack Snyder involved. And you know what? it works. Shazam! is a fun movie to watch because honestly you get a bit of everything. You get comedy, drama, action and even a tiny bit of horror. Put those all together for a superhero film that doesn't even try to be like the other DC films, and you don't just get a good superhero movie, but a good movie to watch in general. Seriously, I think that people who aren't even fans of these kinds of movies will enjoy this one.
The performances were great. The kids acted like kids and I even thought Zachary Levi was great in his role. So far it looks like DC is doing a better job with their movies this year. I liked it so much that I think it's probably worth seeing again.
The Loud House: Sitting Bull/The Spies Who Love Me (2018)
The Bad and the Good
So this episode was the last one that I needed to see so that I could be caught up with the show. Unfortunately it was one that wasn't worth the wait. And while I have some nasty things to say about "Sitting Bull", I was still pleased with "Spies who Love Me". But before I get into that, I have to mention some things that other users have said about The Loud House. So some people hate this show for a lot of reasons. Like the animation is terrible, or the characters are all stereotyped, or how the plots are unoriginal. And you're entitled to that, in fact I honestly did not want to believe these comments until I saw this episode. But as much as those comments made sense, never have they been more clearly seen than in the episode " Sitting Bull".
This episode was wrong in a lot of ways. I think what made the episode bad was that they got the story all wrong. Going back to what people were saying about the show being unoriginal or predictable, if they had made the episode in the form of Lynn's first job as a babysitter being to take care of the quintuplets, then the episode would have been predictable. But the way they decided to go about it was to have her take care of these two other kids first, which she ends up just torturing them. I felt that part was unnecessary. Unless of course, there was another part of her doing the same thing to other kids. I'm not trying to sound like a sadist here, but just having her go from the worst babysitter to the best babysitter in a matter of a few jobs is terrible writing. Not to mention that Lynn has no flaws in this episode. Never does she feel bad about her actions which almost makes her unlikable. The same thing can actually be said about the older sisters who actually try to sabotage Lynn's venture into babysitting. What probably would have made for your typical Loud House story is if the older sisters had worked with Lynn to make her a better babysitter. She then would have gone to the quintuplets and thrown out all that teaching because the quintuplets are too much to handle. There. I just did like three people's jobs in under one minute. And while we're at it. Who are these quintuplets? We never get introduced to them formally. Another thing that could have made this episode better is Lincoln wanting to join the babysitter's club. I don't know that probably would have been funny. But the way this episode was constructed just didn't work for me. I was really hoping it would be better.
" The Spies who Loved Me" was actually better. You got to see more of the casagrandes and explore more of the city just in time for the upcoming spinoff. I think that it aimed to prove that Ronnie Anne has got the whole city life thing under control. She knows how to live there and is capable of being without the supervision of her family. This one was definitely the better of the two.
I'm just a bit disappointed that I waited so long to see a fail of an episode in "Sitting Bull."
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Alita needs a lot of work
When you have a title like "Alita: Battle Angel", you really expect the action to be superb. Well, you know what? It was. The action and CGI did not disappoint. Unfortunately that still doesn't ruin the flaw ( or flaws) that this movie has with the story. When I watched the movie, I was expecting something more deeper than what was given. I'm sure you're all aware of the story of someone waking up with no memory of who they are. That's great. Do something with that. But don't just introduce all these concepts that serve hardly any purpose. I don't know what James Cameron was smoking when he was writing this. But it appeared that there were many definite ways the story could've gone. And instead of picking the best one, they decided to cram them all together. Sure, let's have Alita be an athlete, or let's have her be a warrior over the course of 2-hours. Maybe. Just maybe. The film would've been better if they extended it. I mean, Cameron is no stranger to three hour films. But the fact that they couldn't have made this film even more better, just bothers me. They have the material to do that and they just lost it. I was very disappointed with the way this film concludes. And I hope that should sequels actually be made that they do way better than this one. And while I'm at it. Hopefully the Avatar sequels are still in good hands.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
The Ridiculousness that is The LEGO Movie 2
I wasn't expecting much from the LEGO Movie 2. The first LEGO Movie seemed like it was going to be a waste of time but it actually turned out to be joyous and anything but a flop. While the idea of a long stop motion video using LEGOS sounds like an exciting watch, it was hard for them to convince me to enjoy this seeing as how we now know how these LEGOS came to be. Yep it comes from the imagination of some kid. That was made up by some adults.
What these LEGO movies seem to thrive on is the idea that kids will only enjoy the humor, the jokes and the bright moments that are shown in the movie. But really I think that what kids really see when they look at these movies are just the toys themselves. It's a LEGO version of Batman or it's a LEGO uni-kitty. But that's it. If you're watching it as an adult, you'll know the punchline to each joke, or perhaps how annoying the songs can be ( which by the way not all of them are bad ). Or that they make the same remarks about batman people have been making since the 90s. But rest assured die hard LEGO fans and Lord-Miller enthusiasts, this movie actually manages to reveal some things that make for an interesting watch.
Of course to avoid spoilers, I am not going to tell you what happens in the film. But I'll only say that the plot of the movie doesn't disappoint. In fact, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I feel that while the LEGO Movie part 2 has humor that even kids of young ages won't find humorous, yet there are still MORE other parts that will still be with you after giving it a watch.
My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
My Little Pony: The Movie....WOW
It wouldn't be in anyone's best interest to watch a kid's animated musical film on a decision made by themselves, but for this movie, I wouldn't look at you with a tilted head, and open mouth preparing to insult you. Instead, I would smile and jump up and down clapping my hands together because the chances are you probably watched all episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic before watching this movie. Don't worry I won't judge this movie based on what I've seen in the series. But Let me say a few things that, based on the series, would have really made this movie either shorter or longer...1. If Discord had a bigger role in this movie, it would be very short. 2. Why don't the Crystal Empire or Changelings help out the other ponies. 3. Zecora? 4. Where is Starswirl the Bearded and his pony-avengers? and 5. Starlight Glimmer and The Great and Powerful Trixie are clearly in this movie, why don't they use the powers of friendship that Twilight taught them to help save Equestria. Not to mention that Starlight can be very powerful too...But I digress, I understand that this movie is meant to re-solidify the bonds of the mane 6 and teach kids that yes, friendship is indeed the greatest tool you will ever need. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me talk about the movie. This movie really surprised me. I avoided this movie and thought it was a joke, like anyone else who wasn't a kid and was just waiting to see Blade Runner 2049. But after watching the show, and even the equestria girls films, I thought that I was ready to watch this film. I'll admit, there are some moments where I thought the comedy was only meant for kids. If I laughed at Pinkie Pie having a hallucenigetic experience in the desert or Rarity taking the time to admire herself in a mirror as she is falling out of an airboat, I know that I would be lying to myself. As far as comedy goes it wasn't something that would even get a chuckle out of me. But really? Why would I praise this movie highly then? My Little Pony has been known to put things on the show that seem to be too frightening and intense for something made for kids. What I'm trying to say is, This franchise has BALLS. I guarantee that as you watch the movie, there will be a moment where you can't believe this got put in a kid's movie. But then again, An American Tale was approved for kids despite everything in that movie being depressing. Of course I like the way the filmmakers approached the film because this is the movie, and you definitely want to go big. The main focus of the movie is, as I said, the Mane 6, Princess Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy, plus Spike the Dragon, going to go get help after Tempest Shadow, A female-pony version of Kylo Ren, takes over Equestria, (Technically, just Canterlot) in the name of the Storm King. The great thing about this is that the movie is an adventure. You follow the heroes as they go get help from the Queen of the Hippogriffs. This allows them the chance to meet new characters as well as get more celebrities in the My Little Pony universe. And it works, because after all the Mane 6 making friends is what they do best. Singing is something they do well too. The songs in this movie are great. You will probably have one stuck in your head after watching the movie.
I'm glad that someone thought about making another movie for My Little Pony. This film continues to give the franchise a good reputation, for fans and those who are just being introduced to it.
The Loud House: The Crying Dame/Anti Social (2017)
An entirely original/ unoriginal Loud House
Usually I'm one to criticize The Loud House for hardly coming up with anything original. But then again, this show is for younger audiences who probably don't find the plots or morals of the show cliche. I will however say that this episode was not cliche. The first part of the episode was THE CRYING DAME. This episode will probably be remembered by many Loud House fans as the episode with the singing creepy fox. At least I found it creepy. The episode starts off with the siblings wondering why Lily is crying excessively. They want it to stop so Lori decides to give Lily her old toy, Fenton the feel better Fox, which helped her with her crying when she was a baby. Lily plays the little song on repeat which drives the siblings to the point of getting rid of it. When they do this, Lily is saddened by Fenton's disappearance and The siblings must get the toy back. They are unable to retrieve it as the toy is crushed at the last minute in a junk yard. The episode ends with the siblings singing Fenton's song as Lincoln wears a Fenton costume. What I thought was original about the episode was the last part of it. Instead of having the toy be saved, kind of like vanzilla was in VANTASTIC VOYAGE, The siblings are too late. This left me wondering what the result of the episode would be. What we got was a beautiful and happy finish. I will also add that I am happy that they let Luna sing in this episode too.
The next part was called ANTI-SOCIAL. The episode focuses on Lynn Sr. being angry that his family spends so much time on their phones. When the siblings decide to show their dad the benefits of social media and cellular phones, then he becomes obsessed with using it so much that he doesn't pay attention to his family. Now the siblings must snap him out of his obsession and get him back to his normal self. I think this episode was less original than the episode taht precedes it. This episode is basically retelling VANTASTIC VOYAGE except with cell phones. The montage that plays with the siblings showing Lynn Sr. the wonders of social media almost mimics that one time the tried to teach Mr. Grouse how to use a computer in JOB INSECURITY. Don't get me wrong I think it was a good pitch for an episode, especially since one character Lori, is always on her phone and is on social media. So it fits perfectly. The only thing I'm being picky about is that we kind of see this a lot in The Loud House already. I assume someone said that there needed to be an episode about it. I really like Lynn Sr. I think he is a great character and I don;t mind him being the focus of an episode from time to time. But there's only so much that the writers could come up with so that at some point in the episode I'm not thinking 'Oh, I know that they're gonna do'. This is kind of why I think that putting an episode that has a surprise of an ending along with an episode that recycles the plot of another episode just doesn't do it for me. The reason why I give this episode a 10 is because the writers actually thought outside of the cliche box, and gave a memorable episode in THE CRYING DAME. As for ANTI-SOCIAL, well it's like I said I like Lynn Sr. and I think it was a good effort in trying to make an episode that would be relavent to now for kids. So I can't really take away anything from it. Good episode.
The Loud House: Legends/Mall of Duty (2017)
So this is a "crossover" episode?
The announcement of the episode "LEGENDS" had me wondering what exactly was going to happen on this episode of the LOUD HOUSE. Of course I thought it would be one of the more serious episodes that people have been rumoring about. Instead this episode was confirmed to be a crossover episode. But what exactly would THE LOUD HOUSE crossover with? Could it be Spongebob? Fairly Oddparents? or even HARVEY freakin BEAKS? No, its Legends of the Hidden Temple. An old Nickelodeon game show from the 90s. So was this crossover good? Well... first off Nickelodeon really didn't make a big deal about this. Not as much as the movie that was based off of Legends of the Hidden Temple. So I think the writers weren't going for much here which I think kind of made the episode a little disapointing.
I get where this episode is trying to go. It's about the father-son relationship between Lincoln and his Dad, Lynn Sr. Apparently the two love each other however it's still hard something they both like. It turns out they both enjoy Legends of the Hidden Temple and they decide to go on the show for a father-son special episode. The other team are two jerks that enjoy winning more than having fun. Where have I seen this before? So Lincoln and his dad get their butts whooped, but they're glad that they did it together and that they were on the show. Not a lot of people can say that. I think what would have made the episode even better is if it was a two-part episode. I think that having the entire main cast of characters on the episode is better than just having two. It could have been possible because they went to Orlando. Imagine what the Loud sisters could have done in Orlando. But, I guess the Halloween special was good and so was the Loudest Mission. In any case, I think Nickelodeon was right not to hype this "crossover" episode.
The second episode MALL OF DUTY, had a few flaws in it as well that made me not enjoy it as much as I did LEGENDS. So the episode starts with Lincoln's parents having to take Lincoln's older sisters somewhere leaving Lincoln to watch over his younger sisters. This would be the only appearances of the older sisters and then another one at the end of the episode. So Lincoln hears that one his many idols, Rip Hardcore is gonna be at the mall signing books for fans on that same day. Lincoln takes his little sisters with him and they get bored waiting in line with Lincoln. Lincoln puts them on a train inside the mall that spirals out of control ( would have loved to have seen this part by the way) and the sisters are separated leaving Lincoln to try and find them. So here's where most of my disappointment comes from. When Lincoln is finding his sisters and telling them to come with him ,they just go without any hesitation. For example with Lola, who is the queen of these other kids at the mall. It would have taken more time to convince her to leave her so called Kingdom. Yet she just goes along with Lincoln just because he got her out of the castle. The most exciting part of the episode was Lincoln trying to stop Lily who was conducting the train. That was the only good part. I am still confused about the resolution of the episode though. Lincoln got his autograph, but had to give it away to help Lily, and the younger sisters felt sorry for him. I don't get why they would feel that way. Maybe because it turned out to be a fun day at the mall for them after all? Anyway I just thought the writing was kind of lazy on these episodes and hopefully a really good one is still yet to be aired.