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Reviews
Pink (2018)
A Solid Indie Comedy
I really didn't know what to expect from Pink but ultimately I was pretty satisfied.
It stars Conner Marx as the titled Pink and he is on house arrest for just a few days left and is put in a pickle of a situation.
Pros - The acting her is too notch all around, especially Conner, he keeps this thing afloat.
There are also some good side characters, including Sam and the neighbors. Also there is a mystery of sorts that keeps the carrot in front of you.
Cons - There are some directing and story elements that don't work, especially the ending that almost derails the whole thing. A character is killed and we are supposed to feel something but it's almost like the movie didn't care either. So it has a weird tone that feels pretty empty. Also there are too many scenes where the main charater is knocked out and has these dreams, I know they are to allud to a mystery but it's a little overkill. There is a few moments that drag in the middle and some editing moments that I questioned. Plus a murder that was really contrived.
Overall Conner Marx really elevates this story to being a really enjoyable experience. If you can get past his obnoxious behavior, he really grows on you. I laughed, I felt his pain. It's definitely worth a watch.
7/10.
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Talk about Creativly Bankrupt
So I've never been a big fan of the series but I've had fun with a few of the movies. Nothing ground breaking but entertaining enough.
Boy we are way past that. This was pretty bad. So many ideas, plots, subplots, and pointless filler to fill about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Even my kids were bored.
That aside, there was no reason for the movie to exist other than to make money. This is a soulless, pandering cash grab.
The mega minions? What was the point? They literally did nothing and were not very funny. Actually I didn't laugh once. It was pretty uninspiring.
Another subplot with a new next door neighbor who wants to be like Gru, with little payoff.
It's sad cause there is a story and joke potential with these characters but this ain't it.
3/10.
Social Norm (2016)
Decent Family Drama Bogged Down By Uneven Script and Acting
So I was curious about this film after watching the directors video about how this film left him in financial ruin.
So this is a simple tale about a man who is living with his three disfunctional brothers. After his parents died tragically and is forced to make tough decisions when he gets a foreclosure letter. Also our lead is dealing with extreme social awkwardness and anxiety.
So what works for me in this film is the family dynamic and Norm working through his problems. The friendship with his neighbor also felt genuine.
What didn't work for me is the film lacked drive, the sense of urgency wasn't really there. Also there is a character that acts like Norms anxiety or something and learn the character actually was the one who killed his parents. Not only didn't it worked, I think it hurt the film a lot. The character is suppose to be funny but once you find out the truth it kind of leaves you feeling weirdly conflicted.
I know this is a micro budget film and I don't wanna be too hard on it but you can see a good story in here it's just the acting is too inconsistent, the love story feels a little forced and not believable. But the stuff with the brothers and the neighbors work. Other than that and some editing choices, probably 8 to 10 minutes that could have been cut to make the experience a little more snappy I say it's not too bad.
6/10 You can definitely see the effort and the things that work, work well. But the things that don't really hurt the overall picture.
True Detective (2014)
Season one is undefeated!
Why I haven't finished season 4(still in progress)
Season one is a masterpiece. The writing. The acting. The focus. It's all there. It instantly captures your attention and doesn't let go.
Quick summary of everything after it.
Season 2. Never could get into the characters and the plot was muddy and bloated. I just couldn't get into it.
Season 3. Solid but follows season one's formula of trying to solve a unsolved case after many years. Great performances but a lot of forgettable characters.
Season 4. After finding out it's supposed to be a sequel to season one, which upset me a little why it couldn't come up with an original story instead of riding the coattails of a better season. This season is bloated. Too many characters, too many sub plots. Not focused enough. Good performances, moody, a little spooky, but hard to get attached to any one character. We will see if my opinion changes after the season finishes.
Season 1. The GOAT, Matthew Mcconaughey owns this role, Rust is a complicated character and is fascinating to watch. Woody Harrelson's Cohle is oddly fascinating too, a man that can't enjoy the life he has. Their dynamic is what runs the show. The side characters, including Colhes wife, and others shine as well. What works best about the show is that it really focuses on the characters. The serial killer is there and you wanna know what happens but you are more interested with what happens to the characters and that is always a big win. With the way the investigation evolves over time along with the characters, It's simple the best.
After watching it again after 9 years, I appreciate this show even more. It's one of, if not the best show to ever grace TV.
Wonka (2023)
Stop the hate and start the LOVE!
This is one of the biggest surprises of the year, a movie that treads a thin line of nostalgia and creativity. For the most part it succeeds gracefully.
Let's face it Gene Wilder, is the gold standard for Willy Wonka. Johnny Depp is a love it or hate it version. If you like your Wonka's fascinatingly creepy. Timothy Chalamet is a different version, wholesome with a bit of looney. Endlessly optimistic with a touch of naive. He does a great job no doubt, not the best singer, but damnit he gives it his all. The supporting cast is also very good, the villains memorable, however the little girl Noodles, is a mixed performance, sometimes ok, other times off key.
The whole package is uneven, it's not a perfect movie. The story suffers, especially at the end. But it doesn't derail the whole picture. There is very good musical performances and great imagination that is worth the price alone.
I really enjoyed much of the music and a bit of the humor. This movie filled me with joy and kept a smile on me for most of the run time. The story is not original, but it's not cynical or unsentimental. It cares about it's characters and their journey. Not everyone will agree but for me it was great.
Give it a chance and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
The Creator (2023)
Frustrating
I want to say that this is a beautifully shot film and the acting is very good all the way.
However the film suffers from a screenplay standpoint. The main character Josh is someone we are supposed to care about but the movie short changes his emotional arcs due to the way the movie has him on a conveyor belt of a routine action, chase, action, chase, forced emotional scene, action, chase.
It also suffers from the fact the one character we do care about, the child, doesn't show up till 30 minutes in. All the side characters, forced images of human and robot relations don't help either.
It's just so frustrating because for every good thing, neat concept, there are two things that I didn't like. I watched others in the theaters at the end of the film and they felt like I did too, empty.
Disenchantment: Fish Out of Water (2023)
So, so, so many opportunities for comedy and they just gave up!
This season and much of last season has been a big disappointment. They just gave up on providing humor to this once funny show. They try but most of it is low hanging fruit or the most obvious joke but just the first thing they thought in their head. Comedy takes work unless you are very talented. This show is slowly turning into The Simpsons seasons 20 and beyond.
This show had so much potential but I'm afraid it's has run it's course and is not ending on a good note. I really wish it could stay consistent. For those rating this and last season with a 7 or above. I ask, what show were you watching?
Futurama: The Impossible Stream (2023)
Not the start most will expect
I'm so happy that Futurama is back. As a fan I'm very excited like everyone else but this episode was not a great start in my opinion.
A little late to the party as South Park had it's mini movie series of the streaming wars. This was an inferior take on it. It starts with a quick explanation of a convenient way to reset the show, kinda how Beavis and Butthead did. However this felt way too rushed and not earned.
The problem with the episode is it felt very recycled from better episodes. Fry wants to watch every episode of every show ever and he gets caught up in a streaming device that progresses the story. Nice platform for an episode, but it felt more like a not as funny take of Rick and Mortys interdimensional cable and that sucks cause they could have done a lot of funny things here but we get some retreaded jokes and half hearted attempts. Plus the ending is very meta in a bad way.
I'm hoping we get better episodes than this cause this wasn't it.
Elemental (2023)
A story you've seen a thousand times before but not with elements
What can I say about Elemental that will do it justice? It never really takes off. It's a familiar tale with a new setting and two dimensional characters.
Pros- visually this puppy is stunning, the world is inspiring but familiar. The sound design is well done.
Cons- the voice acting is very all over the place, some ok performances, but many just don't fit. The pacing is not very good either. The characters are too one note or two note.
Overall this is kind of a bland movie going experience. It's an immigration tale of foreigners making it in a new city and dealing with the prejudices of being different, very Zootopia, but unlike that very charming tale, this movie just drags and the characters are very bland. The fire dad might be the most intriguing character but by far the biggest offender is Wade Ripple, the water boy, they just shove him on you and try very hard to make you like him and the chemistry between Ember and him is so contrived. Also there is no really good side characters for them to play off of. Kind of a waste in my opinion.
It's a film that's pretty forgettable in the end. 4/10.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
I wanted to love it but just couldn't.
When I was a kid I remember anticipating the new Super Mario Bros movie... boy what a letdown that was. So this new one had to be good right?
I'm watching it with my family, staring at the screen, and feeling nothing through most of the run time. Just bright colors and movement. The problem was. The screenplay is just cliff notes with fan service. The movie should have stuck with the brothers and traveled throughout the mushroom kingdom and other worlds and save the princess. Simple right? But A lot of the time It felt busy and empty simultaneously. Maybe I'm being too hard on a kid's movie? Why should I complain? It's not the 90s Mario movie, right?
Wasted potential, that's how I felt. The movie never really took off for me. It didn't have those wow moments that it could have easily had. No surprises, just safe commercial entertainment.
Pros:
The visuals and music are top-notch. As a big fan of the games, these elements hit home.
Jack Black's Bowser was the best part of the movie. When he is onscreen it's a joy to watch. Luigi and Toad are also very good. There are a few moments toward the end that are exciting too. When the Mario Bros are together, they work... however.
Cons:
The bros being separated for most of the movie was one of the biggest mistakes of the film. You get an entertaining Luigi and do absolutely nothing with him. Donkey Kong could've been completely removed as he brought nothing. There was a little too much Mario Kart. Princess Peach was fine but again there was too much of her and we really don't get to know her. For most of the movie, it felt like it was on autopilot and they had a checklist of items that they had to go through. There needed more quiet moments to let the audience breathe in this magical world. It felt less like an adventure/journey and more like Super Mario highlights.
Overall, it comes down to the screenplay, which could have told an interesting tale of these Bros' adventure to save the mushroom kingdom, but when you don't really care about the characters and get a movie that takes too many warp zones to the end. You end up with this half-baked film.
4/10.
Glass Onion (2022)
Contrived and bloated.
Well the titled says it all, good looking and acted movie. But no need for all these actors to be in the very elaborated setup just to show us 30 minutes worth of scenes of stuff we could have figured out. Totally takes the fun from the who done it. So we are left with a movie too long for it's own good and not clever enough to hold your interest when it double backs. There is some fun here and some funny moments. There is too many things that distract you from what should be important. Again the acting is fine. Its definitely not as good as the original. But it's not a disaster. Just not as good as the original and pretty forgettable. Watch once and forget.
Jungle Junction (2009)
If you have young kids, this will delight them.
Jungle animals with wheels for legs roaming around a road latten forest. It's novel and fun. The characters are surprisingly engaging and there is a lot of fun to be had. It's wholesome, funny and kids will love it, for a short run Disney animated show you can do a lot worse.
Human Resources (2022)
Not very funny and most characters are very unlikable
Wish I had more to say it's just not as funny or memorable as Big Mouth. Most episodes are like this.......something vulgar.........something not funny........something cringe.......some character doing some terribly unfunny thing.........something decent......then something not funny.
Amphibia: Anne or Beast?/Best Fronds (2019)
Imaginative funny and entertaining
This first episode is a great in introducing the characters and entertaining kids and adults. The humor is good but not the focus. It has some heart too and its a little touching as well. Give it a try.
The Kids of Santa Fe: The Largest Unknown Mass Shooting (2021)
Bad Film Making Makes A Tragedy Feel Worse
As a fellow Santa Fe alumni I am happy to create the first review here.
The film is structured into three parts. Showing you how the event unfolded, getting to know the victims, friends and families, and finally the politics of what the school and police could have done better with a sprinkle of gun control.
There is much to say but I don't know where to start so I guess I'll talk about the positives.
It was good to see the victims and families side of the story. Their emotions and testimony is the heart of the film and I can't imagine how they feel being a parent myself. I also liked being able to see how it all unfolded even though it was done so poorly with graphics that looks like a poorer version of MS Paint.
Now with the negatives.
I'm not sure what this directors previous films are or was this his first go but it has amateurish all over the board. From the pacing, music, editing, the redundancy of information, the manipulative and borderline rude questions he asks during his interviews. There is no narration and we have just the basic title card and text giving us a timeline of what happened. Its ok at first but as it continues you feel a more polished design and narration would benefit the movie greatly.
THE MUSIC WAS EAR GRATINGLY TERRIBLE!
It's like he doesn't know when to turn of the ambient xylophone noise he calls background music off. So it just continues through important dialogue with the interviews and just doesn't stop and it becomes very distracting and it got very annoying to sit through. The editing choices were very poor as well. Like he was just trying to rush it out of post production. Cuts will happen in the middle of dialogue and it becomes very distracting, shots also stay longer than needed. The director keeps bringing things up that were already mentioned 30 minutes after they were said. So it starts feeling redundant or just poorly edited. There are many of the same shots in this film from text to the same scenes of the high school you will see many times. So it make the overall flow of this documentary feel like a jumbled mess. Most of the film is filled with interviews of the victims, family members and people of interest from the shooting. He asks some questions that seem very manipulative to his vision of the film and some rude ones like "what would you have done different?" Which doesn't seem too harmful till you see it. Also he interviews a autopsy tech that had to see the bodies and its one of the most uncomfortable scenes in the film, she has a smile throughout and its really off putting.
All that being said I feel the biggest missed opportunity was not showing the community before and after. I've lived here most of my life and I know like many who live here there is a great sense of being there for each other, it is a religious town so much so that it had to take it's case for having prayers over the pa system at football games go all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. Everyone knows everyone here. Its a great community and if he would have just added a little bit of that it would have been so much better.
Overall though, the victims and the community deserves a better film than this. Im not sure if the directors heart was in the right place, but the interviews with the families and getting to know the victims were good to hear there testimony. However, how its presented. I really can't recommend this. There are much more competently directed documentaries out there and this ain't one of them.
America: The Motion Picture (2021)
Its gonna differ for everyone. As for me it had more hits than misses.
This is satire. Its over the top and ridiculous. For every infantile joke that doesn't hit. There are two or three clever jokes that do hit. If you want to have a good laugh and shut your brain off then you will have an absolutely fun time. With this red white and blue comedy, it will find its fans. Its not for everyone. But for those who like this kind of humor, you can do a lot lot worse.
Shameless: Two at a Biker Bar, One in the Lake (2021)
I don't know whos been drinking the kool-aid, but this wasn't a great episode.
This was just bad, it had a few funny moments but many of the plot lines made from previous episodes have little pay off and some cringe worthy reactions. Looking at you Kev. There are little surprises left here and you can guess what is gonna happen by the finale. Ian and Mickey had probably the funniest story line this episode while Tammy is still the worst, Deb is annoying, Lip is still going through the motions, Carl was worth a laugh but overall pointless( like most the season) and Frank is just tired....the whole show feels tired and barely on life support crawling to the finish. I hope the ending will have some redeeming qualities. So this show should have ended a few seasons ago.
The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
The Ultimate review to The Dark and The Wicked
This movie seems to have most of the internet divided. Some same its a horror masterpiece and others calling it dull spook fodder. I think they are both right.
The plot if you don't know. Two sibblings visit their parents after their father seems to be in coma bed redden state. Its not explained if its a terminal disease or what. Afterwards the spooks begin to happen.
I will say this movie is excellently shot and the music is low key perfect for this story. There is a overall eerie sense of dread to the whole movie. Everyone looks like they're at their wits end and tired of life. I belive this helps and hurt the movie in some ways. It does set a mood but it depends if thats what kind of mood you wanna be in.
There is ambiguity a foot in much of the run time. You wont know why are how much is happening. This is fine for some but may annoy others. The acting is overall pretty strong. But the writting is questionable in some places, especially towards the end.
Overall this is a very depressing movie with some much over used of jump scares. That might be enough for some. Like I said it is well acted and looks great and above average sound design and score.
But at the end of the day, can I recommend this?
Its tough, there is talent behind it, but overall a hollow emptiness you feel after watching it. If you want to have a feeling of sense of dread and not mind a slow burning film, I say its for you.
But if you want something like a entertaining horror masterpiece?
This aint it.
Its a pretty and dark but flawed film that doesn't find its footing and can't stand on its own from all its unnecessary ambiguous horror tropes.
6/10 worth one watch but its hard to see myself coming back to it.
So overall its not a masterpiece and its not a trainwreck. Its a little disappointing because you feel it truly could have been great. But it does have some merits worth watching.
Psycho Goreman (2020)
Finally the genre I've been waiting for. A horror dark comedy family film
This unapologetic horror comedy is special. It has the perfect blend of body horror, comedic timing, and entertainment. I've never seen nothing quite like it. Imagine unused rejected Power Ranger villians coming to earth with a mix of Terminator 2 relationship with a little girl being John Conner and the Arch Duke of Nightma......ehh....I mean Psycho Goreman as The Terminator and add a dash of Troma mix it all in a 1.5 million budget and you get this masterpiece.
The socialpathic little girl is played perfectly, she has a few wooden lines but overall her strong acting holds much of the movie together. The comedy is spot on with its timing and delivery. Low key the dad character became my favorite.
There is a lot of creativity that went into the character design and costumes. Its low budget, but they dont make it feel as so. It feels they spent the money in the right spots.
Finally the ending I thought was perfect for the very entertaining dark comedy family horror movie.
I really loved the directors previous movie The Void, but I really think he tops it here.
Do yourself a favor and check it out.
9/10
30 Monedas (2020)
One of the best horror series I've ever seen
Ok I finished the first season (not sure if it was a limited series or will have a follow up)
This show was a delight to watch with many original horrors to see, many big ideas, and some good writing.
It was a good show that teeters on great. Its not without its problems, pacing, sometimes confusing(not just being spanish but just what was going on) but the good stuff far out weighs the bad. The ending was strange but entertaining and the viewer isn't quite sure where they go from here, why stuff happened and whats to happen to father Vegaras.
Overall I must say its a must watch for any horror fan. These kinds of shows and with this level of quality don't come around very often. Its not perfect but it has some of the most F'ed up things I've seen from an actual show on t.v. plus the acting and writing are far above average.
8/10
Norman (2019)
Had potential.
Ok I'm happy to write the first review for this movie.
So essentially you have Norman, trapped in the present day trying to travel back to the future of 2085. The reasons he wants to travel back I won't spoil. But every time he has some sort of interaction with the outside world, people and such, he gets headaches and flashes from other times and places.
So I really wanted to like this movie a lot more but the lead actor just isn't good enough, its a mixed performances at best with some underacting and overacting. The most lively performance is the A. I. companion A. N. I. (which isn't a good sign that the A. I. has more personality than the lead) who comes in a third of the way in. Another problem is the stakes don't feel high so we the viewer are not as invested as we could be. The third act fails as well because of the tonal shift, it decides it wants to be a action movie with too many close ups of people shooting and not enough wide shots of the action, and the ending is kind of predictable. There are many shots of tea being poured, switches being turned on, rain on the siding of the house. Its a slow burning movie and has some big ideas but its not very well acted, written, and too slow to recommend. But its not a train wreck or horrible. Its just slow, pretentious and the lead actor/character has no personality for us to get behind or care why stuff is happening. It is competently directed and is a good looking film and I'm happy for the filmmaker being able to get his project realized after 9 years but its a watch and forget kind of movie unfortunately.
Room 104: Fur (2020)
The beginning of the end
This is the nail on the coffin for this show. It started off as a campy mixed bag of genres that had the various directors use clever writing to overcome limitations of using a single motel room for the stage of each episode. Some great, most mediocre and a few straight up bad ones.
I give you Fur. The bottom of the barrel. This brain dead concept and even worse written contrived mess is the final straw for many fans. Its like the director doesnt even know how that period of time in the 90s really is. The animation is dated and the super girl power ending is cringy and laughable. This show has derailed and Fur will go down as the conductor who crashed it.
Terrible shame really.