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The Lost City (2022)
Return of the Comedy Adventure film. It's fine.
I thought overall it was cute, it was fun. There's nothing amazing this movie is trying to do, it knows what it is. It's here to make you laugh and excite here and there and it does its job. I didn't find it THAT funny personally, but where there was a lack in comedy (for me) it made up for with a lot of heart. It's genuinely a fun story, and it's very entertaining to watch these actors bounce off each other the way they do. Sandra and Channing have great on-screen chemistry and Daniel Radcliffe was clearly having fun in the role of a villain. On a side note, I really appreciate that the majority of this film seemed to be shot on location in an actual jungle. I just really enjoy it when they make that kind of effort instead of a "green screen". You can tell Sandra is really there and it adds so much more life to everything. I think there were a few "green screen" shots that were probably reshooting through production, but 90% of this movie is shot in a Dominican Republic jungle, and that's awesome.
If you need something light-hearted go check it out this weekend. I will admit there's nothing The Lost City does that we haven't already seen in a comedy. But you know what, the performances by all the actors and the clear intention to have fun with the concepts make this a pretty entertaining watch. That's the goal anyway.
The Outfit (2022)
Don't judge a book by the cover.
Trailer doesn't do it justice. Very well written and acted, some great plot turns and masterful suspense. The slow pace worked in it's favor, and overall it was very enjoyable and different for me.
Deserves to be acknowledged, this movie is way too unknown.
X (2022)
A good slasher? Finally?
"X" is at its heart a slasher film with a unique approach. Directed by Ti West, "X" follows a small production team that goes to rural Texas to shoot an adult film; in an attempt to capitalize on the growing home video system industry. They keep the nature of their visit a secret to the property owners and after a few nights, things get very weird and dangerous for all of them. It's not shy of the gore or violence, but that's also not the focus. Surprisingly much of the screen time is spent on the characters themselves which are refreshing and something I enjoyed. There are various scenes of pure suspense that are masterfully done, both making you uncomfortable and disgusted at times. The film is more interested in freaking you out than just showing you some kills and I applaud it for this, especially because the kills here aren't the ... greatest. It's a nitpick though. It can also be very erotic at times, which shouldn't be surprising to anyone. I never found it distasteful or unnecessary, everything serviced the plot well.
It's violent, weird, gross, erotic, and unique. It's pretty awesome.
Turning Red (2022)
Deeper then I expected
A story about self-control, acceptance, identity, and emotions. That I did not expect to be as deep as it was. I was more so expecting a goofy magical animal film.
Pixar never fails to make a good movie, this for sure is a very specific topic and theme. But the way it's presented and displayed is very well done. (for the most part) The film has some messy parts but not enough to pick them out for me personally. I feel most people can relate to some of the themes of growing up here, even if you aren't a teenage girl.
I like the themes of family expectations, and how sometimes, bonds and friendships can be stronger than blood and family.
The Batman (2022)
A fantastic neo-noir crime film.
Directed By Matt Reeves, "The Batman" is a narrative-driven detective film that breaks the tropes of what superhero movies have been the past few years. But more importantly, for the most part, it breaks the tropes of what we expect from a Batman film.
Robert Pattinson picks up the cowl and really makes something special with his performance as the caped crusader and also as Bruce Wayne. This is a different kind of Bruce, not the eccentric double life kind we have seen in most film adaptions. Instead, a Bruce who has been consumed by his alter ego of Batman. The lines have been blurred and it seems to no longer matter if he's wearing the cowl or not. I really enjoyed how heavily this fits into the narrative and the story presented.
The Batman is a neo-noir detective drama, more so than it is a Batman movie. It has a different approach than the previous entries that have come before it, even if yes, it sometimes explores similar themes. As a result of this approach, it's one of the best comic book films I've seen and by far one of the best Batman films to date. I highly recommend this film to not only Batman fans, but to mystery or crime drama fans in general. There's more I want to say but this movie works better the less you know, so go see it! I will be seeing it again and posting a follow-up article to discuss the future of this series and more of my thoughts that will contain spoilers.
Scream (2022)
"It's a scream baby!"
Thank god, it doesn't suck. I would like to say first off I am a big fan of the Scream series and Wes Craven in general. In a world with countless horror remakes, it's so refreshing to get a sequel/remake that EARNS its existence in the series. Even if yes, it's a bit formulaic at times.
I don't want to say much about the plot, but I will say I think it was a smart direction to take it. As usual, Scream is very self-aware, especially with the current film industry and that's really all I can say with no spoilers. The newcomers for the most part don't suck, and it made me actually want to see a sequel with some of these characters. Having some of the original cast was great to see as well. I really appreciate that the legacy characters are there to mainly pass the torch, it's not focused on them and I think it gave the film a better dynamic in a way. I wish I could say more but it's one of those films where everything is a spoiler.
If you're a fan of the original series you'll probably like this. It's a true sequel/remake and it sets a different tone for what Ghostface could be in the future while maintaining its self-awareness and identity. I think Wes Craven would be proud of this!
8/10.
Evil Dead II (1987)
Insanity
This movie, similar to its processor, is insane. This had me laughing far more than most comedies, for the CORRECT reasons. It's dark, it's scary, it's bloody, and it's funny as hell. Bruce Campbell is amazing, his acting and performances were hilarious. The film also has some bizarre and unique shots I enjoyed. I could nitpick a few things but I don't really want to for this one.
Above all the ending, dear lord. That had to be one of the dumbest, funniest, and most bizarre endings I've seen. It's incredible. It genuinely surprised me because I wasn't aware of Army of Darkness as a third movie until now. I was definitely overlooking this series.
8/10 Pretty Great.
Bambi (1942)
The Poor Owl
The real tragedy of this movie is the poor abused owl. The entire forest keeps this man from sleeping, constantly. Every single woodland creature here is inconsiderate.
So this movie is fine. Bambi and Dumbo have always been two of my least favorite Disney animated films even though yes, they are classics. I've seen a few critics have a similar take, mainly how there is no real "plot" here. There are events that happen sure but the majority of this movie is about animals playing around in the woods as they grow up. Obviously, there is one tragic scene most people are aware of, and yes it does play a crucial part. But that's really it. That's really all I have to say. The art behind it all is so freaking impressive, the score is fine, the voice acting is pretty solid. This has some of the best animation sequences from this decade hands down, and I still think it's a solid entry in the Disney catalog even if I'm not the biggest fan.
Give me an entire movie about the Owl, it's not too late.
6/10 Slightly Above Average.
Dumbo (1941)
Good! I still don't enjoy it though
I'll probably upset some with this one. This may be one of the more controversial reviews as I slowly go through all Disney films. I never liked this movie. I didn't like it as a kid, and I didn't feel much different about it now. It's not a bad movie, I actually think it's quite good for what it's trying to do. But man, for me it's brutally boring. The story itself is fine, I never found it very compelling, but it's fine. The animation is fantastic as always, particularly the pink elephant trippy sequence.
I can't help but think this would have been so much more enjoyable as a 20-30 minute short film. The pink elephant sequence, while impressive, thoroughly felt like it existed for the sake of extending the run time. This is almost the reverse way I felt with Snow White. I felt like Snow White; while nearly a perfect movie, should have been extended because there's a great deal to take from that story. Dumbo just doesn't have that, and you can feel it with many of the "filler" scenes. I separate my feelings from this one the best I can. I think it's a decent movie, I just personally don't enjoy it.
Timothy the mouse is great though.
6 / 10 Slightly Above Average.
Encanto (2021)
Charmed
Encanto has heart. I went into this film with low expectations, I didn't see much marketing or information about it. Truthfully I thought it was going to be a throwaway animated film. I was delightfully surprised at how much heart and creativity this film has.
Visually it's gorgeous. The animation is polished and fantastic as always. The character designs are unique and they all feel important to the overall plot presented. There's so much creativity here and interesting ideas that suck you right into this world. But ultimately the reason this film stands out amongst many others is its story. There isn't a "bad guy" or an enemy to defeat. The narrative here is focused on a family called the Madrigals. Hidden off from the world these people live in a house called the Encanto (Charm) in presumably Columbia. This Encanto house has magic properties and the ability to grant "gifts" to family members. Mirabel is the only child not granted a unique gift from the Encanto. As the magic within the house begins to die, she attempts to uncover the truth of the family and her place amongst everyone. It's a very personal story and it's a very well-written one.
The humor is there, for the most part. The music is great and not overdone. I found myself more engaged in this film than the majority of Disney films of the last 5 years or so.
Pinocchio (1940)
Brilliantly Animated
I think Pinocchio is pretty fun. I have never been the biggest fan of the majority of this story, but the Disney adaption itself is iconic. While I don't think it has the most memorable soundtrack out of the early Disney films, I think it works well. The scale of this story is much larger than snow white and some of the animation showcased here is some of the best they have achieved. Most notably the ending sequences with Monstro the whale. The ocean and wave animations blew me away. Disney truly began to show what they were capable of with this one.
I appreciated the darker elements in parts of the plot. The scenes surrounding the captured children becoming slave donkeys is just as terrifying to me now as it was when I was 6. It's goofy the way it's presented, but the idea behind it when you take a step back is really morbid. I think everything works well, and it's a brilliant animation showcase.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Short and Sweet
Snow White is the original. Disney's reign of animated films begins with this beautiful piece of art. Some of the musical elements have aged a bit, but years and years later this holds up fantastically. The story is pretty quick and simple, sure. That's the charm to me, the humble origins of Disney on full showcase. The characters are great and fun to watch on screen, the villain is an actual villain, and the environments and sets are beautifully drawn.
I do think this film would have benefited more from a slightly longer run time. However, given the time period and the financial situation Walt Disney was dealing with to produce this; it works just fine. Short and Sweet. Just like Happy the Dwarf.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
A Missed Opportunity
I would like to offer a disclaimer, I went into this film as a fan of the original video games. I did my best to judge the film on its own merit, but it's also very apparent this is trying to adapt the games. Specifically, the first two. Which made it a little hard to judge it as its own thing. I ended up judging it based on how well it adapted the source material. The plot of this film is quite literally merging two existing games, and it tries its best to keep it cohesive. But it fails in most ways. Some of these characters act similarly to their video game counterpart, and some of them aren't even the same character. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to make Leon the comedy relief idiot, that's sacrilegious to any fan of the game. The CGI ... like dear god man, the video game remakes look more realistic. Sony come on now. If you're going to do this at least put the money into it. Google says it has a 40 million dollar budget, other sites say 25 million. I don't know who to believe but it doesn't look close to either.
This is going to be such an interesting turnout. You have fans of the film franchise that has nothing to do with the game who probably won't like this. You have video game fans who will probably hate this for the most part. Especially the Leon fans. Then you have casual theatergoers who will be wondering what the hell is happening. There's underacting, overacting, weird plot development, decent FX and then horrible FX. Also, I really do commend them for trying to do the video games. I really really do. That's what many fans ask for. The problem is when you decide to DO that; then many will compare it to the games and how well it's adapted. The end result here is it's not done very well, and there are little glimpses at what MIGHT have been. Specific shots or set pieces can look very faithful to the source material. It's very frustrating.
According to Wikipedia (yes I know) James Wan was supposed to have a hand in this at some point? Then it didn't work out and the film went under some reshoots in May. I can't help but think what could have been with Wan on board. From what I read on the development here, it started off in the right direction. I don't know what happened. It's rough. Some people might like it, some might think it's so bad it's good. For me, it's just bad.
I highly recommend playing the original game and the Resident Evil 2 Remake if you want to see where some fans are coming from. Fantastic games as well.