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Klaus (2019)
The Best Christmas Movie
First off, can't write a review without mentioning how brilliant the animation is. The fact that they made a 2D movie in such a way that you think it's 3D is so impressive. With that alone, this movie would already stand out. But even if it were animated normally, this movie is fantastic. First of all, it's a great Christmas movie, with messages about the importance of kindness and good will. The "Changes" scene, in particular, where you see the town transform, is flawless, how one little thing can change everything. Second of all, it's hilarious. Jason as Jesper is great, Norm as the boatman is great, and even the clans are funny. Third of all, it's such a heartwarming story. The character arcs of Klaus and Jesper, as well as the way they intertwine with each other, are perfect. Overall, this movie deserves the title of "magical" and is the perfect movie to watch for Christmas, or at any other time.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Fantastic Story
How to Train Your Dragon is probably DreamWorks's most beautiful story. The bonding sequences between Hiccup and Toothless are executed to perfection, and I love that they take their time. It takes a while, even in a montage, for these enemies to become friends. It makes their connection feel earned. Coupled with this is Hiccup's growth as a character as he not only becomes more confident, but becomes more thoughtful. Test Drive, in particular, is one of my favorite movie scenes, period. The accompanying track (also Test Drive) is among my favorites as well. John Powell has a lot of great music in this, like This Is Berk and Romantic Flight. The whole soundtrack is iconic. Watching his advancement in Dragon Training was really fun as well. Astrid and his dad come off as a little too harsh, but both of them have great character arcs and completely redeem themselves. The moral here about how hard it is to let go of what you think you know and see things in a new way is really important. It's also beautifully animated, with plenty of action and incredible flight sequences. The only downside is that the animation of the human characters doesn't really stand the test of time.
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
One of the Best Animated Movies Ever
Where to start... This movie has so much going for it, and everything works perfectly. First, the music. John Powell and Hans Zimmer make an amazing soundtrack, with Hero being epic, Oogway Ascends being beautiful, and plenty of great motifs that end up getting used throughout the franchise like the Dragon Warrior theme. Possibly the most memorable animated movie soundtrack ever besides maybe How to Train Your Dragon (funnily enough, also John Powell) or The Lion King (funnily enough, also Hans Zimmer). Second, the animation. Besides just being great animation, DreamWorks creates an incredibly detailed world with fantastic scenery. It also uses a blend of 3D animation and a stylized cartoon sequence at the beginning. Third, the humor. Thanks to an amazing all-star cast, Kung Fu Panda is hilarious. Jack Black as Po, in particular, is perfect. The animation helps with that too, giving Po hilarious facial expressions. Fourth, the action. The final fight, the bridge fight, the prison sequence, the training, the opening sequence...it's all great. The variety and use of scenery is top-notch, to the point where this would be just as good of an action movie as it is an animated movie. Fifth, the writing. Not only does this movie have incredible dialogue and quotes (Oogway's "present" comment is one of the best movie quotes ever), but there is such good planning present. Mr. Ping's hesitation when Po mentions his heritage and a scene where Shifu is struggling to achieve inner peace are both perfectly planted setups for the sequel, which makes the sequel feel natural and in no way forced. Sixth, the characters. Partially thanks to them all being different animals, the characters are so memorable and unique. They all get their own personalities and fighting styles, and it works so well. Tai Lung is an amazing villain, too, a perfect combination of scary and understandable. Seventh, the messaging. I saved the best for last. Kung Fu Panda is a heartwarming and inspiring story about Po going from a nobody to a Dragon Warrior, but within that amazing story lie so many life lessons that I can't believe DreamWorks pulled it off. The movie focuses on the importance of perseverance and hard work. Po has no right being anywhere near the Furious Five, but he works so hard and never gives up. A true warrior never quits, as he says. It also focuses on how you should accept what you can't change and focus on being the best you that you can be, finding and honing your strengths and using them to your advantage...finding what makes you special and capitalizing on it. Then there's the ending message, which I won't spoil, that does "believe in yourself" better than any other movie. Overall, this movie has it all. It's funny, action-packed, heartwarming, and important for kids and adults alike. Between this and How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks has some incredible masterpieces.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Too Far
I wrote in my John Wick 2 review about how I love the world that the franchise created. Frankly, the first movie did it perfectly. The second movie didn't do much to that world. It simply took what we already knew existed (i.e. A secret language) and found fun, creative ways to use it. But it also added another layer, the bowery. A nice way to give us more of what we love while also giving us something new. Chapter 3 basically goes overkill. Not only is there a high table, but there's the one who sits above the high table, there are the adjudicators, there are several different branches of the continental, there are the ballerinas, there are the sushi chefs, and the bowery is part of the high table now. It just gets ridiculous to the point where it stops being interesting. The minions were the best part of Despicable Me 1 & 2, but when you go all in on them, it's ridiculous. In the same way, lore was a great part of John Wick but should've been kept more simple. In addition, the action gets dull. I loved the beginning where he makes a custom gun, has a big knife fight, and then has a fight with horses. It's great. But after that, he defeats every enemy the with the same flip. It's the exact opposite of, say, the Kingsman fights, where there's so much variety that you can't stop watching. It gets boring. The worst crime of all, though, is that most of the movie ends up not mattering. We spend so much time with John calling in favors and walking through the desert, taking up a lot of screen time, but in the end, when he finally gets the opportunity, he chooses not to take it. First of all, movie wasted, because we're right back to where we started for chapter 4. Second of all, he made a sacrifice for no reason! Far too pointless to be enjoyable. That being said, it's a John Wick movie. Obviously it's pretty fun from time to time, giving it a relatively decent rating.
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Nonstop Action
I'm not a fan of watching dogs die, so I usually start the first John Wick about 20 minutes in or so. But the sequel? One of my favorite action movies ever. With a few exceptions, this movie is fight scene after fight scene for 2 hours. It never slows down. The movie opens with a great fight scene, and then once the mission starts, John Wick is in combat for the entire movie. As with the rest of the franchise, the "gun-fu" choreography is phenomenal. The museum shootout, in particular, is one of my favorite action sequences in a movie. The use of surroundings, the combination of shooting and hand-to-hand combat, and the one-hand gun maneuver are all super fun. The catacombs shootout is fantastic as well. The movie is like a video game, which is wonderful. If you're looking for nonstop action, there aren't many movies that are going to deliver better than this. That being said, it does everything right that it's predecessor did in the plot department. Perhaps the best thing about the first movie was the world it created, a special assassin world with secret currency and code language and rules. This movie did that fantastically as well, particularly with the bowery, the assassins hiding in plain sight, and the "tasting" as he's preparing for his mission. The world feels so fully realized. Overall, it's an incredibly engaging movie that's nonstop fun.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Deserving of the Trophy
Look, usually I'm not a fan of classics. Godfather is boring. Star Wars is fun, but there are better fantasy movies. 2001: A Space Odyssey is far longer than it needs to be. With most classics, I appreciate how groundbreaking they were at the time and am happy for their contributions to film history, but I personally don't enjoy them as much as some of my more recent favorites. Shawshank is a wonderful exception. Every part of this movie is enjoyable thanks to the clever dialogue and great acting. Unlike things such as Casablanca, which aren't very fun but are enjoyable because you can appreciate the character's resolve and character, Shawshank is fun. Even though it takes place in a prison, you enjoy watching Andy slowly climb his way up the ladder and use his knowledge to maneuver his way around everyone. It's a blast. As a result, it's never boring. That being said, the movie truly shines because it has one of the best, if not the best, endings in movie history. It's not only completely satisfying, but downright epic. Everything fits into place perfectly, and the result is the beautiful combination of inspiring and heartwarming. Even though it's been parodied into oblivion, I'm happy to say I didn't many of the twists coming. The title is fitting: this is a movie about redemption, about being put in a terrible situation and coming out on top. It's truly wonderful and a movie everyone should see.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Decent but Messy
I liked it. The ending of Ragnarok and the bulk of Infinity War was peak Thor, so since Endgame didn't do the character any favors, I was looking forward to another movie where we saw Thor be epic and fun. And this movie didn't disappoint...for the first five minutes. Perhaps the biggest problem with this movie was the pacing. Despite being heavily focused on in the trailer, the Guardians of the Galaxy were gone pretty quickly. We go from one scene to the next, never spending much time anywhere. It's a short movie, too. Because of this pacing, a lot of the movie didn't get the time it deserved. In the opening scene, I loved that they were adding depth to Gorr's character and showing his backstory, but then we don't really get to see him do anything besides be a shadow until the end of the movie. I'd like to see the god butcher butcher some gods. The rumored deleted scenes would've helped a lot. The ending was also very quick. For the first hour and a half of the movie, everyone's making a big deal about how unreachable Eternity is, but then Thor and Jane make it there (separately) in about 5 seconds each. And clearly Thor didn't learn his lesson in Infinity War to go for the head, because after they defeat Gorr, they let him walk into Eternity and get his wish. And now he's raising a demon child, and she gets Stormbreaker while he gets a broken hammer. It's all so rushed and forced. Also in that ending scene, this movie suffers from the Last Jedi effect where it has moments that are super cool and surprising on a first watch, but then immediately become stupid once you think about them. It makes sense that Thor's able to give the kids the power of Thor since Odin was able to do that...but why didn't he do that against Thanos? Or Hela? Brings up so many questions. Aside from the pacing, the inclusion of Jane wasn't great. I don't like watching exes argue about who left who. I also think that the fact that Thor cursed the hammer to protect her means she wasn't actually worthy, which makes her transformation into the Mighty Thor completely meaningless. In addition, due to the comedic tone of the movie, her absence in the previous movies, and the notion of Valhalla and the multiverse, her death wasn't impactful at all. Speaking of which, the movie went way too hard on the humor. Humor in Ragnarok was necessary because the first two Thor movies were extremely stoic and often boring, so an overcorrection was necessary to make Thor fun. But once you've accomplished that, you balance it like the rest of the movies do. Instead, Taika made it even funnier, which is fine, but it makes it feel disconnected from the MCU. No Way Home knew when to be funny and when to be serious, but no other phase 4 entries seem to. Stormbreaker being jealous was really funny, but that kind of tone makes it hard for me to take any of this movie seriously, which is odd since it involves dead children and cancer. That's not to say I didn't like the movie though. Jane's hammer usage with the split parts was extremely cool. Giacchino's score was incredible. The desaturated shadow world fight was beautiful. It was a fun, action-packed movie, but the poor pacing and messy writing muddled the experience.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Nailed the Feel of "Magic"
Definitely one of the best MCU entries. This was the movie that really made magic the forefront, and even in a fantasy series, they managed to make it feel so much more magical than anything yet. The visuals are fantastic, not only because of the impressiveness of the visual effects, but also because of the creativity and design. The way they came up with the different ways to morph reality was really cool, and the intricate ways they folded the world on top of itself were fun as well. Lots of movies have magic, but most of them still follow general rules like physics and balance. Doctor Strange is a complete sandbox that does whatever it wants to, and that's really fun. Visually, it was the best experience in the MCU at that point. The music was equally enjoyable. Giacchino has a very catchy main theme that fits the location and source material. The story was also really great, and the transformation from surgeon into magician and superhero was really cool to see. The lore of the sorcerers was interesting, and the ending was amazing. The comedy was strong as well. My main issue with the movie is that they went a bit far with the unlikability of Strange. It's hard to believe his transformation could be this profound this quickly. Over the course of several movies, sure, but he does a complete turnaround too fast. I wish they made him a little more likeable in the early scenes despite his arrogance, which would've made what he did at the end more believable.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
The Right Way to Do Suicide Squad
I didn't hate the 2016 Suicide Squad as much as most people did. I thought it was fine and loved Deadshot. But it definitely wasn't great. This one was great. Gunn nailed it. There are a lot of things I like, but the most important one is that this movie understood how to portray the Suicide Squad. This is the perfect example of "show don't tell." I've never been a huge fan of that mantra, but this is one case where it makes a huge difference. The Suicide Squad is a team composed of entirely villains that are attempting to do something good. That's inherently ridiculous. The 2016 movie accomplishes this by literally telling you they are bad guys. "Don't forget, we're the bad guys." "We're bad guys; it's what we do." Having it being shoved down our throats that they are bad guys is quite annoying. The 2021 movie, on the other hand, simply shows you that they are bad guys. They accidentally kill civilians. They betray and kill each other. They have hidden agendas. And whereas 2016 tries to make character deaths meaningful, 2021 kills people off for no reason. The movie embraces the contradictory nature of a team of bad guys doing good. It's ridiculous in the most perfect way. The chosen villain helps that as well. And although both movies tried to push a narrative of the bad guys upset that the world will only ever see them as evil, 2016 again kept telling us this directly whereas 2021 accomplished this through the actors' performances. It was also a really funny movie with more interesting characters. Finally, as he did with Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn makes you care about characters you thought would be an afterthought, including a cameo that's one of the best parts of the movie. It's a really enjoyable experience. That said, it is slow in the middle and boring in certain parts. Furthermore, although embracing the ridiculousness really helped it surpass the original, at some points it does get too ridiculous and messy, specifically with Polka Dot Man. In any case, it was a refreshing entry into the DCEU.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Completely Original Sequel
Besides the presence of Kitty, I could've been convinced that there was no Puss in Boots 1. The sequel is closer to standalone than direct. And more than just being different story-wise, Puss in Boots is not even close to the same movie as the first one. For starters, the animation is really creative. It takes a page out of Spider-Verse to look intentionally choppy at times by messing with the frame rate to give it a comic-like feel. To aid this, the art in this movie is incredible. Some things are more abstract than realistic, there are beautiful colors that contrast, and there's tons of creative scenery. It almost feels like the creative team made beautiful paintings and tried to build a movie out of it rather than make a movie and then fill in the scenery, which works really well here. Next, the movie is way darker. It's plenty funny like all DreamWorks movies, but whereas the original was entirely fun, this one was very dark. The wolf villain, in particular, was one of the scariest villains of the year. The dark aesthetic, the voice acting, the uncanny whistle and soundtrack, and the camerawork all created fear perfectly. He was probably my favorite part. Also like all DreamWorks movies, it's sweet and heartwarming. The only downside of this movie is that, besides the animation, nothing blows me away. It's not as funny as The Bad Guys, as heartwarming as How to Train Your Dragon, or as action-packed as Kung Fu Panda. Everything about it is good but not great. But the brilliant animation gets an otherwise decent movie to become nearly perfect.
Avatar (2009)
Amazing CGI but Doesn't Rely on It
Without a doubt, Avatar's CGI is amazing. The groundbreaking use of motion capture was a huge step forward that changed cinema forever. But I used to think that the story ended there, and that if Avatar came out today, it wouldn't make as much money because it would blend in with everything else and that the CGI wouldn't blow me away as much now. Boy, was I wrong. I first saw Avatar around the time it came out and just saw it a second time when preparing for the sequel. For starters, the CGI still holds up. Despite being made in 2009, it looks better than anything that's come out recently. But more than that, equally as impressive as the artwork and detail is the imagination. It would be one thing to have incredible CGI on Earth, like in The Avengers, but Avatar creates the whole world of Pandora that's nothing like anything we've seen, with islands floating in the air and crazy landscapes. To pull off something that creative with CGI is an incredible feat. Every single frame is beautiful. Normally you'd need an animated movie for something like this, but Avatar's CGI is so good that they can pull it off in live action. So much time and care was put into it. But even then, some people argue that the CGI is all it has going for it and that the story isn't very impressive. I have to disagree there. Sure, the story is simple, but I'm fine with simple as long as the execution is effective, and Avatar is executed to perfection. The pacing is perfect despite the long runtime, and the movie effectively establishes the setting and lore, builds up the drama while creating the emotional connections between the characters, and then escalates to a climax that features a battle on the scale of Endgame. The final battle is visually impressive, emotionally charged, well choreographed, massive, and exciting. Unlike the sequel, if this movie had normal CGI, I would still love it. The fact that it has groundbreaking CGI is simply a bonus. Avatar deserved the reception it got.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
The Perfect Pirate Movie
This movie (and much of the franchise) was a perfect storm where every single thing is great. First, the characters and acting. Johnny Depp's performance as Captain Jack is legendary, with a perfect combination of physical gestures, accent use, facial expressions, and tone. The character is so engaging and is very funny, yet cool at the same time. Elizabeth and Will are great as well, but the highlight for me is Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa. He's such a scary villain, and every line is brilliant, especially during his initial confrontation with Elizabeth. The movie in general is one of the most quotable ever. The dialogue writing is fantastic. The visuals are great, with cool pirate ships and epic battles. The writing is smart, with them using creative strategies to outwit their opponents. The music is phenomenal. For most movies, you just remember the main theme, and on occasion, you'll remember a second song in the score. Pirates of the Caribbean has so many memorable tracks, including Fog Bound, The Medallion Calls, He's a Pirate, and The Black Pearl. I don't even know what song I would call the "main theme" of this movie because they're all so memorable and so well-used. Definitely one of my favorite Hans Zimmer contributions. The action is great, especially the sword fight between Jack and Will. The choreography and use of scenery is really interesting. The story is cool too, with creative backstories and lore. Everything works perfectly.
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Groundbreaking Animation
Tintin has no business being an animated movie. Most animated movies tackle fantasy concepts or focus on creatures rather than humans. Tintin is an action/adventure movie that just happens to be animated. Replicate it frame by frame in live action, and it would fit in perfectly with today's action/adventure movies. I applaud the creativity in pushing the bounds of what an animated movie can be about and can show. But beyond the creativity, it excels both at being an animated movie and at being a standard action/adventure movie. It has the most realistic animation I've ever seen, so much so that at one point in the movie I thought it was a live action scene. All of the details are incredible, and the artwork is beautiful. But as an adventure story, it really shines. The action sequences are incredible, both the single-take chase sequence and the pirate ship battle. They both look amazing and are perfectly choreographed. It's a thrilling adventure that never drops in intensity. The conflict between the characters is well done, too. The scale of the adventure is fantastic, with plenty of interesting locations and travel methods. The humor is effective, and the acting is really good. The music is great as well. Overall, Tintin is one of the most exciting adventures out there and could completely stand on its own, but the fact that it's entirely animated makes it even more mind-blowing.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Fantastic Action Unearned By the Story
This movie has great action. The opening sequence, the airport fight, and the final confrontation all have great choreography and a creative use of each character's abilities. As far as a spectacle goes, Civil War did everything right. The problem is that you can't just throw action figures at each other with characters this complex. You need to really earn it and convince the audience that these characters would be fighting. Batman v Superman had its problems, but I thought it did a better job of a. Convincing us that the world would object to Superman and b. Convincing us that Batman and Superman would hate each other. This movie accomplishes neither for the airport fight. I really don't believe anyone in this scene would be punching each other besides Black Panther trying to kill Bucky. It just feels weird, out of character, and out of place. It felt like they wanted them to fight and just hacked together a story reason for it to happen without planning it well enough ahead of time. I will note, though, that the final confrontation between Iron Man and Captain America is perfection. That one was 100% earned. I believed that Iron Man wanted to kill them, and it felt cathartic when they fought. They were effective in using these characters against each other. The Sokovia Accords, on the other hand, do not make sense in context. Ross shows a bunch of videos of the Avengers saving the day. Would they rather have had Loki kill everybody? Or SHIELD exterminate a million people a minute? And when Wanda takes out a floor of a building, keep in mind that if she didn't do anything, it would've exploded in the middle of a public square with way more people. The only thing the government is right about is that Tony Stark should go to jail for building Ultron. But why they're blaming the Avengers for a minimal amount of collateral damage when saving the planet is mind-blowing. Batman v Superman framed Superman and got the public mad at him for stuff he didn't do, which works. Civil War tries to convince us that the stuff the Avengers did do was bad, which doesn't work. The whole point of the ending of the first Avengers with the woman talking about how Captain America saved her life is about how the Avengers were heroes. Sure, there was some initial skepticism, but it's now been years. Nobody should doubt that the Avengers are heroes, especially the government. Did they forget that Quicksilver sacrificed himself to save a random kid in Sokovia? In order for the Sokovia accords to make sense, the previous movies would've had to show us disregard for civilian life, like maybe them letting that kid die. Build up to Civil War. As it stands, the conflict comes out of nowhere. A civil war was not earned, and that's really important for me enjoying the movie.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Masterclass in Pacing With a Few Missteps
Avengers: Infinity War has some of the best pacing I have ever seen. The movie seemingly perfectly balances all of its characters between the different storylines and brings them together at the appropriate times. It doesn't feel like any one character gets too much of the spotlight, and very few characters feel like they didn't get their due. Despite how much I love Endgame, I have to admit this is something Infinity War does way better. The movie is also nonstop action. If they were going for epic climax, they absolutely nailed it. This movie brings together all of the characters for a massive battle perfectly. I also love the dark, unconventional ending. I appreciate bold choices when done right, and this absolutely was. Thanos was such a good villain and was very sympathetic. He really felt like he deserved to win. If that were the end of the story, it would get a perfect 10 and be the best MCU movie. Unfortunately, three things hold it back. First, I don't think the action choreography is as strong. The Titan fight is great, but the Wakanda fight is basically just two armies charging at each other. I still remember how great it was in the first Avengers when there was a tracking shot that moved from character to character and how everything was perfectly coordinated. Age of Ultron even had a scene like that. Infinity War just felt like, well, a war. The action wasn't as fun as it could be. But the more glaring problem is that the movie doesn't make sense. Them having Doctor Strange say they only win one scenario was such a bad writing decision. No scenario where Thor goes for the head? Or where Star Lord doesn't interrupt the trance? I can count half a dozen ways in this movie they could've won. I'm okay with them losing, but don't pretend like they couldn't have won. To say that this was the best case scenario was ridiculous. What would've made more sense is if, after Star Lord screwed everything up, Doctor Strange says something along the lines of "we missed it, but I have a backup plan." I can suspend my disbelief a lot in a fantasy movie, but I can't pretend I'm stupid enough to think that this was the only scenario in which they beat Thanos. Finally, I hate that Star Lord screwed up so badly. Thor not going for the head is fine. He made a mistake, but I can forgive mistakes. What Star Lord did was basically sabotage. Someone should've shot him in the head. As a viewer, that's not an enjoyable thing to watch, especially for such a beloved character. It would've been so much more satisfying if the heroes were at their best, and Thanos STILL won. The other way around, it's so much more satisfying when a hero wins against a great villain than against a stupid villain. In the same way, it's more satisfying if Thanos beats great heroes than dumb heroes.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Solid Sequel with Decent Arcs
This was much better than I thought it would be. Despite Boseman's passing, the movie does not feel like it was hacked together or that anything was unintentional. They made it feel like this was the plan all along, which I'm really impressed by. This is really just a movie about Shuri's character arc, so that's all I'm going to talk about. As with most Marvel, the action, CGI, and humor are decent. The third act is a little disappointing action-wise, but it's fine. It's decent Marvel. Shuri's character arc is incredible. Basically, the point of this movie is that, following T'Challa's death, Shuri has two choices. She can either become her brother, not let her anger consume her, and move on, or she can become Killmonger and burn the world down in anger. The acting is very effective here, and I thought it went really well. If that was the whole movie, I would've given it a much better rating. The problem is the villain. Namor's inclusion in the movie not only makes very little sense, but also corrupts Shuri's arc. Namor gives Shuri an ultimatum. She can either help him destroy the whole world, or Wakanda can be the first place to be exterminated. Right off the bat, that makes no sense. Namor has nothing against Wakanda. People loved Killmonger because he was a sympathetic yet charismatic and ruthless villain. Namor is not sympathetic. Yes, he has a tragic backstory, but rather than "kill slaveowners" or "kill the Spanish," his motivation is now "kill everyone" and then becomes "kill Wakanda." He's basically just a mass murderer with no clear motivation, which is not entertaining. You don't get a sense that he has some sort of coherent goal or vision, whereas Killmonger had both of those things. Namor kind of just wants to kill people. As a villain, it's really disappointing. But the bigger problem is that Shuri's choice is no longer hers to make. Namor has artificially injected himself into that choice. He makes it so that if she doesn't help him, Wakanda dies. Putting ridiculous stakes into her choice detracts from what made it so great. The point is that the stakes were relatively low and that it was about what kind of person she wanted to be. Namor turned a character arc into a movie arc and, as a result, sucked the life out of it, making it far less interesting. So I think Marvel constructed a fantastic character arc, but their insistence on including a villain rather than pulling an Inception and having it be a character-driven experience with no villain really hurt them.
Forrest Gump (1994)
One of the Most Important Movies to See
Most of the time, I watch movies because they're enjoyable, and don't get me wrong, Forrest Gump is very enjoyable. But in this case, I also think that it's important for people to see this movie. The messaging is bit less clear in the movie than it apparently is in the book, but the idea is that there are some things you can't control (life is like a box of chocolates). You should accept and be happy with what you have, be kind to people, and be the best person you can be. Forrest follows this philosophy, and everything works out for him. A lot of people interpret it differently, saying that the politics are that Forrest does exactly what he's told and is successful while Jenny challenges power and is not, but I think that's over-analyzing. No way Robert Zemeckis was pushing an authoritarianism message here. Forrest does not always do what he's told. His ping pong career, for example, was about how he found something unique he was good at despite his limitations. In fact, the whole point of the Lieutenant Dan plotline is that he did NOT do what he was told. Forrest always does what's right, and that's what makes him successful. Rather than spending his life complaining about and asking for sympathy for his limitations, he ignores them and beats everybody else by just being good. I also don't see the character of Jenny as making some sort of point or argument. Instead, I see Jenny simply in her relation to Forrest, that she was someone he saved. Her childhood trauma set her on a dark path, and Forrest pulled her off of it. Despite having absolutely nothing going for him, by just being good, Forrest not only makes a great life for himself, but saves everyone around him. That's the message of this movie, and that's why I think it's so important that everyone sees it. That's the moral compass people need nowadays. Beyond the politics, the acting is phenomenal. Tom Hanks deserved ten Oscars for his acting in this movie, and his acting in the last few scenes was legendary. The soundtrack is amazing. The humor is really enjoyable. Everything works. It's just a really wholesome movie. The reason it loses a star, though, is the running. It feels so out of place. It sort of makes sense for the character, but it just feels so pointless. He's just aimlessly running between the two Jenny sequences. It didn't feel like a climactic conclusion. It felt off, and I'm sure I'd feel differently if I read the book. Honestly I wish Jenny didn't leave and that you go right from their scenes in the house to the ending scenes. The running didn't really add anything and just killed the momentum.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Perfect Legacy Sequel
This is an excellent example of why so many legacy sequels have failed. So many movies nowadays take the "next generation" approach to their storytelling, that our heroes that we loved years ago serve no other purpose except to train the younger people and then die. When it was announced that Star Wars sequels were coming, I told my family that there's only one thing I want to see, and that's Luke Skywalker as a peak force user and Jedi. But Disney gave us none of that, and instead, Luke's only purpose was to train Rey for a few days and then die. It wasn't until The Mandalorian that my wish was finally fulfilled. This is the trap that legacy sequels fall into. They take the things we loved and burn them to make something new. Top Gun: Maverick does not do that. It is set up like that and is about Maverick training the next generation, but make no mistake, Maverick is in the title because this is a story about Maverick. He is the hero of this movie, not any of the kids we don't care about. That was so refreshing to see. This is a legacy sequel that knows what we want to see. Rather than trying too hard to create something new, it gives us more of what we loved so much about the first one (in addition to giving us something new). Hopefully people learn from this example. Beyond my thoughts about the movie conceptually, it's a fantastic movie. I highly recommend watching the behind the scenes features where they explain how Tom put the actors through a flight training program and guided people through the choreography. It's fascinating. As a result of what they did, the flight scenes feel so exhilarating. I'm not one for praising movies for being authentic or historically accurate, but in this case, the authenticity actually makes the experience more exciting, as if you're flying the aircraft. It's a filmmaking marvel. The soundtrack is great, and I love how Hans Zimmer wove Lady Gaga's song into the soundtrack. The heartfelt moments are earned and work really well. You care about the characters. The movie has one small issue, which is that the Penny plot dragged a bit. She really didn't need to be there. If Penny showed up in the first movie, I would've felt differently, but this is a character that came out of a quick throwaway line that we're supposed to care about. Luckily, while I think it's a waste, it's not annoying, so it doesn't hurt my rating.
Now You See Me (2013)
Very Fun Movie With a Slightly Botched Ending
I want to give this movie a 10 so badly. Whenever we have people over at our house, Now You See Me is our go-to movie. It's something basically everyone will enjoy, and it's one of our favorites. Magic is inherently a fun concept, and this movie makes it more fun than most others have. The handcuff scene is amazing. All the characters have depth and are really fun, and it's probably the best "cat and mouse" movie out there. The chase is really well done. Magic was a hobby of mine for a while, so this movie was really meaningful to me. It's so enjoyable. The big problem, though, is the disappointing third act. Not of the movie, though. I loved the third act of the movie. The big reveal was fantastic, and the ending was pretty sweet. This movie has a great ending. I mean the magicians' third act. The movie has the Four Horseman perform three shows. The first two shows are so fun. In both cases, the Horsemen pull off some sort of heist that should be impossible, and we as the audience are eventually told how they did it. It's really cool not only because it's fun, but because it highlights their skill as magicians. The third act, though? They show up, say hi to the audience, and leave. No magic tricks. There is a heist, but it's not a heist seen by anyone except the police. If I were in that crowd, I'd be so disappointed. When writing this movie, they really should've thought of a better final act for the magicians to perform. So, it's a really great movie, but there's a disappointing emptiness a little before the conclusion.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Pure Action at Its Finest
Everything about Kingsman is great, but I'll start with the absolute best part: the action sequences. Martial arts movies like The Raid have incredible fight choreography, but as far as American cinema goes, it doesn't get much more entertaining than Kingsman. The bar fight is the reason I went to go see the movie. I still remember how much I was blown away by that trailer. But the church fight is perhaps the greatest fight scene ever put to screen. Rumor has it there's a 7 minute uninterrupted cut, which I hope he releases one day, but what we got was equally perfect. It's a four minute single-take fight scene that's full of tight choreography, creative uses of scenery, and amazing camerawork. It feels so energetic. Not to mention the brilliant soundtrack use. I wish the sequel had more stuff like this. The final fight sequence, although not single-take, is really strong. Eggsy taking on the army had great choreography, and the battle with Gazelle was really fun. The work put into the fight choreography was really refreshing. The people who made this movie wanted to make it as fun as possible, and they succeeded. Beyond that, though, it's just a really good movie. The story is strong, the comedy is really good, and the writing and dialogue are both engaging. The characters are great, too. Merlin is awesome, and Samuel L. Jackson plays a hilarious villain. The satire on Bond is also really fun. The movie only has one black mark, and that's its treatment of Roxie. I like her as a character, and I like the actress's portrayal, but I think it's weird that the agency celebrates her as such an amazing agent when Eggsy carried her through the tryouts. At no point does she do anything impressive, yet they treat her as if she's the best agent they've ever seen. Luckily that's a small part of the movie, so it doesn't lose any stars.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Coolest Movie Ever and Criminally Underrated
Guy Ritchie is the master of making "cool" movies. Everything he puts to screen is so stylish. This one, in particular, has be be the coolest movie I've seen. Everything from the camerawork to the performances makes it feel like a spy adventure. Sometimes, James Bond feels like a spy in an action movie. Man from UNCLE feels like a spy movie. It's hard to articulate, but the stylistic choices are very noticeable. This movie also has incredible dialogue and humor, with the water scene probably being the funniest. The story is really engaging, and the pacing is really strong. The performances are fantastic. Armie Hammer's Russian agent is really engaging. You can feel his pain and anger. Henry Cavill's Solo makes you angry that he wasn't chosen as James Bond. He plays the cool spy so well. It feels like a role he was born to play. Everything in this movie clicks perfectly. But I couldn't end this review without mentioning the torture scene. It's a crime that it's not available on the official soundtrack, but the song that plays during this scene is so good. The torturer is very scary, and that scene had me on the edge of my seat worried about the characters. Overall, the movie is a great combination of action and comedy, but more than that, the perfect combination of witty dialogue, stylistic camerawork, and visual choices make it the ultimate spy movie.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Great Visuals With Poor Character Planning
I usually don't like doing spoiler reviews, but you can't talk about this one without talking about Wanda. The first Doctor Strange is one of my favorite MCU entries, so I was really excited for this one. To some extent, it did not disappoint, with the music and visuals being quite strong, though it's a bit disappointing that the most "madness" they could think of was that red means go. Unfortunately, whereas the first Doctor Strange told a great story about an arrogant man realizing that, even as a superhero, he doesn't have to be the hero, this movie gets pretty much every character arc wrong and, as a result, completely botches the ending. As a brief aside, the Illuminati is an issue. Spider-Man: No Way Home made as much money as it did not because it included Garfield and Maguire, but because in wove them into the story and made their inclusion meaningful. Not only is their wisdom useful for Holland's Peter to learn how to grow, but by being in the movie they get to advance their own character arcs, with Garfield in particular earning a redemption. Clearly the MCU's interpretation of that was "more cameos good" because Multiverse of Madness contains a variety of pointless cameos that have little significance. Patrick Stewart's Professor X is one of the most beloved movie characters ever, so underusing him is a crime. The other characters are less of an issue but still annoying. Their inclusion is a tease rather than satisfying fan service. The first character issue is Wong. Wong was comic relief in the first movie, and when he was Sorcerer Supreme in No Way Home, it was kind of funny but kind of weird. She-Hulk cements his status as comic relief. He's nowhere near supreme level. Still, in No Way Home he was shown to be the responsible one. In Multiverse of Madness, he's completely useless, so why anyone wouldn't instantly promote Steven is beyond me. From a movie perspective, that makes sense. It's a Doctor Strange movie, not a Wong movie. But from a character perspective, it turns this whole sorcerer thing into a joke, which it really shouldn't be. The intrigue of the mystic arts in the first movie was a big part of what made it good, so making it stupid is a bad idea. Steven and Christine have no real character progression. It's just a bunch of people asking him if he's happy. Christine's comment about him needing to be the one with the knife is ridiculous considering what he did in the whole Dormammu sequence. The biggest issue, though, is Wanda. After WandaVision 4, I was so excited because the prospect of them taking Wanda and making her a villain was so interesting. Spending multiple movies with someone on the light side and then slowly turning them to the dark side is exactly the kind of bold move that Phase 4 needs. But instead, the MCU is trying to make Wanda sympathetic and good, trying to convince us that she's redeemed herself or something. I don't respect that lack of commitment. It's, as Breaking Bad would say, a half measure. WandaVision basically starts with Wanda's grief overcoming her, and in her corrupted attempts to be happy, she enslaves a town. By the end of the series, she learns that what she did was wrong, accepts her loss, and moves on. That works. I don't love WandaVision, but it works. What doesn't work is then immediately having her be the villain again in Multiverse of Madness, with her grief and anger once again making her evil. What was the point of WandaVision? They've rendered an entire Disney+ show useless. That flip flopping is not believable. Don't give her a redemption arc if she's not going to be redeemed. I actually think Multiverse of Madness before WandaVision would've worked, but more on that in a bit. With Wanda, it's like they did the stages of grief in reverse. She starts in depression, then goes back to denial with Westview, then goes to acceptance by the end, and finally goes back to anger and bargaining with Multiverse of Madness. It's so weird and doesn't make any sense. The planning with Wanda's character arc was not nearly as meticulously crafted as Tony Stark's. The last character they screwed up is Chavez. For starters, she's completely forgettable. I don't know if she's going to be in any future movies, but she's not very interesting. She's just kind of there. Now for the ending of the movie...it's lazy. For starters, the answer is for Chavez to believe in herself. Really? They couldn't come up with anything more creative? But more importantly, halfway through the movie, Wong tells Wanda that the kids have their own mother taking care of them, and that she should be satisfied with that. She says no. Then the ending of the movie? She stops because she becomes satisfied with the fact that they'll have their own mother taking care of them. What? She just said no to that! Even the movie thinks its ending is stupid. It makes no sense. Again, they were so focused on Wanda redeeming herself (again) that they weren't considering what made sense for the character.
I don't love to do this, but for this movie, I'm going to rewrite the ending to something I think works a lot better to illustrate why I have so many issues with it. Here's what should happen. Vision dies in Infinity War/Endgame. Wanda sees the body and gets angry and grief-stricken, as she does in WandaVision. But then, rather than Westview, she wants to bring Vision back from another universe. Cue Multiverse of Madness, but just with her husband instead of her kids. Really no different (and in fact can I reiterate how stupid it is that she wants her fake kids back but not Vision...). And then at the end, rather than telling Chavez to believe in herself, what does he do? When Chavez says it's okay and that he can kill her because she knows there's no other way, he does it. Why? Because that's what Doctor Strange does. This is the guy who sacrificed half the universe for five years to beat Thanos. His whole arc in the first movie is about how winning isn't always about being a hero. He is basically the one person in the MCU who can put ego and compassion aside to do what is necessary. Killing Chavez to stop Wanda from destroying the multiverse is the ultimate Doctor Strange move. So Wanda doesn't redeem herself, but she loses. This would be bold, with a movie ending not with a victory but with a sacrifice. And a sacrifice not to beat the villain, but to delay them. This would be the kind of unconventional storytelling that Phase 4 has been trying to do that worked so well in Infinity War. So Wanda escapes, and what does she do next? She goes into isolation. If she can't have the real Vision, she'll settle for an imaginary one. Cue Westview. Then WandaVision continues as normal until she finally accepts that she needs to move on, redeeming herself if they so choose. This is similar to Anakin's character arc. She starts good, and then loss turns her to the dark side before she is eventually redeemed. For this you would need no Agatha since Wanda needs to be responsible for her choices. She is the bad guy here. Not only does this create a cohesive character arc for Wanda, but now the stages of grief work. She initially denies that she has lost Vision, and, in her anger, attempts to bargain and get him from another universe. When she fails, she goes into depression before eventually accepting her loss.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Perfect Batman Movie
Batman is my favorite fictional character, so it's only fitting that my favorite movie is a Batman movie. Christopher Nolan knocked it out of the park. His trilogy does a great job of harnessing what makes Batman so great. He's just a man but creates a symbol so that he can truly make a difference, he uses his intelligence and training to overcome difficult situations, and he has an unwavering moral code, doing what needs to be done to save his city no matter the cost to himself. This movie in particular is the best of the bunch. For starters, it's so well-constructed. If you Google best movie endings, The Dark Knight will pop up. If you Google best movie openings, The Dark Knight will pop up. I think this is the only (or at least one of the only) movies where that's true. The ending in particular resonates with me because it's my whole philosophy on movies and why I don't care for true stories - cinema is an escape from reality. I've always thought that a good Batman movie needs four things. 1. Stealth 2. Combat 3. Detective Work 4. Gadgets. And of course, as with any movie you want great characters and stories. This movie is lighter on stealth than Batman Begins but has great combat scenes and incredible detective work and gadgets. The way it handles Harvey's transformation into Two-Face and Joker's role in it is really good. And of course, I can't avoid mentioning the best part, which is Heath Ledger as Joker. The acting is incredible, the blooper with the delayed explosion is perfect, and the characterization of the Joker is really good. The way he embodies chaos and how his plan relies on the darkness inside people is really smart. The way he takes on the mob bosses is so fun to watch. I like how it took both the Killing Joke angle about how one bad day can turn anyone into Joker as well as the LEGO Batman Movie angle of how Batman and Joker need each other. And of course, the soundtrack is unbelievable, especially during the ending scene. This movie also has great dialogue, with Michael Caine's Burma speech probably being the highlight.
Glass Onion (2022)
Very Enjoyable But Greatly Flawed
I really liked Glass Onion, but I have a lot of issues with it. As most people know, whereas Knives Out went for engaging mystery with a dash of comedy, Glass Onion went for comedy with a dash of mystery. It's supposed to be more funny than interesting. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a result it does kind of feel like half a mystery. The ending is somewhat disappointing as a result. Don't get me wrong, it was a pretty funny ending, but at the end of a mystery you want to feel something cathartic at the reveal rather than laugh at it. The twists are a tad lazy but are generally effective. The supporting cast was strong, but I don't think the supporting characters had as much depth as they did in Knives Out. I feel like I got to know the Thrombeys better than these people. The big problem, though, is the 50/50 split. Without spoiling anything major, the twist of the movie happens smack in the middle rather than at the end. I applaud Rian Johnson for messing with the mystery genre, and it worked spectacularly in Knives Out. Switching it from murder mystery to crime thriller was so interesting and entertaining. But that happened at the beginning, which jump-starts the story. Reveals at the end also work because they're part of the climax. You build to the ending, and then the twist is climactic and satisfying, ending the movie. But a twist in the middle? It kills the pacing. There's buildup, buildup, and more buildup, then people die, and it's time for the big reveal! Except that reveal is going to take an hour, and we're going to start the whole thing over again. The reveal should be a lot shorter, because otherwise the movie sacrifices all momentum. The fact that the reveal takes an hour here is borderline ridiculous. Again, the movie is still quite enjoyable, and that hour-long reveal is filled with clever ideas and entertaining jokes. But it's annoying to have Benoit Blanc say he knows the answer and then have to wait half the movie for that answer. I do applaud the creativity and am glad he keeps thinking outside the box for these movies, and I do think the comedy was very effective, but it just wasn't as satisfying of an experience as the first movie, especially on rewatch. That said, as a solid but flawed addition, it makes me very optimistic about the Benoit Blanc trilogy. A strong third movie, and this'll be one of the best trilogies ever.
Django Unchained (2012)
Tarantino's Most Entertaining Movie
I know everyone loves Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but from my point of view, Django is Tarantino at his finest. To some extent it's his most "normal" movie, with in-order storytelling and no narration, but the camerawork, dialogue, and over-the-top violence scream Tarantino. Everything in this movie is perfect. There's plenty of action, comedy, and drama. I think it uses its length better than his other movies. Hollywood and Pulp Fiction felt rather long, but despite the fact that Django features an extended dinner conversation, the intensity of the movie never drops. It's incredibly engaging. The dialogue is incredible, with plenty of callbacks and clever humor. This movie has dozens of quotable moments, including the hilarious raid scene. The Brittle Brothers flashback is utilized perfectly. The performances are amazing. Waltz's Oscar is well-deserved, but honestly Leo might be the best here. His portrayal of Calvin is scary and cunning, and I love that the blooper with his hand getting injured was kept in the movie. I wish there was an Oscar for best villain. Samuel L. Jackson is great as always, and Jamie Foxx nails the title role. Watching him get progressively more confident is so fun to watch. The use of Ennio Morricone's music is brilliant as well. Most importantly, this movie is probably the best example of one of my favorite parts of Tarantino's movie. I don't really like watching movies based on a true story because usually the truth is depressing and disappointing. Tarantino is more of an optimist and features movies that ask "what if history went right?" Inglorious and Hollywood are great examples as well. Django is an inspiring story that's so satisfying.