eddmurua Reviews

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

A very long, not that good Breaking Bad episode

[5/10 · 20 May 2024]

Aaron Paul carry this movie with way better acting than ever in the show, where he pretty much relied on coolness (although he did improve towards the last couple of seasons).

The movie doesn't look cheap like other Netflix productions, but it also lacks artistic flair, in my opinion. There is little different from the tv series and it really looks what it is, a good tv movie.

It has some intense moments, yes, but not emotional character evolution to merit a whole movie. A lacking experience in that sense (I kept waiting for something big to happen).

In the end the movie is like two or three Breaking Bad episodes combined, just not three of the best ones.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

What a masterpiece

[10/10 · 18 May 2024]

I promised myself that I was never going to rewatch this movie after the first time.. And it was the easiest promise ever because this movie deals with drugs in the least exciting and glorifying way possible.

If this isn't films as art... then I don't really know what is. It works at every level: as a message about drugs (with four lives destroyed by addiction); as an experimental film with weird editing and cinematography and score; as a characters based story with room for the actors to showcase their talent.

Could be seen as a bit "over the top" I guess?

A key decision was not to glorify the "fun" aspects of drug abuse, creating some kind of horror fable for the ages.

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

They went bigger... and worse

[3/10 · 17 May 2024]

They went global with this one and regardless how well that is done or not, it too away the intimacy of the at least a bit "plausible" storries contained in Raccon City in the first two entries.

The first 30 minutes were incredibly boring and kind of pointless. I remember fun characters and tension from the jump on the first two, and yet on this one there is only exposition (Umbrella), a bit of action (Alice) and the presentation of a bunch of new forgettable characters.

Once it picks up, it's fine, but Alice's new powers kind of ruin the tension and the Umbrella corp scenes were awful this time. Already not particularly good, the... ambition(?) of this one made it worse.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

Same level than the first one

[6/10 · 17 May 2024]

The production design was incredible. Some of the scenes looked like directly taken from the video game. For the time, the special effects were fine. Doesn't seem like much, but it's very important when you base the movie on a very influential and iconic game.

The plot is very simple, but it manages to create tension with the heroes trying to survive the mission, it contains some fun (if predictable) twists and it's fun from start to finish.

But at the same time, yeah, this franchise is what it is, so it won't change anybody's mind that didn't like the first one as it doesn't elevate the source material that much.

Resident Evil (2002)

Entertaining movie based on a video-game. No more no less.

[6/10 · 17 May 2024]

Without the most flair or talent, they managed to create a compelling personal story for the protagonist (Mila) and explained the (very simple) context and plot efficiently.

Once the action kicks in, the pace is great and the survival aspect mesh really well with the somwhat intriguing plot. The characters are thin, of course, but they work too, without annoying "comic-relief only" or "the defenseless" victim.

I'm sure someone could find plot-holes and there is nothing special here on any level. It's probably more mediocre than good, but I enjoyed it slighlty more than the usual non descriptive zombie/action flicks.

Irrational Man (2015)

A good premise. A terrible movie

[1/10 · 17 May 2024]

The premise: can you rationalize crimes as "good"? It's edgy. That's the only not even good, just interesting, thing that Allen nailed here.

The castings were atrocious. Phoenix looked more like a lazy teacher (Jack Black, "School of Rock") than a depressed philosopher. Emotionally though, Phoenix was able to act himself into the role. But my God Emma Stone displayed one of the poorest acting jobs I've ever seen. She didn't seem smart enough, interesting enough, emotionally involved enough for any part of her character.

Besides that, the movie took itself way too seriously for its own good. It wasn't even close to being fun but it was too ""wacky"" to take it seriously.

Also the dialogue was terrible. Too much bland exposition. Too much nosense (one example from a supposedly brilliant student surprised about an injustice she just heard that is totally mundane and known if you ever cared about systemic injustices. Only ignorant people wouldn't know about those. Was that a point of the movie? How "smart" college students are actually stupid? Then why the actually really smart professor said that she was smart?).

Also, the unnecessary and pointless voice-over was a decision that I can't comprehend (never used to say anything that wasn't obvious).

Last: the edgy premise resolves itself in a really sanitized (or there I say cowardly) way.

Joker (I) (2019)

Better than the high expectations

[10/10 · 17 May 2024]

One of the hardest things is living to the hype. This It's even better. There is little to say. I expected a masterpiece of a movie only based on comic books, a character study for ages.

And It is just that.

Perfect story. Twists. Real drama. Real pain. Darkly funny at times, but not comedic in the least. It is violent, as it should be, but never glorifying the violence like the rest of the comic book adaptations.

It is just perfect. I can say as a negative that It's not particularly original, with too many things (a few times, scenes) from King of Comedy and Taxi Driver. It is clearly better than those great but flawed movies... but it's not as original.

Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006 Video)

Very bad

[1/10 · 17 May 2024]

Story told on segments instead of a flowing narrative.

Atrocious dialogueven for animated movies standards.

Bad and lame jokes.

Awful animation and character designs.

Lame score (at moments, Looney Tunes from the 1940's Warner cartoons like).

Characters? Eh, nope. The only real character moments are terrible attempts of portraying romance. It was all too simple, cheesy and boring.

And for last, the villains: the type that literally say things like "we are in the conquering the world business" or something like "why wouldn't they just allow me to dominate them all?". A cringefest.

It's all pathetic actually. All of it.

Zodiac (2007)

Probably "too realistic" for its own good

[6/10 · 17 May 2024]

The characters are all "too mundane". Even the obsessed character (often overacted) is quite bland (not Jake Gyllenhaal's fault), let alone the incredible amount of police officers and detectives that we came across.

All the performers look bored except for Mark Ruffalo (clearly the heart and soul of the film). And even he gets axed from the conclusion in the third act (focused on Jake). I don't understand why Robert Downey Jr. Was cast for this. He was really bad. I didn't believe for a second he was a journalist.

In the end, the movie is... sterile. Almost like a mediocre documentary that can't create a narrative, it jumps so much trough time without giving the characters screentime to reflect and suffer the consequences of the unresolved case, which forces us to focus on the minutia of the police work. That seems by design and it gets old real fast.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Amazing film from the genius mind of Charlie Kaufman

[10/10 · 17 May 2024]

After the first 15 minutes I thought I was watching a lesser versión of "Before Sunset", with sci-fi touches. I couldn't have been more wrong.

This is a masterpiece on every facet of cinema. The story is complex with an original structure and super natural and deep dialogue. The acting from the protagonists was amazing (hard to believe this was the same actress that made Titanic, and even Jim Carrey disappears on the role, except for two or three moments). Mark Ruffalo and Kristen Dunst weren't that great (in smaller roles) and the rest of the cast was serviceable/good. The score couldn't possibly be better (well, maybe it could've been, but it was still great).

This is an extremely romantic movie with sci fi touches that makes easier to get into the philosophical and existential themes they approach, all without losing anything in the entertainment department.

It Chapter Two (2019)

Well done, visually pleasing mediocrity

[5/10 · 17 May 2024]

2 movies and more than 5 hours in, I still don't know Pennywise powers (what can and can't he do), the extent of them (limits), what he wants, what he needs, etc. That's a big problem, because while the actors were mostly incredible (with the exception of Jessica Chastain that was fine, but doesn't really look like the same Beverly Sophia Lillis was playing), and the story that was told between the scary sequences was sweet and kind of great, the truth is these "IT" remakes focus too much on the scary sequences which leaves no time to develop every character's arc.

Because there is not time, the pace is insane and abuses a repetitive mold. Literally every single character starts the "development" in the same way and we see them deal with "it", one after the other, all this with flashbacks from everyone that didn't add anything new to what the first movie already showed.

Like I said, after repetitive stretches we end up in the third act and insanity follows (that may be a book problem, but the movie didn't solve it) and things just happens and the movie ends. The arcs are all resolved, but again, in such mechanical way that makes less emotional, impactful.

Because they forced the kids on this movie (fan service) they had less time to explain Pennywise better (if that's even possible) and develop a more coherent story and better paced story.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Meandering dogs

[5/10 · 17 May 2024]

In some ways I think Tarantino was trying to make what later in his career will turn into "The Hateful Eight" which is amazing, replacing the silliness and dumb references and dialogue with tension, gravitas and a sense of danger/violence with every line.

To be fair, I didn't have a bad time watching it, but it felt like a waste of time. Dated references, unrealistically dumb criminals, music I just do not like. It was ok, but the details just weren't "for me" (score, characters, references, jokes) and the story was just an excuse so even if I was entertained, I can't say it was because the movie was good.

Spawn (1997)

So bad, it's good? Also John Leguizamo was awesome!

[3/10 · 17 May 2024]

This pathetic movie has one thing going for it and that is John Leguizamo's incredible character Clown/Violator. He is hilarious and disgusting and disturbing without doing anything super "R rated" (much least for today's standards).

I totally understand if you absolutely despise this character, but it worked for me. That's the "3" points right there. Other than that, it is atrocious at everything and there is not much more to say about it. Not in a serious way at least.

If you are up for a ridiculous cartoony character, then watch it for Leguizamo and laugh with him. Also, laugh at the rest. If you expect a "real movie", then no, don't watch it.

Shazam! (2019)

DC tries to be Marvel... it fails

[4/10 · 17 May 2024]

Asher Angel as Kid Billy was good and with Jack Dylan Grazer's Freddy, they created a super strong (an extremely funny) first act. A great start for Freddy and Shazam gave me confidence for the rest of the movie.

But then Zachari Levi got more and more screentime. He was vomitive. I didn't laugh once with his jokes. I absolutely despised his interpretation.

Also, why the hell a kid would completely change his personality by suddenly being an adult? That's absurd and actually the contrary of funny.

Did the writers know that the joke is that a kid is still the same kid, but with the body of an adult? Why a shy, introvert and antisocial Billy would turn into an open, extrovert moron?

The story about "what really is family" is fine. Done a gazillion times, sure, but fine. But my God the 3rd act bored me to almost a comatose state. The action and CGI was between bad and atrocious. The ending, mediocre at best. The emotional conflict forced and its resolution over simplistic. Just not a good movie.

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Mediocre at best

[5/10 · 17 May 2024]

I'm watching the whole series (I only saw 1 and 2 when younger). I liked it for what it was when I was 15 or something, but even then I knew it wasn't particularly good.

Besides the awful acting and mediocre at best dialogue, I have to say It was good (just that, good) for a while. All the set-up was fun, even if dumb of course, and the 2nd act was good, creating tension for Paul Walker's character.

And then... they dropped the ball. They made a scene that could've cut a lot of boring minutes of this movie, and justify the ending at the same time and yet they keep going, wasting all the tension just to have a stupid last motivation for the characters to be where the writers wanted them to be. All this in pursuit of an unnecessary and overlong "Hollywood" 3rd act that deflated it for me. Overall, I think it's ok for what it was trying to do.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

It's bad... but what a guilty pleasure

[3/10 · 17 May 2024]

The plot is even thinner than the first one. The acting, worse. The dialogue, probably all ad-lib (and bad at that). If not ad lib, then shamefully bad. The action, while bigger, not necessarily better. It's also more mainstream with a "proper villain", instead of a bunch of "good criminals".

And yet, I won't deny that I wasn't bored. Probably because I got distracted by the gazillion hot women and Eva Mendes, plus, I actually liked the villain chewing the scene, for whatever reason.

So, yeah whatever. This one doesn't fail at being good because I honestly think it doesn't even try it. It's bad. But entertainingly so.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

One of the worst "movies" I've ever seen

[1/10 · 17 May 2024]

But... if this atrocity of a "movie" made Tarantino famous enough to make the really good "Django", the great "Hateful Eight" and the amazing elite "Basterds", then at least something good came out of this awful disaster.

Mediocre characters or just plain and simple annoying. Idiotic dialogue without anything interesting or clever. And a non-story of boring sequences (except the last part of the Mia/Vincent date, something close to 8 minutes? Maybe 10? In a 2.20h movie)

Overrated won't even cover 10% of how inflated the perception of this is. The MCU is "Godfather level" compared to this crap.

Blade (1998)

Very cool and visually appealing movie. It's just not good.

[4/10 · 17 May 2024]

It reminded me of Venom, which is terrible for 2018 Venom. It's a very dated movie with very little and uninteristing plot, terrible villains and little character development for our hero (closer to the 80's in that sense with 90's aesthetics).

It is visually really "cool" (we have to give it a pass for the awful special effects) and the cinematography works overall. But it needed more humor (or better humor) and definitely better exposition scenes, a better plot, better villains and worldbuilding. There is just too much that it is mediocre.

Still, it's not awful, just dated with ridiculous unrealistic human behaviour that took away any sense of realism or plausibility without providing anything enjoyable in its place, at least for me.

Filth (I) (2013)

Scarface wanna be... and I don't even like Scarface!

[2/10 · 17 May 2024]

I'm not prude (I love the Saw saga, I really liked "Spit over your grave" and a lot of tasteless movies), so it's not the "lack of morality" of the movie. Not even close.

Like always with me it's "the point". I often dislike "pointless" movies, which is pretty much the definition of this "story". We have really just one character (the always really good at least James McAvoy), an unlikeable detective... and that's it. We get to see him operate without moral boundaries and nothing else. The excesses in Wolf of Walt Street were fun. Here, not so much. And even if there are slight nuances in his "arc" (very generous), the truth is that the majority of the movie is mostly "edgy" stuff trying to be offensive with very little reason for it otherwise.

James McAvoy is really good but there is not alot for him to work with (in the end, this is just a comedy, even if a dark one), and all the serious themes you could possibly force into this movie (the insecurities of a man with "power" and the tragic tale), are thrown away by the inmense amount of not good jokes and "funny situations" that just aren't funny.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Old Tarantino is back, only worse! Great!?

[2/10 · 17 May 2024]

One or two DiCaprio scenes (to be fair, two very long scenes). One Brad Pitt scene (to be honest, way too long), and a bunch of nothingness and/or pop culture references. That's pretty much the movie.

He has his style and with it he made the great trio of Django Unchained, Hateful Eight and the just unbeatable Basterds.... and then for some reason he dialed all the development back to create this... atrocity.

If I don't talk about the story or plot, it's because there is barely one, but go ahead "masses" (I don't know if he is really that popular), talk yourselves into liking this troll job of a "movie".

The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)

A really thin concept and idea for a horror movie gets a sequel

[2/10 · 17 May 2024]

So. There wasn't really a clear path for this. Contrary to something like "The Purge", where the initial home invasion movie had the chance for escalation given it was something that happened in the entire country, or "Saw", a serial killer/vigilante with a philosophy, the killers in the original strangers weren't more than random.

It wasn't a movement and they didn't have reasons to do what they did (no matter how twisted). They tried to make it a franchise anyways so a house invasion turned into... an open space trailer park invasion? Without the claustrophobia and impossibility to escape they had to force the characters to do stupid stuff just get the movie to ""work"". But It doesn't.

The deaths or horror sequences weren't inventive enough and worse than that, the movie wastes our time with boring backstories for our characters that end up being totally unnecessary without any payoff. It's just a bad and boring movie.

Carancho (2010)

Boring movie

[4/10 · 16 May 2024]

It could've used a score. The relationships between the characters are inconsistent, maybe trying to simulate the complexity of social life in the real world, but not doing any favors to the story and our connection with our protagonists.

Undetermined time jumps forces us to rearrange our expectations previously set up, making some of the characters actions and reactions weird and confusing, which could work for sci-fi or "twist dependant" movies, but not this kind of grounded story.

The third act, I must say, improves everything and elevates this movie to "watchable". In the end, it ends up being a mediocre and quite a boring movie.

Batman: Hush (2019 Video)

Good animated movie. No more no less.

[6/10 · 16 May 2024]

It's no "Mask of the Phantasm" in terms of story, but the animation and designs, the choreography of the action scenes and visual flair make this movie above average.

The characters lines are often used to showcase their "philosophies" in very on the nose ways that aren't good at all and makes them sound very weird and stiff, as awkward as the forced cameos, only for fan service.

As I don't read comics, I don't know if it's better, worse or equal to the source material. It doesn't really matter. The movie is short and pretty enough with (unjustified and poorly executed) fun cameos, which makes the worse parts (story and dialogue) easy to forgive. It's ok.

Poor Things (2023)

People and sheeps

[1/10 · 15 May 2024]

Critics banded together to tell us all a lie: this is a good movie. Emma Stone gave a great performance. There is something of weight here other than loose ideas put together by nosense around it.

And yes... most people (that watched it, because most people couldn't care less about this) decided that they wanted to belong to the "club that understand cinema" so they accepted the lie. Well no, you don't understand anything as there is nothing here to understand but pretentious idiocy that is nothing.

And there is a place for idiocy (and Oscars apparently want to be that place since they gave "Everything everywhere" one) but it's not the Realm of quality storytelling, it's the place where we make fun of the Fast and Furious movies... This is the the thing though: at least you can have fun with that kind of idiocy.

Free Guy (2021)

Even worse than Ready Player One

[2/10 · 14 May 2024]

My God was this thing obnoxiously bad. The idea could've been used so much better, more so having freaking Ryan Reynolds on it, not a Chris Pratt level funny actor in my opinion, but very consistently good and reliable.

And yes, thank God he's the leading man cause without him this would've been literally unwatchable. The very few "laughs" (more like chuckles) come from him, not the material, which is very "first joke that comes to mind" and/or bad improvisation take (Apatow style, but bad).

Other than that, a very dumb unimaginative use of the concept with a sparkle of "freedom of choice" surfice level message and basic 101 romance. The actors do what they can, but the writing and directing is just terrible, boring... bad.