joanitoad Reviews

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Probably the weakest Star Wars film

[5/10 · 21 September 2023]

Pure fan fiction. That's cool, but I think a film needs much more than that to be a good movie. Biggest issue are the characters, poorly written and with no appeal at all. This is a movie that depicts a very important event in the Star Wars universe. We know how this is going to end, so what we need is a bunch of great characters we will care for. And it doesn't happen. There is no empathy for them, we don't care if they live or die. Characters are the most important part in any movie, and they were crucial in this one, but they were flat and predictable instead.

But, in the end, it doesn't matter. We have a good shot (Darth Vader with his saber), we have a glimpse of the Episode IV, connecting the action of this film with that one, and this is all what the fans are looking for. They don't care about quality. They want the same all over and over again. That's why this or The Mandalorian are considered good and the Episode VII, probably the best after The empire strikes back, kind of a mess.

Severance: Hide and Seek (2022) Season 1, Episode 6

Exhausting visuals

[6/10 · 27 April 2022]

Depite many interesting things in this show, I'm very aware of its visual treatment. Art direction and simmetry shots are pushing me off the show over and over. It has a postmodern feel with nothing really inside.

Also, I think they didn't choose the most interesting path to unfold the story. Not the mystery. We know something fishy is going on from the titles in the very first episode. Characters mustn't be questioning this in episode five.

The most intereting part of this idea, how people would deal with this break up between work and real life, is underexplored. Only One character deals with it, but not with the depth necessary to be a strong point.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Great when there are dinosaurs

[6/10 · 31 August 2021]

I feel this movie entertaining, but not great. Dinosaurs are awesome, and we can feel that Spielberg enjoy his time when shooting scenes involving them, but when they leave the action the script becomes silly and weak. Characters in this film doesn't exist, there is no sense of wonder, except for one or two moments. The whole thing feels more that an amusement park than a scifi/adventure movie. Enjoyable, very, but not memorable as a movie.

The Mandalorian (2019– )

Fun, but inconsequential

[5/10 · 2 January 2020]

I'm quite surprised about the high ratings to this show. I mean, this is a product that is really WELL DONE. Art direction is superb, cinematography, FX... visually overhelming. That's perfect. Acting is in general ok. Many familiar faces playing little roles, which is awesome. But, the story...

Episodes are too short to be substantial. Too predictable. Simple scripts (which is not bad at all), but hollow. Simplistic action adventurettes that can be foreshadowed after watching the intro. Nothing really enriching is being told. Ok, there is a little story each episode. This is storytelling, text, but underneath this there is nothing. People can say that this feels like true Star Wars universe, but I thinks this is only an illusion. Some ATs, X wings, robots and that Tatooine feeling can provide this feeling, but IMO, fandom loves here the same things they hated in The last Jedi.

I think the entire series lacks from a consistent story carried from the beginning to the end. I don't think autoconclusive episodes work here very well. Most of them are simply expendable. Only 1, 3, 7 and 8 are worth to be told. And eve son, they're too basic. They don't demand from us.

At the end, this is pure fandom service. And as much I admire Jon Favreau, I think a series like this one deserved mucho more.

The Orphanage (2007)

Big plot hole

[6/10 · 11 June 2019]

The movie just seems fine to me.

I think everything that appears on it has been done before, and in a better way. It's kinda Poltergeist being remade, with some forced Peter Pan and fairy tale touch. The story is quite predictable and dull, but at least has a strong performance on Belén Rueda.

One of the issues that pushes me off the movie is that: the kid never actually asks for help. He beats the door because he's been locked in the basement, but never says nothing. No cries, no yells. Only beats, because that's convenient for the story.

Baby Driver (2017)

So aware of itself

[6/10 · 30 May 2019]

I think this is the less interesting movie by Edgar Wright.

It contains everything we love from him: good storytelling, great edition, music, etc. But I don't find the story appealing at all. It't too conventional, and it looks like a pretext to expose all the cool atributes mentioned before.

It seems to me a movie very aware of itself, pure exhibition about Wright's skills. Everything seems gratuitous and forced to me, and in the end provides me with an annoying experience to watch .

Mirage (2018)

Deus Ex Machina

[4/10 · 29 March 2019]

As usual in Oriol Paulo's filmography, there is an intriguing plot in here with a poor development. The script is full of flaws to fit everything, characters acting strange to justify the plot, dialogues explaining the story instead of actions building it, etc. Also, there is a bunch of good actors in here whith bad actings (not the first time). At the end, and despite each movie in his filmography is worst that the previous one, there is a hint of at entertaining move at least. Too many cliches, and a story we've already seen before so many times with a twist a-la-The twilight zone.

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

Boring as hell

[5/10 · 4 December 2018]

Despite high ranks, something usual on those days (and specially on TV shows), I found that show boring and pointless. The story spins around itself all the time, going nowhere. Dialogues turn into monologues. Ghosts are predictable and gratuitous the most of the time. Any good movie, as for example the adaptation of the same story by Robert Wise in 1963, would be able to tell the same story in an hour. This is a problem in most of the TV shows today.

By the other hand, actors are great (thr kids are awesome!), art direction and atmosphere.are superb, and there are quite a few moments of great quality, put the whole thing it's, imo, pretemptous and very very aware of itswlf.