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nicholashartmann
Reviews
Love and Monsters (2020)
A rough start and a good end! A good 6.7/10 in my eyes.
I write this review of Love and Monsters (2020) comparing it to the great movies I have seen, Shawshank Redemption, Avengers: Endgame, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, etc. If indeed I were to compare it to other movies in this genre, the score I would give would probably be closer to an 8/10, it is indeed one of the better ones.
The Plot:
I must say I do feel a bit disappointed by the first act of this movie. It feels quite rushed as they did not really give the plot introduction enough time to unfold. Maybe I'm just used to long movies though...
In hindsight however comes the realization that the twist towards the end of the movie, which starts off the third act, really does prolong the runtime of this movie and therefore that might have been the decision to cut the first act a bit short.
As lackluster as I believe the beginning of this movie to be, the ending is quite the opposite. Though to be expected around half way through the movie, it still offers a fulfilling feeling and gives a satisfying ending to it.
The plot twist that starts off the third act is utterly unexpected and, as mentioned earlier, prolongs the movie beyond where I thought it would end.
At this point I must give some props to the director of this movie, Michael Matthews, as he does use seemingly random objects found throughout the movies world and ties them neatly into the story at a later time.
The FX:
The VFX in this movie are quite solid. They are noticable at times, yet quite realistic throughout the most of the movie. The emotions of certain animals are conveyed well in their eyes, which is where the VFX do truly shine.
Sound effects are used sparingly. The surround speakers of my 5.1 sound system were only sparingly used. The subwoofer, or low end, was used to emphasize certain actions. I would rate it's use as adaquate, not too much, nor too little.
Who is this movie meant for?
Well, it is definately a heartwarming family film. You've got your standard drama and tension moments, yet nothing to serious. I would reccomend this movie to an audience of above 12 years of age.
PS: Please excuse my english, I am not a native speaker.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Frame of Mind (1993)
Inception before it's time.
This episode (Season 6, Episode 21: Frame of Mind) was absolutely amazing. I have never before written a review of a single episode before. But after watching this one I simply needed some time to get my brain funktioning again after what I saw. This was similar to my reaction after seeing Inception for the first time. Just completely mind effed.
I am not going to spoil anything for anyone. So please just watch it on your own. Truly amazing.
Ender's Game (2013)
Does a great job at balancing good and evil.
I absolutely love this movie. Solid visual effects (and I mean better than most movies of the kind), an entertaining story that doesn't get boring half way through the movie. But honestly that should all be expected! The question remains: How well does it recreate the books underlying battle between good and evil?
In my opinion, very well. I am thoroughly impressed by this movie. It tries and succedes in bringing Ender's feelings, both good and evil, to the big screen (or for me my home cinema) in an entertaining fashion. It has been a long time (a very long time) so I hardly remembered anything from the book. The movie brought back everything, the end however still surprised me. I honestly didn't remember.
I must however critique one point here and that is the beginning of the end. The end is good, the beginning of the end however felt a bit rushed. The movie could have spent a bit more time dwelling on Ender's feelings there.
In closing, the movie is great, the music is good, visuals are fantastic just the end sticks out compared to the rest.
A solid 7/10 from me