bananasonata Reviews

Bitconned (2024)

Speechless

[8/10 · 2 January 2024]

I have a deep interest in cryptocurrency, and this documentary is exhilarating to watch. It is evident that there are numerous pitfalls for its success, yet surprisingly, the scam managed to garner millions of dollars, including funds from South Korea. I began to think, did those who invested really believe in the business, or did they invest simply to gamble and hope it was all true?

The revelation that the CEO was a fictitious person was a nice twist, especially funny when the real guy was prompted to read the death notice. The ending was truly surprising and prompts questioning of justice in the US. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this, and if you liked the QuadrigaCX documentary on Netflix, I'm sure you'd enjoy this one too.

Guimoon: The Lightless Door (2021)

Poor storytelling

[4/10 · 20 December 2023]

As per the title, I finished the movie being quite confused. After understanding a bit more by looking at other reviews, the movie definitely deserves some credit for the plot.

The story runs parallel across three differences times and the characters from these times eventually meet in one space/dimension. A bit like Intestellar but horror kind. Ending was a bit sad, but no surprises. There is also a female character that constantly screams, so turn down the volume while watching. Not sure if I had a high tolerance to horror movie, I did not had any scare jump from this. I was feeling particularly calm throughout the movie. No tension whatsoever.

Would not recommend this movie.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Disappointing

[5/10 · 18 December 2023]

Interesting storyline, but just feel like a waste of time. The ending is terrible. Like some previous reviews, totally agree with non of the characters are likeable. This movie is so surfaced, which could be so much better with more thoughts. The little girl irritated me so much and all the way till the end. I was really hoping something great will happen after "I am done waiting", and definitely not breaking into other people's home and eating cereals. There are so many scene and dialogue that add no value to the storyline. Feeling generous for giving a 5. There are better movies to watch, honestly don't waste your time on this one.

Mayday (2021)

I am calling MAYDAY!!!

[2/10 · 25 March 2022]

Don't waste your precious time. I watched the entire movie, so honestly and objectively, you are not missing much. It is almost like one of those weird dreams that doesn't really tell the story and keeps flashback with the same scenes. Well at least my dreams are more captivating. One star for effort and one star for matching the title so closely. What a mayday!

Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong (2021)

Strong cast but weak story line

[4/10 · 4 July 2021]

Set in 1973, with an emphasis of the corruptions in police enforcement in Hong Kong and the establishment of ICAC. Honestly, this can be a much better movie, but it just feel that the story is on a surface level, there was not a lot of depth into the characters. I cannot delve myself into the plot and this makes the movie unbearable. Movie should affect your emotions, and the good ones will enlight some part of you, and this is definitely not one of those.

Luca (2021)

Where is Porto Rosso?

[8/10 · 4 July 2021]

Love the story! All characters have their own peculiarity and Uncle Ugo is my favourite! He does not make much appearance but his lines are so funny! The would not say it is a story you never seen before, like many, it is about our protagonist, Luca, embarked on a journey to the human world and earned friendship and recognition from human and his sea monster parents, and the way the story conveys is very worth watching. Animation is the best like always from Pixar. Finally, where is Porto Rosso? I want to make friends with sea monsters too!

Hi, Mom (2021)

I cried

[9/10 · 30 May 2021]

I cried and I don't cry easily. So touching, that twist at the end, my god, so genius!

Museum (2016)

Desperation at its best

[7/10 · 30 May 2021]

Great tension build up. I saw this movie a couple month ago and I can still revisit the sense of desperation of some scenes of the movies from my memories. It also a good movie in the sense that the devil is in the details. If you are the sort of person that is meticulous and like to use your brain - then this is a movie for you. And those who like a good ending, this is the one. These kind of movies doesn't usually ends well, but definitely you will feel a tiny bit of consolation at the ending. So give it a try and don't let the poster put you off. The movie does summaries into a Chinese proverb, the miserables have their own sins.

Ghost Lab (2021)

The experiment

[5/10 · 30 May 2021]

Overall good plot but if you are watching from a scientist point of view, you can't help but feeling a bit disappointed. Gla made such sacrifices, why not finish the experiment. What's the lesson here to learn? To give up? There were a few touching moments, but still they don't balanced out the feeling of incompleteness that was left at the end of the movie. The more I think about how Gla was the one that started the project, the more I felt anger by the fact that he was also the one that wanted to end the experiment. Can you imagine the wave that would create in the research world? The Lancet probably begging you to have the article published. So much cooler if it ends the other way!

Kikujiro (1999)

The music

[6/10 · 10 April 2021]

I can't find a way to describe this movie. Ultimately, I think the movie is about family love. A young boy's journey of finding his mother during summer holiday. If you are someone that needs a good plot, then this is not for you. There is no logic, there will be moments in the movie that you will think why the director keep the scene. It can be a little weird, but the music is great. So great that even during a scene that should be sad, it feels like a comedy. This is a movie that doesn't require brain power and with lovely music. Like marmite, those who love it, will love it a lot.

Sully (2016)

A true hero

[8/10 · 10 April 2021]

I enjoyed the movie really much. Tom Hanks certainly did a great job, and my feelings were going up and down with all the investigation and doubts that he had. It was also nice to see different perspectives, especially the one from the air traffic controller. I would totally watch again. 155, a miracle number.

Operation Varsity Blues (2021)

Confirming a general suspicion

[8/10 · 9 April 2021]

Sure, we all must have thought about how wealthier families get their children into university, especially those that are not so intellectual. This documentary just proves its point, that a set of different rules applies to the wealthier. And it is embarrassing that education has fallen to such state. The existence of side doors or back doors should not even be allowed in the first place. Although what Singer did was wrong, but the bigger picture here is the educational system. Singer is making a fortune from this 'loophole' and it was the system that is allowing the existence of the 'loophole'. It seems the take home message here is do your best and be rich, life is way easier when you are rich, money is the king. Real sad.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Love them both

[7/10 · 9 April 2021]

Honestly, can human stop interfering with the love-hate relationship of godzilla and kong. They clearly have a complicated connection. As soon as I see human and their fricking lame dialogue, I just want to skip, skip, skip. Who needs plot when you have a radiation making machine and a strong beast armed with a radiation axe. And come on, children, please stay at school, nobody want to see how you hack into other people's secret headquarters. The human element should be there to elevate the movie, not to bring it down! Probably only 30% of the movie is worth watching. The rest are just blah, blah, blah, and a director or screenwriter that clearly do not know their target audience. 7 for godzilla and kong, 0 for human.

Irul (2021)

Wrong bet

[6/10 · 9 April 2021]

I see some similarity to Ittefaq. Not my usual style, but I will try to avoid spoiler in this review. Good in terms of creating the suspense and slowing building to the climax, yet, do lack of some closure. I still remember where the boyfriend pull out a blank page of page 394 from the thief's pocket, what does that mean? It had a full one second shot. The way the boyfriend presents throughout the movie raised many questions especially after watching the ending. For this kind of movie, every word the actor said, every scene that was shot need to be meaningful and paved a road of clues to the ending. Obviously, I made the wrong bet and not feeling great at all. Overall, still a good movie to watch and would watch a second time.

Shock Wave 2 (2020)

Thrilling, adrenaline rush

[8/10 · 1 March 2021]

I love it! You will not regret watching this movie. Just one thing, I do wish to see the alternate ending though, that scene will be bomb! Just imagine the CG effect, it may even be comparable to 2012.

Blood Glacier (2013)

Monsters from the Glacier

[5/10 · 1 March 2021]

I like a bit of scientific horror, you know, like where science falls into the wrong hands that kind of thing. This is somthing similar but different in the way that it was the mother nature that was the cause. I do feel the movie is trying to tell too many things, the climate, human ignorance, scientist who values the discovery more than lives and safety. If you like hybrid monster, then this is for you, there will be a giant fox-leech-woodlouse that attack human by attaching to people's faces. Lots of panicking and meaningless conversation but short enough to endure.

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (2020)

Simple and pretty

[6/10 · 8 February 2021]

Got to say, this is a pretty movie. CGI effects are great, each scene was so beautiful that I would not think twice to screenshot and put up as my desktop wallpaper. But, the plot is very simple, quite surface thinking, there is not a lot of deep thought that can be resonance after watching the movie. I like the princess, I think her acting is good, I particularly like the scene where she stands below the pear blossom asking the man not to leave. So sad but beautiful. Honestly, I find this movie so boring, so predictable. However, if you want to watch something that free up your brain power, this is a good option.

Spell (2020)

It only work when you believe it

[7/10 · 8 February 2021]

Boogity is not a new concept, similar to voodoo doll but overall it is an enjoyable movie. The last time I watched something comparable to this was "The Skeleton Key". Quite like the last part where Marquis finally accepted his past and started using what his dad taught him to fight back, got to admit Marquis is a clever man. The gory scene where Marquis pull out the nail from his foot make me scream, not only that, he then put it back again and pull it out for the final time (phew!). It is a heart-warming movie, I know, still can't believe I said that. That aside, I also began to think, why would someone wanted to live so long, the family must have live about 200 years (based on their age is around 40 in1860). It felt great to see that Marquis and his family escaped but part of me wanted to see what would happened during the blood moon. Well, you can't have everything right?

The Bad Seed (2018 TV Movie)

Mediocre

[5/10 · 2 January 2021]

It is ok. Predictable plot. I still wonder how Emma got the wasp nest into the car. The death of Chloe was quite amusing. If you are someone who enjoy a bit of plot twist, then this is NOT for you. Too much dialogue and little action, they cut out the scene where Emma pushes Milo, or when she took the wasp nest from the roof, or how she plotted the shut down of the work shed door to burn Chloe. I mean, if you want to build a characted of psychopath, it seems a little silly to leave off the details.

Greenland (2020)

It is an OK movie

[4/10 · 28 December 2020]

A lot of stupid moves. I have to say I particularly hate the female lead.

1. Trying to let your neighbours into the car 2. To tell the military that your son is diabetic 3. Get into some stranger's car and not conscious of hiding the band 4. Shouting at FEMA 5. Leave the son alone and go to the barn, while the Clarke hits

The male lead was not that clever either.

1. Got into the plane and decided last minute to leave - the delay of take off resulted chaos and thousands of people died 2. Get into some stranger's lorry and not conscious of hiding the band 3. Stop the plane at the runway, both pilots died, maybe because of reaching the limit of weight for the plane.

This is a story of a very selfish family. People that disagree please start look at the bigger picture. You are selected because you are useful, everyone has a family too, you are not more important, you are important because the future world needs you.

Lesson learned, if you are selected, then keep your mouth shut and follow the government protocol.

Can producers stop making apocalypse movies like this?

The Midnight Sky (2020)

What movie is this?

[2/10 · 28 December 2020]

Ok so the Earth is not habitable for human. Where did everyone else go? What is the movie trying to tell us? Is the little girl real? I am so lost, I thought the whole reason to go to the weather forescast station was to try get someone to take the little girl off Earth, but the male lead then advised the K-23 team to return back to K-23. WHAT IS THIS? WHERE IS BASIC LOGIC?

Green Book (2018)

Decent movie

[7/10 · 14 November 2020]

Pretty decent movie and there are laughable moments throughout which is great. I think the director had made the whole apartheid topic less heavy and focussed on the friendship between Shirley and Vallelonga. A really good Saturday night movie.

Peninsula (2020)

Too many stupid move

[3/10 · 25 August 2020]

I had such high expectations for this movie but I'm terribly disappointed. I hate all that senseless wait, emotion, come on, this is apocalypse and there is zombie chasing, can we just finish the task and gone. Why can't we do all that crying later? Like a scene back in history. Points for the car chase at the end. Other than that, it is a lower than mediocre movie that you don't feel satisfy watching.

The Twilight Zone: Nightmare at 30,000 Feet (2019) Season 1, Episode 2

Just finish the podcast!

[1/10 · 18 July 2020]

I don't understand, why not just finish the podcast. Stop wasting time! Justin is unbelievable stupid. He decided to trust some self claimed pilot that just had alcohol to handle a plane with 117 lives? I hate this episode. This is so dumb.

Flu (2013)

This can be real

[7/10 · 15 March 2020]

Well, there is no better timing to watch this movie. With coronavirus turning into a pandemic, this movie showed what could have happen if it was a much severe virus. Sometimes, movie is a reflection of reality. Lockdown, panic, violence, anger, sacrifice, humanity, all covered in the movie. Humanity is so fragile, right?