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Hmm… not really getting the hype for this one. I’m trying to understand everyone’s raving reviews for this. I can only assume it’s cause it’s the best in a franchise that basically has nothing to offer outside of an interesting premise & gnarly kills.

Bloodlines does do more, I’ll give it that. It keeps the kills wild & traumatizing with constant misdirections every FD film always does, but it just barely steps out of its formula by introducing the idea of death following this group by it being ed down through the family’s generations. It also, in my opinion, actually gives us characters that are likable & gets you to care about if they actually live or die. 

And the film is genuinely hilarious at multiple moments, so I love that is has a sense humor & a sense of awareness of its ridiculousness. I think taking a step away from taking itself too seriously & its darker aspects & instead embracing the camp really worked in its favor here!

I just think there’s so many missed opportunities all around whether it’s the ideas overall that subvert expectations, carving even deeper into lore & how everything works, leaning more into its message of family & the drama it was dealing with outside of this curse, & also even more fan service to be able to more connect to previous films in a way that makes a lot more sense. Some of this obviously is just preference, but basically I just found this to do the bare minimum to stand out from its previous installments. Which I’m guessing is what is wowing everyone. Just not me.

Not to be a hater or to get it twisted, I enjoyed my time with this & do think it’s a step up from what came before! I just can’t understand people thinking this is so great & it earning such high praise. Are we that desperate? Especially with how this film looks or its distractingly bad CGI??? Maybe. At least we’re on the right path here.

Definition of “[insert fast food restaurant name here] tastes so good when you don’t have a bitch in your ear telling you it’s nasty”. What was y’all on? It’s not Fallout, but I’ll be damned if you think that just cause previous installments in this franchise have more standout sequences that that means it’s better than this film???

In of being coherent & actually having a core with emotional stakes & character investment, this film gives you what you need to care & actually know what’s happening unlike previous installments that just gave bare minimum surrounding its only few spectacular moments.

Plus, the franchise has finally nailed its pacing cause this was a long fucking movie, but I was in it from beginning to end, brother!

Old characters & new, I want em all. I’m all for it. Not as intriguing as Fallout’s villains or as high as its highs, but still fucking diverse in its action & set pieces, while also making references it seems to the 1st film & raising the stakes from previous movies!

This movie sets up for an epic conclusion & I’m all fucking for it baby! I’m a fan of this franchise now & I can’t wait to see how Cruise sends off his baby!

Jesus. What a fucking movie, man. 
M. Night Shyamalan really was that fucking guy back in the day wtf! Such an interesting take on a ghost story unlike anything I’ve ever seen. On that hones in on the slow build. That really builds the eeriness of something just being off & trying to unravel this mysterious plot.

The reveal of Haley Joel Osment‘s ability, his “sixth sense”, is perfectly led up & executed. It almost completely shifts the film into straight horror after getting to see his POV is such subtle ways. Osment was such a sincere & heartbreaking actor in this, I just felt so incredibly sad & awful any time he spoke! The idea of a kid being given such a terrifying gift/curse is sold so well by his performance. Plus, when he bounces off Toni Collette‘s performance? Especially at the end?! GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE. Just devastated me. 😭

Love love love LOVE where they took the story by the end. How they find a way for Cole to overcome his unique fears & actually turn it into a good thing where he can do good through his psychology session with Willis’s character. Such a beautiful way to conclude this story.

And while of course I knew one of the biggest twists in cinema history that was coming at the end, I got to enjoy it from the perspective of appreciation of seeing how they finessed & orchestrated the misdirection throughout a WHOLE film. So I did get that sense of appreciation at least! But a part of me really wishes I got to experience that twist cause if for SURE would’ve got me & I probably would’ve loved this film more for it.

But for my first time watching this even with knowing all the tricks of its sleeve, I still think this is some A1 cinema! 😭

This was the one I was waiting for. The one everyone kept saying was the best. AND THEY WERE RIGHT. This one easily blows the rest of the franchise out of the water. 

It crams SO much in its runtime, but most of the sequences are nothing short of memorable & iconic. Absolutely on the edge of my seat every time from the skydiving scene, to the bathroom fight, & ESPECIALLY the helicopter chase that has to be the most insane sequence so far that probably looks the best visually.

Sure, we border getting into Fast & Furious territory with how lucky & ridiculous it gets, but fuck, was I entertained!

Henry Cavill was actually such a good villain that I didn’t know I needed. AND WHY WAS THERE A THOUSAND TWISTS & TURNS & REVEALS? Nvm don’t answer that, I rocked with em.

This is also the 1st in the franchise to actually bring back another villain & also basically continue the storyline from a previous film! It even comes full circle with his ex wife while finally saying the unsaid of fully understanding Ethan’s heroic motives even to the point of seeing his nightmares filled with his greatest fears! Finally, some more layers & background to our main hero!

They also start solidifying Ethan’s morals where yes, he’s like a superhero & can’t rest if the world is in danger, but he also cannot ever let someone he cares about die. He HAS to save them, even with the world at stake. He also saves just some random cop, potentially jeopardizing his mission which also further cements his character!

They were fucking cooking here, man. People consider this one to be their fav for a reason!

Castle in the Sky is probably the most well rounded of Miyazaki’s work in of the plot. Not saying that as a bad thing! It’s just a bit straight forward than others & simplistic, yet still so fantastical & whimsical!!!

Miyazaki is a master at world building & here he’s able to really flesh out this whole world & the creative idea of how this castle is floating! Introducing flying pirates & the military all trying to find this lost/hidden island in the sky to steal its treasures & secrets really helps build for this big cinematic 3rd act! All while following the heart of this story in these 2 kids who are the embodiment of everything good in this world! 🥹

You see the groundwork this film lays for Miyazaki’s later huge hits & I couldn’t help but draw the connections between all those to this (most notably Howl’s & Kiki’s). I saw some of my fav characters in these protagonists in the best way possible!
Also, 100% this film has inspired so many future works I never realized like Zelda (Breath of the Wild) or even recently The Wild Robot!

For some negatives, the pacing is so good in the 1st half, & while the 2nd half is still so enjoyable & I loved every minute, you can really feel the run time and it’s just a bit sluggish. Also, a sign of the times & the culture for the pirate men liking Sheeta was just off putting even though I guess it would make sense for these babies adults who never see women, it’s just so unnecessary & unfunny.

Outside of that, the movie is backdropped with such another breathtaking score & animation that was so awe-inspiring, of course! Castle in the Sky is just another classic from the mastermind himself.

Lastly, PAZU LOVES SHEETA!!! 🤭

Some of the film community keep pissing me off with how they overhype any horror movie that attempts literally anything different as I was so excited for this one just for it to be so basic. For example, films like Long Legs, Barbarian, Talk to Me were all set up for some insane expectations that only hurt my experience watching them. Granted, they are good movies, but I probably would’ve enjoyed em more without the insane praise. 

Outside of my lil rant, there’s a good movie in here, and it’s really only in the middle of the film. The 2nd act has a reveal that is again, overhyped (& predictable), but it sets off a bunch of scenes that are hilarious & fun. It gave me hope for the rest of the film, but for some odd reason, the last act snaps right back into the formulaic & standard horror movie it was in the 1st act.

Everyone locked in for that 2nd act & actually delivered some really funny lines & performances. So idk what happened everywhere else.

The commentary on the generational divide is a nice touch to be added to a horror movie , but so clumsily orchestrated as there’s definitely plot holes & suspension of belief there while also being pretty on the nose with what it wants to say… which is fine, but more nuance would’ve done this already basic horror film more favors.

Another not bad, but not good horror film. Mildly entertaining only in that 2nd act, but falls victim to the run of the mill dialogue & story of your typical horror flick.

Well watching my fav of this franchise answered my question of if I think I should rewatch all these films before the new one comes out (it’s a no). And even though this is my favorite, that doesn’t mean it’s good. Entertaining, though? Absolutely.

It’s without a doubt that these films have all been carved into our memory, especially the first 3. To this day, I still can’t get on a rollercoaster without thinking about the sequence in this film!

So yeah, memorable & scarring? Yes. Everything else? Ehhhh. It’s insane how some of these characters are written. Campy & tropey is fine, but these are borderline just straight parody at times. More specifically the dumb popular girls. And all the guys are just pretty much weird perverts that just felt completely unnecessary & unfunny throughout this whole thing.

Anyways, if there’s anything this franchise excels at, it’s that it always works in building up tension & anxiety for the death that’s about to happen. Albeit, it does beat a dead horse buy showing shots of shit going wrong that will all accumulate for the death by doing it for literal long minutes, but it’s effective. Just drawn out!

Other than that, not too shabby filmmaking at times including a quick cool split diopter shot & Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ryan Merriman (who were always warm welcomes in those 2000’s films) leading this movie make it actually worth the watch! Plus, it was a nice palate cleanser after the awful taste The Monkey left in my mouth. 🤢

Looking forward to some more dumb fun in the newest one!

Wow. I feel so incredibly lucky to experience this again in a theater that was sold out with huge fans of all ages. 🥹
We had the perfect crowd too that was polite & only cheered the times where it made sense like when Han comes back to save Luke at the Death Star or even when Obi-Wan just showed up. What a fucking experience!!!

This was way funnier than I ! Especially C-3PO who I usually found annoying or I just found my interest completely lost any time he showed up, but here, he’s one of the best parts!

This is obviously just the plain ol’ hero’s journey, but hot damn, if George & the crew weren’t cooking in everything outside of the dialogue! They spent their damn time making this cinematic as hell by laying down a foundation for an interesting new universe, introducing clashing personalities who are iconic, getting some great & memorable shots, THE FUCKING MUSIC, & just the mind blowing practical effects & sets!

There was such a real ion in this filmmaking that the simple story we get here was elevated by  everything else. And just knowing this film planted the seeds for such an expanded & vast universe is so refreshing to see how perfected these roots were! I can easily see why this was everyone’s addiction for who saw this when it came out!

For the 1st time ever, I was able to fully understand everyone’s motivations & the main driving force for the story here after really only seeing this when I was much younger. I was fully invested & fully appreciative!

Of course there’s some corny lines here, some not amazing acting at times, a long time to buildup at the start, & an ending that was definitely a lil dragged & repetitive. But this was solid, close to perfection for its straightforward premise. But you can feel the cinematic experience throughout this. It’s special & it’s cause of how much effort you can tell was put into it. I’m in love with Star Wars all over again! 😭😭😭

May the 4th be with everyone! Got to watch this last night after my binge of the prequels & later today I get to catch A New Hope on the big screen too! I'M ALL STAR WARS'D UP LATELY, BABY!

I haven't seen Rogue One since it hit theaters 9 years ago, & l've been lookin' forward to this rewatch ing how good it was, how all Star Wars fans can actually agree on a project they all like, how it's considered to be the best Star Wars by a lot people, & especially cause Andor is so fucking good!

Rogue One is about the unsung heroes of the universe. Those who do the right thing with no powers or even friends with powers. Just people who have been fed up with Empire & are doing this for their freedom. It’s not for glory or reward, they know it could end in death fighting for this cause, & lo and behold…

Gilroy is so refined & has such talent with his intricate writing. Who thought that this side adventure to the main story would not only be the best, but so important to the main canon? Gilroy brings in interesting characters that help deepen the lore of SW & makes them so distinct with all an important role to get the main goal by the end.

SW is great for many reasons, but Gilroy focuses on the politics & war aspects that Lucas really only scratches the surface on & spoon feeds for regular audiences. Gilroy accelerates his ideas & executes with showing us the moral grey areas & the harsh reality of the normal folk who would make up the 99.9999% of this universe. He gets rid of that fantastical element but keeps the core message so in tact & reminds you constantly: have hope.

Gilroy has been a gift to this franchise. Plus, with Gareth Edwards such strong sci-fi big film kind of direction & The Batman/Dune’s cinematographer Greig Fraser bringing the most gorgeous visuals to this franchise to date, Rogue had ALL the right ingredients for success that we all thought would be a lame idea. 😭

If my biggest gripes are to want more of this group & story, that’s how you know it’s fucking good. I legit just wanted a bit more individual depth & dynamic/time spent as a group, but in this wartime film, it makes sense what we’re able to get in an already pretty long film.

God, the emotions, the shots, the commentary, VADER’S EPIC SCENE… everyone say thank you right now to Gilroy, Edwards, & Fraser! We’ve never had it so goddamn good!!!

I have NEVER said this for any post-Endgame MCU film, but we might be back? Y’all who got to see this early undersold it as FUCK. This was so GOOD. Like top 10 MCU films for me good! I felt the MCU magic again here! Like we finally brought back emotion these movies! 

Definitely the only MCU movie & potentially the only superhero movie (that I can think of off the top of my head) that has something to actually say. Something more than just the surface level superhero story. This has commentary on mental health including depression, trauma, loneliness, suicide, grief, self-hatred, regret, & the list keeps going. It makes those who struggle everyday & everyone’s who’s even just felt these things feel so seen. That you can overcome, that you’re not alone, that it’s okay to be flawed & you can still be a superhero!

It’s about time we’ve seen this in the superhero genre. It’s why I like psychological horror so much. It’s such a different kind of MCU film while also checking off the usual marks like the action, quips, villains, etc..
It’s reminiscent of Guardians but with extra layers with its symbolism & metaphors. Sure, they can be heavy handed or on the nose at times, but I think they personally handled it well.

It has such a strong message by the end & even bridges the gap for the past & future MCU while also being accessible (finally) for the general audiences who haven’t seen previous projects featuring these characters! This is such an important film for the MCU now & I’m surprised that it ended up being what it was in so many ways. It’ll be key to the MCU’s future.

The writing is smart with who they chose for the team, especially Yelena & Bucky. Pugh got me so close to tears & Bob too! The whole team overall, I just wanted more of. That’s really my biggest gripe, next to maybe some missed opportunities with the directing/filmmaking, but that wasn’t bad. Just that it could be more stylistic.

Such a smart & therapeutic film. Everyone needs to watch it ASAP. I might catch it again to be so very honest!

Again, another MCU movie that seems weirdly over hated. It’s really in the mix of “just fine” MCU/superhero movies. Like I don’t have huge complaints about this one as it’s a fairly standard story.

In my preparation for Thunderbolts & trying to each member’s backstory & who they are, funnily enough, this movie doesn’t even really give Ghost that much to work with as her backstory is pretty similar to most villains in the MCU & their backstories. So I didn’t learn much here LOL.

Someone she loved was done dirty by one of the rich/smart pivotal characters in the MCU (this time being Hank Pym instead of usual suspect, Tony Stark), & so said loved one built a machine themselves involving similar stuff Pym was researching, shit went wrong, Ghost was caught up in it & her parents die. And of course, the accident also leaves her with powers. Ghost is not innately evil, as her powers have been slowly killing her & she’ll die shortly unless she gets to use the same device that the Ant-Man team also just so happens to need to save Pym’s wife causing the obvious conflict. She’s just desperate, not necessarily bad.

Ghost is pretty one dimensional, neither interesting or lame, just there. Wasted. But has cool powers. So maybe Thunderbolts will do her justice.

As for the movie itself, Rudd carries this movie again as he’s always hilarious. Michael Peña & Randall Park help solidify a fun movie but are criminally underutilized as they have to make room for more plot forward moving characters who are actually boring lol.

There’s some fun ideas for when people & things get small & big creating fun sequences & fights. Rudd has a nice conflict here as well set up from the Civil War film & his daughter relationship is really the heart of the film.

It def ain’t bad, it’s actually pretty funny at times. Just mildly forgettable unlike its successor, Quantumania, which is the biggest pile of dog shit to come out of the MCU. So yeah, this ain’t half bad compared to that.

I think this one captures the essence of Black Mirror perfectly as it has such interesting ideas for future technology and shows you all the potential benefits but completely shatters said pros with harsh cons that indeed sound like they’d be used that way.

I think this one’s strong structure is interesting & it plays out very well by the end! It’s just so fucking tough, man. Just absolutely punishes its characters both deservingly & way beyond what’s deserved.

The blocking feature specifically seems like it’d drive one mad & realistically, I could see a lot of this happening. The reveals are solid here as the story keeps stacking the punches in the final story.

There are def some holes I saw a few times that also seemed unrealistic, cause there ain’t no way we’re not taking someone to court if we’re not able to see our potential child, so that’s a bit of a jump, but I understand the descent into madness. Desperate times just don’t always mean the complete collapse suspension of logic.

Overall, the most Black Mirror to Black Mirror if ya wanna show someone solid episode from this show that basically would prepare em for what they would be getting into!

THIS was the Star Wars that I grew up with. This was my childhood just as my father before me had with the original trilogy. Watching as an adult in the theaters again felt something akin to reliving my first heartbreak as I dreaded seeing Anakin’s inevitable turn to the dark side for the umpteenth time. 😔

On this rewatch after so many years & living through this social/political climate, I see it from a new perspective that is much more empathetic as all I saw was a kid sincerely trying to do the right thing. Trying to learn. Trying so desperately to save his loved one from the same demise as his mother. There’s so much commentary here on fate & being unable to change the future.

Anakin is a puppet being constantly jerked around, thrown aside, & treated like the boy he actually was in ep 2. Truly, the turn that Anakin takes falls on the condescending & hypocritical jedi council. So seeing Palpatine take advantage of this & playing chess while everyone is stuck playing checkers, of course he was able to sway & convince Anakin who he comes to as a savior & friend. Everyone took advantage of this boy & his powers. It’s so incredibly sad.

I have so much love for this tragic tale that perfectly connects the trilogies. George Lucas crafted & orchestrated this downfall so damn well. And sure, it’s not as tight as a film should be, the pacing feels off, & the dialogue still misses the sophistication it tries so achieve, but this was realized just the right way.

I’m thankful for everything that’s come out after this that the animated/live action shows & video games helps not only deepens the lore & this epic & most important moment in SW history, but helps viewers like myself see this as bearing witness to the impossible yet inevitable. Fate before our very eyes screaming in frustration for such a beloved character. 

This film will stand the test of time. It’s so special to so many of us.

I know I’m in the minority here, but I have always been an Endgame girly myself as opposed to everyone who loves IW more. That being said, they really are 2 sides to one coin, but have a lot that make them very different.

Seeing this again for maybe the 10th time but finally in my cinema-loving era, idk… the scales are balancing more. I’ve always loved this film! But that grand finale Endgame gave me was so unmatched especially so the the time traveling heist!

Here, though, they set everything up so well. Ironically, what everyone is feeling now for being concerned how they’ll bring everything together & set up the new Avengers film, I genuinely actually felt for Infinity War, as I thought they only really scratched the surface of setting up Thanos through a handful of end credit scenes & they had so many new heroes who still had yet to meet/interact.

Infinity War feels so seamless in the set up & is a CONSTANT ride that packs punch after punch of action, introduction of stakes & character meets, emotional scenes, quippy humor that really works & relaxes during such an intense story. This is truly Marvel at their best & somehow these directors & writers were fucking cookin’ given what we’ve seen from alla them now in the Electric State. 🤢

It gives me hope for the future Avengers films, but they gotta lock tf in like they did with this one. And honestly, one would think the average movie goer who doesn’t see all the MCU films wouldn’t be able to watch this, but it’s surprisingly accessible if that certain viewer is okay with it. There’s references & Easter eggs to so many previous films if you put in the work prior to this, but viewers really should be able to use context clues for honestly just bare minimum.

Again, gives me hope for the future. Anyways, this film is iconic & so memorable. It’s a fucking blast from top to bottom to be so fucking forreal. Truly, a cinematic experience of a lifetime. 😮‍💨

Still might be my favorite Black Mirror episode, but I think is not objectively what I think would be the best episode this show has to offer.

This has such a crazy idea that seemed far off at the time it came out, but is very close to the video recording Ray Bans that are currently out now (that are rightfully shamed).

This episode sets a troubled marriage as the playground for the idea to thrive with how it would play into everyday life like going through your memory archive to someone’s name to picking apart your partner’s facial reactions/body language for every tiny thing. 

This really shows you the negative impact & the rabbit hole to disaster that this idea could lead to. But it still grounds the idea in an emotionally driven narrative so you can feel all the gaslighting & devastation throughout the 2nd half of its runtime. 😓

A lil bit more inventive with its premise than San Juniper & the filmmaking/editing really hammers down the emotions it aims to evoke here. I just prefer happy endings in my older age now! Haha.

This is the most TNT movie I’ve ever seen (in the most complimentary way). The amateur on paper didn’t necessarily catch my attention, but it definitely had my curiosity. Rami Malek plays a similar role to his Mr. Robot part, but in many different/less mental health issues kinda ways.

I think the beginning starts off pretty fast & kinda does the bare minimum to set the stage & stakes for the rest of the story, but when the gears finally get going, it gets fun to see how this dude gets what he wants & kills his opps!

That being said, a lot of this seems very far fetched & homeboi gets too lucky too many times. But, if you take a bit of a leap for some of the setup, you can enjoy your time with it!

The film simultaneously shows us logistics to how things work or were set up for its grand reveal for traps & such, and then other things are kept secret and have you wondering how tf that would even work or how he could get away like that with that much confidence. So that’s a lil annoying.

The ending more specifically decides the story gets to have its cake & eat it too when realistically, this needed to end more bleak with the path the protagonist was on. Also, a monologue filled villain trusting a vengeful individual with a loaded gun just wouldn’t conclude the way this would realistically. 

With a couple more seeds that coulda been planted better at the start & having an ending that better fits the protagonist’s personal arc, I would’ve like it way more. But for what it is, it’s still a good time. Also, there’s no reason for this movie to be 2 hours long. 🤷‍♀️

This is where the real fun began. Just seeing Obi-Wan & Anakin’s dynamic was such a great time as they sincerely felt like they were an older brother/younger brother duo who bickered at one another but you could tell the real respect & love that was there!

Ewan McGregor is so fucking funny here, man. Hayden plays fuckboi McGee & angsty teen in such an unmatched corny fashion. I legitimately looked up to this guy while simultaneously knowing how awful he was. He was just so cool to me as a kid. 😭
Say what ya want, he’s not the best actor, but he fucking nails that under the surface kinda psychotic/serial killer vibe here as he says the most terrible shit while acting like a freak to Pe. Idk how the fuck his good looks were enough, cause you can see crazy from a mile away LOL.

Lucas is the same here with his soap opera dialogue & biting off more than he can chew with some of the big sequences, but AGAIN, his ideas really are solid here especially in the grand scheme of things when talking about politics, religion, or even the setup of Order 66 in the next film. We talk about how Anakin is the downfall of the Jedi, when in reality, the Jedi order makes such fucking a stupid decision of being okay with trusting a random clone army that’s just handed to them? Are they actually insane? LOL.

God, I love the end with just all the colorful lightsabers around fighting in the arena & the later duel with Dooku. I sincerely wish that these prequels could have the technology we had today with an amazing director at the helm, cause these shits would have BANGED!!! (not to say they didn’t back then, but ya catch my drift).

Starting my rewatches of episodes 1 & 2 to prepare for Revenge of the Sith’s rerelease in theaters for its 20th anniversary! 🫨

This one has so many goddamn exposition dumps that feel so annoyingly complex. In theory, & in concepts, George Lucas is full of great big ideas. His directing feels very out of his reach, though, as he can’t quite execute the significance, emotion, or big sequences well enough to be as engaging as he wants these scenes to be.

The writing for dialogue is also very on the nose & unnatural. Definitely understand the reason why people call it a space opera as it can be very cheesy. 

Jar Jar is terribly annoying as an adult so I get that hatred now lol. When I was a kid, def could care less. The actor definitely did not deserve the hate from the awful fanbase, but I at least get it now why the character had such bad reception. Kid Anakin was completely fine though & I thought he was wholesome throughout! Reminded me of Sora from Kingdom Hearts so what the fuck was everyone’s beef with this lil kid?

Anyways, the film is mostly just boring, but the ending Duel of Fates sequence almost makes everything before it so worth it as the music, choreography, & set were all just masterful. Lucas LOCKED the fuck in for that ending. Almost feels like we jumped into a whole different film by that point? So DAMN good & iconic.

Definitely think this one is a bit over hated unnecessarily. It’s not as bad as ppl make it out to be & still has some fun moments. Although, the strengths in this film are mostly cause of its ing cast who bring the humor & especially Pugh who stands out getting both laughs & the emotions from its audience.

I don’t think Scarlett Johansson is a bad actor at all, but it’s kinda sad that when she finally gets her own movie, she’s the most bland one here. 🤷‍♀️
The film also coming out AFTER Infinity War & Endgame is baffling and much too late as it fits perfectly before those films when it takes place, so idk why they would think that was a good idea other than to introduce Yelena.

Taskmaster’s character is cool in theory, but lacks any real depth here as they feel like just a wasted pawn. This whole film feels like Marvel trying to make a Mission Impossible film, & it does JUST alright.

I the effects & CGI being so awful when I saw it in theaters & they might’ve fixed it up for streaming cause I didn’t loathe it this time around. 

Overall, a simple idea made for a decent film. Pugh steals the spotlight, with Harbour right behind her which only makes me excited for Thunderbolts!

Still sitting in this one & working out exactly what I feel & why. What I can say with a fact, though, is this movie is a fucking fun ass ride! Coogler wrote such a character driven blockbuster here with full arcs who just happen to be unlucky & get caught up in a vampire fiasco.

Not only was this cinematic as hell with its direction & cinematography perfectly fit for IMAX (which I’m so glad I got to experience with a full crowd), but the music & score are so integral to the story here & that’s where the film hits so many home runs. I was entranced by all the scenes where the music takes center stage especially for its unique one take in the middle of the film!

Surprisingly, I liked the grounded first 2 acts more as the vampire stuff is what doesn’t quite work well for me. It feels like stuff we’ve all seen before on the big screen, but everything else surrounding it & especially the setting where this vampire movie takes place at is what makes this one stick out.

On top of that as well, Coogler is assuming much of the audience is familiar with some of themes & ideas that are backdropping this film & sprinkles Easter eggs, allegories, metaphors, symbolism, etc. all throughout the film for those who can catch & appreciate them. Sadly, most of em either went over my head or don’t resonate with me specifically in my walk of life. For example, stuff like the religious aspects I wasn’t super familiar with so my gf pointed out to me after the film which are actually really creative, but I just would’ve never notice em. After talking to her, I realized they really drive home what he wants to say, making them important & strong for those who can find em! Just sucks I couldn’t, ya know?

On just the surface level of this movie, though, it’s well written & Coogler makes familiar ideas feel fresh through his world building & especially with his strong filmmaking. This is truly a standout for 2025 & I think it’ll really hit with a lot of people!

The longer I sit on and digest this one, the more I appreciate it and like it. This film is haunting. Might be the scariest film of 2025 without being a horror movie. There’s no music to backdrop this film as it relies on the silent & dreadful buildup and its technically impressive & shockingly accurate sound design after shit hits the fan.

The storytelling is a snapshot of combined memories of a traumatic event so you have to accept the film for not having the typical character development or arcs, but instead just get a glimpse of what seems like real people would be in this terrifying situation.

You see the coping & traumatic human responses in real time and it’s a more harsh reality than most war movies are afraid of tapping into. This is not cinematic, this is jarring. The way the film is able to depict something that’s been done before again & again in a new horrifying way in just this one location is not only impressive, but also more telling of how war can really be.

This is 100% not pro war, I personally think it’s not afraid to hold back on showing how terrible the US occupying that space & some of the individual soldiers as well in small ways.

I think the film could benefit for getting more investment from the audience in its characters, but this feels more true & realistic which is exactly what I think this film was aiming for. So you gotta respect it.

Not bad, but nothing really great or new here. I think its filmmaking techniques & editing are some standouts at times, but for the most part, this is cut & dry storytelling for an idea that doesn’t find ways to feel fresh or unique. 

The movie would have realistically ended much earlier, though as no one is sitting through a disaster date as long as the guy did & for the girl, any sane person would just turn off their drops like??? There’s just not enough here to strap the audience for a believable ride so you gotta take the movie as it is if you want to have a decent time.

Luckily, the characters are all likable & the actors sell the more unbelievable aspects! So it’s alright.

This one really introduced some ✨personality✨. And maybe that’s just cause there’s a bit more humor here than usual, but every joke really landed for me especially Luther’s lines which inherently makes me love every character more… obviously. 😭

Ethan’s crew finally solidifies a bit more even though I know Renner is gone after this one, but this dude did NOT fuck around when Benji’s life was in danger. 🙅‍♀️

Rebecca Ferguson is sick as hell here flying around like a lil monkey and even doing some team ups with Cruise for some cool fighting! And seeing them fall in love with each other ever so slightly as in comparison to the previous leading ladies in his films, this one’s slow burn was a nicely paced welcome!

The sequences here are absolutely nuts & shot with some cool effects and filmmaking techniques! I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending as it’s very dull in comparison to all the high adrenaline scenes prior to it & it also just felt a bit too easy and fast, but that doesn’t take away from how amazing everything else was in this movie.

Oh & the story setup felt fresh with how it was introduced even though it practically just played out the exact same by the end just like in every other movie in this franchise. Still, after 5 movies, I love to see they’re trying new stuff!

Not quite a great ending, but still such a touching & heartbreaking episode on grief. There’s definitely a reason I forgot where this one ended up going by the time the credits roll, but again, the Charlie Brooker was ahead of his time with this idea that has now been replicated in different ways in film & other shows. 

Sadly, that means it’s easy to outdo this episode. But at the time this released, the idea itself was enough to make someone empathize with how sad & probably likely this could be.

The music is a cherry on top to such an interesting performance from Gleason & such a powerful one from Atwell.

A little surface level at the end of the day that I’m sure if it had a longer run time, could have been exactly the more I wanted from this one.

By golly, they did it! Black Mirror does its first ever sequel episode and it was pretty good! They actually found a story that was worth telling for an already great standalone episode that 100% didn’t need a sequel, but this episode finds different ways to tell a similar but new story as it ventures from a contained single player modded game to an online huge multiplayer game with dire consequences & a new set of rules to follow.

I won’t lie, it felts like there was TONS of exposition dumps in order to make this sequel work, but they found their ways. It just could have been more slick than how they did. They also found good reason to bring most of the cast back with different ways for them to have some fun here. 

It’s not quite as horrifying in theory or as much of a blast as its predecessor, but it does pretty well in my opinion. A worthy sequel that still knows how to have blockbustery type of fun with some nice lil twists. Kinda wouldn’t mind a 3rd episode to round out a good trilogy here. Who knows, huh? 🤷‍♀️

The most cinematic of the Black Mirror episodes that keeps the stakes high with a solid idea driving it. It’s sort of similar to a Severance type of concept where versions of people are stuck somewhere against their will & are practically tortured the whole time. And just like that show (obviously & ironically inspired by this show), there’s a lot that can be explored here!

It’s well written with its setup while creating a Star Trek like environment as its backdrop. The characters all have a common cause and you get just enough in this short runtime to like every single one while simultaneously hating Jesse Plemons more & more as the episode reveals his actual villainous nature. 

Cristin Millioti is a star here as she usually shines in everything she’s in. Her hilarious & rebellious performance is so good you can’t help but just cheer her on the whole time!

This was such a solid entry & different type of episode for this show, so I’m glad I watched it back to back for its sequel episode for this newest season!

The worst thing about Y2K is how confused it is. It’s not sure when it wants to take itself seriously, when it’s just a straight spoof, or when it’s just a normal coming of age comedy. It’s somewhere lost between a Disney Channel & Syfy original movie tbh.

Sometimes some of the things works, but most of the time, it just seems like it’s going with the flow. I laughed a few times, I’ll it some bits are funny while others go on way TOO long. It can be amusing, but it really just never commits to anything which is why it feels so lost & like it’s making it up on the way.

While the main 2 protagonists are fine, they feel out of place especially when the film jumps to its parodical elements. They're stuck in the old school coming of age film, while everyone else is in a comedy. Honestly, if they just didn’t kill off Danny’s character as early as they did, it could have helped balance it.

Other than alla that, though, the nostalgic aspects & references feel too easy of Easter eggs. Definitely many missed opportunities here. I didn’t hate it, & especially seeing this right after watching The Electric State felt like a palette cleanser as Y2K is quite literally the opposite of that film is every regard. So thank you for that, Y2K.

Utterly lifeless. It almost feels as if the film is going down a checklist to make sure it marks off that it did something to ensure it qualifies as a movie, but there’s literally nothing here that has any sort of substance or that makes you think.

Idk what it is recently where movies want to give robots feelings & make humans the bad guys. Like read the fucking room as AI is on the rise to take away jobs. Especially in the artistic world. Like how ironic is it to focus a movie on empathizing with AI?? So fucking tone deaf. It literally feels like AI propaganda here. It’s as if AI wrote this story to convince humans to like them? It’s actually insane. 

This film is the bare minimum. Everything by the end like its climatic battle, the “emotional” conclusions for everyone, it’s “powerful” message, & even its fucking jokes all feel unearned as nothing is properly fostered or tended to prior to the 3rd act that built up to any of it. Just lifeless characters for an ending that barely makes any sense.

This isn’t the worst movie ever, but it’s a fucking embarrassment to movies as it actively tries to take steps backwards in of progress in this industry while it blows a dumbass amount of money to make a soulless film that’s inherently AGAINST the art of cinema and the cinematic experience as a whole. The writers & the Russo brothers should be ashamed of themselves.

This film feels like it’s reaching for an idea that it just can’t quite grasp. It has the framework & it has many pieces, but they don’t quite all fit or work together. I wanted it to be more cathartic & powerful. I wanted it to be more clever & more polished not to the point where I needed to say “a-ha!” in a realization moment, but at least an appreciation that it made the picture make sense by the end. 

It just feels a bit too messy & not clear enough. Sure, we can go for an ambiguous or interpretive ending, but there’s not quite enough left for the viewer to either have a concrete & confident thought by the end or to care enough to even want to figure it out.

There was a good amount here that did excel, though. The ideas in the cinematography & editing, just the visual storytelling overall unraveled this in interesting & refreshing ways. It’s horror in broad daylight which I love & the film plays with shadow work as one of the antagonist’s powers that was fun to see how creative they could get. I also thought the jump scares weren’t all cheap & the sound design worked well with its execution!

I think everyone feeling strongly either about disliking this or loving it is so weird if I’m being honest. It’s wild that people are complaining about metaphorical/psychological horror when it’s either that or literal horror, like those are your 2 choices & either are fine. It just matters how it’s done. Which brings me to the people loving it, as I think this story had potential to bring something new to the table, but ultimately trips over itself causing it to fall flat. So I’m not sure what others are seeing there. 

I don’t feel strongly either way. I think it was a fine watch with a few good qualities, but ultimately, it was just pretty forgettable.

Seeing a lot of people on here describing this as a “perfect hour of television” & ya know what? They’re not wrong.

For the time this episode dropped, the idea was fresh & actually unheard of really in 2016. Not only was I fascinated by the concept, but how simply it was handled & how it unfolded to keep you guessing what the heck was happening was done effortlessly. 

It’s a simple love story, but the juxtaposition for these 2 lovers & how their backstories conflict with what they want made perfect sense. This one was so wholesome. One of Black Mirror’s best that was also done with a nice touch of style. 

Black Mirror is at its best when it’s straightforward & not over complex. Oh, and with a happy ending for a lil cherry on top too. 🥹

I don’t even feel the need to review this one really in depth. It’s ingrained in me. I SO much about this original Avengers film cause I saw it so many times throughout the years. There’s a reason for that. It’s iconic as FUCK.

So many memorable lines. So many memorable scenes. The writing & storytelling was TIGHT. There was an emotional center with all the right amount of humor and taking itself the perfect amount of serious. It’s the most comic-y feeling MCU film & that’s in the best way possible.

Plus, it’s colorful & the shots Whedon chooses to do here really solidify the comic book feel it was going for. Other than Cap’s ugly ass outfit in this one, this was gosh darn near perfect for what it is. It set the standard super early on in the superhero genre & even the MCU still struggles to reach this high. 

This is a classic. 

For everything 28 Days Later does really well, 28 Weeks Later almost always drops the ball on whether that be its creative & well done filmmaking or its unique/creative take on the zombie genre.

How can we have such big actors in this cast & somehow not make a single one of them likable enough to care if they died or not? I’m not even sure who the main protagonist was if I’m being so forreal cause ain’t no way it was those dumbass kids. 😭

There’s some attempt here to try & continue what its predecessor was able to accomplish, but it just either completely misses the mark or those involved just didn’t have enough finesse to pull it off.

There’s a handful of cool sequences & arguably there was a really interesting story in the fact that someone could be “half” infected in this family we followed. But it takes too many zombie trope routes & it fumbles the opportunity to explore something genuinely unique. How sad.

I think this as good as the surface level version of this film can get, so I’ll give it that! Locked is such a “looks good on paper” concept & bringing it to life for a fully fleshed out film was never going to be an easy task, but directing & filmmaking-wise, it’s not bad! I saw maybe only a few plot holes & the film would work better for making you believe the ridiculous premise a bit more with showing how the car logistically is airtight.

I also didn’t expect this film to have as much political commentary as it includes discussions of generational divide & the rich vs the poor. It echoes real life complaints the two American parties have each other without ever really trying to understand one another. It doesn’t fully work here & often times is a bit heavy handed & doesn’t give audiences much to chew on or think about. Honestly, I wish they would have full sent this aspect rather than introducing Hopkins’s real motivations by the end.

It doesn’t quite work & since it doesn’t pick a specific lane, which only takes away from the directions the story took.

Outside of that, the movie does good at not getting boring inside this car the whole time & Skarsgard & Hopkins are great at both being awful on their respective opposing sides.

I think the film knocks on something close here to being better than expected, but it doesn’t quite know how to not give in to its tropey ends & fallbacks. If you got something to say, say it loud & don’t cop out for a safe ending. OR, just full send the ridiculousness. You can’t have both, unfortunately.

But for what it’s worth, I was engaged & found the suspense here working decently well. Not a bad watch!

You know, I had fun with the last couple Venom movies, but this last one just does not work on so many levels. Don’t think I even laughed once in this one either.

Looking past the embarrassing failed attempt this film tried to connect to the MCU & the MCU obviously shutting it down as the post credit scenes for Carnage & No Way Home were resolved in the first few mins of this one as they just got right back to their universe (LMAO), the movie goes for this sort of grand & emotional send off for Venom that is beyond corny by the last song (horrific choice) & montage it plays.

No one made connections to this trilogy & this last film doesn’t do anything to earn anyone’s care for any of these characters. It also introduces 2 random side characters last min, gives them terrible half baked arcs & just makes them a fucking nuisance the whole time. There’s even more random characters outside of that where it seems like they were supposed to be more important as it shows random dialogue or scenes for them that implied they may have had bigger roles? This shit musta been chopped up to pieces.

I never thought I’d say a Venom film needed a longer run time, but for this huge sendoff while introducing new “important” people to the plot, it couldn’t have done that with how much time it had. Esp with all the damn exposition dumping for its last minute big bad.

This one takes itself way too seriously & often feels like a fake movie from a fever dream or a movie that other movies make fun as satire. It feels so unreal how bad this one felt. This whole universe was a waste of my time & definitely Tom Hardy’s. Can’t believe the kind of line readings he had to do here. 🤦‍♀️

Was afraid this one could become boring & be too familiar to other stories of this nature. Surprisingly, this film introduces a unique body transformation element that is not only fun for hilarious moments, but smart in how it plays into the story & main emotional arcs it explores.

I also just didn’t expect this to be as intimate as it is with a heavy focus on the mother/daughter relationship. It works, though. While weaving together the bigger storyline at play, not giving an actual real antagonist, & still keeping a lot of the tropes we come to know with a new idea, this film is a well made ride with laughs & heartfelt moments that showcase a brave & strong female protagonist that should be more popular than she currently is!!!

Oh, and the music? So good! Pixar has a real unique one here with an underrated gem. Not my fav of theirs, but it deserves more recognition for sure!

This franchise continues to impress with its set pieces & ideas for spies being spies, but it’s beginning to feel a bit one dimensional with never going beyond expectations, only improving on its same tricks that came before.

I actually think the 3rd film is better than Ghost Protocol as it introduced Ethan’s personal life by giving him an actual love interest with his wife & having real stakes for him.

GP takes a slight step back by giving all of its characters such surface level backstories & motivations. Granted, I know that’s not what most came for when it comes to these films, but gosh darn it, I like caring about my characters! Lol.

By the end, at least, it gives a tad bit more for Ethan with the reveal. Also, the thrills & action here have become so much more intricate & creative. Progressively film by film it’s been doing this, but there’s some real memorable & unique stuff in this one that I was genuinely surprised by how thought out it all was. The visuals & the tension building are top notch here with the situations they place everything in!

We lose some points here for not bringing Luther back for a main role like we’ve come to know. Instead, we get Jeremy Renner, who unfortunately is pretty funny as much as I don’t like him as a person, he fits well here & is a standout in this team.

Regardless, I’m still having a blast with these movies!

Y’all who don’t like this one are out of the Guardians trilogy are genuinely smokin’ some crack or something cause this shit was hella good. Idk why I ever let the internet ever let me doubt something cause you guys were straight bitching. Watch this AGAIN, it’s Gunn at his best through & through.

Sure, the first half is a bit slower with its buildup, but the 2nd half packs such a powerful emotional punch with Yondu’s sacrifice & everyone acting like a genuine family as they fight & scream for one another. 🥺

A handful of jokes don’t land as they just keep going, but Gunn usually lands the plane 85% of the time as everyone’s delivery perfectly executes the both stupid & clever humor Gunn has. 

Also, this might the best CGI in the whole MCU wtf? And it’s colorful as heck. 100% prefer this over the weird grey-ish tone the 3rd film goes for. 

Oh, and this one has fucking baby groot??? So goddamn adorable the whole movie just waving at everyone I’LL DIE FOR HIM RIGHT NOW 😭

Realistically, I’d probably rate this a bit lower, but I’m a sucker for neon lighting… what can I say? 🤷‍♀️

I can’t even say for sure if the visuals & directing are great or stylistic, it might literally just be my affinity for the color palette chosen here since it’s so up my alley even if the constant lighting made no sense being that colorful all time time. LOL.

That being said, I can say with certainty that the score & music choice overall is not only fitting, but pretty dang good. Which makes sense seeing how it’s made by musical artist Flying Lotus. He understood the vibes of every scene & found perfect music for each one.

The biggest & only real issue with this film is the writing. Dialogue is fine I suppose, but the story beats & set pieces are straight up just a hodgepodge of stolen ideas from other films that did them way more daringly & far much better. That being said, this is a decent story. Just so predictable at every turn cause of this. 

The movie also feels like a video game, which works in its favor. Eiza González sports a haircut that is so cool & making her look like she’s ripped right out of a PlayStation game or something. Her acting is okay, but sort of 1 beat as she plays the same deadpan confused hurt emotion throughout. Luckily, Aaron Paul comes in to balance that out with over the top emotion (which I’ve come to love cause of Break Bad).

Outside of that scene, I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters as the writing just couldn’t get my investment in anybody.

There’s some other small details I liked like the random Japanese surgical machine that has no logical reason being Japanese, but it’s cute & funny. Maybe if they full sent that & incorporated that feel to the rest of the movie, it could have been much more fun & unique.

Other than that, this is a fairly standard movie that’s mostly boring, but can be a good time every now & then.

Out of the first 3 films, yeah this one’s definitely the best. It’s constant action back to back & builds tension RIGHT off the bat!

Everything I’ve seen from Abrams has always been solid through & through as he knows how to set up & pay off in his writing. I love that for his 1st film, he took on a franchise film & didn’t hold back his ideas as he tries to squeeze in as many crazy sequences as he can, & ya know what? That ABSOLUTELY works for a Mission: Impossible film. It’s fast paced & you’ll constantly play catch up while also probably missing a few details, but you won’t care cause you have enough to follow along & it’s too good of a time!

Oh & the scene where they FINALLY show us how these realistic masks Ethan always uses to disguise & deceive are made? Hats off to you Abrams. 🎩

He also establishes a specific visual style here that has some of his signature stuff like lens flares while also giving in to the 2000s time period of deep contrasted colors that I definitely found too distracting. Listen, I love a colorful movie, but there’s a point where the colorfulness becomes drowned out & it’s hard to see what’s even on the screen. Sign of the times. 🤷‍♀️

Anyways, Cruise is as awesome as ever, Luther keeps getting better & funnier every new movie, & his new team gets more interesting here but still gets jipped in any actual & meaningful character development/investment. Hoping the ensemble aspect gets better in future films!

Anyways, just an action blockbuster that barely dodges “dumb fun” & manages to actually build a story that makes sense with emotional stakes for our protagonist. This is what the Fast & Furious thinks it is tbh.

Hands down still the best Thor movie by miles. I love Taika Waititi’s shows/movies usually & you can feel Taika’s influence on the movie in such smaller jokes & the character reactions/mannerisms!

It’s unfortunate knowing Taika made such a joke of a film with Love & Thunder cause this dude also wrote an Oscar nominated film. The problem with his full Marvel outing is he full sent the comedy that tried too hard & didn’t give enough of anything else to feel for the movie.

That’s 100% not the case here as someone else wrote this film which made Taika’s humor more kept at bay & he probably threw in what he could when opportunities presented itself.

Seeing as how much stuff of Taika’s I’ve seen, it’s clear when his humor is on the screen & you can see how much he collaborated with actors to evoke some improvisation & hilarious delivery!

That being said, yes, this is the superior & best Thor film cause it took him in a new direction with a fun retro style & a fun ing cast who also had a blast while giving us a serious story with actual emotions behind it. The story moves throughout quite a lot here, but the pacing never feels too fast!

I think the story could benefit from even more emotions if built up even better from the start & the green screen at times was again, way too distracting as we’ve sadly gotten used to. Still, a good solid outing in the MCU. One of its better movies for sure!

Really hilarious laugh out loud comedy at times! Other than that, Kuzco is cartoonishly evil & insufferable so they accomplished that goal. His turn to being decent also feels unbelievable, but irable with how the story does it.

John Goodman’s voice is somehow perfectly fitting for Pacha’s look & Patrick Warburton makes this film better than being only average & forgettable! 

I didn’t like this one much as a kid, & it still didn’t really hit for me as an adult, but it ain’t bad! It’s mildly entertaining, but really fun at times thanks to Warburton & Spade. 

Also loved the unique art style! We gotta go back to those animated days! Other than that, don’t hate me the score! 😅
Movie just wasn’t for me & didn’t win me over anymore than when I initially watched it when I was younger. 🤷‍♀️

This is the film by Darren Aronofsky they play at the Sphere in Las Vegas to show off the Sphere’s impressive capabilities with its huge dome screen, long reaching sound system & 4D type of vibrating floors/chairs.

The visuals in this film are nothing short of breathtaking. It baffles me how some of these shots were even possible & there’s things in this film I’ve never seen before in my life! The experience itself is immersive & overwhelming (in a good way). It feels like a ride! The entire crowd was wowed & it’s awesome to hear everyone audibly reacting to the emotions the film evokes!

In of the narrative, it’s fairly simple. Obviously, it’s made this way to keep the focus on the visual journey it wants the viewers to be on, & I’d be more forgiving if the conclusion’s message wasn’t basically “yeah we fucked this world up, so we should find a different one instead” when it just spent 40 mins showing how Mother Nature has cared for us & we took it for granted. Why not a more positive message of change instead?

Seems like it was just a reason to take us to space to show us CGI on its big screen too. Honestly, none of the sci-fi stuff works here, nor the city life it shows. All the landscapes & nature it shows, especially the animals/bugs or even the architecture we have out in the world, that’s where the real magic lies. At times it feels like a nature documentary, in the best way possible.

The score is also so cinematic which really solidifies this next level experience! Only other gripe is sometimes the focal point is towards the bottom of the screen which doesn’t work well for those who are seated higher than the midday point.

Other than that, after seeing how insanely unreal this Sphere is, all it did was make me crave a real cinematic & narratively driven movie. Like if Nolan made a film for this specifically, it’d be one of the best films ever! 

Anyways, film lovers, this is a must if you’re ever in Vegas!

This film starts off as what seems like a story that’s been regurgitated before again & again, turns into something very special & full of heart!

I had no problem with the first act that sets up exactly what I thought was going to happen. What I DIDN’T expect was for the 2nd & 3rd acts to pick up the pace & nail its execution!!!

Not only is the score just so magnificent to the point where you’ll be in awe, but HTTYD takes its time to make you just adore its main character who wants to change his Viking world by fighting dragons with empathy instead of violence & it also makes you fall in love with Toothless by making him honestly the only cute dragon design & making him act like a lil puppy. 🥹

By the end, we’re in still predictable territory, but boy, does it deliver with its pay off by giving his group of pals their own dragons to defeat the big bad while doing so in amazing visuals for its last 1v1 battle!

The cherry on top? A shocking reveal of a now handicap protagonist who is unscathed mentally showing a nice lil representation that is just too amazing. Can’t believe I’ve gone 15 years without ever seeing this!!! 

Very scared for its live action adaptation as this doesn’t seem like it would translate well & that trailer didn’t visually sell it either, but I’ll still give it a chance given it’s at least one of the original directors at the helm. Knowing it’s his baby, at least we’ll hopefully see a genuine effort to make this come to life!

Wow, this one holds up SURPRISINGLY well. I don’t the story being that well rounded where there’s so many things that come full circle. Although, the amount of coincidences are a bit unbelievable here, but it helps for the pay offs & sell more of the magical ideas that the film uses to convince you in luck vs bad luck cause of a “curse”.

At the end of the day, there’s emotion here with people you want to root for & people it gives you more and more reason to hate with all the annoying kids in between who cause unnecessary hurdles whilst being distinctively memorable. But they’re not the real villains here!

So many “awwwh” moments for both happy & sad scenes & it even has a past storyline it constantly jumps to that deals with that time period & a more serious topic especially with a film aimed at younger audiences. It fittingly weaves that storyline to the main present storyline all while having such a creative & unique premise that has been unforgettable for my generation with memorable lines still memed to this very day.

I think this is a must watch for younger people no matter what generation & it’s so well written with a satisfying end. Also, there’s like a surprising amount of big actors here I forgot were in this movie? There’s just so much to love here.

Now I gotta listen to that damn catchy song again to hear Shia LaBeouf rap LOL.

Soderbergh & Koepp team up once again right after giving us a unique ghost film in Presence & now tackle a whodunit story within the sleek & big stakes spy genre! I found nothing appealing about this trailer that seemed like a rip off of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but word of mouth severely helped this one out.

Truly, I didn’t expect this to be a mystery to solve, but you figure out the film’s intentions very early on in a wild dinner scene where Fassbender begins to show why he’s the leading man in this film.

I think the story ends up taking a safe route by the end with the reveal, but it does take a couple lil twists & turns on the way that I didn’t expect.

The movie does great at carving out its suspects so the viewer can have fun theorizing throughout who could be involved. Whodunits aren’t usually my thing, but the way it’s resurfaced in recent years in new exciting ways (probably thanks to Knives Out), I do have a pretty good time with them.

On the flip side, this does mean that you’re going to get tons of dialogue with so much exposition so that way you can start piecing everything together.

Seeing this whilst kinda tired, the dialogue being heavy & fast paced, being thrust into a lot of stuff having to assume context so the writing doesn’t feel too hand holdy, all with some indecipherable accents at times (more a me thing), and you get a quite tough movie to keep up with. Luckily, Koepp is a strong writer & with Soderbergh’s directing to help give context clues, most should be able to catch up if you miss something or in my case, multiple things. 😅

I’d say watch this at home where you can lock in & have subtitles. Although, it is a good movie watching experience as it’s fun to laugh at the clever writing & jokes here.

Soderbergh & Koepp are a dream team as they have another solid home run with this one. Also, did anyone else love the lil stylistic choice the film did to make any visible light source have that dreamy nostalgic effect? Nice lil cherry on top. 😮‍💨

Such a huge & stuffed mafia story chronicling the rise & fall of a real life mobster who just flew too close to the sun & ironically dug their guiltless hole deeper & deeper! Even though this is filled to the brim, I never felt like it was too much or excessive. The story constantly jumps to something significant & entertaining!

The film does so good at mapping out its key players & never has you questioning what happened to someone & why. Scorsese is fucking phenomenal here with how he filmed this from well orchestrated long tracking scenes to a killer opening scene that instantly had my attention.

While the story is obviously narrated throughout, Scorsese makes sure to STILL show you even when the writing decides to exposition dump you!

This film is wildly entertaining with not a single dull character. It’s a blast to see how these gangsters operated as everyone just wants to whack each other due to the non trusting nature of what they do lol.

I’ll definitely say there’s some tropey territory we hit & some arcs I definitely didn’t prefer or care to see, but Scorsese manages to keep you invested as he weaves everything together & manages to make it all to flow well for a solid ending.

There’s a couple things I wish we got to see like a couple of the heists or more whackings, but that’s just being greedy as the film already gives so much in its long run time. 🤪

But overall, this story & these characters were a fascinating bunch to follow & see how their dynamics changed. Never a dull moment in this crazy story!

P.S. Johnny Roastbeef is the most fucking hilarious nickname I’ve ever heard. 😭

It’s kinda insane watching this again & realizing about how good the MCU actually had it back then. This story is so well written with how it turns everyone against each other while sprinkling in The Winter solider as he’s the key to everything.

Realistically, the Sovia Accords would be a thing if superheroes exist. How feasible is the idea that the whole WORLD would be able to coordinate & be in charge of the Avengers, though? It’s insane to think these super beings would have no government supervision, but thinking about it seriously, they wouldn’t be able to be used anywhere with how the world cannot agree on a single thing, let alone in emergency situations.

The politics & divide is such a fascinating thing to explore & I think that’s why I enjoyed this more as an adult. There’s so much that happens here while also introducing Black Panther & Spider-Man to the MCU as well & also laying groundwork for Infinity War & Endgame? Plus, the iconic scenes & amazing action choreography? We used to have it so good, fellas.

The Russo brothers somehow knew their way around making a good MCU film. After seeing The Electric State, I’m scared for Doomsday & Secret Wars. Maybe they just used to have the right combo of ppl before? Fingers crossed we can get something as iconic & memorable as Civil War again. 😭

Just didn’t work for me. I wanted to like this one so bad (kinda literally just like Long Legs). I even lowered my expectations for this & it still was the bare minimum!!!

Oz Perkins is a great director as he can build horror suspense & ambience with finesse, but he seems to always miss the mark for me when it comes to writing.

I knew this was meant to be cheesy ridiculous horror, but I was really hoping he’d full send just something here. The kills were not insane, the ridiculous humor rarely landed (& I was the only one who laughed in my whole theater, which was only a handful of times), & the movie is only interesting in maybe just the beginning? 

His writing seems to be more focused on spelling everything out for the audience & holds your hand at every turn to explain what’s happening and why to the very end. Both this & Long Legs just throw ideas at the wall to see what sticks & it seems we set some stuff up for big payoffs or something to come full circle at the end, but it turns out it was all just random nothingness & every reveal is going be the most basic story direction imaginable.

I’ll say that I think most of the humor didn’t work for me cause it felt either cringe or the execution just wasn’t quite there. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a couple thing I really thought the IDEA of was funny, but not in practice here. It’s almost as if the film was watching me actively not laugh at its joke & then it just kept desperately trying more & more to hammer that joke down to make me laugh? Idk.

Plus, it seems like there was symbolism or messages here the movie tries to convey about grief & father relationships or something, but it was all surface level & was better off just cutting that shit & going further for its ridiculousness. 
I don’t even know why it tried with its characters or any meaning here, everything was surface level & all it did was make it so the film was confused on when to be serious, trying to be funny, or just being a straight parody. It was unbalanced & it sadly didn’t work.

Nothing is surprising, clever, or really fun here.

Hmm, I ain’t gonna lie, fellas… I didn’t hate this one. 🤷‍♀️
Maybe it was the preparation going into this installment knowing that everyone strongly dislikes it or maybe it’s knowing what John Woo directed it after seeing what he did just a few years prior in Face/Off.

Look, there’s some sauce here. The filmmaking wasn’t bad with cool practical sets & epic use of badass lighting. Plus, the action & big crazy set pieces are kinda wildly entertaining. Like John Woo was doing this wild shit before the Fast & Furious started doing the outlandish action ideas.

That being said, the story & writing is awful, but that’s kinda where my main critiques end lol. 

I think Woo knew what he wanted to make with this, and by god, did he go all out. 😂
You gotta give it up for the films that just know what they are & embrace it is all I’m saying.

It’s cringey cornfest heaven as this movie is what both regular & parody films have been making fun of for countless years down to its zoom ins/transition edits & its cheesy dialogue delivery, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some fun with it. I thought some stuff was actually pretty badass, like Tom Cruise walking across a doorway in slow mo with a fire in front of it after blowing up a couple dudes trying to get the villain scared? THAT SHIT ROCKED BRO.
Oh and Hans Zimmer’s score??? GTFO HERE, SO 🔥🔥🔥

Anyways, I hope the whole countless “twists with the realistic masks” stops cause we’ve been beating a dead horse since the 1st film. If this is the worst the franchise has to offer, though, looks like I’ll be happy with the rest of the movies!

Actually so surprised at how many are not liking this one. Look, I was exhausted by seeing this trailer 1,000 times in theaters & felt like I knew everything about this film, but I genuinely thought this was pretty entertaining.

Sure, a lot of the commentary is on the nose at times & it seems like we dabble in a lot of different things this film wants to comment on. Ultimately, the film settles on maybe 3 or 4 big things & just dips its toes in a buncha other stuff which takes away from the overall impact it could make for anything it says, but honestly, I could care less about commentary. I felt the same even about Parasite (which was much better).

All I care about is a good & entertaining story, and I personally found Mickey 17 pretty fun. I found it more funny than I anticipated, I thought the overall idea was interesting to see in play in different ways, & the acting all around was just a blast from many big names I usually love to see!

I think the ending runs on a bit too long & feels a bit messy. I also wish there was a bit more heart here that you get to see glimpses of especially when exploring Mickey & his past, but I don’t think it was enough to ruin the experience for me.

Satirical comedies like this can be tricky & there seems to be a mixed bag of genres & themes, but for the most part, I think it juggles everything in a fun & coherent way with a few mishaps!

1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
3. Mission: Impossible III
4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
5. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
6. Mission: Impossible
7. Mission: Impossible II

1. Avengers: Endgame
2. Black Panther
3. Avengers: Infinity War
4. Thunderbolts*
5. The Avengers
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
8. Captain America: Civil War
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Dune: Part Two
2. Conclave
3. I'm Still Here
4. Nickel Boys
5. Wicked
6. The Substance
7. The Brutalist
8. Anora
9. A Complete Unknown
10. Emilia Pérez

1. Interstellar
2. Inception
3. The Dark Knight
4. Oppenheimer
5. Memento
6. Batman Begins
7. The Dark Knight Rises
8. Dunkirk
9. Tenet

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
3. Spider-Man 2
4. Spider-Man
5. Spider-Man: No Way Home
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming
7. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
8. Spider-Man 3
9. The Amazing Spider-Man
10. Spider-Man: Far From Home

1. Past Lives
2. American Fiction
3. Oppenheimer
4. Anatomy of a Fall
5. The Zone of Interest
6. Barbie
7. The Holdovers
8. Killers of the Flower Moon
9. Poor Things
10. Maestro

• Hereditary
• It Follows
• Nope
• The Babadook
• Malignant
• The Ritual
• The Shining
• Doctor Sleep
• The Night House
• The Invisible Man

...plus 12 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.