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Reviews
Oppenheimer (2023)
A Fantastic Film
It wasn't quite the masterpiece I was hoping for, but Oppenheimer is still a really fantastic movie.
Cillian Murphy is terrific and the supporting cast is honestly insane. This might beat The Thin Red Line for the amount of big name actors that show up. Robert Downey Jr. Stole the show. I did feel like Emily Blunt was a bit wasted though. She has one really good scene, but she's mostly just the "wife" character.
The cinematography, editing, music; it's all top-notch, even if most of the visuals don't really make it a "must see in IMAX" movie. The detonation sequence is absolutely breathtaking though.
It did start to feel a bit overdramatic at points, with plot twists and lots of shouting courtesy of Jason Clarke's almost cartoonishly evil character. Plus there are times where (despite it's uniquely Nolan structure) it does feel like a rather standard biopic, especially in the first act. That feeling doesn't stick for very long though since the whole thing is so well put together.
In the end, I would say this is easily one of my favorite Nolan films. It's great to see him tap into more emotional themes, even when there are still some issues. Also, I absolutely loved the ending.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
A masterpiece of animation and cinema
Bigger and more ambitious than the first one in almost every way. Bigger stakes, more and fanservice and even more Spider-men, but never at the expense of the very personal and emotional story. The character development is incredible, with Gwen's story being the easy standout for me. The movie's fairly long and it doesn't waste a single minute. It could've been five hours long and I wouldn't have complained. It will obviously leave you wanting even more.
The animation is mind-blowing. As gorgeous as you'd expect from a sequel to Into The Spider-verse.
I don't know how they did it, but they did it. Again. What an incredible movie.
Elvis (2022)
A Baz Luhrmann movie through and through, and finally a definitive Elvis biopic
It starts how you'd expected: stylish, hyperkinetic, anachronistic; very wonderfully Baz Luhrmann. I enjoyed all of it, but I also felt like I was missing very important parts of Elvis' life
But then something happened. The film started to slow down and linger on the tragedy of his life. His early years went by fast, but the last years of his life and career are slow and painful, tragic and heartbreaking. That shift is what I think is this movie's true genius.
Austin Butler is absolutely amazing and Oscar-worthy as Elvis. Tom Hanks is never quite as convincing, but stil very effectively despicable.
Honestly this was one of my favorite music biopics in recent years. It's good to finally have a definitive Elvis biopic.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
A fantastic sequel
I like the original Top Gun, but there was still room for improvement. Top Gun: Maverick keeps everything good about the original and fixes pretty much all of its problems. It's still cool, occasionally homoerotic and full of stunning flying, but now with a clearer goal and action scenes that can actually be followed.
It takes the original's emotional core (Maverick's friendship with Goose and his relationship with Iceman) and develops it in extemely moving and satisfying ways, not only making for a great watch, but also making me appreciate the original a lot more.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
A full-blown Sam Raimi film!
My biggest fear was that Marvel wouldn't let Sam Raimi do his thing. Thankfully, that's not the case at all. Sam Raimi goes ham on this movie.
A script like this would not have worked in the hands of any other director. Raimi turns what could've been an incomprehensible mess into a visually inventive and occasionally gruesome adventure. The flaws in the script are still there, but the fantastic direction always makes sure you're not thinking too hard about them. This is easily the best directed movie in the MCU.
The movie has fanservice for both Marvel and Sam Raimi fans. There are moments that are clearly direct references to the Evil Dead movies, and a number of comic book characters make suprise appearances.
These moments surprisingly never distracted me from the story, which while often too chaotic for its own good, finds a strong anchor point in the emotional journeys of Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff.
I have no idea how this movie will hold up on a rewatch, since it definitely has flaws, but right now, I'm just extremely happy to have an MCU film not afraid to let its director put every bit of themselves on screen.
The Batman (2022)
Matt Reeves gets Batman
I have like three issues with it (the chase scene is a little hard to follow, the third act isn't as strong as the rest of the film, and there's a scene at the end that felt unnecessary), but I'm still giving it a ten. Why? Because this is the kind of Batman movie I've been waiting for my whole life.
It's dark and realistic, but also stylish and large-scale. It's not limited by a commitment to realism like the Dark Knight trilogy, nor is it burdened by a shared universe like the DCEU. It is its own thing. A moody, disturbing, visually stunning, David Fincher-inspired, three hour long detective epic with some of the best interpretations of the characters ever put on screen.
Robert Pattinson is fantastic as a younger, moodier, and yes, more emo Batman. Paul Dano is straight up terrifying as the Riddler. Colin Farrell is unrecognisable in more ways than one as The Penguin and Zoë Kravitz is easily my favorite live-action Catwoman.
This movie kept me hooked all the way through, even if I said before, the third act is its weakest part. But that's like saying that the cone is the worst part of an ice cream cone. It's true, but it's still delicious.
This is the best Batman movie. The Dark Knight is good and all, but Reeves finds the perfect mix of gritty realism and style (Nolan would never even dare to have a snorricam shot of Batmam gliding over the city), and finally gives us a live-action Batman that lives up to the title of "World's Greatest Detective". Not that there's much competition, since he's like the only one to actually do any actual detective work (no, Christian Bale magically finding a fingerprint on a broken bullet doesn't count).
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The Spider-Man movie we've been waiting for
I'm so happy right now. They really outdid themselves with this one.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is an epic, ambitious and emotional movie that perfects the art of fanservice even better than Endgame, delivering easily one of the MCU's best movies.
It manages to balance an insane amount of villains like it's easy. They all get a moment to shine, even the ones that inevitably get pushed aside.
Some aspects of the multiverse logic won't make sense if you think about them too much, but other than that, this is the film you've been waiting for.
Also, this is the scariest Willem Dafoe has ever been. That's saying a lot.
Eternals (2021)
Why are the reviews so bad?! This was really good!
Look, I know it's not perfect. There are some messy moments and plot points that don't quiet work... but I really liked this movie.
I like that it takes its time to build up the characters and their relationship with each other. I love the more serious tone and and themes. I love how it's shot. For Marvel's lowest rated movie, I though it had a lot more good than bad in it.
I surprisingly liked the characters a lot. I've seen some complain that there's too many of them, but I though it did a great job at balancing all of them. They were all memorable in their own way.
I just don't see why THIS is the movie that made critic so disappointed. It's really not bad at all.
Dune: Part One (2021)
I didn't want it to end.
Denis Villeneuve's Dune is exactly what I wanted it to be. A big, epic sci-fi story with deep lore and world-building, full of gorgeous visuals and spectacular set pieces.
I didn't want it to end. I was completely willing to sit through another hour or two. I was so invested in the story that I wish it had kept going. A second one must happen. It's for the good of mankind.
No Time to Die (2021)
A strong send-off to the best Bond ever
Despite a rushed ending and a ridiculous plot, No Time to Die is probably the strongest any Bond actor has ever ended their tenure, with lots of great action, emotion and suspense.
It's too long and the villain, while not terrible, is kinda forgettable, although I did mostly enjoy him.
Also, Ana de Armas may not have that much screentime, but she is easily one of my favorite, if not my favorite Bond girl of all time.
The Green Knight (2021)
Incredible
The Green Knight is the best movie I've seen this year. An epic journey that may bore some with its slow pace, but kept me glued to the screen in awe.
You've seen stories like this before. A man embarks on a journey and on the way meets characters that either aid him in his quest or stand in his way. It's the basic structure of the hero's journey, but I've never seen it done in such a deeply moving way.
The film is full of stunning visuals. There are some shots in this movie that made my jaw drop.
It's an emotional and often spiritual experience. The more I think about it, the more I love it.
Malignant (2021)
Purposely silly and very entertaining
Stylish, silly, ultra violent, tongue-in-cheek and very entertaining. It's not a style that's going to please everybody, since it pretty much involves being schlocky on purpose. I'll admit, for most of its runtime, I wasn't completely into it.
However, the third act of this movie is INSANE. There's a big reveal that's it's so perfectly delivered and so hilariously messed up that I can't see anyone having a problem with it. Perhaps with the rest of the movie, but not that. That third act made this movie special. Though what came before did leave some to be desired, it goes out with a bang.
Old (2021)
Good concept, horrible execution
As I've come to expect from the films of M. Night Shyamalan, Old has a very interesting concept that is executed horribly, with actors that are trying and failing to deliver good performances from a script full of inhuman robotic dialogue, things that happen for no reason other than because something needs to happen, and characters without any personality that are solely defined by their professions, which they keep stating over and over so we don't forget.
Crank (2006)
Stylish fun
If Crank were to take itself seriously, it would be the most unpleasant movie ever. Thankfully, it's so over-the-top and so stylized that any chances of taking it seriously get immediately thrown out the window.
What you're left with is an insane action movie that overloads your senses and keeps you watching for two reasons: One is because it's legitimately entertaining, and the other is out of curiosity of just what new GTA-level insanity will it do next.
Bando (2020)
It just doesn't come together
What's strange about this movie is that there actually isn't much I dislike about it. If fact, I enjoyed almost every individual part of the film (even the fake looking cgi cars have their charm), it's just that when all those parts are put together, they somehow don't make a very good final product.
The movie is very consistently boring and bland, with an unengaging plot that's really only there as an excuse to have a crazy zombie movie.
By the end, it was clear that I just didn't care enough. It's not bad, in fact I would say it's a fine movie to pass the time, but the only emotion I felt once it was over was total indifference.
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
A blast from beginning to end
Sam Raimi went back to his horror comedy roots with a movie which had me watching with a big dumb smile on my face through the whole thing.
It embraces its own cartoonishness and silliness, never pretending to be more than just fun entertainment, while still managing to deliver thrilling scenes and subtle subtext. Ridiculously entertaining from begining to end. Also, an anvil gets dropped on someone's head, so that's a big plus (I told you it was cartoony).
Shin Gojira (2016)
This is the best Godzilla movie. By far.
A Godzilla movie made by the man behind Neon Genesis Evangelion??!! Yes please!
This is a very different kind of Godzilla film. It focuses more on the goverment's response to the threat than on destruction. The movie is mostly dialogue delivered quickly and elegantly, almost like an Aaron Sorkin film. The strange camera angles, angelic soundtrack and purposely jarring editing reminded me a lot of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Godzilla itself is terrifying. He's slow and expressionless. He's new design and and constantly vacant stare definitely based on the Frilled Shark. His atomic breath is quiet, almost silent, but the amount of destruction it causes literally made my jaw drop.
Fantastic Four (2015)
Nothing really happened in this movie.
They go to another dimention, they get their powers, then Doctor Doom shows up, they fight him and it's over. There's practically nothing else.
We never see them learn to use their powers, we never see them getting to know each other, we rarely see the four together for most of the movie. All of that is skipped. We're told it happened, but we never see it, only glimpses of it in the backround.
There's some good scenes. The cast is good. The effects are good. It is composed of scenes that belong in a good movie, but lacks all of the esential pieces to make it a good movie. The end result is just really bland and boring. It's not even worth getting mad about; It's just kinda sad.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The best Batman movie
What I love the most about this film is that it really feels like the perfect interpretation of Batman in a real world setting. Batman Begins was still a bit silly, so this was really the film that brought Nolan's vision of a real life Batman to life in a truly succesful way.
And then of course, there's the Joker. There's nothing I can say about Heath Ledger's performance in this movie that hasn't been said already. He's arguably the best live action Joker and he's what makes this movie what it is. This is his movie.
There's some weird editing at times and the dialogue isn't very good, so I can't say it deserves to be in so many "Best Movies of All Time" lists (this is the same movie where a SWAT agent yells "I didn't sign up for this!"). I guess it's a bit overrated in that regard, but it's still Nolan's best movie, Batman's best movie (although Batman Returns is still my favorite) and it's just really fun to watch.
Hillbilly Elegy (2020)
It tries too hard and accomplishes too little
It feels like it's trying way too hard to be maningful instead of letting the story do the job for itself.
Almost every scene has the characters having a giant burst of emotion and it makes the few geniunely touching scenes have less impact. There's so much melodrama packed into every second of this film that it all feels meaningless in the end.
Glenn Close is probably the best thing about this movie and she's responsible for some of the more subtle and effective dramatic moments. And while this might one of Amy Adams' worst performances, she's still clearly giving it her all.
In the end, this is just a giant mixed bag of good intentions and a big desire to win awards. The final result isn't terrible, but it's nowhere near as effective or as moving as it clearly wanted to be.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Better, but still disappointing.
This was really frustrating. One the one hand, it's a massive improvement over the theatrical cut. On the other hand, that's not saying much. I've seen some people say that it's a completely different movie, but after watching it, I have to disagree. The Snyder Cut is still basically the same movie.
There's a lot to like. The added scenes make some of the events that happen make more sense, the effects are a little better, most of the bad jokes are gone, Cyborg gets a lot more to do, and yes, it is a million times better than the other cut.
However, a lot of the things that I disliked in the original are still here. Apart from Cyborg, most of the characters are still pretty bland, Steppenwolf is still very uninteresting, the action is still forgettable and I'm just not emotionally engaged enough.
There's a lot added to the movie, but a lot of it seems like it's only there to set up movies that may never even happen.
Also, there's a choir singing that plays whenever Wonder Woman shows up and I hated it.
In the end, I'm really glad that Zack Snyder got to finally make the movie he wanted. I believe all filmmakers should be able to make their movies the way they want to make them. But this movie is still just Justice League but longer. It's an improvement, but being better than Justice League (2017) isn't a huge accomplishmet. Disappointing.
Nomadland (2020)
Absolutely beautiful
Nomadland is one of those movies you can just feel. One where you can almost feel the cold air on your skin as you watch it. One where every interaction feels authentic and every person has a story.
Frances McDormand gives a powerful performance that's never grand or showy, but subtle and restrained like the movie itself. It's a wonderful film.
Soul (2020)
One of Pixar's most deeply personal and moving films
Pixar movies are good at making me cry, but rarely do they elicit deep feelings of sadness. Until now.
Throughout its surprisingly unpredictable story, Soul tackles with very conplex themes in a way that manages to be not too overwhelming, but deep enough to leave you with a sense of enlightment and reassurance once its over.
It goes to more familiar territory towards the third act, and not every unpredictable turn is as effective as others, but this might just be one of Pixar's most deeply personal stories and I'm so grateful to have been able to witness it.
The Midnight Sky (2020)
A total bore
It's been a while since I've been this bored by a movie. When it's not George Clooney walking around in the snow with a little girl, it's a bunch of austronauts talking and doing astronaut stuff, and it's rarely interesting.
And when it's none of that, it's flashbacks of who I guess it's supposed to be young George Clooney, but hilariously looks nothing like him.
Also, what was that ending?!
Clooney is good and the visuals are often impressive, but I can't imagine myself sitting through this again, unless I have a very bad case of insomnia. In conclusion: boring.
Marshall (2017)
A good but not great court drama
It's undeniably sentimental and designed to win awards, but it still works thanks to fanatastic work from Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown and a surprisingly great Josh Gad, even if at times he feels too much like the protagonist instead of Marshall.
It's powerful and important enough to warrant watchig and my love of courtroom dramas guaranteed I would like I anyway.
Rest in peace Chadwick Boseman.