Finally Some More Movie "Reviews"

I've been putting off writing about the movies I've seen over the last several months but it's time to finally bite the bullet. As usual, here are some very short and lazy reviews.

Honest Thief- I think I saw this over a year ago on a plane but can't really remember. It stars Liam Neeson as a middle aged one man wrecking crew. Imagine that. An old thief tries to turn his life around and make restitution but is set up by crooked cops so he has to clear his name, get revenge, etc. I'm not a big fan of Jai Courtney in anything I have seen him in so that didn't help either. It only gets 6.2 stars.

The Tomorrow War- I love Sci Fi, time travel, and Chris Pratt so this had a lot of potential but I had a hard time really enjoying it. The aliens and special effects were good, and I liked the premise, but there were too many plot loopholes and logic issues. I can only give it 6.3 stars.

News of The World- This Tom Hanks western was good, but it was a little slow. I can't really think what to fault it with but it was kind of a slow, somber depressing western. Did I mention it was slow? I give it 6.5 stars.

Only The Brave- I know this movie came out forever ago, but I finally got around to watching it and I really liked it. Great performances by the entire cast and a true heartbreaking story. It's kind of frustrating to watch a tragedy with an ending like that. It was good enough to make me cry so I give it 7.8 stars.

Cruella- To be honest, I was expecting a super woke version of 101 Dalmatians from Disney, but was pleasantly surprised by this back story to Cruella. It was entertaining and well done. The wardrobe department for this movie deserves a ton of credit. Emma Stone was good, but Emma Thompson stole the show. She was by far one of the best villains I've seen in a long time. I give it 7.8 stars.

Zach Snyder's Justice League- I saw this several months ago when the original director's version was made available. I was expecting a few extra scenes that had been deleted but had no idea the amount of work that went into this version. It is significantly longer and offers much more back story to each character. It also has a darker, more serious feel to it than the original. It's not perfect but I enjoyed it much more than the first attempt. It would be nice if people could clean up and improve more movies after the original release like they did this one. I give it 7.9.stars

It has been nice to see some of the movies that were held in Covid limbo for so long finally hit the theaters. I'm looking forward to many more by the end of the year. 

Did Covid Kill The Traditional Movie Experience?

I have always loved going to the movies. My wife prefers watching videos at home while multi-tasking, but I really like the traditional movie experience in a theater. There is something magical about watching previews before the movie starts with the smell of popcorn in the auditorium. The excitement generated in a packed theater watching Star Wars, LOTR, or a Marvel movie is something magical. Take a look at the short clip below from Avengers Endgame to see what I'm talking about. By the way, I'm all about theater etiquette and not being noisy but there are times when the audience can't help but react out loud. I'm afraid that enjoying a movie with a large group of strangers may be a thing of the past after this last year.

Well over a year ago I was looking forward to seeing No Time to Die, A Quiet Place 2, Ghostbusters, Top Gun 2, Death on the Nile, and many other movies in the Spring and Summer of 2020. As theaters began to speculate about shutting down over Covid concerns, studios began pushing their release dates back. When we were told to social distance for "2 weeks to flatten the curve", most movies pushed their release dates back a couple months in order to avoid losing money in empty theaters and I can't say I blame them, but I continued to watch in agony for months and noticed each of these movies getting pushed back further and further every time I checked on updated release dates. 

Since the lockdown efforts started last year, Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984 were the only two big movies that have been released in theaters. (Fortunately I missed Wonder Woman.) So many movies have gone direct to streaming thanks to Netflix, Disney, HBO, and other studios who have seen the writing on the wall. I have no idea how movie theaters can stay in business these days, especially if they have to social distance and only sell a portion of their available seats. Even extremely over priced popcorn and soda can't compensate for the kind of losses they have experienced over the last year. 

I'm afraid going to a movie in the theater might become a thing of the past like drive in theaters, or renting a video from Blockbuster. I've been pretty angry about Covid-19, our response to it over the last year, and how those changes have affected up so many of the aspects of life I used to enjoy and look forward to including something as simple and enjoyable as going to the movies!

Movies That Changed My Life

The title of this post may sound a little dramatic but there are definitely many movies that have impacted my life and that I regularly make references to. These movies also set the standard for their genres. I was pretty young when I saw the first several movies featured below and I think that helped create my love for movies.

Rocky- I remember watching Rocky for the first time and thought it was kind of boring except for the boxing scenes. The sequels that followed got more exciting even though the actual films got worse over time. Regardless of your appreciation for the Rocky movies, few things are as motivating to a young kid as watching one of the many work out montages from these movies. 

Ben Hur- My dad took me to this Hollywood epic when I was about 10 years old and I was entertained by the amazing action, the large scale scenes, Heston's charisma, and the spiritual story behind it. It is still a favorite of mine to this day.

Raiders of the Lost Ark- This movie was a game changer for action and adventure movies. It set the standard for non stop action in movies from start to finish. Spielberg did such a great job with all the details in this movie. I remember getting home after watching it for the first time and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Psycho- Unlike horror films like Jaws, and Poltergeist, this film didn't deal with creatures under the water or ghosts, but with the human psyche which makes it that much creepier. Hitchcock was a master of suspense. I never liked going down into the basement to get a jar of fruit after watching this movie.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God- While growing up, my Dad frequently took me to foreign films. Some of them were pretty boring but this was one of the more memorable and frankly traumatic ones. This movie portrays the thin line between determination, commitment, and out right insanity. Klaus Kinski still freaks me out to this day.

Shawshank Redemption- I love a good prison movie, especially if it involves an escape, and especially if the prisoner is innocent. This movie is excellent on so many levels and the storytelling is great which explains why it has such a high IMDB ranking.

The Matrix- Most people just think of gun fights but this movie offers so much more. It features action, martial arts, science fiction, style, philosophy, etc. Despite being an action movie it is also expands your mind. "Do you think that's air you're breathing?"

Most Any Christopher Nolan Movie- Speaking of expanding your mind, almost every film directed by Christopher Nolan does just that. He is not the lazy movie-goers director of choice. Be prepared to think and have to sit through a second viewing to make sense of all the details. I like all these films and wish movies like them came around more often.

Tenet

I've enjoyed every movie I've seen that was Directed by Christopher Nolan. I am a big fan but there is a regular problem with his movies. They are very complicated with many details to keep track of. Movies like The Prestige, Inception, and Intersteller require multiple viewings to let things sink in and make sense. With the recent closure of movie theaters and social distancing and lower numbers attending them now, the movie industry has been hit pretty hard. I was wondering how they could survive with so few movies out and so few people attending. I think Nolan figured out a way to deal with that. Make a movie so complex that people will have to come back and see it 3 or 4 times to really understand it and to appreciate all the details. 

I saw Tenet recently and enjoyed it (at least the parts I was able to wrap my head around.) I appreciate movies that make you think and expand your horizons. This movie does that while also serving up action, suspense, and style. 

I like movies that make you keep thinking about them after you leave the theater. That was the case with Tenet which I give 8.0 stars to. I also saw Bill and Ted Face the Music this week. I kept thinking about that too after viewing it but mostly about how bad it was and how embarrassed I am for sitting through the whole thing. It is a 4.9 star movie at best. 

Anyway, Tenet is great. John David Washington was good in the main role, but I also loved Kenneth Branagh. He's been great in everything I've seen in him over the last 5 years. I highly recommend Tenet but you may need to take a notepad and see it several times to really appreciate the intricate details.

Catching Up On Older Movies

"DURING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES" we have not had any movies released in the theaters. As a result, the only company that is getting new movies shown to people is Netflix streaming movies that finished filming prior to the pandemic. Last month while browsing Netflix I got caught up on a couple movies that have been out of the theaters for some time but I had never seen before.

White House Down- I knew this was a rival movie of Olympus Has Fallen. I first wrote about rival movies 12 years ago and you can see that post here.  I wasn't expecting much but for some reason when I watched it with such low expectations, it was actually better than I thought it would be. It was totally fake but I was entertained. It was also odd to see James Woods on the screen since it's been such a long time since I've seen him in a movie.  I give White House Down 6.6 stars.

Escape Room- I was interested in this last year when it came out but missed it in the theaters. I have never experienced an escape room but it looks kind of fun. I'm not a big horror fan but from the previews I knew it also featured a certain amount of mystery and suspense too. I was curious to know exactly what this movie was about so I decided to give it a shot. It ended up keeping my attention as I was trying to guess what would happen next and who was in control of the Escape room behind the scenes. The movie reminded me of winning a ticket to Willy Wonka's Factory but they kill you for real. I suppose it was alright. I give it 6.5 stars.

These movies were entertaining, but due to being so bored over the last 2 months of social distancing I was still entertained and not as picky as usual and therefore more generous with my ratings.