Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Acrimony (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment

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Summary: A faithful wife, tired of standing by her devious husband, is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.
There will be spoilers because I don’t care.
Pros:
Leading Characters. I don’t think any of these characters are that interesting apart from the two leads, nor do I think the acting is that great throughout the movie. I will give a shout out to Ajiona Alexus as Young Melinda, she is great with her facial expressions and you do sympathize with her.
  • Taraji is always a Win. Taraji P. Henson is a very good actress and I generally think she does a great job in her roles. I think with the writing she was given, she managed to elevate in certain places throughout the movie. The narration (while I didn’t like it) was humorous in some areas and you can tell that she was truly affected by what was going on with her. I think Taraji is very engaging to watch even when she’s playing crazy.
  • Lyriq Bent as Robert. It’s kind of weird but while the character was mostly crap, Lyriq is really good at this role. He’s this man who is down on his luck and he just keeps trying to make this battery thing work and you can tell he really wants it too, but he’s so narrow focused on his own problems that he doesn’t see what he’s doing to his wife.
The Idea of the Story. The whole woman scorned thing is okay, I mean we’ve seen it many times before and this isn’t anything different but the idea of watching this woman stand by her man for a long time and then finally let it go and the things he promised are given to someone else, all that’s fine. I wouldn’t mind it so much if the execution was good… I guess I’m getting ahead of myself.
Cons:
The Narration.I won’t say I hate narration but I HATE unnecessary narration. We first see them in court and then we see Melinda in therapy and she’s talking about her feelings. We then get to see her entire backstory with Robert and Taraji is narrating it while she’s telling her therapist. I usually dislike this setup because NOW we get to hear her tell us her feelings and thoughts instead of allowing us to live in the moment! THERE WAS TOO MUCH NARRATION! Gah it was so annoying. You want me to feel bad for her but you are literally telling me in the narration that she KNEW something was up! She kept saying “Con man!” because YES I know she’s telling it from her point of view, but dang Tyler Perry, trust your audience to get that from Ajiona Alexus’ acting. There’s a part where young Melinda sees Robert’s home and they have an intimate moment and we can CLEARLY SEE that he’s affecting her with his Nina Simone and his charisma, WE DIDN’T NEED THE NARRATION TO TELL US THAT! It was super annoying.
Over the top. Sometimes things being over the top is fine but it does not work in this movie. It’s ridiculous to be honest. They wanted me to feel bad for Melinda, which I did for a little while. It wasn’t until the crazy stuff later on that I was like “nope”. I mean, in the beginning when she was younger, she found out Robert was cheating and she literally ran her jeep into his mobile home until it tipped over. She busted her face, got internal bleeding and had to get her uterus removed. I mean… why? Why couldn’t it just have been her breaking an arm or leg, or hurt her neck? I mean jeez. Then later, after she gets the divorce, she decides she wants to sue him for half of everything once he gets his battery off the ground. Look, I get it, you were there the entire time he’s been failing and you feel like you should get something, I get it, but listen, you divorced him and he gave all the money you spent on him and more. I know it’s not necessarily all that you probably deserve but it wasn’t like he divorced you after he made it big ya know? Plus, I’m sure seeing him give everything he said he was going to give you to someone else had to be upsetting, I get it. Completely. But you stalk his fiancée on Facebook and leave threatening messages and then try and sue him. I mean what? lol it doesn’t make sense and I feel no sympathy anymore. If anything, I just feel bad for you and not in a good way. If the movie wanted that then great job but if they wanted me to feel for Melinda lol psht. Just ridiculous.
The Last Two Acts. I think the first act with the young versions and up until the divorce was fine. Painful but fine. When they get a divorce and she sees that he is now living the life he always said he wanted to live she loses it. Now, I don’t mind her being upset and the whole “woman scorned” thing but wow, the movie begins to take this break neck pace where it starts to get embarrassing and my friend kept rolling over because it was so painful to watch. It was like a car wreck. It went from this woman feeling betrayed to this “misery” thing and it was just… ugh ridiculous.
The Women. I don’t know what Tyler Perry’s issue is with black women, but literally all of the women in this movie are just out of their minds. Melinda of course has her issues that come full force later in the movie and I think it’s ridiculous that no one in her life addressed it beforehand. I know the black community has a hard time with mental health but still, considering the fact that Melinda knew her father had the same issue as her, it must have been mentioned. Why not more often by other people? They all seemed to know that she had this anger issue, so why hasn’t it ever been helped before? It’s a movie, she can go to therapy. Then her sisters were just stereotypes. Brenda was the one who just knew all the answers and was constantly putting Robert down and always always in Melinda’s business. I know she’s the oldest sister and she was protective but there are boundaries ma’am and you keep crossing them. The second sister, she was so timid… I guess? She was the other extreme to the oldest sister where she was always so mellow and tried to be the peace keeper but she always sided with Brenda. Then you have the lady that Robert ends up with and at first I was like okay, because she was like “I didn’t know about Melinda” when they were younger but she for some reason, started watching all of the videos he’d sent over the years (even though he was JUST issued a restraining order from the company) and you can clearly see her falling in love with him again and I’m like… girl lol, just because he’s brilliant doesn’t mean he’s not crazy. I just can’t. The only sane one was the friend.
Bad Acting. Outside of our leads the acting was horrible. I thought the friend was fine but the sisters, the other woman and the husbands were all just bad.
Overall, this movie is so bad I could barely finish it. I wanted to give up. I knew it was going to be bad but I hoped that it wouldn’t be so terrible since the two lead actors are good at their jobs, which they are. There’s nothing wrong with telling the story of a woman who wasted her life with someone who didn’t give her everything and more that she gave. I get it. I really do. Anyone who can relate, sure, but there’s a line between you feeling like you are owed and then just going crazy. It’s just so over the top that it’s not even good or interesting storytelling. It makes the main character who we’re supposed to sympathize with look bad and as the audience, I no longer care. The acting is bad minus, the women in this movie are stereotypes and terrible. The last two acts of the film are rushed and full of bad writing. I just can’t. I’m done with this movie lol.
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen Acrimony? What did you think of it? Let me know your thoughts on the movie down in the comments below. If you liked it, tell me, I’m curious.
Thanks for reading and please like and follow this blog for more movie reviews!
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Movie Review: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment
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Summary: A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins.
Pros:
Cast and Characters. The voice over cast is extremely good. I didn’t know who was in the movie before I watched it so I wasn’t really placing anyone. I then noticed Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch were in the movie and then I figured out who they were lol.
  • Rohan Chand as Mowgli. First of all, this kid is adorable. Extremely. I thought he did very well in the movie. There were a few times where it wasn’t coming through exactly like in the emotional moments but overall, I thought he managed to push through it. I like the moments where he’s quiet and he’s just watching because he has very expressive eyes. Some of my favorite moments was when he just got into the man village and he was learning everything, the camera would just watch him as he watched and learned and it was really beautiful. I also thought he did very well with reacting to the animals around him, showing his fear, his anger and the emotional bits. As I said, it didn’t always hit but I thought he did very well. He was very sympathetic.
  • Christian Bale as Bagheera. He is a black panther who finds Mowgli after his family was killed and takes him to the wolves. He becomes one of Mowgli’s mentors and friends. We also learn from him that he was born in human custody. Bagheera is kind and caring and while he believes in Mowgli, he’s also worried about him when it comes to living in the jungle with Shere Khan on the loose. Bagheera often makes choices that would protect Mowgli even if it seems harsh at the time. I knew I recognized his voice when I first started watching the movie, I think Christian Bale is great at voice overs (Howl’s Moving Castle anyone?) and his voice is so soft with honey like tones in the movie that it really works. There’s a great scene where Mowgli and Bagheera are talking about Bagheera’s history and it was a moving scene.
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan. He is a crippled Bengal tiger and Mowgli’s arch-enemy. He’s ruthless and will do anything to get what he wants. I think with him being crippled (his front right paw is like bent back so he can’t walk on the pad of his paw). Benedict Cumbersnatch is good at voice acting, he’s played many a villain in motion capture. I thought the voice he put on for the character was sinister.
Supporting Characters. There are a lot of side characters, some whose names I didn’t retain but there are a few who might not constantly be in the film but they have important roles.
  • Cate Blanchett as Kaa. She is a python and a seer. She is the main narrator of the film and it seems that she is on Mowgli’s side. We see her mainly twice, once where she saves Mowgli and then another time when he goes to her and she shows him some important information. I guess she could be a “mentor” but she’s not around enough for me to really say that. Cate Blanchett is always a win and her voice is amazing as always.
  • Andy Serkis as Baloo. He’s not the Baloo we know from the Disney movies, but a grisly, drill sergeant teacher. His face has a lot of scars showing his life, which was cool, but he looked a little odd. We did get to see him fight a few times which was cool. I don’t think he and Mowgli had a relationship that rivaled what we’ve seen before but the role he played, where he encouraged Mowgli to be at his best. One of my favorite parts was during the Running and he freaked out on Bagheera because of what he did. Andy Serkis is always great in motion capture and he’s great here too.
Dark and Gritty. I’ve never read the book, it’s on my list and I don’t know the tone of the story but this is very different from the Disney versions which director Andy Serkis made clear. For one thing, Baloo is this grisly mentor instead of a happy-go-lucky friend. Also, with the hunter and how Mowgli ends up deciding between the village and the jungle that was pretty intense. The monkey scene as well, there isn’t a King Louis but the monkeys end up knocking him out while dragging him to their hideout, and Shere Khan leaves this giant scar down Mowgli’s arm… I mean it’s also a little bloody. I quite enjoyed it though. I also think there was a little more at stake here in that Shere Khan was doing things that would break jungle law. The Hunter storyline in general and what we learn about Bagheera.
Bagheera and Mowgli. I didn’t want to compare this to Disney’s The Jungle Book (2015) but in this case I kind of have too. In both Disney versions, one of the biggest praises is the friendship that Mowgli has with both Bagheera and Baloo. Obviously, they are on two different levels with Baloo being the fun-loving friend and Bagheera being the protective one, but this movie does it a little differently. Baloo and Mowgli aren’t really friends at all, but he and Bagheera are and I thought the relationship they had was beautiful. Bagheera truly cared about him and did everything he could to protect him even if it came off in the wrong way. The scene by the cage, that is one of my favorite scenes.
The Man-Village. This might be a little spoilery, but meh lol. I really enjoyed the scenes in the man village. Mowgli wakes up in a cage and just watches everything around him and we see how some of the people react to him as he is a little jungle baby. Then when we finally see him out and about in the village, there’s a great scene between him and Frida Pinto as she washes him and teaches him the ways of the village. There’s not a lot of dialogue that goes on while he’s there, mostly because he doesn’t understand their language (though I wonder since he understands the animals, can other humans understand them or how that works. I mean, it’s fine but I’m curious). Then they have a Festival of Colors and I want to go so bad lol, but it was great and to see him fall into it and enjoy himself. It was great. I really liked all of that stuff.
Cons:
Shere Khan’s Motives. I guess he doesn’t really need any but I’ve always thought the idea of him killing humans just to kill them was lame. I mean, sure, it’s a villain move, but he’s so hellbent on getting Mowgli because he missed him the first time without an actual cause? It doesn’t make for a very interesting villain personally. He keeps doing things that breaks the law of the jungle… but why? He didn’t necessarily need to say why, but it would have been nice to discover that.
A Little Too Dark. There were a lot of times in the movie where I couldn’t see what was going on. I shouldn’t have to adjust my TV’s brightness for the movie to be seen. It was really annoying a few times so I just had to shrug it off.
Weird CGI. I don’t think all of the animals looked that great. It was cool that they had scars and battle wounds ya know, they’ve lived in the jungle but some of them looked scary and not in a good way. I think particularly the wolves and Baloo didn’t look great.
Rushed In the Last Act. I prefer the first half definitely because I thought it was pretty well paced but the last half flew through the story. I liked the stuff in the village, especially when he was in the cage, but once he finds that stuff with Lockwood, it just goes so fast that it feels so different from the first half. His standoff with Shere Khan was so quick I was like… meh.
Overall, I quite enjoyed Mowgli: Legend of the Jungleand I tried not to compare it to Disney’s version in 2015 and yes, it’s very different. I thought most of the characters were interesting, particularly Mowgli, Shere Khan and Bagheera. All of the motion capture and voice over acting was handled really well and I thought Christian Bale really portrayed the character of Bagheera in an interesting, compelling and sympathetic way. I will also give Rohan Chand his props for playing Mowgli. This is his first leading role and I thought he handled himself really well, he’s really great to watch. I enjoyed the dark and gritty tone in that it felt like there were actual things at stake, the hunter storyline, the kind of frightening images and of course the monkey stuff lol. I also really loved the storyline between Bagheera and Mowgli, they seemed a lot closer in this version and it allowed them to have a different kind of relationship that was really emotional. The man village scene was beautiful, without the dialogue it really helps just watch Mowgli grow immersed. Now, I did have a problem with how dark the movie looked in that I couldn’t tell what was going on. The CGI wasn’t always the best. The last act was extremely rushed  after what I thought was nice pacing in the first two acts. Also, Shere Khan’s motives were kind of meh. I get it but meh. But it’s worth the watch if you love The Jungle Book.
Rating: 3.59 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle? If not, you should check it out, it’s worth the watch especially if you love The Jungle Book. If you have seen it, let me know your thoughts down below and let’s discuss!
Thanks for reading and be sure to like and follow this blog for more movie reviews!

Movie Review: The Darkest Minds (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment
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Summary: Imprisoned by an adult world that now fears everyone under 18, a group of teens form a resistance group to fight back and reclaim control of their future.
Pros:
Pretty Good Acting. I like Amandla Stenberg. I don’t think there has ever been a movie that I didn’t like her in. The movie might not have been great, but I usually always enjoy her. I think she had an interesting character in this movie in that Ruby has some baggage and trauma that she deals with, not to mention being afraid of her abilities. It’s something we’ve seen before but it’s still interesting because we don’t know the extent her powers and nor does she. Amandla manages to show all of that. I do acknowledge that she makes some funny faces but that’s just her face lol and it doesn’t bother me, nor do I count it against her. Harris Dickinson as Liam was also pretty good, he’s a leader in their runaway group and it’s clear he really cares about those in his group. He’s very passionate and it shows. I also enjoyed Skylan Brooks as Chubs, and while she didn’t have any dialogue Miya Cech as Zu was also cute.
Character Skeletons. I didn’t want to go through each character and actor like I normally do because I don’t think the characters are that interesting overall, but we got some interesting character skeletons. Even with Ruby being the main character, she wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to care about her, BUT I thought there was enough setup for interesting characters. I liked that each one of our runaways had a different ability and that they viewed themselves like a family. The villain was also interesting, but he was so random that it didn’t work overall.
The Story. I haven’t read the book, so I am not going to be comparing this at all. I did read the first two or three chapters and it was interesting. The idea is that 98% of the children die in the US leaving the survivors with abilities. The government wants to cure them, so they put them into these camps. Their abilities are rated on a color scale from harmless to lethal.
Green- High Intelligence
Blue- Telekinesis
Yellow- Electrokinesis
Red- Unknown (I mean I know but it’s kind of cool to find out)
Orange- Mind Control etc.
That’s all cool and stuff and I would like to know just how they planned on curing these kids or if they would rather use them as weapons. Plus, there are three books so I’m sure they planned on making two more movies, which I would have been interested in watching but ya know it did terribly, so I doubt it. Anyways, the fact that Ruby managed to survive in the camps pretending to be a green was interesting and I would have liked to know just how she managed to survive for so long. Not to mention, when she met up with Liam, Chubs and Zu, they escaped from the camp they were in and were on the run, but what next at the end ya know? I thought there was the makings of a cool and immersive story.
Cons:
Dull and Boring. Ya’ll this movie is so dull. Nothing happens. I mean, stuff happens but nothing happens, and it was very anticlimactic. I really wanted the end to be more interesting than it was because you have all these kids with powers in one place and none of them thought to use their powers to help?? I mean, listen, if I had telekinesis (which is the power I always choose) then I would be fighting. Besides, I can’t imagine anyone not catching on to that “twist” at the end. Also the little dust thing where Ruby is like disappearing or whatever you always see… so disappointed in that lol. I get it but BOO. Disappointed.
Use of Abilities. A big missed opportunity was how the powers were used. I think it makes sense that Ruby’s powers were a bit of mystery because she didn’t really know how to use them herself so that’s fine. However, the others should have had some better use of their powers. For one, I feel like the Greens having high intelligence is just so passive in the world where the others aren’t. I felt like they should be able to control or connect with technology, be technopaths or something like that. We see Zu use her powers maybe three times and each time she had to touch wires or something, which is cool to give it limitations but is that it? Is that why she always had to wear the rubber gloves? As for the telekinesis which can also be called “Psychokinesis” is a powerful power which is why I was so shocked it was considered “less dangerous” considering how they can not only move things with their mind, they can move people, create force fields, I guess depending on the limitations of that power. Missed opportunity because Liam was already considered a powerful “blue”, but that power is powerful in general. I just wish we got to see more of the powers used overall in more than just the usual ways.
Unfocused. It was allllll over the place. Sure, it had a through line, the kids had somewhere they wanted to go and Ruby ultimately wanted to go home but being that it’s a dystopian ya film, it kind of has the same tropes that all the others have (The Hunger Games, Divergent, The 5th Wave), and they wanted us to be interested in so much that they didn’t flesh out the stuff that really mattered. Why didn’t we get the chance to really know just how close Liam, Chubs and Zu were? They told us they were, they said it, but other than the fact that they seemed stuck with each other, we didn’t really get to know them as a unit. Then there’s the stuff with Mandy Moore’s character and that was just here and there. THEN the stuff with Gwendolyn Christie who seemed like an interesting character but that was just brushed aside. It was all over the place ya’ll.
Romance Aspect. Listen, I don’t have a problem with romance in movies, but sometimes it’s hard to accept that people are falling in love while the world is ending, or their lives are in danger. I can’t say it’s unrealistic because ya know teenagers, but it’s so ridiculous sometimes. There’s a part where Zu insists Ruby put on this red dress, and she does, and she walks around in this fancy red dress… why? So random. She and Liam also clearly are going to be interested in each other, sure, but how long were they together? They don’t really know each other and they’re just like making decisions about each other and I’m like ‘but Ya’ll don’t know each other’ not to mention, something happens with another person at the end, and while I get it to an extent, YOU ALSO DON’T KNOW THIS GIRL!
So Many Questions. I was interested, and I think I’ll read the books now because I feel like the movie didn’t do the justice it probably deserved. We’ll see. But I had a lot of questions. For example, where did the disease come from? Why is it only kids that are affected? What happens to the survivors with the abilities once they are no longer kids? Will they maintain these powers or lose them? If that’s the case, why not allow them to live their lives (maybe keep a close eye on those Reds and Oranges) until they’re 18 or whatever? How did Ruby managed to stay hidden for so long? Did she just mind control people who got suspicious of her? Why didn’t the government conduct the “white noise” procedure often? They seemed to only do it a few times but if it was me, I would do it at the end of the year or every six months or so just in case someone slipped through defenses. Is the eletrokinesis only if they touched things that held a current, or could it be from the body directly? What about the telekinesis… since that’s kinetic energy, they should be able to do a lot more than what was continuously showcased. What about the Greens? They only have high intelligence? Why not use them instead of making them do stupid grunt work? ALSO, what happened to Lady Jane??? lol so many questions and the movie wasn’t doing a good job at answering any of them.
Overall, The Darkest Minds was a mess and I feel bad for it to be honest. I feel like there was some good stuff there but being in a movie format didn’t help the movie at all. Adding this one to the YA books that should have been a TV show. The acting overall is good, I don’t think anyone was bad and Amandla I think is always likable no matter what she does. The characters had an interesting base and I think the story is good but needed some flesh and extra life but unfortunately it was dull and boring. It was unfocused, focused way too much on the romance aspect when it should have focused more on the Runaways family aspect, their powers and Ruby’s internal struggles. There was also a ton of missed opportunities with their powers. Lastly, so many questions that weren’t the good kind. Listen, if it comes on TV check it out, but otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about it.
SIDE NOTE: That little girl they chose to play a young Ruby, not only looked NOTHING like Amandla, she was a completely different complexion. Sure, kids grow up and get a little darker or a little lighter, but I think that was a missed opportunity to cast a dark-skinned actress as Ruby. That was annoying.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen The Darkest Minds? If so, what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear from those who have seen the movie and perhaps also read the book! No spoilers though!
Thanks for reading and be sure to follow and like this blog for more movie reviews.

Movie Review: Samson (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment

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This will be a short review.
Summary: After losing the love of his life to a cruel Philistine prince, a young Hebrew with Supernatural strength defends his people, sacrificing everything to avenge his love, his people, and his God.
Pros:
The Story. This is based on the Bible story of Samson, the man with all the strength. You have this man who is destined for greatness but he’s not very good at destiny nor does he want to do what is expected of him. That’s interesting and regardless of if you believe the story is true or not, it’s still interesting. Plus, everyone comes for the Delilah part and that was interesting but I think they could have done more with that.
Gaining Strength. I liked that any time Samson had to use his strength, he would kneel and touch the ground and the ground would shake and you could see the rocks move. I thought that was really cool.
Cons:
Samson and Delilah. The biggest thing people come for is the relationship between these two. I always think of the old version with Hedy Lamarr and how they really played up the relationship but, in this film, they tried but it wasn’t interesting and I don’t believe that she cared for him at all. I didn’t think it was any kind of confusion for her like they tried to make it seem.
Annoying Characters. They’re all annoying and stupid. Samson has a brother who is super annoying, I get him and his reasons but he’s annoying. Samson is annoying, his people are annoying. The king and the prince are both annoying. The only person who isn’t really annoying was Delilah but she wasn’t in it enough for me to care about her. Also, Billy Zane and Jackson Rathbone were just hamming it up and seemed to have such fun but wow, so bad. lol
The Costumes. Listen, I try not to compare adaptations because they’re adaptations but it’s hard to ignore the fact that the version with Hedy Lamarr had such GREAT COSTUMES. I mean look at her peacock outfit! All of the clothes in this movie were bland and not to mention, the wigs were horrible and the beards they added to Samson and his brother were even worse in the end.
Overall, listen lol, this movie isn’t good. There were parts of it I enjoyed because it’s a story I enjoy but the movie isn’t good. The story is interesting and I liked the indication of how Samson’s strength would come about but that’s about it. I don’t think the film looked that great, it was very stylized when it should have looked authentic or at least provide an ambiance that would make me believe I am actually watching a movie from the Bible. Ya know? All of the characters are annoying, they have stupid arguments, and stupid reasonings and it was just stupid. I also don’t think the whole Samson and Delilah part was handled well because I did not believe they cared about each other, nor did I believe she felt any kind of remorse even though they tried to make it seem like she did. I laughed a few times through the movie because it was ridiculous.
Rating: 1.9 out of 5 stars.
Did you see this movie? Did you even know it existed? No? Lol don’t feel bad. I mean, if you see let me know your thoughts. I would be very interested to hear them.
Thanks for reading and be sure to like and follow this blog for more reviews!

Movie Review: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment

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Summary: When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.
Pros:
The Acting. I don’t particularly care about these characters, at least not in the way I cared about Dr. Grant, Ian Malcolm, Ellie and the kids but I think the acting in the movie is good. Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt (who I think is just okay mostly) work just fine in the film and as they are the only characters who were in the first movie, it’s easy to try and latch on to them for the sake of the movie. Isabella Sermon was also pretty good.
Dinosaur CGI. From what I know the dinosaurs are a combination of animatronics and CGI and that’s cool. I thought they looked really cool and anytime they were moving, it was quite the sight. I don’t think it holds the same weight as it did with the original movie, but I think it looks good.
The Idea. Listen, I think the idea of “should we let the dinosaurs we created die by this natural cause or should we save them?” is pretty interesting and I can imagine a moral dilemma. But let’s be honest, most of them are murderous and if allowed anywhere near people would kill them all and ruin the economy. Okay, so while I am an animal lover, I want to save the Long Necks because ya know, Little Foot’s mom but the rest of them can go. I think that was an interesting premise which the movie touches on in the beginning and then a bit towards the end. The middle is something completely different which was annoying. I wish the movie just focused on that but whatever.
Cons:
Characters are DUMB. Sorry not sorry, but all of these characters are dumb. First of all, why did Franklin (Justice Smith) go with them if he’s terrified of dinosaurs? Why couldn’t they just find someone who wouldn’t be afraid who could also do his job? When the volcano erupts, I find it hilarious that Owen and Claire thought hiding behind that little glass hamster ball would keep them safe… it shouldn’t have. I mean… so dinosaurs have a sense that there are people hiding behind it so they avoid it while they are running for their lives? Yeah okay lol. Also, Maisie hiding in her bed while there is a GIANT MURDERING ANIMAL trying to eat your flesh… yeah hide in the bed under the magical Vibranium covers. She also climbed out of the window later, why didn’t she just do that instead of trying to pick her bedroom lock??? I mean… plus! The decision she makes later on, I mean… no matter what you feel, what YOU DID WAS DUMB! I cannot believe that Claire and Owen just turned their back which allowed her to think she could make a decision like that. NOPE. They’re all dumb. Don’t even get me started on Benjamin Lockwood.
No Danger.So, when I was a kid I was terrified of Jurassic Park and I didn’t really see it all the way through until I was an adult. When I did, I realized just how great it was but also how tension filled it is. This movie tries to have those moments, in fact, all of the Jurassic movies try to have a moment that is filled with tension. This one kind of have two that stand out in particular but they’re both dumb and cringey so I didn’t feel any of the tension they tried to put into those scenes.
The Middle. I guess more importantly the “second act” of the film with what happens back with the humans. I won’t get into it but it’s all stupid and completely unnecessary and I wish writers would come up with something different than “oh, these animals are going extinct and now we’re going to sell them to the highest bidders”, I mean do y’all really think y’all can handle these creatures? I mean for real? It may be interesting in other storylines but in this movie, it doesn’t work. I think it should have remained with the emotional and moral dilemma.
Overall, this movie is fine, I guess. The CGI is good on the dinosaurs and the acting is good for the most part, I think all of the main actors do their jobs and the idea behind the movie is fine. I don’t think it’s a very cohesive movie. It doesn’t have any charm that it tries to have, it doesn’t convey any tension nor do I feel like anyone is in any actual danger. The moments where it tries to be funny is not funny, like the part where Pratt is trying to will his body to move away from the lava… I mean, bruh you just got hit with a tranq that took down a velociraptor, there is no way you’re able to move. I just… no. The entire second half of the film was unnecessary; ALL of the characters are dumb and I think it’s unfortunate that a movie about dinosaurs is not interesting.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom? What are your thoughts on it? Do you think it’s better than the first one? Let me know your thoughts!
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Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into the Universe (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment

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Summary: Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his reality and crosses paths with his counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat to all reality.
Pros:
Cast and Characters. 
  • Shameik Moore as Miles Morales / Spider-Man. Miles is a regular teenager, he has artistic abilities, has an interesting relationship with his dad and goes to a school for really smart kids. He seems to be very popular in his neighborhood. He is half Puerto Rican and half African-American, lives with both of his parents in Brooklyn. We don’t really know how old he is, I would assume 14-16 and he acts like a teenager which I appreciate. Another Spider-Man who is the right age! He’s trying to figure out who he is and once he gets his powers, he feels this need to live up to Peter Parker who he got to meet before his death. He’s determined to do this throughout the movie, but he struggles with the fact that he doesn’t know how to become Spider-Man. We see a lot of growth from Miles throughout the film and I think Shameik Moore’s voice was a great blend of youthful innocence and a kid who is trying to figure out who he is. He was great! He’s funny and endearing and whenever he was being emotional, I was on his side!
  • Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker / Spider-Man. At first, I was very much against this casting because I could not stand his voice. He sounded too much like a bum and I also did not like how he looked like a bum because Peter Parker IS NO BUM! But it turns out, not only is he from a different dimension but he has gone through a lot to where he is basically a bum lol. A disheveled version of Spider-Man. He becomes a mentor for Miles but not willingly. He doesn’t really want to teach him or really deal with him since he doesn’t really care for kids lol. He goes through a nice arc throughout the film as well. We’ve never seen this version of Peter before and while I was against it at first, it works for the movie.
  • Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman. She is spunky and “free-spirited” and pretty much super cool! We meet her a little early on but I’m sure most probably won’t know who she is until later but she’s dope! When she first shows up in her white outfit, first of all, she lands on her toes! Like pointe! I think it’s so cool! We learn about her background in ways and it’s clear she cares about Miles in that she’s also young and wants to help him, but she doesn’t think he’s ready. I think she believes in him but doesn’t think he’s ready to do what they need to do to win. She’s sassy and Hailee Steinfeld’s voice works well for the character. I would be interested in seeing her again.
  • Mahershala Ali as Aaron Davis. We see him for a little bit and he and Miles have a special relationship. One that Miles doesn’t really have with his dad and it’s nice. Miles feels like he can be himself with Aaron and Aaron tries to be someone that Miles can look up to. He even takes him somewhere where he can use some of his artistic abilities. Mahershala Ali’s voice is amazing, and I could listen to it all day, but he gives a lot of nuance to the character.
  • Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis-Morales. He is Miles’ father and a police officer. In the comics he is not a cop but it’s cool and it works for the movie. He’s funny and has great chemistry with his son (which is funny since it’s animated lol) and you understand him because he is a father and he just wants to protect his son. Do right by him and what not. There are also some great emotional moments as well. I don’t think I’ve seen Brian Tyree Henry in anything, but I thought he did well.
Supporting Characters. There are a lot of these but they all help propel the film forward and I’ll just give a little sentence or something.
  • Lily Tomlin as May Parker. In Miles’ universe she has a bit more of an active role in what’s going on. She helps when she can and is also sassy.
  • Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales. I wish we saw more of her but perhaps if they do a sequel we will. She loves her family and is bit more lenient with Miles as she thinks her husband can be a little too hard. I also love the fact that she often speaks Spanish which allows the viewers to see that Miles is biracial and that his mom’s side is important.
  • John Mulaney as Peter Porker / Spider-Ham. I thought it was Nathan Lane at first lol, but he is an animal version of Spider-Man from a cartoonish universe. He’s like a looney toon. He’s funny lol.
  • Kimiko Glenn as Peni Parker. A young Japanese girl from an anime-like universe who co-pilots the biomechanical suit SP//dr with a radioactive spider. She’s super cute and has some laughs as well. There is also an emotional moment at the end and it was handled well.
  • Nicolas Cage as Spider-Noir. A dark and monochromatic version of Spider-Man from a 1930s universe. He was the one outside of the other Peter and Gwen I wanted to see the most because I find the idea of that kind of Spider-man so interesting. He was lol. Nic Cage’s voice fit with the character as he was clearly inspired by actors in classic film with the way he spoke. I actually would be interested in seeing a film about Spider-Noir.
  • The Villain. I don’t want to give up who he is, you see a quick glimpse of him in the trailer, but they kept it under wraps. We don’t see him a ton but when we do, he makes a lasting impression. I think they handle him well by keeping him scary but you also kind of understand his motivations.
Beautiful Animation. Ya’ll the animation in this movie is absolutely beautiful. The picture I chose at the top was one of my favorite screen grabs from the trailer so seeing it in the movie was even cooler. It was so dope. I wonder how the movie lends itself to 3D because it does seem like it would work well in 3D. The environment is well realized and while it’s animated, New York feels like a real city. We don’t see a ton of it, mostly Brooklyn and it’s very contained but you feel like you’re really in this world. The animation really brings you into the story. All the characters have their own look, even the two Peter Parkers we see without their masks look like different people. I thought that was important. I also love how we get a quick introduction for each of the Spider-people and we get to see them in their universe and the animation is different for each person as their universes aren’t the same as Miles’ or even Peter B.’s so it’s really cool. Such a beautiful movie.
Amazing Soundtrack. The soundtrack is also great. I think it fits what teens like Miles would listen to especially since our introduction to Miles is him singing a song. We also get introduced to that song again later and it was a great and humorous moment. When Miles goes to his Peter’s grave, the music playing over that scene was lovely. I would listen to this soundtrack with a nice mixture of the hip-hop, pop and the composed instrumentals.
Intriguing Storyline. So, I had an idea of what the movie would be about in terms of the other Spider-people because of the comics. In the comics, there are different worlds where different versions of the same people exist. There is a Peter Parker in Miles’ world but after a mission gone wrong, Miles decides he wants to help by using the powers he was given after being bit by a spider. He has most of the same abilities, so we get to see him try to learn how to master them and that’s a journey, which is fun and humorous. You also get to know the villain and why they’re doing what they’re trying to do and while you get it, you also dislike him. Miles is such a compelling main character that you care what happens to him, you want to see him succeed and you want him to reach the end of his journey in this movie victorious because it’s WHAT HE DESERVES!
Strong Message. One of the main messages in the film is “no matter who are you, anyone can be a hero (Spider-man)” or “what makes you different makes you a hero”. There is also family, friendship, understanding who you are… there are a few different nuggets in the film and Mary Jane says it best at Peter’s memorial. I think there is something for everyone in this movie.
Tense Moments. Ya’ll there are some moments when I was on the edge of my seat. Not literally since I was in a recliner and very comfortable, but I would have been otherwise. When Miles witnesses Peter’s death, he makes a noise and Kingpin sends The Prowler after him and that entire chase scene was so tense that I think I held my breath. Not to mention, the music for The Prowler was so scary! There’s another scene in an apartment with Miles and the Prowler. Then the main boss fight at the end, I was ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT!
Emotional. There are a few moments where I legit teared up. There is a great scene with Miles and his dad while Miles is in his room at the school, that was probably one of my favorite scenes. A scene with Miles and his uncle in an alleyway was also great, not to mention the scene on top of a house. There are just so many good things in this movie that it makes for a very solid movie going experience. I would not be surprised if you cried while watching this movie. They are earned moments as well.
It’s a COMIC BOOK. Listen, when I first saw the trailer, I was like wow, it looks like a comic book and it really does. The animation is beautiful and whenever they zoom in close on the characters, you can see the little dots like it’s straight from a comic book. Also, whenever Miles is thinking, they show thought bubbles! Also, when they would do certain action moments, like when Miles or any of the other spider people would jump off cars, they would do like a comic book like “wham” background thingy. You’ll know what I mean when you see it lol.
Great Action Scenes. Listen, the animation for the fights scenes were handled well. Whenever they were swinging through the air, it was like you were there. One of the first major fight scenes with Miles is in the woods and you can just feel the fear and determination from both sides.
Cons:
Ummm, I don’t have any lol.
Overall, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE THEN WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? If you are a Spider-Man fan, then take yourself to see one of the best superhero movies I have ever seen. Obviously, people will think differently but this is such a great Spider-Man movie, a great superhero movie, that I am into them making more. Just when you think Sony isn’t doing their job with Spider-man, they but this one out. Perhaps they should only do animated versions because the people who worked on this film put their heart and soul into it and it shows. All the characters, all of them, are interesting and awesome to watch. The voice acting is done very well, Shameik Moore was a standout as Miles. He really manages to capture the essence of this teenage boy who is trying to find out his footing and he’s compelling. I want more movies just, so we can see them in their universes. The animation is beautiful and the little quirks they had for the characters, like how they looked different due to being from a different universe worked. The music is engaging and doesn’t feel out of place. It has so many great and tense moments, I jumped once or twice lol, and the emotional moments hit you hard. I think there are about 5 or 6 that I can remember distinctly being affected by. Just GAH this movie was so good. GO SEE IT.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse? No? What’s wrong with you? lol, no I’m kidding, not really, it’s a great movie lol. Let me know your thoughts down below!
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Movie Review: Adrift (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ Leave a comment
adrift
Summary: A true story of survival, as a young couple’s chance encounter leads them first to love, and then on the adventure of a lifetime as they face one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.
This is going to be a short review.
Pros:
Cast and Characters. There aren’t many characters in this film. We meet a few people, but we spend most of the movie with Tami and Richard so I’m only going to touch on them.
  • Shailene Woodley as Tami Oldham. Tami is a young woman who has traveled for a long time as she does not want to go back home. She arrives in Tahiti in 1983 and meets Richard and they hit it off quickly. The film goes back and forth between the present and the past, so in the present, Tami is on the boat after what a giant hurricane hit them. She is trying to save herself, while at the same time looking out for Richard as he was not on the boat. She finds him, and the present is basically her trying to live and keep Richard alive as well. In the past, we see their relationship blossom. I think Shailene Woodley is a great actress. Everything she does I think she does with passion (even when the writing for the characters become terrible *looking at you Allegiant*). I thought she did a really good job here because you like her, and you want her to survive. She manages to do a lot on her own and you really get to see her desperation but also the struggle when it comes to certain decisions. She is the highlight of the film.
  • Sam Claflin as Richard Sharp. He is a British sailor, he is taken with Tami and he invites her to dinner on his boat. Richard is a likable guy. He courts Tami and then he wants to take her sailing with him. It’s clear he loves her and even while he’s hurt after the hurricane, he supports her and tries to help her in any way he can even though he’s physically hurt. I like Sam Claflin and I think he does a good job in his role. It’s a bit smaller than Tami’s and we get to know her more than him but he does his job.
Location as a character. I think it’s cool when the character must brave the elements and survive against a character that’s so unpredictable as nature. As the ocean is one of the most powerful forces, it was cool to see how they used it as something for Tami to overcome but it was also used as a driving force for a lot of her desires, her fears. I think the ocean was a character that I think most people wouldn’t expect to be one.
Storytelling Element. I don’t particularly always care for the jump back and forth thing, not all movies do that well (*looking at you The 15:17 to Paris*) but I think this movie handles it well because we get to see the relationship between Richard and Tami form in the past so that we can root for them in the future. Their survival becomes important to you because of how it’s handled. I don’t think we see this epic romance or anything but their believable and seem like real people. There is an age gap, but I don’t think that’s a big deal because they don’t make it a big deal. When we’re in the future, you get a sense of the danger and desperation, but they have good moments as well. It works.
Good Twist. There is a twist that I saw coming and I think most people will see coming but it’s done well so it won’t be upsetting when you learn it. I mean, you’ll be upset because it’s a storytelling twist but I like what it does for the characters and the story.
Cons:
Gets Really Slow. I didn’t want to say “boring” or “too long” because I don’t really think that. I just think there are times where the movie slows down, and nothing is really happening. When those moments happen Shailene Woodley keeps you into it, at least she did for me, but the movie itself at those times got a little dull.
Overall, I think Adrift is a fine movie. I don’t think it’s anything special or the like as this is a story we’ve seen before. I saw an article that said it gave off this “YA-esque” feel and I can see that. But I don’t think it’s a negative as some might see it. I think the characters are good and the acting is well done. I like the storytelling element and I think the movie will keep you interesting but not engrossed, if you know what I mean. It gets a little slow in some areas, but the acting is good, and the characters are interesting enough you keep watching. If you like survival movies, or if you want to see something based on a true story with an interesting twist at the end, check this one out.
Rating: 3 out 5 stars.
Have you seen Adrift? What are your thoughts about it? Let me know in the comments below!
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