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This is what I’ve been waiting for, this is the Mission Impossible I’ve been dying to see. The action was top notch, the story is intriguing and actually emotional, the team works so well together, the music fucking rocks, Philip Seymour-Hoffman is a fucking legend, and Tom Cruise truly becomes Ethan fucking Hunt right here.
Right from the opening scene, we get straight into the action, but we also leave time for great character moments throughout and I finally feel like I’m getting to know Ethan as a character. Luther is one of the most badass right hand men I’ve ever seen, not to mention, and this is the first movie where I truly felt a real sense of anxiety, tension, fear, and urgency from start to finish. Laurence Fishburne and Simon Pegg were fantastic additions, and I cannot wait for what’s next!!
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Just showed it to my family after finishing up my article, even better on rewatch. It’s quick, witty, hilarious, and has so much heart and authenticity to it. I’d recommend everyone to go watch this.
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Yeah, that was tough to get through. Some fun sequences every now and then, and there were moments where I thought the plot showed promise, but the romance is so forced, John Woo’s over the top style feels so silly and in-your-face, the characters get no development whatsoever, and the pacing is so horrendous that I could not believe that there was still an hour left when I checked at the halfway mark.
Tom Cruise still rocks as always, and the action sequences in the finale were a ton of fun as well as the scenes in the lab, but then they just went out of their way to fully fucking waste Anthony Hopkins and Brendan Gleeson like that. Unbelievable.
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I am having the incredible opportunity to get early access to this film and interview the director and producer of the film later today for a newspaper article, and I truly mean it when I say this was incredible. It was fast-paced, intense, hilarious, heartfelt, awkward, uncomfortable, insanely accurate to Jewish family culture, and just so much goddamn fun. The entire cast worked so well off of each other, the sharp editing was on point, the heightening of the tension was thrilling, and the backdrop of a Jewish family’s Friday Night Shabbos in NYC was absolutely flawless.
I really hope more people, especially more Jewish people, get a chance to watch this!!
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God I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I somehow enjoyed this more than the original. And I think what makes this work is that the themes are so human and the entire movie is about family, and so having it in live action gives it that realism that makes everything feel so genuine. It doesn’t always work like that, but with this exact story, I feel like seeing the real emotions of these characters really does help. The pacing especially made the film so much more heartfelt, in how all of the emotional and wholesome moments are given time to breathe and really sink in. I can’t lie, I was tearing up by the end.
It’s definitely not perfect, there’s some iffy CGI and we spent an unnecessary amount of time with Pleakley and Zach Galifanakis, but the film just had so much heart. The actresses who portrayed Lilo and Nani worked so well off of each other, and Lilo especially was a star. The movie was funny, it was cute, it was mature, it hit all the right notes.
This is what happens when a live action remake actually makes some sense, because there is a message that can be conveyed on screen that maybe wasn’t fully captured in animation.
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Tries its best to tug on the heart strings now and then, but at the end of the day, this movie is just a blast. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s cute, it’s wholesome, it’s creative, it’s got style, and it’s just a good time all around. The emotions don’t really have any time to sink in, and the themes and messages are never fleshed out whatsoever, but the sweet bonds between Lilo and Stitch as well as Lilo and Nani are what give this film so much heart.
The music is fantastic, the animation is beautifully vibrant, the voice acting is on point, the humor is surprisingly sharp, and I can’t lie, I just had a huge smile on my face watching this from start to finish.
But man, the one thing that was really bothering me was that it wasn’t in live action, that’s what was holding this movie back from being 5 stars!!! Can’t wait to see how they can fix it in live action!!
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Feels a little unfocused at times, not always making it clear what it’s going for, who the actual lead of the story is, or what tone they have. Yet still, it is undeniable just how much of an achievement this film is in camera work, music, makeup, effects, production, and most of all, original and creative storytelling.
The film has so much going for it in of character development, action, and rich themes to the point where it becomes too much, and it feels as if Ryan Coogler wasn’t even sure which points to focus on most. Everything was so compelling on screen where I was fully engaged the whole time, but we don’t quite spend enough time with any certain plot point or character, making the final product feel just ever so slightly unsatisfying for me.
Hailee Steinfeld felt underused, I would’ve loved more time with Sammy’s character, and it feels as if the grounded story of Smoke and Stack is in direct conflict with the absurd and flashy vampire thrills. Yet still, everything I just talked about was so goddamn good on screen that the film and the experience is still undeniably exceptional. I can even seeing things clear up more for me on a rewatch, but for now, I am just barely underwhelmed, but still extremely happy with what I saw.
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Dare I say, MARVEL IS SO BACK!!!
Not only do I think this sets up the future of the MCU in a way that gets me unbelievably excited, but this movie FULLY stands on its own as a grounded, focused, emotional, heartfelt, hilarious, and extremely entertaining film that balances thrilling action with beautiful character moments.
Florence Pugh once again proves herself as one of the best actresses working today, David Harbour is hysterical, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is so hateable yet so charismatic, and Lewis Pullman really shocked me as an extremely human and understandable antagonist. This film explores mental health in a way that I never would’ve expected from Marvel in a million years, and they did it wonderfully. And man, making Yelena the main character was simply the correct decision, I wouldn’t have had it any other way, she’s just phenomenal.
Sure, the pacing may not be perfect, the ending may feel abrupt, and I wish we could’ve spent more time with characters like Bucky or John Walker, but what they went for with this story, they achieved so goddamn well.
I hate myself for saying it, but I now have faith in Marvel once more. I think. I hope.
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If you’re not a Star Wars fan, I’d completely understand if you find this movie corny, stiff, messy, rushed in its transition, and kinda dumb. And yes, while it may be those things just a little bit, I couldn’t care less while I’m watching two of the greatest characters ever put to screen battling it out on a lava planet spitting out some of the most unironically hilarious and iconic lines of dialogue.
As a Star Wars fan who loves these characters, this world, and the action in this universe, this movie is a timeless classic, especially while seeing it in theaters!!! Like what!?!?
Also shout out AMC Danbury for giving us a full refund just because the audio was a little messed up in the first 5 minutes. I do think we deserved it cause we missed “Do it” and “This is where the fun begins.”
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52 Week Film Challenge - Week 38: Fantasy Film
What I was expecting to be a simple rom-com became an experience almost like holding a warm cup of tea in a cafe on a Sunday afternoon with a warm, buttery croissant, cherishing every moment of life for whatever it has to offer, good or bad. Living through everything with the hope that today will be the day that you will think about and want to revisit for the rest of your life if you could. The beautiful mix of songs, the quirky and horrid people, and best of all, the memories you will forever hold with your dad, that’s what really got me.
There was no need for dramatic conflict, for crazy plot twists, cause that’s not what life is about. Life is far simpler than that, and you feel that heartfelt, beautiful simplicity here. This was simply a reminder that there is no better way to live than to just… live.
Man, Bill Nighy really did get the best of me in the end, let me tell you. That was the main romance in this film if anything.
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Going through this franchise has been LONG overdue for me, and although this movie isn’t perfect, I can already tell how special these movies will be. Brian de Palma creates an intense, exhilarating spy thriller here that is packed to the brim with twists and turns, impressive action sequences, banging music, and genuinely one of the coolest movie scenes I think I have ever watched in the white room.
Obviously, it’s clear they were still trying to find their footing here, and I honestly don’t think Tom Cruise gave that great of a performance, but just the mere entertainment value and stylistic, creative flair this movie has makes it worth watching. The story honestly worked for me, sometimes a little more complicated than it needed to be, but exciting enough where I was thoroughly engaged throughout. Excited for more!
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The fact that I genuinely cannot think of many other actresses that COMMAND the screen quite like Julia Roberts, like holy shit. The script, ing performances, storytelling, Soderbergh’s memorable directing, and sharp dialogue all elevate this movie tremendously, but it is just impossible to ignore that Julia Roberts MAKES this movie, she gives it life, energy, she gives it that badass edge that makes every resolution so goddamn satisfying.
The way she crafts this tough, witty, caring, genuine, hilarious, emotionally charged, BADASS boss is indescribably impressive. Not only that, but her performance along with Soderbergh’s work behind the camera make a movie about a court case dealing with contaminated water feel like a non-stop action thriller where every moment genuinely feels like punches going back and forth.
Granted, I don’t think the pacing is absolutely perfect, and there are times where it felt like it could’ve hit harder emotionally especially on the family aspect of the film. But me being nit-picky doesn’t take away from Erin Brockovich being one of the best based-on-a-true-story flicks I’ve ever seen.
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It’s so incredibly stupid and ridiculous that it ends up being fun. Yes, it becomes so generic and cliche at times, yes, some characters were annoying as hell, yes, the plot is unbelievably by the books, and yes, the movie would not have been nearly as enjoyable if I wasn’t in a packed theater with middle school kids cheering at every brainrot moment.
But also yes, this movie is hilarious, whether it’s on purpose or not, I don’t care. And to be honest, knowing Jared Hess, and seeing how many insanely Jared Hess, Napoleon Dynamite coded moments there are, it is so clear that this movie was made with the intention of it being completely over the top. When it leaned into that absurdity and effective comedy, the movie worked for me. When it was a fun action slap-stick comedy set in the world of Minecraft, I had a blast. Jack Black and Jason Momoa elevate that to another level, they are honestly so goddamn entertaining every moment they’re on screen.
But it’s when the movie conforms to its generic themes and generic characters and generic story that it loses me. None of it works, it just comes off as so cringe. And I really thought they could’ve made it work if they focused in on the beauty of creativity, but why would the Minecraft movie actually have an interesting, unique message. Never!
It’s dumb fun at the end of the day that is brought down every time it tries not to be. That’s basically it.
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Sure it’s flawed, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it’s fun as hell!! The story is so convoluted and all over the place, Chris Tucker hitting on girls the whole time has been milked out so much that it’s not funny, and the balance of tones wasn’t perfect this time around.
But man, the action may be the best of the franchise, so much of the comedy still lands, the stunts and set pieces are bigger than ever, and at the end of the day, the movie knows not to take itself too seriously and remains as ridiculous as it should be.
I honestly do wish they spent more time with Hiroyuki Sanada and his character’s storyline, that could’ve been so much more interesting. Still though, the chemistry between Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan remains unbeatable.
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Maybe the pacing isn’t perfect, but honestly, when I’m staring into that gorgeous animation, maybe some of the best animation I’ve ever witnessed, I couldn’t care less. This movie is absolutely stunning, not just in its vibrant, lively visuals, but in its tragic, authentic, and beautiful themes of the never-ending battle between mankind and nature, the powers of anger and hatred, and the family you have versus the family you gain.
Every frame is full of so much color, detail, and beauty, and every frame is packed with a sincere human touch in the story, the characters, and the addictive world being built. The best way to describe the film is truly magical, because despite the gorgeous story and interesting characters, what makes this film so truly special is the magic of Miyazaki’s mind being fully explored on screen. The creatures, the settings, the myths, the powers, the lore, it’s just all so gorgeous and so full of wonder and adventure.
This movie made me realize how untapped I truly am with the brilliance of Studio Ghibli, because wow, I’m just in awe of the childlike wonder balanced with the mature and raw themes in these films.
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Absolute fever dream, just an insanely fun blend of sci-fi, comedy, thriller, action, mystery, revenge story that is packed with unpredictable twists and turns and just an absolute whirlwind of events. Wasn’t bored for a single second, so goddamn engaging.
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The weakest of the bunch so far, but that just goes to show how goddamn consistent this franchise is. While I don’t really think this movie had 2.5 hours worth of interesting material (more like the last 30 minutes were the only immensely compelling parts), I still don’t think this is a huge step down in any sense. The emotion is still there, the stakes are high, and we get some of the most interesting insight into characters like Draco and Snape that I feel we are just scratching the surface with.
But man, it’s hard to deny that there is very little of substance in those first two hours. There are really interesting parts at times, like diving into Voldemort’s backstory and watching Ron and Hermione’s relationship grow, but man, some of these side plots with these unnecessary romances, literally everything having to do with quidditch, and even the plot line about finding out who the Half-Blood Prince is, it’s just all so thin compared to everything else going on in this universe right now.
I love so much of what we’re getting, but I also feel like there is so much still left to explore. I’m PRAYING that these last two films don’t disappoint, because after this one, I NEED more development for Draco, Snape, and honestly, we just need more Voldemort!!!
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Nobody else in the world except for Bong Joon-Ho could possibly nail this grim, bleak social and political commentary in the most hilarious and absurd possible way. The humor of this film really stood out on this watch, the movie is fucking hilarious. The performances, the writing, the over-the-top physical comedy, Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo, it’s all brilliant.
But man, the tragic undertones stand out equally as much on rewatch, especially the way that the Mickeys and the Creepers hauntingly parallel each other in how they are perceived and treated by the upper class when they are both harmless if they are just treated the right way. It completely went over my head on the first watch, but they are so similarly looked down upon, and it’s just another insanely clever way to elevate the themes on screen.
Sure, I don’t think the pacing is perfect, I don’t think Mickey’s character arc is fully fleshed out as it could’ve been, but the fact that this gorgeous and hilarious sci-fi, political, ridiculous, futuristic yet insanely relevant comedy exists right now is a miracle in and of in itself.
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52 Week Film Challenge - Week 37: Anime Film
Where do I go from here? Why even live now? How do I go on with my life after being completely WRECKED by this movie??
An absolutely gut-wrenching, beautiful yet haunting tragedy that balances vibrant innocence with grim horrors so magnificently in a way that makes you feel every emotion you could possibly feel. We are taken along this journey with Seita and Setsuko where we truly witness the highest of highs and lowest of lows without any filter or chilidish, watered down version of the story. No, Studio Ghibili does not hold back in of this film’s incredibly dark themes, gruesome imagery, and horrifying authenticity in putting on full display what this time was truly like.
And what helps to bring this out alongside the powerful voice acting, gorgeous music, and phenomenal writing is the STUNNING animation, with so much color, so much honesty, and so much life in every frame. The amount of heart on screen directly translate to the amount of heart and emotion the audience feels, with every small detail making the events on screen feel that much more personal.
This may truly be the most beautifully devastating film I have ever seen, and I never want to watch this again because not many movies have left me with such an empty feeling in my stomach quite like this one. I will be diving into Studio Ghibli now, cause I continue to understand why this is arguably the greatest animation studio ever.
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Definitely a decent step down in of story, humor, and pacing, but man, it’s undeniable how much fun it is to watch these two on screen together for 90 minutes. Where the writing got worse in this film, with an overly convoluted, messy plot and so much more low-hanging fruit humor, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker picked up the slack with their endless charm and impeccable chemistry.
And what did stay consistent from the first film was the action, with every stunt and every set piece being just as or even more impressive and entertaining than those in the last movie. I was still utterly entertained from start to finish, I was laughing a ton, and just having a blast watching these two go back and forth with each other.
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This franchise just DOES NOT MISS!! The best action and visuals so far, the most tension, a brilliant balance between horror and charm, and some of the best character development we’ve seen for Harry thus far.
Here, we watch him gain not physical strength, but mental strength, overcoming darkness in the mind and recognizing the light around him that he must embrace to understand that him and Voldemort may be alike in some ways, but are so different in others.
And the images of corruption, propaganda, and oppression in this film is so damn powerful, mirroring real life in such interesting ways. Imelda Staunton’s Umbridge is such a fun villain here, being just so easily hatable in the best ways. And the dynamic between Harry and Sirius, man is it just so beautiful. It’s these relationships between Harry and the people he cares about most that gives the franchise its heart, which is truly the core of why these movies work. The magic, the action, the hero’s journey are all bonuses, but the beauty of Harry Potter is its charming, warm, and so easily lovable characters and the aesthetic they build along with the brilliant development of the world.
I just keep falling in love more and more with each movie, this world is just so brilliant. The mixing of tones, the heart, the thrills, the darkness, the joy, the whimsy, the fantasy, it’s all here.
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Like I’m trying to think about what issues this movie has, but I really just can’t come up with anything. Simple yet extremely entertaining story, GORGEOUS action, awesome music, flawless pacing, and man, the comedic writing alongside the timeless performances from Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan just makes this movie so much goddamn fun.
What the movie especially nails is tone, because the movie takes itself seriously enough where you truly do care about the story and feel the high stakes. Yet still, they find the absolutely perfect moments to break the tension ever so slightly to deliver such hysterical comedic relief that works just so well. It may go over some people’s heads, but that balance in tones is so hard to do, and this movie finds a way to perfect it. That also is credit to the performances from the entire cast, but especially the chemistry between Chan and Tucker that makes the film so iconic and memorable. Every line delivery, every stunt, it’s executed so effortlessly.
This may just be one of my favorite action comedies ever now, because it truly does give you the best of both worlds. When you hear “they don’t make em like they used to,” they’re talking about this movie.
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A horrifying, utterly devastating, tragic yet hauntingly wholesome look into the life of a mother trying her best to protect her children from harm as well as the dark truth while still keeping their trust. I had no idea I’d be saying this when I went into the movie, but I wholeheartedly believe now that Fernanda Torres deserved that Best Actress Oscar. I was just floored by her emotional depth, her strength, her vulnerability, her subtleties, she was just so perfect for this role.
The entire aesthetic that Walter Salles builds through the superb cinematography, editing, sound design, and color palette is both warm and insanely unsettling, making the entire experience of this movie off-putting. The amount of emotion driven out just through these simplistic shots of characters or precious items without any dialogue goes to show how much care and precision went into each and every performance, even from the kids who are TREMENDOUS, as well as the crew who make it so obvious how much humanity they put into every shot.
I do think the emotion could’ve been even more hard-hitting than it actually was, mainly because I do feel like the story was abruptly cut with an odd time jump. Yet still, this was such a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching story that will stick with me for quite some time.
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Man, when it comes to being so unapologetically over-the-top, racist, sexist, fat-shaming, and all of the above, 2000s comedies are a different breed. I wish movies like these were more common, because at the end of the day, this type of comedy just hits every single time. Just completely absurd, ridiculous, and so much goddamn fun in all the best ways. Taking the classic underdog story and putting so many hysterical twists and turns into it that make it just so memorable, so quotable, and so fricking entertaining.
The whole cast is so much fun, especially Ben Stiller (obviously), playing this type of character for like the third time in 10 years, but it never gets old. The comedic writing is just so sharp, always keeping you on your toes with just the most insane twists. The soundtrack is impeccable, the dodgeball games itself are so entertaining, and like I said, the unapologetic style of comedy is just unmatched.
A movie that doesn’t take itself seriously and pays off so well for it, as comedies almost never do nowadays. I’m not saying all comedies should be like this, but can we every now and then get a movie like Dodgeball that knows it’s a full-on comedy and leans into it? I don’t know, just a thought that practically everybody agrees with.
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52 Week Film Challenge - Week 36: 1940s Film
After reading Hamlet in English class and adoring it, it was only right that I had to go back and watch this classic. Needless to say, Laurence Olivier did a remarkable job at translating this dense, complex, thematically rich work onto the screen, with a gorgeous production, a powerful score, beautifully dynamic camera work, and such brilliant performances that make the rather difficult dialogue feel so natural. Olivier himself nails the character of Hamlet, proving that Hamlet is a product of his environment, who is at his core a very pure soul who falls victim to the corruption around him.
I will say, the pacing is far from perfect, with moments that go by too slowly and moments that fly by too quickly. The ending especially feels very rushed, since a lot of Acts IV and V are cut out, which to be fair is a lot of filler, but necessary filler. Also, with any Shakespearean play, the dialogue can be very distracting on film, making it kinda hard to emotionally connect to the story while I am instead just trying to catch up and understand all the dialogue. Not a fault of the movie itself, just always a natural gripe that comes with adapting Shakespeare, proving that it isn’t fully right for cinema. Sometimes the movie can also feel quite jumbled, which makes a lot of sense since the scenes are literally moved around at points out of order from the play, which sometimes worked but more often felt odd.
Still though, this movie is an achievement, adapting Shakespeare almost as flawlessly as possible which balances comedy, tragedy, action, and philosophy brilliantly through the sets, the acting, the costumes, the camera work, and the music. In some ways, this even elevates the story of Hamlet, as seeing it being acted out rather than reading it gave me an even better understanding of these characters and who I should feel bad for and who I should despise. And even though I played Polonius, he’s a horrible person.
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A simple yet incredibly thrilling, entertaining, action-packed, and surprisingly INSANELY hilarious film that consists of a brilliant ensemble from top to bottom and a world that feels lived in, hauntingly real, and visually addictive. Bong Joon Ho just nails the social and political commentary here, but does it in such a way that doesn’t feel like the message is being shoved down your throat. Instead, it’s centered in this exciting world with these absurd, over-the-top caricatures that are just so insanely fun to watch.
I don’t think the pacing was perfect, especially in the back half, and the messaging definitely could’ve been explored just a tad bit more. Yet, the balance between laugh-out-loud humor, subtle tragedy and heart is just brilliant. And the movie looks GORGEOUS, I mean the production, the sets, the costumes, the visuals, the cinematography, the world building, the Creepers, even just Mark Ruffalo’s bucked teeth, it’s all so stunning.
Speaking of, while Robert Pattinson was nothing short of fantastic, along with Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Steven Yeun being tremendous, Mark Ruffalo just KNOWS how to play a gray-haired snob to perfection, I love him SO MUCH.
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Undoubtedly a thrilling mystery and intriguing exploration of the corruption, deception, and political intricacies of the Catholic Church with brilliant performances from top to bottom and a stellar direction and visual flair. Yet, I was left a little disappointed, kinda just wanting more. More complex messaging, more time spent with layered characters, more emotional weight.
Still though, I can’t deny how strong Edward Berger’s direction brought what could’ve been a dull, boring story into an exciting thriller where I did just wanna keep watching and figure out what was truly going on. Ralph Fiennes brought the outstanding performance you’d expect from him, giving us a morally conflicted yet good-hearted and determined protagonist in Lawrence. The ensemble behind him makes every single character interesting, although I wish we could’ve spent more time with people like Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and ESPECIALLY Isabella Rossellini who I think was just fully wasted even though she still somehow got a nomination.
The color scheme was gorgeous, the costumes and productions were stunning, the score was BOOMING, and the cinematography was beautiful in almost every frame. But I don’t know, I just feel like we could’ve gotten more, maybe from a longer runtime or just overall themes that feel more original than things that we’ve seen so many times before.
I don’t know, I think this could definitely grow on me even more on a rewatch, because I do find it super interesting how morals are practically put to the side within a place that is all about morality and faithfulness. I just feel like it wasn’t quite explored on an emotionally impactful level that it could’ve reached.
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Sure, it’s predictable, it takes a lot from Indiana Jones, it’s very cliche and by the books. But man, do these movies just tug at the heart strings better than almost any family movie nowadays.
The amount of heart, charm, fun humor, and adventure you’d expect from a Paddington movie is all here, with emphasis on the humor because this movie is hilarious! They know how absurd this film is, and the both the actors and writers really lean into it. Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman, for instance, are PERFECT additions, adding to the hilarious ridiculousness and charisma of the film immensely.
Once again, this is a movie that people of all audiences can enjoy, and it’s just a ton of fun, no other way to say it. It’s a story all about family and finding your people, and man, does it just NAIL it even if it’s with a cliche-packed story.
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52 Week Film Challenge - Week 35: Fav Actress Film (Emma Stone)
A movie that makes high school… get this… actually feel like high school in the best and worst possible ways. Rumors spread fast, creeps all around, weird teachers, drama over the dumbest subjects, and high schoolers that makes mistakes and learn from them!
That last point is what makes this movie even better than your average high school comedy, which it still exceeded in the comedy aspect, don’t get me wrong. Emma Stone’s performance alone makes this film worth watching, as she is a FORCE on screen who balances charm, innocence, and scandal perfectly.
But what makes Easy A especially brilliant is how we watch Olive go through a universal experience in high school that literally everyone goes through: making a mistake that felt small in the moment but comes back to haunt them and learning from it. Alongside that, she learns more about who she truly is, and that all makes the coming-of-age aspect of this film feel so natural. She didn’t do what she did because she’s a bad person, she did it because she’s human and she still wasn’t sure who she was or what she wanted. This film knew that that’s what high schoolers are truly like, not these caricatures that are either good or bad people. Olive felt real, felt authentic, and just felt like a person rather than a character.
But besides the beautiful heart and touching moments and themes throughout, the life and energy of the film comes from its cast, its script, its lively soundtrack, and its absolutely fantastic comedic writing from start to finish. Instead of trying to ignore the absurdity and try to blend this story into reality, the movie never shies away from the craziness and instead embraces it and runs with it, going down some crazy rabbit holes and extremely inappropriate yet hilarious moments that make the film feel so fantastical and still so entertaining. The movie knows when to be over the top, how to embrace that, and then when to be extremely heartfelt, and it nails both sides.
Easy A brings brilliant comedic timing and unapologetically wild vibrancy while also bringing immense heart that elevates it beyond your normal old high school rom-com coming-of-age flick, all driven by Emma Stone’s powerhouse performance, once again proving to me that she may just be my favorite actress of the past, present, and future. This will become a comfort movie from now on, and the soundtrack alone makes the film worthwhile.
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Just watched the movie 30 minutes ago, and I already forgot half of what happened. Just an extremely forgettable, clunky, jumbled, unfocused mess that tries to do so many things at once and never gives the things that could’ve been interesting enough light of day.
It’s trying to be a Thunderbolt Ross story, a Sam taking the mantle of Captain America story, a Sam and Joaquin story, a politics story over the celestial in the Indian Ocean, an assembling of the new Avengers story, and a CGI slop-fest all at once, and tackling this many plot lines even made the ones that I thought could’ve been super compelling just feel lost in the mix and after-thoughts.
Anthony Mackie does the best with what he is given, proving that he can be the protagonist of his own film. Yet, the script he’s given doesn’t do him enough justice, not giving him enough time to explore Sam’s internal conflict of whether or not he should even be Captain America. Same can be said with Harrison Ford, who does his best but is held back by a hollow script and just a lifeless CGI transformation by the end that removes all sense of emotion from his character.
There are several great moments that tease what this film could’ve been, if it focused more on Sam himself, as he tries to figure out who he truly wants to be. I think this story and this script were just the wrong choices for a Captain America movie, especially the Red Hulk choice just making the entire third act just feel so meaningless and not even about Captain America anymore. The whole mystery and how it is unraveled further emphasizes that point, just taking focus and substance away from a character in Sam that could be way more interesting if we just got to spend more time with him on the ground.
The movie isn’t awful, but it could’ve been way better and there are scenes that show that. To top it all off, the reshoots are FELT especially in the third act, just making the whole movie feel so disted and without one central theme or characteristic that makes you care about what’s going on.
And man, worst of all, they wasted Gustavo fucking Fring!!! You bring him into the MCU and this is how you treat him?? I honestly think he should’ve been the main villain behind everything, screw the rest of the Incredible Hulk bullshit.
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52 Week Film Challenge - Week 34: Crime Film
An absolute fever dream of a film with an atmosphere that draws you in immediately and never takes you out. With the energetic score, Adam Sandler’s brilliantly chaotic performance, snappy dialogue, vibrant colors, and an overall script that is packed with chaos and high intensity, the Safdie Brothers know how to build such an addictive experience here.
Adam Sandler’s range here was just unreal, portraying a man complicated with greed, family, looking for approval, addiction, lust, and a burning desire for power. He’s still hilarious as ever, but his dramatic chops are just phenomenal that I can’t wait to see more and more of them in the future as I explore his filmography.
Sure, the story is kinda a mess and sometimes hard to follow with just how quick the dialogue is, but man, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was hooked into this hectic, dirty world from start to finish.
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52 Week Film Challenge - Week 33: Movie from Favorite Director
Alright, so I obviously didn’t finish this challenge in 52 weeks, so I’m just gonna shift it to the end of the school year and not worry about the one per week thing, because this challenge does really help me check things off my watchlist.
For instance, my mom has been begging me to watch Sixteen Candles for years now, and since John Hughes is definitely one of my favorite directors ever, I couldn’t resist. The rest of my favorite directors I had either seen all of their major works or the ones I hadn’t seen weren’t on streaming, so I settled on Hughes.
And man, I was not disappointed. Such a charming, youthful, energized, hilarious, unapologetically vulgar, and heartfelt teen rom-com that perfectly captures the chaos and insanity that is teenage love in such a fun 80s way.
Molly Ringwald is amazing as always in the lead, but it’s really Anthony Michael Hall that steals the show with his endless charisma, perfect comedic timing, and a brilliant innocence mixed with weirdness.
Hughes just knows how to build high school films that truly feel like high school films, through its genuine dialogue, messy atmosphere, incredible soundtracks, and absurd yet extremely relatable moments. Sixteen Candles had all that, and although it definitely lives in the shadow of Ferris Bueller and The Breakfast Club, with both of those films just having an edge that this movie didn’t quite get, this movie still has so much 80s charm to offer up.
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I’m not against long movies when done right, when paced well, and when it feels like there’s a reason why the movie HAS to be this runtime or else the movie isn’t complete. This movie did not do any of that.
Don’t get me wrong, the production was stunning, the cinematography was gorgeous, the score was beautiful, the performances were powerful especially from Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, and there are some FANTASTIC scenes.
But man, the runtime was just not earned at all. The story feels so unfocused, the themes are there but never quite explored to how interesting they could’ve been, and it just feels like half the movie just… lingers.
But it’s not even that the runtime is spent on these themes of American corruption, greed, and the horrible ways immigrants are treated and manipulated, but instead the film lingers on these oftentimes disgusting scenes of watching Brody spiral into madness with no further substance. Sure, it gave him more than enough opportunities to show his incredible acting chops, but it felt like it just went too far where once we saw a couple of those scenes, the point was proven and we could move on.
I don’t know, I think a rewatch could help or harm my rating of the film, because looking back on it, I do understand the themes and what Brady Corbet was going for. But man, there just wasn’t enough emotional impact or character exploration for me to fully appreciate what I was watching or acknowledge the film’s need for the 3.5 hour runtime.
If anything, if the film was just way shorter and more contained with more hard-hitting scenes that really drove the themes through, I would’ve loved The Brutalist. But with the amount of lingering that takes place, it feels like the messaging and the emotions get lost in the mix.
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I don’t know how, but every single one of these movies has just stunned me. This one especially impressed me with its brilliant mix of youthful charm, heart, and romance with the most intense darkness and grim, horrifying sights of the franchise thus far.
Sometimes in the lighthearted moments I wonder why we can’t just get to the darker scenes already, because those are naturally more interesting. But then I realize the whole point of this franchise is that it’s the story of a kid and his friends going on adventures in this fascinating wizarding world, and what makes the franchise work is that incredibly spirited charisma and style it holds in its core. This film does a wonderful job of maintaining that feeling while introducing us to the beginning of the darkness soon to come, where those scenes were even more brilliant than ever before.
These movies never fail to surprise me, as I keep thinking that one of these films has to be a dud, but I just haven’t found it yet.
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The Academy did so well these past two years, but what the fuck were these voters on with this hot piece of dogshit? They gave 13 goddamn nominations to an utter disaster of a film, a complete mess from start to finish that tries to tackle so many different random themes, messages, and communities and somehow fails at portraying a single one of them well.
On top of that, this movie is a musical!?!? Not a single song feels naturally placed in the slightest, the lyrics are hysterically bad, none of the actors can sing, and they don’t add anything to the story. As I was watching, I just kept wondering, what’s the point of all this? What the hell was Jacques Audiard thinking while he was making this? Does he even care about the trans community? What was he trying to say? And then I realized, it’s absolutely nothing. This movie has no depth, it’s just throwing spaghetti at the wall and nothing sticks.
This movie is disgraceful, to the trans and Latin American communities, to cinema, and to anybody who wanted to see at least a sliver of meaning or ion. As I’m writing, I’m just thinking about the millions of ways the film could’ve been interesting, like exploring the inner turmoil of Emilia and her journey of abandoning her family to become her true self, or the ethical values of Rita and who she truly is as a character. But nope, they just decided to ignore all that to instead throw a whole lot of nothing on screen.
I will say, Karla Sofía Gascón and ESPECIALLY Zoe Saldaña really do give it everything they have, trying their best to make something out of nothing, and I do respect them for that. But they were just given absolutely nothing to work with that their performances couldn’t possibly have much depth. And I don’t even wanna talk about Selena Gomez, I usually love her, but my god this was not her place. And I guess the cinematography was interesting at times, and I respect some of the creative choices with the production and lighting, but at other points, it just gave me a goddamn migraine.
And to think that the biggest awards show for movies gave this movie the second most nominations in the history of cinema is… I was gonna say ridiculous, but that’s an understatement. But Challengers gets 0, Didi gets 0, Furiosa gets 0, Dune only gets 5, and this earns a Best Picture spot over Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl??? Disgusting.
Ok sorry, rant’s over. This stunk. Even my mom, who’s the nicest, most optimistic human being in the world was like, “I don’t get this shit” and went upstairs halfway through. And the editing was so stupid, like the cuts were so abrupt like the Vaginoplasty song jump-scared the hell out of me, like I don’t wanna see all that! And then it just turned into an action movie at the end and then a cult ritual, like what are we doing???
Me and my Spanish teacher will be having a great rant session about this tomorrow, she hates it too and thinks it’s a disgrace to Spanish-speaking culture.
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Just give Kieran Culkin the Oscar already, wow what a performance. This film hit all the right notes for me, with two outstanding lead performances and a beautiful script about grief, making the most of life, being honest with yourself and others, knowing it’s okay to not be okay, asking for help, and just ing how to truly live and embrace the beauty of life.
Yet, I think it’s Jesse Eisenberg’s direction that brings the film down just a little bit. I was so engaged the whole time that I think the film would’ve greatly benefitted with an even longer runtime, because there were so many points where it felt like a big emotional moment was about to hit and then it just cut away.
All the pieces were in order for this film to hit even harder than it already did, but everything just went by so quickly that I couldn’t quite absorb all the emotions that I know Eisenberg wanted to convey. And I applaud him for crafting such a sincere and human story about two extremely authentic and complex characters, especially Benji (hehe, Benji), who faces the loss of the one person he felt truly understood him and cared for him. It was so powerful, but I just felt like it could’ve been even stronger with more time to let everything sink in.
I’m not disappointed with A Real Pain in the slightest, I can honestly see myself appreciating this more on rewatch as I get older. This film was beautiful, and seeing Jewish (and Benji) representation getting this much attention just makes me so happy.
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An absolutely stunning and unique piece of art with drop-dead gorgeous animation, brilliant visual storytelling, unbelievable sound design, wonderful attention to detail in every single aspect, a touching score, and just so many moments that will make you laugh or audibly go “awwwww.”
There are times where the film loses some momentum, especially by the end as it felt like it was gonna end at least 5 times but it didn’t. Yet, I still wouldn’t have minded staying in that world for hours on end, because its portrayal of nature and these animals felt so authentic, charming, and just irable. It’s a film where you can evidently see in every single frame how much ion and care was put into every character design, every mannerism, every plant, every tree, every drop of water, every interaction, and every heartwarming or heartbreaking sequence.
Seeing this in a theater full of kids, I wasn’t sure how they would respond to a film with no dialogue, and even I wasn’t sure if it would work for 85 minutes. But man, did this film defy the odds, every single kid in that theater was feeling every emotion alongside me, laughing, crying, going “awww” and just taking in every gorgeous detail. Maybe not that last part, but I sure was.
Definitely not my favorite animated movie of the year, as it doesn’t QUITE hold enough substance for the runtime, but it gets so close and I would not be upset in the slightest if it wins at the Oscar’s. This thing was GORGEOUS.
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Literally right after writing an article about my favorite movies of 2024, I see this absolute beauty and it may just take the top spot. A gut-wrenching story about vulnerability, human expression, asking for help, self-discovery, true, healthy masculinity, and community told in such a sincere, heartfelt, joyful, and extremely touching way.
Colman Domingo gives an Oscar-worthy performance as expected, immersing himself in such a complex role of a man looking to help others before ever checking up on himself. Yet, it’s Clarence Maclin who steals the show for me, beautifully playing a literal previous version of himself where he discovers who he truly is and not who people tell him he should be.
The dialogue feels so authentic, every performance is full of heart, the natural and genuinely hilarious comedy works so well, the score and simple yet incredibly effective cinematography are gorgeous, and the ending, oh my lord, that ending was one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a minute. I can’t wait for more people to see this now that it’s getting a wider release, and any Oscar buzz would be nothing short of insanely well-deserved.
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This may be the hardest movie I’ve ever had to rate. Such an interesting concept, such gorgeous visuals, makeup, production, and cinematography, jaw-dropping, grotesque body horror that kept my eyes glued to the screen, two captivating performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t fully on the edge of my seat from start to finish, not bored for a second.
But man, that ending just left a sour taste in my mouth. It just went too absurd, too over-the-top for me to the point where even if there are deeper themes and layers to the madness of that ending, there is nothing that will make me enjoy and appreciate that ending as I am watching it. As the events unfolded on screen, I’m given no time to absorb anything and think about what it might mean, because everything just moves so quickly. But now that I am thinking about the themes, they aren’t even that deep or thought-provoking anyways.
If they wrapped up the film in a way where it was still grotesque but not too much where I could still think about and really immerse myself in what it was trying to say, then this movie would’ve been so much more satisfying. Yet, I was just left disappointed that we never truly got a full circle moment to see the growth that Elisabeth went through in a manner that wasn’t just insanely distracting and absurd.
I respect Coralie Fargeat’s creativity and ambition, because that is not common in Hollywood anymore. For me, just the insanity of it all really took me out of the ending and what it may have been trying to say. And even throughout the movie, I think it was visually interesting, unique, and extremely engaging with its pacing, but lacking any sense of grounded reality to truly and thoughtfully explore the very human themes and balance out the wild horror. And then by the end, it just went way too off the rails for me.
And I get why some people dig the madness, but it just isn’t fully my thing. I think Everything Everywhere All At Once nails what I wish this movie did, because it brilliantly balances absurdity with heart. The Substance just never found that balance.
I’m still giving it a positive rating just because of how undeniably entertaining and thrilling it is, and just the fact that I will not stop thinking about the film any time soon. I just think it could’ve been wrapped up WAYYYY better.
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Timmy’s exceptional as always, completely transforming into such a mysterious, rebellious, and apathetic character. The music and cinematography were really solid, Yet, this movie just felt so surface level at the end of the day, in its direction, story, unnecessarily long amount of time spent on generic romances, slow pacing, and the overall execution of a rather emotionless story.
It felt like I was just watching a concert half the time, and that concert was pretty damn good, but I was just wondering, what’s the point? Where is this going? Why should I even care? Why is he even like this in the first place? The movie just gave me practically nothing for me to invest in this character, because we never go beyond the surface of Bob Dylan’s persona. I get that maybe that’s the point, but I still see that as a flaw because when you can’t take a deeper look into your protagonist in a movie all about them, it just feels wrong.
I don’t know, I’m still going back and forth in my mind on if I should just accept the fact that the whole point of the film is that he truly is just A Complete Unknown, but for me personally, I wanted more. I love when I get to connect with characters and either sympathize with them or hate them, rather than just watch them do whatever and not really care about it. We get glimpses here and there, but it just felt so barebones at the end of the day.
Still though, Timmy, the music and the respectable effort to cleverly keep Bob Dylan’s character mysterious keep this movie from being a complete dud.
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I just can’t describe in all its glory just how much of a pleasure it is to continue coming back to this incredible universe that Nick Park has created and still be in awe with these new stories. This was such a joy, with surprisingly potent themes of the dangers of AI and losing human touch in the world. Nobody could possibly have been ready for the long-awaited return of Feathers McGraw, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. He is such a badass, genuinely one of the best animated villains I can think of.
And once again, Park captured the charm, heart, lighthearted humor, and warmth of these films in this film’s writing, improved animation that still felt just as homemade as ever, and in its story that brilliantly balanced absurdity with authenticity.
While the film was frustratingly predictable and it felt like we have already seen a lot of these sequences play out in a different way in other Wallace and Gromit films, it’s still such a blast to revisit these characters, and it was no different here.
When I come back to this world, there’s no reason to watch this one before Curse of the Were-Rabbit or The Wrong Tros, because this doesn’t quite match the comedic and thrilling brilliance of those. But don’t get me wrong, this still HIT.
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I don’t get how they keep doing this, because as the movie starts, I think it’s gonna be just a corny old cash grab. I thought the same thing at the beginning of the first two movies. But by the end, they continue to shock me with their heart, embracing of the goofiness, gorgeous action, lovable characters, and surprisingly heartfelt and meaningful themes.
And I honestly believe that this film did all of that better than the first two movies. The themes of grief, making the right choices, found family, teamwork, and moving on from loss were all really well-executed, especially as seen with Shadow voiced so damn well by Keanu Reeves.
But man, with Jim Carrey being my favorite actor, the unapologetic silliness and over-the-top comedy of him playing two roles opposite one another was just so entertaining to watch. And the film surprisingly balances these two tones way better than I thought they would, as one never felt like it was taking away from the other. The goofiness and the heartfelt messaging only complemented each other to make for an extremely enjoyable watch overall.
I can’t believe I just said all that about a third movie in a franchise about a video game character for a game that I never played, but these movies really just work for me. They’re fun, thrilling, so much funnier than you’d expect, and so damn heartfelt.
Not sure how another sequel would operate without Jim Carrey, because these movies would just not be as good without him.
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There’s three words to describe this movie: Meryl motherfucking Streep. She was just an absolute force of nature on screen, wow. And to make it even better, the writing, the cast, the music, the camera work, the heartfelt messages, r the comedy, the endless charm of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, and just the entire 2000s aesthetic of this film all made a movie about a fashion CEO and her assistant feel like an action thriller with a beautiful sense of heart.
Great way to start of 2025. That’s all.
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The Puppy Love needle drop is absolute cinematic perfection. Such clever, funny writing all around here, with Gromit’s excellent characterization (and romantic endeavor) bringing everything together.
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Unironically one of the most original, hilarious, clever, charming, entertaining, unapologetically absurd, and insanely fun animated movies I’ve ever seen. I already have a built-in love for Wallace and Gromit ever since I was a kid, so that definitely gives this rating some bias. But this script and this story is just pure genius, balancing horror, comedy, heart, clever twists, and action to a tee.
The animation gives these characters just so much life, especially with Gromit being a fantastic protagonist for the second half of this movie. But best of all, the writing is just so damn smart. Nick Park sets up these hysterical scenarios where these characters are treated like action heroes in the most laugh-out-loud ridiculous situations, like a big vegetable competition. This movie is not afraid to lean into the silliness, and it pays off tenfold with just how enjoyable it is to watch. The extra cherry on top is the brilliant dark humor that is flawlessly spread throughout the film.
I’m excited yet skeptical for the new flick featuring my favorite Brit and mutt, but at least we’ll always have this golden carrot to appreciate.
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Those first two movies are excellent in their own right, but Alfonso Cuaron takes it to a whole other level where for the first time, I want to immediately rewatch and absorb everything I just witnessed. Harry became a whole new character with his immense growth and Daniel Radcliffe’s emerging strength on screen. The mix of dark, fantastical horror and coming-of-age, heartfelt storytelling is so brilliant, and the film keeps you on your toes with its many cleverly executed twists and turns.
The additions of Gary Oldman’s Sirius Black and David Thewlis’ Professor Lupin were greatly welcomed, and the entire time travel finale was so brilliantly executed on a story and character level.
I just love how Harry’s story develops and his hero’s journey is in the forefront of this franchise. Not the surprise cameos, not the action, his journey and his growth into a powerful wizard determined to bring justice to his parents, save those who are innocent, and fulfill his destiny as the chosen one. And there were many moments of that in the first two films, don’t get me wrong, but it is REALLY getting going here, and I am in awe. Not to mention, this film is visually stunning, and I just never got bored in the slightest.
I cannot wait to rewatch this one, I know it’s gonna stick with me.
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The magic continues in all of its glory, these first two movies are just incredible. I know I’m a generous rater, but I’d honestly be lying if I said I wasn’t fully engaged for the entire runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Yes, it probably could’ve been shorter, but I just don’t know what could’ve been cut out. The entire mystery and Indiana Jones-esque adventure that plays out is just so compelling, and it brilliantly teases and hints at what’s to come, which is exactly what a second movie in this franchise should do.
Once again, the cast is phenomenal, with Jason Isaacs, Kenneth Branagh, and Toby Jones’ Dobby being extraordinary additions. It is so clear that everyone in the cast just wants to be there, as the ion that they have along with the people behind the camera have is felt on screen. It’s felt in the sets, the action, the music, and just the attention to detail in the lore that just keeps expanding and keeps me more and more interested in the story. The pacing is just brilliant as well, keeping the intensity high while still finding time for meaningful conversations between characters, it’s truly irable.
Overall, I don’t understand the hate for this movie. So far, I’m adoring this franchise, and just can’t wait to see how it grows darker.
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Ok fine, I give in. I still stand by all of my problems with the film, like its pacing, tone imbalances, and disconnected feel between the first two acts and the finale. But I can’t resist saying how enjoyable the film still is. The songs, the production, THE PERFORMANCES, the heart, the energy, the meaningful messages, it all just WORKS. It’s just full of life and style, it’s so hard not to have a good time.
P.S. I saw this in the sing along version, I suggest all the fans of Wicked see it in this version so you can lose your voice and no one can tell you you can’t. So freeing, what an amazing theater experience!!
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I am not gonna stop thinking about this movie for quite some time. Such a beautiful, nostalgic, uncomfortable, charming, heartwarming yet heartbreaking, relatable, and just incredibly authentic look into what it is truly like to grow up and begin to realize what and who truly matters in life.
This really took me back to a phase in my life where I was probably more similar to Chris than I should’ve been, where I was walking behind the rest of the friend group, not appreciating my parents and sister as much as I should’ve been, not really knowing how to interact with girls, and just never knowing how to or if I even wanted to fit in. This film hit all of those notes brilliantly, and it made for such an awkward and sometimes hard-to-watch experience that just tugged on all the right emotional strings by the end, as it made me realize how wonderful it has been to get past that stage and truly come of age. As I was watching, I was just screaming at Chris for what he was doing, and now looking back, it’s almost as if I was screaming at my old self for how stupid I was back then. That’s how relatable and human this film was.
Sean Wang’s authenticity in his storytelling and the entire nostalgic atmosphere he builds with the cinematography, dialogue, and music really elevated the film to having so much warmth and truly teleporting me back to this stage in my life flawlessly. And the performances from Izaac Wang and ESPECIALLY Joan Chen who deserved even more screen time truly brought this all together with their complex emotional range and beautifully imperfect dynamic.
And to think that this movie was only 94 minutes long and yet they packed so much emotion, humanity, and heart into such a tight screenplay and story is that extra cherry on top, because the pacing was genuinely perfect as it didn’t feel too quick or slow in the slightest. One of my favorite movies of the year, and maybe the one that hit the hardest for me on an emotional level. This is why I love cinema so much, to watch stories that connect with me on a personal level, where I can see myself in the characters, and just watch in awe as their unique story unfolds.
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I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. Such an enjoyable watch with some of the most heartwarming moments I’ve seen in any Disney flick and just incredible messages that perfectly resemble the spirit of Christmas. At first, I thought that the first story of Huey, Dewey, and Louie was easily gonna be my favorite, and then Goofy and Max came around and gave me such a wholesome father-son dynamic, and then Mickey and Minnie popped up with an ending that tied the entire film together so beautifully with a gorgeous display of true love and commitment, showing what Christmas is all about.
What I’m trying to say is that usually with anthology-type movies or just movies with separated plot lines, there are weak spots with certain storylines not being as strong as others. That was just not the case at all here, because every single plot line delivered an equally meaningful, compelling, entertaining, and joyful story with such lovable characters and an immeasurable amount of heart. The animation has so much life to it, the Christmas music is aplenty which is never a bad thing, and as I really want to emphasize, the overarching message that Christmas is about love of friends and family and not gifts or decorations was just so impactful.
I don’t even celebrate Christmas, but I just translate it all to Hanukkah and it works perfectly so we’re good. But regardless, this just blew me away with just how well it delivered such memorable and resonating stories.
]]>Based on my enjoyment of each film
- Sing Sing
- Grave of the Fireflies
- Princess Mononoke
- Rush Hour
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Erin Brockovich
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- About Time
- Sinners
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
...plus 31 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based on my enjoyment
- Sing Sing
- Dune: Part Two
- Dìdi (弟弟)
- Challengers
- It's What's Inside
- Nosferatu
- Gladiator II
- Trap
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- The Wild Robot
...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Avengers: Infinity War
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Avengers: Endgame
- Thunderbolts*
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Black Panther
- Deadpool & Wolverine
...plus 37 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Update: Not going to finish the challenge in 2024, but am going to adjust it to finish it by the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Below is the list if you wanna in or follow along, just doing this for fun and to check movies off my watchlist
Unofficial Rules: No rewatches and no sequels
(Ranked based on enjoyment)
Week:
1. Set in Space (Rebel Moon)
2. Film with fav actor (Man on the Moon)
3. Spanish Film (Society of the Snow)
4. Time Travel film (Edge of Tomorrow)
5. Letterboxd Top 50 Film (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
6. 50s film (Sunset Boulevard)
7. IMDB Top 100 Film (Citizen Kane)
8. Mom’s fav film (Pretty Woman)
9. Animated film (Mulan)
10. Comedy film (Tropic Thunder)
11. Film from year I was born (There Will Be Blood)
12. Low budget film (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
13. 90s film (Election)
14. Movie based on a true story (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
15. Parody movie (The Naked Gun)
16. 60s film (The Jungle Book)
17. Foreign film (Godzilla 1954)
18. 2020s film (Shiva Baby)
19. Movie from a director I’ve never watched (City Lights)
20. Biopic (I, Tonya)
21. 2010s film (s Ha)
22. Asian film (Godzilla Minus One)
23. Movie starting with first letter of name (Boyz n the Hood)
24. Movie based on a book (The Wizard of Oz)
25. A movie set in my home state (Dog Day Afternoon)
26. Dad’s fav film (The Cable Guy)
27. Movie featuring one of my hobbies (Love & Basketball)
28. 70s film (Grease)
29. UK film (Trainspotting)
30. 2000s film (Brokeback Mountain)
31. Pre-1940 film (M)
32. Musical (The Sound of Music)
33. Movie from favorite director (Sixteen Candles)
34. Crime film (Uncut Gems)
35. Fav actress film (Easy A)
36. 40s film (Hamlet)
37. Anime film (Grave of the Fireflies)
38. Fantasy film (About Time)
39. 80s film
40. Western
41. Movie that takes place in one setting
42. Best Picture winner
43. Silent film
44. Monster movie
45. Romance movie
46. Movie with an iconic plot twist
47. War film
48. One of ur sibling’s fav films
49. Slasher/horror movie
50. Movie with an actor I’ve never watched
51. Coming-of-age film
52. Christmas film
- Brokeback Mountain
- There Will Be Blood
- The Sound of Music
- Godzilla Minus One
- Boyz n the Hood
- Love & Basketball
- Grave of the Fireflies
- Dog Day Afternoon
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- About Time
...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- All That Jazz
- All the President's Men
- Amadeus
- American Psycho
- Apocalypse Now
- Apollo 13
- Back to the Future
- Batman
- Beauty and the Beast
- Bend It Like Beckham
...plus 79 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based on my enjoyment
]]>Call me basic all you want, I will watch these beauties until I die
- The Truman Show
- Whiplash
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Avengers: Infinity War
- La La Land
- Rocky
- Fight Club
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Interstellar
...plus 62 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>In no particular order, besides Spider-Verse, which will be the first one
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Toy Story
- Toy Story 2
- Toy Story 3
- Finding Nemo
- The Incredibles
- Ratatouille
- Forrest Gump
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
...plus 76 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based on my enjoyment of each film
*Not including short films (less than 1 hour) or specials
- Whiplash
- The Holdovers
- The Batman
- Inside Out
- Brokeback Mountain
- Oppenheimer
- Dune: Part Two
- There Will Be Blood
- The Sound of Music
- Godzilla Minus One
...plus 102 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based off of enjoyment, a lower ranked movie may be better than a higher ranked one, but I enjoyed watching the higher ranked one more
- The Truman Show
- Whiplash
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Rocky
- Se7en
- The Batman
- Fight Club
- The Empire Strikes Back
- The Shawshank Redemption
...plus 241 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based on my enjoyment of each film
- The Truman Show
- Whiplash
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- La La Land
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- The Dark Knight
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- Little Miss Sunshine
...plus 181 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Yes, I’m counting Die Hard, sue me
- Die Hard
- The Holdovers
- It's a Wonderful Life
- Home Alone
- The Holiday
- Elf
- Klaus
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based on my enjoyment of the films, specials included
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- The Batman
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- Aftersun
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Top Gun: Maverick
- The Fabelmans
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
- Babylon
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Based on my enjoyment
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- The Holdovers
- Oppenheimer
- Godzilla Minus One
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- John Wick: Chapter 4
- Poor Things
- The Iron Claw
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Past Lives
...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Will watch Batman 1966 soon, based on my enjoyment
]]>Including numbers, not including “The” or “A” if it’s the first word
I somehow haven’t seen any “V” movies, I can’t believe that
- 12 Angry Men
- Avengers: Infinity War
- The Breakfast Club
- Coco
- The Dark Knight
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Forrest Gump
- Good Will Hunting
- The Holdovers
- Inside Out
...plus 16 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Whiplash
- Avengers: Infinity War
- The Batman
- Pulp Fiction
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Parasite
...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Coco
- Toy Story
- Inside Out
- The Incredibles
- Up
- Toy Story 3
- Ratatouille
- WALL·E
- Monsters, Inc.
- Finding Nemo
...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>I’m not watching the 2016 remake, I know it’ll be last
]]>- The Shawshank Redemption
- The Godfather
- The Godfather Part II
- The Dark Knight
- 12 Angry Men
- Schindler's List
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Pulp Fiction
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
...plus 90 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Still need to watch Bottle Rocket and Life Aquatic
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
- The Royal Tenenbaums
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Isle of Dogs
- Moonrise Kingdom
- Rushmore
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
- Asteroid City
- Poison
- The Darjeeling Limited
...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars
- Return of the Jedi
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Can easily change on rewatch, based on my enjoyment
]]>