4v291o
This is PEAK teenage boy cinema
It hit exactly the way it needed to. It never tries to be more than it is, and that’s why it works. The story is super straightforward, nothing that’s going to blow your mind, but that simplicity lets everything else shine. They knew what kind of movie they were making and leaned all the way into it, without overcomplicating anything. It stays *somewhat* grounded, gets to the point, and delivers on the promise.
The action is clean and tight without being overwhelming. Nothing ever felt too chaotic or hard to follow. There’s a rhythm to the way it moves from scene to scene, like everything has a purpose and hits on beat. That flamethrower fight toward the end is where it fully clicked. Up until that point, I was riding a solid 6/10, but once that kicked in, I immediately jumped to a 7. It was insane.
Ana de Armas is locked in from the second she appears. She doesn’t need to say much because her beautiful face is doing all the heavy lifting. She brings this quiet intensity and a kind of haunted strength that makes everything feel more personal. The way her eyes shift tells you everything you need to know, *chefs kiss* I need more action movies with her at the center, because she eats this up.
It’s exactly what it should be. No extra layers, no fake deep messaging, just stylish action with a lead who completely owns it. There’s real confidence in how simple it all is. You don’t need twists or gimmicks when you have a solid grip on what kind of ride you’re taking people on. It’s the kind of thing that’s going to play even better on a rewatch because you already know it delivers.
]]>
This one really got under my skin in the best way. From the second Sally Hawkins shows up, it’s over. I truly was unfamiliar with her game. She dominates every scene without doing too much, just slowly tightening her grip on Andy until you can barely breathe. That last shot of her was so heartbreaking.
The way she manipulates the room, and gaslights Andy so subtly and calmly, it makes everything else in the movie hit even harder. You never doubt for a second that she believes what she’s saying, which makes it all feel even more messed up. She ate. She’s that bitch 💅
The dynamic between Andy and Piper is honestly what holds the whole thing together. Those grapefruit and airplane moments were so cute bro. There’s something really honest in how they communicate with each other, and the fact that Piper’s disability is treated like a natural part of her life rather than a plot point is such a breath of fresh air. You feel the love between them throughout the entire film.
(Honestly it made me think about how hack director John Krasinski would make the disabilities of the main girl in a quiet place be cliche and not mean anything at all.)
This is how you do horror without relying on cheap scares. No jump scares, no loud violin stabs just for the sake of it. It’s creepy because it’s grounded, and that’s where the sound design comes in. The sound FX team really went crazy. Some of those moments had me physically uncomfortable just from what I was hearing, especially in those scenes where the tension’s building and the camera refuses to cut away. It’s not scary in the traditional sense but it is deeply unsettling and that’s honestly more effective.
Nothing felt like filler, even the quietest scenes end up meaning something. You can tell these directors have leveled up big time since TALK TO ME. The pacing is controlled, the tension never slips, and the emotional gut punches land hard without ever feeling forced. It all feels like it’s building to something, and when it finally does, it doesn’t let go.
This just felt so confident. Like these directors knew exactly what kind of story they wanted to tell and didn’t compromise. It’s emotional without being manipulative, disturbing without being over the top, and it treats its characters like real people instead of tropes. Whatever they do next, I’m watching it the second it drops.
]]>
There’s something really frustrating about watching a story that clearly has potential get buried under bad decisions. The foundation is there. Lee’s trauma and the way it follows him into this new chapter of his life is actually really well done in a few key scenes. That flashback was rough to watch, in a good way. It gave him more weight than I expected and it could’ve made the entire thing hit harder if they actually built the movie around that instead of just tossing it in there like a surprise. You can tell there’s a much better story sitting underneath all the chaos but the movie keeps getting in its own way.
The editing is genuinely exhausting. Constant cuts, random angles, weird slow motion that doesn’t land, just so much noise for no reason. It’s hard to even keep track of what’s happening sometimes because the pacing is such a mess. One second Lee’s getting jumped, then it’s five montages, and somehow we’re already at the big tournament and I barely even know who anyone is. That scene where he gets jumped could’ve been a turning point or something emotional, but it doesn’t even because the movie never slows down enough to let anything breathe. Also, I cannot believe how fake everything looks. Every single background feels like a set. You can feel the green screens and empty sound stages in every frame.
There’s something cool brewing between Lee and Mia. The chemistry is there, even if the writing barely gives them time to make it matter. At least it felt natural, which is more than I can say for most of the other characters. Everyone else feels like a placeholder. Even the villain just shows up and then disappears with no impact. Honestly, even Lee feels underwritten sometimes, which is weird because we get these heavy pieces of his backstory. He should feel more real than he does. The stuff with his mom not knowing he didn’t even fight back, that could’ve been such a solid emotional beat. But of course, it just flies by.
I don’t even know how to describe how bad the music is without laughing. It’s so awkward and so loud in the wrong places. There’s a scene where it kicks in and completely kills what little emotion was trying to build. Just completely tone-deaf. Combine that with the chaotic editing and it honestly feels like one of those generic streaming originals that you forget about the second it ends.
This really didn’t need to be connected to anything that came before, which I appreciate. I never felt like I had to go watch anything else to keep up. But at the same time, I wish this stood on its own for better reasons. It had one or two strong ideas, but they drowned in a sea of montages, weak characters, and terrible cuts. You can tell what they were trying to do, but it got lost in the mess. It had something, but the way they told it made sure that most people won’t even notice.
]]>
I wonder what Corey Taylor thinks of this movie
There’s something wild about the way it shows how much a guy’s life shifts just by having a Bro. Like, not even a romantic partner can fill that specific space. You could feel it when they were just doing nothing together and still having a good time, like the night they snuck into the government building. That kind of moment said more about male loneliness and emotional release than anything else in the movie. It didn’t need to be explained, it just sat in the vibe and let you watch it unfold.
That said, it’s frustrating how forgettable this whole thing ends up being. It touches on a lot of meaningful stuff like isolation and disconnection, but it doesn’t stick. It thinks it’s being clever and different, but most of it kind of drags. There’s this air of “look how quirky we are” without it actually landing emotionally or comedically. Some scenes felt like they were trying to be weird for weird’s sake, and after a while it all starts to blur together. I get why it’s getting talked about, but it doesn’t deserve the hype it’s riding on.
It also really didn’t help that the main character is just plain irritating. There’s no softness or real charm to him, which sucks because you’re stuck seeing things through his lens the whole time. He’s clearly written as neurodivergent, but they play it in this overly exaggerated way that ends up making him feel more like a caricature than a real person. His constant whining and impulsive decisions got tiring fast. It became hard to root for him or even care what happened next.
What stuck with me the most is how one good friendship can shift someone’s whole world, even when everything else feels heavy or awkward or broken. That core message is strong and it’s the only thing that really landed. Everything else around it just felt like noise.
]]>
Mother’s Milk jumpscare
It tries really hard to sell itself as this fun, clever adventure but ends up drowning in its own self-importance. The whole thing is bloated with exposition, like it doesn’t trust the audience to figure anything out without someone explaining it in the most dry way possible. Characters are constantly telling us what’s happening, what just happened, what’s going to happen. It kills any sense of mystery or momentum. There’s no room for discovery when everything is spoon-fed.
John Krasinski’s performance doesn’t help either. He’s doing this weird try-hard thing where he wants to be charming and clever, but none of it lands. It feels like a parody of a charismatic adventurer without any of the actual spark or presence that kind of role needs. He comes off more like a guy auditioning to be in a better movie than someone who belongs in this one.
The ending is flat out awful. Just completely lifeless and obvious, with no tension or payoff. It wraps up in the most generic way possible, and then to make it worse, the credits roll over that painfully outdated early 2000s rock song that sounds like it was picked out of a bargain bin. It made the whole thing feel even cheaper than it already did. Any goodwill that might’ve built up gets wiped away in those final moments.
There’s a hint of something that could’ve worked if it just didn’t take itself so seriously or try to force a tone it couldn’t handle. But when everything from the chemistry to the camera work is missing that spark, it’s hard to stay interested. It keeps reaching for that big blockbuster feel but never finds anything real to hold on to. In the end, it’s just hollow. Not completely unwatchable, but definitely forgettable. It wants to be this thrilling ride full of charm and wit, but all it really delivers is noise and filler.
]]>
I think I was always destined to visit Costa Rica
]]>
Weird pro-AI love fantasy that I fell right asleep to on a plane
]]>
I fell asleep during the first act which is low key crazy bc I didn’t really feel all that tired. I’m also on a plane so
From what I saw it had an interesting concept but was pretty boring ngl. I wish characters were more developed and the story felt like it had more weight to it. The ending happens so fast and doesn’t really resonate. Shots looked nice and some reactions were genuine, but otherwise this is something I will def forget.
]]>
Truly I do not care enough to go super in depth.
Lilo actress was fine, stitch looked good at times, other times he looked bad. All the other CG creatures looked bad. It had the same beats and a lot of unnecessary new beats. I don’t care. Why is Nani a marine biologist now. Why is that such an important plot point.
EDIT: ok I know what was bothering me. Why was Nani straight up willing to just give her only blood relative to the government. Something real fishy about that one Disney hmmmmmm. Why are we saying that the government is the hero and that forced foster care systems work hmmmmmmm.
If Ohana means nobody gets left behind, why did Nani leave lilo behind.
]]>
I truly love hand drawn animation. Even if some of the early CGI moments stuck out weirdly it still looks incredible. I didn’t really care once it settled into the real story though. It moves so fast you barely have time to sit with anything, which somehow works. It’s chaos from start to finish, but that kind of fits what it’s trying to be.
The comedy is actually insane. That moment where the little girl calls Lilo crazy and Lilo just launches herself at her without warning is always hilarious. Just immediate violence from this tiny girl in a dress. Every scene where a regular person reacts to Stitch is funnier than the last. He gets hit by a truck and then ends up in a dog shelter. The idea that anyone saw him and was like “yeah that’s a dog” kills me. He has four arms and is considered dead. I also can’t get over Cobra Bubbles looking exactly like Marsellus Wallace.
Lilo is genuinely such a weirdo and I adore her for it. Her energy is so strange and off-putting and perfect. Stitch kind of matches her in the worst possible way. He’s just a menace, and it works because Lilo herself is always riding that same chaotic frequency. She’s at a 7, he’s at a 13, and somehow they click. Even when Stitch is being an asshole, he’s still funny. I actually laughed out loud multiple times. The voice acting helps a lot too, especially from the kids. It never feels fake or forced. They sound like real children, and that’s rare in animated stuff. Nani is such a babe though. She could crush me with her thighs and I would say thank you.
It tries to say something deeper about family and feeling like an outsider, and I respect that, but the themes aren’t as strong as I ed. It scratches the surface, but never truly digs in. It’s more about vibes than anything profound. The Hawaiian setting does bring a really nice texture to everything. It feels like it was made by people who actually spent time there. Still, it stays pretty surface level and leans hard on the aesthetic rather than the culture.
Then the third act kind of loses me. It becomes this ridiculous cartoon chase with aliens and guns and chaos. I don’t mind it, but it doesn’t really match the quieter emotional beats the movie flirts with literally the scene right before it. Knowing they’re turning this into a live action thing makes me physically ill. That tone won’t translate at all.
The final shot during the credits really hit. It’s not polished or sentimental, just this weird little found-family snapshot. It kind of perfectly captures what the whole thing was aiming for. Not every part lands, but it’s so committed to its own weirdness that I can’t help but think it’s fine.
]]>
AH YES. I am glad this next entry in the Mission Impossible franchise was able to retain its love for the art of MAGIC. As a level 5 dark magician in training, I loved seeing the infamous “sleight of hand” being used on screen once again.
But anyway…
I liked it enough. It was engaging in the way these usually are, but considering what was actually at stake here, a lot of it came off pretty silly. That first stretch, like the first 40 minutes, felt like a slow tribute reel. There was a lot of setup that really just repeated what was already established in literally the previous film, plus this weird greatest hits sequence of callbacks that didn’t add anything new. It felt like a victory lap for a race that isn’t even over yet. Not one other film in this series does this kind of recap, and it immediately made the movie feel longer than it needed to be.
The weight of the whole AI threat was heavy on paper, but it just didn’t hit as hard in execution. Some of it looked serious, like the scenes with the military deciding over whether to nuke cities or not, but the direction never matched that tone. Everything was framed in a way that softened the blow. You can feel the tension in moments, sure, but they’re always undercut by the way the camera lingers or the editing cuts away too quickly. It ends up feeling a bit like a simulation of tension, not the real thing.
That moment where they basically said it would take days for AI to hack the American nuclear arsenal but only hours for India or China? That was wild. There’s a line between narrative convenience and propaganda, and this movie dances on it. You can feel the commentary about tech getting away from us, but it’s filtered through this very selective lens of who’s advanced and who’s not, and it takes away from the urgency the story is trying to sell.
The action was also lighter than expected. For a movie like this, I don’t think it should take almost two hours for the real momentum to kick in. It was a lot of buildup, a few cool moments here and there, but it didn’t carry the same punch as the past couple entries. The final plane battle is supposed to be intense, but Gabriel turning into a full cartoon villain during it kind of made it impossible (haha) to take seriously. I kept laughing every time he said something. The tone got all over the place by the end.
Tom Cruise is still putting his body through chaos to entertain us, and I respect that. His commitment is never in question. But this just didn’t land the way it should have. It felt like the setup for something better, rather than the thing itself. It’s not bad, and I wasn’t bored, but it didn’t leave me with much to hold on to either.
]]>
Leaving for Epic Universe in 2 days, I have 3 Harry Potter movies, plus 2 new in theater releases, let’s see if I can survive them all. Here are my thoughts on the Half Blood Prince:
It’s crazy how calm everything feels in the beginning. Harry’s just out here in a diner, flirting with a waitress like he doesn’t have the most dangerous dark wizard alive wreaking havoc across the world. There’s no urgency. None. He’s sipping tea like this is just another day off. Then it’s straight to school like that’s the priority right now. People are disappearing, dying, and they’re like, "well better get back to potions class." It feels completely disconnected. You’d expect things to be ramping up after everything that’s happened, but instead it’s business as usual with a sprinkle of danger somewhere in the background.
The one scene that genuinely caught me off guard with how well done it was is this moment where Harry is flipping through that cheat sheet book, and it transitions into this snowy road. That scene actually felt like someone stepped in and said, let’s try something with real texture and mood. It sticks out in the best way. But overall, the film keeps bouncing between teen drama and glimpses of a much bigger threat, and the two never really blend well. You have Ron knocked out cold in the hospital wing, muttering Hermione’s name while his girlfriend stands there, and it’s played off like this big romantic moment. But also, there’s a dark army out there building strength and we’re still here watching these kids fumble through relationships.
The joke with Dumbledore and the potion, the “you have to keep drinking” moment, got a laugh out of me just because of how hard that line has been memed. But outside of that, the climax doesn’t land. The last act of the previous one had more weight, more buildup. This one tries to go dark in the end, but the whole setup leading into it just doesn’t earn that shift. It drags. I can’t say the plot isn’t interesting on paper, but the way it’s told makes it hard to care. Everything is so focused on being inside this school, and at this point it just feels limiting. Why does everything have to happen here? Why can’t we go out and actually deal with what’s going on in the world?
This one feels stuck. There are pieces that work, little artistic flourishes and character beats that almost click, but they’re surrounded by this odd refusal to move forward. It’s like the story wants to grow up but keeps getting pulled back into school uniforms and love triangles. The stakes are higher than ever, but you wouldn’t know it from how casually everyone’s acting. This needed momentum, direction, something to make it feel like the world outside was closing in. Instead, it feels like another school year with some ominous clouds hanging in the distance.
]]>
The ending saves what is otherwise a filler story? I like the character interactions and the animation but that story is just so lackluster.
That ending makes me smile so hard bro it’s so cute
]]>
This feels like a two-hour montage of Abel blowing raspberries, making weird faces, and staring at the camera like he’s in a cologne ad, just with louder sound design. The film opens on that bizarre 😗😗😗 bit, and somehow it only gets more self-indulgent from there. It’s a nonstop swirl of flashing lights, chaotic edits, and random screaming. You barely have a sense of what’s even happening until forty minutes in, and by then, the confusion isn’t mysterious or interesting anymore, it’s just exhausting.
The whole thing tries so hard to be about something. There are constant references to mommy issues, depression, and the pain of breakups, but nothing lands. It’s mostly just closeups of Abel brooding while talking about the end of a relationship like it’s the death of civilization. Jenna Ortega is doing what she can, but even her character is impossible to pin down. Is she a deranged fan? A metaphor? Who knows. The moment where she’s crying about her mom’s call and Abel makes that dumb 🤨 face right after made me actually laugh. Same with the now-viral “shut the fuck up” moment. The whole thing plays like a fake deep Tumblr post from 2013.
There’s a weird vibe of self-worship here that’s hard to ignore. From the Christlike poses to the way his discography is treated like gospel, it comes off like a tribute film to himself, directed by himself. There’s no real emotional weight behind any of it. It’s too caught up in its own sense of importance to let any moment breathe or resonate. It wants you to believe it's saying something profound, but most of the lessons are the kind of surface level stuff you'd find on a sad boy Instagram post. Like that one famous Peter Griffin quote, “it insists upon itself”, but gives you nothing to hold onto.
By the time the credits roll, it feels like nothing actually happened. You can stretch and say maybe it’s about shedding the Weekend persona, but even that feels like an afterthought. It’s just loud, chaotic, and hollow. Whatever message is buried in here is drowned out by erratic cuts, weird line deliveries, and a desperate attempt to be artsy. It’s a whole lot of noise pretending to be meaning.
]]>
“Life is precious. Enjoy every single second. You never know when…” 🥹
The editing in this is absolutely ruthless. The way it cuts to different things a couple seconds before something brutal happens builds so much tension you can feel it in your chest. Every time death shows up it feels like it’s lurking just off screen, and those sharp transitions make your stomach drop. It keeps you guessing, and the anxiety it builds with each fake out is unreal. The MRI machine scene had me clenching everything.
What really works here is how it leans into something more emotional without losing the thrill. The family at the center of this feels real and grounded, and their dynamic gives it a weight that the earlier movies didn’t always have. The writing takes time with them in a way that actually makes you care, which makes every close call way more brutal. You want them to make it. That’s rare for something like this.
Death doesn’t even feel like just a concept anymore. It’s having a full-on twisted blast and it’s terrifying. The penny in the well with that kid was so drawn out and evil, and you can just feel it playing with these characters. It has personality without even being a real person.
Reinventing the rules like this makes it feel like the franchise is fresh. It doesn’t ditch what made it what it is, but it’s clearly trying to evolve. It’s smart. There’s still that formula at the core, but it finds ways to stretch it, twist it, and make it feel like a real movie instead of just a string of kills.
Not everything lands. The green screen and some of the CG environments really pull you out. There are moments where it just looks unfinished or weirdly flat. But even with that, the energy keeps pulling you back in.
The performances, especially Tony Todd in his super small cameo, bring a lot. He looks visibly unwell here and that’s hard to ignore. His final scene had me actually sobbing in my seat. I didn’t think this kind of movie could hit like that but it did. I actually cried. His presence across this series meant something and this felt like a proper goodbye.
This honestly blew me away. It’s still fun and wild and full of nasty surprises, but it’s layered with real emotion and risk. It tries things and most of them work. The kills are creative, the tension is exhausting in the best way, and it feels like a fresh start that respects everything that came before.
]]>
Pretty good. I feel like the story took a hit a little, it didn’t feel as emotional as the first movie. His mom should’ve came back though why did she disappear for 20 years that was crazy.
]]>
Really good rewatch.
The themes of change are really well done. When Hiccup and Toothless interact without speaking to each other that is also well done. The way it makes you feel is great.
I kind of just wish that the characters and world were a tad more developed. It goes by so fast there’s no real time to absorb a lot, but the emotion it elicits are really good. The people in the movie also looks super dated. Everything else looks great.
I really hope the live action version explores more of berk. I guess we will see
]]>
This didn’t really do anything for me so I’m keeping it unrated and leaving it at the bottom of my 2025 RANKED
]]>
10th watch, ABSOLUTELY SOBBED JUST AS HARD AS THE FIRST WATCH. GOD DAMN.
The way this movie builds a constant sense of dread, only to flood your heart with hope in the final act deserves to be studied in a lab.
The more I think about the sequel, the more I don’t think it will stack up to this in of emotion, heart, and hope. I guess we will see but like where could they possibly go from here.
]]>
I had a lot of thoughts during this rewatch
Why is Harry still living in that house with these annoying people like Voldemort isn’t alive and actively hunting him down? It’s not even just about safety, it’s about how jarring it feels to see him sitting around like everything is fine when we’ve already seen what’s at stake. You’d think there’d be some kind of magical protection squad posted outside or a proper safehouse by now, but instead it’s just business as usual. Then when the Order finally shows up, it's like, oh, this is what the security team is? They couldn’t have stepped in earlier? It’s a cool group and all, but way too late.
The whole plot detour with Umbridge taking over the school just doesn’t work. It’s not even that she’s a bad character, she’s actually a great villain because you hate her instantly, but I don’t want to spend a whole movie watching her mess with classroom rules and hang up creepy signs. Voldemort is alive. Why are we dealing with school politics and detentions? The whole movie feels stuck in a weird in-between moment where we’re just waiting for something real to happen. Then you get something like the Snape flashback and it’s like, oh wow, this is what I want. Real insight, real storytelling, something that adds depth to all of this. There should’ve been more of that instead of dragging this whole filler arc out.
The finale finally brings the energy this story needed. As soon as they get to the Ministry of Magic, everything clicks. The movie becomes what this should’ve been from the jump. The actual battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort finally gave the magic some creativity too. That fire serpent and the wave of water are the kind of visuals this world should be built on. Not everything needs to be wand lasers. For a world where anything is possible, the magic in this series still plays it way too safe. But that scene made up for a lot. That moment when the Order shows up to help them out hit hard, it made their whole presence feel worth it.
Helena Bonham Carter steals each moment she’s in. You can’t take your eyes off her. She doesn’t even have to say anything, she just moves like she knows this entire movie is hers. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione continue being the only couple here that actually makes sense emotionally. Every time they talk to each other I kept screaming JUST KISS ALREADY. I buy them more than anything else going on in the background of the school storyline. The rest of the Hogwarts stuff feels like white noise now. The urgency is gone. I don’t care about rule books and punishment squads when the actual dark wizard everyone fears is walking around free.
The mix of practical sets with CGI works surprisingly well this time, even though the Serius fire effect looked awful. That floating fiery face was literally the same as that black kid in Thor Love and Thunder. Two movies ago, he looked spooky coming out of a fireplace. Now it’s just a melted Snapchat filter. Stuff like that pulls you out of the moment and makes everything else feel less polished than it actually is. When this world leans into texture and atmosphere, it hits. When it tries to shortcut it, it shows.
This movie really holds itself back by waiting until the last act to show its hand. All the stuff with the Ministry, the Order showing up, the magic battle, that’s what the tone should’ve been from the start. It proves how strong this world can be when it stops holding back. There’s something special there when it taps into the tension of this fight, when it shows what people are really up against. It just takes way too long to get there. The ending lands, but the rest feels like it's just waiting around for permission to start.
Harry Potter RANKED
He wasn’t even. Lol.
]]>
I am on a mission to rewatch all the Harry Potter films before my trip to Epic Universe (next week) let’s see if I can do it. Here’s what I thought of The Goblet of Fire:
Robert Pattinson jump scare. I laughed when I heard the “MY SON. MY BOY” meme irl.
This one’s dark, literally. You can barely see half the movie. Everything’s either shadowy or covered in fog, and it just gives the whole thing this weird heavy vibe. Everyone suddenly looks so grown too, like puberty hit all at once during the summer break.
The tournament stuff never fully lands for me. The setup feels clunky and the logic behind how Harry ends up in it just doesn’t add up. Like why go through this long dramatic Goblet of Fire detour just to get him in a graveyard? There had to be an easier way than dragging a whole school year into it. Still, those dragons looked amazing, way better than I ed. That whole first task is probably the best looking part of the movie, which is wild because the effects in other spots still feel stuck in the early 2000s. You’d think with all the budget this franchise had they’d figure out how to make basic spells look cooler. Voldemort zapping Harry with what looks like invisible lightning just isn’t cutting it.
Ron’s switch up on Harry was so annoying. Like after everything they’ve been through, you really think he signed himself up to almost die in front of the entire school for clout? Give me a break Ron. Then when Harry survives the dragon, suddenly Ron’s all friendly again like nothing happened. Such a fake move.
The Yule Ball was actually one of the best parts though. The costumes, the music, the lighting, it really felt magical in a way the rest of the movie kind of forgot about.
By the time they get to the graveyard, it’s already chaotic and then that weird Priori Incantatem moment happens with Harry’s parents showing up. It just feels cheap, like they wrote themselves into a corner and pulled that out of nowhere. The magic battles in these movies never feels dangerous or unpredictable. It’s always either people throwing each other across rooms or standing still while beams shoot out of wands. There’s so much more they could’ve done. Think how like Naruto uses Genjutsu to mess with the mind or how other fantasy movies really make spells feel strange or wild. Here it’s just lasers.
It ends on this weirdly calm note too, like everyone just accepts that a kid died and Voldemort is back and that’s just life now. No security, no magical bodyguards for Harry. It’s a lot to take in and then it just... ends. There’s a lot of cool stuff buried in here but it’s surrounded by so many odd choices that it never fully clicks the way it should. Could honestly be a 5/10.
]]>
I am on a mission to rewatch all the Harry Potter films before my trip to Epic Universe (next week) let’s see if I can do it. Here’s what I thought of The Prisoner of Azkaban:
The intro alone already had me locked in. The glow from his wand flowing straight into the title card was such a clean transition and instantly made it feel like this was going to be its own thing. He finally puts that awful family in their place, and it was such a satisfying shift. It was the first time it felt like he was actually stepping into his own power, like the tone of the story was finally catching up to him. That energy carries into the rest of it in a really natural way.
It’s wild how much older everyone looks. It’s not just the faces either, the whole vibe of the cast has shifted, like they’re growing up for real and the story is growing up with them. Visually it’s such a step up. The cinematography looks sharp and actually thought out this time. It finally feels like someone behind the camera was trying to make this feel cinematic. Even though the CGI still hasn’t figured itself out, moments like him flying the hippogriff make you forget that. That whole sequence felt genuinely magical, with the wind hitting his face and the music swelling underneath.
What I really liked is that it finally broke out of that repetitive formula the first two movies were stuck in. This one takes chances. The time travel stuff was handled surprisingly well. Watching the timeline fold in on itself while they’re trying to fix things, then realizing Harry had saved himself the entire time, that was such a great moment. The music there really helped carry it emotionally too. Even with the darker themes and more serious tone, it still finds little ways to hold onto that childhood wonder without feeling like it’s talking down to anyone.
It honestly felt like the first one that had a real identity. From the stronger performances to the more refined visuals and structure, it came together in a way that felt satisfying. That final freeze frame was the perfect exhale. It didn’t feel like a bridge to something else, it actually gave a little sense of completion. That’s rare in a series that’s always building to the next thing. This was super solid one all around.
]]>
This was such an easy watch. Nothing wild happens and it doesn't try to be more than what it is. The pacing is mellow and steady, and it honestly just feels like something you can throw on without much effort. But that ending got me. I didn’t expect to feel anything going into it, but somehow it landed in the exact way it needed to. There’s something really comforting about the way it wraps up. Even if you see it coming a mile away, the way it plays out still hits a warm spot.
Visually though, it’s weird. It feels like someone turned the opacity way down on everything. There’s this dim softness over the whole thing that makes it look darker than it needs to be, and not in a stylized way. It just feels like they filmed with a foggy lens half the time. But even with that, the food still managed to look incredible. Every single dish made me so hungry. I could almost smell it through the screen. I had to pause and go make something to eat.
The dinner scene with the family early on kind of made me laugh. That super generic Italian song came on and I immediately rolled my eyes. It felt like the most obvious choice, like something you'd hear in a commercial. It all ties back to how simple and straightforward this story is. What really caught me though was the footage at the end. I completely forgot it was based on a true story until those real clips came up. That hit me in a totally different way. Now I’m trying to figure out how soon I can make a reservation there. It looks unreal.
]]>
I am on a mission to rewatch all the Harry Potter films before my trip to Epic Universe (next week) let’s see if I can do it. Here’s what I thought of The Chamber of Secrets:
If I ever woke up to a tiny wrinkly man bouncing around on my bed, I would scream.
As this went on, it really started to feel like a lazy remix of the first one. Harry escapes the miserable house again, ends up back with Ron’s family, there’s another Diagon Alley moment, even Hermione’s fixing his glasses again. Neville finds himself stuck somewhere high up, etc. etc. etc. It’s like they’re just checking boxes at this point.
The mystery here didn’t grip me the way I hoped it would. The tension never really built up right, and when it all leads to the “Tom Riddle” reveal, it was hard not to laugh. The way he twists those letters around into “I am Lord Voldemort” felt like something out of a cartoon. I get the intention but it just doesn’t hit. At least the giant snake looked cool. It was actually a nice use of practical effects for once, even if it moved in a way that felt a little too smooth to be real. I was still into it.
There are a few moments that fully commit to the ridiculous in the best way though. That poor owl crashing into windows, walls, everything it comes across had me laughing every time. It’s such a dumb little gag but it never got old. Still, I think the visual effects somehow took a step back. The CG felt softer, more fake this time around, especially when they tried to bring the fantasy elements to life. The creatures and effects had way less weight.
This one ends up feeling more like a repeat than a progression. It has its moments, but the mystery wasn’t engaging enough to carry the whole thing, and a lot of the magic from before just didn’t land the same. Even with some good creature work and funny bits, it plays it too safe to feel fresh.
]]>
I am on a mission to rewatch all the Harry Potter films before my trip to Epic Universe (next week) let’s see if I can do it. Here’s what I thought of The Philosopher’s Stone:
This actually played out way better than I ed. It’s such a light, easy story to fall into, and even though the CG and green screen really haven’t aged well, it kind of adds to the charm. There’s a part of it that feels almost like an old Disney Channel movie, especially with the music and how magical everything is staged to feel. The tone is so warm and playful, you can feel exactly why people latched onto it. Even the whole hero’s journey setup is pretty textbook, but it’s handled with so much whimsy that it doesn’t feel stale.
That shot of Harry staring into the mirror and seeing his parents actually hit me. It’s one of the first really quiet, emotional moments that stops all the magic and just lets you sit with this kid and everything he’s missing. And even though the performances aren’t super polished, they’re right for what this is. The kids feel like real kids, especially in the way they fumble through school and try to figure out what’s happening around them. Nothing felt overly performed or stiff, just a little raw and messy in a way that works.
Some stuff definitely made me laugh too, like the way Harry literally lives under the stairs. It’s so ridiculous that it turns around and becomes funny again. Also finally seeing that “no, Ron, no!” moment in context had me cracking up. I didn’t expect that to be in this one. And now I’m honestly hyped to see Diagon Alley in person because this movie made it look cooooool. The shops and the energy, the way everything feels. Nice.
Overall, it didn’t blow me away with anything technical, but it didn’t need to. It’s just really good at being what it is, which is this nostalgic, magical intro to something way bigger. Even with some dated effects and awkward acting, the story has a grip. You believe in the world because the movie does.
]]>
This kind of drags. Even when something should feel tense, it just sits there. The pacing’s slow, and those flashbacks they throw in at random kill any momentum it builds. It’s not terrible, but it’s not particularly good either. Just feels like it's missing something to really lock you in.
I do like the way the crew feels though, kind of has that Alien vibe where everyone’s just doing their job and dealing with the weird stuff as it comes. The sets and costumes are solid too, definitely the best part. The practical stuff like the makeup on the deformed faces looks great. It’s all lit in this constant red glow that makes it feel claustrophobic, which works, but also makes it feel like that movie LIFE but way cheaper and without the tension.
You can tell this didn’t have a massive budget. The CGI is fine, mostly hidden in darkness which helps, but the action gets super shaky and hard to follow. It feels like a streaming movie, not something that would hit theaters, and honestly that’s kind of exactly how it plays.
There’s effort here, and a few pieces that almost work, but it never really clicks. It’s got the right ingredients for something interesting but just never found its rhythm.
]]>
This cut to shit.
The first five minutes felt like one of those old early 2000’s pirated DVD warnings with way too many cuts and flashing lights. It never chills out either. The editing is so choppy the whole thing feels like a trailer stretched into a movie.
Skarsgard looks like Justin Bieber the whole time and it’s weirdly distracting. Then there’s this awful split diopter shot tossed in randomly like someone just learned what it was and had to use it. It doesn’t even fit the scene.
It keeps throwing out big ideas like justice, communism, corruption, the broken system, but it doesn’t actually say anything. Just throws around heavy words with no meaning behind them. It’s all surface, no substance. By the end, you’re just left with nothing but noise.
]]>
The closest we probably will ever get to a Batman: Into the Bat-verse type of movie, probably
]]>
“Oi, -Omelander done killed me wife, and took me bloody son… womp womp”
]]>
Interesting look at how “The Day After” was created and affected American’s. Nothing really that crazy in of its presentation, but you could feel the dread all of these people felt building up to the broadcast and after, and that was really good. Movies truly have the power to change the world and this movie specifically was a prime example.
I probably won’t ever watch The Day After because i’m already stressed enough from all the chaos in the world and don’t need that, but I feel like we as a society need a constant reminder of what’s at stake, because people seem so ignorant to it all honestly. Thankfully Jimmy C is going to release something soon regarding the effects of nuclear weapons, hopefully it is put into society’s consciousness like this was in the 80’s.
]]>
Finally got a moment to rewatch this after so long. The animation is the first thing that really jumps out. There’s something off about how stiff and mannequin-like the characters move, especially during quiet scenes when they’re just talking. You get these super still frames where no one blinks or shifts or anything, and it creates this awkward tension that doesn’t feel intentional. The lifelessness becomes distracting after a while. Even during big action moments, there’s this odd floaty quality to the motion. It’s a style choice, sure, but it’s not one that always works.
Some of the character designs don’t help either. I genuinely laughed when I saw what they did to Qui Gon. That nose is cartoonishly exaggerated, and not in a charming way. C3P0 randomly stripped down in one scene and the way they gave him this slim waist had me doing a double take. It felt like a gag but I don’t think it was supposed to be one. Ventriss shows up and there’s no real build to it. She just kind of appears, fully formed, with no mystery or weight. Which sucks, because her design and energy are strong. Grevious has a solid entrance though, even if hearing him without his iconic rasp kills some of the menace. He moves with a brutal kind of urgency that makes his arrival feel like a turning point. But the voice is so off it makes the whole thing feel like an early demo.
Narratively, the first half has momentum. Anakin being knighted actually felt like a moment, and the ceremonial vibe around it gave it the weight it needed. The way it tries to stitch itself into the timeline leading into Episode 3 is clever. But then the second half gets choppy. Scenes just kind of start and stop, characters bounce around without transitions, and the overall rhythm falls apart. It’s like they ran out of time and tried to wrap up ten things at once. Anakin’s voice actor is clearly trying to match Hayden Christensen’s delivery, and it works for the tone they’re going for here. It’s a more grounded version than what you get in the other animated stuff. But it’s strange to go back to this after being used to the Clone Wars series where he’s almost a completely different person.
Also, it’s hard not to notice that the same actress who voiced Azula from Avatar is popping up in like every other female role. Once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it. It’s a little distracting and makes it feel like they didn’t really prioritize variety in casting. You end up with characters that feel more like variations of one person rather than distinct voices.
Overall, it’s a weird little time capsule. The tone, the visuals, even the performances all feel like this experimental draft of something bigger. There are cool pieces in it, moments that stick, but it’s bogged down by uneven structure and clunky design. It’s not bad, it’s just very much a product of what animation and storytelling were like at that time. Definitely more interesting than good, but I’m glad I watched it again.
]]>
Why is incest such an important plot point in these movies. Say it with me one more time guys, this is W___ P_____ S___
This looks way cheaper than the first one, like a made for streaming spinoff that no one asked for. Everything has that flat lighting and weird color that makes it feel like a direct to VHS Disney sequel. I don’t know what happened but it’s clear they didn’t care about keeping the same visual tone. Some scenes even looked like bad green screen which is crazy considering they were actually shooting on location. Why does it still look fake?
They do that thing where they cut to a big sweeping shot of the scenery every time they’re in a nice place, even when people are mid-sentence. It kills the vibe and feels like they’re trying too hard to show off the destination. At least there was one genuinely funny moment with the grandma calling her grandson “child of Satan” that actually made me laugh. Most of the humor doesn’t land, but that one did.
Sean’s death felt like a total joke. It happens, and everyone just kind of shrugs and moves on like “lol ok.” It was so obvious Allison Janney’s character was behind it all too, like they weren’t even trying to make it suspenseful. The whole thing goes by so fast, none of it sticks. No tension, no impact, just a bunch of random scenes that barely connect. Nothing about it matters and honestly, it’s hard to even care.
]]>
I can’t believe I gave this a 7 before. Watching it now, it’s just messy in a way that isn’t even fun half the time. I lost in when Stephanie said “he looked like the spitting image of my dad” and then smashed her half brother. Say it with me guys, W__ P____ S__
Blake Lively really makes being an unbearable bitch look easy. She struts around like she’s better than everyone, and somehow it works even though it’s way too much. I saw that whole fake death for life insurance bit coming a mile away, and it still didn’t hit.
The twin twist actually made me groan out loud. That’s straight out of the cliché playbook. It felt like a Rian Johnson mystery movie but if the characters were mid and the writing didn’t care.
It’s fun in a trashy way, but once you think about it for two seconds, it all falls apart.
]]>
“I can fix that”
]]>
Happy Star Wars Day!
The animation just keeps getting better every time they bring this Clone Wars style back. Everything looks clean, and the movement is fluid. It’s wild how far this look has come from when it started, because now it’s honestly gorgeous.
But you can’t just casually jump into this. If someone hasn’t seen the Clone Wars, half the tension and context is just going to fly over their head. Ventriss is a character that carries so much baggage from that series, so watching her hold all this pain while still making these reckless decisions feels earned if you know her, but probably confusing if you don’t. Her resurrection in the first part was kind of dumb, but once the show moved past that and settled into her emotional spiral, it got way more interesting. All of the betrayals, all of the double crosses, they probably could’ve been avoided if she had just been honest about why she was after the path. But then again, that’s who she is. She doesn’t trust people and never really has, which is why her constant moments of self-sabotage land as hard as they do.
Then the Cad Bane section flips the tone in such a good way. His backstory’s nothing groundbreaking, but it hits because the world around him sells it. The two brothers growing up in opposite worlds thing could’ve been cheesy, but it ends up adding a lot to the story. The pacing in those episodes was sharp, the tension always simmering, and I loved how it leaned into that western vibe without losing the space opera feel. The final standoff was so good. Just the way it was framed, the slow pan across the dust, the silence right before the first shot gets fired. It’s those moments where the music, camera work, and storytelling are all working in sync that really made it hit.
Everything felt intentional, nothing felt phoned in. The world keeps expanding and somehow still feels grounded. Dave Felioni know exactly what he’s doing when they line these stories up with Star Wars Day, because now I'm just sitting here waiting for whatever he drops next.
]]>
“The best Marvel movie since ENDGAME”
No the fuck it is not
There’s a surprising emotional beat with depression that I didn’t expect at all. Bob’s backstory is barely touched on, but the little that we do get hits in a weirdly effective way. Seeing him try to cope in silence, push through what feels like years of regret, it just hit harder than I thought it would. It’s the kind of thing that usually gets ignored in movies this size, and even though they didn’t go as deep as they could’ve, I still felt like it was important. Having something like that represented here, even in such a small way, makes the whole thing feel like it could have mattered. Also, Florence Pugh just wrecks me every time. Her quiet scenes are the emotional anchor, and every time she cries, I cry
The lighting in this was honestly some of the best I’ve seen in one of these hog fests in a long time. It starts off in near total darkness, not just visually but tonally, and it actually uses that to set a real atmosphere. The way shadows hit faces, the way the background glows just enough to make out the shape of a hallway or an outline of a character, it’s all done with so much care. Whoever handled that side of things understood the assignment completely.
But it’s like the movie wants to be one thing and then gets reminded it’s not allowed. There’s this tension between trying something new and falling back into the usual superhero formula. That push and pull becomes exhausting. You get something with actual potential like the assassin standoff in the bunker, and instead of letting it explode into something wild, it just drags and then fizzles. The escape scene climbing up the shaft straight up feels like it was lifted from The Emperor's New Groove. Then you’ve got teleportation level jumps from Utah to New York, random character appearances like Alexi rolling up in a limo or Bucky showing up exactly when needed, and none of it feels earned. It’s lazy. Add in the lifeless grey palette for the finale and suddenly it’s just another grey-on-grey third act where everything looks like melted plastic.
Red Guardian wears out his welcome fast. He gets a few laughs early on, sure, but by the end I just wanted him to stop talking. It’s like they had one note for him and kept hitting it until it cracked. And all of this would be easier to overlook if it at least delivered as a popcorn munching summer movie, but it doesn’t. The pacing drags, the action is few and far between, and even when it happens, it feels like filler.
But the real issue is how empty it all feels once it’s over. These movies aren’t allowed to be self-contained anymore. They exist to sell you on the next one. Watching this made me realize I don’t even care how Fantastic Four ends now, because I already know it’ll just be another stepping stone to something else. These stories never get to matter on their own. There’s no payoff, no emotional closure, just setups for the next thing. It’s exhausting. Even when there’s a glimpse of depth, like the way they started to explore mental health or show actual consequences, it gets cut short by the need to move the machine forward. I don’t want to watch commercials for future installments. I want to watch an actual movie.
At this point I just feel done with all of it. There’s too much good stuff out there to waste more time on things that are too scared to be different. I miss when these movies had something to say, or at least felt like they cared about being complete experiences. This had all the tools to be that, but never followed through. It’s all setup and no soul. I left the theater at a 6/10, but I am sitting at a 5. I really do not care to ever see this again, and I would honestly rather just watch something else. It feels so incomplete.
(catch me with Superman in July though praising it tbh lol)
EDIT: slept on it, going to stay at a 6 bc of the depression stuff, but everything else is still valid. It’s a super low 6)
]]>
The gaslighting in this is so over the top it’s actually funny.
There are some solid one-take shots that help keep the tension up, but you can tell where they stitched the cuts. But even so, it keeps things moving and gives it a bit more edge, even when the seams are obvious.
The mystery kept me in. I genuinely didn’t know who was lying, and every time someone acted weird I found myself wanting to keep watching just to see how it’d fall apart. The ending doesn’t really land, but it’s not the worst. Josh was unbearable though. I literally hate children in movies so much bro.
It’s one of those things you throw on when you’re in the mood for some background noise tbh
]]>
Decided to rewatch before Tunderbolts* tonight. This felt a tad more interesting than I expected, even if at the end of the day it’s still super mid.
The opening stretch goes hard with that spy thriller vibe and leans into something more grounded. The handheld camera work and fast movement through places like Morocco and Norway give it that Jason Bourne feel. It actually felt refreshing for a Marvel movie to slow down and linger in those colder, moodier environments. But the second it tries to get more intense, especially with action, it just starts losing its grip. There are so many unnecessary cuts, like when Natasha walks through an entrance and they hit us with six different angles. It’s so chaotic.
The themes are trying to hit on something big with the whole exploration of women, trafficking, and manipulation of young girls, but the execution feels way too shallow for the weight of that subject. It doesn’t feel like they knew how to go all in on that idea, so it ends up feeling like a background note instead of something actually being explored. Same thing with Taskmaster. That character had real potential and the concept was cool, but there just wasn’t enough of her to leave a real impact. You’re waiting for more and it never really comes. I’m hoping Thunderbolts* gives her a shot at being more than just a one-note presence.
Florence Pugh is the one thing that holds this together. Her scene talking about how this fake family was the only real thing she had hits so hard. She brings so much depth to a moment that could’ve felt cheesy, and it honestly made me feel for her in a way the rest of the movie rarely earns. When Yelena is sad, I am sad. Watching these characters just exist with one another in quieter scenes was more rewarding than most of the big stunts. Also, Alexi having random knowledge of everything despite being locked up forever just doesn’t make any sense. It’s not even played for laughs, it was just strange.
There was a reason I did not this film at all, and I can’t say I’ll it after today tbh. Oh well. I love my superhero slop.
]]>
It definitely hits differently seeing it on a massive screen. In a weird way it felt both worse and better. Some of the flaws stood out way more this time around, but at the same time there is something about it that feels even bigger and more exciting when you are sitting there surrounded by it.
The green screen backgrounds were really rough to look at though, especially during some of the Coruscant scenes where characters would just be standing against what looked like a video game cutscene. I could not stop noticing how often the dialogue did not match the actors’ mouths either. The acting is still just as bad as I ed, maybe even worse when you are seeing every little twitch and weird delivery up close.
But at the same time, rewatching it like this gave me a new appreciation for Anakin’s story. Watching how the Council treats him, especially in the scene where they deny him the rank of Master, really made me feel how isolated and manipulated he was. It makes his turn to the dark side feel a lot more tragic and a little more believable than I used to think.
The score honestly saves so much of it. Every time the music does its thing it feels like the whole theater shifts. The emotional weight is carried so much by the music that even when the acting stumbles, you still feel every moment. I was sitting there fully locked in, even when my brain knew some of it looked pretty bad.
Even with the same old problems, it was still a great experience for me. It just reminded me why I always come back to it. It has so many flaws but it also has so much heart, and honestly, it is still the best prequel without a doubt.
Also whoever said that Pé would be the first person that Anakin uses the force choke on should get a raise. (I know it changed bc of the clone wars show but it’s still the first time he does it in my heart)
]]>
No but it’s so funny because I just put down a deposit for a trip to Japan literally yesterday and then ended up watching this.
Seeing a light speed rail in action made me think about how efficient and practical it is. It just made me wonder why the US still has nothing close to this. Watching these trains move so fast and efficiently felt like a glimpse into the future we will probably never have.
The movie itself has some really impressive editing. The way it cuts between moments of chaos keeps it moving at a really nice pace. Even when things start getting ridiculous like when they reveal the bomb is connected to the bomber’s heart rate, it is still entertaining because it leans into the absurdity without trying to pretend it is something serious. It also gets super cheesy in the best way. Stuff like *spoilers* being the bomber feels so random but somehow fits perfectly with the energy the movie is throwing at you.
Characters are not a real focus for most of it. For the first hour and a half it just feels like a bunch of regular people stuck in a crazy situation with no real protagonist or clear character development. It is only toward the end that you start to get a little more emotional weight. There is a scene near the end where they hit this slow motion shot of the train crashing through the station and the studio must have been so proud of it because they replay it like twenty different times for extra dramatic flare. I could not stop laughing because it was so over the top but somehow it made the ending even better.
Even with all the ridiculousness, there is this underlying message about not losing faith in people when everything is falling apart. It is not anything groundbreaking but it is handled well enough to land without feeling forced. The dubbing though was really bad. It’s so bad at points that it felt like watching a badly dubbed anime, with characters delivering emotional lines in the most awkward ways possible.
At the end of the day, even with all the corniness and cliches, it kind of wins you over with how sincere it is. It knows exactly what it is and never tries to be anything more. Instead of getting bogged down by its flaws, it leans into them and somehow makes the ride way more fun. (corny joke I’m sorry)
]]>
Atrocious ass Netflix slop
The environments felt so fake the looked like a video game cutscene bought to life. There is a nightclub sequence where the action is supposed to feel raw and intense, but it just made me want to rewatch The Batman’s nightclub scene because the way that movie handled action was a million times better. Here, it is just loud and chaotic. Bullets start flying and it becomes so loud I could not even hear myself think. It is overwhelming but not in an exciting way. It just feels like a mess.
The fight sequences had potential because they are brutal and could have been really impactful if not for the terrible CGI blood splattering everywhere. Every punch and kick is buried under shaky handheld camerawork that looks like it was shot by someone who could not keep their hands steady for three seconds. Add to that a script so corny it is hard not to laugh sometimes. There is a moment where *spoilers* is dying and the dialogue was so bad it sounded like it was written by a high schooler trying to be deep. The performances did not help either. Every single line delivery felt stiff and awkward like no one believed what they were saying.
One thing that could have worked better is the way it plays with the idea of corruption. You meet people and think you know what they are about, but then it flips it on you. That part was interesting because it kept me guessing who was trustworthy. But it is all drowned out because the world they built feels way too lawless and detached from reality. People die left and right and no one even blinks. It does not feel intense or scary, it just feels like nobody thought about how anything would actually work. I could not even tell what city this was supposed to be. Everything was so hollow.
The worst part is knowing the CEO of Netflix had the nerve to say theaters are outdated and audiences want more options at home. Not if the options look this sloppy and rushed. Watching something this trash at home is not a selling point. Between the fake looking sets, the generic score that sounds like stock music, and the embarrassing action, it is hard to believe this even got released.
It is crazy because the pieces for a cool, grimy action movie were sitting right there, but they dropped the ball at every step. Instead of feeling gritty and real, it comes off as fake and lazy. I will in fact, never think about this movie again
]]>
This was rough. Everything about it felt rushed and empty. It actually made me not want to play the game, which is wild considering how cinematic and fun people say it is. This sucked the energy out of it completely, like the Minecraft movie did. The acting was unbelievably stiff. No one gave a real performance, it was just a bunch of hot people saying lines with zero emotion.
They tried to wedge in some themes about death and depression, but it was handled so lazily that it felt disrespectful more than anything. It’s like they wanted credit for being deep without doing the work. The movie also completely drops the ball when it tries to explain its own world. The rules are brushed over in one clunky scene and then ignored for the rest of the story. It doesn’t follow its own logic.
Nothing about this felt memorable. The story doesn’t land, the scares don’t work, and the characters are so flat they barely . It just jumps from scene to scene hoping the title alone will carry it. There’s no real voice, no real tone, just a bunch of random moments stitched together.
]]>
Title deadass makes me think this is an episode of iCarly
I really appreciated that this looked like it was shot on site, and that everything looked real, but everything else was so weird. The camera is constantly shaking, and the dubbing makes every bit of tension feel like a joke. There’s this moment where the negotiators are trying to talk to the guy inside and the voices coming out of their mouths are so disconnected from what’s happening that it makes the whole thing feel like a spoof.
The cops ordering pizza in the middle of the hostage crisis had me in tears. Fr this dude’s got a bomb ready to blow up this apple store and the officers are out here CONSTANTLY talking about ordering a pizza and eating pizza in multiple sequences.
Around the midpoint everything slows down so much you start noticing how bland the characters are. I couldn’t anyone’s name except Amaar, and even then that’s only because he feels like the actual main character that we learn nothing about. Everyone else might as well have been extras.
The final standoff should’ve hit harder but it fizzles out so quietly you barely realize it’s over. It’s all over the place. There’s potential in how fast it jumps into the action and how unhinged some moments are, but the delivery kills it. The tone never settles, and it ends without giving you anything to sit with. You walk away ing Pizza
]]>
Hated this when it came out, but upon rewatch it’s really fine. The story is about what you would expect and the performances from everyone who isn’t a child were above average.
Terrible action sequences, and a bunch of obvious twists though. I definitely will forget about it after I watch the second one in the next week or so.
]]>
This whole thing is giving student film. The camera movements feel like someone just discovered what a gimbal is and decided to experiment in every scene with no purpose. There’s no rhythm to how it’s edited, no mood being built, just constant empty motion. Everything is overlit and flat, like it was shot during a weekend workshop in someone’s backyard. From the acting to the writing to how scenes are blocked, none of it feels like anyone involved knew how to make it look or feel like a real production.
These child actors deliver their lines like they’re reading them off cue cards for the first time. The boy of color literally calls his mom a bitch and walks to live another day, and throughout the film everyone just moves on like it’s just a regular day meanwhile there’s a random lady dressed in devils clothing in the yard just sitting there. It’s insane.
There’s a scene where Romona goes to plug her phone into a car that’s completely turned off and acts surprised when it doesn’t charge. That’s the kind of logic this entire thing runs on. There’s literally a moment where Ramona comes back from confronting the crazy woman in her yard and then immediately follows it up with “let’s have ice cream”. Like what are we even doing? None of it feels grounded, and none of the characters behave like actual people.
There’s some vague attempt to bring in themes of depression and guilt and suicidal thoughts, but it’s all shoved into these cliche lines that feel like they were copied out of a first-year screenwriting class. Romona has this “moment of realization” that is so painfully written, I actually cringed out loud. There’s no weight to any of it. It’s impossible to get invested when even the story doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing or why it’s doing it. The choices being made from a writing perspective are mind numbing. I couldn’t tell you what the actual story is or what the stakes were because none of it ever makes sense or matters.
It’s a mess from the jump. The visuals are sloppy, the writing is a joke, and every serious idea it tries to explore is completely fumbled. It’s the kind of thing where you’re watching with your mouth half open because you can’t believe people got together, filmed this, edited it, watched it back, and still released it like this.
]]>
Will live by saying if hack director John Krasinski didn’t put those stupid cat moments in this movie it could’ve been so great.
Also it’s wild that this is the first movie of the franchise that he didn’t direct and it’s high key the best one by a long shot
]]>
Don’t let the 5/10 fool you, I loved this
It’s the kind of stupid mid 2000’s rom com I so desperately crave every day. WOW.
]]>
Same vibes as last time
]]>
This review may contain spoilers.
For months I had this sitting in the back of my mind as something that looked super mid, and while it wasn’t mid, it also didn’t hit in any way that really mattered to me. I appreciate the effort, I appreciate the ambition, but something about the execution just felt scattered.
There’s no denying how much Ryan Coogler managed to transport me into 1930s Mississippi, though. The atmosphere was so rich and full of detail that during those jukebar sequences, it felt like I was actually there. People were laughing, dancing, vibing, and it all felt so lived in. That part of the film really had a pulse. It all felt so natural and grounded, and the characters felt like actual people. I wanted to sit in that world longer.
That whole first act genuinely felt like a completely different movie. It was character-focused, beautifully shot on film, and the skin tones looked incredible. You could tell this was made by someone who actually cares about how Black people are lit and shot on camera. Then suddenly, almost 45 minutes in, we just get this hard cut to a vampire subplot that pops up out of nowhere with zero real buildup. I don’t even think the word vampire had been said once before then. It was so jarring. Like, it went from a Southern period drama to a supernatural horror flick with no warning.
When the lead vampire did a little Irish jig, I was just sitting there trying to figure out what I was even watching anymore. I think that scene was meant to be commentary about Irish and Black people being historically persecuted in America, but I also really don’t care to go look into that because it felt like a stretch in the moment.
Once the vampires show up, the movie kind of just goes off the rails. People start making choices that don’t make any sense, like knowingly letting vampires inside or deciding not to kill them when they clearly should. I was rolling my eyes constantly in the second half.
There’s even this whole music sequence trying to connect the dots between old soul and new trap, which on paper could’ve been great, but the beat was just not it and the whole thing felt a little off. But I will say the intention was clear, and it did add some weight to the idea of why vampires were drawn to Sammy specifically. There was this throughline about rhythm and spirit that almost clicked for me, but not quite.
The ending tried to bring it all back with emotional weight. That flash montage of everyone we grew to care about felt like a direct reference to Black folks who were lynched just for existing. There’s this one quiet moment where Smoke sees his kid again and it actually got to me a bit. It didn’t make up for how messy the rest of it was, but it was something. It made me just how strong the first act was and how much better this whole thing could’ve landed if it had stuck with that tone and worldbuilding instead of veering into campy horror territory. It felt so goofy.
The CGI was also terrible at times. There’s a snake early on and it look NUTS. Whose choice was that. I hated that so much it looked like a snake from a PS2 cutscene 😭
This was one of those cases where the film had the right look, the right performances, and even the right setting, but it just leaned way too hard into the wrong genre at the worst time. It started grounded and powerful and ended up goofy and hard to take seriously. There’s good stuff in here, especially visually, but overall it felt like it lost the plot once the vampires came in. I’ll never think about it again, but hey, at least it wasn’t terrible!
]]>Making a list of MY FAVORITE projects from 2025 so I can keep track of what I loved, and what was mid, and what I hated. Come along this journey with me.
If something you like on this list is under something you hated, sorry I guess. This is my personal ranking
Like 80% of these movies will be mid, won't they...?
- Black Mirror: Eulogy
- Black Mirror: Common People
- Adolescence
- Final Destination Bloodlines
- Ballerina
- Bring Her Back
- Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld
- Black Mirror: Hotel Reverie
- Novocaine
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
...plus 59 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Making a list of MY FAVORITE projects from 2024 so I can keep track of what I loved, and what was mid, and what I hated. Come along this journey with me.
If something you like on this list is under something you hated, sorry I guess. This is my personal ranking.
Like 80% of these movies will be mid, won’t they…?
- Dune: Part Two
8/10
- Shōgun
8/10
- A Real Pain
- I'm Still Here
- It's What's Inside
- Música
7/10
- Cuckoo
- His Three Daughters
- Smile 2
- A Complete Unknown
...plus 204 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>I’m on a mission to rewatch all the Harry Potter films before my trip to epic universe. Let’s see if I can do it!
]]>These are all pretty mid/bad
]]>Here's my list of the MCU films from best to worst, my opinion obviously, but also it's the only right opinion.
- Captain America: Civil War
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Iron Man
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Avengers
- Doctor Strange
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>I fvcking love Star Wars.
Going to try to rewatch all the theatrical releases and put them in the order I feel best below. May take days, may take weeks, maybe even years.
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Was compelled to make a list of all the best picture noms from greatest to not so great bc I did it last year and the year before that and the year before that. This is my opinion btw for mf’s who might complain.
Have not seen everything yet, so I will update when I do.
]]>Making a list of MY FAVORITE projects from 2015 from my notes app in college that I just never added to any site. Now it's on Letterboxd for everyone to enjoy.
Keep in mind, this is coming from a 19 year old FTRTGlenn, so my opinion on this could have changed drastically (it has) so don't judge this list too badly please.
If something you like on this list is under something you hated, sorry I guess. This is my personal ranking.
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Creed
- Room
- The Martian
- Straight Outta Compton
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Inside Out
- Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
- Furious 7
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
...plus 55 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Ranking as I go, could take days, could take weeks, maybe even years.
I’ve seen all of them before except for whatever ones come out after 2022, but upon rewatch I will place them in whatever order I feel is best.
- Godzilla Minus One
- Godzilla
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
- Shin Godzilla
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
- Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla
- Godzilla vs. Mothra
- Godzilla vs. Biollante
- Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Here is the definitive list of Spidey films from best to worst.
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Spider-Man 2
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Spider-Man 3
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>These movies are bad, like some of them might be really bad, but I still love to watch them and I smile every time I do for different reasons
- The Beekeeper
David Ayer really did that shit
- Transformers
"Were you...Masturbating?" 10/10 film
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
I going to see this in theaters and I thought "oh the fallen are the decepticons that lost in the original movie, they're going to get there revenge." The name of the villain in this movie is the fallen. That was the dumbest shit I have ever seen lmfao.
"Oh I can't read" - the black transformer
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon
this is the best transformers movie idc if it has greys anatomy as its villain
- Transformers: Age of Extinction
the romeo and juliet laws
- Cyberbully
the name of this movie is Cyberbu//y
- Norbit
classic
- Twilight
- The Twilight Saga: New Moon
- The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
...plus 11 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Here is a list of movies that for some reason or another, have had an emotional connection to sometime within my life. I love these movies to death and they always make me so happy.
I have a lot of personal attachment to these movies. Watching them had a very significant impact on my life, and my taste in film as a whole. Lots of really good memories with each film on this list.
(Will add to list periodically when I think of more too don’t worry)
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Jurassic Park
- La La Land
- The Dark Knight
- Star Wars
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Spider-Man 2
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Here’s my ranking of all the films in the X-Men Universe. I have seen them all except for what comes out after 2024, but I will try to place it in whatever ranked I think is best. This is my opinion, cry about it
- X2
- X-Men: First Class
7/10
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
- Deadpool 2
- The Wolverine
- Logan
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- Deadpool
- X-Men
5/10
...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>A compilation of movies we watch for Film The Right Thing will add to it as we go, or when I older videos
You have to get past the Avengers and Marvel shit at some point ok, other fuckin’ people make movies.
- Hillbilly Elegy
Video coming soon
- It's a Wonderful Life
Video coming soon
- House
Video coming soon
- Stay Alive
Video coming soon
- Perfect Blue
Video coming soon
- Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
- Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
- Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow
- Waves
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
...plus 114 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>I don’t have friends. I have family.
These movies know exactly what they are who they are catered to. I love them all (except Hobbs and Shaw). These movies also have never been about racing. Shut the fuck up.
(2, 3, and 4 are interchangeable tbh. They’re all of the same quality)
- Fast Five
- Furious 7
- Fast & Furious 6
- F9
- The Fast and the Furious
- The Fate of the Furious
- Fast & Furious
- 2 Fast 2 Furious
- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
- Fast X
...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Was compelled to make a list of all the best picture noms from greatest to not so great bc I did it last year and the year before. This is my opinion btw for mf’s who might complain.
]]>Our Christopher Nolan video is out, so I can put up my definitive list of him films from best to worst. Let me know what you think. (Subject to change at anytime)
- The Dark Knight
- Interstellar
- Oppenheimer
- Memento
- Inception
- The Prestige
- Tenet
- Batman Begins
- Insomnia
- The Dark Knight Rises
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>The DCEU is probably the worst thing to happen to DC Comics, and it’s characters as a whole. I can’t wait for this terrible franchise to finally end. Batman deserves better.
- The Suicide Squad
- Shazam!
- Zack Snyder's Justice League
- Wonder Woman
- Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
- Man of Steel
- Wonder Woman 1984
- Black Adam
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods
- Justice League
...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Was compelled to make a list of all the best picture noms from greatest to not so great bc I did it last year. This is my opinion btw for mf’s who might complain.
]]>Here is our video of the predator films ranked :
predator ranked
Most of these movies are pretty terrible, but I still have some nostalgic attachment to most of them. Michael Myers can be scary sometimes
- Halloween
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
“Halloween Water: 20 Years Later”
- Halloween Ends
- Halloween
- Halloween
- Halloween II
- Halloween III: Season of the Witch
- Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
- Halloween: Resurrection
...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Was compelled to make a list of all the best picture noms from greatest to not so great. This is my opinion btw. This will get updated as I see each film.
]]>