Movie + Year: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 IMDB score: 8.3/10 IMDB description: A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert.
My opinion: I made the big mistake of factchecking after I watched this movie. There are some things the movie just gets wrong, but it makes sense to do them wrong. Otherwise the movie'd have no real plot. The real plot is, in a sense, the descend of Freddy Murcury into madness, as his fame kinda runs away from him.
Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a reason this movie is bad. In fact, I very much enjoyed watching it.
The acting is superb. Rami Malek does an amazing job, and the casting from Brian May is fucking spot on. He looks just like the real May.
The soundtrack is awesome (no shit). All the famous Queen songs get some screentime, including an amazing redition of We Will Rock You.
The cinematography is incredible. It has some seriously amazing shots. The opening sequence on its own is great.
All in all, it's an incredible movie to watch, and I urge you to go watch it too.
Movie + Year: Captain Marvel (2019) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154664/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 IMDB score: 6.9/10 IMDB description: Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.
My opinion: I get why people are giving it crappy reviews. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, or crazy unexpected. It was a pretty standard superhero movie, with a protagonist, and antagonist, and some basic, albeit see-thru, conspiracies. I wouldn't say it was bland, because it did push some boundaries, but unless you're really into Captain Marvel or the MCU (like me), I wouldn't go see it in cinema.
However.
There were some things that I thought were neat. The fact that there was no love interest was a nice change of pace. It kept the plot tidier, no unneccesary detours. There was an old friend, but she was important to the general plot of the movie as well.
The final showdown with the BBEG was delightfully short.
He calls her out, says she will only truly win if she beats him in unarmed hand-to-hand combat, and she responds by blasting him into a massive rock.
The fact that it's the first female focused MCU movie isn't rubbed in at every moment as well. There was one scene where she gets flashbacks of everytime she gets called out on being a girl trying to play baseball/gokart/get through basic training, but it ties into a whole moment of 'getting back up', after being called "only human".
Samuel L Jackson going from badass motherfucker to squeeling with joy at a cute kitty was pretty hilarious though.
So yeah, not the best (Marvel) movie I've seen, but I still enjoyed watching it, and wouldn't mind seeing it again when it comes out on BluRay.
Movie + Year: The Highwaymen (2019) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860242/ IMDB score: 7/10 IMDB description: A pair of Texas Rangers come out of retirement to catch the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.
My opinion: I stumbled upon this movie by accident and it had a lot of promising stuff: Bonnie & Clyde, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Costner. Sounds like a winning formula right? Wrong. The story is just so damn dull. Sadly you "can tell" this was made by Netflix and not a giant film studio. (that came out wrong) I wanted this to be good, I really did. It's about Bonnie & Clyde, the notorious gangster couple! Yet somehow, they made this a boring movie. I left with a feeling that I had just wasted two hours. It doesn't help that the dialogue is really cheesy as well. It had a few good scenes, but that's it. I would definitely not recommend you to watch this movie.
Movie + Year: Avengers: Endgame (2019) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154796/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1 IMDB score: 8.9/10 IMDB description: After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe.
My opinion: The big one. The culmination of 10 years of superhero movies. I somehow managed to avoid spoilers for an entire week before I had a chance to watch it (mostly by threatening people to spoil Game of Thrones).
And I enjoyed almost every minute of it.
There were some small gripes I had that kinda ticked me off, but in the end, I left the cinema with a massive smile on my face (and a full bladder, because there was no break).
Small things that pissed me off are really small, like the two car commercials they slammed in. They show people driving around in brand new concept Audi's, and it's made very clear that it's Audi. The logo is hugely in picture, they even pull the typical headlight-shines-in-camera trick that you see in TV commercials. It's annoying, but doesn't really impact the rest of the movie.
The other this is... not really a gripe, I was annoyed at first, but it can be interpreted as a nice easter egg as well.
During the final battle, there is a scene where all the female superheroes gang up, and strike a dramatic pose, getting ready to fight through hordes of enemies. At first, it felt a bit forced (look, we're diversive too!), but it can also be explained as an easter egg to Marvel's A-Force, which is an all female comic run.
Also, the Thor playing Fortnite scene was kinda cringey
Other than that, if you like the Marvel movies, Endgame is defenitively worth it. The final battle was nothing short of epic.
The Irishman (2019): IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1302006/ IMDB score: 8,3 IMDB description: A mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.
My opinion: This movie had fantastic acting and great quotes.
“You always charge a guy with a gun - with a knife, you run away. So you charge with a gun - with a knife, you run” - Al Pacino
Pesci, Pacino, and De Niro all gave fantastic performances (in that order).
However I was expecting the movie to be less dragging, some conversations are pretty pointless and last way too long. In total I'd say the movie is around one hour too long.
What this movie managed to do though was show the negative side of being a gangster/mafia member. While a movie like Goodfellas focussed on the positive aspects. The last 30 minutes really got to you.
But there's one more ridiculous thing about this movie.. The de-aging. No way Al Pacino passed for someone sub-30. More like sub-50. However one might be able to look past that. But you cannot ignore the awkwardness in for example the scene where De Niro beats up the grocery store guy. That looked like an 80 year old fighting, they should have used a body double for that scene.
I was hoping for a 9/10, but sadly in my opinion I can only give a 7/10.
Movie + Year: The Last Seduction (1994) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110308/ IMDB score: 7/10 IMDB description: A devious sexpot steals her husband's drug money and hides out in a small town where she meets the perfect dupe for her next scheme.
My opinion: Fiorentino is perfect for this role, I love her charisma and she's insanely good looking. (subjectively)
It's your typical femme fatale movie, and I do enjoy one from time to time. Soundtrack is jazzy and a bit cheesy though I do like it.
Would I ever watch this movie again? No, the acting was pretty good but the plot isn't that complex to be honest. I however did not regret watching it.
Movie + Year: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6288124/ IMDB score: 7/10 IMDB description: On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons, which bring him a new lease on life.
My opinion: Noticed Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill were in this movie and avoided any spoiler/trailer at all costs. Therefore I had no idea what to expect. I want to start off by saying that Phoenix' acting is phenomenal, and Hill nails his role as well. Was also really surprised to see Jack Black in this.
Be aware however that this movie is pretty much about alcoholism and trying to quit booze. I have to be honest, that wasn't what I was expecting at all and it threw me off a little bit, still a good movie however. Re-watchability is pretty low to non-existant however for me.
Movie + Year: Raya And The Last Dragon (2021) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5109280/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 IMDB score: 7.5/10 IMDB description: In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.
My opinion:
This movie had 8 friggin writers, and you can tell. It goes all over the place. It feels as if they all wrote their piece of the story: intro, finale, flashback, the acquiring of each stone,... But then they realized the movie was 5 hours long, and they started cutting.
To be fair, it's not as if the plot is incoherent, or filled with gaps. It's just that... things happen, and they happen really fucking fast. For example,
they head up to the Spine, and find the village empty, save for one guy. Next up, the village is under siege, and they escape. The lone survivor joins the gang, and off they go to the next area.
What I will give this movie, though, is that it looks phenomenal. The animation, the design, everything looks awesome. Of course, you can expect this stuff from a massive studio like Disney, but still.
All in all, I don't regret watching this movie. But I don't regret not paying for it, either.
Movie + Year: Nimona (2023) IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19500164/ IMDB score: 7.6/10 IMDB description: When a knight in a futuristic medieval world is framed for a crime he didn't commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona -- a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature he's sworn to destroy.
My opinion: Go watch this movie. No, really.
Why? Well, first off, it's good. It's one of the best animated movies I've seen in the last decade. The story is good, if some beats are fairly predictable. But while the overall plot is decent, the real wonder is in the characters. The dialogue is great. The quips are funny. The VA is spot-on. It's just really, really... fun to watch. The overal design and animation of the characters was deliberately made to look like a 2D movie, and it's tons better than the 3D stuff Disney and Pixar push out.
Speaking of Disney - that's the second reason. This movie was made by a smaller studio, which was bought out by Disney, and then killed, along with this movie. Why? Well, some might suggest that the very openly gay subplots were the reason, but in truth? It was probably money. The movie was slated to release around the same time as Elemental, so Disney put all its eggs in that basket. But, clearly, Nimona survived. It was finished by a different company, with a different studio, but the creators were the same. They poured a lot of love into their work, and it shows - by the time it released (on Netflix), it blew Elemental out of the water.
So yeah, go watch it. If only to stick it to Disney. But mostly because it's just a great animated movie.
Movie + Year: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6263850/ IMDB score:8.2/10 IMDB description: Deadpool is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.
My opinion:
I remember Scorcese complaining about superhero movies and how they were closer to theme parks than they are to movies. And I get his point. There is a certain... trope that infests the MCU, which is that they try to slot in references and cameos to no fucking end, just to get that "OMG that's [...]! So cool!" reaction from the audience. And there's an argument that that trope has found its way into other movies as well (cough Lion King cough).
Then Deadpool comes along and goes "Yep, that's what we're doing". And they knock it out of the fucking park.
Are the Deadpool movies good movies? Oscar worthy movies? No, not really. Their plots are pretty basic, visual effects are good but not shocking, and the characters are... well okay, the characters are actually the highlight of the movie. Ryan Reynolds really knows how to put down an excellent Deadpool.
But, while they aren't necessarily good movies, they sure as hell are fucking fun. Watching Deadpool & Wolverine was just a 2 hour long fan service festival. There are in-jokes, references, cameos, more in-jokes, Deadpool breaking the 4th wall yet again to deliver more references,... and it's just pure fucking fun. Characters showing up isn't a moment of "OMG so cool!" it's more "OMG I can't believe they did that!" (Okay I will admit, the audience's reaction to Henry Cavill's cameo as an alternative Wolverine was "OMG so cool", but it also really was so cool) It may not be Oscar worthy material, but it sure as fuck will entertain more people than any other Oscar movie ever will.
What also helped was them kinda fucking with the formula - thanks to Marvel's multiverse, they're able to pull all kinds of shenanigans. And while the general MCU does this and tries to be all serious about it, D&W just go nuts with it - to great effect. Characters return and make cameos, and it's explained by "multiverse". And it works. Of course, Deadpool's typical 4th wall breaking helps with that. Bringing back a character from 20 years ago works a lot better if you have your lead character make a joke about it, then it is to treat it all serious.
That's not to say it's all fun and jokes all the time. There are some serious moments in the movie, too - hell even Deadpool goes quiet at some point. But they're spaced apart pretty nicely, so it doesn't bog down the whole movie. And they're set up and ended properly, so you don't get the tonal whiplash. But, the fact that they're so sparse makes them much more impactful.
Some of my favorite moments (spoilered, just in case):
Deadpool completely destroying a squad of goons with Wolverine's adamantium skeleton, set to N'Sync's "Bye Bye Bye", intercut with shots of him copying the dance moves from the song's music video. Yes, you read that correctly. It's the opening act, too.
Bringing back Wesley fucking Snipes as Blade. I don't think anybody ever saw that coming.
Wolverine's fight scenes were just... so goddamn cool. Sure, some of the cooler moves were obviously CGI, but goddamn if that 4-legged run-up wasn't absolutely amazing.
Chris Evans returns!... as Johnny Storm. Also, hearing him go completely nuts and swearing up a storm in a Boston accent was just too good.
Bringing back Laura Kinney! God, if Marvel pulls their nuts out of their asses and give us a X-23 movie, preferably with Gabby, I'll be happy. The All-New Wolverine series is one of my favorite comicbook runs.
Hearing everyone just swear constantly. I know it's childish, but in some cases, a well-placed "FUCK!" is hilarious.
[*]
This movie was more a comedy than it was an action movie. And for the better, too. That's the point of Deadpool, after all. It may not be a emotionally charged movie you watch on a romantic afternoon, but damn if it wasn't an excellent way to spend a few hours.
This movie was more a comedy than it was an action movie. And for the better, too. That's the point of Deadpool, after all. It may not be a emotionally charged movie you watch on a romantic afternoon, but damn if it wasn't an excellent way to spend a few hours.
Movie + Year: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6263850/ IMDB score:8.2/10 IMDB description: Deadpool is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.
My opinion:
I remember Scorcese complaining about superhero movies and how they were closer to theme parks than they are to movies. And I get his point. There is a certain... trope that infests the MCU, which is that they try to slot in references and cameos to no fucking end, just to get that "OMG that's [...]! So cool!" reaction from the audience. And there's an argument that that trope has found its way into other movies as well (cough Lion King cough).
Then Deadpool comes along and goes "Yep, that's what we're doing". And they knock it out of the fucking park.
Are the Deadpool movies good movies? Oscar worthy movies? No, not really. Their plots are pretty basic, visual effects are good but not shocking, and the characters are... well okay, the characters are actually the highlight of the movie. Ryan Reynolds really knows how to put down an excellent Deadpool.
But, while they aren't necessarily good movies, they sure as hell are fucking fun. Watching Deadpool & Wolverine was just a 2 hour long fan service festival. There are in-jokes, references, cameos, more in-jokes, Deadpool breaking the 4th wall yet again to deliver more references,... and it's just pure fucking fun. Characters showing up isn't a moment of "OMG so cool!" it's more "OMG I can't believe they did that!" (Okay I will admit, the audience's reaction to Henry Cavill's cameo as an alternative Wolverine was "OMG so cool", but it also really was so cool) It may not be Oscar worthy material, but it sure as fuck will entertain more people than any other Oscar movie ever will.
What also helped was them kinda fucking with the formula - thanks to Marvel's multiverse, they're able to pull all kinds of shenanigans. And while the general MCU does this and tries to be all serious about it, D&W just go nuts with it - to great effect. Characters return and make cameos, and it's explained by "multiverse". And it works. Of course, Deadpool's typical 4th wall breaking helps with that. Bringing back a character from 20 years ago works a lot better if you have your lead character make a joke about it, then it is to treat it all serious.
That's not to say it's all fun and jokes all the time. There are some serious moments in the movie, too - hell even Deadpool goes quiet at some point. But they're spaced apart pretty nicely, so it doesn't bog down the whole movie. And they're set up and ended properly, so you don't get the tonal whiplash. But, the fact that they're so sparse makes them much more impactful.
Some of my favorite moments (spoilered, just in case):
Deadpool completely destroying a squad of goons with Wolverine's adamantium skeleton, set to N'Sync's "Bye Bye Bye", intercut with shots of him copying the dance moves from the song's music video. Yes, you read that correctly. It's the opening act, too.
Bringing back Wesley fucking Snipes as Blade. I don't think anybody ever saw that coming.
Wolverine's fight scenes were just... so goddamn cool. Sure, some of the cooler moves were obviously CGI, but goddamn if that 4-legged run-up wasn't absolutely amazing.
Chris Evans returns!... as Johnny Storm. Also, hearing him go completely nuts and swearing up a storm in a Boston accent was just too good.
Bringing back Laura Kinney! God, if Marvel pulls their nuts out of their asses and give us a X-23 movie, preferably with Gabby, I'll be happy. The All-New Wolverine series is one of my favorite comicbook runs.
Hearing everyone just swear constantly. I know it's childish, but in some cases, a well-placed "FUCK!" is hilarious.
[*]
This movie was more a comedy than it was an action movie. And for the better, too. That's the point of Deadpool, after all. It may not be a emotionally charged movie you watch on a romantic afternoon, but damn if it wasn't an excellent way to spend a few hours.
Elsewhere, 'Twisters' approaches $200 million as M. Night Shyamalan's 'Trap' opens in third place with $15.6 million and 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' washes out with $6M.
