May to July Mini Reviews: (Including I Can Only Imagine, Tomb Raider, and Solo: A Star Wars Story)
So I haven't really been keeping up on reviews lately. Thus, I'm going to cover a lot of new releases I watched recently in this post, simply because I don't have enough to say about many of these to actually write full reviews. But don't worry: I'll post some full length reviews for certain movies pretty soon.
I Can Only Imagine
SCORE: 8/10
I like to judge Christian movies just like any other film, with the exact same merits. I think most of them are fine, but some of them simply don't elevate themselves to their full potential. However, there are certainly bad ones: like a certain franchise (that I won't name) which only exists at this point to be a cash-grab and nothing else. I Can Only Imagine is exactly what I wish most movies in this genre were like. Although it did end up being an enormous box-office success, the movie doesn't feel like its main purpose is to make money. Rather, I felt that the filmmakers genuinely wanted to tell this story and it is evident through its stunning quality. It's sweet, simple, and very human. I also respected how it could be enjoyed by anyone, Christian or not. Watch it, but have some tissues ready just in case.
The Commuter
SCORE: 6/10
On my flight to Israel, I watched about 20 minutes of this film, but was bored to tears and turned it off. However, I decided to give it another chance on my flight home from Zimbabwe, and it was aight. Not great, just aight. One thing this film has going for it is that it truly does get better later in the film, in that the intensity does build up as it progresses. The performances aren't bad either. However, where The Commuter fails is when it copies better films, namely Source Code. Like seriously, at times, this felt like a non-sci-fi version of Source Code. It even had the same actress giving the protagonist his orders. It's certainly entertaining, but it just isn't original enough for me to get full enjoyment.
Specific Rim: Uprising
SCORE: 4/10
"In this world, you gotta hustle. Otherwise, someone else is gonna eat your breakfast....and your cookies."
That is a line of dialogue in Pacific Rim: Uprising, spoken not even 5 minutes into the movie's runtime.
And no, it really doesn't get better.
It's stupid. I don't really know how I expected it would be other than stupid. The dialogue is stupid, the story is stupid, the characters are stupid, the acting is.....actually okay. It's not these actors' faults that the script sounds like it was written by four-year-olds. They did the best they could with what was given to them, even if the script in question includes: "Hey man, don't touch my sprinkles." Also, the visuals are great. So it's not a complete disaster. It had some unintentional humor every now-and-then that kept me engaged. It'll satisfy some people, but to me, it's just stupid.
Tomb Raider
SCORE: 7/10
Aw yeah, this is more like it! I had high expectations for this movie despite the "video-game movie curse", or for those of you who don't know what that is, the fact that every movie based on a video game is supposedly horrible. I'm not much of a gamer (I play the occasional video game from time-to-time, but most of them are 80s coin-op arcade games) so obviously I don't watch too many of these. However, after watching the trailer, I thought this looked awesome and added it to my watchlist. And I wasn't really disappointed. It ain't a masterpiece, not even close. But it isn't a bad action movie at all. The only problem I had with it was that it could be really, really slow at times. Fortunately, there's also plenty of action for fans of the genre like myself, and Vikander is amazing as Lara Croft. But honestly, who doubted that she would be? Don't set your expectations unreasonably high, but I say watch it if you are looking for some good, non-demanding cinema.
Uggh, I hate this movie so much. I was completely dumbfounded that this managed to get glowing reviews from critics. Here's the Rotten Tomatoes consensus:
Isle of Dogs
SCORE: 10/10
I gotta tell ya'll: this is a masterpiece. It's great in practically every standpoint. It's funny, emotional, sweet, and truly original. The animation is almost certainly the best I've ever seen in a stop-motion movie. Every shot is framed like a painting with beams of painstaking effort that anyone could respect. The story is quite unlike anything I've ever seen. Trust me, you haven't seen anything like this either. It takes a whole new spin on the dystopian genre. And that cast: wow, what a voice cast! Every actor and actress involved sounds like they're having a blast. And how could you not, with a script as good as this movie's? I originally didn't think this movie would be better than Wes Anderson's other stop motion movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox. However, I can say this does at least rival the quality of that movie, which is also a masterpiece quite frankly. Watch it!
Peter Rabbit
SCORE: 6/10
Uggh, I groaned when I first saw the trailers for this movie. As did anyone who wasn't a toddler. I vowed to myself that was never gonna watch this movie.
And then I watched it when I was bored in a flight. Because of course I did.
It was actually to my utter shock that the movie was half-decent and not the worst thing ever. I actually had fun watching Peter Rabbit: I never thought I'd be saying those words. The movie doesn't have too much substance, but it's really freaking funny! I don't know, maybe I just like seeing that whiny general from the new Star Wars movies get beat up by a cartoon rabbit. Because that's the majority of the movie that I remember. Don't get me wrong, it's stupid. But it can be gleefully stupid.
Journey's End
SCORE: 10/10
I know what you're probably saying: what on earth is Journey's End? Well, Journey's End is an adaptation of an early 20th century English play that is set in the trenches near the end of WWI (hence the name Journey's End, I guess). It's not your typical war movie in that it strays away from showing the actual combat for the majority of the film and instead focusing on character development. It kinda reminded me of Fences in that it mostly seemed like a play that was filmed. But that's clearly what it's trying be, and it succeeds in doing just that. If one goes into this film thinking it's going to be a war movie akin to masterpieces such as Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge, they're gonna be disappointed. Because most of the movie is about some Brits talking in the trenches. But if one is looking for a historically-based, complex character study, they should look no further than this. I quite honestly was the former viewer, but I still enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to those who are looking for more demanding cinema than most of what I've covered in this post.
Chappaquiddick
SCORE: 6/10
I'm gonna be honest with you, the only reason I watched this movie was to learn more about the infamous accident and the scandal that followed it, since I was fairly uneducated about it. I didn't really expect it to be an amazing and memorable biopic. But guess what? I was right and served the one purpose I wanted it to. I'm thoroughly glad it helped in my thirst for historical knowledge, but it's really nothing special. I can at least say it's a good movie in that it is very informative, very well acted, and very competently made overall. But that's about all I have to say about it. It didn't really make an impact to me of any sorts.
UPDATE: 9/24/18
Okay, I was a little bit harsh on this one. I shouldn't have counted against it so much because supposedly, "It's nothing special". The crew did a spectacular job shooting this film to the point where it deserves more than a mediocre score like I gave it. Just because I didn't find it very re-watchable doesn't mean it deserves the score I gave it. I did enjoy it a lot more the second time I watched it, and while I didn't think it was a masterpiece, it is a fine film.
UPDATED SCORE: 7/10
Solo: A Star Wars Story
SCORE: 8/10
And finally, we have the first Star Wars movie to become a box-office flop: Solo: A Star Wars Story!
Okay, maybe it's not fair to start the review like that, considering that I actually enjoyed this film a lot! And I was very pessimistic about it, too. I didn't think the trailers looked that great, the new Han Solo seemed like he wouldn't do well, and more than anything, the troubled production that this film went through made me set my expectations very low. But in the end, the finished product turned out to be something worthy of the Star Wars franchise. It took some time to get used to Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, but once he let out his first "YAHOO!", I knew he was gonna be alright. Also, Childish Gambino as Lando was amazing. Sign me up for Lando: A Star Wars Story, if that ever happens. The film actually doesn't feel like a mess, despite its mess of a production. The visual effects also look worthy of its gargantuan budget. Fun fact: This had a lower budget than Justice League, yet this has great visuals while Justice League's look like crap (couldn't even remove a mustache properly). Like Tomb Raider, I took issue with the fact that this movie was a bit too slow at times. But those scenes weren't enough to make me write it off. I'm actually kinda sad it flopped, because I wanna see this new cast in more Star Wars stories. But until that happens (if it happens), this one will do!
Thanks again for reading! If you want to talk about these movies or even have a recommendation for me, please leave a comment!
I Can Only Imagine
SCORE: 8/10
I like to judge Christian movies just like any other film, with the exact same merits. I think most of them are fine, but some of them simply don't elevate themselves to their full potential. However, there are certainly bad ones: like a certain franchise (that I won't name) which only exists at this point to be a cash-grab and nothing else. I Can Only Imagine is exactly what I wish most movies in this genre were like. Although it did end up being an enormous box-office success, the movie doesn't feel like its main purpose is to make money. Rather, I felt that the filmmakers genuinely wanted to tell this story and it is evident through its stunning quality. It's sweet, simple, and very human. I also respected how it could be enjoyed by anyone, Christian or not. Watch it, but have some tissues ready just in case.The Commuter
SCORE: 6/10
On my flight to Israel, I watched about 20 minutes of this film, but was bored to tears and turned it off. However, I decided to give it another chance on my flight home from Zimbabwe, and it was aight. Not great, just aight. One thing this film has going for it is that it truly does get better later in the film, in that the intensity does build up as it progresses. The performances aren't bad either. However, where The Commuter fails is when it copies better films, namely Source Code. Like seriously, at times, this felt like a non-sci-fi version of Source Code. It even had the same actress giving the protagonist his orders. It's certainly entertaining, but it just isn't original enough for me to get full enjoyment.SCORE: 4/10
"In this world, you gotta hustle. Otherwise, someone else is gonna eat your breakfast....and your cookies."That is a line of dialogue in Pacific Rim: Uprising, spoken not even 5 minutes into the movie's runtime.
And no, it really doesn't get better.
It's stupid. I don't really know how I expected it would be other than stupid. The dialogue is stupid, the story is stupid, the characters are stupid, the acting is.....actually okay. It's not these actors' faults that the script sounds like it was written by four-year-olds. They did the best they could with what was given to them, even if the script in question includes: "Hey man, don't touch my sprinkles." Also, the visuals are great. So it's not a complete disaster. It had some unintentional humor every now-and-then that kept me engaged. It'll satisfy some people, but to me, it's just stupid.
Tomb Raider
SCORE: 7/10
Aw yeah, this is more like it! I had high expectations for this movie despite the "video-game movie curse", or for those of you who don't know what that is, the fact that every movie based on a video game is supposedly horrible. I'm not much of a gamer (I play the occasional video game from time-to-time, but most of them are 80s coin-op arcade games) so obviously I don't watch too many of these. However, after watching the trailer, I thought this looked awesome and added it to my watchlist. And I wasn't really disappointed. It ain't a masterpiece, not even close. But it isn't a bad action movie at all. The only problem I had with it was that it could be really, really slow at times. Fortunately, there's also plenty of action for fans of the genre like myself, and Vikander is amazing as Lara Croft. But honestly, who doubted that she would be? Don't set your expectations unreasonably high, but I say watch it if you are looking for some good, non-demanding cinema.
Early Childhood Only
SCORE: 3/10
Uggh, I hate this movie so much. I was completely dumbfounded that this managed to get glowing reviews from critics. Here's the Rotten Tomatoes consensus:
"Early Man isn't quite as evolved as Aardman's best work, but still retains the unique visuals and sweet humour that have made the studio a favourite among animation enthusiasts"
Yeah......I don't think the critics and I watched the same movie. As I watched this, I felt something in my head. And it wasn't a headache. No no no: It was
my brain cells, slowly dying because the so-called "sweet humour" was idiotic beyond their comprehension. They just gave up in those 100 minutes of my life. You heard me right: 100 minutes. And the animation isn't even that good! Chicken Run, a movie by the same studio that came out 18 years ago, had better animation than this. Also, it didn't feel like it was written for the enjoyment of 2 year-olds and no one else. Like honestly, there are much better stop-motion movies out there that are worth your time far more than this THING.
Isle of DogsSCORE: 10/10
I gotta tell ya'll: this is a masterpiece. It's great in practically every standpoint. It's funny, emotional, sweet, and truly original. The animation is almost certainly the best I've ever seen in a stop-motion movie. Every shot is framed like a painting with beams of painstaking effort that anyone could respect. The story is quite unlike anything I've ever seen. Trust me, you haven't seen anything like this either. It takes a whole new spin on the dystopian genre. And that cast: wow, what a voice cast! Every actor and actress involved sounds like they're having a blast. And how could you not, with a script as good as this movie's? I originally didn't think this movie would be better than Wes Anderson's other stop motion movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox. However, I can say this does at least rival the quality of that movie, which is also a masterpiece quite frankly. Watch it!
Peter Rabbit
SCORE: 6/10
Uggh, I groaned when I first saw the trailers for this movie. As did anyone who wasn't a toddler. I vowed to myself that was never gonna watch this movie.And then I watched it when I was bored in a flight. Because of course I did.
It was actually to my utter shock that the movie was half-decent and not the worst thing ever. I actually had fun watching Peter Rabbit: I never thought I'd be saying those words. The movie doesn't have too much substance, but it's really freaking funny! I don't know, maybe I just like seeing that whiny general from the new Star Wars movies get beat up by a cartoon rabbit. Because that's the majority of the movie that I remember. Don't get me wrong, it's stupid. But it can be gleefully stupid.
Journey's End
SCORE: 10/10
I know what you're probably saying: what on earth is Journey's End? Well, Journey's End is an adaptation of an early 20th century English play that is set in the trenches near the end of WWI (hence the name Journey's End, I guess). It's not your typical war movie in that it strays away from showing the actual combat for the majority of the film and instead focusing on character development. It kinda reminded me of Fences in that it mostly seemed like a play that was filmed. But that's clearly what it's trying be, and it succeeds in doing just that. If one goes into this film thinking it's going to be a war movie akin to masterpieces such as Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge, they're gonna be disappointed. Because most of the movie is about some Brits talking in the trenches. But if one is looking for a historically-based, complex character study, they should look no further than this. I quite honestly was the former viewer, but I still enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to those who are looking for more demanding cinema than most of what I've covered in this post.Chappaquiddick
SCORE: 6/10
I'm gonna be honest with you, the only reason I watched this movie was to learn more about the infamous accident and the scandal that followed it, since I was fairly uneducated about it. I didn't really expect it to be an amazing and memorable biopic. But guess what? I was right and served the one purpose I wanted it to. I'm thoroughly glad it helped in my thirst for historical knowledge, but it's really nothing special. I can at least say it's a good movie in that it is very informative, very well acted, and very competently made overall. But that's about all I have to say about it. It didn't really make an impact to me of any sorts.UPDATE: 9/24/18
Okay, I was a little bit harsh on this one. I shouldn't have counted against it so much because supposedly, "It's nothing special". The crew did a spectacular job shooting this film to the point where it deserves more than a mediocre score like I gave it. Just because I didn't find it very re-watchable doesn't mean it deserves the score I gave it. I did enjoy it a lot more the second time I watched it, and while I didn't think it was a masterpiece, it is a fine film.
UPDATED SCORE: 7/10
Solo: A Star Wars Story
SCORE: 8/10
And finally, we have the first Star Wars movie to become a box-office flop: Solo: A Star Wars Story!Okay, maybe it's not fair to start the review like that, considering that I actually enjoyed this film a lot! And I was very pessimistic about it, too. I didn't think the trailers looked that great, the new Han Solo seemed like he wouldn't do well, and more than anything, the troubled production that this film went through made me set my expectations very low. But in the end, the finished product turned out to be something worthy of the Star Wars franchise. It took some time to get used to Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, but once he let out his first "YAHOO!", I knew he was gonna be alright. Also, Childish Gambino as Lando was amazing. Sign me up for Lando: A Star Wars Story, if that ever happens. The film actually doesn't feel like a mess, despite its mess of a production. The visual effects also look worthy of its gargantuan budget. Fun fact: This had a lower budget than Justice League, yet this has great visuals while Justice League's look like crap (couldn't even remove a mustache properly). Like Tomb Raider, I took issue with the fact that this movie was a bit too slow at times. But those scenes weren't enough to make me write it off. I'm actually kinda sad it flopped, because I wanna see this new cast in more Star Wars stories. But until that happens (if it happens), this one will do!
Thanks again for reading! If you want to talk about these movies or even have a recommendation for me, please leave a comment!
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