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Reviews
Barbie (2023)
Ken out of ten
Wow. I did not see this masterpiece coming. And that's not a joke. Somehow, Greta Gerwig took Barbie, and made a movie that tackles some really tough social issues....well? It's crazy. But wow, does it work. The story is very mature, thinker of a plot. Once you're done laughing your butt off, you'll get really emotional. The production design is so on point. The whole movie is pink everything, but it's never polarizing. All the shades melt together in a very pleasing way. And of course the cast! Margot Robbie was born to play Barbie, and she hits a home run, but Ryan Gosling. This dude rocks as Ken. He knocked it all the way around the world and hit himself in the back of the head. He steals every scene he's in, and I would be so on board with a Ken spin-off. America Ferrara and Simu Liu are also great in their respective roles, but the cast overall is just perfect. Overall, Barbie is probably the best movie based off a toy (sorry LEGO Movies) and an overall fantastic time at the movies.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Best Picture? Best Picture.
Across the Spider-Verse has done the impossible: be better than Into the Spider-Verse. And by leaps and bounds too. The animation is spectacular. Every frame looks like a Van Gogh, a Picasso. It makes Into the Spider-Verse look like a first grader painted it. The voice cast is very well done, Oscar Isaac, Haliee Steinfeld, and Andy Samberg are definite highlights. The action sequences are superb, but they complement a fantastic story that when its massive cliffhanger hits you, you'll be begging for more. Daniel Pemberton brings his A game once again with a score that's even better than the first. Across the Spider-Verse succeeds in every way, and should be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Did someone say "best M:I"? I sure did
"Ghost Protocol" has everything's you could possibly want from a Mission Impossible film. Great action, crazy stunts, inventive spy stuff, and some great lines. Tom Cruise leads an all-star cast in the 4th installment of the Mission franchise. And boy, is it entertaining. Climbing the world's tallest building? Check. Epic heist in the Kremlin? Double check. The most realistic villain, as his demise proves? Triple check. "Ghost Protocol" is also the funniest movie of the franchise, which I think is a strength. Michael Giacchino's score is perfection, as always. Brad Bird expertly helms his first live-action film, in an entertaining, action packed film that sets the bar high for this legendary franchise.
Ready Player One (2018)
Spielberg did read the book right?
Very disappointing. Why they decided to completely change the story is beyond me. They obviously couldn't fit the entire novel into a two-hour film, but c'mon. Story changes aside, it's a very entertaining movie. Impressive action sequences, nice needle drops, fantastic cast, (Ben Mendelsohn, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance are standouts), and great visual effects. The film does a good job of visualizing the OASIS, it's pretty much how I envisioned it while reading the book, they add some great stuff that just wasn't around when the book came out that I really appreciated. It's just, the story is not good. They basically take the basic idea of the plot and do whatever they want with it, and that's very frustrating. Ready Player One is my favorite book of all time, and the film adaptation is very disappointing.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Even with a plot thinner than Paper Mario, it's so fun
This movie is for Mario fans. You have to have played Mario to enjoy this movie. The amount of Easter Eggs and references in the first minute alone prove that. But the references, and the whole movie in general, are made with such love for the games that it doesn't feel cheap. The score is 10/10, Brian Tyler orchestrated the classic Mario themes perfectly. I could've done without the 80's pop needle-drops, but the score and "Peaches" make up for it. The voice cast is superb. Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key and Charlie Day are the standouts, but we owe Chris Pratt an apology. He did a pretty good job. The visuals are something out of a Pixar film, Myamoto made sure Illumination didn't screw it up, because lets face it: Illumination at their best meets the bar. Somehow, they made, in my opinion, the best video game adaptation yet. The plot is straightforward as you get, but that's what Mario needed. Could've been longer, just to flush out the characters a little more, but a fast paced, bright, funny, colorful 90-minute distraction from life, where you'll sit with the biggest dumb grin on your face, and have a great time is just what Mario needed.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Starts SO well, but goes downhill in the third act
War of the Worlds starts with tension, with the "storm" slowly starts to be more than it seems. The whole premise of aliens planting an army under the Earth is very cool. Once the aliens begin their invasion, the movie becomes a story about a dad trying to get his kids to safety. It's very interesting to see their broken family dynamic as they run from the aliens. The whole film is really well thought out until about halfway through, when they drive the only working car through a crowd of people. So of course the people are gonna try to steal the car! And he tries to scare them with his gun, but this is America. Everyone has a gun. And when they try to get on a boat, the aliens corner them, but they still get on the boat, just making them an easier target. And the way the aliens die isn't well explained, the movie kinda ends with a Morgan Freeman narration instead of the characters finding out what happened. The movie just ends, and they could've used another ten minutes of exposition. And the choice to not have the son die kinda kills the emotion Tom Cruise's character had to go through, weather to save his son or his daughter. War of the Worlds has amazing moments, but doesn't stick the landing.
Footloose (2011)
Takes itself way too seriously
The remake of Footloose does a better job of putting some context behind its crazy premise, but takes it way too seriously. It really lacks the energy of the original. I think they did a better job with Reverend Moore, making him more preachy and harder on Ariel though. But the biggest problem is the soundtrack. The Footloose soundtrack is iconic, and they made the horrible choice of making the songs country. Footloose, Holding Out For a Hero, and Let's Here It For The Boy are all country covers, and it sounds horrible. The cast is decent, Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough were obviously chosen for their dancing abilities, but Kevin Bacon's performance wasn't Oscar worthy either. Overall disappointing.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Now this is how you finish off a trilogy
Peter Jackson once again brings a beautifully, acted, well written, insanely great looking film based off of Tolkien's masterpiece. Return of The King combines everything great about Fellowship and Two Towers into a very long epic. At a little under 3 1/2 hours, it's long, but worth ever minute. You can tell the actors, producers, everyone on the crew cared very deeply about making this the best film possible, and it shows. The special effects have aged beautifully, looking better than many blockbusters today, and the score is one of the best. With an ensemble cast of Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, and a whole ton of horses, this is how you end a trilogy.
The Prom (2020)
One of the best musical turned movies out there
Why The Prom gets such a bad rap, I'll never know. All the casting choices are great, even James Corden. One thing musicals have that movies don't is color. Musical sets often pop, something that gets lost in the adaptation. Another great thing it does is be diverse without sacrificing good writing or acting, as a lot of films do these days. The story is about four narcissistic Broadway stars that travel to rural Indiana in support of a girl who was banned from the high-school prom for asking out another girl. The Prom kept its musical-like attributes, and at its heart is an entertaining watch and is full of heart. Its ensemble cast includes Meryl Streep, Andrew Rannells, Nicole Kidman, Ariana DeBose, and Keegan Michael-Key.