So as I said the other day, I've been away from the board for a while, and I'm gonna be pretty busy for the next little bit, so I don't know how much time I'll be on here in the near future either, but didn't want to shirk my movie poasting, so here is a mega poast for my thoughts on some movies I've seen recently or ones coming up soon that I have opinions about. First up, things I've seen recently (going back to August).
Christopher Robin: This movie was pretty good, Ewan McGregor does a pretty solid job and the cgi for the characters all looks pretty solid. It takes a while for it to really get going, but it's a fun enough family movie. However, of the two movies based on beloved childhood bears to come out this year, it falls a distant second to Paddington 2, which is possibly my favorite movie of the year.
BlacKkKlansman: One of the best movies I've seen this year. Spike Lee returns to form with a story based on a real black cop in the 1970's who infiltrates the KKK by talking to members over the phone and using a white cop to pose as the character in person. This movie has some great comedic beats to balance out some of the tougher subject matter in addition to compelling performances.
The Meg: Jason Statham fights a huge damn shark. This movie is pretty much exactly what you think it is, big, dumb, sometimes fun, but mostly big and dumb. So if that's your kind of movie, check it out. Also Dwight from The Office is in it. (Side note, had terrible people in the theater behind me that wouldn't stop talking. I'm glad the movie wasn't better because otherwise I would have been super pissed at those people)
Crazy Rich Asians: This movie was really good. It is an example of taking a relatively simple story you've seen (rom-com where the couple are from different worlds fighting the odds to end up happily ever after) and just doing a really really good job with it. The cast was terrific, it's genuinely funny, compelling, and heart-warming.
The Happytime Murders: This was a disappointment for me. I wanted to really love this movie, because I was on board with the idea of an R-rated Muppet movie (written and directed by Brian Henson, son of Jim, who had previously written and directed actual Muppet movies) but it just doesn't deliver. Some jokes are solid, but ultimately, a waste of potential in a major way.
The Predator: Another disappointment for me. The first Predator is one of the best action movies of the 1980s, and this one was written and directed by Shane Black (who was in the first one), who generally has a really solid track record. After a solid (if at times uneven) first two thirds of the movie, it really falls apart in the final third. Part of what makes it a disappointment is it features a strong cast who have solid chemistry (Sterling K. Brown looks like he is having the time of his life in this movie), but the story just doesn't deliver.
A Simple Favor: I thought this movie is mostly good, but there are some narrative decisions that are...odd. To my understanding, those are faithful to the book it is based on, but still, a little strange. Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters 3), this is a bit of a departure from some of his previous works because it's much darker and more serious. However, there were just sudden tonal shifts throughout that kind of don't make sense. Also, the end stacks twists left and right to the point you are kind of going "Is this the end? Is this the final twist? Or is there another?" Overall, it's not bad, but it didn't quite bring all the pieces together as nicely as I would wish.
A Star Is Born: One of my favorite and one of the best movies I've seen this year. I was blown away. This movie is going to be a major contender for the main Oscar categories. Bradley Cooper will likely be nominated for Best Actor, Director, Picture (as a producer), Screenplay (co-wrote), and Song (co-wrote with Lady Gaga), while she will likely score nominations for Song and Actress. This movie is beautiful, the acting is terrific, the music is amazing, and it just keeps you invested from the word go. I downloaded the soundtrack immediately after I watched it. Check it out.
Venom: I had low expectations for this one, and even then, was not impressed with this. The whole Sony-Marvel drama is too lengthy to get into, but basically, Sony made a movie about one of Spider-Man's best known villains that has literally nothing to do with Spider-Man or the other Marvel characters. This movie is weird, the narrative is pretty much nonsensical, and there just aren't any characters that are really worth the investment. Tom Hardy tries his best to save this movie, but there is just too much nonsense to make this movie good.
So, those are all the movies I've seen in the last two-ish months. As for the movies coming out soon, these are ones I'm excited for (along with quick synopses).
Bad Times at the El Royale (Oct 12): Directed by Drew Goddard, this is a thriller featuring an all-star cast (Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman) as a group of strangers who all happen to be at the El Royale hotel at the same time. It looks to be like a pretty fun time with lots of twists and unlikely alliances.
First Man (Oct 12): Ryan Gosling reunites with director Damien Chizelle (La La Land, Whiplash) to play Neil Armstrong on his way to the moon. Early reviews say this may be the most realistic trip to the moon in cinema history. Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth from The Crown) also stars as Armstrong's wife. Potential Oscar contender.
Beautiful Boy (Oct 12): This movie is based on a true story, Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet star as a father and son coping with the son's drug use and depression. Potential Oscar contender.
Halloween (Oct 19): A sequel to the original, Michael Myers is back to terrorize Jamie Lee Curtis on Halloween. Hopefully this one is a treat and no trick.
Bohemian Rhapsody (Nov 2): Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) stars as Freddie Mercury in a movie covering the life of one of the most famous rock stars of the 20th century. Potential Oscar contender.
Boy Erased (Nov 2): Starring Lukas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton (who also directs), and Russell Crowe, this movie is about a teenager who is the son of a Baptist preacher and is forced into gay conversion therapy. Potential Oscar contender.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Nov 16): Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander in the next chapter in the Fantastic Beasts story, where he is joined by Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. The thing about these movies is they are completely new additions to the Harry Potter universe, so one can't help but be excited if they are a fan of the Potterverse.
Widows (Nov 16): An all star cast, this is going to be a thriller about a group of women who lose their husbands after a criminal venture goes bad, and the ladies decide to take matters into their own hands and finish the job. Potential Oscar contender.
Creed II (Nov 21): Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, son of Apollo, to fight the son of Ivan Drago. Stallone and Lundgren reprise their roles also. Potential Oscar contender.
Green Book (Nov 21): Directed by Peter Farrelly (one half of the Farrelly Brothers who directed Dumb & Dumber and There's Something About Mary), this movie stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. It tells the story of a black classical musician going on a tour through the segregated South with his streetwise NY bodyguard. Potential Oscar contender.
Ralph Breaks the Internet (Nov 21): A sequel to the underrated Wreck-It Ralph, this one sees Ralph and company going from their classic arcade games into the Internet. Chaos and fun follows suit.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (Dec 14): This is an animated movie about the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man, a bi-racial kid who takes up the mantle after the death of Peter Parker. However, this movie will also feature tons of alternate Spider-people (and animals) including Peter and Spider-Ham. This one is gonna be lots of fun.
Mary Poppins Returns (Dec 19): A sequel to the original, Emily Blunt plays the titular nanny. I think this will be a fantastic movie, it features an all star cast and (based on the trailer) seems to know what made the original so magical.
Aquaman (Dec 21): Jason Momoa plays the titular character, and this one looks like a pretty fun movie with action on land and at sea as we get our first full length live action movie dedicated to the hero from Atlantis. Hopefully this will help DC right the ship.
Bumblebee (Dec 21): A prequel to the other Transformers movies about everyone's favorite yellow Transformer, I was initially very hesitant toward this movie, however, after watching the trailer, I think this has potential to be the best in the series (a relatively low bar, but still). Hopefully this one is good.
Vice (Dec 25): Christian Bale plays Dick Cheney, Sam Rockwell is George W. Bush, Steve Carell is Donald Rumsfeld, and Amy Adams plays Lynne Cheney in this look at the right hand man who was more the actual man behind the scenes. Directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers, The Big Short), this movie is high on my list for most anticipated. Potential Oscar contender.
Lots of movies to look forward to the rest of the year, which are the ones you guys are looking forward to?
Christopher Robin: This movie was pretty good, Ewan McGregor does a pretty solid job and the cgi for the characters all looks pretty solid. It takes a while for it to really get going, but it's a fun enough family movie. However, of the two movies based on beloved childhood bears to come out this year, it falls a distant second to Paddington 2, which is possibly my favorite movie of the year.
BlacKkKlansman: One of the best movies I've seen this year. Spike Lee returns to form with a story based on a real black cop in the 1970's who infiltrates the KKK by talking to members over the phone and using a white cop to pose as the character in person. This movie has some great comedic beats to balance out some of the tougher subject matter in addition to compelling performances.
The Meg: Jason Statham fights a huge damn shark. This movie is pretty much exactly what you think it is, big, dumb, sometimes fun, but mostly big and dumb. So if that's your kind of movie, check it out. Also Dwight from The Office is in it. (Side note, had terrible people in the theater behind me that wouldn't stop talking. I'm glad the movie wasn't better because otherwise I would have been super pissed at those people)
Crazy Rich Asians: This movie was really good. It is an example of taking a relatively simple story you've seen (rom-com where the couple are from different worlds fighting the odds to end up happily ever after) and just doing a really really good job with it. The cast was terrific, it's genuinely funny, compelling, and heart-warming.
The Happytime Murders: This was a disappointment for me. I wanted to really love this movie, because I was on board with the idea of an R-rated Muppet movie (written and directed by Brian Henson, son of Jim, who had previously written and directed actual Muppet movies) but it just doesn't deliver. Some jokes are solid, but ultimately, a waste of potential in a major way.
The Predator: Another disappointment for me. The first Predator is one of the best action movies of the 1980s, and this one was written and directed by Shane Black (who was in the first one), who generally has a really solid track record. After a solid (if at times uneven) first two thirds of the movie, it really falls apart in the final third. Part of what makes it a disappointment is it features a strong cast who have solid chemistry (Sterling K. Brown looks like he is having the time of his life in this movie), but the story just doesn't deliver.
A Simple Favor: I thought this movie is mostly good, but there are some narrative decisions that are...odd. To my understanding, those are faithful to the book it is based on, but still, a little strange. Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters 3), this is a bit of a departure from some of his previous works because it's much darker and more serious. However, there were just sudden tonal shifts throughout that kind of don't make sense. Also, the end stacks twists left and right to the point you are kind of going "Is this the end? Is this the final twist? Or is there another?" Overall, it's not bad, but it didn't quite bring all the pieces together as nicely as I would wish.
A Star Is Born: One of my favorite and one of the best movies I've seen this year. I was blown away. This movie is going to be a major contender for the main Oscar categories. Bradley Cooper will likely be nominated for Best Actor, Director, Picture (as a producer), Screenplay (co-wrote), and Song (co-wrote with Lady Gaga), while she will likely score nominations for Song and Actress. This movie is beautiful, the acting is terrific, the music is amazing, and it just keeps you invested from the word go. I downloaded the soundtrack immediately after I watched it. Check it out.
Venom: I had low expectations for this one, and even then, was not impressed with this. The whole Sony-Marvel drama is too lengthy to get into, but basically, Sony made a movie about one of Spider-Man's best known villains that has literally nothing to do with Spider-Man or the other Marvel characters. This movie is weird, the narrative is pretty much nonsensical, and there just aren't any characters that are really worth the investment. Tom Hardy tries his best to save this movie, but there is just too much nonsense to make this movie good.
So, those are all the movies I've seen in the last two-ish months. As for the movies coming out soon, these are ones I'm excited for (along with quick synopses).
Bad Times at the El Royale (Oct 12): Directed by Drew Goddard, this is a thriller featuring an all-star cast (Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman) as a group of strangers who all happen to be at the El Royale hotel at the same time. It looks to be like a pretty fun time with lots of twists and unlikely alliances.
First Man (Oct 12): Ryan Gosling reunites with director Damien Chizelle (La La Land, Whiplash) to play Neil Armstrong on his way to the moon. Early reviews say this may be the most realistic trip to the moon in cinema history. Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth from The Crown) also stars as Armstrong's wife. Potential Oscar contender.
Beautiful Boy (Oct 12): This movie is based on a true story, Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet star as a father and son coping with the son's drug use and depression. Potential Oscar contender.
Halloween (Oct 19): A sequel to the original, Michael Myers is back to terrorize Jamie Lee Curtis on Halloween. Hopefully this one is a treat and no trick.
Bohemian Rhapsody (Nov 2): Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) stars as Freddie Mercury in a movie covering the life of one of the most famous rock stars of the 20th century. Potential Oscar contender.
Boy Erased (Nov 2): Starring Lukas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton (who also directs), and Russell Crowe, this movie is about a teenager who is the son of a Baptist preacher and is forced into gay conversion therapy. Potential Oscar contender.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Nov 16): Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander in the next chapter in the Fantastic Beasts story, where he is joined by Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. The thing about these movies is they are completely new additions to the Harry Potter universe, so one can't help but be excited if they are a fan of the Potterverse.
Widows (Nov 16): An all star cast, this is going to be a thriller about a group of women who lose their husbands after a criminal venture goes bad, and the ladies decide to take matters into their own hands and finish the job. Potential Oscar contender.
Creed II (Nov 21): Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, son of Apollo, to fight the son of Ivan Drago. Stallone and Lundgren reprise their roles also. Potential Oscar contender.
Green Book (Nov 21): Directed by Peter Farrelly (one half of the Farrelly Brothers who directed Dumb & Dumber and There's Something About Mary), this movie stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. It tells the story of a black classical musician going on a tour through the segregated South with his streetwise NY bodyguard. Potential Oscar contender.
Ralph Breaks the Internet (Nov 21): A sequel to the underrated Wreck-It Ralph, this one sees Ralph and company going from their classic arcade games into the Internet. Chaos and fun follows suit.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (Dec 14): This is an animated movie about the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man, a bi-racial kid who takes up the mantle after the death of Peter Parker. However, this movie will also feature tons of alternate Spider-people (and animals) including Peter and Spider-Ham. This one is gonna be lots of fun.
Mary Poppins Returns (Dec 19): A sequel to the original, Emily Blunt plays the titular nanny. I think this will be a fantastic movie, it features an all star cast and (based on the trailer) seems to know what made the original so magical.
Aquaman (Dec 21): Jason Momoa plays the titular character, and this one looks like a pretty fun movie with action on land and at sea as we get our first full length live action movie dedicated to the hero from Atlantis. Hopefully this will help DC right the ship.
Bumblebee (Dec 21): A prequel to the other Transformers movies about everyone's favorite yellow Transformer, I was initially very hesitant toward this movie, however, after watching the trailer, I think this has potential to be the best in the series (a relatively low bar, but still). Hopefully this one is good.
Vice (Dec 25): Christian Bale plays Dick Cheney, Sam Rockwell is George W. Bush, Steve Carell is Donald Rumsfeld, and Amy Adams plays Lynne Cheney in this look at the right hand man who was more the actual man behind the scenes. Directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers, The Big Short), this movie is high on my list for most anticipated. Potential Oscar contender.
Lots of movies to look forward to the rest of the year, which are the ones you guys are looking forward to?
