Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe is an animated adventure comedy based on the show Phineas and Ferb. The film is a stand-alone sequel to the 2011 film and takes place before the final episode of the show. The movie is produced by Disney Television Animation and distributed by Disney+. Candace Against the Universe is written by Dan Povenmire, Jeff Marsh, Jon Colton Barry, Jim Bernstein, and Joshua Pruett and directed by Bob Bowen.
The story is Candace tried yet again to bust her brothers. This time around she feels although there's nothing special about her, until she's abducted by an alien queen. She seems friendly enough but something does feel off.
Initial Reaction
Now I was looking forward to this one. Because I did grow up watching Phineas and Ferb when it first aired all the way to when the show ended. So when I heard they were making a new movie, I marked my calendar down and waited.
Cons
I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.
Middle Ground
One thing I noticed when the movie was over was it just wasn't as good as the first. Now it was still entertaining but I don't think the writers were trying to one up the first flick. I think if anything while they still wanted to make this entertaining they knew as long as they put their hearts into this film they knew we the fans would still love it. Another middle area with Candace Against the Universe is the animation. It's good but no where near as cinematic as Across the 2nd Dimension.
Pros
One good thing about the movie was the voice acting. Everybody was great and all the actors and actresses still sounded the same. What also made the film fun was the musical numbers. They're all really enjoyable, I think my favorites were Candace's opening song and "Adulting". What I also liked about Candace Against the Universe was Candace's story. We really see her at her lowest point but yet at the same time we see how she overcomes her struggle which by the end of the movie she becomes a very good developed character. The final thing to praise is the humor. There were a lot of times when I was just laughing, especially this one scene that just completely destroyed the fourth wall. I really got a kick out of that.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe is still fun despite a few hiccups, but I still think people will have fun with this one. What with the voice work, the songs, Candace's story, and the humor.
My final rating is Good
Okay I'm all done here. Come back on Thursday, Sept 3rd for my A Look Back at review of season one of The Boys. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
With a new Phineas and Ferb movie (Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe) coming out soon I've decided to look back at the first movie.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension is a 2011 animated action adventure film based on the TV series Phineas and Ferb. The movie was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Wang Film Productions and distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension is written by Jon Colton Barry, Dan Povenmire, and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and directed by Robert F. Hughes and Dan Povenmire.
The story is it's seems like it's going to another average summer day for Phineas and Ferb. That all changes real quick when Phineas and Ferb help Dr. Doofenshmirtz with his newest invention and then (along with secret agent Perry the Platypus) are sent to another dimension. That world's Doofenshmirtz now wants to rule their world but Phineas and Ferb are going to put a stop to that.
Negatives
I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.
Mix
Now for the most part you don't really absolutely need to watch the show to fully understand the movie, but I do think watching a couple episodes would help. Because the movie does take running gags from the show and if didn't watch the series you might be confused.
Positives
One thing that I liked about the movie I didn't really by attention to when I first watched it back in 2011 was how there's quite a bit of drama. Because while this is an overall fun movie seeing Perry struggle with keeping his secret but yet later on its revealed to the people he loves was actually a little sad to see.
Another thing that made the movie great was the music, and I'm not talking about the score I mean the musical numbers. They were a fun to listen too and the scenes around them were colorful and creative. I think my favorite song was "Robot Riot".
What I also liked about Across the 2nd Dimension was the humor. Some was slow and funny, while others were fast paced and funny. I felt like all of the jokes worked and none of them disappointed me.
The final thing I'll praise the movie for is it's animation. At first it does seem like it was going to be the same as the TV series but once things get in motion you definitely see the difference. Backgrounds seem more detailed, movements are way faster than the show, and sometimes the characters facial expressions are more expressive.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension is definitely one of the better Disney made-for-TV movies. It has good drama, fun songs, even better humor, and really good animation. Might need to watch the show beforehand but I think you're safe from not having to do that.
My final thing is Great
Okay, that's all for me. Come back on Saturday, August 29th for my review of Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is a direct-to-video comic book movie and the thirty-ninth film for DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Superman: Man of Tomorrow is written by Tim Sheridan and directed by Chris Palmer.
The story is since he was young Clark Kent has always known he was different from everybody else. Years later Clark works as an intern for the Daily Planet, when he's not doing that he's testing his powers. However, he better learn quick because there are some serious threats coming to Metropolis.
Initial Reaction
Now after Superman: Red Sonwas said and done I was looking forward to the next solo animated Superman flick. Then pictures and a trailer was released I just couldn't wait. Especially since it wouldn't have any ties to the DCAnimatedMovieUniverse (and I mean that in a nice way not a spiteful way).
Cons
I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.
Middle Ground
Now the action in the movie is pretty good. Although there were times when it looked like it was pretty slow, that happened a few times when Superman and Lobo were going at it. But I feel like it was still fine for what it was worth.
Pros
One thing that I liked about the film was it did do a good amount of diving in to people being fearful of the unknown or in this case aliens. I saw people being curious, suspicious, or scared. That really added a lair to the movie. Another thing I enjoyed about the movie was much like last year's Wonder Woman: Bloodlineswas the different style of animation. It definitely stands out compared to things we've seen from the DC Animated Movie Universe, BruceTimm's style, or something similar to Timm's style like Batman: Gotham by Gaslightor Superman: Red Son. Another thing you'll enjoy about the film is we get a different kind of Superman origin story. Meaning we don't see Krypton explode but instead were witnessing year one of Superman. The final thing I'll give Superman: Man of Tomorrow is the voice work. I thought the cast did a good job acting as these characters.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is yet another great installment to DC's animated movie library. It has a good story about people being scared of these new aliens that popped up out of nowhere, good animation, a nicely done and different Superman origin story, and the voice work was pretty good. The only grey area was some fun action scenes even though sometimes it looked like it was slow at times.
My final rating is Good
Well I'm done here. Come back on Thursday, August 27th for my A Look Back at review of Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
Oh by the way! I forgot to put it in my DC FanDome: Hall of Heroespost....mainly because I missed the panel but next year's DC animated movies are going to be Batman: Soul of the Dragon, Justice Society: World War II, and the one I'm most excited for Batman: The Long Halloween. Which will be divided into two parts. I can't wait for those next year!
So DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes happened and there's a lot to unpack from yesterday. So let's get to it.
So our first big news to come from the event was we got a new Wonder Woman 1984 trailer. But what makes this one different from the others is we finally get a look at what Kristen Wiig will look when she's full blown Cheetah. And even thought the CGI on the character isn't completely finished overall it's still an awesome looking design. They definitely made her look scary so big points for the VFX guys for that.
The next reveal isn't to a movie but for a new Batman video game. Check it out.
That's right, this time you're not playing Batman but instead the BatFamily. Which consist of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and my favorite out of all of them, Red Hood. Now I'm by no means a gamer but I may actually want to play this. Because the concept is very interesting. Bruce is supposedly dead and now the Gotham Knights have step up and fill those shoes.
Also during that panel you get you're gameplay footage.
The next panel was the Flash movie panel. Now we they couldn't show off much, which is understandable because well...they haven't shot anything but I think these did just fine.
Now as you can see this suit is has more of sleek design to which I think is great. Because to me it would make sense that Barry would want to change his suit for something that's an upgrade. But what really grab everyone's attention was that second pic with Michael Keaton's Batman! They didn't say it on the panel but I think this kind of confirms that Keaton and his version of Batman will appear in the movie. I mean why else would they show this pic if he wasn't? It wouldn't make any sense.
The next one was for the upcoming The Suicide Squad. The first bit of footage was teaser that showed who the cast was going to play, and might I add the song they picked (Grandson's Oh No) was awesome.
But that wasn't the only footage we got. We also got behind-the-scenes footage.
Now as you heard from the footage one guy (I don't remember his name nor do I think they showed it) he was talking about how people are blowing up from their heads to their genitals, and also from that footage at one point you can see King Shark plain as day about to eat someone. Which makes me believe that this Suicide Squad film might go for a Rated-R direction. Hey, that's fine with me. The more intense the movie is the better.
Then ladies and gentlemen, the trailer to the movie we've all being waiting for since it was announced back in May, the teaser to Zack Snyder's Justice League. Watch and just take it all in.
NOW THAT'S THE SH*T WE WANTED TO SEE BACK IN 2017! It's got everything! Snyder's original footage, Superman in his black suit, more footage of each league member, more of that Knightmare world that we saw back in Batman v Superman, Steppenwolf's original design, and of course Darkseid!
We also got conformation of what this project will be, it's going to be a four part miniseries with each episode being an hour long. Now I would have preferred a movie but hey I don't care if it's a miniseries. We got the Snyder cut and it's coming to HBO Max next year and I am pumped!
We later on got a special surprise from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Very exciting teaser but what also made this awesome was what The Rock said afterwards. He teased a potential crossover with the Justice League, but most important thing was we were told who the members of the Justice Society of America are gonna be with anything awesome teaser.
Then we got some pretty big Titans news for season 3. Sadly it wasn't a release date but it told us quite a lot. The news being Jason Todd will become Red Hood, Barbara Gordon will also make an appearance but she'll be called Commissioner Gordon, and the Scarecrow will also show up. I'm definitely looking forward to that especially my favorite member of the BatFamily Jason Todd becoming Red Hood.
The next big news story was this,
Yep, we got an official title for Shazam! 2 that being Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Not gonna lie that is an awesome subtitle for the sequel. Can not wait for that movie to drop.
The next panel was all about the upcoming Suicide Squad game by Rocksteady called Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. And yes, they gave us a trailer.
Just like with Gotham Knights I might actually want to play these even thought I'm not much of a gamer. But what also got a lot of buzz about the game was where it's set, the creators confirmed that it's set in the same universe as the Batman: Arkham video games. Which is cool. Kind of curious when it takes place during that universe, obviously before Arkham Knight but more will be revealed as we get closer to this game's release. Which will be very long since it doesn't come out until 2022. But hey, we waited years for The Snyder Cut to get released so we can wait two years for this.
Then just to close DC Fandome: Hall of Heroes off with a bang Matt Reeves FINALLY gave us the teaser trailer for The Batman.
That trailer was so worth the wait. And to think that's only 25% of what they got done before production had to shut down. If that's what 25% looks like what is the whole 100 gonna be like? Also before we got to this panel a while back during the Multiverse 101 panel I think it was Jim Lee or Walter Hamada I forget who said it but none the less one of them said that this film exist in it's own universe. Which is awesome, because it makes the DC Multiverse bigger and it won't clash with some the things that were established in the DCEU. What we also learned form this The Batman panel is Matt Reeves said this story takes place during Bruce's second year, he also told it's not an origin story.
My Thoughts
So overall I enjoyed DC FanDome. Yes every single panel wasn't the greatest but I felt as though some made up for it with the big reveals and announcements. And I'll admit there were panels I skipped because I wasn't the biggest fan of the product, such as Sandman. But this first event was fun and I'm looking forward to the next one come September 12th.
Okay I'm done. Come back tomorrow, yes I have another post tomorrow. And that one will be my review of the newest DC animated movie, Superman: Man of Tomorrow. After that we'll be back to a normal schedule. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
The One and Only Ivan is a fantasy movie based on the children's novel of the same name. The movie is produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Jolie Pas Productions and distributed by Disney+. The One and Only Ivan is written by Mike White and directed by Thea Sharrock.
The story is a gorilla named Ivan lives at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade with no idea of how he got there. One day a baby elephant comes to the mall and is being treated like family by the older elephant named Stella. Then after a sad event Ivan must now find a way to make everyone happy again.
Initial Reaction
So because my theater still hasn't reopened yet (hopefully that'll change come The New Mutants & Tenet 🤞) I once again found myself looking for movies on streaming services and came across The One and Only Ivan. So I hit the play button and hoped to watch a good movie.
Cons
The only thing I truly didn't like about the movie was the post-credit scene. I literally had no reason to be there nor did it bring anything new to the overall product. If anything it should have never been there in the first place.
Middle Ground
One and the two grey areas with The One and Only Ivan is the CGI. It's good for the most part but when the animals are next or close to the human characters it really looked like it could've used more of a polish. The other mix bag is yes the movie has predictable moments but given how everything else was surprisingly good I think you can forgiven it for that.
Pros
Now let's get into the more positives aspects of the film that being the performances. Now there nothing to going to win any awards but there are still pretty good. All the actors whether it's voice work or they're playing real people nail all the emotional bits. What I also liked about the movie is Mack (the ringmaster) isn't a villain. Instead he's a hard working boss who is good but he's just overwhelmed and stressed out because business just isn't going well, I think that's something people can relate too. The last thing I'll praise the movie and it's my biggest praise for it, that being this movie is a lot more deeper than I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a generic comedy starring Bryan Cranston and a gorilla but instead you get a pretty decent family drama flick.
If you're subscribed to Disney+ and you were very disappointed with Artemis Fowl(which let me reminder was butchered by the studio) then I think The One and Only Ivan will cheer you up. Sure it has some slight issues such as the CGI and being predictable and again that post-credit scene was pointless but the movie makes up for those mistakes with good acting, Mack NOT being a bad guy, and being a lot deeper than what you might have expected.
My final rating is Okay
Now for some big news and that is I want you guys to come back tomorrow. Yes I typed that correctly, I want you to come back here tomorrow, because I will be given my thoughts/what was shown at DC's big event, DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
Okay so brief thing here. I was going to post this later on in the month that way it's closer to the release of the 2020 movie but I have other plans, so you're getting this review now. Alright with that out of the way let's get started.
Mulan is a 1998 animated musical adventure film based on the Chinese legend Hua Mulan. The movie is Disney's 36th animated feature as well as the ninth movie produced during the Disney Renaissance era. The movie was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. Mulan is written by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer and directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft.
The story is the Huns have breached The Great Wall and have been laying waste to anything and anybody that gets in their way. Because of this the Chinese emperor have issued mobilization with the catch being one man from each family has to join the army. At first Mulan's father was going but because of his poor health Mulan takes his place and prepares to put a stop to the Huns.
Negatives
I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.
Mix
The only thing I'm mixed on is the ending song True to Your Heart by 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder. It's by no means a bad song it just for whatever reason I just never got into it being the end credit song.
Positives
Now let's get into the great things about the film and one of those being the music. All I gotta say is it's great, both in terms of the score and the musical numbers. I to this day still love hearing "I'll Make a Man Out of You".
Another thing that made Mulan such a great Disney movie was the humor. This movie had quite a bit of funny moments, primarily because Mushu is a great comedic relief character. And of course Mulan's grandmother also got a few great moments, her comment about the ancestors being lucky will always put a smile on my face.
What I also loved about it was other than the comedy it get some very dark moments. That scene after Mulan and the other soldiers are done singing and we see a horrifying set of a small village along with other horrible things is definitely a shocking part.
Speaking of dark I'm giving credit for the writers with The Huns. They're really good villains. And what made them so good was they didn't care who you are, if you're in their way they will kill you. So nicely done on the bad guys there Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer.
What I also want to give the movie credit for is it's animation. This was definitely top notch hand drawn animation and I loved every bit of it. I think my favorite part was the snow battle, when you get that shot of The Huns on the top of the hill and see just how many of them there are. That was a great shot.
Mulan is one of the great movies to come out from Disney's Renaissance Era. It has great music, good humor, even greater dark moments, well written bad guys, and beautiful animation. Although I'm not the biggest fan of the end credit song that's not gonna bring down the quality of the film by any means.
My final rating is Great
Okay, that's all for me. Come back on Saturday, Aug 22nd for my review of Disney+'s The One and Only Ivan. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
Yes, it's another edition of Looking Back at the Films of 2019. And today's movies are The Kitchen, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Ready or Not. Let's begin.
Why Didn't I See The Kitchen?
I actually did wanted to see The Kitchen because the trailers did get me interested. But not having a showing and the film slipping under my radar made me miss out.
What is The Kitchen?
The Kitchen is a crime film and based on the DC/Vertigo Comics limited series of the same name. The film was produced by New Line Cinema, DC Vertigo, Bron Creative, and Michael De Luca Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Kitchen is written and directed by Andrea Berloff. The story is after three women's mafia husbands have been arrested they're desperate to make money. So they decide to takeover their husbands' business and do whatever it takes to remain on top, however not all competitors are going to take this laying down.
My Thoughts
The Good: The only nice thing I can really say about The Kitchen is the performances from our three main stars are good.
The Bad: Now onto the bad things and sadly there's a lot to say, like one problem with the movie is a lack of character development. We barely get know anything about this women, we quite a bit about Claire but sadly that's not enough for us to care about the rest in the trio. Another issue with this movie is our main characters barely do anything! All they mainly do is just either walk and talk or sit and talk about how badass they are. Yeah, despite being mobsters we don't really see them do much of anything, like the reason why mafia films such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, and so forth are so good is because we see the main character or characters actually do some gangster stuff. Here we're practically just given words. Words alone are not enough to show that these three ladies are people we shouldn't mess with. The other big issue with The Kitchen is the trio don't face that much of a resistance. Like they'll talk about a huge problem their facing and for moment you think you're gonna get a sense of action/dread but then the problem is solved within what felt like a snap of the fingers. Which in retrospect what was the point? If their issue can be solved very quickly what was the point of bringing it up? My last issue with the movie is the writer (and this is a spoiler) decided to kill Claire. Why? She was the most interesting out of the three and you kill her?
The Meh: None.
Final Verdict: Awful
Why Didn't I See Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?
Now I was really looking forward to this movie, and the main reason I didn't see it was because my theater makes some really questionable decisions. I mean they preferred to show Dora and the Lost City of Gold over Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I mean seriously?
What is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a horror film based on the children's book series of the same name. The movie was produced by CBS Films, Entertainment One, 1212 Entertainment, Double Dare You Productions, and Sean Daniel Company and distributed by Lionsgate. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is written by Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman and directed by Andre Ovredal. The story is it's Halloween 1968, four teenagers got locked inside a house and found a book written by the mythical Sarah Bellows. At first when they read from the book nothing seems to happen, but soon horrible things start to happen to them and now the teens must find a way to put an end to this nightmare.
My Thoughts
The Good: One thing I really dug about the movie is the scares. I was quite surprised with a scared I was when watching this, hell some of these are actually intense. Like that scene with Harold the scarecrow and The Red Spot. Those were pretty messed up. My other positive about the film is it's non-stop. What I mean by that is there wasn't a moment in this were it felt like a scene was dragging on. This movie was definitely a thrill ride. Another aspect of the movie that made it worth watching was the cinematography. There are so many creepy and well made shots. So thumbs up in that department. My final praise for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark are the special effects. There great. In both the practical and CGI, if you found the illustrations in the books creepy just wait till you see them brought to life.
The Bad: None.
The Meh: Now well we do get to understand our characters pretty well, I still felt like there could've been more. Like just a little bit more development for them.
Final Verdict: Good
Why Didn't I See Ready or Not?
My main reason is I didn't think this movie had good marketing. I mean sure the showed the concept well but from point-of-view they kind of made it come off as a pretty generic horror flick. So I decided to skip it, a decision a later regretted because reviews came in and I now know I missed out on something enjoyable.
What is Ready or Not?
Ready or Not is a comedy-horror film. The movie was produced by Mythology Entertainment and Vinson Films and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Ready or Not is written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The story is Grace is a newly-wedded bride. Before her and her husband can enjoy their honeymoon they must take part in a family tradition of playing a game, and tonight's game is Hide and Seek. At first Grace thinks it's just a normal game...then she realizes the family is a bunch of devil worshiping cultists. Now she must find a way out of their mansion and get away from this crazed maniacs.
My Thoughts
The Good: The very best thing about Ready or Not is it's humor. This was a perfectly dark humor, and surprisingly there wasn't one joke that didn't work. Each and everyone of them were great. Another thing I loved about the movie is it's really intense. Whenever Grace is in any sort of danger you can't but help getting stressed out about the situation she's in or going to be in. Which brings me to my next point. Both the tensity and the comedy are nicely balanced. None stepped over the other, neither didn't feel out of place, and overall it was just executed well. The final thing I'll give credit on is the performances from Samara Weaving and Adam Brody. Samara played a great scream queen and Adam really nailed this character who got a horrible reality check and just got broken from it.
The Bad: None
The Meh: Once again we're in a grey area when it comes to character development. It's fine but I still feel as though there should have been more.
Final Verdict: Good
Alright, that concludes another edition of this segment. Come back on Thursday, August 20th for my Look Back at review of 1998's Mulan. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
Power Project is a action film. The movie is produced by Screen Arcade and Supermarche and distributed by Netflix. Project Power is written by Mattson Tomlin and directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost.
The story is there's a new dangerous drug that has been released on the streets. This drug allows a person to have superpowers for five minutes, while this is happening a man looking for his lost daughter, a cop, and a former dealer of the drug come together and put an end to this new drug cartel before the dealers ship it worldwide.
Initial Reaction
Now I wanted to see this movie for three reasons. 1) Wonder Woman 1984 was delayed...again, so I checked the info on this movie to see what it's about. 2) After reading the synopsis I was very interested about so I decided to give a look. 3) Mattson Tomlin is helping Matt Reeves write the script for the upcoming The Batman and I wanted to see what he's got.
Cons
The only issue I had with Project Power is the father/daughter story with Art/The Major and Robin. What made bad was by the end of the movie it ultimately became pointless. So if the writer was going to do something in this that would make that storyline not mean anything then the filmmakers so have cut it out.
Middle Ground
The real mix bag with the film is character development. We quite a bit of backstory among other things with them, but it still felt like there could have been more.
Pros
Now to discuss the positives, one of those being the action. It was very exciting and really kept you on the edge of your seat. I really just liked the action. While the action was fun the biggest highlight of the film was the performances from Jaime Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback. They were great, charismatic, and all three of them had great chemistry together. The final thing I'll give Project Power is the directing by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. The gave us a lot of awesome shots and some good cinematography.
Project Power is a fun action flick with great fighting sequences, even greater performances, and good directing. We got some character depth but still feels like there could've been more. The only bad thing was the pointless father/daughter storyline.
My final rating is Good
Okay so I'm all done here. Come back on Monday, August 17th for part seven of my Looking Back at the Film's of 2019. The movies I'll be reviewing for that segment are The Kitchen, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Ready or Not. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
Life of Brian (or Monty Python's Life of Brian) is a 1979 British comedy film. The movie is produced by HandMade Films, Python (Monty) Pictures, and Orion Pictures and distributed by Orion Pictures and Warner Bros. Life of Brian was written by Monty Python and directed by Terry Jones.
The story is a man named Brian who was born one stable down and on the same night as Jesus however Brian is just a simple man. But once he falls in love with a woman, he tries to impress her by joining an independent movement. However when things get too heated Brian relays things he heard from Jesus and is mistaken for the Messiah.
My Thoughts
One great thing about the movie is how it's shot. It's so we'll crafted and put together, looking at those sets alone shows you how much time and effort was put into making this film.
What I also loved about it was the filmmakers took a huge risk. They were making fun of religion and Jesus himself. Well not so much of Jesus but if you watch the movie you'll understand my point. And some of the jokes they did in here made my jaw drop.
Speaking of the jokes, I absolutely love the humor in this. It definitely deserved to be called one of the best comedies movies. I think my favorite part was when Matthias and Centurion talked about crucifixion. That bit dialogue was just great.
The final thing I'll praise Life of Brian for is the performances. We only have a hand full of cast members and they're playing multiple different characters and they're all great. The best are Graham Chapman and Eric Idle, I add Idle in there because the guy was just amazing with every scene he was in.
Life of Brian is a comedy you must see. It's well made, a risk taker, hilarious, and the performances are spectacular.
My final rating is A Must Watch
Okay so this was pretty short but due come back on Saturday, August 15th for my review of the newest Netflix movie Project Power. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and watch Life of Brian.
An American Pickle is a comedy-drama and it based on Simon Rich's 2013 short story "Sell Out". The movie is produced by Gravitational Productions and Point Grey Pictures and disturbed by HBO Max. An American Pickle is written by Simon Rich and directed by Brandon Trost.
The story is in 1920 Herschel Greenbaum dreams of building a better life for his family, one day on the job Herschel falls into a vat of pickles and is brine. 100 years later he wakes up in the modern world and is horrified that his great-grandson Ben is a computer programmer. Now Herschel wants to reopen the family with his grandson but first they have to get on the same page.
Initial Reaction
Originally I wasn't going to review this movie because of a general lack of disinterest. In matter of fact I wasn't going to review anything from HBO Max until next year when Zack Snyder's Justice League would be released. But since I reviewedmovies that were outside of the Netflix spectrum I decided to give a review for HBO Max's first original movie.
Cons
I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.
Middle Ground
The only thing that could've used more work was the film's message about family. It was there but not enough, what I mean is while you understand what the writer was telling us about family it wasn't fully developed.
Pros
One aspect of An American Pickle that was good was Brandon Trost's directing. This was he's first time and he did a good job. I did not once watch this movie and thought "Yep. This is a guy who doesn't know how to direct." Another thing that was good was the comedy. Yes there are some jokes that don't work but from my experience after watching the movie was I laughed for a majority of the time. The final thing to give the film credit for is Seth Rogen's dual performance. I was surprised that Rogen could pull this off, he really nailed playing two different characters. Whether it be their accent, the body language, or a character's mannerisms Seth was great at it.
An American Pickle is a pretty good watch. It had a great director at the helm despite being his first time, good comedy, and a great performance or performances from Seth Rogen. The only mix bag is the family message.
My final rating is Good
Okay. I am outta here. But due come back on Thursday, Aug 13th for my Classic Film Night review of Life of Brian. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
The Tax Collector is a crime thriller. The movie is produced by Cross Greek Pictures, Cedar Park Entertainment, iWood Studios, and Atwater Capital and distributed by RLJE Films. The Tax Collector is written and directed by David Ayer.
The story is David and Creeper are two "tax collectors". Men who work for the crime lord Wizard to help him get his cut from local gangs. This gets real dangerous when an old rival of Wizard's comes to Los Angeles, now David and Creeper must find a way to stop this enemy before he hurts what they both hold close to them.
Initial Reaction
Now I love David Ayer's work, so when I heard he made a movie called "The Tax Collector" my interest was peaked. I looked forward to the movie even more when the trailer dropped and keep counting the days for when I could finally see it.
Cons
I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.
Middle Ground
The only mix bag with The Tax Collector is it's runtime. Because while I was still entertained by what I watched this still should've been longer, cause the runtime we have now doesn't really give us time to breath. And while our characters do have some sort of development they still needed just a little bit more of it.
Pros
One thing to give the movie credit for and it's the biggest praise to give the movie is the performances. Another thing to like about the film is how brutal it is. This movie doesn't hold anything back and shows how horrifying being in this world of a "tax collector" really is or being a gangster either way the film is brutal. A quick thing I'll also be positive about with the movie is the gangsta vibe it gives off, once again I feel as though David Ayer nails it with that tone. The final thing I'll give the movie credit for is the ending. Not so much the twist but the questions it gives one of our characters. Such as "is he stuck in this life?" or "is he going to follow Wizard's footsteps?"
Despite what critics are saying The Tax Collector is not the worst movie of 2020 (that title either belongs to Dolittleor The Last Days of American Crime) but at the same time it's not David Ayer's best movie. The biggest flaw being a need for a longer runtime but what makes the movie worth watching is the performances, brutal nature, the gang vibe it has going on, and the ending.
My final rating is Okay
Okay everyone I'm all done. Please come back on Monday, Aug 10th for my review of HBO Max's first original movie, An American Pickle. Until then enjoy the rest of your day.
