Road to The Batman - The Dark Knight Review

 

The Dark Knight is a 2008 comic book movie based on the DC Comics' character Batman, and the second installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy. The movie was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Comics, Legendary Pictures, and Syncopy and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Dark Knight is written by Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, and Jonathan Nolan and directed by Christopher Nolan.

The story is Batman, Police Lieutenant Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent are so close to putting an end to organized crime in Gotham City. What they don't know yet is a new criminal has arrived and his name is the Joker. Joker plans to undermine Batman and all the other heroes' influences and spread anarchy. Batman must put an end to this Joker before Gotham is a playground for agents of chaos.

• Negatives

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

• Mix

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

• Positives

One of the many great aspects of the movie is Christopher Nolan's directing. This is such a beautifully shot, and of course you get many iconic shots. One of the best/classic ones is when Batman is standing on a bunch of rubble and his cape is flapping in the wind.

What also made this chapter of The Dark Knight Trilogy such an amazing movie is the Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's score. It's just so well crafted and you just can't help but what to hum to the beats.

The other thing that makes the movie great is the performances. I know Bale's receives backlash for his growly Batman voice, but when he's not doing that he still gives off some good acting. Then there's Heath Ledger...what can I say about his performance that hasn't been said already? He just disappeared in that Joker makeup. Which makes it all the more tragic that he's not with us.

Then there's the dialogue. I don't even think I have to go into too much detail about how great it is. Everyone knows "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain" and "Why so serious?". My personal favorite has always been Alfred's speech about how some men just want to watch the world burn.

We also got some awesome action. It's very thrilling and gets you pumped. My all time favorite is the chase scene with the S.W.A.T. truck, Joker's truck, and Batman's batpod.

The last thing I'll praise about the film is it's very suspenseful. So many moments where I found myself getting really nervous during some scenes. I would've thought I'd be use to it after seeing when it first came out, see it multiple times on DVD when I was a kid, and years later watching it yesterday. But nope, movie still gets me.

The Dark Knight is not only one of my favorite comic book movies, but really just a spectacular movie in general. It has great directing, unforgettable music, amazing performances, great dialogue, exciting action, and well executed suspense.

My final rating is A Must Watch.

So that's going to do it for me. Come back on Saturday, Nov 20th for my review of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Home Sweet Home Alone Review

 

Home Sweet Home Alone is a Christmas comedy film and the sixth movie in the Home Alone franchise. The movie is produced by 20th Century Studios and Hutch Parker Entertainment and distributed by Disney+. Home Sweet Home Alone is written by Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell and directed by Dan Mazer.

The story is Max's parents have accidentally left by himself during the holidays while they're going on a vacation to Tokyo. At first it seems like a kid's dream, being alone and being able to do whatever you want. Then reality kicks in as two burglars come into Max's home to steal a family heirloom and he's the only one who can stop them.

Initial Reaction

My reasons for wanting to review this movie was because 1) It's been awhile since a reviewed something from Disney+. The last movie was Jungle Cruise and that was all the way back in Jul. 2) I like the Home Alone movies.......well....two of them anyhow. So when I heard a new was coming out I thought "Hey. Let's give this one a try".

Cons

One awful thing about the film is the bad comedy. It's filled with bad jokes, terrible slapstick, and the lowest form of comedy...fart jokes. Then we have our protagonist, Max. This is probably the most unlikeable heroes of the Home Alone film series. This character is a spoiled brat. Sure Kevin was like that but, he felt something with him. When we were kids we had feelings like our family didn't care for us. So because of that we feel for Kevin. Max on the other hand is just annoying. It also doesn't help that he steals from charity toy drives. Yes, our "hero" stole from charity. Which brings us to the villains....or at least I think they're supposed to be the bad guys. Those being Jeff and Pam. They were way more relatable then Max. We see them struggle and try everything they just to get by. And they're trying desperately to get something back that they think Max stole. So in a way they're not criminals. How did the writers screw this up? We're supposed to hate the bad guys, and love the hero. Not the other way around. Now let's move on to the traps....dear lord how the hell did Jeff and Pam survive these?! These traps weren't fun like the first movie they were horrifying! Nerf drats filled with thumbtacks, icicles the size of your arm nearly falling on you, and using a treadmill to launch metal weights as basically cannonballs. How is anybody suppose to find this funny? Because when watching the movie it really does give the impression that Max wanted to kill these people. Then the biggest crime the movie committed was how easy everything could've been solved. Basically Jeff and Pam could've asked Max if he had the stolen item. That is how easy it was. No need for anything else. Just walk up, ask, and either the problem is resolved or move on and ask the next guy.

Middle Ground

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

Pros

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

Home Sweet Home Alone is just awful. The comedy sucks, Max is a terrible child protagonist, somehow the writers screwed up trying to make us hate the villains, the traps would be better suited for Saw, and the conflict was so easy to solve.

My final rating is Destroy It!

I feel like I just wasted my time watching this. So, come back on Thursday, Nov 18th for my return to The Road to The Batman with my review of The Dark Knight. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day, and stick with the original Home Alone. 

Red Notice Review

 

Red Notice is a action comedy film. It's produced by Flynn Pictures Company, Seven Bucks Productions, and Bad Version Inc. and distributed by Netflix. Red Notice is written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber.

The story is two art thieves named Nolan Booth and The Bishop are trying to get their hands on three golden artifacts called Cleopatra's Eggs. But FBI profiler John Hartley plans to stop both of them, before one or the other can get all three.

Initial Reaction

I think I'm like everybody else when I say, what caught my attention and reasoning for wanting to see this one was because we've got Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, AND Gal Gadot! That's an awesome cast right there.

Cons

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

Middle Ground

The mix bag with Red Notice is sometimes things happen with our characters that are very convenient. Hell even Ryan Reynolds' character has a bit of dialogue where he says "Look for the box that says MacGuffin on it". However, I was willing to let it slide just a bit, because at the end of the day I still kinda liked it.

Pros

One pro to the film is Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds' chemistry. Them going either back and forth or Ryan just annoying Dwayne's character was very entertaining, and a huge highlight. What I also liked was the humor. I thought it was pretty good. There was a lot of times when I was laughing. There was also some pretty good action scenes as well.  I think my favorite one was this chase chase scene during the final act. I can't give it away because I feel like it'd be a spoiler. The last thing I'll give credit where it's due is Thurber's directing. I actually dug this one thing he did, where the camera is at bird's eye view and it very gracefully was swaying back and forth. I don't know if any other director has ever done but I really liked it.

I don't know why critics are being so harsh with this film? Sure it's not the greatest thing of all time but, I came to enjoy it for what I got. And what I got was great chemistry with our stars, good humor, some fun action, and some good directing from Rawson Marshall Thurber. Yes, things can be convenient for our characters, but I feel like that can be forgiven.

My final rating is Good.

Okay, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Nov 15th for my review of Home Sweet Home Alone. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Finch Review

 

Finch is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama movie. The film is produced by Amblin Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment, Walden Media, ImageMovers, and Misher Films and distributed by Apple TV+. Finch is written by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell and directed by Miguel Sapochnik.

The story is a huge destructive event has cause an inventor named Finch to be the last man on Earth. In order to keep both him and his dog company Finch has managed to build a robot named Jeff. Soon, a superstorm causes him and his friends to go on a road trip, and along the way Jeff is learning the meaning of what it feels to be truly alive.

Initial Reaction

The main reason I wanted to see Finch was much like the reason I wanted to see Greyhound, Tom Hanks. Okay, there is more reasons than that, it was also because when I watched the trailer I was very fascinated about the story that was shown.

Cons

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

Middle Ground

Now there is a lack of stakes. Sure, I would've preferred just a little bit more. But at the same time I'm more than willing to forgive that. Cause the filmmakers weren't telling some sort of Mad Max ripoff story. They were telling a heartfelt drama story about a man, a robot, and the dog.

Pros

One pro to the film is the special effects. I was very surprised by how flawless everything was. The best effect is Jeff. It's one part CGI and another part animatronic, and it blended together perfectly. What also made Finch a good watch was Miguel Sapochnik's directing.  Despite the setting being nothing but a wasteland, there were a lot of beautiful visuals on display. Another positive was Tom Hanks and Caleb Landry Jones' performances. Tom once again brings another spectacular performance, and really nailed playing Finch, who's character just wants a moment of peace with everything he's been through. Then we have Caleb who's voice work really made Jeff such a lovable robot. I really loved that character. What I also loved about the movie was the moments of intensity, heartwarming, and sadness. All of those moments executed greatly. There was a point in the film where I was actually trying to hold back tears. Now despite all of the drama and sadness of the scene I mentioned, the movie does have a hopeful ending. I can't give it away, but it did make me feel like our characters will be hopefully just fine.

I really did like Finch. I thought it had good effects, great directing, spectacular performances from Tom Hanks and Caleb Landry Jones, effective emotional moments, and an ending that leaves the characters in at least some what of a good spot. Could've used just a little more stakes, but I think you can forgive the movie for that.

My final rating is Great.

So yeah, I think if you're interested give Finch a watch. For now that's going to do it for me. Come back on Saturday, Nov 13th for me my review of another new Netflix movie, Red Notice. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Eternals Review

 

Eternals is a comic book movie based on the Marvel Comics' of the same name. It's also the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Eternals is written by Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo and directed by Chole Zhao.

The story is after the events of Avengers: Endgame a sinister force has reawakened called the Deviants. Now beings known as the Eternals, an immortal alien race that has been living on Earth for more than 7,000 years, must reunite and stop their evil counterparts before humanity is destroyed.

Initial Reaction

At first my excitement for this movie was high, because yet again we got another film for the MCU. However, when footage started to be shown my interest went down quite a lot. I don't know exactly what it is, but something about the trailers and TV spots just weren't doing it for me. But I thought maybe by the time I see the movie it'll either be good or hopefully decent.

Cons

The only thing that I absolutely hated about the movie is the mid-credit scene. I started off fine enough but they quickly turned cringe comedy. Not only that but I ruined what could've been a perfectly good "what's gonna happen next?" ending. If anything the post-credit scene should've replaced the mid-credit scene, and the mid-credit scene should've been cut out.

Middle Ground

One gray area with Eternals is the humor. Some of actually works because it didn't feel like it was trying so hard. Not too mention it could also be subtle. Other times it would just make you groan. Those parts were actually so bad I swear the audience that was with me just disappeared for a moment. That's how quiet they were. What was also a bit iffy was the CGI. Most of the times it was good. Other times it could kind of look like a video game. Now this one mix bag is something that I was a little surprised by, and that was this film tries to part some focus on character. Most of the time the Eternals aren't fighting they're just sitting around talking about what they've been doing since they split up and debating about whether or not they should fight against the enemy. Now, not every character get this development. Some do get pushed to the side in favor of someone else.

Pros

One positive was Cholé Zhao. There were a lot of times when I was surprised with some of the visuals in this. What was also pretty good was the action. I actually was having feels of both excitement and curiosity during the final battle. The last thing I'll give credit where it's due is the post-credit scene. The reasons being much like the ending it left me curious, and there's a voice in the background that belongs to a Marvel who's getting his own upcoming movie.

Eternals is alright. I has really good directing, good action, and an even better post-credit scene. What could've been worked on more was the humor, the CGI, and the character development. The only thing that was truly terrible was the mid-credit scene.

My final rating is Okay.

So that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Nov 8th for my review of the newest Tom Hanks' film, Finch. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at Animaniacs (2020) - Season 1

 

Animaniacs is an animated musical comedy streaming series and a revival of the 1993 show of the same name. The show is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and Hulu. The series is developed by Steven Spielberg and Wellesley Wild. This season consist of thirteen episodes.

The story is it's been 22 years since we saw the Animaniacs and they're back at it again. They're bringing back their usual form of mischief and craziness to the people of the 21st century, and while these people aren't ready for the wacky Warner brothers and Warner sister, let's hope they can survive the experience.

• Negatives

The one thing I absolutely hate about this revival is the opening. Basically there's a line in the opening where the Animaniacs describe the show as "gender balanced", "pronoun-neutral" and "ethnically diverse". There's many problems with this and I'll break it down...

1) This is Animaniacs, not someone's Twitter account.

2) It's hard to tell if they're making a joke or not. Because in that same verse they talk about how the "trolls" will say they're so passé, but they did meta first. So it's hard to tell if that was a joke. If it was a joke it was poorly executed.

3) This new opening them is gotta be outdated in only a couple of years. Whenever this political correct nonsense is over with (and hopefully it'll be soon) nobody's gonna look back and have fond memories of this opening. What makes the 90's opening such a classic is I don't think there was ever something that made it seem outdated. I could be wrong, but my point is during the older show's run, the writers and such had an intent to be entertaining, and not do something that would make the fans roll their eyes.

Another issue with the revival is it REALLY needs more segments. I mean I love watching the Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, but there needs to be more. They need to bring back The Goodfeathers, Rita and Runt, Mindy and Buttons, and Slappy Squirrel. There's so much they could do with the other characters whether they're the ones I mentioned or not. Cause right now the writers are limiting themselves to just only these segments.

• Mix

One of the two things that make the show a mix bag is the humor. There are a lot of good jokes, but you really have to get through a lot eye rolling moments. Because sometimes the writers try way too hard to make it seem like the Animainacs are now "current year". An example of this is they make jokes about Donald Trump....because apparently that dead horse hasn't been beating enough already.

The other mix is the animation. It's not in an okay category, it's pretty good. It's just that sometimes I felt like the movements weren't as fluid as they looked. Sometimes characters can move in a slight stiff manner.

• Positives 

The only thing that was great about 2020's Animaniacs is the voice acting. Not only is it the same cast from the 90's but, they haven't lost a single step. They sound exactly like they did back in the originals series.

The revival of the Animaniacs isn't bad, but the fact they we only got something decent from such a classic show is a little disappointing. I still don't hate it because there's some decent things in it, such as the humor and animation. And like I said before the voice is the best thing about it. But they really need more segments other than just our titles characters and Pinky and the Brain. And they really need to change the lyrics to the opening.

My final rating is Okay.

Hopefully the second season fixes some of these problems, and if they don't then I'm giving up on this show and not reviewing the third season. Anyhow, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Saturday, Nov 6th for my review of the upcoming MCU movie, Eternals. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Road to The Matrix Resurrections - The Matrix Revolutions Review

 

The Matrix Revolutions is a 2003 sci-fi action film and the third installment in The Matrix film series. The movie was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment, and Silver Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Matrix Revolutions was written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers.

The story is it's the final stand between men and machines. Humanity's only hope is Neo, but he's trapped in some sort of limbo world and must get out. Now our remaining heroes must find a way to help Neo escape and put an end to the machines once and for all, before the last remaining humans are wiped out.'

• Negatives

My only REAL problem with the Revolutions is there's nothing new. Everything is basically just continuing things from Reloaded.

• Mix

One of the more mix elements of the film is sometimes the symbolism or some of the philosophical talk can be on the nose. Like I remember this one scene where our characters have to get Neo out of limbo, and during this club scene we meet a guy who is clearly suppose to be the Devil or some sort of stand in. Then they have to use an elevator and the press a button with the word "help" on it, but the "p" is scratched off....hmmm....I wonder what the word help would look like but if you remove the "p"? Yeah, real obvious stuff like that. Other times it sort of works and I have no issue with it.

What was also a little bit on the gray side of things were the special effects. I was the more bad CGI slide in Reloaded because I had such a fun time. And while the final battle between Neo and Mr. Smith was still pretty entertaining I will admit this time when bad CG was present it was harder to ignore. The reason being at the time this was suppose to be the final movie, so you would figure they would want better CG, sadly that wasn't the case. Despite that, there were quite a few times when the special effects were really good, and I didn't really feel the need to roll my eyes.

The other somewhat issue with the film was the characters aren't exactly even out. For instance, Neo is gone for a good portion of the movie. Which isn't a good thing considering that's the main character. It still felt like the filmmakers were trying to keep it balanced, but I think when they were making the movie they felt like they couldn't cut away from a scene because A) then the scene would've looked like it was fully finished and B) because some of those scenes were probably dropping something important to us.

• Positives

One good aspect of The Matrix Revolutions is the directing. Even if there were some questionable moments, such as Agent Smith's evil laugh and smile, I still felt like the Wachowski's still managed to directing a one part beautiful film and another part dark and grimy film.

What I also liked and this is one of the things that REALLY saves the movie is the action. Even if the CGI could bother me sometimes, there were other times when I was completely hooked and loved everything I was seeing. One of my favorite action scenes is that whole battle in Zion. I thought that was awesome.

The Matrix Revolutions isn't a bad movie it's just decent. There was good directing and the action can be very fun. The things that really needed to be worked on were the more symbolic/philosophical aspects cause this time around it could be very obvious and in your face about it, the special effects, and the balance of our characters. The only downside is there wasn't anything new added. It's mostly stuff we got from the second movie.

My final rating is Okay.

Hopefully The Matrix Resurrections will be an improvement but we'll just have to wait until December. Anyhow, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Thursday, Nov 4th for my Look Back at review of the 2020 revival of the Animaniacs. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.