Could move up to a light 4.5 probably, but I'm just gonna keep it at a 4 for now. Very funny movie with camera-work that really brings out the best in the Lego animation style. The whole cast pretty much eats it up. I like the ending, but it isn't as satisfying as I might want it to be.
84%
This was an interesting enough examination of tyranny, and how evil inspires evil, but it's hard to say that I consistently felt like this was the best way to tell this story. The concept is unique, allowing for some sharp, although occasionally repetitive humor; the imagery is striking and both feeds off of and plays into the narrative. There are some pretty strong performances and assured direction on display, but I don't really feel that I would have a need to return.
72%
Did not expect what I got from this, but consider me happy. There was a cool dark flare that added to the mystery at the heart of the film. The photography was really nice. All of the actors served theirs characters and there was actually some humanity brought to most of the suspects. I found the story pretty predictable, and considering I almost always shut my brain off during mysteries so I don't figure out the culprits/motives before they are…
This was better than the first in every way. The shot compositions and lighting were consistently nice, the scare setups and payoffs were handled with more care, the plot is now a thing that actually exists, and there was a genuine attempt at developing characters. I had a good time watching this.
71%
I don't think I found this as funny as I did on my first viewing, but that's mostly just because every joke in the movie is masking a concept that's equally sad and real. Stanfield is incredible in this role. The ending worked more for me this time around. Excited to see where Boots goes next.
88%
Kieslowski has yet to miss for me. This is a really powerful film about acceptance and confronting the things you try to avoid backed by great performances. The characters are not the best Kieslowski has written, but I was pleased with where they were taken in this story.
87%
This looked pretty mediocre from the trailer, but I have to say Pixar always exceeds my expectations set by their trailers. I thought Soul looked alright, and that ended up being easily one of the best films of 2020 for me. For the first 30 minutes of Elemental, it definitely wasn't doing anything to impress me. The jokes were very easy. I was able to appreciate just how much they initially experimented with the element concept, but it just felt…
I had never heard of this until I saw it was playing at my college's cinema, but I'm very glad I decided to check it out. The story is pretty heartbreaking, especially given the childlike innocence that is utilized to accentuate the heaviness of Ludo's situation. The film is more interesting and convincing when it avoids melodrama, but even when the dramatics amped up, I still felt like I was witnessing experiences not too far off from ones that actually occur for queer individuals. Powerful film. It's nice that the ending wasn't too bleak.
82%
Bottoms is a funny movie, but outside of that, I just don't have much to say. Obviously not every movie has to make me think, but I wish this did just a little bit more. It is a satire and that works to some degree, but I think I would enjoy 3-dimensional portrayals of these characters as opposed to the ones we got. Some good performances. Marshawn Lynch definitely killed it. Good flick, but not something I'll feel much need to come back to.
74%
Saw this as the mystery movie at regal. Unfortunately, this was pretty standard in just about every way you could imagine. It definitely felt like they were trying, but the foundations for the story were just so thin. It looked good and had some decent performances.
50%