Porco Rosso too probably…?
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Ponyo was, indeed, great for my kids when they were quite young. Kiki’s Delivery Service (perhaps the American name of Madame Kiki?) seems appropriate for young kids, too, but I was surprised mine didn’t get totally into it. For middle grade kids, Howl’s Moving Castle is amazing, as are Spirited Away and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
I haven’t seen Princess Mononoke in years; I should probably introduce my kids to that one, too.
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My kids like the Secret World of Arietty.
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Ponyo absolutely.
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Happy Death Day: what if Groundhog Day was a slasher film? It’s sort of good, a little too light for my taste, neither enough horror nor comedy to really fulfill, and it takes a big old shit right on its central precept, which is quite annoying. Very lightweight.
My wife was sick in bed last night so I bit the bullet and rented Ready Player One.
I’ll admit that the concept of the story is neat, but I despised the book and thought it was horribly written. Then I despaired for a society that would put that book on a pedistal. I was giving Spielberg the benefit of the doubt but the movie was idiotic. I think I even dozed off once in the middle of an extended CGI assault-on-the-senses battle. I just don’t get the love for this story, no matter what form it’s in. Sure, 80s references are fun nostalgia, but that doesn’t make a compelling story and when they begin to be crammed down your throat they just become eye roll fodder.
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I think there was a wave of backlash against the initial reviews of the book that may have put it on a pedestal (as with anything that hyped up). I had a blast when I read the book, but I recognize it is nothing more than YA fiction for 80s gamers…
The movie took out a lot of the 80s gaming discussion that I liked in the book, and tacked on a non-sensible ending. I still probably could have enjoyed it for what it was if not for the ending though…
YA fiction for people who stopped being young adults 25 years ago.
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Yeah, I was a bit surprised there was an audience for it, but it’s hardly the only YA fiction out there being consumed by people well outside the demographic.
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Mission: Impossible Fallout is fucking incredible. Hands-down the best action movie since Fury Road, and one of the few action movies that earns a 2.5 hour runtime.
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Yes, I was on the edge of my seat for half that movie. The action set pieces are amazing. The story is serviceable but does that caliber action need anything beyond the generic “spy stuff, a little double cross here, secret agent there, etc.”?
Victor Frankenstein. What is this film. It appears to be an attempt to make a buddy movie out of a Gothic horror, including a scenery-chewing James McAvoy leering in the edge of shot or reeling onto camera like a drunken sex pest, and Daniel Radcliffe as everyone’s favourite straight man in a comedy duo, Igor. Top marks for McAvoy sucking pus from Radcliffe’s abcess. A bad film.
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Upgrade. A neat little genre film, but you’ve seen it all before. The tech that gives our hero a new lease of vengeance, the dead wife, the suspicious cop, the conspiracy. Good fight scenes, good visual design.
First Reformed. If I had known this was an A24 job, I would never have doubted @TannerHendrickson’s word. Hawke does a bang-up job as a dying priest, the direction makes me wonder why Schrader isn’t much more famous, and the film deals with some heavy themes without being pretentious, preachy, or grandiose.
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Deadpool 2. Low brow? Yes. Did I know what I was getting in to? Yes. Did I laugh? Yes. I guess that’s all I could ask for from such a movie.
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Thor: Ragnarok. I’ve sworn off MCU films, but this is a Taika Waititi film, so I made an exception, and I’m glad I did. I congratulate myself on my excellent taste. A fun jaunt, never lacking a joke, and it really makes me crave an Edgar Wright Ant Man. I dunno what Cate Blanchett gets paid for playing icily evil women but presumably it’s a lot because she keeps doing it. Bringing in Hopkins only to fuck him off was a waste, but at least Hemsworth gets the chance to be funny.
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Nothing to say about The Goldblum?
I quite liked Thor: Ragnarok as well.
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