Project Hail Mary was fine. Whatever it was that offended you all in the book must have been ironed out in the film, but I don’t think it’s the glowing 8.6 imdb has it at either.
Gosling was typecast in a slightly comic dramatic role and he was given too much to carry here. Sandra Hüller was great as the mission commander, but her scenes really showed how much better Gosling was when acting with someone else compared to the bulk of the time where he’s acting on his own.
The sci fi was pretty light with nothing we haven’t really seen before. A few nice special effects, but interstellar it is not in that department.
If your date is a Gosling fan but not that into sci fi, and you like sci fi but aren’t bothered by Gosling, you could probably both watch this and have a decent time
How to Make a Killing. Jessica Henwick is a little wasted in this, and Glen Powell’s entire existence being one-third obsequious smile doesn’t particularly fit this character, but at least Margaret Qualley sinks her teeth into her role as the gold-digging temptress blackmailer. Not a bad film, but neither dark enough nor light enough to be really good.
Ready or Not 2. Doesn’t make the most of the cast, but Samara Weaving, Elijah Wood, and Kathryn Newton are good. The comedic sensibilities are intact from the first film, the estranged sisters relationship angle is not great, but Newton and Weaving do well when they’re not doing those scenes. Very fun.
I’ll echo some other reviewers comments about Mario galaxy in that its non stop action with barely a plot, and seems to be a launching point for a Mario Cinematic Universe.
I enjoyed the nostalgia from my many years with nintendo as the film was crammed with references. I cant truly speak about Peach being an OP woke girl boss as I was asleep by that point. From what I saw I do think any criticism is anti woke nonsense though.
My 10 year old had fun, my 12 year old seemed to be watching the beginning of the end of his childhood in widescreen as Im certain he’d rather have been watching project hail mary again.
The Phantom. Old jungle saying: Treat Williams chewing the scenery is better than any Billy Zane scene. Some genuinely impressive stunts that made me sit up, and a knowing sense of humour. Really enjoyed this.
I remember this movie being terrible at times and impressive at times. Like to the point that assumed a director was fired and another director took over to finish the thing with zero budget.
Huge chunks of cheese, between some fairly standard action choreography and then some incredible practical stunts, jumping onto a horse from an aeroplane, etc.
The Shadow. Much like The Phantom, this features a lot of knowing humour, rapidfire repartee between Baldwin and Miller, and a bunch of great actors (Tim Curry, Ian McKellen, Peter Boyle) in smaller roles. Very entertaining, I love this kind of reimagining of pulp fiction, it’s often very sincere in its love for the genre.
Exit 8. A slightly slow, but worthwhile, urban horror film, as multiple people get caught up in an endless repeating passage, which requires constant awareness of details to navigate. A small cast, an oppressive environment, and the possibility of hope against the certainty of desperation.
Exit 8 interested me, though i wasnt sure the premise could hold up for a feature length run.
“The drama” looked like a standard romantic film until I read it was an a24 movie doing a24 things. Not a Zendaya fan but respecting what Pattinson has done with his career post twilight.
My local cinema is showing one after another tomorrow so might have myself a little barbenheimer and catch both of them.
They Will Kill You. Everything about this should work, and everything about it should also be right up my street, as an underdog searches for her sister in a building owned and run by a Satanic cult. But, none of it really gels. The music is intrusive and jars noticeably, also using multiple songs per scene, none of which work quite right. The action is notably choreographed so plainly and openly you can see each ‘beat’ happen, which is painfully obvious. The stylised camera zooms with audio stings are painful, and should not have been used. Zazie Beetz is great, and she does everything she can with what she has here. All the individual elements of this film do not fit together, and it is a shame. It’s got some fun parts.
The Drama. More or less totally excellent. I found it an incredibly funny film throughout, whether it was going for silly jokes, bleak observation, the absurd, or just black comedy. Pattinson was very good, Zendaya was possibly even better but given much less to do. The supporting cast were uniformly good or better, and the film startled so many laughs out of me, I was completely surprised. The film’s only weakness relies on you overlooking its central conceit, which is the worst thing you did, not the worst thing you nearly did.
Mortal Kombat 2 should be shit, but it isnt. Karl Urban plays a washed up 90s action movie star who is dragged into a fantasy world that is fully aware how ridiculous it is.
I gave The Drama a shot and really loved a lot of what it did. Unfortunately Zendeya has kinda the Will Smith effect for me. Heres Will Smith in a sitcom, Will Smith in a suit, Will Smith with a dog. (I actually really liked him as King Richard, probably because he was playing a real person and not himself). I get the same kind of thing from Zendeya. Heres Zendaya as Peter Parkers girlfriend, heres Zendeya in a stillsuit. It just breaks my immersion and it makes me sad as Im sure shes a fine actress.
In a couple of weeks “backrooms” comes out. I only mention it as Im intrigued how internet culture is making it to the silverscreen with exit 8, iron lung, and now backrooms
I don’t care enough about MK2 to go see it in the theaters but I’ll certainly give it a look when I can stream it. But in the same vein, I’m excited for the Street Fighter movie, which could be even stupider. Sometimes, though, it’s refreshing when a movie knows exactly what it is and leans into the ridiculousness. I don’t k own what the magic formula is and it is certainly a fine line, but if you’re going to see, say, a movie based on a video game in which two characters fight each other which sometimes features an asinine plot, it can be enjoyable if competently done.
This is how I felt about Ballerina (the John Wick spin-off)–it was highly competently done in terms of the fight scenes and some of the set-pieces. They filmed it for the most part really well and better than the last couple of Wick movies. But it was like watching a video game as-movie most of the time–the main character is indestructible, seems totally at full health after a recharge, and the plot is completely extraneous. There were several very strong opportunities for character development that are dispensed with so quickly, it felt like I was being toyed with as a viewer. “We could add depth here…but no, we’re just going to pile on another over the top fight scene.”
“better than the last couple of Wick movies”
“but no, we’re just going to pile on another over the top fight scene.”
don’t be throwing shade at any john wick movies - the fights scenes ARE character development
edit: and next you are going to tell me that they might have skipped some plot depth in any of the 10 Fast and Furious movies…and I would say, no…that would have taken away from more over the top car chase scenes!
Last of the Mohicans. Just fucking perfect. Day Lewis is great, the soundtrack is epic, the action is superb. Peak Madeleine Stowe. Probably the best array of Native American acting talent ever? Wes Studi, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, and so on, to the extent that there’s little screen time for the likes of Pete Postlethwaite or Jared Harris. Spectacular.
In the Grey. Another Guy Ritchie film where they tell you what’s happening. Proper plot, not any of that having to think for yourself foreign muck. A totally pointless double-cross (again), a very stupid death from a character choosing to sacrifice themselves for no reason, the dross goes on.
Over Your Dead Body. Homicidal relationship therapy as Jason Segel and Samara Weaving go for a holiday in order to kill each other. It’s okay. Not quite funny enough to balance out the gore, and also weirdly serious at times, which is one genre too many, but it’s certainly not let down by the acting. Bonus Timothy Olyphant.
