I had the opportunity to see Venom this past Friday. Before I continue with the post, allow me to discuss the reviews for this film, by critics and by the audience.
Venom currently has a 32% critic score and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Quite the difference, don't you think?
Venom also has a 7.1/10 on IMDb.
With those statistics in mind, it's pretty safe to say that this film has received very mixed reviews. I walked into Venom acknowledging these facts, but I did not let them sway or alter my personal opinion of the movie.
And that's what you're here for, right? My opinion?
Well, here it is!
LIKES
- Tom. Freaking. Hardy. Holy crap, Hardy did SO WELL in this movie. His performance was absolutely outstanding. What a talented man.
- The Eddie Brock/Venom relationship was executed in a way I didn't know I would end up enjoying. I want a sequel just so I can have more of that. Wow.
- There are a few jokes in this film - obviously, it's not a comedy, and I don't think it's trying to be - but the jokes it does have stick the landing.
- The effects were good and the soundtrack was decent.
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- The CGI is alright. It's not amazing, but it's not terrible.
DISLIKES
- The villain was weak. Very weak.
- The beginning was a little slow, and then the rest of the movie was a bit too fast-paced. I wanted more banter between Eddie and Venom to build their chemistry.
- There was an F-bomb in the film. I hear this word all the time at school, so it didn't affect me too much, but considering the movie was given a PG-13 rating, I was slightly shocked.
Overall, the movie is an enjoyable ride. It's most definitely not perfect. It has its flaws. But if you go into the film with the right mindset, you'll come out with a smile.
I watched The Dark Knight over the weekend for the first time, just over a decade since it was first released in 2008. That's been too long of a wait for me; I've always wanted to see the film, but never really got around to it. Now I can say that I've seen it, and honestly, I had a blast.
Here's a list of my likes and dislikes.
LIKES
- Heath Ledger was - and I cannot stress this enough - PHENOMENAL. It's a shame he passed away. His talent truly shined through this movie. He is the best Joker without a doubt. He portrays the character so perfectly, I got chills every time he appeared on the screen.
- I LOVED Harvey Dent in this movie. His character arc is just absolutely mesmerizing. I wish there was more of him as Two-Face, but I also feel like too much of him would have caused the plot to drag a little.
- The complex, ever-lasting argument whether or not Batman is a menace or a savior to Gotham City really gets you thinking. I like it when movies leave room for the audience to ponder.
- The movie was dark, yes, but dark done well, unlike more modern DC films. You know who you are. *cough cough*
- The action scenes were fantastic.
- The soundtrack deserves an A+.
DISLIKES -The Dark Knight is just ten minutes short of the length of Infinity War if you can believe it. Considering it didn't have ten years of buildup, the movie was a little too long for me.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal's acting as Rachel Dawes was... unbelievable. And not in a particularly good way. Unbelievable as in I wasn't convinced she actually wanted the role in the first place.
- Christian Bale's voice as Batman is kind of cringy at times.
To sum all of this up, The Dark Knight goes down as one of the best superhero films ever. I know that I'm Marvel-biased, but I truly did enjoy this movie.
It's been almost a month since I posted last, and that's mainly due to the extremely little amount of free time that I've had these past four weeks of my life. But I'm back, and that's what matters. Today, I'll be adding on another segment to the Trailer Reactions post series.
Today I will be reviewing the trailers for Captain Marvel, Mary Poppins Returns, Venom, Wreck-It-Ralph 2, and Smallfoot.
#1 - Captain Marvel
When the trailer was released Tuesday morning for Captain Marvel, I could barely wait to watch it, so when it was time to pick my friend up from her house to go to school, I arrived early so we could experience it together. Overall, I am quite pleased with how the next addition to the MCU looks so far. I am so excited to learn more about Carol Danvers in this presumably epic origin story set in the 90's. Although I have to admit, this trailer left me slightly underwhelmed compared to the other amazing MCU trailers. Hopefully, the next trailer will get the general audience hyped up.
Oh, and one more thing - Captain Mar-Vell (Shazam) and Captain Marvel are NOT the same thing.
#2 - Mary Poppins Returns
I watched Mary Poppins a lot growing up, and that's because it was one of my grandma's favorite films. My grandma loved the original movie, and I bet she'll love this remake. However, being the silly person I am, I couldn't take this trailer seriously because I kept thinking of the scene GOTG 2 with Yondu. Anyways, Emily Blunt looks great as Mary Poppins, and - oh my goodness - is that LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!? Take my money.
#3 - Venom
I was worried this movie would turn out to be rated R, and while a lot of people probably would have enjoyed that, I wouldn't have because I wouldn't have been able to watch it. Recently, however, it was confirmed that Venom is rated PG-13, so I guess that means I'm seeing it in theaters! I really hope this movie does well. Venom is definitely one of my favorite Marvel villains - he's just so cool.
#4 - Wreck-It-Ralph 2
The first couple of trailers for this movie honestly had me a bit concerned. It seemed like Disney was trying too hard to shove heaps of pop culture references into our faces, wishing to get a laugh or two out of good ol' Gen Z. I mean, it worked; Twitter was blowing up after seeing the Disney princesses. But this particular trailer softened me. We get to see a few more glimpses of what the plot is actually about, but not too much that it gives the entire movie away. That gives me hope.
#5 - Smallfoot
Smallfoot is a cute idea, and I think it has the potential to be a cute kids movie. Forgettable, but cute. It gets released next week, so we'll see how things go. Personally, I doubt I'll watch this in theaters. Maybe on a long car ride where we have to rent a movie from Redbox.
Now it's your turn to give your opinions on these five movies and their trailers, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading!
Last night I finally had the opportunity to watch Isle of Dogs, a Wes Anderson-directed, stop-motion film about... well, dogs. I haven't seen Fantastic Mr. Fox, but that didn't stop me from giving this particular movie a chance.
The film is set in futuristic Japan where a sudden outbreak of ''canine flu'' causes the government to exile all dogs to a vast island full of trash. A 12-year-old boy named Atari (who also happens to be the mayor's ward) comes to the island alone after hijacking a plane in hopes of finding his long-lost pet, Spots. He receives help from a pack of dogs who have also been exiled, and his quest inspires other members of his community to expose a government conspiracy.
An extremely creative concept, I must say.
The animation is beautiful, from the gorgeous landscapes to the smallest of details such as the furs on the dogs blowing in the wind. Visually, the film is a pleasurable treat for the eye.
The characters are unique and likable. Their conversations might even give the viewer a laugh or two: I'll admit, I giggled here and there. Chief, voiced by Bryan Cranston, probably had the most character depth, being an outcast for much of his life in Megasaki City, unlike his fellow canine friends who all fully experienced the company of human masters.
Though the film has a charming personality, the one thing that bothered me the most was the plot. Yes, I did mention the concept of the plot was outstandingly imaginative, but the way it was executed left me - and I hate to say this - bored. The script definitely isn't perfect, and after the first half the movie kind of drags on a bit. I actually fell asleep as I was watching Isle of Dogs in my bed with the laptop. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't. The plot carries on just a little too slowly for my liking, and the climax was slightly dull. Perhaps it's because I'm so used to the mainstream Hollywood norm of intense action and adventure movies, but I guess we'll never know.
Overall, I'd rate Isle of Dogs 7 out of 10 stars. It was creative, visually pleasing, and had a unique and imaginative storyline that most modern movies don't.
When I saw the teaser trailer for the first time earlier this year for Christopher Robin, I instantly knew this movie would take my heart and put it through a paper shredder. While I didn't exactly grow up with Winnie the Pooh or any of the other characters from the Hundred Acre Wood, I did grow up with stuffed animals - and a whole lot of them, too. And the film stuck to its premise.
Here are a few quick thoughts on the film I would like to address...
- The CGI is very well done and the visual effects are beautiful. I mean, what else can you expect from a company like Disney? The detail on the stuffed animals from the tiniest bits of fur to the leather padding of Pooh's feet is mind-blowing.
- The simplicity of Christopher Robin, in my eyes, is essentially what makes the film what it is. It gets the message across clearly and sweetly. But even films with such simple themes as this have downsides, which is why I don't necessarily believe the movie is all that memorable.
- The movie was rather slow-paced, at least for most of it. I had no particular problem with this, but I know the younger kids in my theater did. I could feel them getting antsy around me. Personally, I liked how the film was a bit slower than what people are used to, as it gives us busybodies a chance to relax and just enjoy a lovely, innocent movie.
- The plot was quite predictable, but that's just another downside of having a ''simple'' movie. It put a smile on my face nonetheless.
- The movie was surprisingly funny! It landed a few jokes here and there that I genuinely laughed at and enjoyed.
- The only real issue I had with this film was the whole ''talking stuffed-animal'' thing. It makes sense for Christopher Robin to talk to his old friends, but for total strangers... well, that just kind of made me cringe.
Overall, Christopher Robin is a melancholic toast to our childhoods. While some of us are still engaging in ours, it serves as a reminder to never let go of those precious memories.
Welcome back for the second installment of the Trailer Reactions post series. I had a lot of fun reviewing the movie trailers in the previous post, so naturally, I couldn't wait any longer to type up the next one. With that being said, let's get started!
Today I will be reviewing the trailers for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, Aquaman, Mission Impossible: Fallout, and Christopher Robin.
#1 - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Film Sypnosis:
Magizoologist Newt Scamander joins forces with young Albus Dumbledore to prevent the devious Gellert Grindelwald from raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings.
Ahh, I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this film! I loved Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, so you bet your bottom dollar I'm hyped. I cannot wait to see Grindelwald in action, as well as the young version of the famous Albus Dumbledore.
#2 - Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
Film Sypnosis:
A villain's maniacal plan for world domination sidetracks five teenage superheroes who dream of Hollywood stardom.
I'll be honest here - when I first learned that there would be a full-fledged CINEMATIC MOVIE about the popular cartoon Teen Titans GO!, I just about puked. For the longest time, I expected this film to be the ''Emoji Movie of 2018''. Shockingly enough, the movie sits with an astounding 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this post. The official score is bound to change within the next couple of days, but the fact that the majority of the early reviews are positive just blows my mind. I heard rumors that if this movie does well, Cartoon Network might bring back the original Teen Titans cartoon for another season... so I'm actually hoping it does fine at the box office. Maybe I'll end up watching it once it's available on Redbox someday. Who knows!
#3 - Aquaman
Film Sypnosis:
Aquaman finds himself caught between a surface world that ravages the sea and the underwater Atlanteans who are ready to revolt.
The DCEU has this reputation for being... edgy. While the graphics are shown to be rather dark-toned like most of the DCEU films in the Aquaman trailer and aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing to my eyes personally, the movie itself actually might be rather okay. Since the DCEU has basically hit rock bottom, this film desperately needs to perform well at the box office and in reviews. I'm hoping for the best! (P.S. I still need to see Wonder Woman... perhaps I'll watch that this weekend.)
#4 - Mission Impossible: Fallout
Film Sypnosis:
Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. Arms dealer John Lark and a group of terrorists known as the Apostles plan to use three plutonium cores for a simultaneous nuclear attack on the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. When the weapons go missing, Ethan and his crew find themselves in a desperate race against time to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
I have yet to see a single Mission Impossible movie, so I honestly had no idea what the heck was going on in the trailer, but from what I did see, the movie looks like an action-packed adventure. Also, critics are giving the movie positive reviews, so that's a plus.
#5 - Christopher Robin
Film Sypnosis:
Winnie-the-Pooh and friends reunite with old pal Christopher Robin -- now an adult.
I am so excited for this movie! When the teaser trailer first came out a while back, I actually shed a tear or two when Pooh Bear popped up. I have a strong emotional connection to stuffed animals, so seeing all these beloved characters as old, tattered, and loved plush toys just warmed my heart up. I'll definitely be seeing this in theaters.
Which movie trailers did you like the best in this post? Comment your thoughts down below, and have a lovely day!
Hello! Today marks the first official ''Trailer Reactions'' post on this blog. Trailer Reactions is a new post series I'll be doing where I simply give my thoughts on trailers for upcoming movies (if it wasn't already obvious). In each post, I will review five trailers for five movies to be released in the future.
In this first installment of the series, I will be reacting to Bohemian Rhapsody, The Grinch, The Nun, Dumbo, and Bumblebee. Let's get started!
#1 - Bohemian Rhapsody
Film Sypnosis:
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Personally, I think this film has the potential to be a hit. The characters are cast well: Rami Malek seems to pull off a pretty decent Freddie Mercury. If you're a fan of Queen, I would recommend seeing this in theaters.
#2 - The Grinch
Film Sypnosis:
The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration.
Agh... how many Grinch remakes can there be? As you can tell, I'm not particularly excited for this movie. Illumination produces ''mediocre'' movies, in my opinion (and that's a story to be told later), and this looks like no exception. The animation is fine, the voice acting is fine... the whole movie just seems fine. Just fine. Nothing special. The only redeeming quality I like is Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the Grinch. The kids might enjoy this film, but they most likely won't remember it, and neither will I. I don't plan on seeing this in theaters.
#3 - The Nun
Film Sypnosis:
When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together, they uncover the order's unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
I don't really watch horror films, but this movie is giving me vibes that it might actually be pretty good. Good as in plot, conflict, and, well, scariness - all the key elements of a good horror movie. I doubt I'll ever watch this movie, but if it does well, then props to the directors for giving The Conjuring series a great addition.
#4 - Dumbo
Film Sypnosis:
The owner of a struggling circus enlists a man and his two children to care for a newborn elephant that can fly.
While this trailer is only a teaser, the movie seems to me like it's just another Disney live-action remake. No one asked for a live-action remake of the classic Dumbo. And with Tim Burton directing it, a lot of people are even more skeptical than I am about the film, considering what he did with the two Alice in Wonderland live-action remakes. I'm legitimately not sure how to feel about things here. At least the graphics are beautiful, as all Disney movies are.
#5 - Bumblebee
Film Sypnosis:
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink of turning 18 years old and trying to find her place in the world, soon discovers the battle-scarred and broken Bumblebee. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns that this is no ordinary yellow Volkswagen.
''Oh boy... another Transformers film?" That's what I said to myself when I noticed a teaser trailer was out for a movie about one of the Transformers characters. Then I actually watched the trailer and my view completely changed. Apparently, this film is not directed by Michael Bay, the man who directed the previous five Transformers movies, all of which were pretty much flops. So, with that in mind, hopefully, the new dude, Travis Knight, can make things work with this movie. If so, I might just watch it once it's available at Redbox.
That concludes the first volume of Trailer Reactions. Let me know what you think of the series so far in the comments.
