Last Good Movie You Saw

[CorgiShinobi]

Saw it a few days ago...

 

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising

 

There's hardly a bad thing about this movie. I like it more than the first and every student has a part in this film. Great antagonists, great humor, great action, wonderful animation, excellent premise and story. And honestly it compliments both the anime and manga very well. That's the thing, if I was to think of something negative, it might be that the movie will slightly spoil a plot point that's been developing in the manga for a while. I've seen some anime-only viewers get confused by it and criticize the movie for "breaking the rules."

 

I am really looking forward to the Blu-ray so that I can show friends and family who didn't get the chance to see it in theaters. The final fight... dear lord... the final fight is just everything I love about animation.

[CorgiShinobi]

Onward

 

Well it's a good thing I saw this yesterday as a bunch of theaters closed today. Went to the Giant Screen Dolby Atmos showing and there was a whopping dozen people in the theater.

 

The Simpsons short at the beginning is forgettable. Didn't care for it, though it's really not terrible.

 

The actual movie is great. I don't think it'll be many people's favorite Pixar film, but it's a strong story with a great mix of adventure and drama. You'll have to, as a logical thinking adult, suspend your disbelief on the concept that magical fantasy characters fully abandoned magic because technology was more convenient.

 

Otherwise, this is such a strong family film given both its central conflict and the two main characters, Ian and Barley Lightfoot(Tom Holland and Chris Pratt). In some aspects you'll probably be able to see what's coming, but the film does a good job throwing some curveballs too. You don't need a strong grasp on fantasy movies or games to enjoy this one as Barley explains to Ian the rules and concepts of the world's magic and quests. If anything, the final act of this film is where it shines.

 

I would be willing to see it again: it's that good!

[Mister Jack]

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

 

Yeah, the Mr. Rogers movie. I'm stuck inside for a while so it's a good time for me to catch up on some movies. This was actually not what I thought it would be. I was expecting a biopic detailing Rogers' life and how he got his show and became famous but it really isn't that at all. Rogers is already quite famous when the film starts and he's not even the main character. The main character is a journalist who is interviewing Rogers and the story is about how Rogers brings a positive influence into the life of someone who has always been cynical and negative and helps him deal with his lifelong anger toward his father. It's quite wholesome and maybe even a little saccharine, but it was honestly kind of a relief to watch something like this during these tumultuous times. I mean, I don't know what else you'd expect from a movie about Mr. Rogers. This isn't some exposé about Fred's "hidden dark side" or anything like that because by all accounts he was just as nice and wholesome in person as he was on his show. Tom Hanks did a great job in his performance, though I have to admit that I am very familiar with the real Fred Rogers' voice and Hanks, while he nails the soft spoken gentleness of his speech, just doesn't have a voice that sounds like Fred to me. It's no fault of his own, really. An actor can only do so much to change into a completely different person and I'm sure that people who didn't grow up with Rogers will think he sounds just fine, but it is something that I noticed. I still recommend this if you ever just want to watch a movie that will make you feel good. It's easy for movies about teaching a miserable bastard to love again to feel sappy and unrealistic but Mr. Rogers really was that good of a person so I give this one a pass.

[Mister Jack]

Knives Out

 

Maybe Rian Johnson can't figure out how to do Star Wars but he sure made a really great murder mystery. It's been a long time since I watched a movie like this since a bad mystery movie is a real slog to get through so I had forgotten just how compelling a good one can be. Maybe it's just me but I feel like we don't get whodunnit movies like this that much anymore and they can be a lot of fun when done right. The cast here is colorful, the script is just the right amount of playfully melodramatic without taking itself too seriously, and Daniel Craig just oozes charisma in his scene-stealing performance as Detective Blanc. Maybe the reason I don't see a lot of whodunnit movies being made these days is because producers worry the audience will lose interest if they figure out who the killer is, and I did figure out who did it about halfway through, but even then I still enjoyed just watching the pieces fall into place. I didn't predict every facet of the killer's plan so there were still a couple of surprises in the climax. If you have any interest whatsoever in murder mysteries then I really can't think of any reason why you wouldn't like this one.

[Mister Jack]

The Lighthouse

 

This is a movie from the same guy who did The VVitch, which I was lukewarm on, but I liked this one more. Maybe it's because the sea captain speak was more charming to me than the Old English or maybe because the entire thing was focused around just two characters which gave them plenty of time to shine. Either way, I liked this movie, although it's a movie that asks for a lot from its audience. It's in black and white, which isn't a problem for me personally but you know how the masses can be. The period-accurate dialogue seems to be a trademark from this director and while it works here I'm wary of the idea of watching all of this guy's future movies if they're always going to be like that. The unusual aspect ratio is also an interesting novelty, but it does mean you have a lot less screen real-estate to work with. The plot is also a very slow burn with a ton of buildup to an admittedly very good final ten minutes, similar to The VVitch. Finally, there are only two characters in this whole movie. There are one or two other credited roles but these people have no lines and show up for mere seconds. Memorable seconds, but calling them actual characters would be inaccurate. Fortunately, the two characters we do have are very well acted with great performances by Robert Pattinson and especially Willem Dafoe. Even if not a lot is happening for the majority of the film, whenever something does happen it happens in a big way and like I mentioned previously, the last few minutes are worth the wait. This is also one of those movies where you can interpret the events in multiple different ways until you're not even sure what's real anymore. 

[TheMightyEthan]

Detective Pikachu

 

HBO is doing free streaming of a very limited selection of movies and TV shows, and this is one of them. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I expected it to be just fine, but it ended up being a quite enjoyable watch. It struck just the right balance between silly and serious.

[deanb]

My biggest concern with the movie is

Spoiler

Do you think they burnt Mr Mime alive?

 

But yeah, the whole movie is on a knife edge between having cutesy pokemon for kids and masturbation jokes for adults. I don't think a film like it could ever be made again.

[TheMightyEthan]

@deanb My wife and I had a discussion about that, and I don't think so. 

Spoiler

I think it was like when he crashed on the motorbike, which didn't actually hurt him, and the whole thing with them threatening him like that was really just effective because they were playing along with his stuff, not because he was actually afraid or would actually be hurt.

 

[Mal]

In This Corner of the World

 

My heart. Suzu is adorable (and honestly kind of complex) and I'm heartbroken she went through such shit. Hell, practically all the characters did, considering where they were at*. Yet they persevered. It's a sad yet heartwarming story. I recommend it even more repeat viewings (it's a pretty movie) unlike say Graves of the Fireflies. That movie you only watch once.

 

I do have to say, this movie portrays the characters' reactions to Japan's surrender. I found it humbling and I cannot help but compare it to say our current predicament as in you sacrifice so much yet it didn't matter. What was the purpose of it all?

 

I think I'll read the manga as well since the art is so nice. Plus I got In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World, the extended movie, to look forward to whenever it gets subbed or whatever.

 

* There are dates to give notice of passage of time. Knowing how the war in the Pacific turned out makes each passing moment more distressing. Even the setting of the town and cities makes me felt uneasy.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Mal

[Mister Jack]

The Irishman

 

Let's just address the elephant in the room right off the bat. This movie is really long. Three and a half hours long! I watched it all in one sitting and I'm telling you now that it did not have to be that long. The last half hour, maybe even 45 minutes could have been chopped off or at least condensed and the movie wouldn't suffer from it. I get what Scorsese was going for but he could have made the point more succinctly. I watched this all in one sitting and by the end I was anxious for it to just get it over with. If you decide to watch it, I'd recommend doing it in two sittings so you won't lose patience like I did.

 

Length aside, this is an interesting story about the life of mobster Frank Sheeran and his friendship with Jimmy Hoffa, along with the complications that entails since anyone who has ever picked up a history book knows that things don't end well for Jimmy Hoffa. Everyone gives solid performances, though Al Pacino as Hoffa is especially good, and the digital deaging technology used on De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino is surprisingly convincing. I personally never found it distracting, at any rate. If I have to criticize the script for something it's that sometimes it feels a little unfocused. It starts off as a biography of how Frank gets into the mob life, then it becomes all about Hoffa, but in between all of this there are these Forrest Gumpesque vignettes about historical events like the Bay of Pigs or the Kennedy assassination and how those things affected the mob. To be fair, these events aren't just there for little cameos like in Gump and the historical events in question have direct repercussions for the A-plot, but I still think some of that stuff ended up distracting from the more interesting Hoffa drama. There's also very little of that black comic relief you get in other Scorsese films like Wolf of Wall Street or Goodfellas. This is a serious drama through and through, but if you're down for that then it's a pretty good mafia film.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Mister Jack

[TheMightyEthan]

That sounds absolutely exhausting, both in length and content.

[Mister Jack]

Hamilton

 

Does this count? Whatever, I watched it on Disney+. I wanted to see it live but ain't nobody seeing any plays anytime soon so I just subscribed for one month so I could see it at all. It's pretty good. Good songs, good cast, some pretty funny moments in there too. I think anyone who likes musicals should reasonably enjoy this show. I also want to give credit to the cinematography. This is basically a recording of a live performance and I was afraid that lazy camera work would make it feel boring to watch at home but they really made the most out of what they had to work with so the Disney+ viewers wouldn't feel like they're watching a watered down version. I'd still like to see it live someday if this damn pandemic ever goes away but in the meantime this is a fine way to experience the play.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Mister Jack

[TheMightyEthan]

I think it counts, since that's also why I came in here. So good. The music is great, the play is great, everything about it's great. The worst thing I have to say about it is that the first half is better than the second.

[deanb]

Enola Holmes

 

Quite an enjoyable watch; somewhat fun and quirky. Sort of young adult focussed (and the casting of Millie Bobby Brown is quite the clue to it). So go into it with that in mind and it's a solid film, early on in Sherlocks life that some things haven't happened but established enough for a few familiar faces (not that he's the focus, but is a strong support character).

Mycroft is quite the misogynist bastard in it mind compared to other iterations I've seen where he's just stuck up.

 

Also funny for me to go from watching The Expanse with Murty as the bad guy, to Enola Holmes with Murty as the bad guy

 

There is a moment that I wasn't expecting for the general tone of the film

Spoiler

Which is when the bad guy gets killed. It kinda holds it a long while I thought.

 

[deanb]

Crazy Rich Asians

 

This was on Prime Video so figured I'd give it a spin. Rather delighted; not my usual affair but quite a fun rom com with many great characters (definitely its strong point, Peik Lin and Oliver being the stand outs) in a culture you otherwise usually don't see (and kind of funny where they pick on the main lass for being American. "Kids eat up, there's starving kids in america. Look at her, you want to end up skinny like that?"). Especially when it comes to the ultra-wealthy which is usually a backdrop reserved for British aristocratic based films.

It does still tick many of the traditional romcom boxes (would it be a spoiler to say there's a dramatic proposal?) but quite fun; many familiar faces too. And I can see why people were saying for Henry Golding as the next Bond.

[Mal]

I've been sleeping like shit or not sleeping at all so I binged watch some classic 80's to 90's Hong Kong films.

 

A Chinese Ghost Story 1 (plus 2 and 3)

 

As a child, my brother and I always had A Chinese Ghost Story 3 in our rotation. This is more or less the first time I ever watched A Chinese Ghost Story 1 and 2 but I'm sure I have watched it before but the third movie is probably the most kid friendly of the three.  These three are rom-com action/wuxia-ish horror movies. The first one is based on a story from basically a Chinese version of Grimms' Fairy Tales. The sequels are just to cash in on the success the first had, have actress Joey Wong be eye candy (she is/was pretty) and they works for the most part.

 

First movie is consider one of the top of top and I have to agree. It has a small cast and stays really focused. A naïve guy in an age of strife comes across a ghost (bounded to a demon to lure people to her master) and they fall in love. Undead hijinks, demons, romance and shit proceed. I'm actually surprised that it all works! Another thing that surprised me is the John Carpenter-esk puppets and practical effects. They're a bit wonky now but they look pretty damn good. Lastly, there's Wu Ma in one of his most iconic roles:

Action/wuxia bit is him exorcising demons. BUT YEAH, the story ended nice and easy but then...

 

The second movie was made. It's decent but not anywhere like the first. It's just didn't had to be made. Yet... then the third movie happened. It's a childhood favorite and I still think it it holds up. Issue is that it's more or less the first movie. Just add an awesome monk and a younger and awesome Daoist practitioner. The third movie takes the idea of the second movie and made it work though it is a far cry from the first.

 

Anyhow, I'm probably going to go on a wuxia binge soon.

[deanb]

Happiest Season

 

I'm not one for romcoms but this was quite sweet. Not too far off the usual tropes but with an LGBT focus that adds a new twist to it. Also quite funny (Dan Levy doing a lot of the work in that region). Solid cast. Worth a watch if you want to give a new xmas film a spin.

[Mister Jack]

Soul

 

I wasn't originally that interested in this movie but they put it up on Disney+ for no extra charge and I figured what the hell, I'm stuck inside anyway so why not check it out? This one really took me by surprise and it wasn't at all what I expected. It's funny, it's touching, it's imaginative, and it's surprisingly deep and thought provoking for a family film. I might not put it on the S tier with the likes of Wall-E and Toy Story 3 but it's a very solid A-tier movie with a good message that I think will honestly resonate more with adult viewers than with kids. I think it's a film that everyone should see at least once, especially after this shit year that was 2020. Who knows, it might even give you some fresh perspective.

 

Also, the short that was supposed to precede this movie in theaters, Burrow, was uploaded separately so I watched that too so I could have the full experience. It's downright adorable and beautifully drawn and animated. It's become one of my favorites from the studio.

Edited December 31, 2020 by Mister Jack

[Mister Jack]

Pleasantville

 

Watching the first couple of episodes of WandaVision gave me the strange urge to go back and check out this movie from 1998. I quite enjoyed it. The message isn't subtle at all, but it's a good message and lately I'm feeling like maybe subtlety is getting lost on too many people. The real star of the show are the effects, though. I love how the movie looks visually and watching the black and white town slowly change through patches of bright, vibrant technicolor that often looks better than the real world is a treat for the eyes. The story is mostly there as an excuse and they never really explain just how the kids get zapped into the show other than "magic remote," but this is one of those movies where you're just supposed to enjoy the ride and not overthink everything. As a side note, my favorite character was probably the soda shop owner, who goes through an existential crisis simply because his daily routine was mildly disrupted for the first time ever due to Tobey Maguire's character showing up late for his part-time job. Watching him develop was the best part of the movie for me.

[TheMightyEthan]

My wife and I watched that a couple months ago. She'd never seen it before, and I hadn't since I was a kid. I agree it's pretty good.

[Mister Jack]

Godzilla vs. Kong

 

This one manages to cross over the line from average to decent. Past Godzilla movies in the west have disappointed me for two main reasons. One, there's too much focus on human characters who aren't interesting. Two, the monster fights are too dark and obscured and it's hard to see the action. This movie addressed both of those complaints. While there are obviously human characters, they have less prevalence than before and there are fewer of them as well. Most importantly, there's NO MILITARY BULLSHIT. No offense to any soldiers out there but when I watch a kaiju movie the last thing I care about is some army grunt's trials and tribulations. There are jets and ships that exist just to get smashed but we don't have to follow any boring soldier characters.

 

As for the action scenes? They're good! Godzilla and Kong are both given proper respect and while in my opinion there's a clear winner in their matchup it's not completely one-sided. The monster fights are all nice and clear. No fog, no rain, none of that other garbage to block your view. There is a fight at night but it takes place in a brightly lit city so you can easily follow what's going on. What a difference a little visibility makes.

 

Obviously this movie isn't trying to be anything daring or innovative. It wants to be enjoyable popcorn fare and I think this one finally succeeds. There's still a little bit more human focus than I'd prefer but I can't claim that the monsters are neglected. It takes less than 15 minutes for both Kong and Godzilla to get screen time and they're never gone for long after that so good job, Legendary. There's still room for improvement but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

 

Spoiler

MechaGodzilla was pretty cool as well. Kong obliterates him a little too quickly once he gets that axe, though.

 

[CorgiShinobi]

Yeah, I mostly agree. From a certain perspective, this movie almost plays out like a Kong film with Godzilla as the primary antagonist. Godzilla is enraged over *insert spoiler* so he's not keen on being a savior. And the whole attitude around Kong is that, "We need to keep him from Godzilla! Godzilla is going after him!" Like, there's the deep rooted rivalry, but it plays out like someone pulling their pet dog away from the crazed neighborhood dog.

 

I didn't mind the human stuff tied to Kong, but the human stuff around Godzilla (loosely mind you) was unbearable. I didn't like what they did to the girl from the previous film and her poor friend was an accessory and not a character. Ultimately it does lead to the amazing...

 

Spoiler

MechaGodzilla and I love the design of it/him.

 

I got to see two movies out of the one month of HBOMax I paid for. If WB didn't pull the stunt to delay Mortal Kombat by around week, I could have seen that too. Oh well, I'm not paying another $15 unless the movie reviews really well.

Edited April 3, 2021 by CorgiShinobi

[deanb]

Palm Springs

 

I think this has been out in US for a while, but what with pandemic they ummed and awwed over here and it instead came out on Amazon.

 

It's a more drunken riff on Groundhog Day, though 

Spoiler

with the bigger difference being at least three in the loop.

 

I think it maybe leaned a bit much on the romcom aspect than I'd have liked; I certainly wanted more Roy. Especially given the pivotal involvement to the early plot. He kinda vanishes for a huge stretch of the film.

 

 

If it's on Amazon (or Hulu I guess) for you then I'd say it's worth watching. Also it has Superman in it.

[MetalCaveman]

Nobody

 

If you like John Wick or The Equalizer you'll like this one. The action is pretty cool, overall it does have a more comedic tone, compared to John Wick or The Equalizer, but that's not a bad thing IMO. Christopher Lloyd and RZA have some neat moments too.

 

Spoiler

Harry Mansell(RZA) killing 3 dudes with one sniper shot.

 

David Mansell(Christopher Lloyd) "welcoming" the assassins sent after him.

 

Later on:

 

Hutch Mansell(Odenkirk) "You brought a lot of shotguns!"

 

David "Yeah well, you brought a lot of Russians!"

 

I also like that

 

Spoiler

Unlike John Wick or Robert McCall, Mansell actually enjoys what he does, a couple of times, he actually hopes that the bad guys won't back down because he wants to do his thing.  

 

That scene in the tattoo parlour and later on with the pentagon dude were pretty funny.

 

[TCP]

Stowaway

Space! The set they built was pretty impressive and as a person who once passed a test on physics in high school, the science checked out. After this, Hereditary, and Knives Out I'm starting to think Toni Collette is one of the all time greats. It's worth a watch if you have Prime Video.