CrazyStupidJake

I had a feeling from the trailer that this would be a little different from your standard Liam Neeson action movie but I was shocked to find how fun and creative this whole thing is. The narrative and tone really set this movie apart from other crime films. By focusing on such a large cast of characters and putting Neeson’s in the background for the latter half, I found the plot to be largely unpredictable because I had no idea who would be in the next scene. The dialogue is quick and witty. The violence is bloody and brutal. The whole thing reminded me of a season of the Fargo TV show or something from Martin McDonagh. The unique tone and odd style really sold this movie for me, making for an entertaining ride. Grade: B

I wasn’t expecting to feel so negative about this film. The original was mildly entertaining, with a few laughs and a great lead performance, but largely uninspired. I was happy to see this film try something completely different by ditching the slasher genre almost completely. Sadly, by doing this, the film proves to be much less entertaining and even more formulaic and dull. The lead performance is still better than the movie deserves but it just isn’t very funny or creative in any way. Grade: C-

Not nearly as clever as it could have been, Isn’t it Romantic largely ends up following the same beats it sets out to parody without doing anything interesting to them. The acknowledgment of nearly every romantic-comedy trope is still fun and there are charming moments sprinkled throughout but this so easily could’ve been funnier. Grade: C+

This is one that I’ve been wanting to rewatch since I finished it the first time. Just an incredible achievement in terms of the filmmaking applied. The performances are so believable and the horror is so genuine. The camera movement and the way it flows with the music and alongside the performers is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Climax is such an effective film and one of 2019’s best. This slow decent into madness is one that I will probably take often.
Grade: A-

Julianne Moore is a goddamn national treasure. Her character is the heart and soul of this picture and she is just so easy to root for. The pacing of this film is much more sporadic than I was expecting but I really just loved spending time with this character so it didn’t bother me. The film started to lose me a little in the third act but it could’ve been Gloria dancing the whole time and I’d be satisfied.
Grade: B-

Totally bland and uncreative in nearly every sense but I’ll try not to be too negative about it. The 90’s aesthetic worked for me and the set design for those scenes are much nicer than the CGI everything found around the beginning and end of the film. The de-aging of Samuel L. Jackson looks fantastic and I really enjoyed all of his scenes. The arc of Ben Mendelsohn’s character was unexpected and I’m always a fan of seeing him. The writing in this film is just so basic and boring that it was difficult to enjoy any of the poorly-written characters or uninteresting action sequences. I’m definitely fed up with these Marvel origin stories but I really expected something more exciting from the talent involved. With a superhero this powerful, the action sequences have no tension to them at all. With a superhero this bland, it’s becomes difficult for me to care at all.
Grade: C-

Like many, I was very much looking forward to seeing Us. Jordan Peele blew everyone away with Get Out and I’m really shocked to say that, in comparison, this film is a significant dip in quality. The performances are really memorable and engaging, with Lupita easily being my favorite part of the film. The cinematography was interesting throughout and I loved the film’s theme (Anthem), even though the rest of the soundtrack left a little more to be desired. I just found myself disappointed with the plot and where it goes in the 2nd and 3rd acts. There’s a lot to like about this film but a lot to shake your head at so I know I would have to see it in the theater again to really solidify my opinion.
Grade: B-

This is easily Harmony Korine’s most accessible film yet. Led by McConaughey’s wonderful performance as Moondog, audiences find themselves drifting from one ridiculous encounter to the next in one of 2019’s funniest films. The tone remains consistently fun and engaging, even if the film loses its footing in a couple of scenes or moments hold for just a little too long. The different characters Moondog comes in contact with on this journey help make it memorable and it’s clear that this is the closest we’ve come so far to an “arthouse-stoner” movie. Wild, creative, and very entertaining. Grade: B

To say I was anticipating this film would be a massive understatement. I wanted to wait to see it in theaters but I had another 4 months to go and I couldn’t hold out any longer so I streamed it so long ago. I will definitely be rewatching this over-and-over again in the coming months so I won’t try to capture all my feelings right now but I pretty much loved every single aspect of Under the Silver Lake. Andew Garfield’s performance and character are very different than I was expecting but they were fantastic. The overall style and tone of this film is so deliberate, creative, and wonderful to engage in. Even though it gets very dark at times, the film always manages to feel almost upbeat in its presentation. The constant sense of paranoia helps create the unique atmosphere that’s captured beautifully for the entire runtime. Funny, creepy, confusing, exciting, and just entertaining as hell in every single moment. Everything about this worked for me and I’m probably going to watch it again in a few days because I can’t stop thinking about it.
Grade: A+

Was not prepared to dislike this film as much as I did. I’ll keep it brief as my buddy and I decided to leave the theater midway though the film. I never do that so I can’t say I’ve truly seen the film yet but the idea of grabbing drinks sounded much better than finishing this. With muddy cinematography, lame jump scares, and sluggish pacing, I found myself falling asleep multiple times before the story really kicked off (with the daughter dying). By the 3rd or 4th semi-truck jump scare, I knew that I had already checked out. Not a terrible film but certainly not memorable in any way.
Grade: C-

The most fun I’ve had with a superhero film in a while. What makes it work so well is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Zachary Levi is hilarious in the titular role and helps keep the tone of the film consistently upbeat and exciting. All of the child actors were much better than I’m used to seeing and the two lead boys provided plenty of great comedy together. While a little too long and maybe not quite clever enough, it is all very charming and fun throughout. It’s been awesome to see David F. Sandberg’s career grow so quickly and have him direct something this big so I’m very excited to see what he puts out next.
Grade: B-

My feelings are very mixed for this film. On one hand, it totally delivers on the unique sci-fi world and entertaining action sequences I had hoped for when hearing about James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez teaming up. On the other, it totally delivers on the “Disney Channel”-level writing and acting that I was expecting after seeing the trailers for it. The love interest is the worst part of the film and their romance that blossoms is difficult to watch. Nearly every line of dialogue ranges from cheesy to terrible, producing several unintentional laughs from the audience. Rosa Salazar is solid in the titular role and I really hope to see her in something this big again, just with a better script next time. It’s really the action that makes this film though. Alita is undoubtedly entertaining during those sequences and I was really surprised by the amount of violence in it, considering it’s PG-13 rating. It’s a really stupid movie but, honestly, it’s also pretty cool and the world presented is just stunning and awe-inspiring to look at. Grade: C+

It’s almost shocking how many jokes fall flat in this film. Nearly every minute has a punchline that no one in my theater would laugh at, which is just excruciating to sit through. David Harbour is far from bad in the role but his version of Hellboy leaves so much to be desired. Like every other character in the film, Hellboy gives us no reason to care about him. What makes this film watchable are the unique creature designs and some of the action sequences/violence. All the rest ranges from forgettable to terrible. Grade: D+

So much fun. Two incredible lead performances and easily Tarantino’s funniest script. It’s his least story-driven film, which is a refreshing departure. I feel like he was trying to capture this really specific time and place for the film industry and I loved just being able to live in that for awhile with these awesome characters. There’s a reason why so much of the film is spent just hanging out with these people as they drive around L.A. or watch television together. The 1969 style and tone remain consistently hazy and aimless in the best possible way. That being said, it probably ranks 7th for me, out of his 9 amazing films.